Chapter 940
At the heart of Balkar’s royal capital stood ‘The Staff’s Rest’, a century-old teahouse with an antique charm.
Once a quiet haven where mages sipped tea in refined silence, it now buzzed like a tavern. Cloaked mages and robed scholars filled every seat, raising their voices and cups to celebrate the end of the war.
“Can you believe the Black Tower has fallen?”
A middle-aged mage in a crimson robe let out a disbelieving laugh.
“I still can’t. Those leech-like bastards wiped out in one go…”
Across from him, a blond knight nodded.
“If I’d known this would happen, I’d have forced my way into the campaign.”
He smacked his lips, regret heavy in his tone.
“Honestly, I thought the expedition would fail…”
The mage traced a finger along his teacup, shaking his head.
“You thought it would fail?”
The knight blinked.
“Yes. Because I’ve seen the Black Tower Lord myself.”
His trembling fingers made the tea ripple over the edge of the cup.
“His danger doesn’t lie in raw strength alone. He never reveals his true self—always hides his power and leaves himself a way out.”
The mage frowned, recalling old memories.
“Lady Chamber said she could win, but I thought just forcing him out of the tower would already be a victory.”
He wasn’t alone. Many mages had thought the same.
“True, the Black Tower Lord has always hurt us and walked away unscathed.”
The knight nodded grimly.
“If it’s him, he’d have had escape routes ready. More exits than a rabbit warren.”
The mage bit his lip, recalling the cunning of that man.
“That’s why I can believe the tower fell, but not that he’s dead.”
“Then… the report’s a lie?”
The knight tapped the table, narrowing his eyes.
“Maybe a convenient story to lift morale?”
“No.”
The mage shook his head firmly.
“If the Black Tower Lord were still alive and that got out, the neutral factions’ trust would collapse. And Lady Chamber would ‘never’ lie about his death.”
He sighed. “It’s hard to believe—but it’s true.”
“Then it really was because of Raon Zieghart?”
The knight leaned forward, lowering his voice.
“Lady Chamber herself said so—the one who struck the killing blow was Raon Zieghart. Maybe he did more than we think.”
He nodded as if that explanation made the most sense.
“Hm, I’d say…”
“That’s not true!”
Before the mage could answer, a group of young mages at a nearby table stood so abruptly their chairs nearly broke.
“Lady Chamber was simply being modest!”
“There’s a massive gap even among transcendents! How could Raon Zieghart interfere in a duel between two absolutes?”
“They just needed a hero for the story! That’s why they praised him!”
“It was ‘Lady Chamber’ who killed the Black Tower Lord!”
Their loyalty burned fiercely; they spoke without hesitation.
“Hm…”
The knight scratched his chin. “It does sound logical. Raon’s powerful, but not that powerful.”
Most around the room nodded in agreement.
The middle-aged mage sighed. “You’re still young.”
Too young to understand who Chamber truly was.
She was proud—arrogant, even—but she wasn’t one to tell lies about victory and death. She’d rather die than exaggerate.
So he had to speak.
“Lady Chamber’s pride could pierce the heavens. She jokes often, yes—but not about something like this.”
His eyes gleamed with conviction.
“If she said Raon Zieghart struck the final blow, then that’s what happened. Neither could have done it alone.”
“You didn’t even see it yourself!”
“You’re just assuming!”
“He must’ve interfered at the last moment!”
“Without Chamber, Raon Zieghart’s head would’ve flown the instant the Tower Lord touched him!”
The young mages shouted him down, unwilling to hear it.
“Useless…”
“Enough.”
A new voice cut through the noise. From the corner table, a woman in a violet robe rose to her feet.
“Who—wait…”
The young mages turned, and their faces drained of color.
“P-Princess Jayna?”
“Princess Jayna of Balkar…!”
At her appearance, the rowdy teahouse turned as quiet as a library.
“If you want the truth,” she said coolly, “I’ll tell you.”
The man across from her flicked his fingers. “And I’ll back her up—I was there.”
He pulled down his hood, revealing sharp features.
“Sir Morell Kazan!”
The entire teahouse gasped.
“You two…”
“Why are you here?”
Morell’s cold gaze silenced them instantly.
“I returned first to report in Chamber’s stead. I stopped here for tea before heading to the palace, but this was hard to stomach.”
The young mages swallowed dryly.
“You asked if anyone saw it? I did. I saw Raon Zieghart sever the Black Tower Lord’s head with my own eyes. Without Chamber, it wouldn’t have been possible—true. But without Raon, she couldn’t have finished it either.”
He frowned, his voice carrying weight.
“Raon was the cornerstone of this war. I climbed the Black Tower with him—fought demons, devils, and the Black King himself—and I ‘saw’ him deliver the final blow.”
Jayna nodded slowly. “I was there too. I know some of you don’t want to believe it. You think Chamber’s glory was stolen. But Raon is… different.”
The words felt strange on her tongue, but also liberating.
“He’s not like us,” she said softly. “He’s destined for something higher.”
Morell crossed his arms. “Exactly. Raon Zieghart is cut from a different cloth—destined to stand even above the Five Kings and Five Demons.”
Gasps filled the room.
“To prove it, he was given a new title,” Morell said, his eyes gleaming. “A title beyond compare. A name no other may share.”
He paused for effect.
“The Sword Emperor.”
The teahouse fell into awed silence.
“Sword Emperor Raon Zieghart— a name worthy of the man who dethroned kings and forged the path of a ruler with his blade.” (T/N: CHILLLLLSSS!)
—
“Sword Emperor Raon Zieghart.”
Chamber grinned, savoring the title.
“Sword Emperor…?”
Raon blinked in disbelief. “Me?”
He hadn’t even thought about gaining a new title—and certainly not one like that.
“They were going to call you the Sword King, but since your old title was ‘The Usurper,’ calling you ‘King’ felt… awkward. So they went higher.”
Chamber smirked. “Makes sense. You’ve dethroned enough kings already—Axe King, Holy King, and the Black King.”
She chuckled. “Even the Black Tower Lord, the emperor of his domain, fell to your sword. So yes—‘Sword Emperor’ suits you perfectly.”
Raon lowered his gaze. “It feels… heavy.”
“Most titles are given, not chosen,” Chamber said, clicking her tongue. “And ‘Emperor’ is one of the highest. Only those who stand on the peak—Sword Emperor, War Emperor, Conqueror—earn such names.”
Her eyes softened. “Your grandfather, for example. He was called the Northern Annihilation King and the Northern Conqueror—but now everyone just calls him one thing.”
She smiled faintly. “The Sword Saint. The highest being on this continent. Only the Heavenly Demon could rival him.”
“So I’m… following after him?”
“No.” She shook her head. “You earned that name yourself. It’s the reward for slaying the Black Tower Lord. Keep it—and live up to it.”
Raon scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Sword Emperor Raon Zieghart. Sounds right to me.”
Burren nodded proudly. “The leader of Light Wind deserves that.”
“And my title changed too,” he added. “Now that I’m a Grandmaster, they call me ‘Heavenly Blade Star’.”
“Cool name.” Runaan gave a thumbs-up. “Handsome Sword Emperor Raon.”
“And me?” Raon looked at Martha. “You’re a Grandmaster too—did yours change?”
Martha ground her teeth. “It didn’t.”
“What?”
“It’s still ‘Demon Woman!’”
She bit a metal tray in frustration. “I told them to change it! I’m not the same person anymore!”
Burren winced. “It’s… because that’s the only thing that fits your fighting style.”
“Permanent title,” Runaan said softly, smiling. “Forever Demon Woman.”
“Shut up! It’s your fault they call me that!”
Martha lunged; Runaan stuck her tongue out and dashed away.
Raon sighed. “Sorry about them. They’re still young.”
Chamber chuckled. “At that age, that’s normal.”
Then she looked at Rensia and rested a hand on her shoulder.
“This girl you saved—can I take her?”
“Take her?” Raon blinked.
“She’s got talent for magic,” Chamber said. “She became the core of my spell ‘Lantern That Awakens the Dark’, and even before that, her affinity was impressive.”
“Really?”
Chamber nodded. “It’s a bit late for a start, but mages don’t age out like warriors.”
“Then why ask me?”
“Because she’s yours to decide,” Chamber said simply. “And because she wanted your permission.”
Raon smiled faintly. ‘She really is different.’
“Rensia. What do you think?”
“I…” Her voice trembled. “I just want my siblings to live happily.”
“That’s already taken care of,” Chamber said. “After this, you and your siblings will never want for anything again.”
“So now,” Raon said gently, “choose something for yourself.”
Rensia’s eyes flickered toward Chamber. “Then… I want to learn magic!”
Raon smiled. “Then it’s decided. Take care of her.”
“I’ll treat her better than my wounds.”
Chamber grinned.
“That’s a bit much.”
Raon laughed softly.
“Thank you,” Rensia said, tears falling with her smile—real ones, not the practiced mask she’d worn as a guide.
“Someone who knows pain will make the finest mage,” Raon said, patting her head.
For the first time, he felt the war was truly over. The tension in his chest melted away.
-Not yet!
Wrath jumped up.
-I haven’t eaten!
‘Yeah, it’s over.’ Raon smirked.
-IT’S NOT OVER!
—
Three days later, a grand festival filled Montiro’s streets.
Supplies poured in from across the continent, turning it into the largest celebration the city had ever seen.
“This is good.”
Raon bit into a skewer of grilled chicken and green onions with satisfaction.
-Hmph, it’s alright, but I prefer soy sauce to salt!
‘Then I’ll get the soy one next.’
-No! I want something else—wait—
Whoooosh!
A blur swept past the stalls—and every dish vanished, leaving behind a single gold coin.
-T-there! That gluttonous bastard’s eating everything!
Wrath trembled.
‘Alright, alright.’
Raon laughed, standing up. ‘What do you want then?’
-T-those grilled beef intestines—!
Before he finished, the skewers vanished into thin air, leaving another gold coin.
“Gold God! He’s here!”
“Over here too! Please bless us!”
The vendors shouted with joy; a single gold coin for one dish was more than a day’s profit.
‘Guess Gluttony’s still hungry.’
-W-we must hurry! Let’s get dessert—bead ice cream!
‘Good idea.’
But when they reached the stand, the shopkeeper was already cleaning up.
“Closing already?”
“A little girl came earlier and bought every flavor,” the man said, wiping sweat. “I thought she’d never finish—but she ate it all.”
Wrath froze.
-I-it’s her again…!
His eyes bulged.
-She started with dessert first! That monster!
He clenched his tiny fists.
-Summon me! I’ll end that glutton once and for all!
Raon chuckled helplessly.
‘Just let it go.’
Before Wrath could argue, a familiar voice came from behind.
“You seem well.”
Raon turned. It was Karoon, immaculate in his uniform.
“Yes. Thanks to you.”
Raon smiled. He hadn’t said it before, but fighting alongside Karoon had felt strangely natural.
“I finally understand what kind of warrior you are,” Karoon said quietly. “In the war against the Black Tower, you embodied the name of Zieghart more than anyone. Well done.”
Then, without another word, he turned and walked away into the crowd.
Raon watched his uncle’s back disappear, smiling faintly. ‘People really can change.’
-Who cares! You’re the same sly brat you’ve always been!
‘I meant in strength.’
He clenched his fist. ‘I’m going to surpass even the Five Kings and Five Demons someday.’
-Hah! You’re nowhere near!
‘I know. But this might get me closer.’
-What are you—wait—!
Raon opened his message window. A flood of glowing messages filled his vision, and Wrath was flung backward like he’d been hit by a carriage.
Raon’s eyes widened.
‘It even appeared here…?’