The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1137

 Chapter 1137

 

“Holy war?”

Raon asked again as he looked at the trembling eyes of Chad, the Shadow Agents master.

“Did you just say holy war?”

A holy war referred to a war not led by an ordinary kingdom, but by a Holy Kingdom.

However, that didn't mean the word 'Holy War' was attached to just any war.

It was a term used only when an event occurred that could shake the very foundation of the Holy Kingdom,

or when an enemy appeared who defied the sacred, and without realizing it, strength gathered in his fingers.

“Yes. It hasn’t been announced to the public yet, but there’s information circulating inside Schper that they’re preparing for a holy war.”

Chad said it was certain information obtained from within Schper, and pulled a letter from his chest.

“Hmm….”

Raon took the letter from Chad, unfolded it, and quickly read through it.

‘A report from an informant inside Schper.’

The letter contained information that the Holy Kingdom of Schper was gathering war supplies and summoning high-ranking Holy Knights.

However, even the informant didn’t seem to know the exact reason the holy war was about to begin.

“They don’t know the reason for the war yet?”

Raon smacked his lips as he handed the letter back to Chad.

“Yes. It seems that only the highest ranks of the Holy Kingdom know the purpose of the war for now.”

Chad lowered his head slightly, as if apologetic.

“I thought, since you are close to the Saintess, Sir Raon, you might already know, but you didn’t.”

He tilted his chin, implying that he had thought Raon might have inside information about Schper.

“Olga doesn’t really talk much about herself or about Schper.”

Raon recalled Saintess Olga's sullen expression and chuckled.

Even after being freed from the curse, she was still curt and easily annoyed.

“If you’d give me some time, I’ll look into it myself.”

Chad lowered his chin, saying that if given a little time, he could find out both the reason for the war and who they intended to fight.

“No.”

Raon calmly shook his head.

“I was planning to visit the Holy Kingdom of Schper anyway, so I’ll find out myself.”

Since I intended to gain Schper’s support before the second successor test ended, it seemed better to go there directly rather than wait here.

“Ah, that would be better.”

Chad nodded in understanding.

“Thank you for sharing this valuable information.”

Raon bent slightly as he thanked him.

“Not at all! We’re walking the same path, aren’t we!”

Chad waved both hands cheerfully, laughing heartily as if to say Raon could count on him.

“Then I will send you more good information if I get any!”

Saying he had a lot to do, he used his footwork technique and dashed back toward the Shadow Agents.

‘To think I once suspected someone like that of being Karoon’s spy….’

Watching Chad’s back grow distant, Raon slowly shook his head.

‘I really was simple and foolish.’

You’re not just hopelessly oblivious, you know that!

Wrath frowned at him.

No matter how much the King of Essence tells you, it’s like you’ve got your ears plugged shut, you just won’t listen, and it’s even more frustrating!

He pounded his own chest as if trying to relieve frustration.

‘Well, it’s fine as long as I know now.’

Raon gave a faint smile and shook his head.

‘I’ll do well from now on to make up for what I couldn’t do before.’

He vowed to repay Chad several times over for all the help he’d given, then unfolded the report from Schper again.

‘A holy war, huh….’

Who exactly is Schper waging a holy war against?

Contrary to its name, the Holy Kingdom of Schper, because of me, no longer worships the archangels or the celestials.

Even if they no longer follow the celestials, that didn’t mean they favored the demons, so I figured this time they must be fighting beings from devildom.

‘Right. If a holy kingdom starts a holy war, the enemy would, of course, be nothing but demons.’

With Derus Robert having declared war and gone into seclusion, neither the archangels nor the celestials would make a move.

The only possible foes Schper could be fighting now were the monsters of devildom.

‘Wrath.’

Raon narrowed his eyes and looked at him.

‘Have any demons crossed over devildom to Schper recently?’

How would the King of Essence know that?

Wrath blinked as if bewildered by the question.

‘You’re the Demon King, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you at least know that much?’

Raon tilted his head in the same puzzled way.

You damned….

Wrath stood dumbfounded for a moment, then glared furiously, his eyes bulging.

How would the King of Essence know when he’s bound to your soul!

He ground his teeth, telling him to say something that makes sense.

If the King of Essence could move freely, he would’ve gone down to devildom and smashed that system to pieces already!

Wrath waved both hands furiously.

Think with that stupid head of yours! You think the King of Essence would just sit here quietly after getting beaten twice yesterday by a mere novice like you?

He rubbed his still-bruised eyelids, the ones that hadn’t yet recovered.

‘Hmm, well, that’s true.’

Raon looked at Wrath’s blackened eye and licked his lips briefly.

‘So in the end, it means I’ll have to go there myself.’

Since the Shadow Agents had no information and even Wrath didn’t know anything, it seemed best to visit the Holy Kingdom of Schper myself and find out what was going on.

Go? Where do you think you’re going?

Wrath frowned, frost swirling around his raised arm.

If that fake Saintess hasn’t said anything, it means she’s handling it herself. So just eat and do your training here.

He waved his hand, telling him to eat in the annex building and focus on practice.

‘The current Holy King and Olga both….’

Raon shook his head, recalling the faces of the two pillars of the Holy Kingdom.

‘Neither of them are the kind to ask for help, even if they’re in danger themselves.’

Both the Holy King and Saintess of Schper probably wouldn’t ask Zieghart for help, thinking they already owed me far too much.

During the war against the White Blood Religion, many people had survived thanks to Schper and Saintess Olga, so it would be fair to say we’d helped each other.

But they still clearly believed they were the only ones indebted.

‘I’d better go myself. And also….’

He turned his gaze toward the main building in the distance and smiled faintly.

‘He said I have to pass the second successor test no matter what, so to make sure of that, it’d be best to gain Schper’s support too.’

I had secured the support of many people so far, If I could just gain the Holy Kingdom of Schper’s support, I was confident I could pass the second successor test for certain.

Then are you going alone this time?

Wrath tilted his chin, as if asking who he planned to bring along.

‘When you go out, you should always bring your wallet. And… oh.’

Raon snapped his fingers with a thin smile.

‘I just thought of a good idea.’

He turned and ran toward the annex building instead of the fifth training ground. He stopped in front of Evelyn’s room, where she stayed among the maids.

“Evelyn.”

Raon knocked softly and called her name.

“Raon? Just a moment.”

Evelyn’s gentle voice came from inside, sounding as kind as usual. She seemed to have been resting.

Wh-why are you calling the madwoman!

Wrath tapped his shoulder, asking why, of all people, he was calling Evelyn.

‘With Evelyn, I can travel faster and she’ll be helpful in many ways. Plus, I can settle a promise too.’

As Raon smiled faintly, the door opened and Evelyn stepped out. The room behind her was cleaner and more orderly than any other in the annex building.

“What’s the matter?”

Evelyn looked at him with a soft violet smile.

“You said you wanted to go on a date, right?”

Raon smiled and took a step closer.

“Let’s go. There’s somewhere I want to go with you.”

He extended his hand, saying he was going to keep their postponed promise.

“A date? Really? Right now… Hmm?”

Evelyn’s bright smile suddenly froze like a doll’s.

“Raon. Don’t tell me the place you want to go with me is….”

The corner of her mouth twisted upward.

“Not the Holy Kingdom of Schper, is it?”

Evelyn must have heard the whole conversation with Chad, as she immediately brought up the name of the Holy Kingdom of Schper.

“Oh? Ah, you already knew?”

Raon blinked slightly, taken aback.

Haah….

Wrath only let out a sigh, covering his eyes with both hands as if he didn’t even have the energy to curse.

“Huhu….”

Evelyn let out a chilling laugh as she gathered a terrifying amount of mana in both hands.

“It seems our Raon needs a little bit of education. He clearly has no idea what a date means.”

She said she couldn’t stand it any longer and unleashed the gathered mana at Raon without hesitation.

“W-wait!”

Raon absorbed Evelyn’s incoming mana with the Golden Void Infusion and fled out of the annex building.

Kugugugugugu!

Evelyn chanted enormous spells and followed him like a shadow, showing she truly had no intention of holding back this time.

‘Why, why is she doing this!’

Raon panicked and ran toward North Grave Mountain.

To think the King of Essence would end up siding with that madwoman….

Wrath let out a long sigh, as if he hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.

You should just die! Dying would be better for the world!

‘Can you at least explain—’

If you don’t understand, then just die! Just die already!

*   *   *

After barely surviving Evelyn’s deadly chase, Raon headed for the audience chamber.

“You look a mess.”

Glenn frowned as he examined Raon, whose whole body was smeared with traces of mana.

“Yes. There was a minor misunderstanding…”

Raon bowed his head and apologized.

Misunderstanding? If that’s a misunderstanding then just die!

Wrath, unusually taking Evelyn’s side, tightened the noose around his own throat.

“So. You’re going to Schper?”

Glenn tapped the armrest of the throne lightly, as if asking if he was sure.

“Yes. There’s still a month, so I’ll go to Schper, look into what happened there, and try to secure their support before I return.”

Raon bowed, asking for permission.

“I said the real war starts a month from now, so do as you please until then.”

Glenn nodded his chin, as if to say he could do as he pleased.

“But even if time is important, when you spread your attention across many things you can lose sight of what’s essential. Think about what you truly must do, and devote yourself to that.”

He wasn’t only granting permission, he offered the most important advice for the moment.

“I will keep that in mind.”

Raon closed his eyes, taking Glenn’s words to heart.

“Have you evaluated those with potential?”

Glenn lowered his calm gaze as if asking how Raon viewed the candidates.

“So far only Sir Karoon and Lady Aris. I haven’t decided anyone else. After I visit Schper, I’ll assess their growth and efforts and bring in those who qualify.”

Raon bowed, asking for a little more time.

“Karoon and Aris, I see…”

Glenn smiled softly, as if he had expected Karoon.

“All right. Decide that in a month.”

He nodded, meaning to take it slowly and judge properly.

“Thank you. I’ll go then.”

Raon offered his final bow to Glenn and turned away.

“Hmm…”

Glenn watched Raon’s back, not his height or posture, but the breadth of the man, and wore a gentle smile.

‘Do whatever it is you want to do.’

He lowered his chin with a benevolent smile that seemed to transcend everything in the world.

‘I will open the path for you even if I must give everything of mine.’

*   *   *

The grand cathedral of the Holy Kingdom of Schper.

Holy King Hopen knelt in the prayer chamber of the Holy Spirit, a place where only he could offer prayers, his eyes lowered.

He seemed as if he would remain a statue there, unmoving, focused on prayer for hours.

Goooooo!

As Hopen prayed without even twitching his eyelashes, a soft starlight descended from the sky, wrapping his shoulders as if pitying him.

A sacred, beautifully blooming radiance began to spill out beyond the prayer chamber.

“Oooooh!”

“As expected of our Holy King!”

“To call forth such light and holiness!”

The priests and holy knights remaining in the cathedral, moved by the light Hopen had summoned, clasped their hands and found their eyes reddening.

“This is a good omen!”

“He truly is worthy of the throne!”

“With him, we will surely win the coming holy war….”

As the priests smiled brightly and imagined the future, heavy footsteps shook the sacred cathedral, and a blonde woman in a black nun outfit strode in and kicked open the door to the Holy King’s prayer chamber.

“Uuaargh!”

“W-wait a moment!”

“The prayer isn’t over yet!”

The priests and holy knights tried to stop her, but they were flung aside by the woman’s rough strength.

Kuuuuung!

In the end, the woman in the black nun outfit broke down the prayer chamber door and locked eyes with the agape Holy King Hopen.

“Hey! please at least knock before entering!”

Hopen shook his head, begging her to tone down her temper.

“I did.”

Saintess Olga snorted, dusting off her black nun outfit.

“What kind of knock is that? That’s a punch that breaks doors!”

Hopen screamed at her to maintain some dignity as a Saintess.

“Stop with your useless prayers and come out.”

Olga snorted and flicked a finger at Hopen, indicating the slim dagger at her waist with a look of confidence.

“The weapon to kill that damned witch is finished.”

 

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