The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 1080
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 1080
“R-Results?”
Valdemar’s thick lips trembled.
“Surely you don’t mean to calculate those results by the number of gold badges?”
He swallowed hard as he gazed at the gold, silver, and bronze badges held in Glen’s grasp.
“It’s not ‘surely’—that’s exactly right.”
Karun uncrossed his arms and lowered his hands.
“The Zigheart badges are the most certain and objective measure of one’s accomplishments thus far.”
He nodded, affirming that there was no other way to scrutinize achievements in such detail besides the Zigheart badges.
‘Results, then….’
I adjusted the Heavenly Sword at my side, narrowing my eyes thoughtfully.
‘It’s certainly the most efficient and convenient approach.’
Since they’d called it the first test, examining results was merely a way to filter out the mediocre.
It was simple yet beyond reproach—the ideal first test to propose.
“Question!”
Darkan, who’d entered the Audience Chamber at some point unnoticed, raised his hand.
“Who exactly is that person?”
“A new subordinate taken in by the Head of House?”
“They seem to belong to Gwangpung Hall….”
The crowd exchanged uncertain glances between Darkan and Glen.
“….”
Glen ignored Darkan and turned his gaze toward the executives.
“The Jinmu Jeonju speaks the truth.”
Glen lifted the gold, silver, and bronze badges into the air, flicking his fingertips.
“These badges were distributed individually to swordsmen based on the difficulty of their missions and the results they achieved. In other words, they are the best measure for evaluating the accomplishments you have accumulated.”
He sent the gold badge forward first, his crimson eyes gleaming.
“The Head of House Zigheart is both the final fortress protecting the family and the first blade that severs the enemy’s neck. I cannot elevate someone to that position who has not risked their life and built achievements for the family.”
Glen stated that the first trial would only consider accomplishments, then returned the badges to his grasp.
“Now that I think about it, that’s exactly right.”
“It’s only proper that those who sacrificed for the family become the Head of House.”
“As expected of the Head of House. From the start, you’ve presented a trial that no one can refute.”
The family’s executives nodded in succession, affirming his words.
“I have a question!”
Darkan raised his hand again.
“….”
Glen ignored him once more.
“What, what is this? Am I the only one who can see that person?”
“No, I can see him too, but….”
“What exactly is the relationship between them?”
The executives scrutinized Darkan with growing bewilderment.
“Raon!”
Aris suddenly called out to me.
“Huh?”
“I accumulated quite a few debts back when I was younger.”
She wagged her finger at him.
“Want me to give you some?”
Aris Zigheart laughed genuinely, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
“No, no, that’s not necessary….”
Raon shook his head with a hollow laugh.
‘She’s openly offering to transfer them right here….’
With so many people listening, discussing illegal transfers—Aris was clearly not entirely sane either.
“Debts already received cannot be transferred to another person. You should know that.”
Glen Zigheart looked down at Aris Zigheart with a furrowed brow.
“I was just joking. Just joking!”
Aris Zigheart waved her hand dismissively and stepped back.
“Hmm….”
Glen Zigheart clicked his tongue briefly and turned his gaze back to the executives.
“As I said before, we will calculate your performance based on the type and number of debts you’ve received, then select successor candidates accordingly.”
He nodded, implying that only those with many debts would pass the test.
‘Hmm….’
Raon smacked his lips briefly as he looked at Glen.
Why are you doing that?
Wrath lowered his gaze.
-There are hardly any who possess more gold medals than you, are there?
He tilted his head as if questioning why I would worry about such a thing.
‘My conscience is bothering me.’
I exhaled a short sigh.
-Your conscience? What do you mean by that?
‘Grandfather has always taken special care of me. Even with the same accomplishments, I feel like I’ve received more than others.’
I didn’t know it before, but now I’m certain of it.
Glen shows favoritism toward me compared to others. My heart tightened slightly, suspecting he might have awarded silver medals for accomplishments worthy of bronze, and elevated bronze-level deeds to gold. The thought gnawed at me.
-You’re spouting absolute nonsense!
Wrath growled like a dog.
‘What?’
-Your old man may be a pervert who devours bread daily and watches over your unconscious form for twelve hours straight, but he’s never neglected his duties as the head of the family!
He swung his fist as if to knock some sense into me.
-It’s true that he values you more than the other children. That much is certain.
Wrath tapped his own forehead, as if urging me to think it through myself.
-But he’s not the kind of man to blur the line between public and private to the point of tampering with medal rankings. If anything, you could say he’s been lenient with your martial training, and that wouldn’t be wrong!
He nodded, insisting that Glen treasures the family more deeply than what meets the eye.
‘Now that I think about it….’
I clicked my tongue softly and gazed toward the platform.
‘You might be right.’
As Wrath said, it would have been better if Grandfather had given me other rewards or taught me swordsmanship, but it seemed he had never raised my badge rank.
‘Grandfather treasures Zigheart above all else.’
Feeling Glen’s genuine love for Zigheart, I found myself smiling without realizing it.
“Then the decision will be made based solely on our achievements so far?”
Serena, the leader of the Gonggeom Unit, stepped forward and raised her hand.
“Isn’t that how it should be?”
Trevin nodded.
“What else would we judge by, if not what’s already been built?”
He brushed his hand dismissively as if it were obvious.
“I disagree. Since the successor selection has just begun now, it should start from this point forward. That’s the only way to be fair!”
Martha clenched her fist, insisting that the competition for gold badges should begin today.
“But then people who accumulated badges before would be at a disadvantage.”
Burren shook his head, countering that this was equally unfair.
“Of course, deciding based solely on past achievements does feel somewhat unsatisfying.”
He lowered his brows, acknowledging Martha’s point as well. He seemed unable to commit to which side was right.
“Haaaaaah….”
Lunan yawned with her mouth wide open, showing no interest whatsoever in the position of Head of House.
“L-Lunan!”
Rokan Slion, her father, waved his hand at her to close her mouth while glancing at those around them.
“I have a question!”
Darkan raised his voice again, announcing that he would pose another question.
“….”
Glen ignored Darkan once more, and now even the executives refused to look at him. It seemed they were treating him as if he didn’t exist.
“By achievements, I mean the accomplishments an individual has personally accumulated.”
Glen lowered his chin calmly.
“When evaluating the swordmaster’s direct accomplishments, we cannot ignore past achievements.”
He gazed downward serenely, as if counting the number of medallions collected in the past was only natural.
“However, it is also true that the present moment—when I’ve announced the selection of a successor—holds greater importance. Therefore….”
Glen opened his palm again, producing gold, silver, and bronze medallions.
“Past bronze medallions shall be worth one point, silver medallions two points, and gold medallions three points. All medallions earned henceforth shall be worth double those values.”
He nodded, accepting both the argument for past achievements alone and the argument for starting fresh from now.
“Exactly five. I will select five successor candidates based on achievements in this first trial.”
Glen extended his palm broadly, declaring that only five would be chosen in this first test.
“Five? That’s quite reasonable….”
“Yes. Not bad at all.”
“It’s certainly worth the challenge.”
The senior executives smacked their lips, as if the prospect was worth attempting.
“But wouldn’t there be almost no important missions these days?”
Valdemar raised his hand.
“The Four Demons—or rather, the Three Demons—have hidden themselves in darkness, and most people are living in peace, at least temporarily. In truth, there isn’t much work to be done.”
He shook his head, saying it would be difficult to find missions worthy of gold medallions.
“Finding a mission and extracting value from it—both require skill. There is no mission in this world that lacks importance.”
Glen lowered his hand with an arrogant gesture, declaring that from now on, Raon would have to handle everything himself.
“So you mean I must manage everything from start to finish.”
“That’s right. Since it’s your responsibility, you should take care of it yourself.”
“I’m fine with that. But…”
The executives’ gazes all turned toward the pillar where the Jeonju stood.
“Whether we can actually compete against those two.”
“Karun has been a Jeonju for quite some time, so we can overlook that, but the Gwangpung Jeonju is really…”
“Absurd achievements. At that age, there’s no one besides the Central Intelligence Agency Master who could even stand against him.”
The investigators sighed, deciding they would have to move forward while excluding Karun and Raon from consideration.
“Then return to your posts.”
Glen waved his hand dismissively, indicating he had said all he needed to say for the day.
“You said five candidates, right? How will this turn out?”
“If we exclude Karun and Raon, that leaves exactly three spots.”
“Will Aris participate as well?”
“From the way she handed over her cards earlier, it seemed she wasn’t interested.”
“But her eyes were shining far too brightly for that to be true.”
The executives split into small groups and discussed the succession.
“…”
Raon’s eyes met Karun’s among the investigators leaving the Audience Chamber.
“The second trial will be the real test. Prepare yourself thoroughly.”
Karun’s cold gaze flashed, as if commanding Raon never to fall.
“Why are you concerned about me?”
Raon met Karun’s eyes while tilting his chin slightly.
“Without you, none of this would matter. I will ascend to that Jade Throne through rightful steps.”
Karun lifted his serene gaze toward the Jade Throne, untouched by envy or jealousy.
“I understand. I will make that wish come true.”
I bowed my head to Karun before leaving with a promise to see him again.
Thud.
Karun and I departed the Audience Chamber simultaneously.
Whoosh.
Our strides and postures were identically upright and elegant, yet our eyes burned with starkly different light.
Glen observed our departing figures—similar yet fundamentally different.
‘What choice will you make here?’
As he smiled with anticipation, a thunderous sound shook the Audience Chamber’s ceiling.
“I have a question, you bastard!”
*
*
*
The moment Karun returned to the Central Martial Hall, he summoned all his executives.
“You’ve all heard that the Head of House is selecting a successor.”
“Yes!”
The executives of the Central Martial Hall responded without hesitation. They clearly already knew all the details regarding the Head of House candidate selection.
“From now on, seize every important mission coming down from the Bi-Yeon Society, and dispatch people outside to report on all unusual occurrences.”
Karun was not content with monopolizing important missions; he was also signaling his intention to participate in external affairs.
“Don’t miss a single thing. Bring everything to me first.”
“We accept your command!”
The executives of the Central Intelligence Agency bowed their heads as if they had ceased all thought.
“Ah, Father….”
Burren lifted his hand slightly.
“Even without monopolizing important missions, wouldn’t Father easily rank within the top five?”
Karun had accumulated every gold badge without using a single one until now. Given the long years he had lived as a Jeonju, he surely possessed more than Raon.
“This trial is not merely a passing point—it is a critical gateway to determining the Head of House. We must not simply cross the threshold; we must demonstrate overwhelming dominance.”
Karun clenched his fist on the desk, and his will toward becoming Head of House radiated outward, causing the office to tremble as if it might shatter.
“Then you must be thinking special privileges will go to first place….”
“No.”
Karun shook his head firmly.
“Even without any special privileges, being first is the right path. That is what I believe the Head of House of Zigheart should be.”
Even in this moment, he ignited fervor in his crimson eyes as he imparted instruction to his son.
“We shall follow the Jeonju!”
The executives of the Central Intelligence Agency, moved by Karun’s unwavering spirit, bowed their heads with their lips pressed tightly together.
“Ah….”
Burren too swallowed hard, marveling at his father’s unshakeable resolve.
‘Father is sincere. He’s determined to defeat Raon and become Head of House no matter what.’
Despite knowing that he lagged behind Raon in both important accomplishments and martial power, Karun harbored no thought of abandoning his pursuit of the position. It was clear he intended to bite down with his gums if he had no teeth, pursuing his goal relentlessly.
Strangely, there was nothing ugly about that appearance. If anything, it seemed far more impressive than before, making me want to follow in those footsteps.
‘Raon….’
Burren Zigheart thought of Raon in the Annex Building, his lips curling into a thin smile.
‘What will you do?’
*
*
*
“Head of House! That’s a dream of a name! We absolutely have to try it!”
Edgar grasped Raon’s shoulder and burst out in excitement.
“You have to rank first!”
He nodded vigorously, insisting that Raon surpass Karun and pass the first test with the top score.
“Stop it! Raon will do what he thinks is best!”
Sylvia struck Edgar’s back with the palm of her hand.
“Ignore what that fool says. Do whatever you want to do.”
She embraced Raon, her expression softening into a gentle smile.
“W-well, if you’re going to do it anyway, at least aim for first….”
Edgar rubbed his aching back, his gaze wavering as he looked up.
“Raon. Being first doesn’t mean everything, they say.”
Sia gestured slowly with her hand moving up and down, as if recounting what Grandfather had told her.
“Still, I’d like to see you finish first.”
She giggled, as if hoping her younger brother would come in first.
“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible.”
Raon shook his head toward Sia.
“Karun and I have lived as Jeonju for different lengths of time. No matter how hard I work, it’s difficult to overcome the power of years.”
I scratched my cheek, saying it would be hard to collect more gold medals than Karun.
“Besides, they’re selecting five people anyway, so I just need to make it into that group. Don’t worry too much.”
Glen said the results were the first test. Even if there were benefits to coming in first, it wouldn’t be an insurmountable level, so there was no need to catch up to Karun exactly.
‘But….’
I had to maintain my position.
There was a chance someone could catch up from behind, so I would need to produce at least some results.
“I like first place too! I don’t want it written in Raon Zigheart’s biography that I started in second place!”
Encia raised her finger, as if asking me to come in first.
“What do you think? Yua?”
She brought Yua, who had brought tea, forward and embraced her.
“I just hope Young Master does whatever he wants.”
Yua giggled as if it didn’t matter what I did.
“You can’t ask Raon’s follower for an opinion.”
Edgar shook his head, saying he couldn’t get an answer from Yua.
“Yua likes whatever Raon does anyway.”
“Because he’s my benefactor.”
Yua smiled warmly, as if she didn’t mind Edgar’s nagging at all.
“Then I’ll be going.”
“Yua.”
I caught Yua’s arm as she turned to head back to the Kitchen.
“How long has it been since you visited Habun Castle?”
“Me? Well….”
Yua tapped her lips with her finger, then looked at me.
“A little over a year, I think. I’ve been too busy lately to go, but I’m planning to visit this time.”
She laughed, saying she would take time off to see Grandfather.
“You will give me time off, won’t you?”
Yua clasped her hands together pleadingly.
“Of course! Go and enjoy yourself!”
Sylvia nodded in agreement, telling her to go, instead of me.
“Don’t think about anything here—just have fun and come back!”
Edgar waved his hand with a smile, as if he’d forgotten all about the Head of House’s affairs in this brief moment.
“W-would you like me to go with you?”
Julius approached Yua, gauging the mood carefully.
“No.”
Raon raised his hand firmly.
“You’re coming with me.”
He smiled coolly and placed his hand on Yua’s shoulder.
“Eek!”
“You’re going to Habun Castle?”
“At a time like this?”
The people of the Annex Building widened their eyes in disbelief that I would follow Yua to Habun Castle.
“Yes.”
Raon nodded with a smile.
“It won’t help much with the Head of House competition, but there’s someone I’ll desperately need in the future.”
I smacked my lips, recalling the Demon Lord of Sloth hiding across from Habun Castle, doing nothing but sleeping.
“This time….”
“Then!”
A magic circle suddenly drew itself across the ceiling, and Evelyn burst through.
“I want to go too!”
Evelyn’s eyes began to burn with a deep and scorching heat, like the warmth within a campfire.
“Absolutely!”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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