Chapter 57

Raon bit his lip. The moment Raptor mentioned killing him, he was engulfed in an intense murderous intent.

However, murderous intent wasn’t really effective on him, someone that had lived as an assassin. He pushed back the murderous intent by resonating the four ‘Rings of Fire’.

“Oh!”

Raptor exclaimed, with his eyes wide. His lips parted in his curiosity at how he managed to withstand his murderous intent.

“This guy isn’t a sprout, but a bud ready to burst.”

He smirked and tapped the sheath of his sword. It seemed he was contemplating whether he should use it or not.

‘I can’t win against him’

Assassinating him was possible but winning against him in a straight fight was impossible. However, Raon also had a card up his sleeve.

Clank.

Raon drew his sword first.

“Draw your sword and fight.”

He revived the pressure that’d subsided and pointed his sword at Raptor.

“Do you realize you will die if I draw this sword?”

“It’s natural for the weak to die.”

“Hah! How is this young guy so spirited?”

Raptor exclaimed and clapped. His hands were now completely away from his sword.

“I don’t want to fight anymore, not after witnessing your spirit. It’d be a shame to kill you here.”

“A warrior doesn’t choose his place to die.”

“Wow, that’s crazy. Are you really a kid? Am I reading an analect right now?”

“……” 

“Well, that’s not actually the only reason.”

Raptor’s gaze went over Raon and reached the top of a tree.

“Even if I manage to retrieve that elixir, it’s pointless if I end up dying instead.”

He nodded towards the tree and withdrew.

‘I knew it.’

Raon licked his lips. The instructors were currently hiding behind him.

He couldn’t find Rimmer’s location, but he must’ve been close considering his character.

Raptor withdrew because he’d sensed their presence.

“It would’ve been really fun if you were in the South-North Union. What’s your name?”

“……”

Raon closed his eyes without answering. Raptor’s question reminded him of his old memories.

When he lived as an assassin in his previous life, people rarely asked anything like that. Even if they did, he wasn’t allowed to answer.

He’d always either run away without saying anything or attacked them with the intent to kill.

His heart shook slightly to the fact that an enemy, and a person famous for his might, had asked his name.

“Are you not going to tell me your na…”

“My name is Raon. Raon Zieghart.”

Raon slowly opened his eyes, and confidently stated his name

“I see. Raon, I’ll be looking forward to hearing your name from the Terukan Mountains and Rable River.”

He grinned and went down the mountain. Raon stayed alert just in case he decided to return, but he was really gone.

“Haa.”

Raon sighed and sheathed his sword.

‘It worked.’

Raptor had a manly personality, despite his pretty appearance.

He managed to leave a favorable impression from acting rashly in an unfavorable situation. It all went according to the information he received in his time at House Robert.

‘I’m glad it ended without a fight.’

Raptor was strong. He would’ve been able to win if he fought with Rimmer, but multiple instructors would’ve died. Avoiding the fight was the best-case scenario.

Raon put the elixir in his shirt and put the Snow Tiger leader’s head in a thick bag. He needed to bring the head back in order to get the accomplishment.

“Then let’s return.”

He smiled towards the top of the tree.

***

Rimmer had already located the bandits when the children started the search.

Once he erased the distractions—the dense forest and high mountains—he immediately realized the location of the bandits’ hideout.

However, that was because he’d accumulated countless experiences, and it was a different story for the trainees.

Just like he’d expected, the trainees went to the mountain and the forest first.

Burren and Martha weren’t an exception. They were both headed towards the mountain and the forest and started searching like a hunting dog on a scent.

Since it was such a natural thing to do, he wasn’t even surprised.

However, Raon and Runaan were standing still on the road instead of moving away.

They only started moving a long time after the other trainees had already started the search.

And the direction they decided to go wasn’t the forest or the mountain, but the hills.

Really?

The bandits had picked the forest next to the hills as their hideout, the one that wasn’t visible from the outside. It was difficult to determine how they managed to find out about it.

It’s Raon after all.

It seemed Raon determined that the bandits were in the hills using his excellent insight.

However, as expected of bandits that live in the mountains, they’d erased most of their tracks. It was difficult even for the instructors to find them, so it would be impossible for Raon and Runaan to find the bandits’ presence.

However, after looking through the forests on the hills, Raon looked like he’d found something as he went in.

Then, he found the traces of humans one by one, and slowly advanced towards the bandits’ hideout.

What the hell was he?

Rimmer’s jaw dropped. He was on his first mission, yet he was finding the bandits' traces like a professional tracker. That was ridiculous.

And he wasn’t even advancing normally. Lowering his body, he wasn’t even making any sound because he was walking on the tips of his toes.

Wow, did he just dismantle that trap?

Raon and Runaan removed the trap installed by the bandits and finally reached the bandits hideout.

And there was a hostage that Rimmer didn’t even know about.

What are you going to do?

Rimmer moved closer to the tree that the kid that was taken hostage was bound to. He was going to make his move if Raon or Runaan ended up failing.

However, it wasn’t necessary.

Raon distracted the bandits standing guard, using Runaan as a bait, then beheaded the one guarding the hostage.

Gulp.

The sharp and definite strike sent chills down his spine. The way he blocked the sound with an energy barrier and killed the other bandit was also perfect.

Then he gathered information by leaving one bandit alive. He really looked like a professional.

However, there was one mistake. No, it was a coincidence.

The inaudible whistle. The underboss detected the whistle that one needed to be trained to hear.

Raon wasn’t flustered when facing such a crisis. He immediately came up with a new plan, hiding Runaan and the child.

He leaped in after making the underboss and the bandits careless, rescuing the second hostage in one fell swoop.

The rest was a battle. 

* * * 

Fiddling with his fingers, Rimmer watched the battle with Raon on the frontline and Runaan on the backline.

He stretched his legs, so that he could be prepared to help them if things got dangerous, but that never happened.

Runaan spread her frost and Raon swung his sword. The bandits couldn’t even swing their weapons and ended up dead.

The bandit leader, who came out while pretending to be cool, abandoned his underlings and ran away when he realized that he couldn’t win against Raon.

‘I’ll need to catch him myself.’

There wasn’t enough time to catch the leader after killing the rest of the bandits, not while protecting the two hostages.

Since he couldn’t let the leader escape, Rimmer started chasing the leader.

Hostage? No, that was also a bandit.

The leader went down the hills, carrying the female bandit like a hostage.

Then let’s catch…

Just as Rimmer was about to make a surprise attack, he heard someone running up from behind.

It was Raon.

He was dashing towards the bandit leader’s location like a lion.

The leader pretended to panic and threw the female bandit at him, and Raon slowed down to catch her.

Shit…

Rimmer frowned. The woman was a snake user. He needed to save Raon before he got bitten by the snake.

However.

The moment the snake came out, Raon moved his right hand.

Whack!

As if he knew about it already, he pierced through the snake and the woman’s heart with his sword without any hesitation.

“Wow.”

Rimmer’s exclamation leaked out. He showed no sign of confusion as he killed the snake. It wasn’t something he could’ve done unless he’d realized it beforehand.

How could someone like him exist?

He wasn’t even admiring it anymore. His mind was going numb.

He’d seen countless talents by wandering from one battlefield to another for dozens of years, yet this was his first time seeing such a monster.

After decapitating the Snow Tiger leader, Raon even took the elixir he had.

‘Yes, good job.’

He held himself back from applauding. When he looked aside, the other instructors were also astonished.

Just as he thought everything was over, a pretty young man appeared with an intense pressure.

Yellow bandana and powerful energy. It was a warrior from South-North Union.

So, they were associated with the South-North Union after all.

He was wondering why the Snow Tiger bandits were still hiding, and it was because they were waiting for the warrior from the South-North Union.

The warrior introduced himself as Raptor.

He knew that name.

The genius young swordsman that became the leader of bandits a mere ten years after joining the South-North Union.

Raon wasn’t intimidated by Raptor. He drew his sword, telling him to fight.

That guy…

It wasn’t because he didn’t recognize Raptor’s strength. It was his determination that he wouldn’t surrender as a Zieghart’s warrior.

Raptor was dumbstruck, but also admired Raon’s spirit.

Then he withdrew on his own.

Of course, he did that because he knew that the instructors—including Rimmer—were hiding nearby, but his hospitality towards Raon was one of the reasons.

“I’m Raon. Raon Zieghart.”

Ah.

Watching Raon, who confidently stated name, after being recognized by somebody stronger than him, made chills run down his spine.

The scene of him meeting Glenn in the past replayed in his head like Deja vu.

Rimmer clenched his fist.

King.

He was still young and weak, but it seemed the seed of the new king had finally sprouted.

***

Raon returned to Runaan and the children. The instructors that’d arrived after hearing the inaudible whistle had already suppressed the leftover bandits.

“You are back.”

“That was a great accomplishment.”

“Who the hell are you?”

The instructors spoke, full of admiration, surprise, and astonishment.

“Raon.”

Runaan approached him, holding the two children. The eyes of the kids wearing robes were completely swollen. It looked like they’d cried their hearts out.

“Runaan. You really did great.”

It wasn’t just a formality. He’d managed to safely rescue the children thanks to her appropriate action.

“Mhm.”

Runaan visibly nodded. She looked happy as she patted the children’s heads.

“Hmm…”

Raon, who was about to pat the two children’s heads, stopped when he realized that his hand was stained in blood.

“It’s alright now.”

He grabbed the children’s shoulders and smiled lightly. He wanted to keep talking to them, but he couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Waaaa!”

The boy started crying while hugging his little sister tightly. It seemed he’d been holding himself back as the older brother.

“You guys should return for now.”

The instructors pointed towards the foothold under the hills as they dug into the ground.

“What about the instructors?”

“We will follow after taking care of this place. Leave the rest to us. You really did a great job.”

The instructors put their thumbs up.

“Okay.”

Raon nodded and left the forest full of bandits’ stench, Runaan and the children following him.

Don’t you even know how to comfort kids? Back in the devildom, the King of Essence once faced a greater famine. Taking pity on the starving young devils, the King of Essence opened the winter castle’s door and…

‘Old man, that’s enough.’

Moreover, how did you take so long to kill mere bandits? Don’t you feel embarrassed that you can’t even use your power properly, despite having the King of Essence with you?

‘How am I supposed to use my power?’

You idiot. It’s the first strike. First strike. You have to thrust your first strike with explosive power.

‘Explosive?’

Yes. The human’s mana circuit is quite mysterious, and you can handle your mana after amplifying it…

Raon learned a more effective way of handling mana by instigating Wrath. He was the Giving Wrath, after all.

***

When Raon and Runaan returned to the foothold along with the children, the center was noisy.

“It’s the mountain. I’m sure they are hiding at the peak.”

“Bullshit. Mountain is too obvious, just like your hairstyle. You’re an idiot for thinking that they would be hiding in the mountain just because they’re bandits. I’m sure they’re hiding in the dense forest in the west.”

“Your method is too impulsive. Relying on instincts without a proper tracking technique or map reading is too dangerous.”

“Shut up! My instincts are better than your reasoning. We will search the western forest tomorrow, no matter what.”

Burren and Martha were arguing, telling each other that there were bandits where they’d scouted.

“Phew, they’re at it again.”

“They really start arguing as soon as they meet.”

“But I wonder who’s correct?”

The trainees didn’t know what to do as they watched the two growl at each other.

“Hmph!”

When Runaan cleared her throat, everyone looked at Raon, Runaan, and the children.

“Who are those children?”

“Did you find some runaway kids when you were supposed to look for the bandits?”

Burren and Martha frowned, upon seeing the two children.

“I wonder. Guess who?”

Raon grinned, putting the bag containing the bandit leader’s head down.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Kyangi]

[Proofreader – Harley]