The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 28

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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 28

Martha’s training sword cleaved through the crisp early summer air. Sharp yet fluid, each movement flowed seamlessly into the next—the Soft Blade, one of the fundamental sword techniques of the Zigheart school.

Whoosh!

She brought her blade down with the fierce gaze of a warrior standing in the heart of battle. The intensity of her momentum was such that even the sand rising from the Training Ground dared not approach her.

Whoosh!

A similar sound of cutting wind echoed from Martha’s right. A golden-haired, red-eyed boy. Raon Zigheart.

His blunt training sword unfolded the opening forms of the Soft Blade with the same precision as Martha’s.

Raon, who had lagged so far behind, had finally caught up to Martha.

Yet watching this, Martha’s face bore none of the anxiety and tension from before.

Instead, a smile played at her lips as she offered Raon a round of applause.

“You’re doing well.”

Martha lowered her training sword and brushed back her disheveled hair.

“Your speed in learning martial arts is beyond what the word ‘genius’ can describe. But…”

She drew out her words slightly, twirling a finger in the air.

“If your mana sensitivity is that pathetic, it’s like casting pearls before swine. Such half-baked talent hardly impresses me.”

Martha’s voice was loud. Every trainee in the Training Ground heard her words, yet none stepped forward.

“It would be better to have equal talent in aura and martial arts. With your abilities, the best you could hope for is becoming a sword instructor, wouldn’t you?”

The trainees Martha had helped, Burren, Rimer standing nearby watching, and the instructors—none of them opened their mouths.

‘There’s no helping it.’

Martha’s derisive smirk deepened.

‘No one could have predicted that fool would fail to master aura in four months.’

More than four months had passed since aura training became part of the regular curriculum, yet Raon still hadn’t grasped it—his dantian remained barren.

‘I was genuinely terrified at first.’

Watching Raon advance at an astonishing pace had filled me with sincere dread.
The terror of such extraordinary talent bearing down on me had robbed me of sleep—even training from dawn until night couldn’t dispel that fear.

But everything changed after I heard what Camel said.

‘He was truly defective.’

What Camel had said about Raon displaying the worst mana sensitivity in the aptitude test was no lie.
Even now, four months after beginning his cultivation, he hadn’t formed a single trace of aura in his dantian.
What good was mastering swordsmanship or martial arts if the power meant to flow through those fists and blades simply didn’t exist?

“Heh heh.”

Martha let out a cold sweat as she watched Raon swing his sword, her mockery evident as she clenched her jaw.

‘He wasn’t even worth my concern.’

I’d thought him a threat, but not anymore. Raon was beneath Burren, let alone Lunan Slion—he didn’t even measure up to that coward Dorian.

Only the counterattack he’d landed on me still lingered vividly in my mind.

‘I can forget about that now. In a battle using aura, he won’t even be worth facing.’

Martha turned away with a relaxed smile.

“Hm?”

Lunan Slion stood before her with a sullen expression.

“Go.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“Go.”
“I don’t need you to rush me. I have advanced training to conduct.”

I waved my hand gently and left the Training Ground.

Whoosh!

Martha departed with her mockery, but I didn’t react. White breath poured from my lips as I swung my sword relentlessly.

Only the blade reflected in my crimson eyes.

*

*

*

After finishing my evening training, I surveyed the entire Indoor Training Hall.

‘Has everyone left?’

With a two-day holiday starting tomorrow, everyone had returned home, leaving not a soul in the Training Ground.

“Hah…”

I exhaled sharply and lowered my sword. Focusing solely on swordplay while operating the Ring of Fire, I hadn’t even noticed night had fallen.

The same level of concentration as just before an assassination. An extreme focus difficult to achieve during ordinary training.

‘My swordplay has improved considerably.’

Thanks to concentrating solely on the blade, my proficiency with Tempered Sword had risen significantly. With just a bit more practice, I’d be able to use it without difficulty in actual combat.

-About time you came to your senses!

Just as I was satisfied with today’s training, Wrath’s voice rang out, brimming with fury.

-To be provoked like that and yet remain silent. How pathetic!
‘Provoked?’
-That black-haired woman kept muttering away, didn’t she!
‘Oh, did she?’

I chuckled softly. I had been so absorbed in my training that I hadn’t even noticed Martha’s incessant chatter.

-Had that wench dared speak such drivel to me, I would have frozen her entire body and shattered it to pieces!
‘I’ve told you before. Right now, there’s no benefit in fighting.’

If I rose to the provocation and fought her now, there was nothing to gain from Martha.
It was far better to wager against her for the top position and claim some elixir or martial technique from her.

‘Besides, I can win regardless of what happens.’

Even without mastering the Mana Circulation technique, defeating a mere novice like Martha was simple. The right time to challenge her would be when she obtained something truly valuable.

‘I should head back.’

As I finished my preparations and reached for the magical lights in the Training Chamber, I heard soft footsteps at the door.

Tap.

Light, delicate footfalls—unmistakably Lunan’s gait, one I heard every day.

I turned around to find Lunan standing there, her violet eyes gleaming with an unusual clarity. They were not the vacant gaze she typically wore.

“Here.”

She extended the hand she had been hiding behind her back. It held a box, slightly smaller than a brick.

“What is this?”

Lunan did not answer. Instead, she opened the box’s lid. Beneath it, a pristine white chill erupted, and beneath that chill lay a single orb no larger than a child’s fist.

“Huh….”

I alternated my gaze between the orb in the box and Lunan’s violet eyes.

“You want me to take this?”
“Yes.”

Lunan Slion nodded and placed the pearl-like orb from the box into my palm. A delightful coolness spread across my skin.

“Eat it.”

She closed the box’s lid after saying that.

‘What is this?’

I had no idea what it was. But judging by the fact that it was stored in a box brimming with such cold energy, it had to be something precious.

“Hmm….”

By the lessons of an assassin’s life, I shouldn’t have eaten it. Yet my hand moved, drawn by the anticipation gleaming in Lunan’s eyes.

“Sigh….”

She wouldn’t give me anything strange.

I closed my eyes and placed the orb in my mouth. It melted instantly on my tongue—a refreshing sweetness like frozen chocolate enveloped my entire palate.

“Hah….”

A breathless laugh escaped me. My eyes snapped open wide.

-This taste exists?! Even when I dwelled in the Demon Realm, I never experienced such sweetness! Or does the coolness amplify the flavor? More, bring more! I want to taste it again!

Wrath, connected through our senses, bounced excitedly as he experienced the ice cream.

‘Settle down.’

I nudged Wrath with my elbow as he fluttered about like a butterfly.

“How is it?”
“It’s… delicious.”
“It’s pearl ice cream.”

Lunan nodded vigorously and stepped back. Then she left the Training Chamber without hesitation.

“Huh? Hey!”

I called after her with a wave, but Lunan didn’t look back.

-…Peculiar child. I wish she’d given you one more.
‘Was she worried about me?’

It seemed Lunan had given me the bead ice cream because she was concerned about Martha’s open mockery today.

I’d tasted ice cream occasionally at the Annex Building, but never in this form or flavor before.

Judging by the box’s size, it could have held at most four ice creams, and it appeared she’d given me the last one.

‘She gave away the last one.’

Lunan, being a child, adored sweet foods with genuine passion.

She could have easily been attached to the final ice cream, yet she handed it over without hesitation—it must have been no trivial decision.

I pictured Lunan in my mind, clutching her reserved snack, hesitating before finally offering it.

“Really now.”

I chuckled softly. I felt a pang of guilt for making even this child worry about me.

‘But I’m perfectly fine.’

Truly, I was.

The path I must walk is steeper and more treacherous than anyone else’s. And Wrath is the guide who will help me traverse it more easily.

How could such an exceptional guide lend his strength so readily? I must wait with patience.

‘I should repay her kindness someday.’

I left the Training Ground with a gentle smile, my weary steps becoming light as spring leaves.

*

*

*

“Good heavens! Young Master Raon!”

As I pushed open the door to the Annex Building and stepped inside, Helen’s eyes widened in surprise, and she hurried toward me.

“What brings you here?”
“Raon’s come?”

Upon hearing Helen’s voice, Sylvia kicked open her door and rushed over, throwing her arms around me.

“It’s been forever! You haven’t visited in months!”
“We saw each other last week.”

I pushed Sylvia away as she rubbed her cheek against mine. Since becoming a trainee, weekend visits had been permitted, so Sylvia came to the Dormitory every week.

“That’s completely different!”

Sylvia shook her head, slashing at the air emphatically.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll prepare something right away. Helen!”
“Young Master, please wait just a moment.”

Sylvia disappeared into the kitchen with her attendants. From the sounds echoing out, it seemed she was preparing beef stew.

How should I describe it?

I couldn’t quite put it into words, but whenever I came to the Annex Building, my heart grew at ease. Was this what a true home felt like—something I never had in my past life?

“Hurry it up! Raon must be starving!”
“Right away! But the ingredients….”
“Just throw in everything we have!”

I made my way to the bathroom, listening to the warm, familiar sounds drifting from the kitchen.

*

*

*

The next morning, before dawn broke.
Judith knelt in Raon’s room, her head bowed low.

Raon sat perched on the edge of his bed, tapping the paper he held in his hand. It was the same moonlit parchment he had discovered at the Lake before.

“Raise your head.”

At his solemn command, Judith’s body trembled as she lifted her gaze.

“What word has come down from the Central Intelligence Agency?”
“N-nothing in particular, sir. Previously, they issued orders to investigate more thoroughly because of how quickly you were learning martial techniques and swordplay, but it seems their interest has waned now that you haven’t mastered aura.”
“As I suspected.”

I smiled faintly. Aura was the most crucial element for all warriors. It appeared their interest in me had diminished because my talent in that regard fell short.

“What about my mother?”
“Their interest in Sylvia has also waned. If things continue this way, there’s even a possibility they may withdraw me.”

One might think withdrawal would be welcome, but that was far from the truth.

‘I’ll lose my leverage.’

The reason I had turned Judith into a double agent would disappear, and that was not a favorable development.

“Um, I-is it possible you’ve been deliberately avoiding learning aura all this time…?”

Judith’s trembling lips parted as she spoke.

“Who knows.”

I offered no answer, only a smile. That alone was enough to make Judith swallow hard.

The terror from that day still held dominion over her.

“You’ve worked hard. You may go.”
“Yes, yes!”

Judith rose to her feet, her eyes trembling. Relieved that she wouldn’t have to endure any more fear or pain, she quickly opened the door and left.

-Anyone hearing this would think you never bothered to learn it in the first place.
‘Using the atmosphere and situation to your advantage—that’s a skill too.’

I tapped Wrath, who hung from my wrist. Judith would naturally misunderstand and only amplify her sense of my presence and the fear I inspired.

-Struggling so much to master an aura? Pathetic. When I was in the Demon Realm, any magic or martial technique I learned once, I could perform with my eyes closed.
‘Yeah, it really is pathetic.’

I answered with ease and left the room. My relaxed mind allowed me to laugh off Wrath’s mockery.

“Hmm?”

As I headed toward the Garden for dawn training, a man approached from the distance. An elf with crimson hair, carrying with him a pleasant breeze. It was Rimer.

“Instructor?”
“Sleep well?”

Rimer waved his hand, his hair still disheveled as if he’d just woken up.

“What brings you out at dawn, sir?”
“I never kept a promise I made before. I felt bad about it, so I thought I’d help you a little.”
“A promise?”
“On the first day of martial arts training, I said I’d teach you the True Victory Fist, then I ran off.”
“Oh!”
“That’s too late now, so I’ll teach you something else instead.”

He grinned and flicked his fingers. A deep emerald wind surged from his slender fingertips.

“I’ll teach you what your attribute is.”

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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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