Smaack!
The snowfield trembled from the sound of the impact of Raon's fist, which gave the impression that Raon's fist had pierced through Mustan's face.
"Shouldn't we stop him?"
Burren swallowed nervously while looking at Mustan, who had collapsed like a doll with a broken leg.
"He's really going to die at this rate."
Unlike Raon, who was still brimming with energy, Mustan couldn't even raise his fist anymore.
His eyes had lost focus like a rotten fish. He seemed to have lost all of his strength and will to resist.
"Leave them alone. It's his responsibility."
Martha snorted while looking at Raon.
"But he's the Sword Demon's disciple…"
"Why are you such a chicken? He's not going to die from that."
"There's no way I wouldn't be worried when he's been beaten sixty times already! It's going to be a huge problem if he dies!"
"There's no way that weasel is going to lose his composure. He looks like he's angry, but he must have a proper plan."
She murmured that nothing bad was going to happen. She seemed to completely trust Raon.
"He's not, though."
Runaan shook her head while puffing her cheeks up like a frog.
"What do you mean, he is not?"
"He's angry."
"What?"
"Raon. He is really angry."
She raised her finger and pointed at Raon's eyes.
"Hmm."
Burren and Martha looked at where she was pointing and examined Raon's eyes.
"Huh…?"
"I-it's true. He does look furious…"
Their shoulders trembled as they realized that Raon's eyes were filled with madness, just like when he led the Mad Dog squad.
"Th-those eyes, they are the same as during the focus enhancement training…"
"Huu… I'm having a flashback…"
"Why is our vice squad leader so angry?"
"I know, right? Why is he even fighting him to begin with?"
The Light Wind squad became curious about why they were sparring and looked around.
"I didn't hear anything either."
Even Dorian shook his head since he didn't know why they were fighting.
"I know the reason."
The leader of the third scouting party of Habun Castle, Radin, raised his hand.
"The Sword Demon's disciple apparently told Raon that his master was an idiot."
Everyone from the Light Wind squad fell silent. They glared at Mustan with their eyes glowing with madness just like Raon.
"Our squad leader is an idiot?"
"Did he really insult our teacher?"
"That rude bastard…"
"Shall we join him and beat him up?"
The Light Wind swordsmen looked like they were going to join the fight at any moment but suddenly stopped.
"But…"
"That's actually true, isn't it?"
"It is. Our squad leader is kind of an idiot…"
"He's not just 'kind of'. He's a real idiot."
"It's not a big deal, then."
"He's right after all."
They relaxed as they realized Mustan wasn't exactly wrong.
"Yeah, he is right. So fucking right!"
Martha bared her teeth while glaring at the Light Wind squad.
"All of us know that he is an idiot, but we are the only ones who can say that!"
She clenched her fist, saying that she should've been the one beating Mustan.
"I agree. I can understand why Raon got so angry."
Burren nodded while looking at Raon.
"We are the only ones who can insult him. It's outrageous to think that someone else would do the same. However…"
He let out a groan and started biting his nails.
"He's really going to die at this rate. Maybe I should stop him now."
"Let him die, he deserves it! I would've cut his head off from the beginning if it were me."
Martha licked her lips in regret because she wasn't the one fighting.
"It's fine."
Runaan shook her head while poking her head out from the wall to watch the scene below.
"Raon isn't mad anymore."
She blinked while watching Raon, who was smacking Mustan's waist.
"A-are you sure it's fine?"
"Mhm, he will stop before it gets serious now."
Raon chuckled while listening to Runaan's voice.
'She always looks blank, but she actually noticed. How surprising.'
Runaan was right. He'd let himself get engulfed with madness on purpose to beat Mustan up, but his anger subsided when the Light Wind squad got angry in his stead.
He's in complete tatters.
Wrath shook his head while looking at Mustan's body, which was as limp as a rag.
'Is that emotion of envy you previously mentioned gone now?'
There's no way to tell since he's already fainted!
Wrath frowned, saying that pain was the only thing he could see because Mustan was in a state worse than death because of Raon.
Your talent is too good to stay on this land no matter how you look at it.
Wrath's serious eyes sparkled as he grabbed Raon's shoulders.
Let's go to Devildom with the King of Essence. You shall be able to ascend to a new throne of demon king as the monarch of mockery and violence…
'I don't want a salesperson here.'
Raon pushed Wrath back and looked down on Mustan.
'It must've been resolved. This proves once again that violence solves everything.'
He picked Mustan's head up and met his eyes.
"Did you count how many times I hit you?"
"…S-seventy-eight times."
"But you only counted up to seven times."
"Th-that's because I couldn't even open my mouth…"
"That's your problem. So we have ninety-three more to go, right?"
Raon clenched his fist with a frightening smile on his face.
"I-I did count though…"
"You didn't, since I couldn't hear it."
Raon clenched his fist and smacked Mustan's side.
Smaack!
Along with the huge sound of an exploding ball, Mustan leaned forward like a shrimp and screamed while suffocating.
His pain was showing on his face because he couldn't even breathe properly.
You are the very definition of a mad dog! You are the only one who can bring a new tide to Devildom!
'Be quiet.'
Raon ignored Wrath and trampled upon Mustan's head.
"Just like you cherish your master, other people also cherish their masters. It's still true even if the master in question is a gambling addict, a drunkard, a lazybones, a money-grubber, and an idiot with protagonist syndrome."
"Y-you are also blatantly insulting him right now…"
"I'm telling you that I'm the only one who can insult my master."
Raon smashed Mustan's temple with his heel.
"Kuaah…"
Mustan was unable to endure the pain and hung his head, his eyes rolled back.
"Whoaaa!"
"Good job! We are the only ones who can insult our squad leader! That fucking gambling addict!"
"A slippery elf that can survive anywhere!"
"The only existence who is a disgrace to the elven race and Zieghart at the same time!"
The Light Wind squad excitedly waved their hands while insulting Rimmer.
"That was pretty refreshing, but…"
Raon scratched his cheek while watching Mustan, who was limping like a broken toy.
"What should I do about this now?"
Milland put down his glass and looked outside the window.
"It must be over since they fell quiet."
"Yes. They must've come to a conclusion, even though it took longer than I expected."
The Sword Demon nodded and poured a drink into Milland's glass.
"Are you sure you aren't going to go outside to check? He must've lost, according to your guess."
"I believe we just need to wait here since they should be coming here."
He smiled faintly. He seemed to have noticed that Raon's presence was approaching them.
"Hmm…"
Rimmer narrowed his eyes while eating a small piece of pineapple.
"About your disciple, I think he's rather severely injured."
"It's fine. I honestly was hoping that Mustan would experience a thorough defeat."
The Sword Demon smoothed down his beard with an unruffled expression on his face.
"Ever since his childhood, my disciple has been in an environment where everyone had to pamper him. He should've finally learned his lesson now since he was defeated twice by Raon, who is weaker than himself."
"What if the defeat was painful?"
"I just told you that I was hoping he would be thoroughly defeated."
"No, that's not what I meant. What are you going to do if he's beaten up into a bad shape…?"
Rimmer was trying to ask what he was worried about, but a knocking sound could be heard.
"It's Raon. Can I enter?"
"You may enter."
Milland put down the side dish he was about to eat and responded.
Creak.
The worn door let out a scream as it opened up, and Raon entered while carrying the unconscious Mustan on his back.
"I ended up sparring with the swordsman Mustan due to a small argument, and he lost consciousness because I went a bit too hard on him. I'm sorry."
Raon glanced at Mustan on his back before he bowed.
"It's fine."
The Sword Demon smiled faintly and shook his head.
"It's normal for children to fight as they grow up. Don't worry about it."
"Hmm, but he fainted from getting beaten up too much…"
"Did you cut his limbs?"
"I didn't."
"In that case, it's fine. He's rather tanky both mentally and physically, and it's better to thoroughly beat him up when it comes down to it."
"But I went a bit too far…"
"I already told you it's fine. I'm actually thankful to you for fighting him to the best of your ability."
He casually drank his whiskey. He looked like he was really fine with it.
"You can return, since I'll take care of Mustan myself. You must still have lots of things to do."
"…Understood."
"Ah, wait."
The Sword Demon raised his sword when Raon was about to put Mustan down with a reluctant expression.
"May I ask why you ended up fighting?"
"He insulted my master."
"Me? He insulted me?"
Rimmer pointed at himself with round eyes.
"What did he say?"
"He called him an idiot."
"Haa…"
The Sword Demon sighed deeply and stood up.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault for bringing him up so badly."
He immediately lowered his head at Rimmer.
"Idiot, huh…"
Rimmer frowned and put down his dish containing a grilled duck.
"Calling me an idiot…isn't actually wrong. He managed to notice that at a glance, that's amazing!"
He nonchalantly started eating the grilled duck, saying that Mustan was extremely sharp-sighted.
"Squad leader…"
Raon stared at Rimmer. His face blatantly looked like he was looking at something pathetic.
"Haa, you are nice for saying that, but I still feel bad about it. I'm really sorry."
The Sword Demon's expression remained serious despite Rimmer's joke, and he apologized politely.
"And Raon, you should've beaten him up to the point where he couldn't even stand up."
"Hmm, I beat him a lot though…"
"Instead of just making him faint, you should've crushed his mouth so he wouldn't be able to run his mouth anymore."
"I crushed it…"
"I'll make sure to educate him so he won't be able to run his mouth anymore after he wakes up. Trust me."
He shook his hand, telling him he did a good job and that he could leave.
"Understood."
Raon put Mustan down and bowed at the three men before leaving the room.
"Haa…"
The Sword Demon sighed and went to Mustan.
"Hey, pathetic punk. Consider yourself lucky… Huh?"
His jaw dropped upon seeing Mustan, who was lying down like seaweed covering a rock.
'He got beaten up a lot. Actually, a bit too much.'
Despite his expectations, Mustan looked as broken as a house abandoned for over ten years.
His limbs were still attached, but not a single spot remained intact from his head to his toes.
'Is it even possible for a human being to be beaten up to this point?'
Killing him would've been easier. He was surprised at how perfectly he was beaten up.
The Sword Demon had told Raon to beat him up more, but Mustan really would've died or become handicapped if he got beaten up even further.
"Huh…"
"I told you."
The Sword Demon averted his gaze in bewilderment, and Rimmer sighed deeply.
"Raon really is a mad dog."
'He even beats his master up if he gets angry!'
* * *
Raon left the castellan's mansion and went to the Branch of Frost. The pub was already noisy inside because the Light Wind squad had arrived before him after watching the spar.
"I missed this taste. This pub is the best at making stews and set menus."
Dorian smiled happily while tasting the meat stew made by the manager.
"It is indeed delicious."
"I can understand why you bragged about it so much."
"It's not just the pizza. The food is just delicious here."
"I can understand why Yua is so good at cooking."
The Light Wind members smiled happily while tasting the various food items prepared on the table.
What are you waiting for?!
Wrath pointed at the table while sticking his tongue out like a puppy.
Sit down already and start eating! You are fully aware that the King of Essence loves the food from this store!
He pounded on Raon's shoulder, scolding him for trying to look impressive instead of eating the prepared dishes.
'I didn't come here to eat though.'
You should still eat even if you didn't! Please just eat already! You need to gain some weight because you are too skinny!
'I'm not exactly skinny. You are just too fat.'
Raon grabbed Wrath's jiggly belly as he spoke.
"Huh? You are here!"
Yua walked out from the kitchen while Raon was stretching Wrath's belly fat like cheese.
The way her twin tails fluttered into the air with a bandana on her head reminded him of their first encounter.
"Benefactor!"
Even the manager came out upon hearing Yua's voice. He lowered his head while shaking the flour from his hands.
"Please take a seat. I've prepared the pineapple pizza and pineapple cookies that you liked during your stay."
He told him to wait a moment since he'd increased their quality even further and returned to the kitchen.
"Grandpa said that he made a new recipe of pineapple pizza and pineapple cookie for the young master Raon."
"Pineapple pizza and pineapple cookie…"
"You like them, don't you?"
Yua smiled, saying that he was getting special treatment.
"Please sit down and wait, since they will be here soon enough."
She pointed at the seat next to Dorian, who was busy drinking his stew.
"Pineapple pizza? Do you like stuff like that?"
Martha furrowed her brow while biting her pizza full of meat.
"It should've been expected when he ate those mint chocolate ice creams. He has a terrible taste."
"Pineapple on a pizza? It's as bad as eating apples with peanut butter."
Burren also sneered while shaking his head.
"Their tastes suck."
Runaan pouted and defended Raon while everyone else laughed at him.
"Mint chocolates are delicious."
Of course, she was defending mint chocolate instead of the pineapple pizza.
"Haa…"
Raon sighed while looking at the cotton candy floating next to him.
'I'll be known as a strange eater because of you.'
It's their tongues that have a problem! Pineapple pizza is the best pizza of them all!
'It's not bad, but I prefer the simple cheese pizza.'
By the way, don't you think that peanut butter would be nice on an apple like Shitty Eyes mentioned?
'Please stop…'
He was still thinking about more food despite the situation. The cotton candy's appetite was truly limitless.
Anyway, sit down already! You can't ignore Pineapple Girl and the manager's gratitude!
Wrath tapped on Raon's back with his round hand. He managed to get a perfect excuse to eat.
"Haa…"
Raon sighed and sat at the table.
Yua brought out a large pizza. Raon could guess he really had prepared in advance from how fast it was ready.
"Here you go! It should be delicious since Grandpa was confident about it."
His mouth watered upon seeing the steamy pizza. The toppings had become even more diverse than before, and he could tell at a glance that it would be delicious.
H-hurry up! Put it in your mouth already! Quick!
Saliva was gushing from Wrath's mouth like a broken dam.
Raon shook his head and picked up one pizza slice. The cheese was extending like a rubber band, and he put it in his mouth.
The sweetness of the baked pineapple, the saltiness of the pork and beef, and the nutty flavor of shrimp created harmony, and his mouth was brimming with delight with every bite.
Wow!
Wrath exclaimed and tapped the table with his small fist.
The mixture between the countless toppings and baked pineapple is amazing!
He smiled happily, saying that he would've died already if it weren't for that moment of joy.
'He's still so bad at describing the taste.'
The pineapple pizza was far more delicious than before, but Wrath's description was still so bad that it almost sounded cruel for the food.
"Dorian."
Raon finished eating the pizza slice he'd picked up and called for Dorian, who was eating desserts next to him.
"Do you have a pillow and a blanket by any chance?"
"I do, of course."
"I want the finest ones instead of ordinary ones."
"I have all of them, from the lowest quality goods with rough texture to the best ones. They are necessities, after all."
Dorian smiled, saying that he even had all kinds of mattresses. Raon couldn't understand what was even considered not a necessity for him.
"Pick the best ones and put one of each in here. You can take my gold as payment."
Raon took out a subspace pocket and showed it to Dorian.
"I'm fine with giving them to you, but why do you suddenly need bedding? You sleep perfectly fine on the ground, vice squad leader."
"I'm not the one who is going to use them."
Raon licked his lips while looking at the shape of Stallin Mountain peak, which could barely be seen from afar.
"They are presents for a certain sleepyhead."
He needed presents for Sloth since he was planning to visit him.
"Hmm?"
Runaan was crunching on her cookie and briskly raised her head.
"For me?"
'No, not you…'