“I greet you, Head of House.” Raon stepped onto the red carpet in the audience chamber and knelt down. Glenn waved a hand, saying there was no need for such formality. -Does that old geezer like formal greetings or not? Wrath scrunched his nose, saying if Glenn hated greetings, he shouldn’t have demanded them in the first place. Raon awkwardly straightened his back and approached the platform where Glenn sat. “I heard you called for me.” Glenn flicked the fingers resting on the armrest of his throne. The golden chair that had once been broken on the floor was now perfectly restored. “Did Sir Roenn find something?” He asked with anticipation, curious as to whether Roenn, the so-called King of Death, had discovered anything. “No. He’s been combing through Montiro, but says nothing stands out.” Glenn shook his head, saying nothing had been discovered yet. Raon bit his lip slightly. ‘Well, finding something would’ve been more surprising.’ The Demonblade Dreg had said he found the Black Tower because their demonic energy resembled his own. But Roenn, though an assassin, had learned orthodox martial arts, so it made sense he couldn’t find it easily. “Thankfully, it seems he’s still in contact.” Raon had been uneasy sending Roenn alone, but it seemed nothing had gone wrong. “Yes. I received a message from him this morning.” Glenn nodded, saying Roenn would continue the search. He seemed to trust him completely. “He’s been changing faces and identities, searching all of Montiro, but says it’s hard to even find a single demon, let alone the Black Tower’s passage.” Glenn furrowed his brows, saying it was harder than expected. Raon let out a short sigh. ‘If it were easy to find, someone would’ve discovered it already.’ Montiro was a well-known tourist spot. Many of the continent’s powerhouses had passed through. If the Black Tower had been poorly hidden, its location would’ve been revealed long ago. “That’s why I’m thinking of increasing the search team.” Glenn nodded as he looked at Raon. “You mean you want to assign that task to Light Wind Palace.” “Indeed. The Light Wind Division and Iron Division fought most recently against those using demonic energy, so I believe they’re the best fit for this mission. And…” He lowered his calmly flickering eyes. “Because you are strong.” “Because we’re strong…?” “This mission will begin as a search but end in war. The moment you discover the path to the Black Tower, battle will erupt.” Glenn nodded gravely, saying the Light Wind Palace was best suited for that fight. Raon bit his lip and nodded. ‘He’s right about that.’ There’s no way a filthy force like the Black Tower would let a search party go unharmed. The moment the path is found and the entrance opened, a brutal battle would break out. “It’s not just because of your familiarity with demonic energy. I’m entrusting this mission to you because I trust the Light Wind Lord’s martial prowess and coordination.” Glenn explained why he was assigning the search to Raon’s unit and placed his wrinkled hand on the armrest. “The search will likely be harder than the battle, but we’ll do our best.” Raon sighed softly as he thought of Martha, Runaan, and Dorian—likely to cause trouble during the investigation. He raised his head again, narrowing his eyes slightly. “What if the Lord of the Black Tower appears the moment we find its location?” If the Black Tower’s lord appeared to block them, Raon wouldn’t be able to even buy time. They’d be wiped out before they could flee. “There’s no need to worry about that.” Glenn nodded, saying they were prepared to handle the Black Tower’s lord. “Don’t tell me… you plan to go yourself?” Raon exhaled sharply at Glenn’s calm gaze. If he said that, it could only mean Glenn was planning to act personally. “No. Someone else insisted on going in my place. That person is…” Glenn furrowed his brows slightly, and the air in front of the platform split open, revealing a yellow lollipop. A clear voice, completely unfitting the heavy atmosphere, rang out as a girl with a wide-brimmed hat jumped out. It was Chamber, the Archmage of Illusion. “Raon. Long time no see?” Chamber placed the yellow lollipop in her mouth and tilted her chin. “I heard you stirred up quite a mess…” She narrowed her eyes as she looked him over. “Makes sense now. I can’t treat you like a kid anymore.” She whistled, saying his entire presence had changed. “It’s been a while, Lady Chamber… You haven’t changed a bit.” Still talkative and childlike—just like before. “Charming women are always consistent.” Chamber brushed her hair back with the back of her hand. “But you’ve made an even bigger mess than defeating the Demonblade Dreg, haven’t you?” She stepped completely out of the rift and approached him. “…You mean the Black Tower?” Raon tilted his head as Chamber’s scent of sweet candy filled the air. “Yeah. If the Black Tower is really hidden in Montiro, that’ll be a far greater feat than slaying the Demonblade Dreg.” She nodded, calling it an extraordinary achievement. “You don’t have to praise me so much.” Raon waved his hand. It was just luck that he obtained the information; he didn’t think it was anything that amazing. “No, I mean it. You’ve created a chance to flush out one of the Five Demons hiding like rats. If the Black Tower really is there, I’ll do everything I can to help.” Chamber patted her chest confidently and said he just had to say the word. Glenn tried to suppress a grin as Chamber openly praised Raon. “Oh! I’ll even marry you if you ask!” Chamber nodded, saying she wouldn’t normally do something so unprofitable, but she’d consider it for Raon. “Even if I’m now, when I grow up a bit…” Glenn furrowed his nose, all traces of a smile gone. He sighed sharply, telling her to get serious. “This is acting my age!” Chamber stuck her tongue out at Glenn. “Well, we’ll save the payment discussion for later…” She snapped her fingers, and the audience chamber twisted and split in two. It looked like a mirror world, or as if this world itself had been divided. “I’ll be the one protecting you. Before the Black Tower’s lord targets you, I’ll kill him. So don’t worry.” Chamber said she wouldn’t be of much help in the investigation, but she’d lead the charge in battle. Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. “I heard your compatibility with the Black Tower’s lord isn’t great. Are you sure you’ll be okay?” “I developed a way to reverse that. That’s why I’m here. I’ve overcome it.” Chamber raised her small fist, full of confidence. Raon looked at Glenn. He gave a small nod, indicating it was safe to trust her. “And there’s no one else who can go. The muscle-head’s still dragging his feet, the bratty king has to protect Owen and Balkan, the shut-in mage can’t even step outside, and your grandpa…” Chamber trailed off before saying anything more about Glenn. “Anyway, I’m the only one who can open the path once we find it. So I have to be the one to go.” She said there was no choice, and that he should trust her. “Of course. I trust you.” Raon nodded at her confident expression. Though truthfully, it was Glenn’s presence that gave him the most reassurance. “So when do we depart?” “You’ll need some education about the Black Tower, so let’s go in three days.” Glenn raised three fingers, indicating he had already planned ahead. “Understood. Then we’ll be ready by then as well.” Raon nodded, already thinking about what he needed to tell the Light Wind Palace. “And it won’t just be your Palace. Other combat units will go with you.” “Other combat units…?” “The Black Tower’s forces are too great for just your Palace to handle. At least two more will be needed to minimize losses.” Glenn said that even with the mages Chamber brought, they could be overwhelmed, so reinforcements were necessary. He waved his hand, saying there was much to do. “See you before we arrive in Montiro!” Chamber waved goodbye with a grin. Raon bowed to both Glenn and Chamber and exited the audience chamber. As soon as Raon left, Glenn’s expression stiffened. “Will you really be okay? It’d be better if I went.” He narrowed his eyes, clearly worried about Chamber. “I said I’ll be fine. I only panicked before because I didn’t expect the Black Tower’s lord to have fully absorbed that artifact’s power. If I fight him again, I’ll win.” Chamber shook her head, saying she could stop him this time. “And even if I’m pushed back, I can still buy enough time for him and the others to escape. So stop worrying.” “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that the Black Tower’s lord always uses dirty tricks. That’s what worries me.” “I’m the one who’s fought him the most. No matter what, I’m the right person for this.” She waved her fingers, still dusted with candy powder. “Besides, you don’t have much time or freedom left…” Chamber lifted her hat slightly and frowned. “Even if you could beat the Black Tower’s lord easily, he’s tenacious. You’d probably end up using your [Heart Sword], and then your time in this world would be drastically shortened. That would lead to the downfall of the Five Kings.” She smiled faintly and told him to save his strength for the final war. Glenn closed his eyes, seemingly without a rebuttal. “Just staying in that throne keeps the balance. This time, let me and your grandson handle it.” Chamber waved her hand, telling him to trust and wait. She narrowed her eyes. “Who are the ones you’re sending with us? More than two divisions?” Glenn calmly shook his head and gave a faint smile. “A unit that’ll work well with Raon.” Title: [Transcendent] Traits: [Wrath], [Sloth], [Envy], [Gluttony], [Lust], [Ring of Fire] (9★), Water Resistance (11★), Fire Resistance (10★), Perception of the Snow Flower (11★), [Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation] (9★), [Glacier] (9★), [Bleeding Curse] (5★), [Assassination] (13★), [Indomitable Will] (9★), [Demonic Energy Adaptation] (10★), [Tranquil Mind], Poison Resistance (6★), [Demonic Eye of Wrath] (10★), [Spiral Force] (7★), Water Affinity (6★), Formation Analysis (2★), Fire Affinity (5★), [Snowflower’s Veil] (5★), [Divine Power Blooming in Darkness] (8★), Demonic Energy Resistance (6★), [Snowflower’s Armor] (9★), [Snowflower’s Absorption] (4★), [Snowflower’s Lance] (4★), Wrath Unleashed (2★), [Flame That Overcomes Death] (5★), [Blade That Divides Death] (6★), Divine Power Resistance (1★), [Blood Path] (1★), Askarai’s Fighting Spirit (4★), [Bireong] (1★), [Heavenly Kill] (1★), [Authority Amplification] (1★), Light Resistance (1★), [Demonic Energy Detection] (2★) Raon exhaled softly as he stared at the status window floating before him. ‘It’s getting hard to even read this.’ The number of traits and stats had grown so much it was difficult to take it all in at once—he even had to crane his neck to see it all. Wrath let out a groan as if his breath had stopped. Raon ignored him and continued reading. ‘[Lust] increased, huh.’ The [Lust] trait received from Lust was now fully listed and had already risen significantly. He hadn’t noticed much of an effect yet, but once it passed 100, it would likely begin to manifest more actively. Why hasn’t [Assassination] changed? Though [Focus] had transformed into [Tranquil Mind] at 12★, [Assassination] remained the same even at 13★. It probably needed even more profound experiences to evolve. ‘Well, it’s practically something I brought from my past life.’ In his past life, he hadn’t relied on martial strength but used assassination skills to kill. That skill was already at a high level from the start, so more accomplishments were likely required for it to evolve. ‘Askarai’s Fighting Spirit is doing well despite being gained late.’ Since it had replaced his previous fighting spirit, it was already at 4★. He could see how important it was during the fight with the Demonblade Dreg and expected it to be a major asset moving forward. ‘[Demonic Energy Detection] at 2★…’ That’s a bit disappointing. It would play a crucial role in the upcoming Black Tower investigation, but it was still only 2★. He’d have to keep using it on the road to raise it more. ‘…How many stats increased?’ Thanks to the reward message and the Demon Kings’ Authorities, his stats had increased by over 500 points since he last checked—an absurd gain, even when seeing it with his own eyes. ‘No wonder I wasn’t physically outmatched by a monster like the Demonblade Dreg.’ Though martial arts and aura became more important the higher one climbed, raw physical power still mattered. Even if the efficiency of stat growth diminished, Raon’s ability to continuously increase them gave him a consistent advantage. Wrath finally screamed, unable to hold back. -Why is there so much! I can’t even see it properly! ‘You can’t see it anyway.’ Raon tilted his head. Wrath could read message content, but not see the actual status window, so why the fuss? -I can’t see the contents, but I can see the size! It’s blocking out the sky! How could this king not notice! Wrath ground his teeth, asking if Raon summoned the window just to torment him. ‘I didn’t summon it to tease you. I needed to check the traits before anything happens during this mission.’ With so many traits, if he didn’t review them, he might forget what he had available. He simply reviewed it in advance to know his own limits. Wrath bared his teeth at the status window, which he couldn’t even see properly. -All of my blood and sweat are in there! He scratched the air with his tiny hands, shouting how unfair it was. ‘He’s plugged his ears again…’ Shaking his head, Raon stepped out of the Lord’s office. The Light Wind Division and Iron Division were fully prepared, lined up before the platform. ‘Now they’re starting to feel aligned.’ Raon climbed the platform, satisfied by the yellow gleam of madness in the Iron Division’s eyes. The swordsmen of both divisions responded in unison. “This mission is crucial. We must find traces of the hidden Black Tower. If anyone’s identity is exposed, the mission could fail—so even the smallest mistake must be avoided.” He warned them that once inside Montiro, they must pose as tourists, travelers, or mercenaries—not Zieghart swordsmen. “Don’t worry! If I get exposed, I’ll just end my life!” Martha pounded her chest confidently. Raon shook his head gravely. “The Black Tower is a vast and well-organized force. If your identity is exposed, it means the entire Tower already knows. So treasure your life.” As he had learned from Derus, he would not use sacrifice to complete a mission. He was no longer assassin Raon, but swordsman Raon Zieghart—he would not let comrades die. The swordsmen bit their lips, surprised by his unexpected response. “Given the urgency, the Light Wind Palace’s structure will remain as it was for now. We’ll operate under the names of Light Wind Division and Iron Division.” The swordsmen nodded, seeming more comfortable with that. “Lastly… I expect everyone to return. No exceptions.” Raon passed down his final order—his wish—and stepped off the platform, walking between the two divisions and opening the training hall’s door. The swordsmen, clad in jet-black and blood-red uniforms, followed behind. Sensing Raon’s overwhelming momentum, the Light Wind Palace sharpened their aura like a single blade, walking solemnly down the main road. ‘Not bad. They’ll grow more, too—hmm?’ As Raon led the way toward the front gate, he narrowed his eyes. ‘Are those the ones?’ The combat unit Glenn mentioned must have arrived first and were waiting. As he approached, trying to see who it was, a familiar face appeared. Karoon Zieghart. His noble crimson eyes turned down toward Raon. “Lord of Light Wind.” (T/N: Ooooh, this is a first. A team up between Karoon and Raon)