The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1301

 Chapter 1301

 

Swoooooosh.

Raon withdrew his hand after confirming that every trace of archangel Sariel's divine power had vanished from the King of Winten's soul.

'It's done.'

He had been worried because the divine power was clinging tightly to the king's soul, but the Heart Sword he had unleashed was even more precise, allowing him to erase Sariel's energy completely.

'The training paid off.'

The meditation, image training, and time I had spent observing people's souls while acting as both the Sage and the Sage's attendant seemed to have accelerated the growth of my Heart Sword realm.

Th-That's impossible...

Even after witnessing it with his own eyes, Wrath couldn't believe what had happened and clawed at his own head.

Why does this madman grow this fast at everything?! Isn't this far too unfair?!

He ground his teeth, wondering why the heavens had bestowed so much talent upon one person.

"Urgh..."

The King of Winten staggered while clutching his temples. Suffering from a splitting headache, he dropped to one knee, his eyes unfocused.

"Your Majesty!"

"Are you all right?!"

The royal guards rushed toward the King of Winten with bloodshot eyes.

"Stand back!"

"How dare this cultist lay a hand on His Majesty!"

Believing that Raon had harmed the king, they pointed their swords at him and ground their teeth fiercely.

"..."

Raon said nothing.

He merely watched the King of Winten standing behind the knights with calm, tranquil eyes.

"You bastard!"

Even the captain of the royal guards seemed unable to endure it any longer. Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, he raised his sword.

"Stop!"

"The Sage would never do such a thing!"

"Put your swords down!"

The people who believed in the Sage also rushed forward and blocked the knights who were about to strike Raon.

"Enough!"

The situation resembled what had happened earlier, but this time it was not Raon who shouted.

It was the King of Winten.

"That's enough. Stand down!"

The king's shout was not directed at the people protecting Raon, but at the knights who were trying to protect him.

"Y-Your Majesty?"

The captain of the royal guards widened his eyes in shock at the king's unexpected reaction.

"Are you truly all right?"

Even after hearing the king's order, he swallowed nervously, unable to hide his concern.

"I'm fine. Captain, step back."

After taking a deep breath, the King of Winten personally pushed the knights aside and stepped forward.

"For the first time in a long while, it feels like I'm finally able to think with my own mind again."

He nodded firmly, claiming that he had never felt more clear-headed.

"Finally..."

Seeing the dull haze vanish from the king's eyes and be replaced by crystal clarity, Raon allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.

"It seems we can finally have a proper conversation."

Even while standing before the king, he neither bowed nor lowered his posture. He simply closed his eyes briefly before opening them again.

"Thank you for waking me."

Realizing that Raon was the one who had freed him, the King of Winten immediately offered a respectful bow.

"As the king of a nation, I cannot offer greater courtesy than this. For that, I ask your forgiveness."

After giving the highest form of respect he could afford as a king, he straightened his back once more.

"If there is ever anything you require of me, please speak. I will grant whatever is within my power!"

The King of Winten nodded firmly, determined to repay today's debt no matter what.

"Gasp!"

"Y-Your Majesty..."

"W-What is this...?"

The royal guards' jaws trembled as they watched the King of Winten show such sincere respect toward Raon, who looked little different from a wandering commoner.

"It makes no difference to me whether you bow or not."

Raon smiled faintly, truly resembling a sage.

"More importantly, another being's soul had seeped into your mind."

Recalling the divine power within the king's soul, Raon narrowed his eyes.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

To learn how archangel Sariel brought people under his influence, he needed the answer to that question.

"I cannot remember everything clearly, but I believe it began at a banquet hosted by the King of Sarion."

The King of Winton closed his eyes as he searched through his memories.

"I've known him since childhood. We were close enough to be considered friends. But that day, something about him felt... different."

His brow furrowed slightly.

"He called me aside and introduced me to a sage. No, unlike you, it was someone known as the 'Dark Sage,' who resolved the concerns of nobles." 

At the mention of the Dark Sage, the King of Winten rubbed the back of his neck as though a chill had run down his spine.

It’s that bastard!

Wrath immediately realized that this Dark Sage was archangel Sariel and frowned deeply.

‘Yeah. It's Sariel.’

Using titles such as the Dark Sage and the Messenger of God, Archangel Sariel had been resolving the concerns of nobles and royals alike. The King of Sarion had undoubtedly fallen under his influence and introduced Sariel even to his own friend 

"The King of Sarion asked me to tell him my concerns, but I did not have any in particular, so I merely humored him without saying much. However, he kept urging me to continue, so I eventually mentioned that I was worried about the war between the Five Kings and Eden. Then, at some point, I began to feel as though I was no longer myself." 

The King of Winten let out a heavy sigh, saying that from that moment onward, he felt unable to control his own thoughts.

"It was the same today. Until yesterday, I had no intention of coming here. Yet this morning, I suddenly found myself wanting to come here and kill you. It was probably the doing of that sage!"

Clenching his fist, he said it felt as though someone had been controlling him.

"But the moment I met you, that feeling disappeared completely! Thank you!"

He bowed his head once more. If his position had allowed it, he looked ready to kneel before Raon just as the other people had.

"The Dark Sage..."

Raon stroked his chin as he recalled Sariel, whose face he had yet to see.

"Do not worry. I intend to hold the King of Sarion accountable for this matter."

The King of Winten ground his teeth, apparently realizing that the ones who had manipulated him were the King of Sarion and the Dark Sage he had introduced.

"You said you would grant me a favor. In that case, if the King of Sarion calls for you or asks about this matter, pretend that you know nothing. And do not meet him in person."

Nodding, Raon said that he would make use of that favor immediately.

"W-Why? They're dangerous!"

The King of Winten's lips trembled slightly, as if he were genuinely worried about Raon.

"Because if they are left alone, not only Sarion and Winten, but the entire continent may be placed in danger."

Raon's gaze became as warm as sunlight, making him seem like a true sage who thought only of the people.

"As for a false sage who deceives people..."

The warmth in his eyes lasted only for a moment.

Curling his lips upward, he released a chilling coldness that sent shivers down one's spine.

"...it is time he received a lesson in human enlightenment."

*   *   *

Raon's schedule remained unchanged even after he freed the King of Winten. In fact, after witnessing the king bow to him, even more people flocked to seek out Sage Doraen, until the area around him looked like a sea of humanity.

"I-Is this really alright?"

Dorian swallowed nervously, his eyes darting from side to side.

"At this rate, Winten Kingdom is going to burst at the seams."

He let out a hollow laugh as the crowd continued to grow larger.

"W-We might burst first..."

Burren dropped onto the ground and shook his head.

"It was exhausting enough when you were doing it, but now that the palace master is handling it himself, I'm seriously dying here."

He let out a low groan, saying that resolving people's concerns and problems was utterly exhausting. 

"We’re out here dying, but that guy looks perfectly happy."

Martha wrinkled her nose as she watched Raon helping people one after another.

"Of course he is!"

Krein shot to his feet and shouted.

"He's sitting over there doing nothing while we're the ones dealing with everything else!"

Shaking his head, he said it was only natural that Raon looked happy.

 "No..."

Runaan forced her sleepy eyes open and slowly shook her head.

"Raon is different from Dorian..."

Her gaze drifted toward Raon.

"What do you mean, different...?"

Krein

"Our palace master isn't just listening to people's concerns. He's also using his Heart Sword to erase the mental tension and pressure weighing on them." 

He explained that unlike Dorian, who simply offered solutions, Raon was doing far more than that.

"That's why everyone who talks with him leaves looking so much more at ease."

Martha snorted, as if she had already noticed.

"Mmhh."

Runaan nodded, indicating that was exactly what she meant.

"Everyone has worries."

The Ragged Saint, Federick, smiled and nodded.

"However, if people continue dwelling on those concerns, stress builds up and eventually leads to both mental and physical illness. What Raon is doing now is removing the root cause. The concerns are not completely erased, but people gain enough breathing room to take a step back and look at their problems more calmly. That is a form of healing even I cannot perform." 

He clasped his hands together, explaining that Raon was erasing people's lethargy and mental fatigue.

"Using the Heart Sword to relieve people's mental strain...?"

Krein let out an impressed gasp as he looked back at Raon, as if he had had no idea.

"I-It's great that he's helping people, but isn't it dangerous?"

Dorian moistened his dry lips, still looking worried.

“Sariel or one of his underlings will be here soon. If he wears himself out helping people like that..…”

"Did you even listen to what I just said?"

Martha reached over and smacked Dorian on the shoulder.

“That guy looks happier than he’s ever been right now.”

She waved her hand dismissively, telling him there was nothing to worry about.

"Raon isn't getting tired..."

Runaan slowly lowered her eyes.

"He's getting stronger..."

*   *   *

Reading the soul of the young woman standing before him, Raon curved his lips into a gentle smile.

'I can feel it.'

Even without honing the Heart Sword to a razor's edge or expending much energy, I could sense the concerns weighing on the person before me and how deeply they suffered. 

"Your young son's illness..."

The woman was worried about her three-year-old son, who had been growing weaker by the day. Unable to bear seeing her child suffer, she had neglected sleep and skipped meals, devoting herself entirely to caring for him. The accumulated stress had become so severe that it wouldn't have been surprising if she collapsed at any moment.

"Y-Yes! That's right! Please save my child!"

The woman fell to her knees and bowed her head, saying she would do anything if her son could recover.

'Hand, foot, and mouth disease.'

Reading her thoughts, Raon learned that the illness afflicting her child was hand, foot, and mouth disease, a sickness common among young children. The symptoms were severe enough to be dangerous, but fortunately, it was something the Ragged Saint, Federick, could cure.

"If you give him this medicine, your son will be back on his feet before long. However..."

As he handed her the medicine, Raon launched a strand-like Heart Sword toward her.

"It seems you'll be the one collapsing from exhaustion by then."

Using the Heart Sword with meticulous precision, he severed the mental strain and pressure weighing down her soul. Before reaching this level, attempting this might have left wounds on her soul, but his attainment in the Heart Sword had now reached a realm where he could cut away only the malign energy.

"Ah..."

Accepting the medicine, the woman drew in a deep breath.

“I feel so much lighter after meeting you, Sage. I will stay strong, no matter what, until my child recovers!”

She lowered her head, saying that the heaviness weighing down her body had eased considerably thanks to Raon.

“You must.”

Raon nodded gently and sent her on her way.

After her, people continued pouring in without giving him a moment to breathe, each one pouring out their concerns and hardships. 

Most of the stories were gloomy enough to wear anyone down, yet strangely, he felt no fatigue. If anything, vitality surged through him. As he erased people's stress, it felt as though his own stress, concerns, and exhaustion were melting away as well. 

'Though more important than that...'

Raon curled his lips upward as he relieved yet another person’s suffering.

'...is the growth of the Heart Sword.'

Thanks to using the Heart Sword in two stages, first sensing people's concerns, then erasing their tension and pressure, my proficiency of swordsmanship was advancing exponentially. The power of the Heart Sword itself had not increased dramatically, but the way I wielded it and its flow had reached an entirely different tier. 

Haaaah...

Wrath frowned as if he were the one suffering.

Why do humans have so much suffering? They keep talking about the same things over and over. It's so frustrating he could die!

He shook his head vigorously, insisting that he didn't want to listen to people's concerns anymore. 

'Really?'

Raon chuckled.

'I feel like I could keep doing this forever.'

Raon smiled, unlike Wrath, feeling as though he could spend an eternity this way.

Whoooooosh!

From behind the massive mountain of people lined up to see him, a terrifying, suffocating wave of energy violently erupted.

The presence of five knights possessing might on par with knight commanders capable of supporting an entire kingdom, along with royalty born with innate nobility, made the earth tremble and stirred the heavens.

‘They've finally arrived.’

Yet Raon paid no attention to the royals radiating overwhelming majesty or the knights unleashing vast waves of energy. Instead, he curled his lips into a smile as he sensed the presence of a sinister being lurking within their shadows, mocking the world from behind them.

'Archangel Sariel!'

 

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