Raon slowly opened his trembling eyelids.
'So it wasn't a dream after all.'
A raccoon with a few leaves stuck to its forehead was standing proudly, staring at him as if it were human.
'Wrath. You were right.'
He patted Wrath, who had perfectly predicted this situation.
'Wrath?'
-Ugh...
Wrath let out a groan as if stabbed by a knife and fell to the floor with a thud. It seemed he had fainted from the shock of Merlin's appearance.
'To think a human could make a demon king faint...'
Shaking his head, Raon picked up Wrath and placed him on his shoulder.
"Come this way for now."
Raon gestured to Merlin and entered the inner part of the Lord's Manor where the debris had not yet been cleared.
After putting up an aura barrier so others couldn't hear, he sat down on a chair that looked relatively intact.
"I like this consideration."
Merlin grinned as she sat down on the chair placed opposite him.
"Never mind that. Have you been here the whole time?"
"Yes. Why would I leave when you're here?"
She elegantly brushed back her hair as if it were obvious. She seemed to have forgotten she was currently a raccoon.
"I suppose I should start by saying thank you. Thank you for stopping Lord Rector."
Raon bowed his head to Merlin.
'It would have been much harder without Merlin.'
It was because Merlin appeared that the Holy Sword Alliance executive was able to suggest returning to Rector. It would not be an exaggeration to say that everyone survived thanks to her.
"Don't make such formal greetings between us."
Merlin waved her fur-covered hand, saying not to thank her like that.
'Between us...'
He wanted to ask what kind of relationship they had, but there was something else he needed to say first.
"Are you really okay with this?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he stroked the armrest of the chair.
"Hmm? With what?"
"You interfered with the White Blood Religion in Barene, and now you've stopped the Holy Sword Alliance. Won't this cause problems within Eden?"
"Not at all."
She shook her head firmly enough to surprise the person who had been worried.
"I lived as I pleased even before I met you. They'll probably think the crazy woman just did something crazy again and not say much."
"Huh..."
"Ah, this feels nice. You worrying about me. It gives me chills..."
Merlin blushed as she rubbed her arms. He never thought he'd see a raccoon's cheeks turn red.
"And even if there's a problem, it doesn't matter. I can just leave Eden. I'm in Eden now because it's helpful for you."
She waved her hand, saying she wasn't interested in Eden's goal of restoration.
"That's not what I'm worried about."
Raon sighed and pointed to his head with his finger.
"The Fallen or other Eden executives could have placed restrictions on you."
"Yes, they did."
Merlin nodded with a faint smile.
"But I broke them."
"Huh?"
Raon's eyes widened as he looked at Merlin smiling calmly.
"It, it was placed by the Fallen, right?"
"Yes. It was a restriction that was hard to perceive and took a long time to break because it was complex, but I eventually broke it."
Merlin was a woman who made him chuckle in disbelief the more they talked.
"Was it something like brainwashing?"
"Not brainwashing, but a restriction that made it so I couldn't lie without realizing it."
She explained the method, but since it was related to magic, he didn't understand well.
'As expected, you're amazing, Merlin. Breaking the Fallen's magic. But...'
Would the Fallen have left just that one restriction?
The Fallen is the leader of Eden and one of the top magicians and shamans on the continent. It didn't seem likely that someone like him would have placed only one restriction.
'He gives off the same smell as Derus.'
In my past life, I was satisfied with breaking the brainwashing and just waited for the day to leave the Robert family.
But Derus used the Rage Worm, which could even read emotions, to read all my plans and thoughts, and made his move first.
The Fallen was not an easy person either, so I had to be as careful as possible.
"There may be other restrictions besides that magic. Look at yourself thoroughly from head to toe. Not just places like the head, but the heart and organs too. They could have implanted a Rage Worm."
Raon gave Merlin the advice he had realized in his past life.
'Did I say too much?'
It seemed like he might have given unnecessary advice by saying too much.
"Okay. Got it!"
But Merlin nodded with a bright smile, looking very pleased. She seemed to be in a really good mood.
"You be careful too. Three of the Five Demons are after you."
Merlin patted Raon's hand, telling him to be careful as well.
"Is it true that the White Blood Religion, Holy Sword Alliance, and Black Tower have joined hands?"
Raon tapped the armrest with his fingers as he named the three of the Five Demons that she had mentioned.
"It's probably true. I'm not sure about the White Blood Religion, but I heard the leaders of the Holy Sword Alliance and Black Tower met separately."
Merlin nodded calmly.
"I see."
The alliance between the Holy Sword Alliance and Black Tower that he had suspected based on the Dragon Sword Master's reaction was true. It seemed the political situation on the continent would be greatly shaken.
"What about Eden?"
"It doesn't look like we have any plans to ally with other groups."
Merlin shook her head slowly.
"The Fallen and other executives' only goal is restoration. It seems the same for the Heavenly Demon side, so there's no reason to ally with other forces. However..."
She raised her hand and tapped her cheek.
"It's possible to get involved in incidents caused by others to some extent."
"So Eden needs to be watched out for too."
"That's right. The Fallen is waiting for the Holy Sword Alliance, White Blood Religion, and Black Tower to properly clash with the Six Kings. To use that opportunity to achieve his own plan."
"And that plan is?"
"I don't know either."
Merlin shrugged, saying only the Fallen knows his plan.
"Oh, that's right! My congratulations are late. Congratulations on becoming a Grandmaster!"
Merlin suddenly clapped and shouted congratulations on reaching Grandmaster. She really was an unpredictable woman.
"Th-thank you."
Raon chuckled. Somehow, Merlin ended up being the first person to congratulate him on becoming a Grandmaster.
"I'm sure you'll be able to reach transcendence too."
Merlin's eyes sparkled as if she truly believed that. However, she couldn't overcome her animal instincts and scratched her belly.
"Ah, why does good time always pass so quickly. I should get going now."
Raon swallowed dryly as he watched Merlin's mouth.
'Is it food? Or grooming?'
Since he didn't know what a raccoon might demand, tension rose as if preparing for battle.
"This child wants to try going in a hot spring."
"Oh, hot spring...?"
His mind went blank at the completely unexpected word.
"Give this kid a bath!"
"Wait!"
Raon tried to stop her, but Merlin had already disappeared, leaving only a raccoon that moved on four legs unlike her.
"Kuu."
The raccoon tapped Raon's ankle with its plump paw, as if telling him to hurry up and make a hot spring.
'Do I have to dig up the ground and heat water at this hour of night...'
Raon squeezed his eyes shut once again.
* * *
Since the matter was urgent, the Light Wind division returned to the family immediately after the fierce battle without properly resting.
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the wide open main gate of Zieghart.
'Why is the gate open?'
It's rare for Zieghart's main gate to be open.
Even family members have their identities checked before the gate is opened, so it seemed like something had happened.
As he approached the main gate while predicting what kind of incident it might be, the external commander Illiune shot out like lightning. Whatever had happened, his left eyelid was bruised black.
"You've arrived!"
Illiune bowed at a right angle towards Alice.
"Yeah. External commander. Good work."
Alice grinned and lightly patted Illiune's shoulder.
"Yes!"
Illiune only shuddered at the shoulder Alice touched without straightening up.
"Huh..."
Raon let out a sigh as he watched.
'What's going on?'
He never thought he'd see External Commander Illiune, who doesn't lose his dignified posture even when powerful outsiders visit, crumple like a pillbug.
"Don't mind it. We had a bit of a scuffle in the past."
Alice chuckled after reading Raon's confused gaze.
"It wasn't just a bit of a scuffle, wasn't it more like a one-sided beating?"
Rimmer shook his head as he scratched his head with his left hand.
"I remember the external commander was confined to the infirmary for over two months with all his limbs broken. Seeing his black eye, looks like you hit him again."
He clicked his tongue as he revealed the details of the past incident.
"Shut your mouth... Huh?"
Illiune frowned at Rimmer but then widened his eyes.
"Your arm!"
He trembled as he looked at Rimmer's empty right sleeve.
"Well, that's how it turned out."
Rimmer smiled faintly, saying it was better than losing his life.
"You crazy bastard! How can you say that!"
"It's fine. The kids with bright futures all survived. One of them even surpassed a wall."
He closed his eyes, saying it was enough that Raon and the Light Wind division all survived.
"Hmm."
Illiune looked at Raon standing behind Rimmer and trembled his eyes like when he faced Alice.
"So you really became a Grandmaster."
He was speechless for a moment as if in disbelief.
"It feels like just yesterday you left through this gate as a trainee, and now you're already a Grandmaster. The word monster isn't enough."
"I was lucky."
"You can become a Master with luck, but not a Grandmaster."
Illiune straightened his back and pulled in his chin.
"You've worked hard taking care of the fool. Welcome back."
He placed his hand on his chest and gave Zieghart's sword salute.
Raon swallowed dryly as he received Illiune's disciplined greeting.
"External Commander?"
After becoming a division leader, Illiune had shown some courtesy, but this was the first time he showed such a polite attitude.
"No need to be surprised."
Rimmer smiled faintly and firmly grasped Raon's shoulder.
"It just means this is the position you're standing in now."
He muttered that there would be many interesting things to come and to look forward to it.
"But who are you calling a fool?"
Raon and Illiune looked at Rimmer simultaneously in response to his question.
"You, you damn bastards! Why am I the fool!"
As he was about to throw a fit, Alice stomped her foot hard.
"Aren't you coming? The Head of House is waiting!"
Alice raised her fist, saying she'd drag him herself if he didn't run right now.
"Let's go."
"Grrrr..."
Raon walked down the central avenue leading to the Lord's Manor, dragging the red-faced Rimmer along.
"It's Lady Alice..."
"As expected, her aura is completely different."
"Even the division leaders, no, the palace masters aren't like that..."
The Zieghart swordsmen passing by the avenue simply sighed in admiration as they looked at Alice. However, she wasn't the only one they were exclaiming over.
"Is, is that Raon Zieghart?"
"His atmosphere has completely changed."
"So it was true that he became a Grandmaster..."
"Then, then it must be true that he captured the Dragon Sword Master too!"
"Grandmaster at 21? It's unprecedented."
"I'm glad he came from our family. If it was another family or kingdom, we would have died from envy."
Raon furrowed his brow as he heard the swordsmen's intense reactions.
'The reactions are different from before.'
In the past, when he returned after completing missions, there were many times the swordsmen showed surprised or admiring reactions.
But the direct lineage and the swordsmen following them always shot glares filled with jealousy and hatred, yet now there was none of that at all.
Every swordsman standing on this path was only sending gazes filled with reverence.
-It is only natural.
Wrath nodded as he looked down at the swordsmen.
-Be it humans or demons, overwhelming power and talent do not even arouse jealousy, but only fill them with awe. Now those fellows can no longer see you as an existence on the same level.
He dusted off his hands, saying there would be far fewer humans causing trouble from now on.
'I see.'
Raon headed towards the Lord's Manor, realizing that not only his inner world, but the outside world had changed greatly as well.
"You've arrived."
Roenn was waiting in front of the Lord's Manor. He bowed his head to Alice and then fell silent for a moment as he looked at Rimmer.
"...You've worked hard."
Roenn gave eye greetings to Rimmer and Raon in turn before guiding them to the audience chamber.
The door to the audience chamber was wide open like Zieghart's main gate, and on either side of the red carpet laid out in the center stood the family's executives.
At the center, on the raised platform as always, Glenn Zieghart was resting his chin on his hand with eyes filled with emptiness.
"We have returned after completing the Light Wind division's mission."
Raon knelt in front of the platform as the temporary division leader since Rimmer was injured.
Following him, all the Light Wind division members knelt and lowered their heads.
"Raise your heads."
Glenn nodded calmly but then frowned as he saw Rimmer's empty right sleeve.
"Light Wind Division Leader. That arm?"
"It was due to my lack of skill."
Rimmer lowered his head, saying it was due to his own lack of ability without making any excuses in front of Glenn.
"Light Wind Vice Division Leader."
"Yes."
Raon raised his gaze at Glenn's call.
"There are some things not written in the report."
"I intended to tell you about the unpleasant matters in person."
Raon recited the thought he had when writing the report.
"Alice."
"Yes."
"You acted like you would handle everything, yet you couldn't even prevent that?"
Glenn frowned as he looked at Alice this time.
"That's..."
"It's not Aunt's fault."
Raon stepped forward to cut off the criticism directed at Alice.
"Aunt?"
Karoon strongly emphasized the word 'aunt'.
"Um..."
Raon bit his lip as he looked at Karoon.
'To make such a mistake...'
It slipped out unconsciously because Alice had kept threatening him to call her aunt on the way back.
"Did you just call her aunt?"
Karoon curled up the corners of his mouth as if he had caught something good.
"Where is your aunt here, you ignorant colt!"
"Hey."
Just as he was about to use the opportunity to apply pressure, Alice approached in front of Karoon and lifted her chin.
"If you don't want to die, shut your mouth."
Alice glared at Karoon with fierce eyes like a beast, looking genuinely annoyed.
"If I want to be called aunt, what's it to you!"
"Umm..."
Karoon trembled his jaw, unable to even close his open mouth at the terrifying aura emanating from Alice.
"Sister."
Denier lowered his voice as he surveyed the quietened audience chamber.
"This is in front of the Head of House. Such vulgar words..."
"That's why I didn't say 'trap', I said 'mouth'! If you've got a problem, let's fight!"
"..."
The audience chamber grew even quieter.