“Ha…”
Karoon exhaled in irritation as he left the audience chamber. He deeply furrowed his brow, and the ferocious look in his eyes became ice cold.
“You look like you’re about to kill someone.”
Balder came up next to Karoon and rolled his lips into a smile.
“Do you hate that Raon guy so much?”
“Hate? A trivial emotion like that isn’t important at all.”
Karoon twitched his lips without even looking at Balder.
“Have you ever seen our father compliment anyone like he did today before?”
“Hmm…”
Balder thought about it while stroking his chin, then he shook his head.“I haven’t. He isn’t exactly reluctant to praise people, but he’s never blatantly praised someone like that before.”
“Yes. Forget the children, not even we have ever been praised like that. Even when I became a palace master, he simply told me that I did a good job.”
Karoon raised his eyes slightly, thinking about what happened in the past.
“But our father has changed from back then, and what he achieved this time was inarguably a great feat. He’s destroyed a plan that those Eden bastards have worked on for dozens of years!”
Balder shook his hand, saying that they should compliment him if he did something good. It was a line befitting his simple personality.
“It must be nice to be you with your lack of worries. Do you remember what I told you before?”
“Hmm…”
He tilted his head. He looked like he couldn’t remember what Karoon had told him before.
“I said that our father seemed to be trying to make Raon Zieghart into his successor.”
“Ah!”
“Today’s matter confirmed it. Our father is planning to make Raon compete against us.”
Karoon was certain about it, unlike last time.
“But he’s still just a brat who just barely became an adult! How could he be our competitor?!”
“His age doesn’t matter. All that matters is if he can do it or not. Raon Zieghart has gained enough accomplishments and might.”
“But he’s still a Master…”
“His hand has already surpassed the wall. It wouldn’t be strange if he became a Grandmaster tomorrow.”
He looked at Balder for the first time and continued, “You will be the first to be defeated if you remain relieved like an idiot—just like your son was devoured by him.”
Karoon narrowed his eyes, mentioning how Raon had defeated Raden when he was a trainee.
“Are you comparing me to Raden?”
Balder frowned fiercely, remembering how Raden had become disabled.
“Moreover, he’s not even a member of the direct line yet!”
“It’s only a question of time. Our opposition is enough to stop it for now, but if he manages to achieve the feat of defeating the Axe King next year, there will be nothing we can do to stop it anymore.”
“The Axe King…”
“Fortunately, you have the authority this time. You should make sure to keep him in check in advance if you don’t want that donkey to catch up to your back,” Karoon declared before he walked towards the Central Martial Palace without even looking back.
“Haa…”
Balder placed his hands on his waist and sighed in irritation.
“You are always so great.”
He glared at Karoon, only for Denier to quietly approach him from behind.
“He’s been like that ever since our childhood. Why are you complaining about it now?”
Denier smiled, standing on Balder’s right side.
“Did you hear us? I created an aura barrier though.”
Balder furrowed his brow while looking at Denier.
“I overheard it a bit because I was curious about what you were talking about. I’m sure he knew about it.”
Dernier waved his hand towards Karoon, who was getting further away.
”In my opinion, I don’t think you need to pay so much attention to it.”
“What?”
“Like you said, I think our father was just complimenting him more than usual because Raon did something great this time.”
Denier crossed his arms while leaning back against a wall.
“Karoon has always paid so much attention to trivial matters. It would be understandable if it were Aries, but there’s no way Raon would become the successor. After all, he is our nephew.”
“Hmm…”
“Of course, everyone has dirt if you dig deep enough, but it would be strange for us to try to keep him in check.”
He left after telling him to investigate the Wise Martial Palace as much as he wanted, unlike Raon.
“Dirt, hmm…”
Balder licked his lips while watching Denier’s back. His casual words stimulated his sense of urgency towards Raon instead of Karoon’s warning.
“I should poke him a bit.”
* * *
Raon went to a small conference room inside the lord’s manor at Rokan Sullion’s request.
“Light Wind vice division leader.”
As soon as he opened the door and entered the conference room, Rokan bowed deeply.
“Thank you. All I can say is that I’m extremely grateful to you.”
“Sir?”
Raon rapidly blinked and grabbed Rokan’s shoulders.
He was expecting to be thanked, but he didn’t think he would bow as much as he did when he was facing Glenn.
“Thank you for saving Runaan.”
Rokan continued without raising his body and head from the bow.
“I’m fine with dying. No, I deserve to die. But I just wanted to save her no matter what, and you’ve achieved that, vice division leader. I’m really thankful to you.”
His trembling shoulders showed that he was relieved that Runaan had survived, rather than himself.
“The same goes for me.”
Clara came up next to Rokan and lowered her head to Raon.
“Thank you for saving our girl.”
“She is your daughter, but she is also my subordinate. You don’t need to thank me like this.”
Raon shook his head at Rokan and Clara.
“I knew it…”
Rokan raised his gaze and nodded.
“Runaan told us that you would say that, and she was right.”
He laughed bitterly and slapped his own cheek.
“I don’t even know what I’ve been seeing so far. I was completely blind.”
Rokan bit his lip tightly and went on one knee after making up his mind.
“Sir?”
“From today onward, we will serve the Light Wind’s vice division leader, House Sullion’s benefactor. We will follow your requests with everything we have, no matter what they are.”
He placed his hand on his chest to pledge to him like a Zieghart swordsman.
Raon’s lips trembled as he met Rokan’s serious eyes.
‘Is he serious?’
Following any request implied that he was going to obey his orders like they did as one of Zieghart’s vassal houses.
“Sir, it might sound strange coming from me, but you should think this through…”
“Clara, Runaan, and I were pretty much reborn yesterday. Since you were the one who granted us that new life, it’s only natural for us to do so.”
Rokan shook his head, saying that he wanted to do even more for him.
“Everyone left in Sullion came to that conclusion together. Please don’t feel pressured by it.”
Clara smiled while holding Rokan’s arm instead of stopping him.
Argh! This is so boring! Just ask them to give you some delicious food!
Wrath ground his teeth in jealousy and started to complain that he was hungry.
“I understand.”
Raon bowed back at Rokan and Clara.
“I’ll gratefully accept your will, or rather, the will of House Sullion.”
Since an excessive refusal would have been disrespectful, he accepted their expression of gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
Rokan and Clara finally raised their heads.
They collapsed into the chairs behind them, feeling exhausted.
They looked at least ten years older than before, probably because they had to bring up painful memories.
“I’ll be taking my leave now.”
He quietly closed the door and left since he figured that Rokan and Clara would need some time for themselves.
He was about to turn around in order to return to the annex building when he met the eyes of a person whose back was leaning against the wall.
“Runaan?”
Runaan’s back parted from the wall, and she walked up to him.
“The conversation inside…”
“I knew about it already, since Dad told me.”
She nodded, saying that she knew about it all along.
“Hmm…”
Raon awkwardly scratched his cheek and raised his gaze.
“How are the matters in your house? Is there anything I can do to help?”
Since it had only been a day since the incident, Runaan and her parents still must’ve been in a bad condition. He wanted to help them if he could.
“It’s fine.”
Runaan calmly shook her head.
“You already did everything you can do for us.”
Her eyes were as blank as always, but she looked like her personality had changed.
She was fully aware that it was her job, and that she shouldn’t entrust it to someone else.
“I see…”
Raon smiled faintly and took out a gray box from his subspace pocket. It was the ice cream he was forced to buy in the morning because Wrath started to rampage.
“What is this…?”
“The appointment for a group meal is still valid. Just be satisfied with this for now.”
“Mhm.”
Runaan nodded, giving an energetic answer coming from her.
“Alright then.”
Raon patted Runaan’s shoulder and left the lord’s manor.
Wow…
Wrath rubbed his red nose while looking back at Runaan.
You’ve grown up, Ice Cream Girl!
‘I thought you were crying because you were sad about the ice cream, but that wasn’t the case.’
Raon chuckled as he watched Wrath sniffle.
What impression do you even have of the King of Essence?! Do you seriously believe that he would be thinking about food in this situation?!
He shook his head, telling him to cut the crap.
‘That’s true. I’m sorry, I misspoke…’
By the way, you didn’t give her the mint chocolate, did you? That would be a bit sad…
‘......’
* * *
One week later.
“Haa…”
Burren sighed while placing the crumpled paperwork on the table.
“Is there even a point to this? I think they are going to start nitpicking no matter what.”
He furrowed his brow, saying that Balder was definitely going to be unreasonable about finding fault with them as the special inspector.
“We still need to do it.”
Raon shook his head while checking the documents that Burren brought to him.
“If he is just being unreasonable, then irritation is all we are going to get. However, if there really is a problem on our side, it’s going to be very annoying.”
“Even with an unreasonable fault, he will try to put the blame on us until the very end.”
Balder had obtained an omnipotent authority as the special inspector, and he was causing a huge mess in the entire house.
Even the slightest dissatisfaction led him to find fault in them all day long, and the armed organizations like the divisions and squads and the intelligence agencies like Shadow Agents were suffering every day.
‘It’s even more problematic because he is so diligent on top of being ignorant.’
Balder was the worst type of superior who worked hard despite being foolish. That was why the entire Zieghart was alarmed about him.
“Moreover, the True Martial Palace master hates you.”
“He probably does since I crippled his son.”
Raon put down the pen after he signed the document.
Balder had recently been quiet in the lord’s manor and sometimes even took his side, but it was because of his simple personality.
He surely hadn’t forgotten the resentment he held for Raon about his son.
“But if we talk about whose fault it was, Raden was the one who picked the fight with you.”
Burren furrowed his brow, saying that it was ridiculous when he thought about it.
“A little detail like that doesn’t matter to him.”
“That’s true.”
“Just keep working. We have to do everything because Martha and Runaan are missing.”
Raon exhaled heavily while looking at the paperwork piled up on the desk.
Hmm?
Wrath tilted his head while looking down at the dirty desk.
You haven’t been home for a while and got your days off as soon as you returned.
‘I did.’
Then why is there so much paperwork here?
‘Because the owner of this place doesn't do his job.’
Raon twisted his lips while pointing at the Light Wind division leader’s nameplate on the desk.
As expected of Shitty Ears…
Wrath shook his head, amazed at him from the bottom of his heart.
“Argh! He is so hateful!”
Burren slammed the desk. He also seemed to be having a fit of rage towards Rimmer.
“It’s even more irritating because he blatantly told us that he’s running away!”
He ground his teeth while thinking about how Rimmer declared the day before that he was running away. Dorian opened the door and entered.
“W-we are in big trouble! That guy—I mean, the special inspector is coming here!”
Dorian’s lips trembled, his forehead covered in bandages.
“Already?”
Raon widened his eyes. He didn’t expect him to be coming already because the sun had just started to rise. His diligence was the real deal, despite his other qualities.
“What should we do?! We haven't finished organizing them yet!”
“Just shove them somewhere and come out.”
Raon shook the dust off his hands and left the office.
“I-isn’t he coming too early?”
“I heard that the Heavy Steel squad was completely destroyed yesterday.”
“Heavy Steel squad? They have a lot of members of the direct lines among them.”
“We are gonna be even more screwed…”
The Light Wind swordsmen sighed deeply, worried about what was about to happen.
“......”
Mark Goetten was the only person who was standing peacefully.
Wham!
By the time Raon stood in front of the Light Wind division, the training ground’s door burst open with the violent sound of footsteps.
Balder could be seen behind the creaking door.
He was wearing a blackish-red uniform that seemed to be newly made for his position, and it looked like the part around his shoulders and legs was about to burst because it was too small for his body.
Letters indicating that he was the special inspector were sparkling brightly in gold on the armband around his left arm. He almost looked like a child eagerly showing off his position.
“Ahem!”
Balder stepped heavily up to the Light Wind division and raised his chin.
Since he was already big enough as it was, raising his chin made him look like an ogre.
Raon briefly licked his lips and stepped forward to bow at Balder.
“Greetings, special inspector.”
He emphasized the special inspector part on purpose, and Balder’s lips curved into a deep smile.
He seemed to be thinking that he’d won. He was even simpler than Raon had expected. He started to guess that the matter could be concluded without any issue.
“Where is the Light Wind division leader?”
Balder started to look for Rimmer while rolling his eyes like a bear.
“He’s in the middle of his personal training.”
He responded that Rimmer was doing his personal training because he couldn’t bring himself to tell him that he had no idea where he had run off to.
“Personal training?”
Balder narrowed his eyes.
“Is he training on his own when every other member is here? When he’s the division leader?”
“We usually have personal time from daybreak to noon, and he is allowed to do whatever he wants th—”
“Even if it’s personal time, a division leader should always be watching the division members!”
He raised his voice as if he had found something to nitpick about.
“Hmph!”
An old man with a beard looking like a goat started to write down something on the booklet he was holding. He definitely seemed to be giving some negative points.
“The division leader is acting on his own without the division members. How suspicious.”
“The division leader trains with us in the afternoon. Some of the other divisions don’t even do daybreak training…”
“That doesn’t matter! The issue right now is that the division leader is missing!”
Balder started to nitpick unreasonably right off the bat, just like the rumors.
“The daybreak training is just a simple warm-up. That’s why it’s fine even if the division leader is missing.”
“That doesn’t even matter! The issue right now is that you aren’t meeting my criteria!”
He examined the sand in the training ground while shaking his hand to express that he had no intention of arguing about it.
“Hmm? Why are there so many pebbles in the sand? Are you not maintaining it properly?”
“That dirt is the highest quality sand, imported from the south. There’s no way there would be many pebbles…”
“There’s one right here!”
Balder furrowed his brow while pointing at a small piece of stone that was pretty much a sand particle at that point.
“Haa…”
Raon sighed as he watched Balder yelling like he was breathing fire.
‘It’s just what we expected.’
Like Burren told him a moment ago, Balder was finding fault in them from the beginning. He seemed to be planning to make sure to pay back the humiliations of the past.
“I don’t understand why you are slacking so much on the training ground’s maintenance. The swordsmen can end up being injured! Are the division leader and the members all focused on something else?”
Balder frowned and examined the Light Wind swordsmen one after the other.
“Ugh…”
The swordsmen stepped back with trembling shoulders, intimidated by Balder’s pressure.
“You!”
Balder walked up to Dorian and glared at him because he was trembling the most.
“Why are you trembling? You are drenched in cold sweat when I haven't even done anything yet.”
“No, I-I just sweat a lot normally…”
Dorian swallowed nervously and responded.
“The guilty party is usually anxious about their own actions. I’m going to interrogate hi—”
“Special inspector.”
Raon stood in front of Dorian and shook his head.
“He was injured while protecting the head of House Sullion and his wife during the previous incident. He was just sweating because he hasn’t recovered from his wounds yet.”
“I-is that so?”
Probably because he thought highly of them for resolving that incident, he simply scratched his nose before he raised his chin.
“But that doesn’t mean that I can leave strange matters unattended! List him as a special interrogation target!”
He shook his head, saying that there were no exceptions.
‘This won’t be easy.’
Raon furrowed his brow. He was so difficult to deal with because he had the upper hand to begin with, and he was just ignoring reason to push his way through
He was just so simple, ignorant, and obnoxious.
‘I can understand how the Thespian Emperor felt.’
He started to admire her patience for putting up with his bullshit until the very end.
“Hmph!”
Balder walked past Dorian and went towards the combat dummies located at the outer part of the training ground.
“Why is that equipment so dirty? It’s covered in dust because it’s not maintained!”
He blabbered about it being dusty while touching the dummies with hands that were completely sandy from examining the ground earlier.
“How could you treat the sacred training ground so poorly?! You are definitely distracted. Who is in charge of this place?! Who the hell is treating the training ground like this?!”
Balder threw the dummies away and violently stomped on the ground.
‘I have no other choice.’
Raon clicked his tongue and was about to approach Balder when an old man as big as a mountain came running from behind Balder and smacked the back of his head.
Smack!
Balder didn’t even try to dodge because it was completely unexpected that someone would hit the back of his head. The shattering sound of a watermelon resounded throughout the training ground.
“Wh-what?!”
“He hit the back of his head…”
“What’s happening…?”
The entire training ground fell silent. On top of the Light Wind division, even the inspectors dropped their jaws.
“S-Sir Gambling Monster?”
Raon blinked, realizing that the Gambling Monster was the one who’d smashed Balder’s head. He couldn’t understand why he was suddenly acting like that.
“Who the hell was that?!”
Balder turned around, his intense bloodlust exploding around, and the Gambling Monster furrowed his brow while standing in front of him.
“It’s me, you bastard.”
“I-instructor. No, Sir Herrian!”
Everyone was expecting Balder to be enraged, but his eyes trembled in panic upon finding the Gambling Monster.
“Why are you here…?”
“I came out because you asked for the person in charge. What do you want?”
The Gambling Monster bobbed his hand, telling him to say it already.
“Hmm…”
Balder stepped back. He barely managed to open his mouth, his expression clearly revealing that he was uncomfortable around the Gambling Monster.
“I-I’m currently a special inspector right now. Please treat me accordingly.”
“Ah, I see. So you were a great inspector. I’ll have to rephrase.”
The Gambling Monster nodded to apologize for his rudeness, then smacked Blader’s forehead once again.
“It’s me, Sir, you bastard.”
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