[You have obtained the new title Sword Emperor.]
Raon let out a hollow laugh as he stared at the message crushing Wrath's head.
‘My title is Sword Emperor? Is this fate?’
-Fuck fate!
Wrath struggled to break free from the message and let out a vicious growl.
-This system bastard clearly copied it after scraping the bottom of the barrel for creativity!
‘That’s not possible.’
Raon calmly shook his head.
‘This title must have been created before the nickname Sword Emperor was even coined.’
-What the hell….’
Wrath’s eyes widened as if he’d just realized something.
‘Right. These reward messages appeared right after Greed left. Before the rumor spread that the Black Tower Lord had been defeated.’
These reward messages appeared immediately after the war ended, but he hadn’t checked or accepted them, consumed by the thought that Rensia was dead.
Seeing that the title ‘Sword Emperor’ had been created before he was even called by that name, the only word that came to mind was fate.
-Titles aside….
Wrath gritted his teeth, staring at the messages filling the top of the title bar.
-No matter how I look at it, there are far too many! This isn't a marketplace!
He shook his head, refusing to accept it.
'What are you going to do if you can't accept it? It's what the master gives.'
-That master is me! You thief!
Wrath waved his round hand, declaring himself the master of the powers within the messages.
‘Come to think of it, that’s true.’
Raon chuckled softly and nodded.
‘But what can you do now that it’s already come to me? You have no choice but to accept it.’
-Guhhh...
Pressing down on Wrath's flushed head, he scanned the messages again.
[You have achieved a feat that will go down in history.]
[You have defeated the King of the Black Tower.]
[You have earned the recognition of the Sovereign of .]
[All stats increase by 100 points.]
Raon's hand trembled slightly as he read the message at the top.
‘A feat that will go down in history.’
He'd often seen his accomplishments described with fancy words before, but this was the first time it said it would be remembered in history. His fingertips quivered with pride.
'Well, I suppose it had to be that way.'
Even if he fought alongside Chamber, he had killed the Black Tower Lord, the continent's absolute ruler, in his own lair. Immediately after, he had driven out Greed, the Lord of Greed, and even obtained his power. Honestly, calling it a feat for the history books felt like an understatement.
-Huh, a hundred points? Even if it is a feat for the history books, a hundred points at once is ridiculous!
Wrath's jaw trembled.
-They say efficiency drops as stats increase, but 100 points at once is too much of an impact!
He shook his head, saying that even he would need to relearn his body's sensations if his stats rose by 100 points.
‘Hmm….’
Raon pressed the message with his finger, absorbing the power contained within.
‘You're absolutely right.’
The instant he confirmed the message and received the 100-point reward, he felt a sensation as if every muscle and bone in his body snapped and then came back to life.
But it wasn't pain—it was the ecstasy of growing stronger. His body was evolving to a higher level for the first time in ages.
-Damn it….
Wrath watched Raon's trembling body and bit his lip.
-To think you're boiling my very spine to make bone broth!
Wrath, claiming he had barely any bones left, started punching the air.
‘Since I've drained your spine, should I get you ox bone soup when you get home?’
Raon patted Wrath's head with a hand still trembling.
-You... really?
Wrath's eyes rolled as if tempted by ox bone soup, his mouth watering. To crave food in this state... he truly seemed like a creature who'd stake his life on food.
‘If that's what you want.’
Raon smiled faintly and checked the next message.
[New Trait Power Manipulation created.]
Just seeing the trait's name gave a rough idea of its ability.
‘Unlike Power Enhancement, this must be an ability that lets me use the Demon Lords’ powers as if they were my own.'
He still couldn't freely wield the Demon Lords' powers, except for Wrath's Wrath.
But in this war, thanks to the power of Zircon, the demon of stability, he had managed to draw out the full might of the other Demon Lords' powers to defeat the Black Tower Lord.
He had thought it would be difficult to properly wield the Demon Lords' powers again since Zircon had vanished, leaving only a trace behind. But with this Power Manipulation, he felt he might be able to make them his own, at least to some extent.
'This will be a great power.'
Judging by its characteristics so far, it wouldn't be able to wield great power like it did when fighting the Black Tower Lord from the start.
But if it used the characteristic frequently enough to raise its rank, it was certain that someday it would be able to utilize the Demon Lords' power directly.
-Damn doormats….
Wrath puffed out his cheeks as if filled with irritation.
-I'm the one who should be giving it away! Why do you lot have to get involved too!
Wrath seemed to have realized he was the doormat now, and he pounded his chest.
‘This place is going to be tough. When I get back to Zieghart, I'll have to buy him whatever he wants to eat.’
Since the festival in Montiro would likely leave nothing to eat due to Gluttony, he decided to return to Zighart and buy Wrath whatever food he desired.
[The rank of the trait Bleeding Curse has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Unbreakable Will has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Spiral Power has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Morale Resistance has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Divinity Blooming from Darkness has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Snowflake Spear has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Snowflake Absorption has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Ascala's Fighting Spirit has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Ghostly Spirit has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Thousand Blades has increased.]
[The rank of the trait Fraud Detection has increased.]
The following window had messages regarding the rank increases of traits involved in this war.
With the ranks of 11 traits rising at once, the message completely obscured his vision.
-Guh...
Wrath trembled, his lips quivering, seemingly too stunned to speak properly.
'Then finally.'
Raon confirmed the ability of the title Sword Emperor he had seen earlier.
Sword Emperor
A title bestowed upon a swordsman who overthrows an unworthy king and ascends to the throne himself.
All martial arts acquisition rates increase, and the mastery of currently learned swordsmanship and sword techniques greatly improves.
“Hah!”
A hollow laugh escaped him without his knowing it.
Sword Emperor wasn't just a simple title. True to its name as the Emperor of Swords, it held the effect of rapidly mastering all swordsmanship and greatly amplifying the power of the swordsmanship learned.
-Gwaaaaah!
Wrath screamed, ruffling his own hair.
-Just how much more do I have to give away before you feel satisfied?! How much of this king's power did it take to make this?!
Wrath threw a fit, demanding the receipt. But his round body made it look like he was doing a cute dance.
‘This title...’
Ignoring Wrath, Raon clenched his fist.
‘It seems to mean I shouldn't be satisfied here, that I should aim higher.’
The reason he could defeat the Black Tower Lord was because the latter was a mage, not a warrior.
If his opponent had been the White Blood Sect Leader, Derus, or the Sacred Sword Emperor, he would never have won.
The title of Sword Emperor was a whip, spurring him onward to greater heights.
It was clearly not completion, but a staircase to climb higher.
‘…….’
Raon slowly closed his eyes, recalling his battle with the Black Tower Master and his fight with Greed.
Within those battles, so treacherous and perilous he dreaded thinking about them, he had found a path to improve himself, step by step.
-Tsk.
Wrath clicked his tongue loudly and turned his head away.
-First you brag about your rewards, and now you're meditating?
After showing off his rewards, he was now retreating into his own world. It was infuriating enough to make his blood boil.
‘This damnable bastard.’
Though he claimed it wasn't a big deal, Raon had defeated a transcendent being standing far above him, and driven Greed away with a body that could have collapsed at any moment.
Even now, admiration welled up at that nerve, that audacity, and that unbreakable willpower.
-Did you say you wanted to get stronger?
Wrath looked down at Raon and lowered his eyebrows.
-You will undoubtedly grow stronger. So much so that even this king cannot fathom your limits. But….
He clenched his teeth, his words a declaration, a certainty.
-Now is not the time to sleep! This king is starving to death!
Wrath shouted at Gluttony to eat some peanuts before he took everything, but Raon didn't open his eyes, sinking deeper into his inner world.
***
Clang!
Raon placed a pile of gold coins before Gluttony.
“Money...?”
Gluttony blinked, asking if this was all money.
“If you're spending money here, you must be completely broke.”
Gluttony claimed he came looking for me because he was out of money, but that was a lie.
However, having splurged on gold coins while enjoying the festival here, she probably really was penniless now.
“Yeah...”
Gluttony flickered her fingers, and a mouth popped out of thin air, devouring the entire pile of gold coins. It was the sub-space possessed by the Demon King of Gluttony.
“How's the food in the human world?”
“All delicious...”
Gluttony nodded his head, looking satisfied.
-After gobbling it all down like that, how could it not be delicious!
Wrath gritted his teeth, seemingly resentful that Gluttony had snatched all the food during the festival.
“Well, I'm off to get some ice cream....”
Gluttony flicked her buttocks and stood up, seemingly heading to another area for ice cream.
“Thanks.”
Raon smiled faintly and waved to Gluttony.
“Next time you come find me, I'll treat you to the most delicious meal in the world.”
“Hmm....”
Gluttony's red eyes widened in surprise at her own words.
“Got it. I'll come find you. Don't change your scent.”
She pressed her nose against his skin, as if warning him not to wash, then departed for another village.
'Was she surprised by the thanks? Or surprised that there was even tastier food?'
-That insect-eater is obvious. It's about eating.
Wrath snorted and shook his head.
-But what is the most delicious meal in the world?
‘Home-cooked meals.’
-Ah….
Wrath rolled his eyes side to side before nodding low.
-Well, I can't argue with that.
The boy licked his lips, conceding defeat.
-But what if that glutton says the food is delicious and refuses to leave the annex?
‘Isn’t that actually a good thing?’
Gluttony was the gentlest demon king he’d ever seen.
She’d naturally protect the annex building, who fed her delicious meals—it was a blessing in disguise.
“Lust.”
Raon gestured toward the faintly shimmering pink light in the air.
Whoosh!
The pink aura thickened, revealing Lust's deeply colored face within it.
“I am grateful for all you've done. For blocking Greed, and for protecting this king.”
“Did you know?”
Lust's cheeks flushed pink, seemingly pleased that her protection had been acknowledged.
“Of course.”
Raon nodded calmly, feigning the demeanor of Wrath.
-Gulp….
The real Wrath trembled, his jaw quivering as if merely facing Lust was exhausting.
“Are you coming with us?”
“Yeah! Of course!”
Lust mimicked his tone, declaring she'd follow unconditionally.
-Just send her to the Demon Realm! No, send her anywhere far away!
Wrath waved his hands, begging them to just dump her somewhere else.
“Then make sure you follow closely.”
Ignoring Wrath, Raon waved a hand at Lust.
“Got it!”
Lust said they'd meet later and vanished back into the pink air current.
-You damn brat!
Wrath yelled, unable to believe a human could act like this, though he didn't really see it as a cause for concern.
After sending off the two Demon Lords, Raon left the lodgings. The others were already prepared to depart, exchanging farewells.
“Lord Raon!”
Hopen, the Holy King of Super, approached and took his hand.
“Please take good care of Lady Olga.”
He bowed his head as if placing his trust in Raon.
“Don't worry. And a king shouldn't bow his head so casually.”
Raon, flustered, helped Hopen up.
“You are a king too, Lord Raon. The Sword Emperor. It's only natural for me to bow.”
Hopen shook his head, saying even the title of Holy King paled before the Sword Emperor.
“Your Majesty! Stop talking nonsense and hurry up!”
Saint Olga frowned and pushed Hopen away. Seeing her standing alone, it seemed she had decided to go to Zighart by herself.
“Good thinking.”
Raon smiled faintly and patted Olga's shoulder.
“Hmm...”
“Raon-nim!”
Just as Olga turned away, looking embarrassed, Lencia came running up.
“Well, take care! I'll definitely come find you!”
Lencia bit her lip, saying she would go to Zighart someday.
“You don't have to say that.”
Chamber shook her head, placing a hand on Lencia's shoulder.
“We might see each other again soon.”
“Soon?”
Raon blinked at Chamber.
“Now that the Black Tower is gone, a council meeting might be held to decide the next plan.”
Chamber waved her hand, explaining that with the balance of the Five Kings and Five Demons disrupted, a Five Kings Council would convene to plan the way forward.
“That makes sense.”
Raon nodded at Chamber. After being pushed back by the Five Demons and finally achieving a major victory, it was time for the Five Kings to stretch their legs and advance.
“Then, until we meet again.”
Chamber waved lightly and returned to the mages of Balkar with Rensia.
“Finished with greetings?”
Turning at Glen's voice, Raon saw all of Zighart's knights had already finished forming ranks and were waiting.
“Yes.”
Raon exchanged nods with the others before acknowledging Glen.
“Then let's return.”
Glen turned his back coldly, as if the embrace he'd shared before everyone else had been a lie.
“Understood.”
Raon followed Glen's back, which radiated a chill as icy as snow-capped mountains, and nodded.
'What a pity.'
The others had hoped to see a new side of Glen, but it seemed that moment had been fleeting. He appeared to have reverted to being the aloof, cold-hearted King of the North once more.
But that was a huge mistake on their part.
The moment Glen returned to Zighart, without ordering a rest, he led everyone to the lord's training grounds.
Whether prepared in advance or not, all the swordsmen and residents currently in Zighart were seated and waiting.
Gooooo.
Seated upon the throne that rose up on the dais, Glen gave a slight nod to Raon and Karun standing at the center of the training ground.
“I didn't hear it properly myself, so tell me what you accomplished in Montiro.”
“Ah...”
Raon took a deep breath, looking at Glen, whose face was lit with an expectant smile, and the cheering crowd.
‘I thought he'd returned to his usual cold self... but I was wrong.’
He wants us to brag right here! What on earth has changed?!