Rimmer looked completely dissatisfied as he entered the audience chamber of the lord's manor, nose wrinkled.
Like always, Glenn didn't even take a glance at Rimmer, his eyes closed as he supported his chin with his hand.
"My lord, how could you do that?"
"What nonsense did you come to spout now?"
"If Raon achieved something so great, you should've told me immediately! Why are you keeping it to yourself like a treasure?"
"Haa. Roenn."
Glenn sighed lightly and turned his gaze towards Roenn, who was standing on his right side.
"It wasn't me."
Roenn quickly shook his hand, telling him he wasn't involved this time.
"Then how did he learn about it? Unless he straight up overheard the Shadow Agents…"
"Oh, correct! I hid in their ceiling to read the report about Raon."
Rimmer smiled cheerfully while spinning his finger. In addition, he murmured that the Shadow Agents had a lot of openings.
"I'd better send the Heavenly Blade to the Shadow Agents tomorrow, since a red worm is crawling in their ceiling."
"Worm? What kind of worm lives in this weather?"
"I'm talking about you!"
"No way, I'm a butterfly. Look at me, I'm flying. There's no way I'm a worm!"
"Haa. Whatever. Arguing with you is only giving me a headache."
Glenn clicked his tongue and closed his eyes.
"Let's think about Raon instead of me for now. Doesn't he seriously surpass our imaginations?"
Rimmer was super excited, a bright smile on his face.
"He stood in front of thousands of monsters in order to save people that fell from the castle walls! He is the craziest of the crazy guys in the world!"
"Hmm…"
Glenn licked his lips slightly, his eyes closed.
"But he isn't just crazy. He held out for three days and nights to save everyone and lead the wave to victory! Wow! I wonder whose student he is, I really want to meet his teacher!"
Rimmer blabbered that he must be handsome and kindhearted.
"I don't know how you will take it, but the way Raon achieves the impossible reminds me of the head of house in his youth. No, he is actually even better than the head of house."
"Better! Not really."
Even though he replied bluntly, he opened his eyes with his mouth slightly curved into a smile. He seemed satisfied by the compliment that his grandson was better than himself.
"Instead of bothering with stuff like politics, the warriors in Habun Castle love battles. They are full of solidarity."
Rimmer grinned, locking his fingers together to cover his head.
"Since Raon is currently called the hero of Habun Castle, they might take his side in the future. Did you actually allow Raon's exam because you knew this would happen?"
"Of course not."
Glenn shook his head. A slight amount of fervor appeared in his empty eyes.
"I just figured he would do well wherever he went. I didn't even think about who would take his side or whatever."
"Huh? Did you just acknowledge Raon's abilities? The sun is going to rise from the west tomorrow!"
Rimmer made a fuss, covering his mouth with his hand.
"Silence."
"I picked Habun Castle for him to gain lots of experience there, but I was honestly surprised when I heard he jumped down for the soldiers."
Rimmer's eyes became serious. The mischievous atmosphere was replaced by a solemn light.
"I felt emotional because it sounded like Raon's humanity has grown, rather than his might. He used to be so cold and cynical."
"Hmm."
Glenn didn't say anything, but slowly nodded in agreement.
"I've never raised my own child, but I was overwhelmed with pride. It felt like my own child had grown up nicely."
"There's not many children that keep advancing without even causing problems. And…"
He twisted his mouth and looked down on Rimmer.
"He is walking a different path than me, but he is my grandson, not yours."
"Huh? You just admitted it! Sir Roenn, did you hear him just now? He just called him his grandson…"
"Th-That's…"
"I heard it!"
It was a rare occasion that Roenn shouted loudly, but he did as he nodded.
"I wonder if the North Grave Mountain is going to collapse tomorrow. Or maybe the sky will…"
"Silence!"
Glenn yelled, and Rimmer smirked at him. The audience chamber was full of affection once again upon receiving Raon's news.
* * *
Contrary to the kind of friendly audience chamber, Habun Castle's atmosphere was completely serious.
"The first scouting party and the fourth scouting party have confirmed it again."
The first scouting party's leader Barty bit his lip, reading the document he wrote in a hurry.
"A size similar to an ogre, the king's crest on its chest, and a single horn on its forehead. All are the characteristics of an ice troll lord. It's certain that a lord has appeared."
"Ugh!"
"Damn it! Why did a troll lord…"
"It has only been a few days since the wave ended…"
Inside the conference room, the officers either sighed or closed their eyes upon hearing about the ice troll lord's appearance.
"W-Wait, it could be a mutant or an ogre…"
"We've witnessed it using the ability to make the other monsters submit, which is a characteristic of a king."
"That's right. Not only the trolls, but also the orcs, knolls, and even the ocean monsters yielded to it."
The first scouting party's leader and the fourth scouting party's leader spoke one after the other.
"Damn it!"
"Then it's the real one!"
The officer trembled their clenched fist, having lost their last hope.
"If we let it happen, the monsters gathering under the lord will cause a second wave. No, a tidal wave even worse than a wave will storm upon us."
The conference room fell speechless. Gulping sounds were the only things that could be heard.
"But we have one single piece of good news."
"Good news? What can good news do in this situation?"
"It will be beneficial to us."
Barty nodded and held up the second document.
"The ice troll lord's fur didn't have the characteristic blue color of the ice trolls. Instead, they were white. That means it isn't an adult yet. It is incomplete."
"Ah!"
"Th-Then…"
"We need to finish it off before it becomes complete."
Milland stamped his finger on the spot where the lord was found on the map. The intense pressure crushed the desk.
"We will attack tomorrow."
"T-Tomorrow?"
"It's too early! Preparing the soldiers will…"
The officers were against it, saying that it took more time to move the soldiers because of all the wounded people.
"The soldiers won't join."
Milland stood up. Even though he wasn't that tall, his pressure made him seem like a giant.
"Knights, swordsmen, and the first and second scouting parties will go. We will attack with the elites to quickly end the lord's life."
"I concur. Speed is the most important right now. We need to kill the lord before more monsters gather."
Terian's eyes shone from where he stood on the right side.
"Hmm…"
"That seems to be the only way to reduce casualties."
"Indeed. Since the commander is fully capable of killing the lord, the others just need to buy time by fighting the other monsters."
Officers nodded in agreement, figuring that was the best plan of action.
"Prepare to attack immediately. Since the Snow Strikers have many wounded, they shall stay here with the other scouting parties and the soldiers to prepare for an unexpected situation."
"Affirmative!"
"Understood!"
"May I have a word?"
When the officers stood up to leave the conference room, Raon, who'd remained silent so far, raised his hand.
"I'd like to join."
Raon opened his mouth, looking into Milland's serious eyes.
"You haven't recovered from your injuries yet. Your mind and body aren't in a condition to fight."
"But I'm still going to be helpful."
"Yes, your prowess is going to be helpful for sure. But I can't strain you anymore."
"Commander."
"Everyone understood your feelings that day, we could feel it more than enough. You shall rest this time."
Milland slowly shook his head.
"Yes, leave the lord to us."
"We will kill it for sure, then return. Just wait here."
"I'll fight to the best of my abilities in Sir Raon's place."
As Raon expressed his willingness to fight, the officers' eyes were filled with fervor.
"That's not the only reason we are leaving you behind. Please take care of the castle while I'm gone. Please defend it if anything happens."
Milland smiled lightly and patted his shoulder.
"Please."
"Understood."
Raon had no choice but to agree, and left the conference room.
'Damn it, I missed a great prey.'
It was a shame, since killing the lord was surely going to increase his soul level and stats.
What an idiot. You won't get a chance, anyway. It's obvious that the old man will take care of it.
'That's true.'
Just as Wrath said, it was a given that Commander Milland would fight the lord. It might actually be better to recover his body instead of standing by after joining the fight.
Are you a pig or something? I don't understand how you are so greedy.
'It's not as bad as your gluttony.'
What are you talking about? The King of Essence has no such thing as gluttony! I just love the delicacies…
'Oh, sure. Mister Demon King whose saliva glands start malfunctioning as soon as he hears the words 'mint chocolate'.'
Ugh!
Raon returned to the scout's quarters while making fun of Wrath.
* * *
The next day at daybreak, the attack force led by Milland ran out the castle, aiming for the lord's head at the end of the snowfield. Since they consisted of the uninjured elites, their speed was way faster than a normal expedition team.
Raon watched them create a white storm in their path, before coming down from the castle walls.
"Ah, it's really a shame. I should've been the one killing the lord."
Dorian shook his hand in the air, spouting some nonsense. It was funny that he was saying that despite having shouted his joy as soon as he heard he wasn't part of the attack force.
'Your first subordinate is really amazing.'
…The King of Essence doesn't know him.
Whenever Dorian acted like that, Wrath pretended he didn't know him.
"What's your plan today?"
"I'm going to cultivate, since I need to recover as soon as possible."
"May I help you?"
"I'm fine, so mind your own business."
"Yes!"
As if he was waiting for permission, Dorian saluted and hurriedly ran to the other side of the scout's quarters. It looked like he was planning to play with Yua in the Branch of Frost.
'It looks like they got pretty close.'
He has the same mental age as the pineapple girl. No… Honestly, he is more childish.
Wrath clicked his tongue at his pathetic behavior.
'That's true.'
And you too.
Raon didn't say that out loud, since Wrath would definitely have a seizure if he heard that.
The mention of mental age reminds me. Back in Devildom, the King of Essence was famous for his aloof mind. Even when the other demon kings were corrupted, the King of Essence has always been elegant…
'I should hurry and start cultivating already.'
Listen! It will be a life lesson!
'I've heard you boast so much that my ears are bleeding.'
Ugh. I keep telling you, but you will definitely die a painful death!
Raon ignored the self-proclaimed elegant demon king's curse and returned to the scout's quarters to sit down.
"Haa…"
He caught his breath and closed his eyes. Accepting the pure energy of nature, he rotated the Ring of Fire.
Once the rotating ring enhanced his body, he used the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. The heat that was similar to magma burst from his energy center to dash through his mana circuit, starting to melt the remnant of the battle.
Probably because of the trait Focus, or his enhanced stats, the flow of his aura dashing through his mana circuit could be felt in detail—as if it were in the palm of his hand.
'A little bit more should be possible.'
Raon absorbed more mana than usual. The increased amount made his shoulders shiver slightly, but he controlled the flow using his elevated martial arts and senses.
The change of mana raised his focus. He rotated the Ring of Fire and used the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation as naturally as breathing.
The sunlight outside the window subsided, and once the moon reached the center of the sky, Raon finally opened his eyes.
His burning red eyes gave off the impression that the sun had risen once again. Unlike the dawn, his eyes were filled with power.
'My aura should be fully recovered by tomorrow.'
Raon smiled, caressing his energy center. The recovery speed didn't disappoint him, thanks to his increased stats and his proficiency in martial arts. It looked like he could return to his perfect state earlier than he thought.
It's all thanks to the King of Essence's great abilities. Make sure to repay the favor.
'Okay, okay.'
Raon snickered, looking at Wrath acting dignified by extending his chin.
'Let's try using Glacier, too.'
Since he had recovered decently, he decided to keep practicing with Glacier. He closed his eyes once again and opened the ocean of perception, which was now wider than a lake.
Raon dove deeper into the ocean of perception, and even used the Perception of the Snow Flower to extend his range. It was easier and faster to expend his perception now, probably thanks to the trait Focus.
Whir!
He shaped the flow of perception that was spreading in circles into tentacles to look around the castle. He was training to use Glacier through image.
'Hmm?'
In the midst of checking the four directions by using the flow of perception, Raon suddenly stopped. Multiple waves had appeared in his ocean of perception. It was the presence of monsters running towards him fiercely.
'That's not all.'
Three huge tidal waves were soaring in between the monsters. They were incomparably more powerful existences than the other normal monsters.
Thud.
As Raon was trying to confirm the presence once again, the door flew open and Dorian entered.
"Wow, you're still doing this."
Dorian whispered while carefully closing the door. When he walked towards his bed on a tiptoe, Raon's eyes suddenly opened.
"Ah!"
"Uninvited guests are here."
"U-uninvited guest? That's too mean! I returned late on purpose!"
"I'm not talking about you."
"What?"
"No, I should call them prey, rather than uninvited guests."
Raon stood up and grabbed his sword.
"Y-Young master? Why are you taking your sword at this hour…"
"Deliver this message."
A blue flame sparkled in Raon's eyes.
"Enemies are coming."
* * *
When the moon reached the center of the sky, the black robed man stood up.
"Voracious Ice Demon, the time has come."
The Voracious Ice Demon opened his eyes. The thin vertical pupils of a beast were trembling in his eyes.
"We are finally shedding blood."
With a frightening voice that was enough to cause goosebumps, he raised his body.
"Is Milland gone for sure?"
"I've confirmed with the eyes of the troll that I use for scouting. They are moving faster than I expected, and they will reach around Stallin Mountain in about six hours."
"Unfortunately, it is going according to your plan. I wanted to try fighting Milland."
The Voracious Ice Demon darted his tongue in and out, saying that it was a bummer.
"Stop that useless thought and get ready. We are going to attack immediately."
"But no matter how hard I think about it, the lord is such a waste. It would've been really useful if we raised it properly."
"Lord?"
"Yes, it's too good to be used as bait."
"You are misunderstanding something."
The black robed man shook his head.
"The lord is here."
He took out a staff from his robe and slammed the ground. A strange pattern flashed and the ice troll lord appeared, even bigger than before.
"Krr…"
The lord groaned in hunger with blank eyes.
"The king-tier monsters get stronger the more they shed blood. I can't miss this opportunity to safely raise the lord."
"Th-Then, what's in Stallin Mountain?"
"It's a fake that I created with a spell."
"It might fool the others, but isn't Milland going to notice it right away?"
"He probably will. But our job will be finished by then."
The black robed man smiled coldly. He'd shown the ice troll lord to the scouting parties three whole times for that purpose. Milland would realize it once he arrived, but he was definitely going to be tricked until then.
"Let's begin."
He slammed the staff down once again. Alongside a thunderous noise, the snowy hill behind them started shivering like a living creature.
Baam!
The white snow was swept away and blue fur rose up. It belonged to trolls and orcs. The white hill was a fake hill made of monsters that were holding their breath.
"That hill… You piled it up little by little so that Habun Castle wouldn't notice, right? Blue Shamanic Demon, your plan is boring but effective, for sure."
"I kept telling you that we will accomplish our mission as long as you move according to the plan."
The Blue Shamanic Demon twisted the corners of his mouth up and put on the troll shaman's mask. Along with the booting sound of a machine, the mask surrounded his head.
"Krrr."
A beast's roar came from the Blue Shamanic Demon's mouth. The glow of his eyes was even more brutal than a monster, and an ominous energy was creeping out from the staff he was holding.
"Hell yeah! I'm looking forward to Milland's expression when he finds Habun Castle full of corpses."
The Voracious Ice Demon grinned and wore the shark helmet on his head.
Cring!
The blue wave flowing down from the helmet surrounded his body. A blade-like fin came out from his back and shoulders, blue spikes emerging from his limbs. It was armor that was filled with spikes that were sharp enough to tear skin on contact—the shark sting's armor, which was the most violent among the ocean monsters.
"Let's go!"
"Kraaa!"
"Krrr!"
The Blue Shamanic Demon raised his dark green staff, and the monsters that were deadly quiet before started screaming as they dashed towards Habun Castle. Their ferocity was multiple times more intense than the wave.
"Since they shouldn't be vigilant nor prepared right now, break through the destroyed castle wall at once."
"Slaughter the opponents with feeble resistance, just the way I like it."
The Green Shamanic Demon kept scheming until the end, and the Voracious Ice Demon's evil eyes flared.
"We can see the castle! Huh? But…"
"Wh-What? What is happening?"
The two monster men's eyes widened upon finding the castle walls full of soldiers, ready to fight them. There was even a flare fired up to the sky as they confirmed their presence.
"Is this a trap?"
"It's not a trap! I've confirmed Milland's position, so how…?"
Not only the Voracious Ice Demon but also the Blue Shamanic Demon's eyes trembled in confusion.
"H-How did they…?"
"Don't panic, Green Shamanic Demon. Only weaklings remained in the castle anyway. We can simply bulldoze them with sheer power!"
"Haa, you are right this time."
The Blue Shamanic Demon raised his staff and spoke out some strange words one after another.
"Kieeee!"
"Kraaaa!"
Upon receiving the light flowing out from the staff, the monsters became faster and fiercer as they dashed towards the castle walls.
"Go to the castle walls! Destroy them in one fell swoop!"
"Kuhaha, I'll be going first this time… Huh?"
As the monsters were about to slam their bodies into the castle walls, a man jumped down from the castle. With fluttering blonde hair, the hero that stopped thousands of monsters on his own a few days ago was standing there.
"It's a relief that I didn't go."
Raon brandished his deadly blade and smiled in excitement.
"Because the prey came to me on their own."
____