Ayad turned his eyes towards Raon, his lips trembling violently.
'What the hell is wrong with him?'
Even though Raon was inside the audience chamber, he'd never expected him to interfere during his report.
Just think about it. It was only a few days ago that he showed his monstrous spirit and pressure, preaching to him about rethinking how he treated his subordinates. No one could've imagined that he would be tattling, telling the head of house every single detail.
'Did you revert to being a baby or what?!'
He used to be even calmer and more composed than an old warrior who'd spent his entire life on the battlefield, yet he suddenly returned to a five-year-old child telling his mama about how his brother took away his snack. Ayad was still dumbfounded by his behavior.
'Damn it… I could've given a better excuse if he interfered after the report.'
If Raon's interference had come after he'd finished his report, he could've come up with something to escape the situation. However, the tattling happened in the middle of his report, which made him panic, unable to think straight.
All the foundations he'd been building were destroyed in an instant.
'No, the stranger ones…are those two.'
Ayad secretly looked above the platform. He clenched his back teeth upon seeing Glenn and Sheryl's frightening eyes.
'Why didn't they stop him?'
Interrupting a report to Glenn, who was pretty much Zieghart's king, was far worse than being rude.
Even the direct lines would've been punished for it, yet Glenn and Sheryl didn't even try to stop Raon—instead, they closed their mouths to encourage him to continue.
Ayad couldn't understand it no matter how he thought about it. He'd never seen it happen before.
"Ayad."
Glenn's voice was so frightening that a chill ran down his spine.
"Yes."
Ayad quickly nodded while feeling goosebumps appear on his skin.
"How much of that is true?"
"A-about that…"
Everything was true, but he couldn't say that.
"There seems to be a small misunderstanding."
He wanted to say that everything was a lie, but there were too many witnesses because Raon had made a hole in his aura barrier to spread his voice back then.
A sloppy lie was going to endanger him even further.
"The tree I was hiding in was the biggest one in the area. The location wasn't great, but it was the best place to take the enemies by surprise if more of them appeared…"
"I knew it was strange."
Sheryl cut Ayad off and tilted her chin.
"Even though the White Lotus division has been consistently completing their missions, there have been far too many casualties. Moreover, the injured swordsmen died during their next mission pretty much every single time."
She twisted her lips and glared at Ayad.
"You made that happen, didn't you? You killed the weaker swordsmen during battle so that you could recruit more talented and useful ones instead."
"Not at all!"
Ayad adamantly shook his head.
"All we've done is work tirelessly for the sake of Zieghart. This incident is just a small misunderstanding due to a disagreement with the Light Wind vice division leader."
Ayad slammed his head on the ground and shouted that it was definitely not the case.
"Please believe me!"
Unlike what had happened during the mission, Sheryl didn't have any proof for what she'd said. He had to keep insisting until the end without yielding to the mood.
'I must not admit it.'
* * *
Raon sneered while looking at Ayad, who was pleading for them to believe him while slamming his head on the ground.
'He's such a great actor.'
A single mission was enough for him to tell that Ayad was using the house's swordsmen as his foothold to reach a higher position.
Everyone was likely divided into two categories in his eyes. Those who were useful, and those who weren't.
'There are people like that everywhere.'
It just made him angry because Ayad reminded him of Derus Robert.
'I can't leave him like that.'
Raon raised his finger slightly and pointed at the White Lotus swordsmen who were kneeling behind Ayad.
"Hmm…"
Sheryl nodded slightly. She seemed to have understood the meaning behind his gesture.
"I'll ask the White Lotus division."
She continued while looking behind Ayad.
"What do you think? Have you ever thought that the White Lotus division leader considers you disposable?"
"Not at all!"
"That never happened."
"Our division leader would never do that."
The White Lotus division's team leaders and vice team leaders, the ones that Ayad had been raising, shook their heads while completely denying the claim.
However, the normal members behind them were hesitant, unable to respond right away.
"You over there, all the way at the back."
Sheryl found it strange and pointed her finger at a swordsman all the way at the back.
"Tell me. Have you ever seen Ayad pushing swordsmen to their deaths?"
"..."
The White Lotus swordsmen remained silent for a long time, then finally made up their minds and raised their heads.
"Yes. O-our division leader previously told us to leave my severely injured colleague behind, even though we could have a-afforded to save him."
"My junior and I were directly hit by a spell and were severely injured at one point. I was lucky enough to survive, but he was left alone and…"
"Something similar happened to me last year…"
Once they started to talk, proof of Ayad's corruption kept spilling out like water from a broken dam.
Raon clenched his fist while looking at the swordsmen, who were letting out their pent-up anger.
'Destroying the dam was effective.'
He had created a hole in Ayad's aura barrier to spread the sound when he was revealing his intentions, and that must've had a huge influence on them.
The swordsmen whose eyes were wavering back then from the shock were telling tales of what had been happening to them.
"Ah…"
Ayad's chin was trembling. It looked like his subordinates reporting his wrongdoings was completely unexpected to him.
"Th-that isn't true! I must've fallen into a trap…"
"Shut up."
Sheryl frowned, her hand on her scabbard.
"You are irredeemable trash."
Her twitching fingers suggested that she wanted to draw her sword right away.
"I-it's a misunderstanding!"
Ayad lowered his head while kneeling on the ground.
"It's impossible to save everyone during a mission…"
"Ayad."
When he shouted that it was definitely not true, Glenn's back parted from the throne, and his cold voice could be heard.
"Ah, yes!"
Ayad bit his lip, his fingers trembling, because he was called by his name instead of his title.
"The swordsmen of this house aren't stairs for you to step on and climb."
Glenn's voice was as dry as a desert. It felt like the entire audience chamber was frozen despite how huge it was.
"Kuh…"
Ayad's eyes became bloodshot, and he clenched his neck because of Glenn's overwhelming pressure.
Tap. Tap.
Glenn tapped on the throne while looking down on Ayad with frightening eyes that were devoid of all emotion.
"The White Lotus division's activities will be halted from now on. Heavenly Blade division leader, you shall investigate and report on everything that has happened in the White Lotus division. I'll decide on his punishment after that."
"Yes!"
Sheryl enthusiastically rolled up her sleeves and nodded.
"M-my lord! I only wanted to follow the frozen path that you walked! I just wanted to stand behind you…"
Ayad shamelessly kept shouting Glenn's name.
"..."
However, Glenn's lips pressed closed, and he closed his eyes instead of spreading his fiery pressure from a moment ago.
Raon rubbed his cheek while looking at Glenn, who had closed his eyes.
'Is he concerned about what happened in the past?'
According to Sylvia and Judiel, Glenn had once yielded to evil in his pursuit of power and didn't care about other's deaths.
He must've been thinking about that time.
'But why does it feel so unpleasant to me?'
It could've been because he'd never seen the cold-hearted Glenn of the past, or because he had been helped a lot recently.
He was irritated by Ayad's claim that he was only taking after Glenn.
"May I say something, since everything seems to be decided?"
Raon slowly raised his hand. Everyone inside the audience chamber looked at him.
"Since I was the reason behind this incident, I'd like to take responsibility and put an end to this."
"What?"
Sheryl shook her head, unable to understand what he meant.
"How are you planning to take responsibility for it?"
"Considering the fact that the White Lotus division leader has been contributing a lot so far, he won't lose the division leader's position even if he is punished."
Sheryl and Glenn didn't say anything, and their silence confirmed Raon's suspicion.
"If that happens, the swordsmen who confessed the White Lotus division leader's sins just now might end up facing unfair treatment."
Raon pointed at the White Lotus swordsmen who'd told them about Ayad's wrongdoings.
"That's why I'd like to request a sword duel against the White Lotus division leader and chase him away from the White Lotus division."
"Hmm…"
"Oh?"
Glenn's eyes widened, and Sheryl's jaw dropped.
Ayad wasn't going to lose his division leader's position even if Glenn and Sheryl punished him.
All he was going to get was a few years of suspension or something like probation.
Raon wasn't satisfied with that, and the other swordsmen could potentially be harmed as a result. That was why he wanted to drag him into the dirt.
'Because he is similar to Derus.'
Since Ayad was treating people like tools, just like Derus Robert, Raon wanted to finish him off.
'Moreover… He's a perfect opponent for my training.'
Ayad was at the highest level of Master. In fact, he had already reached the Grandmaster's wall.
Since he was a powerful warrior who only needed one step toward the level of Grandmaster, he was a perfect opponent for a duel.
"You will need to wager something yourself if you are going for a sword duel."
Sheryl told him that both participants in a sword duel were required to make conditions for each other.
"I'll wager the same thing. I'll withdraw from the vice division leader's position and leave the Light Wind division if I lose."
Raon nonchalantly nodded.
"Moreover, I'll hand over two golden tablets to make up for the punishment Ayad is going to get."
"Raon?"
Sheryl's eyes widened in surprise, but Glenn looked at Ayad instead.
"Ayad. What's your decision?"
"I-I accept!"
Ayad immediately nodded. He didn't even need to think about it.
"The sword duel will be held in a month since you need to recover from your injuries."
Glenn ordered them to postpone the sword duel even though the investigation would continue.
"It shall be done."
Sheryl smiled faintly while looking at Raon. It was a smile full of trust.
"Follow me, everyone."
She bobbed her hand towards the White Lotus division and left the audience chamber.
"Hmm…"
Ayad glared at Raon with murderous eyes that seemed to swear his revenge before he followed Sheryl and left.
'It went according to plan.'
He was a little embarrassed when he tattled to Glenn and Sheryl, but he was relieved that it went the way he'd imagined.
"Haa."
Raon sighed briefly and straightened his back. He was about to bow to Glenn before leaving the audience chamber when he heard his voice.
"Are you confident you can win against Ayad?"
Raon raised his gaze. Glenn was looking down at him with slightly distorted eyes. Raon couldn't read what kind of emotions he was expressing at all.
"Yes."
Raon quietly nodded while meeting Glenn's eyes.
"I've learned the sword from the strongest swordsman in the continent. There's no way I'm going to lose to a fake warrior like him."
"Ahem."
Glenn covered his mouth with his hand and cleared his throat as soon as he heard the response.
"I like your confidence at least."
He nodded stiffly. It almost looked like his cheeks were turning a faint red.
"And…"
Glenn averted his gaze and continued.
"Did you already investigate the ones you've captured?"
"I was going to do it after this."
"I see. I'll be waiting."
Glenn shook his hand, telling him to do whatever he wanted.
"I'll take my leave."
Raon bowed to Glenn politely before leaving the audience chamber.
Wham.
Glenn stared at the closed door for a while before looking at Roenn.
"Did you hear him?"
"What?"
"Raon called me the strongest swordsman in the continent. He said that he was never going to lose since I was the one who taught him! I'm so proud of his confidence!"
The corners of his lips ascended all the way to the ceiling as he continued.
"Martial arts weren't the only talent he had. He perfectly understands what other people are thinking, and how they act."
"Huhuhu."
"He has the talent of a leader. Rimmer… he is an idiot, but he is right."
"I agree with that."
Roenn smiled faintly and nodded. However, he decided to keep quiet about the fact that Glenn wasn't the only person who could be counted as the aforementioned strongest swordsman on the continent.
"But I'm worried that the young master Raon might lose against the White Lotus division leader. He is quite a bit stronger than him after all…"
"Don't worry about that part."
Glenn shook his head. An unusually excited smile appeared on his face, as if there were a reason behind his confidence.
"Rather than that, I don't think Raon will be able to properly interrogate them. What do you think?"
"Indeed."
Roenn firmly shook his head.
"An interrogation is different from training or battle, as he will need to be ruthless."
He licked his lips while looking at the location in front of the pillar where Raon had stood.
"Since the White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud are both fully determined, they won't easily open their mouths."
"I agree with you."
Glenn nodded, saying that it was what he'd thought.
"You should watch him and help him appropriately."
"Understood."
Raon went to the underground prison right after he left the lord's manor.
Since the swordsmen guarding the prison had already been notified, they opened the door for him and guided him to the solitary cell where the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and the White Wolf Saber were imprisoned.
Raon dragged the paralyzed bodies of the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud and the White Wolf Saber on the ground and brought them to the interrogation room.
"You must've been having a good life here, judging from your complexions."
Raon smiled faintly and unparalyzed their bodies.
Since they were incapable of using their auras, they simply furrowed their brows instead of attacking even though they could move their bodies.
"You won't get anything out of us."
"Yes. We don't know anything and we won't tell you anything!"
The White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud closed their lips tightly. They seemed to have decided to resist the interrogation.
"I see. In that case…"
Raon lightly smiled and paralyzed them once again.
"Don't tell me anything. I won't listen to you either."
He engulfed his fingers on both hands with the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's heat and Glacier's coldness, only to shove them into the White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud's mana circuits.
Crack!
With the sound of their bones and muscles twisting, they fell to the ground and started to struggle.
"Kuh…"
"Cough…"
Despite how confident they used to be a moment ago, their eyes rolled back from the intense pain.
'It still works so well.'
What he'd used was the torture method of the Shadows that he'd improved with his current means.
On top of the twisting pain of bones and muscles, it even caused the itchiness of thousands of ants devouring their flesh. It was a feeling that was impossible to withstand no matter how much willpower they had.
'Moreover, they are even feeling hot and cold at the same time, thanks to the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier.'
Feeling the pain, itchiness, heat, and coldness at the same time wasn't a torture that a human being could endure.
Raon really didn't ask anything of them. He started humming and took out the book on the Azure Sky Sword, starting to casually read.
The sounds of the groans of the two prisoners and the sound of turning the page were the only things that could be heard inside the interrogation room.
* * *
Raon spent his time reading the book of Azure Sky Sword from sunset until sunrise.
"I'm discovering new things every time I read it."
He could find a new path every time he read. It must've been because the Azure Sky Sword was a martial art of the highest degree among the books he'd read so far.
Raon figured that he would need to keep reading it in the future instead of burning it afterward like he'd done to the other books.
"Kuaah…"
"Sniff…"
Raon turned his head upon hearing the groans from his left. The White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud were trembling violently, their prisoner uniforms completely drenched in cold sweat.
"Huu…"
"Uah…"
Veins were protruding all over their faces and their eyes were quickly rolling around. They looked completely different from the day before, back when they'd confidently declared that they weren't going to talk.
'I knew they wouldn't be able to endure.'
They must've been used to pain since they were warriors, but it looked like they couldn't overcome the itchiness of their flesh being devoured.
'They became a bit softer now.'
Raon nodded while looking at the White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud, who were clearly dispirited.
'And this guy as well…'
Raon sighed and looked at his right shoulder.
Ugh…
Wrath was limp on his shoulder like ice cream that had melted under the sunlight.
He wants some ice cream. How long are you going to make him wait?!
'But you still didn't manage to decide on the flavors.'
Th-that's true, but it's going to work out once we are there! Let's just go already!
He was whining for him to go to the ice cream shop already, without minding those stupid swordsmen.
'It's going to be over soon.'
Raon closed the book on the Azure Sky Sword and went to the White Wolf Saber and the Sickle of Bloody Saber. He leaned forward to meet their eyes.
"Sniff…"
"Ah…"
Let alone the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud, even the White Wolf Saber's bloodshot eyes were trembling in pain. They looked like they were pleading for him to ask a question.
Raon started by releasing the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud's mouth.
"Kuah!"
He screamed loudly and raised his gaze.
"P-please ask me. I'll tell you anything…"
The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud lowered his head while politely asking him to ask the question.
"Why did the Thespian Emperor dispatch you to that lake?"
"We were ordered to find out the state of the Black Tower's demonized humans when they emerged to the frozen lake. We were also asked to find out how many of the hostages survived, and how much demonic energy there was…"
He hesitated for an instant before telling him about the Thespian Emperor's orders.
"How did the Thespian Emperor find out that the Black Tower's demonized humans and the Warring Steel division were in that lake?"
"I-I don't know. We were just carrying out the mission we were given…"
"Is the Thespian Emperor related to the Black Tower?"
"I-I don't know about that either."
The Sickle of the Bloody Cloud shook his head, saying that he was only getting orders from the Thespian Emperor. Raon could tell from his eyes that he wasn't lying.
"I see."
Raon figured that he didn't know that much because his position was too low.
Raon briefly licked his lips and released the White Wolf Saber's restraints.
"Huff…"
The White Wolf Saber's chin trembled as he drooled like a person who'd returned from death's door.
"Why did you come to the lake?"
"O-our great leader told me to go there since there might be a problem."
"And that great leader is the Thespian Emperor, right?"
"Y-yes."
He said that the Thespian Emperor had ordered him to bring the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud back since an anomaly might occur.
"And how did the Thespian Emperor know that a problem was going to occur?"
"Our great leader can read the heavens. There's nothing in the world that she doesn't know…"
He was still calling her their great leader. The White Wolf Saber still seemed to respect the Thespian Emperor despite the situation.
'Is she really capable of reading heaven's flow?'
He couldn't believe that a human being was capable of reading heaven's flow, but she certainly seemed to have some kind of special ability, judging from the situation.
"Then what's the relation between the Thespian Emperor and the Black Tower?"
"…There's none."
Unlike the Sickle of the Bloody Cloud, the White Wolf Saber confirmed that she wasn't related to the Black Tower at all.
However, he was definitely hiding something, considering the way he spoke.
"What about the other Five Demons?"
Raon met the White Wolf Saber's eyes. His eyes were trembling faintly.
"…It's the same. There's none."
The White Wolf Saber closed his lips tightly for a moment before he shook his head.
"You still didn't learn your lesson."
Raon snickered and raised his finger. The slowly rising heat and coldness were what had locked them in hell.
"It will last for two days this time. I'll be back in two days."
"W-wait!"
Just as Raon was about to resume the torture, the White Wolf Saber violently shook his head.
"I-I don't know if she's related, but I've seen something before."
"Tell me about it."
"I-I saw her with a person wearing a helmet."
"Helmet? What helmet?"
The White Wolf Saber bit his lip and raised his bloodshot eyes.
"A dragon. It was a dragon-shaped helmet."