The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 1151

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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 1151

“R-rabble from the Continent….”

Raon Zigheart bit his lip as he watched Aris Zigheart swing her fist.

‘I can’t argue back.’

I couldn’t refute Aris’s words calling me and the other successor candidates rabble from the Continent.

‘Because it’s true, really.’

I had complacently assumed I would secure one of the two final successor positions, never expecting the consequences of neglecting the harbor and coastal village connected to me would arrive like this.

‘I was far too overconfident.’

The Robert Region, the city where the Black Tower lay hidden, the harbor I had saved from the White Blood Cult. There were quite a few coastal cities and villages I had saved as well.
Had I visited them all regardless of the effort, there was a considerable chance that I, not Aris, would have claimed first place today.

But I had neglected to properly care for them, using lack of time as an excuse to focus on other matters. Beyond this trial, I felt I had done those people a disservice.

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

Though Karun had made it to the final candidates, he clenched his fist audibly, frustrated at having first place stolen by the unexpected Aris.

“So it’s not uncle and nephew going up, but uncle and aunt?”

Valdemar let out an exclamation of wonder at the unexpected turn of events. Seeing that he didn’t mind his own elimination, it seemed he was genuinely delighted.

“Wooooow!”
“I never knew Aris had interest in the Head of House position.”
“Right? I thought she was reluctant even in the first trial.”
“Well, who wouldn’t be interested in becoming Head of the Zigheart Family?”
“With supporters like that, she’s earned recognition not just for her abilities, but for her character as well.”

The spectators in the Training Ground nodded, agreeing that Aris was more than worthy of their approval.

“Grrrrgh….”

Glen hadn’t heard the results beforehand, and white foam was now dripping from the corners of his mouth.

“How in the world did this….”

Even after seeing the results document with his own eyes, he couldn’t believe it, his fingertips trembling violently.

“Hhhhh….”

Chad, too, seemed at a loss, clutching his head and releasing a silent scream.

“I’m ruined. My future….”

He squeezed his eyes shut, recalling the wager he’d made on me.

-Puhehehehehehe!

Wrath burst into raucous laughter, finding the current situation absolutely hilarious.

-It’s been ages since I’ve seen your face so contorted! The knot in my chest has finally loosened, ahhhh!

He swept his plump hand across his belly, savoring the relief.

-That’s why the True Demon King told you to make a proper effort.
“Hmm….”

I kept my mouth shut, my eyes narrowing slightly.

‘Tsk.’

I wanted to refute Wrath’s words, but this time I truly had nothing to say, so I could only click my tongue inwardly.

“How was that? I did well, didn’t I?”

Aris shrugged her shoulders, saying she’d acted for the sake of the family.

“I really ran around without a moment’s rest.”
“Why of all people….”

Glen pressed his lips together firmly.

“Did you work hard this time? You should perform properly on a regular basis….”

He grasped the armrest of the Jade Throne with resentment written across his face.

“Father. Your true feelings are showing, aren’t they?”

Aris Zigheart looked at Glen with concern and let out a soft chuckle.

“Ahem, I apologize.”

Glen nodded, suppressing the frustration welling up inside him.

“Seeing you like that makes me feel even better, Father.”

Aris’s heart raced faster as she watched Glen’s contorted expression, and she smiled wickedly. She seemed like someone who would get along exceptionally well with Wrath.

“Ahem!”

Glen had nothing to say and merely cleared his throat, raising his eyebrows slightly.

“So, will you accept your current ranking as is?”

He cast a hopeful glance toward Aris Zigheart, his eyes dropping slightly.

“Hmm….”

I swallowed hard as I heard Glen’s question.

‘There’s a possibility that Aunt might forfeit or hand it over to me.’

Aris Zigheart held considerable goodwill toward me, so there was a chance she might concede. Glen was clearly asking this question in hopes of exactly that.

‘But that would be pathetic.’

Regardless of the circumstances, I possessed the ability to climb the ranks on my own merit. Accepting help from Aris Zigheart because I couldn’t achieve it myself would be far too shameful.

-It would be pathetic, indeed.

Wrath clicked his tongue long and deliberately.

-That sea woman’s feelings for you are genuine.

He too frowned, seeing plainly that Aris Zigheart would help him.

‘Hmm. It wouldn’t be so bad if my aunt ascended either.’

I was scratching my cheek and smacking my lips when it happened.

“No. I won’t accept it.”

Aris Zigheart shook her head firmly.

“Oho!”

Glen Zigheart lifted his hips slightly from the Jade Throne for the first time. His eyes blazed with anticipation.

“I would have said so in the past. After all, becoming a successor candidate was merely a fortunate accident.”

Aris Zigheart watched Glen’s expression twist again, then smiled softly.

“Wh—? Then, you mean…?”

Glen pressed himself back into the Jade Throne and swallowed hard.

“Before starting the second successor trial, I was planning to gather supporters roughly and hand them over to Raon Zigheart. Since I can simply forfeit, it doesn’t matter.”

Aris Zigheart nodded, explaining that she had initially intended to surrender everything to Raon Zigheart as Glen wished.

“But my thoughts changed as I met with people.”

She swept back her crimson hair, which carried the fresh scent of the sea.

“Even though it’s been a long time since I left the sea, those fools still remember me and offer their support without asking for anything in return.”

Aris Zigheart curved her lips gently, calling them truly foolish.

“All I did was drive away rival pirates and deal with monsters—trivial things—yet they still remember me, smile, and welcome me.”

She slowly closed her eyes as if recalling the faces of those who had welcomed the pirate ship Cheongpung with joy, then opened them again.

“And every single one of them shared the same heart.”

Aris Zigheart nodded quietly, saying that all the people in the harbor and coastal city where Cheongpung docked had waited for her with the same heart and gaze.

“No matter how much I cherish Raon more than my own life, I thought it would be wrong to change their hearts by my will alone.”

She shook her head, saying that was why she had changed her mind about forfeiting for Raon’s sake.

“I see.”

Glen Zigheart slowly relaxed his furrowed brow while keeping his back deeply pressed against the Jade Throne.

“You are changing little by little, Aris.”

He shifted his expression from one that looked ready to strike the back of her head moments before, and drew a faint smile.

“I’m growing older, after all.”

Aris Zigheart nodded calmly, saying she had no choice but to change.

“Yes, then there’s nothing to be done about it.”

Glen Zigheart seemed to feel regret that Raon had not passed the trial, yet appeared satisfied with the matured change in Aris Zigheart.

“Mm.”

I watched Aris Zigheart’s genuine smile and slowly closed my eyes, then opened them again.

‘That’s right.’

As Aris Zigheart said, those in the harbor and coastal city were not supporting me.
Even if she had forfeited and pushed me forward, it would have been difficult to say that I had truly passed the trial in any meaningful sense.

‘Failing the trial is regrettable, but…

It’s good that my aunt has brightened up.

Aris carried a painful past—betrayed by her own son, she had ultimately lost him. Ever since, even when she smiled, a faint shadow lingered across her face.

But now, her laughter bloomed with the refreshing clarity of the sea, just as it had when I first met her. It seemed she had finally made peace with her heart.

-What?! This is—!

Wrath whipped his head around, his mouth splitting into a grin so wide it seemed it might tear.

-You’re disqualified!

He cackled, mocking her for laughing despite being an eliminated contestant.

-You strutted in here like you’d already won, putting on airs with those grand eyes and that pompous attitude! How pathetic!

Wrath burst into derisive laughter, claiming this was the first failure he’d witnessed since meeting me. The way his body writhed with mirth made it clear he was genuinely enjoying himself.

‘Ugh…’

I swallowed an inward groan.

‘This is embarrassing.’

The conversation I’d had with Karun before entering the Training Ground came flooding back.
We had both strutted about, treating today’s trial as merely a formality we’d easily surpass, and now the memory burned with shame.
I would have found a way to advance if one existed, but it seemed impossible now.

Though disappointment weighed heavily on me, I was genuinely glad that Aris had reclaimed her true smile, so I resolved to offer her my congratulations.

“Congratulations.”

I bowed to Aris Zigheart with sincerity.

“Oh! There’s one more thing I need to tell you.”

Aris approached me with a smile, as if she’d just remembered something.

“I tried my best to leave this out, but it seems there’s still a place that supports you to the very end.”

She spoke of how well I’d cultivated my connections, then withdrew two tokens from her possession.

“Even though I went to them directly, both Sicot and Luren say they support you.”

Aris smiled brightly and handed me a seal.

“Sicot, Luren….”

I recognized the seals and swallowed hard.

-These are….’
‘That’s right. They’re the places I saved from the White Blood Cult’s attacks.’

Those two harbors were locations where I had personally intervened to stop the White Blood Cult’s assaults with their blood-cursed vessels.
Because they had witnessed both my battles and my rescues, they continued to trust Gwangpung even without my direct visit.

“Thank you.”

I accepted the seals from the two harbors and held them close to my chest.

“Wait, if this is the case….”

Chad swallowed nervously and examined the documents again.

“The difference between the Central Intelligence Agency’s support and Gwangpung’s support is almost negligible!”

His jaw trembled as he noted that the numbers had become so similar they were nearly impossible to distinguish.

“Who’s ahead right now?”

Valdemar tapped his foot impatiently, urging him to speak.

“It appears the Central Intelligence Agency’s leader is slightly ahead. However, population figures aren’t entirely precise….”

Chad shook his head, saying that while the calculations needed to be verified, the gap was virtually nonexistent.

“Hmm!”

Karun’s eyes narrowed with renewed tension, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

“H-how many people are we behind by?”

He narrowed his eyes, demanding a precise figure.

“W-well, to calculate that accurately, I’d need to recount everything….”

Chad rolled his eyes, indicating it would take some time.

“Hah, this is….”

Glen grasped his temples, caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Hehe.”

Aris simply found the situation amusing, crossing her arms with a smirk.

“Um, well….”

Raon hesitantly raised his hand, gauging the room.

“The Sword Emperor and the War King said they would follow you too, but it seems you didn’t include them in the count. And there are six ancient dragons. Plus, you mentioned there are young dragons following them as well. That should bring it to around twenty….”

Chad smacked his lips and rattled off the names he hadn’t mentioned, making one last desperate attempt to salvage his pride. If he included all of them, he might actually surpass Karun.

-Huh…?

Wrath’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

-Wow, what a pathetic bastard!

He exhaled sharply, noting that Chad’s pathetic meter had gone completely haywire.

[Pathetic….]

It wasn’t just Wrath—everyone in the Training Ground shared the exact same thought.

“Ah, my apologies!”

Chad’s eyes widened as he realized he’d overlooked that detail.

“Then….”

Just as he was about to recalculate.

“Ahem!”

Karun cleared his throat like Glen, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Isn’t counting Dragons as supporters a bit… ambiguous? The five Ancient Dragons are one thing, but the Dragons following them haven’t been properly verified. And they’re not even human—are we really sure about counting those five as supporters?”

He raised his voice slightly, suggesting that Dragons should be excluded from the supporter count.

“But you said it was fine to accept them! You said so yourself!”

Valdemar shouted at Karun in exasperation.

“That was then. Now that I think about it again… there are some aspects that aren’t quite rational.”

Karun shook his head, saying that as a person, he was allowed to change his mind.

“No, that’s not it. Dragons can transform into human form, and they possess intelligence. Besides, we should treat the converted Dragons—the defectors—with proper respect.”

I shook my head firmly, opposing Karun’s position.

In that moment, the same thought crossed everyone’s minds—Wrath, Glen, and all the rest.

[Both of them are so petty…]

*

*

*

“Well, um…”

Chad’s eyes darted left and right as he examined the completed calculation documents.

“According to the calculations, the supporters of the Central Intelligence Agency Director and the Gwangpung Hall Director are nearly equal. The difference is around ten people, but this figure can easily fluctuate depending on when the survey was conducted, so… I cannot produce a definitive result.”

He handed the documents to Glen, saying this was not a decision he could make at his level.

“Hmm….”

Glen accepted the documents with trembling hands and slowly read through them.

“Chad is right. These numbers can easily fluctuate depending on when and where the investigation took place, so the results are too ambiguous to draw any conclusions.”

Despite saying he couldn’t reach a conclusion, his lips began to tremble slightly.

“Normally, we would conduct another test, but Zigheart is currently entering a period of war preparations, so that isn’t possible. Therefore….”

Glen folded the documents and rose from the Jade Throne.

“I will retract my previous statement and place all three—Aris Zigheart, Karun Zigheart, and Raon Zigheart—as final candidates for succession.”

He nodded toward everyone in the Training Ground, as if accepting the consequences he had to bear.

“Woooooooah!”
“Actually, this is better!”
“Right. We should accept this!”
“No, I think this is absolutely the right call!”
“Exactly! The outcome is fascinating.”
“They were a bit pathetic at the end, though….”
“A bit?”

The spectators cheered in agreement that placing all three was the correct decision, just as Glen had said. Of course, some people pointed out how pathetic Raon and Karun had been.

“Hehe.”

Aris nodded with composure, as if she had known this would happen.

“….”
“….”

Karun and Raon each took three steps toward each other. The two stared at one another intently, then lightly clapped their palms together before returning to their original positions.

-Even that was pathetic….

Wrath shook his head, muttering that even the palm clap was pathetic.

“Haah…”

I lowered my head and exhaled a deep sigh of relief.

‘It doesn’t matter if I looked pathetic.’

At least I passed.

If I had failed despite acting so miserably, it would have been truly humiliating. But since I passed regardless, that’s all that matters. Time will eventually erase the embarrassment I feel now.

“Phew.”

Glen also seemed to have finally released his tension, his wrinkled face smoothing out as he exhaled heavily.

“As I mentioned before, the third successor trial concerns information gathering. I will grant the position of successor to whoever brings me the most crucial intelligence that can strike at Derus and Eden.”

He nodded, emphasizing that I must work as diligently at investigating information as I do at training.

“Finally…”

Glen drew a deep breath and surveyed the swordsmen lined up in the Training Ground below.

“I instructed the Gwangpung to select those who will receive my guidance before the war. Today, I will announce those individuals.”

He gestured for me to come forward with a slight jerk of his chin.

“Yes.”

I ascended the platform with steady steps. Unlike when I had appeared pathetic, my gaze was now grave as I looked upon the swordsmen, and I parted my lips to speak.

“I will now announce the names of those who will receive guidance from the Head of House.”

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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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