N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 532
Raon spent the night at a small inn near the village of Capeoli.
It was a place that served both restaurants and accommodations, but when he woke up after a nap, the inn was empty.
Where have they all gone, The King of Essence is hungry!
Wrath waved his hand to find the chef quickly.
Prepare a meal for the King of Essence!
'It'll be here soon.'
Raon pushed away Wrath, who was pushing his chubby stomach, and sat down at the central table.
A moment later, the door to the inn opened, and a man with a mask-like expression approached and stood across from him.
"I am pleased to meet you, Raon-nim ."
The man bowed his head with his hands folded together.
"My name is Denzel, a member of the Black Market, directly under the command of the Black Market’s master."
"My name is Raon Zieghart."
Raon revealed his real name without worrying because Denzel had spread his cloak.
"You came here sooner than I thought."
Raon smiled faintly at Denzel. Unlike himself, who knew about the zombie assasins factory in advance, the black market had not known about that information for long, so he did not expect them to come so soon.
"Because It's not an ordinary matter."
Denzel sighed as if lamenting and took a seat opposite Raon.
"As the Black Market’s master mentioned, the occurrences of martial artists disappearing have surged lately. Furthermore, there have been numerous instances where bodies, either injured or freshly deceased, mysteriously vanish."
"Hmm..."
Raon absentmindedly tasted the information Denzel was revealing.
'Fast and accurate.'
Denzel informed him not only missing corpses but also the mysterious disappearances of skilled martial artists. It became apparent that the Black Market master's prowess in information gathering and wealth surpassed even that of the Six Kings, evident in her swift acquisition of such detailed information.
"If we continue to investigate the traces of the martial artists that have disappeared, we may create a path to trace that mysterious group. However, it might take some time. Are you okay with that?"
"I don't think a long time will be necessary."
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
Denzel opened his eyes wide as if to ask what he was saying.
"I found the location of the factory that turns corpses into assassins yesterday."
"Are you really serious?"
"Yes, it was located under the iron ore factory. The scale was larger than I thought. There were many assassins and necromancers as well....”
Raon shared the location, facilities, and the number of personnel he learned from the factory he visited yesterday.
"Haa."
Denzel could not close his open mouth as he had not expected Raon to bring all the invaluable information in just one day.
"The Jade-Faced Ghost and the Monster Commander were there. The Devils who look down on people as less than animals....”
He seemed to hate the necromancers, Shufel and Juran, as he bit his lips tightly.
"With this much information, we can move faster. Let's prepare..."
"There's still one thing left."
Raon shook his head at Denzel, who was about to stand up.
"The woman who seemed to be in charge there said that new supplies would arrive tomorrow."
"If it's a supply....”
"Of course, they will be materials for zombie assassins made from the bodies of the missing martial artists."
"Ah, then!"
Denzel sighed as if he had now understood.
"We can make an excuse that we tracked down the missing martial artists and found that place! We can attack them tomorrow!"
"That's right."
There is no place in the continent where there are no agents of the black market.
If they say they found the factory while moving to locate the missing martial artist, he can avoid Derus' suspicions.
"Remarkable. In the current situation, there is no better option!"
Denzel sighed as he looked at Raon.
'I see why the master gave him so much consideration.'
The Black Market’s master consistently sent Raon invaluable information that could not be measured in terms of money.
Wondering why she would incur such losses, he realized that this young swordsman was a person with values that could not be measured with money.
It was clear that it was an investment made in advance for a man who is expected to be even more promising in the future.
"I will prepare for immediate entry tomorrow. We'll quickly gather our warriors as well..."
"No."
Raon slowly shook his head.
"I'll handle the fight alone."
"Ha, but those guys are assassins. It will be completely different from fighting swordsman..."
Denzel swallowed his saliva as if he was worried.
"It's okay."
Raon slowly closed his eyelids and opened them. A cold chill that was cold enough to make one's hair stand on end rose up over his cold eyes.
"I'm familiar with that kind of fight."
* * *
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The Grand Garden of Robert Family.
Derus Robert's quiet walking path was bustling with people, unlike usual.
"Congratulations."
"Congratulations."
"Young master. Happy birthday!"
The people gathered in the garden approached Derus Robert's youngest son, Lephon Robert, in their fancy suits and dresses and greeted him with congratulations.
"Thank you."
Lephon, wearing a black suit that resembled Raon's, bowed his head to the people. There was even a line set up in front of him to greet him.
It was an excessive amount of courtesy for a child who was not even twenty years old. It was a sight that showed how high Robert family's prestige was.
However, even though he was being congratulated by many people, Lephon's expression was not very bright.
As he was exchanging greetings with an awkward smile, the two swordsmen guarding the entrance to the garden stomped their feet loudly.
"The lord is entering!"
With the swordsmen’s grand shout, Derus Robert entered the entrance of the Grand Garden.
A heavy yet not light step, a solemn walk that revealed his presence. It was an entrance that showcased what kind of person he was.
"Lord!"
"We greet the lord."
Derus received the greetings of the people lightly and stood in front of the fountain in the center of the garden.
"Lephon, come here."
"Yes."
Today's protagonist, Lephon, approached him.
"Thank you very much for coming all this way to celebrate Lephon's birthday."
Derus smiled gently, putting his hand on Lephon's shoulder.
"It's absolutely not a problem!"
"Rather, it's an honor for us!"
"Call us anytime!"
The people bowed their heads, saying that they were just happy to be there.
"I am grateful for your words."
Derus Robert smiled faintly and made eye contact with the people one by one.
"Lephon, you should also say hello."
"Yes, Father."
Lephon came forward with his lips tightly closed.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday."
He smiled somewhere stiffly and bent his waist towards the center.
"Waaaaaa!"
"Congratulations again, young master!"
"I hope you will always be healthy."
Despite knowing the expression on Lephon's face, people clapped so loudly that it resonated behind Derus.
"Now that you are almost an adult, Lephon-nim, do you have any goals?"
The head of the Raphatan family, a vassal family of house Robert, who was sitting in the front row, asked with a smile.
"I want to become a swordsman like Raon-nim."
Lephon did not hesitate for a moment and revealed his goal and dream.
"Raon Zieghart?"
"Ah, the White Sword Dragon..."
"So..."
The people seemed to realize why Lephon's expression was not good, and briefly held their applause.
"This child's goal has always been to become a swordsman like Raon. Since the situation is not favorable now, please understand, everyone."
Derus held Lephon's shaking hand and smiled kindly.
"There is no official announcement of Raon Zieghart’s death, so believe him and wait. I don't think he's the kind of person who would die so easily."
"Yes, Father!"
Lephon looked at Derus with a look of gratitude and nodded.
"I'm sorry for ruining the atmosphere on a good day."
He gathered his emotions and approached the guests first to greet them.
The people smiled as if they were moved by the affectionate father-son relationship and Derus' kindness, who even thought of the swordsman of the rival family.
Derus watched with pride as Lephon began to talk to the guests, and then he slipped into the empty left space.
"What's the matter?"
As he turned his back and asked, Kubara, holding a tray, appeared from the shadows of the bushes and prostrated himself.
"The supplies you ordered have arrived at the entrance to the factory."
"How many?"
"Sixty-two living materials and one hundred and thirty dead materials."
"Who is the escort?"
"Balmeil, my lord."
"Good choice."
Derus nodded in approval, appearing content with the choice of Balmeil as the escort.
"Balmeil has excellent instincts, he will be able to move well on his own. Good. Let him in."
"Yes."
Kubara handed Derus a glass of wine on the tray and quietly disappeared.
"Won't die easily...?"
Derus looked at Lephon while sipping the wine that Kubara had left.
His eyes sank coldly as he looked at his son, who had regained his smile.
"There's no such thing in this world."
* * *
The Bayon Lake, which borders Mount Haro, silently splits apart.
As Recia, who was standing in front of the lake, gave a short gesture, the flow of mana twisted and created an illusion of a peaceful lake as if the watercourse had never been split from the beginning.
"Alright."
As Recia gestured behind her, figures in black robes and masks emerged.
"From now on, just follow where I step."
"......"
The masked individuals did not answer, and quietly followed behind her.
Recia walked along the muddy and mossy path to the turtle-shaped rock that rose in the center of the lake.
When she touched the rock with her fingers infused with mana, the floor opened and a passage to enter was opened.
"......"
However, the masked figures, seemingly impervious to the remarkable sight that would leave anyone in awe, showed no change in their expressions.
"Come in."
As Recia, seemingly anticipating their lack of reaction, entered the passage without any special response, the masked figures followed.
Woowoowooong!
As soon as the masked figures all entered the passage, she touched the wall. The opened ceiling closed, and the lake that had split apart returned to its original state.
"This way."
As soon as the door closed, Recia led the masked people down the passage.
Her footwork was so fast that even a skilled warrior would have difficulty keeping up, yet the masked figures showed no signs of falling behind.
Thunk!
Recia stopped walking at a place where dozens of iron bars confined the lifeless body, then turned around.
"Thank you for making the journey all the way here, Balmeil-nim.
Recia bowing her head to the masked figure standing at the forefront.
"Recia," the masked individual, tall with a fierce gaze, responded, slowly nodding as he rested his chin on his hand.
"You know that this place is important to him, right?"
"Of course."
Recia bowed her head carefully.
"Is the improvement of the envoy's communication progressing well?"
"If we use the materials that Balmeil-nim brought, we can certainly make significant improvements."
She looked at Balmeil with a calm expression, as if she was confident.
"Hmm."
Balmeil gestured towards the back, and the masked figures placed their hands on the ground.
Aaaargh!
Dark shadows surged from their grips, tormenting nearly two hundred people centered around them..
The sixty or so people on the right seemed to be alive, breathing shallowly, and the people lying on the left were already dead.
"Sixty-two living materials, one hundred and thirty dead materials. All are Experts or above, and there are three Masters."
Balmeil raised a finger and pointed directly at the Masters.
"Even Masters!"
Recia nodded her head vigorously as she checked the condition of the Masters.
"Let's go up together. Both of them will welcome you."
"No need. I just feel dirty when I see those old men."
Balmeil shook his head as if he was not interested at all.
"…I understand."
At Recia's light gesture, assassins hiding around the prison came out and began to lock the people that Balmeil had taken out in the iron cages.
Because the handling was rough, the living captives gradually came to their senses.
"What, what is this…."
"Where is this…."
"Who are you people!"
The captives shouted from behind the bars, but Recia and Balmeil paid no attention.
"This iron is just…."
"My, my energy center is…."
"My mana circuits are blocked!"
"Oh no!"
They tried to break the cages, but they realized that they could not operate their martial arts, and their lips trembled.
"Then I will report and come back."
After locking up all the captives, Recia went up the stairs at the end of the passage.
"You little bastards! Get me out right now! Do you know who I am?"
A middle-aged man, belatedly regaining his senses, shook the bars and shouted in anger.
"I am the head of Sikeron family…."
"Sikeron."
When the name of the family came out, Balmeil took his first step. He approached the man who shouted the name of Sikeron family and smiled a cold smile.
"Sikeron, Zieghart, it means nothing to me."
"Wait, just a moment..."
The captive, feeling fear from his laughter, cowered backward.
"Where are you going, the head of Sikeron family."
Balmeil twisted his lips and plucked the Sikon family head’s right eye with his finger.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
His scream echoed through the air as he plummeted, and the cacophony of voices demanding release abruptly ceased. The once vocal crowd now stood in stunned silence, their mouths tightly sealed, and their eyes wide with shock.
"It's nice and quite now."
Chiiing!
Balmeil wiped his blood-soaked hand when suddenly, a dozen daggers shot out like a flock of birds behind him. They pierced through the hearts of the assassins and masked figures hiding in the crevices of the prison.
"What... cough!"
Balmeil tried to move first before looking back, but before he knew it, a sharp blade had emerged from his heart.
"Ugh...."
"Even Zieghart is meaningless?"
With jet-black hair and eyes, Raon, who had dyed his hair black, sealed Balmeil's mouth and revealed a sinister smile.
"It doesn't seem to be so."
