The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 995

 Chapter 995

 

Chirp chirp.

An unnamed bird flew across the sky, letting out a fresh, clear cry.

“Huh…?”

Raon blinked blankly as he listened to the bird’s song fall from above his head.

“Why is there a village I’ve never seen before in front of me?”

A small village lay just ahead. There were several houses built of red brick, and for some reason, the smoke rising from the square chimneys warmed his chest. It felt just like looking at the annex building.

‘Where is this place?’

He had only broken the old woman’s mask that Merlin had been wearing to heal her, but he had no idea why he ended up in a place like this.

‘Is this some sort of mental world? But even so…’

Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked around.

‘It feels too real.’

The familiar scent coming from the village and the flow of the wind could be felt right at his fingertips, making it feel more like reality than a dream or mental world.

‘Or… did I die?’

When the light surged from Merlin’s mask, if the Fallen had ambushed him at that moment, his body could’ve been blown apart before he even realized it.

‘No, that’s a bit much. Lady Larian would’ve stopped it.’

Grrngh…

Just as he shook his head, thinking he probably didn’t die, a familiar voice came from beneath his feet.

Wh-where is this place?

Wrath rose up with only half his eyes open. He still looked like a bundle of blue cotton candy.

Where have you taken the King of Essence!

Wrath shouted, demanding to know the location of this place.

‘Seeing you next to me means… I guess I’m not dead.’

Raon let out a small laugh as he looked at Wrath grumbling about his aching head. Seeing Wrath dragged along in spirit form made it clear he wasn’t dead yet.

‘But it feels so real, it's almost like… huh?’

Raon reached out to touch a tree nearby and suddenly opened his eyes wide.

‘What…’

I can’t grab it!

Like a ghost, his hand passed through the tree and its leaves, unable to grasp anything.

Hmmmm!

Wrath narrowed his eyes and looked him up and down.

So you’ve ended up like me! Now you’ll know the pain of being in spirit form!

He burst into a satisfied laugh, as if this was what Raon deserved.

‘So this is what it’s like to be in a spirit form?’

Raon looked over his own body and clicked his tongue.

‘It’s definitely unusual.’

His senses were even more sensitive than when he was in his physical body, yet nothing could be felt by his hands or feet. Now he understood why Wrath was so obsessed with food.

‘For now… I’ll head in.’

Raon clicked his tongue briefly as he looked toward the village.

Into that village?

‘I think I know where this is.’

He’d been pulled here in spirit form after trying to remove Merlin’s mask. This had to be Merlin’s mental world.

That too must be that madwoman’s past.

Wrath also seemed to have caught on and gave a nod.

‘Right.’

Raon took a deep breath and stepped into the village.

“The weather’s nice today.”

“Nice? What are you talking about! It’s going to pour soon.”

“Did you use magic to read the weather again? I told you to let nature be natural.”

“Did you hear about the new farming magic Lady Sella developed? The yield has almost doubled!”

“Of course her magic is reliable.”

“Where’d the kids go again? It’s almost dinnertime!”

As expected of a small village, everyone was chatting with one another without anyone being left out. Just like the feeling he got when looking at the annex building, it seemed like a warm, familiar place.

‘I need to find Merlin…’

Raon narrowed his eyes, looking around the village.

‘I just don’t know how to find her.’

Though the King of Essence hates to admit this with his own mouth, that madwoman’s face is quite well-groomed. She’ll definitely stand out.

Wrath tilted his chin, saying someone with Merlin’s looks would surely have been noticeable even as a child.

‘That might not be the case.’

Raon calmly shook his head.

‘The body Merlin is using isn’t her original body.’

He didn’t know the exact process, but Merlin had descended into the current world by taking over the body of someone who had ended up wearing the old woman’s mask.

There was no way the Merlin he saw in reality and the Merlin here could have the same face.

Hmm, that does make sense.

Wrath nodded as if he understood.

Even if that guy the Fallen or whatever was involved, that madwoman definitely stole someone else’s body.

He narrowed his eyes as if something had come to mind.

“Tch…”

Raon clicked his tongue briefly as he wandered through the village without a word.

‘Being in a spiritual state is pretty inconvenient.’

He could pass through walls and doors, but not being able to use martial arts or aura was incredibly frustrating.

‘At least the village is small.’

Just as he let out a sigh and searched the place thoroughly, he heard children’s laughter coming from a small clearing between the houses.

‘Could it be…’

Raon turned his steps toward the clearing where the children’s voices had come from.

“You can’t even do that?”

“You’re seriously slow…”

“Even kids younger than you can do it.”

“You’re a disgrace to Para. A disgrace!”

Children who looked just past the age of ten were surrounding a purple-haired girl, laughing at her.

“I-I can do it too…”

The purple-haired girl weakly lifted her head.

‘Huh?’

Raon opened his eyes wide as he looked at the purple-haired child.

‘Merlin…?’

Even though she was still young, the girl had a presence that made the word “beautiful” suit her better than “pretty.”

It seemed like just a few more years and she would have the exact same face as the Merlin he knew.

You said otherwise! She looks exactly like that madwoman!

Wrath flailed his hand, saying it was the same face as Merlin.

‘I… don’t know why either.’

Merlin had died 500 years ago and was reborn into the body of a young girl by putting on the old woman’s mask.

The fact that the Merlin of the past looked the same as the current Merlin was surprising.

‘But the eyes are different.’

Merlin’s eyes after removing the mask were purple, with a red cross engraved at the center of the pupils.

But the Merlin here simply had ordinary purple eyes.

Rather, it’s the others who have crosses in their eyes.

Wrath raised a finger as if telling him to look closely.

‘Huh…?’

Following Wrath’s hand, Raon turned his gaze, and let out a breath.

‘He’s right.’

Just as Wrath said, it wasn’t Merlin, but the children surrounding her whose eyes had blue crosses engraved in them.

‘And it’s not just the crosses.’

The children carried such pure energy in their bodies, it felt as if they had directly received mana from nature. It was the mark of a naturally gifted mage.

“Huh…”

Raon swallowed dryly as he noticed a middle-aged woman shaking out laundry also had a cross in her eyes.

‘Don’t tell me… are those eyes a bloodline trait?’

Not everyone in the village had crosses in their eyes, but most of them did,  and alongside that, they also possessed pure mana.

“L-look closely…”

Merlin stammered as she weakly extended both hands. A small orb of flame rose above her palms.

Vwoooom!

But the flame couldn’t hold, and like a candle in the wind, it quickly fizzled out.

“Knew it!”

“Another failure!”

“She doesn’t even have a cross in her eyes. She’s not one of us Para.”

“I really don’t get why Lady Sella cares about her.”

The children stuck out their tongues and mocked Merlin.

“N-no, I can do it…”

Merlin tried to summon another flame in her palms, but it vanished even faster than before.

“Told you, you can’t.”

“Just give up!”

“You can’t even do the most basic of beginner spells.”

“You have no talent. No talent at all.”

The children murmured, “Forget it,” and shook their heads.

“You’re not even Lady Sella—”

“You little brats!”

Just as the black-haired child was about to bring up the name Sella, a middle-aged woman who had been hanging laundry came running over.

“I told you to stop bullying your friend!”

“Waaah!”

At her shout, the children turned around and started running away.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

As the middle-aged woman snapped her fingers, the fleeing children floated into the air and began getting pulled back.

“W-we’re sorry!”

“It was just a joke!”

“Uuugh…”

The children hung in midair like laundry, muttering apologies.

“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to your friend!”

The middle-aged woman furrowed her brow and pointed at Merlin.

“S-sorry…”

“We were just kidding…”

The children averted their eyes and bowed their heads.

“Hrk…”

Merlin didn’t respond and instead sniffled and covered her face.

“……”

“……”

Raon and Wrath stood there with their mouths agape, watching Merlin cry like an ordinary child.

‘That’s Merlin?’

That’s the madwoman?

*   *   *

“Huuu…”

As if trying not to show she’d been crying, Merlin rubbed her eyes and nose roughly, then entered a worn-down brick house at the edge of the village.

“I-I’m back.”

When she lowered her head weakly and bowed, the rustling of movement came from inside the kitchen, and a young woman stepped out.

“You’re home early.”

She was a striking beauty with smooth blonde hair neatly tied back, and in her eyes, too, the blue cross was engraved.

“Did you have fun… huh?”

The blonde, red-eyed woman smiled and nodded, but upon noticing Merlin’s reddened nose, she furrowed her brow slightly.

“Did you cry again?”

Judging by her reaction, it wasn’t the first time. The blonde woman let out a sigh.

“N-no. Something just got in my eye.”

Merlin shook her head, saying that’s all it was.

“I see. Then it can’t be helped. But still, always be careful with your hands. A mage’s hands and eyes are everything. You remember Lady Merlin’s teaching, right?”

The blonde woman gently touched the burn marks on Merlin’s fingertips. With a power that seemed special, the burns slowly faded.

“…Yes. Lady Sella.”

Merlin couldn’t meet the blonde woman’s eyes directly and lowered her gaze.

“I told you to call me mom, and to speak comfortably.”

Sella shook her head, saying she didn’t need to be formal.

“……”

Merlin didn’t reply. She just glanced around with her eyes, looking both embarrassed and hesitant.

“…Alright. Let’s eat first.”

Sella let out a short sigh and returned to the kitchen.

“I-I’ll help!”

Merlin sniffled and followed Sella into the kitchen.

“No need. Go wash up first.”

Sella sent Merlin back out, telling her to wash her hands and face.

“O-okay…”

Merlin, shoulders drooping like a sulking child, opened a round silver sphere and washed her face and hands.

That girl…

Wrath blew out a faint breath as he looked at Merlin, his lips puckered like a duck.

Is that really the madwoman? No matter how he looks at it, it can’t be her.

He shook his head, saying there was no way that crazy woman could be this quiet.

‘I was thinking the same.’

Raon gave a faint, dry laugh.

‘She’s just too different from the Merlin I knew.’

Merlin had always shown an extreme level of initiative. She called Sylvia mother the very first time they met, and even called Glenn and Rector, whom everyone feared grandfather. He never imagined that such a monster of sociability would have a past like this.

But…

Wrath looked toward the kitchen, where Merlin and Sella had gone, with serious eyes.

‘What is it?’

Raon looked at Wrath, sensing a bad feeling.

Aren’t you curious what this house is having for dinner?

Wrath licked his lips, saying he wanted to see it right now.

It smells good, but he can’t tell what it is!

He waved his hand rapidly, telling Raon to go into the kitchen.

‘Haa… I want to see your past instead…’

Muttering, Raon followed Wrath, picturing in his head how this guy could’ve become the Demon King of Wrath.

In the meantime, as if time had passed, Merlin and Sella were already sitting at a round table, having dinner.

What is that?

Wrath looked at the reddish dish on the table and rolled his eyes.

It looks like melted tomato, cheese, and sausage? It’s kind of like pizza, but also not quite!

He licked his lips longingly, clearly wanting to eat it.

“How was your magic manifestation?”

Sella smiled slightly as she handed Merlin a slice of buttered bread.

“Did it last longer this time?”

“A-About… one second.”

Merlin let out a long sigh, saying nothing had changed.

“It’s okay. It’ll get better.”

Sella smiled, saying things would improve little by little.

“You have talent.”

“I-I don’t have anything like talent…”

Merlin bit her lip and shook her head.

“I don’t even have Para eyes…”

She bit her lip again as she looked into the blue cross in Sella’s eyes.

“Eyes like these aren’t what’s important.”

Sella set down her fork and gave a gentle smile.

“What matters isn’t the power of magic, but what kind of magic you learn and how you use it.”

She said that even without eyes like those, the path of magic was wide and open.

“Lady Merlin wasn’t Para either. You know that, right?”

Sella covered her own eyes lightly, as if reminding her.

“…Yes.”

Even with Sella’s words, Merlin let out a short sigh, as if still thinking about what had happened during the day, and put down her fork and spoon.

“Thank you for the meal…”

Leaving only those words behind, she walked out of the house.

“W-wait!”

Sella reached out and called after Merlin, but she had already dashed outside.

“Haa…”

Sella let out a short sigh and stared at the half-eaten piece of bread Merlin had left behind.

“Being a mother really isn’t easy. It’s far more complicated than magic.”

Shaking her head, she began clearing the table.

‘I should head out.’

Raon figured there was nothing more to gain by staying here and was about to follow Merlin outside—

Whoooosh!

Suddenly, a blue light surged before his eyes, and a dimensional gate opened, large enough for a person to enter.

‘What is the…?’

Raon furrowed his brows and turned around, Sella was frozen in place, holding a plate. It was as if time had stopped.

Looks like it’s telling us to go inside.

Wrath narrowed his eyes, saying that must be the case.

‘Yeah, that must be it.’

Raon clicked his tongue softly and stepped into the blue dimensional gate without hesitation.

Ssshhhh…

A massive golden platform, more than twice the size of Glenn’s throne, appeared.

Seated atop the dazzling and beautifully crafted throne was an old man whose appearance didn’t match its grandeur. His hair had fallen out in unsightly patches, and his knees trembled as he sat.

“I-I have to find a way…”

The old man wearing an ornate golden crown kept muttering that he had to find a way, biting his nails as if consumed by fear.

Deep wrinkles covered his entire body, and his complexion was so pale and yellowed, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he died at any moment.

“I absolutely can’t die like this…”

The golden-crowned old man clenched his lips as he looked out the window at the vast kingdom spreading beyond.

“So find me a way, I said!”

He shouted furiously and threw the medicines and healing artifacts beside the throne off the platform.

“F-Forgive us…”

“But, Your Majesty, this illness you have… we’ve never seen anything like it…”

“We’ve never encountered a disease that accelerates aging to this extent.”

The priest and healer below lowered their heads, as if deeply ashamed.

“Incompetent fools…”

The man ground his teeth and revealed his simmering rage. In the meantime, yet another wrinkle had formed on his forehead, as if he had aged even more.

“If only that person would come… just that person…”

His hand trembled as he muttered about someone, just then, the massive doors of the audience chamber opened.

Rumble—

The person who stepped through the door was a man cloaked entirely in a gray robe.

He approached the platform with confident, yet not overbearing, steps.

“Your Majesty. I have finally found a way to cure Your Majesty’s illness.”

The man in the gray robe bowed to the wrinkled king, saying he had found a definite solution.

“I-Is that true?”

The king swallowed dryly and came down from the throne.

“Sage! Speak now!”

Unable to even straighten his back, the king hurried down the platform and stood before the man in the gray robe.

“Of course.”

The man, referred to as the sage, drew a faint smile and pulled back the hood that had been covering his face.

‘…Huh?’

Raon swallowed hard as he looked at the man’s face.

‘Th-The Fallen…?’

The man’s face looked exactly like the mask worn by the Fallen, the young-looking mask he always wore. Just from the way he smiled, it wouldn’t be wrong to say they were the same person.

“Your Majesty. By any chance…”

The man with the Fallen’s face let out a strange smile and put his hands together.

“Have you ever heard of a race called Para?”

 

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