The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 137

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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 137

“An… an artifact?”
“An artifact? Surely you don’t mean…”
“Ah…”

The officers’ gazes turned toward the Snowfall Blade at Milend’s waist. That sword was the very treasure passed down through Habun Castle.

“Are you… are you making Raon the next Castle Lord?”
“That’s not quite…”
“Perhaps you should think about this more carefully…”

The Snowfall Blade was the symbol of the Habun Castle Lord. Giving that blade meant acknowledging Raon as the next Castle Lord.

The officers looked at Terian with trembling eyes, but he sipped his tea with an unmoved expression.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

Milend frowned as he looked around at the officers.

“This blade is not an artifact—it is a symbol. What I’m giving to Raon is something else.”
“Something else?”
“This.”

He pulled out a suit of armor from the table—snow-white and impossibly thin, gleaming like starlight, with a green gemstone embedded at its center.

“Ah!”
“So it was this!”
“Yes. An inner armor forged from the mana stone of an Orc Lord. The White Soul Armor.”

Inner armor was worn beneath clothing. Though thin, it could deflect incoming blades, and most soldiers wore such protection.

“To outsiders, it is a treasure more precious than the Snowfall Blade, the symbol of the Castle Lord. But given what Raon has done, I believe this much should be bestowed upon him.”

Milend gently caressed the White Soul Armor.

“That fellow doesn’t take care of himself at all. I’d feel much better if I could at least get him to wear this armor.”
“I agree with that sentiment.”

Terian chuckled and raised his hand.

“Then we have no objections either.”
“If it weren’t for Raon, this castle would have been completely annihilated. No gift could ever be sufficient.”
“The White Soul Armor would be the greatest gift for that boy.”

Since both the current and future owner of the White Soul Armor had agreed, the executives nodded with smiles on their faces.

“Then let’s settle this matter that way, and I think we should hold the festival for about five days. However, let’s not start immediately—let’s observe the situation for about a week first….”
“Pardon me for a moment.”

Sulgyek Commander Edquil, who had been silent until now, raised his hand.

“What is it?”
“It’s about Raon.”
“Ra, Raon?”
“Raon?”

The executives’ eyes widened at the sudden mention of Raon’s name with such reverence.

“Didn’t you say he was a mercenary?”
“…Yes, I did.”
“There can certainly be geniuses among mercenaries, but the martial techniques he employed are not simple. They are swordsmanship that has been refined over many ages. Martial arts that an ordinary mercenary could not possibly possess.”
“So you’re saying his identity is suspicious?”
“We need to clarify it.”
“Hmm….”

Milend smacked his lips and looked at Edquil. His eyes were calm. It seemed he wasn’t trying to attack—he genuinely wanted to verify the facts.

“I’m curious about it too, to be honest.”

Beto, the commander of the Ulves Mercenary Group, chuckled softly while cradling his interlaced fingers around his head.

“We all know it, don’t we? That Raon isn’t just a mercenary.”
“Hmm….”
“Well, that’s true enough.”
“I just hope he’s not from somewhere strange. Like Oma.”
“Tsk! There’s no way Raon could be from Oma?”

Once the floodgates opened, speculation about Raon’s true identity poured out in torrents.

“Everyone, silence.”

Milend struck the table sharply, silencing them all.

“As you say, Raon is no ordinary mercenary. Given the achievements he’s accomplished, there’s no point in hiding it any longer. But what’s certain is that since he arrived here, he has always shown his true heart.”

His firm voice and conviction straightened the spines of his officers.

“One day, he will reveal his identity of his own accord. Until then, we wait. And I guarantee that boy’s identity. There’s no need to worry—he walks no path shrouded in darkness.”

Milend’s gaze fell upon Edquil, who had first broached this subject. His eyes remained clear and bright—like glimpsing those distant days when he burned with dreams and passion.

“I see.”

Edquil smiled faintly, as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders. Though Milend had observed him for years, he could not fathom what thoughts occupied that mind now.

“If we’re finished here, begin preparations for the festival!”

Milend rose forcefully, striking the table with conviction.

“Make it grand and magnificent—let everyone shed the weariness and suffering of these trials!”

*

*

*

A dimly lit chamber, small lights dangling from the ceiling casting eerie shadows.

Two figures sat before a grotesque table fashioned from human bones.

The man seated on the right was draped entirely in a thick robe that seemed to swallow light itself, and he wore a skull mask with blue flames burning in its eye sockets. Beside him stood a golden staff alone, with dark and sickly light swirling around it.

In contrast, the woman with slender fingers seated on the left wore a navy hat with a brim, and across her face was the mask of an old crone with an elongated nose. Behind her, a staff carved from gnarled wood hovered weightlessly.

“We failed.”

The woman in the crone’s mask clicked her tongue in displeasure.

“You mean Habun Castle?”

The man in the skull mask tilted his jaw.

“Yes. Cheongjugui and Bingarui—those worthless insects couldn’t even earn their keep. They’re dead.”
“How did they fail?”
“What do you expect? They probably charged at the lord of Habun Castle without thinking.”
“Bingarui, perhaps. But Cheongjugui doesn’t move so recklessly.”

The man shook his head and tapped the table made of bone with his fingers.

“Regardless, it’s already too late. They’ve discovered our involvement, so the lord of Habun Castle won’t budge from his seat, and the Six Emperors will send reinforcements.”
“Hmm….”
“Why so serious? The Green King Masek has appeared in the West as well. It doesn’t matter.”
“I wanted Siren’s vessel more than Masek. Such talent is not easily found across the entire Continent.”

Overwhelming power and abundant magical talent can be obtained anywhere. But a temperament like that of a Siren incarnate—one capable of controlling human minds and hearts—is difficult to find.

“An ability capable of mass slaughter and mass brainwashing. We must obtain it at any cost.”
“Still, there’s nothing we can do about it. The timing isn’t….”
“No, this is precisely when we must act.”

The man in the skull mask snapped his fingers. A dull sound like bone striking bone echoed, and a gelatinous liquid surged up onto the table. Its murky gray color obscured what lay within.

“A Doppelgänger? What good will that fool do? Unless someone appears who can wear the Doppelgänger’s helm….”
“I’ve refined it myself.”

The man narrowed his eyes as he watched the Doppelgänger attempt to consume the skull on the table.

“This creature reproduces the speech and behavior of the humans it consumes with 100% accuracy. Even family members wouldn’t recognize the difference.”
“Interesting.”

The eyes of the woman wearing the old woman’s mask gleamed with a brilliant blue light.

“So it absorbs the human’s essence simultaneously with digestion? It has completely remodeled the cells themselves.”
“There is a time limit, but with this creature, we should be able to bring back the Siren’s vessel.”
“What is the possibility that Milend will notice?”
“None.”

The man wearing the skull mask shook his head, his eyes brimming with confidence.

“Unless it is a monster capable of reading human essence itself, there is no way to detect that creature’s transformation.”

*

*

*

A festival had begun at Habun Castle.
There had been a few occasions when a light festival was held for about a day after a Wave, but this was the first time a festival had continued for five consecutive days, and the atmosphere of the castle was so heated that the eternal snow seemed to be melting away.

The fervor of the festival intensified with each passing hour, reaching its peak on the fifth day when the commendation ceremony was held.

“Dorian and Edquil, who leaped from the castle wall and engaged in fierce combat with the Ice Troll Lord, step forward!”
“Yes!”

At Terian’s call, who was presiding over the commendation ceremony, Dorian and Edquil ascended the platform.

“To these two who risked their lives to protect Habun Castle from the Ice Troll Lord and monsters, we bestow upon them a renowned blade and gold coins of Habun Castle.”
“Thank you!”
“Thank you.”

Milend, who stood on the platform, personally handed over the sword and gold coins.

“Dorian. You have changed remarkably since you first arrived here. I hope you continue to grow.”
“Yes!”
“Edquil. I do not know what change of heart you experienced, but this transformation does not appear to be a negative one. Continue to strive forward.”
“Yes.”

The two bowed their heads to Milend before turning around and bowing to the audience as well.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”
“The pride of our 3rd Scout Squad!”
“Dorian! Dorian!”
“Commander! You’re the best!”

The Scout Unit and swordsmen erupted in cheers, chanting Dorian and Edquil’s names.

“Now for the final order of business.”

Terian cleared his throat with a soft cough before turning his gaze to Raon, seated at the far right.

“The invincible swordsman who saved thirty lives in the Wave and single-handedly slew Eden’s specter and the Ice Troll Lord! Come forward, Raon!”
“Uwaaaaaaah!”
“Raon! Raon! Raon!”
“The Sword Phantom of Habun Castle!”
“Troll Lord Slayer!”

The moment Raon’s name was called, soldiers surrounding the festival grounds rose to their feet, applauding and roaring with fervent acclaim.

“Hm.”

I offered a slight bow to the cheering crowd before ascending the platform.

“It is thanks to your courage and valor that the castle’s damage was kept to a minimum. As the lord of Habun Castle, I express my gratitude to you.”

Milend smiled genuinely for the first time, lowering his head in respect.

“Commander!”

Caught off guard by receiving such an honor in front of everyone, I hastily returned the bow.

“There’s no need to bow in return!”
“That’s right! Receiving the lord’s respect should be honor enough!”
“Raon! Stand with pride!”

The others smiled knowingly, as if they had anticipated this moment.

“To the hero who has saved Habun Castle from peril twice, I bestow upon you the castle’s heirloom, the White Soul Armor, and gold coins.”

Milend held out a white suit of armor. Gold inlays gleamed brilliantly across its surface, and at the center of the chest was embedded a hexagonally-cut emerald stone.

“You have a tendency to neglect your own body far too much. The White Soul Armor is an undergarment that can be worn beneath your clothes, so make sure to wear it at all times.”
“Thank you.”

Just looking at it, I could tell it was a precious treasure. Understanding why he had given me this armor kindled a warm heat in my chest.

“Uwaaaaaa!”
“Raon! Raon! Raon!”
“Please continue to protect Habun Castle!”

The moment I turned around, a roar erupted so thunderous it shook the castle itself. It was a cheer so intense that approaching monsters would flee in terror.

“Thank you.”

I bowed to the crowd before descending from the platform.

“Since a day like this may never come again, enjoy it to the very end! The next event is….”

I examined the White Soul Armor while listening to Terian announce the next event.

‘Hmm, I’ve felt this somewhere before.’

It wasn’t the clothes themselves, but the energy contained in the emerald-like green jewels embedded in them that felt strangely familiar for some reason.

‘Ah!’

Now I remembered. The Goblin King’s mana stone I still carried in my chest. I sensed a similar aura from this stone.

-Orc stench oozing everywhere, and you’re only realizing it now. How pathetic.

Wrath muttered his criticism and clicked his tongue.

‘Orc?’
-Indeed. It is a mana stone of an Orc Lord.
‘I see.’

Unlike the Goblin King’s mana stone, which had been so hot it could burn my hand, this stone possessed a solid, rock-like aura. This difference was why I hadn’t recognized it as a mana stone at first glance.

‘It seems that was what they were after.’

I had wondered why Eden attacked Habun Castle, but now it became clear—they had moved to seize this magic stone. The power contained within it was no less than that of the Goblin King’s magic stone.

‘Hmm.’

I placed my hand on the magic stone to examine the power within more carefully.

Zzzzzzzing!

In that instant, the Ring of Fire spun wildly, painting my vision white.

The world transformed.
A snowy plain stained with blood came into view.

The corpses of humans and orcs had piled into mountains, and atop that hill of death, a golden-haired swordsman and an orc larger than an ogre clashed blade against axe.

Spiraling flames erupted from the swordsman’s blade, while a vicious aura rippled from the orc’s axe. With each collision of these two monsters, the sky split and the earth crumbled.

After hundreds—or perhaps thousands—of clashes, the flaming blade cleaved through the axe and severed the orc’s neck.

The orc laughed, and the swordsman wore a bitter smile.

The swordsman turned his body toward me. Everything except his crimson eyes was shrouded in darkness. Golden flames burst forth from his pupils, consuming my vision.

The world shifted again, and a festival grounds brimming with laughter and vitality appeared.

[You are acquiring Ring of Fire (5-Star).]
[You are acquiring Myriad Flame Technique (3-Star).]
[Insufficient achievement.]

The message I had seen in the first appraisal surfaced once more.

Gulp.

I swallowed hard.

‘Did Zigheart’s ancestor face an Orc Lord here?’

I couldn’t see clearly, but the spark dancing across the blade and the unrefined golden hair resembled the man I’d glimpsed in the Judgment Formation.

-Where did you just go? What did you see?

Wrath’s pupils trembled as if he were flustered.

‘What?’
-Your soul just departed from your body.
‘Departed?’
-Yes. A moment ago, you were nothing but an empty shell of flesh.

Was this more than a mere illusion?

As I widened my eyes in shock, a second message appeared.

[You have encountered ???.]
[Achievement for Ring of Fire has greatly increased.]
[Achievement for Manyeong Gong has greatly increased.]

*

*

*

Tsk.

I watched Dorian singing that strange melody on the platform and clicked my tongue. He sang terribly, but that wasn’t what bothered me right now.

‘So Zigheart’s ancestor was also cultivating the Ring of Fire….’

The message about the Ring of Fire wouldn’t have appeared for no reason. That golden-haired man was definitely cultivating not just the Manyeong Gong, but the Ring of Fire as well.

‘I’ve never heard of Zigheart possessing the Ring of Fire.’

In my previous life, the place where I’d obtained the Ring of Fire had nothing to do with Zigheart.

‘Something must have happened.’

There was no way such a vision would be shown without reason. There had to be some underlying circumstance.

I had a premonition that to witness the Ring of Fire and the extremity of the Thousand Harmony Technique, I would need to uncover the end of this vision.

‘Another task has been added to my list.’

With so many responsibilities already piling up, I now had to uncover the secrets of my ancestors as well. I wanted to dismiss it, but the secrets of the Thousand Harmony Technique and the Ring of Fire seemed too important to ignore.

‘Still, what I must do first is already decided.’

Restoring Sylvia to her rightful position as a direct descendant. If avenging Derus was an absolute necessity, then reclaiming the seat of a direct descendant was the priority that came first.

‘First, I’ll become an official swordmaster, and then after that….’

As I contemplated my future plans, Dorian was chased away from singing, and Yua, her twin-tails swaying, climbed onto the platform.

“Hello everyone!”

Yua waved both hands and smiled brightly.

“Woooow!”
“It’s Yua! Yua!”
“Now we’ll have a real treat for our ears!”

At her refreshing voice, so out of place in this setting, the soldiers erupted in cheers louder than they would during battle.

“This is a new song I just created. Please enjoy it.”

As Yua signaled behind her, soldiers holding violins and guitars began plucking the strings.

Twang, twang.

A grand, solemn melody unlike the cheerful music from before settled over the festival grounds.

“Winter arrives suddenly. The brave, the strong, the wise—none find it easy to endure winter’s bitter cold.”

The lyrics and melody were different from what I expected, yet Yua’s crystalline voice captivated the ear.

“To the Winter Castle, stagnant and endless, comes a young swordmaster. Strong yet unboastful, brave yet tender-hearted, wise yet humble in learning.”

My chest heaves. Her voice resonates like a drum from the high mountains, pulsing through my entire body.

“Beneath the collapsed Castle Wall stands a young swordsman alone, and the light of dawn dwells upon his blade. The monsters of the northern mountains, captivated by that beautiful and noble radiance, fade away leaving only meaningless traces.”

This is my story.

The epic tale unfolding through Yua’s clear voice was the story of myself that began at Habun Castle.

“Even the spirits concealed behind masks and helms could not break the young swordsman’s conviction and retreated….”

Her voice carried divinity. The previous battles paint themselves vividly in my mind.

A message materializes before my eyes as I grip my wildly pounding chest.

[The first ballad of war celebrating your Achievement has been created.]
[The path of the hero opens before you.]

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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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