The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 370

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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 370

I met Adis Sepia’s gaze, which had settled into a dry composure, and let my lips curve into a thin smile.

‘So that’s what this was about.’

The situation was the complete opposite of what Wrath had said. Rather than being angry, Adis seemed to have summoned me to his office to provide greater support.
Though it didn’t seem like he was willing to help unconditionally.

“What do you mean by investing in me?”
“Exactly what I said—I’m prepared to spend money wherever Raon Zigheart desires.”

Adis answered without hesitation, as if he had prepared his response in advance.

-Why?! There are plenty of other investment opportunities! This man is a money pit!
‘Be quiet.’

I swatted Wrath away like a fly and turned my attention back to Adis.

“May I ask your reason?”
“As a merchant, it’s only natural to want to invest in someone who will become the greatest on the Continent.”
“That doesn’t seem to be your only reason.”

If it were truly just about raw power, Adis should have welcomed me warmly from the start, but he hadn’t shown such warmth.
There was clearly another reason.

“Remarkably perceptive for your age. You’re right. There is another reason.”
“What is it…?”
“Because you’re someone who can transform people.”
“Transform, you say?”
“Indeed. The Continent is full of the strong, the talented, and the wealthy. Wherever you go, you find renowned individuals whose names are known far and wide. Yet among them, those who can naturally transform others are rare.”

Adis continued speaking, tapping his fingers habitually against the table.

“Dorian became a man befitting a successor simply by following you, and you revived the Fallen Flower Blade—a technique bearing the mockery of a ‘fallen sword.’ Not everyone can accomplish such things.”
“When I helped Dorian grow, my intention was involved, but the Fallen Flower Blade was merely a fortunate coincidence.”
“That fortunate coincidence is something no one else has achieved in decades.”

Mark Goeten had risen to Master at a young age and was regarded as a shining star of the Warner Kingdom, but ultimately he was consumed by his own limitations and earned the stigma of a fallen swordsman before becoming a mercenary.

Even though his strength had plateaued, a Master remained a Master, so many sought to recruit him, yet none could open his heart.

‘But….’

The man before me was different.

Raon wielded his sword with honest simplicity, never entertaining thoughts of acquiring or awakening the fallen swordsman’s technique, yet that very sincerity stirred the soul of a man who had stared at walls of defeat for so long without ever breaking through.

It was something I understood yet could not accomplish—a feat only those possessing a value that transcended power and talent could achieve.

“For the heart to move, there must be action behind it. You are someone capable of doing that not only for yourself but for others as well. That is why I spoke of making an investment.”
“I see….”

Raon nodded heavily.

‘A frightening person indeed.’

It wasn’t because he possessed outstanding power or because he had fostered Dorian’s growth that he wanted to invest in me.

Adis, the head of the Sepia Merchant Group, had decided to invest precisely because he had discerned what kind of person Raon Zigheart truly was.

“There is one thing I wish to ask.”

Adis stopped his fingers that had been tapping against the table.

“Please, speak.”
“Do you have any intention of becoming the Head of House Zigheart?”

His straightforward question left me speechless.

‘Head of House….’

I had considered it before, and been asked about it several times, but I had consistently said I had no intention of taking that position.

‘It was never my goal.’

The most important goal I set during this second life is to uncover the true identity of Derus Robert and annihilate him.
Even if death finds me again, I must accomplish that much.

‘Becoming Head of House would make things easier.’

If I became Head of House and kept Derus Robert in check, I might be able to achieve that goal more easily.

‘But….’

An enormous number of lives would be lost.

If a conflict erupted between families rather than individuals, countless innocent people would fall.

I couldn’t become the same kind of human as Derus Robert just to take revenge on him. Even if the struggle would be arduous and lonely, I didn’t want to witness unnecessary sacrifices.

‘My second goal wouldn’t mean much either.’

Restoring Sylvia to the Main Lineage would also be possible if I became Head of House, but restoring her to the Main Lineage would be faster than
accumulating enough achievements to become Head of House.
In other words, this goal didn’t require it either.

‘Becoming Head of House isn’t my goal. But….’

Unlike before, I had grown fond of the Zigheart family, and I found myself wanting to spend more time with the family members and to build the family into something greater and more prestigious.

‘I don’t even understand my own heart.’

Since I both wanted and didn’t want to become Head of House, I couldn’t give Adis a proper answer to his question.

‘His offer of help will probably disappear.’

Adis is a merchant. The fact that he extended a helping hand surely means he intends to extract a price in return.

But that would come after I became Head of House, so once he hears my answer, he’ll cancel his investment proposal.

‘Still, it feels better to tell the truth.’

Adis is my colleague’s father and the master of a merchant guild whose depths are difficult to fathom. There was no point in trying to deceive him clumsily.

—Really now….

Wrath furrowed his brow as he looked at me.

—Your temperament is utterly unpredictable. Yesterday you were nothing but a ruffian, and today you seem like a sage. Truly, you’re a madman.
‘I don’t understand myself either.’

I exhaled deeply and lifted my gaze to meet Adis’s eyes.

“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Yes. Regardless of whether I can become Head of House or not, I still don’t know what I could accomplish if I did. Therefore, I cannot answer whether I will become Head of House.”
“Hmm….”

Adis let out a low hum and narrowed his eyes.

“I find that incomprehensible. You must have known that ‘I don’t know’ was an unfavorable answer, so why give such a response? Wouldn’t it have been better to at least lie and say you’d become Head of House?”
“You’re right. That would have been better.”

I smiled faintly and nodded.

“However, when I was about to lie, I recalled something you once said, Merchant Guild Master.”
“What was that….”
“Never display defective goods to a customer, even if you must bring them stolen merchandise.”

The moment I brought up those words I’d once spoken to Jeseor in the Training Ground, Adis’s mouth fell open.

“I am not a merchant, but I am like merchandise that has been brought to this table. I did not wish to conduct a transaction with you, Merchant Guild Master, using goods riddled with falsehoods.”
“Kh….”

Adis stopped tapping the table. His shoulders trembled, and from them emerged an elongated smile.

“Kahahaha!”

Adis released the coldness and rigidity he usually displayed, bursting into a refreshingly genuine laugh.

“Now I understand. Yes. That’s how it was.”

He gazed at me with eyes brimming with delight—eyes that now resembled Dorian’s, warm and full of affection, unlike before.

“I mentioned it at the beginning, didn’t I? I’m confident in my eye for talent.”
“Yes, you did say that.”
“It seems my eyes have grown old after all.”
“Pardon?”
“I never expected Raon Zigheart to be of this caliber.”

Adis smiled faintly. This seemed to be his true nature.

“Is the offer I made earlier—to speak informally since I’m your colleague’s father—still valid?”
“It is.”
“Then I accept.”

He leaned back in his chair with a deeper smile spreading across his face.

“Hearing your answer has only solidified my resolve. The Sepia Trading Company will invest in Raon Zigheart.”

Adis extended his hand with a refreshed expression.

“Wherever your path leads, we shall follow. Tell me anything you desire.”
-Huh?!

Wrath, who had been silent until now, suddenly sprang to his feet.

-He shouldn’t have said that! The fool!
‘Move aside.’

I brushed away the trembling cotton ball with the back of my hand and leaned forward.

“What I need right now is the expansion of Zigheart.”
“Expansion?”
“Yes. Since Zigheart is located at the northern edge, it’s the most isolated among the Six Emperors.”
“True. Before hearing about the Northern Destruction King’s involvement and the results of the matches in the Owen Kingdom, Zigheart was considered the weakest of the Six Emperors.”

Adis nodded in agreement.

“It’s all because of its location. That’s why I want to expand the infrastructure and road networks there.”

This was something I had been considering for some time. To grow Zigheart, I needed people, roads, and capital—all of which required the power of a major merchant company.

“I understand what you mean.”

Adis grasped the meaning immediately, befitting his role as Merchant Guild Master.

“It will consume considerable money, time, and manpower.”
“However, the rewards will be even greater. The Head of House is someone who rewards merit and punishes wrongdoing without fail. Many factions are trying to secure Zigheart’s hand right now, but nothing is confirmed yet.”
“Then I should move quickly.”

He nodded, saying he would devise a plan promptly.

“Now, and next is the Gale Wind Squad….”
“Next?”

At the word “next,” Adis’s eyes widened to twice their size.

“You told me to speak my desires.”
“Y-yes, but I didn’t expect there to be more….”

Only now sensing something amiss, Adis’s lips trembled.

“There’s still quite a bit left.”

Raon tilted his chin slightly upward, flashing an impish smile.

“This is just the beginning. Please listen carefully.”

Shortly after, Adis came to regret his decision.

*

*

*

Zigheart Audience Chamber.
As lofty and serene as the peak of Bekmang Mountain, with a chill that swept through the space, a group of small children came rushing in. The children gazed around the Audience Chamber with vacant eyes, their fingers twitching restlessly.

“Phew.”

Glen Zigheart fixed a piercing gaze upon Pedrick, the Saint of Nenma, who stood at the head of the awkwardly positioned children.

“What are all these children doing here?”
“I told Rimer about it. Didn’t he mention it?”
“He did mention it, but he never said there would be this many.”
“I gave him the exact number.”

Pedrick pointed at Rimer, who was grinning as he looked at the children.

“Rimer.”
“Gasp!”

At Glen’s sharp voice, Rimer’s shoulders flinched and trembled.

“I-I forgot about it.”

Rimer laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

“….”

As Glen glared at Rimer with a murderous intensity, a bone-chilling cold swept through the Audience Chamber.

“Ugh….”
“Ah….”
“W-why did it suddenly get so cold?”

Despite wearing thick fur coats, the children trembled violently throughout their entire bodies.

“Glen. There are children present.”
“Hmm….”

At Pedrick’s call, Glen furrowed his brow and withdrew his overwhelming presence entirely. Instead, warmth seemed to bloom through the Audience Chamber as if he had kindled heat itself.

“Really, that’s too much, isn’t it? Releasing your aura with children around?”

Rimer had already moved beside Roen and was criticizing Glen.

“Hehehehe.”

Roen clasped his hands behind his back and smiled benevolently, as if the children were adorable.

“He might’ve gotten the numbers wrong. To try killing someone over that—his personality is genuinely twisted.”
“Hehehehe.”

Rimer continued to speak ill of Glen regardless of whether Roen answered or not.

“Ugh….”

Glen Zigheart let out a pained groan and turned his gaze toward the children.

“These children were brainwashed?”
“That’s right.”

Pedrick nodded, looking back at the children whose eyes trembled with fear.

Glen Zigheart examined each child carefully. The area beneath their eyes was darkened with exhaustion. Rather than bearing the brightness of youth, they looked like weary adults burdened by life itself.

“Why did you bring them here?”
“The cold in this place can erase the remaining brainwashing and the traumatic memories.”
“I see.”

Glen Zigheart extended his senses to examine not just the children’s exteriors, but their inner conditions as well. The energy flowing through their bodies wavered due to the brainwashing, and their mana circuits were severely damaged.

Seeing those children reminded me of Raon, who used to carry the curse of the harsh cold when he was young. Thinking back to those days, I couldn’t refuse.

“Can they be healed?”
“These children can be treated.”

Pedrick gave an ambiguous answer and offered an awkward smile.

“Then….”
“Surely you’re not thinking of sending these children back after they’ve come all this way to this cold place?”

As Glen Zigheart was about to nod to Pedrick, Rimer’s voice rang out.

“Raon’s been doing such excellent work that money’s been pouring in lately. It’s not like we don’t have bread to feed those kids.”
“Hehehehe.”
“It’s something no human could do. Isn’t that right?”
“Hehehehe.”
“Stop just laughing and actually agree with me! You’re going to get me killed here!”

Rimer made his protest, but Roen continued to smile with that gentle expression.

“Accept them.”

Glen Zigheart nodded to Pedrick.

“Send those children to the mansion near the Annex Building.”

The warmest place in this family estate was the Annex Building where Sylvia resided. It seemed best to keep those children close to the Annex Building for their recovery.

“Thank you. I really did choose my friends well.”

Pedrick smiled and bowed before opening the Audience Chamber door.

“Then let’s go.”

At his gesture, the children filed out of the Audience Chamber one by one.

“Pedrick.”

Glen Zigheart called out to Pedrick, who was about to leave last.

“Did I ever ask you to make Raon smile in front of me before?”
“Ah, yes I did. How was it? Did you like it?”

Pedrick turned back with a smirk.

“….”

Glen Zigheart bit his lip without answering. The corners of his mouth trembled like wind-beaten leaves.

“Kuhahaha! Just as I thought.”

Pedrick said he would visit again in the evening and suggested having a drink together, laughing heartily as he left the Audience Chamber.

“Roen. Prepare generous appetizers. The ones that beggar likes.”
“Understood.”

Roen nodded with a faint smile.

“And….”
“Eeeeek!”

At Glen’s gesture, Rimer’s body, which had been following Pedrick out, lifted into the air.

Boom!

Roen seized the moment and shut the Audience Chamber door.

“R-Roen?”
“Hehehehe.”
“D-Don’t laugh! Why did you close the door!”
“I ordered it.”

At the cold voice, I turned around. Glen rose from the Jade Throne and snapped his fingers.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

Red lightning spread like a spider’s web across the ceiling of the Audience Chamber.

Rumble!

Rimer’s jaw trembled as he watched the cascading red bolts descend upon him.

“A-Again? Ahhhhhhh!”

Roen’s laughter rippled through the air alongside the falling lightning.

“Hehehehe.”

*

*

*

Despite having obtained everything I needed, I remained at the Sepia Trading Company for two weeks.
Standing atop Stone Mountain, I gazed at the stars that filled the night sky before lowering my gaze.

“Graaaaaah!”

Mark Goeten roared as he clawed his way up the rock face. His pace was far too slow for a Master, yet he advanced toward the summit with each deliberate step.

“Heheheh….”

Dorian floundered beside Mark Goeten, his tongue lolling out like a dog’s. Though his eyes had lost their focus, his natural strength kept his pace respectable.

‘Both of them have improved
quite considerably.’

With their mana circuits completely sealed, they had to rely solely on physical strength to scale the rock face. After two weeks, their bodies had grown stronger, and both climbed the mountain faster and more efficiently than before.

Today alone marked their seventh ascent, and their speed far surpassed their initial attempts.

-Talentless and clumsy as they are, they’re making steady progress nonetheless.

Wrath’s lips curved slightly upward in approval.

-This isn’t so bad either.
‘Yes. They’re improving steadily.’

Dorian was growing stronger, but the one who had truly transformed was Mark Goeten. Rather than adhering to a set number of climbs, he spent entire days scaling the rock face, gradually restoring his shattered body.

“Should I lend them a hand?”

I smiled faintly and brushed my hand against the boulder at the summit.

-You’re not seriously….
‘That’s exactly what I’m doing.’

I grinned and drove my fist down against the rock.

Crash!

The Destruction King title activated, and the rocks cracked far more violently than I anticipated, sending boulders cascading down onto Dorian and Mark Goeten’s heads.

“Gasp!”
“Ahhhhhhh!”

Mark Goeten and Dorian screamed and ducked low. They scrambled frantically, dodging left and right as the rocks fell. Their eyes burned with the will to survive.

“They’re dodging well.”

I dropped boulders into their escape routes, forcing them to keep thinking and moving.

‘This is actually fun.’

I should do this with the Gale Wind Squad when I get back.

Dropping rocks during rock climbing trained footwork, prediction, and agility all at once. It was the ultimate training method.

-The ultimate training to freeze to death! Just put them on a carriage to the afterlife!

*

*

*

Only after the moon rose to the center of the sky could Dorian and Mark Goeten finally reach the peak of Stone Mountain, thanks to my relentless interference.

“Heeeeek, heeeeek!”
“Huuuuh!”

Dorian lay sprawled on his back, drooling, while Mark Goeten knelt on all fours, gasping for breath.

“You did well.”

I smiled as I watched Mark Goeten, who hadn’t collapsed despite his exhaustion.

‘He’s really changed.’

Based on the rumors Mark Goeten had spread, Lark should have abandoned this training after just one day. He had never been particularly patient, and his time as a mercenary had only made his temperament worse.

Yet Mark Goeten had not missed a single day in two weeks, climbing Stone Mountain from dawn until dusk.
His unwavering commitment had transformed his body so dramatically that he seemed like a different person entirely.

The excess weight from alcohol and indulgence had melted away, replaced by lean, defined muscle—a physique that unmistakably belonged to a warrior.

-A transformation born of true resolve.
‘Like grasping the final lifeline.’

Mark Goeten was pouring every ounce of his strength into seizing this new opportunity that had come his way.

Adis Merchant Guild Master had said as much, and I could confirm it from two weeks of direct observation. Mark Goeten’s words about wanting to follow me were sincere.

‘But…’

There was one thing that troubled me.

I approached Mark Goeten, who remained on his knees.

“Mark Goeten.”
“Yes!”

Despite his ragged breathing, Mark Goeten’s voice boomed so powerfully that the mountain itself seemed to tremble.

“You said you would follow me. Has that resolve not wavered?”
“It has not!”
“Even if I cannot elevate your realm?”

Mark Goeten’s stagnation was not merely a matter of martial technique or aura.
It was likely psychological. There was a possibility he could advance if trained as rigorously as I had trained the Gale Wind Squad, but I could not guarantee it. I needed to hear his true thoughts on this matter.

“….”

For the first time, Mark Goeten did not answer immediately, his wavering gaze falling downward.
When he opened his eyes again moments later, his pupils had settled into the same profound depths I saw during his training.

“It doesn’t matter.”
“Are you certain?”
“Simply having the chance to dream again is enough for me. Of course, I harbor expectations, but even if I strike another wall, I don’t think I’ll despair as I did before.”

The wall of realm.

When I first saw that wall, it seemed trivial. Five years later, it irritated me. Ten years later, it drove me to despair. After that, fear kept me from ever facing it again.

I steeled myself waiting for Raon for a month, and spent two weeks training my body on this mountain without rest. Now, I felt certain I could face that wall again without fear.

Raon nodded as he observed the resolute gleam in Mark Goeten’s eyes.

‘He’s truly changed.’

The mercenary Mark Goeten, once despairing of his own strength, had transformed into a knight who had found a spark of hope.

“Dorian.”
“Huh? Yes!”

Dorian rose to his feet, breathing heavily.

“What’s your impression of him?”

Dorian had spent the past two weeks closest to Mark Goeten, so his opinion held weight.

“Hmm….”

Dorian studied Mark Goeten and smiled warmly.

“He’s a good man. He taught me techniques and, above all, he works hard. I think it would be good to have him join us.”

He added that from below, one could truly see Mark Goeten climbing with all his might.

“I see.”

Raon nodded. Just as Dorian observed from below, from above Mark Goeten always showed genuine resolve.

‘I should bring him along.’
-What if he loses resolve after three days?

Just as I finished making my decision, Wrath interjected abruptly.

‘Then just knock some sense into him every three days.’
-What?
‘Wake him up every three days, that’s all.’
-How?
‘With your fists. Or a sword works too. They say when someone won’t listen, a good beating is always the answer.’
-Who in their right mind would say something so insane!
‘Me.’
-Ugh….

I left Wrath standing there with his mouth agape and extended my hand to Mark Goeten.

“Let’s go together.”
“Ah….”

Mark Goeten stared blankly at my outstretched hand, then tried to wipe his soiled hands on his trousers to clean them.

“It’s precisely because your hands are like that—covered in dirt—that they’re worth grasping.”
“Th-thank you.”

I took Mark Goeten’s dust-covered hand firmly. He lowered his head, his lips trembling.

“This is great! Uncle, you’re now part of the Gale Wind….”
“Dorian.”

I stopped Dorian as he rushed toward Mark Goeten.

“If you have the leisure to look after others while training under me, that means this training was too light, doesn’t it?”
“What? No, absolutely not! Absolutely not! The Deputy Commander told me to keep watch….”
“I understand perfectly. I’ll keep that in mind for the next training session.”
“Ah, you devil. This man is a real devil!”

I chuckled softly watching Dorian collapse to the ground and pound the earth in despair.

‘It’s time to return now.’

I had gained everything I could from this place, so it was time to head back to the Family Estate.
I worried whether Rimer had caused any trouble, and whether the other unit members were training properly.

“Let’s head back.”

As Raon gestured to Mark Goeten and Dorian, a message materialized before his eyes.

[The Soul Reaper Sword has absorbed all the dark mana.]
[A new trait is being created.]

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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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