"Th-this is strange, what do you mean?"
Gep widened his eyes, unable to comprehend.
"..."
Raon didn't respond to his question and turned his head again. He examined not only the woman's corpse but the other corpses as well, then nodded slightly.
'As I thought, it's all the same.'
The corpses were deliberately made to look like they had been attacked by the White Blood Religion's blood demons, with necks and wrists roughly torn apart. If seen without much thought, one would assume it was indeed the work of the White Blood Religion.
However, a closer look at the wounds revealed a crucial mistake made by the perpetrators.
'There's a time difference in the injuries.'
The wounds that caused the deaths, like the pierced hearts and slashed waists of the martial artists, occurred earlier than the ones on the wrists and necks meant for bloodsucking.
'That doesn't make sense.'
The blood demons of the White Blood Religion almost always tear the flesh and drink the blood of living people.
The bloody festivals conducted by the White Blood Religion are ceremonies where living people are offered as sacrifices to the Blood God, so they must drink fresh blood.
In other words, they need to tear the flesh and drink the blood of living people, but most of the corpses here had their wrists and necks bitten after death.
'Someone staged this.'
Confirming it with the other corpses, Raon became even more certain.
'The most important thing is...'
Raon ran his left hand along the Requiem Sword strapped to his back.
'The Requiem Sword is not reacting.'
The Requiem Sword, which can sense even the faintest traces of bloody energy that I can hardly detect, was only feeling pity for the deceased and not reacting with anger towards the White Blood Religion.
The people here were not attacked by the White Blood Religion but by someone disguising themselves as such.
"Right."
Martha, who was examining the corpse of a middle-aged martial artist, nodded.
"These people were not attacked by the White Blood Religion."
"W-what do you mean..."
Dorian was startled and took a step back.
"When the White Blood Religion uses their blood techniques and bites flesh, the blood vessels burst outward to spew more blood."
Martha pointed to the neck of the corpse and continued.
"But all the people here have their blood vessels caving inward. They might have been bitten, but it wasn't done by the White Blood Religion. It's fake."
She shook her head with certainty.
Raon watched Martha declare it was the work of fake White Blood Religion members and smiled faintly.
'She's been investigating all this time.'
To determine it wasn't the work of the White Blood Religion at once, Martha must have continuously studied them to save her mother.
"She is correct."
Raon agreed with Martha and turned to Gep and Bells.
"Not just the blood vessels, but the wrist and neck wounds occurred after death. The White Blood Religion drinks the blood of living people. This was done by someone pretending to be them."
He showed everyone the slightly different colors on the inner parts of the wounds on the necks and wrists.
"How did you know that?"
Martha tilted her head, curious.
"It's only natural to know."
The White Blood Religion, being the main enemy, required constant investigation.
"Hmm..."
Martha grimaced and stepped back upon hearing that.
"What are you doing?"
While Raon chuckled, Bells approached the corpses. A heavy and cold aura emanated from him, indicating he was not pleased.
"..."
Bells silently examined the corpses slowly and then stood up.
"It seems the two of you are right."
He looked at Raon and Martha in turn and nodded solemnly.
"I haven't encountered the White Blood Religion before, so I didn't know about the blood vessels, but the timing of the wounds is indeed different. Someone tried to frame the White Blood Religion."
Bells admitted their thoughts were wrong and sighed.
"You wouldn't know if you haven't experienced it."
Martha waved her hand nonchalantly, and she also responded gently since Bells admitted it first, which was unusual for her.
"..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Bells treat Martha with respect.
'Did he really not know?'
Bells' nickname is the Calm Swordsman. He is calm and cold-hearted, and it's hard to believe that the next head of the Lakion family was fooled by such a simple trick.
'No need to be overly suspicious, but it's better to be cautious... huh?'
While thinking that he should be careful of Bells, Raon detected a foul odor emanating from him.
It was a grotesque smell, like the stench from a pile of garbage, briefly stimulating his senses and then disappearing.
'What was that?'
Raon widened his eyes and looked at the others. Burren, Martha, and Dorian, who were next to Bells, seemed oblivious, chatting calmly.
'Was I the only one who sensed that stench?'
I sensed it too.
Wrath clicked his tongue with an annoyed look.
It was the smell of contaminated demonic energy.
'Contaminated demonic energy?'
It was a foul odor, as if pure demonic energy had been stained with filth. It was so distorted that I couldn't even tell whose aura it was.
Wrath rubbed his nose, saying he smelled something dirty.
'Demonic energy...'
There are only two groups on the continent that use demonic energy: the Black Tower and the Demonized Humans.
However, it's not necessarily one of them, as someone could be using an artifact imbued with demonic energy.
'In any case, I must remain vigilant.'
Raon examined the corpses again, but there was no trace of demonic energy. He needed to investigate Bells' secret slowly.
"Sir Gep."
Raon turned to Gep.
"What happened to the hideout in the south?"
"Oh, I received news earlier that they demolished the hideout and fled."
Gep responded with a blank look, still unable to believe it wasn't the work of the White Blood Religion.
"We should start the investigation there."
Burren clicked his tongue.
As Burren suggested, they needed to investigate the hideout, but Raon had a feeling they wouldn't find much there.
"First, let's return these people to the family."
Raon closed his eyes and covered the bodies with a tent.
"Yes, we should do that."
Dorian nodded, agreeing that it was the right thing to do.
"After that, how about coming to our family? There's nowhere to stay around here."
Bells suggested going to the Lakion family's estate, approaching Rimmer.
"Hmm..."
Rimmer licked his lips, lost in thought, and turned his gaze to Raon.
"What do you think, Raon?"
"Let's go."
It was wise to observe a suspicious person more closely.
Raon bit his lip as he looked at the deceased family members who couldn't even close their eyes.
'Whoever you are, I will avenge you.'
After requesting the trading company associated with Zieghart to return the deceased to the family, Raon and the Light Wind division finally left the Sinigen Branch.
Since they examined each corpse thoroughly, they arrived at the Lakion family estate when the moon was at its highest point in the sky.
Although it was late and the darkness covered the world like a curtain, the interior of the Lakion estate was as bright as day with numerous lights.
"Welcome to Lakion."
Bells opened the crimson gate with a calm yet not overly polite nod.
'This place is enormous.'
The scale of the Lakion family was unparalleled, unlike any other typical family.
It felt more like a royal castle than an estate. Though smaller than Zieghart, the buildings and facilities here were incomparable to most other families.
As they walked along the main road following Bells, the surrounding swordsmen bowed with precise movements.
As expected from a family renowned for their swordsmanship, the aura of the martial artists was sharp and dignified.
"This is where the head of the family resides, the Lord's Manor."
Bells stopped in front of a majestic building, like a tower stabbing into the sky, at the innermost part of the estate.
'This place...'
Raon rubbed his fingertips as he heard Bells' words. A strong aura, like a sharp blade, emanated from the building.
"Hmm."
Bells cleared his throat and knocked on the door decorated with a red lion.
"Master, we have brought the guests from Zieghart."
"Enter."
A heavy voice, like a boulder rolling, immediately responded. It sounded as if the person was right behind the door or at the end of a long tunnel.
"Yes."
Bells nodded and opened the door to enter.
Raon sent a signal with his eyes to the Light Wind division and followed Bells into the Lord's Manor.
Unlike Zieghart, the Lord's Manor here seemed to also serve as the audience chamber, with no other rooms in sight, only a straight path leading to the central platform.
It was a space that perfectly reflected the word "luxurious." The red carpet felt alive underfoot, like walking on grass, and priceless artworks lined both sides.
"Welcome."
An elderly man with red hair rose from a platform that looked as if it were built with gold instead of stone.
Though his stature wasn't large, he exuded a formidable presence, and despite the wrinkles on his face, his eyes were full of vitality.
"I am Juan Lakion, the head of the Lakion family."
Juan Lakion looked down arrogantly at the entire Light Wind division and nodded.
"Greetings to the head of the Lakion family."
Following Raon's greeting, the Light Wind division bowed to Juan.
"Seeing such outstanding heroes lifts my spirits."
Juan accepted the greetings of the Light Wind division and looked at Rimmer, who stood motionless.
"It's been a while, Leader of the Shadow Agents."
"Ah..."
Rimmer frowned upon hearing the title Shadow Agents.
"I'm the Leader of the Light Wind division now. Please address me correctly."
"Ah, my mistake. Age has taken its toll on me."
Juan Lakion laughed heartily and waved his hand.
"Then you must be the Dragon Slayer."
His black gaze shifted from Rimmer to Raon.
"It truly is extraordinary. To have such power at 21, it's hard to believe even seeing it in person."
Juan's Adam's apple bobbed as if he were genuinely amazed.
"Since the Dragon Slayer and the Light Wind have visited, we should hold a banquet."
He muttered about not being able to sit still on such a joyous day.
"I apologize."
Raon stepped forward and shook his head.
"We are in mourning for our fallen family members and are not in a condition to drink. Please understand."
He cautiously expressed his refusal.
"Hmm, indeed. I almost made a mistake."
Juan laughed, hitting his forehead.
"Forgive me. At this age, foolish words often slip out. Please understand."
He apologized and called Bells.
"Bells."
"Yes."
Bells climbed the platform at Juan's call.
"What happened? Was it really the White Blood Religion that attacked the Sinigen Branch?"
"No, it wasn't."
"It wasn't?"
"Yes. Thanks to Raon and Martha, we discovered that..."
He reported everything that happened at Sinigen.
"You fool!"
Juan gritted his teeth and slapped Bells' cheek. With a sound like a drum bursting, blood splattered from Bells' mouth, staining the red carpet.
"How could you not even grasp that correctly, making a fool of yourself in front of our guests!"
He slapped Bells' cheek again, turning his head, and yelled.
"Hmm..."
Raon narrowed his eyes, watching Juan and Bells.
'The common opinion was that he is strong but rash and short-sighted. Surprisingly, he knows his limits well.'
Juan was exactly as described in the information from the Black Market and the Shadow Agents.
However, he didn't expect him to humiliate and use violence against his successor, Bells, in front of the Light Wind division. He was even more ignorant than expected.
"I apologize for the unnecessary trouble caused by this fool."
"No, it's fine."
Raon shook his head as he watched Bells' back.
"You must be tired. I've kept you too long. Rest for today."
Juan gestured to a butler behind him.
"Please follow me."
The butler bowed silently, opened the door to the Lord's Manor, and led the Light Wind division outside.
"Ah, yes..."
The Light Wind division, caught off guard by the awkward atmosphere, followed the butler out of the audience chamber without a word.
Before leaving, Raon glanced back. Juan and Bells stood crossing each other without speaking.
'What's the relationship between those two...'
"Wow."
Rimmer stretched on the sofa in the side building lobby.
"It's been a while since I've been here."
"Have you been here before?"
Krein approached Rimmer curiously.
"Yeah. Once when they were annexed."
"Annexed? So you fought against Lakion?"
"Yes. It was when the head had no wrinkles on his face."
Rimmer chuckled and nodded.
"At that time, Lakion was a rising family. They were full of confidence, and since our territories overlapped, we clashed often. Eventually, a full-scale war broke out, and we won, making them a subordinate family."
He recounted the history as if reading from a history book.
"It's surprising they were spared."
Martha tilted her head, hearing it for the first time.
"Lakion was strong, and they didn't use any underhanded tricks. They always fought head-on, which must have impressed our head."
Rimmer rolled his eyes, reminiscing.
"I see."
"I didn't know that."
The swordsmen, who assumed Lakion would have willingly followed Zieghart, exhaled a sigh of relief.
"But will Lord Bells be alright? The head of the Lakion family seemed very angry..."
Dorian swallowed nervously.
"He's an ignorant man."
Martha frowned, indicating she hadn't expected Bells to get hit.
"Disgusting."
Runaan mumbled, glaring with her vacant eyes, clearly disliking Juan.
"Unlike Lord Bells, he seemed too impulsive."
"Yeah. To hit his son in front of guests..."
"He seemed like a man who lives by his temper."
Not only the leaders but all the Light Wind swordsmen criticized the head of the Lakion family and pitied Bells.
Raon narrowed his eyes, listening to the consistent opinion that Bells was pitiable and the Lakion head was impulsive.
'Could it be that this is the reaction he wanted?'
Even for a moment, the focus of the Light Wind division shifted from the Zieghart branch to Bells and Juan.
It was almost as if Juan hit Bells on purpose to show the image of an ignorant and impulsive head.
Clap!
Raon clapped lightly to gather the Light Wind swordsmen's attention.
"You've done well today. You must be shocked too, so go and rest."
"Are we really resting?"
"What's going on?"
"Yeah. I thought you would train us today too..."
The swordsmen widened their eyes in surprise at Raon's suggestion to rest.
"Should I?"
"Ugh!"
"No, sir!"
"We'll go right away!"
When Raon tilted his head, the swordsmen quickly shook their heads and ran to their rooms.
"Leaders, stay behind."
Raon left Burren, Martha, and Runaan on the sofa and set up an aura barrier.
"What is it?"
Burren tilted his head, wondering why they were left behind.
"I suspect the Lakion family."
Raon told the leaders everything he had thought so far.
"Actually, the Sinigen Branch was originally established to keep an eye on Lakion. Over time, the Lakion family became quiet, and it lost its purpose."
"That's right."
Rimmer nodded, surprised.
"Right after annexing Lakion, a branch was established to keep an eye on them. It was forgotten over the decades as Lakion did nothing. How did you know that?"
"It's just natural."
Raon dismissed it as if it were nothing.
"Then wouldn't the Lakion family be the first suspect in the branch attack?"
Burren squinted at Raon.
"Most would think so. But there are many who believe the Lakion family is not a suspect. None of you suspected Lakion, right?"
Raon calmly shook his head.
"Moreover, it's suspicious that Bells Lakion didn't recognize the wounds caused by the White Blood Religion."
Even without knowledge of the White Blood Religion, missing the significant time difference in the wounds was hard to understand.
The main suspicion was the demonic energy, but since only he sensed it, he didn't mention it.
"The head of the Lakion family seemed like a simple man, hitting his son in front of guests..."
Martha suggested Juan was straightforward.
"That could be an act."
Raon tapped the table with his finger, looking at the leaders in turn.
"And most importantly, traitors don't have much time."
"Not much time?"
"Right. Everyone knows we recently rooted out the traitors within our family, right?"
"Yeah."
"Since the internal cleanup is done, the next step is to scrutinize the subordinate families. The nervous ones might have acted hastily, attacking the branch before being discovered."
Although there was no concrete evidence or proof that Lakion was the culprit, the suspicion was enough.
"Then why did we come here? It could be dangerous."
Runaan asked with her vacant eyes, posing a reasonable question.
"It could be dangerous. But..."
Raon smiled as if he had been waiting for that question.
"There are things we can only find out by coming here."
Food!
As soon as he said that, Wrath, who had been drooling, suddenly jumped up.
We've been starving all day, so let's eat first! Isn't that the most important thing?
'...Please just sleep.'