The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman

“The secret of the sanctuary?”

Raon narrowed his eyes deeply.

“Which sanctuary are you talking about?”

“The sanctuary of the Holy Sword Alliance, obviously.”

Darkhan raised both arms as if asking if there were any other place.

“That is where you and I met again, is it not?”

He tilted his chin, prompting Raon to remember.

“I remember. However…”

Raon looked at Darkhan’s blindfold, which fluttered in the wind.

“Why are you asking me about the secret of the Holy Sword Alliance’s sanctuary?”

Through past memories, he knew that the first Head Of House of Zieghart and his companions had created the sanctuary of the Holy Sword Alliance, but he had no desire to reveal that.

“Hmm?”

Darkhan looked at Raon and stroked his blindfold.

“For some reason, it feels like you’re lying.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Just a feeling.”

He gave a thin smile, claiming his senses were screaming that it was a lie.

‘Hah…’

Raon swallowed hard as he looked at Darkhan, who was tilting his head.

‘He’s like a ghost.’

Darkhan had mentioned that his sixth sense had become eerily sharp after losing his eyes, and it seemed he possessed a Mind’s Eye even more powerful than Dorian’s.

“Stop talking nonsense. What about that sanctuary?”

Raon brought up Darkhan’s purpose to change the subject.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter.”

Darkhan waved his hand lightly.

“Because it’s you.”

He curled his lips into a smile, as if he trusted Raon regardless of what he was thinking.

“Ugh…”

Raon let out a faint groan.

‘He’s serious.’

There wasn’t a single tremor in Darkhan’s voice. It meant he truly believed in him. Raon was slightly flustered, as he hadn’t expected to receive such trust from the Dark Night Sword Saint.

“The sanctuary of the Holy Sword Alliance… is a place that exists to protect.”

Darkhan drew a small circle with the fingers that had been gripping the Black Sword.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Raon let out a hollow laugh.

“They’ve laid down the highest-level barriers to protect the interior from external enemies, and the location is hidden. It goes without saying.”

He snorted, adding that if that were a secret, then the annex’s breakfast menu would be a secret too.

“You don’t understand.”

Darkhan clicked his tongue shortly.

“That land was not created to keep external enemies out. It is a prison created so that those inside cannot get out.”

He shook his head, suggesting Raon’s entire premise was wrong.

“What…?”

Raon’s lips trembled slightly.

“Instead of blocking external enemies, it blocks someone inside from leaving?”

“The barrier established in the heavens and the teleportation array behind the rocky mountain. Everything proves my words. That place was made to contain something.”

Darkhan nodded, saying that because he had lost his sight, he could feel the difference vividly.

‘Wrath.’

Raon shifted his gaze to Wrath.

》”T-this King does not know!”

Wrath blinked his large eyes as if he were completely unaware.

》”I tell you every time, this King does not consider barriers or formations part of martial power!”

He turned his eyes away, claiming he had no interest in such trivial matters.

‘He’s absolutely useless.’

》”Y-you rotten brat!”

‘Move aside.’

Leaving the grinding Wrath behind, Raon looked back at Darkhan.

“I only barely realized it myself, so your grandfather likely doesn’t know.”

Darkhan chuckled, certain that Rektor would be oblivious.

“Then who is the being they tried to seal in that land, to the point of establishing a sanctuary?”

Raon asked the most important question.

“I do not know that either.”

Darkhan shook his head calmly.

“You don’t know?”

“Correct. There is no way to know where or how they appear. In truth, since the place is nearly a thousand years old, the being it was meant to guard might already be dead or gone.”

He shook his head, saying he had searched the entire sanctuary but found no special presence.

》”This King also felt nothing there.”

Wrath waved his hand, adding that while he didn’t understand barriers, no presence had been caught by his senses.

“Then why tell me about something that’s already gone?”

Raon frowned at Darkhan.

“Actually, I didn’t intend to tell you. As you said, it’s likely they’ve disappeared. However…”

Darkhan twisted his lips into a smirk as he looked at Raon.

“I felt something while looking back at Zieghart, and I wanted to tell you.”

“Felt something?”

“This place, Zieghart…”

He shifted his gaze to scan the panoramic view of Zieghart.

“It has many similarities to the sanctuary of the Holy Sword Alliance.”

“What…?”

Raon’s eyes widened as he stared at Darkhan.

“I feel nothing from the newly built structures, but…”

Darkhan raised a finger and pointed toward the Head Of House’s palace in the main building and Northgaze Mountain behind it.

“From those ancient things, a scent similar to the sanctuary wafts out. The scent is particularly strong in the training caves, the Head Of House’s training hall, and the thousand-year-old tree. In my opinion…”

He tapped his temple as if pointing to his mind.

“There is a high possibility that the human who created Zieghart and the human who created the sanctuary of the Holy Sword Alliance are related. They might even be the same person.”

Darkhan nodded, sounding almost certain.

“……”

Raon forced his racing heart to calm down.

‘Was this guy crazy in this way too?’

To track the ancestor of Zieghart using only his senses—it was a terrifying level of ability.

“Well, I could be wrong.”

Darkhan smacked his lips, warning Raon not to believe him unconditionally.

“It would be embarrassing if I’m wrong, so keep it to yourself. I’ll see you again.”

As if he had said all he needed to, he waved his hand and walked toward the main building.

“……”

Raon bit his lip slightly while watching Darkhan’s back.

‘I should let Grandfather know for now.’

He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he felt it would be best to convey what Darkhan had said to Rektor.

“Is it over?”

Evelyn approached with a furrowed brow.

“Yeah. It’s over.”

Raon nodded.

“Haaah!”

Dorian arrived late, exhaling ragged breaths. Sweat beaded on his forehead, as if he had run at full speed.

“S-sorry I’m late.”

“Why do something you’ll have to apologize for?”

Raon tapped his wrist, telling him to be punctual.

“S-sorry! It was a sudden departure, so there were many supplies to pack.”

Dorian wiped the sweat from his forehead, implying that preparing the supplies for a certain someone had been difficult.

“That ‘certain someone’ isn’t me, right?”

“…N-no, absolutely not.”

“Right.”

Raon looked away, pretending not to know.

》”What a disgusting, crazy brat…”

Wrath closed his eyes tightly in disgust.

“Since Dorian-nim is here, I’ll go ask the Outer Chief to open the gates!”

Yua ran toward the outer wall, saying she would call Iliyun herself.

“M-me too!”

Yulius blinked and matched his pace with Yua.

“The conversation was long, wasn’t it? Sorry.”

Raon waved to Evelyn.

“It’s fine. I heard everything.”

Evelyn giggled, saying she had heard everything through Darkhan’s energy barrier.

“Uh… what?”

Raon’s mouth fell open as he looked at Evelyn.

“You heard everything?”

A Transcendent’s energy barrier had been deployed, so he had no idea how she could have heard it. The true monster was right here.

“I’ll deliver the news to your paternal grandfather.”

Evelyn told him to leave it to her since she knew everything, then personally wrote a letter and sent it to Rektor.

“Ah…”

Raon blinked blankly.

‘How did she know that too?’

The exchange of letters with Rektor was something only Wrath knew about; he had no idea how Evelyn had figured it out. A chill ran down his spine.

》”I told you! That girl is the world’s greatest stalker! Even your grandfather couldn’t keep up with her!”

Wrath patted Raon’s shoulder, telling him to run away immediately.

‘How do you run away from the world’s greatest stalker…?’

He shook his head, knowing he’d be caught anyway.

‘More than that…’

Raon narrowed his eyes, thinking of the Holy Sword Alliance’s sanctuary that Darkhan had mentioned.

‘I’m curious about what the first Head Of House wanted to block by creating the sanctuary of the Holy Sword Alliance.’

===

“I’m here!”

Instead of knocking, Darkhan opened the door to the audience chamber with a voice as loud as a cannon.

“……”

Glenn lowered the hand that had been propping up his chin as he watched Darkhan approach across the red carpet.

“Are you leaving?”

He revealed a noble gaze, as if he already knew the reason for Darkhan’s visit.

“Recognizing it immediately—as expected, the Head Of House is different.”

Darkhan nodded, confirming that he was correct.

“I think it’s time to organize the insights I’ve gained here.”

He smiled, saying he felt he could recover the martial power he had lost to Derus.

“Was it not a permanent loss?”

Glenn narrowed his eyes.

“It was a permanent loss. My Upper Dantian and Heart Sword still have holes in them. However…”

Darkhan looked at Glenn, curling his lips.

“Thanks to you, Raon, and the swordsmen of this family, I think I can fill those holes. No, not just restore them. I can grow even further than before.”

He nodded, saying his senses were telling him so.

“Even the ordinary swordsmen?”

Glenn lowered his eyebrows in surprise.

“Yes. The swordsmen of Zieghart are weak, but every single one of them possesses their own swordsmanship and breathing. Seeing things like that makes my heart race.”

Darkhan smiled, saying he enjoyed training with swordsmen whose swords were truly alive.

“You truly love the sword.”

Glenn traced a faint smile.

‘It wasn’t a lie.’

Looking at Darkhan again, he was simply a madman who loved the sword. Of course, the sword blessed and loved him in return.

“My thanks to you and Raon as well. Thanks to a month of training, I’ve realized once again the path I must take.”

Darkhan expressed his gratitude even to Raon, who was not present.

“We were simply helpful to one another. Such thanks are unnecessary.”

Glenn shook his head calmly.

“There is a big difference between saying it and not saying it.”

Darkhan tapped his own lips with a finger, as if telling Glenn to remember that.

“I feel it now, but Darkhan… if we had met in a different way…”

Glenn traced a soft smile.

“I think we would have had a slightly better relationship.”

“Are you talking about being friends?”

Darkhan let out a laugh similar to Glenn’s.

“The meaning of a friend, as I know it, is someone with whom one can share their heart. I think we’ve already achieved that, haven’t we?”

He shrugged, as if asking if they hadn’t already shared their hearts by clashing their Heart Swords.

“If you think of it that way, you aren’t wrong.”

Glenn nodded calmly. He felt his goodwill toward Darkhan had grown a bit more. He even felt a tinge of regret, as if he were seeing off a true friend.

“Let’s settle the score next time we meet. Until then, don’t ascend to heaven, don’t let anyone kill you, and just wait.”

Darkhan flashed a chilling smile, suggesting that they have a fight to the death when they next met.

“You’re the one who shouldn’t die.”

Glenn chuckled and shook his head.

“I won’t die. I survived even after being hit by your Heart Sword.”

Darkhan waved his hand as if telling him not to worry and turned around.

“I’m going.”

Despite having no eyes, he left the audience chamber with a vivid smile, as if he had seen Glenn’s laughter.

“Now then…”

In the blink of an eye, Darkhan ascended to the peak of Northgaze Mountain and felt the winds of the North Sea surging in the distance.

“Where shall I go?”

(T/N: Im gonna miss Darkhan…)

===

“Habun Fortress…”

Raon exhaled white mist as he looked at the white walls where red blood had frozen.

“It’s the same as ever.”

Habun Fortress still exuded a steadfast majesty that seemed impossible to breach. Seeing the walls he had defended alongside the knights naturally brought a smile to his face.

“Was this where we first met?”

Evelyn took out a doll wearing a witch’s mask and shook it.

“Those were the days. I was truly happy…”

She smacked her lips as if reminiscing about that period.

“I-I don’t think it was that great…”

Raon shifted his trembling gaze. Since that was where Evelyn’s obsession had begun, it remained only a memory of horror for him.

“Who goes there?!”

Rangers who spotted Raon and his party from atop the wall shouted a warning while aiming their arrows. Contrary to expectations, the security was tight.

“Misters! It’s me! Yua!”

Yua stepped forward and waved her hand.

“Huh? Yua?”

“It really is Yua!”

“W-wait! That person!”

“It’s Lord Raon Zieghart! The Light Wind Palace Lord has arrived!”

The rangers screamed in shock at Raon’s appearance.

“Raon is here? Where are you getting such nonsense… Gasp!”

Therian, the Vice Castle Lord of Habun Fortress, widened his eyes from atop the wall.

“I-it’s true! Open the gates immediately!”

At his shout, the gates of Habun Fortress, which seemed as if they would never break, opened.

“We greet the Light Wind Palace Lord!”

The rangers and knights of Habun Fortress bowed their waists to Raon.

“I didn’t come here as the Light Wind Palace Lord, so please rise.”

Raon told them not to feel burdened and quickly shifted his gaze.

‘What’s this?’

The atmosphere didn’t seem good.

Since he had asked the Demon King of Sloth, Sloth, to manage the monsters, the fighting in Habun Fortress had decreased significantly, but most of the people he saw now were wounded.

“Raon!”

Therian waved his hand toward him.

“Ah, now that you’ve become the Light Wind Palace Lord, I suppose I should use formal speech.”

He bowed his head as if he had made a mistake.

“No. Please treat me comfortably.”

Raon smiled, asking him to treat him as he did before.

“Is that really alright?”

Therian traced a smile with eyes exhausted by fatigue.

“Yes, that’s more comfortable. But what has happened in the meantime…”

“Grandfather!”

Just as Raon was about to ask Therian, Yua ran toward the interior of the fortress.

“Oh, my granddaughter!”

Yua’s grandfather, the manager of the tavern Frost Branch, opened his arms wide and hugged Yua.

“I can’t even lift you anymore!”

He gave a bright smile and lifted Yua slightly.

“It has been a long time.”

Raon bowed to Yua’s grandfather.

“Please do not do this, benefactor!”

Yua’s grandfather shouted that it was too much and bowed his waist even deeper than Raon.

“Oh boy…”

As he straightened his back, he seemed to lose his balance and stumbled backward.

“P-please be careful!”

Yulius quickly ran over to support Yua’s grandfather.

“And you are…”

“He’s my friend!”

Yua pointed at Yulius and smiled.

“F-friend…”

Yulius’s expression froze like dry plaster.

“Yes. A friend who can do anything for me!”

Yua smiled, saying he wasn’t just a simple friend.

“Ooh…”

As soon as Yulius heard Yua’s words, his chin trembled and his face flushed red again. He was an honest fellow whose heart was displayed directly on his face.

“I see. Thank you.”

Yua’s grandfather patted Yulius on the shoulder in gratitude.

“Come this way, everyone. I’ll prepare a meal quickly.”

He rolled up his sleeves, promising to prepare a lavish feast.

》”Fweeeee!”

Wrath whistled and tilted his head back.

》”It’s been a while since I’ve eaten at the Frost Branch!”

He smacked his lips in anticipation.

“I’ll go see the Castle Lord first before joining you.”

Raon bowed, saying he would visit after meeting Miland, the Lord of Habun Fortress.

“Ah, that’s right. I understand. Then I’ll start preparing first.”

Yua’s grandfather nodded and headed toward Frost Branch with Yua and Yulius.

“I shall guide you to my father.”

Therian tilted his chin, signaling them to follow.

“Let’s go too.”

Raon motioned to Dorian and Evelyn and followed behind Therian.

“Excuse me…”

Walking shoulder to shoulder with Therian, Raon shifted only his eyes to the right.

“It seems a fight broke out recently. Was it serious?”

He frowned slightly, smelling blood and the scent of burnt corpses wafting from various places.

“My father will tell you, but the situation is not good.”

Therian furrowed his brows as he looked at him.

“It’s not just ‘recently.’ Monsters are appearing every single day. And moreover…”

He bit his lip until it bled, as if the situation were dire.

“They are stronger and more numerous than when you were here.”

“Ah…”

Raon’s fingertips trembled as he looked at the distant mountains of the North Sea.

‘Could it be Sloth?’