Yeah!
Wrath shouted in excitement.
Excellent, the great taste dances in the mouth!
'I'm glad to hear that.'
Wrath chuckled while putting his fork down on the empty plate.
This is how food should be. Truly artistic! People nowadays only follow a recipe and can't incorporate their devotion and philosophy into food.
Raon thought it had to be hard to be a chef if they even had to incorporate philosophy into their cooking.
More! Bring more food! The King of Essence is still hungry!
Wrath pointed at the buffet in the outer area of the banquet hall while patting his bloated belly, which served to make him look even more like cotton candy.
'This is already the tenth dish, though.'
It's ONLY the tenth dish!
'Haa, this is endless.'
Raon shook his head and went towards the buffet.
'He's watching me again.'
He could feel Martio's gaze from where he was standing behind Derus. Even though he'd been watching him in a natural manner before, his gaze had turned more blatant. He must've been trying to test his reaction.
"Hmm?"
Raon turned back to look at Martio in a neutral manner. Martio lowered his head with an awkward expression on his face.
'This is the best way to deal with it.'
Ignoring such a powerful gaze was a bad move. The best solution to that situation was to pretend to be curious about why he was watching him instead of acting like he was suspicious.
'Merlin ended up being really helpful.'
If not for Merlin's warning, he might have made a mistake because of Martio's gaze. If he managed to shake off his suspicion, it wouldn't be excessive to say that it was all thanks to her.
Grr…
Wrath ground his teeth and glared at Derus, who was savoring his wine on the platform.
It's all because of that beanpole that you became such a small eater! Resentment over food shall never be forgiven!
He showed his teeth and growled at Derus. He must've been serious about helping him.
That's why you should take that pie over there. The blueberries are seducing the King of Essence right now.
Raon chuckled and put the pie on his plate before returning to the table.
"Are you sure that's enough for you? You should eat more."
"This is the eleventh dish though."
"It's only the eleventh."
Martha narrowed her eyes while saying the same thing as Wrath.
"No one but you is even coming over here."
She was right, since Runaan was treating the ice cream stand like her home, and Burren was talking to the Owen knights with a smile on his face.
"Leave them alone."
Raon shook his hand and took a bite of the pie. The sweet taste of blueberry smeared into the crunchy crust filled his mouth.
Woaah! This taste is brimming with the confectioner's devotion! The King of Essence wants to bring him to his castle.
Raon watched Wrath shouting in satisfaction for a while before he closed his eyes.
Even though twenty years had passed, and he'd even reincarnated since then, he still remembered the old days whenever he closed his eyes.
He wasn't even treated as a human being as he learned assassination techniques in his previous life. He wasn't even allowed to sleep for over a month because the hunting dogs or the senior assassins chased him around during his training, and he had to leave on a mission with a dagger in his hand even though he was young enough that he should've still been in the parents' embrace.
Although Derus Robert was the one who ordered everything, the butler of the underworld, Martio, was the one who'd carried it out.
He'd threatened him with violence during his childhood and threatened him with freedom after he was brainwashed. Raon remembered Martio's false face as he taught him as a dog.
'I won't let him live.'
Derus Robert wasn't the only target of his revenge. Those who worked for him in the underworld were also included in it. Raon wanted to thoroughly destroy everything he possessed.
'But it's impossible for now.'
Martio's realm was no less than Roenn's, and he was even more difficult to deal with because of his assassination techniques.
'The best thing I can do for now is analyze his energy.'
Raon focused on probing into his energy through his gaze. When he even activated the Ring of Fire to feel his energy, Wrath suddenly turned his head to look behind him.
Two more have arrived.
Wrath mumbled, and the outside became noisy at the same time.
Thud!
The door was opened alongside the sound of the knights outside the banquet hall slamming the floor with their spears.
"Sir Chamber, the archmage of Eternal Flame and Balkar's heroes are making their entrance!"
People's gazes focused on the entrance upon hearing the shout.
The magicians and knights entering the banquet hall were wearing robes and armor instead of formal dress. They must've just arrived at the castle.
Many people were entering at the same time, but everyone's gazes were focused on the beautiful woman with short red hair at the center. She confidently strode through the center of the banquet hall with sparkling golden eyes.
Despite how young she looked, the mana wavering from her was as huge as the ocean.
"I'm here!"
The red-haired woman waved her hand at the leaders of the Six Kings on the platform and smiled brightly.
'She is the archmage of Eternal Flame, Chamber.'
She was one of the three archmages of the continent, and the transcender who led the royal mages of Balkar.
'She looks even younger than me.'
Powerful people tended to age more slowly, but Chamber was an extreme case. She looked like she was in her early twenties even though she should've been older than Owen's king or Derus.
"Mister Glenn really came!"
Chamber went on the platform while referring to Glenn as 'mister'.
"You are as loose-tongued as before."
"I guess so."
Glenn frowned, but Chamber didn't even seem to care and sat next to him.
"Hah."
Raon's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe that she actually said 'Mister Glenn'.
'All the transcenders are strange.'
He shook his head and examined the people who entered after her. That was when he noticed a familiar face.
'She's also here after all.'
It should've been obvious, but Jayna was participating in the banquet as Balkar's princess.
'I guess she didn't know I would be here.'
He guessed that she didn't know about his attendance. After all, she wouldn't have been there if she did.
"Haap!"
Jayna was walking as confidently as Chamber but let out a brief scream upon meeting Raon's eyes.
"Jayna?"
"Princess?"
The people around her stopped walking and stared at her.
"I-it's nothing."
She leaned forward before walking forward. Unlike her previous demeanor, her hands were trembling violently.
'This is going to be another gain.'
While Raon was thinking about what to extort from the bitch princess with a smile on his face, a fierce and powerful pressure surged from the entrance.
'Now that I think about it…'
Wrath said they were two, not one. Raon hurriedly turned his head.
"W-we haven't introduced you yet—"
"I don't need such a thing."
The gigantic man who created a tremor with his entrance wasn't wearing a shirt under his coat. He looked over two meters tall, his eyes were as sharp as those of a savage beast, and his solid pressure felt like he wouldn't bleed even from a needle poking into his skin.
'The Beast Union's leader, the Beast King Ogram!'
Judging from his beast-like ferocity, attitude that didn't even care about courtesy, and the lion emblem engraved on his sky dragon coat, he was definitely the Beast King Ogram. He was the one who united the countless tribes of the West and became the leader of the Beast Union.
Whir!
The entire banquet hall fell silent from the wild energy wave spreading from him.
"Glenn Zieghart."
Ogram walked up to the platform and stood before Glenn, not even looking at anyone else.
"It's been a while, Ogram."
Glenn calmly nodded.
"Your face is as haughty as before."
"The same goes for your arrogant eyes."
"Kuhahaha!"
Ogram burst into cheerful laughter and nodded.
"And your personality is also the same. I never believed it when people said you were washed up."
He jumped on the platform and sat next to Derus.
Even though Chamber and Ogram's entrances were both peculiar, Glenn, Derus, and King Lecross didn't really care about it. It felt like they were used to it.
'Five of the Six Kings are here.'
Every single one of them could cause an uproar in the continent, and having the five of them together made it feel like the banquet hall was trembling even though they weren't doing anything.
Interesting.
Wrath grinned while looking at the five transcenders.
They managed to gather so much power despite being paltry humans. The King of Essence will have to acknowledge your potential for a race with such a short lifespan.
He gave a big nod of admiration.
'Potential…'
Raon licked his lips and examined the people from the Balkar Kingdom and the Beast Union.
'There's a member of the Twelve Stars of the Continent in each of their camps.'
Both the Balkar and Beast Union had a genius who rose to the Twelve Stars of the Continent's seat among their ranks.
'I can gain even more now.'
The appearance of new faces signified that he would be able to gain even more in the social meeting. In particular, he wanted to witness the Beast Union's martial arts no matter what, since they were rumored to have the strongest bodies.
You should be bringing more food right now! It won't last long since there are even more people now!
'Hmm?'
Raon turned his head upon hearing Wrath's shout. While the magicians and knights from the Balkar kingdom were having a light meal in their seats, the warriors from the Beast Union were chowing down on the food with the intention of finishing off all of it just like Wrath had said.
Quickly!
'Haa.'
Since he'd already promised that he would eat to his heart's content, he was about to move towards the buffet when the transcenders' voices could be heard from the platform.
"Hmm! That sounds interesting. I agree."
Chamber raised her hand while swaying her legs and agreed to Derus.
"I don't mind it. My kids are going to win all the trophies."
Ogram grinned while chewing on a big leg of pork.
"That settles it."
Derus nodded, his hands gathered together to express his relief.
"Your majesty, can you announce it to everyone?"
He smiled at Lecross, who was sitting at the center.
"Alright."
King Lecross stood up from his throne and moved to the edge of the platform. Even though he hadn't said anything yet, everyone focused on him because of his presence.
"Is everyone enjoying the banquet?"
"Yes!"
Everyone in the hall answered and bowed to him.
"Since this is an extremely rare occasion where five of us have gathered in the Conference of the Six Kings, we've prepared a special event."
"What would be that special event…?"
"We decided to hold a martial tournament for the young warriors and magicians who would stand at the peak of the continent in the future."
Everyone in the banquet hall looked at him with sparkling eyes upon hearing the news about the tournament.
"It will be divided between Experts and Masters. The winner will be granted the honor of the title of 'the strongest warrior', as well as an extra reward from us. The preliminary will start in two days, so those who wish to participate should register until tomorrow."
King Lecross smiled gently and looked around at the warriors in the banquet hall.
"Since we will be watching the finale, I hope you all get good results."
He returned to his seat after that.
"Martial tournament!"
"Moreover, the Six Kings are spectating it!"
"They've even prepared a present!"
"This is crazy! I'm definitely going to participate!"
The warriors from the five factions started talking about the tournament amongst each other.
"It sounds interesting."
Martha's eyes were blazing with passion as she crumpled the fork she was holding.
"It's going to be so fun to trample upon the elites."
She was smiling a toothy smile even though she was also an elite herself.
"This is a great opportunity to see the other factions' martial arts. I'm glad to be here."
Burren also clenched his fist with excited eyes.
"Hmm…"
Runaan wasn't really interested in the tournament, and which ice cream to try out first seemed to be the only thing on her mind.
Raon! The King of Essence wants it too! Give that to the King of Essence!
Wrath stuck his tongue out like a puppy while looking at the mint chocolate that was forming the first floor of Runaan's ice cream pile.
"..."
Raon shook his head at Wrath. He was such a childish demon king.
"I'm guessing the Frostfire Sword of Valor is obviously going to participate. Am I right?"
When he started walking towards the buffet in order to get the ice cream, a silver-haired young man blocked his path. He was Cadis Robert, the son of Derus and the fifth rank of Twelve Stars of the Continent.
"I'd like to witness the might that defeated Eden, the White Blood Religion, and even the South-North Union. I'm hoping for your participation."
Cadis smiled gently. Although it looked like a friendly smile from the side, it looked like a sneer from the front because his eyes weren't smiling.
"I'm afraid it wouldn't be good enough for the Blade of Shattering Wave's eyes."
Raon smiled while meeting Cadis's eyes.
"It should be plenty… unless the rumor was a fake. I'm sure it will be fun."
'It is a sneer after all.'
Cadis was completely looking down on him. His egoistic personality from his childhood hadn't changed at all.
'I should accept his challenge here.'
Since Cadis had an arrogant and impertinent personality, he was a hypocrite who couldn't bear with other people's provocation. Raon decided to try provoking him in return.
"I enjoy fighting opponents at the same level as me, but I'm not sure that's even going to happen here."
Raon smiled while taunting him by saying that 'someone like you can't even be an enjoyment for me'.
"…That's an amazing amount of confidence."
"I wasn't that confident before, but I grew slightly confident thanks to the Blade of Shattering Wave's compliment."
"Hmm."
Cadis fell speechless because Raon returned his own words right back to him.
"I'll be looking forward to facing you in the finals."
He said those words while stressing each one.
"I'm not sure if that would be possible, but sure—if you can manage it to make it fun for me."
Raon nodded and moved past Cadis.
His expression didn't change, nor did he spread his pressure, but the calm atmosphere around him became turbulent.
'He's so obvious.'
He was trying to taunt Raon, yet he was speechless from being taunted in return despite being much older than him. It was as clear as day that he must've been boiling in anger.
'Ah!'
Raon was about to put the ice cream on his plate but suddenly stopped.
Hmm? What are you doing right now instead of dishing up?
Wrath pounded his shoulder, urging him to continue.
Raon smiled coldly while looking at the ice cream's mixed colors together.
'Maybe I can…'
After the Banquet
Derus Robert's Room
Martio was standing in front of Derus, who was sitting on his chair with his legs crossed.
"How was he?"
"I can't confirm it yet, but it seems to be a no from what I've seen so far."
Martio lowered his head apologetically.
"A no?"
"The assassins have characteristic footsteps. They always walk with the tip of their toes instead of the back to stay ready for assassination. However, it looks normal on the outside because they shouldn't give off their identity."
He continued while pointing at his own shoes.
"However, Raon Zieghart's shoes were completely worn out, and his footsteps were that of an ordinary swordsman or knight."
"Even his shoes?"
Derus narrowed his eyes. He could've changed his footsteps because so many people were around, but the fact that his shoes were worn out accordingly signified that it was his usual way of walking.
"That's not the only reason. Assassins secretly stay alert even when they are eating, but he wasn't doing that at all. He did over ten round trips to the buffet to enjoy his food. He was eating like a horse."
Martio furrowed his brow because of his unexpected behavior.
"Lastly, he didn't show any unnatural reactions when I blatantly stared at him. I haven't seen him fight yet, but his usual behavior was far from an assassin."
"Hmm…"
Derus licked his lips while supporting his chin on his fist. He looked displeased as he stared out the window for a while before he nodded.
"Will you be able to confirm after watching Raon Zieghart's battle?"
"Yes. He definitely won't be able to hide it during an all-out battle."
"I've appointed you as the referee for the martial tournament. Make sure to determine his identity from up close."
"Understood."
Martio nodded before he disappeared from the room. A knocking sound could be heard soon after.
"Enter."
Derus waved his hand, and the door opened as Cadis Robert entered.
"I'm here."
"I saw that you got taunted in return when you were trying to taunt him."
"You even heard all that. That's embarrassing."
Cadis smiled without changing his expression at all, but his eyes were boiling in anger.
"You can win, right?"
Darkness was dwelling in Derus's eyes as he asked his question.
"I didn't expect the Beast Union to be present, but it doesn't matter. I'm ready to defeat even the four strongest of the Twelve Stars."
"In that case, I'll add one more request."
"Please do."
"Cut Raon Zieghart's arm if you end up encountering him."
"Ohh."
Cadis's mouth curved into a long smile.
"Are you sure about that? Even though Glenn is around?"
"I would've smashed your mouth if you mentioned any other name, but Glenn is different."
Derus nodded with a faint smile on his face.
"I've already probed his intentions. Killing him would be a different story, but cutting his arms off wouldn't be enough to cause any reaction from Glenn. Use a severing strike to leave a disability forever, even if he manages to reattach it."
"I'll follow your orders."
Cadis bowed politely despite his tone before leaving the room.
"If I'm not sure about the answer…"
A frighteningly cold smile appeared on Derus's face as he stared outside the window where the moonlight was entering the room with no one else around.
"Removing the problem itself can be a solution."
* * *
After the banquet ended, Raon brought the Light Wind squad to the castle's outskirts.
"Where are we going? Are you sure we're allowed here?"
Burren reluctantly looked around him.
"The friendly match is in two days. We need to train in preparation after a small rest."
Martha furrowed her brow, saying that she wanted to sleep in order to check her swordsmanship the next day.
"..."
Runaan looked like she was thinking about the ice cream she had eaten earlier. She looked extremely satisfied, as she kept humming.
"We've arrived."
Trying to relieve the Light Wind swordsmen's anxiety, Raon stopped in front of the door near a small garden. He removed the hard latch from the door before opening it, and a properly maintained training ground could be seen.
"This is…"
"A training ground?"
"Did you reserve this for our training?"
They seemed glad, as they needed a place to train before the friendly match anyway.
"I asked the third prince to let us use an empty training ground."
Raon smiled while watching the Light Wind squad rejoice themselves.
"Wow!"
"You are really the only person who cares about us, vice squad leader!"
"We can all use this together since it's large enough!"
The Light Wind squad looked around the training ground and smiled in satisfaction.
"Since it's already getting late today, I guess we should start tomorrow."
"Yes, let's start training at daybreak."
"I need to get my training outfit and equipment…"
Thud!
The Light Wind squad members were talking about the next day's training when they heard the sudden slamming sound of the door. They flinched in surprise and turned to look at the door.
Raon was latching the training ground's door.
"R-Raon?"
"Why is the door locked?"
"Wh-why did you lock the door?"
The Light Wind swordsmen swallowed nervously because of Raon's sudden behavior.
"Tomorrow? There's no such thing as tomorrow."
Raon raised his head while saying that. Crimson flames were burning in his eyes.
"Losing to House Robert is one thing I can't tolerate."
Since teaching them about how to counter House Robert's swordsmanship could end up revealing his identity, awakening their bodies and minds through a powerful attack was the best method available.
"What's wrong with him now?"
"Why did he go crazy this time?"
"Th-those eyes are the same as when we did the focus enhancement training!"
Martha and the Light Wind squad stepped backward with trembling chins.
"I-I'm fine with training, but let me rest beforehand. We just finished eating a moment ago!"
"That's right. We should start it tomorrow since it's already too late."
"We didn't even bring our training outfits or training swords…"
On the other hand, a few swordsmen—including Burren—were shaking their hands, trying to convince him somehow.
"Don't worry."
Raon snapped his finger, and Dorian quickly stepped up next to him.
"You got them, right?"
"…Yes."
Dorian sniffled before putting his hand in his belly pocket. The Light Wind swordsmen's training outfits and training swords came out from the pocket one after the other.
"You know you missed something."
"Uwah…"
He wiped his tears away and took the Black Converter from his belly pocket and put it on the ground.
"The Black Converter!"
"Haven't they destroyed it yet?"
"God damn it!"
The Light Wind squad started freaking out once they saw the Black Converter and stepped away. Even though they'd hardened their resolution, the Black Converter was still scary for them.
Raon stared at the Black Converter for a while before he shook his head.
"Ah, I made a mistake."
The Light Wind squad's pale complexions turned slightly brighter.
They wanted to train, but they all wanted to avoid the hellish training with Raon.
"Y-yes, you were too impatient!"
"I like the idea of training, but we shouldn't go too hard because we are having the match right after."
"L-let's take it slow."
The Light Wind squad took the opportunity and wiped their cold sweat away while walking up to Raon.
"No, that's not what I meant. Since five out of the Six Kings are participating, you are most likely going to encounter the others before fighting House Robert."
The pressure spreading from Raon turned as sharp as a needle.
"That's why we need to make enough preparations against all four of them."
"Uh…"
"Ah…"
The swordsmen finally realized that they'd completely misunderstood his intentions and their jaws dropped.
"But you don't need to worry about it. Two days will be enough."
The Light Wind squad's faces froze, but a frightening smile appeared around Raon's mouth in contrast. He bobbed his finger while holding Heavenly Drive and its scabbard.
"Let's start the killin—I mean, training."