Episode 436.

Glenn’s boasting continued until the red moon had traveled the distance of his thumb.

“It’s always been said that it’s who you drink with that counts, and I was the first to drink the first drink Raon poured for me, so it had to be good. It wasn’t so much a drink as a drop of the gods….”

“Oh, wait!”

Limer snapped his head up, clutching his temples.

“Because all you’ve been talking about for half an hour now is that Raon poured you a drink, is there anything else?”

“Something else?”

“Yeah. I’m sure he didn’t just pour me a drink.”

I wring my hands, thinking that there’s no way I could have been invited to the annex, to spend time with my youngest daughter and grandchildren, and come away with nothing more than a drink.

“There was no clinking of glasses, no serving of food, no deep conversation. There must have been something else going on!”

“That’s it?”

Glenn shrugged, as if he needed more than a drink.

“Shut up!”

Remer slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. His whole body ached with pain, but he couldn’t help but be frustrated.

“What do I do, is he really the monster I’ve been following?

Glenn was still smiling, his cheeks flushed with happiness.

He didn’t know why the invincible swordsman, who exuded an overwhelming sense of authority even in front of the head of the Sixth Huangoma, would shrink so small in front of his grandson.

“Please stop smiling for now.”

“I’m not smiling.”

“Look in the mirror, the corners of your mouth are poking the ceiling!”

Remer pointed to the mirror hanging stiffly on the wall.

“Hmmm!”

Glenn caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror and forced his dancing lips to settle.

“Anyway, you’re telling me you’ve only just gotten a drink?”

“I also had pizza. The toddler gave it to me.”

Glenn sighed, not realizing the kid had any culinary talent.

“No, come on!”

Limer scowled and threw up his hands.

“That’s it, next time you get a chance like this, don’t come here just to get drunk, talk to Raon and Sylvia, be friendly, they’ll get closer!”

Opportunities like today’s don’t come around often, but with a toddler, you never know. Next time, I wanted to be a little more assertive in repairing the relationship.

“Well, relationships are like math. If you don’t take the steps calmly, you’re going to get in trouble somewhere….”

“And then you grow old and die! This is just like falling into a trance ten times in a row, you have to subtract progress!”

Remer cursed and thumped his bruised chest; he might have to suffer for a few more days, but he felt like he was going to die of a tightness in his stomach if he didn’t speak.

“Raon, he’s strangely bad at people skills, too, so it’s useless if he doesn’t talk to me directly!”

Raon is as good as anyone at reading the minds of his enemies, but he’s strangely dumb when it comes to family and friendships.

With a slow grandfather and a dull grandson, it’s no wonder things don’t work out.

“Hmm, okay. I’ll think about it.”

Glenn nods, saying that next time he has a day like today, he’ll talk to them a little longer.

“Here’s what I learned today. Raon likes pineapple pizza. I’m going to have to get some pineapple, like, ten tons?”

“Si, ten tons….”

“He also seems to like beef and lamb chops, so I’ll send the roast chef over to the clown restaurant.”

“Whoa….”

Limer sighed, shaking his head excitedly.

“Reveal that to me!

You human!

It was frustrating that he wouldn’t just come clean about sending his own chef for his grandchildren and placing a ridiculous order for ten tons of pineapples, when it would have smoothed out the relationship like ironing.

“What do girls like these days,” he said, “and I think I should reciprocate with a toddler, but what do I know about children, should I secretly give him a golden plaque….?”

Remer rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Now go away!”

I’m so tired!

* * *

Sylvia propped her elbows up on the table.

“Haaaaah….”

She let out a deep sigh of exhaustion and covered her face with her hands.

“Are you okay?”

Raon leaned her upper body forward, looking at Sylvia’s still trembling hands.

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine.”

Sylvia lowered her hand and shook her head. She wasn’t crying, but there was a hint of moisture at the corners of her eyes.

“It’s not that this is hard….”

Her gaze shifted to where Glenn was sitting. His eyes sunken. A mix of emotions wafted through them like the aroma of food.

“I’m doing this because I’m happy.”

“Pleased….”

“Because this is the first time I’ve eaten with you since I was a child.”

Sylvia smiled moonily, noting that it was the first time she had seen Glenn at the table since she was an infant.

“Mmm….”

Raon laced his fingers together as he watched Sylvia moisten her lips with the drink Glenn had given her.

“You’re that good.

He didn’t quite understand Sylvia’s emotions, whether it was because of her life as an assassin or her ignorance of her father’s existence.

But she was happy, and it made him feel as if he were drunk.

-Tsk, tsk.

Rath clicked his tongue briefly as he patted his expanding belly.

-You’re so good at reading the minds of your enemies, but you don’t understand human emotions.

He lowered his gaze as if to say he had a lot to learn.

-When you go to the Demon Realm with the Bone King, you will have a human heart….

“You talk more when you’re full.

Raon pushed his right hand away from Rath, who was losing weight, and took a bite.

‘A few more balls and you’ll be fine.’

It was unlikely that Glenn would ever come here again, but he hoped it would happen someday, and he could eat with Sylvia once more.

“I’m glad you were prepared.”

Sylvia smiled and looked at her maids.

“You all did a good job, thank you.”

“No.”

Helen shook her head with a warm, knowing smile.

“We had fun preparing it, too!”

“We’re just grateful that you enjoyed it!”

The maids smiled faintly as they wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

“But when the patriarch was here, I didn’t know whether the food went into my mouth or my nose.”

“Neither did I. I didn’t know what it tasted like….”

“No one will ever believe that you ate at the same table as the patriarch.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”

They sobbed, leaning back in their chairs as if they had lost all strength.

“Thank you, Mr. Rectar and Mr. Muston, for setting the tone.”

Sylvia stood up and bowed carefully to Rectar and Muston.

“As guests, of course.”

Rectar stroked his chin, as if he’d had a good time.

“You’re Raon’s mother, so you can do whatever you want!”

Muston, still stuck in a rigid master-servant relationship, banged his head on the table as if he didn’t mind being used.

“Oh, yeah….”

Sylvia blinked rapidly in panic. She shot a fierce glare at Raon as if to say, “What the hell did you do to him?

“Haa….”

Raon sighed, looking at the wobbly table.

“I’ll have to educate him.

He felt that if he could train her to think like a friend, not a servant, she would be free from the gaze of others.

“I don’t know if you enjoyed it.”

Sylvia patted the chair Glenn had been sitting in.

“I’m sure he was satisfied.”

Raon nodded, his eyes steady.

“You’re not the type to lie, my lord, so I’m sure you meant it when you said you enjoyed the meal.”

“That’s true.”

Sylvia smiled and patted the toddler’s head, who was munching on a piece of fruit.

“You’re a toddler.”

“Yes!”

The toddler raised his hands in exuberance.

“How did you come up with the idea to bring the patriarch, and weren’t you scared?”

At Sylvia’s question, all eyes in the dining room turned to Yuah. Everyone wanted to know why she’d wanted to bring Glenn with her.

“You know what Mama always says, meals are best eaten together, and….”

Yu Yu smiled faintly and lifted her pineapple-studded fork.

“The patriarch isn’t scary, he’s a sweet man.”

He smiled back, swallowing the pineapple in one bite.

“I’m sure you’re lonely, so please continue to play with me!”

* * *

Rectar gritted his teeth bitterly as he watched Raon and Sylvia talk about nothing but Glenn.

“So this is what blood is for.

He knew how Glenn had treated Sylvia and Raon.

I can understand and accept how difficult it must have been for Sylvia and Raon, and why Glenn made the choices he did.

However, there was a chasm between Glenn and them that I didn’t think would be easy to bridge.

Even if they were father and daughter, they had taken such different paths that it would be hard for them to come together easily.

“But it wasn’t.

One meal. Just by sharing a meal, Sylvia, Glenn, and Raon seemed to have closed the distance between them.

I hadn’t paid much attention to it until now, but I could see why they valued blood so highly.

“Hoo….”

Rectar let out a short sigh as he sipped the drink Glenn had brought him.

“You’re half my blood….

I can’t say those words.

The frustration of not being able to say it, of not being able to tell him who he was, made his stomach feel heavy.

‘This is such a lying relationship.

As much as I wanted to tell them the truth right now, to give them peace of mind and hug my daughter-in-law and grandson, I couldn’t, for their sake.

‘To be honest, I don’t know if I ever will.

To reveal his identity to Raon and Sylvia, he would have to leave Lian, and it was unlikely that Lian’s last request would be easy.

“It’s going to be hard. But….’

You have to come back here, no matter what.

You must do whatever it takes to make your daughter-in-law and grandchildren happy.

He balled his fists under the table and steeled himself.

Rectar lifted his goblet, which was nearly empty. Behind the glowing red of the liquor, he could see Raon and Sylvia smiling faintly.

“Don’t worry.

I’ll take care of you two.

He drank half of his glass, then raised it toward Glenn’s empty seat.

‘Cousin. Raon drained your glass first this time, but I will not lose next time, and then it will be your father first!’

Rectar smirked and emptied what was barely a sip. Funnily enough, it tasted the best.

“Let’s have another drink later.

* * *

Raon stepped out onto the fifth stage in the early hours of the morning to warm up.

He needed more personal training time to embed the lessons he learned from Glenn and Rectar yesterday into his body and mind, so he had no choice but to get up early.

-Gororong….

It was so early that Rath was still not awake. Only the sound of his snoring could be heard through the ice flower bracelet.

“Whatever.

Pisik smirked and drew his celestial sword. Recalling the teachings of Glenn and Rectar, he brought the broadsword down.

The blade was as sharp as a master-crafted sword, and with each twist of his wrist, it took on a subtle transformation.

The blade of the Jie Tian Sword scattered like dandelion seeds, creating a wave of swords. The endless sword waves left dozens of scratches on the floor of the training center.

Even if it wasn’t the most dramatic of changes, it was still a vastly different achievement than before.

“Next.

Raon didn’t lower his Heavenly Sword after unleashing his full power. Instead, he returned to the first stroke of the Lightning Sword and wrapped it around the Myriad Sword.

Hua, hua, hua!

Like painting with a giant paintbrush, the Jie Tian Sword flashed, creating a dense sword mist in the air.

Although it wasn’t as colorful as a transformation sword, the illusion sword had the same life as a true sword.

“Whoa….”

Raon unfolded the Light Sword six times in a row and spat out the mist.

“I don’t know if this is working.

Neither Glenn nor Rectar gave him any praise, only constant criticism, so he wasn’t sure if his accomplishments were stacking up.

I feel like I’m making progress, but I don’t know how much.

“The path of the sword is long and deep.

I’ve been steadily working on my transformation sword and circling sword, though not as much as my strong, light, and heavy swords, and it’s embarrassing to have my shortcomings constantly pointed out to me.

From what I’ve heard from Limer, there seems to be no end to martial arts.

Qi Yi Ying.

Raon sheathed his Heavenly Sword in the hilt.

“Then let’s use it.

A cartoonist’s swordplay, the culmination of transformation and phantom swords. Fire Spirit. Just as he was about to apply the heat of the cartoon ball to the Zetheon Sword to see how much he had grown, the door to the performance hall opened and Rectar walked in.

“Welcome.”

Raon lowered his zetan sword again and bowed to Rectar.

“Yes, my lord. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

He smiled and nodded.

“I know your vacation is coming to an end, but don’t push yourself.”

“I know.”

“Then let’s get right to it. We’ll start with the flying sword.”

“Yes.”

“Wait!”

As Raon took up his stance, and was about to draw the phantom sword, Rectar waved his hand.

“I’ll demonstrate first today. Repeat after me.”

Rectar didn’t even bother to answer, just raised the sword in front of him. His sword flashed like the rising sun, drawing an illusion of hundreds of swords.

“How’s that?”

He smiled a smile that was somewhat reminiscent of Glenn’s, and motioned for them to follow suit.

“Uh….”

Raon gulped dryly, not at the sword visions disappearing one by one, but at Rectar’s chin rising. His expression was similar to Glenn’s.

‘I was just getting used to this.

Why are you changing your ways….

* * * https://pindangscans.com

“Hmm?”

Beren scratched his head as he looked at the group of clown swordsmen gathered in front of the main entrance to the fifth training hall.

“Are those guys here to train too?

It seemed like they were out for some light training, too, since their vacation was coming to an end.

“But why are they standing in front of the door instead of going in?

I thought it was strange and gestured to the inspectors.

“What are you guys doing?”

“Shh!”

“Close your mouths!”

“Be quiet!”

Lunan, Marta, and Dorian shook their heads and gestured for him to shut up.

“Hmm?”

Crane, who was behind them as Vern stood dumbfounded, gestured.

“Don’t make a sound and come this way.”

“Ah, uh….”

He nodded and moved to everyone’s side.

“Look over there.”

I followed Crane’s gesture and peered through the doorway.

“Raon and… uh, Lord?”

Varen’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

“You’re teaching Raon?”

“That’s right, this morning he was taught by Mr. Swordguy.”

Crane whispered in a low voice, as if revealing a secret.

“Why would the Patriarch teach Raon?

Rectar would understand, having watched all of the clown’s swordsmanship, but he couldn’t think of any reason why Glenn would teach Raon.

‘What the hell is going on here….’

He’d recently heard that even his father and his predecessors hadn’t been taught by Glenn, so he wasn’t sure what was going on.

“Ah!”

Crane’s head snapped up from his scanning of the smoke screen.

“In the Realm of Reality, you didn’t give the Vice Lord any injuries, so maybe you’re teaching him instead?”

“Oh, that’s it!”

Marta nodded, poking her head out of the doorway.

“It sucks, but he deserves it. He ended House Aryan’s war at least eight times over.”

House Aryan’s entire troupe had fought to the death, but Raon had suffered the most.

Knowing how he fought, she felt no jealousy.

“I do envy you, though.”

As Marta bit her lip, Lunan sneaked up on her.

“Envious of Martine?”

Lunan shook his head, eating the beaded ice cream in his hand.

“I told you not to do that!”

“I told you not to be a dick?”

“No, I said don’t use that tone of voice!”

“Ugh.”

“Eeeeeee!”

Marta lunged, and Lunan ran away, eating his ice cream. It was so familiar by now that no one cared.

“Wow, I can see how you’re getting tired, Lord.”

Dorian fiddled with his belly pouch as he watched Raon catch his breath in his lap.

“I didn’t think he’d struggle so much in training either, but….”

Crane nodded vigorously in agreement, then the corner of his mouth quirked up slightly.

“It’s kind of refreshing, don’t you think? I feel weirdly good.”

He mumbled something about how it was refreshing to see him struggling after watching him train, always in perfect condition.

“It’s not just me, is it?”

“I’ll admit, it’s kind of cool.”

Buren chuckled and scratched his cheek. The sight of him panting with exhaustion made my stomach feel lighter, like all the food I’d eaten during the day had been digested.

“Same here.”

Marta smiled coldly and nodded.

“He’s got to experience being on the receiving end.”

She muttered something about Raon needing to suffer for a while longer.

“Agreed.”

Lunan took a step away from Marta and held up a hand.

“For once, I agree with the Nachalwoman.”

“You know what you’re doing this time. Don’t call me a troll!”

Marta laughed, then made a demonic face and lunged at Lunan, and the two began to joust again.

“You should know that even the vice lord has a hard time practicing.”

“That’s right, so he won’t mess with us.”

“That should make him realize how hard it is to train with different eye levels.”

“That should make it easier in the future.”

As the clown swordsmen nodded vigorously, remembering the hardships they had endured so far, the door to the training center slammed open.

Whoosh.

The harsh sandy wind stopped, and we could see the inside of the performance hall. Glenn had already left, and Raon was hunched over like an animal, his eyes glowing red.

“Come on in, what are you doing there?”

“Oh….”

“That, that….”

The black steam from Raon’s mouth sent a chill down the spine of the clown swordsmen.

“I’ve learned something this time, firsthand.”

The corners of his mouth curled upward gently, but his smile flickered with evil.

“I’ve realized that just as iron becomes harder when hammered, people become stronger the more they suffer. Perhaps I have been too hard on you.”

He laughed a darker, more eerie laugh and snapped his fingers.

“Let me help you become more solid iron.”

Raon’s supple hand gesture looked like a Reaper’s scythe stained with blood.

“We’re not iron, Chu, are we?”

“Ugh, my vacation isn’t even over yet!”

“…Joe, sleepy.”

Buren, Marta, and Lunan’s jaws dropped when they saw the madness in Raon’s eyes.

‘Argh….’

‘Man, you’re screwed….

‘You’re not making him suffer less, you’re making him suffer more?

‘He’s enlightened in the wrong way!’

I shook my head as if I didn’t want to do the clown test.

“Oh, it’s okay, I’ll go home for the day.”

“That’s right, I have a patient at home right now….”

“I have an appointment with my parents… Huh!”

“Ugh!”

“Back, back, back!”

Everyone scrambled backwards, only to find Raon blocking their path.

“It’s okay.”

Raon clutched at the nape of the clown swordsmen’s necks, his eyes gleaming with madness.

“It’s the first day, it shouldn’t take long, and I can’t be the only one who gets screwed.”

“Zee, I can’t be the only one who gets… Kek!”

“Shut up.”

He slapped Crane across the mouth and tossed the clown swordsmen by the scruff of the neck into the smoke screen.

“Let’s do this.”

Raon laughed a creepy laugh, and drew his celestial sword.

“Endless swordplay hell.”