Raonâs chin trembled as he met Marthaâs bloodshot eyes.
âYou found your mom on that battlefield?â
Martha had never told him about her story. Raon had only guessed that the tenth apostle had attacked her village from how things went.
He thought it was a sad thing to happen because the White Blood Religion took people away to feed them to the bloody demons, and thatâs why it was completely unexpected for him that sheâd seen her mother.
âYes.â
Martha nodded. Her black eyes were trembling violently.
âMy mom was there.â
âWhich one was she?â
ââŠâŠâ
Martha didnât respond, looking up at the magic lamp hanging on the ceiling.
âSheâs younger and prettier than before, but she was definitely my mom. Thereâs no way I wouldnât recognize herâŠâ
She bit her lip tightly, saying that there was no mistake about it.
âMartha?â
Raon called her name, and her gaze lowered. Her unfocused eyes were reflecting her despair and vanity.
âThe⊠White Blood Religion's leader.â
ââŠWhat?â
Raon gasped. His mind went blank from the completely unexpected response, and he couldnât think about anything at all.
âAh?â
Runaan also stepped back in surprise. The water bottle on the ground was knocked over and created a blunt noise.
âThe White Blood Religion's leader had my momâs appearance.â
Martha said it with certainty. Her dying eyes seemed to be screaming.
âAre you saying that she looked similar in appearance?â
âSheâs not just similar. The White Blood Religion's leader is my mom.â
âWhat do you meanâŠ?â
Raon started shaking his head before looking at the droplet necklace in Marthaâs hand.
âThatâsâŠâ
It was the necklace that appeared around her neck when they went through a difficult training one summer when they were trainees. Heâd seen her putting it back inside as soon as it came out, which showed how precious it was to her.
âIâm sure Iâve seen that somewhere. Ah!â
Raon sank to the ground, unable to control his trembling legs.
âThe White Blood Religion's leader. Itâs the same one she hadâŠâ
When the White Blood Religion's leader summoned the Blood God and went all-out against Glenn, a necklace came out from under her dress and swayed.
The color was different, but the shape was exactly the same as the necklace that Martha was holding.
âNow that I think about it⊠She also looks similar.â
Both the White Blood Religion's leader and Martha had black hair and black eyes. Raon finally remembered that he had the impression that she somehow looked familiar, and it was because she looked similar to Martha.
Marthaâs appearance gave an elegant impression despite her personality, and Raon figured that she would look similar to the White Blood Religion's leader once she gained some charm from getting older.
âDoes that mean that the White Blood Religion's leader is really her mother?â
He was completely speechless. The feeling that her conviction was actually true was pounding violently in his brain.
Raon swallowed nervously.
âHow is thisâŠ?â
Even though he was supposed to console her, he was completely clueless about what to tell her.
The fact that he hadnât led a normal life in his previous life was coming back to haunt him.
âWrath, what shall I do? Do you have any good ideas on what I should tell her?â
M-maybe we should feed her?
ââŠâŠâ
Obviously, Wrath was also useless because his life wasnât normal either.
âMartha, the White Blood Religion's leaderâŠâ
âSheâs not my mom.â
She hung her head once again after the sudden declaration.
âThat face and body definitely belong to my mom, but the one inside is a different bitch.â
She clenched her fist while scratching the ground.
âMy mom doesnât laugh in such a dirty way. She canât even insult people, let alone kill them. Thereâs no way my mom wouldâve become the head of the bloody demon bastards!â
ââŠâŠâ
Runaan went to Martha to grab her trembling hand. Martha wouldâve normally pushed her away, but she quietly accepted Runaanâs warmth instead.
Raon narrowed his eyes while brushing his neck.
âDoes that mean that the soul of the White Blood Religion's leader is dwelling inside Marthaâs motherâs body?â
That seemed completely possible after what happened from wearing Edenâs helmet. A monster of her level wouldâve made it possible to transfer her soul somehow, whether she used necromancy, blood magic, or sorcery.
Indeed. Thatâs not exactly a difficult task.
Wrath clicked his tongue in displeasure.
There are lots of parasites like her in Devildom. They are hungry demons who try to devour a healthy body with their dirty souls.
ââŠBut you also tried to take over my body, just like them.â
Raon licked his lips. Wrath wasnât any different from them when it came down to it.
Th-the King of Essence only came to you because of your wish! Itâs you who wanted it!
âI didnât, though?â
You did! You damn fiend!
âWell, sure.â
Aaaaargh!
Wrath grasped his head and started to scream.
âCan you move away?â
Raon pushed Wrath away as he writhed in agony, then fiddled with his fingers.
âIs that why the White Blood Religion keeps abducting people?â
Whenever the White Blood Religion attacked a village or a city, they usually killed half of the people and took the other half to their base.
Raon had been thinking it mustâve been some kind of doctrine, but Marthaâs story was pointing at the possibility that it was to find a body for their religious leaderâs soul.
âIs there a way to revert it?â
Ugh, itâs normally impossible. However, it depends on the situation.
âSituation? Which situation is that?â
Raon held onto Wrath since he was implying that it wasnât completely impossible.
It depends on whether she devoured the original soul of the body or simply locked it up.
Wrath continued while struggling to escape.
You experienced it during the last incident. You absorbed the halfling dragonâs soul, which means it canât be returned anymore, but you couldâve also locked him up in that mental world. When that happens, itâs possible to recover the soul.
âHmm, that means that thereâs no way Marthaâs mother is still aliveâŠâ
Raon frowned. There was no way the White Blood Religion's leader would have spared the soul considering how she treated other people as worthless worms.
Thatâs not exactly true.
âHmm?â
Do you remember what the King of Essence told you about the causality?
âYes, itâs the cause and effect relationship.â
A powerful ability is bound to have a recoil. You canât guarantee that she wouldâve killed the soul just because sheâs evil, as we donât know what kind of contract and conditions she had.
Wrath murmured that it could be either way while watching Marthaâs trembling neck.
âHmm.â
Raon bit his lip slightly. He couldnât tell Martha about it because he didnât want to give her a futile hope.
âI wonder if thereâs anything that can confirmâŠâ
He silently sighed, and he noticed the necklace in Marthaâs hand.
âWait⊠Thatâs a bit strange.â
There was no way Marthaâs mom would still be wearing the necklace if the White Blood Religion's leader had completely taken over. It was a cheap and simple worn-out necklace, after allâit didnât even look pretty.
Considering the fact that she was still wearing an old necklace that she shouldnât even care about, it seemed possible that Marthaâs mom was really locked up in the mental world after losing to the White Blood Religion's leader.
Whir!
The Blade of Requiem hanging around his waist suddenly started to vibrate, as if it were trying to confirm his guess.
âMartha.â
Raon clenched his fist and stood up.
âIt shouldnât be completely impossible to save her.â
âWhat nonsense are you speakingâŠ?â
âThat necklace.â
He pointed at the droplet necklace in Marthaâs grip.
âThe White Blood Religion's leader was also wearing that necklace.â
Martha slowly raised her head upon hearing that. A faint ray of light returned to her dying eyes.
âThere would be no reason for her to be wearing that necklace if your motherâs soul has been devoured by the White Blood Religion's leader. Itâs close to impossible, but the hope still exists.â
He told her about the conversation he had with Wrath, and Marthaâs eyes turned slightly brighter.
âAh, wait.â
Raon averted his eyes from Martha and frowned.
âWe donât even know whether the White Blood Religion's leader is still alive or notâŠâ
Sheâs still alive.
Wrath casually responded. He sounded like he was simply stating the obvious.
Both she and the halfling Pride survived.
* * *
[Translator â Kyangi]
[Proofreader â Harley]
* * *
Merchant City Cameloon
Outskirts
Many people had gathered in front of an antique and luxurious mansion.
A merchant passing by the avenue tilted his head upon noticing the people around the mansion. He couldnât suppress his curiosity and turned to the old man, who was right next to him.
âWasnât this a vacant mansion? Why is everyone gathered here?â
âThe Destructive King of the North is currently staying here.â
The old man briefly responded while looking up to the highest floor of the annex building.
âTh-the Destructive King of the North? Are you talking about Glenn Zieghart?â
The merchant was following the old manâs gaze as he listened before he stepped back in surprise.
âTsk! You shouldnât call his name so carelessly. Be more careful!â
âAh, I-Iâm sorry.â
âItâs because heâs here that all those peddlers have gathered to get on his side.â
The old man chuckled, saying that it was pointless.
âBut why did the Destructive King of the North visit Cameloon?â
âDonât you even know about that? What have you even been doing so far?â
âI just arrived here from Robert today.â
The merchant showed him the seasonings he brought from the south.
âAh, thatâs understandable.â
The old man nodded and pointed at the west.
âThose Eden bastards had set up a branch at the west of Cameloon. Thatâs whereâŠâ
The old man told him about the rumor that had already spread throughout Cameloon.
âD-did he really fight the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen on his own? The Destructive King of the North did? HuhâŠâ
The merchantâs jaw dropped. Even though many people used to consider Glenn Zieghart the strongest in the continent, many started to think that the other supreme beings were stronger than him after Zieghartâs activities came to a halt.
Lots of people even considered the Destructive King of the North a retired old man, which was why it was completely unexpected that he could fight two of the Five Demons' heads on his own.
âThatâs not all.â
The old man swirled his finger.
âHis grandson, Raon Zieghartâs, achievement doesnât lose to him either. Even though he was kidnapped, he killed the fifth apostle and cut down an advanced Master swordsman called Unfaceable Snake to save the hostages. He even did that while the White Blood Religion's leader and the Fallen were watching.â
He grinned, praising the young swordsmanâs amazing guts.
âI honestly think heâs even more amazing. Thatâs not something a warrior that hasnât even reached his twenties can achieve.â
âTh-thatâs true.â
The merchant nodded awkwardly.
âZieghartâŠâ
Zieghart hadnât really been making a name for themselves recently. Because they werenât really doing anything in the center of the continent, they were usually considered average among the Six Kings.
However, the incident was bound to cause rumors that the northern sword had become even colder and stronger. Zieghart's name couldnât be underestimated, after all.
The merchant went to the back of the crowd and placed his bag down.
âWerenât you going somewhere?â
The old man narrowed his eyes while pointing at the merchantâs bag.
âI realized while listening to your story that I have a more important thing to do than my business right now.â
The merchant chuckled and sat on the ground.
âSince the current strongest man of the continent and the future strongest man in the continent are staying in this mansion, Iâd like to see their faces at least.â
* * *
An old woman was watching the crowd gathered around the mansion from the highest floor of the mansion. She turned towards the center of the room with a smile on her face.
âEveryoneâs so eager to meet the famous head of house.â
She smiled with her eyes while looking at Glenn, who was sitting at the center of the room.
âHow about greeting them? Iâm sure they would love it.â
âThey can turn their wings at any time like migrating birds. Itâs pointless.â
Glenn shook his head without standing up from his chair. There was no reason to meet people who only wanted to see him after what happened, as they couldâve visited him at any time if they wanted to trade with Zieghart.
There were countless people who could trade with him anyway, even if he refused them all.
âThatâs true.â
The old woman nodded with a faint smile on her face.
âSo, why did you come here, master of the Black Market?â
Glenn narrowed his eyes while looking at the old woman. That kind-looking old woman was the master of the Black Market, which was one of the best intelligence organizations in the continent.
Although the Black Marketâs influence used to be limited to the center of the continent, that old woman had managed to expand it to their current state, which made it necessary to stay alert against her.
âOur trade should be over.â
âThe trade is over. However, the favor still remains.â
The Black Marketâs master walked up to Glenn and bowed to him. Her slightly trembling neck showed that she was struggling to do so, but she still lowered her head politely.
âFavor?â
âYes. Weâve put a lot of effort into Grand Seville. We were planning on making it into the entertainment city Grand Seville, just like the merchant city Cameloon.â
âSo?â
âThatâs why weâve dispatched many talented agents to Grand Seville. Iâve even sent one of my successors here.â
âAre you talking about the girl wearing an eyepatch?â
Glenn narrowed his eyes. He remembered the Black Marketâs branch manager who had earnestly helped him.
âIndeed.â
The Black Marketâs master nodded gently.
âShe managed to survive the seventh apostle thanks to the Light Windâs vice squad leader. She begged me to save Sir Raon no matter what.â
She bowed at Glenn once again with a kindhearted smile on her face.
âIâm thanking you once again for saving my daughter, esteemed Destructive King of the North.â
âShe was really sincere, so much so that Iâd like to thank her. HoweverâŠâ
Glenn tapped the armrest with his finger while staring at the Black Marketâs master.
âI can hardly accept the Black Market masterâs gratitude. I canât tell what you are thinking, after all.â
âYou are being too cautious around me. Iâm just thankful to you this time. Please donât doubt this maidenâs feelings.â
âMaiden, you say.â
Glenn chuckled and nodded.
âAlright. However, Iâm not the one you should be thanking, and the same goes for that girl.â
âI know. Sheâs also coming this way, so we will be greeting the Light Windâs vice squad leader together.â
The Black Marketâs master looked up to Glenn with a faint smile on her face.
âHe cherishes the Light Windâs vice squad leader a lot more than I thought.â
People in Glennâs position tended to simply accept otherâs gratitude. The way he casually passed the glory on to Raon implied that he truly cherished that boy named Raon.
âI guess he wouldnât even be here to save him if that wasnât the case.â
Although he was acting under the pretext that they had underestimated Zieghart, the fact that the head of house had personally made a move implied that the boy named Raon was as important as a successor to him.
âItâs understandable.â
Raon Zieghart had reached the intermediate level of Master at the age of nineteen, and he was a monster that managed to kill three apostles and five Master-tier demons.
Even though he was still young, he was capable enough to stand at the end of the line of the successors.
âI have something to discuss with the head of house.â
The Black Marketâs master leaned forward to look at Glenn.
âWhat is it?â
âI believe the Black Market will be antagonized by Eden and the White Blood Religion after this incident.â
âThat should be the case.â
âIâd like to request a temporary alliance to fight the Eden and the White Blood Religion.â
âAre you planning to borrow our might in exchange for information?â
âIndeed. We will deal with whatever we can by ourselves, but we expect an extreme amount of casualties if we have to fight one of the strongest apostlesâŠâ
âAlright.â
Glenn nodded after closing his eyes for a moment.
The Black Marketâs master bowed.
âIs this also because of Raon?â
Since Glenn originally had a self-reliant personality, he wouldnât have accepted the alliance so easily.
He mustâve been still angry at the White Blood Religion and Eden for kidnapping Raon.
âI shall prepare a gift for Raon.â
Since there was no disadvantage in getting on his good side in advance, she figured she should prepare a gift to improve his condition.
âIâll write up the paperwork and visit again with my fourth daughter.â
The Black Marketâs master bowed to him and left the room.
âThat doesnât seem too bad.â
Sheryl, whoâd been standing away from them, walked up to him with a subtle smile on her face.
âSince our information is limited to the north and the center, we should gain a lot from borrowing the Black Marketâs abilities.â
âI agree. The war has already started, and itâs better to annihilate them if we canât avoid it.â
Roenn caressed the rapier hanging around his waist. Murderous intent was radiating from his usually gentle eyes.
âPlease calm down.â
Sheryl chuckled and raised her hand.
âHmm, please excuse me.â
Roenn awkwardly scratched the back of his head. However, the murderous intent coming from his eyes didnât fade away.
âBut I still canât forgive the bastards who dared to harm young master Raon. Iâll have to warm myself up in preparation.â
He grabbed the hilt of his sword, saying that he was going to regain the abilities of his prime.
To read the uncut version, go to [pawread.com].
âI understand. I also would have searched throughout the continent for them if something bad happened to Raon.â
Sheryl also clenched her fist with a frightening look in her eyes.
âIndeed.â
Glenn nodded.
âThereâs no reason to let such scum live. Make sure to kill them whenever you get a report.â
âYes!â
âUnderstood.â
Frightening gazes were radiating from them as they looked at each other.
âHahâŠâ
Rimmer exclaimed while looking at Roenn, Sheryl, and Glenn.
âThey always called me out for doting on him so much, but now they are even worse.â
They used to scold him for taking care of him so much, yet they looked like they were about to overthrow the continent because of Raon. Rimmer couldnât understand how it even happened.
âItâs really strange.â
Sherly didnât really like children, and Roenn had an extremely coldhearted personality despite his gentle appearance. It was a complete mystery that those two grew so fond of Raon.
âI guess heâs a charming boy.â
Despite being a child, Raon had never acted spoiled or asked for help. It was probably because he was a hard worker who kept running towards the top instead of a simple genius that their hearts were attracted to him.
âErrâŠâ
When Rimmer was about to talk to Glenn, a knocking sound could be heard.
âIâm the Light Windâs vice squad leader, Raon Zieghart. Iâm here because Iâd like to see the head of house.â
Raonâs slightly nervous voice could be heard after the knocking.
âHmm?â
âHuh?â
Roenn and Sherylâs murderous auras disappeared at once, like candlelight that had been smothered.
âIâll open the door.â
âWait!â
Just as Roenn was about to walk towards the door like always, Rimmer created an aura barrier to stop the sound from escaping.
âMy lord.â
He narrowed his eyes while looking at Glenn.
âYou are planning to act cold towards him once again, right?â
âHmmâŠâ
âYou mustâve realized from this incident that danger will happen countless times as long as he lives as a warrior. You might never be able to tell him your true feelings.â
Rimmer glared at Glenn with a serious gaze, which was rare coming from him.
âPlease tell him your true feelings now. No one is going to criticize you for cherishing your grandson!â
âUghâŠâ
Glenn shuddered for the first time against Rimmer.
âWell, Iâd like to deny everything the drunkard says, but heâs right this time.â
Sheryl gave a big nod.
âI also agree.â
Roenn smiled gently from the door.
âIâm fully aware what kind of person you are, my lord. Iâm not asking for much here.â
Rimmer sighed and raised his index finger.
âWorry! Tell him that you were worried, you must say that to him at least!â
He clenched his fist to plead for it before walking up to the door.
âWait!â
Glenn raised his hand. Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn turned around to look at him at the same time.
âAhem.â
He cleared his throat with a completely nervous voice.
âI-is my voice okay right now? I donât sound strange, do I?â
ââŠâŠâ
The three were frowning because they were expecting another excuse from him, but their faces all turned blank at the same time.