Chapter 791
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Raon twisted his lips into a smirk as he stood before the Thespian Emperor.
“It’s simple. Will you follow us and live, or will you side with the Five Demons and die?”
He extended his index and middle fingers straight, as if giving them a choice.
“Uh, uh…”
Rimmer’s eyes widened. He looked flustered, as if he hadn’t expected the conversation to suddenly turn to life and death.
“N-Nephew?”
Balder, who had been laughing joyfully, turned pale. His lips trembled slightly, showing his own shock.
“Are you threatening us right now?”
The Thespian Emperor, instead of appearing intimidated, curved her lips into a deep smile, as if she welcomed the situation.
“For the renowned strongest family on the continent, Zieghart, to try and leash us with force… What a truly disappointing choice.”
She let out a mocking laugh and lifted her chin.
“But neither I nor White Whale submit to strength. No matter what external pressure may come—”
“Delusions are free, but you’re taking it too far.”
Raon sighed and scratched his ear with his pinky.
“What…?”
“Did you seriously think we were threatening White Whale of all things?”
He shook his head with a smirk.
“You’re underestimating Zieghart far too much. As you said, we are the continent’s strongest force. Do you really think we would attack you, unprepared, while you’re completely vulnerable?”
Raon lightly tapped his temple, as if telling her to think rationally.
“Regardless of what choice the Divine Five Lords make, we will send you back safely. In fact, we should even assign you an escort.”
“T-Then, what did you mean by ‘death’ just now…?”
“After the war.”
The mockery in Raon’s eyes was replaced with a sharp glint.
“If we win the war between the Five Kings and the Five Demons…”
He clenched his open hand into a fist, grinding his teeth.
“We will destroy everything the Divine Five Lords have built.”
“Ugh…”
The Thespian Emperor swallowed dryly, feeling the storm-like force emanating from Raon.
“Ah, of course, we must exclude the Pirate King.”
Raon unfolded one finger again, flashing a grin.
“As you probably know best, the true Pirate King is actually on our side, so we’ll exclude him.”
He tilted his chin as he corrected himself.
“So let me say it again. If you stand behind the Five Demons, then after the war, the name ‘Divine Five Lords’ will cease to exist in this world.”
Raon spoke with a voice dripping with killing intent, locking eyes with the trembling Thespian Emperor.
It was true that his martial strength was far weaker than hers, but at this moment, it wasn’t strength that dominated the situation—it was strategy and information.
“After the war…”
The Thespian Emperor bit her lips so hard that tooth marks were left behind.
“Then, are you saying that even if we side with the Five Demons, you are confident you will win the war? You’re already at a disadvantage, so how in the world…?”
“That is none of your concern.”
Raon shook his head indifferently.
“There is no reason to share crucial information with someone who may become our enemy. You only need to decide—will you die by Zieghart’s hands, or will you follow Zieghart?”
He watched the hesitation in the Thespian Emperor’s gaze, pressing her for a decision.
‘Her mind must be in turmoil.’
She had come to Zieghart thinking she held the advantage, believing she had the power to sway the war’s tide.
‘But…’
She lacked information.
Right now, the Thespian Emperor was reeling from the shocking possibility that all of the Divine Five Lords, excluding the Pirate King, could defect to the Five Demons.
She was sharp and calculating, someone whose imagination could spiral into the unknown when given a hint of uncertainty.
‘That’s exactly what I was aiming for.’
The Thespian Emperor and White Whale acted boldly, but in reality, they never made a move without thorough calculations.
Faced with an unforeseen variable, they wouldn’t make a hasty decision.
“L-Lord!”
The Thespian Emperor turned away from Raon and approached Glenn.
“Are you truly entrusting Zieghart’s future to the Light Wind Division’s commander? He has earned his merits, but isn’t he still too young?!”
Her fingers trembled as she demanded a proper answer.
“This is the heart of Zieghart.”
Karoon placed his hand on his sword, his sharp gaze glinting ominously.
“Lower your voice.”
A chilling pressure surged from him, as if he would unsheathe his sword if she raised her voice again.
“I don’t know about the future, but this sure is refreshing!”
Balder nodded vigorously, declaring his trust in Raon’s words.
“Lord…”
Unlike his two brothers, Denier looked at Glenn, clearly believing that the negotiations with the Divine Five Lords shouldn’t end like this.
“My thoughts…”
Glenn met Raon’s gaze and gave him a small nod.
“Are the same as the Light Wind Division’s commander.”
He then turned his cold eyes to the Thespian Emperor, beckoning her with a slight curl of his finger.
“And besides, weren’t you the ones who tried to threaten us first?”
“W-When did I…?”
“The Five Demons promised you great rewards first, didn’t they? That means you were weighing the benefits from both sides.”
Glenn raised his chin, his gaze cold.
“You knew exactly what the Five Demons are, yet you still attempted to use them as leverage. The Divine Five Lords are more disgraceful than I had expected.”
“Ugh…”
The Thespian Emperor bit her lips, unable to refute him.
“Live or die, those are your only choices. But forcing an immediate decision wouldn’t be wise.”
Glenn leaned back into his throne and shook his head.
“Return to White Whale and think deeply about your answer. However…”
He granted her time but made his stance clear with a dry gaze.
“It would be best to give your answer before the war accelerates. No one welcomes those who try to play both sides.”
With that, Glenn dismissed her with a flick of his hand.
“Tsk, tsk.”
Raon clicked his tongue at the Thespian Emperor.
“If you had just come offering help, we would have treated you well. This is why people say those who overthink things are idiots.”
He shook his head in disappointment.
It was as if the person who had exuded such a heavy presence moments ago had transformed into an entirely different person.
“In gambling, it’s always the ones who think they’re the smartest that lose their money first. The guy who runs errands at my place used to be a professor.”
Rimmer scoffed, shaking his head at their foolishness.
“Your place?”
“Oh, my gambling den? I’ve been going there so much that it just feels like home now…”
He chuckled, casually admitting that he sometimes gambled there himself.
“Ugh…”
The Thespian Emperor bit her lip, unable to refute Raon and Rimmer’s mocking remarks.
“…Then, we’ll be taking our leave.”
She carefully bowed to Glenn before stepping back.
“I won’t see you out.”
Glenn waved a hand dismissively.
“Understood.”
The Thespian Emperor gave a slight nod and turned away.
She left the audience chamber, her subordinates following behind her, unable to hide their confusion.
“Hahaha!”
Balder burst into laughter before she had even completely exited, his voice booming so loudly that the ceiling trembled.
“How do you have such guts?!”
He grinned and gave Raon a thumbs-up, clearly impressed.
“Balder, your laughter is too loud.”
Karoon frowned at him but also gave Raon a small nod, as if acknowledging his actions.
“As the Light Wind Division’s commander said…”
Glenn rose from his throne and looked down at the gathered executives.
“Zieghart will never bow to threats. We won’t spare even a single coin for those who try to weigh rewards on a scale like bats. Remember this well.”
“Yes!”
The swordsmen’s eyes gleamed like sharpened blades, moved by his unwavering declaration.
“Lord, now that the meeting is over, may I leave first?”
Raon bowed, as if he had urgent business.
“We will stop here for today.”
At Glenn’s gesture, the audience chamber’s doors opened, and Raon was the first to step outside.
“……”
Denier remained where he was, staring at Raon’s departing back with lifeless eyes, as if drained of all moisture.
—
“Y-Your Majesty…”
Sword Corps Commander Sahkan moved close behind the Thespian Emperor, swallowing dryly.
“Are we really leaving just like this? If we do, our entire plan…”
His voice trembled, as if he still couldn’t believe the situation.
“For now… Kuh!”
Just as the Thespian Emperor, Ariel, was about to respond, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
‘Damn it…’
She had thought she had the upper hand this time, but an unexpected counter had thrown her off balance again, leaving her internally wounded. It felt like she was trapped in a nightmare.
‘I still can’t make sense of this.’
She had believed she was fully prepared for Raon Zieghart, yet her expectations had been completely shattered.
His silver tongue seemed to be growing just as fast as his martial prowess.
“Your Majesty!”
Sahkan gasped at the sight of blood dripping from Ariel’s hand.
“I’m fine.”
Ariel wiped the blood away with a handkerchief and shook her head.
“It was just a burst vessel in my mouth.”
She muttered that she had bitten her tongue on purpose, unwilling to let anyone know that a boy much younger than her had caused her internal injuries.
“We should just side with the Five Demons.”
Magic Corps Commander Beriol clenched his fist.
“He’s definitely bluffing. We should ally with the Five Demons and make him regret—”
“No.”
Ariel wiped the blood from her lips and shook her head.
“We can’t move until we confirm whether it’s a bluff or not.”
Neither Raon Zieghart nor Glenn Zieghart were fools who would tell obvious lies.
If they were truly confident in victory even with four of the Divine Five Lords defecting to the Five Demons… No, if they were at least certain they wouldn’t lose—
‘What is it?’
She ran through all the information she had, but nothing added up.
If anything, the current state of affairs—with dragons and the angels coming into play—was disadvantageous for Zieghart and the Five Divine Order.
“As soon as we return, gather every last piece of information on the war. Especially everything related to Zieghart.”
Ariel bit her lip. She intended to personally verify every detail about Zieghart.
“There must be something…”
Just as she put the bloodstained handkerchief into her pocket, she heard quiet footsteps approaching.
When she turned around, Raon Zieghart was walking toward her.
“What do you want now?”
Ariel tried to keep her expression calm, but the thick veins bulging on her forehead betrayed her frustration.
“I have a request.”
Raon extended his hand, his gaze steady. Ariel wanted nothing more than to twist that arm and break his waist, but she gritted her teeth and held back.
“A request?”
“White Whale’s intelligence network is as famous as the black market’s. I want to commission you based on that reputation.”
He smiled as if it were a simple business deal.
“We’re quite expensive.”
Ariel furrowed her brow slightly.
“I’m looking for something called a Soulstone.”
Raon ignored the mention of price and went straight to the point.
“S-Soulstone? How do you even…”
Ariel swallowed hard. The very existence of Soulstones was a well-guarded secret, yet Raon had spoken of it so casually.
“If you bring it to me or tell me its location, I’ll offer you an appropriate reward. I’m sure it will be something you want.”
Raon smiled, as if he was testing White Whale.
“Then.”
With a wave of his hand, he turned and left without hesitation.
“……”
Ariel bit her lip as she watched him walk away.
‘How does he know about Soulstones? And why is he looking for one?’
She couldn’t tell if he truly needed it or if he was simply testing them.
Her head spun so much that she wanted to punch the damn brat.
“Damn it…”
She stood frozen in place for a long time before finally moving her heavy steps forward.
—
– You idiot!
As Raon returned to the annex, Wrath’s face popped up.
– How could you openly reveal that you’re searching for a Soulstone?! You should have mentioned other things as well to mislead them!
Wrath scowled, looking utterly exasperated.
‘If I had done that, it would have been obvious that I desperately needed the Soulstone.’
Raon shook his head as he caught Wrath’s tail.
– What?
‘The Thespian Emperor is sharp, especially when it comes to reading people’s intentions. If I had mentioned multiple items, she would have figured out that the one I truly wanted was the Soulstone.’
The Thespian Emperor was a giant in the intelligence world, leading the second-largest information network on the continent.
With her insight, if he had thrown multiple items into the conversation, she would have undoubtedly realized that the Soulstone was the crucial one.
However, by stating it outright when she was already mentally shaken, she would now be left wondering—was the Soulstone truly important, was he testing her, or was he aiming for something else entirely? In that state, she wouldn’t be able to make a rational judgment.
‘That’s why I even used the Ring of Fire.’
He had resonated with the Ring of Fire earlier to completely suppress his emotions.
With his extreme level of acting, even the Thespian Emperor wouldn’t be able to tell if he truly needed the Soulstone or not.
– Damn smart-ass…
Wrath scrunched his nose as he glared down at Raon.
– You must love having such a sharp mind! It means you want so many things! Speaking of which, I want some bread!
Of course, as always, Wrath ended the conversation by talking about food.
‘Nadine bread?’
– No!
Raon teased Wrath as he arrived at the annex. By the lake, he saw Rektor standing still.
Both Glenn and Rektor—these old swordsmen—seemed to have a fondness for lakes.
“You’re back quickly.”
Rektor turned around with a smile as Raon approached.
“Is it all done?”
“Yes. As expected.”
Raon recounted everything that had happened in the audience chamber.
“Hahaha!”
Rektor lifted his chin and let out a hearty laugh.
“Indeed. By now, her mind must be spinning so fast that she doesn’t know what to do.”
He smirked, regretful that he hadn’t seen the Thespian Emperor’s rattled expression firsthand.
“The Divine Five Lords won’t be able to act recklessly now, and you’ve gained another intelligence network to track down the Soulstone. That’s a huge gain.”
“Yes. I was lucky that everything fell into place.”
“It wasn’t luck.”
Rektor shook his head, his eyes warm.
“It was your strategy that worked. They say people should fear Raon Zieghart’s tongue more than his sword, and it seems to be true.”
With a proud look, he placed a hand on Raon’s shoulder.
“Now that everything is settled, tell me. What is it that you want from me?”
“The Light Wind Division’s captains are on the verge of breaking through. Would it be possible to take them to the Holy Sword Alliance Training Grounds?”
Raon bowed his head. He wanted to give Burren, Martha, and Runaan the opportunity to grow stronger.
“You’re still close with them, I see.”
Rektor chuckled as he looked at Raon.
“They’re more like friends than subordinates.”
“Then it’s fine.”
Without hesitation, Rektor nodded.
“As a grandfather, how could I refuse my grandson’s friends?”
He smiled, as if granting permission was a given.
“For them to agree to go to the Holy Sword Alliance Training Grounds, they must have a strong sense of challenge.”
“Eh? Agree? They never agreed to anything.”
Raon tilted his head.
“…What?”
Rektor blinked in confusion.
“If they didn’t agree, then do they oppose it?”
“No. I never asked them.”
Raon smirked, his eyes turning cold.
“If I say we’re going, then we go. There’s no need to ask their opinion.”
“Ugh…”
Rektor swallowed dryly as he saw the chilling gleam in his grandson’s eyes.
‘Are they really his friends…?’