Master Assassin of the Ronan

Chapter 53. The Siblings of Ashen Harbor (1)

Rubin and his companions reached the western border of the Kingdom of Rihon.

It was called a border, but it lacked strict security.

The walls were crumbling, and the guards only used a single, modest building as the entry post.

“Please show me your passage permit.”

Kuze took a paper out from inside his clothes and handed it over.

The guard, as if amazed to see an Imperial passage permit, opened his eyes wide.

He inspected it carefully, but the most he could verify was the authenticity of the seal.

“It’s genuine. You may pass.”

In truth, the Imperial passage permit had a hidden magical signature beyond the visible seal. However, the Rihon Kingdom’s guards lacked the ability to read magical signatures for proper verification.

“Thank you for your service.”

Kuze nodded slightly and walked forward. As he led the reins, Tina trotted along with the sound of her hooves.

Before they got too far from the checkpoint, Rubin glanced back.

The border consisted of nothing but broken walls and shabby buildings.

The reason the western border of the Kingdom of Rihon was so neglected was because it led directly to ‘Ashen Harbor.’

Ashen Harbor was an Imperial territory, one where the kingdom held no influence.

From the kingdom’s perspective, its proximity meant they could not establish any defensive system in that direction.

There was no wall, watchtower, or even a single soldier stationed nearby.

Any presence there would signify disloyalty to the Emperor.

“Tina.”

Snort.

“The checkpoint for Ashen Harbor is coming up soon. You know what that means, right?”

While the western border of the Kingdom of Rihon was too lax to be called a ‘border,’ Ashen Harbor’s checkpoint was the complete opposite.

The guards at the harbor were entirely composed of Imperial soldiers. Although they were only foot soldiers, each one’s skill matched that of knights in most kingdoms.

The inspection process would be thorough. Even with an Imperial passage permit, things would be different when facing Imperial soldiers.

Unless Rubin was part of a renowned family within the Empire, he only had a single ID on him.

Plus, he had only one servant by his side.

He would be fortunate if the Imperial soldiers didn’t simply disregard him.

“Deceiving the Imperial soldiers? That’s practically destiny for the Blood-Transformation Tribe. Don’t worry, young master.”

The biggest risk factor was Tina herself.

Although Tina spoke boldly, it wasn’t as simple as she made it sound.

Tina had spent her life on the run from the Empire.

No matter her shapeshifting abilities, she harbored a deep, instinctual fear of Imperial soldiers. Such things couldn’t be hidden entirely.

“If they discover you’re Blood-Transformation Tribe in front of the Imperial soldiers…”

Rubin considered the worst-case scenario. Kuze, walking ahead, turned his head to look at Rubin with curiosity.

“If they find out, Kuze will draw his sword and stab you instantly. Since we didn’t know, we’d just say that we bought a horse before leaving Rihon Kingdom, only to find out it was Blood-Transformation Tribe.”

It was a cold prediction, but the logical thing to do. The Blood-Transformation Tribe were public enemies pursued by the Empire. Regardless of any false identity, it wasn’t something to openly risk.

Snort.

Tina, who seemed to have expected this, let out an angry whinny.

“But you won’t die. They’ll lock you up, and we’ll get released after a brief inquiry. I’ll make sure to rescue you somehow before they take you to the capital, so don’t be afraid.”

Though Tina seemed to say, ‘I’m not scared,’ with a resentful flick of her tail, her underlying fear was palpable.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

They continued along the paved road leading to the harbor.

Eventually, the sound of waves crashing against the shore began to mix in with the noises around them.

“I can smell the sea.”

As Kuze murmured in awe, the salty scent of the sea and the metallic smell unique to the harbor reached them.

Clang- clang- clang-

They still had some distance to go before reaching the harbor, but the sound of hammering metal rose above the waves.

At the dock, they were hard at work building ships.

The creaking of wood and the tightening of decks filled the air.

“Wow…”

With Tina’s exclamation, the shimmering waves reflecting the bright sunlight stretched before them.

It was the sea.

Soon, in the distance, they could see the coast and the port where the waves crashed.

“There’s the checkpoint.”

However, the checkpoint awaited them, the only way to enter the harbor.

At the end of the paved road, a rugged, fortified wall and watchtower stood tall.

In stark contrast to the crumbling wall they had seen at the Rihon border, its imposing presence seemed even grander.

While no kingdom could build walls facing Imperial lands, the Empire could establish formidable defenses on its side.

That was Emperor Telmach’s approach.

“From now on, I’m just a gentle horse… Snort! A gentle horse…”

Tina mumbled to herself nervously in a small voice, as if signaling their start.

They resumed their steps.

As they approached the checkpoint, Rubin sensed through his Dark Ripple that the number of soldiers increased.

There seemed to be at least a company of Imperial soldiers stationed there.

And among them.

‘As expected, there’s a mage here too.’

Though he couldn’t gauge the mage’s skill, any combat mage in the Imperial Army would be worth a hundred soldiers. If conflict arose, the fight would be challenging.

In front of the firmly shut gate.

An Imperial guard, brimming with authority, approached.

The deep-brimmed helmet that hid his eyes left an impression. Kuze stepped forward to respond.

“Are you travelers?”

“Yes.”

“Let me check your passage permit.”

“Here it is.”

“Hmm…”

While the Imperial passage permit would draw gasps when traveling between kingdoms, it wasn’t as valuable when crossing directly into Imperial territory. It was the lowest grade of permit.

The Imperial guard, unlike the kingdom’s guards who only checked the visible seal, was different.

“Please wait.”

Moments later, a mage descended the stairs from the wall.

Rubin quickly realized this mage wasn’t of a level that would pose a threat to them.

‘Not a combat mage.’

For mages, conducting passage inspections was among the lowest assignments. It meant he likely graduated at the bottom of his class at the magic academy.

“Give it here.”

Despite being a lowly mage, he acted arrogantly as though to flaunt his rank, snatching the permit from the guard.

With a glance, the mage scanned Rubin’s Imperial passage permit.

‘He’s checking if it’s a family worth bowing to.’

Realizing it was unimportant, the mage smirked, rudely digging a finger in his mouth.

“Hmm, heading to Kapotini?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Although Kuze answered, the mage’s gaze remained fixed on Rubin, who sat on the horse.

“It seems like the Kapotini magic academy is starting up soon. Are you perhaps a magic cadet?”

Kuze shook his head, and Rubin followed suit, feigning a naive expression.

“No, I’m not.”

“Thought so. There’s a Kapotini cadet ship docked at the harbor, so I just asked. From your appearance, I figured you weren’t a mage.”

“Uh, Mage? Could you finish checking the permit…?”

Kuze cautiously requested the mage to continue. The mage frowned slightly.

“So impatient.”

The mage fished a small vial out of his pocket. Removing the lid, he revealed a fluorescent ointment.

He dabbed a bit on his finger and smeared it over the permit’s front.

This was to verify the hidden magical signature.

“Hmm, it’s genuine. If it had been a forgery, I would’ve finally had the chance to show off my magic skills.”

“Haha…”

Kuze laughed awkwardly, trying to appease the mage. Meanwhile, the guard didn’t seem amused, watching Rubin’s group continuously from under his helmet.

Finally.

“You may pass.”

“Then.”

Rubin respectfully nodded, moving Tina forward. The guard signaled with a hand to let them through.

Thud. Thud.

The enormous gate opened with a heavy rumble. Kuze led the reins and began to walk forward. It seemed like the inspection was over.

“Hold on.”

The mage called out, halting Rubin’s group.

Rubin immediately extended his Dark Ripple, mapping out the positions of the guards at the checkpoint. It was the instinct of an assassin preparing for the worst.

Though he’d said they’d pretend not to know Tina if she was discovered, he had no real intention of doing so.

“Stop for a moment.”

He heard the mage hastily approaching from behind. Kuze bent slightly, responding to him.

“Yes? Is there a problem…?”

The mage approached and placed his hand on the horse’s back—on Tina. Startled, Tina stamped her hooves.

Clip-clop, clop.

“This horse is a fine specimen.”

It wasn’t that he had discovered anything; it was simply a compliment. However, Rubin could feel Tina trembling.

“It seems she’s uncomfortable with the mage’s touch. The horse appears nervous.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Yet, the mage didn’t remove his hand. Rubin added a word.

“I fear the horse might become agitated.”

“My apologies.”

At last, the mage lifted his hand from Tina’s back. He smiled at Kuze.

“I’m curious if you’re taking this horse to Kapotini with you.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re aware of how far Kapotini is, correct? Taking a horse aboard would be quite a burden.”

“I see what you mean.”

“Exactly. I’d buy the horse myself if you registered it at the exchange. I happened to be in need of one.”

“Ah, I’ll consider it. I wasn’t planning to take her on the ship, as you suggested.”

The mage’s face lit up.

“There’s only one horse exchange here, so ask the owner when you find lodging.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, and…”

The mage paused, glancing up at the sky. Kuze and Rubin also looked up.

“You can’t see it now, but it’s the season when the moon turns red. It happens every four or five years.”

The season when the moon turns red.

“You might find it difficult to secure a ship.”

Rubin vaguely knew this custom.

Most sailors avoided sailing when the moon turned red. It wasn’t only due to superstition; the sea currents also became unusually rough.

“It’ll last about a week. If you’re selling the horse, I suggest you do it quickly, to avoid wasting money waiting.”

Leaving a final unsettling smile, the mage returned to the wall. Before leaving, he shot Rubin one last arrogant look.

So pompous.

“Let’s go, young master.”

Snort.

Kuze led the reins.

Having passed the Ashen Harbor checkpoint, they no longer needed to worry about Tina.

Even if the mage looked for her later, she would no longer appear as a horse.

-Young master. Shall we search for a ship?

Kuze’s voice sounded in Rubin’s mind.

-No. Find an inn first. Somewhere safe enough for Tina. Finding a ship can wait until it’s just the two of us.

-Understood.

Leaving the wharf behind, Kuze entered the harbor streets where the inns were gathered.