The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 177

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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 177

“A mission all of a sudden? That’s faster than I anticipated.”

Rimer’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Raon got Burren back on his feet.”

Glen Zigheart gestured toward Burren, whose stride had grown increasingly confident.

“What sort of mission will we be undertaking?”
“Originally, I intended to pass it to another unit, but I believe the current Gwangpung Unit is well-suited to handle it.”

Glen turned around, his penetrating crimson eyes gazing down at Rimer.

“You’re familiar with Forban, I presume?”
“Of course.”

Forban was a neutral city situated between Zigheart and the Valkar Kingdom. With its beautiful lake and the great river flowing through it, it was renowned as a hub for trade and tourism.

“A series of disappearances have been occurring in Forban.”
“Disappearances….”

Rimer murmured the word, his eyes narrowing.

“While disappearances aren’t uncommon in themselves, the numbers show no sign of decreasing. Moreover, the soldiers investigating and the hired knights and mercenaries have vanished as well—this is no ordinary matter.”
“If even knights have gone missing, it’s grave indeed.”

Disappearances alone weren’t particularly rare, but the fact that even those investigating them had vanished was deeply unsettling.

“Organized human trafficking, a secret faction, or perhaps….”
“It could be one of the Oma.”
“I share that assessment.”

Rimer nodded at Glen’s words. If they were bold enough to target knights and soldiers, they were likely madmen who gave no thought to consequences.

“The Gwangpung Unit’s mission is to go to Forban, rescue the missing people, and eliminate the cause of their disappearance. Can you do it?”
“I shall obey your command.”

Rimer’s green eyes, which had been brimming with playfulness, sank as deep and fathomless as an endless abyss.

“When should we depart?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Eh? Even if Burren returns tomorrow, we haven’t finished preparations yet. This is too sudden….”
“Much time has already passed since the incident occurred. It’s better to stop it even a day sooner. And you’re not usually the type to announce a departure at the last moment, are you?”
“Ugh!”

Glen watched Rimer’s flustered expression and curled his lips into a smile.

“I’m counting on you, Commander of the Gwangpung Unit.”

With those words, he descended Bekmang Mountain.

“If you bring shame upon the clan and return, I’ll cut your neck off myself.”

The Heavenly Sword Master followed Glen with a blunt remark.

“Hmm….”

Rimer waved his hand as he watched the two of them leave.

“Come to think of it, there’s not much I need to do, is there?”

He muttered words that would make Glen strike him with lightning if he heard them, heading toward the tavern.

“I can just dump everything on that competent vice-commander.”

*

*

*

The next day.
Raon finished his dawn training at the Annex Building and headed to the 5th Training Ground.

As I pondered how to elevate the completion of the Gwangpung Formation and opened the Training Ground’s door, swordsmen were clustered at the entrance.

“Why are you all gathered here?”
“Unit Leader! Look over there!”

Dorian, who had been standing vacantly eating sweets, approached and pointed toward the Training Ground. In the center of the Training Ground, which was tidier than usual, Burren was kneeling.

‘He came faster than expected.’

I smirked as I looked at the back of Burren’s head. I’d thought he wouldn’t arrive until this evening or tomorrow, but he seemed to have regained his senses sooner than anticipated. As expected, he possesses strong mental fortitude.

“He came at dawn and cleaned up the entire Training Ground, and has been kneeling like that ever since.”

Dorian whispered as though sharing a secret, but everyone around could hear him.

“It seems he came asking to be admitted to the Gwangpung Unit. What will you do?”
“Whether to admit a member or not is the Unit Commander’s decision, so I wouldn’t know.”

Though Rimer would certainly accept him.

“So blood finally reached his head. How pathetic.”

Martha clicked her tongue while looking at Burren. Her tone was curt, but the absence of insults suggested she was rather pleased.

“….”

Lunan nodded approvingly while holding Seolhwa.

“What are you all gawking at?”

I walked deeper into the Training Ground and turned to face the swordsmen.

“The Unit Commander will be here soon, and you’re not prepared for training at all! Move quickly!”
“Ah, yes!”
“Understood!”

The dazed swordsmen rushed toward the changing room.

I paid no attention to Burren, who remained kneeling, and warmed up in the Training Ground. Burren, in turn, did not look my way, his gaze fixed only on the empty Platform.

You won’t even pretend to know what’s happening?

Wrath furrowed his brow as if to say I was being unreasonable.

‘Right now, pretending not to know is the real help.’

Even if Burren had steeled himself for this moment, he’d still feel ashamed. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is look the other way.

“Fall in.”
“Fall in.”

I gathered the swordsmen at the Training Ground and waited for Rimer. Shortly before training was set to begin, the Training Ground door burst open with a bang. His peculiar habit of kicking the door open whenever he wasn’t late remained unchanged.

“Good morning!”

Rimer climbed onto the Platform with a bouncing gait.

“But….”

He tilted his head, pointing at Burren.

“What’s wrong with him?”

No one answered, and Burren lifted his head.

“I apologize for being late.”

Despite his words of apology, his eyes blazed with fierce intensity. His gaze had the sharpness of a trainee once more, honed and cutting.

“Please accept me into the Gwangpung Unit.”

Burren pressed his forehead to the ground in a bow, as if he would not rise unless accepted. He bore down with his head as though he would never lift it otherwise.

“Hmm….”

Rimer scratched his chin and smacked his lips.

“It does seem rather late. What do you think, Vice-Commander?”
“You just said you missed Burren’s nagging, so why are you asking for my opinion now? You’ve even kept a seat open for him, haven’t you?”

I muttered in a flat voice that the position of third squad leader in the Gwangpung Unit was vacant.

“Tsk! You’re ruining the moment by saying things like that!”

Rimer waved his hands in flustered protest.

“Just accept it quickly anyway. I have mountains of things to teach that guy.”
“Seriously. You’re not helping at all.”

He scratched his head vigorously and approached Burren.

“You came a bit late, but given the years we’ve spent together, I can’t refuse. I’ll accept you as the leader of the third squad of the Gwangpung Unit.”

Rimer grinned and grabbed Burren’s shoulder.

“But how much did you bring for the entry fee?”

The way he drew a circle with his index and thumb perfectly illustrated the mindset of someone addicted to gambling.

“Wow….”
“Is he even human?”
“Not human. He’s an elf.”
“Ugh, how pathetic.”

I and everyone in the Gwangpung Unit regarded Rimer with eyes more contemptuous than ever before.

“Ugh….”

Burren forgot about needing to make a good impression on Rimer and his face twisted into a scowl.

“Oh, I’m just kidding. Just kidding!”

Rimer smiled and helped Burren to his feet. He unfolded a map and whispered something in his ear.

“You know I’m not joking, right? With the proper mark of the Castle, go to Danju Thread…”

Raon, the only one who heard that sound, stared at Rimer with colder eyes than ever before and made a resolve.

I won’t trust that Red-haired Elf when it comes to gambling and money, no matter what else.

*

*

*

I called Burren aside and shared everything we’d covered in training so far. Both the sword techniques and signals were intricate, yet he committed them all to memory in mere hours.

“Memorizing is one thing, but executing these techniques in actual combat will be different. Make sure you practice thoroughly.”
“Understood.”

True to his meticulous nature, Burren immediately adopted a formal tone. His eyes gleamed with the sharpness of a trainee once more.

“Then would it be acceptable to practice the sword techniques with Group 3?”
“By all means.”

He posed the question with a challenging glint in his gaze. I chuckled softly and nodded in approval.

‘Now I should get some training in myself.’

“Attention!”

Just as I was about to begin my personal training, Rimer clapped his hands from atop the platform.

“Everyone gather.”

Gambler or not, a unit commander was still a unit commander. At his summons, every member of the Gwangpung Unit assembled before the platform.

“It seems we’ve settled most matters, so let me get to the main point.”
“The main point?”
“What main point?”

Since becoming unit commander, Rimer had indulged himself far more than he ever did as an instructor, so all the swordsmen exchanged puzzled glances.

“Our first mission has arrived.”
“A mission!”
“Truly?”
“Finally!”

At the mention of a mission, the eyes of the Gwangpung Unit members ignited with fervor.

“What sort of mission is it?”

Burren raised his hand and asked. Having him around certainly made things easier.

“A series of disappearances has occurred in the village of Forban. Our task is to locate the missing and eliminate the culprit responsible.”
“Ooh!”
“Searching for the missing….”
“Eliminating the culprit!”
“Now this feels like real Zigheart swordsman work.”
“I’m getting nervous….”

Unlike the extermination of low-tier monsters, this mission carried genuine weight, and every swordsman’s eyes brimmed with anticipation.

“When do we depart?”
“W-when do we depart? Well, the departure time is rather… soon.”

Rimer hesitated, unable to speak easily.

“When?”
“This evening.”

At those words, every swordsman’s jaw dropped. They had assumed it would be tomorrow at the earliest, but “this evening” sent the entire Gwangpung Unit into shock.

“Grr, you really are something!”

Even Burren, who had resolved to keep a low profile today, ground his teeth and stormed out.

“I understand the disappearances are urgent, but this isn’t training—it’s a mission. Couldn’t you give us time to prepare? Especially since Burren only arrived today.”
“No, listen to me.”

At my sharp words, Rimer waved his hands frantically.

“The mission is indeed tight, but today isn’t my fault! It came from above! From the Patriarch’s Hall! The order came down last night! It has nothing to do with me!”

He pointed with his finger toward the Patriarch’s Hall, but no one looked in that direction.

“Oh my! Is that so?”
“Right, right. That must be it.”
“How impressive.”

All the swordsmen snickered at Rimer. Since this wasn’t the first or second time he’d pulled such stunts, no one believed a word he said.

-Hmph! I’d sooner believe dog dung cures illness.

Even Wrath clicked his tongue at such a ridiculous excuse. Rimer’s credibility had sunk so low that even Wrath refused to trust him.

“No, I’m serious!”
“Commander. Since no one’s going to believe you anyway, let’s just begin preparations. The Gwangpung Unit will finish mission preparations within two hours and gather here again. Since Forban is located near the center of the Continent, don’t pack too many heavy clothes.”
“Yes!”

Upon hearing my orders, the swordsmen hurried out of the Training Ground.

“But I’m telling the truth, really….”

Left alone, Rimer stood motionless and let out a sigh.

‘Is this what the boy who cried wolf felt like….’

*

*

*

Because the serial disappearances were an urgent matter, the Gwangpung Unit finished preparations as quickly as possible and set out toward Forban immediately.

I and the swordsmen rode at full speed, refining the new sword formation we’d named the Gwangpung Formation during rest breaks along the way.

We arrived at Forban around the time Burren had finished adapting to the Gwangpung Formation and reached a level where he could command the third unit.

Forban was a neutral city positioned between the northern Zigheart and the Owen Kingdom and Valkar Kingdom in the center of the Continent. It was a peaceful place renowned for tourism and trade, blessed with the beautiful Lake Serti and the Rabel River flowing through it.

“First, let’s go see the mayor and hear what happened.”

Since the journey had taken considerable time, I and the swordsmen had no chance to sightsee. We rode straight up the central avenue of the city and headed toward City Hall.

As I approached the City Hall, which stood with the majestic bearing of a castle, the doors swung open and people clad in robes and armor streamed out. Four emblems were carved into their left chests—the mark of the Valkar Kingdom.

“Huh?”

Rimer, who had been slacking off at the back, spotted the red-haired middle-aged man at the front and raised his finger.

“Morel?”
“Rimer?”

The middle-aged man called Morel seemed to recognize Rimer as well, his brow furrowing.

‘So it’s Morel Kazan…’

I narrowed my eyes as I observed the slightly shorter red-haired middle-aged man.

‘No wonder his aura felt extraordinary.’

Morel Kazan was a renowned mage of Valkar who wielded numerous fire-attribute spells with masterful ease. He operated a magical unit called Salamander, and those standing behind Morel appeared to be its members.

“What brings Zigheart here?”
“And what are you doing here?”
“We’re on a mission.”
“We’re on a mission too. Step aside if you’re done with your business.”
“You! You there!”

As Rimer gestured for them to move aside at the entrance, a woman with purple hair burst forth from among the Valkar mages and stepped in front of me.

“Raon Zigheart! You fraud!”

She glared at me as if she were about to charge forward immediately.

“Hmm? Who might you be?”

I met her furious gaze with calm, untroubled eyes.

“M-Master. That’s the princess from back then.”

Dorian approached cautiously and whispered in my ear.

“That rude woman from the Camelrun Auction House.”

His voice was quiet, but since there were no weaklings present in this place, everyone heard the word rude.

“Ah, that princess.”

I let out a soft chuckle. Of course, I couldn’t have failed to recognize that the mage before me was Princess Jeina of the Valkar Kingdom. I had deliberately pretended to forget, but it seemed Dorian had made Jeina even more irritated.

“A con artist daring to insult me again.”

Jeina stirred her mana as if ready to unleash magic at any moment. Blue and red auras shimmered around her like heat waves.

“Insult? What insult are you talking about?”
“You deceived me by claiming to be from the Zigheart Main Lineage!”
“I never said with my own mouth that I was from the Main Lineage.”
“That, well….”

Jeina, realizing this as well, bit her lip without finding words to say.

“You, you created that atmosphere yourself….”
“Atmosphere? If someone gets deceived by an atmosphere, isn’t that person the strange one? I never lied, so what do you want from me?”
“Ugh! Shut up! You used tricks and yet you’re so shameless!”
“I didn’t use tricks. You misunderstood on your own, so why are you doing this to me?”
“Ughhhh!”

As I shrugged my shoulders, Jeina’s face flushed as if it might burst.

“Don’t speak carelessly to the princess!”

Just as I was considering whether to provoke Jeina further, a tall blonde man emerged from behind her.
He wore a red martial robe with a robe draped over his shoulders like a cape—an odd ensemble that looked extremely greasy due to the excessive oil plastered on his hair.

‘A combat mage, perhaps.’

However, unlike his appearance, his attire was that of a combat mage of which Valkar boasted. This man seemed to be a combat mage trained by Morel.

“You dare mock Princess Jeina knowing she is the princess of Valkar! Do you have two lives?”

He spread his robe with his hands and stepped forward to the center. He seemed to be trying to look impressive, but he looked utterly pathetic.

“What nonsense. Eavesdropping rats, the lot of you.”

Martha crossed her arms and let out a derisive snort.

“Hmm.”
“….”
“Oh no, no, we’re doomed!”

Burren observed the situation in silence, Lunan held Seolhwa without a care in the world, and Dorian—the architect of this chaos—peeked out from behind Raon’s back.

“Rats? You said it outright, so what whisper are you talking about!”
“Who asked you to listen?”
“Those ignorant swordsmen living in the frozen wastes!”
“Those fragile mages who snap at the slightest touch!”

The Gwangpung Unit and Salamander glared at each other, their killing intent rising as if a brawl would erupt at any moment.

“A missing person search mission, then.”

Morel watched only Rimer with ease, even as the situation teetered on the brink of violence.

“Asking that means you’re in the same boat.”
“We’ll handle the missing person search. Don’t waste your time and just leave.”

Morel waved his hand dismissively, as if swatting away flies.

“What could you possibly accomplish, dragging along a bunch of half-grown brats.”

He swept his gaze across the Gwangpung Unit members one by one, his lips curling with contempt.

“That’s something you find out by trying.”

Rimer flashed the cunning smile he always used when teasing Burren.

“Then how about this?”

Morel looked at Princess Jeina, who was biting her lip, and offered a chilling smile.

“A light sparring match between the youngsters—the losers follow the winners’ orders. What do you say?”

Salamander, knowing that he had more age and experience than the Gwangpung Unit, spoke as though he intended to seize the initiative—proposing a sparring match.

“A sparring match? All of a sudden?”

Rimer’s brows furrowed. His expression suggested uncertainty, but I saw through his unconvincing act at once.

‘That’s why he keeps losing at gambling.’

But it seemed to work on Morel. His smile deepened.

“If you lack confidence, withdraw as you are.”
“I’ve accepted a mission. I can’t return without even drawing my blade. Fine!”

Rimer smacked his lips and surveyed the entire Gwangpung Unit before pointing at me, standing in the center.

“Raon. You’re my choice!”
“Sigh….”

I exhaled and stepped forward.

“Commander! I shall go!”

The blonde battle mage who had been showing off at the front came forward. From his expression, he was desperate to make a good impression on the Princess.

“Inild. You should suffice. I trust you.”
“Yes! I shall not disappoint you!”

Morel nodded, regarding the young man.

“I am Inild, a battle mage of the Valkar Kingdom and disciple of Morel, the Flame Serpent. I shall repay the insult the Princess suffered!”

Inild pointed his finger at me with an expression and posture as impressive as he could muster.

“I’m sorry, but.”

I smiled coldly and shook my head.

“That’s not why we’re fighting right now. Aren’t you in the wrong place?”
“Th-that is….”

Inild’s face flushed crimson as he bit down on his lip.

“And that attitude of yours. Do you even know what the Princess did before defending her?”
“The Princess could never be in the wrong!”

He spoke those words while stealing glances at the Princess.

“A mage who lives without thinking.”

I let out a hollow laugh. It was clear he was utterly smitten—whether by her beauty or her status, it hardly mattered.

“I can endure any insult directed at me, but I cannot tolerate insults toward the Princess!”
“Just now I insulted you, not the Princess, didn’t I?”
“Shut your mouth!”

Inild kept glancing not only at the Princess, but also at Lunan and Martha. It seemed he found the attention of beautiful women universally appealing.

“I’ll defeat you here and use all of you as servants in this mission!”
“Servants, you say….”

I smiled and nodded.

“That sounds good.”
“Tell me your name. As befits a battle mage, I shall crush you in a fair and honorable duel….”
“You came out here to fight, yet your tongue wags so filthily. Is this how all you buck-toothed types are?”

Martha smirked while looking at Inild.

“Ugh….”
“….”

The Princess didn’t even glance at Inild, only grinding her teeth at me, while Lunan showed no interest from the start.

“Hmm….”

Inild’s face deepened to a vivid red. He’d come out to show off before the women, but things weren’t going as planned, and his bewilderment was evident.

“Th-this is a duel representing each of our factions. Reveal who you are and what you intend to do! I shall face you with the battle magic of Valcar!”

Even as Martha mocked him, Inild refused to drop his pretentious posture. He swept back his greasy hair and pointed a finger.

“He certainly talks a lot.”

I clicked my tongue sharply. That fool clearly needed a beating to knock some sense into him.

“Dorian.”
“Yes!”

At my call, Dorian rushed forward like lightning.

“A club.”
“Yes!”

Dorian produced an enormous club from his belly pouch—the kind an ogre might carry.

“Huh?”
“What, what is that!”
“How did such a massive club come out of that pouch!”
“Gasp…”

The onlookers’ jaws dropped as they watched an enormous club emerge from what appeared to be an ordinary pouch.

“You were told to reveal your name and state your intentions, weren’t you?”

I took the club from Dorian and slung it over my shoulder.

“My name is Raon Zigheart. From this moment on, I’m going to beat you with this club.”

I curled my lips into a smile and flicked my fingers.

“Come at me.”

For fools with nothing but shit for brains, a club had always been the best medicine.

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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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