"Raon changed your daughter?"
Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at the blue-haired man.
"What do you mean by that?"
"My daughter, as talented as she was, had a twisted personality and caused a lot of trouble. But since meeting that fellow, she's changed a lot."
The blue-haired man gracefully extended his hand, pointing at Raon.
"I came out first to express my gratitude."
He smiled faintly, insisting he had only come to pay his respects.
"Ah, that crazy..."
Chamber sighed deeply, placing her hand on her forehead as if this was a familiar situation.
'Hmm...'
Raon lowered his eyebrows as he looked at the blue-haired man standing before him.
'This man is the king of Balkar...?'
The man's striking blue hair seemed to contain the ocean itself. He appeared to be in his late twenties to early thirties and possessed an enormous mana. Raon had thought he might be Balkar's hidden secret weapon, but he never imagined he would be the king.
"I am Xanthos Ruin Balkar."
The king of Balkar gave a short bow, as if he had truly come as a father rather than a king.
"...I am Raon Zieghart, Light Wind Palace Master of Zieghart."
Raon bowed deeply with his hand on his chest.
'To think he would bow to me.'
Even though he had come as a father, Raon never expected the king of Balkar to bow first. Surprised, his voice cracked without him realizing it.
"Jayna has caused a lot of trouble in various ways, but thank you for taking care of her until the end."
Xanthos smiled, saying that Jayna's personality seemed to have changed for the better thanks to him.
"I didn't do anything."
Raon stared blankly at Xanthos, waving his trembling hand.
'This is awkward.'
He had his position and honor as a king, yet he greeted Raon first and spoke respectfully to someone much younger. It was almost burdensome.
"You seem to be more shy than what I heard from my daughter."
Xanthos smiled gently and licked his lips.
"What did the princess say about me?"
"She said you were an ignorant boar who charges in without thinking of the consequences."
He nodded, saying that meeting in person, Raon looked more like a dragon soaring through the sky than a boar.
-Dragon, my foot!
Wrath shook his head quickly, as if to disagree.
-This fellow is indeed a boar that charges into everything! And even greedier than that!
He flapped his arms, insisting that Raon shouldn't be viewed favorably.
"...I'm just selective about people."
Raon pushed Wrath aside and lowered his gaze.
"Selective about people?"
Xanthos burst into laughter, brushing back his blue-tinged hair.
"That should normally sound unfavorable, but coming from the Light Wind Palace Master, it strangely doesn't sound bad at all."
He shrugged, saying that the person speaking matters more than the words themselves.
"Ah, Dad? No, Your Majesty!"
Jayna, who had arrived late, widened her eyes upon seeing Xanthos.
"Why are you here?"
She ran towards Xanthos, chewing her lips nervously.
"I was annoyed that it wasn't me who changed our daughter, but some outsider, so I came to see him."
Xanthos patted Jayna's back, saying it was just a simple greeting.
"Nooooo!"
Jayna screamed, her face turning red.
"What are you saying! It's not like that! It's not!"
She seemed to have reverted to her original personality, shouting and waving her arms.
"Hu-hurry and leave! Everyone's waiting for you!"
Jayna placed her hands on Xanthos's back, pushing him towards the palace.
"Meetings are boring. Light Wind Palace Master, how about we ditch the old folks and grab a beer together?"
Xanthos made a gesture as if drinking beer, suggesting they go together.
"Damn Your Majesty..."
Chamber spoke through gritted teeth, slightly lifting her hat.
"This is embarrassing. Why don't you head to the conference room now?"
Thick veins popped on her forehead as if she was about to explode.
"Hmm..."
Xanthos swallowed hard, seemingly unable to ignore Chamber's words.
"I-I was just joking. You're all too serious."
He waved his hands as if it was all a prank and stepped back.
"Zieghart Head of House, shall we go? I'll guide you."
Xanthos sidled up to Glenn, as if trying to avoid Chamber's gaze.
"Alright. But..."
Glenn slowly parted his lips as he followed Xanthos.
"How exactly did the Light Wind Palace Master change the princess? Can you tell me in detail?"
He tilted his head slightly, as if curious.
"Shall I tell you?"
Xanthos perked up his ears and slowed his pace.
"I'm a bit curious."
Glenn licked his lips at length, as if he wasn't just a little curious, but very much so.
"As I mentioned earlier, our child had quite a lot of bad habits. She thought the whole world belonged to her."
"I see."
He quickly agreed, seemingly eager to hear about Raon.
"Being the youngest, we cherished her, and because of her talent, we spoiled her too much. When I was wondering how to fix that personality, she got a harsh lesson from the Light Wind Palace Master at the underground auction in Cameloon. From then on, Jayna started to change little by little."
"Dad!"
Jayna stomped her foot hard, as if begging him to stop.
"In fact, her personality became even more violent after that, but fortunately, her encounters with the Light Wind Palace Master didn't end there. When she clashed with the apostles, her pride was completely shattered..."
Xanthos smiled gleefully as he recounted the incidents Jayna had experienced.
"Ugh..."
Jayna bit her lip until it bled, seemingly frustrated, but she didn't have the courage to interrupt Glenn and Xanthos's conversation.
"Um, well, that..."
Jayna put on her hood and turned her gaze away, as if trying to avoid Raon's eyes.
"There's no need to be ashamed of the past."
Raon lowered his chin slightly as he looked at Jayna.
"...But I did do foolish things."
Jayna sighed heavily, saying she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
"If you were still a foolish person now, you should be ashamed. However..."
Raon shook his head as he looked at Jayna biting her lip.
"You've become a completely different person from who you were in the past. Now, instead of being ashamed of the past, you should be proud of yourself for escaping that foolishness."
Raon slowly raised his finger and held it in front of Jayna.
"Because changing for the better is much harder than being born with a good nature."
He had seen countless people, but only Karoon had changed so dramatically. Jayna had also achieved her own transformation, so it was time for her to accept her embarrassing past and move forward.
"Ah..."
Jayna widened her eyes, seemingly surprised by his words.
"Well, she has changed a lot. At first, I wanted to slap her every moment."
Martha nodded, acknowledging that while she still didn't like Jayna, she had indeed changed.
"The Palace Master is right. She's now a splendid princess. She stood at the forefront of her subordinates until the end in the war against the Black Tower."
Burren smiled, saying Jayna's transformation was remarkable.
"Her expression looks better..."
Runaan nodded, saying that above all, Jayna's complexion had brightened.
"To be honest, at first I was too scared to even approach her because of her face, but now the atmosphere around her has softened a lot."
Dorian laughed heartily, scratching his belly. Having met Jayna first along with Raon, he seemed even more surprised.
"Ah..."
Jayna dropped the staff she was holding, seemingly shocked by the changed evaluations from Raon and the Light Wind Palace swordsmen.
"Th-thank you."
She bowed her head, hiding her transparent eyes.
"I was annoyed because of that king, but seeing these kids makes me feel better."
Chamber exhaled the breath she had been holding, saying that just looking at them purified her heart.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Raon approached Chamber and examined her condition.
"I'd like to say I'm fine, but I'm not."
Chamber shook her head with a sigh.
"I guess I overdid it. My upper dantian isn't recovering."
She bit her lip, saying it didn't seem like an injury that would heal easily.
"Olga. With your current abilities..."
Raon turned to look at Olga, who was standing with the Light Wind Palace swordsmen.
"It's useless."
Chamber shook her head as she looked at Olga.
"This wound isn't physical, but mental. And because I inflicted it myself, it can't be erased by holy power."
She smiled, saying she was grateful enough for healing her physical wounds in Montiro.
"Chamber is right. There's nothing I can do..."
Olga clicked her tongue roughly, seemingly disappointed.
"And I shouldn't receive help from others. I need to recover with my own strength to return to my previous state. That's the realm of transcendence."
Chamber shook her head, saying it wasn't good to receive help from others.
"Let's go in too."
She pointed to Xanthos and Glenn who were walking ahead, suggesting it would be good to enter the conference room now.
"I-I'll guide you."
Jayna wiped her eyes with her sleeve and stepped forward again. Raon followed Jayna into a massive white building with red silk hanging down like curtains. The corridors inside had walls and ceilings that stretched out in a mix of yellow and white, giving a luxurious yet warm feeling.
"Everyone else has already arrived. The grand conference including the neutral forces will be held in three days."
Chamber winked, saying the meeting in three days would be the real one.
"Shall we go in then?"
"Just a moment."
Raon stopped before entering the conference room and turned around.
"You all rest outside."
He instructed the Light Wind Palace swordsmen to take a break.
"Yes!"
"And..."
Raon raised his finger as he looked at the swordsmen who responded loudly.
"You remember what I said this morning, right?"
"Of course."
The swordsmen nodded immediately, as if it was obvious.
"Martha. You can go wild."
"Really?"
Martha exhaled sharply, as if she couldn't believe it.
"Yes. I'll take responsibility. Do as you please."
Raon nodded and lowered his hand.
"You might regret those words. Let's go!"
Martha ran out of the palace with Runaan slung over her shoulder. It seemed she had a lot pent up from training.
"Hey! No, Palace Master?"
Burren looked back and forth between Raon and Martha with wide eyes.
"It's fine. You enjoy yourself too."
Raon chuckled and entered the conference room. A massive round table shaped like the continent stood before him, with six thrones erected in front of it. The leaders of the Five Kings and Xanthos were seated there.
"Raon! You've finally arrived!"
The first to greet him was Ogram, the Beast King and leader of the Beast Alliance.
“I heard the news! You saved that old magician!”
Ogram waved his thick hand like a pot lid, shouting that Raon had done really well.
"Brother! I believed in you!"
"You never cease to amaze me."
Garona and the Siran Tribe Chief standing behind him also spread their hands in welcome.
"The protagonist always arrives late, they say."
King Lecross nodded with a smile. Judging by his dark complexion, he didn't seem to have fully recovered yet.
"I owe you a great debt, but I left without properly thanking you. I'm sorry."
Third Prince Greer bowed deeply, as if he felt very sorry.
"You've become someone I can hardly even look at now. I can't even say I'm envious anymore."
Borini Kitten bowed his head with a gentle smile.
"Uh, hello?"
Larian, the Mage Tower Master, spoke in a small voice with her robe pulled up over her head.
"Raon! It's been a while! I bought three copies of this book! One for appreciation, one for keeping, and one for spreading the word!"
In contrast, Yuria, who seemed to have grown even bigger, waved Raon Zieghart's biography. Raon was not sure what he meant by buying three copies of the same book.
"Thank you for your warm welcome."
Raon took a deep breath and bowed to those seated at the round table.
"I am Raon Zieghart, Light Wind Palace Master."
Given the serious nature of the occasion, he bowed to everyone before standing behind Glenn, like Sheryl and Roenn.
"Ahem..."
Glenn hummed very softly, as if pleased that Raon was receiving everyone's welcome.
-That old geezer doesn't even try to hide it anymore....
Wrath let out a hollow laugh, as if dumbfounded.
"Sigh, I'm already feeling tired."
Chamber sighed and sat down next to Xanthos.
"Now that everyone is seated, let's begin the Five Kings Conference."
Xanthos tapped the round table with a serious look, as if he had never joked around.
"The meeting is fine, but there's something we should do before that."
Ogram rose from his massive body and looked at Raon.
"Shouldn't we first applaud the magician of Balkar and the swordsmen of Zieghart who made this gathering possible?"
He stomped his foot, saying that without these two forces, such a meeting would never have been possible.
"That's right. I was able to save my life thanks to Glenn."
King Lecross clapped gently with a soft smile. Ogram, Xanthos, Chamber, and even Larian, the Mage Tower Master, applauded him.
'Hmm...'
Raon clenched his fingertips as he listened to the warm applause echoing in his ears.
'This feels different.'
He had been happy when cheered by the people of Balkar in the royal capital, but hearing words of gratitude from those at the highest positions on the continent made his heart race as if it would burst.
"The protagonist seems moved too, so let's begin now."
Xanthos turned his gaze away from Raon and placed his hand on the round table. His eyes fell sharply like a keen axe.
"The meeting to completely crush those Demons."
* * *
The Brown Reagent, a tavern built on the outskirts of Balkar's royal capital, was packed even in broad daylight, befitting the festival period. However, it wasn't just the residents of Balkar filling the place. People from neutral forces invited to the conference were also enjoying drinks from early in the day.
"Did you see Raon Zieghart?"
"Yeah, I did. My eyes were naturally drawn to his face. How can a person look like that?"
"I saw him from the front, and I don't think even those so-called angels would look that good."
"It's not just his looks, his aura was no joke. Just looking at him made me feel like my heart would burst."
"Even the Light Wind Palace swordsmen behind him seemed different somehow..."
The people in the tavern swallowed hard as they talked about Raon and the Light Wind Palace who had just entered the palace.
"Seeing the Light Wind Palace Master in person today, I can believe the rumor that he killed the Black Tower Master."
A magician in a red robe nodded, saying it was an astonishing aura.
"I'm not sure about that. We know best what kind of monster the Black Tower Master is."
A magician in a blue robe frowned, saying he still couldn't believe it.
"That's right."
A red-haired man wearing a martial uniform with a red hawk embroidered on the left chest nodded.
"It's certain that the Light Wind Palace Master is strong. The word genius suits him well. But killing the Black Tower Master is different."
He narrowed his eyes deeply.
"The Black Tower Master was a monster that even Chamber couldn't catch in the end. To say that Raon Zieghart, who was just at the entrance of transcendence, defeated him? It doesn't make sense."
The black-haired man shook his head, saying it was an unreliable story.
"But the Black Tower Master has disappeared..."
"The Black Tower Master always thinks of his own safety first. I might believe it if Chamber had finished him, but it's hard to believe the Light Wind Palace Master did it."
He shook his head, saying they shouldn't believe all the rumors.
"I think the same. We shouldn't believe everything unconditionally. The Black Tower Master's body was never found."
A knight in silver armor licked his lips briefly.
"Then why are they saying the Black Tower Master is dead?"
"Because if it gets out that such a large-scale operation failed, it could cause problems."
The black-haired man shook his head, saying they shouldn't decide their path just by listening to rumors spread outside.
"Come to think of it, there was no body of the Black Tower Master."
The white-robed magician, drawn in by the black-haired man's words, swallowed hard.
"Right. They said it was all burned up by the Light Wind Palace Master's flames..."
"Isn't it strange to burn it? Just showing the body would boost the morale of the entire Five Kings, and the other side's momentum would plummet."
The black-haired man shook his head, asking if it wasn't strange.
"Well, it does seem a bit odd to believe it unconditionally."
"Our lives are at stake too."
“Besides, if we side with the Five Kings, we don’t know when the Five Demons will attack.”
The martial artists and magicians from the neutral forces bit their lips, seemingly reminded of what they had endured so far.
"Of course, Raon Zieghart might have really killed the Black Tower Master. But we need to move with the possibility in mind that he didn't. One choice can determine our entire lives."
The black-haired man raised his finger, saying they needed to think carefully.
"Honestly, I'll acknowledge Raon Zieghart, but the Light Wind Palace? That's a no-go. Just look at the eyes of those kids. They're all dazed. They might have high realms, but they don't know how to fight."
Just as he was about to drag down the Light Wind Palace after Raon, something happened.
"Then why don't you teach them? How to fight?"
With glossy black hair and eyes, Martha grabbed the black-haired man's head with a smile more sinister than a demon's.
"Mi-Miss Rakshasa! Wait a moment!"
"Why is your tongue so long?"
Martha ignored the black-haired man's words and lifted him up by the collar.
"Come out! You bastard!"