The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1082

 Chapter 1082

 

“The secret of the holy land?”

Raon narrowed his eyes deeply.

“What holy land are you talking about?”

“Of course, the holy land of the Holy Sword Alliance.”

Darkan lifted both arms as if to ask whether there was any other holy land besides that.

“You and I met again in that holy land, didn’t we.”

He jerked his chin, telling him to remember.

“I remember. But….”

Raon looked at Darkan’s eyepatch fluttering in the wind.

“Why are you asking me about the secret of the Holy Sword Alliance’s holy land?”

Through the memories of the past, I knew that the first head of house Zieghart and his companions had built the Holy Sword Alliance’s holy  land, but I didn’t want to reveal it.

“Hm?”

Darkan brushed down his eyepatch as he looked at Raon.

“Somehow that sounds like a lie.”

“Why do you think that?”

“It’s just what I feel.”

He gave a faint smile, saying his senses were shouting that it was a lie.

‘Huh….’

Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at Darkan tilting his head.

‘What a ghost-like guy.’

After losing both eyes, his sixth sense became uncannily sharp, it seemed he had a mind’s eye stronger than Dorian’s.

“Cut the pointless talk. So what about that holy land?”

Raon brought Darkan back to the point to redirect the conversation.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.”

Darkan waved his hand lightly.

“Because it’s you.”

He curled his lips as if to show he trusted Raon no matter what he thought.

“Hmm….”

Raon let out a faint groan.

‘He means that.’

In Darkan’s voice, there wasn’t even a small tremor. It meant he truly believed. Since I hadn’t expected to receive trust from the Dark Night Sword God, I was a little flustered.

“The Holy Sword Alliance’s holy land, you see, is a place that exists to protect.”

Darkan drew a small circle with the finger holding his black sword.

“Isn’t that too obvious a thing?”

Raon let out a hollow laugh.

“Since the highest-level barriers have been set up to protect the inside from external enemies, and the location is hidden too, it’s something that doesn’t even need to be said, isn’t it?”

He snorted, saying that if that was a secret, then the annex building’s breakfast menu was a secret too.

“You don’t understand.”

Darkan clicked his tongue briefly.

“That land wasn’t made to block external enemies. It was made as a prison to prevent someone inside from coming out.”

He shook his head, saying Raon’s way of thinking itself was wrong.

“What…?”

Raon’s lips trembled faintly.

“Not to block external enemies, but to prevent someone inside from leaving?”

“The barrier built into the sky, and the movement array behind the rocky mountains. All of those prove my words. It’s a place meant to keep something in.”

Darkan nodded, saying that because he had lost his eyes he could feel that difference vividly.

‘Wrath.’

Raon turned his gaze to Wrath.

Th-the King of Essence doesn’t know?

Wrath blinked his large eyes as if he truly knew nothing.

He has said it many times, the King of Essence does not regard barriers or formations and the like as power!

He turned his eyes away, saying he had no interest in trivial matters.

‘You’re as useless as ever.’

Y-you rotten brat!

‘Move aside.’

Leaving Wrath gnashing his teeth, Raon looked back at Darkan.

“I only barely realized it myself, so your grandfather wouldn’t know.”

Darkan smirked, saying Rector surely knew nothing.

“Then who was it they were trying to seal in that land by building a holy land?”

Raon asked the most important question.

“That, I don’t know.”

Darkan shook his head calmly.

“You don’t know?”

“Yes. There’s no way to tell where or how it appears. Honestly, since it’s been nearly a thousand years, the being meant to be guarded there could already be dead or gone.”

He shook his head, saying he had searched the holy land but found no such special being anywhere.

The King of Essence didn’t sense anything there either.

Wrath said he didn’t know about barriers, but his senses hadn’t caught anything, brushing off his hands.

“Then why did you even tell me, if it’s already gone?”

Raon frowned as he looked at Darkan.

“To be honest, I wasn’t going to say anything. Like you said, it’s probably already gone. But…”

Darkan curled his lips toward Raon.

“I felt something while looking around Zieghart, and I wanted to tell you.”

“Something you felt?”

“This Zieghart….”

He turned his gaze and scanned the view of Zieghart.

“There are many things here that resemble the Holy Sword Alliance’s holy land.”

“What…?”

Raon glared at Darkan with his eyes wide open.

“From things newly made like this, nothing is felt, but….”

Darkan raised a finger, pointing toward the lord’s manor in the main building and the North Grave Mountain behind it.

“From those old places, a scent similar to the holy land’s emanates. The scent is especially strong from the training buildings, the head of house’s training ground, and the thousand-year-old tree. I think…”

He tapped his temple as if pointing to his brain.

“The one who built Zieghart and the one who built the Holy Sword Alliance’s holy land are likely connected. Could even be the same person.”

Darkan nodded, saying he was nearly certain.

“……”

Raon forcibly calmed his pounding heart.

‘Is this guy crazy even in this area too?’

To think he tracked the Zieghart ancestor using only his senses, his ability was astounding to the point of being unsettling.

“Well, maybe not.”

Darkan smacked his lips, telling him not to believe his words unconditionally.

“If I’m wrong, it’ll be embarrassing, so keep it to yourself. Then, I’ll see you again.”

Waving his hand as if he’d said all he wanted, he walked toward the main building.

“……”

Raon bit his lip lightly as he looked at Darkan’s back.

‘I should at least let grandfather know.’

I didn’t know exactly what it meant, but it seemed best to pass along what Darkan had said to Rector.

“Is it over?”

Evelyn came over with her brows furrowed.

“Yeah. It’s over.”

Raon nodded.

“Haaah!”

Dorian, arriving late, let out a rough breath. His forehead was beaded with sweat, as if he had run at full speed.

“S-sorry for being late.”

“Why do something you need to apologize for?”

Raon tapped his wrist, telling them to keep time commitments properly.

“S-sorry! The departure was so sudden, I had a lot to pack.”

Dorian wiped the sweat trickling down his forehead, saying it was hard preparing supplies because of a certain someone.

“That certain someone isn’t me, is it?”

“…O-of course not.”

“Good.”

Raon feigned ignorance and turned his gaze away.

Crazy, filthy bastard….

Wrath shut his eyes tight, saying he was disgusted.

“Since Sir Dorian is here too, I’ll ask the Foreign Minister Illiune to open the gate!”

Yua ran off toward the outer wall, saying she’d call Illiune directly.

“M-me too!”

Yulius blinked and matched his pace with Yua.

“The conversation was long, right? Sorry.”

Raon waved his hand to Evelyn.

“It’s fine. I heard everything.”

Evelyn chuckled, saying she had broken through Darkan’s aura barrier and heard everything

“H-huh?”

Raon gaped at Evelyn.

“You heard it all?”

Even though a Transcender had set up an aura barrier, I couldn’t understand how she had managed to hear it. The real monster was right here.

“I’ll deliver the news to your grandfather myself.”

Evelyn said she already knew everything and would handle it, then wrote a letter directly and sent it to Rector.

“Ah….”

Raon blinked blankly.

‘How did she even know that?’

Exchanging letters with Rector was something only Wrath knew, so I couldn’t understand how Evelyn had noticed it. A chill crept up my spine.

The King of Essence told you! That madwoman is the world’s greatest stalker! Not even your grandpa could match her!

Wrath tapped Raon’s shoulder, telling him to run away immediately.

‘How am I supposed to run away from the world’s greatest stalker….’

Raon shook his head, saying he’d be caught anyway.

‘More than that, what I was concerned about was…’

Raon narrowed his eyes, recalling the Holy Sword Alliance’s holy ground Darkan had spoken of.

‘I want to know what the first head of house was trying to stop when he built that holy land.’

*   *   *

“I’m here!”

Instead of knocking, Darkan opened the audience chamber doors with a voice like a cannon.

“……”

Glenn lowered the hand that had been supporting his chin as he watched Darkan approach along the red carpet.

“Are you leaving?”

His lofty gaze showed he already knew why Darkan had come.

“You saw right through it. As expected, the head of house is truly different.”

Darkan nodded, saying he was correct.

“I think it’s time to organize the insights I’ve gained here.”

He smiled, saying he thought he might be able to regain the power he lost to Derus.

“Wasn’t it a permanent loss?”

Glenn narrowed his eyes.

“It is permanent. My upper energy center and Heart Sword still have holes in them. But…”

Darkan curled his lips as he looked at Glenn.

“Thanks to you, Raon, and this house’s swordsmen, I think I can fill those holes. No—more than recovery, I can grow beyond what I was.”

He nodded, saying his senses told him so.

“Even from the ordinary swordsmen?”

Glenn raised his brows in surprise.

“Yes. They are weak, but each of them has their own swordsmanship and breathing. Seeing that makes my heart race.”

Darkan’s lips curled, saying he enjoyed training with swordsmen whose swords were alive.

“You truly love the sword.”

Glenn drew a faint smile.

‘It wasn’t a lie.’

Seeing Darkan again, he was nothing more than a madman who loved the sword. And the sword, too, loved and blessed him in return.

“I’m grateful to you and Raon as well. Thanks to a month of training here, I once again realized the path I must walk.”

Darkan also offered his thanks to Raon, though he wasn’t present.

“We merely helped each other. Such thanks are unnecessary.”

Glenn shook his head calmly.

“There’s a big difference between speaking words and not speaking them.”

Darkan tapped his lips with a finger, as if telling him to remember it well.

“Now that I think of it, Darkan, if we had met in another way….”

Glenn showed a gentle smile.

“I think we could have had a slightly better relationship.”

“Are you talking about being friends?”

Darkan let out a smile similar to Glenn’s.

“My understanding of a friend is someone you can share your heart with. Haven’t we already done that?”

He shrugged, as if to say they had clashed their Heart Swords and shared their hearts.

“If you put it that way, then it’s not wrong.”

Glenn nodded calmly. He felt his goodwill toward Darkan grow a little stronger, along with a real sense of regret, as though he were sending off a friend.

“Next time we meet, we’ll decide victory or defeat. Until then, don’t ascend to the heavens, don’t die to anyone, and wait.”

Darkan spread a chilling smile, saying their next meeting would be a fight to the death.

“You don’t die either.”

Glenn smirked and shook his head.

“I won’t die. I survived even your Heart Sword, didn’t I?”

Darkan waved his hand, as if saying not to worry, then turned around.

“I’m going.”

Though he had no eyes, he left the audience chamber with a clear smile, as if he could see Glenn’s own.

“Well then….”

In the blink of an eye, Darkan was at the peak of North Grave Mountain, feeling the winds of the distant northern sea.

“Where should I go next?”

*   *   *

“Habun Castle….”

Raon exhaled a white breath as he looked at the white fortress wall stained with frozen blood.

“It’s the same as ever.”

Habun Castle still radiated the unyielding might of something that seemed it could never be breached. Seeing the walls he had defended alongside the knights, a natural smile came to his face.

“Was this where we first met?”

Evelyn took out a doll with a witch’s mask and gave it a shake.

“That was a good time. I was really happy then…”

As if recalling that time, she smacked her lips.

“I-I don’t think it was good….”

Raon turned his trembling eyes away. Since it was the place where Evelyn’s obsession began, it remained nothing but terror for him.

“Who goes there!”

From atop the wall, rangers who spotted Raon and his group drew their bows and shouted. Contrary to expectations, their vigilance was strict.

“Uncles! It’s me! Yua!”

Yua stepped forward, waving her hand.

“Huh? Yua?”

“It really is Yua!”

“W-wait! That man!”

“That’s Raon Zieghart! The master of the Light Wind Palace has come!”

The rangers screamed in shock at Raon’s appearance.

“Raon’s here? What nonsense… huh!”

Terian, the vice castellan of Habun Castle standing atop the wall, widened his eyes.

“I-it’s really him! Open the gate at once!”

At his shout, Habun Castle’s gate—seemingly impossible to ever break—opened.

“We greet the Light Wind Palace master!”

The rangers and knights of Habun Castle bowed their backs to Raon.

“I haven’t come here as the master of the Light Wind Palace, so please rise.”

Raon said not to be so formal and quickly averted his gaze.

‘What’s this?’

The atmosphere didn’t look good.

Since entrusting the management of the monsters to Sloth, the monarch of Sloth, the battles occurring at Habun Castle had clearly decreased, yet most of the people now visible were wounded.

“Raon!”

Terian waved his hand toward him.

“Ah, since you’ve become the master of the Light Wind Palace, I should speak more respectfully.”

He bowed his head as if realizing his mistake.

“No. Please treat me comfortably.”

Raon smiled, asking him to speak as before.

“Are you sure?”

Terian showed a weary smile in his eyes worn with fatigue.

“Yes, that’s easier. But what has been happening….”

“Grandpa!”

Just as Raon was about to ask Terian a question, Yua ran toward the inside of the castle.

“Oh, my granddaughter!”

The pub owner of <Branch of Frost>, Yua’s grandfather, spread his arms wide and hugged Yua.

“I can’t even lift you up anymore!”

He drew a bright smile and slightly lifted Yua up.

“It’s been a while.”

Raon bowed his head to Yua’s grandfather.

“Please don’t, benefactor!”

Yua’s grandfather exclaimed it was too much, bowing even deeper than Raon.

“Oh dear….”

As he straightened his back, he seemed to lose balance and staggered backward.

“B-be careful!”

Yulius quickly ran up and supported Yua’s grandfather.

“And you are….”

“He’s my friend!”

Yua laughed, pointing at Yulius.

“F-friend….”

Yulius’ expression hardened like dried plaster.

“Yep. A friend who would do anything for me!”

Yua smiled, saying he was more than just an ordinary friend.

“Uuuh….”

At Yua’s words, Yulius’ chin trembled, and his face flushed red again. He was an honest boy whose feelings showed right on his face.

“I see. Thank you.”

Yua’s grandfather patted Yulius on the shoulder in gratitude.

“Come this way. I’ll prepare a big meal quickly.”

Rolling up his sleeves, he said he would prepare a hearty feast.

Whuuu!

Wrath whistled, lifting his head.

At last, he’ll be able to eat at Branch of Frost again!

He licked his lips, saying he was looking forward to it.

“Before that, I should go and see the castellan.”

Raon bowed, saying he would meet Habun Castle’s castellan, Milland, before joining.

“Ah, that’s right. Understood. Then I’ll go ahead and make preparations.”

Yua’s grandfather nodded and took Yua and Julius with him toward the Branch of Frost.

“I’ll guide you to my father.”

Terian jerked his chin, telling him to follow.

“Let’s go too.”

Raon gestured to Dorian and Evelyn, then followed behind Terian.

“Excuse me….”

Walking side by side with Terian, Raon shifted only his eyes to the right.

“It looks like a battle happened not long ago. Was it serious?”

He slightly furrowed his brow, sensing the smell of blood and burnt corpses from here and there.

“My father will explain, but the situation isn’t good.”

Terian narrowed his eyes as he looked at Raon.

“Not just recently, monsters are popping out every single day. And…”

He bit his lip until it bled, showing how grim the situation was.

“They’re stronger and more numerous than when you were here.”

“Ah….”

Raon’s fingertips trembled as he looked at the distant mountains of the north sea.

‘Could it be Sloth?’

 

 

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