An unnamed ancient castle untouched by human hands for centuries. A woman in a white maid's uniform walks between the blackened walls. She enters through a rusted iron gate without hesitation, as if familiar with this faded place.
As the maid enters through the door, the surroundings slowly brighten as if stage lights were turning on.
Unlike the crumbling outer walls, the inner castle was decorated more lavishly than the Balkar Royal Palace. It was as if the word "splendor" had been painted on the walls.
"..."
Kubara, Derus's maid and informant, climbed the red-carpeted stairs with graceful steps towards the top floor of the castle. Knock knock. She took a short breath before knocking on the only door on the top floor.
"Come in."
Kubara counted to three after hearing the invitation, then opened the door.
A musty smell of old books wafted through the door crack. In front of bookshelves packed with unknown ancient tomes, a man buried in a black sofa slowly raised his gaze.
"What is it?"
Derus Robert. He was looking down on the world from the darkness of a tyrant, not with the eyes of a public enemy or fugitive.
"...A problem has arisen."
Kubara knelt before Derus, lowering her eyes.
"Go on."
Derus nodded calmly, unfazed even by the word "problem."
"Raon Zieghart has..."
"Raon?"
However, when Raon's name came up, a dull ripple spread across Derus's smooth forehead.
"That bastard again?"
"Umm..."
Kubara pressed her lips tightly, sensing the aura of death emanating from Derus.
"Continue speaking."
Derus closed the book he was reading, suppressing his death aura.
"Yes. Raon Zieghart and his subordinates have completely erased the divine power left on the humans of Balkar."
"What...?"
He widened his eyes as if he hadn't expected to hear such a report.
"Is that true?"
"Yes."
Kubara nodded heavily, saying she had seen it herself and returned.
"Tell me in detail. What did he do?"
Derus lifted his upper body, detaching himself from the sofa.
"As you know, the Five Kings kept the people exposed to Raphael's divine power in the royal capital instead of sending them back. Today, they suddenly summoned everyone, so I was waiting to see what they would do..."
Kubara continued, touching her red lips.
"They played a song for everyone in the royal capital."
She frowned, saying it was a method she hadn't anticipated at all.
"A song? Did you just say a song?"
Derus also frowned as if he didn't understand.
"Yes. When the swordsman of the Light Wind Palace and Saintess Olga climbed the tower and sang, all the humans who had been captivated by Raphael's divine power returned to normal."
Kubara nodded, saying the entire Balkar was in an uproar because of that song.
"A song... It's possible if you think about it."
Derus let out a low groan, as if it wasn't entirely impossible.
"But why did Raon Zieghart's name come up there?"
"Raon Zieghart was standing behind the singers. A blue aura emanating from him seemed to empower the song."
Kubara pressed her lips, saying it was something that couldn't be felt without seeing it directly.
"What she says is correct."
As soon as Kubara finished speaking, a pure white dimension opened behind the bookshelf, and Archangel Raphael appeared.
"It's hard to believe, but all of my divine power left in that kingdom has disappeared."
She nodded with the same noble appearance, without a speck of dust, as when she descended upon Balkar.
"Ha..."
Derus's hand holding the book trembled slightly.
"If no divine power was left, then the meaning of going there has vanished."
He let out a cold laugh as if truly irritated. The ancient book in his hand began to crumble into black ashes.
"Do you know what song the humans sang?"
Raphael sent a clear gaze towards Kubara. She seemed to want to know what the song was for future reference.
"Yes. I remember it all."
Kubara nodded with her eyes lowered. To be honest, it was a strange song that memorized itself even without trying to.
"Tell me."
Derus also flicked his hand, saying he needed to know what the song was.
"Hoo..."
Kubara didn't start singing immediately, but only parted her lips after taking a deep sigh.
"Feeling the shine shining, in the dark darkness..."
As befitting Derus's informant, she recited the childish lyrics of the Demon King's Praise without showing any hesitation.
"Huh? Hmm... Ah..."
Derus also let out short groans one after another, his gaze trembling as if surprised by the song lyrics. However, he quickly realized that he should focus on the song, not the lyrics, and twitched his fingers to feel the rhythm.
"What?"
Raphael's hand, with veins popping out, trembled as if she couldn't contain her anger as the song lyrics continued.
"My divine power disappeared because of such a trashy song?"
She expressed deep anger not at the fact that her divine power was erased, but at how childish the song that erased it was.
"That damned human!"
Raphael gritted her pure white teeth, recalling Raon's face smiling mockingly.
"Kubara. Is that really the song?"
Derus narrowed his eyes, stroking his clean-shaven chin.
"I'm certain."
Kubara nodded without changing her expression, despite having sung such a childish song to the end.
"The lyrics are so childish it's ridiculous, but the flow is special. It has the rhythm of a military song overlaid on a song praising the gods."
Derus nodded, immediately grasping the flow of the Praise to the Demon King.
"That's what I said."
He shook his head, looking at Raphael with her beautiful face distorted.
"Raon is more special than the celestial or demon races."
He twisted his lips, saying they should be careful of Raon.
"The special aura you said was behind him must be the Demon King's Authority. Now I understand a bit."
Derus nodded, saying he now understood why Raphael's divine power was erased.
"You look pleased."
Raphael frowned, looking at Derus.
"Do I?"
Derus slowly raised his gaze to meet Raphael's eyes. He was clearly smiling, but within that smile, a deep and intense killing intent was blooming.
"The Five Kings summoned neutral forces to forcibly draw in their power. We sent you to stop that and create a situation favorable to us."
Blue flames like will-o'-the-wisps burned over Derus's pupils.
"That plan has completely fallen apart, and your existence, which should have been kept hidden, has been revealed to the whole world. And you say I look pleased?"
He smiled eerily, asking if that's really how he looked.
"Hmm..."
Raphael swallowed dryly, feeling the dark and damp death aura emanating from Derus.
'Was it this much?'
She hadn't felt it properly because he usually hid his power, but now she felt an enormous aura stirring beyond her expectations. Her divine power moved on its own to push back Derus's death aura.
"I am now in a state of anger beyond yours."
Derus shook his head, scattering the powdered fragments of the ancient book on the floor. Blood dripped from inside his leather gloves.
"I'm just enduring because I've had many experiences like this."
Derus lowered his eyebrows, saying that Raon had often brought results that defied common sense.
"Didn't you say not to kill that human?"
Raphael raised her trembling fingertips, looking at Derus. Pure white lightning that seemed to burn space bloomed around her.
"I won't go looking for him myself, but if I ever encounter him, I will kill him without fail."
Raphael disappeared into the white light after leaving those final words.
"It won't be easy."
Derus waved his hand, looking at the space where Raphael had vanished.
"Because Raon Zieghart is under the protection of heaven's flow."
He let out a faint laugh, saying it wouldn't work now.
"Kubara."
Derus called Kubara in a calm voice, having instantly suppressed his emotions.
"Yes."
Kubara bowed her head, feeling goosebumps rising along her spine.
"Continue collecting information on Raon Zieghart and the Light Wind Palace. Where they go, what training they do, everything."
He nodded slightly, saying to keep gathering information on Raon no matter how much money or manpower it took.
"Understood."
Kubara said she would follow his orders and left the study. Derus took off his leather gloves after everyone had left. Perhaps because Raon had moved, much more blood was pouring from the wound than usual.
"Raon Zieghart."
Derus Robert twisted his lips upward, his blue pupils containing a massive flow.
"The day we meet again is not far off."
* * *
"It really comes in one go."
Raon let out a hollow laugh after arriving at the audience chamber of the Lord's Manor he had seen before departing for Balkar. There was a reason Chamber had confidently said she would send them to the Lord's Manor in one go. It seemed spatial magic had developed further.
'Of course, it's because Zieghart opened the way.'
In fact, no matter how good the teleportation magic, they couldn't enter here if barrier magic was installed. This was possible now because arrangements had been made in advance with the Zieghart magic tower.
"Disgustingly fast."
Martha swallowed dryly, saying the Dimensional Gate was so convenient it was scary.
"What kind of power is magic anyway?"
She clicked her tongue briefly, saying she couldn't understand.
"It's certainly different from us martial artists."
Burren shook his head, saying trying to understand would only give him a headache.
"I kind of know..."
Runaan blinked, saying there was a unique flow to magic.
"Don't lie so blatantly. You're the dumbest one among us."
Martha waved her hand, telling her to stop talking nonsense.
"But it's true...?"
Runaan nodded calmly, saying she really could feel the flow of magic.
"Ugh..."
Krein let out a stiff groan, stretching over his head.
"Now we can finally rest a bit."
"I needed time to organize the supplies I replenished too."
Dorian also chuckled, saying he needed to sort out the items he had acquired in Balkar as supplies.
"The meeting is over for now. When should we gather for the next mission?"
Trevin approached Raon and asked when the mission to deal with the dragon would be.
"When? What are you talking about?"
Raon frowned, looking at the Light Wind Palace swordsmen who had relaxed their posture.
"You should have heard the conversation with the Head of House just now? We need to move right away since we've found the dragon."
He shook his head, saying it wasn't a matter of when, but right now.
"Huh?"
"That 'right away' was really right away?"
"Without, without even resting?"
The swordsmen let out empty breaths, as if they hadn't expected to move immediately.
"Yes. We're going right now."
Raon nodded, saying let's depart soon.
"As expected of the Palace Master."
Mark Goetun smiled calmly, as if he had known this would happen.
"I don't understand you guys. Don't you know our crazy Palace Master by now?"
Martha snorted, telling them to wake up.
"Yeah, I knew he'd move right away..."
Runaan also nodded, saying she had expected Raon would move immediately.
"Everyone prepare to go to Mirtan Village."
Raon raised one finger, saying he'd give them one minute to prepare.
"Huh?"
"Are we all going together?"
"Usually only the Palace Master and executives go for information gathering."
The Light Wind Palace swordsmen tilted their heads at the unusual situation.
"Of course there's a reason."
Raon said they would understand if they came along, and opened the door of the audience chamber to go outside.
"Of course he must have a purpose."
"Come on, let's go quickly."
"Departing..."
Martha, Burren, and Runaan immediately followed behind Raon, as if ready to go anywhere.
"S-something..."
"Feels ominous?"
"Ugh..."
The Light Wind Palace swordsmen left the Lord's Manor with drained steps, as if sensing something foreboding in Raon's smile they had known for over ten years.
* * *
They were able to arrive at Mirtan Village before sunset because the entire Light Wind Palace ran at full speed using footwork techniques. Clang! Clang! Raon smiled faintly as he heard the hammer sounds ringing through the darkening sky.
'That sound always feels good no matter when I hear it.'
The heat rising from Mirtan and the sound of hammers strangely calmed his troubled mind. The reason he occasionally visited Mirtan under the pretext of seeing Vulcan was to hear the sound of the masters' hammers.
'I'd like to keep listening, but there's another reason today.'
Raon gestured to the Light Wind Palace swordsmen and climbed the main road of Mirtan Village. Just as he felt the path narrowing, Vulcan's workshop at the top of the village came into view.
'They've repaired the damaged parts.'
The walls and roof of the workshop were as neat as if newly built. It seemed they had fixed all the places that were destroyed when Alice obtained the Cursed Blacksword. Thump thump. When he knocked on the workshop door with his fist, Vulcan came out, revealing his blackened face. His cheeks were red, suggesting he had been drinking.
"I heard you were in Balkar, but you're back already?"
Vulcan blinked, asking why he had returned so quickly.
"Master Chamber sent us back by magic."
He bowed his head, saying they were able to return quickly thanks to Chamber.
"It must be an important matter then."
Vulcan lowered his eyebrows, as if realizing that finding the dragon was more important than he had thought.
"Yes, it is."
Raon nodded and looked inside the workshop.
"Who is the person who knows about that dragon?"
Raon licked his lips, anticipating whose name would come from Vulcan's mouth.
"Hmph, looking at your expression, you already know everything. Meet him yourself."
Vulcan chuckled and came out of the workshop. Behind him, Borgos, the chief of the Gray Hammer tribe with his beard neatly trimmed, waved his hand holding a beer mug.
"It's me."
Borgos nodded calmly. As expected from the letter, he knew the information about the hidden dragon.
"But it seems you knew it would be me."
Borgos narrowed his eyes, looking at Raon.
"Yes. Because there's no one else in Mirtan Village who would know."
Raon nodded, saying Borgos was the only one who could know about the dragon in Mirtan Village.
"Then I can speak right away."
Borgos drank his beer, looking not just at Raon but also at the Light Wind Palace swordsmen behind him.
"As you humans know, dwarves are the race with the most skilled hands. We're good with not just weapons, but also jewels and gold."
He put down his beer mug, suddenly boasting about dwarven talents.
"However, that excellent talent doesn't always bring light."
Borgos bit his lip, looking up at the empty air.
"Dragons love shiny things as if they were crows. Most just steal what others have, but there are some that are exceptionally vicious."
He shook his thick fingers.
"The Spear Dragon Dsiouros."
Borgos parted his lips, clasping his trembling hands.
"He's an evil dragon who keeps dwarf tribes as slaves and makes them endlessly create the jewels and crafts he wants."
He swallowed dryly, saying that under Dsiouros, dwarves and humans were being raised like slaves.
"That bastard considers himself a god."
Borgos bit his lip, saying Dsiouros had already abandoned his role as a mediator.
"What a filthy bastard."
Burren bit his lip until it bled, unable to contain his anger.
"I know. There are so many pieces of trash among those lizards. No, it's harder to find a decent one."
Martha raised her fist, saying they were an even more despicable race than humans.
"How disgusting..."
Runaan lowered her eyebrows deeply, saying her heart felt blackened.
"Keeping dwarves and humans as slaves? We can't leave such a bastard alone!"
"Right. It's no different from the Black Tower!"
"No, it's worse! At least the Black Tower bastards were aware they were committing evil acts!"
"How could a mediator do such a thing..."
The Light Wind Palace swordsmen also shouted in anger.
"I'm glad you say that."
Raon nodded calmly, looking at the Light Wind Palace swordsmen.
"Of course!"
"Even if it's a dragon, enslaving weaker races is unacceptable!"
"We must cut him down!"
The swordsmen clenched their fists, saying they must fight to save the dwarves and humans.
"Right. Let's fight."
Raon smiled, lightly tapping the Heavenly Drive.
"Or rather, you will."
He folded his arms, saying he would step back.
"Pardon?"
"You mean..."
"Su-surely not us?"
"Yes. This time, the dragon..."
Raon nodded calmly as if going on a picnic.
"Will be killed by you, not me."