Chapter 84

"Aura blade…"

Karoon gulped, watching the flame surrounding Raon's sword.

'Was it actually true that he was at a novice level Expert?'

Raon's level was strangely difficult to guess. He thought he was an advanced level Aura User, yet he was using the aura blade, which was the symbol of an Expert.

To be able to use an aura blade at the age of fifteen… He was certainly one of the best geniuses of the continent, or a monster.

'But even an Expert wouldn't be able to fight against the Blood Raving Demon.'

Expert was certainly a level that could be called powerful. However, it wasn't that great at the continent's scale.

"Even if you are an Expert, the Blood Raving Demon is a Master. You definitely could not hold your ground against him at your level. Same goes for defeating the Green War Demon! Spit out the tru…"

"Father."

Burren, who was kneeling behind Raon, stepped forward.

"I witnessed it. Raon killed the Green War Demon and stood against the Blood Raving Demon in order to buy time for our and the villagers' escape, despite having injured an arm."

"He's right."

Runaan stepped forth, following Burren and nodding. Her gaze was directed to her father, Rokan Sullion, on her right side.

"I never permitted you to open your mouth!"

Karoon glared at Burren, with an expression of looking at a trained animal rather than his son.

"Huh. I don't even know what you want if you can't even believe your son. You are so stubborn that nothing can get through to you. I wonder how you even eat and poop, the way you are."

"Shut your mouth, Rimmer."

Karoon glared at the shrugging Rimmer as if he wanted to kill him.

"What you did is the most problematic part. There's no way you could've killed the Blood Raving Demon with that broken body, unless you are scamming us…"

"Then shall we fight? I also want to see how amazing the Central Martial Palace master is after such a long time."

"Fine, I'll cut that thin neck right away…"

"Stop."

An overwhelmingly heavy voice interrupted Rimmer and Karoon's bickering.

"Hup!"

"Ugh…"

"Keuh…"

The tremendous presence was making everyone's spines tense.

"Top trainee Raon Zieghart, and every trainee of the fifth training ground, shall listen."

Glenn raised his chin from the hand supporting it and continued, looking down at everyone.

"You did excellent."

"Huh?"

"Father?"

"My lord…"

Glenn's unexpected compliment made everyone's jaws drop; the division leaders, the heads of vassal families, and even the trainees.

Everyone inside the audience chamber looked at Glenn with bewildered expressions.

It was a natural reaction.

Glenn Zieghart was a cold-blooded person, one that was stingier than anyone with his compliments.

'Good job' was the best he would say, no matter how difficult the mission one had accomplished, and he hadn't said 'excellent' to anyone in decades.

"I got the first report from Rimmer, then another from the branch officer that investigated the Cebu area, and they all are in agreement with the third report I'm getting from you."

Glenn raised his right hand, the one used to support his chin.

"Firstly, you noticed the existence of enemies and didn't take any reckless actions."

He folded his index finger.

"Secondly, you tried to grasp the enemies instead of trying to fight them immediately after returning."

He folded his middle finger this time.

"Thirdly, you weakened the enemy with a surprise attack after waiting for the best moment and ended the Green War Demon's life with a hidden strike."

Each time Glenn folded a finger, the division leaders' eyes became wider.

"And finally, you stood in front of an unwinnable enemy in order to let your allies and civilians escape."

His eyes shone red, as he folded his four fingers.

"Your decisions were appropriate, like those of a seasoned warrior. There were no casualties among the trainees or the villagers thanks to your accurate decisions. And…"

Glenn looked at the trainees behind Raon.

"You also acted like true swordsmen of Zieghart. The reason that Zieghart can be the way it is right now is thanks to the people supporting from below."

"Hmm…"

"My lord…"

Roenn and Rimmer nodded firmly.

"We aren't a kingdom, but we are reigning over the north as more than a kingdom. That's why we need to protect the people living in this land. No one would be willing to follow us otherwise. Good job, everyone."

"Th-thank you!"

"Thank you!"

Burren, Runaan, Martha, and the trainees shouted while sticking their heads on the ground.

"Uuuu!"

"My lord!"

The trainees trembled upon receiving a compliment from the god. Burren was even shedding tears.

"I'm going to grant a bronze tablet to you all."

"Thank you!"

The trainees hit their heads on the ground so hard they could have bled.

"And Raon Zieghart, who created and dealt with the entire situation, shall be granted a silver tablet."

"Thank you."

Raon also knelt and bowed, following the other trainees.

"Tsh."

"Tsk."

Some division leaders weren't pleased with Raon receiving a silver tablet, but no one could step up since it was Glenn's direct decree.

"Roenn."

"Yes."

Roenn took the wide board placed on the table at his right side, going up onto the platform.

Glenn lifted the cloth covering the board, revealing the forty-two copper and one silver tablet underneath.

"Burren Zieghart, step forward."

"Ah, yes! Undershtood!"

Burren bit his tongue while responding, but he acted as if nothing happened and walked up to the platform.

"Fighting for those we need to protect was the right thing to do. However."

Burren's mouth froze upon hearing him say 'however'.

"Rushing in without trying to identify the enemy's strength is no different than a beast. You shall broaden your horizons and take a wider view of the situation."

Glenn looked over Burren at all the other trainees and continued.

"This is directed to all of you."

"Yes!"

After giving the bronze tablet to Runaan, Martha, and all other trainees, he finally looked at Raon.

"Raon Zieghart, step forward."

"Yes."

Raon bowed deeply, then stood up to walk up onto the platform.

'I can feel their gazes.'

Irritated gazes were piercing through his heart from behind. They were from Karoon and the other collateral division leaders.

However, Karoon's son Burren and the other collateral trainees weren't looking at him with jealousy. They were looking at him with pride instead. That was good enough for Raon.

"Raon Zieghart."

Glenn's gaze was still cold and dry. It felt like a frozen field in the middle of winter.

However, something felt different from before.

A small light existed in his gaze, like a single flower blooming from the snow field.

He wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"You've saved many people's lives. I acknowledge that endeavor and grant you this silver tablet. Keep training your body and mind in the future."

"Can I have a moment?"

* * *

Raon stood still without taking the silver tablet Glenn was holding.

"What is it?"

"I have something to say."

"Something to say?"

"Yes. It's about Eden's objective."

"Hmm?"

One of Glenn's eyebrows raised slightly.

"I know the reason they came to Cebu village, and what they are after right now."

"How dare you spout such a lie here!"

A furious voice could be heard from behind. It was Karoon's voice.

"Eden's demons won't speak the truth even if you torture them by tearing off their limbs. There's no way you could have obtained that information!"

"Hmm…"

"Certainly…"

"Indeed, torture doesn't work against them."

The other division leaders nodded in agreement.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, I am. However…"

Raon turned and met Karoon's burning eyes.

"I don't want to reveal it in front of the people that are doubting it."

"Wh-what?!"

"That arrogance!"

"How dare you! You haven't even received the title of swordsman!"

The division leaders following Karoon gave off powerful pressures, but Raon wasn't daunted in the slightest.

He had a greater achievement than them in his previous life, despite being weaker than them.

"Did I say something wrong?"

It was an occasion created by Rimmer and Glenn, an occasion where he could increase the reward for the mission. He wasn't going to allow anyone to get in the way.

"Silence! Where do you think this is…"

"Karoon Zieghart."

Karoon shut his mouth upon hearing a heavy voice from the platform.

"I already told you to shut your mouth."

"Hup!"

A chill ran down Raon's spine.

The pressure wasn't directed at him, but it felt like his entire body was freezing up.

"F-father?"

"Get out, including everyone else who spoke up just now."

Glenn wasn't even looking at Karoon. Even though his son was an important member of the house, he was still cold-hearted towards him, without any mercy.

"Ugh…"

The five division leaders and vice leaders bit their lips. After glaring at Raon like they wanted to kill him, they left the audience chamber.

"Say it now. What have you seen there?"

No amount of torture could get the information out of Eden's lackeys' stubbornness. All the gazes of division leaders and Glenn were focused on Raon's mouth who said he knew Eden's objective.

"The Blood Raving Demon revealed their objective when he was certain he could kill me and all the other trainees."

"Objective?"

"Eden was looking for the monsters' magic stone."

Raon took out the goblin king's magic stone from his chest. The red-hot light brightened up the dim audience chamber.

"It's not just any magic stone, but from those commonly referred to as named monsters. This one is the goblin king's magic stone, the one that died in Cebu Mountain a few hundred years ago."

Raon explained and extended the hand holding the magic stone.

Whir.

The goblin king's magic stone floated up on its own and went into Glenn's hand.

"Hmm."

Glenn narrowed his eyes and examined the magic stone.

"..."

The division leaders and squad leaders watched Glenn and Raon without even swallowing their saliva.

"Certainly."

Glenn raised his head after checking the magic stone.

"This isn't an ordinary object."

Glenn said while looking at Raon, but he couldn't understand the meaning behind his gaze, whether he was proud of him or was laughing at him.

"It's an achievement that nobody else has managed to do."

The corners of Glenn's mouth were raised slightly as he took the silver tablet from Roenn to give it to Raon.

"…Thank you."

Raon slowly extended his hand to take the silver tablet.

'Was I mistaken?'

He thought he could trust him to reward him according to his deed, despite his dislike for himself and Sylvia.

He had expected him to give an extra silver tablet or even a gold tablet, yet that wasn't the case. Glenn wasn't giving him anything else.

'I should've just straight up told him to give me something in return.'

It was regrettable, but he couldn't ask him for a reward at that point. He slightly bit his lip and stepped down from the platform.

"Everyone shall return. A great conference will be held tomorrow morning, so everyone shall participate."

"Yes!"

The division leaders and squad leaders responded loud and clear and bowed.

'Tsk.'

How foolish of you to not obtain anything after giving out such information.

Raon clicked his tongue silently and Wrath sneered at him.

***

'I trusted him too much.'

Raon shook his head. He had started to trust Glenn slightly after getting the Ten Thousand Flowers Cultivation, but that was apparently a mistake.

He was living in Zieghart's jungle. He needed to take what he needed by himself.

"Sir Raon."

As he was leaving the lord's manor with irritated steps, Roenn's voice was heard from the right hallway.

'Huh?'

Since Roenn had been in the audience chamber a moment ago, he couldn't understand how he was there.

Moreover…

'I didn't feel anything.'

His increased perception didn't manage to grasp his presence. It looked like he was a warrior after all, and an assassin like himself in his previous life.

"I have something to tell you."

He approached him with a gentle smile.

"May I visit you in the annex building at midnight?"

"Pardon? Why would you visit…"

"The head of house asked me to bring you here."

Roenn lifted his finger to point at the audience chamber's huge door and smiled.

"I think he wanted to give you the second gift."

____

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