The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 306
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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 306
The Black Market Master Roselin narrowed her eyes as she observed the contemplative Raon.
‘The Legend Sword Association….’
The character for “association” carried certain implications she didn’t entirely favor.
Warriors bearing the epithet of “association” showed no mercy to the wicked, yet displayed boundless compassion toward ordinary people. They were the very embodiment of impartiality and justice.
It appeared magnificent and admirable, yet none lived more constrained lives than they did.
‘Because they must concern themselves with others’ perceptions.’
Association members had earned their reputation by serving as exemplars to others, which meant they inevitably had to mind how they were perceived.
They had to be cautious at social gatherings, couldn’t indulge in entertainment freely, and found it difficult to exercise their power as they wished.
Even when urgent matters demanded their attention, they often had to address injustice before them first.
The epithet was as noble in spirit as it was burdensome to bear.
‘This child is no different.’
She had set the stage for Raon to voice his desires, yet he hesitated instead, lost in deliberation.
‘Of course he would.’
The Black Market had expended an astronomical sum to locate the Eden Branch this time.
Raon, who managed the Gwangpung Unit’s finances, couldn’t possibly be unaware of such expenditure, which was why he couldn’t bring himself to speak carelessly.
Roselin’s lips curved into a subtle smile.
‘That’s precisely why I made that promise.’
A promise made by the Black Market Master was no different from a Black Market oath.
She had made this offer precisely because she anticipated that Raon, bearing the noble epithet of the Legend Sword Association at such a young age, would make no unreasonable demands.
‘A transaction with nothing to lose and only gains to be made.’
I would earn the trust of the Northern Destruction King.
It was certain that Glen Zigheart held Raon dear. If rumors spread that he had offered to grant Raon anything he asked for, the Northern Destruction King would be satisfied as well.
‘Hmm….’
I turned my head at the piercing gaze from beside me, and Deningrose was sending me a look that seemed to say I was going too far.
‘I’ve survived this way, which is why I can operate the Black Market.’
True mastery lay not in conditions, but in orchestrating the psychology of one’s counterpart. Though I felt a twinge of guilt, it was precisely because I had adhered to this way of life that I had built the Black Market to its current scale.
“Well….”
Raon’s lips began to open slowly.
“Yes. Please speak.”
Roselin wet her lips slightly and smiled.
‘Now is the moment.’
Raon would surely refuse again, and I could smoothly navigate the situation by praising his resolve. I was confident—I had done this countless times before.
“If it’s too difficult, we can discuss it later….”
“First, I’ll need information on the Six Emperors Five Demons.”
“Ah….”
Contrary to my expectations, he spoke his request with eyes burning with clarity.
“The, the Six Emperors Five Demons, you say?”
“Yes. I need detailed information on them. Personnel, locations, temperaments, and the extent of their power. Above all, I cannot afford to miss even a single detail regarding those of Master rank or higher.”
Raon spoke without the slightest hesitation, each word precise. It seemed all this time spent deliberating had been for the sake of formulating this request.
“Please send the information not to the Zigheart Main Residence, but to the Annex Building. And….”
Roselin’s mouth fell open in shock.
‘There’s more?’
Information about the Six Emperors Five Demons cost more than a gold coin per line. Especially since Raon had shared intelligence about masters, even a fortune wouldn’t be enough.
No, there was information that couldn’t be given even with money. I couldn’t grasp how to handle this latest request.
“I’d like to find the location of the Phoenix.”
“T-the Phoenix….”
The Phoenix was certainly a monster that existed, but it was so difficult to encounter that it seemed like a myth.
Beyond its strength, it was such a rare existence that dragons were considered more common. My heart suddenly began to tremble.
“Ugh…”
Roselin trembled as she saw Raon’s eyes gleaming with intensity.
‘This child is a… cooperation?’
I’d misjudged. Looking now, Raon’s eyes were gleaming with greed. He should have been called the Legend Sword Greed, not the Legend Sword Association.
“And finally….”
‘There’s more?’
Roselin forced herself to maintain her composure and turned her head.
“Ah….”
Even Deningrose hadn’t expected so many requests, and her eyes were trembling violently.
“I’d like to find a person and some things.”
“W-what person and things are you looking for?”
“I’ll organize and send you the details properly after returning to my house.”
“Ah, y-yes.”
Her face smiled, but her voice inevitably trembled.
‘That won’t be a simple task either.’
He wouldn’t entrust me with anything easy. Even if it didn’t reach the level of information about the Six Emperors Five Demons, it was bound to be difficult.
Gulp.
Roselin drank her tea, her throat parched. The tea that had tasted refreshingly clear moments ago now tasted bitterly foul.
‘I’m going mad.’
I couldn’t calculate precisely how much money would slip away in this brief span of time.
‘I can’t back out now.’
Someone had seen Deningrose and me entering Raon’s Room, so it would have reached Glen’s ears as well. If I canceled the proposal now, all the trust I’d carefully built would crumble to dust.
‘I have no choice.’
I’d declared it not as a Branch Master, but in my own name as the Black Market Master, so I had to comply unconditionally. Trapped in this unexpected dead end, my vision darkened.
“Then I shall ask for your assistance.”
Raon smiled faintly and bowed his head.
“Don’t worry.”
Roselin laughed awkwardly, racking my brain for how to cover such an astronomical loss. Of course, no answer came.
“Since I’ve heard the Vice Master’s request, I should take my leave.”
I rose with a faint smile. I needed to return to headquarters quickly and do the calculations to regain my composure.
“Vice Master. Take care of yourself.”
Deningrose also stood, bowing her head. She too seemed shaken by Raon’s request, her legs trembling slightly.
“Black Market Master. Branch Master.”
Raon’s voice reached them as the two were about to leave the room.
Roselin and Deningrose slowly turned around.
Bathed in sunlight pouring through the window, my crimson eyes gleamed with solemn intensity. As they gazed at those ruby-like irises in a daze, my lips parted.
“You won’t regret this.”
“Ah….”
My voice, as measured and composed as Glen Zigheart’s, made her heart clench tightly.
“Sigh….”
Roselin brushed back her disheveled bangs.
“I’m counting on it.”
She offered a faint smile, bowed her head slightly, and left the room. Deningrose sensed something and followed with a hardened expression.
The two of them didn’t say a word from the moment they left the mansion until they boarded the carriage. Only after the carriage door closed did Roselin twist up her lips and speak.
“I’ve been thoroughly outmaneuvered.”
Raon hadn’t made that request out of mere greed. He had grasped her psychology completely and presented a blade she couldn’t refuse.
‘How long has it been since I’ve been so thoroughly cornered?’
She’d thought him far beneath her and hadn’t made special preparations, yet she never expected to be outplayed by this child. He couldn’t be regarded merely as a powerful warrior. He was already a considerable threat, but it seemed she would need to elevate her assessment further.
“What’s your assessment?”
Roselin narrowed her eyes as she looked at Deningrose.
“He appears to have grown considerably in this short time—both in martial technique and spirit. There’s an unprecedented composure and tension about him.”
Deningrose narrowed her eyes as she looked back at the receding mansion.
“You see tension yet claim he’s grown?”
“Yes.”
She nodded without hesitation.
“The Raon Zigheart I saw before was overflowing with confidence. He believed he could resolve any situation on his own. But the one I saw today was different.”
“How so?”
“It seems he’s come to understand that he can fail, and that he cannot always solve everything alone.”
“I see.”
Roselin smiled faintly and stroked Deningrose’s head.
‘You’ve grown as well.’
Deningrose had always been indecisive, often deferring or postponing judgments, but it seemed she too had matured somewhat through this ordeal.
“But what of him as a man?”
“Pardon?”
Deningrose’s face turned cold.
“Appearance, strength, lineage, character—even his heart. He lacks nothing. If you have any interest, I’ll play matchmaker for you.”
Roselin spoke earnestly, caressing Deningrose’s hand.
“Believe it or not, I’ve arranged over a hundred couples.”
“Master, I must serve you. I have no intention of marrying until you retire.”
Deningrose shook her head, her face flushed crimson except for the black eye patch.
“Girls who say such things always leave first.”
Roselin chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.
“At least hide that plum-colored blush before you speak.”
“Master!”
*
*
*
Raon chuckled softly as he fingered the box containing Ubo’s medicinal herbs.
‘She never expected to be treated this way.’
At first, I had naturally intended to refuse on principle, but seeing Roselin’s eyes, I changed my mind.
Her gaze was kind and benevolent, yet I could see the unmistakable look of someone who would never make demands—the seasoned expression of a merchant. Recognizing this, I decided to exploit it, and I succeeded brilliantly.
‘The gains exceed my expectations.’
Acquiring information about the Six Emperors Five Demons would cost an astronomical sum, and many secretive details couldn’t be purchased with money at all. Even if I couldn’t obtain everything, I could learn enough valuable pieces—an enormous windfall.
—Hehehehe!
Wrath flowed out from the ice flower bracelet and laughed wickedly.
—So even a demon like you possess some measure of compassion. You’re actually trying to keep your promise immediately.
‘Compassion? What are you suddenly talking about?’
—The location of the Phoenix you asked that old woman to find—you’re not seeking it for the True Demon King’s health, are you? You’re keeping your promise to provide something delicious to eat.
He gazed upward into the void and smacked his lips.
—Phoenix meat is tender yet crispy, with an effect that stimulates the appetite. Just thinking about nourishing myself after so long, I’m already anticipating it.
‘Have you even eaten Phoenix before?’
—Of course I have. I couldn’t eat it often, but it was a delicacy I enjoyed. Hehehehe!
I stared at the grinning Wrath with my mouth agape. Dragons, and now Phoenix. This glutton seemed to have eaten every monster imaginable.
‘Sorry, but I have no intention of hunting a Phoenix.’
—What?
‘I’m not looking for the Phoenix itself—I’m looking for where the Phoenix is located.’
—What nonsense is this! You find a Phoenix right before your eyes and don’t eat it! When there’s a meal laid out in front of you, isn’t it natural to eat it?!
‘….’
Wrath was spouting absolute madness, calling a legendary monster beyond the highest rank a “meal laid out before us.”
‘Customer, we don’t handle Phoenix here.’
—Hey, you brat!
I pushed away Wrath as he thrust his face toward mine and shook my head firmly. I was seeking the Phoenix not to hunt it, but to become stronger. Whether I captured it or not was irrelevant.
Crunch!
I turned my head at the sound of someone chewing snacks. Dorian lay on his side on the bed, munching on crackers he’d pulled from his belly pouch. Those potato chip-like things had been his staple since his trainee days—I had no idea when he’d finally stop eating them.
“You won a psychological battle against the Black Market Master? That’s truly impressive.”
“Why are you still here?”
“You’re really too much….”
Dorian dropped the snack he’d been holding.
“I didn’t win.”
“But you got everything you wanted, didn’t you?”
“This time, she simply underestimated me too much.”
Had Roselin come with real determination, she wouldn’t have even dared voice her actual demands. The advantage I gained came from her viewing me as far beneath her and her misreading of my character.
“Anyway, aren’t you going home?”
“Pardon?”
“You nearly died and came back. Why don’t you take some leave and visit for a bit?”
I mentioned it, recalling how Roselin had commented on Dorian’s belly pouch, calling him a remarkable person.
“Well, I don’t think there’s really any need to go….”
Dorian laughed with a hehe sound and sprang to his feet.
“I’ll go sometime later, anyway.”
He scratched his head and quickly left the room.
‘There must be something going on.’
Maintaining distance from others was still difficult for me. Especially with family matters—I couldn’t grasp them because I had to be careful.
“Hmm….”
I gazed at Ubo’s white medicine held in my hand and smacked my lips.
“What should I do with this?”
The Ring of Fire had regenerative properties, so I didn’t actually need to consume this elixir.
—What do you mean “what”! You’re the greedy one who’s going to eat it anyway. But what does it taste like?
‘….’
Ever since Wrath manifested in his true form and exhausted all his power, his appetite had grown fiercer. He seemed to be going mad with hunger.
‘Fine. That works for me.’
When Wrath called me greedy, a small spark of defiance rose within me. I picked up Ubo’s elixir and climbed back upstairs, knocking on Glen’s door.
Knock, knock.
This time, Roen opened the door before the sound even finished echoing.
“You’ve returned.”
“I have something to give to the Head of House.”
“Please, come in.”
He glanced at the wooden case in my hand and stepped aside with a pleased expression.
“What are you giving him?”
“Is it something good?”
Sheryl and Rimer also looked at me with eyes full of anticipation.
I walked forward under the gaze of the three.
“What is it?”
Glen looked down at me with an irritated expression, as if asking why I’d come again.
“I understand your internal injuries haven’t fully healed yet.”
I extended Ubo’s elixir forward.
“This is Ubo’s elixir, given by the Black Market Master. I thought it would be better for the Head of House to take it rather than myself, so I brought it.”
Glen had single-handedly withstood the power of the White Blood Cult Master and Tacheon, enduring the assault with his body rather than evading to avoid affecting those behind him.
No matter how strong he was, now wasn’t the time for his internal injuries to heal. If he received something, he had to give back in kind. I decided to hand over this elixir to him.
‘I have the Ring of Fire and Sloth, after all.’
During the day, I could heal using the Ring of Fire, and at night, Sloth’s recovery effect would activate naturally. Within a week, I could recover most of my injuries, so Ubo’s universal elixir wasn’t necessary for me right now.
“Ooh!”
“Raon!”
“Heh heh.”
Rimer, Sheryl, and Roen smiled brightly and gave me thumbs up as if to say I’d done well.
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
However, Glen’s expression—the one who had actually given me the elixir—was far from pleased. His eyes turned cold and furious as he bit down on his lips.
‘Hmm….’
I swallowed dryly.
‘This feels like I’ve made a mistake.’
When I’d visited him earlier, the atmosphere hadn’t seemed so bad, so I’d thought he’d accept it. It seemed I’d miscalculated. The atmosphere grew increasingly frigid.
“Did I not tell you not to be arrogant?”
“That’s….”
“Insolent brat. You still don’t know your place. Internal injuries? You’d need another hundred years before you should worry about me.”
“That’s not it. I can recover, but you, Head of House….”
“I don’t need it.”
Glen shook his head with cold eyes.
“Take that medicine the moment you leave this room. A week from now, when you return to the house—if your recovery doesn’t meet my standards, I will punish you.”
“…Understood.”
I picked up Ubo’s elixir again and stood. I bowed my head and left the room.
Thud.
The moment Raon’s footsteps faded away, the three figures standing before the door spun around in unison.
“This stubborn old man! How could you just let him leave like that!”
“Right! You should have at least pretended to accept it! Or said thank you!”
“This is truly frustrating.”
Rimer, Sheryl, and Roen took turns glaring at Glen Zigheart.
“The Head of House really is… huh?”
Before they could press further, they widened their eyes at the sight of Glen Zigheart clutching his forehead.
“Tch… how can such a good-hearted child even exist….”
Glen Zigheart’s emotions spiraled beyond his control as he gritted his teeth. His aura rippled outward, causing objects throughout the chamber to levitate and tremble in the air.
“Worrying about me when his own condition is worse than anyone else’s—is he not an angel!”
“No, that’s exactly why you should—”
“This simply cannot stand.”
He raised his finger. Golden light erupted from his palm as the chamber—no, the entire building—began to shake violently.
“Gasp! N-not the Repository here, sir!”
Roen rushed forward desperately and grabbed Glen Zigheart’s arm.
“The Head of House’s building will collapse! And the Repository’s security will be compromised!”
Sheryl also stepped forward using footwork technique to block Glen Zigheart’s finger.
“Release me. If I don’t give Raon a gift now, then when else—”
“You know better than anyone that opening the Repository from outside causes problems!”
The Zigheart Repository was a magical vault designed to open only from within the territory. Opening it carelessly from elsewhere could scramble its coordinates and compromise its security.
“No matter. I’ll simply kill anyone who tries anything. More importantly, for Raon—”
Glen Zigheart reached out his hand dismissively.
“Sigh…”
Rimer exhaled deeply as he watched the scene unfold.
“I don’t even know anymore.”
He clasped his hands behind his head and left the room.
“I should visit the Gambling House after all this time.”
“Hey! Stop that!”
*
*
*
A week later.
Raon stepped outside the mansion. Not only the Gwangpung Unit, but also the Heavenly Sword Squad and Gonggeom Unit—those who had yet to return to the house—stood in perfect formation.
I locked eyes with Glen Zigheart, who stood at the very front. He stared at me intently for a moment, then abruptly turned his head away.
‘Phew…’
It seemed I’d passed the test.
An inward sigh of relief escaped me. By operating the Ring of Fire recklessly to conserve Ubo’s elixir and sleeping soundly, my physical condition had recovered considerably over the week.
While fighting warriors of a higher realm remained impossible, I had regained enough strength to handle ordinary Masters with ease.
“Then we return.”
At Glen Zigheart’s gesture, the mansion’s main gate opened. As the Zigheart swordsmen emerged, a thunderous roar erupted from the surroundings.
“Uwaaaaaaaa!”
“Zigheart!”
“Raon! Raon! Raon!”
“Gwangpung Unit! Gwangpung Unit!”
“Lord Raon! Thank you for saving us!”
“Gwangpung Unit! We will support you for the rest of our lives!”
The crowd gathered around the mansion erupted in cheers as they saw me and the Gwangpung Unit.
I narrowed my eyes. I had thought merchants waiting to establish connections with Zigheart would be gathered here, but I was wrong. They were hostages who had been held captive by the White Blood Cult within Granseville and the barrier.
The people who had survived thanks to me and the Gwangpung Unit had come all this way to shout their gratitude until their voices grew hoarse.
“Uoh….”
“Ah, well.”
“It was nothing.”
The swordsmen of the Gwangpung Unit felt awkward but couldn’t help their good mood, waving their hands with bashful smiles.
“Hmm….”
I too felt strength gathering in my fists. I had only learned in this life how deeply words of gratitude could stir the heart.
‘Mother was right.’
A swordsman who makes others follow with their heart.
Thanks to her words to live as a true Zigheart swordsman, I could exist as I am now. I felt nothing but gratitude toward her for allowing me to make the right choices.
I lifted my head and looked forward.
“Yiaaaaaaaa!”
“Northern Destruction King! Northern Destruction King!”
“Glen Zigheart!”
Glen received louder cheers than anyone else, but he did not respond to the noise and urged his horse forward.
I watched Glen’s back and gripped the hilt of the Heavenly Sword tightly.
‘Someday….’
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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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