I'll Take Your Treasure
Raon and Dorian slipped out of the secret passage and climbed back up the hill overlooking the orphanage.
"I really thought I was going to die."
Dorian wiped the cold sweat running down his forehead and shook his head hard.
"I was so tense my head's all foggy."
His eyes had gone dull and unfocused—he'd clearly pushed himself too far protecting the children.
"Put some medicine on those wounds. If you don't treat them quickly, they'll scar."
Raon shrugged off the cloak he'd been wearing and gestured.
"Ah—right."
Dorian nodded and pulled a white medicine box from his Belly Pouch. He rummaged out disinfectant, wound salve, and internal-injury medicine in a clattering heap and set them on the ground.
"Vice-squad leader, you should apply some first."
"I didn't get hurt."
"Huh?"
Dorian's jaw dropped.
"Th-there was a Master in there, wasn't there?"
"I finished him quickly."
Raon tapped the longsword at his waist.
"He was a Low-rank Master, so it wasn't that hard."
"A-a Master is still a Master even if he's low-rank! You can take one down that easily?"
"Yeah."
"W-without even leaving a trace?"
"That's right."
Dorian's confusion wasn't unreasonable. Raon's current realm was Mid-rank Master. Even sitting close to the high-rank, you couldn't casually handle a low-rank.
But… I can.
His actual martial power had already surpassed the high-rank, and he knew Lisbon's movements besides. Catching the man hadn't been difficult at all.
"Hah…"
Dorian let out a disbelieving puff of air.
"Every time I talk to you, vice-squad leader, it feels like common sense just shatters."
He shook his head and started applying medicine to his wounds.
"Hmph!"
Wrath snorted, thoroughly displeased.
"If it had been This King, I would have killed that wretch with a finger. No—with my tongue! Don't you dare act so smug after merely cutting him down with a sword!"
He didn't like that Dorian—whom he considered a subordinate—had been impressed, and so he launched into his usual nonsense. Raon was reminded, not for the first time, that for a Demon King, Wrath's heart was narrower than a sardine's.
"It's just ordinary. Nothing special."
It wasn't entirely wrong, so Raon nodded.
"If that's ordinary, then I should just die."
Dorian put on a tearful face as he closed the medicine lid.
"I told you before. Everyone's good at different things."
Raon chuckled, buried the blood-soaked cloak in the dirt, then incinerated it in a single burst so that not even smoke would rise. Too much blood had soaked it—destroying it outright was better than trying to erase the stains.
Once every trace of the burned cloak was gone, he drew two booklets from his chest.
Unexpected spoils.
The two ledgers held the names of executives from Balkar, Owen, and Camelun who had done business with the orphanage.
There still wasn't enough evidence to drag Derus into the open, but they would be a great help later, when the time came to strip the man's true face bare.
And… this is the real prize.
Raon took a blue orb from his pocket. A staff was engraved within the sphere.
To think he'd hidden this relic there.
The orb was one of the ancient artifacts—an item that amplified the power of water-attribute mana simply by being carried. It was only low-grade, but he could clearly feel Glacia's energy growing stronger.
Same as always.
Derus Robert had been so obsessed with hunting these relics that he'd even formed a dedicated search party to find them.
It had only been left here because it was low-grade. Anything high-grade or above, Derus managed personally.
I'll put it to good use.
Raon tucked the orb away, sending a sneer toward the dead Lisbon.
When every last trace on the hill had been cleaned up, knights and children began to emerge from the orphanage entrance.
"Vice-squad leader!"
Dorian, his wounds treated, bit his lip as he looked down.
"Yeah."
Raon nodded and studied the children's faces. Fyne was at the very front, anxiety in her eyes—and a faint thread of hope besides.
"Look! The kids are holding my snacks!"
Dorian pointed at the cookies and candy clutched in the children's arms, beaming. Those were his favorite treats, yet even after giving them all away he looked thoroughly delighted.
"You did well."
Raon patted Dorian's shoulder. Strictly speaking, none of this had been Dorian's affair, and still the boy had thrown everything he had into helping. Raon was grateful for that.
Here he comes.
The last person out of the orphanage was Borini Kitten, and his expression was complicated in more ways than one.
I'm sorry. And I have a favor to ask.
Honestly, Raon hadn't wanted to pull Borini Kitten into this. But of everyone here, he was the only one Raon could trust with the children.
"They can be treated, right?"
Dorian let out a small sigh as he watched the children walk with small, careful steps. His voice was wet—he seemed to be crying.
"Of course they can!"
Wrath sniffled and nodded.
"If they can't, This King will resolve it one way or another! Don't you worry!"
They were the two most tender-hearted souls in the vicinity, so of course they got along. Raon almost wanted to introduce them to each other.
"Yeah. I'll treat them no matter what."
Raon nodded, looking from Dorian to Wrath in turn.
"I promised I'd find their names."
He nodded again, watching the children's expressions brighten, just a little. The Combat Ritual—where they would have been forced to kill their only friend—had never been held, so the brainwashing was incomplete.
With Pedrick as he was now, those children could certainly be treated.
By now the signal should have reached Derus too.
Derus didn't trust even his own confidants. He would have planted a Rage Worm in Lisbon as well, which meant that by now the man would know of his death.
He'll come here himself. That's the kind of man he is.
True to his nature of trusting no one, Derus would come here in person to inspect every last trace.
That was exactly the window Raon was aiming for.
While you're wasting time here…
A flash of icy cold gleamed in Raon's eyes.
The territory of Duke Babirun, called one of the pillars of the Balkar Kingdom. In the banquet hall at the heart of that vast estate, a melody spilled forth—soft, yet crystalline and clear.
Derus was sharing a light round of drinks with Duke Babirun in that hall.
"To simply let the one who cut off your son's arm walk away—as expected, you're magnanimous."
Duke Babirun poured a wine called Lunatic, said to be as precious as platinum, and smiled.
"It wasn't intentional, after all."
Derus shook his head with a kindly-looking smile.
"That child's killing intent was certainly thick, but he's still young—we should be understanding. The bigger problem is my own son, who couldn't even receive the blow, wouldn't you say?"
He put Raon down with practiced subtlety while displaying his own generosity.
"That's what's impressive. If it were me, I would have cut off that Raon fellow's arm in return!"
Duke Babirun frowned, regretting he hadn't been there to see it.
"Watching a young brat already drunk on fame swinging his sword so recklessly—he won't last long."
"You should refrain from such words…"
"I'm saying this because I'm angry! The Blue Sword isn't some ordinary talent, and to savagely cut off his arm like that! That boy's rotten to the core!"
"Instead, this is how I get to enjoy a pleasant conversation with you, Duke."
Derus smiled faintly and patted Duke Babirun's shoulder.
"Haha, not at all. The honor is mine."
The duke bowed his head, twisting his lips slightly.
"We'll take responsibility for restoring the Blue Sword's shoulder to normal. With the restoration magic we've been researching, there will surely be improvement."
Babirun's mages were specialists in healing. If the duke said as much, it meant that given time, the injury could certainly be mended.
"You have my thanks."
"I only hope that Robert and Babirun will continue to enjoy a good relationship."
"Of course…"
Derus was nodding to Duke Babirun when he stopped.
The Rage Worm?
Just now, the mother insect of the Rage Worms nested in his head had trembled. Sensing it, the Rage Worm he'd planted in Lisbon seemed to have died.
In this era, there was no method of removing only the Rage Worm. If the worm had died, it meant something had happened to Lisbon, who managed the 9th Breeding Ground.
What is this, all of a sudden…
The 9th Breeding Ground was where they raised children who had not yet earned the qualifications of a Shadow. He couldn't believe an incident had occurred at a facility he operated with particular caution.
Derus clicked his tongue so quietly no one could hear, then sent a pulse of will toward Rezel, the butler standing behind him.
Derus: "Rezel."
Rezel: "Yes, my lord."
Derus: "Go confirm the status of the 9th Breeding Ground."
Rezel: "Yes."
Rezel replied via aura message without the slightest physical movement. He didn't question the sudden order. Quietly, he withdrew and left the banquet hall.
"Balkar and Robert. No—Babirun and Robert will be able to remain friends going forward."
Derus smiled as if nothing had happened and clinked glasses with Duke Babirun.
The glasses rang clear and bright. In his chest, a bizarre resonance stirred—darkness, seeping downward.
After the banquet, Derus headed for the annex the duke had provided as lodging. Rezel was already waiting at the entrance, having gathered the information.
"What happened?"
"Th-there's a problem."
Rezel's voice was uncharacteristically badly shaken.
"We couldn't get in contact with the 9th Breeding Ground."
"That can't be all."
Derus looked down at Rezel with cold eyes.
"Yes. I ordered a Shadow who was nearby to check the breeding ground, but…"
Rezel stopped speaking, breaking into a cold sweat.
"Knights of the Owen Kingdom came out of the breeding ground."
"Owen? Why would those bastards—"
"We haven't determined that far. Borini Kitten and the Silver Knights took the young dogs and headed for Owen."
"What is this…"
Derus Robert's lips trembled.
"Kabel and Lisbon!"
"Not a single Shadow survived at the orphanage. On the other hand, all the young dogs are said to be alive."
Rezel bowed his head as if apologetic.
Does this make any sense?
Not only had the 9th Breeding Ground's location been exposed, but Lisbon and Kabel were dead, and every last one of the young dogs had survived. By the common sense Derus knew, this was impossible.
Something's off.
Lisbon and Kabel could die. But they would never simply die. As they had been trained, they should have blown up the entire orphanage, erasing all evidence and the dogs with it—yet it seemed the bastard had died meaninglessly without even managing that.
"There are Shadows in the Owen royal castle too! Was there no report?"
"B-Borini Kitten only took his most trusted men among the Silver Knights. He didn't tell anyone where he was going, so there was no information at all…"
"……"
Derus said nothing.
"When was the attack?"
"Tonight, they said."
"Then the Combat Ritual wasn't held either?"
"Yes. Every dog that was there is alive."
Rezel bit his lip and lowered his eyes.
"Ha."
Derus let out a hollow laugh.
"Kwahahahahaha!"
He burst into a rarely vulgar roar of laughter, raking his hair back. After laughing for a long while, he seized the table.
The golden table of metal—and every trinket around it—turned to dust in an instant and scattered.
"Investigate. What happened. Who interfered. Every last detail."
Derus's expression hadn't changed much from when he'd been in the banquet hall, but his eyes had sunk dry, as if every drop of moisture had evaporated.
"If you can't find them, tell those pigs holed up in Owen and Camelun that I'll take every last one of their heads."
Raon headed south with Dorian and arrived at a city called Motrun.
The city sat like a crossroads—from here you could reach the Sepia Merchant Guild Headquarters in the southwest, or House Robert in the south.
"Now that we're here, I'm getting a little nervous."
Dorian sighed as he unpacked at the inn.
"M-maybe we should go back even now? I'm also wondering if the kids are doing well…"
"No."
Raon grabbed the shoulder of Dorian, who was trying to flee, and threw him down on the spot.
"Ugh…"
Dorian sprawled on the floor, sniffling.
"I'm telling you, there's really no one who'll welcome me there!"
Hearing him talk like that, it seemed he really had lived being scolded every single day, just as Raon had heard.
"I don't want to show them me getting yelled at at home either!"
"That's why we're going. To make sure that doesn't happen."
At Raon's low words, Dorian—who had been shaking his head—froze.
"Huh?"
"I can't just leave a member of the Light Wind Squad to be pushed around in his own family, can I?"
The biggest objective was destroying the Undersea Dungeon Derus was pouring his heart and soul into—but Raon had no intention of treating the visit to Dorian's family home as a mere formality. He planned to go to the Sepia Merchant Guild and thoroughly deal with the bastards who looked down on Dorian.
"Ah…"
Dorian's mouth fell open, as if he hadn't even considered that angle.
"B-but our guild is one of the Five Great Merchant Guilds…"
"Don't worry. I'm the vice-squad leader of Zieghart, one of the Six Kings."
Raon smiled faintly and tapped Dorian's shoulder.
"Th-that's true. And you've received the epithet White Sword Dragon too…"
Dorian swallowed dryly. The vice-squad leader of the currently most promising Light Wind Squad, plus the dragon title meaning the strongest among young martial artists. No one would be able to look down on Raon.
"You stay here and restock supplies. I'll be out for a few days."
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"Measures to make sure they can't touch the children."
Raon stood, a chilling light in his eyes.
"I-I can help too, if there's anything I can do!"
Dorian came after him, saying he wanted to save the children.
"No. I have to do this alone."
There was a high chance Matio—or an executive of similar rank—would be inside the Undersea Dungeon, so someone of Dorian's level would be detected the moment he entered.
This job was unpredictable. Taking Dorian along would be tantamount to suicide for both of them.
"Uh, okay…"
Dorian's head drooped in disappointment.
"That said, it's not like there's nothing you can help with."
"W-what is it?"
"Do you have a Subspace Pouch?"
"Of course!"
He nodded promptly and took a Subspace Pouch out of his Belly Pouch.
"But this one can't hold much. The compression ratio is only ten times."
"Hmm…"
Raon looked from the Subspace Pouch to Dorian's Belly Pouch and smacked his lips.
That's how it normally is.
Subspace pouches varied in value based on their compression ratio. Even famous martial artists and wealthy people used pouches with limits—yet Dorian's Belly Pouch had no such limitations at all.
Remembering that such a treasure had gone to Dorian for the absurd reason that they hadn't explained it to him, it seemed the guild master didn't necessarily hate the boy.
"You stay here and pick out a gift to give the guild master."
"We're a general store, so there's nothing we don't have…"
"Enough. Just pick something. No arguments."
Raon pressed Dorian's shoulder in a threatening manner.
"A-alright…"
Dorian nodded, trembling.
"Then I'll be off."
Raon chuckled, opened the inn door to leave—then turned back.
"…Do you happen to have any parsley?"
Raon left Motrun immediately and ran at full power toward House Robert.
"Where are you going?"
Wrath tilted his head, finding it odd.
You'll know when we get there.
"Nngh, you and your endless secrets…"
He scrunched up the bridge of his nose, displeased.
"This King already knows you're not ordinary…"
How about salt-grilled shrimp for lunch today?
"S-salt-grilled shrimp…"
And I'll throw in sea lobster on top!
"Ooooh!"
Wrath instantly forgot the main point and smacked his lips.
Raon narrowed his eyes at him.
This kind of thing won't work for much longer.
Or maybe he'd already caught on.
But this matter couldn't just be let go. Even if Raon himself couldn't consume what was there, he had to stop more power from going to Derus—no matter what.
There isn't that much time.
He'd spent four days stopping by Camelun. Destroying the orphanage had bought him time, but to avoid suspicion even if the schedule came to light someday, he needed to destroy the Undersea Dungeon as fast as possible and arrive at the Sepia Merchant Guild.
Still, I feel good. I did everything I needed to there.
Having taken revenge on Lisbon and saved all the children left him feeling fulfilled, and imagining Derus exploding in rage while working his subordinates to the bone naturally brought a smile to his face.
It's a shame I can't see it in person.
He wanted to watch Derus's twisted expression firsthand, but it was unfortunate he couldn't. He even envied Rezel, who'd be stuck at the man's side.
Raon ran all day, anticipating Derus's crumpled face, then found a place to camp by a small lakeside.
"Hmm…"
He looked toward a thicket where there was nothing and let out a short breath.
"Merlin. You're there, aren't you?"
Right now all his senses picked up were a few wild animals, but Merlin would definitely be there.
"I'll grant your wish, so come out."
He had no intention of leaving Merlin holding a wish-ticket for long. He wanted to hear her request right now and be done with it.
I prepared thoroughly this time.
Merlin seemed to like possessing small animals, so he'd prepared grains, nuts, fruit, vegetables, insects, candy, and even cookies. Not just parsley—he'd brought celery too. He could handle whatever creature came out.
A heavy thud.
Merlin didn't appear right away. After about thirty seconds, accompanied by ponderous footsteps, a lion pushed through the thicket.
"You called?"
From the lion's muzzle flowed a thick voice—yet the tone itself was bright and fresh.
"Hah."
"……"
I don't have any lion food, though…