The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 981

 Chapter 981

 

"Wh-what? You want us, just us, to take down a dragon? Are you serious?"

Burren gulped dryly.

"Did this guy finally lose his mind after writing that weird song?"

Martha spun her finger near her temple as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Okay. I’ll do it…”

Runaan nodded calmly, as if she believed it was entirely possible.

“I-I don’t want to!”

Dorian shook his head furiously, his cowardly instincts flaring up again after a long time.

“It’s definitely an ancient dragon! How could we possibly defeat that?”

He tightly shut his eyes, insisting it was absolutely impossible.

“O-of course it’s a joke, right?”

Krein laughed awkwardly while glancing at Raon’s expression.

"Nope. That guy’s dead serious…"

As someone who’s been beaten by Raon more than anyone else, he could immediately tell when Raon wasn’t joking.

“A dragon, huh…”

Mark Goetten licked his lips while resting his hand on his saber, as if the idea intrigued him.

“If the palace master gives the order, we can’t exactly refuse. But you really need to think carefully. This might be an excessively dangerous mission.”

Trevin looked at Raon, as if asking whether he had truly thought this through.

“He’s right.”

Borgos let out a long sigh and furrowed his brow.

“The Sky Dragon Desiuros is an ancient dragon. I know better than anyone how strong the Light Wind Palace is, but without you, it won’t work.”

He exhaled a heavy breath like thick smoke.

“The dwarves are being threatened with extinction by that damned dragon. No, it’s worse than that. They're alive, but it’s not a life worth living. If all you can offer is a half-baked help or kindness, it might be better to not help at all. Just pretend you didn’t see it.”

Borgos furrowed his brow. Giving false hope to those who go on living only because they can't die… that’s the cruelest thing of all.

“Of course, I don’t exactly have the right to say that…”

He wrinkled his nose and stared at the ground.

“Because even though I knew they were being enslaved, but still couldn’t lift a finger to help. It’s pathetic…”

Borgos shook his head, saying he didn't have the strength to help and couldn't ask others for help either.

“I understand.”

Vulcan gave Borgos a firm pat on the back.

"Asking people to die for something that has nothing to do with them is something even a demon wouldn't do."

He clicked his tongue briefly, saying he would’ve made the same choice if he were in Borgos’ shoes.

“Sir Borgos is right. To face an ancient dragon, you’d normally need a Transcender.”

Raon nodded. Even when he defeated the Mad Dragon Kaibar, most of the attacks had been blocked by Aris. He had only struck the final blow.

“But I’m not joking. I really believe these guys can defeat that dragon.”

“You’re serious?”

Burren narrowed his eyes.

“No matter how I think about it…”

“I’m not saying they’ll do everything alone.”

Raon smiled and shook his head.

“I’ll block the breath and any Transcendence-level spells.”

Just like Aris had done, he promised to block only the attacks that could wipe them all out, raising his hand to emphasize the point.

“Hmm… in that case…”

Burren’s eyes darted around, as if sensing a sliver of possibility.

“Then we might actually be able to do it! As long as there’s no breath attack, it’s just a big lizard!”

Martha clapped her hands enthusiastically, saying she had always wanted to take down a dragon with her own hands.

“Yeah. I’ll do it.”

Runaan nodded curtly, giving the same answer as before.

"N-no, I still don't want to!"

Dorian trembled all over, as if he were already inside the dragon’s stomach.

"If you think about it, the dragon might actually be less scary than the palace master with his sword."

Krein shut his eyes, trying to shift his mindset.

“No choice, I guess…”

“Yeah. It’s not like he’d stop just because we say no.”

"We’ll just have to figure it out."

The other swordsmen nodded, accepting it with reluctant resolve.

“Then we’re all in agreement.”

Raon nodded as he watched the Light Wind swordsmen steeling themselves.

“Um, I—I didn’t agree though?”

Dorian raised his hand, but was ignored.

He really never changes.

Wrath shook his head.

‘Still… once he’s actually there, he’ll fight just fine.’

Ever since Dorian awakened his mind’s eye, he hadn’t run or backed down from any battle he truly had to face. He was clearly scared, but when his comrades were in danger, he always stepped up.

“Please continue. Tell us about the Sky Dragon Desiuros.”

Raon turned back to Borgos.

“Desiuros is a red dragon who made his nest at the edge of the eastern desert. He’s an evil dragon who incinerates everything into ash with the heat of hellfire.”

Borgos let out a short breath as he revealed where Desiurus had made his nest.

“The desert? I assumed he’d be near a volcano since he’s enslaving dwarves.”

Raon narrowed his eyes at Borgos. Though the desert was indeed hot, it was near volcanoes where a dwarf’s craftsmanship could be most effectively utilized. He couldn’t understand why the dragon had chosen a desert.

“He provides the heat himself.”

Borgos twisted his lips bitterly.

“His own flames? It’d be too much to withstand.”

Raon let out a low groan.

“It means he doesn’t care if the slaves die.”

Borgos shook his head, saying dragons see other races as nothing more than insects.

“What a piece of trash…”

Burren bit his lip hard.

“Sigh. Why is it that neither dragons nor archangels turn out to be decent?”

Martha shook her head, saying that none of the stories her mother used to read to her as a child had turned out to be true.

“Yeah. The Demon King is nicer…”

Runaan pouted her lips, expressing her dislike for celestials and dragons alike.

Oh ice cream girl!

Wrath nodded, clasping his hands together as if moved by Runaan's words.

“Still, I’m relieved.”

Raon let out a soft sigh of relief.

“R-relieved? What do you mean…?”

Borgos tilted his head in confusion.

“I was worried that I might accidentally go after a good dragon. But it turns out I don’t need to worry about that.”

Raon gave a chilling smile.

“It's a relief that he’s the kind of scum you can kill without a shred of guilt.”
Gripping the hilt of Heavenly Drive, he slowly turned his back.

“Just be ready.”

He turned his head slightly, looking back at the wide-eyed Borgos and Vulcan.

“I’ll bring back the corpse of that Red Dragon.”

With that, he headed down from Mirtan Village.

“Follow the palace master.”

At Burren’s command, the Light Wind swordsmen followed behind Raon, their playful chatter replaced by sharp waves of energy.

“Khmm…”

Vulcan took a gulp of liquor and shook his head.

“Those young ones have truly become polished blades now.”

He licked his lips in admiration, proud just from watching.

“They have.”

Borgos nodded slowly.

“Whoever polished them, they’ve all become fine swords.”

He shook his head in amazement.

“You’re looking at him.”

Vulcan pointed to Raon’s broad back leading the group and let out a hearty laugh.

“A blacksmith more skilled than us.”

He smiled deeply, remembering the past, Raon speaking of his goals in front of the charcoal kiln.

“You’re still far from done, aren’t you?”

Keep going, Raon.

*   *   *

A gray desert, so dry it looked not just withered but utterly scorched.

A dwarf with tangled brown beard dragging like rags trudged along weakly, scouring the sand.

“There’s nothing left here either…”

After a long search, the dwarf sank to the ground and shook his head helplessly.

“Am I going to have to turn another forest and mountain into desert again…”

He covered his soot-blackened face with a sand-covered hand and trembled.

“Phew…”

The brown-bearded dwarf let out a deep sigh, the weight of the years etched into it, and slowly lifted his head.

“I have to go… Still…”

He pressed down on his knee with a clenched fist and pushed himself up.

“A road straight through hell.”

Just as the brown-bearded dwarf turned to retrace his steps—

Fwoosh!

His body sank into the sand like it had dropped into water.

“Waaaargh!”

The brown-bearded dwarf flailed and screamed, but within seconds, his

legs touched soft ground beneath him.

"Wh-what is this, here..."

His eyes flew open wide.

‘Frost? Why is there frost…?’

A wall of blue frost, burning like flames, had formed, blocking the encroaching desert sand. He had wandered this desert for decades, but had never seen anything like this.

“Are you from the Brownbeard tribe, by any chance?”

Startled by the low voice behind him, the dwarf quickly turned around.

“Mm!”

Standing there was a tall human with blond hair and red eyes. Even though they were of different races, the sheer presence of the human made him feel dazed for a moment, as if struck by brilliance.

‘What is this… this sword energy…’

The man’s handsome face was impressive, but even that paled in comparison to the overwhelming sword energy radiating from deep within his soul.

“Y-yes, that’s right. But what’s a human doing here…?”

The brown-bearded dwarf gulped as he looked at the blond-haired human and the swordsmen behind him.

“I came after hearing the words of Chief Borgos of the Gray Hammer Guild.”

The blond swordsman smiled gently and reached out his hand.

“My name is Raon Zieghart.”

*   *   *

Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the brown-bearded dwarf, who seemed frozen with fear.

‘He doesn’t know who I am.’

It wasn't something to brag about, but at this point, there were very few people on the continent who hadn’t heard of him.

Judging by the look on his face, like he had never even heard the name, it was clear this dwarf had been cut off from the world in this desert for a very long time.

‘And I’ve never seen a dwarf this thin before.’

Dwarves were known for being short and stout, built like tree stumps, thick and solid.

But the one standing before him was so emaciated, he looked more like a short human than a dwarf.

“Borgos… he…?”

The dwarf spoke Borgos’ name openly. He seemed to be someone with a certain position or authority in the tribe.

"May I ask what your position is in the Brownbread tribe...?"

Raon narrowed his gaze, observing the dwarf.

“My name is Latir. I am the chief of the Brownbeard tribe.”

The dwarf introduced himself with a nod.

“Y-you’re the chief?”

Martha’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Looks like he hasn’t eaten in a long time.”

Burren let out a low, sympathetic sigh.

“Want some food?”

Runaan snatched the snack Dorian had been eating and offered it to the dwarf.

“Hmm…”

Raon shook his head slightly after examining Latir again. Frankly, his condition was so poor that it never occurred to him that the man might be a chief.

“May I ask what Borgos told you?”

Latir looked up at Raon and spoke in a voice lacking confidence.

“He said there are dwarves being held captive by Desiuros the Sky Dragon. He asked if we could rescue them.”

Raon handed Latir the letter Borgos had written.

“Hmm…”

Latir read the letter again and again for a long while before folding it.

“I understand you and Borgos’ intentions. But I can’t accept your help.”

He let out a long sigh and shook his head.

“Why not?”

Raon lowered his gaze as he listened to Latir’s soft voice.

“You probably looked at me and thought, ‘He doesn’t seem like a chief,’ didn’t you?”

Latir gave a faint smile, not just at Raon but also at the swordsmen standing behind him.

“M-my apologies.”

Burren bowed his head, embarrassed for having thought so.

“No, I understand. If I were you, I’d have thought I was just some beggar too.”

Latir gave a faint nod as he looked down at himself.

"But it can't be helped. Only the tribe's executives, including myself, can go outside."

He sighed, saying that only the executives of the tribe were allowed to go outside to gather materials.

“I see, so the reason is…”

Raon exhaled a subtle breath as he realized what Latir meant.

"You are right. Dwarves are a race with a strong attachment to their tribe. That's why he took our people hostage, to prevent us from escaping."

Latir shrugged, saying that’s why he roamed the desert himself.

“Desirous is both powerful and cunning. Even if you're strong enough to kill him, there's no doubt our people would be the ones to pay the price.”

He shook his head, saying he couldn't abandon even a single one of the tribesmen who had endured until now.

“I’m sorry. If you'd asked for my life, I would have gladly given it.”

With those words, Latir clearly refused, bowing his head slightly.

“How well do you know Sir Borgos?”

Raon met Latir’s eyes and brought up Borgos’ name.

“We’re a little too distant to be called friends… but a little too close to be just colleagues.”

Latir shook his head slowly. He’s someone I can trust with my heart, he added.
It seemed they were closer than Raon had assumed.

“Sir Borgos said the same. That’s why he asked me to help.”

“Hmm…”

Latir’s eyes widened slightly as he listened to Raon.

“And we’re not doing this solely for your sake. There’s plenty for us to gain too, so please, lend us your help.”

Raon bowed, clearly saying he was asking for help, not merely offering it.

Seriously, he’s too good with words…

Wrath exhaled as he watched Latir’s expression slowly begin to change.

“I promise you this, no one will die. We’ll take that wretched dragon’s head and bring everyone back safely.”

Raon nodded, his voice calm but filled with unwavering conviction.

“Y-you…”

Latir looked into Raon’s eyes and swallowed dryly. He had only just met this human today, and yet, for some strange reason, he felt a sense of trust.

It wasn’t because of Borgos’ letter.

It felt like this man’s sincerity was reaching him directly.

“Trust him. That guy’s a Transcender.”

Martha nodded, introducing Raon as a Transcender.

"That's right. A lot’s happened, but our palace master is also the one who cut down the Black Tower’s master."

Burren smiled, as if to say, “If you put your trust in him, he’ll prove it.”

"Transcender? Black Tower...?"

Latir looked at Raon and swallowed hard.

“I didn’t take him down alone. But as I said, we can defeat the Sky Dragon Desiuros.”

Raon bowed his head once again, asking for help.

"...No…"

Latir trembled as he looked down at Raon's lowered head.

‘I’m the one who should be asking for help…’

He hadn’t had the courage. He’d been too afraid to act. And now, the people who had come all this way to save them were the ones bowing and asking him for help.

The sheer reversal of it made his face burn. Embarrassment and shame rose in his chest until he felt like he might cry.

"...Haaaa…"

Latir closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

“All right. Then tell me what I need to do.”

He didn’t care what happened to himself, but he wanted to give a chance at freedom to the children who had been born as slaves to that dragon. With the resolve of someone who had already accepted death, he gave his answer to Raon’s request.

“Please tell us the exact location of the Sky Dragon’s nest and what it looks like inside. Keep living as you normally do within the nest, and when we make our move, bring everyone outside together.”

Raon nodded, saying that would be enough.

"R-really? That’s all? You don’t need… something like, a weak spot in Desiuros scales, or—?"

“There’s no need for that. All you need to do… is come up to the surface.”

He nodded, saying they would take care of everything after that.

“Hmm… Understood. Then, the location is…”

Latir began explaining in detail where Desiuros’ nest was hidden and how large it was.

“This is more than enough.”

After sketching the location and the layout onto the map, Raon nodded.

“Then we’ll head there tomorrow.”

"T-tomorrow?!"

"Yes. Dragons are quick-witted creatures. If we take too long, it might complicate things."

“R-right… Got it.”

Latir still blinked in disbelief, but eventually turned and left for the nest.

“There’s scum everywhere.”

Martha clenched her fists, grinding her teeth.

“The dragons I read about in books were supposed to be guardians of the world—mediators…”

Burren shook his head, saying the reality was more and more disappointing.

“Yeah. Worse than a lizard…”
Runaan added quietly, a faint frown forming as she voiced her distaste.

“Now’s not the time to be badmouthing lizards.”

Raon looked at the three executives and the swordsmen behind them with a shake of his head.

"Don’t you think we’re already short on planning time?"

He added, waving his hand lightly to say that from this point on, he wasn’t going to help them anymore.

"Y-yeah, that’s true…"

“Because our stingy palace master said he’s not going to help.”

“So stingy…”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan let out short sighs, one after another.

“Alright, gather up. Let’s start with a meeting.”

Trevin clapped his hands and called everyone over.

"Let’s start by figuring out how to rescue the hostages."

"Not going to be easy. There’s only one exit."

"And it’s narrow."

"Then we have to lure the dragon out…"

“If we lure the dragon out first, we’ll lose the chance to ambush him. If we’re taking him down ourselves, we need to keep the element of surprise.”

The swordsmen began sharing their thoughts one after another, and a serious discussion started to take shape.

"Hmm…"

Raon stood with his arms crossed, watching them calmly as he hummed to himself.

This bastard…

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he looked at Raon.

Tch. He’s got that look again… about to pull some crazy shit.

*   *   *

The next day at noon.

The Light Wind swordsmen were tunneling through the desert toward the Sky Dragon Desiuros’ nest.

“This is really the best plan we’ve got?”

Raon smacked his lips slightly as he followed behind the Light Wind swordsmen.

"We don’t have a choice. The exit is too narrow. If we’re going to get all the hostages out, we have to open up a proper path first."

Martha shook her head, saying that if the dragon made the first move, all the hostages could die.

"Right. We have to rescue the people inside first and then block the dragon’s attacks as we retreat."

Burren agreed, tossing sand behind him as he dug.

"Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing…"

Runaan gave a small nod, saying she was just following along because Burren and Martha were doing it.

"Since we know the dragon’s location and the layout of the nest, we have to use that to our advantage."

Trevin also waved his hand, saying this seemed to be the best way for now.

"Alright, quiet down. We’re close to the nest."

Burren took a shallow breath as he checked the map. The other swordsmen closed their mouths and nodded in silence.

"Hmm…"

Raon crossed his arms and shook his head.

“No matter how I think about it… this isn’t it.”

While sensing the presence inside the nest just in front of him, Raon stirred up frost and stepped up onto the sand.

"Hey!"

"Raon!"

"What the hell!"

After flashing a wide, ominous grin at the panicked Light Wind executives shouting behind him, Raon stepped up onto the desert surface.

Gooooooohhh…!

A huge sand mountain appeared before his eyes. Below it, the Sky Dragon Desiuros and the dwarves were gathered.

"Hooo…"

Raon took a deep breath, then opened his mouth as wide as he could.

"Hey, you lizard bastard hiding in the desert! The heroes here to kill you have arrived! Get your scaly ass out here!"

With a roar-like shout, the sand of the desert was swept away, and the sand mountain shook as if it would collapse.

Kugugugugugugu!

As if answering the call, a massive surge of mana began to stir from within the sand mountain.

It seemed Desiuros the Sky Dragon was about to show himself.

"Uwaaaaaack!"

"This crazy bastard!"

"What the hell is he doing?!"

“He said the plan was fine, and now he’s pulling this crap?!”

The swordsmen screamed as Raon went wild out of nowhere.

He knew it…

Wrath shook his head, saying Raon had that crazed look in his eyes again.

‘You know it too.’

Raon twisted his lips into a crooked smile as he watched red scales begin to rise slowly from beneath the sand.

‘With their method, they’d never be able to save the hostages.’