The Reincarnated Assassin Is a Genius Swordsman

Chapter 731 Raon calmly took Derus's hand. Without displaying any aura or imposing presence, he simply shook the hand up and down, adhering to the basic etiquette of a handshake. 'I can't provoke him now.' Derus Robert is more suspicious and cautious than anyone Raon knows. The fact that he extended his hand now meant he had completed all his preparations. 'I must wait.' Raon bit the inside of his lip, suppressing the Blade of Death that seemed to want to pierce through his heart. 'I need to stick to the plan.' It would be impossible to reveal Derus's true identity while he was in such a focused state. Instead, Raon might end up falling into his trap and giving away information. Now was the time to quell his anger and desire for revenge, and put on a false smile. Just as Derus had manipulated him. -My, the atmosphere is quite chilly. It feels as if we've entered an ice castle. Wrath muttered that the weather seemed to have turned cold, shivering his shoulders. "It's an honor to shake hands with the Sky Sword Saint." Raon smiled faintly while gently brushing his thumb across the back of Derus's hand. 'I can't feel it properly.' The black leather gloves Derus was wearing were too thick to discern any scars on the back of his hand. He was always so cautious. Raon suppressed the urge to burn Derus's gloves off and ended the brief handshake. "Raon, you will undoubtedly rise to heights far beyond my reach in the future." Derus offered insincere praise with a radiant smile that seemed to glow. "Ah, that's right." He clapped his hands lightly as if suddenly remembering something. "Are you aware that your epithet has changed?" "Yes." Raon nodded, lowering his eyes slightly. "I hear I'm being called the Kingkiller. It's a stylish epithet, but it seems too grand for me at the moment." As Raon spoke of it being too grand, Lephon, who was standing behind Derus, flinched. "It's not too grand at all." Derus waved both hands with an exaggerated expression. "Haven't you pulled corrupt kings from their thrones?" He smiled, saying it was truly a fitting epithet. "Actually, that epithet 'Kingkiller'..." Derus brought forward Lephon Robert, who had been standing behind him. “It was created by our youngest. He’s still a fan of you, Raon.” He laughed, saying he was almost jealous. "Ah, hello." Lephon bowed his head, shrinking his shoulders as if embarrassed. "Ah..." Raon's eyes widened as he received Lephon's greeting. 'Come to think of it, I heard that epithet came from the south.' When Chad had informed him of the new epithet, he mentioned it had curiously spread from the south. It really did seem like the boy before him had come up with "Kingkiller". 'Lephon Robert...' An undeniable kindness bloomed in his untainted eyes. A child Raon had never seen in his past life. Born after Raon's death, he had just come of age this year and didn't seem to have been tainted by Derus yet. 'But I can't let my guard down.' Derus is a monster who brainwashes even his own son and feeds him Rage Worms. Raon couldn't lower his guard just because the boy's eyes looked kind. "I-I'm sorry." Lephon lowered his shoulders, looking at his own feet. "I shouldn't have..." His lips trembled as he apologized, seemingly thinking Raon had misunderstood and disliked the epithet he had created. "No, that's not it." Raon shook his head, grasping Lephon's trembling shoulders. "I didn't mean that I dislike the epithet 'Kingkiller,' but that I'm not yet worthy of bearing such a name." He explained clearly, not wanting to disappoint the young boy. "R-Really?" Lephon raised his gaze, his smile as bright as sunlight. "Yes. I like it. Thank you for coming up with such a good epithet." Raon nodded, looking into Lephon's sparkling eyes. "N-No, I should be thanking you!" Lephon scratched the back of his head, embarrassed, and rolled his eyes. "Um, Raon... I'm sorry, but..." He pulled out two thick books from his subspace pouch. Raon immediately recognized them as the biographies of Raon Zieghart he had seen earlier. "Ugh..." Raon groaned as he saw the books with his name emblazoned on the covers. 'How far have those things spread?' He felt both amazed and dumbfounded by Ensia's distribution capabilities. "Lephon, the others are waiting for us in the conference room. It would be better to get the autograph later." Derus stroked Lephon's head apologetically. "Why aren't you coming quickly!" "Why are you young ones so late! I'll eat all the candy while waiting!" Ogram and Chamber raised their voices from inside the conference room, urging them to hurry. "Ah..." "Don't worry, I'll sign them for you after the meeting is over." Raon promised the flustered Lephon that he would sign the books after the meeting. "Oh, yes!" Lephon answered in a stance as if standing before a superior. "And I really do like the epithet 'Kingkiller.' I'm planning to pull down a certain unsightly king from his high throne soon..." Raon curled his lips, meeting Derus's eyes instead of Lephon's. "I think I'll be able to accept the epithet you gave me without hesitation once that man's crown falls to the ground." "I look forward to it." Derus twisted his lips as if he knew that he was the unsightly king Raon referred to. Raon and Derus entered the Beast Union's conference room, each wearing a different smile. * * * "Then, let's begin the Six Kings Conference." The Vice Union Leader of the Beast Union, acting as the moderator, bowed to those seated in the circular conference room. "Before we move on to the first agenda, I'll brief you on the situation and results of the recent war." He picked up some documents, saying they should start by reviewing the situation. "The war began with a duel to the death between the Light Wind Division Leader of Zieghart and the Axe King of the South-North Union. When the South-North Union refused to accept his defeat and launched a surprise attack, the leader of the Shadow, the Blue Dragon Helmet Swordsman, appeared..." After explaining the events that had transpired, the Vice Union Leader rolled up his sleeves. "Although the Six Kings suffered considerable losses, the fall of the South-North Union is an encouraging development. The balance of power that had tilted towards the Five Demons has been restored." "Aren't there other issues?" King Lecross raised his hand, furrowing his brow. "You're right. The Shadow has newly joined the Five Demons, and the dragons have become our enemies. It's true that the Six Kings are still at a disadvantage in some aspects. However..." The Vice Union Leader clenched his right fist as he continued. "The fact that our enemies are now clearly defined is a positive point for us. We won't be caught off guard by the dragons like we were this time." He nodded, saying it could be beneficial that friend and foe were now clearly distinguished. "..." Derus smiled as he read the atmosphere of the conference room, which was gradually becoming heated. 'As expected.' They're all targeting me. A transcendent sense beyond even intuition whispered to him. It told him that the monsters in this conference room were secretly observing him. 'Especially my hand.' The leaders of the Six Kings were scrutinizing only his hand through their gazes, sounds, and senses. They were clearly trying to figure out if there was a scar on the back of his hand, and if not visible, how it might be hidden, and how they could find it. The only people in this conference room focusing on the meeting were the leaders of the neutral factions who were lucky enough to be in attendance. 'How interesting.' Derus Robert rolled his eyes, feeling the tension rising like a heat haze. He couldn't help but smile at what was essentially a war where everyone was trying to reveal each other's cards. 'Especially that guy.' He scanned Raon, who couldn't take his eyes off the Vice Union Leader. 'Your martial prowess may be lacking, but your intuition and acting skills surpass even the old geezers of the Six Kings.' You remembered the lesson that the best opportunity is often the biggest trap. Of course, offering a handshake to Raon was a trap. If he had tried to check for the scar on the back of the hand, Derus would have reversed the situation and extracted information, setting a sharp trap to find fault. 'Though in the end, even he became impatient.' During the handshake, Raon couldn't hide his gaze directed at the hand, and he even employed the crude tactic of trying to subtly check the back of the hand with his thumb. 'Raon.' Derus curled his lips briefly with his head lowered. 'You're no different even after being reborn.' In his past life as an assassin, Raon lost his head to Derus because he didn't doubt every situation. Derus thought he might have improved after reincarnation, but nothing had really changed. 'You can never win this fight.' Because you won't be able to expose my scar. It was true that Raon had left an indelible scar on the back of Derus's hand, but both times were when Derus had let his guard down. If he had been mindful of Raon's existence from the start, the Doppelganger Hide wouldn't have been pierced. 'Moreover...' It's even more impossible to draw out the death aura. Derus had sealed the death aura at the bottom of his soul. It was a place that even Glenn would find difficult to discover if he searched directly, so the only thing Raon could aim for was the scar on the back of the hand. 'This is a mission that requires an unconditional retreat, but...' Derus mockingly eyed Raon's red pupils and twitched his fingertips. 'You won't back down.' Because that's how I taught you. 'It seems you're destined to only help me and then disappear in this life as well.' Derus Robert muttered that he would give Raon a grand funeral this time, clasping his hands together. In his mind, the rewards he would reap after finishing this affair began to surface one by one. * * * "What's important for us now is the location of the disappeared dragons and the identity of the swordsman wearing the Blue Dragon Helmet." The Vice Union Leader slightly lowered his chin as he picked up the second document. "Since that day, the Dragon Lord and the dragons have vanished as if they no longer exist on this continent. Some have even abandoned their nests." He read the report without hesitation, as if he had already completed the investigation on the dragons. "They probably won't show up for a while." Chamber tapped the round table with her candy stick, smacking her lips. "Dragons were born as the strongest race on the continent. Those arrogant bastards nearly died en masse to humans they considered insects. Do you think they're in their right minds? They're probably hiding in some corner, trembling." She cackled, saying it served them right. "It's not just the dragons." King Lecross raised his hand to speak. "The Fallen, the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance, the Leader of the White Blood Religion, and the swordsman wearing the Blue Dragon Helmet will also find it difficult to move." He nodded, saying that even if they survived, they wouldn't be able to show themselves for a long time. "Th-That's fortunate..." The Mage Tower Master raised her head for the first time, her fine golden hair flowing onto the table. She seemed pleased that they wouldn't have to fight for a while. "During that time, we need to reorganize our forces and build up our strength. So that we can crush them when we face them again." Chamber clenched her small fist, saying they shouldn't miss this opportunity. "I agree. Owen has also prepared to enhance the capabilities of our knights." King Lecross cast a sharp gaze while caressing the Silent Sword resting on the round table. "Robert has already begun training. Everyone is swinging their swords, shedding blood and sweat." Derus Robert also nodded, saying they should seize this opportunity. "All of this is thanks to Head of House Glenn. I can only express my gratitude." He stood up from his chair and bowed to Glenn. "You mean the Soul Sword?" "Yes. They say everyone who saw that sword was paralyzed for a while..." "To think it could cut down even one of the Five Demons in one strike, it's still hard to believe." The leaders of the neutral factions exhaled empty breaths as they recalled the Soul Sword they had only heard about. "Sure, that old man is impressive. But..." Ogram turned his gaze away from Glenn. "If it weren't for Raon, even that guy would have ended up with his heart pierced." He pointed at Raon, grinning and showing his teeth. "In other words, the one who ended this war and bought us time wasn't Glenn, but Raon!" "You're stating the obvious." Chamber rolled her eyes, asking why he was mentioning something everyone already knew. "It's worth reiterating. I also think the Light Wind Division Leader changed the tide of the war." King Lecross gave a thumbs up, saying Raon had achieved a truly remarkable feat. "Aren't you scared...?" The Mage Tower Master lowered her head, muttering that even she would have found it difficult to block that attack if she had been there. "So, Raon." Ogram turned his upper body towards Raon and grinned. "Do you have any wishes?" "Pardon? Wishes?" Raon's eyes widened as if hearing this for the first time. "As Lecross said, what you've accomplished isn't just saving one person, but changing the tide of the war. No, it's no different from changing the balance of this entire continent." Ogram nodded with a serious look in his eyes. "If you have a wish, I'll grant it as far as my power allows." He waved his hand inward, as if to say Raon could ask for anything. "Same here. I'll even grant it if you ask me to marry you." Chamber slightly pressed down her witch hat, saying Raon's face was good enough for her. "Hey, that's too shameless, the age difference is 100 years... oof!" Lecross was shaking his head, but quickly shut his mouth when he saw Chamber's reddened eyes. "I-If there's anything you want in Owen, I'll grant it, Light Wind Division Leader." He shouted that Raon could make a wish, avoiding Chamber's gaze. "As long as it's not troublesome..." The Mage Tower Master raised her head for the first time, her fine golden hair flowing onto the table. "I can't be left out either. Robert agrees as well." Even Derus Robert smiled, saying he would grant a wish. "Raon. Speak up." Glenn stretched out his hand as if telling Raon to come forward. "Hmm..." Raon scratched the back of his head as he stood in front of the round table. "It's embarrassing, but there is something I'd like to ask." He began speaking in a calm tone, turning to look at Glenn. "I learned swordsmanship from the Head of House, and the Beast King taught me the Fierce Wave Arts. The Silent Sword Master also gave me advice." He straightened his back confidently, knowing that no one could verify the lie about receiving martial arts advice from the Silent Sword Master. "I wanted to learn a thing or two from the Sky Sword Saint as well, but I regretted not having much interaction with Robert." Raon slowly lowered his gaze. A crimson flame flickered over his eyes as he stared directly at Derus. "I'd like to request a duel with Sky Sword Saint Derus Robert."