Master Assassin of the Ronan

Chapter 2. The Hundred-Day Cradle (1)

“Rubin, I’m sorry.”

Unable to speak yet, I blinked as I looked up at my mother.

“We’ll need to be apart for a few days. His Majesty, the Emperor, has personally given me orders.”

Members of the Assassin Blade Family could not refuse an imperial decree, even if that member happened to be the family head, who had reached the level of a seven-star.

Still, there was something strange about this.

Receiving an imperial command at such a crucial time, during the hundred-day period I was to spend with her.

Especially if it was a direct command to the family head, it meant that this mission held significant importance for the Emperor as well.

Such an occurrence was rare.

The target my mother had to eliminate was likely someone renowned across the continent, at least.

They would have to be someone of her level, a martial artist or mage above seven stars.

“There’s no other choice. This is the fate of our Ronan Family.”

My mother rose from the bed and began to prepare herself.

Before long, her gear was waiting by the door.

Legendary gear.

Each piece was a legendary weapon in its own right.

My mother grasped her dagger and gave it a light swing.

Whiiiing. Whiiiing.

The sharp sound sliced through the air.

The dagger, as though capable of guiding anything it touched toward death, was called the “Nameless Blade.”

It was one of two famous swords my mother favored in her previous life.

This Nameless Blade, in this time, was far lighter and smoother.

“It feels nostalgic to see it again.”

My mother’s gaze, which had been fixed on me, had subtly changed.

It wasn’t the gaze of a mother but that of Seiren Ronan.

That cold expression was both familiar and unfamiliar to me.

“….”

Thud.

Without a word of farewell, the head of the Assassin Blade Family and master of the main Ronan household stepped out the door.

* * *

Returning to the state of an infant made it challenging to control my body.

All I did was sleep deeply.

Although it looked as if I was idling, this period was, in fact, the most crucial.

The ‘Hundred-Day Cradle.’

In the Ronan Family, a baby spent the first hundred days alone with the family head.

During this period, the child must not be seen by even their father or siblings.

To foster affection with the family head?

Because of an ancient tradition?

No.

It was to receive the unique power of the Assassin Blade Family.

Our family’s singular power and source — ‘Dark Ripple.’

Every descendant of the Assassin Blade Family could wield Dark Ripple.

Though the few who knew of our existence admired our toxic arts or blademanship, those were merely built upon the foundation of Dark Ripple.

Only with Dark Ripple could the secret arts of the Assassin Blade Family unfold, and only by mastering Dark Ripple could one blend into shadows and scenes unnoticed.

This was why the Hundred-Day Cradle was so vital.

It was only during this time that Dark Ripple could take root.

A limited time of one hundred days spent alone with the family head in a dark, cozy chamber.

During this period, the family head helped the child’s Dark Ripple take root.

Only if Dark Ripple properly rooted during this phase could it later blossom. It was like a type of sowing — a planting of seeds, so to speak.

However,

“I’m not very fortunate.”

With my mother absent from the cradle due to the Emperor’s order, it was challenging for my Dark Ripple to take root properly.

This period, with every minute and second precious, became a disadvantage for me as much as my mother was absent.

However,it seemed that something unusual had happened upon my return.

“To think that the ‘Ring’ from before my death still remains.”

The Ring, another term for the Circle of Talent.

Every person possessed only one Ring.

Though empty at first, the nature of one’s talent would be determined by what filled it over time.

If filled with aura, one would be a warrior.

If filled with mana, a mage.

If filled with Dark Ripple, an assassin.

If left unfilled, an ordinary person.

In certain cases, the talents filling the Ring might mix or clash, gradually developing together.

Yet even so, no person could have two Rings in a single body.

I had never heard of such a thing.

Thinking I might be mistaken, I observed my entire body once again, but the result was the same.

I could clearly feel two circles near my heart.

One was the ‘Past Life Ring’ containing Dark Ripple at a five-star level.

The other was an empty ‘Present Life Ring.’

“Two Rings.”

Even in the centuries-long history of the Assassin Blade Family, there was no precedent for this.

One body, one Ring.

This was a law of nature, a principle of the world.

Though my mother, regarded as the strongest head in history, had awakened her Dark Ripple remarkably early, at the age of six, she too had only a single Ring.

“I’ve stepped beyond the natural order.”

A return to the past and now two Rings.

If I continued to grow without incident, I could become far stronger than before.

No, I would become stronger than anyone in this world.

That is, if I could fully control both Rings.

I carefully, thoroughly observed the ‘two Rings’ within me.

“The first Ring is nearly on the verge of rampaging. It holds the Dark Ripple of a five-star level accumulated over thirty years of my past life; it’s natural that my infant body can’t bear it.”

I could sense it instinctively.

For now, I couldn’t freely control this vast Dark Ripple.

With such a fragile body, even revealing the Dark Ripple might shatter me.

It might even damage the newly gained second Ring.

“Someday, I’ll be able to handle it freely.”

More importantly, though, was the second Ring.

I had to receive Dark Ripple from my mother and awaken it as soon as possible.

“One day, I might even combine the Dark Ripple emerging from both Rings.”

If I managed that, the secret arts of the Assassin Blade Family I used before returning would become twice as powerful.

Or perhaps even more.

“I might become a monster beyond imagination.”

A strange thrill stirred my heart.

The tasks I needed to complete from here on became clear.

First, I needed to awaken Dark Ripple in the second Ring as quickly as possible.

And then, I had to perfectly conceal the first Ring.

If I revealed it, it would provoke jealousy and resentment from my siblings, as well as vigilance from the heads of the Assassin Blade Family’s branch families.

Above all, it would also provoke the Emperor, who, though discreet, harbored caution against the Assassin Blade Family.

So, it had to be hidden.

Completely, so that no one would notice.

Not my father, siblings, or servants — not even my mother.

That was the sure path to revenge.

On the second day, my mother had not yet returned.

Was I worried about her?

No, I wasn’t.

I knew the future.

My mother would live until the day I died.

Besides, in this era of the empire, no one existed who could survive a one-on-one fight with my mother.

And even if there were, they would not be someone she would be targeting.

Using this time, I began to train the Rings within my body.

To hasten the awakening of Dark Ripple within the second Ring.

And to grow accustomed to hiding the first Ring itself.

I needed to practice ensuring that Dark Ripple didn’t leak out unknowingly.

Then,

Creeeak.

The door opened.

Had my mother returned?

The only people who could enter this room, where the Hundred-Day Cradle took place, were the family head and the nanny, so it was a reasonable assumption.

But the face that cast a shadow over me was neither my mother’s nor the nanny’s.

“Hm. So this is what you look like.”

“You have black hair, just like your father. How ominous and vulgar.”

Two Men.

Petty fools.

These men were the fathers of my half-brothers.

In other words, they were not my real fathers.

My father was the Third, while these two were my mother’s first and second husbands, known as the First and the Second.

The First extended a finger and tapped my head.

“I feel like killing him.”

Ha, and on the 29th day since I was born, the first evaluation I received was, “I feel like killing him.”

The Second followed, also tapping my head.

“Is he even worth killing?”

“That’s true. He’s just going to end up cleaning up after us his whole life. After all, someone with the Ronan name has to handle the menial work.”

“It’s only natural, considering his lowly father.”

They despised me until their dying breaths, scorning my father, who had been a hunter.

Their hatred toward me was fully passed down to their sons, and throughout my life, I had to constantly clash with my brothers.

At that moment, I sensed a presence beyond the door.

It was two familiar little voices.

“Uh, Father, are we allowed in here?”

“I’m scared. The family head will be angry, Father.”

They were my half-brothers.

The older one was thirteen, and the younger one was eleven.

“We’ll only be here for a moment. Come here, both of you.”

Called by the First, the two boys approached timidly.

The older one, Dorian, who was the Second’s son, looked down at me with curiosity.

I glared at Dorian, putting strength into my gaze.

Rough words immediately followed.

“Disgusting.”

As Dorian sneered, the younger brother, Maphis, snickered.

“He looks incredibly weak.”

Disgusting, I could understand, but weak?

In reality, Maphis was the most incompetent of all.

In my previous life, I had surpassed him by the time I was sixteen.

“Huh? Hey, he’s looking at me and smiling, Father.”

“Don’t get too attached. Sooner or later, we’ll discard him without mercy.”

The First shot me a look of disgust and then addressed his surroundings.

“Dorian, Maphis. Listen closely. Although you two are of Ronan blood, this vulgar child is not. He’s practically a bastard. Someday, he’ll try to drag you both down.”

Damn it.

So this was how our enmity began.

These people who would torment me all my life, burning to see me dead — all for such a petty reason.

Dorian turned to his father and asked,

“Then, does that mean we should kill him someday?”

“Are you afraid?”

“Oh, no. I just thought, after all, we are blood brothers…”

“Dorian. The only people you cannot kill are His Majesty, the Emperor, and the family head, as well as those here bearing the Ronan name. But this one? Remember this. Even though he bears the Ronan name, he’s not truly a Ronan. Do you understand?”

My two half-brothers nodded in agreement.

I had no intention of siding with them either.

In my previous life, when the Emperor marched in with his army to purge the Ronan Family, they cowered in fear, urging surrender.

These wretched parasites, leeching off the Ronan bloodline, were not only unhelpful in seeking revenge but were obstacles instead.

“Now, let’s go back. If the servants see us, it’ll be a nuisance.”

The First and the Second left the room first, but Dorian and Maphis lingered by my side.

Emboldened by the First’s words, the two brothers tapped my head before leaving.

“Grow up quickly, so you can do my errands.”

“Grow up, you lowborn.”

To think I’d have to endure such scorn even after being reborn.

It was hard to tolerate.

In my past life, I would have simply smiled back, completely unaware.

But now was different.

After returning to this life, letting this go would be unsatisfying, wouldn’t it?

“Huh, huh?”

I quickly reached out a hand.

Startled by my sudden movement, Maphis froze.

Their fathers were already down the corridor.

Even without seeing them, I could sense their movements beyond the wall, thanks to a small amount of Dark Ripple that overflowed from the first Ring.

Of course, I hadn’t intentionally leaked it.

Like water spilling from an overfilled cup, it had naturally seeped out.

Although I couldn’t finely control this small bit of Dark Ripple, I could still use it to some extent.

I spread the dense Dark Ripple out like a mist.

While I couldn’t ‘see’ beyond the wall, I could ‘feel’ it.

And one more thing.

“Ahhh!”

This small bit of Dark Ripple gave my infant body the power to firmly grip Maphis’s finger.

“What’s wrong, Maphis!” Dorian approached.

“Damn it, he’s grabbed my finger.”

“Then just pull it out.”

Little did the thirteen-year-old older brother, who had just awakened his Dark Ripple, or the eleven-year-old younger brother, who hadn’t awakened his Dark Ripple yet, know just how densely Dark Ripple was concentrated in my grip on his finger.

“Ugh. Brother, it hurts too much.”

I looked Maphis straight in the eyes.

Maphis averted his gaze naturally.

“He’s just a baby. Stop messing around, Maphis!”

“It’s true.”

“You’ll get in trouble with Father.”

“I’m serious! It hurts too much!”

As the children failed to emerge, I sensed the First and Second returning from the end of the corridor.

I released Maphis’s finger.

In that brief moment, I tore the button from the cuff of Maphis’s sleeve.

“What’s taking so long? Come out now. There’ll be plenty of time to torment him later.”

Unaware of anything, the Second urged them along, while Maphis rubbed his finger and glanced back at me.

His gaze, which had been filled with disdain, now held a trace of fear.

Just wait.

Soon, that fear will consume you.

Thud.

The door closed.

This time, it was possible only because they were such fools, but next time, I’d have to be more careful about hiding the Dark Ripple.

* * *

On the seventh day since she’d left the estate, my mother returned.

It was a day of pouring rain.

No one noticed the family head’s return.

My mother slipped back into the Hundred-Day Cradle without my realizing.

A stormy night with crashing thunder.

Each flash of lightning illuminated the blood streaming down my mother’s arm.

The target she had to kill had evidently been a formidable opponent.

With a twisted expression, my mother looked at her wounds in the mirror.

Then our eyes met through the reflection.

The cold face of the master of the Ronan Assassin Blade Family stared directly at me.

“It is fate.”

I thought about crying like a baby but held back.

Such behavior would not befit the heir of the Assassin Blade Family.

“…It seems even a cradle less than a hundred days old attracts flies. That too, is fate.”

So she’d noticed.

Holding her arm where she was wounded, my mother approached, searching for traces of the outsiders who had entered this place.

Though the room looked spotless, devoid of a speck of dust, to her, it likely appeared disordered.

She must have already known it wasn’t the nanny’s doing.

And she had likely figured out the intruders were my two fathers and their sons.

She had probably even assessed the length of their strides.

Surely, she had meticulously tracked the traces of Dark Ripple.

But did she also know what they had done to me?

Feigning a toss and turn, I opened my tightly clenched fist.

When she saw Maphis’s button in my hand, my mother’s gaze became sharper than ever.

“It seems I need to summon the family.”