Raon lowered his eyebrows while looking at Roseline, the Black Marketâs master.
âWhat would be that important informationâŠ?â
âTake a seat for now.â
Roseline pointed at the chair next to Kuberad, saying that he didnât need to be so impatient.
âI understand.â
Raon sat on the chair that sheâd pointed at.
Denning Rose was greeting him with her eyes from the opposite side. Her silky purple hair fluttered faintly.
âHowâs your condition?â
He started by asking about her well-being, as they were separated during the Demonic Monarch of the Azure Flameâs assault.
âIâm fine thanks to you, Sir Raon.â
Denning Rose calmly parted her lips.
âThank you for saving me once again.â
She went on one knee and expressed her gratitude.
âPlease donât do this. We helped each other.â
Raon stood up and shook his hand. He was grateful to Denning Rose and the Black Market because theyâve always provided him with information without asking for anything in return.
Since they were pretty much partners, he felt uncomfortable about such an excessive expression of gratitude.
âWould you allow this old woman to offer you some advice?â
Roseline smiled faintly and patted Denning Roseâs head.
âIf you make someone indebted to you, itâs best to quickly and definitively make them repay the favor. Many people tend to forget their gratitude as the time passes.â
âThank you for your advice. But itâs fine. I donât think Lady Denning Rose is that type of person, and sheâs already shown me plenty of consideration.â
Raon shook his head without even hesitating for an instant and told her that he didnât need any repayment.
âI see.â
Roselineâs smile deepened. She seemed to have grown even more fond of him despite his disregard for her advice.
âI can finally understand why she always cares about you and shows so much consideration for you, Sir Raon. Itâs appealing, even to me.â
âM-master!â
The most uptodatđź nđvels are published on freŃnovelkiss.com.
Denning Roseâs white skin flushed. She rapidly shook her head, pleading with her to stop.
âYour indecent conduct never changes despite your age.â
Kuberad put his beer glass down and clicked his tongue.
âThatâs my biggest appeal.â
Roseline smiled faintly and shrugged her shoulders.
âNow that I think about itâŠâ
Raonâs eyes widened as he looked back and forth between Kuberad and Roseline.
âDo you know each other?â
âWeâve been acquainted for a long time.â
Roseline nodded while looking at the wrinkles laid out like a picture on the back of Kuberadâs hand.
âSheâs the one who provided me with a space to set up a workshop in a corner of Cameloon.â
Kuberad picked up the roast beef at the center of the table and swallowed it at once before he raised his gaze.
âDid she really give you that secluded spot?â
Yes. I requested a quiet spot to avoid attention from hoodlums, and she provided me with a secluded corner where no one could find me.â
He twisted his lips, showing his displeasure towards the Black Marketâs master.
âOh my, all I did was to grant your request.â
Roseline shook her hand, saying that she hadnât done anything wrong.
âHaa, Iâm going to leave. Seeing her makes me angry.â
Kuberad put down his glass and left the pub without hesitating.
âHe is more considerate than he looks.â
Roseline smiled while looking at the pub door, which was still shaking. She was also aware that Kuberad had left to allow them to talk more easily.
âLetâs start the real talk.â
âYes.â
Raon nodded heavily while looking at Roselineâs serious eyes.
âActually, weâve been concealing information about you, Sir Raon.â
Denning Rose was the first one to speak instead of Roseline. She placed her hands on her knees and continued.
âWeâve been hiding the fact that you were alive here because the Holy Sword Alliance or the Black Tower could potentially come to attack you. I apologize for acting on our own accord.â
âNo, Iâm thankful for your consideration.â
Raon shook his head. He was thankful instead of blaming her since Denning Rose had stopped the information from spreading for his sake.
âHoweverâŠâ
Denning Rose narrowed her only eye.
âRecently⊠Or, rather, after the news about the Light Wind divisionâs disappearance spread, a certain organization tried to look for you.â
Her voice was quiet, yet frightening. Raon almost felt like that organization was watching them as they spoke.
âA certain organization?â
âYes. They requested information about Sir Raonâs state and whereabouts under various identities.â
âHmmâŠâ
Raon narrowed his eyes.
âWhich one?â
He could think of five different organizations.
The White Blood Religion, Holy Sword Alliance, Black Tower, White Whale, and Derus Robert. It wouldnât be strange if any of them was looking for his information.
âThat organization didnât stop after asking us for the information. They went to the Thespian Emperor at the White Whale, and they also moved on their own. They seemed to be desperate to know whether you were dead or alive.â
He could eliminate the Thespian Emperor from the list since they also requested the White Whale for information. The White Blood Religion, Holy Sword Alliance, Black Tower, and Derus were left.
âDo you know who they are, by any chance?â
âIâm sorry, but we were unable to track them down.â
Denning Rose briefly sighed.
âItâs impossible to figure out their background because they are a cellular organization, and they immediately killed themselves once we managed to track them down. I almost thought they were the fanatics from the White Blood Religion.â
She furrowed her brow, saying that their blood wasnât white.
âI can see it now.â
Raon clenched his fist while looking down at the old table.
âItâs Derus Robert.â
The fact that they were a cellular organization and that they killed themselves as soon as they were found out were both characteristics of the Shadows, the group of assassins raised by Derus.
âSince heâs persistent about finding out whether Iâm dead or alive, he might suspect that Iâm the same Raon from my previous life.â
Other people would probably think it was nonsense, but Derus was extremely suspicious by nature. That was why it was entirely possible for him to hold such a suspicion.
âThis is dangerous. However⊠That is a mistake on his part.â
Raon couldnât reveal Derusâs true nature with the information he had, but he could make the Black Market cautious about Derus in the future.
That was going to be extremely helpful for when he would fight him in the future.
âHmm, I also have a piece of information to provide.â
Raon raised his gaze and met Denning Roseâs eyes.
âActually, the Holy Sword Alliance masterâs disciple wasnât my only opponent at Banneret.â
ââŠWhat do you mean by that?â
âI was attacked by masked men when I was looking for the Light Wind division after defeating the Holy Sword Alliance masterâs disciple.â
âAh, we already know about that.â
Denning Rose nodded, showing that she had already found out about that battle.
âAre you also aware that they were corpses?â
âC-corpses?â
Her jaw dropped, revealing her surprise at the fact that the masked men were actually corpses.
âCorpsesâŠâ
Roselineâs eyes wavered for the first time.
âCan you tell us more details?â
âUnderstood.â
Raon provided the information about Deathbringer Revenants to the Black Marketâs master and Denning Rose.
âHah! Theyâre not even made by a corpse master. What in the world is thatâŠ?â
Roseline swallowed nervously, surprised at the fact that something like a Deathbringer Revenant existed in the world.
âThis is just my opinion, but I think the ones who requested my information from the Black Market might be on the same side as those who manipulated the corpses.â
Raon made a connection between the two groups and helped the Black Market get one step closer to Derus Robert.
âSeriouslyâŠâ
Roseline awkwardly scratched her cheek.
âWe came here to provide some information, but we are gaining some instead.â
She gasped, saying that she didnât expect such a connection. Sheâd been composed all along, but her expression hardened for once.
âIn that case, could you grant me a request?â
Raon met Roseline and Denning Roseâs eyes one after the other.
âYes, of course.â
âAs long as itâs something we can do.â
Denning Rose and Roseline nodded right away, as if theyâd been waiting for it.
âIâm reluctant to say this since Iâm making the request, but no one should find out about this information. Is that possible?â
âI swear on the name of Black Marketâs master that Iâll keep it secret.â
Roseline swore that she would keep the promise, even if she died along with Denning Rose.
âActually, Iâve obtained a piece of information from the man who manipulated the corpses.â
âWhat would that be?â
âIt was about the location where the zombie assassins were manufactured.â
âThatâs a good deed. So whyâŠ?â
Denning Rose shook her head, unable to understand it.
âYou must be trying to avoid letting them know that itâs possible to get the information out of them.â
Unlike Denning Rose, Roseline understood the situation at once and explained it.
âMoreover, you should be able to avoid the enemyâs suspicion and further danger that way.â
âCorrect.â
Raon nodded slowly.
âThis is an opportunity.â
If he destroyed the Deathbringer Revenant factory at Capply Village, Derus was bound to find out that he was capable of getting information out of the Shadows.
He was definitely going to stop the information leak afterward, even if he had to modify the human brain, so that would be a huge loss.
However, if the Black Market found the factory instead, his attention was going to be directed at the Black Market instead of Raon.
That would allow him to conceal the information about himself in the future, which was why it was such an important task.
âI understand.â
The Black Marketâs master closed her eyes before opening them again, smiling faintly.
âWhich means the information will say that Sir Raon will be staying here, even if he were to go to Capply Village.â
Denning Rose calmly nodded. She mustâve reached the same line of thought. She was still far from the Black Marketâs master in terms of skill, but she was gifted enough.
âIndeed.â
Raon smiled while meeting their eyes. That was the best course of action to get rid of the Deathbringer Revenant factory while avoiding Derusâs suspicion.
âAlright, letâs do it like that.â
The Black Marketâs master smiled confidently, saying that she was going to create a situation where they would reach Capply Village with their own investigation.
âThank you.â
âNot at all. Since you entrusted us with this great piece of information, we will thoroughly prepare to answer that trust.â
She raised her clenched fist, telling him to believe in her.
âAh, I have something else to tell you.â
Raon thought the talk was over, but Denning Rose leaned forward.
âA rumor started to spread that you summoned the blue demon king, Sir Raon.â
âWhat?â
Raonâs eyes widened.
âWhat do you meanâŠ?â
He could hear his heart pounding because of how fast it started beating upon hearing the unexpected news.
âDo they know the relationship between Wrath and me? No, thatâs impossible.â
Not even Glenn, the Holy Sword Alliance master, or Derus knew about Wrathâs existence. Someone mustâve been spreading a baseless rumor.
âThey spread the information with malicious intent. We tried to trace it, but they havenât been found either. HoweverâŠâ
Denning Rose smiled faintly and shook her finger.
âPeople are going to find out that itâs a groundless rumor soon, even if we donât do anything about it.â
âWhat do you meanâŠ?â
âThe mad dragon Kaibarâs rampage was a serious matter, to the point where the entire continent was aware of it. Since youâve slain such a notorious mad dragon and gained the title of a Dragon Slayer, the rumor about the blue demon king is bound to subside.â
âAh, thatâs true. Hmm? Dragon Slayer?â
âSo you havenât heard about it yet. The Sword Dragon has gained a new name after slaying the mad dragon.â
Denning Rose smiled faintly while looking at Raon. Her eyes were giving him a ferocious impression, but they softened beautifully.
âRaon Zieghart the Dragon Slayer. Itâs your new nickname.â
* * *
Raon went to the restaurant where heâd talked with Aries after he sent off the Black Marketâs master and Denning Rose. It was where Wrathâs fish soup was snatched by a seagull.
âThatâs how I was called auntie by Raon! I honestly didnât expect much, but it pulled on my heartstrings! It was the first time Iâve felt this way since I was called Mama!â
He could hear Ariesâs voice echoing throughout the interior. Raon blushed and opened the door.
âWow, you succeeded.â
âIâm so jealous. You are called auntie by the White Sword Dragon. No, I should call him the Dragon Slayer now.â
âHe was shy when he called you auntie? Sir Raon is still so young. He looked even more mature than us when he was fighting against the mad dragon though.â
âHell yeah, thatâs the cool part about him.â
The crew were chatting with each other with smiles on their faces while listening to Aries boasting about Raon.
âAuntie! Doesnât this sound beautiful? Has anyone called you that before? Auntie?â
âOf course not, Iâm a manâŠâ
Aries went around the tables, bragging that she was the first one to be called auntie by him.
The way she was so nonchalant with the sailors made it difficult to believe that she was a Zieghart, but it was such a nice scene to watch.
âHaaâŠâ
Raon sighed quietly and shook his head. He couldnât enter or leave because Aries was talking too loudly, and her gaze was suddenly directed at him.
âHuh? My nephew!â
Aries spread her arms wide and walked up to him in an attempt to hug him. Her face had flushed to match her hair, implying that she had drunk too much.
âUgh.â
Raon turned his shoulders around to dodge her attempt to hug him and stepped backward.
âHuh? Did you just dodge?â
Aries frowned and weakly stomped the ground, and her arm was already in front of him.
âI got you.â
âAhâŠâ
Raonâs chin trembled as he got hugged by Aries before he could try anything.
âW-was that an application of the space sword?â
âMy nephew is so perceptive.â
Aries raised her swaying head and nodded.
âThe principles of swordsmanship and footwork are similar. The only difference is that one is used with arms while the other is with legs. You need to apply your martial arts to your everyday life to get stronger.â
She grinned. It was difficult to tell whether she was trying to teach or if she was just being a drunkard.
âI have something to discuss.â
Raon declared with serious eyes as he forcibly took Aries off him since she was hugging his shoulders tightly.
âAre you going to leave?â
As soon as they entered a quiet alley, she made a smile that implied that she already knew what he wanted to talk about.
âDid you already know about it?â
âI heard about the Black Market masterâs visit. You mustâve gotten some kind of information from her.â
She nodded with eyes brimming with intelligence, like she wasnât drunk at all. She wasnât asking any questions even though she knew he was up to something. Raon felt like he was seeing a different side of her all the time.
âI want to tell her, but I shouldnâtâŠâ
He still didnât know what Derus Robert was hiding. He couldnât reveal the story to Aries because even a transcender like her could end up dying from being involved.
âSince weâve slain the mad dragon, itâs about time you returned. You need to make Sylviaâs energy center too, after all.â
âYes, indeed.â
Raon nodded awkwardly.
âIs there anything I can do to help?â
âYouâve already helped me plenty enough.â
Aries had stopped the hole in his upper energy center from spreading, helped him fill up the hole by gaining the achievement of slaying a dragon, and even gave him the dragon heart, which was the biggest treasure looted from the hunt.
No, rather than anything else, sheâd taught him that Sylvia wasnât the only family he had. He felt immense gratitude, so much so that a lifetime wouldn't be enough to repay it.
âThank you for everything youâve done so far.â
Raonâs steps came to a halt. He bowed to her while thanking her from the bottom of his heart.
âYou are such a serious guy.â
Aries smiled faintly and patted Raonâs head.
âYou arenât supposed to say that between family members.â
âHmmâŠâ
Raon raised his slightly flushed face.
âReturn carefully, and see you next time.â
âYes, Iâll come back to visit after I make my motherâs energy center.â
âNo.â
Ariesâs eyes were filled with mischief, and she smiled once again.
âWe will see each other at a different location next time.â
* * *
Raon used the Black Marketâs dimensional door that Roseline had told him about to move near Capply Village.
He was walking towards the village, his hair and eyes changed black, and his body covered with a worn robe like a traveler.
UghâŠ
Wrath let out a small groan while looking around the area that had nothing but mountains and forest.
This is the countryside! Thereâs nothing to eat around here!
He frowned, asking him when he was going to eat the bead ice cream.
âIâll hold a party with ice cream after we get back home. Please be patient.â
He patted Wrathâs flabby stomach as if he were trying to appease a child and continued to walk down the mountain road.
âHmmâŠâ
Raon looked around and furrowed his brow. He was feeling more and more nauseous as he kept walking through the old path that seemed to have been carved dozens of years ago.
He felt like he had already walked through that path before because of how natural it felt.
âIâm sure I have never been here before, though.â
He obviously had never been there in his new life, and the same went for his previous life. However, the scenery around him felt familiar for some reason.
âMy head hurts for some reason, too.â
Raon kept walking while covering his head, which had started to ache.
Since Capply Village was relatively far from the dimensional door, he only managed to arrive by sunset.
âSo this is the entrance⊠Ah?â
He stood at the entrance marked with stone stacks and watched the village and the mountain ridge above it, which looked like it was trying to protect it, and a faint scenery was overlapping in his head like a dream.
Unknown childrenâs laughter, gentle smiles of adults, and warm smoke rising from the chimneys emerged like a wildfire.
âHuff!â
Raon gasped roughly and pressed down hard on his temple.
âI understand now.â
He felt like he understood why Capply Village felt so familiar even though heâd never been to or heard about it before.
âThis village isâŠâ