Raon narrowed his eyes while watching the entrance of the lodging.
âWhy are there so many people gathered over there?â
Warriors engulfed in excellent pressures were lined up in front of the door.
Raon tilted his head. They looked like customers lining up in front of a popular restaurant.
âI wanted to avoid annoying incidents.â
Heâd gotten a small enlightenment during the single-strike match against the Demon Slaying Spear.
Since the lesson was stimulating but not enough, he wanted to settle it by sparring against Rimmer, but he suspected he wouldnât have the time for that.
âDivision leader, whatâs happening over theââ
Raon turned around to start talking to Rimmer and came to a halt.
âWhere the hell did he go?â
The red-haired elf had been grinning at the gold coins inside his pocket until a moment ago, but he had completely disappeared before he knew it.
âH-heâs really not here!â
Dorian was also surprised and instinctively started to rub his belly pocket.
Shitty Ears disappeared when you were focused on those humans.
Wrath glanced back and furrowed his brow.
âSeriously, that elf. He really is like a ghost.â
He was only fixated on the people in front of the lodging for an instant.
Rimmer had run away during that short moment. He wouldâve been called the death god, which was even better than the assassin king, if he had been raised as an assassin.
He must be at the casino again. Shitty Ears couldâve become the monarch of gambling if he was in Devildom.
âYou understand him now.â
Itâs obvious.
Raon could only laugh. Rimmerâs behavioral pattern was so simple that even Wrath could understand it despite his dullness.
âIâm glad I took away his money in advance.â
Raon was relieved that he had recovered most of the money Rimmer had secretly stolen.
If heâd managed to take all that money with him, he was pretty much returning the Five Divine Ordersâ money after everything heâd gone through.
âThis isnât even an addiction at this point. Heâs just braindead.â
Raon shook his head while thinking about Rimmer who was losing his mind.
Shitty Ears isn't important right now.
Wrath furrowed his brow deeply, watching the people in front of the entrance.
He has a bad feeling about this.
âWhy?â
It feels like those humans are going to stop us from having dinner!
âThatâs not going to happen.â
Raon shook his head. The restaurant serving the lobster and pig feet that Wrath wanted was close to the lodging.
There was no way they wouldnât be able to eat itânot unless a war suddenly broke out.
But it hasnât gone well so far!
âWhy are you so afraid when you are a demon king? Just believe.â
Ugh, you wonât understand his feelings until the world plays against you.
âYou are exaggerating.â
Raon stepped forward after he tapped Wrathâs trembling back.
âLetâs enter for now.â
âYes!â
Encia smiled brightly and nodded.
ââŠAnd please stop taking photos.â
Raon shook his head while covering his face with his hand. Encia had been continuously taking photos, even after theyâd left the casino.
It was like a mystery that a small artifact the size of a palm could contain so many papers.
âHow could I stop?!â
Encia put her hands on her waist while lowering the camera.
âYour handsomeness is rampaging right now because of the natural light! Natural lighting is indeed better than artificial light! So goddamn handsome!â
She blabbered something incomprehensible and started to take photos once again.
âThis is exhausting.â
The short conversation with Encia was even more exhausting than dealing with the Thespian Emperor all day long or having a single-strike match against the Demon Slaying Spear.
He felt like he couldnât even think anymore.
âIs this how it is when the world plays against me?â
Not at all! Are you still spouting that bullshit after you saw what the world has done to the King of Essence?! This isnât even childâs play!
âI see.â
Raon shook his head and went to the lodging. The warriors waiting in front of the door looked at him at the same time.
âHuh?â
âBlond hair and red eyes?â
âHeâs here!â
âSir Raon!â
âWhite Sword Dragon! Iâve been waiting for you!â
The warriors ran towards him with sparkling eyes.
Raon noticed multiple groups of people who were wearing the same clothes.
âAnd thereâs a powerful warrior in each one of their groups.â
The youngsters who seemed to be around thirty years old were from advanced Expert to the highest level of Expert, while the middle-aged men leading them were at the Masterâs realm.
âWhy are you here, everyone?â
Raon stopped walking and asked the question he was curious about.
âMy name is Dumptkan from House Tven, Iâd like to request for a spar with Sir Raon.â
âSame goes for me! Iâve wanted to cross blades with you after hearing about your heroic story!â
âPlease allow us to learn from the sword that defeated two floor overseers from the Black Tower!â
The middle-aged men, who seemed to represent each group, bowed politely to him.
They were rather powerful, and most of them had a position as important as the head of a house, so Raon already knew most of their names.
âHmmâŠâ
Raon pulled his chin back while looking at the top of their heads.
âSo they came here to ask for a spar.â
He was wondering why they were gathered around a lodging at the corner of the city, and they were apparently there to request a spar against him.
It wasnât rare for friendly spars to occur because excellent warriors were bound to gather in a festival like that.
Since the middle-aged men who were requesting the spar had entered the Masterâs realm a long time ago, it wasnât exactly a strange occurrence.
âHowever⊠There are too many of them at once.â
If there was already a spar, it was possible for many of them to gather afterward from hearing the rumor, but the fact that theyâd visited altogether without anything like that was rather suspicious.
âSince the Demon Slaying Spear isnât the type of person who would make a ploy like this, it must be the Thespian Emperorâs doing.â
Raon laughed bitterly because he could understand who was behind it.
âIs she a masochist who likes to be trampled all over?â
It was about time she learned her lesson after being destroyed so hard, yet she wasnât stopping with her ploys. The Thespian Emperor wasnât exactly sane.
âDid the Thespian Emperor send you?â
âOh, so you knew about it!â
The man whoâd introduced himself as Dumptkan nodded.
âWe went to greet the Thespian Emperor, and she told us that the White Sword Dragon is here. Thatâs why we came here.â
âSame goes for us.â
âShe told me that you might be bored because the lodgings are too old-fashioned. So, I came just in caseâŠâ
The other warriors agreed with Dumptkan and honestly told him that the Thespian Emperor had sent them.
âCan you wait a little longer?â
Raon told the warriors to wait a bit longer and entered the lodging.
The Light Wind division was gathered in a circle inside the small training ground outside the mansion.
âHmm?â
Raon thought they might be having a conference about the warriors outside, but that wasnât the case.
They were surrounding someone and were talking to them with smiles. They seemed rather close.
âDo they actually have a friend?â
Raon went to the training ground while wondering about that, and the person surrounded by the Light Wind division stood up before he arrived.
Her purple dress with red flower blossoms fluttered into the air. The black rose of her eyepatch contrasted with her white skin, and it looked even darker because of the sunlight.
She was Denning Rose, the disciple of the Black Marketâs master, and the branch manager.
âDenning Rose?â
Raon licked his lips while looking at Denning Rose.
âI didnât expect to see her here.â
Since sheâd never mentioned anything even when they were exchanging letters right before heâd left the house, he hadnât expected her to come.
âGreetings, White Sword Dragon.â
Denning Rose bowed while holding the center of her dress.
âItâs been a while.â
Denning Rose furrowed her brow slightly, expressing her sadness and saying that itâd been a while.
Raon bowed back at Denning Rose.
âWeâve spoken often through letters. We havenât actually met for over a year, though.â
âYou look like you didnât expect to see me here.â
She smiled faintly and lowered her hand.
âIndeed.â
Raon honestly nodded.
âBecause she shouldnât be comfortable around here.â
The White Whale expanded their influence and information acquisition by taking away the Black Marketâs business and domain. They shouldâve been extremely hostile to each other, and that was why Raon didnât think she would be there.
âI need to learn about the enemy to win against them.â
Denning Rose smiled faintlyâas if she understood what Raon was thinking.
âI gladly accepted their invitation.â
She softly placed her hands on her dress while saying that the White Whale was going to regret that invitation one day.
âShe is also extraordinary.â
The Thespian Emperorâs action of sending an invitation to the Black Market was insane, but Denning Rose couldnât be called normal either, since she accepted it.
Hmm, this is a bit cold.
Wrath mustâve also noticed the cold atmosphere between those two women, as his shoulders were trembling.
âNice to meet you, Lady Encia.â
Denning Rose lowered her head at Encia, who was continuously taking Raonâs photos from next to him.
* * *
* * *
âHuh?â
Encia took her eyes off the camera for the first time after theyâd entered the lodgings.
âDo you know me?â
âItâs impossible for me to not know about the genius of House Yonaan because of my job.â
âYour job?â
She tilted her head at Denning Rose.
âShe is Denning Rose, the disciple of the Black Marketâs master.â
Since Raon was between them, he introduced Denning Rose to her in her stead.
âAh! So thatâs why itâs because of the job! Nice to meet you!â
Encia extended her hand as cheerfully as her appearance.
âIâm honored to meet you.â
Denning Rose elegantly extended her hand and grabbed Enciaâs hand.
âBy the wayâŠâ
She narrowed her eyes while looking at the camera.
âIf itâs not too much to ask, may I ask what youâve been doing?â
âAh, are you asking about this? This is an artifact that I invented called a camera. You can take a photo like this.â
Encia explained about her camera while shaking Raonâs photos as if she were bragging about them.
Since they were around the same age, they cheerfully started to talk to each other as if theyâd already become friends.
âBy any chance, was the reason you made that artifactâŠâ
âYes, I made it to take photos of the damn handsome Raon.â
âD-damn handsome?â
âHeâs so damn handsome!â
âAhâŠâ
Denning Roseâs eyes started to tremble slightly even though sheâd always been calm before.
âIsnât his face like a sculpture? I donât even understand how none of the photos look bad!â
Encia showed her Raonâs photos and bragged about it.
âHmm, indeedâŠâ
Denning Rose calmly nodded in acknowledgment despite her agitation.
âIs it possible to buy a camera?â
âThis is just a prototype, and itâs going to take some time for the manufacture. We donât have enough ingredients either.â
âThen what about those photos?â
âDo you want to buy them?â
Encia approached Denning Rose with a cheerful smile.
âIâll give them to you for free if you say this for me.â
âJust for saying something?â
âYes!â
âWhat do you want me to sayâŠ?â
âItâs simple. I just want you to shout that Raon is damn handsome.â
âErrâŠâ
Denning Roseâs lips trembled.
âHaaâŠâ
Raon sighed and turned around. He went to the Light Wind division since he couldnât keep listening to them anymore.
âWhen did those warriors outside arrive here?â
âThey got here shortly after you left.â
Burren responded while leaning his back against a tree.
âThey came at around the same time, as if theyâd planned it in advance.â
He said that they kept coming one after the other.
âTheyâve been doing that without even having lunch.â
Runaan nodded while eating a small ice cream that sheâd gotten from somewhere.
âShall I chase them away?â
Martha frowned violently.
âI think someone is plotting something, though.â đ»đâŻđŠđžđđđđđżđŠđ.đđđ¶
She unclenched her fist. She mustâve figured that it would be problematic despite how simple she was.
âHmmâŠâ
Raon scratched his chin while looking at the door.
âI can see what the Thespian Emperor is thinking.â
If he refused the spar against the warriors whoâd been waiting for such a long time without even having lunch, she was going to spread the rumor that he was narrow-minded or was a coward, and if he accepted the spars, she was going to analyze Zieghartâs martial arts by observing the area.
âIâm finally understanding why she gave this lodging to us.â
The lodgings were vast and luxurious, but the walls were too low and it was easy to spy on from the outside.
She mustâve assigned those lodgings for them for that exact purpose from the beginning.
âI think I understand what kind of person the Thespian Emperor is.â
She seemed to like using a method where she gave her opponent two choices while making sure that both of them led to her advantage. It was a disgusting method, just like the previous one.
âHowever⊠You made a mistake once again.â
Raon had gained a small enlightenment through the spar against the Demon Slaying Spear.
He wanted to settle it through a small spar, and the opponents were presenting themselves. He wanted to thank the Thespian Emperor at that point.
âMoreover, it doesnât really matter if I showed my martial art to other people.â
Since his martial art was constantly improving through the Ring of Fire, his realm was bound to change every day.
If she judged him according to what she witnessed, she was bound to pay the price eventually.
Raon licked his lips while looking at the Light Wind division.
âShall I have them do it, too?â
The disciples of the warriors whoâd requested the spars were perfect as the Light Wind divisionâs opponents.
âIt will be perfect if I fight against the heads of houses and the Light Wind division fights against the rest.â
He was killing two birds with one stone since even the Light Wind division could gain experience and prowess from the spars.
âSheâs being so helpful. Shall I prepare a gift for her?â
It mustâve been one of the Thespian Emperorâs plans for her revenge, but her ploy was only beneficial to the Light Wind division instead.
This is so frustrating. Why is every single person being a doormat for you?!
Wrath punched into the air, saying that he couldnât comprehend it. He mustâve been imagining the Thespian Emperorâs face.
âIt looks like we are in the city of doormats like you said.â
Raon chuckled and turned around.
âIt wouldnât be a bad idea to accept their requests.â
Just as he was about to tell them that he was going to accept, Denning Roseâs voice could be heard.
âEveryone outside is a powerful warrior who possesses polished, advanced martial arts. There should be something to gain from sparring against them.â
She gave a piece of advice as if sheâd noticed what Raon was thinking.
âYou shouldnât need to worry about it since they arenât from the White Whale. However, if you are worried about disclosing your martial arts during the sparsâŠâ
Denning Rose smiled while taking out a few needles from under her dress.
âIâll create an array so that we wonât be seen from the outside.â
She smiled peacefully, saying that she was going to play a prank. However, there were a few photos that Encia had taken under her dress where sheâd taken out the needles.
ââŠShe ended up saying damn handsome.â
Raon sighed while looking at the ground.
He had a feeling that Enciaâs believers were gradually increasing.
Arenât they your believers?
âShut up.â