"What?"
Raon tilted his head sideways as he turned to look at Envy.
"Not Burren, but Martha attracts you more?"
During their trainee days, Burren had become the embodiment of jealousy, observing Raon's every move and challenging him. He had shown even more intense jealousy than Mustan, so Raon thought that despite his growth, it wouldn't be difficult for him to receive Envy's selection.
But Envy licked her lips while looking at Martha, indicating she was more attracted to her than to Burren.
The connection between Martha and Envy was something Raon hadn't even considered, which made him a bit flustered.
"If we're talking about pure jealousy, that magician wench over there is the right choice."
Envy pointed at Evelyn, who was smiling beside Martha.
"She emanates such intense jealousy that it sends chills down my spine. And it's genuine jealousy too."
She licked her lips, suggesting that Evelyn was truly qualified to become her apostle.
"But that wench is already tainted with filthy lust, so I don't want to give her my authority."
Envy furrowed her brow, apparently not on good terms with Lust.
"I could handle it though?"
Evelyn curled her red lips, suggesting she could handle the power of envy if it were passed to her.
"I don't like you. And you can't receive my power."
Envy snorted derisively.
"If you hadn't received Lust's
She shook her head firmly, insisting that even though Evelyn was a magician who had achieved transcendence, she couldn't receive the authority of two demon kings.
"I know Raon has received multiple powers though?"
Evelyn raised a finger and pointed at Raon.
"This one is different."
Envy frowned as she looked at Raon. Her expression kept changing as if even she found it absurd.
"He's different from humans and also different from demon kings. He should have died long ago with his body and soul exploding, but Wrath, that damned bastard, I don't know where he found such a vessel..."
Envy clicked her tongue, saying this was a result only Raon could produce across all dimensions.
"Anyway, Wrath is the problem."
She stomped her foot, cursing Wrath even for Raon's anomalous abilities.
-Why...
Wrath trembled his round fist.
-Why am I getting blamed again! This time, I really didn't do anything!
He shouted loudly, seemingly upset at being blamed while he had done nothing.
"That's enough idle talk."
Raon pushed his hand between Envy and Evelyn.
"You mean you can transfer your power to Martha?"
He pointed at Martha, who was standing blankly behind them.
"Actually, what I see in her is not so much envy but a different emotion."
Envy scrutinized Martha while scratching her snow-white chin.
"A different emotion?"
"Competitive spirit."
Her eyes flashed sharply like a swordsman's.
"That girl's competitive spirit is unlike anything I've ever seen."
Envy twisted her green hair around her finger.
"Her competitive desire to fight humans stronger than herself and to approach their martial prowess is similar to my envy, so I see plenty of ways to utilize it."
She licked her lips at length, suggesting she could make excellent use of Martha's competitive spirit.
"Competitive spirit..."
Raon turned to look at Martha and nodded slightly.
'Indeed, no one can match Martha in that regard.'
Martha had shown a mindset of never losing to anyone since childhood and had tried to keep up with him until the end as a swordsman. No, it was clear she was still pursuing him without giving up. The competitive spirit she had nurtured since her trainee days seemed to have grown enough to reach Envy, the Demon King of Envy.
'Actually, I also received Envy's authority, but it didn't awaken in the form of jealousy.'
He had obtained the emotion of envy from Envy, but that power had awakened as a positive emotion called admiration. Martha seemed to be a similar case.
-That's right!
Wrath clapped his hands so loudly it rang in their ears.
-This king also acknowledges the beef girl's competitive spirit.
He nodded, suggesting that Martha would be the personification of the word "competitive spirit."
'It's a bit disappointing for Burren, but it can't be helped.'
He felt a bit disappointed because he had thought Burren and the Authority of Envy would be an excellent match. However, on the other hand, this was an opportunity for Martha to grow, so it didn't seem bad either.
"Martha."
Raon gestured to Martha who was standing behind him.
"You know roughly what's going on, right?"
Having seen what happened with Dorian, Evelyn, and Runaan, he didn't explain at length and beckoned Martha forward.
"You mean how Runaan keeps getting stronger?"
Martha nodded calmly, as if she already knew everything.
"Yes. This woman is Envy, the Demon King of Envy. She's interested in your competitive spirit."
Raon introduced Envy to Martha while drawing out the emotion of envy that had sunk into his soul.
"The Demon King of Envy is interested in my competitive spirit?"
Martha tilted her head as if asking what he meant.
"Runaan matches extremely well with
Raon explained to Martha about the demon king's emotions, using his personal case as an example.
"I see."
Martha nodded as if she understood everything from the brief explanation.
"Competitive spirit..."
Burren, who had listened to the explanation alongside Martha, clenched his fist so tightly it might have bled. He seemed disappointed that Martha had been chosen instead of him for competitive spirit.
"All right. I'll accept it."
Martha nodded heavily as if ready to take on the challenge.
"Runaan, that idiot, it pissed me off how she just sleeps and gets stronger!"
She pressed her lips down firmly, saying she also wanted to grow stronger faster by borrowing a demon king's power.
"Hmph, I chose you, not the other way around. Consider it an honor."
As Envy snorted and snapped her fingers, two green snakes sprouted from Martha's wrist, biting each other's tails to form a green flower bracelet identical to Raon's.
"Nnghh!"
Martha trembled violently, clutching her wrist as if immediately feeling Envy's authority.
"My authority isn't gentle like the others. Especially since you've received envy through competitive spirit, you'll have to fight it your entire life."
Envy licked her lips as if she had predicted this situation and found it amusing.
"Fight it my entire life?"
Martha twisted her lips while maintaining eye contact with Envy.
"No, your authority will soon crawl beneath me."
She flashed a refreshing smile as if she had instantly accepted the pain.
"You're truly attractive. Fine. I'll be a bit more generous."
As Envy grinned and snapped her fingers once more, the green flower bracelet embedded in Martha's wrist emitted an even brighter light.
"Kuuugh!"
Martha bent over, unable to properly raise one shoulder, as if the pain had intensified.
"Let's see if you can endure it."
Envy sneered and tilted her chin.
"..."
Raon didn't stop Envy and silently watched Martha struggling.
'It seems Martha has won Envy's favor.'
Envy had initially given Martha just a tiny bit of envy because of Raon's request, but now she had bestowed a fully formed Authority of Envy. Martha's defiant spirit seemed to have appealed to her as well.
"Good. Just wait a little..."
Martha revealed her white teeth in a smile. She glared at Envy and growled like a beast. Her will to never lose was palpable.
"..."
Watching this, Burren's sword-holding hand trembled slightly. He seemed to feel both envy toward Martha and disappointment in himself simultaneously.
"Hmm."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Burren.
'I want to give Burren a demon king's authority too.'
It wouldn't be easy. Most of his closest subordinates had already received the authorities of demon kings and were growing rapidly. He wanted to pass that power to Burren as well, but it seemed difficult right now.
'The remaining ones aren't ordinary beings.'
The remaining demon kings were Greed, the Monarch of Greed, and Pride, the Monarch of Pride. Both were acknowledged rivals of Wrath, so obtaining the authority of these two demon kings would be truly difficult.
'Pride in particular would be impossible.'
With Greed, he had developed a tiny bit of acquaintance, so it might be possible, but Pride, whom he had never seen and who was associated with Eden's Heavenly Demon, would likely not give him power.
'Then Greed is the only option.'
He sighed briefly as he pondered how to transfer Greed's greed to Burren.
"Enough of this."
After explaining to Martha how to use envy, Envy returned to stand before Raon.
"What's this war with the archangels you mentioned earlier?"
She wiggled her finger as if interested and wanting a proper explanation.
"There's a being trying to descend archangels onto the continent. You probably know this already..."
Raon began explaining, confident that Envy would know about Derus.
"Hmm! I see."
Envy didn't seem particularly surprised or flustered as she listened to the explanation. She seemed to have expected the descent of the archangels to some extent, just as Raon had initially sensed.
"Fine. I'll participate in that war. However..."
She raised a white finger.
"Don't interfere in my battles. And I'll be taking spoils of war when I leave."
Envy tilted her chin as if she had something specific she was aiming for in the war against the archangels.
"I'll permit it as long as it doesn't harm people."
Raon nodded calmly.
"That settles it then. Tell that Wrath fellow not to come out and to stay hidden."
As Envy snapped her fingers as if ready to leave, a green dimensional gate opened behind her.
"When the war begins, break that bracelet while releasing envy. Then I will personally come."
Envy pointed at Raon's green flower bracelet.
"And..."
She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Martha struggling with the Authority of Envy.
"It's not just her competitive spirit that drew me to that girl."
Envy shook her head, indicating that Martha possessed more than just competitive spirit.
"Then..."
"She has quite a bit of envy too. A truly human and pure envy."
She licked her lips as if thinking it would taste delicious.
"Hey! Shut up and disappear!"
Martha ground her teeth with a flushed face.
"I'm going anyway. Continue to envy happily."
Envy waved her hand lightly and disappeared through the green dimensional gate. As she left, the massive demonic energy that had been fluctuating around them instantly subsided.
"Phew..."
Martha also exhaled a thin sigh as if it had become easier to control the Authority of Envy after Envy's departure.
"Now what's left is..."
It was when Raon turned with a faint smile to look at where the dragons were. With a horrifying sound of flesh tearing and bones crumbling, the Dragon Lord's long neck fell to the ground, severed in half.
Bartius seemed to have manifested in his true form and crushed the Lord's neck with his massive jaws. Pain and shock still lingered in the eyes of the now lifeless Dragon Lord.
Bartius closed his eyes as he bathed in the Lord's blood. Raon could sense his mana and soul growing exponentially stronger. It was strange, since dragons shouldn't get stronger through cannibalism.
-It's determination.
Wrath exclaimed in admiration as he looked at Bartius.
-Killing the leader of his clan whom he respected more than anyone, and accepting his sins with the determination to never let such mistakes happen again—that is what has made that dragon grow.
He nodded, saying it was similar to a martial artist awakening after entering a state of enlightenment.
-How interesting. It seems a proper dragon has emerged after a long time.
Wrath nodded, acknowledging Bartius not as prey but as a mediator of this continent.
"Haaa..."
Bartius returned to his human form and descended to the ground. Despite taking human form, his entire body was soaked in blood.
"Raon Zieghart."
Bartius stood before Raon, breathing heavily.
"Yes."
Raon briefly closed his eyes before opening them again.
'I should explain now.'
Bartius and the dragons behind him had waged war to overcome the tyranny of the ancient dragons who had abandoned their duty as mediators. It would be right to explain his relationship with the demon kings to them.
"I..."
"First, I—no, we have something to say."
Bartius took a step closer and adjusted his blood-soaked clothes. The other four dragons behind him also straightened their backs as they looked at Raon.
"Thanks to you, we were able to stop the Lord's sins. Thank you for allowing us dragons to remain as mediators of this continent."
Bartius knelt with his hand on his chest.
"What...?"
Raon was about to explain about the demon kings but firmly closed his mouth.
"We thank you, Raon Zieghart."
The other four dragons also knelt behind Bartius in the same posture, bowing their heads deeply.
"You all..."
The dragons, absolute beings and mediators of the continent, expressing human gratitude in human form, filled Raon with profound emotion.