“Help me! I’ll do anything! please!”
Palen cried, rubbing his palms together like a fly.
“The servants are nice too. Slaves are good too! “Please just let me stay by your side!”
Mark Goeton hit his head on the floor and shouted in a serious voice.
-Umm… .
Lars scratched his chin and ate his appetite.
-I’m saying this because I don’t understand, what did you do to those two?
‘I didn’t do anything except hitting you yesterday.’
Even Palen wasn’t defeated. Because I passed out on my own.
Raon knelt down and lowered his eyebrows slightly as he looked at Rain Palen and Mark Gotten.
-But why is it like that?
‘I don’t know either.’
-Aren’t they trying to catch you off guard and hit you in the head?
‘It may be possible, but the likelihood is low.’
The Palen we’ve seen so far is a woman whose pride is stronger than her abilities. She wasn’t the type of person to get down on her knees and beg, even if he was planning to hit her.
‘and… .’
Raon looked at Palen’s face and frowned.
‘It’s a face of horror.’
After I fainted and woke up, I felt like I had experienced something very scary. Otherwise, it would be impossible to create an expression like that.
“Both of you, please come in.”
Raon retraced his steps and returned to the room.
“Thank you!”
“thank you!”
Palen and Mark Goeten crawled into the room on their knees.
“her… ”
Raon sighed, closed the door, and sat down on the bed.
“Please stand up and sit down.”
He brought out a chair and motioned for the two people to sit down.
“Gwae, it’s okay.”
“I’m comfortable with this too.”
Palen and Mark Goeten did not stand up, but knelt down and shook their heads.
“how… .”
Raon touched his temple as he looked at the two people’s eyes, which had sunken into different colors.
‘I don’t understand.’
-I don’t understand you either.
‘what?’
-Why are you suddenly using polite language? Just yesterday, he was spitting out informal language.
Lars looked at us and wrinkled his nose.
‘Because they’ll be polite over there.’
-So you also use respectful language? Did you speak informally yesterday?
‘okay.’
– In my king’s opinion, you are not normal either. It’s rotated about 45 degrees.
He floated in the air like cigarette smoke, saying he had no idea it would be this difficult to understand humans.
‘It’s natural that it’s hard for even the same people to understand each other.’
Raon closed his eyes for a moment, opened them, and looked at Mark. The eyes, which were filled with emptiness and despair, were filled with a small, subtle glow.
‘It would be easier to talk this way.’
I thought it would be better to talk to Mark Gotten first rather than to Palen, who was overcome with fear.
“Mark Gotten.”
“yes!”
“What do you mean, asking to be accepted as a servant?”
“It is exactly what it says.”
Mark Goeten pounded his left chest, where his heart is, with his fist.
“I want to follow you, even if it means becoming a servant! “Please let me serve you as my lord!”
There was a strength in his voice that made it hard to believe it was someone I saw yesterday.
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
Raon sighed briefly and leaned his arms on his knees. He was so dumbfounded that his body lost strength.
“If you’re trying to stand behind my back for revenge, you’ve got the wrong address. “I don’t trust you.”
“That’s not it.”
“Then I’m from Sieghardt… .”
“Not even that! “When I woke up, I didn’t know you were Raon Sieghardt.”
Mark Goeten shook his head furiously.
“When I woke up after fainting, it was my heart that hurt more than my jaw being hit or the cut. The words you said before hitting my chin turned into an awl and pierced my heart.”
He tapped his left chest again.
“What Raon said is correct. “When I was young, I was so intoxicated by my talent that I neglected my efforts, and as I got older, I thought it was already too late, so I put off training and only practiced what I wanted to do.”
Mark Goeton pressed his closed fists on the floor.
“I am trying. “I consoled myself by saying I was working hard and wielded the Tao, but I had no basics, no instinct, and no will.”
“hmm… .”
His face turned red as if he was embarrassed, but he continued speaking.
“Thanks to Raon, I came to my senses late. If you accept it, I will become your slave. “I want to take advantage of this last opportunity by helping out.”
After speaking, he hit his head on the floor. He hit so hard that the room rang.
‘It seems sincere, but… .’
Raon rubbed the back of his neck and gave Lars a look.
‘How did you see it?’
-Didn’t the eyes, which were distorted as if they had taken drugs, become straight as if they had been ironed? It means it’s sincere.
‘What if you were brainwashed?’
-That kind of brainwashing is impossible in just one day. There was no scent of magical power left. But I can’t be sure. Because they may have used an artifact.
As Lars said, it seems sincere, but I can’t be sure.
It is a good opportunity to take on a lower-level Master as a subordinate, but you should not make this decision rashly as you may get an upset stomach after eating it.
“I know why you came, but I can’t trust you unconditionally.”
“I understand.”
Mark Goeton bowed his head. The woman I saw yesterday seemed to have swapped spirits with him. It had changed so much that I couldn’t trust it.
“I’ll think about it, so please go back.”
“All right.”
Mark Goeton nodded and headed toward the door. He crawled on his knees like he did when he came in.
“Take a walk!”
“yep!”
Only after telling him to walk did he get up and go outside.
“Whoa… .”
Raon shook his head and looked at Palen. She was still biting her dry lips like someone frightened.
“Palen Sepia. “Why did you come?”
“Yo, I came to ask for forgiveness.”
“What forgiveness?”
“Yesterday, I behaved arrogantly without even knowing the topic… .”
Palen paused for a moment and swallowed dry saliva. Looking at her eyes shaking rapidly, she seemed to be worried, but eventually her mouth opened again. It seemed like she couldn’t overcome her fear of something.
“All about the attempt to assassinate you… .”
“assassination?”
Raon’s chin trembled.
‘what?’
What are you thinking?
I expected that Palen would hire an assassination group, but I never dreamed that he would reveal that he was trying to assassinate me. For him, bringing up the story of the assassination was no different from revealing his true intentions.
“You were trying to assassinate me?”
“yes yes… .”
Palen lowered his eyes and nodded. My eyes were full of tears.
“Why did you reveal that? “If you were hiding it, you wouldn’t have known?”
“Lord, because I don’t want to die.”
“You don’t want to die?”
“yes. Well, if I don’t tell you the truth, I’ll die. No, it’s a pain worse than death… .”
“Who is going to kill you?”
“Who, there’s a cross in your eye…” “Who is it?”
Palen looked up into space with dazed eyes.
‘Who was that?’
I felt such fear and pain that I wanted to bite my tongue and die, but all I remember is the red cross in my eye.
The hairs on my entire body stood up from a feeling of extreme horror.
But one thing is certain.
What I felt all night was not a dream. If you don’t reveal the whole truth to Ra-on and ask for forgiveness, you may end up feeling that fear and pain for the rest of your life.
“Well, that’s not important! please! Please forgive me!”
Palen said it didn’t matter and asked for forgiveness again, putting his head down and rubbing his hands together.
“hmm… .”
Raon looked at Palen and slightly lifted his chin.
-It stinks.
‘okay.’
Unlike Mark Goeten, who seemed to realize it on his own, there seemed to be external intervention in Palen.
‘Maybe about two… .’
There were two places where this was expected to have occurred.
Did he receive pressure from the assassination group he was trying to commission? Or… The second time, I honestly didn’t want to imagine it.
“Where were you going to put the assassination request?”
“Huh, it’s a place called Heuksa.”
“Black Death… .”
Raon’s eyes hardened when he heard the word black death.
‘This is where this name comes from?’
Black Death was one of the external names used by Shadow, an assassination group raised in the shadows by Derus.
‘What a rat.’
Tried to intervene here too.
It seemed like Derus was trying to step into the Sepia Company’s successor battle as well.
From Liaonan to the North, to Sepia. He was reaching out to the entire continent.
“Oh, the request hasn’t been accepted yet! Because I told you to just check the connection. Cancel immediately… .”
“no.”
Raon slowly shook his head to stop Palen.
“Execute that request.”
“yes. yes?”
Palen lifted his head in horror. He must have been so surprised that his pupils bulged as if they were about to explode.
“You probably tried to assassinate Dorian and the other brothers too, right?”
“Well, that…” .”
“Cancel the rest, just leave me and Dorian alone.”
“Why on earth would you do that… .”
“You don’t need to know that.”
Raon stood up and approached Palen. She held her chin and made eye contact with her.
“You said you would do anything, right?”
“ah… .”
Palen’s lips trembled. When I saw the red eyes burning redder than the sun, the fear that had oppressed me last night came back to life.
No, cold sweat rolled down my entire body from the chills that felt as if the darkness was pressing down on my entire body.
“I look forward to it.”
“yes… .”
All I could do was nod my head as the words were like wearing a slave leash.
* * *
Raon sent Palen away, who was scared, and headed to the training ground where they had sparred yesterday. Because it was breakfast time, there was no one there.
-Look, the king doesn’t want to go! Go alone!
Lars seemed to know who he was going to meet and whined, clutching the gym door.
‘I don’t want to go either, but I have no choice.’
In order to understand this matter clearly, I had to go see the person.
Raon went under the tree where he had felt a small presence yesterday and performed a miracle. He stopped the sound from escaping and then raised his gaze.
“You know?”
“huh!”
A flying squirrel jumped out from a branch hidden by leaves, accompanied by a bright, sonorous voice.
-Quaaaagh!
Lars screamed as he saw Merlin in the form of a flying squirrel.
– Madwoman! She was a madwoman after all!
The guy’s lips trembled, saying he didn’t know the difference from ordinary animals.
“You did it, right?”
“huh!”
It was a ridiculously cheerful answer, as if he had no intention of deceiving.
“Haaa… .”
Raon placed his hand on his forehead and let out a long sigh.
‘It was Merlin, after all.’
The predictions that came to mind when I saw the flying squirrel I saw in passing yesterday and the frightened Palen today were exactly right.
“don’t worry. I adjusted it so that no harm would come to you. “If something happens, no one will know that I intervened.”
Merlin wiggled his hands and twisted his body from side to side. Listening to her now, her voice sounded more subdued than usual, as if she were tired.
‘Did you feel any sign of Merlin yesterday?’
-There is none! If I had, I would have woken you up right away and told you to run away!
Lars was truly a madwoman and hid behind her shoulder.
“How did you get in here?”
“Who can keep a cute squirrel in check?”
Merlin rubbed his head and laughed. She feels it every time, but she seems to be very good at expressing facial expressions in her animal state.
“Even so far as this place, there is boundary magic in the mansion.”
There are several border spells on the headquarters building. I don’t know how I got through the border, which gets thicker at night.
“I knew you were coming here, and I figured out your route in advance. “The bigger the building, the more holes it has.”
“Chaff, path… .”
Raon touched his temple with his finger. It sounded so scary that he had figured out the route in advance.
“Even if there is a hole, boundary magic… .”
“What border magic captures is the mana sleeping deep inside the target’s body. Because only a very small amount of mana exists in this child’s body. “I can’t get caught.”
Merlin continued speaking softly, like a teacher teaching a child.
“Then how did you instill fear in Palen?”
Since I heard about Merlin’s magic from Lars yesterday, I still have questions.
“I cast the spell like this.”
-It’s impossible!
Lars jumped up onto his shoulder and shook his head wildly.
-As you said a little while ago, how can you use magic when you have little mana?
It’s as they say. She went out of bounds due to low mana, but I didn’t understand how she used magic.
“Hey. here.”
Merlin pointed to the flying squirrel’s chest.
“S-No way… .”
“okay. vitality. I put my life force into all the children I controlled, but I used it without taking it back. You are very interested in my work. “Do you feel good?”
When I heard Merlin’s laughter along with those words, the hair on my entire body stood up with chills. She looked at her las, her lips quivering.
-Yes, it is possible. Replacing vitality with mana is not a martial arts specialty. But the vitality… .
‘It’s lifespan.’
I feel like my heart is being squeezed.
Just as Matio, who fought before coming here, raised his aura with his life force, a wizard can create high-purity mana with his life force.
It seemed like that crazy woman did this by cutting her own lifespan.
“Are you really crazy?”
Raon shouted, holding his head with his hands.
“oh! “Are you worried about me?”
Merlin jumped from the tree. She flew lightly and landed on her own shaking hands.
“happy… .”
Her cheeks turned red as she touched her fingers with the little flying squirrel hands.
“don’t worry. “Because I can melt everything for you.”
“That’s it. “How much has your lifespan been cut off?”
“Not long. “Thanks to you for breaking the wall of that child’s mind, he entered the country bloodlessly.”
Merlin waved his hand, saying less than a month.
“Don’t do anything like that in the future. “I may need your help, but I cannot allow you to shorten my life.”
It’s not because I like Merlin. This was because she felt that if she continued to use her like this, she might end up like Derus, who had played with her in her past life.
Even if Merlin did it himself, he didn’t want to do something similar to Derus.
“Now you think of me.”
Merlin smiled happily, half-moon-like in his eyes.
“If you say so, I have to follow it, okay…” .”
She nodded with a deep smile.
“driving me crazy.”
Raon looked up at the sky and sighed.
-No, I can’t understand. It’s already made two rounds… .
Lars just stuck out his shaking eyes as if he was feeling scared.
“What did you do to Mark Goeten?”
“You didn’t do anything to her?”
“what?”
“I didn’t have time.”
Merlin shrugged, saying it was true.
‘Then that one… .’
Was it real?
It seemed like he truly wanted to follow me.
“Did I help you?”
Merlin grinned, putting his hands on his hips.
“… … .”
Raon looked at Merlin and lowered his eyes.
‘It helped.’
I cut off Palen before he could use his tricks, and I had a chance to reduce the shadow’s power, which was a great help. However, it was definitely not something that would be done at the expense of one’s lifespan.
“okay. But there was no need for you to step forward like this. “Don’t ever do something like this again.”
“huh. however… .”
“What is it this time?”
“Because you worry about me. I’m so excited I’m losing connection. “I guess I overdid it a bit yesterday.”
The blush on Merlin’s face deepened, and his voice began to crack.
“This kid went through quite a bit. therefore… .”
“I knew it. What is it this time?”
Raon smiled and looked at the flying squirrel. He was confident this time because he had brought a variety of food into the subspace pouch.
“They say they want to eat bird eggs and rotten meat.”
“… … .”
“Did you hear? Bird eggs and rotten meat. “I especially hate eggs.”
“Do squirrels eat that stuff?”
“Squirrels are omnivores, and their preferences change depending on the season. “Then I will ask you to take care of me.”
She left those words and disappeared. The wetness in the squirrel’s eyes disappeared in an instant.
“Squeak!”
The flying squirrel quickly stretched out its hand as if asking for food.
“Oh, um, uh… .”
Raon looked into the subspace pocket. Of course, there were no eggs or rotten meat.
“Wow, you have a unique taste.”
“Quick!”
The flying squirrel was noisy and tapped its palm as if asking for something quickly.
“So eh… .”
“Lord Budan!”
While I was wondering what to do, the gym door opened and Dorian came in.
“Your father invited you to dinner today! I guess the test you mentioned before… .”
“That’s not important right now.”
Raon shook his head and gestured to Dorian.
“Do you have any bird eggs? “A small one?”
“Can you give me that guy?”
Dorian put his hand into his stomach pocket, looking at the flying squirrel in his palm. After a while, two cute little bird eggs were caught in his hands.
“Squeak!”
I loved the flying squirrel jumping around on my palm.
“Is there any rotten meat… .”
“They say they eat that too? “It’s unique.”
Dorian laughed as he looked at the flying squirrel.
“Well, I guess you wouldn’t carry something like that around.”
Raon nodded. It’s natural. No matter how much space there is, who would carry rotten meat around?
“What kind of carrion do you need? cow? pig? chicken? “There’s even a duck.”
Dorian took out one row of plastic-wrapped meats from his stomach bag.
“There is this?”
“Of course there is. “It’s a necessity.”
“Why is that… .”
-driving me crazy… .
Lars looked back and forth between Dorian and the flying squirrel and shook his head.
-Why do you carry rotten meat with you?
The guy grabbed his head and screamed.
-Why are there so many crazy people in this day and age?
* * *
Raon and Dorian attended a dinner party invited by Addis. Even though we arrived 20 minutes before our appointment time, most of the long rectangular tables were occupied.
‘Are they the subordinates of the successor candidates?’
Just as he had followed Dorian, one or two subordinates were taking their seats next to the other successor candidates. Looking at their bright eyes, they all seemed to be having fun.
“The man at the end over there is my eldest brother.”
Dorian took a step to the side and whispered.
Sitting on the right side of the head table was a handsome middle-aged man who looked like he was from the Beast Tribe. He neatly trimmed his beard and hair, giving him a cool-headed look without looking dull despite his size.
‘Of course they know that side.’
Jeser Sepia.
Palen and Dialun did not know any martial arts or magic, but Jesser was a famous person not only in the merchant world but also in the martial arts community. Although he was not a brilliant genius, he was an unusual case in that he became a master by spending money.
‘I said there’s no elixir I haven’t tried.’
I heard that the wife of Addis raised her very carefully, so there was no elixir that Jesser had not tried, and that she received martial arts lessons from a master-level expert every time. Perhaps that was why the energy felt in his body was enormous.
“… … .”
Jesser glanced in this direction and turned his head as if he was not interested.
‘It’s just as Dorian said.’
Unlike Palen and Dialun, who harassed him, Jesser completely ignored their existence. Seeing how he treated his younger brother when he returned after 9 years, it seemed like he still didn’t consider him family.
‘but… .’
The skills are real.
Not only his personal power, but also his power and funds will be incomparable to others. He was the highest ranking and most dangerous person in the competition for successor.
“Uh, welcome.”
Palen stood up and bowed his head. The expression on his face was extremely awkward.
“You came as expected. welcome.”
Contrary to his words of welcome, Dialun lowered his head with bitterly cold eyes.
“Oh, hello.”
Dorian stood in the center of the table and bowed his head.
“… … .”
“okay.”
“Yes… .”
Jesser didn’t react at all, Dialun nodded slightly, and Palen’s shoulders trembled.
“Let’s go.”
Raon sat at the end of the table, guided by Dorian.
“Whoa… .”
Dorian wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed.
“I’m a little nervous.”
“It’ll be okay.”
Raon chuckled and leaned back in his chair.
-The scent of top-class dishes is vibrating!
Lars smelled food coming from somewhere and stuck out his tongue like a puppy.
-Tell them to hurry up! It seems like there is land, sea and air!
‘It will come out on its own. ‘Stay still.’
The restaurant door opened wide as Raon pressed Lars’ head and forced it into the bracelet.
Coo!
Addis Sepia and his five caravans came in. Even though he had not studied martial arts, his presence was so huge that it seemed as if he could reach the ceiling.
Crash!
Everyone sitting at the table stood up and bowed to Addis.
“Meet the Lord of the Chamber of Commerce!”
“Thank you for accepting the invitation. “Sit down.”
Addis sat at the head of the table with a restrained posture and nodded.
“yes.”
“thank you!”
The successor candidates and their subordinates were all seated.
match!
As Addis clapped his hand, the restaurant door opened again and the employees came inside, carrying steaming dishes.
-Oh oh!
Lars took a deep breath and laughed.
-It looks like you want to start by eating first!
‘I see.’
Watching him sing about food first, it seemed like he was trying to eat first and then get to the point.
-After all, it is a choice worthy of the father of his subordinate!
Lars’ eyes filled with desire shined as he looked at the dishes being placed on the table.
-First, eat the truffle soup over there. After warming up my stomach with some warm soup, I start a proper battle… .
“I’ll explain why I called everyone while the food is being served.”
As Lars happily decided on the order of dishes to eat, Addis’ low voice rang through the restaurant.
“I plan to give you all a test.”
Silence descended on the restaurant, which had been slightly buzzing at the chillingly calm voice.
‘In this situation?’
After alleviating tension, you create a situation where you have no choice but to become tense again. After all, you are not an ordinary person.
‘That’s fun.’
Raon looked at Addis with eyes filled with excitement.
-ah… .
Lars shrugged his shoulders like a small octopus and couldn’t take his eyes off the food.
-Well, the rice is getting cold… .
