Chapter 785
“Raon, don’t just stand there. Sit down.”
Glenn gestured to the seat beside him, his sharp gaze lifting.
If Raon didn’t sit down immediately, it looked like Glenn might bring down the Azure Sky Sword onto the dining table.
“Raon, your food is getting cold.”
Rektor tapped the empty seat to his right with a gentle smile.
However, his eyes carried a chilling intensity, as if he would draw his sword if Raon didn’t sit beside him.
“Ahaha…”
Raon let out an awkward laugh, his eyes darting back and forth.
‘Why are these two acting like this…?’
Glenn and Rektor had been treating each other like lifelong rivals, competing the moment they met.
He could understand it when it came to swordsmanship training, but now they were competing over who he should sit next to? He had no idea what to do.
‘No, I’ll think about the reasons later. Right now, the important thing is where I sit.’
It was true that his relationship with Glenn had improved after many conversations.
But Rektor had ascended to the rank of the Holy Sword Alliance Leader to protect him and had watched over him like a shadow. He couldn’t make a careless decision.
– “What are you doing! Just sit anywhere and pick up your fork! Cough!”
Wrath, completely oblivious to the situation, patted Raon’s back, urging him to eat. Since Wrath’s soul had grown stronger, the impact was quite painful.
‘Just stay still, please!’
Raon pushed Wrath away, biting the inside of his cheek.
‘I can’t decide. What should I do?’
He was starting to think that fighting The Fallen One again might be an easier decision.
‘Normally, I’d sit next to Rektor—no, my grandfather…’
From what he knew of Glenn, he was a broad-minded person who wouldn’t care about such trivial matters.
However, Glenn clearly saw Rektor as a competitor, so this time, it might not be the best choice.
‘Sitting next to my grandfather is also a problem.’
Rektor was still recovering from his injuries. He had barely woken up, and if Raon sat next to Glenn instead, it might cause him unnecessary stress.
“Ugh…”
While Raon was clutching his forehead and furrowing his brows, the sound of footsteps approaching from outside the dining hall echoed.
“I brought stew.”
The voice didn’t belong to Helen or any of the other maids, but it was unmistakably familiar.
“Huh?”
Raon quickly turned around.
Merlin, dressed neatly in a maid’s uniform, entered the dining hall carrying a bowl of stew. (T/N: Go girl!!! My ship is now sailing!!)
– “Hiiiiiik!”
Wrath shrieked and bolted away from Merlin.
– “T-That’s it! That lunatic was the reason I was feeling chills!”
He finally realized it and hid behind Raon.
“Merlin? Why are you here…?”
Raon blinked in confusion.
“I just helped out a little.”
Merlin explained that she had nothing else to do, so she had helped the maids prepare the meal. She carefully placed the stew on the table.
“I made it together with mother.”
She smiled, assuring them it would taste good, and then sat down in an empty seat.
“You looked like you were struggling to find a seat…”
Merlin slightly tilted her mask, revealing her red lips.
“Want to sit here?”
She smoothed out her maid’s skirt, patting her lap as if inviting Raon to sit there.
“Ahem!”
“Hmm…”
Glenn and Rektor, who had been glaring at Raon, quickly averted their gazes in embarrassment.
“Kyaa!”
Sylvia turned bright red, rapidly blinking in shock.
“Son! How in the world did you manage to captivate that crazy wom— I mean, Merlin?”
Edgar widened his eyes in disbelief.
“I have no idea…”
Raon let out a deep sigh, shaking his head.
“It was just a joke. Of course, you could sit here, but…”
Merlin smacked her lips in disappointment and then stood up.
“Enjoy your time with your family.”
Unexpectedly, she left after saying that.
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched her back.
‘That woman…’
Merlin was always reckless, charging forward with little regard. But strangely, whenever family was involved, she kept her distance.
It seemed that family held a special meaning for her.
‘Come to think of it, I don’t really know what happened to Merlin.’
Aside from what he had seen through Loktar’s memories and the information available to the outside world, he knew very little about her past.
She had helped him in many ways, so if the opportunity arose, he wanted to hear her story.
“Raon.”
“Raon.”
As soon as Merlin disappeared, Glenn and Rektor once again called his name, gesturing toward their seats.
Neither of them had any intention of giving up.
– “P-Please! Just sit anywhere! I’m going to die of old age at this rate!”
Even Wrath clutched his stomach, pleading for Raon to pick a seat.
“Ugh…”
Raon gritted his teeth and was just about to take a step.
“Enough already! Why are you making things difficult for him instead of acting your age?”
Sylvia slammed the table and stood up with determination.
“Raon! Never mind them. Sit next to me.”
She frowned at both Glenn and Rektor while calling Raon over.
“Ahem…”
“I, I was just…”
Glenn and Rektor lowered their gazes in embarrassment.
“Huh? Then where am I supposed to sit?”
Edgar, who had been sitting beside Sylvia, blinked in confusion.
“If the child is struggling, you should step in to help! How can you just sit there and watch?”
Sylvia scowled and kicked Edgar aside.
“Ugh…!”
Caught off guard, Edgar tumbled off his chair and rolled onto the floor.
“Son, sit with your mother.”
Sylvia smiled warmly, just like she did when she used to call him over as a child.
– “As expected of our mother!”
Wrath raised his arms in triumph.
“Yes!”
Raon let out a sigh of relief and nodded.
Most of the time, Sylvia’s overprotectiveness was overwhelming.
But today, it was the best and most reasonable decision.
“Hmm…”
“Tsk…”
As Raon sat beside Sylvia, Glenn and Rektor smacked their lips in disappointment.
Now that the situation was resolved, all he could do was laugh at their reactions.
“Ugh.”
Edgar rubbed his waist, sore from Sylvia’s kick, and moved to sit on the opposite side of the table.
“Before we start eating, just a moment.”
Sylvia lifted a bottle of liquor from the center of the table.
She poured drinks into Glenn, Rektor, Edgar, and Raon’s cups before returning to her seat.
“I want Raon to pour mine.”
“Yes.”
Raon nodded and took the bottle, filling Sylvia’s cup.
“Today is a joyous occasion, so I’d like everyone to say a few words. I’ll start…”
Sylvia raised the glass that Raon had filled, a gentle smile appearing on her face.
“Our family has endured so much hardship, so I hope that from now on, we only have happy moments together.”
She wished for everyone to be free from sorrow before turning her gaze toward Edgar.
“Hmm!”
Realizing Sylvia’s intention, Edgar stood from his chair.
“I’ve been through painful times, and I’m still enduring them. Though, of course, it’s not as bad as before. Compared to the past, this is heaven. Even that damned Death Knight has been keeping still, so things have become much easier. It’s all thanks to the people here. Now, we just need Sia to wake up, and once that happens, we’ll finally have a full family gathering…”
“Edgar, keep your speech brief…”
Rektor shook his head, looking embarrassed by his overly talkative son.
“Ah, my apologies. Let me start over. I believe that Sylvia, Raon, and Sia have suffered far more than I have. As their father, I want to make sure that from now on, they only have smiles on their faces.”
Edgar clenched his fist, his words full of sincerity.
“Of course, I have more to say. I can’t just move on without thanking both of my fathers. It was surprising enough that my father suddenly appeared…”
“Father-in-law, you should say a few words too.”
Sylvia cut Edgar off and passed the turn to Rektor.
“Hmm…”
Rektor gently ran his fingers along his cup and nodded.
“I only have one wish. I just want you all to be happy.”
He said that was all, then raised his glass toward Glenn.
“I have many regrets in my life.”
Glenn sighed heavily as he looked at Sylvia and Raon.
“You all are a family that was brought together under the hardest circumstances. I hope you never hurt one another and that you spend your time together with no regrets.”
His unwavering gaze fell on Raon, as if ensuring that his wish would come true.
“Everyone keeps saying they wish for happiness, but not every day will be filled with joy. However…”
Raon calmly stood from his chair, shifting his gaze toward the head of the table.
“As long as both my grandfathers are here, I feel like we can overcome anything.”
With those words, he raised his cup toward Glenn and Rektor.
“Ahem!”
“Cough!”
Glenn and Rektor, completely unprepared for their grandson’s praise, turned red and let out consecutive coughs.
“Son! You’re getting good at socializing!”
Edgar grinned, giving Raon a thumbs-up.
“Of course! He’s my son!”
Sylvia beamed proudly and pulled Raon into a tight hug.
“…Huh?”
Raon blinked in confusion. He hadn’t been trying to flatter them—he had spoken from the heart—so their delighted reactions caught him off guard.
The four people at the table found his flustered expression endearing and laughed even more.
– “I do congratulate you all on becoming closer as a family, but…”
Wrath clutched his puffed-up head and shrieked.
– “For the love of everything, can we eat now?! You wretched humans! This is torture!”
—
After finishing their meal, Glenn and Rektor took a walk toward the lord’s training grounds.
“I didn’t know Sylvia was such a good cook.”
Rektor chuckled softly, having enjoyed a delicious meal after so long.
“I only found out recently myself.”
Glenn gazed at the darkening sky and let out a quiet sigh.
“…It seems we both have many regrets.”
Rektor looked down at the fine sand of the training grounds and smacked his lips.
“They say that when you grow old, all you remember are the regrets.”
Glenn shook his head as if it was inevitable.
“That seems to be true.”
“……”
For a while, the two men simply stood in silence, watching the sunset.
“The time I spent teaching Raon here was the happiest in my life.”
Rektor smiled faintly, recalling those moments as true happiness.
“I once thought that as long as I had those memories, I could endure a lifetime in hell. But I never expected an even greater joy to come.”
He turned to Glenn, his smile deepening.
“It’s all thanks to you, my friend. Thank you. And… I’m sorry.”
Rektor lowered his head in apology.
“Given my position, I had no choice but to keep things hidden from you.”
“I understand. I would have done the same.”
Glenn nodded calmly, as if he had long since come to terms with it.
“And I, too, owe you my gratitude.”
He let out a quiet breath as he met Rektor’s gaze.
“Thank you for standing on the side of the Five Demons to protect Raon. That could not have been an easy decision. You endured a great deal.”
Glenn, too, bowed his head in appreciation.
Their eyes met, and a warm smile passed between them.
“Now, we just need Sia to wake up. Then, I won’t have any more wishes left.”
Rektor’s fingers trembled as he spoke of his final wish.
“Don’t say that. You still need to be there to see Raon and Sia get married.”
Glenn shook his head, telling him not to leave the children with any more wounds.
“You’re right. That was a thoughtless remark.”
Rektor lightly tapped his forehead, regretting his words.
“By the way, how is the Holy Sword Alliance?”
Glenn looked at him with concern.
“My disciple sent a response, saying there haven’t been any problems yet.”
Rektor pulled out a letter from his pocket, narrowing his eyes.
“The Fallen One and the other members of the Five Demons don’t know where the Holy Sword Alliance has relocated, so it should be safe for now.”
He reassured Glenn that there was no need to worry for the time being.
“Even so, we never know when a problem might arise, so I plan to return as soon as Sia wakes up.”
“That would be the right decision.”
Glenn slightly lowered his eyebrows, indicating his agreement.
“That being the case, I have a proposal for you.”
Rektor raised a cautious hand toward Glenn.
“It’s about Raon….”
—
After finishing his meal, Raon returned to his room with a box of pearl-shaped ice cream, a gift from Helen.
– “Q-Quickly! Open it!”
Wrath licked his lips as he stared at the cold air seeping out of the box’s edges.
‘…Even after eating all that, you still want more?’
Raon let out a small chuckle as he looked at Wrath. The glutton had devoured most of the dishes in the dining hall, yet he still wanted more. It seemed that as his body had grown, so had his stomach.
‘Are you sure you don’t have an eating disorder?’
– “I told you not to compare me to some mindless glutton! Cough!”
Wrath vehemently shook his head in denial.
– “Enough nonsense! Just open the box! I need to see what kind of ice cream it is! Cough!”
‘No matter how I look at it, you’re definitely one…’
Raon shook his head but nonetheless opened the box.
A stream of blue frost spread outward, revealing four pearl-shaped ice creams inside.
Two were mint chocolate, speckled with white chocolate pieces, while the other two were a bright yellow, resembling bananas.
– “Ooooooh!”
Wrath marveled at the sight of the four ice cream pearls all at once.
– “Living through everything was worth it! Cough! Hurry! Hurry and eat them!”
‘Which one first?’
– “Of course, the mint chocolate! No, wait, maybe we should try the new flavor first? But classics are classics, so maybe the mint chocolate after all….”
Wrath flailed his arms indecisively, unable to settle on a choice.
‘If you can’t decide, then I’ll choose. I’ve had plenty of mint chocolate before, so I’ll start with the new flavor—’
Just as Raon reached for the unfamiliar yellow ice cream, a sudden message appeared before his eyes.
[<Wrath> has achieved spiritual growth through a new emotion.]
[You have accomplished a great feat.]
[All stats have increased by 30 points.]
[New trait….]
A string of reward messages filled his vision.
– “W-What?! Why now?! Cough!”
Wrath’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘Hmm….’
Raon narrowed his eyes at the messages.
‘It looks like it’s a reward for the growth of your soul.’
– “No, but why is it going to you?!”
Wrath yelled, completely flabbergasted.
‘And how is that my fault?’
– “Argh, damn it! This has to be intentional! That blasted system is messing with me on purpose!”
Grinding his teeth, Wrath swore he would destroy everything the moment he returned to the Demon Realm.
‘Come to think of it… I never checked the rewards from before either.’
Raon smirked and summoned the messages from the rewards he had earned after the war.
– “Ghhhk….”
Wrath’s eyes trembled violently as an overwhelming number of message windows flooded Raon’s vision.
‘There are quite a lot. Well, considering all the things I did… wait, what?’
Raon had been casually scanning through them, but suddenly, his eyes widened.
‘This reward….’
(T/N: Damn, I love this chapter. It’s so heartwarming and funny.)
