The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 1023:
“Has the Heavenly Demon not arrived yet?”
Rektor asked, tilting his chin as he sat across from Derus.
“Unfortunately, he said he couldn’t make it due to an important matter.”
Derus Robert offered a faint smile, as if he had expected the question.
“He asked me to convey his apologies to you both.”
He bowed his head as if to apologize on the Heavenly Demon’s behalf.
“In other words, he’s saying he’s too damn high and mighty to show up?”
The veil covering the White Blood Lord’s face trembled violently, as if caught in a winter wind.
“Is no one else busy? Does no one else have things to do?”
She snorted, her pride seemingly wounded by the Heavenly Demon’s absence.
“He’s just as uncooperative as I’ve heard.”
Rektor remarked as if he’d expected as much, placing his hands on the round table. The surface felt as cold as his current mood, chilling his fingertips.
‘I really wanted to see him.’
Of the leaders of the Five Kings and Four Demons, the Heavenly Demon was the only one he had yet to meet. He had been eager to gauge the monster’s level on this occasion, so his absence was a disappointment.
“Please understand. As you both know, a major incident occurred in Eden.”
Derus let out a soft laugh, adding that with The Fallen One dead, time would be needed to sort out Eden.
He seemed completely unfazed, despite the collapse of one of Eden’s pillars.
“First, please have something to drink.”
At Derus’s gesture, a handmaiden with doll-like eyes who had been standing behind him approached Rektor.
‘Trickle.’
Hearing the sound of his teacup being filled, Rektor turned his gaze to the White Blood Lord.
‘Is that veil an artifact?’
Considering that even his keen eyes couldn’t see her face, the veil seemed to possess a special ability.
‘Of course, what’s more important than the veil…’
Is that woman’s martial strength.
Originally, the White Blood Lord’s power, while greater than his own, wasn’t overwhelmingly so.
But after absorbing the blood and soul of Beast King Ogram, she had achieved a level of growth that defied the logic of this world.
‘She’s far stronger than I thought.’
He himself had managed to break through a thick wall in his martial arts and grow stronger thanks to finding his lost family, but he didn’t think he could face the current White Blood Lord.
‘The bigger problem is…’
Rektor lifted his teacup and met the eyes of Derus Robert, who was smiling at him.
‘This damn fiend.’
He had anticipated it after hearing the rumors that Derus had overwhelmed Owen’s Black Sword Lord, but seeing him in person, he was a monster of absurd proportions.
‘To think I can’t even gauge his power.’
Even though Derus Robert was sitting right in front of him, it was difficult to sense the energy wave and level he possessed.
It meant that even if he wasn’t quite on the level of Glenn or the previous Holy Sword Alliance Lord, the Dark Night Sword God, he had reached a similar realm.
‘This is…’
Rektor chewed the inside of his cheek as he looked at his own reflection in the teacup.
‘Dangerous.’
With the Black Tower fallen and The Fallen One dead, he had thought the Five Kings now had a significant advantage. But after coming here and taking a proper look, he realized that might not be the case.
‘Even if I consider the Black Sword Lord to be on a similar level to me, and the Archmage of Illusion and the Magic Tower Lord to be slightly stronger than him, it will be difficult.’
The Black Sword Lord Lecross, the Archmage of Illusion Chamber, the Magic Tower Lord Larian. It seemed none of the three Transcenders could face the White Blood Lord one-on-one.
‘Beast King Ogram is weaker than the current Raon, so he’s out of the question.’
Ogram hadn’t just suffered a simple injury; his soul’s level and martial power had been stolen by the White Blood Lord.
It wasn’t a wound that could be healed through treatment, so he would be of little help in a battle between the leaders.
‘Dammit…’
There’s no one to stop Derus Robert.
Derus Robert was even stronger than that White Blood Lord. If not for Glenn or the Dark Night Sword God, it would take a coordinated attack from the highest-ranking Transcenders to barely face him.
‘If he was that strong from the beginning, he could have declared war on the Five Kings right away… Ah!’
Come to think of it, he wasn’t that strong from the beginning.
When Derus Robert’s identity was exposed by Raon, he hadn’t been at this level. If the Transcenders of the Five Kings had gone all out, mutual destruction might have been possible.
But now, he had become so strong that no one could stop him except for Glenn, the Dark Night Sword God, and the Heavenly Demon.
‘That bastard was buying time until he could gain that power.’
Derus had clearly hidden himself, cultivating his strength until it became overwhelming. It seemed neither the Black Tower nor The Fallen One had been particularly important cards to him.
‘The Five Kings and Four Demons. No, it’s Six Kings and Three Demons.’
To think we’d be short on top-tier masters.
Even if Glenn held off the Heavenly Demon, and the Magic Tower Lord and the Archmage of Illusion held off the White Blood Lord, there was no one to face Derus Robert.
‘If I launch a surprise attack from behind while the Black Sword Lord is fighting Derus…’
Rektor narrowed his eyes, imagining a battle with Derus.
‘No, it’s too difficult.’
Derus was an extremely suspicious man. If he approached during a battle, his intentions would surely be read before he could do anything.
‘And there’s the Archangel, who could pop out at any moment.’
As expected, this will not be an easy war.
‘How should I prepare… Ah!’
Rektor sighed inwardly, then clenched his fist under the table.
‘No, it’s not like there’s no way at all.’
Thinking about it, there was one way to stop Derus.
“How have you two been?”
Derus, seeming to think the preparations were complete, was the first to speak.
“How have I been? Just holed up in the sunless underground, building up my strength.”
The White Blood Lord clicked her tongue as if asking why he was asking the obvious.
“Of course, I did find something rather amusing in the south…”
She licked her lips, saying she had found something to liven things up.
“The same goes for me.”
Rektor turned his gaze to Derus.
“All I can do now is strengthen my foundations.”
He nodded, saying he too had only been training with his subordinates.
“It’s clear you’ve both become incomparably stronger than before.”
Derus, despite having achieved the greatest change himself, showed no sign of it and clapped lightly.
“Then let’s begin the meeting. First, let’s review what has happened so far. The catalyst for the Black Tower’s fall was the clash between the Four Sword Demons and Raon Zieghart…”
Before bringing up the main agenda, he first explained the events that had transpired.
‘It’s as if he was there.’
Derus Robert knew even the minute details that weren’t publicly known.
He had clearly planted a spy within the Five Kings to extract information.
‘It must be in Zieghart.’
Considering how well he knew the situation with Raon and Zieghart, it seemed he had planted a spy within Zieghart, among the Five Kings.
“…And so, The Fallen One was killed by Raon Zieghart.”
As Derus said that Raon had killed The Fallen One, he turned his gaze to Rektor. It might have been a coincidence, but a strange chill ran down his spine.
“Foolish bastards.”
The White Blood Lord sneered at both the Black Tower Lord and The Fallen One.
“They acted as if they had mastered the principles of this world, but they couldn’t hide their desires. That’s why they died.”
She waved a long, elegant finger, calling them pathetic.
“You’re not wrong. In fact, the reason Eden was attacked after the Black Tower, and why The Fallen One died, is simple.”
Derus placed his hands on the round table and lowered his chin.
“It’s because while we are called the Four Demons, we are not actually bound together.”
He smiled faintly, his fingers gently tracing the round table.
“When the North-South Alliance fell, we sneered at them for being weak. When the Black Tower collapsed, we sneered at them for being foolish. It wouldn’t be strange if we all fell.”
Derus shrugged at the White Blood Lord, as if to say, ‘isn’t that right?’
“Go on.”
The White Blood Lord tilted her chin, as if willing to listen.
“……”
Rektor said nothing, simply crossing his arms.
“The North-South Alliance and the Black Tower… no, all three, including The Fallen One. If we had put our minds to it, we could have saved them. Ah, of course, the previous Holy Sword Alliance Lord is different. He was a moth drawn to a flame.”
Derus narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rektor. With a face that showed not a hint of sorrow, he said their deaths were a pity. It was like watching a puppet show; goosebumps rose on his arms.
“Since we’ve made such mistakes, how about we make up for each other’s shortcomings from now on?”
Derus nodded, suggesting they form an alliance worthy of the name Four Demons.
“An alliance sounds good. However…”
The White Blood Lord narrowed her eyes at Derus.
“We’re all hiding so well that not even a single hair of each other can be seen. How are we supposed to contact each other and help each other out?”
She let out a sneer, pointing out that even the Four Demons were wary of one another.
“That’s why I’ve prepared something.”
When Derus snapped his fingers, the handmaiden brought over grayish orbs and placed them in front of him and the White Blood Lord.
“It’s an artifact we created. You can communicate from anywhere, and it can open a portal to our side just once.”
He wiggled his finger, saying it could open an escape route in a moment of danger.
“Won’t the portal be blocked by those damn magician bitches?”
The White Blood Lord frowned, asking if the Archmage of Illusion and the Magic Tower Lord would just stand by.
“This is different from a conventional portal. It uses a different power source than mana.”
Derus shook his head, saying it wouldn’t be blocked even by the magic of Transcenders.
“Don’t tell me it’s divine power?”
Rektor parted his lips, looking at the current flickering inside the orb.
“You’re quick on the uptake. That’s right. The name of that orb is the ‘Gleaming Orb’.”
Derus smiled as if he had given the correct answer.
“Divine power has the ability to repel mana. Not even the Archmage of Illusion or the Magic Tower Lord will be able to break through it.”
He nodded, saying they could retreat even if a siege was laid.
“If you break the orb in a moment of danger, a dimensional gate will open on the spot.”
Derus smiled, adding that it would be even better if they contacted him before retreating.
“For now, it’s one-way, but with a little more research, we should be able to create a path for us to go to your side as well.”
He pushed his clasped hands forward, saying that if they could do that, they could overcome the numerical superiority of the Five Kings.
“For your information, the Heavenly Demon has also received one.”
Derus smiled, as if to ask what they were going to do, now that the Heavenly Demon had taken one.
“The Heavenly Demon…”
The White Blood Lord pondered for a moment before putting the orb in her bosom.
“Next up is…”
Derus smiled as if he had expected it and began to explain the points to be wary of regarding the Five Kings.
‘I’m glad I came here.’
Rektor fiddled with the Gleaming Orb Derus had given him and briefly licked his lips.
‘There’s a lot of information I need to tell Raon.’
He had confirmed the martial strength of Derus and the White Blood Lord, learned about a new item called the Gleaming Orb, and could now somewhat predict the movements of the Four Demons.
If he sent this information, it would be a huge help to Raon and Zieghart.
‘Fwoosh.’
Unaware that Derus’s eyes were gradually darkening, Rektor pictured his grandson’s nostalgic face.
===
“Then we will be returning to Zieghart.”
Raon bowed his head to the Thespian Emperor and the Evil Sword Marquis, who had come to see him off in front of the Magic Tower.
“Aren’t you leaving too soon?”
The Evil Sword Marquis licked her lips, looking a little disappointed.
“It’s not just us, but the Five Divine Orders must have a lot to do as well.”
Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the Thespian Emperor, whose eyes were now filled with vitality.
“That’s right. We also have a lot of things we couldn’t get to, so we won’t have a moment to rest for a while.”
The Thespian Emperor let out a heavy breath, saying she had to deal with the work that had been postponed while she was trapped in her Heart Demon.
“I, I can’t do that…”
The Evil Sword Marquis’s eyes trembled, as if she didn’t want to look at the documents.
“Then train your body and aura.”
Raon pointed a finger toward the training grounds.
“Body and aura?”
“Lady Briana’s martial strength cannot exceed the limits of Lady Bridget’s body and aura. If you transcend those shackles, you can become much stronger than you are now.”
Briana could perfectly execute the swordsmanship and footwork she had learned, but she was trapped within Bridget’s body.
If that body and aura were to grow, she too could become drastically stronger, like a tiger with wings.
“Hmph. Why should I do that for Unni?”
Bridget snorted as if she would never do it, but her eyes were already turned toward the training grounds.
“As soon as I return, I will contact the leaders of the Shadow Agent Guild and the Black Market to tell them to cooperate with the White Whale.”
Raon smiled, saying that information would soon start pouring in like crazy.
“I’ll be ready for it.”
The Thespian Emperor nodded calmly, as if welcoming it.
“Then I will see you again next time.”
Raon gave a polite farewell to the Thespian Emperor and the Evil Sword Marquis and entered the portal that had opened in the Magic Tower.
The swordsmen standing behind him also followed, exuding a chilling energy wave befitting the name of Zieghart.
“I’ll rest a bit before I go.”
The Evil Sword Marquis said she would rest, but then walked toward the training grounds. It seemed she was going to start training right away after hearing Raon’s words.
“She’s so cute.”
The Thespian Emperor chuckled and entered her mansion’s office. She looked at the pile of documents on her desk, then took out the Sun and Moon Star Scripture that had been tucked at her thigh.
‘Somehow…’
I feel like I can understand what kind of person Raon Zieghart is now.
Her prophet’s intuition was telling her. Now that she understood Raon, she would be able to see a different Celestial Omen than before.
‘Swoosh.’
The Thespian Emperor was about to open the Sun and Moon Star Scripture, but she stopped her fingers abruptly.
‘No…’
She pushed the Sun and Moon Star Scripture into a deep corner of her desk and shook her head.
‘Now is not the time to rely on this book.’
She would have to use it if it was truly necessary, but the time was not yet right.
‘Slap!’
The Thespian Emperor slapped her own cheek with the hand that had been about to open the book, then pulled down a document she hadn’t looked at in a long time.
“Shall we begin?”
For the first time in a long while, vitality and the soft sound of a pen began to blossom in her office.
===
“You’re already back?”
Glenn blinked blankly, as if he hadn’t expected them to finish the mission in a single day.
“Yes. The conversation with the two of them went well.”
Raon nodded calmly.
—’The conversation went well?’
Wrath let out a huff of disbelief.
—’In reality, you beat them all up!’
He shook his head, as if to say, what nonsense was he spouting after using his fists and sword, not conversation.
‘In the end, we came to an understanding.’
Raon smiled and looked around the audience chamber.
‘Thankfully, no one else is here today.’
Unlike other missions, this one was finished in a day, and he had returned via a portal, so only Glenn, Roenn, and Sheryl were in the audience chamber.
He felt at ease without the executives present, unlike other times.
“Uhm…”
“I will give my report first. After arriving in Varene, we immediately went to see the Thespian Emperor and the Evil Sword Marquis and…”
Thinking that Glenn might suddenly summon the others, Raon immediately began to explain what had happened in Varene, the city of the Five Divine Orders.
“…And so, the White Whale and the Swordless Pavilion have decided to join us, the Five Kings. The Thespian Emperor will be in contact soon.”
Raon bowed his head, reporting that he had awakened the Thespian Emperor and the Evil Sword Marquis and received their pledge to stay with them until the end of this war.
“I already thought you would return with an alliance, but I never imagined you’d do it in a single day…”
Sheryl blinked, looking dumbfounded.
“To think you even defeated the Evil Sword Marquis… no, Lady Briana. As expected, you are amazing.”
Roenn chuckled, saying it was beyond his expectations. It seemed he, too, had known about the Evil Sword Marquis’s condition.
“She was certainly strong. Thanks to her, I learned a lot…”
“Sheryl, Roenn.”
Just as Raon was about to reply, Glenn raised a trembling hand and called out to Sheryl and Roenn.
“Right now! Summon all the executives in the family!”
He stomped his foot, ordering them to bring all the executives.
“L-Lord Glenn?”
Raon swallowed dryly, sensing the strange atmosphere around Glenn.
“Why are you suddenly calling the executives…”
“Why do you think?”
Glenn’s face flushed with pride as he curled his lips into a smile.
“This great achievement of giving enlightenment to the Thespian Emperor and the Evil Sword Marquis, opening their hearts, and forging an alliance—I can’t possibly hear it all by myself, can I!”
He declared that Raon should repeat it when everyone was gathered, and violently shattered the armrest of the throne.
“W-Wait…”
Raon tried to stop them, but Sheryl and Roenn had already opened the doors of the audience chamber and gone outside.
“Hahahaha!”
“I was thinking the same thing!”
The two of them waved, saying they would be back as soon as possible, and ran out of the Head of House’s quarters.
“Ahem!”
Glenn smacked his lips and rubbed his hands together, already seeming eager to know the reactions of the executives who had heard his story.
“Aaaah…”
Raon sighed, his shoulders slumped.
-Is that old geezer finally losing it?
Wrath scoffed as if dumbfounded.
-This isn’t just being a fool for love, he’s senile!
Why do we have to listen to that long story twice!
