Chapter 831

– “Timing! That cursed thing always gets the worst possible timing!”

Wrath shook his blazing red head from side to side, furious.

‘It must just be a coincidence.’

Raon lightly waved his hand.

– “Coincidence, my foot! You think it’s just coincidence that the rewards always show up at times like this? They’re clearly mocking this king!”

Wrath clenched his fist, shouting as if it were obvious.

– “As soon as this king returns to the Devildom, I shall beat them all to the brink of death!”

‘You’re going to beat everyone? Then…’

Just as Raon was about to ask Wrath a question, Aris approached and tapped him on the shoulder.

“That’s a relief. We can return quickly.”

Aris let out her signature refreshing laugh, clearly excited to see Sia.

“Yes. We were lucky.”

Raon nodded as he dismissed the message.

“Seeing how you were the first to find the soul stone, I don’t think it was luck.”

Aris waved her hand, saying the heavens must have acknowledged his desire to save Sia.

“Agreed.”

Rimmer raised his hand to shoulder height.

“You didn’t rest for even a second since arriving on this island, just searched for soul stones. No one else could’ve found it.”

He nodded, as if it were only natural that Raon had found it.

“As long as I can get off this island, I don’t care who found it. I’ve had enough of the sea in just one day.”

Martha let out a deep sigh, saying she was already sick of the ocean.

“I didn’t think it was that bad.”

Burren chuckled softly, saying it was romantic to enjoy the scenery while searching for the soul stones.

“I liked it too. The water was refreshing…”

Runaan bowed her head, saying the cold seawater felt nice.

“W-We’re going back right away? But there’s still so much to pack…”

Dorian’s lips trembled as he listed all the supplies he needed to gather.

“What supplies? What the hell do you think you’re going to find on a deserted island?”

Krein frowned, clearly not understanding.

“Wood! Stone! Grass! Flowers! Fruit! These are all things you can’t find in Zieghart!”

Dorian snorted, as if the question itself was ridiculous.

“And why exactly do you need those things?!”

“I-I don’t know right now, but I’m sure they’ll come in handy later!”

Krein and Dorian butted heads, glaring into each other’s eyes.

“There they go again.”

“Who’s going to win today?”

“Krein might win with a sword, but it’s hard for Dorian to lose in a war of words.”

The Light Wind Division swordsmen let out faint chuckles as they watched Krein and Dorian bicker.

Thanks to the soul stone being found, everyone’s faces lit up with energy. They could now return in high spirits.

“Lady Aris. Is there anything you need?”

Merlin smiled sweetly as she massaged Aris’ shoulders.

“Uh, no. What are you…?”

Aris’s chin trembled, clearly uncomfortable with the old woman’s mask Merlin was wearing.

“Why do you keep calling me ‘Lady Aris’?!”

She exhaled sharply in disbelief.

“Because you’re Lady Aris, of course.”

Merlin tilted her head as if it were the same as asking why an apple is called an apple.

“Ra-Raon? What is this about?”

Aris stepped back in surprise, clearly shaken.

The title ‘Lady Aris’ was used by a wife to address her husband’s aunt, so it genuinely startled her.

Whoooosh!

Every time Merlin clung to Aris, Lust swirled from the sea. She was truly enraged.

“…Just ignore her.”

Raon waved his hand, telling her not to pay Merlin any attention.

‘Even the aunt I trusted ended up like that.’

Even Aris was flustered—there really might not be anyone in Zieghart who could handle Merlin.

– “As expected of a madwoman!”

Wrath nodded greatly, as if he had known all along.

– “Fake madness can never defeat true madness!”

‘Happy now?’

– “No, not quite…”

* * *

Raon returned to the lodgings on Seville Island and summoned the reward message he hadn’t properly checked.

[You have achieved an impossible feat through a brilliant idea.]

[You have defeated a transcendent being.]

[You have requiemed an unfortunate soul.]

[All abilities have increased by 60 points.]

– “S-Sixty? Sixty points at once?!”

Wrath’s eyes bulged, as if he were about to leap out.

– “How is this possible?!”

‘Of course it is.’

Raon nodded as he read the message indicating his 60-point increase.

‘I defeated a transcendent being as a Grandmaster and soothed Ravera’s soul. Honestly, 60 is rather low.’

As he thought that, powerful mana surged through his entire body.

His overall stats had risen so high that smaller point increases didn’t feel like much anymore. But gaining 60 points at once reawakened the joy of physical and spiritual growth.

– “S-Still, this is too much…”

‘Even in the Devildom, no Grandmaster has taken down a transcendent being, right?’

– “…There has.”

Wrath hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

‘There has?’

– “Well, the circumstances were a bit different… but you’re not the only exceptional one in this world!”

Wrath shook his head, telling him not to act so arrogant.

‘Then who was it? A Demon King?’

– “You don’t need to know!”

Wrath scrunched his nose, clearly unwilling to talk.

‘Hmm…’

Raon clicked his tongue. He was curious, but it seemed pointless to ask, so he turned to the next message.

[A new trait <Spirit Flow> has been created.]

[The trait <Snowflower’s Perception> has ranked up.]

[The trait <Snowflower’s Armor> has ranked up.]

The second wave of messages was about traits.

A new trait called <Spirit Flow> had been added, and the traits he used to withstand the attacks of the two apostles—Snowflower’s Perception and Snowflower’s Armor—had leveled up.

– “Guhhh! They’re giving out a lot! A lot, I tell you!”

Raon ignored Wrath’s ranting and checked the ability of Spirit Flow.

<Spirit Flow>

Reduces upper dantian overload and aura consumption when performing the Sword Control.

‘This is great.’

The newly acquired trait improved the efficiency of using the Sword Control.

While it might not be particularly effective at the moment, it would surely become a great help once it leveled up.

– “Nooooooooo!”

Wrath stopped reading Spirit Flow’s ability and let out a shrill scream.

– “If they keep giving you things like this, what’s this king supposed to survive on?! You damn bastards!”

‘You’re a Demon King, and you’re whining about this…?’

– “Whining? Whiiiiiining?! Even the richest family on the continent would go bankrupt within a year if thieves raided them every day! You thieving brat!”

He waved both arms wildly, yelling about how he was being robbed daily and couldn’t take it anymore.

– “Damn it! I should’ve just fallen back then…”

Wrath hung his head, calling it the worst mistake of his life in the Devildom.

‘If you had gone back then, you’d have never tasted marble ice cream in your entire life. Are you really okay with that?’

– “Ugh…”

Wrath’s round shoulders trembled faintly.

‘Besides, once we get back and wake up my sister, you’ll have your long-dreamed-of mountain of ice cream and a banquet spread before you.’

– Slurp…

The sound of Wrath swallowing his drool echoed.

– “A-Are we opening it right away?”

He sneakily lifted his head. The disappointment from losing his Authority had vanished, replaced entirely by gleaming anticipation for ice cream and food.

‘Of course. Even if I don’t open it, Grandpa or Mom will.’

– “Ahem! Then this generous king shall be understanding! However, just as you said, there better be a grand festi—AAAAAH!”

Just as Wrath was saying to prepare properly, he suddenly saw a pink stream appear and screamed before collapsing.

His rolling eyes and slack expression indicated he had fainted.

“L-Lust?”

Raon let out a dry breath as he looked at the pink aura. The lustful Authority embedded in his soul reacted, proving it was indeed Lust.

“Yap!”

The space next to Lust split open, and Merlin popped out. It seemed like the two had been together from the start.

“Why are you two following me all the way here?”

Raon tilted his head calmly, doing his best to remain composed in front of Lust.

‘They shouldn’t be here.’

Merlin had left Zieghart to gather information, and Lust had agreed to return to the Devildom to wait for Wrath.

Raon couldn’t understand why either of them was here.

“I was going to leave quietly, but then we made a bet.”

Merlin nudged Lust with her elbow and smiled.

“A bet? What kind of bet?”

“A bet on who could follow you more quietly.”

Merlin proudly pointed at herself.

“Of course, I won! Thanks to you pointing her out earlier!”

Her expression said, I did well, right?

“Ugh… I got too close because I wanted to see your face…”

Lust sniffled inside the pink stream, frustrated at losing.

Lust’s aura bloomed, stabbing Raon’s heart with the urge to hug her.

Raon countered it by simultaneously circulating Wrath’s rage and flame rings, pushing back Lust’s naturally emitted Authority.

“Haa…”

After calming himself, Raon sighed deeply.

“Was it you two who I occasionally felt watching me back in Zieghart?”

“Yup! That was us!”

Merlin flashed a bright smile, saying they had watched from afar.

“Mhm. I followed you in this state…”

Lust nodded, saying she melted her soul into the atmosphere to tail him.

“Ah…”

Raon held his throbbing head.

‘This is driving me insane…’

They openly confessed to a stalking contest in front of the victim. The winner beamed. The loser cried. What kind of situation was this?

Honestly, locking the two up in a cell wouldn’t be strange.

But somehow, Raon felt like they’d enjoy it if he did.

“My head hurts too much to even explain properly…”

Raon looked between Merlin and Lust and let out a long sigh.

“Is that praise? Great! Praise me!”

Merlin spread her arms wide, asking for a prize.

“Huuu…”

Lust, on the other hand, cried big tears, deeply frustrated over losing the stalking contest.

“There’s no winning or losing in stalking, you criminals!”

Raon couldn’t hold it in anymore and shouted.

“You! You said you’d go back! Are you breaking your promise?”

“I lost…”

Lust didn’t even hear him, drowning in despair from her loss to Merlin.

“You said you needed to gather information! If you were going to do this, you should’ve just stayed in Zieghart!”

“Prize! Give me a prize! Anything!”

Merlin kept trying to hug him, insisting that the winner deserved a reward.

– “Ugh… what is going on…”

Wrath seemed to have come to his senses and slowly sat up.

‘Wrath, you’re awake.’

Raon supported him on his knees.

‘They said they’ve been secretly following us the whole time and even had a stalking contest! Those stares I sometimes felt behind me—it was them!’

He explained everything to Wrath.

– ……

Wrath stared silently at Merlin and Lust. Unlike his usual demeanor, his presence was heavy—he seemed genuinely angry.

‘Yeah. Wrath! Say something to them—’

Just as Raon was stepping back, believing in Wrath—

– “I’m just gonna die!”

Wrath screamed and slammed his forehead into the ground.

Thud!

Because he was imbued with spiritual energy, his body collapsed with glazed eyes.

‘Wrath!’

– “I… can finally rest now…”

Wrath let out a faint chuckle as he lowered his head.

“Now I’m the only one who can stalk him! I’m the true stalker!”

“I followed Wrath for thousands of years and still lost…”

“……”

Seeing the smiling Merlin and sobbing Lust, Raon drew the Heavenly Drive still in its scabbard.

‘I give up.’

Raon smashed his forehead with the sheathed Heavenly Drive.

Thud!

* * *

The next day.

Raon, carrying a lingering unease about Merlin and Lust’s sudden disappearance, left Seville Island with the Light Wind Division.

Standing on the deck and watching the crashing waves, Raon recalled the moment when the knot of despair seeped into his feet in Ravera’s Mental World the day before.

‘Nothing’s going to happen, right?’

It left him with a slight sense of unease, but since the energy had already been purified, he figured it wouldn’t be an issue and smacked his lips.

As the island vanished and the number of seagulls dwindled, footsteps echoed from behind. When he turned around, Rimmer was standing there with a raised hand.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

Rimmer let out a small laugh and clasped his hands behind his head.

“Nothing much.”

Raon shook his head, saying he’d just been looking at the sea.

“Yeah? Then why do you look so worried? Is there something wrong with the soul stone?”

Rimmer narrowed his eyes, saying Raon’s complexion didn’t look good.

“Oh, it’s not that.”

Raon shook his head. He wasn’t concerned about the soul stone—it was just the anxiety of not knowing where Merlin and Lust might be lurking.

“Then that’s a relief.”

Rimmer chuckled faintly and leaned his arms against the railing. He stared at the crashing waves for a while before speaking.

“Now you can finally wake your sister. You must be happy.”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to it. But more than that…”

Raon nodded calmly.

“I’m more relieved that this will ease the worries of my mother, father, and both grandfathers.”

Glenn, Rector, Sylvia, and Edgar had spent every waking moment looking for a way to save Sia, constantly visiting her room.

Relieving their burden felt just as rewarding as waking Sia herself.

“You’re more surprising the more I see you.”

Rimmer turned his gaze to Raon.

“Pardon? What do you mean…?”

“It’s amazing how someone who used to push people away now values his family so much. Not long ago, you couldn’t even say ‘aunt’ to Aris.”

He gave a big smile, saying he liked how Raon had changed.

“My family helped me realize that I don’t need to fear relationships so much.”

“Sylvia must’ve taught you that. She’s got real grit, that one.”

“She certainly taught me a lot, but the people at the annex aren’t my only family.”

Raon shook his head as he looked at Rimmer.

“Hm?”

“The Light Wind Division is also my family. And of course, you too, vice-division leader…”

The Raon who now cherished his connections wasn’t shaped by Sylvia alone, but also by Rimmer and the Light Wind swordsmen.

If they hadn’t been there for him, he would still be consumed by revenge, walking the path alone.

“Uaaagh!”

Rimmer trembled and shook his head wildly, arms quivering.

“Goosebumps! That’s way too cheesy!”

“N-No, I mean…”

Raon blushed and trembled at the lips.

“Kidding.”

Rimmer chuckled and lightly tapped Raon on the head.

“Well, thanks for thinking of me as family. You really remind me of someone sometimes—it’s almost embarrassing.”

Despite his words, his wind-like smile showed he was genuinely pleased.

“And I feel the same way.”

Rimmer nodded and slowly turned around.

“You and the Light Wind are as precious to me as Siyan is. Well… not as much as gambling, of course.”

He finished with a teasing remark and walked off the deck.

– “Is he crazy too?”

Wrath tilted his head in curiosity.

‘He’s always been like that.’

Rimmer, with his light and frivolous demeanor, occasionally revealed a rare, serious side. He was someone you couldn’t help but like.

‘That’s why the Light Wind Division stays together.’

With a smile similar to Rimmer’s, Raon turned his gaze back to the sea.

* * *

Aside from one encounter with a small group of pirates, they returned safely to the original port.

“Let’s hop straight into the dimensional gate and head home! Rabawin’s paying!”

As soon as Aris stepped off the ship, she energetically raised her hand.

“M-Me? Why me…?”

Rabawin blinked in confusion.

“Because of you, we wasted time looking for that dumb pentagon stone!”

Aris scowled and kicked Rabawin’s butt.

“Gyaaaah!”

Rabawin was struck down to the floor without a chance to defend.

“I-I didn’t know things would turn out like this…”

“Then shut up and pay.”

Aris placed a hand on Rabawin’s head while standing with a cocked hip—the very picture of a thug.

“F-Fine…”

Rabawin sniffled and turned his back. Only Raon could see him silently mouthing curses at Aris.

“I’ll pay, so don’t worry.”

Raon chuckled faintly and supported Rabawin when—

“Lady Aris!”

A short, hunched middle-aged man climbed up onto the deck of the Azure Wind and rushed toward Aris.

“We’ve found a real trace of the young master!”