The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 122

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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 122

Tunnel 5, where Raon and the Scout Unit had spent the night.

Two men stood in that frozen wasteland where Sharkmol blood had congealed—one draped in a black robe, the other in blue.

“Hmm….”

The man in the black robe, whose height and build rivaled even monsters, smacked his lips as he surveyed the blood pooled throughout the tunnel.

“Swift and straightforward swordplay. From the corpses and ground traces alone, I cannot discern what sword technique was employed.”

He scratched his chin, studying the crater Raon had carved with the Soul Reaper Sword.

“How was this crater formed? It doesn’t resemble a sword strike, nor a spear thrust. Unless….”

“Why bother figuring that out?”

The man in the blue robe, who had been kicking at the Sharkmol corpses the Scout Unit had buried, let out a scoff.

“They’re all going to die anyway.”

“Because of you. If you’re going to kill them, do it cleanly. Or at least gather intelligence. Instead, you’ve carelessly revealed our information.”

The man in the black robe turned away. Though his robe obscured his face, his lips seemed twisted in displeasure.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. What was I supposed to do about control breaking?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Sigh, why do you worry so much? If we just move according to plan, there’s nothing difficult about it.”

“You’re underestimating them far too much.”

“It’s not that I’m underestimating them—they’re simply pathetic.”

The man in the blue robe turned toward the direction of Habun Castle and flashed a grin. Dozens of teeth, sharp as a shark’s, gleamed in the light.

“They won’t be able to move an inch if we just follow the plan. That’s why I’m sweating through all these preparations right now.”

“So please, just stay still for once. The more you move, the more the plan falls apart. It’s like your brain is turning into fish with each passing moment.”

“What a beastly thing to say.”

“….”

“Fine, fine. I get it. I’ll stay quiet as a dead mouse.”

When the man in the black robe stared at him silently, the man in the blue robe chuckled and nodded.

“So what’s the move now?”

“The commander of Habun Castle is no fool. He’ll notice the Sharkmoles moving up near the Sturrin Mountains and send forces to eliminate the gathering Trolls.”

“Then we strike those forces? I’ll handle it!”

“Your time hasn’t come yet.”

The man in the black robe shook his head.

“The moment either of us makes a move, there’s a chance the Six Emperors will send reinforcements. We must draw our blades only at the end.”

“Then?”

“I’ve prepared some specimens.”

A massive shadow fell behind him. Two Ice Troll Warriors stood at the black-robed man’s back—creatures with feathers fine as down, their entire bodies covered in long white fur, ears pointed like an elf’s, and arms elongated enough to brush the ground. These were the two monsters that cast the greatest dread across this northeastern land.

“Oh, these are no ordinary specimens.”

The man in the blue robe smirked with his arms crossed. He was right—the two Ice Troll Warriors were far from ordinary. Each stood a full head taller than a standard Ice Troll, one wielding a crimson club and the other a cerulean staff.

“A warrior and a shaman would be perfect for experimentation. I should search for some worthy specimens myself.”

He chuckled softly and headed toward the Northern Sea, while the black-robed man walked silently toward Sturrin Mountains.

Gugugugu.

The Ice Troll Warrior and shaman followed the black-robed man like well-trained hounds.

*

*

*

The next day.

I left the Dormitory before noon and headed toward Frost’s Branch.

“Going to the Tavern first? That’s quite unusual.”

Dorian yawned widely and rubbed his eyes.

“I’ve been craving the food I missed yesterday.”

“Ah, the dishes did look rather appetizing.”

Though I wasn’t particularly hungry and the food didn’t especially appeal to me, I decided to spend time at the Tavern out of a touch of sympathy for Wrath, who had lost his stats without even getting to eat his pizza.

-Don’t pretend you’re thinking of me. The promise was originally for yesterday.

Wrath, clinging to my wrist like a cicada in summer, grumbled. Having expended considerable power, he had become noticeably smaller than yesterday.

‘Understood.’

As I nodded and walked forward, observant gazes shot toward me from all around.

“That’s him. The Sword Specter who single-handedly cut down six Sharkmoles and defeated both the Ulves Mercenary soldiers and Vice-Commander Cliff.”

“Really? That delicate-looking one?”

“The aura he gives off seems rather weak….”

“I bet on the opposite yesterday and lost my entire month’s wages—how could I forget?”

“At such a young age, how did he accumulate the power to break that vicious mantis?”

Swordsmen and knights swallowed hard as they watched me pass.

“Hey, Sword Ghost! You were amazing yesterday!”

“It’s been a long time since our mercenary group took such a beating!”

“Thanks for thrashing that arrogant Turga.”

“I found it so satisfying watching the vice commander get pummeled!”

Unlike the scouts who cast probing glances, the Ulves Mercenary Group cheered and waved their hands.

-Mad fools, the lot of them.

‘They simply love fighting, and they love the strong.’

Even now, a sickly yellow madness gleamed in their eyes. They bore the demeanor of battlefield fiends thirsting for combat.

-Regardless, leave quickly.

‘Right. Right.’

I let out a quiet laugh and pushed open the tavern door. The interior was empty—it was an awkward hour for a meal.

“Welcome!”

As I settled into a table in the center, a bright, cheerful voice rang out from the kitchen—one I hadn’t heard yesterday. Moments later, a girl in her early teens emerged, her rose-colored hair tied into two braids.

“You’re here to eat, right? Huh?”

The girl set down a menu and tilted her head as she looked at me.

“You’re the swordsman who fought those Ulves Mercenary Group men yesterday, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, the older girls said they were more captivated by your face than your swordsmanship, and it’s really true!”

The Restaurant Staff giggled and gazed intently at my face.

-Stop wasting time. Open the menu. I shall order everything.

‘Sigh…’

-First, pizza. That pizza I saw yesterday has haunted my dreams.

I found the pizza section on the menu. As I deliberated over which of the five varieties to choose, the girl approached from the side.

“Would you like me to recommend something? The beef pizza and chicken pizza are our best sellers. For something special, the spicy chili pizza is also quite good. And…”

The Restaurant Staff went on to recommend grilled dishes, chicken, and stew as well. She was a true merchant, approaching because I was handsome and working to boost her sales.

-Order the chicken pizza and that pineapple pizza at the very bottom.

‘Pineapple pizza wasn’t on the menu yesterday. The pizza from yesterday was beef…’

-It doesn’t matter. I desire that pineapple pizza.

‘Hmm, pineapple is a bit…’

Pineapple is a tropical fruit from the Southern Region. With its sweet and tangy flavor, it seemed unlikely to pair well with cheese-topped pizza.

‘Are you a gourmet or a freak with bizarre tastes?’

-Quiet. Didn’t you say you’d accommodate me today? Keep your promise, Raon Zigheart.

Wrath spoke in a solemn tone as if he were swearing an oath merely to order pizza. The more I looked at him, the less impressive this Demon King appeared.

“Let’s start with a chicken pizza and a pineapple pizza, and one beef stew….”

“Oh, I’m sorry. We don’t have pineapple in stock right now.”

The Restaurant Staff shook her head, explaining that several menu items were unavailable due to ingredient shortages.

-Ugh. That’s the one I wanted most….

‘Phew, thank goodness.’

“Pineapple?”

Just as I exhaled in relief that we wouldn’t be having pineapple pizza, Dorian, who had been staring blankly at the menu, suddenly sprang to his feet.

“Wait, hold on….”

I tried to stop him, sensing something ominous, but Dorian’s hand moved with lightning speed. In an instant, he pulled a pineapple from his belly pouch and placed it on the table.

“Here it is.”

“Huh?”

The Restaurant Staff’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“H-how did you….”

“Carrying around a pineapple is hardly unusual.”

Dorian shrugged as if questioning what was so strange about it.

‘It IS unusual! Why do you even have that?!’

I barely restrained the urge to smack the back of Dorian’s head.

-Oho! As expected of my first subordinate!

Wrath murmured his approval at having chosen Dorian as his subordinate, gently stroking his head with a tendril of cold air.

“Thank you! In that case, we’ll purchase this pineapple and use it ourselves.”

“It’s fine. I have another one.”

Dorian pulled out a second pineapple with a grin.

“Young master, how fortunate! Now you can enjoy the pineapple pizza you wanted.”

“Yes. Quite fortunate.”

Fortunate enough to warrant a beating.

“Hmph.”

I furrowed my brow deeply and ordered the other recommended dishes as well.

“Thank you. I’ll bring it out delicious!”

The Restaurant Staff smiled brightly as she took the pineapple and headed into the kitchen.

While I was making small talk with Dorian, who looked particularly irritating today, the Restaurant Staff and a Silver-haired Elder with a stern expression emerged from the kitchen carrying food.

Freshly prepared dishes still steaming were laid out across the table in succession.

“This is the leftover pineapple from the ingredients.”

The elder placed the half-remaining pineapple on the table. Despite his appearance suggesting he’d killed several people, his voice was gentle.

“Mmm….”

The Restaurant Staff had her tongue half out, savoring the sweet aroma rising from the sliced pineapple.

“Dorian.”

“Yes?”

“Can I give this to her?”

“Of course!”

Dorian nodded immediately, as if questioning why I’d even ask.

“Take it and eat.”

“Th-thank you so much!”

The Restaurant Staff’s cheeks flushed the same crimson as her hair as she bowed her head respectfully.

“Thank you.”

The Silver-haired Elder gave a small bow and retreated into the kitchen. Despite his intimidating appearance, his demeanor was genuinely kind.

-Stop pretending to be reluctant and eat! While it’s still hot!

‘Stop nagging me.’

I exhaled softly and picked up the pineapple pizza. Squeezing my eyes shut, I took a large bite.

“Hmm….”

The sourness wasn’t as pronounced as I’d expected. Instead, the sweetness was intense enough to assault my palate. It was an awkward clash of salty and sweet notes stabbing at my tongue.

It wasn’t inedible, but I questioned the necessity of heating fruit just to eat it.

“Ugh, this isn’t very good.”

Dorian, who had taken a bite of the pineapple pizza, scrunched his face in disgust.

Meanwhile.

-Hehehehe, such a flavor exists! I, the great one, have been so ignorant of the world!

There was one Demon Lord who had fallen in love with pineapple pizza.

-The sweetness and saltiness achieve a golden ratio, caressing my tongue like silk. This is true gastronomy, and this is happiness itself!

The lord of the Demon Realm wore an expression of pure bliss as he savored a single slice of pineapple pizza, nearly moved to tears.

-Keep eating! Do not stop!

“Ugh…”

I continued eating the pineapple pizza despite my grimacing expression. The taste wasn’t unpleasant, certainly, but still… I couldn’t help thinking it was unnecessary. I would have preferred to simply eat the chilled pineapple on its own.

-Ah, no matter how much I eat, the flavor never grows tiresome. Henceforth, I shall decree this pizza to be called the sweet-and-salty pizza.

Wrath had become completely absorbed, rambling on about eating nothing but pineapple pizza.

“Your tastes are quite peculiar, my lord.”

Dorian wrinkled his nose as he watched me reach for my fourth pineapple pizza.

“…That’s not it.”

“Surely it is, sir. The tongue never lies. Pineapple pizza in the Mint Chocolate Club—you’re the most unique person I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s not.”

I barely restrained the urge to strike that fool’s head once more.

-Quite satisfying. I shall establish a pineapple forest in the Demon Realm in the future.

He seemed to be in the best of moods.

I realized this was the moment to execute my plan. I took another bite of pineapple pizza and looked at Wrath.

‘Wrath.’

-What is it.

His voice was bright—so refreshing it was hard to believe he’d caused a rampage yesterday.

‘From operating Glacial, I’ve realized there’s more than one way to use it, isn’t there?’

-Ho, so you’ve grasped that. Indeed you have.

Wrath nodded with satisfaction.

-It’s similar to the cultivation methods you humans employ. Glacial is a technique that allows one to wield frost with optimal efficiency and maximum power.

‘Then it can be used for both offense and defense?’

-Of course.

‘Such remarkable detection capabilities combined with offensive and defensive applications—it’s extraordinary.’

-Indeed! It’s such an immense ability that even your meager aptitude can perceive it.

Wrath’s voice rose even higher. Between the sweetness of the pineapple pizza rolling across his tongue and my blatant flattery, he seemed to be experiencing the feeling of an ancient Demon King being revered once more.

‘So how exactly do you use that? Can I block cold with cold?’

-Pathetic fool. What did I tell you? Imagery. Imagery! With imagery, there is nothing you cannot accomplish.

‘Then if I draw an image of blocking cold, I can block all the cold from both outside and inside?’

-Of course. The ability I created has no blind spots. Recite the incantation I taught you and draw the imagery you need. The same applies to attacks as well.

Wrath had completely forgotten about the bet he’d made, and even that his primary means of attack was cold itself. Instead, he was dispensing advice to me about imagery.

‘I see.’

I lowered my head slightly as I placed the last remaining pineapple pizza into my mouth.

It was a gesture of gratitude to the Lord of Wrath for providing my daily sustenance once again.

Thank you.

*

*

*

The pineapple pizza was peculiar and enigmatic, but the other dishes were undeniably delicious. Even the fastidious Wrath seemed satisfied, muttering something about a dedicated chef and whatnot.

“This place is incredible, isn’t it? I never expected to find a dining establishment like this in the Northern Region.”

Dorian patted his belly, which protruded like a hill, and smiled contentedly.

“Right?”

I rose with a slight smile and headed toward the kitchen to settle the bill. The Restaurant Staff emerged carrying something.

“Please take this with you.”

It was a perfectly baked golden-brown cookie with steam rising gently from its surface. Embedded in the center was the pineapple I’d taken earlier.

“You seemed to like pineapples, so I made this for you.”

“Uh…”

A complete misunderstanding. An absolute misunderstanding.

-Ah, another devotee of the King has emerged in this place. From this day forth, I shall recognize this girl as the King’s Pineapple Girl.

I pushed away Wrath, who was radiating waves of cold, and accepted the cookie.

“Thank you. So your name is…?”

“Yua!”

“Right. Yua. Thank you.”

I accepted the cookie with a smile. The Silver-haired Elder inside the kitchen bowed his head. I returned the gesture and completed the payment.

“Safe travels, and please visit us again!”

Yua waved her hand until Dorian and I stepped outside the shop.

“This is quite good in its own way.”

Dorian muttered that the pineapple cookie was different from pizza as he ate it.

“Hmm…”

I smacked my lips and took a bite of the cookie. The crispy texture combined with the chewy pineapple pieces wasn’t bad at all.

-Oho, quite chewy indeed. This too possesses a peculiar flavor. My pineapple girl has many talents. Today’s harvest is quite abundant.

‘Indeed.’

Though I’ve gained far more than that.

I chuckled to myself as I popped the remaining cookie into my mouth.

“Raon! Dorian!”

Just as I was contemplating what image to sketch, Radin came running from afar, waving his hand.

“Captain?”

“What brings you here, sir?”

“Phew, there’s an urgent matter.”

Radin steadied his breathing while gripping his knees, then rose to his feet.

“A mission has come down to the 3rd Scout Squad.”

His eyes darkened with tension as he spoke.

“This will be your first deployment!”

—————
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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