Master Assassin of the Ronan

Chapter 9: The First Trial (3)

“Why did he get a festival map instead of one from the Map Storage Room?”

As the other participants headed toward the Map Storage Room, Rubin went alone to get the festival map, prompting Rulfo, head of the Edict Bureau, to ask this question.

Rulfo wondered why only this child had chosen a different method. However, the other family heads seemed to understand Rubin’s intention.

Rulfo cast a questioning glance at Seiren.

“It’s my child’s will. Do I really need to explain it myself?”

She was composed and felt inwardly satisfied.

Although it was only the beginning of the test, she knew Rubin’s actions would mark an important turning point.

And the other family heads also knew Rubin’s choice was a valid one, which showed on their faces as their laughter faded.

Galliotric’s head spoke up on Seiren’s behalf.

“Allow me to explain. Young Master Rubin’s decision this time will reveal a few distinctions.”

“Oh, really? A few distinctions?”

“If this were a typical infiltration or high-level assassination mission, the Grade-1 map from the Map Storage Room would indeed be useful. But this isn’t that kind of mission.”

The Galliotric head continued his explanation.

“This target isn’t a noble; it’s an ordinary citizen. There’s no reason for a regular citizen to approach the restricted zones of Trumbell. Rather, it makes more sense for them to appear at one of the various events shown on the festival map.”

Rulfo, having understood the explanation, nodded.

“It’d be much more helpful to know where each event is taking place.”

“Of course, the Map Storage Room is guarded by territory soldiers. By not going there, he also avoids the hassle of infiltrating under their surveillance.”

Following the Galliotric head’s words, the Bondog head stepped forward.

“Currently, all other participants except Young Master Rubin are heading toward the Map Storage Room. There’s only one Grade-1 map available in the territory. So, the participants are bound to clash. If someone secures the Grade-1 map first, going to the Map Storage Room will be a waste of time.”

“The Map Storage Room is probably quite chaotic by now.”

The Krieger head, speaking irritably, muttered under his breath.

He was frustrated with his own son, who hadn’t thought like Rubin.

How could he miss something so obvious?

Even if he was only nine years old, a true Krieger should have known better.

Other heads felt a mix of discontent and admiration as they recalled that Rubin had never stepped out of the main house until now.

The arena was one of intelligence, talent, and instinct.

The mere fact that such an untrained child from the Assassin Blade Family could act so efficiently in this “First Choice” was astonishing.

“Well then, Seiren, may I ask you a question?”

Rulfo spoke again, this time with an implicit pressure not to evade his question.

Seiren took a sip of wine and nodded.

“If it were you, where would you start looking on that festival map? I’m curious about where you’d consider the optimal place to locate the target.”

“That’s an easy question. The outdoor theater.”

“The theater?”

All the other family heads nodded in agreement with Seiren’s thought.

It seemed only Rulfo didn’t understand.

“It’s the best place to check people’s backs.”

Finding the target and removing the red mark on the back collar was the ultimate condition for victory.

Only then did Rulfo understand her words.

“Ah, that makes sense.”

Just then, a soldier entered to report new developments.

Rulfo pulled a new plate toward him, skewering a piece of well-done meat with his fork and chewing it methodically.

“Let’s hear it. I wonder if Rubin acted as the family head expected.”

But it wasn’t news about Rubin; it was information from the Map Storage Room, detailing events that had occurred about three minutes earlier.

* * *

Just as expected, soldiers were patrolling the Map Storage Room, guarding it diligently.

Soldiers were stationed in pairs in front of the Map Storage Room, making it virtually impenetrable.

The ones who outsmarted these guards were members of two allied families.

This was a combined operation by the Stone and Bondog families.

Since they had grown up near each other, they frequently visited each other’s houses even before the First Choice.

Stone was the first to arrive at the Map Storage Room.

Rather than recklessly infiltrating, he waited for Bondog.

When Bondog arrived second, the two divided their roles to create a gap in the guards’ vigilance.

They used a simple strategy: one would serve as the decoy, while the other infiltrated.

The guards were fooled by this straightforward tactic and left a brief opening, allowing Stone to slip inside.

Stone quickly found the Grade-1 map.

Without hesitation, he planned to leave the Market’s main building and wait for Bondog at their designated meeting spot.

However, the moment he exited the Map Storage Room, something blocked his path.

When Stone dove toward the corner to evade, a disappointed voice followed his missed target.

“Tsk.”

It was Kun Krokisson.

Kun tilted his head as he looked at Stone, hidden in the shadows.

“You’re not Rubin?”

“Rubin?”

“That high-and-mighty kid from the Ronan family!”

Without waiting for a response, Kun charged toward Stone. His fierce energy was something no nine-year-old could show.

Stone couldn’t avoid or block Kun’s attack. Kun’s movements were beyond anything Stone had experienced.

Thud!

Kun rifled through Stone’s clothes, finding the Grade-1 map.

“You were with Bondog, right? That skinny kid you teamed up with. He’s lying down like you are now.”

Kun spread out the Grade-1 map and memorized it in its entirety before burning it with a matchstick and pressing down on Stone’s fingers with his foot.

“Grrgh…!”

Stone clenched his mouth shut to keep from screaming, but Kun’s sneer hovered over him.

“Weakling.”

Kun then lit a matchstick and burned the Grade-1 map.

Pressing himself against the wall, he muttered.

“Just one more person to wait for here.”

The fewer competitors, the better.

Stone, clutching his broken finger with tears streaming down his face, was already forgotten.

“He’s coming.”

The sound of footsteps approached from the Map Storage Room’s direction. Kun grinned from the shadows, ready to strike.

“I hope it’s Rubin.”

The heads were informed of the entire situation.

Upon hearing that his son’s finger had likely been broken, the Stone head put down his fork. Suppressing his anger, he shot a glare at the Krieger head, who simply shrugged.

“As expected, the first test of strength takes place at the Map Storage Room.”

The tension heightened as a sly remark stoked the competitive atmosphere.

A clash among the participants had been anticipated.

In fact, the heads expected such confrontations to sharpen their children’s abilities into sharper blades.

The children, too, instinctively knew they needed to eliminate other participants.

Any method was allowed.

Traps, ambushes—they were all permitted.

Every tactic used in this test would be recognized as talent.

“I quite like the Krokisson kid’s approach.”

The Edict Bureau head showed his approval of Kun’s methods.

Smiling, he raised his wine glass and looked across the table.

The Krieger head also raised his glass to join the toast.

“Now that’s a straightforward approach. Charging forward and eliminating the threat. Cutting out the danger at its roots. If you possess great power, it’s right to display and wield it.”

Rulfo’s face was red from the wine he had drunk.

“What’s the boy’s name?”

“Kun,” replied the Krieger head.

“Kun. That’s a good name. If Kun eliminates all the participants, this test will end, won’t it? With no need to bother with the target.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

Once again, the Krieger head responded. He enjoyed the Edict Bureau head’s praises for his son.

He had always expected Kun to win this First Choice, and his pride in his child was immense.

Indeed, he had put Kun through rigorous training as soon as he had outgrown infancy.

Toughening him, making him stronger.

He had even broken certain implicit rules within the Assassin Blade Family to focus on Kun’s early education, believing that this was finally bearing fruit.

He envisioned the day his son would escape the shadow of the Ronan family’s main line and eventually overshadow them.

“How exciting it would be if a single participant could eliminate all the others. Such a clean result, wouldn’t it? It would make reporting to His Majesty so much simpler.”

Rulfo chuckled.

“Indeed, a single, definitive blade is more valuable than ten mediocre ones. Ah, Seiren. Has this ever happened before? I mean, a case where one participant won by eliminating all the others?”

Seiren replied in a low voice.

“There have been a few.”

“A few, then? So it wouldn’t be a first. Well, it is quite an old test, after all.”

Rulfo didn’t press further to find out who held that record.

But the other family heads, aware of the answer, glanced at Seiren with a mixture of emotions.

The one who had won by eliminating all other participants was none other than Seiren Ronan.

They remembered that her method had been far more brutal and merciless than Kun’s.

Half of the children who participated in the First Choice with Seiren had been permanently forgotten, unfit to serve as assassins.

Although Seiren drew a respectful gaze from the other family heads, her thoughts were solely on her son.

‘Rubin, how will you prove yourself?’

Just then, a soldier entered the hall to report the latest situation.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward him.

“I’ll now inform you of the latest developments in the test field. Currently, participant Rubin is inspecting the festival theater, where people have gathered to watch a play. There was an incident before he arrived at the theater, however…”

This was the news Seiren had been waiting for.