The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 1098

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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 1098

“Ahem!”

Chad deliberately withheld the name of the fifth successor candidate, clearing his throat to build suspense.

‘Who could it be?’

I narrowed my eyes as I observed Chad’s slightly trembling lips.

-Could it be someone from Gwangpung Hall?

Wrath gazed at Chad with eyes brimming with anticipation.

‘It’s not Lunan, at least.’

Lunan had crossed over Sturrin Mountains following Evelyn, leaving him with absolutely insufficient time to accumulate gold medals.
It was insufficient.

‘It’s possible.’
There’s a possibility.

Burren showed enthusiasm in the successor test to catch up with Karun, while Martha showed enthusiasm to protect the Hyunmu Division she temporarily took charge of.

Since both of them were Grand Masters, it wouldn’t have been strange for either to become the fifth successor candidate if luck had just been on their side during the mission.

It could be Trevin.

After taking command of the Cheoljeon Unit, Trevin accumulated achievements by carrying out various missions, which actually gave him greater potential than Burren or Martha.

“But to me, you seem like a different person.”

Burren, Martha, and Trevin all have potential, but there was someone more genuinely committed to the Head of House position than those three.

Who are you talking about?

Wrath waved his hand as if urging me to speak up.

‘That person is from the Gonggeom….’

“The fifth successor candidate is Gonggeom Unit Master Serena.”

Just as I was about to speak to Wrath, Chad from the Bi-Yeon Society beat me to it.

“It might come as a surprise to you, Raon, but Serena has truly worked remarkably hard.”

Chad clicked his tongue, saying that even he was exhausted from watching her efforts.

“From what I can tell, she’s putting in effort nearly comparable to Karun’s….”
“I already knew.”

I shook my head calmly.

“I had already thought of her as the Gonggeom Unit Master before you even mentioned it.”

Wrath had hoped that Burren and Martha, who were close to him, would become successor candidates, but since they served under him, they hadn’t accumulated as many merit points as he’d hoped.
I couldn’t build it up.

In contrast, Serena had been operating the Gonggeom Unit for quite some time and accumulating merit points, and when I returned, she was so busy that she was rarely at the estate—making her position as the fifth candidate far more realistic.

“You already knew?”

Chad’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How did you….”
“Because she declared she would become the Head of House back when I was still a trainee.”

Her determination regarding the position of Head of House was different from everyone else’s.

During the selection ceremony, Serena had proposed that we walk together toward the goal of becoming the Head of the Zigheart Family.

From the moment an outsider declared she would become Head of House, I knew she was no ordinary person, and she had eventually climbed to the position of successor candidate. She was someone for whom the word “remarkable” fell far short of doing her justice.

“Ah, I see!”

Chad nodded as if he now understood.

“You certainly have both pride and confidence in abundance.”

He nodded, mentioning that he had seen Serena again this time.

“Then let me say it again. Karun, Raon, Valdemar, Aris, and Serena are the five successor candidates.”

Chad recited the names of the successor candidates and lowered his gaze slightly.

“Among these five, are you confident you can be first, Raon?”
“That depends on what the second test is.”

I smiled faintly and shook my head.

‘It won’t be a duel.’

If only two remained, perhaps. But with five candidates, they wouldn’t simply pit us against each other in combat. There had to be another test prepared.

“I suppose so. Though you certainly seem confident.”

Chad rose with a thin smile.

“Since I’ve delivered my message, I’ll take my leave now.”

He bowed and told me to come to the Audience Chamber tomorrow.

“Oh, and please congratulate the Junmujeonju for me.”

I waved my hand with a smile.

“Pardon? The Junmujeonju?”

Chad blinked, as if questioning why I would say such a thing to him.

“You can drop the act now. Flying Swallow Unit Master.”

I chuckled and nodded.

“I’m not sure what you mean….”

Chad tilted his head in confusion, still unable to comprehend.

“It seems your thoughts have changed now, but you’ve been continuously supporting the Junmujeonju, haven’t you?”

Raon nodded, saying that he knew everything.

‘It was obvious.’

Chad had frequently visited under Karun’s orders, flattering me to extract information.

Since he no longer seemed to follow Karun as he once did, I brought up the past first.

“W-what are you talking about!”

Chad cried out in shock.

“When did I ever take the Junmujeonju’s side! I only helped you, Lord Raon!”

He suddenly shook his head vigorously, asking why I would say such a thing.

“What? That wasn’t it?”
“Of course not! I may have leaked information about the Central Intelligence Agency, but I never once spread information about the Annex Building!”

Chad struck his own chest, saying he’d go mad from the injustice.

“Then why did you help me when I hadn’t accomplished anything yet?”

Raon blinked his eyes blankly.

“Because I believed in your future, which the Head of House and Rimer spoke of!”

Chad spread his hands, explaining that he had believed in my future through Glen and Rimer’s conversation and had tried to establish connections in advance.

“I kept giving you gifts! I kept sending high-quality information!”

He lay flat on the ground, claiming injustice.

“Weren’t all those gifts meant to lower my guard?”

My eyes trembled slightly.

“I want to split you open and see what’s inside! I knew something was off about you! We couldn’t communicate on the important stuff!”

Chad nodded, finally understanding the source of confusion in our relationship.

“N-now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case….”

Thinking back to our past interactions, Chad’s words rang true.

“Sit down right now! I’ll explain everything to you!”

Chad slammed his palm against the ground, bewildered at how someone so skilled with the sword could be so oblivious.

“Y-yes….”

For the first time in front of Chad, I hunched my shoulders and lowered my head.

-See! I told you!

Wrath gestured toward the sky as he watched me with my shoulders hunched.

-System! No matter how much you look after this fool, he won’t even remember, and he’ll only suspect you instead!

He shouted at the System to stop caring for me.

-Follow only the True Demon King as you did before….

Wrath was puffing out his chest, demanding the System follow him instead.

[You have displayed a purity unbecoming of a warrior with formidable power and a sharp mind.]
[All stats increase.]

The System found my innocence endearing and raised my stats instead.

‘Ah!’

I nodded as the message appeared before my eyes.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t checked the rewards yet. I’ll look at them later.’

I thanked Wrath and gave him a wave.

-Aaaaaaahhhhh!

Wrath screamed, clutching his head.

-Why does he get all the luck!

*

*

*

The next day at noon.

Raon received Glen’s summons and made his way to the Patriarch’s Hall.

The interior of the Audience Chamber was scorching like a desert, heated by the aura emanating from Zigheart’s executives.

Whoooosh!

Raon gently pushed back the swordsmen’s auras pressing down on him and took his place before the pillar where the heads of each division stood.

“….”

Raon surveyed the Organization Master and the division heads standing across from him, then his gaze settled on Serena.

“Huh.”

Serena, unaware that she had become a successor candidate, steadied her breathing with a tense expression.

From the trembling in her eyes, I could sense how much effort she had put in all this time, and a smile naturally formed on my face.

“Cousin!”

Valdemar approached from the side and draped an arm around my shoulder.

“How are you feeling?”
“Excellent.”

Raon nodded, saying I had slept well.

“That’s what I like to hear! Today you become a successor candidate!”

Valter laughed heartily, offering his congratulations.

“But you know…”

He lowered his head slightly and dropped his voice.

“Don’t you think it’s time we honored our promise?”

Valter smacked his lips, saying he was still waiting.

“Of course I remember.”

I nodded with a smile.

“If you tell me what martial technique you desire, I’ll create it for you in my own way.”

I bowed respectfully, telling him not to worry.

“Ha! That’s my nephew for you! I’ll visit the Annex Building soon!”

Valter was patting my back excitedly when it happened.

Smack!

Aris swung her palm harshly and struck the back of Valter’s head.

“Ow! Why did you hit me!”

Valter spun around to face Aris, crying out in protest.

“You’re ridiculous! Now you’re extorting martial techniques from your nephew?”

Aris clicked her tongue, telling him to behave himself.

“No, no—it’s not blackmail. It’s a contract between us!”

Valter cried out, insisting he would never blackmail Raon like that.

“Right?”

Aris turned to look at me, blinking her eyes.

“That’s right. I had asked him for a favor.”

Raon smiled faintly and nodded.

“Hmm, so that’s how it was.”

Aris smacked her lips and stepped back.

“Aren’t you going to apologize? You hit my head and just leave like that?”

Valter glared, looking utterly bewildered.

“People make mistakes sometimes.”

Aris waved her hand dismissively, suggesting they move on.

“I can’t move on! Why should I move on!”

Valter raised his fist, declaring he would hit her back.

“How dare you raise your hand to your sister!”
“Eek!”

When Aris furrowed her brow and raised her palm, Valter gasped and hurriedly stumbled backward.

Seeing that massive frame trembling with fear, I was reminded once again of how terrifying repeated conditioning could be.

“Quiet down.”

Karun shook his head as he gazed at the empty Jade Throne.

“The Head of House is arriving.”

Before his words had even finished, the right door swung open, and Glen Zigheart, Sheryl, and Roen walked out.

“We greet the Head of House.”
“We greet the Head of House!”

Starting with Karun’s salute, every executive of Zigheart in the Audience Chamber fell to their knees and bowed their heads.

“Mm.”

Glen nodded calmly and ascended the platform, settling into the Jade Throne that gleamed with golden radiance.

“Rise, all of you.”

At his gesture, the executives found themselves lifted to their feet not by their own legs, but by the weighty aura that emanated from him.

“As of this moment, I hereby conclude the first successor examination.”

Glen nodded appreciatively, thanking everyone for their efforts.

“Phew….”
“Finally, it’s over.”
“I knew it was impossible, yet I still harbored hope. It was indeed grueling.”
“Still, we’ve grown somewhat. That’s something, isn’t it?”
“It’s all thanks to Gwangpung Jeonju insisting we participate. Without that encouragement, I would’ve just idled away.”

The swordsmen spoke of it as a valuable experience, their gazes turning toward Glen and Raon, who had enabled their growth.

“As I stated at the beginning, I shall select five candidates from this first examination. The first among them, the one who accumulated the highest score….”

Glen’s gaze turned toward the pillar.

“Karun Zigheart. Come forward.”
“Yes!”

Karun ascended the platform as if he had been waiting for this moment. His dignified bearing revealed that in place of the deep jealousy and stubbornness that once consumed him, a steadfast pride in himself had taken root.

“Uoooooooo!”
“As expected of Karun!”
“Even though Gwangpung Jeonju received six gold medals at once, Karun is still first?”
“Jeonju! We believed in you!”

The executives erupted in cheers, chanting Karun’s name.

“Second place, Raon Zigheart. Third place, Valter Zigheart. Fourth place, Aris Zigheart—come forward.”

Unlike Karun, Glen called out the names of the second, third, and fourth candidates all at once.

“Yes.”
“Heh heh! Well, that works!”
“I got so absorbed I ended up in fourth place without realizing it.”

Raon, Valter, and Aris climbed onto the platform and stood beside Karun.

“Exactly as I predicted!”
“Right. This never changes.”
“The Main Lineage. It’s only natural that those of Jeonju rank stand at the top.”

The swordsmen sent cheers, saying they had also predicted Raon, Valter, and Aris would rank this way.

“Finally….”

Glen’s gaze turned in the opposite direction for the first time.

“Serena Calvin. Come forward.”

He called her name in a voice even more benevolent than when he had summoned his sons, daughter, and grandsons.

“Se-Serena?”
“The Gonggeom Unit Master is a successor candidate?”
“That’s—that’s impossible!”
“Even if the Gonggeom Unit Master is the head of the Military Force Division,
she’s an outsider! Not even a Branch Family member!”

The executives trembled, as if they had never imagined Serena’s name would be called.

“….”

Serena seemed to have anticipated this situation to some degree, biting her lip firmly. Thick tendons stood out along her jaw.

“Head of House! Please reconsider!”
“No matter how much of an Organization Master he is, he’s still an outsider!”
“Even if he’s not of the Direct Line, at minimum he should bear the Zigheart name!”

The executives rushed forward before the platform, bowing their heads and pleading for reconsideration. They seemed deliberately intent on blocking Serena’s path to the platform.

“I made it clear that everyone deserves a chance.”

Glen’s eyes grew cold as he regarded the Direct Line swordmaster raising his voice.

“The Gonggeom Unit Master resolved critical missions while you all lounged about within the family. He is more suited to be Head of House than those of you who merely bear the Zigheart name by birth.”

As he lowered his hand, the executives blocking the path to the platform were swept aside like paper caught in the wind.

“If you’re going to speak foolishness, do so without the Zigheart name.”

Karun’s eyes narrowed deeply as he regarded the executives who had blocked the way.

“If you wanted to push out the Gonggeom Unit Master, you should have worked harder as the Head of House suggested.”

I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

“I left home because of things like this, and nothing’s changed.”

Aris sighed, thinking she would need to educate them soon.

“Serena. Come forward.”

Glen called to Serena again, his eyes warm and gentle.

“Yes!”

Serena drew a deep breath, exhaled, and ascended the platform to stand in the fifth position. Her eyes seemed to shine even more brilliantly than the Head of House’s Jade Throne.
Her eyes seemed to shine more brilliantly than the Head of House’s Jade Throne.

“These five didn’t rise to become successor candidates because I chose them. They earned their positions through their own abilities. Let’s give them all a round of applause.”

Glen began clapping first, declaring it a magnificent achievement.

“Roooaaarrr!”
“Long live Zigheart!”

The executives erupted in congratulations toward the successor candidates, their thunderous applause shaking the hall.

“….”
“Kehehehe!”

Karun accepted the congratulations with composure, while Valdemar spread both arms wide and reveled in the cheers.

“….”

Only Serena’s eyes glistened with tears as memories of her journey flooded back.

‘She must have endured so much.’

As an outsider dreaming of becoming the head of this vast family, Serena had surely faced countless ridicules and mockery.
Having overcome those hardships to reach this position, I could finally understand the weight of her emotions.

“Now then, let us begin the second successor trial.”

Glen’s lips curled upward as if he was about to reveal the second test immediately.

“You’re starting right now?”

Valdemar’s eyes widened as if he had expected to be given time to rest.

“Since we don’t know when this peaceful time will shatter, we must determine the successor before it does.”

Glen nodded, acknowledging that time might be running short.

“Of course. Please tell us!”

Aris laughed brightly, pleased by the swift progression.

“Sigh…”

Karun’s eyes blazed with an intensity that suggested he wouldn’t miss a single word Glen uttered.

“The second successor trial is about acquiring supporters who can establish your foundation.”

As Glen spread his fingers, a map of the Continent shimmered into existence behind him, rippling with azure light.

“I will select the two of you who bring the most leaders of organizations that support your cause.”

He laughed, saying this trial would be far more difficult than the first.

“Collecting supporters?”
“Indeed, receiving support from those below is a virtue of a Head of House!”
“It’s not novel, but it’s absolutely necessary.”

The examiners began speaking excitedly, their voices shaking the Audience Chamber.

-What? What?!

Wrath stared at me with eyes wide in astonishment.

“Hmm?”

I slipped my hand into the inner pocket of my formal robes. I withdrew a white emblem shaped like a castle wall and curved my lips into a smile.

‘This is a promising start.’
-Why is this bastard so damn lucky!

Is the world itself cheating?!

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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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