The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 187

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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 187

Roen entered the Audience Chamber carrying a gray envelope.

“Master of the House. A report has arrived from the Gwangpung Unit commander.”

He approached Glen Zigheart, who sat upon the jade throne, and extended the gray envelope he held.

“A report, you say….”

Glen Zigheart frowned as he regarded the envelope.

“I wonder if that man can even write a proper report.”
“During his time as chief instructor, most were delivered verbally.”
“Indeed. The only time he submitted documents and a written report was for the survival examination.”
“Haha.”

Roen smiled faintly. Rimer conveyed most of his reports through speech. The only thing he had prepared in advance was a list of suitable locations for trainees during the survival examination.

Whoooosh!

As Glen Zigheart lifted his finger, the envelope in Roen’s hand rose of its own accord and settled before him.

“Let me see what this is about.”

Glen Zigheart’s hand trembled as he withdrew a single sheet of paper from the envelope.

“This madman submitted a report like this….”
“W-what is the matter, sir?”
“See for yourself.”

Glen Zigheart handed the document to Roen. Its contents consisted of exactly two lines.

[Raon defeated the 7th Apostle. Wow!]
[Mission complete!]

Roen fell silent for a moment upon reading the report’s contents. The sheer simplicity left him speechless, and the information itself threatened to overwhelm his senses.

“S-simple aside, if someone bears the title of Apostle, they must be at least….”
“Right. A Master. That ageless monster would never grant Apostle status to someone who couldn’t cross the Wall.”

Glen nodded as he observed Roen’s bewildered expression.

“Young Master should still be at Expert rank. How could he have defeated a Master?”
“That’s what puzzles me too. And this damned fool wrote it so carelessly that I can’t even grasp the situation. Whether he’s unharmed or injured—nothing’s written about it. Tsk….”
“Given how simply he expressed it, I suspect he wasn’t seriously wounded.”
“Who knows? That gambling fool’s way of thinking is different from ours.”
“Regardless, it seems certain he defeated the 7th Apostle. He’s not the type to lie about something like this.”

Roen’s hand trembled as he held the document, and he swallowed hard.

“I suppose so.”
“An Expert defeating a Master—at my age, I thought there was little left to surprise me, yet Raon Zigheart manages to astonish me every time. If my knowledge serves, this might be the first on the Continent….”
“I’ve never heard of it either. In any case, he certainly doesn’t live an ordinary life. He’s becoming quite the headache.”

Glen nodded. His eyes were sharp, yet the corners of his mouth curved upward softly.

“I don’t understand why defeating an Apostle has to be so intriguing.”
“Indeed.”
“An Expert grasping a Master—the world might turn upside down. Ahem!”
“Hehe.”

Roen smiled as he watched Glen awkwardly boast about his grandson.

“I’d like to mobilize the Bi-Yeon Society, but it would be better to hear directly from that boy. I want to bring him back quickly and learn what happened.”
“Yes. I’m curious as well.”
“And that Rimer deserves a beating.”
“….”

*

*

*

I made my way toward City Hall with the Gwangpung Unit. Since the Annex Building lay below the Main Street, we had to climb a bit to reach City Hall.

“Wait, hold on! That person….”
“Blonde hair and crimson eyes! A Zigheart uniform!”
“That’s right! The vice-commander of the Gwangpung Unit who defeated the 7th Apostle!”
“Raon Zigheart!”

The people on the main street recognized me and gasped in admiration.

“I heard he suffered grievous wounds, but he looks perfectly fine?”
“Transcendents have fast recovery rates anyway.”
“It’s unbelievable that such a young swordsman captured the Archbishop and slew an Apostle.”
“That’s not even all of it. He’s the one who found the White Blood Cult’s branch!”
“And he even declared war on the 10th Apostle, saying he’d kill him?”
“So he really is from Zigheart?”

The people already knew everything I had accomplished.

“What’s going on?”

I glanced around, narrowing my eyes. It seemed they all knew about me.

“The rumors have already spread everywhere. The fact that you killed the Archbishop and defeated the 7th Apostle.”
“Who… ah, how predictable.”

There was no need to ask. It had to be the idle gambling-addicted vice-commander.

“Well, the vice-commander is certainly the primary contributor, but the hostages who remained there also spoke about you quite a bit.”

Burren continued with a faint smile.

“Thanks to you, the Gwangpung Unit’s reputation has skyrocketed. For just completing your first mission, rumors are spreading that you’re the strongest young warrior among the Six Emperors.”
“Hmm….”

I frowned slightly. I couldn’t quite determine whether this was good or bad.

“You look even more impressive when you frown.”
“Right! A Zigheart should have that kind of coldness.”
“Are his wounds not fully healed yet?”
“Probably not. He defeated a Master using Expert-level techniques, so his internal injuries must be severe. He’s probably enduring it now.”
“To declare war on the 10th Apostle in such a condition—truly a born hero.”

But the people erupted in even louder exclamations, apparently delighted by that stern expression as well.
I began to understand why Rimer had insisted I become famous in the first place—they interpreted everything favorably.

As I prepared to enter the City Hall with an awkward expression, a group of people emerged from within. It was Morel, Salamander, and Princess Jeina.

A sharp intake of breath.

The moment the Princess saw me, she recoiled as if she’d glimpsed a ghost, her breath catching audibly. When others turned to look, her face flushed crimson and she lowered her head.

“It has been a long time.”

I bowed respectfully to Morel.

“Are you well?”
“Are you well?”
“Ah, no! Your mission is complete, is it not…?”

Morel’s eyes widened in apparent confusion, though at the end he added a polite particle again.

“That’s correct. The mission is complete. I was merely jesting.”
A low groan.

At my words, Morel’s expression softened and he released a relieved sigh.

“You have quite the playful streak, it seems.”
“My apologies.”

I offered a faint smile.

“In any case, your accomplishments are truly remarkable. You discovered the White Blood Cult branch, defeated the Archbishop, and even vanquished the 7th Apostle.”

Astonishment still lingered in his cold gaze.

“I admit it. This time, Balcar has been completely overwhelmed by Zigheart.”
“It was a mission—there is no victory or defeat in such matters.”
“No, we were indeed defeated. Have you heard the name Balcar mentioned at all since arriving here?”
“That is…”

Morel was right. On my journey here, I had heard only my own name, Zigheart, and the Gwangpung Unit.

“The Six Emperors are allies, but also rivals. It’s awkward to say from my own mouth, but through today’s events, Zigheart’s standing has risen considerably, while Balcar’s has fallen.”
“You’re saying a single mission can shift the very reputation of the Six Emperors?”
“When you stake the name of the Six Emperors, that’s what it means. And there wasn’t a single thing you did that wasn’t astounding. The Archbishop aside, when I heard you’d defeated the 7th Apostle, I was genuinely shocked. Because of that, I couldn’t properly extinguish the fire in the food storage.”

Morel wore a rueful smile, as if lamenting a missed opportunity.

-Tsk, what’s so impressive about that.

Wrath clicked his tongue in disapproval.

-Just finish the work and head to the Dining Hall already.

That creature had nothing but food and the Dining Hall on his mind.

“Then I’ll take my leave. There’s nothing more for us to do here.”
“Thank you for your efforts.”
“Efforts? I merely watched from the sidelines while you worked. I can’t fathom how someone like you emerged under an eccentric like Rimer.”
“Still, he does come through when it matters.”
“Which is almost never, wouldn’t you say.”
“Well, that’s….”
“Never mind. Next time we meet, I’ll repay today’s humiliation.”

Morel waved his hand dismissively and descended the Main Street. Despite his courteous words, his pride had clearly been wounded.

“Raon. I look forward to our next meeting.”
“Yes. See you later.”

Tias passed by with a sharp bow. Raon smiled and nodded in return.

“….”

Princess Jeina moved between the mages, careful lest their eyes should meet.

“Your Highness. I saved you, yet you won’t offer a word of thanks?”

Jeina, who had been fleeing, flinched and came to a halt.

“Th-thank you….”

She left those words behind and spun around in haste.

‘As expected.’

I chuckled softly. Just as I’d anticipated. That princess, bound by her pride, hadn’t breathed a word of what happened back then to anyone.

“Hey.”

I called out to Inild, who had been moving at the very rear of the group.

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

Inild straightened up as if he’d become a soldier, standing at attention. It seemed he’d heard the rumors about me and realized just how far beyond his reach I truly was.

“You’re not badly injured anywhere, are you?”
“Of course not!”

His front teeth were visibly missing as he answered.

“From now on, it’d be wise to watch where you’re stepping before you stretch your legs. If you rush in recklessly, your head might just roll off.”
“Yes! Th-thank you so much for saving me!”

After patting his shoulder a couple of times, Inild trembled and nodded vigorously.

“Then off you go.”
“Yes, sir!”

He bolted toward Morel as if afraid I might call him back again.

I chuckled and pushed open the doors of the City Hall. The rumors had apparently spread throughout the building—everyone inside stared at me with eyes wide as saucers.

I accepted their astonished gazes with composure and climbed the stairs to the upper floor where the Market Hall was located.

“Oh! You’ve awakened!”

The moment I entered the Market Hall, Ouist, the Mayor of Porban City, sprang to his feet and rushed toward me. His broad face was beaming with joy.

“Are you feeling better?”
“Thanks to your consideration, I’ve recovered well.”
“I’m truly relieved.”

He nodded while maintaining a broad smile.

“Please, have a seat.”
“Of course.”

Raon took a seat in the chair as the Mayor gestured.

“You’ve accomplished something truly remarkable. My savior. No, it’s not an exaggeration to call you the benefactor of Porban City itself.”
“Well, that might be overstating it….”
“No, it’s the truth!”

The Mayor shook his head vigorously.

“If the White Blood Cult hadn’t been stopped and the kidnapped Princess hadn’t been rescued, Porban would have been reduced to ashes by Balcar. You uncovered their branch, saved the Princess, and defeated both the Archbishop and an Apostle.”

Ouist wasn’t entirely flattering—it was true that the King of Balcar cherished his daughter dearly.

“I don’t know how to repay the debt of gratitude for saving me, the citizens, and this city itself.”

He rose from his chair and bowed deeply, his expression overflowing with gratitude.

“I simply completed the task I was given.”

Raon offered a show of humility for now.

-You came here for money, so what are you doing?! Show your true colors!

Wrath ranted, telling me to stop wasting time and reveal my real intentions.

‘Just wait. I can’t say it right away.’

I shook my head with a composed gaze.

“You’ve completely wiped out the White Blood Cult’s branch in Porban and even defeated an Apostle. I want to do everything I can to repay you.”
“Ah, now that I think about it, when I spoke with the Unit Leader, he said he’d provide compensation upon mission completion, didn’t he?”
“Yes! That’s exactly what he said!”

Ouist tapped his chest as if to say I’m all ears.

“Well then, if that’s the case….”

Rion extended his hand toward Dorian, who stood to his right.

“Right.”

Dorian reached into his belt pouch and withdrew a contract densely covered in small text.

“The truth is, since we’re a newly formed organization, we have quite a few necessary supplies. We’re grateful you’re willing to provide all of them.”
“What? I didn’t say all of them….”
“First, our training ground has quite a bit of dust. I think we’ll need to fill it with Resonant Soil—the finest earth used for cultivation grounds.”

Before Ouist could finish speaking, I recited the first item listed on the contract.

“Re-Resonant Soil is quite expensive….”
“Next, the members are exhausted from the recent battle, so I’d like to give each of them a small vitality elixir.”
“V-Vitality elixirs are expensive, and the quantity….”
“And it would be nice to have sword maintenance cloths—enough for everyone.”
“S-Sword maintenance cloths are more expensive than premium silk….”
“As I mentioned, since we’re a newly formed organization, we also need operational funds. I believe this amount of gold coins would be an appropriate reward.”
“Items and gold coins?”
“Yes. It’s absolutely necessary.”

I completely ignored Ouist’s feeble protests and listed all the necessary supplies from the contract, even showing him a specific amount of gold coins.

“Ugh….”

After confirming the items and amount, Ouist’s eyes went blank.

“Do you need anything else?”
“I’d like to replenish the supplies I used during this mission!”

Dorian quickly raised his hand.

“These were supplies used during the mission, so you’ll provide them, right?”
“O-of course, that’s only natural.”

Ouist nodded even as confusion swept across his face.

“Really? Then please get me these things!”

Dorian pulled out a piece of paper from his belly pouch—longer and wider than the one Raon had retrieved.

“First, one large club, one small club, a special contract, a standard contract, and seventeen tents with sleeping bags. I also used smoke orbs and luminescent orbs….”
“You already have the clubs and tents.”
“Ah, but there’s such a thing as depreciation, you know.”
“My intestines are twisting….”

Ouist’s complexion grew increasingly pale. His trembling hand clutched at his stomach.

“I need equipment to maintain my training robes. I saw on the way here there’s a product using water-attribute and wind-attribute magic stones.”

Burren seized the opportunity and mentioned items for clothing maintenance.

“I don’t need anything.”
“Pearl ice cream.”

Martha shook her head as if she needed nothing, while Lunan, as expected, mentioned ice cream.

“Ice cream? That’s no problem at all….”
“Shop.”

Ouist’s expression brightened for the first time, but it withered to a sickly yellow at Lunan’s next words.

“Huh?”
“Pearl ice cream shop.”
“….”

*

*

*

I exited City Hall with the contract bearing Ouist’s signature.

Since I had spoken directly to him, he signed the contract while clutching his abdomen as if seized by cramps. As a result, his signature was crooked and uneven.

-Relentless bastard….

Wrath shook his head in exasperation. It seemed he truly hadn’t expected me to claim everything that was there.

‘One must seize opportunities decisively.’

There was no guarantee such an opportunity would come again, so I had to grasp it properly while I had the chance. Besides, if I had let it slip, that enormous sum would have become Rimer’s gambling stake.

‘I’ve earned quite a bit.’

Combined with the gold coins I’d won at the Gambling House and those I’d received from Ouist, I now possessed enough to establish myself anywhere on the Continent. My heart felt reassured.

As I contentedly patted my pouch filled with gold coins, I noticed Lunan with his lips slightly pouted.

He seemed somewhat sulky because I couldn’t fulfill his request to buy him an Ice Cream Shop.

“I can’t buy you a shop, but I’ll get you every variety of ice cream. Let’s grab a meal first.”
“Okay.”

The moment I promised to buy him all the ice cream he wanted, Lunan tucked his lips back in and nodded obediently.

‘What was the name of that restaurant he wanted to visit?’

I tapped Wrath, who stood with his arms crossed in apparent displeasure.

-Are we finally going?
‘I made a promise, so I have to keep it.’
-Excellent! That’s what makes a true human! The name is Eastern Rooster’s Comb! It’s famous for its chicken dishes!
‘How did you find out about that place?’
-While you were investigating those madmen, I conducted my own investigation of the restaurants in the area.
‘That’s impressive….’

It seemed he had used his keen hearing to gather information about the restaurants with remarkable efficiency. I couldn’t help but admire his enthusiasm.

“The mission is complete, so let’s have a celebration dinner. My treat today.”

Raon gathered the swordsmen and suggested they share a meal together.

“Ohhh!”
“Really?”
“What generosity! You’re nothing like the previous lord!”
“I heard the Eastern Rooster’s Comb has good food. Does anyone know the place?”
“I do!”

Dorian’s hand shot up immediately. This fellow seemed to know everything.

“They say their chicken dishes are excellent. Let’s head there.”
“Yes, sir!”

Following his guidance toward the Eastern Rooster’s Comb, a red-haired elf with slumped shoulders approached from the opposite direction.

“My lord?”
“Raon? You’re awake!”

Rimer, who had been frowning moments before, broke into a wide smile as he approached.

“Your complexion looks good. You shouldn’t have been able to wake this soon from those wounds.”
“It’s thanks to your swift treatment.”
“What? Ah, yes. I did handle it rather well.”

He chuckled, acknowledging the truth of my words.

“But judging by your expression, it seems you’ve lost everything.”
“L-Lost? What are you talking about….”

The hollow tone of his voice told me he’d been thoroughly cleaned out at the gambling house.

“Which gambling house was it?”
“Cat’s Jelly.”
“….”

The name sounded vaguely familiar, and it reeked of the kind of place where swindlers thrived.

“I was thinking of having a company dinner. Would you like to join us?”
“A company dinner? Of course I should go! However, this unit commander still has matters to attend to. You go ahead.”
“Understood. Then we’ll see you at the Eastern Rooster’s Comb.”

Raon bowed his head and headed toward the right street.

“Yes, yes.”

Rimer waved his hand dismissively and headed toward the City Hall. A smile began to bloom faintly across his previously awkward expression.

“Finally, it’s happening.”

Now I can go.

While Raon was unconscious, my conscience had prevented me from discussing money, but now it seemed I could finally visit the Market Hall.

“Hehehehe. Everything’s fallen into place!”

Gambling was meant to be played with stakes. The thought of receiving a substantial reward from the Market Hall and then gambling with it made me laugh with anticipation.

“Hmmm!”

Rimer hummed with eager expectation as he made his way to the Market Hall.

“The Sword Saint has arrived!”

Ouist was clutching his stomach with a pallid complexion, as if something was troubling him.

“Are you alright? You don’t look well.”
“Ah, my stomach feels a bit sour…”
“You should take care of yourself.”

Rimer examined Ouist from top to bottom with a concerned expression.

“No, no, I’m fine.”

Ouist personally prepared tea and placed it before Rimer.

“But what brings you here…?”
“You remember what we discussed before, don’t you? You said you’d provide additional compensation once this mission was complete….”
“Ah, so you’ve come to confirm. Phew, you certainly have remarkable subordinates.”
“Pardon?”

Rimer’s eyes widened as he extended his hand to receive payment.

“Everything you requested was top-tier quality, and since these are items currently available in Porban City, I couldn’t refuse. You’ve certainly prepared thoroughly.”

Ouist sighed as he laid the contract before me.

“Th-this is….”

Rimer glanced at the items and names listed on the contract, and understanding dawned. Raon and the Gwangpung Unit had beaten him to the punch.

“In all my years as a city lord, I’ve never been fleeced like this. This has taught me once again that one shouldn’t speak carelessly. I should have limited it to just five items.”

Ouist clutched his stomach again, clearly in distress.

“You’ve come worried about whether the Gwangpung Unit handled the transaction well, but there’s no need to concern yourself. Starting with Raon, they’re truly remarkable people. Hehehehe!”
“B-but what about the additional gold coins…?”
“Of course they took those as well.”

He pointed to the safe behind him. The open safe was completely empty.

“Not only did they take the supplies, but the activity funds too. Now I’ll have to dip into my personal coffers, not just the city budget.”
“Ahahaha! S-so they took the gold coins as well….”

Rimer nodded blankly. He couldn’t bring himself to ask for more money from someone who was already saying they’d have to use their personal savings.

“W-well, I’ve confirmed everything, so I’ll be going….”

A single tear of sorrow rolled down the left cheek of the departing gambler.

I’ve raised a tiger cub….

—————
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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