N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 610
"….vel."
As soon as the words left Judiel's lips in a whisper, the dagger that was headed for her forehead swerved sharply.
The bent dagger slashed the right side of her hood. Blood could be seen flowing down Judiel's cheek through the slit. But she didn't even notice the cut on her cheek and simply looked at Juvel.
'It’s Juvel. My brother.'
Just by looking at his eyes, she could tell. The man standing before her was undoubtedly her one and only brother, Juvel.
"Who are you?"
Juvel glared at Judiel with sinister eyes, aiming the dagger at her neck.
"How do you know that name..."
As he was about to bring the dagger closer, Judiel took off the hood she had been wearing on her head.
Kyaaang.
The moment her face was revealed, Juvel dropped the dagger he was holding.
"S-sister...?"
Juvel, like Judiel, recognized his only blood relative the moment he saw her face and clattered his upper and lower teeth.
"It's really you, sister?"
"Juvel."
Judiel bit her lip and hugged Juvel. She didn't care what the situation was or what Juvel was trying to do. The emotions she had been holding back for so long burst out and she couldn't control herself.
"Juvel. Juvel."
She chanted her brother's name and tightened her grip on him, holding him close. Never to let him go again.
"Ugh..."
Trembling, Juvel stroked Judiel's back with shaking hands and closed his eyes.
'It's my sister's scent...'
The fragrance of his sister that he could only smell when snuggling in her arms as a child.
It wasn't the scent of fragrant flowers, sweet fruits, or the earthy smell of grass.
It was the warm scent from a sun-dried blanket. Tears flowed uncontrollably at the familiar and affectionate scent he thought he would never smell again.
'She's really alive.'
He had heard from his superior that Judiel was alive, but he didn't believe it. Yet, he had held onto that hope until now, never imagining that they would meet in such a place.
He wanted to stay like this forever, but unfortunately, there was no time for that now.
"Sister."
Juvel regained his composure, pulling away from Judiel.
"Sister. Y…you.. really are alive..."
Judiel shed tears uncontrollably, unable to control her emotions.
"We can't afford to stay like this."
Juvel picked up the paper Judiel had dropped. After quickly erasing any traces, he led her into the house.
"Whew..."
He let out a sigh of relief after confirming that there was no reaction from the surroundings.
'Lucky I finished preparing before the gathering time.'
Today was the day of the assassination, but there was still time until the gathering. It was a good thing he had a little bit of leeway.
"Ugh..."
Judiel, now composed, wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks with a flushed face.
"What were you about to do?"
She scanned Juvel's attire and swallowed nervously.
"..."
Juvel removed the mask from his face and bit his lip.
'Should I tell her I lived as an assassin?'
He thought Judiel would be too sad if he told her he had lived as an assassin and killed people. He didn't want to see his sister cry anymore.
"Now is not the time for that kind of talk..."
As he was about to change the subject, saying that there was no time, Judiel's lips trembled again.
"I lived as a spy."
"What?"
Juvel's eyes widened at the word spy.
"I went to the places they assigned me to and gathered information and reported it."
Judiel looked at Juvel and smiled faintly.
"I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't want to live, betraying those who trusted me to save my own life."
She covered her mouth with her trembling hands.
"I was ready to die, but I couldn't bring myself to do it when I thought of you. So, I took on a new mission, thinking I would see your face one last time..."
Judiel's eyes suddenly sparkled with an unusually pure light.
"I met the person I serve there."
"The person you serve? Different from the one who made us like this?"
"Completely different. It's someone who saved my life."
She nodded with a small but sincere smile.
"Who is that person?"
"..."
Judiel just smiled without answering. She didn't mention Raon’s name in case her or Juvel's presence in this place led to trouble for Raon.
"How about you? How have you been?"
"I..."
Juvel swallowed her dry saliva and looked up at the ceiling. He lowered his gaze again and stroked his night clothes.
"As you can see, I haven't lived a normal life. You said they wouldn’t let you meet me unless you followed their orders. I was in the same situation."
"..."
"I endured everything so I could see you, sister."
Judiel said nothing, her fists clenched, listening to her brother's words.
"Those bastards said you were living comfortably in a wealthy house..."
Thinking of the smug face of his superior, Juvel furrowed his brow.
"...I lived as an assassin. I've killed nine people so far, and today is the tenth. After completing the tenth assassination, they'll let me go, but that's probably not going to happen."
He chuckled as if he had already anticipated his own future.
"Today?"
"Yeah. The Sran tribe. It's our mission to kill them all."
"The Sran tribe is a renowned place even in the Beast Union. How could you..."
"All preparations have been made. Although it's dangerous, there won't be any failure."
Juvel sighed, saying that everything was already planned.
"Juvel."
Judiel stood up and approached Juvel. She took his hand and bowed her head briefly.
"Let's leave. There's no need to be here anymore. If we just get out of here, you and I can both live."
"..."
Juvel didn't refuse Judiel's hand, but he didn't answer either.
"Juvel?"
"I can't go."
He slowly shook his head.
"There are already assassins lurking around the Raven village. If we escape, we'll end up dead before we even leave the village."
Juvel took a deep breath and continued.
"It's a miracle you even made it here, sister. They must have been busy getting ready for the upcoming mission."
Juvel let go of Judiel's hand and touched the wall next to the bed. The wall opened silently, revealing a small space where one person could hide.
"Sister, hide in here and if you hear the sound of a fire in the forest, go back to where you came from."
"What are you talking about! We have to go together!"
"I told you. If the two of us leave together, we're bound to get caught. We'll have our necks cut off before we even get out of the village."
He took Judiel's hand again. He forced a smile, holding back the tears.
"I'll find a chance to escape, so you go first."
Juvel pointed to the mountain where Judiel had just descended.
"Wait for me up there. I'll be there soon."
"..."
Judiel didn't argue anymore. She didn't want to be separated again, but it wasn't the time to be talking about that now.
"Okay. I understand."
She nodded and sat down on the old bed. She patted the seat next to her with her palm and forced a laugh that didn't match the situation.
"Let's reminisce for a moment."
"Um..."
Juvel couldn't refuse even that and sat down next to Judiel.
"Do you remember how you couldn't sleep without resting on my lap?"
"W-What are you talking about! When did I ever!"
"You also asked if I couldn’t offer you my lap, could I at least offer you my arm?"
"No!"
The time given to the siblings was short, but the smiles that bloomed on their faces were deeper than anything else.
* * *
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Colin, Juvel's superior and the leader of Illusion Slaying squad, bowed his head towards a small crystal ball.
"All the preparations are complete. The personnel have been deployed and the seeds of fire have been hidden. We can start at the scheduled time."
"Ah, just to make things sure..."
Colin hesitated, rolling his eyes.
"Are we really going to sacrifice all of team 3?"
[I raised those horses for moments like this. Their heads have already grown too big, and keeping them alive won't help. Invest everything.]
The man in the crystal ball cut off Colin's request with a cold and decisive tone.
"Understood."
Colin bowed his head as if he knew the personality of the man in the crystal ball.
[Then let's see you in a moment.]
"Yes."
Colin bowed his head and covered the orb that had lost its light. He frowned as if he couldn't help it, and then came out of the cave where he had been hiding, wearing a mask.
"Leader."
The assassins who had been waiting outside the cave approached him and bowed their heads.
"Any signal from inside?"
"Not yet."
Bern, the captain of team 1, raised his head.
"Hmm..."
Colin looked up at the sky and frowned.
"I'll go in and check for a moment."
"There's still time."
"I know. It's a final check, so don't worry about it and just wait."
Colin disappeared into the shadows and entered the village.
The assassins waiting in the village and in the forest seemed to have already finished their preparations and were hiding in their assigned positions.
Finally, he headed to Juvel's house, which was located on the outskirts of the village. Like the other assassins, Juvel was using his concealment skills to hide.
"Number 196."
Colin halted in front of Juvel's house, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Are your preparations complete?"
* * *
"Yes."
Juvel swallowed dryly as he saw Colin, who had suddenly appeared.
'Why is this bastard here all of a sudden?'
The mission will start soon. He doesn't know why Colin, who will be giving orders to everyone in the middle of it, has come all the way here. A sense of unease crept up his spine.
"What about the installation of the seeds of fire?"
"It's been perfectly completed. Once the fire is lit, it will create a prison of fire that no one can escape."
"Good work."
Colin nodded and looked at the floor in front of the house with a strange look in his eyes.
'What's going on?'
What could he be thinking?
He had let his sister in and erased all traces of her on the floor, but Colin was smiling as if he knew something. His heart started to beat faster and faster.
"I want to talk to you for a moment inside about the team 3 plan."
"Yes?"
Juvel looked up at the sky and narrowed his eyes.
"Isn’t it almost time for the operation..."
"It's okay. It won't be a long conversation."
"...I understand."
He nodded calmly so as not to arouse suspicion and went into the house.
Colin sat down on the chair attached to the wall as usual and leaned back against it. Fortunately, it was on the opposite side of where Judiel was hiding.
"Are you still nervous?"
"A little..."
"Even on your tenth mission, you're still nervous. You must have a pretty small gut." He remarked, curling the corners of his mouth as if sneering.
"But you'll still do well. You've never failed before."
"..."
Juvel did not answer, but instead took a deep breath to ease the tension rising in his heart.
"I promise you. This will be the last one. Once this is over, you can go see your sister." Colin assured.
"And how do you expect me to believe that?"
"Believe it or not, that's up to you..."
Colin's gaze fell on the wall next to Juvel.
"Who are you hiding in there?"
"W-what are you talking about..."
"You hastily erased the traces at the door."
"What does that matter? It's natural to erase traces before a mission..."
"No. It's weird that you're erasing your own traces in the house you live in."
Colin twisted his lips, his finger gripping the blade of the dagger.
"Soon, flames will consume all. You may not have noticed, but amidst the countless footprints in the village, there were traces of women's footprints leading here. Although the tracks suggested the presence of an assassin, I wouldn't have overlooked them."
He smiled, looking at the wall next to him as if he already knew everything.
"Come out."
Colin held the blade of the dagger by his fingertips and tilted it back over his shoulder.
"This is your last warning."
"Hmph..."
Juvel chewed on his pale lips and touched the wall. The wall split silently, and Judiel, dressed in a robe, walked out again.
"Who is this woman?"
Colin chuckled as he looked at Judiel.
"I'm very curious who this woman is that you brought here when you haven't even been near a woman since you came here."
"This woman is..."
Juvel didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he scooped Judiel into his arms and smashed through the window, hurling themselves out of the house.
Kuaaaang!
In that moment, a huge explosion erupted with flashes of red between the ceiling and the floor.
Juvel and Judiel were thrown away by the shockwave of the explosion and rolled on the ground.
"I-I'm sorry."
Judiel trembled and looked at Juvel.
"No. It's my fault. I should have expected that bastard to look at those traces too. No, let's not talk about that now."
Juvel shook his head as he helped Judiel to her feet.
'I'm glad I set it up there.'
He had set up and hidden the seed of fire that was left for the village of the Sran tribe, and thanks to that, they were able to save their lives.
But there was no way Colin would die like that. He was sure to come to his senses and chase after them soon.
"He's not dead. We need to run away quickly."
Despite suggesting they flee, Juvel only chewed on his lips, seemingly unsure where to go.
"You said you know the geography around the Sran tribe, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then let's head there."
Judiel narrowed her eyes, looking at the dark forest.
"There are assassins hiding even in the forest that connects to the Sran tribe! We'll be caught before we even get there!"
"But there are even more of them outside. We have no choice but to go there."
She pointed her finger at the bushes that rose like knife blades.
"But..."
"You know that forest better than anyone else, I trust you."
There was something she learned from watching Raon. If you don't take risks, no reward will come your way. Now was the time to turn the crisis into an opportunity.
"The only way out is through that forest."
* * *
Raon frowned as he stepped out of the dimensional gate. Perhaps from multiple gate jumps, his head was throbbing.
"Greetings, nice to meet you for the first time."
A middle-aged man with blue hair bowed his head as Raon stroked his temples. His calm, settled eyes were impressive.
"I am Risrin, the special agent of Black Market."
Raon could tell immediately from his sharp eyes that this man was the assassin-turned-agent Denning Rose had mentioned.
"I am Raon Zieghart."
"I've heard your name before. It's an honor."
Risrin flashed a smile adorned with polished courtesy.
"Since there is no time, would you like to depart immediately?"
"What do you mean there's no time...?"
"The assassins hiding in the village are preparing to set the forest on fire. They'll move either today or tomorrow. I wanted to clear away the sparks, but there was too much surveillance, making it difficult to move freely."
"No. You did well."
It could cause more trouble if he meddled unnecessarily. It was better to leave it alone for now and handle it later.
"Sigh..."
Raon furrowed his brow deeply. Risrin said it could be today or tomorrow, but if the assassins’ preparations were done, there was nothing wrong with moving now. They needed to arrive in Raven Village as quickly as possible.
"It seems like we really don't have time. Let's depart."
"I'm quite confident in my speed, is that alright with you?"
"I would prefer you to use your full speed."
Risrin nodded and gently pushed the ground. His body stretched out at a frightening speed, unlike his lightly stretched legs.
He was indeed skilled enough to be confident in his speed.
Boom!
Raon used the Supreme Harmony Steps, looking at Risrin's back. With just one step, his shoulder was already touching the same position as Risrin.
"Uh...?"
Risrin opened his mouth wide as if he hadn't expected Raon to catch up so quickly.
"You can increase your speed."
Raon nodded leisurely in that state.
"Ugh."
Risrin gritted his teeth and increased his speed, but Raon effortlessly kept pace.
As they ran, Risrin's confident expression gradually waned, and in the distance, the village was engulfed in a massive fire, spewing gray smoke.
"That's..."
"Th-that's the village! They've already started!"
Risrin widened his eyes as if he hadn't anticipated this situation.
"I'll go first."
"Yes?"
Raon didn't wait for a response, forcefully pounding the ground. There was a tearing sound as the earth ripped apart, distorting space as his body extended.
"Wh-what is it?"
Risrin watched Raon, who had become a crimson streak of light, with his mouth agape.
"What kind of movement technique is that..."
Raon ignored Risrin's reaction and continued through the path, crushing it, and arrived at the entrance of Raven Village.
"Aaah!"
"H-hey, put out the fire first! Put out the fire!"
"They’re bringing water from the river!"
Raon thought a massacre was happening, but it wasn't the case. Fires were raging throughout the village, and people were trying to put them out.
"Wait! You can't go in there!"
"It's fine."
Raon shook his head at the old man who was trying to block his way and walked into the flames.
As he surveyed the outskirts of the village, he saw masked figures in night clothes, lying dead with daggers in their chests.
Raon followed the bodies, observing a forest where a massive blaze was being gathered, unlike the village.
It seemed that he would need to go inside to find out what was going on.
"Huff, huff..."
Risrin, who arrived late, came up beside him, panting heavily. His eyes were filled with astonishment.
"Is that where the Sran tribe is?"
Raon narrowed his eyes, pointing in the direction where the assassins had moved. It was where the thickest flames were burning.
"Y-yes. It seems like something different from what we predicted has happened."
Risrin swallowed dryly as he looked at the assassin's body.
As he said, it was not normal for assassins to be dead here. It was clear that Judiel and Juvel had met.
This is quite refreshing!
Wrath chuckled as if he was amused.
'Are they in there?'
Indeed. They're both moving together, and it looks quite dangerous.
Wrath seemed to like Judiel's toast (sandwich), so he let him know that she was alive.
"I'm going in and to check. Please wait here, Sir Risrin."
After catching his breath, Raon walked towards the forest engulfed in flames.
"Hey, wait a minute!"
Risrin stepped forward, his jaw clenched.
"The Sran tribe is very vigilant. There's a fire and assassins, so they'll definitely show killing intent towards you. You could be attacked from both sides, caught between the assassins, so let's at least assess the situation and..."
"I have no choice but to go now."
Raon gently pushed Risrin away. Flames thicker than those engulfing the forest rose in his eyes.
"My subordinate is inside."
