"It's embarrassing for me to say, but is it really okay to let him go like that?"
Serena bit her lip slightly as she watched the Sword Demon Rector disappear into the distance.
Her expression showed that, as a Division Leader of Zieghart, she wasn't pleased with letting an executive of the Holy Sword Alliance go unscathed.
"It's unfortunate, but that old geezer is stronger than me."
Alice waved her hand lightly towards Serena. She honestly admitted the inadequacy of her own martial prowess.
"Besides, the Transcendent Warrior who attacked Raon might still be around. We already have many injured on our side, so there's no need to increase casualties unnecessarily."
"Haa, I'm sorry. It seems the blood rush to my head hasn't subsided yet."
Serena sighed and lowered her head. Her gaze trembled slightly as she examined her own injuries.
"It's okay. It happens sometimes."
Alice gently stroked Serena's head, as if understanding her feelings.
"Wow, people really do change."
Rimmer let out a long sigh as he looked at Alice.
"How could Zieghart's biggest troublemaker say something like that..."
"Wanna die?"
Alice glared at Rimmer with a demonic expression, as if she had never smiled.
"Still, I'm glad it ended without any major incidents."
Burren sat down on the ground, catching his breath.
"I didn't even have the strength to stand anymore."
"What a pathetic Squad Leader of the Light Wind division."
Martha clicked her tongue disapprovingly as she looked down at Burren.
"Miss Rakshasa. Your legs are shaking."
Runaan poked Martha's leg with her finger.
"Aaagh! You're really crazy!"
Martha tried to lunge at Runaan but her legs gave out, causing her to collapse.
The Light Wind division smiled, watching Runaan and Martha bicker for the first time in a while.
However, Raon wasn't looking at the Light Wind division, but clenched his fist as he stared in the direction where Rector had disappeared.
'As I thought, he must have had his reasons.'
If Mustan was acting for my sake, it meant that Rector, whom he followed, was ultimately taking actions to help me as well.
Moreover, it wasn't just Mustan's reaction that made him defend Rector.
Both when we met at the Lakion family and today, if Rector had wanted, an all-out battle would have broken out, but he withdrew peacefully both times.
If a battle had broken out, the Holy Sword Alliance would have suffered great losses, but we, who were exhausted, would have been annihilated. Yet, he turned his back without any hesitation.
It was strange behavior for the Holy Sword Alliance, known to be obsessed with swords even among the Five Demons.
'Now I understand everything.'
While I don't know the exact circumstances, it was clear that Rector was being forcibly bound by the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance.
-To think you'd have moments of relying on sentiment, how curious.
Wrath exhaled heavily, grabbing his head with his chubby hands.
-You might end up disappointed if you expect too much.
'I'm not relying on sentiment, I'm thinking rationally.'
-Enough. Let's rationally go eat quickly. Kehek!
He spoke in a voice drained of energy, then let out a dry cough. He looked extremely tired. His aura itself seemed to have greatly diminished.
'Alright. Let's eat first.'
-Oh? What's gotten into you?
'It's nothing.'
Raon shook his head as he touched Wrath's swaying tail. Since Wrath had been a great help, he wanted to do what he wanted for now.
'But let's eat home-cooked food a little later.'
-Hm? Where are you planning to go?
'Well...'
As Raon was about to answer, Rimmer came forward, clapping his hands.
"Since Kaiyan is guarding the inside of the tomb, let's clean up here later and return to Zieghart for now."
"There's a place we need to go before that."
Shaking his head, he took out a broken sword and staff from his subspace pouch.
"A place to go? Ah..."
As soon as Rimmer saw the broken sword and staff, he nodded heavily.
"I see. We should go there."
***
After sending his subordinates back to the Holy Sword Alliance, Rector alone climbed the mountain opposite the Sword Saint's Tomb.
Originally, he should have returned to the Alliance with them, but he couldn't bring himself to leave until he knew who had attacked Raon.
Rector stood on the mountainside where the attacker seemed to have been and looked around.
'This must be the place.'
There were no visible footprints, no signs of pressed vegetation, and no distortions in the flow of mana, but the attacker had clearly launched the Black Blade from this location.
Rector knelt on one knee. He furrowed his brow as he closely examined the ground.
'Who could it be?'
He had met all the renowned strong martial artists while traveling the continent, but he couldn't think of any who could launch such a sword attack from this distance.
'It's beyond the level of the Five Divine Orders.'
He knew the Thespian Emperor was hiding her strength, but even if she revealed her full power, it seemed difficult for her to display that level of martial prowess.
'There's no one like this among the Six Kings and the Five Demons.'
Although he belonged to the Five Demons, he had lived neutrally and had met all the leaders of the Six Kings.
With their martial prowess, an attack would be possible, but they had no reason to, nor could they.
The same goes for the Five Demons.
Even the most mysterious Fallen, the Leader of the White Blood Religion who lived for hundreds of years, and the Black Tower Master who was darkness itself couldn't shoot aura imbued with the willpower of death.
Though he hadn't met the Heavenly Demon, it made even less sense for him to come here and ambush Raon.
'The bigger problem is...'
This person must have been hiding their power.
Seeing that the aura flow in this place hadn't changed at all, the one who attacked Raon wasn't using their full power, but had attacked while conserving some strength. Cold sweat ran down his back.
'Could it be a completely different third party?'
His teeth gritted. For someone who should be placed at the highest level among Transcendent Warriors to target Raon, he became more curious about why they targeted Raon rather than the attacker's identity.
"Master."
While he was clutching his head in anxiety and tension, Mustan came up from below.
"Did you find any traces of them?"
"Nothing is visible."
Rector shook his head with a deep sigh.
"They're not even an assassin, yet there's not a single trace."
"A dangerous one indeed."
"I see."
As Mustan said, erasing all traces in such a short time meant this wasn't something done once or twice.
The enemy might not be just one, but an organization.
"I'll search as well."
Mustan bowed his head and examined the ground and bushes in a turtle-like posture.
"Mustan."
Rector looked at his disciple's behavior and drew a faint smile.
"You said you wanted to see Raon so badly, yet you endured well without going to him. Thank you."
"Isn't this the path for Master Raon's sake?"
Mustan nodded as he met his master's eyes. Clear eyes. Not a speck of the envy and contempt that once surrounded him was visible.
"He's progressed even further than when I last saw him. Just seeing that was enough."
He smiled without a wrinkle, as if that was all he needed.
"You've also achieved as much change as that child. Believe in your own potential."
Rector gently patted Mustan's shoulder.
Mustan slightly lowered his eyes in gratitude.
"I'll have to postpone returning to the Alliance for a while. I won't feel at ease unless I find even a small trace of this person."
"The Alliance leader will be waiting, I'm not sure if it's alright."
"It's fine. If I mention the aura containing death, he'll show more interest than in the Sword Saint's Legacy."
Rector frowned resolutely, as if reading the Alliance leader's thoughts.
"More importantly, are you really alright?"
He clicked his tongue briefly as he looked at Mustan.
"As I've said before, there's no exit at the end of my path. It's not too late even now..."
"No."
Mustan shook his head firmly.
"Master, you've become the pillar I can lean on, and Master Raon has attached a rope so I can reach that pillar. For both of you, I'm willing to do anything."
He smiled, saying his current feelings wouldn't change.
"I see."
Rector nodded calmly. His gaze hadn't changed from before or now. It always contained the affection that supported his disciple.
"Then, let's go."
"Yes, Master."
Master and disciple moved together, shoulder to shoulder.
***
Raon stood in the royal capital of the Balkar Kingdom and raised his gaze.
'It's certainly different from Owen.'
Unlike the Owen Kingdom, which felt like a sharp blade, an intellectual and mysterious quality spread throughout the entire city.
The shape of the buildings was different too. Most of the buildings rose high like towers and had an antique form. The entire royal capital felt like a massive library.
The appearance of the people was also unique. They held thick books in their hands and wore various colored robes. They all looked like magicians.
"Are all of these people magicians?"
Burren let out a sigh as he watched the passing people.
"It's the kingdom of magic. Of course they are."
Martha frowned as she hit Burren's shoulder.
"It's like this because this is the royal capital."
Kurman, the disciple of Lightning Decay Barfil, approached and shook his head.
"If other cities had this many magicians, we would have taken over the continent. It's a pity."
He threw out a light joke as if trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere, then headed towards the inner city.
"..."
Raon, understanding Kurman's feelings, followed him without saying anything.
Kuung.
The middle-aged guardian knight guarding the inner city stomped his foot and raised his gaze as he saw Kurman.
"Lord Kurman. You've returned."
"It's been a while, Sir Rukan."
Kurman smiled faintly and bowed his head.
"You must have been through a lot. But Lord Barfil..."
"..."
Kurman bit his lip without answering. His expression darkened rapidly.
"Hmm..."
The guardian knight let out a short groan, reading the atmosphere of Kurman and the people standing behind him.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine. More importantly, I'd like to request permission to enter the inner city."
Kurman shook his head and pointed to the Light Wind division behind him.
"These are the members of Zieghart's Light Wind division who saved us at the Sword Saint's Tomb. They said they have something to say about this incident, so they came along. I vouch for their identity with my name."
He provided proof so that the Light Wind division could enter the inner city.
"I am Raon Zieghart, the Light Wind Division Leader."
Raon came out beside Kurman and bowed his head.
"It's been a while since I've seen you."
The guardian knight swallowed hard as soon as he met Raon's eyes.
"Do you know me?"
"I saw you before in the Owen Kingdom. Of course, you're incomparable to how you were then."
He let out a sigh as if dumbfounded.
"With Lord Kurman's guarantee, and since I've seen Lord Raon myself before, there shouldn't be any problems. Please enter."
As the guardian knight stepped back, the massive gate that had soared high into the sky shimmered with transparent light and disappeared.
It seemed even the city gate was created by magic.
"Thank you."
Kurman bowed to the guardian knight and began guiding them again.
There were even more magicians in the inner city.
However, they seemed busy with their own tasks and walked to their destinations without looking at the group. It was a sight befitting a kingdom of magicians.
"Hmm..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the inside of the royal palace.
'The inside is different from Owen too.'
The interior of the Balkar Royal Palace was filled with unidentifiable artifacts, as if viewing a museum.
From everyday items like clothes, shoes, and bracelets to objects of unknown purpose, it was so packed that the paths felt narrow.
Soft lighting flowed throughout the palace, seemingly a device for magicians to read books anywhere.
"This is the royal palace where His Majesty resides. I'll request an audience, but I'm not sure if he's here now."
Kurman briefly licked his lips as he pointed to the audience chamber inside.
"If His Majesty is absent, I'd like to see Lady Chamber at least."
-Hey! She's here!
No sooner had he said that than Wrath pointed his finger at the ceiling.
"Me?"
After Wrath's words, a girl's voice was heard from above.
Looking up, they saw the Archmage Chamber of Eternal Flame smiling brightly, wearing a witch's hat.
"L-Lady Chamber!"
Kurman fell to the ground in shock.
-Did you see?
Wrath raised his nose high with his hands on his hips.
-I wasn't late this time! Kehek! Kek!
He coughed dryly, still not having recovered from the damage caused by causality.
'...Right. Good job.'
It was meaningless this time, but seeing him in pain, Raon praised him to comfort him.
"You're Raon, right? I've heard rumors, but you've become unbelievably strong?"
Chamber nodded with admiration in her eyes.
"But what's with this unusual group? And why is that fishy woman being so quiet?"
She rolled her eyes as she looked at the Light Wind division, the magicians, and Alice.
"We greet the Archmage of Balkar."
Alice bowed politely, perhaps due to the unfavorable situation. She knew what posture to take.
"We greet the Archmage."
Raon bowed alongside Alice.
"Hmph. When you suddenly act like that, it makes me embarrassed."
Chamber frowned as she put a lollipop in her mouth.
"From what I can see, this isn't a conversation to have here."
She let out a short sigh and snapped her fingers.
Woong!
At that moment, the space changed with a sensation of floating in the air.
The palace corridor twisted and transformed into a white room.
It was an extremely spacious place, with dolls and snacks piled up here and there like a girl's room.
However, the walls were filled with countless books.
It seemed to be Chamber's personal space. There was no one else around. It appeared that only I had been moved here.
"It's related to the Sword Saint's Tomb, isn't it?"
Chamber's voice dropped. She seemed to know what was going to be said.
"Tell me."
"This matter is also related to the Owen Kingdom. However, we came to Balkar first since it's closer..."
"Then we should go to Owen as well?"
"That's right."
"Let's just deal with it all at once."
She twirled her lollipop and snapped her fingers.
Taak!
With a refreshing sound like cracking a walnut, a blue dimension opened in the air.
In the shimmering rift of the dimension, a beautiful middle-aged man with golden hair and blue eyes was lying down, grinning as he read a pink book.
"Uh...?"
Raon gaped as he saw the middle-aged man.
'Lord Lecross?'
That person was Lecross, the King of Owen, known by the alias Silent Sword Master.
"Chamber! How many times have I told you not to suddenly open dimensions... Huk! Raon?"
Lecross, upon noticing Raon's gaze, flinched and shuddered.
"Ahem!"
He cleared his throat, stood up, and straightened his back.
"R-Raon Zieghart. No, I should call you Light Wind Division Leader now, right? It's been a while."
Lecross instantly displayed a dignified appearance, but because his initial appearance was so shocking, it didn't feel heavy at all.
-Did you see the name of the book he was reading? This king feels like he's seeing things!
Wrath's lips trembled in astonishment.
"...I greet the Silent Sword Master."
Raon ignored Wrath for now and bowed to Lecross.
"Y-Yes. What's the matter?"
"It seems this guy has something to say to you and me."
Chamber shook her head while slightly biting her candy. The atmosphere was different from when they were seen at the Six Kings Conference. Now that he saw them, these two seemed closer than was publicly known.
"Something to say?"
"Yes. I have something to tell both of you. This time, when I entered the Sword Saint's Tomb..."
Raon desperately collected himself and then told Chamber and Lecross everything that had happened in the Sword Saint's Tomb.
"...That's how it happened, and thanks to the Koman Knight Commander and Lord Lightning Decay, I was able to survive."
As he said this, he held out the broken sword and staff. His hands trembled without him realizing it.
"So it has come to this."
Despite hearing such sudden news, Lecross calmly nodded.
"As he said, a knight is the face of their lord. But it seems he didn't know that it's better to smear that face than to let it disappear entirely."
He bit his lip while keeping his head lowered.
"The alias 'Lightning Decay' means a solid lightning stem. I gave him that name."
Chamber frowned as she took the candy out of her mouth.
"I gave him that name hoping he'd soften up a bit, since he was more like a knight than a magician. But he went out just like that. What a frustrating guy."
She clicked her tongue as she took Barfil's staff.
"Still, he wouldn't have regretted it. Thank you for bringing his keepsake."
Chamber nodded with a faint smile. For the first time, she seemed to look her age.
"The same goes for me."
The King of Owen smiled faintly as he examined the sword that Chamber had space-transferred.
"Kuzan would be proud to have fought alongside you. I express my gratitude."
The two conveyed the same meaning with different smiles.
"I'm the one who should be grateful."
Raon bowed his head once again, deeply feeling the emotions of Lecross and Chamber.
"By the way, it's surprising that the area originally belonged to Zieghart."
Lecross narrowed his eyes as he stroked his chin.
"I will acknowledge that Zieghart has ownership of that land."
"Who are you to acknowledge it!"
Chamber frowned as she put the candy back in her mouth.
"Owen has nothing to do with that place!"
"Ahem, you could at least try to match the mood..."
Lecross shook his head with a disgruntled expression.
"However, even if we acknowledge it, it's a different matter for others to accept it. It will take a long time."
He continued in a heavy voice, as if not giving up on regaining his dignity.
"I don't think so?"
Chamber shook her head firmly as she looked at Lecross.
"What do you mean?"
"Rumors are spreading like wildfire right now."
She covered her ears as if listening to other people's conversations.
"The place where those who enter must lay down their swords, Zieghart's sacred ground. It's being called the Sanctuary of Blades."