Chapter 783
“This is obviously the Five Demons!”
A stern-looking, one-armed old man slammed the table as he shouted.
“The Five Kings don’t even treat us like people! The Five Demons are pushing the Five Kings out of the continent, so choosing the Five Demons is the right choice now!”
He lowered his thick white eyebrows, asserting that the Five Demons were the answer for the rise of the Five Divine Order.
“The Five Demons are not just repulsive; they are evil beings.”
A blonde woman with sharp eyes calmly shook her head.
“Trusting those who are completely different in the front and back is the same as suicide. They will undoubtedly discard us after using our strength.”
She closed her eyes, declaring that the Five Demons could not be trusted.
“I don’t care which side it is, as long as I get to fight to my heart’s content.”
A middle-aged man with blue hair, dressed freely, stroked the spear resting on the table as he smacked his lips.
“I’ve been feeling really pent up lately.”
Muttering about his frustrating life, he grabbed a bottle of alcohol and drank straight from it.
“That’s exactly why battle maniacs are a problem. They don’t think.”
The one-armed old man clicked his tongue and turned his gaze to the center of the table.
“Thespian Emperor, what do you think?”
He nodded towards a silhouette shrouded in darkness.
“All three of your opinions are valid.”
With a beauty so radiant it seemed to dim the sunlight, Thespian Emperor Ariel leaned forward with a smile.
“We cannot remain idle like this. We must choose one of the two factions. However…”
She raised a finger while glancing at the other leaders of Five Divine Order.
“Let’s delay our decision for now.”
“There’s not much time left, is there?”
The blonde woman, Brigitte the Dark Sword Queen, narrowed her eyes.
“Right now, the Five Kings and the Five Demons are competing in an auction to win the power of Five Divine Order.”
Thespian Emperor Ariel met the gazes of Kern the Spectral Spear, Brigitte the Dark Sword Queen, and Drek the Demon Sword.
“An auction continues until the final bid is made.”
She smirked as she looked at the map of the continent divided between the Five Kings and the Five Demons.
“It’s not too late to move after we see which side offers the greater reward.”
* * *
“Hoo…”
As soon as Raon heard Helen’s words, he rushed to Federick’s mansion.
However, instead of entering immediately, he stood at the entrance, catching his breath.
– “What are you doing, not going in!”
Wrath flailed his hands, murmuring about wanting to see their mother.
‘I’m just a little nervous.’
Seeing Sylvia was one thing, but he didn’t know what to say to Rector and Edgar. His mouth and mind felt frozen.
– “Family solves everything just by meeting!”
Wrath urged him forward, pushing his back.
‘Ah, fine.’
Raon nodded absentmindedly and stepped into Federick’s mansion.
“You’re here.”
Federick smiled, gesturing toward the room where three people were waiting.
“Thank you.”
Raon bowed his head before stepping into Sylvia’s room.
Despite his nervousness, the scene inside was completely unexpected.
“You idiot!”
Sylvia, frowning, stomped on Edgar’s back.
“You planned to die alone? You should have thought about surviving together somehow!”
“A-ah, well, that’s…”
“What were we supposed to do if you died alone? How were we supposed to live after losing you again?”
Ignoring Edgar’s excuses, she rained kicks down on him like a storm.
“It-it couldn’t be helped! I couldn’t think of anything else except saving you and Father! You also threw yourself in danger to save me and Sia! It’s the same thing!”
Edgar shook his head, saying he had no regrets about choosing to save Rector and Sylvia.
“That’s not all! If you were alive, you should have contacted us somehow! Me, Raon, Father—anyone!”
Sylvia clenched her fist, glaring at Edgar.
“T-that was impossible! My body wouldn’t move, and I was surrounded by monsters—I couldn’t do anything! Even now, I’m still fighting off that damn Death Knight’s soul!”
Edgar shook his head furiously, explaining his circumstances.
“Edgar. Shut up. She’s right.”
Rector frowned, siding with Sylvia instead of Edgar.
“You heard Father. This is all your fault. All of it…”
Sylvia collapsed, unable to throw another punch, tears streaming down her face.
It wasn’t that she wanted to blame Edgar—she was overwhelmed by the fear of losing her family again.
“I’m sorry…”
Edgar, understanding her feelings, repeated his apology as he embraced Sylvia.
– “Mother! Don’t worry! From now on, this King will protect you!”
Wrath floated over and landed on Sylvia’s head.
“Heh.”
Raon couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Sylvia’s disheveled hair made Wrath look like a baby bird nesting there.
“R-Raon!”
Rector finally noticed Raon and widened his eyes.
“Raon! Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Sylvia shoved Edgar aside and rushed over, checking his entire body.
“You didn’t do anything reckless for my sake, did you? If you did, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”
Edgar clasped his hands together, begging Raon to tell him he hadn’t done anything absurd.
“Raon. I heard you’ve done a lot.”
Rector sat up in bed.
“Tell me what happened while we were unconscious.”
He furrowed his white eyebrows, more worried about Raon than his own condition.
“A-ah! Sia! What about Sia? She’s alive, right?”
Sylvia clasped her hands together as if pleading for good news.
Raon looked at the three of them, who were all more concerned about him and Sia than themselves, and smiled softly.
‘So this is what family is.’
Rector, Sylvia, and Edgar cared more about their family than their own well-being, whether physically or in terms of power.
He felt once again what it truly meant to have a family.
“You have a lot of questions, so I’ll answer them all at once.”
Raon turned his back to the three anxious people watching him.
“Follow me.”
—
Raon entered the audience chamber with Sylvia, Edgar, and Rector.
“I was expecting you.”
Glenn rose from his throne as if he had foreseen their arrival.
“Father.”
“I-I greet you, Father-in-law….”
Sylvia and Edgar lowered themselves as if about to kneel before Glenn.
“The formalities are done. Follow me.”
Glenn exchanged a glance with Rector before descending underground first.
“Let’s go.”
Raon led the three down to the underground chamber where Sia was staying.
“Ah! Sia! Sia!”
The moment Sylvia saw Sia, she rushed to the bedside and embraced her tightly.
“I never thought I’d be able to hold Sia again with my own hands….”
Edgar clung to Sylvia’s side, holding Sia’s hand even though she had not yet awakened.
“This child is my granddaughter….”
Rector bit his lip, as if feeling the pain Sia had endured, silently watching over her.
“Hm? Wait! The violent energy that Sia had—it’s gone!”
Edgar trembled as he noticed the change in Sia.
“Did she… did she push out the Green King?”
His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he turned to Raon.
“It’s… it’s true.”
Sylvia swallowed dryly as she sensed the clear and stable energy within Sia.
“Raon, what exactly happened?”
She bit her lip, pleading for an explanation.
“This is going to be a long story.”
Raon asked them to sit and stood before them.
“Thanks to Rector’s efforts in stopping the explosion, we survived. However, the aftermath couldn’t be erased, and Mother was gravely injured. After that….”
He met their gazes one by one and began summarizing the events that had transpired.
“…and that’s how I was able to restore my sister’s soul. Though, to be honest, it wasn’t my doing—it was Murka’s.”
After explaining how Murka had saved Sia’s soul, Raon stepped back.
“A benefactor and a saint…”
Edgar let out a heavy sigh while still holding Sia’s hand.
“He left us with a debt that we could never repay, then departed just like that….”
Grinding his teeth, he regretted not being able to personally thank Murka.
“If only we had met a little sooner….”
Sylvia also sighed, lamenting the fact that she had never met Murka.
“Raon, I have one question.”
Rector, who had been quietly watching over Sia, finally spoke.
“The Fallen One wasn’t caught in the explosion. So how did you defeat him?”
His sharp eyes narrowed in suspicion, unable to comprehend The Fallen One’s disappearance.
– “Hmph….”
Wrath swallowed hard, sensing that his moment was about to come.
“I’ll explain that part now.”
Raon took a step back, ensuring Glenn, who had been waiting patiently, could also hear.
“When The Fallen One tried to kill us while we were defenseless, I borrowed strength from a friend.”
Raon rubbed his Ice Flower Bracelet as he smacked his lips.
“A friend?”
“What kind of friend could possibly defeat The Fallen One?”
Rector and Sylvia widened their eyes in disbelief.
“…….”
Edgar, on the other hand, seemed to have already guessed something and quietly shut his mouth.
– “Uh, this is a bit embarrassing….”
Wrath squirmed, feeling the attention shift toward him.
‘You don’t need to be embarrassed.’
Raon stroked Wrath’s head and shook his head.
‘Thanks to you, everyone here is alive.’
Many had helped in this battle, but Wrath had played the biggest role. Without him, everyone except Glenn would have been either captured or killed by The Fallen One. He was undoubtedly the hero of this victory.
“It was the Demon King.”
Raon steadied himself and revealed Wrath’s identity.
“T-the Demon King?”
“A Demon King?”
Sylvia and Rector’s eyes widened to the point of tearing.
“Yes. I borrowed power from a Demon King to fight The Fallen One.”
“B-but! If you borrowed power from a Demon King, doesn’t that mean you had to offer your soul?!”
Sylvia shrieked as she ran to Raon and embraced him tightly.
“No! I won’t let you go! Take mine instead!”
Despite only recently recovering, she wailed, saying she would rather die in his place.
“Hmm, so you didn’t offer your soul.”
Rector, noticing Raon’s composed demeanor, exhaled in relief.
“No. Instead of my soul….”
Raon glanced at Wrath, whose face was now red, and smirked.
“All I have to do is give him delicious food.”
“F-food?”
“Just food?”
“H-hold on… what?”
This time, not just Sylvia and Rector, but even Edgar and Glenn stared at him with gaping mouths.
“He especially loves the meals Mother cooks at the annex.”
Raon waved his hand, saying the Demon King only needed food.
“H-huh?”
Sylvia blinked, unable to process the situation.
“Wait a second! Then I was saved because of the Demon King’s power too?”
Edgar, finally understanding how he had survived, clutched his chest.
“Ah, that was from a different Demon King.”
“A-a second Demon King….”
Sylvia, overwhelmed, collapsed into a chair.
“My son… is friends with a Demon King. No, with two of them….”
“Khh!”
Meanwhile, Edgar clenched his fist and let out a thrilled gasp.
“Father! Did you hear that? My son is friends with a Demon King! No, with two of them! I’ve never even seen a Demon King in my life, and he’s made two of them his friends! This is history in the making!”
Laughing gleefully, he spread his arms wide in excitement.
“Ugh! You fool!”
Sylvia frowned and smacked Edgar’s back.
Even after being apart for over twenty years, the couple still felt as if they had always been together. The warmth between them naturally brought a smile to Raon’s face.
“Raon.”
Rector stepped forward and looked at Raon.
“Then, is your friend here right now?”
“Yes.”
Raon nodded calmly.
“He’s right beside me, watching over us.”
As he spoke, he lightly nudged Wrath with his shoulder.
“I see.”
Rector straightened his clothes before kneeling on his left knee before Wrath.
“In the name of Rector of the Holy Sword Alliance, I offer my gratitude to the Demon King.”
Despite knowing Wrath’s true identity, he bowed his head in thanks.
“Ah, that’s right. This should come first.”
Edgar slapped his cheek lightly before kneeling beside Rector.
“Demon King, thank you for saving my son and daughter.”
With a bright smile, he expressed his gratitude toward Wrath.
“If you ever want something to eat, just let me know anytime.”
Sylvia also bowed deeply, bending her knees.
“Thank you for protecting everyone… truly.”
Her eyes reddened as she expressed her appreciation for helping Raon.
“Thank you.”
Glenn stepped forward between the three of them and also knelt on one knee.
“In the name of Zieghart’s head, I want to personally thank you.”
With a composed voice, he bowed his head as well.
– “T-this King….”
Wrath trembled, clearly not expecting such a display.
– “I only did it because I could! And because it was a bother!”
His nose turned red as he quickly spun around.
‘Are you crying?’
– “C-crying? Nonsense! It’s just… the first time so many humans have thanked me after knowing who I am!” (T/N: Awwww. Our fluffy cotton candy is crying…)
Sniffling, Wrath insisted that he was simply caught off guard.
It was amusing how he had initially declared that receiving thanks was natural, yet now he was too flustered to accept it properly.
‘You deserve it.’
Raon smiled as he patted Wrath’s back.
“…And you too, Raon.”
Glenn stood up and gave Raon a warm smile.
“Huh? Me? Why…?”
“Even with the Demon King’s power, defeating The Fallen One wasn’t easy. You did well.”
He reached out and ruffled Raon’s hair—not as the cold head of the family, but as a father figure who simply wanted to protect his own.
“I feel the same way.”
Rector looked at Raon with kind eyes and grasped his hand.
“You must have been more exhausted than anyone, yet you fought to the end without giving up. Thank you.”
He smiled the same way he did when he first taught Raon how to wield a sword.
“It was nothing. No, it was my duty.”
Raon waved his hands and bowed his head to Glenn and Rector.
“…….”
Sylvia, watching Raon interact with his two grandfathers, could no longer hold back her tears.
“Hmm, but we can’t just express gratitude with words, can we? Raon and the Demon King—shouldn’t we do something for them?”
Edgar raised his hand, signaling to ask Wrath what he wanted.
– “What’s the point of asking!”
Wrath, wiping his runny nose, raised his chin.
– “Food! A mountain of food, so much that even I can’t finish it all! And bring an entire store’s worth of bead ice cream!”
He patted his round belly, declaring that the great feast should be filled with delicious dishes.
“He says he wants a party. One with lots of food.”
Raon nodded, summarizing Wrath’s words.
– “That’s not what I said! Say it properly!”
Wrath grabbed Raon’s hair, demanding a more accurate translation.
“Ah, so he’s a Demon King of Gluttony!” (T/N: WTF. HAHAHAHAH)
Edgar grinned in realization.
– “No, I’m not!”
Wrath shrieked at Edgar.
– “Don’t compare me to that filthy glutton! I am the Monarch of Wrath!”
Shaking his head furiously, he demanded to be addressed correctly.
‘Gluttony… Well, you’re not entirely wrong.’
Raon chuckled, watching Wrath flare up and Edgar teasing him.
– “Urgh, I’d freeze you all, but since I was thanked today, I’ll let it go—just this once….”
Wrath huffed, crinkling his nose as he begrudgingly held back his power.
Just then—
Whoooosh!
A silver frost bloomed in the air, instantly wrapping around Wrath.
