The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1356

 Chapter 1356

 

Raon visited Habun Castle without concealing his true appearance, the first among the factions he had visited after leaving Zieghart to do so.

“It's been a long time.”

Raon wore a faint smile as he gazed at the walls of Habun Castle. Seeing the walls stained with monster blood against the pure-white eternal snow brought back memories of the first time he had come to this castle as a trainee.

‘But….’

Raon narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the inside of the castle.

‘It seems there are other people here as well.’

Sensing the mana within the castle, he realized that other guests had arrived. Their energy waves also felt strangely familiar.

Haa!

Wrath nodded and let out a sigh.

Back then, just looking at you was enough to make me feel suffocated!

He clicked his tongue, saying Raon had been such a novice that merely looking at him had been irritating.

‘Still, I've gotten a little better now, haven't I?’

Raon smiled and lightly nudged Wrath with his elbow.

Well, your might isn’t bad.

Wrath calmly nodded his chin.

But your mind still hasn't fully matured! You need to come to devildom and grow even more!

Even now, he smacked his lips, still trying to sell Raon on devildom.

‘Right. Right. Let's go later. Sure.’

Raon casually brushed off Wrath's now tiresome sales pitch.

Huh? Really?

Wrath’s blue eyes sparkled.

You said it yourself!

‘Suit yourself.’

Without even bothering to nod, Raon stood before the gates of Habun Castle. He grabbed the iron ring cold enough to freeze his hand and struck it against the thick, dull wall.

Booooooong!

The impact of the rusted iron and thick wood rang out with astonishing clarity, like the tolling of a bell.

“Who is it at a time like this?”

“Were we expecting a guest?”

“No, there were no visitors scheduled for today.”

The scouts of Habun Castle poked their heads over the wall.

“Huh?”

“Th-that person is….”

“It’s Sir Raon!”

“Sir Raon is here!”

“Raon Zieghart, the Sword Immortal!”

The scouts recognized Raon’s face and cried out in astonishment.

“Is that really Sir Raon?”

Along with the familiar voice, a welcome face appeared, still carrying a playful air despite being middle-aged.

“Wow! It really is you! It's been a long time!”

It was Radin, the leader of the 3rd Scout Unit Raon had once belonged to. Now the leader of all the scout units, he waved enthusiastically.

“Long time no see, scout leader. Would you open the gate first?”

Raon gave a faint smile as he pointed toward the gate of Habun Castle.

“Of course! What are you waiting for? Open it right now!”

Radin kicked another scout in the rear, ordering him to open the gate quickly.

Rumbleeeee!

Following his orders, the scouts began opening the gate of Habun Castle. With the sound of a massive chain tearing through the ice, the main gate of Habun Castle swung wide open.

“You didn’t have to open it this wide.”

Raon blinked as the main gate of Habun Castle rumbled open, shaking the ground. He couldn't help but let out a wry laugh when they opened the main gate, normally reserved for diplomatic delegations and large transport wagons, for him.

“What are you talking about? Of course we had to open the main gate!”

Radin shook his head vigorously, saying Raon's visit was a far bigger deal than any delegation from another faction.

“What’s going on! Why is the main gate… Huh?”

Terian Milland, the vice castellan of Habun Castle, approached angrily before his eyes widened upon seeing Raon.

“S-Sir Raon?”

Terian’s voice trembled as he, too, seemed surprised by Raon’s sudden visit.

“How have you been, vice castellan?”

Raon bowed his head to Terian.

“What brings you here without any notice?”

He blinked, saying he had never expected Raon to come.

“I stopped by to pay my respects. Is the castellan inside?”

Raon wore a faint smile as he looked toward the tower at the center of the castle where the castellan of Habun Castle always stayed.

“Where else would he be?”

Terian nodded, saying that, as always, he was watching over the monsters from that tower.

“Let us go. I will escort you.”

He bowed politely.

“Thank you.”

Raon nodded and followed Terian. A faint smile crossed his lips as he recalled how, back when he was a trainee, Terian had guided him to meet the castellan in much the same way.

As they entered the building, the knights and scouts were still hurrying about, carrying out their duties for the day.

“It brings back memories, doesn't it?”

Terian climbed the stairs, saying that things were no different now from back then.

“It does.”

Saying it was truly a welcome sight, Raon followed Terrian up to the fifth floor.

“Castellan.”

Terian knocked on the blackwood door and called out to the castellan of Habun Castle.

“A welcome guest has arrived from ‘that place.’”

Just as he had that day in the past, he referred to Zieghart as “that place,” a faint smile forming on his lips.

“Come in!”

The heavy voice of the castellan of Habun Castle came through the blackwood door. Even after all this time, the King of the Iron Wall did not seem to have aged.

Rumble!

Terian opened the door for him, and Raon nodded before entering the castellan’s office. Unlike the spacious room, the empty interior remained unchanged.

It still felt more like a room for soldiers than for a commander, but there was one difference from before.

It no longer felt empty.

‘The reason is….’

Raon curled his lips into a smile as he looked at the gray-haired old man sitting behind the desk, where a map had been spread out.

‘Because of that man.’

Milland Brydon. Though small in stature, he was a giant of the frozen plains whom no one could ever look down on. The master of Habun Castle, who could overwhelm thousands of monsters with a single glance, had honed his swordsmanship to an even keener edge.

‘I thought he'd already reached his limit...’

Raon let out a hollow chuckle as he sensed Milland’s presence.

‘Yet he has grown even stronger.’

At Milland's age, the body naturally weakened and the mind grew more fragile, making it difficult even to preserve one's original might.

Yet he had done far more than simply maintain his strength. He had broken through his limits and grown even stronger.

“You look quite surprised.”

Milland twisted the corners of his mouth into his trademark expression, as though amused by Raon's reaction.

“Yes. I never imagined you would become this much stronger.”

Raon slightly trembled his chin as he said that it was something he had not expected.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Milland raised a fist the size of a boulder and thumped his chest.

“I told you I’d have your back. I have to hold out until you become the head of house, don’t I?”

He snorted, saying he had trained with his life on the line because of what he had promised when he asked to take part in the war.

“Ah….”

Raon’s fingertips trembled as he recalled the words Milland had spoken in the past.

‘He's kept that promise all this time.’

When Raon had returned to Zieghart, Milland had always told him to remember that Habun Castle stood behind him. He was still keeping that promise even now.

‘He has always been there to help me.’

Whenever I had asked for help, Milland had led the knights of Habun Castle to my side. He was a true knight who kept every promise he made to the very end.

“...Thank you, castellan.”

Raon bowed to Milland, feeling a surge of emotion well up in his chest.

“A guy called the Sword Immortal should not bow his head so easily!”

Milland waved his hand, urging him to stand up quickly. A faint smile, however, remained on his lips.

“So what brings you here?”

“Before the war, I've been visiting the allied factions to pay my respects in my own way.”

Raon nodded, saying that Habun Castle was the last one.

“Kuhahahahaha!”

Milland slammed his hand on the desk and burst into hearty laughter.

“The awkward kid who could barely hold a proper conversation with anyone is actually going around encouraging people now! You've grown so much!”

He chuckled as though recalling the Raon of old.

“I can tell your vessel has finally been completed.”

Milland's eyes burned with warmth. Raon could clearly feel how proud he was of him.

“My vessel?”

“The vessel of a king. The parts you once lacked have not only been filled, they now overflow.”

Milland vigorously nodded as though convinced that the choice he had made had been the right one.

“Ah….”

Raon smacked his lips, thinking that he had been hearing those words quite often lately.

You have gotten a little better.

Wrath nodded, saying that even he had to admit Raon had improved a little.

“But what do you mean by paying your respects in your own way?”

Milland narrowed his eyes, curious about that part.

“Of course….”

Raon immediately drew Heavenly Drive.

“I'm paying my respects with my sword.”

He nodded, saying he spoke with his sword rather than with words.

“A conversation through the sword? Now that's a way of paying one's respects I really like!”

Milland wet his lips and picked up the sword he had been leaning against the desk.

“You remember, don’t you? I won our last duel.”

He raised a finger, referring to the spar they had before Raon left Habun Castle.

“Of course I remember.”

A faint smile crossed Raon's face as he brought Heavenly Drive down from overhead. The sword descended like a bolt of lightning cleaving through the sky before crashing into the earth. The Crimson Slash of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation traced a crimson line as it fell, looking as though it would split Milland's head in two.

“Hah!”

With a short shout, Milland raised his thick sword like a shield. His blade met the crimson strike while radiating the imposing presence of a fortress wall. It felt as though the sword embodied the life of an old swordsman who had spent his entire life defending these frozen walls.

Krrrrrraaaang!

But the Crimson Slash was no longer a mere sword technique. True to its name as a crimson flash, it had become an invincible sword strike that pierced through an opponent's defenses.

Boooom!

Despite his small frame, Milland slammed into the wall with a tremendous crash.

“Guhh….”

He rose to his feet on trembling legs, coughing violently.

“I-I’ve definitely seen this sword technique before, but it has changed so much.”

Milland let out a hollow laugh, as though he could hardly believe that the once-simple sword technique had grown into what it was now.

“Your swordsmanship has changed greatly as well, castellan. I can feel the sword will that refuses to let anything break through.”

Raon nodded, saying that he was impressed by Milland’s swordsmanship.

“Praise from the Sword Immortal? I lost, but I can't say I feel bad!”

Milland grinned and brushed the dust from his shoulders.

“You know, don’t you? It’s still one to one.”

He shrugged, saying the match would only be decided after Raon defeated him one more time.

“Of course.”

Raon gave a faint smile, saying that he knew that perfectly well.

“Now that I've faced you head-on, I understand. You've truly become remarkable. The title of Sword Immortal suits you perfectly.”

Milland looked at Raon with a proud, approving gaze.

“Your visit alone will raise everyone's morale.”

He smiled broadly, saying that Raon's visit to the allied factions before the war was the greatest encouragement of all.

“I only did what I could.”

Raon waved his hand, saying it was nothing worth mentioning. Unlike with anyone else, not the slightest trace of arrogance showed itself before Milland.

“Ah! Come to think of it, there's one more group of people here that you should meet and encourage.”

Milland raised a finger, saying that there were still people Raon needed to meet.

“Yes? People I need to encourage?”

Raon’s eyes widened at Milland’s words.

“That's right.”

Milland curled up the corners of his mouth, saying that they would be familiar faces.

“People you know very well.” 

 

 

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