The Ghost Sword's Gaze

Raon stared at the newly appeared message, his eyes flying open as wide as the moon.

The effect of Sloth is getting stronger?

The trait called Sloth possessed an absurd ability — it raised his stats while he slept and even accelerated the recovery of his stamina and aura. He could scarcely believe this broken, overpowered trait was about to grow even further.

"Grrrk!"

Wrath, who clearly hadn't expected Sloth's power to be enhanced either, bit down hard on his lip.

"Sloth! This King should have killed that sleep-addled bastard ages ago! Sparing him was a mistake…"

Go play somewhere else.

Raon swatted Wrath off the table as the cotton-ball creature threw a tantrum, then checked the newly appeared message.

Raon slammed his palm down on the table before he even realized what he was doing.

"Mmh…"

At the sudden noise, Runaan slowly sat up. She gave a little nod in his direction, then lay back down on the bed and went right back to sleep.

What is with that girl…

Runaan was the most inscrutable person in the Light Wind Squad. No — in all of House Zieghart. He shook his head and was about to look at the message again when energy sprouted from the black ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flower bracelet Sloth had made for him and sank into his body.

This is…

He could feel the energy of Sloth that the Demon King had worn when he visited Habun Castle seeping into his soul. He could have blocked it, but unlike Wrath's Wrath, he sensed not even a shred of malice, so he let it be.

So this is the emotion of Sloth.

A languid feeling washed over him — the sensation of lying in bed on a weekend afternoon, warm sunlight pouring down, drifting toward a nap.

Not bad at all.

Unlike Wrath, this actually put his mind at ease. At this level, he could easily suppress it with the current caliber of his soul, without even needing to circulate the Ring of Fire.

And besides… receiving Sloth wouldn't mean having my body stolen.

Sloth wasn't attached to his soul the way Wrath was, so even if the emotion value of Sloth rose, there was no risk of his body being taken over. All he had to do was make proper use of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this ability.

At this rate, my growth speed should at least double.

Calculating the effects of Sloth, the stat growth was twice what it had been before, and the recovery speed of his aura and stamina was three times faster. In this state, even without cultivating, just sleeping should fully restore his aura within a few days.

"Damn it…"

After seeing Sloth's effects increase, Wrath's face turned even redder. He looked like a strawberry-flavored cotton candy.

"The moment This King has a physical body, This King is going to kill that sucker Sloth!"

Raon clicked his tongue as he watched Wrath tremble with rage.

You're the King of Suckers, you know.

A dry laugh escaped him at Wrath, who had been born with the most powerful sucker energy in existence, insulting someone else.

I should go visit him at least once, though.

"Wh-why would you go see that sleep-addled bastard!"

Wrath's lips trembled as if something about this made him uneasy.

"I obtained the emotion of Sloth. I should ask how to use it."

Raon licked his lips as he looked at the black flower bracelet.

Sleeping can't be all there is to it.

This was the emotion of a Demon King on Wrath's level, so there had to be other abilities besides the sleep effect. To use it properly, he ought to go find Sloth and ask.

"Th-there's no need to go."

Wrath shook his head as he looked at the black flower bracelet.

"That sleep-addled bastard's abilities are nothing special!"

He shook his slightly trembling head, insisting Raon wouldn't like it even if he went.

"It's fine. I need to stop by anyway, for Yua's sake."

He'd already been planning to visit Habun Castle so Yua could spend time with her grandfather after so long. He could kill two birds with one stone.

"Grrrk! That sucker Sloth!"

Realizing he couldn't stop this, Wrath went back to cursing Sloth.

"This King will never forgive him!"

"Do whatever you want."

Raon chuckled and swept back the hair covering his forehead.

That aside…

Now that he'd confirmed all his new abilities, the guest Wendy had mentioned a moment ago came to mind.

Ghost Sword Rektar…

He had a connection with the man, in a way. The first epithet he'd earned after his exploits at Habun Castle had been the Ghost Sword of Habun Castle, or the Little Ghost Sword, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say their fates were linked.

What kind of person is he?

He'd heard that the Ghost Sword, head of the Five Great Swordsmen, possessed martial power that reached the Continental Ten Heavens, but he'd never seen the man in person, so he had no idea how strong he truly was. He wanted to feel the swordsmanship of the man called the Ghost of the Sword for himself.

"Ghost Sword, Demon Ghost, whatever. Keep your promise."

Wrath rapped the table with his plump little hand, frowning.

"Promise? What promise?"

"Have you already forgotten? You agreed to eat everything This King wanted."

"Ah. That."

Raon nodded slowly and pulled a Nadin Bread from his subspace pouch.

"Then with this Nadin Bread…"

"Wh-what are you doing!"

The moment Wrath saw the Nadin Bread, his body convulsed as if he were having a seizure.

"Get that monstrous thing away this instant!"

He screamed as if he'd just seen a deadly weapon.

"Don't wanna."

"You filthy wretch! You made a promise and now you won't keep it!"

"There's something you're badly mistaken about regarding that promise…"

"What nonsense! This King remembers every single word you said, without omitting a syllable!"

"Then recite it."

"Very well!"

Wrath nodded and recited the terms of the deal they'd made before fighting the Arch Lich.

"You said, 'Not just after the war ends, but until we leave this place and return to the house, I'll eat everything I want,' and you even agreed to eat the new ice cream the ice cream girl mentioned!"

"Doesn't that wording seem a little off?"

"Hmph! This King won't fall for it! What scheme are you cooking up this time!"

He glared at Raon as fiercely as a wild beast.

"What could possibly be strange about a simple sentence like 'I'll eat everything I want'…"

Wait.

Wrath traced back over the words and froze. He'd finally noticed the oddity in the deal.

"Looks like you finally got it. That sentence doesn't specify who is doing the eating."

Raon curled his lips into a smile as he watched Wrath tremble. He'd said he would eat, yes — but Wrath's name was nowhere in that sentence.

"In other words, I just have to eat what I want. Like this Nadin Bread."

"Y-you used such a cheap trick!"

"You were the one who pulled a cheap stunt first."

The one who'd made a promise and then changed the terms of the deal at a critical moment had no right to talk. Raon had simply answered a dirty trick with a dirtier one. He felt not a shred of guilt.

"If you want to pick a fight with me, come back after eating bead ice cream for another hundred years."

"I-I'm sorry! This King was wrong!"

Wrath flopped onto his belly on the table and clasped his two little hands together.

"Please! Spare This King the Nadin Bread, if nothing else!"

He begged Raon not to eat the Nadin Bread, swearing he'd never make a bargain like that again.

"Yeah. No."

Raon lifted the Nadin Bread with a smile.

"Nadin Bread every single day until we go home."

Of course, he had no intention of actually doing that. Wrath had suffered too, so tomorrow he'd fill the creature's belly with whatever he wanted to eat. But for now, he needed to establish discipline — thoroughly.

"Noooooooo!"

Raon chewed the rubbery Nadin Bread to the sound of Wrath's screams.

Behave yourself from now on.

Raon opened his eyes to pouring sunlight. He felt a little languid, but his physical condition was incomparably better than yesterday.

So this is the true power of Sloth.

Thanks to the enhanced effects of Sloth, the recovery speed of his aura and stamina, as well as the stat growth, had improved dramatically. He could honestly say now that he grew stronger just by sleeping.

Wrath is still knocked out.

The rubbery taste of the Nadin Bread and the shock of the fraudulent deal must have been too much — Wrath was still unconscious, eyes rolled back.

"Hm?"

He was about to poke Wrath and get up when something caught on the blanket. He turned his head to find Runaan lying face-down on the bed in the exact same position as yesterday, fast asleep.

What?

Déjà vu? He'd thrown her into another room yesterday. Why she'd come all the way back here to sleep in such an uncomfortable position, he had no idea.

She really is a strange one.

Raon chuckled and got up, and the door opened as Dorian came in.

"Huh? Déjà vu?"

He tilted his head at the sight of Raon sitting up and Runaan sleeping with her arm draped over the bed.

"No, it isn't."

Raon waved a hand lightly.

"Is your body feeling any better now?"

"Yeah. Much better."

His stomach was full, and his aura, stamina, and mental energy had recovered considerably. The injuries were unavoidable, but his body felt light enough that he could fight right now if he had to.

"Then would you like to come with me? The squad leader said the guest is on his way back right now."

"The guest — you mean Lord Rektar?"

"Huh? You already know?"

Dorian muttered about how Raon knew when he hadn't even been listening and had just gone out.

"Lady Wendy told me."

Raon sat up and threw on an outer garment.

"Let's go. We received his help, so we should at least pay our respects."

He needed to thank the man for capturing the executives, but more than that, he wanted to feel for himself just how powerful a martial artist the Ghost Sword was.

He followed Dorian out of the recovery room toward the western gate, and people of House Arian began gathering around them.

"Our benefactor?"

"You've awakened!"

"Are you well?"

"Thank you so much for saving House Arian!"

"We will never forget this debt!"

The household members clasped their hands respectfully, bowed their heads, and called out their thanks for leading them to victory in the war.

"Thank you for disposing of the family's trash!"

"Thanks to Lord Raon's decisive action, we've steeled our own resolve as well!"

"We will follow House Zieghart and the Light Wind Squad for the rest of our lives!"

"You have our deepest gratitude!"

Word of last night's bloody execution must have spread as well — many people were shouting their thanks for dealing with Wigen and the executives.

Just as I expected.

Before the war, plenty of people had still longed for the fallen executives, but the moment those men abandoned the family and fled, their image had been completely destroyed. Among the many people gathered, not a single one could be seen looking for the former executives.

This will make things easier for Lady Wendy.

With the former family head and executives' reputations at rock bottom, Wendy, as the new family head, would earn these people's support even if she only did a decent job.

Raon accepted the people's greetings as he headed toward the western gate. Around the time the walls came into view, the gate opened, and the Light Wind Squad and the rangers began filing in.

"What? You're already up?"

Burren raised a hand, a glad smile spreading across his face.

"You collapse every time you fight. Shouldn't you still be lying down?"

Marta wore a smile that could have been worry or mockery — it was hard to tell.

"Vice-leader! Are you all right?"

"Didn't you get up too soon?"

"You should rest more. Why'd you come out?"

"I'm fine now."

Raon met the Light Wind Squad's eyes and waved a hand, telling them not to worry.

"Raon, you brat! You passed out, so I had to go all the way out there!"

Rimer approached with his body hanging limp like a zombie. He was the only one expressing annoyance rather than concern, and Raon let out a sigh.

"Come to think of it, why did the squad leader go out?"

"Marta grabbed me by the collar and dragged me. Said he might be a guest, but who knows what he might do."

He spread a sound-blocking barrier, then pointed behind him. Raon followed the gesture and lifted his gaze.

A white-haired old man in light white robes, as if he'd simply gone out for a stroll, walked toward them at a leisurely pace. He was tall, with a robust frame, and his eyes were as sharp as a freshly honed blade.

So that's the Ghost Sword…

Raon had expected him to radiate a keen energy befitting the chilling epithet of Ghost Sword, but he couldn't sense any energy from the man at all.

I can't even detect his presence itself…?

"It would be difficult to sense at your level."

Wrath looked the Ghost Sword up and down and nodded.

"Not bad. It's nice that this era has a decent number of reasonably strong humans."

That good?

To receive recognition from Wrath, who looked down on the entire world — the rumor that his sword reached the Continental Ten Heavens seemed to be true.

"Hrm."

The Ghost Sword seemed to have spotted them as well; he approached with his gaze locked on Raon.

There's something strange about him.

His appearance itself was as serene as a transcendent sage, yet his eyes were as chilling as blades driven into flesh. It felt as if a Taoist immortal and a malevolent spirit occupied the same body.

"I greet the Ghost Sword, Lord Rektar."

Raon approached the Ghost Sword first and bowed his head.

"I heard you captured the deserters who abandoned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the family and fled. Thank you for your assistance."

"It was nothing."

The Ghost Sword waved a hand. His voice was as cold as a wind blowing from the North Sea. At least the voice was as expected.

"I sensed a terrible aura of death and was heading this way when I ran into some bandit-like fellows, so I just had them show me the way."

He said he'd originally intended to kill them, but they'd claimed to be executives of House Arian, so he'd spared them and brought them along.

"Are you Raon Zieghart, the one they called the Little Ghost Sword?"

"Yes. That's correct."

The Ghost Sword hadn't used White Sword Dragon, but the epithet Raon had earned at Habun Castle. It seemed the man had known of him for some time.

"I've been curious since then. What kind of swordsman could have taken my epithet. I just finished examining the sword traces you left, and…"

He took another step closer as he spoke of the sword traces, then suddenly stopped.

"Hm?"

The Ghost Sword's fierce eyes trembled as if he'd seen something he shouldn't, and he stared only at Raon's face.

"Lord Rektar?"

Raon narrowed his eyes at the Ghost Sword, whose expression furrowed and then smoothed.

What's going on?

Raon had expected him to ask about swordsmanship, befitting the epithet Ghost of the Sword, but the man said nothing at all, simply staring blankly at his face.

"Ghost Sword?"

"Ah. Forgive me."

The Ghost Sword gave a slight shake of his head and took a step back.

"Well… we'll speak another time."

His lips worked as if there was something he wanted to say, then he shook his head and walked away.

"M-Master!"

A young man in white robes — apparently the Ghost Sword's disciple — called after him as Master and hurried to follow.

Raon tilted his head at the Ghost Sword, who suddenly seemed drained of energy.

What was that?

"He's probably hungry."

…

That evening.

Now that Raon, the most important person of all, had awakened, House Arian held the festival they'd postponed. Brilliant lights glittered across the entire castle, and smiles even more radiant than the lanterns bloomed on the lips of people who had been worn down to exhaustion.

Raon stood on the western wall, a faint smile on his face as he watched the people bursting into cheers and laughter.

This is what a family should be.

There was one thing he'd come to understand living in House Zieghart.

A family is a place that shares both joy and sorrow.

If a member of the family fell into danger, you had to save them no matter where you were, and if they were killed, you had to avenge them no matter who the culprit was. House Arian had never been that kind of family until now, but with Wendy as the new family head, she would become a great wall that could protect every member of the household.

And I have to do the same.

He still had no intention of becoming the head of House Zieghart, but the Light Wind Squad, at least, he would protect to the very end, no matter what happened.

"That is the natural mindset of one who stands above others."

Wrath nodded as he listened to the people's laughter.

"The Demon Realm has many houses and castles as well, but the only ones that last to the end are those where the monarch or family head shares life and death with the demons beneath them."

He sneered that humans couldn't even properly do what demons managed.

"Of course, there are some who don't."

"Who don't?"

"There are those who don't give a damn about their subordinates and trust only in their own power, yet still do quite well."

"Like Sloth?"

"That sucker is just a lazy bum. Besides him, among the other Demon Kings…"

Wait.

Wrath was about to name another Demon King when he stopped, looking down and sniffing.

"Th-that smell!"

"What smell?"

"The sweet fragrance of concentrated fruit juice melting in the heat!"

He stared at the center of the street where the festival was in full swing and raised a round little hand.

"There! They're selling blueberry pie over there!"

"Hrm…"

Raon licked his lips and fidgeted with the subspace pouch in his coat.

"I was going to make do with Nadin Bread for dinner tonight too."

"Please! Stop! Spare This King that, if nothing else!"

Wrath began begging him to please stop eating that rubber.

"Well…"

"Raon."

Just as he was about to tease Wrath a little more, Runaan waved from below.

"Lots of ice cream."

She lifted a bowl filled with several kinds of ice cream and stamped her feet.

"What are you doing up there putting on airs?"

Marta wrinkled her nose, asking why he was being so dreary up there.

"You really can't read a room, can you."

Burren chuckled, a beer mug in his hand.

"I set up a spot here too!"

Dorian pulled a large table and chairs from his belly pouch and gestured.

"S-see? They're saying so."

Wrath smiled awkwardly and jerked his chin toward the ground below. Raon looked at Wrath's eyes, which were flopping about like a fish, and smiled faintly.

He should have learned his lesson by now.

He'd administered a thorough education with the whip of Nadin Bread, so it should be fine to give him the carrot of delicious food now.

Just as he was about to descend from the wall, something suddenly rose from the swamp where the mud had welled up again. A shell as hard as a crustacean's, and a long snout. A swamp crocodile.

A crocodile… wait?

Raon's mouth fell open. The crocodile was looking at him, waving its stubby front legs, a bizarre smile stretched across its face.

"Th-the madwomannnn!"