Master Assassin of the Ronan

Chapter 38. Beast of Illusion (3)

Step, step.

Rubin walked away from the black pond, heading out of the forest.

In the quiet woods, only a single pair of footsteps echoed.

The path that nine participants had walked, but on the return journey, Rubin was alone.

Though Rubin had defeated every other participant and become the sole victor, his expression was far from bright.

-You don’t seem pleased.

‘It’s the expected result, after all.’

If this hadn’t been his second life, he would’ve surely been delighted to win the “Second Selection.” But Rubin had never doubted his victory from the very beginning of this trial.

Helping the growth of the children who would be his future allies—that had been his focus, more than his inevitable win.

And things had gone exactly as Rubin had intended.

-I never doubted your abilities. But I was surprised by how talented the others were too. You must have chosen them with the future in mind, no?

‘It’s not just them. There are still many others I need to bring over to my side. Only then can I change the future and take revenge on the Emperor.’

-I see. By the way, about your death… I never thought I’d witness it myself. My condolences.

Haneke carefully brought up Rubin’s fear. The Grand Marshal knew that this was what had weighed on Rubin’s mind.

The existence of the Emperor.

And the memory of his death at the Emperor’s hands replaying vividly before him—the helplessness and fury he must have felt.

Moreover, Rubin’s fear was on a different scale than that of the other participants. His fear was something that could very well come to pass in the future.

-The Emperor Telmach you saw in the illusion may have only appeared for a brief moment, but he was much more powerful than I remember him.

‘As you died and I grew, the Emperor continued to amass strength. By the time he waged war against the Assassin Blade Family, he had already transcended the realm of humanity.’

Haneke, once the Grand Marshal, had faced the Emperor many times.

The Emperor he remembered was strong, but still within human limits.

In fact, it was the countless forces he controlled—special forces, mages, and even a few ancient dragons—that Haneke had thought would be the greater threat.

-Is he so powerful that even your mother couldn’t defeat him?

‘I can’t say for certain. Besides, it’s not as if Mother would oppose him right now.’

-Hmm, I see. That’s a frightening thought indeed, that the Emperor is continuing to grow even now.

The Emperor wasn’t simply a man with a good bloodline. It was almost inevitable that Telmach would take the throne after the previous Emperor who had laid the foundation of the Empire.

He relentlessly pursued strength, was merciless, and trusted no one.

‘Everything has to be in place to defeat him.’

Rubin repeated this to himself.

He had to grow faster than the Emperor was gaining power.

Twice, three times, or even more than the level he had achieved before his return!

-But there’s one thing bothering me, Rubin.

‘What is it?’

-That mysterious being we saw earlier, the Dream Spider. Won’t it be a hindrance to your revenge?

Rubin understood what Haneke meant. From Haneke’s perspective, the Dream Spider wasn’t a creature that was loyal or subservient to the Assassin Blade Family.

If their bond was merely contractual, it could break the agreement after hearing about the future Rubin had revealed.

In other words, it could survive by revealing the existence of Rubin, the regressor, to Telmach.

‘There’s nothing to worry about.’

-Nothing to worry about? I realize that the Dream Spider isn’t an ordinary beast, but can you truly trust it?

‘I don’t trust it, but it’s also not a creature that can betray me at any time.’

-Not a creature that can betray him?

Haneke’s face showed confusion.

‘That Dream Spider survives by feeding on the fears of participants.’

-You mean it dies if it has no fear to consume?

‘Yes. And that fear must come from those who possess Dark Ripple.’

Dark Ripple was a unique ability held only by the Assassin Blade Family.

If the Assassin Blade Family ceased to exist, the Dream Spider could no longer survive.

‘By now, that spider must be racking its brains, trying to figure out how to help prevent the Assassin Blade Family from falling to the Emperor.’

The Dream Spider was an ancient being with memories spanning thousands of years.

It was also known as a demigod.

Though it was unclear how this ancient creature had become entangled with the Assassin Blade Family, it needed them and Dark Ripple to sustain its life.

-Then that’s a relief.

Haneke nodded in understanding.

Soon, a lively curiosity sparkled in his eyes.

-So, what happens from here?

‘What happens from here?’

-Since I’ve been nestled in your inner world, I’ve been experiencing so many fascinating things. I can’t help but be curious about the days to come.

‘Hm. For now, I suppose I should begin training in aura.’

-Hah, of course.

Rubin vividly remembered the sensation of aura that manifested during his battle with Kun.

The intense energy concentrated within a weapon.

Aura Ring with its heavy and dense weight.

If Dark Ripple was a versatile force that could envelop parts of the body or spread like mist, aura was a straight, focused power that could only be condensed into a weapon.

If he could freely wield both Dark Ripple and aura…

-Greedy, aren’t you? Since you’ve already manifested aura, you’ll be able to throw yourself into training. From now on, I’ll teach you properly.

Haneke calmed Rubin’s enthusiasm and brought up another topic.

-By the way, there was supposed to be a reward for winning this trial, wasn’t there?

He referred to the choices between Roincrows, Ronenser, and the selection of a city.

Of these, Haneke was most interested in the city selection.

Although he was trapped within Rubin’s inner world, staying confined to the Ronan Estate was a torment. He too was hoping for a change.

-You said you could choose a city to live in, right? I don’t know if it’s on the list, but how about ‘Reuretta’?

Reuretta was one of the Empire’s border cities.

Known as a sanctuary for mercenaries, it was a place constantly in conflict with countless beasts.

It was also a land far removed from the Emperor’s watchful eyes.

-If you establish a base there, it could become a key point in a future war with the Emperor.

‘Hmm, Reuretta. I’ll consider it.’

Rubin said this to avoid disappointing Haneke, at least for now.

The rewards for the Second Selection were granted in the order of Ronenser selection, Roincrows selection, and then the city selection.

Today, Rubin would choose his Ronenser.

As for the Roincrows, he would go to Elder Gillifield’s arboretum to make that choice.

As for the Ronenser…

‘It has to be him.’

Rubin had already made up his mind.

This decision had been set in stone long ago.

It was an obvious and easy choice for a regressor.

Step, step.

At that moment, Rubin felt a change in the sensation beneath his feet.

Looking down, he saw a thick, tightly woven carpet of spiderwebs.

It was the same web that had carried away the eliminated participants.

It lay across the exit like a carpet.

This was an ancient congratulatory gesture for the victor of the Second Selection.

“So I’ve finally arrived.”

He walked across the carpet of spider silk.

Ahead, he saw the other participants waiting for the victor to emerge.

Kun was hanging his head in shame, while Hamil was offering genuine respect.

Blane, standing next to Hamil, met Rubin’s gaze and bowed in gratitude.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

The other participants also, regardless of their true feelings, clapped in respect of tradition.

But Rubin wasn’t idle enough to revel in his predictable victory. He scanned his surroundings, looking for someone.

‘Ah, there he is. My Ronenser-to-be.’

The servant who met the victor’s gaze looked puzzled, then bowed his head.

The next procedure began immediately.

With Rubin’s return, the heads of the families and the participants moved to the banquet hall.

The participants each took a seat at an empty chair, while the family heads sat in seats of honor on the dais.

Meanwhile, the servants who would become the Ronensers of the participants gathered in a different room connected to the banquet hall.

“You are now awaiting your new masters. If chosen as a Ronenser, you must abandon your previous family and serve a new one.”

The candidates for Ronenser sat in rows as Daemon, a direct vassal of the main family, spoke in a solemn voice.

Daemon was a figure respected by all servants. His abilities surpassed even those of an ordinary family head.

Just as Seiren was recognized as the greatest head in history, Daemon was regarded as the greatest direct vassal in history.

To be appointed as a Ronenser through his own words was a great honor for the servants.

‘Bikandel, Trikang, Burso…’

Daemon’s gaze swept over three candidates from the Ronan family among the thirty candidates selected to become Ronensers.

All three would undoubtedly be chosen as Ronensers.

‘Bikandel is the obvious choice, the most exceptional of them all. He’ll surely be the victor’s choice.’

To be chosen by the victor, that is, Rubin, meant staying within the Ronan family.

‘At least I won’t lose Bikandel, which is a relief.’

Even as he thought this, a foreboding feeling crept over Daemon.

It felt like Rubin might choose a servant other than Bikandel.

‘That can’t be. There’s no Ronenser more outstanding than Bikandel.’

Each year, the Ronan family raised a considerable number of servants to become Ronensers and sent them to other families.

The Ronan servants were considered the most elite among all Assassin Blade families.

‘The candidates put forth by other branch families are hardly…’

As a direct vassal of the main family, he had a good grasp of the capabilities of servants from other branch families.

And they were all a notch below Bikandel, Trikang, and Burso.

To qualify as a candidate, a servant had to have achieved at least a four-star level and possess all the abilities required of a Ronenser. Yet, differences still arose within those ranks.

Bikandel, who was close to achieving five stars, had even been considered a candidate for the Execution Unit.

In contrast, some candidates from other families had only just reached the four-star level.

‘Especially that Kuze Martin from the Krokisson Family…’

Daemon’s gaze fell on Kuze, who was sitting awkwardly at the far end.

‘Kuze Martin is practically a nuisance to the Krokisson Family.’

Kuze had recently shown his incompetence by failing several missions in a row.

It was as if the Krokisson Family had sent over a ticking bomb.

‘Not that any family would actually choose this servant.’

It was then that the doors to the banquet hall opened and a servant walked in.

“Sir Daemon.”

“Has the designation process concluded?”

“Yes, here is the list.”

The participants would have written down the names of the Ronensers they desired, starting with the victor, Rubin, and submitted it to Seiren.

The names would be checked, and if there were any conflicts, adjustments would be made.

Priority was given according to the ranking in the trial.

“There were no overlapping selections.”

“Really?”

This was unusual.

Typically, the victor and the second-place participant would choose the same Ronenser candidate.

Especially this year, with Bikandel as a top choice.

‘And yet, there was no overlap?’

This meant that the participants had made unexpected choices.

Perhaps Rubin was among them.

‘A bad feeling…’

Daemon reached out to receive the list handed to him.

The names of each participant and their designated Ronensers were recorded there.

“The designation process is complete. I will call the names. The chosen Ronensers shall go to the banquet hall and greet their new masters.”

The thirty candidates’ eyes gleamed with anticipation.

A new chapter awaited them as servants.

“The Ronenser for the Rainkroki Family is…”

Daemon began calling out the families in order of their rankings, starting from the lowest.

As expected, all the candidates from the main family were designated.

Everything proceeded as he had predicted.

Burso became the Ronenser for Blane, who placed fourth, and Trikang was chosen by Hamil, who placed third.

“Bikandel, you will…”

Kun Krokisson, who was placed second by the Dream Spider despite being defeated before Blane and Hamil, had selected Bikandel.

“You will serve as the Ronenser for the Krokisson Family.”

Surprise flashed in Bikandel’s eyes.

‘Not Rubin, but Kun?’ was his expression.

Daemon was just as taken aback.

He barely managed to smooth out his furrowed brow.

In any case, this was Rubin, the victor’s choice.

“Finally, the victor, Master Rubin, has… chosen Kuze Martin.”

A servant who seemed the least likely to be chosen had been picked by the victor.

It was enough to surprise everyone present.

The remaining candidates maintained their composure as befit well-trained servants, determined to await next year’s selection.

“The designated Ronensers shall all proceed to the banquet hall.”

Nine Ronensers stood up.

Daemon’s eyes met Kuze’s as he passed by.

It was clear that Kuze had not anticipated this outcome either.

‘The banquet hall will be lively tonight.’

With that thought, Daemon too made his way to the banquet hall.