Chapter 516

Chapter 516

“Are you that Aries Zieghart?”

Aries Zieghart nodded furiously while looking at Raon.

“What did you even hear about me, to be calling me ‘that’ Aries Zieghart?”

She furrowed her brow and twisted her lips. She looked like a thug in the backstreet trying to extort money from a poor child.

“Hmm...”

Raon narrowed his brow while looking at Aries’s face.

‘She is indeed my mother’s sister. The layout of her facial features is similar to hers.’

Aries’s facial features were bigger and more distinct than Sylvia’s, but they gave off a similar impression.

Since she looked like she was around thirty years old, they would’ve looked extremely similar if it weren’t for her tanned skin.

“Hey, answer me.”

Aries came up right in front of him and bobbed her finger. Her vulgar way of speaking made her look like she was threatening him.

“What did you hear about me in that damned house?”

“I was just wondering if you really existed since I’ve never seen you.”

“Really? Didn’t the other shitheads say anything about me?”

“It’s true. I only heard that you were an amazing person occasionally.”

Raon nodded with peaceful eyes.

“Well, I guess they would’ve avoided running their mouths about me if they didn’t have a death wish.”

Aries Zieghart laughed cheerfully and clapped her hands to dust them off.

‘She looked so carefree.’

Her cheerful personality seemed to match her looks. It was difficult to believe that someone from Zieghart had such a bright personality.

Huh?

Wrath scratched his chin while looking at Aries.

Is she Mom’s sister?

‘She’s not your mom.’

She indeed has a similar nature.

He ignored Raon’s comment and examined Aries’s face from various angles.

But why is she even here?

‘I don’t know.’

Raon faintly shook his head and looked at Aries’s face once again.

“Lady Aries.”

“What’s up?”

“Why am I here?”

“I already told you, I kidnapped you.”

Aries shook her hand with an indifferent expression on her face, one that seemed to be wondering why he was asking the same question again.

“You were serious about that?”

“Yes. I found you dying on a backstreet, so I decided to kidnap you.”

“Ah...”

Raon groaned quietly.

‘So she saved me rather than kidnapping me.’

He could finally understand what had happened. He had fainted in the backstreet because of Wrath, and she must’ve found him and treated him.

He expressed his gratitude towards her and lowered his head.

However, he still had a few more questions.

“May I ask why you were in a backstreet at that late hour?”

“It’s because of me.”

Kuberad stepped forward instead of Aries.

“We were grabbing equipment from my previous workshop and ended up returning at a late hour, and she suddenly dragged me there while saying that she felt a strange energy.”

Kuberad laughed bitterly, saying that he hadn’t expected to find Raon there.

“I see.”

Raon could understand how they ended up meeting each other. Wrath had caused a large turbulence in mana as he disappeared, and she must’ve noticed that.

‘It’s not exactly strange.’

Aries was a warrior who had reached transcendence. She was definitely capable of feeling that much mana from far away.

“Then why am I here?”

“You are asking that question a third time already. I kidnapped you!”

“No, I mean, why...?”

She said it was the third time, but he still had to ask. She could’ve left him at the kingdom’s healing ward if it was because of injury, so he couldn’t understand why he brought him on board.

“I was just bored.”

Aries half-heartedly responded while picking her ear.

“Huh...?”

Raon gasped in response to that ridiculous answer.

“You were bored?”

“Yes, I was bored.”

Aries’s chin dimpled deeply. She seemed to be entertained by the situation.

“Wait, but...”

“I’ve never met anyone like you, who becomes more and more childish as you get older.”

Kuberad sighed and threw the two swords he was holding at Raon.

“Ah!”

Raon caught the two swords and smiled faintly. It was Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem. The glowing scabbard implied that he had done maintenance on them for him.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Kuberad’s personality was the same as before. He shook his hand as if it weren’t a big deal and leaned his back against a cabin door.

“She didn’t bring you for any special reason. She said you required urgent treatment because of the injury in your head.”

Raon remembered the hole in his mental world upon hearing the answer. The blue mana that was stopping the hole’s expansion was similar to the wave from Aries’s energy.

That’s right.

Wrath nodded while looking at Aries.

That woman stopped the hole in your mental world from expanding.

‘Yes, I also noticed it.’

Raon sighed quietly and bowed at Aries.

“Thank you, Lady Aries.”

“Do you have a hobby of repeating yourself?”

Aries furrowed her brow, asking how many times he had to thank her before he was satisfied.

“And I’ve already received the payment.”

“What?”

“It’s about the food from where you fainted. All of it was delicious.”

She smiled, saying that he did a good job of picking the delicacies.

Youuuuu!

Wrath frantically jumped at Aries.

Cursed asshole!

His blue eyes darted around nervously. His eyes were filled with madness.

How could you steal the King of Essence’s food?! He will never forgive you!

Wrath violently ground his teeth, saying that he wouldn’t forget the grudge even after ten thousand years.

“I’m glad to hear that you ate them since they would’ve been thrown away if you left them alone.”

Sylvia briefly closed her eyes before opening them again and stepped into the room.

The noon sunlight streamed in from the window, and the audience chamber was filled with golden light. She walked through the space that seemed to be the embodiment of majesty and went on her knees.

“Greetings, my lord.”

“Stand up.”

Glenn told Sylvia to stand up as soon as she knelt.

“Yes.”

Sylvia straightened her back and raised her gaze. She was nervous, but she confidently looked at Glenn on his throne.

His eyes were the same as always. No, they were actually a bit different. His empty eyes were trembling faintly.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

Glenn’s lips twitched as she wondered about it.

“What brought you here?”

“Ah...”

Sylvia clenched her fist tightly and leaned forward.

“It’s about Raon. I’d like to know where he is, and why he hasn’t returned.”

“I told you already. He is currently being treated in the Owen Kingdom alongside the other Light Wind division’s youngsters.”

“I’m not a fool just because I’m idling in the house. I’m already aware that Raon isn’t there.”

Sylvia’s voice wasn’t that loud, but a strange power was dwelling inside.

“Hmm...”

Glenn furrowed his brow and tapped on the throne’s armrest heavily.

“I’m his mother. Please tell me about Raon’s state and whereabouts at least!”

“It’s true that he is injured, but he is fine now. And he is going to return soon enough.”

“But you already said that before! I want the exact—”

“Aries.”

Sylvia stopped moving upon hearing Aries’s name.

“She took Raon away.”

“What? What do you mean...?”

“She said she accidentally met him and treated his injury. Since she set a message that he woke up today, he should be returning shortly.”

“Ah...”

Sylvia fidgeted her fingers.

‘Is he with my sister, Aries?’

Since Aries was far older than her, and both Sylvia and Aries were outside the house most of the time while carrying out missions, they hadn’t met that many times. They didn’t exactly ignore each other, but they weren’t friendly either.

However, on rare encounters they had, Aries often patted her head and gave her sweet snacks like cookies and candies. That was why she felt strange to hear that Aries had saved Raon.

“Don’t worry about him. She said she would send him back after she finished treating him. Yes, he will be fine.”

Glenn sounded like he was trying to convince himself rather than Sylvia. He also seemed to be worried about Raon.

“Hmm...”

Sylvia sighed quietly while looking at Glenn.

‘Is he really okay?’

* * *

Raon followed Kuberad into his workshop.

Unlike his smithy on the back street of Cameloon’s artisan alley, the room was filled with tools that were stained with traces of his touch.

“Thank you for maintaining my blades.”

Raon bowed while tapping on Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem that Kuberad had given to him.

“You are too polite. It wasn’t even a big deal.”

Kuberad shook his hand and said that all he’d done was wipe off the blood, but Raon could tell. He had even hammered the two swords to maintain them. It wasn’t excessive at all to thank him like that.

“By the way, why are you boarding this ship, Sir Kuberad?”

He couldn’t understand why a retired blacksmith was riding a pirate ship, as it wasn’t any ordinary ship.

“I’m here to help her temporarily.”

“Does ‘her’ refer to Lady Aries?”

“Yes. I reluctantly followed her because she whined too much.”

Kuberad sighed and sat on an old chair.

Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at the steel weapons scattered throughout the workshop.

‘Reluctantly, huh...’

Despite what he’d said, every single weapon in Kuberad’s workshop was of the highest quality.

However, the size of the weapons wasn’t suitable for humans. The huge harpoons and hooks looked like they were supposed to be used against large monsters.

‘Is she trying to kill a monster?’

There was no way a blacksmith with Kuberad’s personality would’ve followed her for no reason. He could guess that there must’ve been special circumstances around it.

“How is your condition?”

Just as Raon was about to ask about the circumstances, Kuberad asked about him.

“I’m fine, thanks to your care.”

“It wasn’t me.”

Kuberad shook his hand.

“Aries had been touching your head constantly. Considering the fact that she is such a tomboy, she was being very considerate towards you.”

He furrowed his brow, saying that she behaved in an unexpected way—even if he was her family.

“I’m well aware.”

Raon nodded.

“I need to properly thank her, too.”

The hole created in his mental world had become smaller thanks to Aries. He was planning to repay the favor no matter what, since he felt eternally grateful towards her.

“Is that so?”

While he was thinking about how to repay the favor, a husky voice could be heard from outside the workshop.

Whaaam!

The workshop’s door burst open, and Aries entered with her hands placed on her waist.

“You weren’t lying about that, right?”

“What?”

Raon blinked while looking at Aries.

“You said you would make sure to express your gratitude. You should help me if that’s true.”

Aries gestured with her finger, saying that he wasn’t allowed to refuse.

“I’m not too interested in being a pirate, and I have things to do right now...”

Raon flat-out refused her.

‘I want to help her with everything, but I have something else to do before then.’

He had to figure out what happened to the Light Wind division and how Glenn’s battle had ended. Derus’s corpse assassin factory also needed to be destroyed.

“The Light Wind division? They are perfectly fine. I’ve also reported to the house that you woke up.”

Aries continued with a smile on her face, which seemed to tell him that she could clearly read what he was thinking.

“Moreover, what I’m about to ask you is going to be helpful to you.”

Aries tapped on her temple.

“Because it can help your upper energy center’s treatment.”

“Hmm, may I ask what kind of task it is?”

Aries smiled faintly and nodded.

“We are going to slay a lizard. It’s a rampaging mad dragon.”

Her eyes glowed in a frightening light, and Wrath jumped up at the same time.

A dragon barbecue?