"Urgh!"
Karoon could only glare at Alice without opening his mouth again. Judging by how he was biting his lip, it seemed he was forcibly suppressing his anger.
"Sister..."
Denier shook his head quickly. He muttered, pleading for her to please hold back, as he clasped his hands together.
"Hmph!"
Balder kept his mouth tightly shut and stared straight ahead, afraid the sparks might fly his way too.
"From now on, the moment any of your mouths open, you're fighting me to the death. Got it?"
Alice tilted her chin sideways as she pointed at Karoon, Denier, and Balder in turn.
"Mmm..."
Even the palace masters, who were among the strongest in terms of martial prowess, didn't seem to want to fight to the death with a Transcendent Warrior, so they all kept their mouths shut.
After silencing her siblings, Alice returned to Raon's side.
"If I want to call my nephew my nephew, anyone who has a problem with that can come forward. I'll take on all comers."
She wiggled her finger as if daring not just the palace masters, but the other executives to speak up if they had something to say. Of course, no one raised their hand.
"No one? Then from now on, anyone who tries to stop him from calling me aunt..."
"Um, Alice."
Raon interrupted Alice's words and pointed to the platform. Glenn had raised his hand in an incredibly natural manner.
"Alice Zieghart."
Glenn looked down at Alice with eyes filled with emptiness.
"Even as you age, your thunder-naked nature remains unchanged."
"Sigh, I knew this would happen."
Alice let out a low breath and raised her gaze.
"I know why you separated the direct and branch families. I also think it's necessary. But the situation has changed, hasn't it?"
She straightened her back proudly, unwilling to back down even to Glenn.
"Raon should have originally belonged to the direct family, and he has proven himself worthy of standing in the direct family."
Alice took a step closer to Glenn and raised her voice.
"He reached Grandmaster at 21, took the head of the Holy Sword Alliance disciple, and even cut down the Dragon Sword Master. With those achievements, even an outsider would be worthy of being raised to the direct family, so why are you being so strict only with Raon!"
"Ah, Alice!"
Raon reached out to stop Alice, but she moved even further forward instead.
"What are you going to do if Raon slips away somewhere else? The Six Kings and Five Demons, and the Five Divine Orders would all welcome him with open arms. Are you trying to lose him and regret it later?"
Alice turned to look at Raon with a regretful gaze.
"Of course, that child won't leave Zieghart, but shouldn't we give him the treatment he deserves based on his achievements and abilities!"
She exhaled sharply through her nose, as if she had said all she needed to say.
"Your words have some merit."
Glenn nodded calmly as he looked at Alice.
"However, you've gotten ahead of even the Light Wind division leader, so those present haven't heard what he has accomplished yet."
"Mmm..."
Alice scratched her head and stepped back, seemingly embarrassed that she had gotten ahead of the Light Wind division.
"Raon Zieghart."
"Yes."
"Tell us in your own words what the Light Wind division has done."
"Understood."
Raon nodded and stepped forward.
"We suspected the Lakion family from the moment we arrived at the Sinigen branch. If you looked closely at the corpses found in the collapsed branch, you could tell it wasn't the work of the White Blood Religion..."
He told everyone in the audience chamber about everything from when they first visited the Sinigen branch until he cut down the Dragon Sword Master.
"He, he fell into a state of enlightenment on the battlefield?"
"He's crazy. No, did he rise to that level because he's crazy?"
"How does such a young brat have the guts..."
"It's fortunate he's not on our side. He's someone we couldn't handle."
"The disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance leader and even the Dragon Sword Master. He's accomplished great things again this time..."
The executives gasped and let out empty breaths as they marveled at each of Raon and the Light Wind division's achievements.
"That's right! Only I can handle that crazy guy."
Rimmer grinned as if enjoying the sight of the executives exclaiming in admiration.
"Excellent achievements."
Glenn nodded while covering his mouth with the hand that had been resting on his chin.
"Uncovering the crimes of the Lakion family and stopping their evil deeds, cutting down the disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance leader and the Dragon Sword Master, even reaching Grandmaster at such a young age. There's not a single flaw to be found in these accomplishments."
He stared intently at Raon while saying he acknowledged it. The hand covering his mouth seemed to be trembling slightly.
"Head of House."
Raon stepped forward and bowed his head.
"The reason we were able to uncover the crimes of the Lakion family was because of this child."
He called Siuelen, who had been with Dorian, to his side.
"If Siuelen hadn't shown courage twice, the Lakion family would have hidden their true intentions and attacked us from behind at the end."
Raon patted Siuelen's back and gave her a soft smile.
"Ah..."
A flush of red returned to Siuelen's complexion, which had gone pale from tension.
"I see."
Glenn nodded briefly as he looked at Siuelen. His voice seemed to have softened a little.
"Ex, excuse me!"
Siuelen knelt and bowed her head.
"I have a request!"
The child pressed her forehead to the floor as she bit her lip.
"There's no need for such formalities. Stand up."
When Glenn lightly waved his hand, Siuelen's head naturally lifted.
"What is your request?"
"Please, please let me run the Lakion family!"
Siuelen recited the exact words she had said to Raon in the hospital bed.
"I will become a strength for Zieghart so that something like this never happens again. Please!"
Glenn didn't answer those words, but looked at Raon instead.
"How many surviving members are there in the Lakion family?"
"About two-fifths of the original number. Their martial prowess itself isn't that outstanding, but their loyalty to the family is high."
Raon emphasized that the remaining members were useful in order to help Siuelen.
"Running a family is not something a young child can do."
Glenn slightly furrowed his brow as he looked at Siuelen again.
"Ah..."
"However."
Glenn's words continued as Siuelen's expression hardened.
"If you were able to maintain your own will even while being tortured by your family, then perhaps you can't be seen as just a child."
He nodded as he met Siuelen's wavering gaze.
"I will observe for a while."
"Th-thank you! Thank you!"
Siuelen pressed her forehead to the floor with a thud.
"Come on, get up."
Raon forcibly pulled up Siuelen, who wasn't straightening her back like a pillbug.
"Then everything's settled, right?"
Alice waved her hand, smiling brightly as if pleased that things had worked out well.
"The Lakion family issue is resolved, and now Raon has become my nephew..."
"That's not the case."
Glenn shook his head as he turned his gaze to Alice.
"What?"
Alice widened her eyes as if in disbelief.
"Come on, enough already! What's the big deal about direct and branch families!"
"Even if he has achieved enough to be in the direct family, the current Light Wind division leader is still in the position of the branch family. I cannot allow that title until he becomes part of the direct family."
Glenn's gaze sank darkly.
"But!"
"Alice Zieghart. Even if you don't currently hold a position, your name is engraved in the highest place of Zieghart. If you, who should set an example, break the rules, what will others think?"
"Mmm..."
Alice only frowned, seemingly unable to refute as she thought it wasn't wrong, even if it was frustrating.
"If you want to hear him call you aunt, do so after Raon has risen to the direct family."
"Then you're raising him to the direct family right away, right?"
"That's not the case either."
"Ah, why!"
She raised her voice while stomping her foot hard.
"The time when he will rise to the direct family is January 1st of next year."
"January 1st?"
Alice tilted her head as if asking what he meant.
"That's correct."
Raon nodded as he stood next to Alice.
"The Head of House promised that if I win in the life-or-death battle with the Axe King next year, he would immediately raise my mother to the direct family."
"The Axe King..."
Alice furrowed her brow as she looked at Raon.
"The Axe King is not an easy opponent! You could die!"
"I know."
Raon smiled calmly. Having met the Axe King in person and exchanged sword techniques, he knew full well how strong he was.
"I don't want to break what I decided myself just because the situation has changed. I want to defeat the Axe King, elevate the family's name, and raise my mother to the position of the direct family with my own strength."
Raon proclaimed the oath he had made with Glenn as if declaring it to everyone present here.
"Urgh..."
"..."
Karoon frowned as if he didn't like the promise itself, and Denier stared at Raon expressionlessly as if he had become a doll.
"Oho!"
Balder widened his eyes roundly as if he liked that boldness.
"Kyaaak!"
Alice screamed and hugged Raon tightly.
"What to do! You're too good! How did such a child pop out in our family?"
She rubbed her cheek against Raon while saying he was worthy of being Sylvia's son.
"Ahem!"
Glenn cleared his throat loudly as if telling Alice to let go.
"He's just too admirable!"
Alice hugged Raon even tighter, ignoring Glenn's chilling aura.
"Show some restraint!"
"Ah, why are you like this!"
Glenn frowned and used his Willpower to separate Raon and Alice.
Rimmer and Roenn looked at each other as they saw Glenn's contorted expression.
'Head of House is jealous of hearing "aunt" and being hugged, right?'
'Hehehe.'
* * *
When the situation had settled down somewhat, Raon went forward to Glenn again.
"There's something I haven't reported yet."
"Something you haven't said?"
"Yes. When I cut down the Dragon Sword Master and was recuperating, another person from the Holy Sword Alliance attacked."
"Who was that?"
"Haa..."
He closed his eyes briefly after letting out a short sigh. Recalling Rector's eyes, which were as dry as desert sand, he parted his lips.
"The Blood Sword Master Rector. The person we called the Sword Demon."
When the name of the Sword Demon Rector came up, the Lord's Manor, which had been a bit noisy, sank back into silence.
"...You're saying he was part of the Holy Sword Alliance?"
Even Glenn showed a startled expression for the first time, widening his eyes as if he hadn't predicted Rector's involvement.
"Yes."
Raon nodded while biting his lip, as he still found it hard to believe.
"He called himself the Blood Sword Master of the Holy Sword Alliance and attacked."
"..."
Glenn closed his eyes and leaned back in his throne after hearing the definitive answer. His face suddenly seemed to fill with fatigue.
"The, the Sword Demon is part of the Holy Sword Alliance?"
"The Sword Demon is a Transcendent Warrior! Are you saying the Holy Sword Alliance has gained another Transcendent Warrior?"
"Crazy..."
"Why on earth did he join the Holy Sword Alliance?"
"He didn't join, he said he was part of the Holy Sword Alliance from the beginning."
"I can't understand. Then why did he go around doing good deeds?"
The executives' faces turned pale as they heard the news that the Sword Demon belonged to the Holy Sword Alliance.
"What did he say to you?"
Glenn asked after opening his eyes a while later.
"He said that since the Dragon Sword Master and Cloud had died, the leader of the Holy Sword Alliance would be satisfied if he took me with him."
"He tried to kidnap you?"
"Yes. Alice arrived just in time to stop him, but he was trying to take me away."
"Hmm..."
Glenn narrowed his eyes after looking at Alice for a moment.
"So the Sword Demon Rector is our enemy."
"That's..."
Glenn uttered somewhat ambiguous words. Instead of answering right away, he recalled Rector's eyes and the swordsmanship he had shown.
'He was definitely trying to convey something to me. But...'
The fact that he belonged to the Holy Sword Alliance remains unchanged.
'This is not the place to say that there might be other intentions.'
What he had felt alone while looking at Rector was not something to bring up in such a public place.
"That's right. He's an enemy."
Raon nodded heavily while looking at Glenn.
"And one more thing, it seems the Black Tower, Holy Sword Alliance, and White Blood Religion have formed an alliance."
"An alliance?"
"Yes. If we recall the words of the Dragon Sword Master and Rector..."
He told Glenn and the executives what he had predicted based on the Dragon Sword Master's statements.
"See! Why keep a child who brings back such information in the branch family!"
Alice praised him, saying his intelligence was also excellent, as if she was still disappointed that he wasn't raised to the direct family.
"Well done. You've brought back a lot."
When Glenn nodded and gestured, Roenn climbed onto the platform carrying a wide board.
"Raon Zieghart. Come forward."
"Yes."
Raon nodded and climbed onto the platform.
"In recognition of your great achievements in stopping the evil deeds of the Lakion family and killing the disciple of the Holy Sword Alliance leader and the Dragon Sword Master, I will award you a Golden Tablet and a prize."
Glenn held out the Golden Tablet and a red box from the board Roenn was holding.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed his head as he received the Golden Tablet and the box. However, unlike usual, he didn't feel particularly good.
'Because what I want right now isn't this kind of reward.'
Raon went down from the platform, hiding the bitterness that had risen in his chest.
* * *
The Lord's Manor became quiet after the Light Wind division and the executives left.
"Phew."
Rimmer let out a short sigh as he leaned against a pillar.
"It was a good opportunity, you should have just accepted!"
"What do you mean?"
Glenn slowly turned his gaze, having been lost in thought.
"What else could I mean? Of course, I'm talking about Raon. It would have been good to raise him to the direct family right away when Alice stepped up!"
Rimmer pounded his chest with his left hand as if frustrated.
"Karoon and Balder all shut their mouths because they were intimidated by Alice. Where else would you find an opportunity like this?"
"Didn't I say? I had already made a promise with that child."
Glenn shook his head firmly.
"Besides, it's not a good decision for him to rise to the direct family right away using Alice's power. That child needs to stand at the top of the direct family with his own strength for Sylvia and those in the annex to be able to live comfortably."
He looked at Rimmer with sunken eyes.
"If we raise Raon to the direct family now, his achievements will be buried, and there will be more people complaining that he rose to the direct family because of Alice's influence."
Glenn seemed to have confidence in his judgment, as if he had already imagined all possible futures.
"Hehehe."
Roenn nodded while laughing softly.
"I think the same. If Raon had risen to the direct family today, his achievement of reaching Grandmaster would have been overshadowed by his closeness to Alice."
He laughed, saying it would be better for Raon to rise to the direct family through the battle with the Axe King.
"Moreover..."
Glenn gnashed his molars and raised a sharp gaze.
"The first word that child should call when he becomes part of the direct family is not aunt, but grandfather! I absolutely cannot stand to hear the word aunt come out first!"
He glared at the space where Alice had been standing, saying this was something he absolutely couldn't compromise on.
"Haa..."
Rimmer shook his head with his eyes closed.
"You should really show that side of yourself in front of others. Then it would all be over!"
He shook his head, saying it was a pity.
"Hehehe."
This time, Roenn laughed softly as if agreeing with Rimmer's words.
"What are you going to do?"
Glenn furrowed his brow and threw a glance at Rimmer.
"Well..."
Rimmer clicked his tongue and scratched his head vigorously.
"I'm not sure yet. What I should do..."
He shook his head as if he still couldn't make a decision.
"But there's something more important than that."
"What is it?"
"How much pension and retirement pay will I get? I need to know that to make a decision..."
As Rimmer was speaking with a grin, Glenn raised his finger.
Crackle!
Lightning fiercely blazed above Rimmer's head.
"No, I was just kidding! It was a joke!"
"Haa..."
Glenn couldn't bring himself to beat up the injured Rimmer, so he just frowned and erased the lightning.
"For now, I'm planning to visit my hometown."
"Hometown?"
"Yes. I need to return this sword now too."
Rimmer tapped the sword at his waist.
"I see."
Glenn nodded calmly. It seemed he would accept whatever choice Rimmer made.
"Very well. Go and get some fresh air."
After saying that, he stood up from the throne and went down from the platform.
"Where are you going?"
To Rimmer's question, Glenn shook his head calmly.
"To where I need to go."
* * *
"...That's what happened."
Raon returned to the annex building and told Sylvia everything that had transpired.
"I see."
Sylvia let out a low sigh as she looked at Raon.
"What do you think?"
"You said Rector could have caught you but let you go, right?"
"It seems so."
"Then it's likely he did have something to tell you."
She nodded calmly while maintaining a composed expression.
"I told you before. It seems that person has a connection to your father."
"You did say that."
"He might have come all the way there because he knows about your relationship with your father. Maybe it was a warning to be careful in the future?"
"A warning..."
Indeed, thanks to Rector, he had learned that the Holy Sword Alliance, Black Tower, and White Blood Religion were allied, and realized that all three were targeting him.
"But this is just my positive interpretation. Be careful, as we don't know what the reality is."
"Of course."
Raon nodded as he held Sylvia's hand.
"You've worked hard. Go and rest now."
Sylvia waved her hand with a smile, even though her expression showed fatigue.
"You rest too, Mother."
Raon bowed to Sylvia and left her room. He returned to his own room and slumped down on the floor.
"Haa..."
I'm tired.
He still couldn't sort out his feelings because of Rector's matter.
If it had been a clear betrayal, he would have pulled himself together, but because he didn't know Rector's intentions, he couldn't carelessly make up his mind.
-Hmm...
Wrath furrowed his brow as he looked at Raon, who was deep in thought.
-Even this king, who is full of humanity, doesn't understand this well.
He clicked his tongue, saying humans are truly complicated.
"I know, right."
Raon exhaled a sigh without getting up from the floor, not moving to the bed.
"Human relationships are really complicated."
Just as he was letting out a short complaint, a large shadow rose in the window.
When he raised his gaze, Glenn was gesturing for him to come out, showing a stern expression.
"Huk..."
Raon quickly got up and went outside immediately.
'Is he going to give additional rewards that he couldn't give in the audience chamber?'
Glenn had often come at night to give additional rewards, saying the ones given in the Lord's Manor were insufficient. It seemed he had come with that intention this time as well.
However, what was needed now was not material rewards but peace of mind, so he didn't feel much expectation even as he followed Glenn.
When he approached the lake of the annex building with somewhat listless steps, Glenn turned around. He nodded gently as he looked this way.
"It must have been hard."