"Hmm..."
Rimmer roughly ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at Raon's determined eyes.
"It's difficult right now."
"Why?"
"Because the Beast King's fall is a much bigger deal than you think."
He shook his head while scuffing the floor of the great training ground with his shoe.
"Currently, leaving the Zieghart territory is forbidden, and all martial forces performing missions outside have been ordered to return."
"Ah..."
Raon let out a low groan upon hearing those words.
'That's right.'
That's only natural.
The Six Kings and the Five Demons had maintained a delicate balance for decades.
Each was a force contending for supremacy on the continent, so if they fought each other, there was no way one side could easily win.
The loser would face annihilation, and even the victor would suffer tremendous losses, so they couldn't fully rejoice.
Moreover, would other forces leave the severely damaged victor alone?
A wounded lion can be torn apart even by hyenas. Not just the Six Kings and Five Demons, but groups like the Five Divine Orders would surely pounce, salivating at the opportunity.
It's also unreasonable to expect support from other Six Kings or Five Demons.
'Because the Six Kings and Five Demons themselves aren't bound by desperate ties.'
Raon let out a long sigh.
'This is serious.'
Ogram's defeat by the Leader of the White Blood Religion might not just be the collapse of the Beast Union, but could mean the fall of one of the Six Kings.
'The bigger problem is...'
The fact that the White Blood Religion suffered little damage.
It wasn't the White Blood Religion versus the Beast Union, but a one-on-one fight between their leaders, so the White Blood Religion wasn't weakened.
They couldn't destroy the White Blood Religion, and it was obvious that forces following the Five Demons would rise like wildfire, making this the worst possible situation in many ways.
'Therefore...'
I must go to that place even more.
Even if I can't save Ogram, I must go to the Chiran Tribe to potentially find clues about the Leader of the White Blood Religion and Derus Robert.
"Hmm..."
Rimmer scratched his chin and smacked his lips.
"Seems you have an important reason."
"Yes. I must go."
"Then there's only one way."
He raised his finger, pointing towards the Lord's Manor.
"We have no choice but to confront the person who gave the order."
"But it's late..."
"He'll be awake."
Rimmer lightly wiggled his finger.
"When you get old, sleep becomes scarce."
He laughed, saying words that would make Glenn furious if he heard them.
* * *
"Haaah..."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion pulled her red lips away from Ogram's neck. She smiled with ecstasy as she looked at the two puncture holes in Ogram's neck.
"To think it would be this much."
As soon as she absorbed Ogram's blood, an indescribable, supreme joy overtook her.
The wounds of her body and soul, which should have brought her to the brink of collapse, healed instantly, and an uncontrollable bloody energy overflowed.
She had drunk the blood of Transcendent Warriors before, but drinking from one stronger than herself was a first, and this was beyond her expectations.
Even though she hadn't fully assimilated Ogram's blood yet, she could feel her white soul aura reaching even greater heights.
"Congratulations on your great success."
The 10th Apostle bowed to the Leader of the White Blood Religion.
"Great success? No, this is just the beginning."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion waved her hand lightly at the 10th Apostle. A deep flush rose on her pale cheeks.
'If I can make all of Ogram's energy mine...'
I might be able to reach Glenn Zieghart.
Just from drinking his blood, I've gained power that makes my mind dizzy. If I convert all this energy into white soul aura, breaking the northern sky wouldn't be impossible.
'No, it doesn't end there.'
With this increased martial prowess, I can target the leaders of other Six Kings and Five Demons. It's literally possible to become the hegemon of this continent.
"Things are going to get interesting from now on."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion licked her blood-stained lips and smiled seductively.
"What should we do with the Beast King?"
The 10th Apostle pointed at Ogram, who was breathing shallowly as if dead.
"Hmm..."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Ogram.
'He said he separated the soul from the body.'
The Dragon Helmet Demon said he separated Ogram's soul from his body, so he wouldn't wake up on his own. She wanted to understand what kind of ability that was.
"Leave him for now. I have something to look into after my cultivation."
"Understood."
The 10th Apostle bowed his head, as if to say he would follow any order.
"And the remaining bloody energy here... Hm?"
The Leader of the White Blood Religion narrowed her eyes as she looked at the back of her hand. The back of the White Hawk Gauntlet she was wearing was torn lengthwise.
'Did it get torn?'
She hadn't noticed due to the battle with Ogram, the psychological warfare with the Dragon Helmet Demon, and absorbing Ogram's blood, but now she saw that the White Hawk Gauntlet was damaged beyond use.
'Well, it was not an easy fight.'
Ogram was a powerful opponent who couldn't be defeated one-on-one. Breaking him and being able to absorb his blood was well worth the price of this single gauntlet.
"Absorb the remaining bloody energy here."
The Leader of the White Blood Religion nodded as she handed the torn White Hawk Gauntlet to the 10th Apostle.
"With the 1st and 2nd Apostles present, how could I..."
"Stop pretending to care about such things."
She snorted and left the Sacrifice Chamber.
"...Thank you."
The 10th Apostle bowed to the back of the Leader of the White Blood Religion, tightly gripping the damaged White Hawk Gauntlet. As he slowly raised his gaze, his pupils flashed a brilliant white.
* * *
"You want to go to the place where the Leader of the White Blood Religion and Ogram fought?"
Glenn frowned deeply as he looked down at Raon, who was kneeling.
"Yes."
Raon bowed his head, biting his lip to resist being overwhelmed by Glenn's aura.
"It seems you don't understand the situation we're in."
Glenn turned his gaze to the moonlit window and let out a heavy sigh.
"Ogram's defeat doesn't end with him alone. Numerous forces that have been suppressed by the name of the Six Kings will rise like a flood."
He roughly tapped the armrest of his throne, as if he too couldn't believe the current situation.
"The Five Demons won't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and will lead the villains from the forefront. The balance of the continent has already collapsed, in all but name."
Glenn clenched his fist, saying that rumors of Ogram's defeat were spreading at an unbelievable speed.
"In this worst-case scenario, if you, whose reputation rivals even Transcendent Warriors, make a move, villains aspiring to become the next Leader of the White Blood Religion will pursue you." (E/N: I triple checked the raw but this sentence makes no sense to me. White blood religion is alive and wlel...)
He showed a sharp gaze, unusually expressing concern for me.
"I won't lose to moths chasing after fame."
Raon thumped his chest, asking Glenn to trust him.
"A thousand ants gathered can lift a millstone."
Glenn shook his head calmly.
"No matter how strong you are, if countless people swarm you, you'll have no choice but to retreat."
"Even so... I must go."
"Hmm."
He raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he hadn't expected to hear such persistence.
"What's your reason?"
"..."
Raon didn't answer immediately. He could have fabricated a reason, but since Glenn had shown sincerity, he wanted to respond honestly as well.
"During my training, I accidentally entered the mental world."
"Again? You entered it again?"
Rimmer widened his eyes, asking if the mental world was some kind of convenience store.
"As I was trying to leave after finishing my training in that world, Ogram suddenly appeared."
"Ogram?"
"Is that true?"
Sheryl and Roenn stepped forward simultaneously.
"Yes. In my world, he..."
Raon explained how Ogram had taught him the Fierce Wave Arts and martial arts techniques, showed himself fighting someone, and then was dragged into darkness.
He omitted mentioning Derus's Death Aura, as he himself wasn't certain about it.
"He gave me a look as if pleading for help. That's why I must go."
"Such an absurd..."
Sheryl's jaw trembled in disbelief.
"No, it makes sense."
Rimmer interrupted Sheryl.
"Raon wasn't surprised when he heard about the Beast King's defeat. He rather reacted as if he'd expected it. I found it strange, but now I understand why."
"Haha..."
Roenn stroked his beard and let out a hollow laugh.
"If that's true, I can understand why Lord Raon wants to go there."
He nodded as if he believed it.
"Didn't you say you learned the Fierce Wave Arts from Ogram when you were with the Siran Tribe?"
Glenn furrowed his brow as he placed his hand on the armrest of his throne.
"That's correct."
"Teaching a martial art that could be considered his ultimate technique... He's always been a dense one."
He clicked his tongue as if displeased.
"I think I understand why you want to go so badly. Of course, even with a reason, it's still dangerous. The White Blood Religion or other Five Demons might still be there."
Glenn closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and shook his head calmly.
"Well, that's..."
"Therefore."
As Raon frowned, thinking Glenn was ultimately against it, Glenn continued speaking.
"I'll go with you."
With those words, Glenn rose from his throne. His immense aura felt as if it could distort the very air, like a great mountain rising.
"What...?"
Raon blinked dumbly.
"I said I'll go with you. Do you have a problem with that?"
"No. Absolutely not."
He shook his head rapidly, like a hamster wheel.
How could I possibly have any complaints...
* * *
Woooong!
Raon looked back as he emerged from the dimensional gate closest to the Beast Union.
Glenn, Roenn, Sheryl, and Rimmer, their faces hidden by black hoods, followed in order.
"Do you know the way?"
Glenn lightly jerked his chin.
"Yes..."
The Chiran Tribe village wasn't far from the Siran Tribe, so I was familiar with the route.
"Lead the way then."
"Understood."
Raon swallowed hard and took the lead, guiding the group.
'What is this...'
Why are those people behind me...
Three of the four were Grandmasters, and the remaining one was a Transcendent Warrior considered the strongest on the continent. (E/N: sounds like a low-level adventurer party to me)
Though only four, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they represented half of Zieghart's fighting force.
The fact that they were following behind me because of my request was overwhelmingly burdensome.
'I might die if I can't find it...'
From Glenn's words, it seemed he had some connection with Ogram. I thought I might die if I couldn't find any traces of him.
'No. Dying comes later.'
I couldn't forget Ogram's final gaze. I need to focus on finding traces now and worry about consequences later.
Fwooosh!
Raon took a deep breath and used the Supreme Harmony Steps at full power. His body became a streak of black light, dashing across the plains.
Glenn, Sheryl, Roenn, and Rimmer, running behind him, exchanged glances as if impressed by Raon before giving chase.
Since they were all at least Grandmaster level, it didn't take long to reach the Chiran Tribe.
Swoosh.
Raon stopped in front of a blackened tree and crouched down.
Beast Union warriors were blocking the entrance to the Chiran Tribe village, so they couldn't enter directly.
[I don't sense any presence inside the village. Let's enter quietly.]
There might be spies among them, so it wouldn't be good if Glenn's presence here became known. He sent an aura message suggesting they sneak in.
[Our Division Leader gives good orders for once!]
[That would be best.]
[Hehehe.]
[...]
Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn nodded in agreement.
Glenn said nothing. He just looked this way, his hand covering his mouth trembling slightly.
'As expected, he's unusual.'
Raon shrugged and suppressed his presence. He climbed over the half-collapsed wall and entered the Chiran Tribe village.
The four behind him followed without making a sound.
Fortunately, there was no one inside. It seemed they had only stationed forces outside to avoid disturbing any battle traces.
'Hah...'
Raon sighed as he looked at the village ground.
'There's no need to search for where they fought.'
There was no need to search separately for traces of Ogram and the Leader of the White Blood Religion's battle. The evidence of their fight was scattered throughout the entire village.
"It started here."
Glenn raised his finger, pointing at the ground beneath his feet.
"Yes."
Raon nodded and stood beside him.
"It seems Ogram attacked first, and the Leader of the White Blood Religion retreated using her bloody energy."
Examining the traces on the ground, bushes, and walls, it became clear how the two had fought.
It matched exactly with Ogram's movements that I had seen in the mental world.
"The first attack seems to have been a greeting, and the real fight started from here."
Raon followed the deep imprints of Ogram's footsteps.
"Ogram maintained the upper hand throughout. The Leader of the White Blood Religion occasionally pushed back with her bloody energy, but she took more damage from the Fierce Wave Arts."
"How do you know all this so well?"
Rimmer frowned, as if dumbfounded.
"Even I can't interpret this quickly..."
Sheryl's eyes widened in surprise.
"You seem to have a talent for this as well."
Roenn, as always, only offered praise.
"It's nothing special."
He shook his head, saying it was thanks to seeing Ogram in the mental world.
"And here."
Raon pointed to a deeply gouged section of the ground, as if it had been dug with a shovel.
"They clashed for the last time here. The Leader of the White Blood Religion used the Godly Blood Summoning Ritual, and Ogram likely unleashed the Fierce Wave Arts at its peak."
He knelt down and showed a slightly deeper impression.
"Judging by the traces here, it seems Ogram won, but someone intervened at this point."
"Intervened?"
Glenn, who had been quiet until now, narrowed his eyes.
"Yes. I'm certain."
This was the exact spot where Ogram had staggered in the mental world. It was clearly where Derus had intervened and swung his blade.
"But there's no trace at all?"
"I can't see anything either."
Rimmer and Sheryl shook their heads, unable to see anything. It was natural.
If I hadn't seen Ogram in the mental world, I wouldn't have known either.
"Indeed..."
Glenn stroked his chin as he looked at the ground Raon had pointed out.
"It's so natural that it feels artificial."
He smacked his lips, saying it seemed an expert had erased the traces.
"After that, it became one-sided."
Raon followed the path of Ogram's movements he had seen in the mental world and stopped in front of a muddy area with no visible traces.
'This is where the final confrontation took place.'
It seemed Ogram had poured all his effort into overcoming the two-on-one situation, managing to hurt the Leader of the White Blood Religion but falling to Derus.
'The problem here is...'
Not just finding what I alone know, but finding evidence that everyone can see.
'This might take some time.'
Since these would be traces left after Ogram fell, we might have to search the entire village.
'No.'
Raon stroked his chin, then his eyes widened.
'There's a way.'
He remembered how Ogram might have left traces and how to find them.
Fierce Wave Arts.
If it was a formless, colorless energy that could penetrate the enemy's aura, it might have been able to escape the notice of the Leader of the White Blood Religion and Derus.
Woooong!
Raon closed his eyes and summoned the Fierce Wave Arts. He spread the energy, usually used in minute amounts, outside his body like aura perception.
It was his first time spreading the Fierce Wave Arts in the air, so his head throbbed, but he endured and gradually increased the range.
'Huh...?'
Just as his skin began to tingle, he felt a small flow that seemed to tickle the Fierce Wave Arts from the ground about ten steps to his right.
'Is it over there?'
Raon, still using the Fierce Wave Arts, dug into the ground where he had sensed the signal.
If Ogram had left traces after falling, he wouldn't have been able to bury them deep, so Raon moved his fingers carefully.
After digging through the mud about five times, a small piece of cloth wrapped in the energy of the Fierce Wave Arts appeared.
'This is it!'
He could sense the Death Aura from inside the cloth. It was clearly a trace left by Ogram.
'Amazing.'
By wrapping the Death Aura in the colorless and formless Fierce Wave Arts, it seemed even Derus hadn't noticed it.
'However...'
There's no bloody energy.
Unfortunately, only the Death Aura remained on the cloth fragment; there was no trace of the Leader of the White Blood Religion's bloody energy.
Tsk.
As Raon clicked his tongue in disappointment, Glenn shook his head.
"Look underneath that."
"What?"
As he lowered his hand holding the cloth fragment and cleared away more mud, a milky white ripple could be seen, blocked by the piece of cloth.
Woooong!
The moment it sensed the white ripple, the Blade of Requiem let out an intense sword aura.
"It seems..."
Glenn curled his lips as he looked at the blackened, wet cloth fragment.
"You've found it alright."