The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 668
A dim, dark room where not a single ray of light could enter.
The man sitting in front of the old desk turned his back after staring at the black flames burning on the wall.
“Raon Zieghart and the Light Wind Division are acting suspiciously.”
He stroked his chin as he glanced under the desk.
“They’re moving their eyes as if searching for something.”
“It could be because of me. When I first saw him, I unintentionally let some demonic energy slip….”
The black-haired young man kneeling on the floor groaned.
“But it was such a tiny amount. It wasn’t enough to trigger the reaction of the priests or sacred relics. How did he…?”
His lips trembled as if he couldn’t understand.
“Sometimes, people are born with special senses.”
The man’s lips curled into a thin smile.
“So, did Raon Zieghart participate in the Holy Festival to find you? Things are getting interesting.”
“If they’ve truly sensed the demonic energy, wouldn’t it be better to send them back now?”
“No, it’s better to keep them close. The fact that they’re not searching openly means they’re not certain.”
He laughed, saying that keeping an enemy closer than a friend was the best approach.
“Raon Zieghart was once called the Hero of the Frost Flower Sword, a man who values justice above all else. Such people cannot recklessly swing their swords. He’ll be so focused on finding you that he won’t see anything else.”
The man lightly waved his fingers, saying he could see Raon and the Light Wind Division’s movements.
“I’ll handle the higher-ups. You focus on your part.”
“Understood.”
The black-haired young man bowed his head before vanishing like a shadow into the darkness.
Crackle.
The man turned his back again, staring at the black flames on the wall.
The dark flames grew thicker, crawling up the words carved into the wall.
“God is always close by….”
He let out a smirk, black tears trickling down his cheeks.
“But where exactly?”
—
“Priest Pirun is truly a person of integrity.”
Burren rubbed the back of his neck, exhaling a deep breath.
“He spends the entire day serving others. He doesn’t seem like a high priest but more like a boy who just became a novice priest.”
Burren shook his head in disbelief.
“Kinnear, on the other hand, is a holy knight in a different sense.”
Martha furrowed her brows, clearly irritated.
“What do you mean by that?”
Burren tilted his head in confusion.
“That bastard doesn’t pray or train. He just chases after women! He got rejected in front of me, then immediately tried to hit on me! I almost put a sword through his mouth!”
She gritted her teeth, calling him a thug through and through.
“Ugh, I thought I was going to die trying to stop her.”
Dorian let out a sigh, his shoulders sagging.
“Runaan, what about Sir Danieff?”
Raon nodded, turning his head to Runaan.
“Ah.”
Runaan, who had been dozing off against the wall, lazily lifted her head.
“He follows the king, sticks to the king, and stays with the king. When he’s resting, he trains with his sword. And….”
“And?”
“He doesn’t talk.”
Runaan raised her finger to her lips, saying she had never met someone so silent.
“What about the saintess?”
Raon called out to Rimmer, who was casually scratching his ear while leaning against the wall.
“Not a glimpse of her. Where’s she hiding? Robbing some kids?”
Rimmer rubbed his temples in frustration.
“Vice-captain, you didn’t skip out on your duties to go gambling, did you?”
“It’s obvious.”
“Ugh….”
Burren, Martha, and Dorian shook their heads.
“I’m telling the truth! Even I know the time and place for things!”
“Since when?”
Runaan’s blunt response hit like a jab.
“Ugh….”
Rimmer clutched his chest as if struck, unable to respond.
“Either way, she’s nowhere to be seen. I even snuck into the nunnery to check.”
“Pervert.”
Martha clicked her tongue in disgust.
“Ugh, damned if I do, damned if I don’t….”
Rimmer sagged in exhaustion.
“Balt and Yuson, who I followed, didn’t show any strange behavior either.”
Mark Gorton shook his head, saying he had found nothing unusual about the high priests.
“What about you guys?”
Burren gestured to Raon and Hoppen.
“Same here.”
Raon clicked his tongue, making eye contact with Hoppen.
Using Hoppen’s status as the prince and the captain of the Fifth Holy Knight Division, they had met with all the key figures in the audience hall, but nothing stood out.
Even when Wrath’s fury was provoked, there had been no reaction, likely because the culprits were prepared for such a possibility.
“Could it really be that bitch?”
Martha narrowed her eyes, finding it suspicious that the saintess had disappeared.
“Saintess Olga often vanishes for months at a time. It’s actually unusual when she sticks around.”
Hoppen shook his head, explaining that her absence was typical behavior.
“So, it’s all for nothing.”
Burren ran his hand through his hair, scowling.
“Is there really someone using demonic energy?”
Martha’s eyes darted around.
“Yes. I’m certain.”
If it had been just a personal hunch, Raon might not have been able to answer so confidently, but since Wrath had confirmed it, he nodded calmly.
“Whew….”
Raon sighed as he glanced at the yellow moonlight streaming through the window.
‘We didn’t find them.’
Even though he and the Light Wind Division had personally searched all the people in the audience hall, they couldn’t identify the one who had made a pact with a demon.
They had set a trap to expose demonic energy, but the enemy hadn’t taken the bait, making Raon question whether anyone had made a deal with a demon at all.
‘But…’
They hadn’t met the saintess.
Just as Rimmer said, Saintess Olga had disappeared after that day.
At first, her thuggish behavior had made Raon think she couldn’t be the one, but now he was starting to reconsider. Especially since she was the only one who openly told him not to attend the Holy Festival.
“What do we do now? The Holy Festival is the day after tomorrow.”
Burren bit his lip, unsure of how to proceed.
“We’re canceling the search.”
Raon clapped his hands lightly to gather everyone’s attention.
‘Continuing like this is a waste of time.’
Judging by the current situation, the enemy likely knew they were being hunted.
Since they could hide their true identity in this land saturated with holy power, finding them before the Holy Festival would be impossible.
“So, what are we going to do?”
“We need to change our strategy. We’ll prepare for a battle, even if someone summons a demon. Even if there are sacrifices, we must protect the bigger picture.”
Raon wasn’t a hero. It was better to prepare properly than to waste time chasing uncertain things.
“Dorian, do you have holy water?”
“Of course! It’s a necessity here.”
Dorian smiled, explaining that holy water was essential in the Holy Kingdom.
“We also have plenty of holy water. You can use ours if needed….”
“No, we can’t use that.”
Raon shook his head firmly. Given that high-ranking officials were involved, it was likely that the holy water and relics in this country had already been contaminated.
“From now on….”
Raon explained to the Light Wind Division and Hoppen how they would prepare.
The plan was complicated since they didn’t know their opponent, but everyone, being highly skilled, understood immediately and nodded.
“It’s such a pain, especially since it’s not even our land.”
Rimmer wiggled his fingers as he glanced at Hoppen.
“If we handle this well, we’re expecting a proper reward, right? You know that?”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
Hoppen smiled, promising to reward them thoroughly.
“I’m looking forward to it!”
Rimmer grinned and leaped out the window. Raon couldn’t understand why he always chose such exits when there was a perfectly usable door.
“You don’t need to give him anything. He’ll lose it all anyway.”
Burren left, saying they didn’t even need to give him a single gold coin.
“Yeah, just ignore him.”
“Hmph….”
Martha carried the sleeping Runaan on her back, snorting as she left the room.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
Mark Gorton bowed politely before exiting.
“I’ll be going too.”
Hoppen followed Mark Gorton, his steps heavy with unease.
‘Hey.’
Raon closed the door and motioned to Wrath, who was leaning against the ceiling.
-What?
Wrath flicked his tail as he lazily opened his eyes.
‘Still don’t want to talk?’
-How many times are you going to ask? The contract between a human and a demon is formed by mutual agreement! The conditions were set by me and the other demons. How could I break that?
Wrath slammed his hand down, refusing to budge.
‘For someone saying that, you seem a bit nervous.’
-Wh-what do you mean nervous! I am not!
Wrath furiously shook his head in denial.
-Either way, I won’t move until the contract is fulfilled! Absolutely not!
‘Is that so.’
That statement implied Wrath might help once the contract was fulfilled. At least that was some consolation.
‘King Bauren, Priest Pirun, Royal Guard Captain Danieff, Paladin Kinnear, Saintess Olga, and the priests….’
Raon sighed softly, replaying everything that had happened so far in his mind.
‘Wait….’
As he recalled what Hoppen had explained five days ago, a suspicious figure emerged.
Considering what Hoppen had told him and recent events, the person’s actions were undeniably strange. While Raon couldn’t be certain, it was enough to raise his guard.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Just as Raon was trying to retrace his thoughts, someone banged on the door. It sounded more like they were kicking it than knocking.
Raon frowned as he opened the door. Saintess Olga, with her purple hair tucked behind her left ear, was standing there with one leg cocked to the side.
Now that he looked closely, there was a strange tattoo behind her ear.
“Saintess?”
Raon couldn’t understand why she had suddenly shown up after being so elusive.
“It’s not ‘saintess,’ it’s ‘bitch.’ Spare me some time.”
She didn’t say “please spare me some time.” She just demanded it.
To make things even funnier, the saintess turned around and left without waiting for a response.
‘What a character.’
Raon shook his head, following the saintess. She stopped at the large zelkova tree in front of the lodgings and leaned against it.
“What do you want?”
Raon asked with a slight nod, masking his wariness.
“Why the casual tone?”
The saintess cocked her head.
“You started it.”
“You’re rude.”
“Not as much as you.”
“Heh.”
The saintess chuckled as if amused. She truly was a strange person.
“Do you smoke?”
“No.”
When Raon shook his head, the saintess pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
“You guys are up to something strange.”
She exhaled smoke, shaking her head.
“Stop messing around and go back to Zieghart.”
“What strange things?”
“Sending that ugly elf to look for me.”
She sneered, referring to Rimmer.
“I pay attention to faces. If it were you, I might reconsider. But I have no use for someone as sneaky as him.”
The saintess mocked Rimmer with words that would have made him faint if he had heard them.
“What exactly do you know?”
“What do you know?”
She shot back with a question of her own.
“Why are you tailing people, trying to find something?”
“…….”
Raon remained silent, studying the calm yet penetrating gaze of the saintess.
“Oh, so menacing?”
The saintess laughed as she lightly touched her throat.
“No need to glare. It’s just a hunch.”
A long, gray stream of smoke poured from her red lips.
-Kehek! Kehek!
Wrath, floating nearby, coughed and grimaced.
-Kill her! This is secondhand smoke!
‘Calm down for a second.’
Raon pushed Wrath aside and focused on the saintess.
“A hunch?”
“I was born with sharp instincts. I can sense danger and opportunity.”
She clicked her tongue.
“And my instincts are telling me: stop wasting time and leave.”
“Does that mean Supere is in danger?”
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.”
She waved her hand dismissively.
“If your instincts are so good, why not warn people?”
“I tried. But every time I mentioned danger, it turned into a disaster. So many people died.”
The saintess bit down on her cigarette, cursing her life.
“Then why are you telling me this?”
“Because just like you’ve been watching me, I’ve been watching you. For some reason, you seem fine to me.”
She took a deep drag of her cigarette, smiling.
“Look. I’m talking to you right now, and I don’t feel any unease. Maybe this is a sign to save you.”
She put out the cigarette and shook her head.
“A sign to save just one person. What a rotten god. I want to punch him.”
She tucked the cigarette butt into her pocket and gnashed her teeth.
Raon narrowed his eyes at the saintess, who was openly blaspheming the gods.
‘What is this woman?’
Though she hadn’t attained any transcendence, it seemed like she could read the signs of heaven. It was fascinating, even though her explanations were vague.
-It’s a case of divine insight.
‘Divine insight?’
-Yes. She was born with an open crown chakra, connecting her to the heavens. She’s more sensitive than that pineapple girl. But it’s not under her control, so she doesn’t know all the details.
‘Ah….’
Wrath’s explanation made the saintess’s words more understandable.
“This is your final warning. If you don’t want to die, stop being reckless and go back home.”
“If this place is in danger, wouldn’t the Light Wind Division and I be able to help?”
“How do you know when the danger will come? Will you stay here forever?”
The saintess snorted, saying the timing was uncertain.
“And didn’t that frustrating king say it himself? Even if we’re weaker than you, we have the courage to fight to the end.”
She clenched her small fist.
“If you heard that, we have to fight with our own strength, not someone else’s.”
Her eyes were calm. Despite calling him frustrating, it seemed she respected King Bauren deeply.
“If you understand, leave before the Holy Festival.”
The saintess waved her hand dismissively and turned her back.
“Hm….”
Raon swallowed dryly as he watched her walk away.
‘What should I do?’
Revealing the truth to the saintess could help greatly with his plan. But there was also a possibility that this whole situation was part of her own plan. It was hard to know what to think.
While he was biting his lip and contemplating, Wrath clapped his hands, staring at the tattoos on the saintess’s arms and thighs.
-Ah, I figured it out!
‘What?’
-I thought those tattoos were strange, but now I see. They’re not tattoos at all.
Wrath nodded, his gaze fixed on the square markings behind the saintess’s ear.
‘They’re not tattoos?’
-No. Those bizarre marks are the result of holy power backlash.
‘Holy power backlash?’
-When you overuse holy power, it melts the skin in that way. Demons experience the same thing.
Wrath trembled, saying she must be a pain-resistant madwoman.
Raon clenched his fist, processing Wrath’s words.
‘So that means….’
—
The day of the Holy Festival arrived.
Was it because the gods were bestowing their blessings, or because they were being blessed? The sky was completely clear, without a single cloud in sight.
As soon as the morning mist lifted, the Holy Kingdom of Supere locked its gates and surrounded the entire kingdom with a wall of holy power.
When the sun rose above the white fortress walls, all the citizens of the kingdom emerged from their homes.
They knelt in the streets, holding glasses filled with water or holy water.
Raon stood atop the spire, gazing down at the entire kingdom.
Under the dome of holy power, shaped like a soap bubble, the sight of countless believers preparing for prayer was a spectacle in itself.
“Thank you for staying with us, Captain of the Light Wind Division.”
Priest Pirun approached and bowed his head.
“It’s nothing. I think this will be a valuable experience for me as well.”
Raon smiled softly, waving his hand.
“Indeed, it’s quite the sight.”
Paladin Kinnear clasped his hands behind his back, rubbing them together.
“We see this every year, and yet you call it a spectacle.”
Saintess Olga pouted, glaring at him with clear disdain.
As Raon locked eyes with the saintess, he heard the heavy footsteps of someone approaching from behind.
When he turned, he saw King Bauren, Royal Guard Captain Danieff, and the high-ranking priests ascending the spire.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Raon bowed his head to King Bauren.
“It is an honor to have you stay with us, Captain of the Light Wind Division.”
King Bauren returned the greeting with a smile.
“Did the other swordsmen not come with you?”
He tilted his head, noticing Raon was alone.
“They said they were uncomfortable up here and preferred to stay below.”
“That makes sense, given the number of old men here. Feel free to go down whenever you get bored.”
Bauren offered a gentle smile as he walked forward.
“The sun is rising. We should begin soon.”
With calm steps, the king walked to the edge of the spire. He sat dangerously close to the edge, placing the cup of holy water he had brought with him on the ground.
Priest Pirun approached and poured holy water into the king’s cup.
Chiiiing!
As the bell echoed throughout the kingdom, the king raised his cup filled with holy water to the sky before drinking it.
Below, the citizens followed suit, wetting their lips with water and holy water.
King Bauren smiled at the sight, kneeling as he clasped his hands together in prayer.
“God is always close by. Even if He does not watch over us….”
As the king recited a passage from scripture, the citizens below echoed his words in unison.
Woooong!
The holy light that began with the king spread to the priests, the holy knights, and the people, strengthening the wall of holy power that surrounded the kingdom.
A sacred, divine power filled the land, as if the gods might descend at any moment.
Raon could feel the overwhelming holy power, to the point where his fingers tingled, as he scanned the area.
‘Such strong holy power is radiating, and yet… there’s no movement.’
Even with this much holy power permeating the air, which should have affected anyone nearby, no one seemed to be in pain.
Whoever had made the contract with the demon was more patient than Raon had anticipated.
Raon calmed his mind, surveying everyone present.
But until the sun reached its peak in the sky, not a single person stirred.
Chiiing!
It wasn’t until the bell marking noon rang that everyone opened their eyes.
The king drank from his second cup of holy water and recited another passage from the scripture. The citizens drank their water and holy water again, continuing their prayers.
Still, nothing happened.
Chiiing!
When the bell rang for the third time, marking sunset, the people of Supere wet their lips with water and holy water once again.
Raon frowned as he stared at the setting sun.
‘What’s going on?’
Is it not today?
The Holy Festival prayers were almost over, yet there wasn’t even a single cloud in the sky, let alone any trace of demonic energy.
Raon had been on high alert all day, but now his focus was starting to wane.
‘Did they realize I’m looking for them and postpone the plan? But that doesn’t seem likely….’
As Raon pondered the confusing situation, the surroundings grew quiet.
King Bauren, who should have been reciting prayers, was silent, his lips curled into a faint smile.
“Isn’t it a beautiful sight?”
King Bauren gazed at the kneeling citizens, nodding gently.
“Captain of the Light Wind Division, have you ever heard that the gods only give humans trials they can endure?”
He turned to Raon with soft eyes.
“…Yes, I’ve heard that.”
Raon nodded. It was a common saying, not just in Supere but in most religions.
“I believed in those words more than anyone. I thought both great and small trials were experiences that would fill my body and soul.”
The king placed a hand on his chest, smiling.
‘I believed?’
King Bauren had always referred to himself as “I” or “me.” This was the first time he used “I” to represent the country.
“But it wasn’t enough. No matter how much I prayed not to be tested, the gods never listened. It must be because I am too weak a human to overcome such trials….”
The king lifted his head. A black aura flickered in his blue eyes.
“Or perhaps it’s because the gods are bastards.”
As his cold voice spread below the spire, a pitch-black darkness began to rise above the wall of holy power that enveloped the kingdom.