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Glenn turned around completely. The smile on his face became as hazy as mist.
âBefore we talk about that interesting proposal, something you just said is bothering me.â
âWhat would it beâŠ?â
Raonâs fingers trembled as he met Glennâs displeased eyes.
âThat you are immature. You look far too mature to me.â
Glenn shook his head, saying that Raon had never looked his age, not even as a child.
âThatâs because Iâve been suppressing it.â
Raon scratched his chin while smiling awkwardly.
âIt would be strange if I was still immature.â
Heâd been living as an assassin at the age where he shouldâve been held in his parentsâ arms.
Since heâd been living a life even worse than a slave before being born as Raon Zieghart, it couldnât be helped that he was different from other children.
âYou are suppressing it?â
âSince Iâm well aware of my situation, I didnât want my mother and the others to be concerned about me.â
He looked at the ground while saying the most suitable thing for the situation.
âI seeâŠâ
Glenn quietly groaned and touched his lips with his finger. Strangely, his voice was revealing his emotions.
âSo, whatâs that interesting proposal you mentioned?â
He changed the topic, almost like he was trying to refresh the mood.
âIâd like to mess with the Thespian Emperorâs plan.â
âMess with the Thespian Emperorâs plan?â
âYes. The Thespian Emperor is currently twisting public opinion on her way to Zieghart so we wonât be able to harm her or the White Whale. Itâs easy to figure out her intentions, but destroying her plans is difficult.â
âCorrect.â
Glenn furrowed his brow. He looked like he didnât like the Thespian Emperorâs method either.
âIn fact, Zieghartâs moves are bound to be limited since the rumor about her lone arrival has already spread. However, it will be no fun if we do nothing about it and let her do as she wishes. Even if we have to return the prisoners, we need to get as much as possible from her and humiliate her.â
âHumiliate?â
âMy lord, the palace masters, and the Heavenly Blade division leader canât do anything reckless considering their reputations, positions, and ages. Countless houses and kingdoms might criticize us for a single mistake. HoweverâŠâ
Raon continued while looking at Glennâs eyes, who seemed interested once again.
âThatâs not the case for me. My position and achievements are high enough to participate in the meeting, but Iâm still too young. Iâm at the age where I should be making lots of mistakes and acting arrogantly.â
âMistakes and arrogance, huh.â
Glenn nodded with a faint smile on his face.
âAre you talking about the way you recently made fun of Ayad?â
âYes. Iâd like to try a little more hateful version of that.â
ââŠThat indeed sounds interesting.â
âYes, it will definitely be interesting.â
Raon and Glenn looked at each other with the exact same smile on their faces.
âAhem!â
Glenn was the first one to avert his gaze and clear his throat.
âAlright, you can join the meeting.â
âThank you. May I ask one more thing?â
âWhat is it?â
âI think Iâll have to interfere with the conversation between my lord and the Thespian Emperor. Is that fine?â
Raon lowered his head. It was an important request since he had to act that way in order to hold the Thespian Emperor in check.
âItâs normal for children to grow up while causing problems. Since youâve been far too precocious since childhood, it wouldnât be strange for you to experience puberty now.â
Glenn chuckled and nodded. Since he was practically allowing Raon to do anything he wanted in the audience chamber, there was nothing more to fear.
Wow!
Wrath applauded at Glenn.
Thatâs our grandpa for you! You didnât even hesitate!
He nodded in satisfaction while exclaiming at him.
âHeâs not your grandfather.â
Donât mind the small details.
âSmall detailsâŠâ
Raon had the urge to kick Wrath away because of how ridiculous he was being, but he couldnât do that since he would have looked like a madman from Glennâs perspective.
âSee you at the meeting then.â
Glenn waved his hand and turned around.
âIâll be looking forward to your immature actions.â
âI wonât disappoint you.â
Raon bowed at Glenn as he left. He kept watching him until he couldnât be seen anymore, and a frightening smile appeared on his face.
âIâll need to contact the Black Market.â
* * *
Once Raon returned to his room, Wrath pointed at the ice cream box with his plump finger.
Open it up before it melts!
âIt wonât melt since this box is made from a freezing stone.â
Whatever! Just open it already! Heâs curious about what flavor Grandpa picked for us!
Wrath grinned happily, saying that Grandpa was the only one who cared for him.
âHaa, okay, okay.â
Raon shook his head and opened the ice cream box. The white, hazy cold air started to rise, and the four bead ice creams could be seen.
All of the ice creams had the same color. They were dark brown like well-baked bread.
Huh?
Wrathâs jaw dropped, his expression that of disappointment.
Th-thereâs no mint chocolate. Moreover, they all have the same flavor! Grandpa, whatâs wrong with your taste?
He became dejected, disappointed by the fact that it wasnât the flavor he wanted and that they all had the same flavor.
Ugh, it canât be helped. He will be satisfied by the fact that they are bead ice cream!
Wrath looked like heâd decided to be satisfied that he was having some bead ice cream because he hadnât gotten any for more than a month.
Letâs try it out for now. What could the flavor be?
âHmm, this⊠Huh?â đ§đłđźđźđđŠđ«đ·đ°đ·âŻđ.đŹâŽđź
Raon widened his eyes while looking at the lid.
ââŠThose are bread flavored.â
Bread? Bread is fine! So, what bread is it? Pineapple pizza? Pepperoni pizza bread? No, the classic ones like the sweet red bean or cream are pretty nice too! What flavorâŠ
âNadine bread.â
Ehh?
Wrath stopped smiling and rolled his eyes. He looked like a ghost with no glimmer of life.
What did you just say�
âThey are Nadine bread flavored.â
Raon laughed bitterly upon seeing the drastic change in Wrath and responded to his question.
St-stop lying! Why would anyone ever make ice cream out of that stupid bread that tastes like rubber?! It doesnât make any sense!
âWell, there are lots of peculiar ice creams.â
It was just Wrath whoâd never picked them, but the ice cream shop had many new products with bizarre tastes.
But Nadine bread is going way too far! It just tastes like rubber! Thereâs no one in the world who would like that shit!
âIâm fine with it.â
Your tongue is just perverted!
âThe head of house also likes it.â
That geezer is just as perverted as you!
âBut you called him grandpa beforeâŠâ
Kuaah!
Wrath screamed while grasping his head.
Kill! Who made that ice cream? Just say the name!
His fingers trembled as he declared that he was going to find them and strangle them to death.
âLetâs try them out, just in case.â
Hmm, you are right.
Wrath briefly nodded. He seemed to think that there should be some sweetness since it was still ice cream.
Raon picked up a bead ice cream while looking at the crumpled expression on Wrathâs face. He immediately put it in his mouth without feeling repulsed by it, since heâd had lots of Nadine bread before.
âOh.â
The rubber taste instantly spread throughout the mouth and the sticky bitterness followed. It was exactly like Nadine bread, except for it being cold since it was an ice cream.
However, the sweetness that Wrath had wanted was nowhere to be found.
KuaahâŠ
Wrath dropped to the ground as his expectations were destroyed. He frantically rubbed his tongue with teary eyes.
N-not like this! This shouldnât be called ice cream!
âHmm, what a perfect taste.â
Raon nodded in satisfaction while looking at the bead ice cream.
âThey perfectly recreated the taste of Nadine bread. I like it.â
S-save me. PleaseâŠ
Wrath stretched his hand towards the sky while crawling on the ground.
Everyone around here has shit on their tongues!
* * *
* * *
Glenn entered the conference room after talking with Raon.
Roenn, Sheryl, and Chad were waiting inside and stood up upon seeing him.
âMy lord.â
The three of them tried to bow, but Glenn shook his hand and took the upper seat.
âHow is the progress?â
âWeâve been discussing it for a while, but thereâs no good solution.â
Sheryl furrowed her brow while glaring at the center of the table.
âIt will be a big problem if we stop or attack the Thespian Emperor when sheâs coming to Zieghart on her own.â
She slammed the table with her fist to vent her frustration.
âIndeed.â
Chad nodded.
âAccording to the informant observing the Thespian Emperor, most of the public opinion is favorable to her. And their number keeps increasing too.â
He sighed, saying that lots of people were even following her.
âThis is a nasty case.â
Roenn briefly clicked his tongue. It was rare, coming from him.
âIt wouldâve been easy to take care of her if she wanted a fight, but we even have to eliminate assassins for her instead.â
His finger twitched below the table because of the annoying situation.
âFame and reputation can be bothersome at times like this.â
Chad nodded in agreement.
âWe were bound to be checkmated since the White Whale made their first move and we are under the Six Kings name. We will have to return the imprisoned warriors, and we wonât be able to get much in return. HoweverâŠâ
The smile appearing on Glennâs face was as faint as the waning moonlight entering from the window.
âIt looks like something interesting might happen.â
âSomething interesting?â
âWhat do you mean by thatâŠ?â
Sheryl and Chad widened their eyes.
âAh!â
Roenn smiled faintly while looking at Glenn.
âYou were with the Light Wind vice division leader until a moment ago. Is it something he did?â
âI wonder.â
Glenn closed his eyes and let them imagine whatever they wanted.
âIs this about Raon? What did he do?â
âIâm also curious.â
Sheryl and Roenn came right next to Glenn and asked him what Raon had told him.
âI donât know either. We will find out when that happens.â
Glenn shook his head with complete trust in his words.
âBut you should have an idea.â
âHuhuhu.â
Roennâs eyes curved into a smile as he watched Glennâs violently twitching lips.
âDid he like that gift?â
âHe didnât seem to dislike him. He likes Nadine bread, after all.â
Glenn calmly nodded.
âWhatâs going on? Why are you talking just between you? I also want to know!â
Sheryl squeezed in between Glenn and Roenn and demanded them to tell her about Raon.
âHmm.â
Once again, Chad resolved himself while watching the three whose smiles had returned from talking about Raon.
âI need to get on Sir Raonâs good side if I want to keep living here. I should bring him a gift tomorrow. And it will be Nadine bread of the highest quality.â
* * *
Zieghartâs Underground Prison
Third Level Interrogation Room
âKuhâŠâ
âUgh!â
The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and the White Wolf Saber were violently trembling while groaning in pain like their blood was welling up to their throats.
They rolled their eyes to look at their right side amid extreme pain.
Raon Zieghart was sitting on a chair and reading a book.
âWh-what the hell is wrong with him?!â
âWhy did he suddenly come here and start torturing us?!â
Raon hadnât visited for a while, but he just arrived and started to torture them without asking any questions. Theyâd never seen anyone as crazy as him.
âYou fucking demonâŠâ
âEven a demon would talk before doing this!â
The White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud watched Raon, who was reading a book, with trembling lips.
Their hearts were shrinking just from being in the same place as him.
Many torturers and interrogators had visited them after Raonâs visit, but he was the worst fiend of them all.
âI-Iâm going to die at this rate.â
âWhere did he even learn this method of tortureâŠ?â
The pain of breaking bones and muscles wasnât the only problem of Raonâs torture.
The itchy and stinging sensations of thousands of insects crawling and biting on their bodies. Moreover, the freezing and burning pain of the skin was added because of the alternating explosions of coldness and heat.
They were trained to endure torture, but there was no way they could endure Raonâs method.
âPl-please ask a question already.â
âIâm ready to answer anything you want!â
Since theyâd already confessed about the dragon mask, they were fully prepared to leak all secrets.
They were even saddened by the fact that Raon wasnât asking anything at that point because they were so ready to answer every question.
âAhâŠâ
âI-Iâm reaching my limit.â
The White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud started to foam at the mouth. The sound of flipping pages stopped right before they fainted.
âI learn new things whenever I read it.â
Raon smiled faintly while closing the Azure Sky Swordâs book.
âHuaaâŠâ
âEehâŠâ
He returned the book to his clothes and looked down at the groaning people.
The White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloudâs trembling eyes were pleading with him to stop.
Raon casually snapped his fingers, and the bind of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacierâs energies disappeared at once.
âHuaah!â
âKuhâŠâ
The White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud started to retch while coughing up their souls.
âWh-what the hell is wrong with you? Why did you justâŠâ
The White Wolf Saber was the first to return to his senses, and he raised his head. His pronunciation was ruined because of his stiff tongue.
âI just wanted to check if you forgot about me.â
Raon smiled cheerfully and waved his hand.
âAwwhâŠâ
They looked like they were facing a real demon as their chins trembled.
âJust kidding. I have a question for you.â
âWh-what is that questionâŠ?â
âI got interested in what kind of person the Thespian Emperor is since she abandoned you as the leader of the White Whale.â
Raon smiled while purposefully emphasizing the part where sheâd abandoned them.
âHmmâŠâ
The White Wolf Saber shuddered while furrowing his brow.
âYou wouldnât have noticed since youâve been underground all along, but more than two months have passed. Weâve received no contact whatsoever about what to do with you.â
âAhâŠâ
âOh no!â
The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and the White Wolf Saberâs eyes trembled even more violently as they believed the lie that two months had passed.
âThatâs why I got curious.â
Raon coldly stared at them.
âWhat kind of person is the cold-blooded woman called the Thespian Emperor?â
Being oppressive all the time wasnât the best way to get information during torture. Just like giving a carrot after a stick, it was better to soften their hearts from time to time to get the best information.
But sheâs coming to save them.
âYes, but they donât know that.â
Information was completely cut off inside the underground prison. Since even the prison guards never said anything, there was no way they knew about the Thespian Emperor.
Wh-what the hell is wrong with you�
Wrathâs chin trembled in fear.
âSo, what is the Thespian Emperorâs personality? She seems to be a coldhearted and decisive person.â
The White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud didnât answer right away. They remained silent for a moment before their dry lips finally parted.
âSheâs a frightening person.â
âFrightening?â
âYes. She knows everything. Thatâs why sheâs extremely decisive, like you said. What can be done can be done, and what canât be done canât be done. She knows that for sure before she acts.â
The White Wolf Saber closed his eyes while chewing his lip.
âTh-thatâs true. Most things go according to her predictions whenever we are on a mission.â
The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud nodded while supporting the White Wolf Saberâs claim.
âHmm.â
Raon nodded.
âSo, she has a strategist's personality.â
Those capable of predicting the future were usually decisive. There was a coldhearted side to them, and they were able to throw others away without hesitation if things didnât go according to their wishes. The Thespian Emperor seemed to be the same.
âIn that case, she should be easy to break through.â
Level-headed people werenât afraid of smart people but crazy people. Since a madman was completely unpredictable and couldnât be talked sense to, it was pretty much an intellectualâs natural counter. Raon figured he could proceed according to the plan.
âThen did she predict my interference?â
âSh-she did mention Zieghartâs arrival.â
The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud shook his head, saying that sheâd told him about the White Lotus divisionâs arrival, but not the Light Wind division.
âWhat about you?â
âShe asked me to bring them back but never mentioned your nameâŠâ
The White Wolf Saber said that sheâd told him to get the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud back as fast as possible since it was dangerous.
âI see.â
Raon narrowed his eyes while touching his chin.
âShe knew about the White Lotus divisionâs movements but didnât manage to predict me. Why is that? Is there anything special with me, or did she make a mistake?â
It was most likely a mistake, but it was possible that he couldnât be predicted by her.
âBecause sheâs supposed to read the flow of heaven.â
He looked around at Wrath, who was still frowning. Since Wrath was with him, and heâd gotten the power of two other demon kings, he couldâve become an alien existence in the world.
âI have a few other questions.â
Raon asked what the Thespian Emperor had done in the past to the White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud, who were terrified and felt betrayed at the same time, to analyze her personality.
When he managed to get a good amount of information, Dorian approached him from behind.
âVice division leader. Sh-sheâs here. She is at the Snow Cloud Rock right now.â
âI see.â
Raon nodded and stood up.
âIt will take about two hours until she arrives.â
It took about two hours for an adult man to walk from Snow Cloud Rock to Zieghart. The Thespian Emperor was arriving soon.
âI need to go now.â
âErrâŠâ
The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and the White Wolf Saber widened their eyes.
âWh-who is comingâŠ?â
âWho else? Your master is coming.â
Since heâd already extracted everything he wanted to know, he told them about the Thespian Emperor's arrival.
âI heard sheâs coming to save you.â
âWh-what?!â
âBut you said earlier that there was no contact!â
âThatâs true. She never said anything about you. She just said she wanted to visit.â
The Thespian Emperor had simply announced her visit in her message. She mustâve been careful and avoided mentioning the topic until her arrival.
âYou!â
âRaon Zieghart! You bastard!â
âI need to go now since I need to get ready.â
Raon cheerfully waved his hand and turned around.
âYou demon!â
âDemon king! Heâs a demon king! Thatâs the only way to explain his personality!â
They barked even louder to overcome their fears against Raon.
What are you talking about?!
Wrath frowned while looking back at them.
Donât compare this psychopath to good people like demon kings!
ââŠâŠâ