Master Assassin of the Ronan

Chapter 8: The First Trial (2)

The children, each positioned at the edge of Grandbird, took a deep breath.

‘Here it comes!’

They looked up at the sky.

Above the height where Grandbird hovered, a group of dark shapes pierced through the clouds and appeared.

The black birds, flapping their wings as they approached us, were large enough to carry a full-grown adult on their backs.

Roincrows.

If the giant bird Grandbird was the Imperial Family’s secret weapon, then the Roincrows were the loyal companions that had shared a centuries-old history with the Assassin Blade Family.

Shrouded in mystery from birth to growth, these mystical creatures only obeyed the bloodline of the Assassin Blade Family and had assisted in assassins’ missions.

For now, though, they were only tasked with bringing the children down to the ground.

One Roincrow per assassin—this was a time-honored tradition of the Assassin Blade Family.

Soon, I would have the chance to choose my own Roincrow as well.

‘Grandbird seems tense.’

And for good reason.

These weren’t just ordinary Roincrows; they were the partners of the nine Family Heads of the Assassin Blade Family.

No matter the difference in size, the intimidation of the Family Heads’ Roincrows was beyond imagination.

Perhaps the children were more nervous about the chance to ride the crows of the Family Heads than the fact they were riding a bird the size of a playground.

Flap, flap.

The Roincrow of my mother, Seiren Ronan, flapped its wings in front of me. Its eyes were red, just like my mother’s hair.

“Please climb on. I’ll assist you.”

The guide offered, but I didn’t need any help. I quickly jumped onto the back of the Roincrow.

Caw!

A strange peace washed over me. It was a comfort I hadn’t felt on Grandbird.

Looking back, I saw that all the other children had safely mounted their respective Roincrows.

The guides connected the children and the Roincrows with ropes to prevent any accidents, though it was ultimately unnecessary.

Even if something unfortunate happened, a Roincrow would never simply let it be.

“Stop dawdling and get down there!”

The Examiner from the Edict Bureau was grumbling irritably.

The appearance of the Roincrows allied with the Assassin Blade Family must have bothered him.

It was natural, after all—anyone not of the Assassin Blade Family’s bloodline would feel intimidated.

‘I want to tease him a little.’

Perhaps sensing my thoughts, my mother’s Roincrow flapped its wings and began to fly. It skimmed past the Examiner at an exhilaratingly close range.

“You disrespectful crow!”

Ignoring his shout, I quickly swooped down toward the ground.

Whoosh.

The refreshing sound of the wind brushed against my ears.

The nine Roincrows spread out to avoid overlapping starting positions.

My starting point was the eastern wall.

The wall, which should have been guarded by soldiers, was empty.

Likely due to orders from the Mayor of Trumbell.

Instead, a guide from the Edict Bureau was waiting and approached me. Opening the lid of a glass bottle, he spoke.

“According to test procedure, I’ll sprinkle this. It will attract ghost rats.”

A special powder, dark brown in color, was spread evenly over my body, then promptly disappeared as if by magic.

‘It begins now.’

I had to move immediately. Soon, five ghost rats would catch my scent and start tracking me.

Just as I was about to move, the guide called me back.

“I’ll repeat the clue for you. When I call your name, you must vanish…”

“It’s alright. No need.”

I’d solved it as soon as I first heard it.

The answer was silence.

It was such a simple riddle that I hadn’t even needed memories from before my return.

Only, what exactly that ‘silence’ symbolized about the target was something I still needed to think about.

I hadn’t solved that mystery even before my return.

* * *

The red-eyed Roincrow, having completed its mission, flew high into the sky.

Just before it completely distanced itself from the ground, the crow turned its head to look down at the boy it had just dropped off. But the boy had already disappeared.

Caw!

The Roincrow moved northward, past Trumbell. As it crossed the northern wall, other crows joined in flight.

Flying in formation, the crows spotted a small lake located north of Trumbell and began descending toward the ground.

By the lakeside stood a modest mansion. This place, usually a secondary residence for the Mayor of Trumbell, was outside his control today.

Soldiers dressed in golden armor emblazoned with the Imperial Emblem and attendants of the Assassin Blade Family, draped in black veils, filled the grounds.

A tense air hung between them.

Then, above them, the nine returning Roincrows appeared.

While the Imperial soldiers eyed the crows warily, the assassins welcomed them back with warm looks.

The crows passed by the guards and circled above the mansion, each one landing on a corner of the roof.

However, Seiren Ronan’s crow, the Family Head’s own, flew directly inside through an open window.

Its large size didn’t hinder its graceful, precise movement.

Watching the Roincrow return to her side, Seiren spoke.

“It has begun.”

In the hall on the mansion’s first floor.

Around a large table sat the heads of branch families, and naturally, Seiren took the seat of honor.

Opposite her sat the head of the Edict Bureau, an agent under the Emperor’s direct command. He observed everyone with a haughty expression.

His name was Rulfo. Stroking his beard, he looked at Seiren’s crow and remarked.

“I wonder how exceptional these children will be.”

A moment later.

An assortment of specialties and wines from various cities gifted by the Emperor entered the hall.

Simple dining and free conversation followed. Light music played, and comfortable smiles were exchanged.

But neither the heads of the nine families nor the power-holder from the Imperial Family let down their guard.

They were all silently tense, waiting for new reports.

Soon, updates from the trial site would start arriving.

The outstanding assassins from each family and the soldiers of the Edict Bureau were stationed throughout Trumbell, relaying information from the trial site back to this mansion.

“The participants have scattered along the nine directions of the wall and begun the trial. They quickly approached people and questioned citizens to determine their direction. Presently, they’re all heading toward the Mayor’s main estate’s ‘Map Room.’ However…”

The reporting soldier tilted his head, pausing as if something felt odd.

The head of the Edict Bureau, who was slicing well-cooked meat with a knife, looked up at the soldier.

“Yes?”

“One of the participants is moving in a different direction than expected.”

The standard approach in this test would be to first secure a map to understand the layout of the city.

The Map Room was the place to do that.

But to think there was a participant deviating from that flow.

“Who is it?”

The Edict Bureau Head’s curiosity was piqued.

“Rubin Ronan.”

The name of the family’s heir caught the branch family heads’ attention.

What could such deviation mean?

An innovative approach? Or a fatal mistake?

Rulfo glanced at Seiren’s expression, but, true to the nature of a true master of the Assassin Blade Family, her face betrayed no emotion.

She merely swirled the wine in her glass, took a sip, and drank with a calm demeanor.

* * *

At that moment, in Trumbell.

Rubin was moving through the crowd, heading somewhere.

The peaceful city of Trumbell was in the midst of a festival, filled with people of all classes and statuses celebrating today noisily.

The citizens, blissfully unaware of the Emperor’s troops stationed just a kilometer away and assassins hiding to observe the trial, reveled freely.

Wear nothing but the white festival attire.

The citizens faithfully adhered to the festival’s single rule set by the Mayor, drinking, joking, and dancing.

Amidst the crowd, Rubin moved his eyes diligently.

Finding the target in a festive crowd was close to a miracle.

Therefore, he needed to narrow down where the target was likely to be.

By now, the other participants would have likely made their way toward the Mayor’s main estate, aiming for the Map Room.

The Map Room contained detailed information about Trumbell’s layout, giving the first to secure it an information advantage.

But Rubin thought differently.

‘There.’

Walking through an alley, Rubin stopped at an ordinary map stall selling maps drawn specifically for the festival.

These maps were roughly sketched, lacking details about Trumbell’s various locations, only noting where events would be held during the festival.

“Mister, can I take a look at the map?”

Unable to meet the stallkeeper’s eye level, Rubin waved his hands enthusiastically.

“Of course! But, do you have money?”

“Of course, I do! I’ll take a look first.”

“Are you here alone, without any adults?”

Instead of handing him the map, the stallkeeper asked.

Rubin pointed to the decoration stall next to them, where a young couple was inspecting various ornaments.

“They’re right over there.”

“Oh, alright. Are you really going to buy a map?”

“Yes, my mom asked me to. But I need to make sure it’s the right one. Can I check?”

The stallkeeper, convinced by the innocent child’s request, handed over the map, and Rubin calmly unfolded it.

“Ah, so this is the central plaza. And here’s the performance venue…”

The stallkeeper didn’t notice that

Rubin’s steps were gradually leading him deeper into the crowd.

By the time he looked back, Rubin had already disappeared.

Rubin moved quickly through the crowd. He needed to find a quiet place to examine the map.

‘No ghost rats in sight yet.’

Even in this moment, Rubin spread his Dark Ripple widely.

He made sure to restrain his power so as not to alert any hidden attendants nearby.

‘Detecting killing intent.’

The Dark Ripple, spread wide around Rubin, would detect any hostile intent, allowing his body to respond faster.

Not just the incoming ghost rats but also other participants attempting ambushes.

Spotting a secluded alley, Rubin slipped in.

He unfolded the map, mentally noting the locations of today’s events.

Then he folded the map in half and tore it into small pieces.

The safest place to keep information was in his mind.

Rubin recalled the event locations, gauging his direction.

In his mind, the map he had just seen was already imprinted clearly.

‘I should go there first.’