The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 884

 Chapter 884

 

"Sigh, what a shame..."

Dorian let out a short breath as he touched the dark bruise around his eye.

“If I had managed to take everything with me, we wouldn’t have to worry about supplies for a while!”

He shook the spoon in his hand, looking regretful that he hadn’t been able to bring everything he stole from the Sephia Company.

“You actually tried to steal all that? You’ve completely lost your mind.”

Martha shook her head at Dorian in disbelief.

“I had no idea your dad could get that angry.”

She let out a small chuckle, still finding it unbelievable.

“Yeah, uncle, his face turned red….”

Runaan nodded, as if recalling Adis’ flushed face.

"Well, no wonder. The stuff that came out of his belly pocket was bigger than the entire Sephia Company building!"

Martha, saying she had never seen anything like that before, put down her bowl of stew.

“Can you all eat quietly? It’s rude to the other customers!”

Burren frowned as he wiped the restaurant table with a napkin.

“Don’t nag at us. Go lecture that thief instead.”

Martha waved her hand dismissively toward Dorian.

“I was planning to give that thief a proper lesson as soon as we get back.”

Burren gritted his teeth, calling Dorian a disgrace to the family.

“H-Hey! Taking stuff from my own house doesn’t make me a thief! It’s ours anyway!”

Dorian rolled his eyes, insisting it was fine as long as they put it to good use.

"You didn’t take your family’s stuff, you stole trade goods!"

Sheryl ground her teeth and smacked the back of Dorian’s head.

“Ugh!”

“You used to be so quiet, but now you’re acting the craziest of all. How in the world did that guy raise his kids….”

She clicked her tongue as she looked at Dorian, who had his face buried in the table.

“Hm….”

Raon ignored the noisy table and stacked his empty dishes to the side.

‘This place isn’t bad at all.’

He had planned to just eat Nadine bread for lunch, but since he wanted to give the injured some nutritious food, he stopped by a small village restaurant. Surprisingly, the food was good.

Hmph! The chef’s skills are lacking, but he could feel the effort put into it.

Wrath mumbled that it wasn’t bad, patting his full belly.

However, when it comes to dessert, the King of Essence is strict. It had better be well-made.

He wiggled his round hands, looking forward to the dessert the chef would prepare.

‘This is just a small village restaurant. There is no chef, and there’s no dessert either...’

Raon sighed. The restaurant was so small that the owner himself was the cook, and desserts weren’t even on the menu.

Oh, really?

Wrath, despite the disappointment, simply chuckled as if it didn’t bother him.

Then we’ll just have to eat twice the usual amount of dessert when we get back!

He smacked his lips, as if it was no big deal.

Ten whole days of eating whatever he wants! He’s looking forward to it! He’ll be able to enjoy himself quite a bit!

Wrath chuckled to himself, already planning to eat not just the meals in the annex building but every famous restaurant in Zieghart.

‘…….’

Raon silently watched Wrath hum in happiness.

W-What?

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he saw Raon staring at him.

Don’t tell me… You’re planning to break your promise?!

Wrath’s blue eyes trembled slightly as if he was feeling uneasy.

‘No, of course, I’m going to keep my promise.’

Raon smiled and shook his head. From the start, he had set the duration at ten days but had only mentioned a week at first, so he had no reason to break his word.

Then what’s with that face?

Wrath frowned.

‘My face? What’s wrong with it?’

You look like someone who’s staring at a piece of Nadine bread, wondering whether to eat it or not!

Wrath snorted and said it annoyed him just looking at it.

‘Looks like your mood’s getting better.’

Raon chuckled at Wrath, whose expressions had become much livelier.

Hmph, well, the food at that wallet’s house was decent, and we’ve been eating delicious meals ever since we left.

Wrath nodded, saying his stomach finally felt at peace.

‘Yeah, we’ve been treated well.’

Aside from the moment when Adis caught Dorian and beat him up, he had always given them the best hospitality.

Wrath’s mood had improved, partly thanks to the high-quality meals he had been given.

‘Then I guess it’s time to check now?’

Hm? Check what?

‘The ones I couldn’t check before.’

Raon flicked his finger, summoning the rewards he hadn't checked before.

[You have perfectly deceived the Balrog King.]

[You have achieved a great feat]

[All stats increased by 40 points]

[The trait <Combative Energy Manipulation> has evolved into <Ascara’s Combative Energy>]

[The trait <Ascara’s Combative Energy> has increased by two ranks]

[The trait <Adaptation to Ghastly Energy> has increased]

A 40-point increase in all stats, <Combative Energy Manipulation> was evolved to <Ascara’s Combat Energy>, and its rank increased by two levels immediately.

As expected from a message stating it was a great feat, the rewards were significant.

W-What?! All you did was mess with Ascara a little, so why are you getting this much?!

Wrath frowned, unable to understand the reasoning behind the rewards.

‘Isn’t it obvious?’

Raon smirked at Wrath.

‘You acknowledged Ascara as being at the level of a demon king. That’s why I got so much.’

Wrath himself said that Ascara was a dangerous being who kicked away the position of demon king and abandoned it.

Since he received his acknowledgment, it was only natural that the reward was significant.

W-when did the King of…? Ugh!

Wrath’s lips shut tight as he realized what he had said before.

Ah, even if the King of Essence did say such a thing, this is too much!

His face flushed red with anger. It was hard to say whether that ability to change color was due to childlike innocence or sheer stupidity.

Damn it!

‘Please be quiet now.’

Ignoring Wrath’s tantrum, Raon let out a small breath as he read the details of <Ascara’s Combative Energy>.

<Ascara’s Combative Energy>

A combative energy personally passed down by the Balrog King, who ruled over the battlefields of devildom.

It grants strong resistance against light and dark attributes.

It grants pain and wound resistance, allowing the user to fight at full strength even when seriously injured.

‘Whoa….’

Raon exhaled in awe as he read the description.

‘It’s not on the level of a demon king’s authority, but this is insane.’

Ascara’s combat energy was fundamentally similar to aura, but it also contained energy and a special ability called pain resistance.

As he had just experienced, even Transcenders weren’t immune to injuries, so this ability would be a huge advantage in future battles.

Grrrr!

Wrath grabbed his round head in frustration.

That damned Ascara! When he returns to devildom he’ll freeze him solid and bury him underground!

He ground his teeth, vowing never to let Ascara off.

‘So you’ll fight in my place? As expected from you, Wrath.’

Raon patted Wrath’s shoulder, thanking him.

H-Huh? W-Wait… Does that mean…?

Wrath blinked in realization before punching the air.

Damn it! Nothing ever goes my way!

He shook his head up and down, as if unable to do anything about it.

‘He really is entertaining to watch.’

Just as Raon was enjoying the sight of Wrath flailing around, Dorian approached him with a sly glint in his eyes.

"Um, division leader."

He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

“Can you ask the demon king to show me around his castle? I really want to see it….”

Despite claiming he only wanted to look, he was practically drooling.

‘…You heard that?’

Why is everyone around you completely insane?!

Wrath screamed that everyone near Raon was just another version of Raon.

There’s not a single normal among you! Why is this place even harder to deal with than the heaven?!

*   *   *

A tunnel where hardened lava and melting frost were still fiercely clashing.

The ceiling had collapsed, and the walls had crumbled under the power of Ascara’s combative energy, leaving behind a land like hell. Above that ruined ground, a shadow blacker than darkness flickered.

It had not been here from the beginning. Instead, it seemed to have come from outside, a black wave flowing through the cracks between the rocks.

Sizzle.

A woman with ashen skin and blue hair emerged from the black shadows. Despite the narrow space where even small animals would struggle to stand, she crawled through the tunnel with ease, moving like a snake.

“……”

The blue-haired woman scanned the entire area before stopping at the spot where the white-haired man had been crushed to death by Ascara’s flames. Lowering her cold gaze, she scooped up the blackened ash and burnt soil with both hands.

“A demon king-level Balrog just left without a fight….”

She gave a small nod toward the far end of the tunnel, where Ascara had disappeared.

“It seems Raon Zieghart is hiding an even greater secret.”

After placing the burnt remains of the white-haired man’s blood into her sleeve, she vanished into the cracks of the collapsed tunnel.

*   *   *

"Quite a lot of guests today."

The Foreign Minister Illiune slightly raised an eyebrow as he looked at Borgos and the blacksmiths.

"They are the blacksmiths of the Gray Hammer Guild. They have come to help us with our work."

Raon chose not to mention what had happened in the underground base and simply stated that they were here to help.

"I’ve heard of Sir Borgos’ reputation as the blacksmith of the continent. We appreciate your assistance."

Even though Illiune knew the situation, he welcomed them without prying further and personally opened the gates of the outer fortress gate.

"I appreciate the warm welcome."

Borgos, seemingly pleased with Illiune’s straightforward demeanor, exchanged greetings and stepped inside.

"These roads are wide… As expected of the Six Kings—no, the strongest among the Five Kings."

He let out a breath of admiration as he observed the broad paths leading from the outer fortress to the inner fortress.

“But the heat rising from the ground is weak. As expected of the northern region.”

Borgos frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with the low geothermal heat.

“The area where Zieghart’s blacksmiths work has geothermal heat comparable to the Bright Flame Mountain. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied once you see it.”

Raon smiled, assuring him he would introduce the place soon.

“Vulcan’s workshop, is it? I’m looking forward to that.”

Borgos nodded, eager to meet Vulcan.

“It’s not a huge place, but the geothermal heat should meet your standards.”

As Raon explained more about Vulcan’s workshop and other parts of Zieghart, they soon arrived before the lord’s manor.

“This is the lord’s manor. Let’s head inside.”

"Hah… Whoever built this was no ordinary person."

Borgos mumbled in astonishment, sensing the energy emanating from the building itself, and stepped inside.

It seemed word had already reached ahead, as the audience chamber’s doors were wide open, and the remaining executives of the family were seated by the pillars.

Wooooooom.

Glenn was seated on the throne, exuding an even more overwhelming pressure than usual, likely because this was his first time meeting Borgos.

Just locking eyes with his deep red gaze sent chills running down their spines.

“Hoo.”

Raon let out a short breath and stepped forward into the audience chamber.

After confirming that Borgos and the other blacksmiths had followed him inside, he knelt down.

“I greet the head of house.”

“I greet the head of house!”

Burren, Martha, Runaan, and Dorian followed suit, their voices echoing through the audience chamber.

“…Borgos of the Gray Hammer Guild greets the Destructive King of the North.”

Even Borgos, overwhelmed by Glenn’s immense presence, hesitated slightly before bowing.

"W-we greet the Destructive King of the North!"

The other dwarves and blacksmiths, similarly crushed by Glenn’s presence, struggled to deliver their greetings.

“Welcome to Zieghart.”

Glenn nodded gently, as if he had never been radiating such oppressive presence in the first place.

“What happened in The Bright Flame Mountain was unfortunate. We should have moved faster.”

He clicked his tongue, expressing his regret.

“Please don’t say that. I’m already grateful that you sent the Light Wind Division Leader and the Heavenly Blade Division leader.”

Borgos shook his head, saying that thanks to them, at least some of their people had survived.

“…I heard you wish to start working immediately. Are you sure?”

Glenn narrowed his eyes slightly, as if questioning whether they were truly up for it.

"Sitting around will only make my head more cluttered. I’d rather get to work."

Borgos sighed, saying he wanted to repay the kindness he had received.

“Hm, I’ve read the report, but I’d like to know the details.”

Glenn rested his chin on his hand, asking him to explain why they had come all the way here.

“Yes. First of all….”

Raon stepped forward and explained everything that had happened.

Of course, he left out the part where he deceived Ascara by pretending to be Wrath.

“Hmm….”

Glenn gazed at Borgos with a calm but heavy stare, as if to ask if he was truly all right.

“Work is not an issue. However, there is something I would like to request.”

Borgos let out a short sigh and looked at Glenn.

“I’d like to stay here for a while. Would you allow it?”

“Even after you finish your work?”

“Yes.”

He nodded, expressing his desire to remain in Zieghart.

“Allowing that isn’t an issue, but why would you stay here? What makes you trust us?”

Glenn tilted his chin, as if he didn’t understand.

“To be honest, I don’t trust Zieghart itself.”

Borgos slowly turned his gaze to Raon.

“What we trust—no, who we trust—is the Light Wind Division and Raon.”

He nodded calmly, stating that it was not Zieghart he trusted, but Raon.

“Ah….”

Raon hurriedly shook his head.

‘This isn’t good.’

For someone to openly say they trusted him more than Zieghart, especially in front of Glenn, who held the family in sacred regard, he had no idea how Glenn would react. Tension built in his body as he turned his gaze toward the platform.

However, Glenn’s reaction was entirely different from what he expected.

“Hff…”

Rather than getting angry, Glenn’s lips trembled as if he was holding back a smile, his expression brimming with joy.

He even lifted his hand to his mouth, as if struggling to contain his emotions.

‘Huh?’

Ugh, the old man’s at it again….

Wrath shook his head in exasperation.

 

 

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