The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 608

“Hmm…”

Raon examined the front and back of the brown paper, narrowing his eyes.

-What are you doing?

Wrath looked down at the paper, wrinkling his nose.

-Why are you staring at a blank piece of paper? Go finish the remaining toast!

He seemed uninterested in the paper, turning his head away.

‘Unfortunately, this isn’t a blank piece of paper.’

-Now you’re seeing things. There’s nothing written on it!

As Wrath said, there were no letters or drawings on the brown paper. But that was due to its unique properties.

‘Have you forgotten?’

-Forgotten what?

‘You’ll see.’

Raon stepped out of the annex and stood by the lake. He held the brown paper up towards the moon hanging high in the sky past midnight.

As the faint moonlight brushed past the brown paper, letters began to emerge, dancing across the previously empty surface.

-Ah!

Wrath clapped his hands as if he suddenly remembered.

-When we first met that girl!

‘That’s right.’

Raon nodded, ensuring the paper received ample moonlight.

‘It’s the same paper I saw when I discovered Judiel’s true identity.’

Judiel had tried to float this paper on the lake to send information about the annex to Karoon, but I caught her in the act. After many events, including the false Lazyworm incident, I learned of her circumstances and accepted her as my subordinate.

‘She was my first subordinate.’

Though I now have trustworthy subordinates in the Light Wind Division, the first person I accepted was none other than Judiel. Unless she betrays me, I won’t let go of her hand first.

Raon lowered the brown paper after confirming no more letters appeared. The refined, emotionless handwriting on it reflected Judiel’s personality.

[Only Raon will likely be able to see this letter.]

Judiel seemed to have predicted this situation, addressing me right from the first line.

[However, I hope Raon never finds this letter.]

She hoped I wouldn’t find it?

Leaving a letter but hoping I wouldn’t find it made no sense.

[Even if I said I needed time for personal reasons, Raon would find out everything. So I’ll be honest.]

The main point seemed to start from the next line, so I quickly moved my gaze down.

[I received a message saying they might have found my younger brother in the black market.]

Raon bit his lip as he read Judiel’s straightforward words.

‘As expected…’

Everything Judiel had done so far—surviving, working under Karoon, and holding onto my hand—was all for her only remaining family member. When I heard she had taken a leave of absence, I had already pictured this scenario in my mind.

[It’s not confirmed yet, so please don’t worry. I’m just going to check if it’s really my brother.]

The words “don’t worry” sounded like Judiel’s dry voice.

[Even if it is my brother, I won’t act rashly. I’ll come back and talk to you first, Raon.]

[Since it’s a distant place, it will take some time. Please focus on your training while waiting. You have important tasks to do, Raon. Judiel.]

The letter ended with her name, without specifying her location.

“Hmm…”

Raon lowered the letter, frowning.

‘I don’t like the feel of this…’

The lack of emotion in the letter made him even more worried.

‘She might explode.’

Judiel rarely showed her emotions. If she met her brother, whom she had lived only for, she might jump in recklessly, disregarding everything.

-Why did she go alone?

Wrath shook his head in confusion.

-You promised to find her brother. She could have just told you.

‘She didn’t avoid telling me.’

Raon sighed, rereading the letter.

-Then why?

‘She couldn’t tell me.’

Raon recalled when Judiel visited his room after the return party.

I had told her I would be focusing on training for the upcoming life-and-death battle with the former king. She had given me a masked smile, like when we first met, and encouraged me.

Crack.

Raon clenched his fist so tightly that his hand turned red.

“Damn it!”

Judiel had left without telling me about her brother to avoid disrupting my training. She had thought of me before herself, and now he understood her slightly awkward reaction.

-You’re such an idiot!

Wrath, who hadn’t known either, pointed and scolded him. Raon couldn’t even refute it.

‘Yes, I’m an idiot.’

He should have looked for her.

Even though he had reunited with the Light Wind Division and received training from Glenn, he should have sought out Judiel. The feeling of regret filled his chest.

-So, what will you do now?

Raon burned the letter with Manhwa Gong and calmed his gaze.

‘I’ll follow her.’

No matter where Judiel went, it was his duty to follow her and bring back her brother. It was his first promise to someone since becoming Raon Zieghart. It was more important than training.

‘But before that…’

Raon bit his lip as he faced the moonlight.

‘I need to gather information first.’

——————————–

A dried-up voice emerged from beneath the hide of a King Sea Serpent with fierce, lifelike eyes.

“Leader!”

A dark-skinned old man, who looked as though he had lived his entire life under the sun, knelt on the steps covered by the King Sea Serpent’s hide.

“The elder of the alliance and the former head of the market are dead! Why are you doing nothing!”

Tears streamed down the old man’s fierce face as he raised his head.

“Hmm.”

The Southern Union leader’s eyes, which had been lost in the shadows, turned towards the old man.

“Kuyan, you heard it too. The elder lost in a one-on-one life-and-death battle. What revenge are you talking about?”

The Southern Union leader shook his head, brushing the ash off the cigarette in his mouth.

“No matter how much we are thieves and bandits, our roots are martial artists. We can’t question the outcome of a one-on-one duel.”

“What nonsense is this! Raon Zieghart started the fight!”

Kuyan’s face twisted in disbelief.

“That’s the funny part.”

The Southern Union leader chuckled.

“If Raon Zieghart had come alone and caused havoc, we could have made a case. But he came with the elves and the Guardian of Sephia. That means they have the moral high ground.”

He muttered about Raon being a lucky guy, stroking the blue spear leaning against the wall.

“Kuyan, I understand how you feel. But moving now isn’t wise. Let’s end this here.”

The Southern Union leader shook his head, signaling the end of the discussion.

“Leader!”

Kuyan looked up, his tear-streaked face contorted with rage.

“Are you afraid of Glenn Zieghart?”

He smashed his fist into the ground, trembling.

“When Tyler died, I kept quiet. He was my friend’s grandson, like a grandson to me. But if you’re pushing the elder out, that’s different!”

Kuyan shouted with a voice that seemed to be spitting blood.

“Regardless of whether it was a one-on-one duel or if they had the moral high ground, we should step in! Are you forgetting Tyler and Shiran? Or are you truly afraid of Glenn Zieghart?”

The Southern Union leader looked down at Kuyan silently, his gaze as dry as it had been initially.

“Is there anyone not afraid of Glenn Zieghart? How about you, Kuyan?”

“I’m not afraid! I don’t care if I die!”

“Impressive. But unfortunately, I am afraid.”

The leader extended his long legs, resting them on the head of the King Sea Serpent.

“It’s not my death I’m afraid of. It’s the collapse of the Southern Union.”

“Hmm…”

“If it were just you and I dying, it wouldn’t be so bad. But Zieghart’s sword is vicious and tenacious. They would try to erase everything about the Southern Union, even if it meant losing their limbs. You know that from the continental war.”

“…”

Kuyan could only stare at the leader, unable to speak further.

“Wait. Roman will take care of Tyler, Rektor, and Shiran’s revenge.”

The leader smiled, saying it wouldn’t be long now.

“Understand?”

“I understand. But…”

Kuyan bit his lip and raised his head.

“I can’t fully accept it.”

“So, are you planning to attack Zieghart right now?”

“I’m not that foolish. But I’ll wait.”

He stood up, shaking his head.

“Ah.”

The leader raised his hand.

“Since Shiran is dead, I’ll reclaim the position of elder.”

“…”

Kuyan left without answering, heading straight to the riverbank to launch the elder’s boat.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

The crew steered the boat in silence. They arrived at the Peren River, where Shiran and Rektor had died, cutting through the dawn wind.

“Hoo…”

Kuyan stood over the spot where Shiran had died, sighing deeply.

“If I had known, I would have helped you from the start…”

He sighed again, filled with regret.

“I can’t do anything right now.”

Kuyan shook his head, looking at the dark river reflecting the moonlight.

“But I won’t stay still. Wait in hell.”

He cast a golden fishing rod into the river, watching it for a while before boarding the boat again.

The elder’s boat circled the riverbank once, as if consoling Shiran’s spirit, then slowly disappeared.

After Kuyan left, a tall man descended onto the darkened river.

With blue eyes like moonlight, he gestured with his fingers, causing the river to bubble and part, revealing a bleached skeleton.

“Do you want to live?”

The man spoke to the skeleton as if it were a living being.

“Good answer.”

The skeleton said nothing, but the man chuckled.

“That’s right. You can’t bring the dead back to life. If you had said you wanted to live, I would have crushed your bones. I like your desire for revenge.”

The man nodded lightly, and the skeleton compressed into a small form, sucked into his hand.

“I came just in case, but it seems I’ve found an interesting subject.”

He tossed the skeleton into the air like a toy, caught it, and disappeared into the darkness.

——————————–

Chiiing!

The blade of the Heavenly Drive cut through the air, striking the ground of the training hall.

A narrow crack appeared in the earth, which had been marked only by a thin line from his sword technique.

“Hmm…”

Raon frowned, looking at the deviation in his sword strike.

‘I’ve become impatient.’

Worrying about Judiel was affecting his training. His mind was unsettled, making his swordsmanship feel like it was regressing.

‘Not yet.’

It had been almost two days since he requested information from the black market, and still, there was no news. Negative thoughts started to cross his mind.

‘No, focus.’

I need to do what I can right now.

As Raon tried to steady his mind and raise his sword again, a small mountain bird flew down from the sky.

-Eek!

Wrath recoiled at the sight of the bird, falling back in fright.

-It’s the madwoman! She’s back!

He shuddered, thinking it was Merlin again.

‘No.’

Raon shook his head, extending his hand. The bird landed gently on his palm.

‘This is a messenger from the black market.’

The bird had a small piece of paper attached to its leg. It wasn’t Merlin; it was a message from the black market.

‘Pathetic.’

Raon chuckled, sending the bird away.

‘What kind of demon king is afraid of a little bird?’

-I’m not scared! I just thought it was the madwoman.

‘Yes, scaredy-cat demon king.’

-I’m not!

Ignoring Wrath’s protests, Raon opened the letter. The contents were brief. It instructed him to meet at a location in the Zieghart commercial district.

Raon burned the letter and headed to the specified place immediately.

Entering the small shop tucked in a corner of the district, the scent of wood wafted towards him. Looking around, he saw various wooden carvings filling the space.

Raon admired the carvings as he walked further inside. He sensed a familiar presence behind the counter.

“Long time no see.”

A slender voice greeted him as the shopkeeper pulled back her hood. Denning Rose, with her striking rose-patterned eye patch, revealed herself.

“You came in person?”

Raon widened his eyes, surprised. He had expected her to send an informant, not come herself.

“Of course, I had to come.”

Denning Rose shook her head, saying it was nothing special. She took out a green teacup and poured hot water from a kettle. A calming aroma filled the air, soothing his racing heart.

“Have some.”

“Thank you.”

Raon sipped the steaming tea. Its nutty, smooth flavor lingered in his mouth before dissipating cleanly. It seemed Denning Rose had prepared this tea specifically to help him calm down.

“You seem in a hurry, so let’s get started. Your contact disappeared, right?”

“Yes. She seems to have moved quickly after hearing news about her brother.”

“We’ve given her information about people resembling her brother several times before, but they were all false alarms. It seems this time it’s real.”

Denning Rose explained that they had provided Judiel with information about potential sightings of her brother before, but they had all been wrong.

“But going alone…”

“She probably didn’t want to take up my time, so she went by herself.”

“I see.”

Denning Rose quickly understood the situation, nodding.

“Let me show you the materials we provided her.”

She pulled a folder from a drawer and handed it to Raon. He immediately checked its contents.

[A young man in his mid-twenties, with brown hair and blue eyes, and a scar on his forehead, found near a village of the Sran Tribe.]

Raon’s eyes narrowed as he read.

‘This could be him…’

Judiel had told him her brother’s name was Jubel, that he was around 24-25 years old, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a scar on his forehead. The description matched closely.

“But the Sran Tribe village…”

“Yes, it’s part of the Beast Alliance.”

Denning Rose nodded.

“It’s within their territory.”

“Of course.”

It was a tribe he had heard of, and he had suspected as much. They were affiliated with the Beast Alliance.

‘But why is he there?’

To his knowledge, both Judiel and her brother were under Karoon’s control. He couldn’t understand why her brother would be in the Beast Alliance’s territory.

“The village is peculiar, and so is the person who seems to be Judiel’s brother.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“This is something we discovered after your request…”

A chill appeared in Denning Rose’s single eye.

“It seems Jubel has been living as an assassin.”