Raon lay on the ground, gazing at the stars for a while before sitting up.
Though he had expended most of his stamina and aura exchanging blows with Glenn, strangely his mind felt clearer than ever.
'This feels good.'
The knot that had been pressing on his chest was completely gone. It felt like he had returned to the time before meeting Rector at House Lakion, and a smile involuntarily formed on his face.
-Really?
Wrath bounced up like a firework and thrust his face close.
'What?'
-Did you really start feeling better?
'I did, but why so suddenly?'
-Then this king has something to tell you!
A solemn light settled in his sea-colored eyes.
'Something to tell me...'
Raon swallowed hard as he looked at Wrath's serious expression. He felt a bit nervous seeing the cotton candy suddenly put on such a grave face.
'Go ahead.'
-You...
Wrath raised his round fist and furrowed his brow.
-You still haven't kept your promise to buy this king ice cream as soon as we arrived at the house!
'....'
The heat drained from Raon's red eyes, leaving them cold as ice.
'Oh brother...'
-What's with that look! You promised, didn't you?!
'I did. I did, but why bring that up now? And with such a serious act. You glutton!'
-G-glutton?
Wrath raised his chin, his lips trembling.
-How dare you call the ruler of the demon realm a glutton! This king has been waiting only for that promise!
He let out an indignant shout.
'You've been waiting?'
Raon narrowed his eyes at Wrath, whose face had turned red like a strawberry cotton candy.
'You've been holding back this whole time?'
Come to think of it, Wrath had only brought up the ice cream after asking if Raon was feeling better just now.
'I guess in the past he would have thrown a tantrum demanding ice cream right away.'
Wrath hadn't mentioned ice cream at all since meeting Rector. It seemed he had been considerate of Raon's emotional state.
'Is Wrath changing too?'
It wasn't just relationships with people that time and connections transformed. His relationship with Wrath was gradually changing as well.
"Alright."
Raon chuckled as he stood up. He nodded while brushing the dust off his clothes.
"Let's go tomorrow."
-Huh...?
Wrath's eyes widened like a startled rabbit at those words.
'Why are you surprised? You're the one who said to go.'
-Since when does a contrary brat like you listen so readily?
'I have to once in a while.'
-So you're finally coming to your senses! Well thought! From now on, if you keep listening well, this king will make you his subordinate!
'No thanks.'
Raon waved his hand lightly and returned to the annex building.
As he was trying to quietly enter through the back door attached to the kitchen due to the late hour, he sensed someone's presence in the darkness.
"Oh! Mr. Handsome!"
It was Ensia, revealing her identity with a single word. She bowed her head slightly with bread in her mouth. It seemed she had come out because she got hungry while researching.
"When did you arrive, Mr. Handsome?"
Now he wasn't even Handsome Raon anymore, just Handsome. His name itself had disappeared.
"I arrived today. Just a few hours ago."
"Aaaah! I was researching and didn't even realize you'd arrived! Stupid me!"
Ensia struck her forehead against the table in frustration.
"To think I missed the chance to see Lord Raon by several hours! I should die!"
"P-please stop."
Raon swallowed hard and grabbed Ensia's shoulders. Every time they met, he felt she was truly a difficult person to handle.
"But..."
Ensia blinked, looking up at him with bread still in her mouth. She didn't seem to notice the trickle of blood running down her forehead as she stared only at Raon.
"Did you dye your hair, Lord Raon?"
"No."
"Your blonde hair seems a bit darker."
She muttered that she was certain as she pulled out a thick booklet from her chest. When she opened it, there were photos of Raon arranged by date.
"Ugh."
Raon's lips trembled as he saw the countless photos of himself.
'This is a bit scary...'
He felt a chill run down his spine, not having realized she had taken so many photos.
-S-she's turning into that madwoman! The seed of obsession is sprouting right now!
Wrath turned his head away, saying the seed was about to germinate.
"You're right! Your hair color has gotten darker!"
Ensia held out a photo from before he left on his mission, telling him to look.
"...Is that so?"
He just nodded, honestly unable to tell the difference.
"What's going on? For his blonde hair to suddenly darken, does that mean he's becoming even more handsome? If he gets any more handsome from here, he'll transcend humanity!"
Ensia grinned, saying she had found a new topic.
Raon smacked his lips as he watched Ensia get lost in her own world.
'I was going to tell her tomorrow, but I suppose this works out.'
He approached Ensia and bowed his head.
"There's something I'd like to ask of you, Lady Ensia."
"Just say the word!"
She shouted for him to just ask, without even inquiring what the favor was.
"Do you know what this is?"
Raon took out the artificial arm artifact that Cloud had been wearing.
"Hmm..."
For the first time, Ensia's gaze left Raon.
"It's an artifact that can be used as a prosthetic arm. Not an ancient item, but made recently."
"Recently?"
"Yes. The construction method and materials are modern. It seems to have been made by quite a skilled craftsman."
She smiled, saying the person who made the arm was likely someone well-known.
"Then could you make this artifact to fit someone else?"
"It's possible. But it won't be easy."
Ensia clicked her tongue, not taking her eyes off the artificial arm.
"What do you mean it won't be easy?"
"It can't be used in this state. The design puts too much strain on the wearer, so the blueprint will need to be completely redone."
She frowned, saying it was made not to be usable for long from the start.
"Plus, since it needs to touch the arm, natural materials are required. It will take some time to procure them..."
Despite saying the materials would be difficult to obtain, Ensia's eyes sparkled with interest in this task.
"But who is this for?"
"It's for Lord Rimmer."
"What?"
Ensia's eyes widened.
"Some things happened during the mission."
"...I see."
She nodded without asking further.
"I'll need to meet with Lord Rimmer first to determine the details."
"Understood."
"Then I'll take this to examine."
Ensia entered her room without even taking her half-eaten bread, all her attention focused on the artificial arm.
'Impressive.'
Though she could be playful and often used that strange "handsome" term, Ensia was more serious than anyone when it came to her work. She was someone with many admirable qualities in various ways.
Raon returned to his room after tidying up the somewhat messy kitchen.
Knock knock knock.
As he was preparing clothes to wash up, three knocks sounded at the door.
"Come in."
He told them to enter right away, since only one person knocked three times.
Judiel carefully opened the door and entered, bowing her head.
"Nothing unusual happened?"
"There have been no special incidents so far."
"Then something just came up?"
"Yes. We received a communication from the True Martial Palace a short while ago."
"It must be about me."
Raon nodded with a slight smile.
"That's right. However, there was one other request."
Judiel shook her head briefly.
"Another request?"
"They instructed us to report even trivial information we learn about the Wise Martial Palace."
"The Wise Martial Palace..."
Raon furrowed his brow, lowering his head.
"The Wise Martial Palace is where Denier Zieghart is the palace master, right?"
"That's correct."
"Why are they suddenly asking to investigate that place?"
Karoon had left the audience chamber with a chillingly cold gaze. I couldn't understand why he was suddenly gathering information on the Wise Martial Palace.
'Denier Zieghart...'
Denier had never caused problems or made strange statements. Though he didn't specially look after me or Sylvia, he didn't ignore us like the others either.
However, looking into his eyes strangely reminded me of Derus Robert.
"Should I look into what's going on?"
"Yes. But be careful. I think we shouldn't approach this matter rashly."
"Understood. I'll adjust the report about you appropriately as well, Lord Raon."
"Thank you."
"Then please rest."
Judiel bowed her head and rose to leave.
"Wait a moment."
Raon stopped Judiel as she was about to exit.
"Any information about your brother?"
"...Not yet."
Judiel shook her head with a calm expression.
"My lord."
She turned back and bowed her head again.
"I think we can stop investigating my brother now."
"What?"
"Seeing as we haven't found him even with the help of the black market, it may already be too late."
Judiel continued speaking with an expression as emotionless as when giving a report.
"The cost has increased significantly, and things seem to be getting complicated, so giving up here might be..."
"Are you serious?"
Raon stared into Judiel's sunken eyes as he asked.
"..."
Judiel remained silent, only her fingertips trembling.
"To be honest, in the past I thought I had to find your brother because you came under me. It was just a condition for accepting you, without any emotion. But now..."
Raon smiled faintly as he watched Judiel's eyelids begin to quiver.
"Now I sincerely hope you can meet your brother."
It wasn't a lie.
As he came to understand what connections like family, teachers, and friends meant, the value of his promise to Judiel had changed as well. Now he wanted to find her brother by any means necessary.
"Don't give up first."
Raon gripped Judiel's shoulders. Though he didn't apply much force, he wanted to convey the sincerity of his warmth.
"Yes..."
Judiel bowed her head, her shoulders shaking. It seemed to be the first time she had shown emotion since entering this room.
"Thank you."
Judiel bowed in gratitude and left the room without raising her lowered head.
-You're becoming a bit more human-like too.
Wrath nodded, looking both annoyed yet somewhat proud.
'I was human to begin with.'
-You may have looked human on the outside, but inside you were more wicked than a demon!
'I suppose I wasn't very human-like before.'
As Wrath said, at first he hadn't been able to shed the shadow of his life as an assassin.
But meeting many people was causing the shadow of his past life to fade.
'I'll change even more from now on.'
-Shall this king tell you a way to become even more human-like?
'Is there such a thing?'
-Nothing is impossible in this world.
Wrath grinned smugly, raising his chin.
'What is it?'
-Promises!
'Promises?'
-That's right. Keeping promises is what makes one truly human. In other words! If you bring this king ice cream right now... Oof!
Raon kicked Wrath away and let out a sigh.
'I'm really sick of this...'
* * *
Raon leaned against the wall of the annex building, taking a bite of mint chocolate ice cream.
-Mmmmmm!
Wrath let out an ecstatic moan, his chubby cheeks trembling as if the cotton candy was melting.
-This is happiness, this is living! This king will start an ice cream shop as soon as he returns to the demon realm!
He clenched his fist, saying he would open 1,000 stores across the demon realm.
'Do whatever you want...'
Raon set down the empty ice cream container and turned his gaze to the right where Ensia and Rimmer were.
"Hmmmm..."
Ensia let out a groan as if she had a toothache as she stared at Rimmer.
He had brought Rimmer along since she said she needed to see the subject directly to make the artificial arm, but she was looking at his face rather than his arm.
"He is handsome, but it's a bit ambiguous."
"W-what is?"
Rimmer blinked with a sour expression.
"Lord Raon has become even more handsome, so looking at an elf doesn't really move me anymore."
Ensia smacked her lips briefly, saying his face had lost some of its luster.
"What nonsense!"
Rimmer jumped up, unable to contain himself.
"How can I, the greatest beauty of the Yuha Branch Tribe, be lacking?! No! I've even been called the greatest beauty in all of Sepia!"
He shook his head, saying there was no elf more handsome than himself.
"Lord Raon is number one on the continent, so even if the top elf came, it wouldn't work."
Ensia waved her finger, saying they couldn't even be placed on the same level.
"Plus, long hair isn't my style."
"T-the magnificence of long hair! How pitiful that you don't understand it!"
Rimmer forced a smile, cold sweat breaking out.
"What magnificence? I can see you just didn't cut it because it's bothersome."
"Urk..."
He trembled, touching his split ends.
-What in the world are they talking about?
'I don't know either.'
Raon shook his head. He had brought Rimmer to have his arm examined, but for some reason they were suddenly critiquing appearances.
Plus, it was embarrassing having his name come up in between.
"Hey."
Raon sighed and approached Ensia and Rimmer.
"Hey Raon, she's crazy! She was weird before, but she's gotten even weirder!"
Rimmer shook his head vigorously, saying Ensia seemed to have completely lost it.
"Lord Raon, he passes for now."
"Passes for now?"
"Yes. Though his looks are a bit ambiguous, I'll do it since he's acquainted with you, Lord Raon."
"Hey!"
Rimmer leapt up with a shriek.
"Ambiguous looks?! I've never heard such words in my life!"
"Anyone would become ambiguous in front of Lord Raon. Don't worry."
"You damned Raon-fanatic..."
"Oh my, thank you for the compliment."
"It wasn't a compliment!"
Neither the elf boasting of his looks nor Ensia evaluating his appearance as ambiguous seemed normal.
"Um, weren't we supposed to be looking at his arm? Why are you looking at his shoulder instead..."
"When doing this kind of work, inspiration is important. Lord Rimmer's face is just on the borderline, so..."
"B-borderline..."
Rimmer collapsed to the floor, looking truly shocked.
"My face is borderline level?"
He trembled, despair in his eyes as if he had been quite confident in his looks until now.
"Didn't you immediately help when my mother asked?"
Raon approached Ensia, who was fiddling with the artificial arm.
"They're both super beauties and super handsome! There's no need to even ask!"
Ensia shook her head, saying for supreme beauties, you should drop everything to help.
"Hmm, I see. Anyway, you can do it, right?"
Feeling the conversation was veering into a maze, he quickly got to the point.
"Yes! Though he's ambiguous, I'll do it for Lord Raon's sake!"
Ensia nodded, killing Rimmer once more.
"Urgh..."
Rimmer now lay sprawled on the floor. His complexion had turned pale as paper.
-How disappointing! That beauty-obsessed wench should have seen this king's face!
Wrath furrowed his brow, saying he wanted to have a battle of looks.
-With this king's looks, we could have humiliated even you!
'I don't understand why that upsets you.. .'
Raon shook his head and approached Rimmer.
"Are you alright?"
"This is the first time I've faced such humiliation..."
Rimmer trembled, grasping at the dirt.
"I've never lost when it comes to looks before!"
He ground his teeth, truly seeming upset.
"Don't worry about things like that..."
"Oh! Stay right there!"
As Raon was about to comfort Rimmer, Ensia raised her camera.
Click!
She took a photo of Raon and Rimmer and smiled brightly.
"Wow, the handsome one looks even more handsome next to the mediocre one! Is this the contrast effect?"
Ensia handed one of the two photos that came out to Raon.
"Hmm..."
Raon scratched his chin as he looked at the photo of him and Rimmer. Perhaps because she kept calling him handsome, Rimmer did look a bit deflated in comparison.
"Ah..."
Rimmer lifted his head with difficulty to look at the photo, then went limp like a jellyfish.
"I want to die. It hurts more than when my arm was severed. I should have died then!"
He closed his eyes, saying he couldn't even refute it.
"My right arm is gone so it's hard to wipe my backside, they won't give me a pension or retirement money, and now I'm ugly on top of it..."
"D-division leader, cheer up."
Raon approached Rimmer and massaged his shoulders. Normally he would have ignored him, but he looked so serious that he tried comforting him first.
"Should I lend you some money? Or if there's anything you want to eat, just say the word."
As soon as he finished speaking, Rimmer's left hand tightly gripped Raon's wrist.
"You just said to say the word, right?"
Rimmer grinned as he stood up.
"Huh...?"
"Then let's go on a trip together. With you covering the travel expenses, of course."
"What? Where are we suddenly..."
It was shocking that he was concerned about travel expenses in this situation, but there was something else he needed to ask first.
"The sacred land of the remaining elves on the continent. Sepia."
He waved his hand with a smirk.
"There's something there that you'll like."