The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1260

 Chapter 1260

 

“Follow you…?”

Burren swallowed hard as he looked at Raon.

“D-Don’t tell me you mean attacking Eden?”

His eyes went wide, as if he’d just heard something he’d never even imagined.

“Does that mean you’ve found Eden’s headquarters… sir?”

Martha started to speak informally in her excitement, then hurriedly corrected herself to be polite.

“Where is it? Can we go right now?”

She licked her lips, looking like she was itching to strike Eden immediately.

“E–Eden…?”

Dorian’s lips trembled as fear hit him the moment Eden’s headquarters was mentioned.

“Is this… the beginning of a real war?”

Krein, surprisingly eager, rested a hand on his sword, his gaze sharp in a way that mirrored Martha’s.

“……”

Runaan said nothing. Reflecting on her recent impatience, she quietly waited for Raon’s next words.

“I’ve pinpointed Eden’s rough location through the Bear Alteration Demon.”

Raon nodded, his cold gaze sweeping over the Bear Alteration Demon, who was being restrained by Sheryl.

“There’s an agreement with the head of house and the Heavenly Demon, so we can’t start an all-out war, but…”

A killing intent several times colder than what he’d shown the Light Wind Palace surged out as his eyes narrowed.

“We can’t ignore the price they owe for letting vermin like that run unchecked.”

He clenched his fist, vowing to exact payment for the sin of letting Syris Sullion go free, an act that had led to the deaths of Zieghart’s people.

“……”

Even when Syria Sullion’s name came up, Runaan didn’t look away. She lifted her head and met Raon’s gaze head-on.

“You said that really well!”

Martha raised her fist, mirroring Raon.

“Let’s go right now and smash every last one of those creepy helmets and masks to pieces!”

She stomped the floor, trembling with impatience to depart at once.

“Please, Rakshasa Squad leader, could you calm down a bit….”

Burren sighed when he saw blood seeping through the bandages wrapped around Martha’s wounds.

“This kind of injury gets better if I move around!”

Martha insisted she was fine and stomped even harder. After the second stomp, the wound must have reopened, the bandages quickly darkened with red.

“We depart in one week.”

Raon lightly waved a finger.

“You’ll pay for your own mistakes yourselves, so prepare thoroughly until then. This time, don’t waver no matter what happens.”

Saying he was giving them a chance to undo their mistakes, just as he’d said earlier, he sat back down on the throne.

“Yes, sir!”

Burren bowed deeply, as if swearing he wouldn’t make another mistake.

“Please trust us!”

“We’ll meet your expectations this time!”

The Light Wind Palace swordsmen bowed as well, following Burren’s lead.

“Heavenly Blade Division leader.”

Raon called out to Sheryl and gestured toward the Light Wind Palace swordsmen.

“Please guide them to that place. There’s still something I need to discuss.”

He nodded as he made the request.

“Understood.”

Sheryl kicked the Bear Alteration Demon’s leg, forcing him to kneel beside the throne, then descended from the platform. Every movement she made carried solemn respect, as though she truly regarded Raon as her rightful lord.

“Everyone, follow the Heavenly Blade Division leader.”

Raon waved them off, telling them to go and wait.

“Yes.”

“Yes, sir!”

Burren and the Light Wind Palace swordsmen bowed, sensing Raon had something to say separately, and followed Sheryl out of the audience chamber.

“Acting head of house.”

Runaan stepped out from among the swordsmen and raised her hand.

“May I speak with the children?”

She bit her lip slightly, saying she wanted to talk to the children who had been in the Bear Alteration Demon’s grasp.

“They’re all children I met in my dreams.”

Bowing so deeply her head nearly touched the floor, Runaan pleaded with him.

“……”

Raon didn’t answer right away. He watched Runaan’s trembling shoulders. It seemed she was more shaken by the thought that the children might have died than by being blamed for her own mistake.

“Go ahead.”

Since they were children she’d met in her dreams, Raon nodded and granted permission, thinking it would be an opportunity for her to grow further.

“Thank you.”

Runaan bowed deeply once more, then ran toward the children.

“S–Sister!”

“Big sister…”

“I-I’m sorry. We…”

“I’m really sorry! But I truly had no choice!”

Knowing they’d been used as tools of sorcery to lure Runaan into the dream world, the children burst into tears and apologized the moment they saw her.

“No.”

Runaan shook her head firmly.

“I’m the one who’s sorry.”

She bit her lip, insisting that she was the one who should be apologizing.

“When I think about it, you were always begging me for help in the dream world.”

She wrapped her arms around the children, pulling them close.

“But I was only thinking about myself and didn’t notice. I’m so sorry it took me this long to realize.”

The children had shown her, again and again in the dream world, that this place wasn’t reality, but she’d been so happy there that she failed to understand their desperate pleas for rescue.

If her mistake had led to their deaths, she would have fallen into utter despair. She felt grateful to Raon for helping her once again, and sorry as well.

“Hmm….”

Watching Runaan hold the children, Raon rubbed his smooth chin.

“Hm” my ass!

Wrath suddenly popped into view in front of him.

Stop posturing. You seem to think you’ve at least picked up the bearing of a king, but in the King of Essence’s eyes, you’re still nowhere close!

Wrath snorted, dismissing Raon. To him, Raon wasn’t a king at all, he still gave off the unmistakable air of a swordsman through and through.

A king should carry real weight in his presence, yet you’re light as a feather! Strap weights to your legs, put a crown on your head, do whatever it takes to force some royal authority into existence!

Wrath frowned, making it clear that if Raon truly wanted to be a king, the very atmosphere he gave off had to change first.

‘You’re not wrong. Compared to the head of house, I’m still lacking, and I don’t have that weight yet. But then…’

Raon tilted his head as he looked at Wrath.

‘Why are you smiling?’

Despite yelling at him for not being worthy of a king, Wrath’s lips curved in a gentle, spring-breeze smile, like he was quietly proud of him.

T-That’s…

Wrath averted his gaze, his face reddening.

The King of Essence doesn’t know either! Anyway, you’re not cut out to be a king here!

He shook his head hard, as if that settled it.

For now, just gloss over things here. Later, you’ll follow the King of Essence and come to Devildom.

Wrath pointed straight at him.

The King of Essence will teach you what a real king is, so stop playing king here and come to Devildom!

He licked his dry lips, declaring he’d personally teach him the true bearing of a king.

‘Is that so.’

Raon chuckled softly, watching Wrath dart his eyes around like he was gauging Raon’s reaction.

‘You really are terrible at lying.’

Understanding exactly why Wrath was saying all this, Raon found himself smiling without even trying.

Put into human terms, what Wrath was really saying was this: You’re doing a far better job as head of house than the King of Essence ever expected, so much so it throws him off. Don’t waste yourself ruling here. Come to devildom and rule as a true king.

‘Devildom, huh….’

W-What is it? If you’ve got something to say, then say it!

Wrath scrunched his nose, clearly bothered by his own lie.

‘No.’

Raon shook his head, keeping a faint smile.

‘It’s just that, no matter which side you rule….’

He watched Runaan, smiling softly as she talked with the children, and ran his hand over the slightly damaged armrest of the throne.

‘It doesn’t look like it’ll be easy.’

*   *   *

“W-What… what is this…?”

Krein swallowed hard, looking up at the pitch-black peaks of North grave Mountain.

“Weren’t we supposed to have dinner or talk or something?”

His eyes trembled, filled with creeping darkness, as if none of this made sense to him.

“Why the North Grave Mountain?!”

“You really still don’t know our palace master.”

Dorian shook his head as he looked at Krein.

“He said he’d balance out the rewards and punishments for what happened, but do you really think he’d just let it slide…?”

Even as he explained, Dorian bit his lip, clearly frightened of Raon himself.

“Hoo….”

Burren recalled what Raon had said in the audience chamber and grabbed his forehead.

“Failing to even confirm the enemy’s death, no vice palace master should ever do that. No, before that, it disqualifies me as a Light Wind Palace swordsman!”

Even though he’d been clear-headed at the time, the fact that he hadn’t confirmed the Bear Alteration Demon’s death seemed to shock him anew. He ground his teeth hard.

“It’s all because of my stamina!”

Martha lightly bit her fingernail.

“If I had just held on a little longer, I never would’ve let that bastard live!”

She swung her fist with a hand that still hadn’t fully recovered, insisting that if she’d been conscious, she would have checked the Bear Alteration Demon’s condition no matter what.

“……”

Runaan said nothing, her eyes closed.

“Mhhm….”

She wasn’t asleep like usual. A faint groan slipped out, as if she were replaying Raon’s words in her head and reflecting on her own mistakes.

"Are we... are we really starting training the moment we get back?"

“It looks like focus enhancement training...”

“This is driving me insane.”

The Light Wind Palace swordsmen were sighing heavily as they looked up at North Grave Mountain, already convinced they were about to undergo focus enhancement training—

“I seem to be a bit late.”

Raon stepped out through the rear door of the lord’s manor, his gaze calm and steady.

“It was work-related, so I hope you’ll understand.”

He waved a hand lightly, as if to say he’d been tied up with the duties of the head of house until now.

“U-Up until now?”

Krein blinked blankly as he looked at the pitch-black night sky.

“The duties of the head of house are on an entirely different level from a palace master’s. Even if you spend the whole day wrestling with paperwork, it’s still not enough.”

Raon flicked at his ink-stained sleeve. The faster he cleared documents, the more work seemed to pile up, it was honestly absurd.

“Th-then why is such a busy acting head of house here….”

Krein lifted trembling lips, desperately hoping this wasn’t what he thought it was.

“As I said, I still have something to say to you.”

Raon lifted Heavenly Drive by its scabbard.

“I-If you’re just talking, why are you holding a sword?”

Krein waved both hands frantically, as if begging him to stop.

Wham!

Without answering, Raon swung the scabbard.

“W-Wait!”

Krein tried to block it in a panic, but the scabbard was already crashing down onto the top of his head.

Bwaaaang!

Krein was struck squarely, his eyes rolling back as he collapsed.

“Guhhh….”

Foam bubbled from his mouth as he convulsed, completely blindsided by the blow.

“I told you that letting your guard down was one of your biggest mistakes…”

Raon rested the scabbard on his shoulder, his voice cold.

“And yet you let your guard down again.”

Muttering that this wouldn’t do, he lifted his chin.

“Ugh….”

Dorian, already looking terrified, drew his sword with tears welling in his eyes.

“My hands won’t stop trembling.”

“I knew this was coming!”

Burren and Martha also grasped Raon’s intent. They raised their swords, aura surging around them.

“Haa….”

As if she’d expected this, Runaan placed the Snow Flower Sword in front of her and let out a breath laced with cold air.

“We’re really going to die today…”

“At least we had a chance to recover before coming back.”

"Doesn't really matter. Look at who we're up against..."

The Light Wind Palace swordsmen clasped their hands in prayer or squeezed their eyes shut, as if facing their deaths.

“You don’t need to come to me. I’ll come to you.”

Raon stepped his left foot forward.

"Give me everything you’ve got. Fight as if I’m an enemy you have to kill."

Telling them not to hold back, he pushed off the ground.

Whoooosh!

Raon vanished from where he stood and reappeared right in front of Burren and Martha. It wasn’t just swift footwork, it was as if he’d torn through space itself.

“Hah!”

“Damn it, he’s fast!”

Burren brought his sword down, the blade wrapped in Barren Wind, while Martha, despite her injuries, unleashed a highly refined sword technique.

Craaaack!

In a single motion, Raon tore apart Burren’s Barren Wind Sword and shattered Martha’s refined sword technique at the same time.

Boom!

Struck by Raon’s counterattack, Burren and Martha were sent flying together, slamming back-first into a tree on North Grave Mountain.

“You let your guard down again.”

Raon looked down at them with a cold sneer.

“Don’t assume your growth and changes will work on everyone.”

After offering that single piece of advice, he moved on to the others.

Bam-bam-bam-crash!

Each time Raon moved, the sound of splintering wood echoed as Light Wind Palace swordsmen fell one after another.

Just one minute.

That was the time it took for all the Light Wind Palace swordsmen to fall before Raon’s sword.

Whoosh.

With white steam rising from Heavenly Drive’s scabbard resting on his shoulder, Raon stopped in front of the last remaining swordsman, Runaan.

"I'm coming."

Runaan advanced, spreading a will that had reached Transcendence. Acting on Raon’s instruction to give everything she had, she leveled her sword and moved to activate her sword field.

“Too slow.”

Raon stamped forward. The instant Runaan tried to activate her sword field, he swung the scabbard, wind riding the blow.

Bwaaang!

Runaan was struck at the very moment she tried to activate her sword field, her body still fixed in that posture. She was knocked away and rolled across the ground as her aura scattered, the sword field she had only just begun to form collapsing like a sandcastle.

“A sword field isn’t all-powerful,” Raon said coldly. “If anything, the moment you use it is when you’re most exposed.”

Raon looked down at the fallen Runaan, warning her that the moment you step onto a battlefield, you must never let your guard down.

“Th-Thank you for the lesson.”

Runaan forced her head up and spoke her gratitude.

“Every dawn. After I finish my work, until the sun rises…”

Raon spun the scabbard of Heavenly Drive as he approached the fallen swordsmen.

“I’ll make you swordsmen who will never bend, even in front of Eden.”

Letting out a savage grin like a starving beast, he drove the scabbard into the ground.

“It’s going to be a very long time.”

 

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