Chapter 540

《Content Warning - The following chapter contains material that may be harmful or traumatizing to some audiences: Incest. Reader discretion is strongly advised.》

Runaan raised her trembling eyelids.

‘My head feels dizzy…’

She couldn’t even tell how much time had passed. She felt like over two days had passed, but she had no idea because she was underground in a windowless room.

“…I distracted the ogre lord with the blood of my subordinates, and I managed to slay it without much difficulty thanks to that.”

Syria was sitting close enough that she could reach him by simply extending her hand, and his lips were twitching, his eyes glowing in madness.

“The next mission was a rescue mission. I was supposed to save the vermin who had fallen in between a valley, and I just killed them and reported that they had all died because it felt like a waste of my time.”

“……”

Runaan clenched her fist while looking into Syria’s twisted eyes.

‘What is he even thinking? I can’t understand him.’

She’d thought everything was over at first, but Syria didn’t do anything to her after merely neutralizing her aura.

He’d been continuously talking to her about his past, and she couldn’t guess his intentions at all.

“Ah! Something interesting happened back then. Have you ever heard about human hunting? It consists of letting people escape on purpose, just like how you release animals to hunt them down afterward…”

There was another strange thing about him.

Syria had been talking about those disgusting and grotesque stories, but her murderous intention and anger toward him were slowly decreasing.

The even stranger part was that she felt like she had joined in his wrongdoings.

‘It must be because of this.’

Runaan lowered her gaze and looked at the floor.

The room used to be an untidy room full of dust because it was used as a warehouse, but a magic circle was installed on it. Its crimson color made it look like it was drawn with blood.

She didn’t know what effect that magic circle had at first, but she could roughly guess after a while.

Her senses were being softened as if sandpaper was being rubbed against them. The spell must’ve been loosening her emotions and soul.

‘It doesn’t matter what kind of magic circle it is.’ Runaan softly clenched her back teeth. ‘Because I’m going to endure until the very end.’

Whenever her hatred and murderous intention towards Syria started to subside, she thought about her parents, Raon, and the Light Wind division.

Whenever she was about to waver, thinking about her precious people filled her with determination once again.

“But it’s not like I have been doing nothing but murder people. I’ve done good deeds sometimes. There was a time when I went to an inundated area…”

“What about Mom and Dad?” Runaan fiercely raised her eyes and looked at Syria. “What happened to them?”

“Don’t worry. I controlled the amount of drugs so they wouldn’t die.”

Syria gently told her such a frightening thing, like using a drug on his own parents was normal.

“How am I supposed to trust you? Show me. Show me that they are alive!”

Runaan bit her lip, saying that she was going to die and follow Rokan and Clara if they were dead.

“That’s not a difficult request.”

Syria shook his hand, and two swordsmen standing behind him opened the door and left.

They returned soon after that while holding Rokan and Clara in their hands. They were breathing faintly with their eyes closed. They seemed unconscious.

“I have no intention of killing them yet.”

“Y-yet…?”

“Since Sullion isn’t just a house of dogs, Zieghart would think it’s strange if the head of house suddenly disappeared. Father and Mother will pass down the position of the head of house to me and quietly retire.”

He said retire, but there was no way he was talking about retiring in an ordinary way. He was saying that he was going to kill them.

“You…” Runaan bared her teeth while glaring at Syria. “What are you even trying to achieve?!”

She clenched her fist so hard that red blood started to flow from her grip.

“That’s such a waste.”

Syria swept up the blood that fell from Runaan’s hand with his finger and brought it to his mouth.

“Ah…”

Runaan stepped back with trembling legs. She should’ve been getting goosebumps, but she wasn’t feeling anything, probably because of the array.

“It’s this thing’s fault!”

She violently hit the array, but it only made the red light intensify further.

“You wanted to know what I was trying to achieve, right?”

Syria sucked all the blood off his finger before he raised eyes dripping with madness.

“It’s simple. I’m going to stab Zieghart’s heart.”

“What?”

“The continent will be engulfed in fire soon. Sullion will stand behind Zieghart, just like we’ve always done, and stab their heart at the most important moment.”

“Do you really think that’s going to work?”

“It’s not that hard.”

Syria extended his hand into the thin air. A black atmosphere spread around like smoke, and a goat helmet with long horns appeared.

“Th-that helmet…”

Runaan’s chin trembled as she saw the goat helmet. There was no way she wouldn’t recognize it.

“Watch closely.”

Syria put on the goat helmet and something similar to melted iron flowed from it to cover his entire body until it became black armor.

His lower body was that of a goat, his upper body was wearing knight armor, and a frightening purple light sparked from his eyes inside the goat helmet.

“B-Baphomet. Which means… you are the Evil Goat Demon…”

Runaan held her trembling arms while leaning against the wall.

‘That’s why he talked about Baphomet.’

The reason Syria suddenly started to talk about Baphomet in the dining room, and the reason why he was so obsessed with her despite being a blood relative, was because he was possessed by Baphomet's helmet.

“Yes, I’m the Evil Goat Demon,” Syria exhaled in excitement, admitting that he was the Evil Goat Demon from Eden.

“Br-brother! Give my brother back!”

Raon had told her that the monster’s soul dwelling in the helmet devoured the human soul and took over the body.

Her brother used to be extremely kind during her childhood, and he must’ve disappeared because Baphomet had devoured his soul.

“That’s not true,” Syria said as he slowly shook his head. “I’m the one who devoured the Baphomet.”

“…What?”

“Restoration. I just want to return this peaceful continent to the utopia governed by the monsters, according to the will of ‘that person’.”

He laughed while covering his stomach, saying that he devoured the Baphomet instead.

“Ah…”

Runaan swallowed nervously. He was insane. He was seriously crazy. She wanted to stop him no matter what, but there was nothing she could do.

“And it will start with the continental war.”

Syria raised his left hand and another helmet appeared along with a dark flame.

It was similar to the Baphomet’s helmet he was wearing, but the cheekbones were smaller and the horns were even longer.

“We will be at the center of the scene.”

He rolled his lips into a smile while hiding Runaan’s face with the helmet.

“My lovely sister.”

* * *

Raon used his footwork to the best of his ability, even though he was aware that he was getting separated from Martha and Dorian.

‘Why is it so far…?’

The secondary residence of House Sullion was located on the outskirts of Zieghart’s domain.

He didn’t really care about it before, but it felt so far away because of the urgency of the situation.

You are too slow! Move faster!

Wrath smashed his back, calling him as slow as a snail.

“Damn it…”

Raon bit his lip. He felt like his legs were too slow, just like Wrath told him.

He regretted that he didn’t focus on footwork as much as swordsmanship during his training.

‘Please let nothing have happened. Please.’

He tried to convince himself that he was just overreacting when Runaan had overslept, but negative thoughts continuously surfaced.

‘There’s no way she would break a promise about ice cream.’

He would’ve understood it if it was Burren or Martha who didn’t show up, since they didn’t exactly like nor dislike ice cream.

However, Runaan had never broken a promise about ice cream, not a single time before.

She always came an hour early to wait for him. That was why he was certain that something bad was happening.

A house is in sight! It’s that one, right?

Wrath raised his finger towards an elegant blue roof with a downward curve.

‘Yes.’

Raon nodded and kicked the ground even more violently. Regardless of his aura consumption, he solely focused on speed as he ran towards House Sullion’s main entrance.

Two swordsmen were standing in front of the main entrance, and their casual expressions looked like nothing was happening inside.

“Please stop.”

“This place is House Sullion’s property. What brings you here?”

Raon stood in front of the door, and the swordsmen asked the reason for his visit while standing in his way. They seemed cautious, their hands placed on their hilts.

“I’m Raon Zieghart, the Light Wind division’s vice division leader. I came to see the second team leader, Runaan, because she failed to answer a summons without any messages sent to explain.”

“Greetings, Sir Raon.”

The swordsmen apologetically lowered their hands from their hilt and nodded politely.

“Did you say that Lady Runaan didn’t answer a summons?”

“Yes. She didn’t arrive after two hours and didn’t send any messages. That’s why I came to see her.”

He lied and said that two hours had passed even though it wasn’t actually the case.

“Hmm, we haven’t heard anything about it. Please wait for a moment.”

The swordsman on the left opened the door and entered the central mansion.

“……”

Raon unleashed the Ring of Fire and the Perception of the Snow Flower to examine inside the mansion.

‘There doesn’t seem to be anything strange in particular…’

He delicately spread around his aura perception, but he couldn’t notice any presence indicating that a battle happened before or that someone was dying.

The servants and the swordsmen were peacefully moving around inside.

However, he couldn’t feel Runaan’s presence anywhere inside the mansion.

‘Where did she go?’

He was focusing his mind in order to find Runaan’s location when the mansion door opened and a butler with a friendly appearance showed up.

‘That old man…’

He remembered him. He was the butler who was standing behind Rokan Sullion during the selection ceremony.

“It’s been a long time, Sir Raon.”

Rokan’s butler bowed politely to him.

“Lady Runaan is sick today and is currently sleeping after treatment.”

He briefly licked his lips, saying that she had gone too hard on training with Rokan the day before.

“I’d like to tell her about your arrival, but I can’t wake her up because she just fell asleep. I’m sorry.”

The butler deeply lowered his head, saying that he was really sorry about it.

“Then can I see her sleeping?”

“Huhu, Lady Runaan isn’t a child anymore but a proper woman. I can’t grant that request even for the vice division leader. I hope you understand.”

He smiled gently and shook his hand as if he’d predicted that question.

“I spoke out of line.” Raon nodded and looked at the mansion. “Runaan said that she could see the training ground from her room. That should mean that she is currently inside that room on the left side.”

“No, her room is on the right side. You seem to be mistaken.”

The butler shook his head, saying that she could see a flowery garden rather than the training ground from her room.

“I see, I must’ve been mistaken.”

Raon nodded while scratching the back of his head.

‘He’s right.’

Runaan had told him that she could see the garden under her room. He was sounding him out because it was possible that the butler would’ve been switched, but he knew precisely where Runaan’s room was located.

However, he couldn’t feel her presence in the room on the right, where she was supposed to be sleeping.

‘There’s no way I wouldn’t be able to find her presence.’

He was certain because he’d been with her for over ten years. Runaan wasn’t inside the mansion at the moment.

“Hey! What the hell…”

“Y-young master…”

Martha and Dorian arrived later and stopped in front of the door with their faces frowning in pain.

“It’s not a big deal. Let’s go back.”

“Hmm?”

“Wh-what do you mean…?”

Raon smiled while holding Martha and Dorian’s shoulders.

‘Something definitely happened.’

Raon bowed at the butler without revealing his thoughts.

“I’m glad to hear that Runaan is safe. Please tell her to come to the training ground after she wakes up.”

“Understood. Thank you for being worried about our lady.”

Raon left House Sullion’s entrance while the butler sent them off.

“What’s even going on?! Is she really alright?”

“Did you see the second team leader’s face, at least?”

Martha and Dorian furrowed their brows, asking why he wasn’t even checking on her after coming all the way there.

“I’m not sure either, but one thing I know for sure is that something happened to Runaan.”

Raon created an aura barrier to prevent the sound from escaping and explained the situation to them.

“We can just barge in!” Martha pounded her chest in frustration. “Let’s just beat them all up!”

“They might take Runaan hostage if it gets noisy.” Raon shook his head and turned around. “You should wait outside and come running as soon as you hear a loud noise from the mansion.”

“A-a loud noise? What are you even planning to do…?”

“I need to rescue her if she is confined.”

He told them a simple plan he came up with before he concealed his presence.

He lightly jumped over the wall and hid on a tree in front of the mansion.

‘Wrath.’

Raon called for Wrath, who was staring blankly into the air while holding his chin.

‘Do you feel anything?’

She’s not in that house, at least.

His lowered eyebrows were shaking, implying that he was fully focused on finding Runaan.

‘I see.’

Raon nodded and followed the butler’s presence when the man returned from the entrance.

The butler went into the mansion and talked to a swordsman at the Master realm.

After listening to the butler, the swordsman went out to the back of the mansion and stood in front of the small training ground. He walked around it for a short while before he returned to the mansion.

‘Is there something over there?’

Found it!

Raon started to spread his aura underneath the training ground when Wrath suddenly jumped up.

It was messy because of all that disgusting mana, but Ice Cream Girl is under there! She isn’t in good condition!

He raised his hand and pointed at a small warehouse located at the outer part of the training ground.

‘Not in a good condition? Is she injured?’

It’s not about her body. Her soul is blurry right now!

Raon was about to run towards the warehouse when Wrath continued.

However, lots of strange things are set up on the stairs leading to the underground! You need to dodge them as much as possible as you go to make it in time!

‘Hmm…’

Raon spread the aura perception after hearing that and noticed a strange conglomeration of mana. They must’ve set traps to buy some time.

‘Traps…’

Raon furrowed his brow while looking at the ground where the swordsman used to stand a moment ago.

‘I have no time to deal with something like that.’

* * *

“Uhh…”

Runaan’s trembled as she looked into the Evil Lamb Demon’s purple eyes.

“Don’t refuse.”

Syria smiled cheerfully while spinning the second helmet of Baphomet with his finger.

“That formation reveals your deepest thoughts. If you are attracted to me, then we are going to see that you’ve loved me all along—”

“Shut up!”

Runaan shook her head and bit her tongue.

‘He’s lying.’

Syria lied as much as he breathed. The array’s function wasn’t to reveal her deepest thoughts but to destroy the wall protecting her soul and mind.

However, she couldn’t last any longer even though she was aware of that fact. Her head was becoming foggy, and her mind grew as loose as a snapped rubber band.

“You are as cute as always.”

Syria scratched his chin while watching Runaan’s frowning face just as the door opened up after a knock sound.

The warrior who’d brought Rokan and Clara entered the room and lowered his head.

“Raon Zieghart came to visit.”

“What?”

“He said that he came here because Lady Runaan didn’t respond to his summons.”

The swordsman told him about what happened during Raon’s visit.

“Ah!”

Runaan clenched her trembling hand into a fist.

‘Raon… He believed in me.’

Her emotions towards Syria have been fiddling with her mind, but they suddenly disappeared upon hearing Raon’s name and the fog filling her head disappeared like it was washed away by water. She felt awake, as if she had washed her face with cold water.

“I heard he left for now, so it should be fine to relax…”

“Relax…?”

Syria turned around and caressed the swordsman’s head.

“S-Sir Syria?”

“You know nothing about Raon Zieghart. That crazy bastard is definitely going to come all the way here.”

As soon as his quiet voice ended, the swordsman’s head exploded and his blood spread around like a fountain to the walls and floor.

“Ah…”

Runaan’s fingers trembled as she watched the magic circle turn even redder. She couldn’t understand why he would suddenly kill his own subordinate.

“Let’s make some preparations for now.”

Syria threw some unknown bead to the corner of the room before he walked up to Runaan.

“I seek organic relationships. That’s why I wanted you to love me the way I love you. However, we are running out of time.”

He rolled his lips into a smile while holding Baphomet's helmet in his hand.

“It’s already too late. Raon is definitely going to stop you—”

“That might be true. But not today.”

“W-wait!”

“Since you were exposed to the array for two days, it won’t take that long.”

Syria stopped Runaan’s hands from moving and forced her to wear Baphomet’s helmet on her head.

Whaap!

Dark energy flowed down from the eye sockets of the helmet and engulfed Runaan.

“You will see a new world by the time you wake up again.”

“Ah, ah…”

Runaan tried to take off the helmet by force, but her hands were unable to win against Syria’s strength and only ended up scratching the helmet.

“Ah, let me tell you one more time. Your brother is a rather jealous person. You should never mention another man’s name.”

Syria caressed Runaan’s hair coming out from the helmet with a smile on his face.

“By the time Raon arrives here, everything will be—”

He laid down Runaan on the ground and stepped backward just as the red ceiling trembled intensely before it collapsed with a huge bang.

Whaaam!

Crimson eyes sparked amid falling dust and rubble.

Swoosh!

The owner of the red eyes swung his deadly blade towards Syria’s neck without the slightest hesitation.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Kyangi]

[Proofreader – Harley]