Raon went to the reception room with Wendy. She was walking in front of him, and her steps were wavering slightly as if she were drunk.
'It must be difficult for her.'
Even though she'd resolved herself, she must've been mentally exhausted after witnessing the death of her family. It was praiseworthy enough that she was walking.
People usually don't change easily, but she seems to be an exception.
Wrath licked his lips, saying that she had become a rock when she used to be as tender as jelly.
'Her core has always been full.'
Wendy was the only warrior in her house who inherited her ancestor's will.
Considering the fact that she managed to reach Master level by training on her own while everyone else was idling around, she'd always had the potential.
'And her core finally blossomed through this occasion.'
Her martial art wasn't the only growth she'd obtained from the war against the undead. She also achieved mental growth and managed to overcome the pressure from her family.
Since the chain called family that used to bind her was gone, she was bound to climb higher in the future.
"Please sit over here."
Wendy pointed her finger after opening the door to the reception room. Raon followed her and entered the room.
'Did Weegen make this room?'
The room was extremely luxurious even though it didn't look like it was used often. It looked even more extravagant than the reception room in the lord's manor at Zieghart.
"Thank you."
As soon as Raon sat on the fluffy sofa, Wendy Arianne lowered her head.
"Lady Wendy?"
"I would've never managed to kill them on my own. I'd like to thank you for making the decision."
Wendy's shoulders trembled as she tightly bit her lip.
"It was my obligation as the commander of this war. Please don't do this."
Raon shook his head. Executing them was necessary in order to revive the house. He didn't just do it for Wendy's sake.
'What they did was unforgivable for the leaders of a house.'
Morale had plummeted when Weegen and the executives' escape became known, and the undead used that opportunity to attack.
The solid defense was broken through and fatalities appeared for the first time.
Because Raon had learned in his life as Raon Zieghart what the meaning of a house was, and what kind of mindset a leader should have, he was furious from the bottom of his heart at Weegen and the executives who abandoned the house to run away.
'This was my job.'
Since he was planning to kill them even if he had to search the entire continent, there was no reason for Wendy to thank him.
Raon sighed quietly while looking at Wendy, who was still bowing at him.
"How about you, Lady Wendy? Are you okay?"
"I would be lying if I said I was."
Wendy raised her head. The violent trembling of her pupils slowly subsided.
"But I'm well aware that it was a necessary task in order to revive this house."
'She understands perfectly. I thought she would.'
If Weegen and the executives managed to survive, they would've taken advantage of Wendy's kindness and broken the unity of the house.
Getting rid of their influence and creating a new foothold was the correct course of action to revive House Arianne.
It was going to be difficult at first because the footsteps of the previous lords were gone, but Arianne should be able to soar even higher in the future.
"Head of house, you will have to work hard in various ways, since removing the shadow of the previous executives won't be an easy task."
"I'll do my best."
Wendy bowed, asking him to trust her.
"Please stop thanking me. You don't need to…"
"It's not just about what happened today."
She continued without raising her head.
"This war would've been over from the beginning if Sir Raon wasn't with us. I'm grateful that you fought with us until the very end and put your life on the line."
Wendy didn't straighten her back, saying that she's been wanting to express her gratitude ever since the war came to an end.
'It looks like she's going to stay like this forever if I don't accept her thanks.'
Since Raon was aware of how stubborn she was, he nodded with a smile on his face.
"I see. I accept your gratitude. Please raise your head now."
Raon nodded, but Wendy still didn't raise her head. She went on her knees instead and pressed her head down on the ground.
"Lady Wendy?"
Did she finally lose it?
She wasn't unconscious. Her breathing was rough, but her pressure was extremely clean.
"We have something We'd like to tell you, Sir Raon."
"Please stand up before then…"
"No, I have to say it like this."
Wendy raised her forehead slightly as she spoke but pressed it back on the ground.
"We'd like to serve you as my lord. Please allow me."
She raised her voice, saying that she wanted to serve him as a lord along with her house.
"What?"
Raon's eyes widened as he looked at Wendy.
'What's happening right now?'
House Arianne was already Zieghart's follower as a vassal house. He couldn't understand what she meant by suddenly telling him she wanted to follow him.
"What do you mean…?"
"It means what it is. We'd like to follow you, Raon Zieghart."
"But isn't Arianne already Zieghart's vassal house?"
"Indeed."
"Then why are you following me…?"
Wendy slightly raised her head. The pure light radiating from her eyes showed how sincere she was.
"Because we want to support our benefactor in Zieghart."
She suddenly mentioned a benefactor, and Raon could tell who it was.
"Support me?"
"Yes. The vassal houses don't always follow Zieghart as a whole. Each vassal house supports a different faction, and our Arianne would like to walk the same path as our benefactor, the Light Wind squad."
She said that she wanted to support the Light Wind squad while following Zieghart.
"Why did you get such an idea?"
"I've been observing my benefactor and the Light Wind squad from up close during the war. You kept your individuality, but you also looked like a single storm when you fought together."
Wendy's slightly distorted smile revealed her envy towards them as she continued.
"I'd like Arianne to become a house that cherishes each other and helps each other in their lives, just like the Light Wind squad. That's why I'd like to share the path with the Light Wind squad, and…"
She carefully raised her hand to point at Raon.
"The major force that created the Light Wind squad in the current state, and the one who leads the Light Wind squad, is my benefactor. That's why I'd like to serve you as my lord."
Wendy said she wanted to run her house like the Light Wind squad who risked their lives for each other's sake and bowed once again.
"Hmm…"
Raon touched his lips while looking at Wendy.
'What should I do?'
He was planning to refuse if she said it was because of his talent or excellent martial arts.
However, Wendy talked about the bond within the Light Wind squad. He could feel her sincerity from the way she said she was jealous of how they protected each other's characteristics and fought together.
"I'm just a vice leader of a mere squad."
"And the squad in question is the Light Wind squad. I believe it will become the strongest armed group of Zieghart in the future."
"I'm not even a member of the direct line."
"Did you think I would be bothered by bloodlines?"
"Haa…"
Raon sighed.
'I don't understand why people suddenly want to follow me recently.'
He felt rather uncomfortable because people started to ask him to be his follower wherever he went, just like Mark Goetten and Wendy Arianne.
Indeed. You are just a brat who has a long way to go. It's incomprehensible why they want to follow you.
Wrath clicked his tongue in displeasure.
Hmm? Wait, no. She's the head of house here.
'Yes.'
Perfect! Accept her as your follower and order her to offer ten dishes of each of their specialty foods… Ack!
Raon slapped away Wrath with the back of his hand because he kept saying stupid shit.
'I feel uncomfortable, but…'
It didn't actually feel bad. It could've been because he'd been alone for his entire life in his previous life, but it was honestly making his heart burn.
"Alright."
Raon nodded, and Wendy went on one knee with her fist placed on her left chest.
"Wendy Arianne greets my lord, Raon Zieghart. Just like my ancestor followed Zieghart's ancestor a thousand years ago, I'll protect your back for the rest of my life."
Wendy's pledge reminded him of the perfect combined attack between Zieghart and Arianne's ancestors.
Her pledge reached deep in his heart because he'd fought alongside Wendy just like they did.
'On top of reproducing the history, she will be extremely helpful for me by herself.'
Wendy Arianne had reached the intermediate Master from the war. She had the potential to climb even higher since she had a solid foundation in martial arts.
"I accept your pledge."
Raon smiled gently and grabbed Wendy's shoulder.
"As Wendy Arianne, I'm going to follow you as your vassal, even if you want to destroy the entire continent!"
Wendy bowed once again with overwhelming emotions.
"…I'm never going to destroy the continent."
Raon shook his head while wiping off the sweat flowing from his temple. A chill ran down the spine because she was already mentioning the destruction of the continent.
"Instead of destruction, here's my first order."
"I hear and I obey."
She stayed on one knee and placed her hand on the left side of her chest, just like when she'd made her pledge.
"Make Arianne into an even greater house than a thousand years ago so that every member of the family can smile brightly."
"I'll accomplish your order with my life!"
Wendy nodded naturally.
"And please stand up now. Your neck is about to bend like a turtle's because you keep bowing to me."
"Yes!"
Wendy finally stood up and sat on the sofa on the opposite side.
"Ah, now that I think about it…"
Raon licked his lips. He remembered what Dorian had told him once the situation was stabilized.
"I heard some guests have captured the executives. Who are they?"
"Ah, have you not heard about them yet?"
Wendy's eyes turned round, surprised that he didn't know about it yet.
"The Sword Demon did it."
"The Sword Demon? Is he…?"
"Yes, He's the Sword Demon you are thinking, the strongest of the Five Great Swordmasters."
As the peak of the Five Great Swordmasters, the Sword Demon was an extremely powerful warrior who was considered to be a match against the Ten Heavens of the Continent.
Since he remained neutral without any affiliations, the fact that he'd brought the executives to them made Raon's jaw drop in surprise.
"Where is he right now?"
Wendy pointed at the Land of Death.
"He went to the Land of Death where we ended the war along with the Light Wind squad."
"Yaaawn…"
Rimmer's mouth widened to the brim as he yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"How long are you planning to watch? Let's go back since I'm so sleepy."
He waved his hand towards the back of a tall and bulky white-haired old man.
"Hmm…"
The white-haired old man had been examining the traces but he finally stood up. The red sword hanging around his waist trembled slightly.
"Did that boy called the White Sword Dragon really make this trace?"
The white-haired old man turned around. His sharp eyes and broad shoulders were an impressive contrast to his white hair.
"I told you he did. I kept saying it."
Rimmer shook his hand in annoyance.
"I can't believe that a twenty-year-old warrior created those traces."
The old man murmured that a monster had appeared in the continent while examining the traces on the ground.
"Master, is it that amazing?"
The red-haired young man who'd introduced himself as the disciple of the Sword Demon came next to him.
"Look at this trace."
The Sword Demon pointed at the thin traces left at the location of the three pillars.
"A single strike. No, a single move with two swords created over thirty trajectories. It's not complete, but even a Grandmaster would have a hard time fending off against the power of this technique."
He enlightened his disciple of how dangerous Raon's technique was.
Rimmer licked his lips while watching the old man.
'Did he just recognize that? I guess he deserves to be called the Sword Demon, the strongest of the Five Great Swordmasters.'
There were barely any traces left in the Land of Death because it was a soft ground that used to be under a swamp.
It was difficult to tell whether it was the trace of a sword or a trace of a crawling bug, and the fact that he figured out Raon's technique implied his extraordinary abilities.
'I heard that the Sword Demon could be compared to the Ten Heavens of the Continent. It's definitely not wrong. I can't estimate his realm at all.'
The Five Great Swordmasters being weaker than the Ten Heavens of the Continent was common knowledge, but the Sword Demon's sword seemed capable of reaching them at least.
'I'm curious how a wanderer managed to become so powerful.'
The Sword Demon didn't say it by himself, but he was in a neutral position without any affiliation with any faction.
Rimmer was curious how he became so strong when he was pretty much a wanderer.
'By the way…'
Rimmer furrowed his brow while examining the Sword Demon's face and the shape of his body.
'That geezer, why does he feel so familiar?'
He'd never seen him before, but he felt familiar for some reason.
'How strange… Oh, whatever.'
Rimmer was trying to figure out why he felt so familiar but shook his head because he couldn't be bothered anymore.
'I probably saw him in a gambling house or something.'
* * *
After the conversation with Wendy, Raon returned to his room.
He still needed to thank Milland and the reinforcements from other factions, but he decided to visit them the next day since it was getting too late.
'She's still doing this here.'
Runaan was still sleeping on the bed facing forward. A purring sound like a kitten could be heard.
'I guess she wasn't sleeping here because of me.'
Considering the fact that she still hadn't woken up, she must've just wanted to sleep there. Raon chuckled and sat at the table.
When are you going to eat?! The King of Essence is starving right now!
'You are fine. Look at how fat you are.'
Raon snickered while pulling Wrath's plump and soft belly.
Stop touching! How can a mere human dare touch the King of Essence's body?!
'Are you a cat or something?'
He started to shout as soon as Raon touched his belly even though he didn't mind when his head was slapped. He almost looked like a cat.
'I'm going to eat after I check this. Wait a little please.'
Check? What are you checking now…?
'This.'
Raon tapped on Wrath's head and loaded the messages that he couldn't previously read.
O-oh no!
Upon seeing the messages, Wrath grasped the back of his neck, which was as plump as a sandwich, and fell backward.
Wrath fell on his face on the table and Raon pushed him away before checking the messages.
[You've achieved the impossible.]
[Your soul level has drastically increased.]
[All stats have increased by 20.]
Defeating the Specter and destroying the death sphere must've been considered impossible, and he received twenty stat points as a result.
The increase in soul level must've drastically increased his pain and fatigue.
However, there were a lot more messages left.
[Trait Aura of Death Resistance has been created.]
[Trait Backstab has increased in rank.]
[Trait Focus has increased in rank.]
[Trait Divinity Blooming from Underworld has increased in rank.]
The second set of messages was all about the traits.
The Aura of Death Resistance was created probably because he'd been fighting the energy of death for six days straight, and the traits he'd used during the fight had increased in rank.
The most satisfying part was Divinity Blooming from Underworld getting another rank.
'And there's more.'
The system wasn't showing as messages, but the Ring of Fire, the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, and Glacier's proficiencies had also increased drastically, and the same went for his swordsmanship realm.
A smile appeared on his face because the gains were even bigger than the enlightenment.
I-it's finally ove—i-is there more?
Wrath was climbing on the table while swaying, but his jaw dropped upon seeing the additional message.
[Title Commander of the Victorious War has been created.]
Next up was a title. He hadn't gotten a title in a long time, since he'd received the Survivor, and he finally had a new one.
Damn it! Why does this never end?!
Wrath's lips trembled as he looked at the new title.
Commander of the Victorious War
Title given to the one who carved their way to victory in an unwinnable war.
Ability: All stats +5, slightly increase everyone's focus and physical ability during a group battle.
"Huh?"
'Did it just say that focus and physical ability increases for everyone?'
It implied that even the Light Wind squad's abilities were increased on top of Raon himself.
'Is it raising morale?'
Morale was important when it came to a group battle. Raising morale could draw out the full potential of the warriors, and the title seemed to affect morale.
I-it's over now, right?
Wrath moved onto the table while faltering.
Let's eat now…
When he was trying to beg him for food, another set of messages appeared.
[You fell asleep after exhausting all your stamina and willpower.]
[The quality of sleep has increased to the extreme and enhanced Sloth's efficiency.]
[All stats have increased.]
[Sloth has been enhanced.]
Wrath started foaming at the mouth and collapsed upon seeing those messages.
Sloth, you stupid doormat…