Chapter 208

Chapter 208
## Chapter 208: Who is Stronger?

The atmosphere turned brittle and frigid following the Knight Commander’s declaration.

For a heartbeat, the assembly questioned their own hearing.

It was understandable—what could he possibly mean by the “real Baal”?

The colossal, physical manifestation of Baal was sprawled right before them. Was that not the authentic entity?

Its appearance was an exact replica of the terrors described in ancient lore.

Given that this nightmare—the very beast that had incinerated the metropolitan areas surrounding the practitioner’s mountain—was currently in their presence, how could anyone label the golden goat as the “real Baal”?

Furthermore, a contradiction arose.

“Was Baal not eradicated by the Five Lords?”

The figure behind the golden mask, who had remained a silent observer until now, finally spoke.

The resurrected version of Baal had been struck down.

The common knowledge was that the Five Lords had finished him within the depths of the abyss.

Raiga, the Knight Commander, offered nothing more than a faint, mocking laugh.

“What perished in those depths was merely an outer casing. The actual core, the true essence, was never destroyed.”

“Raiga. If your claim holds weight… are you suggesting the twelfth guardian is the soul of Baal, and that this fundamental evil is standing in the very center of the empire?”

Extinction.

The Four Evils were fundamentally incompatible with the empire’s existence.

The predecessor empire had crumbled because of them, and the current empire of Arhon had adopted the core principles of that fallen civilization.

Inevitably, from their perspective, the forces of extinction and the Four Evils were malignancies that required total purging.

Consequently, if the twelfth guardian was indeed the Four Evil Baal…

‘They must be executed.’

The entity had to be wiped out immediately.

This transcended the Death God Church’s theological grudge against the goddess. This was a crisis of a much more primal nature.

Raiga, the Knight Commander, simply clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“As I thought, attempting a rational dialogue with you clerics is a waste of time.”

“…Are you directing that insolence toward me, Raiga?”

A murderous intent vibrated through the golden mask’s words. It was a clear ultimatum that his disrespect had reached its limit.

The remaining guardians cast gazes of pure vitriol at Raiga and the Palga Knights. The Palga Knights met their stares with equal disdain.

…The fracture between these two factions was evidently far more severe than anyone had anticipated.

‘And yet they managed to convene a summit.’

True to the summons, the high-ranking officials of the Death God Church and the Palga Knights were conducting a “meeting” this day.

The subject of their discourse remained a mystery to outsiders.

However, for two organizations that looked ready to tear each other’s throats out to sit in the same room, the stakes had to be monumental.

Simultaneously, Raiga’s attention drifted back toward me.

His eyes were filled with even more intense curiosity than before.

“Have you still not grasped it? That goat has achieved total ‘mastery’ over Baal. It has succeeded where even the four premier lineages of the ancient empire fell short.”

“…Total mastery over Baal, you claim?”

The golden mask shifted his gaze, his expression etched with skepticism.

He found it hard to believe that a lone individual had conquered a feat that had stumped the peak of the old empire.

In the eras of antiquity, the old empire was a titan.

It was a civilization far more radiant than the current one, boasting lush territories, limitless wealth, and a golden age where the arts of sorcery and the blade reached their zenith.

They wanted for nothing and had even dared to challenge the sovereignty of the gods.

Yet, even with all that power, they failed to chain the Four Evils.

‘If the Four Evils truly matched the legends, dominating them should be a physical impossibility.’

This was why, when news spread that the Five Lords had killed the Four Evil Baal, the world was rife with suspicion.

If a god-tier empire couldn’t kill a Four Evil, how could a mere group like the Five Lords manage it?

Especially when some were just subordinates, like the carrion crows of the White King.

A genuine titan capable of predatory action against Baal wouldn’t bow to the White King.

The Four Evils were undying deities beyond the reach of death.

As Raiga pointed out, the Five Lords had only destroyed a hollow shell.

“…Nonetheless, the techniques for dominating the Four Evils were lost to history ages ago.”

The logic still didn’t track.

Absolute control over a Four Evil?

The current empire didn’t even possess the records that such a method existed.

The question of how such knowledge was unearthed and implemented was only natural.

Raiga brushed the skepticism aside effortlessly.

“It becomes a possibility if the individual shares a lineage with—or carries the blood of—the ‘Rahon’ family.”

“The noble house of the old empire that shackled Baal and subsequently vanished from existence?”

Raiga, the Knight Commander, gave a subtle nod of affirmation.

Palga, Dersian, Arhon, and Rahon.

These were the four pillars of power in the ancient empire.

The modern empire had adopted the title of the premier imperial house, Arhon.

Palga, the protectors of the Arhon line, lent their name to the present-day knightly order, and the most affluent family of the past, Dersian, still saw its name carried by the wealthiest merchants of today.

But ‘Rahon’ was the only name that had no heir.

No chronicles remained of them, save for their name and the myth of their control over Baal.

It was as if their history had been systematically scrubbed from the world.

Raiga then shared his synthesized theory.

“The twelfth legitimate guardian who wasn’t supposed to exist. They debuted in the form of a goat and even invoked their crest, Baal.”

“…That is too many variables for a mere coincidence.”

“Furthermore, the secret to chaining Baal would have been the most guarded mystery of the four ancient houses. If someone has pulled it off, it’s logical to assume a link to the ‘Rahon’ bloodline.”

……The dialogue was taking on a life of its own.

Without my input, they had decided I was the heir to ‘Rahon,’ one of the lost great houses.

‘I did integrate the Baal set and the Sword Saint’s Diary, after all.’

By finishing the ‘He Who Ignites Darkness’ quest, I had internalized the properties of the Baal set. To their eyes, that looked like “absolute control.”

In truth, the Sword Saint’s Diary did outline the procedures for mastering Baal.

Though the text admitted that a perfect synchronization had never been achieved.

‘The Sword Saint must have been tied to the Rahon lineage.’

That was the only logical deduction from their conversation.

Rahon, so that’s the angle.

“But isn’t claiming ‘total mastery’ based on that alone a bit of a leap in logic?”

When the golden goat challenged him, Raiga, the Knight Commander, gave a casual shrug.

“You witnessed that surge of ‘power’ just now and you’re still confused? Sword aura is a tool reserved exclusively for those at the absolute peak of mastery. And this specific aura is fused with Baal’s divine mandate.”

“The elves have practitioners of sword aura as well.”

“What those forest-dwellers utilize isn’t authentic sword aura. It’s merely a gift from the World Tree. In the current age, there is no one besides myself who can manifest the true ‘sword aura’.”

It was a statement of staggering hubris.

Yet, there was no one present who could disprove him.

He continued in a hushed tone.

“There wasn’t… but now there are two of us.”

“The golden goat exhibited legitimate sword aura?”

“Indeed. A sword aura devoid of any imperfection. Baal’s influence must have pushed his potential to the absolute limit.”

However, there was a sharp edge of elitism in his voice.

Raiga had ascended to his position through grueling discipline, whereas he viewed mine as a byproduct of Baal’s power.

He seemed convinced that my ability to mimic his aura was the definitive proof of my control over Baal.

……His reasoning wasn’t entirely flawed.

‘I demolished the cursed celestial stone to force my proficiency higher.’

My climb to level 30 hadn’t been through standard experience grinding.

But it wasn’t an “invalid” path.

If you reach the same peak, taking the direct path isn’t the only way to get there.

Often, a shortcut or a side path is required.

Furthermore, the ‘Supreme Sword Saint’ rank that unlocked level 30 was a title I had earned.

It was granted through the validation of Riley and the fallen dragon within the abyss labyrinth.

“Isn’t that right, goat?”

……Raiga directed the question at me, certain of his own cleverness.

He was clearly waiting for me to confess to being a scion of the Rahon house.

What was the source of this blind arrogance?

In this specific setting, a denial would likely sound more suspicious than a confirmation.

I could simply play the part.

“Are you truly so certain of that?”

“What are you implying, goat?”

“That you are the sole individual capable of wielding a true sword aura.”

……I felt the need to ask.

What was the foundation of that ego?

Raiga was the quintessential type who believed his perspective was the only reality.

I felt a sudden urge to dismantle that pride.

Raiga was a powerhouse without equal in the current landscape.

As more hidden legends began to surface.

‘It’s as if a balance adjustment is occurring in real-time.’

Much like a game receiving a major patch.

The threshold between the elite and the average was skyrocketing.

The legends of yesterday were being eclipsed, while new titans rose to claim the stage.

Randolph was certainly among these new elites.

But for some reason, I found this status quo grating.

‘The name of Wilhelm is fading into obscurity.’

It felt as though Wilhelm was being systematically forgotten.

Moreover, Raiga was factually incorrect.

If the aura I commanded was the real thing…

……Then the aura Wilhelm had wielded was just as authentic.

I had merely controlled Wilhelm as a player, but to the inhabitants of Pangeniar, he was a living myth.

“Are you suggesting there is another who rivals me?”

“Wilhelm.”

…Hold on.

That wasn’t my voice.

The name hadn’t come from me.

The sound had originated from the ranks of the Palga Knights.

To be precise.

‘Isabella?’

She was the one who had spoken Wilhelm’s name.

For a brief moment, Raiga looked genuinely confused.

“Wilhelm? You’re claiming he stands on the same level as me, Isabella?”

“…I am, Commander.”

“Wilhelm was taken down by a ‘fragment.’ I am a specialist who hunts ‘fragments.’ The disparity in our power is obvious. I cannot accept him as an equal.”

Raiga’s reaction was even more startling than his pride.

He was aware that Wilhelm had fallen to the ‘Fragment of Extinction’ used by the Demon King.

He understood perfectly what had been dismissed as a ‘glitch’ during that time.

Which implied…

‘Raiga is familiar with the glitches triggered by the Fragment of Extinction.’

He knew they existed and how to handle them.

“Furthermore, Isabella, you’ve never actually laid eyes on Wilhelm, have you?”

“I have.”

“You have?”

“Yes.”

Isabella had encountered Wilhelm?

‘That shouldn’t be possible.’

He was my secondary character.

Isabella had been stranded in the wasteland by the Desert Queen.

She wouldn’t have had any opportunity to meet Wilhelm.

Even during the time I stopped playing her, she remained in that desert.

I had visited that region as Wilhelm long before I ever started developing her as an alt.

Was Isabella being dishonest?

But the Isabella I remembered was not a person who practiced deception.

She certainly wouldn’t offer a lie that could be debunked so easily.

“Interesting.”

The spark of fascination returned to Raiga the Knight Commander’s eyes.

He spoke with a slow, deliberate drawl.

“Then give me your assessment. Between Wilhelm and myself, who holds the greater power? Give me an honest answer, from the heart.”

It was a petty, ego-driven question.

But for them, it was a defining matter of honor.

As the world claimed, Raiga was the undisputed strongest, a collector of ‘fragments.’

Even from my perspective, he looked like a formidable match for Wilhelm.

Isabella, as a squire within the Palga Knights, would have seen Raiga’s full capabilities in the field.

She raised her gaze and looked Raiga the Knight Commander directly in the eye.

And she spoke without a trace of doubt.

“Wilhelm.”