Ch-208. **Who Is Stronger?**
—
The moment Commander Raiga spoke, the air around them froze over.
For an instant, everyone wondered if they had heard him wrong.
Because—*the real Baal?*
Right before their eyes lay the enormous body of Baal. Wasn’t that the true Baal?
Its form was identical to the one preserved in legend, beyond the slightest doubt.
A massive beast that burned down the surrounding cities near the Mountain of Trainees — and with that very monster right beside them, he dared to call the Golden Goat “the real Baal”? How could such nonsense be tolerated?
No, to begin with—
“Baal should’ve been killed by Fifth Pillar.”
It was the Golden Mask who spoke — until now, quietly listening.
The resurrected Baal had been killed. In the Abyss, by Fifth Pillar… or so it was known.
Raiga merely let out a small laugh.
“What died in the Abyss was only the husk. The true body — the true essence — never died.”
“Raiga. If what you say is true… that would mean the Twelfth Patron is Baal’s very essence. And that essence is right now within the heart of the Empire?”
Destruction.
And the Four Calamities were enemies that could never coexist with the Empire.
The Old Empire had fallen because of them — and because the New Empire of Arhon inherited the values of the Old Empire, Destruction and the Four Calamities must, in their eyes, be annihilated without question.
Therefore, if the Twelfth Patron was Baal of the Four Calamities…
*He must be killed.*
Eliminated right here.
This had nothing to do with the Reaper Cult’s hatred of the Goddess — this was a much more fundamental matter.
But Raiga only clicked his tongue.
“As expected, there’s no talking with soft-bellied scholars.”
“…Is that supposed to be directed at me, Raiga?”
Murderous intent laced the Golden Mask’s voice. A warning — he would not tolerate further insolence.
The other Patrons likewise openly glared at Raiga and the Fang Knights. And the Fang Knights returned the same hostility.
…It seemed the rift between the two groups was far worse than expected.
*And yet they somehow decided to hold a meeting together.*
According to the invitation, today the executives of the Reaper Cult and the Fang Knights were to conduct a “conference” together.
No one could have predicted what topic they intended to discuss.
But if two factions who were dying to tear each other apart had chosen to gather and talk, then the matter was anything but trivial.
Meanwhile, Raiga’s gaze found its way back to me — this time filled with even greater “interest.”
“You still haven’t realized? That goat has *completely* ‘controlled’ Baal. Something even the four greatest families of the Old Empire could not accomplish.”
“…Completely controlled Baal?”
The Golden Mask turned his head, disbelief thick in his eyes.
He couldn’t accept that something the Old Empire failed to do had now been accomplished.
In the distant past, the Old Empire was mighty — incomparably more radiant than the current Empire.
Abundant lands, vast resources, a golden age of magic and the sword.
They lacked nothing — not even the audacity to challenge the authority of gods.
And yet *even they* failed to control the Four Calamities.
“If the Four Calamities had existed in their original form, subjugation would have been impossible.”
That was why it had been puzzling that Fifth Pillar had supposedly slain Baal.
Even the Old Empire failed — so how could Fifth Pillar kill Baal? How could some corpse-crow under the White King accomplish such a thing?
If one were truly a monster capable of hunting Baal, there would be no reason to remain underneath the White King at all.
The Four Calamities were immortal. As Raiga said, whatever Fifth Pillar killed was merely a shell.
“Still, the method of controlling the Four Calamities should’ve been buried underground long ago.”
Even so, none of this made sense.
Complete control of Baal?
The Empire did not know such a method. How could they have discovered it — and used it?
Raiga dispelled the question lightly:
“If one is connected to — or descended from — the RaHon family, it is not impossible.”
“The family of the Old Empire that controlled Baal… and perished for it?”
Raiga nodded.
Fang, Dersian, Arhon, and RaHon.
The four greatest houses of the Old Empire.
Among them, the most powerful — the imperial family Arhon — had its name inherited by the New Empire.
Fang, who protected House Arhon, became the current Knight Order.
The wealthiest house, Dersian, still had that name adopted by the richest of the present.
But only RaHon had been inherited by *no one.*
Aside from its name and the fact that it controlled Baal, no records remained.
As if someone had erased that name intentionally.
Raiga then presented the conclusion he had neatly arranged in his mind:
“A Twelfth ‘true-Patron’ who should not exist… who appeared wearing a goat’s mask from the very beginning… and even summoned Baal, his symbol.”
“…That cannot all be coincidence.”
“And the method of controlling Baal was a classified secret of all four families. If he succeeded, then it is only natural to assume he is related to House RaHon.”
…The story was now spiraling out of control.
Before I realized it, they regarded me as a descendant of *RaHon.*
*I did absorb the Baal Set and the Sword-Saint’s Journal.*
When I completed “The One Who Cultivates Darkness,” I absorbed the effects of the Baal Set — perhaps they saw that as “complete control.”
The Sword-Saint’s Journal had indeed contained notes on how to control Baal — even if the writer claimed he had ultimately failed.
*So the Sword-Saint must have been related to House RaHon.*
That was the logical conclusion when combining the pieces.
Still — RaHon?
“But that’s hardly sufficient proof that he succeeded in ‘complete control,’ is it not?”
When the Golden Mask challenged him, Raiga shrugged.
“Did you not sense the aura of ‘Force’ he revealed earlier? Swordforce can only be used by a ‘master’ who has reached the extreme. It is also related to Baal’s authority.”
“There are elves who use Swordforce.”
“The technique used by those herbivorous beasts is not true Swordforce. It is nothing more than the blessing of the World Tree. In this world, the only one who can wield true Swordforce is myself.”
It was an outrageously arrogant claim.
But not one among them could dispute it.
And then he added quietly:
“*Was*, perhaps. But now there are two.”
“The aura the Golden Goat released — that was true Swordforce?”
“Yes. Not a hint of disruption. Only the pure, absolute form of Swordforce. The power of Baal — driving one to the extreme — must have made that possible.”
Yet beneath his words lay subtle condescension.
Raiga had reached Swordforce through training — whereas I, according to him, gained mine through Baal’s authority.
He considered the display of a Swordforce aura so similar to his own as proof of “complete control.”
…It wasn’t entirely wrong.
*After all, I shattered the cursed Celestial Stone to grind proficiency.*
I did not raise my mastery level to 30 through normal methods.
But that didn’t make it an “improper” method.
If the destination is the same, charging straight ahead is not the only path. Detours and shortcuts exist.
Besides, the class that made Level 30 possible — *Supreme Sword Saint* — was something I earned.
By securing the acknowledgement of both Riley and the Supreme Dragon within the Abyssal Labyrinth.
“Isn’t that so, Goat?”
…Raiga waited, confident in his deduction — wanting me to acknowledge being of House RaHon.
That *groundless confidence.* Where did it come from?
If I denied it, the situation would become even stranger.
I could simply ride the wave of the atmosphere, but—
“Do you truly believe that?”
“What do you mean, Goat?”
“That you are the *only* true wielder of Swordforce.”
…I wanted to ask that.
The basis of his arrogance.
Raiga was the very type who believed *he was always right.*
And I wanted to shatter that arrogance.
Raiga was an unprecedented powerhouse — one of the hidden monsters now emerging.
*It really does feel like a balance patch, doesn’t it?*
As if the update had begun and the balance patch rolled with it.
The standard for measuring strong vs. weak was rising sharply.
Former “strong ones” were becoming obsolete — new powerhouses were doing everything.
Randolph could be counted among those new elites.
But something about this situation — I could not tolerate it.
*Wilhelm’s name is being forgotten.*
It felt as though Wilhelm was fading from history.
And Raiga’s statement was wrong.
If the Swordforce I used was true Swordforce…
…then the Swordforce Wilhelm used was also true.
I only ever played Wilhelm in the game — but for the people of Pangaenia, Wilhelm was a legendary name.
“There is another besides me?”
“Wilhelm.”
…Wait.
I wasn’t the one who spoke that name.
The voice came from the direction of the Fang Knights.
Specifically—
*Isabella?*
She had spoken Wilhelm’s name.
Raiga tilted his head.
“Wilhelm? You mean he is on the same level as I am — is that what you’re saying, Isabella?”
“…Yes, Commander.”
“Wilhelm was killed by a ‘Fragment.’ Meanwhile, I *hunt* the Fragments. The difference is obvious. I cannot possibly acknowledge him as being on my level.”
Even more shocking was this — Raiga knew that Wilhelm had died to the Demon King’s “Fragment of Ruin.”
He fully understood that situation which was once considered a “bug.”
Meaning—
*Raiga knows how to deal with bugs caused by the Fragment of Ruin.*
He knew of the bug — and how to counter it.
“Besides, Isabella, you should have never even seen Wilhelm.”
“I have seen him.”
“You have?”
“Yes.”
Isabella saw Wilhelm?
*That’s impossible.*
She was my alternate character — trapped in the desert by the Desert Queen.
She should have had no opportunity to ever see Wilhelm.
Even after neglecting the character, she remained in the desert.
Even when I visited the desert as Wilhelm, that was long before Isabella was raised as an alternate character.
So was Isabella lying?
But the Isabella I knew was incapable of lying. Especially not a lie bound to be exposed immediately.
“Oh-ho.”
Interest once more gathered in Raiga’s eyes.
He slowly asked:
“Then answer me — between Wilhelm and me, who is stronger? You must answer with sincerity — only the truth.”
A childish question.
But this was a matter of pride.
Raiga was worthy of being called one of the strongest in the world — a hunter and collector of Fragments.
Even I felt he could stand toe to toe with Wilhelm.
Isabella, a squire of the Fang Knights, must have witnessed Raiga in combat firsthand.
She raised her head, looked straight at Commander Raiga—
And without a moment of hesitation answered:
**“Wilhelm is stronger.”**
—
