The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 179

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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 179

“Master Raon. I don’t carry everything under the sun, you know.”

Dorian patted his belly pouch and smacked his lips.

“So do you have the contract or not?”

I gestured impatiently for him to hand it over if he had it.

“Ah, I do have it.”

Dorian rummaged through his belly pouch, and a crisp contract sheet popped out.

“I’ll need a pen and a writing pad too.”

“I have those as well, but….”

He reached into his pouch again and pulled out a pen and a writing pad.

“Thanks.”

I accepted the pen and writing pad with a faint smile.

“You see? I don’t always have everything on hand!”

“I know.”

“You don’t seem to believe me.”

Dorian smacked his lips and wiped the blood from the massive club he’d set beside him before tucking it back into his spatial pouch.

The onlookers gasped again as they watched the enormous club disappear into the small pouch.

“Wow….”

“Zigheart is no ordinary force.”

“Right. A young swordsman who defeated Inild, and such an unusual fighter too….”

“Has the Northern Region’s giant awakened from slumber?”

“When Zigheart moves, no one can stop them.”

The spectators, awed by what they’d just witnessed, forgot all about Balcar and spoke only of Zigheart.

Raon listened to the crowd’s excitement while swiftly drafting the contract.

‘This should suffice.’

The terms were straightforward: until this mission concluded, Salamander must obey the Zigheart Storm Wind Group’s orders, and could use neither violence nor insults, nor even informal speech. Of course, I also included a clause that the Storm Wind Group couldn’t make demands excessive enough to cost lives.

“Take a look.”

“Did we really need to draw up a contract?”

Morel accepted the contract and frowned.

“I prefer when things are certain.”

“Our unit leader isn’t as careless as I am. You should be careful, you know?”

Rimer glanced at the contract and let out a hearty laugh.

“Is that a boast?”

“It is. Your disciple is lying flat with teeth knocked out, but mine is standing there so confidently.”

He pointed at Inild and Raon in turn, grinning wickedly.

“Ugh….”

Morel, who had been forcing himself to remain composed, couldn’t help but grind his teeth. Having his disciple compared like this was clearly a tremendous blow to him.

“There’s nothing wrong with the contract. Just sign it already.”

“Shut it.”

Morel shoved Rimer aside with his shoulder and looked around. Seeing over a hundred spectators now gathered, he let out a sigh.

‘How did it come to this….’

He had proposed the duel thinking it was an opportunity to humble Zigheart’s pride, but he never expected the situation to unfold like this. With the Princess and Inild making a scene, and having said what he said, there was no way out.

“Sigh….”

Morel reviewed the contract once more before signing it.

“See? You were going to do it anyway.”

“Shut your mouth!”

“Haha!”

While Rimer mocked Morel, I approached Princess Jeina and Inild. Inild remained unconscious from physical trauma, while the Princess had yet to awaken from the shock to her mind.

“Should we send them to the Healing Center?”

“Yes. Fortunately, there’s a renowned Healing Center along the way.”

Jatis hoisted Inild onto his back and pointed to a four-story building situated roughly midway along the road. He showed no sign of resentment on his face—he had genuinely accepted his defeat. Rather, he smiled as if grateful that I had spoken with him.

“I see. Please go ahead.”

I nodded and withdrew two crimson pins from my pocket. With swift movements, I fastened them onto the clothing of both Inild and Princess Jeina.

“Hmm….”

“Raon!”

As I watched Inild and Princess Jeina being carried away, a sheet of paper fluttered through the air.

“All signed!”

“Tsk.”

When I glanced back, Rimer was grinning mischievously while Morel kicked at the stones on the ground with a sour expression.

“I won’t forget today’s humiliation.”

“Of course not. You shouldn’t, since you’re the one who created it.”

“Tch, you….”

“Master.”

I handed the contract back to Rimer, leaving the trembling Morel behind.

“You should keep the contract, Master.”

“Ugh, how bothersome. You keep it.”

Rimer didn’t take the contract, instead cradling the back of his head with interlaced fingers.

“Master! Refusing to even sit at the table Raon has prepared is too much!”

“Nothing to do but complain. Worse than when you were an instructor.”

“Ugh….”

Under the cold gazes of Burren and Martha, Rimer flinched slightly and reached for the contract.

“No. I think it’s better if I keep it.”

I shook my head and tucked the contract into my pocket.

“If the lord takes it, I have a feeling they’ll sell it over there, so that won’t do.”

Looking at Rimer up until now, if someone offered just a few gold coins, he was the type who would sell not just the contract, but Grandfather himself along with it.

“Let’s go. With all this commotion, the Market Hall should be ready by now.”

I opened the City Hall doors and stepped inside. The Zigheart Storm Wind Group and Salamander, now my servant, followed with a sigh.

“Ah….”

Left alone in front of City Hall, Rimer stared at his empty hands, his eyes twitching.

“Damn it! So there was a way to sell contracts!”

*

*

*

The Underground, its floor covered with sticky, crimson liquid. From the iron cages lined on both sides of the corridor came the faint groans of people.

Perhaps she was fourteen now. A red-haired girl with a youthful face hummed cheerfully as she passed through the fishy-smelling corridor, savoring the whimpers echoing from the cages, and opened the door at the end of the hallway.

Inside the room, which didn’t feel like an Underground at all with its clean atmosphere, an elderly man with kind features and soft gray hair sat in a chair reading a book.

“Zigheart and Valcar have arrived as scheduled.”

The girl spoke casually to the old man as if they were friends, perching herself on the edge of the desk.

“An exact date, then. How are the preparations coming along?”

The old man asked without looking at the girl, his gaze fixed upon his book.

“What are you asking? Half of it’s been consumed, and I’ve left the other half untouched.”

“The Apostle will arrive soon. Make certain the calculations are precise so there are no hindrances in the transfer.”

“Understood. But something amusing happened.”

The red-haired girl continued, spreading her small hands as she spoke.

“Zigheart and Balcar clashed in a duel the moment they arrived.”

“A duel?”

“I’m not sure why they fought, but Zigheart’s young swordsman faced off against Inild.”

“Inild must have won.”

“No.”

At that denial, the old man’s gaze turned toward the girl for the first time.

“Zigheart’s young swordsman utterly dominated. He didn’t even use a sword—he smashed everything to pieces with a club.”

“Hmm? A club? What are you talking about?”

“And then that blonde little one….”

The girl recounted everything—Raon and Inild’s battle, and the wager that followed.

“Celine.”

The old man narrowed his eyes as he called out to the girl.

“Investigate that young swordsman.”

“Why? He’ll be leaving soon anyway.”

“We and Zigheart will inevitably clash again. If he’s destined to become a formidable enemy, I need to know about him beforehand. And if the opportunity arises….”

“You want me to kill him?”

The girl called Celine drew her finger across her throat in a cutting motion.

“If Rimer or Morel are present, don’t approach—just gather information. Move only when he’s alone. A Master won’t detect your sorcery, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”

“That’s easy enough.”

She brushed her face—a blend of beauty and cuteness—and smiled wickedly.

“I’m curious what Zigheart blood tastes like.”

“Haven’t you tasted it many times before?”

“This one’s different. His talent is exceptional, but his face is strikingly handsome too.”

“Hmph, how pointless.”

The old man clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Come to think of it, didn’t you say the Princess and Inild collapsed?”

“Yeah. They lost consciousness, so I took them to the Healing Center.”

“Hmm….”

The Old Man scratched his chin and offered a faint smile.

“This could turn out to be quite fortuitous.”

*

*

*

Ouist, the Mayor of Forban, possessed an imposing presence that inspired confidence. Yet beads of perspiration continually traced down his face, lending him an air of unease.

“Welcome, welcome.”

Ouist dabbed his brow with a handkerchief and bowed his head respectfully.

“I am Ouist, Mayor of Forban.”

“I am Rimer of the Zigheart Storm Wind Group.”

Rimer greeted him in return with a gentle smile.

“Please, have a seat.”

Following the mayor’s gesture, Rimer took a seat at the center of the table, while the remaining attendants stood behind him.

“It is truly an honor to meet the Zigheart’s Sword of Light….”

“While I’m flattered, the mission is urgent, so let’s proceed directly to the matter at hand. I’d appreciate your explanation.”

Rimer tapped the table lightly, signaling that he wanted to discuss the mission first.

“Ah, yes. Forban is a city that survives primarily on trade and tourism, so we do experience more disappearances than other regions. However, three months ago, the numbers began to increase gradually, and in just the past two weeks alone, we’ve received over one hundred missing person reports.”

Even for a city as substantial as Forban, over one hundred disappearances in two weeks was unprecedented. Since many people distrusted the City Hall, the actual number of missing persons could well be higher.

“We deployed disguised city guards, mercenaries, and even knights to investigate, but the disappearances continued as if mocking our efforts. Even the mercenaries and knights we sent have vanished.”

Ouist wiped the sweat streaming down his cheeks, muttering a desperate plea for resolution.

“Yet for all these disappearances, the city’s atmosphere didn’t seem particularly dire when we arrived.”

Rimer opened his mouth as he surveyed the city visible outside the Market Hall. True to his words, the Shadow didn’t seem particularly present in Forban today.

“Because we didn’t report it as a missing person case.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Burren Zigheart, who had been quiet until then, stepped forward with narrowed eyes.

“Well, as I mentioned, our city survives on trade and tourism. If word spreads that disappearances are rapidly increasing, tourists and merchants won’t come here, so, ah, we didn’t publicize it.”

Ouist was sweating twice as much, realizing that was indeed the problem. He looked almost as though he’d been caught in a downpour.

“That doesn’t make sense! Shouldn’t we inform people quickly to minimize the damage!”

“If word of the disappearances spreads, the damage won’t be limited to a few—the entire city will suffer. There’s no way around it.”

“Damn it! What do you mean there’s no way around it!”

“Burren, Martha.”

Just as Martha was about to argue alongside Burren, I raised my hand to block both their views.

“The lord is speaking.”

“How can you expect me to stay silent after seeing this!”

“Forban is synonymous with tourism—the city’s image is deeply ingrained in people’s minds. If rumors of mass disappearances spread, tourists will seek out other destinations, and trade volume will plummet accordingly.”

I continued speaking in a calm voice so that not just the two of them, but everyone present could hear.

“If that happens, the damage will spread across the entire city just as the mayor said. Instead of disappearances, we could see masses of people losing their livelihoods and starving to death. And there’s no guarantee that announcing the disappearances will even stop them. Anyone mad enough to abduct over a hundred people in two weeks has already shed their humanity. If people don’t venture outside because they know the danger, they might drag people out of their homes instead.”

Anyone capable of kidnapping over a hundred people in two weeks has already become monsters, stripped of human decency. If people stay hidden indoors after learning the truth, these creatures might simply drag them out anyway.

“If we truly care about the city’s citizens, the best course of action is to resolve this matter swiftly.”

“Y-you’re absolutely right!”

The moment I finished speaking, Ouist rose to his feet, clapping his hands.

“If this incident spreads throughout the entire city, it will trigger a cascade of problems far worse than mere disappearances! Our city has so many replacements available, you see!”

He gazed at Raon with eyes filled with admiration.

“Who exactly are you? Your insight is… truly extraordinary.”

“Ahem, he’s the vice-commander of our Zigheart Storm Wind Group and my disciple. Quite ordinary, really.”

Rimer cleared his throat and pointed to himself.

“So you’re a disciple of the Sword Master. That explains your remarkable brilliance.”

Ouist nodded vigorously while looking at Raon.

‘Impressive.’

It was the kind of reasoning anyone could reach with enough time, yet to grasp such depth in this fleeting moment—Raon’s combat prowess remained unknown, but his insight far surpassed that of the culprits.

“Have you learned anything about these perpetrators?”

“They don’t distinguish between day and night. They don’t care whether people are around or not. They abduct people as silently as a thief stealing goods. It’s as if their victims simply vanished. That’s why no one understands how the disappearances actually occur.”

“What about the power levels of the mercenaries and knights who went missing during their investigations?”

“The mercenary was around Expert-tier lower rank, and the k-knights were Expert-tier middle and upper rank.”

Ouist exhaled deeply, still unable to comprehend the situation.

“An Expert-tier upper rank has vanished…”

“I was startled as well.”

“Hmm, is there no further information? Did you observe their martial techniques, appearance, or clothing?”

“My apologies. There is nothing.”

“These don’t seem to be ordinary human traffickers.”

Rimer scratched his chin and furrowed his brow.

“In fact, the actual human traffickers have been causing even more chaos during this time. It’s giving me quite the headache from multiple angles.”

Ouist pressed his temples and exhaled a heavy sigh.

“This is no ordinary matter. There’s a possibility it could be Oma.”

“O-Oma?”

The moment Rimer uttered the word Oma, the mayor’s cheeks trembled violently.

“P-Please resolve this! If this is settled, I’ll not only pay the full commission, but grant you any reward you desire! I’m begging you!”

Ouist bowed deeply. He continued to speak only of the city’s welfare rather than his own safety. Despite his appearance, he seemed to be a man who thought only of the city.

“Do remember that you said you’d grant us anything we want.”

Rimer rose with a smirk.

“Let’s go!”

He opened the door to the Market Hall and stepped outside.

“B-but why have the Salamander members returned?”

The mayor tilted his head in confusion, observing Morel and the mages standing behind Raon.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Raon gestured toward Salamander as he continued speaking.

“They’re our servants.”

“Gasp! W-what do you mean!”

Ouist shot to his feet in shock. I expected Morel to cause a scene, but he remained motionless, his jaw trembling.

“Y-you don’t really need to call us servants, do you?”

“Do you?”

Raon echoed Morel’s trailing words, tilting his head quizzically.

“Do you….”

Morel gazed into empty space and heaved several heavy sighs before continuing.

“There’s no need to call us that….”

“As I said, I prefer to be certain about things.”

Raon smiled faintly and gestured toward the open door.

“Let’s go. The unit leader should be waiting downstairs.”

He patted Morel’s shoulder and left the Market Hall.

“Haaah….”

Morel slowly steadied his breathing. He glared at Ouist while exhaling the scorching heat that had consumed him.

“Gulp!”

Ouist swallowed hard at that gaze.

‘D-don’t say a word, or you’re dead.’

Morel’s eyes promised that if he breathed a word of today’s events to anyone, he would burn him to ash. Then he left the Market Hall.

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

“Damn it….”

“What is this mess!”

The other mages gritted their teeth or bit their lips as they followed in Morel’s wake.

“Huff! Huff!”

Left alone in the Market Hall, Ouist’s legs gave way beneath him, and he collapsed into a chair.

“What in the world just happened….”

*

*

*

Outside the Market Hall, the Zigheart Storm Wind Group and Salamander gathered before Rimer.

“As you’ve heard, the mastermind behind the disappearances remains unidentified. There are some suspects we can make educated guesses about, but we can’t speak carelessly.”

Rimer continued with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Given that even an Expert-rank inspector has vanished, individual action is absolutely forbidden. You’ll move in teams of three—two from the Storm Wind Group and one from Salamander per unit.”

“Understood!”

“Morel, no complaints?”

“….”

Morel’s pride had been wounded, and he merely nodded without answering.

“You need to answer.”

I gestured toward Morel with my chin.

“Ugh, ah, I understand.”

“You understand?”

“I understand… I understand, sir.”

“Good.”

I raised my hand toward Rimer, signaling him to continue.

“Puhahahaha! Morel! Ow, my stomach hurts!”

Rimer laughed while holding his stomach as he looked at Morel, then claimed he’d lost his strength and instructed me to form the teams. It was clear he was just being lazy about it.

“Sigh, really now….”

I shook my head and carefully divided them into teams, balancing their respective abilities appropriately.

“We’ll begin the investigation with these teams. Morel and I will wait nearby. Return here every three hours to report your progress. Don’t try to resolve matters on your own—report first.”

Rimer handed out silent whistles that he’d given us during our training days, one to each team.

“I have something to give as well.”

I pulled out red pins from my pocket one by one and fastened them onto the uniforms of the Zigheart Storm Wind Group members.

“What is this?”

Burren narrowed his eyes as he examined the crimson pin attached to his clothes.

“It’s a brooch made from Firestone.”

I continued speaking as I fastened the brooch onto Lunan Slion’s uniform while he blinked in confusion.

“My aura is embedded within it, so you’ll be able to track your location. Don’t remove it under any circumstances.”

I’d requested Balkan to craft these brooches—equipment infused with my aura that would allow me to pinpoint their positions. While I hadn’t perfected them completely, even this unfinished version seemed necessary for now.

“Tsk, what kind of….”

Martha clicked her tongue, but she didn’t stop them from fastening the brooches, suggesting she wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea.

“Our unit leader’s thoroughness in preparation is truly….”

“I’ll deduct it from the Zigheart Storm Wind Group’s budget, so prepare accordingly.”

“Hmm….”

Rimer didn’t respond and simply turned his head away.

“Now then, depart. If you witness the disappearance or discover anything suspicious, report it immediately.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

The temporary unit composed of the Zigheart Storm Wind Group and Salamander responded loudly and began moving to their designated sectors.

“Do you think we’ll be able to find them?”

Morel approached Rimer’s side and asked.

“It’ll be difficult.”

Rimer chuckled and shook his head.

“We’ve made it obvious that Zigheart and Balcar have arrived. Unless they’re complete fools, they’ll keep their heads down. However….”

“However?”

“If it’s one of the Oma as we suspect, they might just start a massive fire and flee.”

“Hmm….”

Morel furrowed his brow, considering that possibility.

“Something similar happened in our territory. The moment I went to provide support, the disappearances vanished like ghosts.”

“Is that why you came here?”

“Yes. I thought we could catch them by the tail. But you lot ruined everything.”

Morel exhaled a ragged breath.

“But what exactly is this disciple of yours, Raon? Setting aside his combat prowess, he even knows how to use his mind….”

When Raon had read Ouist’s thoughts in the Market Hall, Morel had nearly cursed aloud.

That fellow Raon possessed a remarkable talent for creating astonishment with every encounter.

“I can’t believe that bastard is from the Branch Family….”

“Ah, I just remembered where I need to go.”

Rimer cut off Morel’s words and waved his hand.

“You know how to read the silent wind, right? Check on the kids here and see if there are any problems.”

“Rimer!”

Morel shouted, but Rimer had already vanished like the wind itself.

“Damn it all!”

Morel ground his teeth, staring at the spot where Rimer had disappeared.

“Both master and disciple have mastered the art of driving people insane!”

*

*

*

Raon led Dorian and Jatis toward the City Outskirts.

“You should rest, you know.”

I’d told Jatis, who bore both internal and external wounds, not to push himself and to take it easy, but he insisted on coming along, saying he needed to make the numbers work.

“It’s fine. Being able to accompany you, Raon, is an honor in itself.”

Despite having sparred only once, Jatis gazed at me with eyes that gleamed as though he’d encountered a great mentor.

“I never expected to be moved by the swordsmanship of someone younger than me. Your blade work—a fusion of extreme effort and raw talent—gave me chills.”

“Jatis, the way you shifted your stance in that split second tells me you have the potential to rise even higher.”

“Come now, there’s no need to gild the lily for someone who couldn’t even withstand a single strike.”

“I mean it.”

I shook my head. Judging by Jatis’s temperament and the nature of his swordsmanship, he was the type who would grow faster with age.

“I’m grateful for your kind words.”

Jatis lowered his head, his face flushed. Despite his skill with the blade, he had an endearingly naive quality about him.

“Hey, you two? What about me?”

Dorian patted his belly pouch and came to my side, but Jatis and I were still engrossed in conversation about swordsmanship.

“But isn’t this area outside the scope of our search?”

Jatis swallowed hard as he glanced around the increasingly darkening alley.

“Yes. It is.”

“Then why are we here…?”

“Because we don’t have enough information.”

I explained that we lacked sufficient information to resolve the matter, twirling my finger in the air.

“Information like this isn’t found by looking up—you have to look down.”

Having apparently been here before, I pressed forward through the filthy, shadowed alley without hesitation.

“Hmm, I wonder if this will be alright….”

Jatis frowned as he observed blood-stained glass shards scattered across the ground.

“Just follow along.”

Dorian popped a confection into his mouth from who knows where and approached my side.

“Following this person, things tend to resolve themselves. Though it is rather frightening….”

He shuddered at the chill that ran through him and followed after Raon.

“Hmm….”

Jatis watched Raon’s back, his fingers twitching. He had crossed blades with countless knights of the kingdom, but this was the first time he had ever felt such awe.

There was something in Raon’s sword that transcended mere strength and technique.

‘I want to see that sword again.’

He crushed the shards of glass that had been tempting his hesitation beneath his feet and pursued Raon.

—————
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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