The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 352

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 352

Dorian pointed to the largest building among the various commercial establishments of the Sepia Trading Company.

“This is the Sepia Commerce Headquarters.”

I followed his gesture and looked up at the building.

‘It’s about the size of the Zigheart Main Residence.’

The Sepia Commerce Headquarters rose to a height comparable to the Zigheart Main Residence.
Since it was about 1.5 times wider, it would be fair to say it was actually larger.

-Something about it looks rigid.

Wrath scanned the entire Sepia Commerce Headquarters and narrowed his eyes.

‘He’s right about that.’

Just as Wrath said, the Sepia Commerce Headquarters building was sharply angular with rigid rectangular lines, painted in a cold gray that gave an austere impression, and its windows were uniformly arranged in a way that felt suffocating.

I stood before the headquarters’ entrance and assessed my appearance.
Unlike when I went to the Robert Family territory, I hadn’t disguised myself completely, but I had changed my hair and eye color, revealing only a level of power inferior to Dorian’s.

‘This should be enough.’

Since I’d heard that they had no interest in Dorian, my shallow disguise wouldn’t risk exposing my identity.

“Let’s go in.”
“Yes…”

Despite his response, Dorian didn’t open the door and merely stared at it. He still seemed unable to settle his mind.

-Why is he acting like that?
‘It’s been a long time since he’s returned home. He probably wants to make a grand entrance.’

I crossed my arms and waited for Dorian to move on his own.

“Haaah….”

Dorian steadied his breathing as if he’d made a decision, then approached the door.

Creak!

Just as he reached for the handle, the door swung open from the outside, and someone emerged.

“Oof!”

He managed to avoid being struck by the door, but couldn’t escape the ungainly stumble that followed.
Yet it suited him far better than any deliberate posturing could have.

“Stop trying to look cool.”

I chuckled softly and gestured toward the open door.

“Let’s go.”
“Ah, yes….”

As I followed Dorian, who was scratching the back of his head, into the headquarters, I saw countless people moving about.
It wasn’t just Sepia Commerce employees—there were merchants, warriors, mercenaries, and what appeared to be customers as well.

“Welcome to Sepia Trading Company. We’re delighted to have you.”

An employee from the First Floor Central Lobby approached with a graceful smile.

“What brings you in today?”

She didn’t recognize Dorian without his disguise and offered a polite smile.

“Ah, well….”

Dorian lowered his gaze to the floor, his voice trembling slightly.

“I’ve come to see the Merchant Guild Master.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Not exactly, but the Merchant Guild Master called for me….”
“Pardon?”
“I’m his son.”
“…Excuse me?”

The employee’s eyes widened so dramatically they nearly bulged from their sockets.

“What on earth… Oh!”

She stared blankly at Dorian for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

“Could you possibly be… Dorian?”
“That’s right.”
“Oh, my apologies. I wasn’t informed of your arrival.”

The employee bowed apologetically.

I narrowed my eyes as I observed the employee’s expression.

‘His standing here is remarkably weak.’

The fact that he’d asked Dorian to come but hadn’t informed anyone suggested his position was far more precarious than I’d anticipated.

“I’ll contact the Merchant Guild Master. Please wait here.”

The employee guided us to the Waiting Room on the right side of the Lobby, then left.

“Sigh….”

Dorian sank into a chair in the Waiting Room, exhaling heavily. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead.

“They didn’t even recognize you.”

I settled onto the sofa across from him, watching the door through which the employee had departed.

“That employee must have started after I left. It’s only natural they wouldn’t recognize me.”
“That’s not the point. The Merchant Guild called you here. Someone in the lobby should have at least given you a heads-up.”
“Well, I anticipated something like this anyway.”

Dorian said it was fine and patted the pouch at his waist. He’d always been timid, but here he seemed to shrink into himself completely—it was rather pitiful.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?”

Dorian retrieved a cup, pink tea leaves, a kettle, and potato crackers from his pouch.
He brewed tea using a kettle that heated water of its own accord and handed it to me.

“Well then.”

I chuckled and accepted the tea, taking a sip. The beginning and middle were bitter, but the aftertaste was ever so slightly sweet.

-Bitter! Don’t drink it!

Wrath stuck his tongue out, complaining it tasted awful.

‘Such childish taste.’

I ignored Wrath’s protest and sipped the tea leisurely.

After drinking tea—sipping it, drinking more of it—for two hours, no one came to the room.

I smiled as I touched the now-cold teacup.

‘Just as expected.’
-Why aren’t they calling us?!

Wrath threw a round fist at the empty air.

-I thought we’d be treated well since this is a wealthy establishment, but how much longer do we have to wait?!

So that’s why his mood seemed better than usual—he’d been anticipating fine cuisine at this place. Truly a remarkable Demon King.

“Haha.”

Dorian scratched his cheek awkwardly, as if he’d expected this reaction.

“I apologize. He’s such a busy man.”
“Of course. To meet the Fifth Merchant Guild Master, you’d need to schedule an appointment months in advance. However….”

I touched the cold teacup, my brow furrowing. The heat that bloomed alongside an uncomfortable sensation made the tea inside churn like molten lava.

“Even with an appointment, nine years—nearly ten—have passed since his son came to see him. It’s only natural he should meet with him first.”
“Hmm….”
“And if he were running late, that employee should have come back to inform us.”

Even if the Sepia Commerce Lord had instructed us to wait, this situation was far from normal. Someone had clearly intervened.

‘Predictable.’

It had to be Dorian’s brothers.

Unlike Dorian, whose position had narrowed, his brothers had likely built far greater influence over these nine years—it was only natural.

As soon as I arrived here, I found myself amused at how easily I could read the situation.

“You said there were three brothers?”
“Ah, yes.”

Dorian nodded, his fingernails anxiously bitten.

“He’s certainly taking a long time. Let me go back out and try again.”

Dorian grasped the door handle, ready to speak with them once more.

“Don’t bother.”

I waved my hand.

“What?”
“Even if you call again, your father won’t hear about it. Wait here, and the one orchestrating this will come instead.”

I crossed my legs leisurely and sipped the freshly warmed tea.

“Hmm….”

Dorian seemed to understand the implication as well, settling into his seat and chewing on a potato pastry.

-Stop drinking that tasteless tea and eat the snacks this fellow offers! My stomach is growling!
‘It’s bad for my health.’

I shook my head at the sight of the pastry.

-What’s the harm in a single pastry!
‘A single pastry’s impurity could tip the scales of an entire battle.’
-You pathetic weakling….
‘Precisely because I’m weak, I can’t afford to eat it.’
-Grraaahhhhh!

Wrath shrieked while clutching his head.

-Your mouth is filthy with words! I’m so annoyed I could die!
‘Thanks for the compliment.’
-That’s not a compliment!

After spending another two hours listening to Wrath’s wails, a substantial presence stirred at the door.

Creak.

The door opened smoothly, and a refined-looking woman with neatly arranged green hair entered. Her large frame made the doorway seem cramped.

“Ah….”

Dorian rose with a bewildered expression.

“Sister Pallen?”

The woman called Pallen didn’t respond to Dorian’s words, instead looking first at me. Upon seeing my shabby attire, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

I suppressed the laughter threatening to escape as I observed Pallen’s reaction.

‘She’s looking down on me.’

Judging by my worn clothing and unkempt appearance, she seemed to take me for either Dorian’s servant or friend. I was grateful for the desired reaction.

“Sister? Who’s your sister?”

The woman called Pallen turned to face Dorian, her smile cold and cutting.

“At your age, you still haven’t grasped the situation?”
“Ah….”

Dorian’s shoulders trembled at the icy tone—hardly the voice of family.

“Judging by your appearance, you’re still living without a shred of sense.”

Pallen raked her gaze over Dorian and let out a derisive snort.

“What have you been doing all this time that your mind still hasn’t caught up?”
“Huh?”
“What were you doing for nine years with nothing but that pathetic little pouch?”

It wasn’t mere mockery in her question. She genuinely seemed ignorant of where Dorian had been or what he’d been doing.

Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed the woman named Pallen.

‘She’s not even as competent as Burren was during his trainee days.’

Despite his presence as an outsider, she directed malice and ridicule toward Dorian, and the fact that she didn’t even know what Dorian—a candidate successor in his own right—had been doing all this time marked her as an amateur not worth his attention.

“Well, I….”

As Dorian began to respond with trembling lips, the door opened again. A middle-aged man with sharp, piercing eyes and an icy demeanor stepped inside.

“I hear he trained his sword at Zigheart.”

He answered Pallen’s question in Dorian’s stead.

“Zigheart?”
“And he’s part of the Gwangpung Squad—the most renowned unit these days.”
“Brother Dialun….”

Dorian swallowed hard as he looked at the man he called Dialun.

“Hmm….”

The man called Dialun gave Raon a slight nod of acknowledgment.

Raon rose from his seat and returned the greeting.

‘Unlike that fool Pallen….’

This one is dangerous.

The Gwangpung Unit was indeed famous, but aside from myself and the three squad leaders, individual members’ names were scarcely known.
The fact that he knew where Dorian had gone and which organization he belonged to meant he was no ordinary person.

“The Gwangpung Unit?”

Pallen glared at Dorian, her brow furrowing.

“The Gwangpung Unit of the White Sword Dragon?”

Seeing her react with such surprise, it appeared my epithet had spread quite widely even within the Sepia Trading Company, as I’d anticipated.

“That’s right.”

Dialun’s gaze softened as he looked at Dorian.

“Hmph! But the only one who’s actually famous is Raon Zigheart anyway.”

Pallen dismissed it with a wave of her hand, rolling her eyes.

“This fool is probably just playing a supporting role there.”
“Hmm….”

Dorian, perhaps thinking the same way he usually did, couldn’t respond and lowered his head.

“Above all, you were told to bring back a great treasure, yet you’ve been training your swordsmanship instead. You’re still as foolish as ever.”

Pallen let out a harsh laugh as she looked at Dorian.

“Swordsmanship is something only the chosen few pursue. Like your superior, Raon Zigheart. You’re hardly worthy of even being a successor candidate.”
“….”

Dorian’s jaw dropped so far it nearly touched the ground.

Raon stood between the three without intervening, a subtle smile playing across his lips.

‘A familiar atmosphere.’

The discriminatory gaze and atmosphere of Zigheart—something that had persisted since the aptitude evaluation and preliminary trainee days—permeated this room entirely. Just as I had heard, both I, who had been discriminated against in Zigheart, and Dorian, who had been discriminated against in the Sepia Trading Company, shared similar circumstances.
As he had heard, Dun, who had been discriminated against in Zigheart, and Dorian, who had been discriminated against in the Sepia Trading Company, had something in common.

There’s a simple way to break this.

I can provoke them into picking a fight with me, and then I can break them.

Whether it’s a residential building or a commercial building, it won’t make any difference.
‘It might be a bit much for Dorian….’

But it will benefit his future.

“Dorian.”

I made my decision and called out to him. Not just Dorian—Pallen and Dialun’s gazes shot toward me simultaneously.

“Are these the brothers you said you’d easily crush and use as fertilizer for the trading company?”

I smiled with an innocent expression, as if I truly understood nothing.

“Ugh!”

At those words, Dorian’s face went deathly pale.

“Easily crush?”

“Break it lightly?”
Not only Pallen, who had been consistently fierce, but even Dialun’s eyes gleamed with a chilling light.

It wasn’t just Pallen, who had been fierce all along, but even a cold light emerged in Dialun’s eyes.

“W-what, what, what….”

Dorian trembled, his jaw quivering as he struggled to form words. His eyes widened in protest—I never said that!—screaming silently from his face.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen my younger brother. I apologize for the poor introduction.”

Dialun approached and extended his hand.

“I’m Dialun Sepia. Dorian’s older brother.”
“I’m Jeden.”

I grasped his hand, using the name of Jeden, who actually belonged to Gwangpung 3rd Squad.

“Ah, I’ve heard of you. Aren’t you with Gwangpung 3rd Squad?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”

This man was no ordinary person.

If he knew enough to recognize Jeden as a member of the Gwangpung Unit, he must have gathered quite detailed intelligence. It was fortunate I’d come with red hair like Jeden’s.

“My apologies, Swordmaster of the Gwangpung Unit.”

Pallen approached Dialun’s side with a frown, offering the slightest nod of acknowledgment.

“However, something you said earlier troubles me. You claim Dorian will defeat us?”
“Yes. He said he would crush all his brothers and take over this merchant guild.”

As I answered with a smile, the atmosphere grew noticeably colder.

“Uh, uh, uh….”

Dorian began to emit strangled sounds, his eyes darting wildly side to side as if they might burst from their sockets.

“You bastard. Don’t you know your place….”

As Pallen moved toward Dorian, a heavy knock sounded at the door.
The door opened, and a silver-haired elder in butler’s attire entered.

“Young Master Dorian. The Merchant Guild Master is requesting your presence.”

At his words, Pallen and Dialun, who had been approaching Dorian, came to a halt.

“W-what! How is this possible!”

Pallen turned to look at the Old Butler, her eyes widening in shock. Her complexion had turned deathly pale, as if something utterly impossible had just occurred.

‘Did that woman cut the connection?’

Observing the unfolding situation, it appeared she had severed the call informing them of Dorian’s arrival, yet the Merchant Guild Master had summoned him on his own initiative.

“Y-yes, of course….”

Dorian swallowed hard as he glanced at the two brothers, then walked toward the door where the Old Butler stood. His shoulders trembled uncontrollably, whether from concern for his brothers or something else.

The heavy silence deepened.

Pallen and Dialun fixed their gazes on Dorian’s back with murderous intent.

‘Excellent.’

I felt the atmosphere growing colder and colder, as if I had stepped into an ice cave, and I smiled.

‘This is what brotherhood truly means.’
-….

Wrath’s round eyes trembled as he looked at me.

-Are you seriously human?

*

*

*

I followed the Old Butler up to the highest floor of the Sepia Commerce Headquarters, where the Merchant Guild Master awaited.

“Why on earth did you do this?”

Dorian let out a low cry of protest.

“When did I ever say something like that!”
“Didn’t you?”
“I didn’t say anything similar! You saw his eyes! What am I supposed to do now! My life is ruined!”

Dorian pressed his temples repeatedly, lamenting that he would be tormented by his siblings. His legs felt heavy as he climbed the stairs at a sluggish pace.

“Your second brother and third sister, right?”
“Yes….”
“I’m not sure about your second brother, but your sister didn’t seem particularly bothered.”
“What?”
“There’s no need to be afraid. As I’ve said before, you’re a different person now than when you left this place.”

I chuckled softly and pointed at Dorian with my finger.

“If you’ve changed, then your actions and how you’re treated should change as well.”
“Hmm….”
“Don’t shrink back. Behind you stand I and the Gwangpung Unit.”

With that, I climbed the stairs first.

“…Yes.”

Dorian paused for a moment, watching my back. He gave a small nod and followed after me.

I smiled, noticing that Dorian’s trembling had subsided somewhat.

‘Now he has a face worthy of showing his father after ten years.’
-Did you really provoke his siblings just for that?

Wrath’s eyes narrowed in surprise.

‘No.’
-Then?
‘It seemed like it would be fun.’
-You’re truly out of your mind. You shouldn’t exist in this place!

Wrath’s complexion turned sickly pale.

I let out a soft chuckle and positioned myself behind the Old Butler, who had stopped at the highest floor.

“This is the Merchant Guild Master’s office. Please let me know when you are ready.”

He spoke in a voice so cold and devoid of emotion that it was almost unsettling, then stepped aside from the door.

“I’m ready.”

Dorian clenched his fists as he answered, and I nodded in acknowledgment.

“Understood.”

The Butler knocked twice before opening the office door.

The door swung open smoothly without the slightest creak, clearly well-oiled.

A gray desk sat among heavy brown carpeting and dark wooden furniture that exuded solemnity.
Behind it, an elderly man wearing a monocle lifted his gaze.

His green hair and round eyes might have resembled Dorian’s appearance, but the aura and presence he radiated were the complete opposite—cold and rigid beyond measure.

The Merchant Guild Master’s eyes turned first toward Dorian. In that fleeting instant, his unwavering gaze trembled faintly as it swept across Dorian’s entire form.

‘How different.’

Unlike Pallen and Dialun, who had first assessed the guest’s condition, he was clearly checking his son first.

‘But that gaze…’

I felt as though I had seen those eyes somewhere before.

As I sifted through my memories, the Merchant Guild Master’s eyes hardened again and turned toward me. It was a piercing, cold stare that seemed to bore into my very soul.

“We greet the Merchant Guild Master!”

Dorian lowered his head and spoke loudly. I said nothing but bowed deeply alongside him.

“Rise.”

The Merchant Guild Master nodded and gestured.

“Yes.”

Dorian lifted his head with a slightly flushed face. His lips were parched from tension.

Even as Raon straightened his back again, the Merchant Guild Master’s gaze did not waver, remaining fixed upon him.

“I am….”
“It is an honor to meet the White Sword Dragon in this manner.”

A calm voice flowed from the Merchant Guild Master just as I was about to reveal my name.

“Hmm….”

Even though I hadn’t concealed it completely, he saw through it at once….

I hadn’t disguised my height and complexion like when I went to Robert Territory, yet he discerned it immediately.
Unlike my brothers, this one was no jest.

“I am Raon Zigheart.”

I met the Merchant Guild Master’s sunken gaze and offered a faint smile.

‘This won’t be dull.’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————