The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 361

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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 361

An Ogre Warrior with half his brown hair turned white walked out of a small forest with a large sack slung across his back.
The sack was filled with chestnuts—large ones with a lustrous sheen on their shells that looked delicious at first glance.

“Neji!”

The Ogre Warrior called out someone’s name toward the iron gate at the center of the stone wall.

“Huh?”

A young man who appeared to be in his twenties poked his face out from above the iron gate.

“Joren, you’re here early. I guess everyone else is taking it easy since it’s the weekend.”

The young man named Neji laughed with a grin as he looked at the Ogre Warrior.

“I needed to head to the city, so I finished up quickly. Still managed to gather quite a bit though.”

Joren, the middle-aged man, pointed to the sack on his back.

“Wow, the chestnuts are plump. We should be fine for this year too.”

Neji nodded with a satisfied smile.

“It’s not just chestnuts. The wild strawberries are in season too—they’re delicious.”
“The prices have been good lately. Don’t you think it’s time to expand the village soon?”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to check on.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We’ll need a lot of workers, so I’m going to the city first to recruit some laborers.”
“Wow! What are you doing! Get inside quickly!”

The moment the sound of Neji jumping down was heard, the iron gate split in half and opened.

“You just opened it, didn’t you?”

As Joren smiled and was about to step inside, heavy footsteps echoed from behind.
Turning his head, he saw figures clad in robes as black as the deepest night approaching the village.

‘Who are they…?’

Weathers Village was renowned for its raspberries and chestnuts, drawing the occasional tourist, yet these visitors radiated none of that leisurely anticipation.

‘Dangerous…’

My instincts honed over three decades as a mercenary whispered urgently to flee. Yet I could not abandon my home and family.

Joren hastily shut the iron gate and positioned himself before it.

“W-who are you people?”
“….”

Despite their numbers, not one of them answered. They continued their advance without pause until they reached the village entrance.

The man at the forefront lifted his gaze. Eyes as black as charred ash. The moment I met those eyes, a chill raced across my entire body.

“U-uncle! Those people…”
“Don’t come out!”

Joren waved his hand at Neji and leaned his back against the gate.

“Is this Weathers?”

The Dark-Eyed Man’s mouth opened. His voice resonated as if emanating from deep underground, carrying an inexplicable dark aura within it.

“Ah…”

Merely hearing his voice made my heart plummet. All strength drained from my body, leaving me powerless.

“Y-yes, it is.”

Joren bit his lips firmly and nodded.

“How many humans live in the Facility?”
“Why are you asking that?”
“How many?”
“I don’t know who they are, but….”
“Your chance is over.”

The Dark-Eyed Man waved his hand as if swatting away a fly.

“What are you—ah!”

Joren’s body was torn into four pieces by the jet-black talons that erupted from that gesture.

“Aaaahhhhh!”
“How noisy.”

As Neji above screamed and reached for the bell, the man’s hand descended in a graceful conducting motion.

Crash!

The black talons embedded in that hand slashed diagonally, obliterating the iron gate and stone wall entirely. Neji, caught in the destruction, cascaded down as a torrent of blood.

“Huh…huh….”
“Ah….”
“Wh-what is this….”

The people of Weathers Village behind the wall, overwhelmed by the Dark-Eyed Man’s oppressive aura, collapsed to the ground, unable to support themselves.

“Gather all the humans in the village.”
“Yes.”

At the Dark-Eyed Man’s command, the Strange Beings in black robes scattered like ghosts.

“Ahhh!”
“Let go, please let go!”
“Ugh….”

The Strange Beings, treating the people like livestock, dragged them to the center with hooks wreathed in black energy, piercing their bodies.

“So there was one little rat.”

The Dark-Eyed Man swept his right hand to the side. Claws of darkness extended from his palm, tearing through the air and obliterating the tightly constructed house, carving a massive scar into the earth.

Crunch!

Behind the collapsing wall, a shoulder and strips of flesh tumbled to the ground, accompanied by a spray of crimson blood.

Crash!

As the building crumbled, the severed-armed figure couldn’t even scream before being buried beneath the rubble.

The Dark-Eyed Man gazed at the ruins of the house before turning his head. The villagers stared at the ground, their faces drained of all color.

“Thirty-nine. A sufficient number for sacrificial purposes.”

He nodded, observing the people before him.

“Is the work complete?”
“Yes. I have infused all of them with demonic energy.”

The Short Female Mage, her robes dragging across the ground due to her diminutive stature, bowed her head.

“Take them all with us.”
“Yes.”

Upon receiving the command, the Short Female Mage stepped before the villagers. As an otherworldly, inhuman sound emanated from her lips, the eyes of every villager glazed over.

They rose unsteadily like zombies and began walking toward the Zamari Mountain Range.

The Dark-Eyed Man watched them depart, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

“I wonder what manner of creature they will be reborn as.”

*

*

*

Raon could no longer restrain himself and turned his head toward Deningrose.

“What do you mean? Why would they attack Weathers Village?”

Weathers Village was indeed close to the Zamari Mountain Range, but the path to reach it was different.
I couldn’t understand why they would go out of their way to attack a village that required a significant detour to the right.

“I’m not sure either. Our agent in the village… we only received word that it was a Black Tower attack, and now there’s no response.”

Deningrose lowered her head and clenched her fists tightly. Seeing her display such emotion, it seemed the agent had been someone she valued.

“Well, that’s…”

Dorian also hadn’t anticipated such a thing, clasping his trembling hands together.

“This is merely speculation, though.”

Deningrose slowed her pace and glanced slightly to the side.

“Tell me.”
“I suspect they intend to use the villagers as sacrifices.”
“Sacrifices?”
“I think they’re trying to feed people infused with dark mana to the Drake to accumulate negative energy before capturing it.”
“Negative energy…”

I traced my lips thoughtfully and nodded.

‘That makes sense.’

That seemed the most plausible explanation.

As Deningrose suggested, there was no other reason why those hunting the Drake would suddenly attack the village.

No—I had to hope that the Black Tower had captured the people as sacrifices, which meant more of them would still be alive.

-Dark mana, you say?

Wrath gnashed his teeth.

-These wretched creatures borrowing the power of demons dare interrupt the True Demon King’s dessert time!

The boy was furious that the village’s attack had prevented him from eating the food he craved, grinding his teeth as he drew forth his aura of rage.

‘It’s slightly different.’
-Different how?
‘The Black Tower does use dark mana, but it’s not just dark mana alone.’
-Then?
‘They absorb dark mana into their own life force and use it that way.’

The Black Tower didn’t simply utilize dark mana—they employed an insane method of fusing dark mana with their own life force.

Because of this, whether through magic or martial arts, they produced far greater power than those using ordinary mana.

-They’re not even demons, and they’re mixing dark mana with their life force? That’s a new form of suicide.
‘Unfortunately, they don’t die from it.’

I exhaled a sigh and looked at Wrath.

‘If you want raspberry pie or candied chestnuts, help me out.’
-Of course! Trust the True Demon King!

Wrath clenched his round fists firmly as if to say leave it to him. Though he was normally a glutton, he would prove invaluable in moments like these.

‘It’s better to leave Dorian behind.’

The Black Tower had made the first move, and with hostages involved, there was no guarantee the plan would proceed as intended.
Taking the timid Dorian along could create even greater complications, so it seemed wiser to leave him here.

“Dorian. You… hm?”

I turned to look at Dorian and widened my eyes.

‘What’s this?’

Dorian, whom I had expected to be trembling in fear, stood gazing at me with a sword gripped firmly in his hand.
Though his hands still trembled—not entirely unafraid—his eyes shone with unmistakable clarity.

“I… I want to come too.”

Dorian stepped forward.

“There must be something I can do as well!”

I met his gaze and offered a faint smile.

‘He’s grown.’

Even when Dorian reached the highest tier of Expert, I hadn’t felt much of a change, but seeing those eyes now, I could clearly sense his growth.

-I think it’s good to take him along.
‘Yes.’

I nodded and turned my gaze toward Deningrose.

“Since time is of the essence, we’ll depart immediately.”
“Since it’s a remote location, there’s no dimensional gate. I’ve prepared fresh horses along the way so you can change mounts, if you don’t mind.”

Even in this urgent situation, Deningrose had made preparations for what came next. She was truly remarkable.

“Thank you.”

I nodded and led the horse out of Rokan City.

‘Just to be safe.’

I approached the thicket beyond the city and called out to Merlin in a way Dorian wouldn’t hear.

‘Merlin. Merlin!’

Unlike usual, I felt no response whatsoever. It seemed her claim about having unfinished business was genuine.

-Such mad women are never around when you need them.

Wrath frowned, citing it as a characteristic of Mad Woman.

‘There’s no helping it.’

I had no choice but to proceed as planned.

I let out a short sigh and mounted the horse. We would arrive a bit late, but this was the only option available now.

“There will be no rest until we arrive.”
“Yes!”

Dorian swallowed hard and nodded vigorously.

I smiled as I watched Dorian tremble yet refuse to retreat.

“Let’s go.”

*

*

*

The office door creaked open.

Rezel entered as Derus Robert sat across from a man with a light, carefree impression.

“Head of House.”

Rezel straightened his posture and bowed to Derus Robert.

“The investigation is complete. It’s true that there’s a Drake’s nest at the peak of the Zamari Mountain Range.”
“So Palen Sepia’s words were truthful.”

Derus Robert offered a cool smile as he regarded Rezel.

“Yes. While we shouldn’t lower our guard, I believe the suspicious aspects have been resolved.”

Rezel lowered his eyes and nodded.

“Roktan.”

Derus Robert turned his gaze toward the middle-aged man standing beside him.

“Yes, Head of House.”

The middle-aged man called Roktan answered in a heavy voice that belied his carefree appearance, lowering his head.

“Can you eliminate Raon Zigheart?”

Though Derus Robert’s words were phrased as a question, it was no inquiry—it was an absolute command to succeed.

“Of course.”

Roktan nodded without flinching at the stern directive.

“A child who can swing a sword decently? I can toy with him and end him without breaking a sweat.”
“He is not an opponent to be dismissed so lightly. The boy possesses the gift to perceive an adversary’s martial techniques at a glance.”

Derus frowned as he recalled Raon’s swordsmanship from the Sparring Arena.

“So he’s a prodigy worthy of the Head of House’s acknowledgment. That makes this even easier.”

Roktan rotated his wrist with a smile.

“I’m a genius at hunting such one-day wonders.”
“I believe you.”
“Thank you.”
“Just refrain from needless slaughter.”
“Of course. I’m not a serial killer who kills for pleasure.”
“Yet you murderous fiends melt entire villages whenever you carry out missions.”
“Ha. That was when I was younger….”

Roktan scratched his cheek as if embarrassed, though his eyes gleamed with an indelible bloodlust.

“Is there anything you need?”

Derus looked down at Roktan with cold eyes.

“There is one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Gathering intelligence will take some time, so I might arrive after everything is finished. Could you arrange transportation for me?”

Roktan muttered that walking was too bothersome and scratched the back of his head.

“Rezel.”

Derus Robert nodded, not at Roktan, but at Rezel.

“Tell him to prepare.”
“Yes.”

Rezel bowed and left the office.

“We won’t be able to reach the mountain range itself, but we can get close enough.”
“Thank you. Since you trust me this much, I’ll make sure to handle it cleanly.”

Roktan smiled faintly and raised his hand. Auras of different colors swirled and bloomed above his fingertips.

“The genius called the next greatest on the Continent won’t even understand why he’s dying before his breath stops.”

I’ll dissolve his corpse and bring back the Drake Heart as a gift.

*

*

*

I continued switching horses and pushed my footwork to its limits, arriving near Weathers Village.

‘How desolate.’

The Weathers Village I had seen before had thick stone walls but presented a warm landscape.

But the village visible in the distance now lay in ruins, collapsed and devastated. It looked as though a dragon had raked its claws across it.

“Let’s go.”
“Yes….”

I took a deep breath to steel myself, then entered Weathers Village.

“Ugh….”

The moment we entered the village, Dorian covered his mouth and let out a groan.

There was no other choice. Human corpses had been torn to shreds like paper, and the exposed flesh had rotted as if decayed for months.

A nauseating stench like manure and a sickly miasma enveloped the entire village.

Raon clenched his teeth as he gazed upon the blackened corpses.

‘Dark mana.’

Not much time had passed since the attack, yet that state of decomposition spanning months was a telltale sign of dark mana’s corruption.

-A foul reek indeed. As you said, something is mixed within the demonic energy.

Wrath furrowed his brow in displeasure as well.

“Hah….”

I did not avert my gaze from the brutality or the stench, surveying the village thoroughly.

‘There are too few corpses.’

Given the village’s size, there should have been at least thirty to fifty bodies, yet fewer than ten were visible.
In other words, the others had not died here.

‘Then they really were dragged away… wait?’

A breath?

Just as I was confirming that Deningrose’s prediction had been correct, a human breath reached my ears from within the collapsed building—a thin, fragile sound that could cease at any moment.

I moved with swift footwork and rushed forward, lifting away the rubble of the collapsed structure. Beneath a massive stone block lay a man with a severed arm and a gaping hole in his abdomen, struggling to open his eyes.

‘This is….’

The Carbon Breathing Technique!

A method of holding one’s breath and feigning death when gravely wounded but possessing something crucial to convey.
However, the moment the breathing technique ends, death is inevitable, and one must endure excruciating agony throughout—so even those who knew of it rarely employed it.

This man seemed to be waiting for someone while enduring pain so severe he wished for immediate death.

“Are you perhaps affiliated with the Black Market?”
“Y-yes, that’s correct.”

As expected, this man was a Black Market agent dispatched here by Deningrose.

“Y-you’re Raon, aren’t you?”

The agent’s voice trembled violently. He was on the verge of his last breath.

“Yes. If you have something to tell me….”
“T-the Black Tower’s Chief Mage came and took the villagers away. He said they were sacrifices to feed to a Drake, and he embedded dark mana into their bodies.”

The agent continued speaking while gripping his own throat with his remaining left hand.

“W-when people addicted to dark mana are consumed, dark mana accumulates in the Drake, or so he said. It seems they’re planning to place the people in the Drake’s nest, feed them to the Drake, and then capture it….”
“Here, drink some water first.”

Dorian offered water to the agent, but he declined with a faint smile.

“M-magical claws made of dark mana extend from the Chief Mage’s hands. Even with defenses, they can’t be stopped. Th-there’s also a Short Female Mage with him, and she possesses tremendous magical power.”

The agent conveyed information, having grasped both the Chief Mage’s combat methods and the strength of his subordinates.

“P-please.”

He did not speak his own name, nor did he ask to be saved. He simply made his request to save the people, held my hand, forced a smile, and lowered his head. The thin thread of his breath snapped.

I held the agent’s hand tightly as its warmth faded.

This agent had been dispatched and came to this place.
He would not have known the villagers well, nor been close to them.

A request made because he was human.
It was the final request of a man who had endured to live as a human being.

“I accept that request.”

I bowed my head to the nameless agent.

“Dorian.”
“Yes, sir!”

Dorian rushed forward, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He was still fearful, and his tears came easily, but he had become someone I could trust.

“I have a task for you.”
“Anything, sir. I’ll do whatever you need.”

I unfolded the map as I listened to his response, pointing to the cliff face behind the highest peak where the Drake’s nest lay.

“Climb up that cliff behind the peak to reach the nest without drawing the attention of the Black Tower’s forces.”
“You mean… climb the mountain range?”
“Yes. Protect the villagers from both the Drake and the Black Tower.”
“That’s… ah, I understand!”

Dorian, who would normally have shaken his head in fear, bit his lip and nodded vigorously instead.

“You can do this. Equip yourself with all the artifacts that mask your presence.”
“I will.”

Dorian retrieved various pieces of equipment from his waist pouch and fastened them to his body.

“What will you do, Master?”
“I…”

I closed the map and gazed up at the highest peak of the Zamari Mountain Range. Crimson lightning flickered in my eyes as I stared into the darkness.

“I need to dispose of the trash up there.”

Every last one of them.

—————
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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