Raon flicked his fingertips as he ran towards the street where Cheoljeondae was last seen.
‘I told you that the trail suddenly stopped on the road.’
According to the information booklet Chad gave, it was written that Cheoljeondae disappeared after returning from a one-day stay in Roilan Village.
Looking at the situation where Master Supreme Trevin and the entire Iron Squadron disappeared without leaving any trace, it was clear that a special power or artifact was at work.
‘I need to know what it is… .’
There is no answer as of now.
Since Cheoljeondae’s disappearance occurred in the early morning, there was so little information that it was impossible to solve the mystery.
Leon touched his slightly dry lips and frowned.
‘Malyun and Binghyang.’
The two floor owners of the Black Tower investigated by the banquet were demons with the nicknames Ma-ryun and Bing-hyang.
Contrary to its name, horse wheels feature two pairs of wheels that are so pure white that they feel sacred. However, it is said that when he uses more than 50% of his magic energy, the color of the wheel changes to a gum-gum light like the deep sea, and it exerts a power that is completely different from before.
On the other hand, as its nickname suggests, Binghyang is said to freely manipulate the energy of the water attribute as if it were her own body. When she unleashes her true power, a scent emerges in the cold air, and there is a strange rumor that anyone who smells the scent will die before walking five steps. There was this.
‘They are both of a higher rank than the black chief.’
The rank of the black tower is determined by which floor it belongs to, and both Malyun and Binghyang were known to use the upper floors above the black water field processed by Raon.
Since both Malyun and Binghyang were demons who had been infamous for a long time, it would not have been that difficult to subdue the Cheoljeondae. Probably, even if only one of the two had come forward, the Iron Squadron would have been annihilated.
‘but… .’
No matter how much Ma-Ryun and Bing-Hyang are involved, it is impossible to make the Cheoljeondae disappear without leaving any trace.
‘One of the two. Or maybe they both gained new abilities.’
Even the elite informants of the Biannual Association could not figure out the method of Cheoljeondae’s disappearance, so they had to gather information as quickly as possible.
‘I guess I should start here.’
Raon used both the ring of fire and the sense of folk tales at the same time.
Wooooow!
The resonating ring of fire and the demon king’s dazzling art interlock like gears. As the internal mana and external mana merged, my body felt like it was floating, and my vision and senses opened several times, like a blind man opening his eyes.
In the spreading feeling, numerous signs are felt.
On the lower side, where the bushes were thick and the river was flowing, I could feel the movement of small wild animals and insects, and on the upper side, which was full of pure white snow, it was quiet as if no one was there, but I could hear the faint breathing of animals hibernating under the ground.
Raon spread his energy even wider and clenched and opened his fists.
‘That’s strange.’
The range has increased compared to before.
The range of my senses has increased by more than 10% compared to just before I returned to the family. After returning, I focused more on sword training rather than auror training, but I don’t know why this phenomenon occurred.
In addition, even though I was using all my energy and footwork with all my might, I didn’t feel the slightest burden. Even if the battle continued like this, it seemed like he would be able to use all his strength.
‘Did you raise not only the level of swordsmanship, but the level itself?’
Glenn and Rektar seemed to have expanded the scope of martial arts beyond simply teaching swordsmanship techniques.
They were not the top prosecutors on the continent for nothing, as they were able to achieve this feat in just one week.
‘but… .’
Even with the increased energy, I can’t seem to catch anything.
Even though the range and sensitivity of the sense of energy increased, I could not feel any magical energy or the scars of battle.
‘Las.’
Raon frowned and tapped the head of Ras, who was riding on his shoulder.
‘Do you feel anything?’
-There is nothing in particular so far. But even if you knew, do you think the King would tell you that?
The guy flicked his tongue with a mocking expression.
‘but. You are that kind of guy.’
Raon furrowed his brows and flicked Ras’s tongue out with his finger.
-Ahh! King Bon’s tongue worth ten million gold coins! God’s tongue!
I left Ras looking for God on the subject of the Demon King and focused my mind on the energy again.
‘Still, I learned something thanks to that guy.’
You’d think Lars didn’t give any hints, but he said he never had before. In other words, he didn’t need to do any research since he boarded the portal.
Raon smiled slightly as he looked at Lars, who was rubbing his thick tongue with tears in his eyes.
‘As expected, Lars gives generously.’
* * *
Raon and Gwangpungdae ran without stopping and arrived at Roilan Village, where Cheoljeondae was last seen.
“Wow, what town is that?”
Marta frowned as she looked at Roilan Village.
“surely. “It’s so inconsistent.”
Burren nodded slightly, agreeing with Marta’s words.
“High and low.”
Runaan tilted her head as she looked alternately between buildings with high roofs and buildings with low roofs.
In fact, it is natural for Gwangpungdae prosecutors to be so surprised.
Roilan was a medium-sized village, neither large nor small, and as it was a place with both northern and central climates, the styles of the buildings located above and below were dramatically different.
The north side was built so high that the roof was sharp to prevent snow from accumulating, while the center, where there was no snow at all, was so dull that it looked flat.
An unfamiliar person would have thought that two villages from different regions had been forcibly merged.
‘It’s unique every time I see it.’
Raon entered Roilan Village, which had not changed at all from when he saw it before.
Perhaps because they knew about the disappearance of the Cheoljeondae and the movements of the Black Tower, a sense of ominousness and busyness coexisted in the village.
“You’re here.”
As I was going to check out the village first, a middle-aged man with black hair wearing a yellow robe with a small bird on the end approached me and bowed his head.
“My name is Lu Zhen, the 8th wing of the non-banquet.”
He muttered in a low voice that he was an outside informant from the non-banquet. His attire and demeanor gave it away, but he had heard that Chad had someone who could help him, so he nodded his head right away.
“My name is Raon Sieghardt, Commander of the Storm Troop.”
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
Lu Zhen nodded with heated eyes as if those words were sincere.
“What was the situation?”
“It won’t be much different from the information you received before.”
He sighed, saying that he had been searching around Roilan Village and its surroundings, but nothing had changed.
“We searched each and every villager and every building, but nothing strange was found.”
“Didn’t the owners of the Black Tower stop by here?”
“yes. “It is said that no one has ever seen the black robe itself.”
The characteristic feature of the Black Tower is the black robe that appears to be wrapped in darkness. Lu Zhen shook her head, saying that the Black Tower was not heard here at all.
“Does that make sense?”
Marta frowned and looked left and right across the village.
“I heard the Black Tower guys came out from around here too!”
“That’s right.”
Luzen nodded without embarrassment, as if he already knew about Marta’s personality.
“Isn’t the place where the iron squadron was last seen not far from here?”
“you’re right.”
“But does it make sense that only the humans in this village don’t know?”
No matter how much she thought about it, Marta said it was strange and rolled her fierce eyes.
“I’m sure one person will know. “Let’s just look for him.”
“How are you going to find it?”
Raon sighed as he watched Marta twitching her fingers.
“What are you asking? Of course I have to beat him up. “There is nothing that cannot be beaten!”
Marta shouted out words she had heard somewhere and asked for permission.
“As expected, it’s amazing.”
Runaan raised her thumbs up as if praising Marta. But he continued speaking while tilting his thumb under the floor.
“It’s a stupid idea that only a naked woman can think of.”
“You slug!”
“joy.”
Marta and Runaan started fighting, kicking each other.
Raon shook his head and closed his eyes. He raised his anger and aroused the sense of the tale to its fullest extent. He felt the sensation of my skin spreading through the air, scratching traces of the iron poles and black towers throughout the village.
‘As expected, there isn’t one.’
As Lu Zhen said, there was no sign of the Iron Squadron or the demon power of the Black Tower. Neither of them left any traces here.
Raon opened his eyes. Marta and Runaan were now competing with each other, holding their palms together.
“stop.”
He raised his palm to separate the two people and shook his head.
“Gathering information by beating people just because you’re in a hurry isn’t a good way. “I don’t think any information will come out just because I’m a fan.”
“uh… ?”
“what?”
When he said those words, the Gwangpungdae swordsmen raised their blank eyes.
‘No, it’s what you do all the time!’
‘He didn’t just do it to the enemies, he did it to us too!’
‘If things don’t work out, think about whether you don’t have enough courage!’
The Gwangpungdae prosecutors gaped as they recalled Raon’s words and actions so far, but Raon paid no attention.
“That’s it. Because I’m going out again. “Get ready.”
Raon gestured to the Gwangpungdae and approached Luzen, who was behind him.
“Could you please guide me to the place where the last traces of the Iron Squadron remain?”
“It’s a little far from here, do you mind?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Then let’s leave right away.”
Lu Zhen nodded, went out of the village, and took the steps. His brute force itself didn’t seem that great, but he was fast and relaxed enough to be considered a master at footwork.
I followed behind him and opened up my senses again as much as possible. I looked at the flow of the wind, the movements of animals and people, and the misaligned energies.
But the forest and the snowy field were all peaceful. In the end, nothing could be found until Lu Zhen stopped walking.
“This is the place.”
Lu Zhen let out a heavy breath and pointed ahead. You can see a small island slightly off the main road of Hopirn.
Above, a frozen lake was pale black, and below, a clear lake was lapping in the sinking sunlight.
A small, narrow road that runs between two starkly contrasting lakes. It was not a steel pole, but a beautiful spectacle that anyone could not help but stop at.
“The last traces of the iron pole were cut off here. however… .”
Lu Zhen stopped explaining and looked away. On the road between the lake and the lake he had pointed to with his finger, prosecutors in gray uniforms appeared.
The eyes are sharp yet firm, like a blade polished by a craftsman, and even the symbol of a burning sword stuck upside down. They were prosecutors from the White Regiment that Glenn had called first.
Due to the tendency of the White Lotus to always be on the outside, this was the first time they had encountered each other like this since the attack on the Eden branch.
Raon took a quick bite while observing the presence of the prosecutors.
‘It’s definitely strong.’
Perhaps because they only repeated battles and missions outside, the White Regiment was stronger and more ferocious than the Cheoljeondae.
‘but… .’
That’s how many people die.
Not everyone can be a hero. Those who survive become stronger, but there are more swordsmen who cannot endure it and die, so it is said that the White Regiment always requests a large number of people. Among the prosecutors I could see now, only one had a familiar face.
“It’s Baekryeondae.”
“I said they would come over there too… .”
“Why do they open their eyes like that? “Are you starting a fight?”
Gwangpungdae also recognized Baekryundae and licked his tongue.
“Gwangpungdan? Why Gwangpungdan?”
“They said they provided additional support for this mission.”
“support? “What are you using them for?”
“And now it’s not Gwangpungdan, it’s Gwangpungdae.”
“Oh, I said I got promoted.”
Baekryundae also recognized Gwangpungdae and narrowed his eyes slightly. I sensed an uneasy temperament in their tone.
‘It’s so useless.’
Raon sighed briefly and approached the White Regiment prosecutors.
“Where is the great lord?”
“Well, where have you been?”
The prosecutor who appeared to be the leader whistled and shook his head intermittently.
Since we didn’t have much time, I didn’t want to start a pointless fight, but it seemed like the Baekryeondae had no intention of doing so. It seemed that the Gwangpungdae had volunteered for this mission to steal the credit from the White Regiment.
“you… .”
“Hey! It’s a dog! ”
As Raon frowned, Ssangyok came out from behind. The main character was, of course, Martha.
“You have no fucking up or down? Can’t you see our unit commander? yes?”
“uh… .”
The chief prosecutor also widened his eyes in surprise, probably not expecting to be suddenly cursed.
“You know that the Gwangpungdae was promoted, but you start a fight over that. “It’s okay.”
Marta glared at the White Regiment swordsmen with fierce eyes shining as if they were about to attack at any moment.
“good job.”
Runaan gave Marta a heartfelt applause, which was rare, and nodded.
“That guy who looks like a rat… .”
“I will rip out your limbs.”
“If you don’t want to be bitten, play with your snout.”
It’s not just Martha and Runaan. The entire Gwangpungdae was glaring at the White Lotus with wet, mad eyes as if they were about to bite at any moment. If there was even a little more fuss, he seemed ready to attack.
“stop.”
Normally, I would have let the Gwangpungdae fret over it, but now there is no time. Even for a moment, we had to discuss with the Lord of the White Lotus and make a move.
“say. “Where are you?”
There was no need for Raon to gain momentum. The captain, dispirited by the madness of the storm, trembled his shoulders and pointed to the lakeside below.
As I followed the hand, I saw a tall man standing in the center of the White Regiment swordsmen.
The shoulders are wide like a whale, and the jaw is angled. His appearance reminded me of the mythical ceiling, but the real thing is his energy. An incredibly heavy energy wave pressed down on his entire body, as if the huge mountain itself was dwelling on him.
Raon did not operate Aurors. With just willpower, he withstood Irond’s force and lowered his head.
“I meet the Great Lord of the White Lotus.”
“It’s been a while. Commander of the Gwangpung Unit.”
Irond nodded slowly. He didn’t show any dissatisfaction about not being able to dominate his duties like the other White Lotus Swordsmen, but it was clear from the look of sadness in his eyes that he didn’t like himself.
‘Well, there is no reason to welcome us.’
I decided not to worry about it since all I need to do now is get a steel belt.
“The last traces of the iron squadron disappeared here.”
He clicked his tongue briefly as he looked at the lakeside.
“There were no signs of a fight and no bodies floating around the lake. It’s a strange thing. However, no matter what force was at work, it would not have been able to escape the Hopirn region itself.”
Irond turned his gaze this way.
“There is only one best search method. The plan is to spread out the Light Wind and White Lotus units one by one and search the entire Hopirn. “If the prosecutors work as a team, we will be able to review everything before dawn.”
He nodded, saying that was the only way to find traces of Cheoljeondae in this country.
“First you go east. Searching everything from the entrance… .”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t like it.”
Raon shook his head as Irond tried to unfold the map. In the current situation, it was never a good idea to spread people out one by one.
Even if traces could be found quickly, it could not be accepted because the sacrifice would be large.
“uh… .”
“Ji, that thing now…” .”
The white lotus swordsmen looked sideways at Irond and trembled their lips, as if they didn’t expect him to refuse right away.
Gooooooo!
Irond straightened his back, squeezing the half-opened map. A gaze as harsh and heavy as the north wind weighed down my soul.
“Say it again. “What did you just say?”
His gaze became a fierce wave of energy, pressing down on my shoulders. His skin stung as if a blade was stabbing him, but he stood in front of Irond, pushing back with the power of his soul strengthened by the ring of fire.
“I told you I didn’t like it.”
“You really like being told I don’t like you for a long time.”
“There is no need to intentionally create victims.”
As Raon’s red eye and Irond’s gray eye clashed, a deep twist began to unfold in the calm lake.
