Raon watched the stars for a long time while lying on the ground, and then he finally stood up.
He’d spent most of his stamina and aura during the spar against Glenn, but mysteriously enough, his mind was extremely clear.
‘What a nice feeling.’
The lump pressing upon his chest was completely gone, too. It brought a smile to his face because he felt like he’d returned to the time before seeing Rector at House Lakion.
Really?
Wrath jolted up like a firecracker and shoved his face onto him.
‘What?’
Has your mood really improved?
‘It has, but why?’
In that case, the King of Essence has something to tell you!
His navy colored eyes were glowing in a serious light.
‘Something to tell me…’
Raon swallowed nervously while watching the grave look in Wrath’s eyes. He was a bit nervous because of how serious the cotton candy had suddenly become.
‘I’m listening.’
You bastard…
Wrath furrowed his brow, raising his round fist.
You didn’t keep your promise about buying ice cream for the King of Essence as soon as we returned to the house!
‘......’
Raon’s red eyes turned cold, as if the heat suddenly left them.
‘Haa…’
Why are you looking at him like that?! You are the one who promised!
‘I did indeed promise, but why are you talking about it now? Moreover, why do you look so serious, you food waster!’
F-food waster?!
Wrath sharply raised his head, with lips trembling intensely.
How dare you call the monarch of Devildom a food waster! The King of Essence has been looking forward to that promise!
He barked in frustration.
‘He’s been looking forward to it?’
Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at Wrath, who had become a strawberry flavored cotton candy because of his flushed face.
‘Has he been suppressing the urge so far?’
When he thought about it, Wrath had only brought up the ice cream after asking if he was in a better mood.
‘I guess he would’ve started to whine about buying the ice cream right away normally, judging from what he’s done in the past.’
Wrath hadn’t even said a single word about ice cream after the encounter with Rector. It must’ve been his consideration for Raon, whose feelings were hurt.
‘Is Wrath also changing?’
His relationship with people wasn’t the only thing that was changing over time and through bonds. His relationship with Wrath was also changing little by little.
“I get it.”
Raon chuckled and stood up. He shook the dust from his clothes and nodded.
“Let’s go a soon as possible tomorrow.”
Huh…?
Wrath’s eyes resembled those of a surprised rabbit.
‘Why are you surprised? You were the one who wanted to go.’
How come you’re listening to him right away when you always love to do the opposite?
‘It’s gotta be like this sometimes.’
You finally turned over a new leaf! That was a great decision! The King of Essence shall allow you to serve him if you keep being obedient in the future!
‘I’m not buying it.’
Raon casually shook his hand and returned to the annex building.
He was trying to quietly enter through the back door leading to the kitchen because of how late it was, but he could feel someone’s presence in the darkness.
“Huh?! Sir Damn Handsome!”
Encia had disclosed her identity with that single phrase. She nodded at him, holding a piece of bread in her mouth. Raon could guess that she had come out because she got hungry during her research.
“When did you come back? Sir Damn Handsome?”
It wasn’t even ‘the damn handsome Raon’ anymore. He’d become just ‘damn handsome’. She wasn’t even using his name anymore.
“I arrived today. It’s only been a few hours.”
“Argh! I didn’t even realize you’d returned because I was too focused on my research! I’m such an idiot!”
Encia slammed her forehead on the table in frustration.
“How could I miss the opportunity to watch Sir Raon for multiple hours?! I should just die!”
“Pl-please stop.”
Raon gulped and grabbed Encia’s shoulder. He had the same feeling every single time, but she really was difficult to deal with.
“By the way…”
Encia blinked, the bread still held in her mouth. Even though there was a stream of blood flowing from her forehead, she simply stared at Raon without caring about it at all.
“Did you dye your hair, Sir Raon?”
“No.”
“Your blond hair seemed to have gotten slightly more vibrant.”
She murmured that there was no doubt about it and took out a thick booklet from her clothes. Upon opening it, pictures of Raon were visible, organized by date.
“Ugh.”
Raon’s lips trembled as he saw countless pictures of himself.
‘This is a bit scary…’
A chill ran down his spine because he’d never expected that she would’ve taken so many pictures.
Sh-she’s going to become like that madwoman at this rate! The seed of obsession is spouting right now!
Wrath averted his gaze, saying that a new spout was about to rise.
“I was right! Your hair color has become more vibrant!”
Encia handed out the picture from before he left for the mission, telling him to check it out.
“…Is that so?”
Raon simply nodded because he honestly couldn’t tell the difference.
“But how did this happen? Why did his blond hair become more vibrant? Is he becoming even more damn handsome? But he’s going to transcend humanity if he becomes even more handsome than right now.”
Encia smiled happily, saying that she got some great material.
Raon licked his lips while watching Encia, who was absorbed in her own world.
‘I was planning to tell her tomorrow, but this is a good occasion.’
He walked up to Encia and lowered his head.
“I have a request I’d like to make of Lady Encia.”
“I’m always ready!”
She immediately accepted without even asking what kind of request it was.
“Do you recognize this, by any chance?”
Raon took out the artificial arm artifact that Cloud had been wearing.
“Hmm…”
Encia’s gaze parted from Raon for the first time.
“It’s an artifact that can be used as a prosthetic. It was made recently, rather than being an ancient item.”
“Recently?”
“Yes. The materials and methods used to make it are recent stuff. It must’ve been made by a skilled crafter.”
She smiled, saying that the one who made the arm must’ve been famous.
“In that case, is it possible to craft this artifact, matching the size of another person?”
“It’s possible. But I don’t think it’ll be an easy task.”
Encia clicked her tongue without taking her eyes off of the artificial arm.
“What do you mean by not being easy?”
“It can hardly be used in this state. It strains the wearer, so I’ll need to completely remake the blueprint.”
She frowned, saying that it wasn’t intended to be used for a long time to begin with.
“Moreover, it requires natural materials since it needs to touch the arm. I think it’s going to take some time to acquire them…”
Even though she was saying that the materials were difficult to acquire, her sparkling eyes revealed that she was interested in the task.
“By the way, who is going to use this?”
“Sir Rimmer is.”
“What?”
Encia’s eyes widened.
“Something happened during the mission.”
“…I see.”
She nodded without asking about it any further.
“I think I need to meet with Sir Rimmer before I can decide.”
“I understand.”
“Then I’ll be taking this one to analyze.”
Encia looked like her entire attention was focused on the artificial arm. She returned to her room without even taking the bread she’d been eating.
‘She’s amazing.’
She was usually playful and called him by that strange title, ‘damn handsome’, but she was extremely serious when it came to her work. There was a lot to learn from her in various ways.
Raon cleaned up the slightly messy kitchen before he returned to his room.
Knock knock knock.
He was preparing his clothes so that he could wash himself when heard the three knocks from the door.
“Enter.”
Since there was only one person who knocked three times, he told her to enter.
Judiel carefully opened the door then entered the room and lowered her head.
“Nothing unusual happened, right?”
“Nothing special happened until now.”
“Are you implying that something is happening now?”
“Yes. I got a message from the Central Martial Palace a moment ago.”
“It must be about me.”
Raon nodded with a cheerful smile on his face.
“Indeed. However, there was also another request.”
Judiel briefly shook her head.
“Another request?”
“I was ordered to report even the slightest thing I’ve learned about the Wise Martial Palace.”
“Wise Martial Palace…”
Raon lowered his head and furrowed his brow.
“Wise Martial Palace has Denier Zieghart as the palace master.”
“Indeed.”
“Why is he suddenly asking you to investigate them?”
Karoon’s eyes were frighteningly cold when he left the audience chamber. Raon couldn’t understand why he would suddenly start gathering information about the Wise Martial Palace even though his anger was directed at him.
“Denier Zieghart…”
Denier had never caused an issue or said anything strange. He didn’t exactly take good care of Raon or Sylvia, but he didn’t look down on them, unlike the others.
However, the look in his eyes strangely reminded him of Derus Robert.
“Shall I investigate it?”
“Yes. But you should be careful. I don’t think we should rashly approach this matter.”
“Understood. I’m also going to adjust accordingly when I write the report about you.”
“Thank you.”
“Then have a good rest.”
Judiel lowered her head and stood up.
“Wait a moment.”
Raon stopped Judiel as she was about to leave.
“Any information about your brother?”
“…Not yet.”
Judiel shook her head with composed eyes.
“My lord.”
She turned back and lowered her head.
“I believe we don’t need to continue the investigation into my brother.”
“What?”
“Considering the fact that we still can’t find him even with the Black Market’s power, it’s probably too late.”
Judiel continued with a similar expression as when she was making the report, as if she had lost all her emotions.
“It’s getting a lot pricier and more complicated to search. I believe it’s better to give up…”
“Are you serious?” Raon asked while looking at Judiel’s darkened eyes.
“......”
Judiel’s fingers trembled as she remained silent.
“To be honest, I wanted to find your brother in the past because you became my subordinate. It was just a condition to take you in, without any emotion involved. However…”
Raon smiled faintly as he saw that Judiel’s eyelids had started to tremble.
“I now want you to be reunited with your brother from the bottom of my heart.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Since he was learning about relationships like family, masters, and friends, the promise with Judiel had a different value to him. He wanted to find her brother no matter what, unlike before.
“Don’t give up before me.”
Raon held Judiel’s shoulder. He didn’t put any force on it, but he wanted to deliver warmth to show his sincerity.
“Yes…”
Judiel lowered her head with trembling shoulders. It felt like she was revealing her emotions for the first time since she’d entered the room.
“Thank you.”
Judiel thanked him without raising her head and left the room.
Even a bastard like you is becoming more human.
Wrath nodded with a grumpy look on his face, but he also seemed to be proud of him.
‘I’ve always been a human.’
Only your appearance is human. Your insides have always been even more evil than a demon’s!
‘Well, I guess I wasn’t that human so far.’
Like he said, he couldn’t cast off the shadow of his previous self as an assassin in the beginning.
However, the shadow of his previous life was fading away as he encountered various people.
‘I’m going to change even more in the future.’
Do you want the King of Essence to tell you how to become more human?
‘Is there a method like that?’
Nothing is impossible in the world.
Wrath raised his chin sharply with a grin on his face.
‘What is it?’
It’s the promise!
‘Promise?’
Indeed. You only become a true human by keeping your promises. That means you should offer ice cream to the King of Essence right now and—cough!
Raon kicked Wrath away and sighed.
‘I’m so tired of him…’
* * *
Raon took a bite of the mint chocolate ice cream, leaning his back against the annex building’s wall.
Whoaaa!
Wrath clutched his plump cheeks and exclaimed, looking like melting cotton candy.
This is happiness! This is life! The King of Essence is going to open an ice cream shop as soon as he returns to Devildom!
He clenched his fist, saying that he was going to open a thousand stores.
‘You can do that if you want…’
Raon put down the empty ice cream box and shifted his gaze to Encia and Rimmer, who were to his right.
“Hnnng…”
Encia groaned as if she were suffering from a tooth cavity while staring at Rimmer.
Raon had brought him because she’d said that she needed to see the target before crafting the artificial arm, but she was only staring at his face instead of his arm.
“He is definitely handsome, but this is a bit ambiguous.”
“Wh-what?”
Rimmer blinked with a sour expression on his face.
“Because Sir Raon became even more handsome, even an elf isn’t leaving a deep impression anymore.”
Encia briefly licked her lips, saying that his face paled in comparison.
“That’s such nonsense!”
Rimmer couldn’t withstand it anymore and briskly stood up.
“How could I be lacking when I’m the most handsome man in the Blossom Branch clan! It can’t be! I was even called the most handsome man in Seipia!”
He shook his head, saying that there was no other elf more handsome than himself.
“But Sir Raon is the best in the continent. Even the best among the elves is no match for him.”
Encia shook her finger, saying that they couldn’t even be considered on the same line.
“Moreover, long hair isn’t to my liking.”
“I-I pity you for not realizing the greatness of long hair!”
“What kind of greatness? It’s plain obvious that you didn’t cut it because you’re too lazy.”
“Kuah…”
His lips trembled as he stroked his unkempt hair.
What are they even talking about right now?
‘I don’t know either.’
Raon shook his head. He’d brought Rimmer over so that she could examine his arm. He couldn’t understand why she was suddenly evaluating his appearance.
Moreover, his own name was mentioned from time to time, which made him embarrassed.
“Excuse me.”
Raon sighed and walked up to Encia and Rimmer.
“Hey, Raon. She is weird! She’s always been weird, but she’s become even weirder!”
Rimmer frantically shook his head, saying that Encia must’ve seriously gone insane.
“Sir Raon, he passes for now.”
“He passes for now?”
“Yes. I’m not too sure about his appearance, but I’ll consider his relationship with you and make it for him.”
“Hey!”
Rimmer jolted while screaming.
“What are you not sure about with my appearance?! No one has ever said that to me in my entire life!”
“Don’t worry, everyone has to be like that compared to Sir Raon.”
“You damned Raon worshiper…”
“Oh my, thank you for the compliment.”
“I wasn’t complimenting you!”
Neither the elf bragging about his appearance or Encia, who was giving a failing grade to the elf, seemed normal at all.
“Excuse me, weren’t you going to make him an arm? Why aren’t you looking at his shoulder…?”
“Because inspiration is important when it comes to a task like this. Sir Rimmer’s appearance is exactly on the borderline…”
“B-borderline…”
Rimmer sank to the ground as if he were truly shocked by her words.
“M-my face is only on the borderline?!”
He must’ve been rather confident in his appearance. His hands were trembling, his eyes falling into despair.
“But didn’t you do it right away when I made the request about my mother?”
Raon walked up to Encia, who was touching the artificial arm.
“Because the two of you are damn beautiful and damn handsome. It’s not even a question!”
Encia shook her head, saying that requests for damn handsome and damn beautiful people had to be granted even if she had to interrupt the task she’d been doing.
“Hmm, I understand. So he still passes in the end, right?”
Raon quickly tried to conclude the conversation because it was falling into confusion.
“Yes! It’s a bit ambiguous, but I’ll do it for Sir Raon!”
Encia killed Rimmer once again and nodded.
“Kuh…”
Rimmer lay flat on the ground. His face was as pale as paper.
This is so regrettable! She should’ve seen the King of Essence’s face since she likes handsomeness so much!
Wrath furrowed his brow, saying that he wanted to have a contest of appearance.
You could’ve experienced humiliation in the face of the King of Essence’s appearance!
‘I don’t even understand why I should feel frustrated about it…’
Raon shook his head and walked up to Rimmer.
“Are you okay?”
“I’ve never felt so humiliated…”
Rimmer grasped the soil with trembling shoulders.
“I’ve never lost in terms of appearance!”
He violently ground his teeth, showing that he was seriously frustrated.
“Don’t mind such a trivial matter…”
“Huh?! Stay still, just like that!”
While Raon was trying to comfort Rimmer, Encia raised her camera.
Click!
She took a photo of Raon and Rimmer and smiled cheerfully.
“Wow, when the damn handsome is next to an ambiguous person, he looks even more handsome! Is this what they call contrast?”
Encia gave Raon one of the two photos that fell from the camera.
“Hmm…”
Raon scratched his chin while looking at the photo of himself and Rimmer. It might be because she kept calling him damn handsome so much, but Rimmer did look slightly lacking in comparison.
“Ah…”
Rimmer raised his head with difficulty to look at the photo, then he went limp like a jellyfish.
“I want to die. It hurts even more than when I lost my arm. I should’ve just died back then!”
He closed his eyes, saying that he couldn’t even refute it.
“It’s difficult to wipe my ass because I don’t have my right arm, I’m not even getting a pension or severance pay, and now I’m ugly…”
“D-division leader, cheer up.”
Raon went to Rimmer and massaged his shoulder. He would’ve normally ignored him, but he tried to comfort him because his condition seemed serious.
“Do you want to borrow some money? Or do you have anything you want to eat? Just tell me anything.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Rimmer’s left hand clenched Raon’s wrist tightly.
“You just told me to say anything I want, didn’t you?”
Rimmer stood up with a grin on his face.
“Huh…?”
“Then go on a journey with me. Of course, you will be funding it.”
“What? Where do you suddenly want to go…?”
Raon was shocked by the fact that he was trying to shift the traveling expenses onto him, but he had another question that took priority.
“To Seipia, the holy ground of the remaining elves in the continent.”
He grinned while shaking his hand.
“There’s something you would like over there.”
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