The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 1161
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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 1161
I made my way to the Dining Hall of the Patriarch’s Hall alongside Wrath. While there were certainly suspicious aspects to his behavior, his intentions were transparent enough that I decided to overlook it this time.
-Ohhh!
The moment Wrath stepped into the Dining Hall of the Patriarch’s Hall, he let out an excited exclamation.
-This is why the main residence is the best! There’s never a shortage of food here!
He drooled as he gazed upon the diverse array of dishes arranged on enormous silver platters.
‘It’s not usually this extravagant.’
I shook my head as I retrieved an empty plate to portion out the food.
‘Grandfather specifically arranged this because he said I should eat well given how grueling the training is.’
While the Dining Hall of the Patriarch’s Hall was already renowned as the finest in Zigheart for its culinary excellence, this current buffet was a special arrangement Glen had personally ordered to support the swordsmen undergoing rigorous training.
-Regardless of the circumstances, isn’t this wonderful!
Wrath cared nothing for explanations—his attention was already completely captivated by the feast before him.
-Ehehehehe!
His eyes spun rapidly, scanning across the dishes with the same intensity he’d shown when meeting Rust.
‘So…’
I sighed, holding the empty plate at my waist.
‘What am I supposed to bring?’
Since I held no great expectations of Wrath, I simply nodded lightly.
-From now on, bring whatever the True Demon King tells you to!
Wrath extended his chubby hand as if he’d made a decision.
-Bring me two slices of that white pizza on the right, and grab some honey and sesame seeds from over there!
He was already smacking his lips in anticipation.
‘Pizza, honey, and sesame seeds? That’s all?’
I stood before the pizza and tilted my head in confusion.
-First, I’ll teach you what true gastronomy actually is!
Wrath snorted, as if ordering me to just follow his instructions.
‘Understood.’
I followed Wrath’s directions and gathered two slices of what appeared to be a sparsely topped pizza along with the honey, then took a seat.
-First, try the pizza on its own.
Wrath pointed to one of the pizza slices first.
‘Very well.’
I nodded and took a bite of the pizza.
-How does it taste?
Wrath rolled his eyes slightly as he asked.
‘It tastes like pizza.’
I’d eaten the pizza, so I simply stated that it tasted like pizza and nodded.
-Sigh, this is….
Wrath furrowed his brow deeply.
-Doesn’t the True Demon King know that?! I’m asking you to describe the flavor! You’re supposed to be good at expressing taste!
That bastard was important, so he ground his teeth, demanding I give a proper answer.
‘Not bad. The cheese is a bit salty, and the aroma has a peculiar tang—those are the drawbacks. But the crust is crispy, and the toppings are sparse, so it’s decent enough.’
I calmly explained the pizza’s flavor to Wrath.
-You know your stuff. That’s precisely the strength and weakness of that cheese pizza.
Wrath jutted out his chin, insisting he wasn’t ignorant of taste.
-Now try dipping that pizza in the honey I brought and sprinkling sesame seeds on it.
He swallowed saliva repeatedly as he spoke, his excitement palpable.
‘Hmm….’
I narrowed my eyes and picked up the pizza.
‘What difference could that possibly make?’
-Just do it!
‘Fine.’
I brushed off Wrath’s stern command lightly, dipped the pizza in honey, and put it in my mouth.
‘Nothing’s really different… wait?’
As I chewed slowly, my eyes widened.
‘What, what is this? It’s completely different from before!’
When I’d eaten the pizza moments ago, the cheese’s saltiness and peculiar aroma had felt like drawbacks. But now, with the honey and sesame seeds penetrating through, it had become an entirely different dish.
‘The saltiness is neutralized by the sweetness, and that peculiar aroma is gone. And with the sesame seeds, there’s even a nutty richness.’
The honey’s sweetness had perfectly dissolved the cheese’s saltiness and aroma, while the sesame seeds added a delightful nuttiness.
I nearly laughed aloud at how such a transformation could occur from merely adding honey and sesame seeds.
‘This is actually delicious?’
While the first pizza hadn’t tasted bad, the pizza I was now dipping in honey was truly worthy of being called a delicacy.
-That’s right! Your taste buds aren’t completely broken after all!
Wrath nodded vigorously, as if we were finally on the same page.
-Next, bring me that fried fish over there!
He was already thinking ahead to the next dish, pointing to the fish fried in pure oil.
‘Fish is good. It’s rich in protein, suppresses inflammation in the body, and digests well so I can start training right after eating.’
I nodded, saying he’d made a good choice.
-Ugh! That’s not it!
Wrath shook his head vigorously.
-Like I said before, don’t think about reasons like how it’s good for training. Just focus on the taste!
He ground his teeth, begging me to get swords out of my head.
‘Understood.’
I nodded slowly. Since I’d tasted a new pizza thanks to Wrath, I decided to keep following his lead for now.
-Next, from the desserts bring me lemon and that basil with leaves packed tightly together.
‘This is unusual too.’
I chuckled softly and brought the foods Wrath had mentioned, then sat back at the table.
-Just try the fried fish as is.
Wrath waved his hand, telling me to taste the fried fish plain first, just like with the pizza.
‘Understood.’
I nodded and popped the fried fish into my mouth in one bite.
‘A familiar taste. Rich, but heavy. That’s why it’s hard to eat much of it.’
-You’re right about that. Your assessment is accurate.
Wrath relaxed his expression slightly, acknowledging that he felt the same way.
-Now squeeze lemon juice over the fried fish and sprinkle basil on top. Give it a try.
‘I’d rather just eat quickly and leave…’
-Just do it!
‘Fine…’
I lowered my shoulders slightly and followed Wrath’s instructions, squeezing lemon juice and adding basil to the fried fish before taking a bite.
‘Huh? This is completely different.’
The richness of the fried fish remained, but the tartness of the lemon juice and the fragrant basil completely erased the heaviness. Only the clean, savory flavor remained, and it seemed I could eat fried fish until I was completely full.
‘This is delicious. It’s definitely better!’
I ate the remaining fried fish with wide eyes.
-Hehehehehehe!
Wrath laughed with his mouth stretched wide, delighted both by the delicious food and by having his recipe recognized. It was a childlike laugh.
‘Did you develop all of this yourself?’
I let out a dry laugh as I looked at Wrath.
-Gorgonzola pizza with honey is already eaten that way traditionally, but I added the sesame. Fried fish is commonly eaten with lemon juice, but I was the one who added the basil.
Wrath puffed out his chest, explaining how he’d added his own flair to existing methods.
‘I didn’t know about pizza with honey or fried fish with lemon juice.’
I let out a dry laugh. The food at the Annex Building was never bad no matter what, so I’d simply eaten whatever was served and rushed off to training. I’d never even considered that such a world of flavors existed.
-That’s why you’re an idiot.
Wrath sighed, saying he’d suffered greatly because of it.
-So, what do you think? Isn’t it fun?
Wrath snorted as if to suggest that pursuing the culinary arts wasn’t such a bad way to live.
‘That’s true.’
I gazed at the dishes that created profound differences through subtle variations, a faint smile gracing my lips.
‘It is rather enjoyable.’
-Then what are you doing standing there!
Wrath barked out a command, raising his hand.
-Move on to the next one! This time, bring lamb and mint!
*
*
*
“Am I… dreaming right now?”
Crain rubbed his eyes as he watched me place one or two varieties of food onto a plate.
“Is that man really spending this much time in the Dining Hall?”
He let out an incredulous laugh.
“I share the sentiment.”
Burren Zigheart furrowed his brows deeply.
“Raon—or rather, the Young Master—spending more than five minutes in the Dining Hall is something I haven’t witnessed in quite some time.”
He swallowed hard, recalling how I used to shove food into my mouth and leave within five minutes.
“Has he truly lost his mind?”
Martha tilted her head slightly, her expression clouded with suspicion.
“Earlier, when you wanted to sleep next to Lunan, and now too—you’re not just eating food normally. You’re eating in such strange combinations!”
She bit her lip, troubled by how unlike himself Raon seemed.
“Raon is still Raon…. It’s just….”
Lunan tilted her head, fork still in hand.
“He feels more… familiar somehow….”
She nodded, recalling how when Raon slept beside her, she’d sensed a different aura emanating from him.
“Familiar, you say….”
Martha furrowed her brow, still uncertain.
“For now, let’s trust him. Raon must have his reasons.”
Burren nodded, accepting that they should wait and see, strange as it all was.
“Mmm!”
Dorian had already gathered various dishes and taken a seat at the table.
“What? That’s quite an unusual combination.”
Crain narrowed his eyes, noting that the foods were somewhat different from Dorian’s usual preferences.
“I brought them the way Lord Raon was eating.”
Dorian wanted to try eating like Raon, so he dipped a piece of pizza in honey and sesame seeds before taking a bite.
“Wow!”
The moment he chewed the pizza, his eyes widened as if he’d glimpsed a new world.
“This is delicious! The sharp tang of the cheese disappears, and it becomes sweet and savory!”
Dorian swallowed the last of his pizza in one bite, declaring it truly delicious, then began eating the lemon-drizzled fried fish.
“This is insane too! The savory flavor is dancing a sword dance across my palate!”
His fingertips trembled as he marveled at how every single one of my selections was delicious.
“I, I want to try some too!”
“Is it… really that good?”
“Should I give it a taste?”
“Hmm…”
Crain couldn’t resist and retrieved a fresh plate, Burren hesitated and watched, while Martha and Lunan were already on their feet loading up pizza.
“That guy…”
Burren’s brow furrowed thinly as he watched me continuously bring new dishes and sample them in fresh combinations.
“He’s not suddenly planning to become a chef, is he?”
*
*
*
After learning the world of gastronomy from Wrath, I sought out Dorian.
“Pardon? You wish to learn my supply methods?”
Dorian’s mouth fell open as if questioning whether I was serious.
“Yes. I want to learn how you select and store supplies.”
I nodded, explaining that was precisely why I had come.
“N-no, it’s not difficult at all! As expected, you truly appreciate my supply work!”
Dorian nodded, saying it was worth all the effort he’d put into following me around.
“Then let me start right away! Just follow me for now!”
He said he was just about to restock supplies and headed into the Forest.
“Today I’m thinking of adding some decent wood and stones. Back when I was at the Shuper Holy Kingdom, they gave me not just premium materials, but all sorts of miscellaneous wood and stones as well.”
Dorian nodded, asking me to watch carefully.
“Materials like these stones and wood will do.”
He placed stones and wood scattered around Bekmang Mountain into his ship’s pouch while grinning.
“Like these?”
I picked up a stone the size of a human face from beneath my feet and brought it to Dorian.
“That won’t work!”
Dorian shouted, his eyebrows furrowed deeply as if he’d never smiled at all.
“Huh…?”
I stared at Dorian with wide eyes.
“That’s not it! It’s completely different!”
Dorian pulled out a stone almost identical to the one he’d brought and muttered that it was different.
“Again!”
With the resolute gaze of a commander who’d spent decades rolling across battlefields, he shook his head firmly.
“Then… how about this one…?”
I brought him a piece of wood of the same species as the one Dorian had selected.
“This is different too! It’s bent and useless anywhere! Raon, don’t you have any eye for detail at all?”
He shot me a piercing glare and irritation once more. Unlike other times, when it came to supplies, he was so serious it was almost frightening.
“Ugh….”
I thought coming here was a waste, yet I continued following Dorian to understand what he found so fascinating about supplies, helping him see it through to the end.
“Now you’re beginning to understand. Supplies aren’t all the same. Even with the same wood, the usefulness changes depending on how it’s bent, the direction of the break, and the thickness.”
Dorian nodded, finally acknowledging the point.
The next day during rest time, I sought out Burren.
“What? You want to learn my fashion sense?”
Burren’s eyes widened in surprise, though he couldn’t quite hide the smile playing at his lips.
“So you’ve finally recognized my fashion!”
“You pay the most attention to clothing in Gwangpung Hall.”
As someone born into the Main Lineage, Burren had worn expensive clothes since childhood and even considered fashion and color coordination in his training garments. I sensed there was something to learn here as well.
“Great! I’ll teach you as kindly as I can!”
He gestured to me with a smile, as if to say I could trust him.
But his determination lasted less than ten minutes.
“What were you thinking pairing green pants with a red shirt!”
Burren exclaimed in exasperation at how I could possibly choose such a combination.
“…I’ll go change.”
I lowered my chin slightly and returned with different clothes.
“This time sky-blue pants with a yellow shirt? Ah….”
Burren shut his eyes tight as if he couldn’t bear to look.
“Get out! You’re beyond teaching!”
He waved his hand dismissively, declaring that he’d never encountered such poor taste before.
“Just… bear with me a little longer.”
I bowed my head, clasping my hands together in supplication.
“Now you’re starting to look like a proper person. Fine. If you can’t figure it out, just stick to simple colors—white shirt, black pants. Forget about difficult shades like yellow or red!”
Fortunately, Burren’s temperament had improved considerably, which saved me from being thrown out and allowed me to learn a little about fashion from him.
With newfound confidence thanks to Dorian and Burren, I sought out Lunan again.
But this time, I still couldn’t keep up with her.
“Raon. You’re hopeless at this.”
Lunan shook her head as if teaching me was pointless.
“Ah…”
I clutched my head in frustration.
‘This really isn’t working.’
I’d figured out Dorian’s reasoning and criteria for selecting supplies, and I’d grasped Burren’s method of choosing clothes, but I still couldn’t relax as easily as Lunan could.
“At least your expression has softened a bit…”
Lunan studied me for a moment, then stepped closer.
“Raon… tense your entire body…”
“That’s not difficult.”
I nodded and tensed every muscle in my body.
“Now release it all…”
Following Lunan’s instruction, I released all the tension I’d built up throughout my entire body.
“Try repeating that ten times before attempting to sleep.”
“Ten times? Understood.”
I followed Lunan’s instruction—the embodiment of sleep herself—tensing my entire body and releasing it ten times in succession.
‘This is making me drowsy.’
As I repeated the cycle of tensing every muscle until my bones and sinews creaked, then releasing, the tension naturally drained away and my body grew heavy with lethargy.
‘My eyes are closing naturally….’
Unlike my usual forced attempts at sleep, my eyelids grew heavy of their own accord.
I surrendered to the encroaching haze of consciousness, settling onto the ground and leaning my back against the wall.
The warmth radiating from the sun-heated wall and earth amplified my drowsiness further. I drew in the warm air and exhaled slowly.
“Hup!”
My head tilted backward before my body instinctively bent forward at the waist.
“Ah, what a waste. I was so close to falling asleep!”
I had been on the verge of sleep just moments before, only to have that precious drowsiness shattered at the final instant.
“Let me try again.”
“No….”
Lunan shook her head slowly as she regarded me.
“You slept. It was less than five minutes, but you did.”
A faint smile graced her lips, as though I had finally accomplished something remarkable.
“I slept? Ah, now that you mention it….”
Through the subtle perception of transcendence, I could sense that time had indeed passed, however briefly.
“This is rather enjoyable. I want to sleep more.”
A smile played at the corners of my lips as I felt the desire to steal even a brief moment of sleep amidst this languor and drowsiness.
‘Dorian seeks provisions, Burren pursues fashion, Lunan craves sleep. Each of them finds what they desire and fulfills that hunger.’
I felt a subtle understanding of humanity bloom within me, and a gentle smile graced my face.
‘Perhaps that is what it means to be human.’
Just as I had unknowingly surrendered to sleep moments before, I now took another step forward—slowly ascending toward a higher realm.
‘Then what is my true desire, if not vengeance against Derus?’
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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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