The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 188

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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 188

I entered the Eastern Rooster’s Comb restaurant, bringing along Wrath, who danced excitedly in the air.

Despite its large exterior and reputation, the interior was nearly empty, and no appetizing aroma wafted through the space.

“Welcome—oh!”

The Restaurant Manager, a middle-aged man with slightly drooping eyes who stood at the front, swept his gaze across me and his mouth fell open.

“Y-you wouldn’t be the Young Sword Demon Raon, would you?”
“Young Sword Demon?”
“A young sword demon who blocked the wave at Habun Castle has been spreading the rumor that he’s the vice-lord, so these days people call you by the epithet Young Sword Demon.”

Dorian stepped closer beside me and whispered.

‘Young Sword Demon, huh…’

For a swordmaster who had defeated an Apostle, the epithet seemed somewhat weak, but there was no helping it. After all, those who bore the title Sword Demon were masters who had reached the rank of Grandmaster.

“Benefactor! My name is Twell!”

The Restaurant Manager, who had introduced himself as Twell, suddenly bent his waist and lowered his head.

“Benefactor?”
“Thanks to you, my daughter was able to return safely. I am truly grateful. Bell!”

As he called out toward the kitchen while bowing, a woman emerged wearing a white headscarf. Her drooping eyes resembled the Restaurant Manager’s.

“Huh? Oh!”

The woman called Bell rushed toward me upon seeing my face.

“R-Raon! You’ve awakened.”
“You know me?”
“I was there when you fought the Apostle.”
“Ah!”

The fact that she was there suggested she was a hostage who couldn’t escape due to the deteriorating situation.

“Are you injured anywhere?”
“Raon was considerate. He kept his distance to ensure we wouldn’t be harmed during the fight.”
“Hmm….”

I clicked my tongue. While fighting the Apostle, I’d deliberately drawn him toward open spaces to prevent harm to other swordsmen or hostages, and it seemed they’d noticed.

“We’re truly grateful. Thanks to you, we could return home.”
“Thank you so much! Our savior!”

The father and daughter bowed simultaneously, their hands trembling visibly enough to convey their sincerity.

‘Hmm….’

My chest felt warm. Their gratitude—saying they lived because of me—resonated far deeper than strangers outside praising me as remarkable or strong.

‘I don’t even need to eat.’

Though I hadn’t eaten yet, I already felt full.

-Stop spouting nonsense and place an order.

Wrath frowned, telling me to cut the sentimental talk.

“Savior, please tell us anything we can do for you!”

The Restaurant Manager spread his hands as if to say just ask.

“No need. I’m satisfied that your daughter is safe.”

When I smiled, both of them opened their mouths in surprise. They hadn’t expected me to ask for nothing and simply say it was enough.

“But still, that’s too much….”
“Then prepare us a meal. We came here to eat, after all.”
“Of course! Though….”
“Yes?”
“Our restaurant’s signature Ranslang Stir-Fried Chicken isn’t available right now. We’ve run out of ingredients.”

The Restaurant Manager bit his lip with a look of regret.

“We’ve run out of ingredients?”
“Yes, those White Blood Cult bastards set fires and fled. Our shared food storage warehouse burned down along with several other restaurants.”
“Ah, so that’s why….”

I’d thought it strange that the Dining Hall was empty, but it seemed the shortage of cooking ingredients was the reason.

-Grrr….

A bestial moan escaped from Wrath’s mouth.

-Again? Again? AGAIN?!

He puffed up his body like when I first met him, radiating immense cold and fury.

-The ingredients burned?! Why must I suffer such deprivation?! I asked for just one meal, and yet obstacles keep appearing! Does the world truly despise me so?!
‘There’s nothing we can do about it. They burned.’
-This is all your fault! If you’d been guarding this place instead of wasting time catching that pathetic wretch, this wouldn’t have happened!
‘Don’t be unreasonable.’
-Unreasonable?! If I were in control, I’d have frozen both of them solid in an instant and come here to extinguish the flames!
‘I’m not you.’
-Exactly! Hand over your body! Whether it’s the White Blood Cult or whatever, I’ll capture every last one and separate their bones from their flesh!
‘That’s absurd.’
-Ugh….

Wrath deflated like a punctured balloon and slumped to the ground.

-It’s over. I’ll never trust your words again, nor will I grant you any favors.
‘There’s still ice cream left.’
-….

Even at the mention of ice cream, Wrath didn’t respond. He turned his head away sharply, making a show of his anger.

‘I confirmed the Pearl Ice Cream Shop is open, so two sets….’
“Father. There’s Rantix.”
“Oh! That’s right!”

As I was trying to lift Wrath’s mood with ice cream, the owner clapped his hands.

“We don’t have Ranslang Chicken, but we have something even better.”
“Something better, you say….”
“When the mountain next to us collapsed, eight Rantix Chickens that were living there were caught.”
“Rantix Chicken?”

I tilted my head in confusion. Just like Ranslang, Rantix was a name I’d never heard before.

“It’s a chicken so rare it’s called the phoenix of culinary ingredients. The taste is extraordinary, but because it’s so difficult to obtain, it’s a dish only royalty can enjoy once or twice a year. The large ones have skin that cracks beautifully, and they’re so rich with fat that they’re considered a delicacy among delicacies.”
-Ooh, such a chicken exists….

Wrath suddenly leaped forward to stand before the Restaurant Manager, wisps of pale cold mist streaming from his mouth.

“The aging is complete, so how would you like me to prepare stir-fried Rantix Chicken for you?”

The Restaurant Manager clasped his hands together, hoping to repay even a fraction of the debt for saving his life.

“Hmm, it seems like such a precious ingredient—you really don’t need to go to such lengths….”
-Ahem!

Just as I was about to decline, Wrath covered his mouth with a deliberate cough.

-When someone offers, refusing is no virtue. Even modesty becomes poison in excess.

He kept his hand over his mouth while his eyes narrowed with barely concealed amusement.

“No, no! You saved not just my daughter, but our entire village! I can easily provide Rantix Chicken! Please, just wait a moment while I prepare it!”
“Please, have a seat.”

The Restaurant Manager and Bell bowed their heads and rushed toward the Kitchen simultaneously.

-Hehehehe!

I glanced to the side at the delighted laughter. Wrath was trembling with his hand still covering his mouth.

‘You’re laughing, aren’t you.’
-What nonsense. Don’t make me speak, King of Demons.

Wrath continued to pretend to be angry, but the laughter hidden in his voice betrayed him.

‘Where….’

I brushed away Wrath’s hand covering his mouth. His lips were curled upward so high they nearly touched the ceiling.

‘He gets upset and makes up within ten seconds? This Demon King is as light as a feather.’

Seeing him recover so quickly from his anger, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all.

-Be quiet. Just go sit down.

Even Wrath seemed embarrassed, as a flush crept across his face.

‘Sigh….’

I shook my head and took a seat at the central table. The other members of the Gwangpung Unit settled into their own places.

“Please try this first.”

The Restaurant Manager emerged from the Kitchen with stir-fried pork, alcohol, and light appetizers.

-Hmm, he stir-fries well, just as I’ve heard. The vegetables and meat are properly cooked over strong heat without burning.

Wrath sampled the stir-fried pork and smiled with satisfaction. Watching him gaze toward the Kitchen while chewing eagerly, it was clear he was greatly anticipating the stir-fried chicken.

After about twenty minutes of enjoying the stir-fried pork and alcohol, an enormous piece of chicken arrived in a massive bowl that an adult man could barely carry.

“This is Rantix stir-fried chicken that you can only taste today! Please enjoy!”
“Enjoy your meal!”

The Restaurant Manager and Bell offered their gratitude at each table before setting down the food.

“The aroma is wonderful.”

Dorian inhaled the fragrance of the stir-fried chicken and licked his lips in anticipation.

“Indeed.”

The spicy-sweet aroma wafted naturally, and my mouth watered involuntarily.

-Dad, hurry! Try it quickly! Hurry!

Wrath hung his tongue out like a puppy, panting eagerly. He kept drumming his shoulders, unable to contain himself.

‘Just wait a moment!’

I pushed the restless creature aside with my elbow and picked up the spicy chicken stir-fry. I arranged finely chopped vegetables over the meat and popped a piece into my mouth.

The sharp bite of garlic and the refreshing heat of chili peppers stimulated my palate, then the sweetness of the sauce wrapped around my tongue, neutralizing the spice. Following that, the crispy skin and tender flesh of the chicken harmonized perfectly, creating a small explosion within my mouth.

“Wow….”

I exhaled sharply. I’d never tasted chicken prepared this way before. They said even royalty rarely got to eat such a dish, and now I understood why. It would be worth dozens of gold coins.

“Wow!”
“Mmm!”
“This is, this is really delicious?”
“I’ve never eaten anything like this!”

Dorian, Lunan Slion, and the other swordsmen also widened their eyes upon tasting the Rantix spicy chicken stir-fry.

Unable to restrain themselves, they all began inhaling the dish with their faces buried in their bowls.

‘How about you?’

I glanced at Wrath beside me. He stood with his arms spread wide as if about to ascend to heaven, his eyes closed. His entire body trembled with emotion.

-I am grateful to be alive. The pinnacle of stir-fried cuisine is contained within this single bowl.

Wrath slowly opened his eyes, wearing an expression of profound satisfaction. It was an angelic smile, not that of a demon lord.

-Young one. Did you see?
‘See what?’
-I have conquered the world’s adversity. Though heaven itself stood against me, I broke through the barrier and brought this celestial taste to my tongue.
‘You didn’t do anything.’

I frowned. The Rantix chicken appeared thanks to Rimer, who collapsed the mountain, and the 10th Apostle, and I was the one who obtained it. I had no idea what he was going on about.

-That’s all because I stood at the center. This is charisma, and this is the Lord of Wrath.
‘No, Lord of Wrath or whatever, you didn’t do anything!’
-Come at me, world!

*

*

*

Two days later.
Completely recovered, Raon and the Gwangpung Unit departed from Porban City amid the cheers and gratitude of the people.

“Hmm….”

Mayor Ouist watched the receding figures of the Gwangpung Unit and smacked his lips.

“Is something the matter?”

Bezun, his secretary, approached Ouist’s side.

“Ever since your conversation with the vice-leader of the Gwangpung Unit, you’ve been wearing a troubled expression.”
“Troubled? Well, I suppose I am.”

Ouist nodded slowly.

“What? Surely… the demands haven’t increased again?”

Bezun grabbed Ouist’s sleeve in alarm.

“The finances are already strained just meeting what we’ve already agreed to! We’ll have to use every last bit of the budget we saved from last year!”

All the demands that Raon and the Gwangpung Unit made were things that required large sums of money. There was even a demand for the Ice Cream Shop, and I can’t tell you how relieved I am that it was canceled.

“No, that’s not it.”

Ouist waved his hand.

“But it’s a more difficult and troubling matter than that.”
“What on earth did you two discuss?”
“Simple enough. He suggested that all future requests to resolve incidents in Porban City be sent exclusively to Zigheart.”
“Excuse me?”

Bezun’s jaw dropped.

‘That’s asking us to fall under their control.’

Sending all of Porban City’s requests exclusively to Zigheart meant granting them a monopoly on our work. It was entirely different from offering rewards drawn from the city’s budget.

Especially since Porban City lay positioned between the Valkar Kingdom and Zigheart, and not far from the Owen Kingdom either.
Placing ourselves under the patronage of a single faction from such a crossroads was no trivial decision.

“I must respectfully oppose this. Our city’s position, nestled between multiple powers, means that granting exclusivity to one faction risks souring our relations with the other kingdoms.”

Bezun shook his head firmly in disagreement.

“In truth, there’s nothing to deliberate. Our city has maintained neutrality all along, and I believe we should continue as we are.”
“That’s right. We have. But…”

Ouist’s gaze followed Raon as he departed through the city gates.

“I’ve just met a man who seems destined to usher in a new era.”
“Hmm…”

Bezun turned to look at Raon, following the direction of Ouist’s eyes.

“I’m aware he defeated an Apostle, but surely there was an element of fortune involved, no?”
“That’s likely true.”
“Moreover, there are rumors that Valkar has a promising next Grand Mage who has mastered the four elemental attributes and combat magic. Since we cannot predict how events will unfold, aligning ourselves with either side is far too dangerous.”
“That logic holds as well.”
“Then there’s nothing to consider…”
“But.”

Ouist’s eyes grew distant and contemplative.

“I wasn’t looking at the man called Raon as he is now.”
“Pardon?”
“The future. I was trying to see the size of the mountain that man will climb in the days to come.”
“And did you manage to see it?”
“No, it was far too distant to perceive.”

Having lived as the mayor of Porban City and met countless renowned powerhouses and royalty across the Continent, I had never encountered someone whose trajectory I couldn’t gauge. Where he would go, how far he would ascend—it all remained shrouded in uncertainty.

“To… that extent?”
“Yes. If you’d asked me to invest my own fortune, I would have poured my entire wealth into that young man.”
“Hah….”

Bezun exhaled softly. Ouist possessed a warm and gentle demeanor, yet when it came to matters of money and investment, he was ruthlessly pragmatic. This was the first time I’d heard him evaluate someone with such conviction.

“I understand your sentiment, Mayor, but remaining as we are now may not be wise. Our city stands second to none in this region….”
“There’s a far superior place nearby, isn’t there? Camelrun.”
“Ah….”

Camelrun’s trade volume exceeded Porban City’s by several times over, and its permanent population was even greater. It was a city on an entirely different scale.

“As things stand, we can never surpass that place.”
“….”

Bezun nodded silently in agreement.

“Continue gathering information on Raon Zigheart.”
“Information, you say….”
“Document in meticulous detail where he undertook his missions, whom he defeated—everything, thoroughly and accurately.”

Heat kindled in Ouist’s eyes as the blazing sunlight bore down upon them.

“That information might contain the ladder our city needs to climb even higher.”

*

*

*

The Gwangpung Unit had returned to Zigheart.
Normally, Rimer, the unit leader, should have guided his members from the front, but since he was stumbling about like a zombie, I had no choice but to lead everyone and stand before the Zigheart Main Gate.

“Finally, I can rest a bit.”
“Porban was nice, but there’s no place like home.”
“Ah, I’m going to the bathhouse first. I want to wash up quickly.”

The unit members, having successfully completed their first mission, wore smiles on their faces at the thought of taking a long rest.

“Unit Leader.”

I dragged Rimer forward before the Zigheart Main Gate could open.

“We’ve arrived at the clan. Please issue the mission termination order.”
“Uh, well….”

Rimer swayed like a puppet with cut strings and lifted his head.

-Look at that pathetic expression.

Wrath, who had enjoyed delicious food and even ice cream, laughed with glee at the sight of Rimer’s vacant eyes.

‘Hmm….’

Raon smacked his lips as he looked at Rimer.

I need to give him some gold coins.

If we leave him as is, he’ll dry up and die standing there. Even if he gambles it away, we’ll have to give him a share of the reward money.

“This, the mission is over. Get some rest on your own. If you have any money, lend me some…”

Just as Rimer was about to give orders for rest and make a plea at the same time, the massive front gate of Zigheart split in half, and an iron tower-like giant figure walked out. It was Iliun, the External Administrator who oversaw matters outside the family.

“I’m sorry, but I have somewhere to go before I can rest.”

Iliun swept his gaze across all members of the Gwangpung Unit, his sharp eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

“The master has summoned all of you.”

He lifted his chin and offered a refreshing smile.

“It seems you wish to bestow a gift upon those who have brought honor to the family name.”
“A gift? Money? Gold coins?”

Rimer’s lifeless eyes suddenly gleamed with brilliant light.

—————
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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