Chapter 450

Raon entered the lord's manor while leading the Light Wind division and the Warring Steel division. It was a rare moment that the oppressive iron gate of the audience chamber was wide open.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Roenn, who was standing in front of the door, placed his hand on his chest and bowed.

"Good job. You always live up to our trust."

Sheryl, who was leaning her back against the wall, raised her hand with a peaceful smile on her face.

"Please enter. The head of house is waiting."

They pointed inside the audience chamber. Their smiles were deeper than usual, and they seemed to be proud of him.

"Thank you."

Raon bowed back to Sheryl and Roenn before entering the audience chamber.

He walked across the neat carpet that seemed to have been ironed and went towards the platform.

He couldn't see any of the palace masters, and the number of division and squad leaders was smaller than before. It must've been because the Five Demons and the Five Divine Orders were causing a ruckus all over the continent.

Huh?

Wrath frowned while looking around the audience chamber.

This isn't a party! You liar!

'I told you. It's a party, but there is nothing for you to eat.'

Raon shrugged his shoulders while looking at Wrath.

Damn it! He thought that he didn't need to contemplate the bead ice cream set anymore, but now he needs to decide once again!

He started murmuring about mint chocolate and pineapple, saying that he had to decide on which flavors he would have for ice cream.

'Seriously.'

Raon pushed Wrath away and raised his head while standing in front of the platform.

Glenn was staring at him coldly with his back buried in the throne.

He looked like his usual self, but his red eyes were sparkling faintly. Even he seemed to be glad about the Warring Steel division's rescue.

"Greetings, my lord."

"Greetings, my lord!"

Raon knelt on the ground and bowed while speaking in a plain voice. He could hear the Light Wind division and the Warring Steel division's powerful voices from behind him.

"The Light Wind division has returned after completing the mission to find the Warring Steel division."

He raised his head and reported the mission's completion. It looked like Glenn's tightly closed lips were trembling faintly.

"Stand up, everyone."

Glenn calmly nodded, as if the trembling from a moment ago was an illusion.

He slightly lowered his eyebrows while examining Trevin and the Warring Steel swordsmen, who were slowly standing up.

"Warring Steel division leader."

"Yes, my lord."

Trevin stepped forward and lowered his head.

"What happened to you after you completed the extermination mission?"

Since they had decided to return without reporting it, even the other executives on top of Glenn stared curiously at Trevin.

"I saw people drowning in the frozen lake on our way back after reporting the mission's completion. Since they were ordinary people who hadn't learned martial arts at all, we ran towards them to rescue them. However, a dark atmosphere suddenly emerged from the frozen surface and trapped all of us on the other side of a barrier made from demonic energy. After that…"

Trevin calmly told them about how they'd fallen into the Black Tower's trap and how desperate their fight was inside the boundary.

"You did a great job staying alive."

Glenn nodded while facing the frustration showing in Trevin's eyes.

"I'm sorry!"

Trevin bowed. He sounded like he was screaming as he apologized.

"It is because I was too weak that I lost so many division members. I'm ashamed of myself as a Zieghart division leader!"

He bit his lip to the point of bleeding as the tears that he'd been suppressing fell, one drop at a time.

"Being weak is a sin in this world when you decide to wield a sword."

Glenn stared at Trevin with serious eyes while lowering his left hand, which was supporting his chin.

"However, you can advance even higher if you realize your weakness."

He raised his chin while looking at Trevin's red face and the Warring Steel swordsmen one after the other.

"Become stronger. You shall polish your might and mentality even harder for the sake of your companions who have perished because of your weakness. That is how you bring peace and comfort to the deceased."

"Yes!"

"We will do it!"

"We will become stronger!"

The Warring Steel swordsmen responded loudly enough for the entire lord's manor to tremble from their voices.

"Since I've already notified the leader of Shadow Agents, you should take care of the deceased, Warring Steel division leader."

"Understood."

Trevin nodded while wiping away his tears with his sleeve. He briefly sighed, exhaling his bitter emotions as he stepped back.

"Raon Zieghart."

Glenn called Raon's name while stroking his beard.

"Yes."

Raon responded calmly and stepped forward.

"How did you find out that the demonized humans had created a boundary inside the frozen surface?"

"Since the last trace of the Warring Steel division was found between the two lakes, I figured that was where I should start the search. I noticed a presence from around the lake during the search, and I found the White Whale's warriors hiding in a tree. I neutralized them to gain the information, and found demonic energy inside the frozen surface…"

He told him about how he'd neutralized the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and barely managed to find the demonic energy while hiding the knowledge of the Divinity Blooming from Darkness, and he also spoke about the battle inside the boundary.

"…Once we came out of the boundary, the White Wolf Saber picked a fight with me, so I defeated him and brought him and the White Whale's warriors."

He pointed at the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and the White Wolf Saber, who were tied up by the Light Wind division behind him.

"White Whale…"

Glenn looked at the White Wolf Saber.

"How arrogant."

"Kuh…"

Even though he was simply looking at him without spreading any pressure or aura, the White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud groaned like they were about to die, fainting while foaming from their mouths.

"White Whale? They must be insane."

"They dared to mess around in our domain…"

"My lord! We can't leave them like this!"

"That's right! We need to cut their heads off right now and bring them to the White Whale!"

The executives made their furious declarations. They seemed to consider it a humiliation to Zieghart's name.

The White Whale's warriors trembled in fear under their pressures.

"Stop."

Glenn simply shook his hand, and the executives put away their murderous pressures and stepped back.

He looked at Raon once again and supported his chin on his fist.

"Does that mean that you slew the floor masters, the Demon Ring and the Frozen Scent, and even managed to defeat the White Wolf Saber over there?"

"I was just lucky."

Raon responded casually and lowered his head.

"Lucky? That could've been the case if you only defeated one of them, but we don't call it luck if you managed to defeat three highest-level Masters one after the other."

Glenn's emotionless voice sounded like he was reading a book. However, that fact allowed Raon to understand that he was telling him what he was really thinking instead of exaggerating his achievement.

"I've only done what I've learned."

Raon bowed to Glenn. It was his expression of gratitude, a statement that it was thanks to Glenn and Rector's teachings that he could prevail against them so easily.

"I see."

Glenn slowly nodded. He seemed to have realized the meaning behind his bow.

"On top of the Demon Ring and the Frozen Scent, he even defeated the White Wolf Saber. That's amazing indeed…"

"Moreover, the Demon Ring and the Frozen Scent were defeated inside a boundary brimming with demonic energy…"

"Huh. Even for me, I wouldn't have been able to win against them if I had to fight one after the other…"

"I can only describe him as a monster at this point."

"The highest level Master at the age of twenty? That's just ridiculous…"

"I should've brought him to my division no matter what during the Selection Ceremony!"

The executives, who were distracted by the White Whale's warriors, focused on Raon once again.

Most of the executives except for a few direct lines either gave him a thumbs up or sent a round of applause.

"They are right. Fighting the Black Tower's demonized humans inside a boundary of demonic energy isn't an easy task."

Glenn simply lowered his hand after listening to the executives.

"Light Wind division, you've done great as well."

"Thank you!"

Raon and the Light Wind division bowed deeply. The swordsmen's faces were flushed from being complimented by Glenn.

"Rescuing the Warring Steel division and the hostages is clearly an achievement. However…"

Glenn looked down on Raon coldly.

"The Light Wind vice division leader previously mentioned that he didn't need any reward since it was only natural for him to save his companions."

"Huh?"

"Di-did he really say that…?"

"Sir Raon…"

"He is really…"

Trevin and the Warring Steel swordsmen's eyes were touched to tears and trembled in surprise, as they hadn't expected Raon to say that he didn't even need any reward.

"Do you still think the same?"

"Yes."

Raon nodded. It would've been nice to have some reward, but the reason he'd acted was because he just wanted to save Trevin and the Warring Steel division. That was why it didn't really matter if he didn't get anything.

Bead ice cream!

Wrath suddenly jumped up like a frog even though he'd been limping around because he was disappointed it wasn't a party.

Ask him to fill the entire annex building with bead ice cream!

'Be quiet for a moment please.'

Raon closed his mouth after he slapped Wrath away when he kept asking for a mountain of bead ice cream while floundering his arms and legs like a kitten.

"You are telling me that you are fine with it, but that's not how the world functions."

Glenn nodded so slowly that it almost felt boring.

"The entire world is going to insult Zieghart if I don't give you a reward after you rescued your companions."

"I concur."

Sheryl came up next to him with a small smile on her face.

"I also agree."

"He rescued over fifty people. He shall be rewarded accordingly."

"He even saved the hostages and caught the White Whale's vermin on top of saving the Warring Steel division."

The other executives also raised their hands in agreement. Even the direct lines didn't complain and remained silent, probably because of Trevin.

"That's what I thought."

Glenn snapped his fingers. Roenn, who'd been waiting in the back, went onto the platform while holding a broad plate in his hands.

"For saving the Warring Steel division and the hostages, Raon Zieghart will be rewarded with a golden tablet, and the Light Wind division will be rewarded with silver tablets."

He signaled to Raon with his hand. He seemed to be asking them to come up there one by one.

"Yes."

Raon went on the platform and stood in front of Glenn.

"You've proven by yourself that it was the correct choice to dispatch you on the mission. Good job."

Glenn personally bestowed the golden tablet on him and praised him for his work. He seemed to be glad that the Warring Steel division had returned safely.

"Thank you."

Raon bowed deeply while accepting the golden tablet. However, he didn't give any additional reward, unlike the last time.

'It can't be helped.'

He'd said it himself, and he didn't have many expectations for the reward to begin with. That was why he simply smiled and went down the platform.

"Next up is the first team leader, Martha Zieghart."

Starting with Raon, Glenn distributed the tablets to all of the team leaders and members before he stood up from the throne.

The warm atmosphere disappeared, and a frighteningly huge and aloof pressure burst from him.

"As you are already aware, four out of the Five Demons have begun their activities. The last one is also going to open their door and start moving soon enough."

A frightening light radiated from his eyes as he declared that the other swordsmen outside the house were fighting against the Five Demons as they spoke.

"There's no need to hold ourselves back anymore. Cut their heads off with no questions asked whenever you find the Five Demons. This is especially true for the Black Tower and Eden. Follow them to the end of the world and wipe them out. I will allow it."

Glenn ordered them to kill all Five Demons in the future since there was no need for words.

"Yes!"

The executives went to their knees while pounding the left side of their chests, where Zieghart's emblem was engraved. The pressures soaring from their shoulders were as sharp as a blade polished by an artisan.

"You may leave."

Glenn returned to his throne and shook his hand. He was telling them that the event was over.

"Thank you for your efforts!"

The executives bowed politely before leaving the audience chamber, but Raon was standing still instead of leaving.

"Do you have anything to say?"

"Can I interrogate them?"

Raon pointed at the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and the White Wolf Saber.

"Since I was the one who caught them, I'd like to personally interrogate them."

"Can you do it?"

Glenn narrowed his eyes, asking whether he could really do it or not.

"Yes. Please trust me."

Opening their mouths was an easy task by utilizing the knowledge of his previous life as an assassin instead of his new life.

"Sure. A swordsman doesn't always have to deal with righteous and noble affairs."

Glenn nodded at Raon.

"You may start tomorrow."

"Thank you."

Raon bowed politely before leaving the audience chamber.

Rumble!

The moment the audience chamber's door was closed, Glenn quietly sighed and leaned his back against the throne.

"That was amazing."

The Heavenly Blade division leader, Sheryl, smiled while looking up at Glenn.

"The Demon Ring, the Frozen Scent, and even the White Wolf Saber. None of them should've been an easy opponent, yet he managed to defeat all of them. He's improved even more than I thought."

She praised him, saying that he'd surprised her even though she was well aware of his talent.

"Huhuhu, I didn't anticipate that he had gotten so much stronger either. I don't think he has reached the Grandmaster's wall yet…"

Roenn also exclaimed while glancing at the spot where Raon used to stand.

"It looks like your personal lessons bore results, my lord."

"I know, right? I knew that it was important to have a good teacher, but I didn't expect such a drastic change."

Sheryl smiled faintly and nodded.

"Ahem!"

Glenn cleared his throat and shook his head.

"It's not because of the excellent teacher. It was because the disciple was too good!"

He shook his head, saying that it wasn't himself and Rector who were being great teachers, but it was Raon who did a great job at absorbing their teachings.

"Huhuhu."

"I see."

Roenn and Sheryl smiled gently while watching Glenn roll his eyes.

"By the way…"

Sheryl narrowed her eyes and tilted her chin.

"Don't tell me the golden tablet is all Raon is getting as a reward."

"..."

Glenn didn't respond. However, his lips twitched slightly—actually, they were violently twitching and giving away the answer.