The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 453

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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 453

Airand’s eyes shifted toward me, his lips trembling slightly.

‘What in the world is he?’

Even if I had entered the Audience Chamber, he never expected me to interrupt the Treasury report.

Think about it. Just days ago, that monster had displayed a presence and commanding aura rivaling Airand’s own when advocating for the swordsmen’s treatment—who could have imagined him now tattling to the Head of House like a child?

‘Has he suddenly regressed to infancy?!’

The one who had been more composed and collected than an elderly warrior who’d spent his entire life on battlefields had somehow reverted to a five-year-old, running to his parents to complain that his older brother had stolen his candy. Airand still couldn’t believe it.

‘Damn it….’

If he had interrupted after the report was finished, he could have offered some plausible excuse.

Had I waited until after the Treasury report was complete before interjecting, Airand could have gathered his thoughts and found some way to escape, but since my tattling had erupted in the middle of the report, panic had clouded his mind entirely.
All his carefully laid foundations had dissolved like foam.

‘But the strangest part….’

Was those two.

Airand’s gaze drifted upward to the dais. Seeing Glen Zigheart and Sheryl’s eerie eyes, he clenched his teeth.

‘Why didn’t they stop him?’

Interrupting a report to Glen Zigheart—who was essentially the king of Zigheart—was no mere matter of poor etiquette.
Even members of the Main Lineage could face punishment in such a situation, yet Glen and Sheryl made no move to stop me. Instead, their closed lips seemed to urge me to continue.

Having never witnessed such a scene before, no matter how hard he thought, Airand couldn’t comprehend it.

“Airand.”

A chillingly dry voice flowed from Glen Zigheart’s lips.

“Yes.”

Airand felt goosebumps rise across his skin as he nodded quickly.

“How much of what the Gwangpung Corps Commander said is true?”
“That, that is….”

It was all true, but I couldn’t answer that way.

“There appears to be some misunderstanding.”

I wanted to deny it all outright, but Raon had pierced through the barrier and broadcast his voice so widely that there were far too many witnesses.
A clumsy lie would only make things more dangerous.

“The tree where I concealed myself was the largest in that vicinity. The position wasn’t ideal, but it allowed me to deliver a certain counterattack if any other enemies appeared….”
“Something felt off about that.”

Sheryl cut off Airand’s words, tilting her chin to the side.

“Even if the White Lotus Society consistently carried out their missions, the casualties were far too high during that time. Especially the wounded swordsmen—they almost always died in the next mission.”

She twisted her lips as she glared at Airand.

“You made it that way, didn’t you? Killing weak swordsmen in actual combat and recruiting new, more talented and useful ones?”
“Absolutely not!”

Airand shook his head firmly.

“My White Lotus Society and I have done nothing but run ceaselessly for Zigheart. This incident is merely a slight misunderstanding that arose from a difference of opinion with the Gwangpung Corps Commander!”

Airand struck his head against the floor, crying out that it was absolutely not the case.

“Please believe me!”

Unlike this mission, Sheryl’s words had no evidence. I had to push back against the atmosphere and hold firm to the end.

‘I must never admit to it.’

*

*

*

I watched Airand, his head bowed as he pleaded for belief, and couldn’t suppress a smirk of contempt.

‘What a masterful performance.’

Even from a single mission together, I could see through him.
Airand was using the Family’s swordsmen as stepping stones for his own advancement.
In his eyes, people were divided into only two categories: those useful to him and those who were not.

‘A man like that can thrive anywhere.’

The sight of him reminded me of Derus Robert, and anger naturally ignited within me.

‘I can’t just let this slide.’

I lifted my finger slightly, pointing to the White Lotus Society swordsmen kneeling behind Airand.

“Mm….”

Sheryl seemed to understand the meaning of that gesture and nodded faintly.

“Then let’s ask the White Lotus Society.”

She cast her gaze toward those behind Airand and continued.

“What do you think? Have you never considered that your Master treats you as expendable?”
“No!”
“Never, not once.”
“The Master would never do such a thing.”

The squad leaders and vice leaders of the White Lotus Society, whom Airand had groomed and cultivated, shook their heads in denial.

But the ordinary members standing behind them hesitated and couldn’t answer immediately.

“You there, in the back.”

Sheryl sensed something amiss in his demeanor and pointed her finger at the swordsmen standing furthest back.

“You tell me. Have you ever seen Airand deliberately push swordsmen into desperate situations?”
“….”

The White Lotus Society swordsmen remained silent for a long moment before finally lifting their heads as if they had made a decision.

“Yes, there was a time when a colleague of ours suffered severe injuries, and even though we had the means to save him, the Master told us to just leave him behind.”
“My junior and I were hit directly by magic and sustained grave wounds. I was fortunate to survive, but that fellow was left to rot and eventually….”
“I experienced something similar last year….”

Once they began speaking, the floodgates burst open, and Airand’s misdeeds poured forth like a torrent.

I watched the swordsmen venting their grievances and clenched my fists.

‘Breaking through the dam was effective.’

It seemed that piercing through the barrier and amplifying Airand’s true nature when he revealed himself moments ago had a significant impact.
The swordsmen, shaken by the shock at that moment, their eyes wavering, had begun to speak of what had transpired.

“Ah….”

Airand’s jaw trembled finely, as if he had never expected his subordinates to speak out directly.

“This, this is not it! Surely I was deceived by something strange….”
“Shut up.”

Sheryl furrowed her brow as she caressed the hilt of her sword.

“You’re beyond redemption—nothing but trash.”

She twitched her fingers as if eager to draw her blade immediately.

“No, no, it’s a misunderstanding!”

Airand knelt and bowed his head.

“It’s impossible to watch over everyone during a mission….”
“Airand.”

As Airand shouted his absolute denial, Glen Zigheart leaned back from the Jade Throne, his voice turning glacial.

“Ah, yes!”

When his true name was called instead of his title as leader of the White Lotus Society, Airand’s fingers trembled and he bit his lip.

“The swordsmen of this clan are not stepping stones for you to climb.”

Glen Zigheart’s voice was as parched as a drought-stricken land. The entire vast Audience Chamber seemed to freeze over in that chill.

“Ugh….”

Crushed beneath Glen Zigheart’s overwhelming presence, Airand clutched at his throat, his eyes bloodshot with desperation.

Tap. Tap.

Glen Zigheart gazed down at Airand with eyes devoid of all emotion—cold and unsettling—his fingers drumming against the Jade Throne.

“As of this moment, all activities of the White Lotus Society are suspended. The Heavenly Sword Master will investigate everything that has transpired within the White Lotus Society and report back. Punishments will be determined after that investigation.”
“Yes!”

Sheryl rolled up her sleeves with a nod, eager to take on the task.

“Head of House! I only wished to follow the harsh path you once walked! To stand behind you….”

Shamelessly, Airand cried out Glen Zigheart’s name.

“….”

Yet Glen Zigheart did not unleash the fierce aura from moments before. Instead, he clenched his jaw and closed his eyes.

I watched Glen Zigheart with his eyes shut, brushing my cheek with my hand.

‘Is he troubled by what happened in the past?’

From what Sylvia and Judith had told me, Glen Zigheart too had once pursued power relentlessly, fallen into madness, and disregarded the deaths of others.
It seemed he was remembering that time now.

‘But why does this leave me feeling uneasy?’

Perhaps it was because I hadn’t witnessed Glen’s cold demeanor firsthand. Perhaps it was because I’d received considerable help from him recently.
Learning that Airand had followed Glen’s example irritated me.

“If the situation has concluded, may I speak as well?”

I slowly raised my hand. Every gaze in the Audience Chamber turned toward me.

“Since I created this situation, I wish to take responsibility for its conclusion as well.”
“What?”

Sheryl shook her head as if questioning what I meant.

“What do you mean by taking responsibility?”
“The White Lotus Master’s accumulated merit is so outstanding that even if he receives punishment, he won’t be stripped of his position.”

Sheryl and Glen said nothing, as if acknowledging the truth of my words.

“If that happens, the prosecutors who exposed the White Lotus Master’s crimes could face retaliation.”

I gestured toward the White Lotus prosecutors who had reported Airand’s wrongdoings.

“So I wish to duel the White Lotus Master and drive him completely out of the White Lotus Society.”
“Hmm….”
“Oh?”

At those words, Glen’s eyes widened like lanterns, and Sheryl’s mouth fell open.

Even if Glen and Sheryl imposed punishment, Airand would never step down from his position as Master.
A few years of suspension, or perhaps disciplinary measures like reprimand or demotion, would be all that came.
Such measures wouldn’t satisfy me, and they could endanger the other prosecutors, so I wanted to drag him down completely.

‘Because he resembles Derus Robert.’

Airand was like Derus Robert, who exploited people as if they were objects, so I wanted to handle him decisively.

‘Besides….’

He would make an excellent training opponent.

Airand’s martial prowess was at the pinnacle of Master rank, teetering on the very edge of the Grand Master threshold.
He was an exceptional sparring partner—a master who needed only one more step to transcend into Grand Master status.

“If we’re to have a duel, shouldn’t you also stake something?”

Sheryl said that in a duel, both parties must wager conditions against each other.

“I’ll stake the same thing. If I lose, I’ll relinquish my position as commander and leave the Gwangpung Corps.”

I nodded calmly in acknowledgment.

“Furthermore, I’ll put up two gold medals to pay for Airand’s crimes in my stead.”
“Raon?”

Sheryl’s eyes widened in surprise, but Glen Zigheart turned his gaze toward Airand.

“Airand. What will you do?”
“I-I accept!”

Airand nodded immediately without hesitation.

“Since you need time to recover from your injuries, the duel will take place one month from now.”

Glen ordered the investigation to continue while postponing the disciplinary action until after the duel.

“It shall be done as you command.”

Sheryl smiled faintly at me—a smile that conveyed her trust.

“Everyone, follow me.”

She gestured to the White Lotus Society and departed from the Audience Chamber.

“Tch….”

Airand glared at me with eyes gleaming with cold murderous intent, as if to say “we’ll see,” before following in Sheryl’s wake.

‘Everything unfolded as planned.’

It was somewhat embarrassing to tattle on Glen Zigheart and Sheryl, but I was relieved that everything had unfolded as I’d planned.

“Sigh.”

I exhaled briefly and straightened my posture. As I was about to bow to Glen Zigheart before leaving the Audience Chamber, his voice reached me.

“Are you confident you can defeat Airand?”

I lifted my gaze, and Glen Zigheart was looking down at me with slightly narrowed eyes. I couldn’t discern what emotion lay behind them.

“Yes.”

I met Glen Zigheart’s eyes and nodded calmly.

“I’ve trained under the Continent’s greatest swordmaster. There’s no reason I should lose to a charlatan like him.”
“Ahem.”

Glen Zigheart immediately placed his hand over his mouth and cleared his throat upon hearing my response.

“Confidence is admirable.”

He clenched his jaw stiffly. A faint blush seemed to bloom across his cheeks.

“And…”

Glen Zigheart turned his gaze away and continued.

“Have you interrogated those you’ve brought in?”
“I’m about to begin now.”
“Very well. I’ll wait.”

Glen Zigheart waved his hand dismissively, as if to say I should handle it myself.

“Then.”

I offered Glen Zigheart a respectful bow and departed the Audience Chamber.

A deep rumble echoed.

Glen turned away from the closed door and shifted his gaze toward Roen.

“Did you hear?”
“Pardon?”
“Raon told me I’m the strongest swordsman on the Continent. Since he learned from me, he says he can’t lose! Such admirable confidence!”

He continued speaking, his lips curling up toward the ceiling.

“And that boy’s talent isn’t limited to martial arts alone. He properly grasps what others are thinking and how they move.”
“Hehehehe.”
“That child has the talent to stand above others. Rimer. That fool was right.”
“I share that assessment.”

Roen nodded with a faint smile, though he refrained from mentioning that Raon had learned from more than just Glen, who could be called the strongest swordsman on the Continent.

“However, I’m uncertain whether Young Master Raon can defeat the White Lotus Master. There is a slight difference in ability….”
“There’s no need to worry about that.”

Glen shook his head, his smile unusually bright and confident, as if he believed in something deeply.

“Rather, he won’t be able to conduct the interrogation properly, will he?”
“No.”

Roen nodded firmly.

“Interrogation is different from training or combat. It requires a poisonous heart.”

He gazed toward the pillar where Raon had stood, his lips tightening.

“Both Baek Rangdo and Hyeol Unkgyeom are filled with venom and won’t open their mouths easily.”
“I thought as much.”

Glen nodded, having anticipated this.

“You observe and step in at the appropriate moment.”
“Understood.”

*

*

*

After leaving the Patriarch’s Hall, I headed straight to the Underground Prison.

The guards must have been informed beforehand, as they opened the doors and guided me to the solitary cells where Hyeol Unkgyeom and Baek Rangdo were confined.

I dragged the paralyzed Hyeol Unkgyeom and Baek Rangdo to the Interrogation Room.

“You look well-rested. I trust you’ve been eating and sleeping properly.”

I smiled faintly and released the paralysis from Hyeol Unkgyeom and Baek Rangdo.
Unable to channel their aura, the two men regained movement but didn’t attack—they merely furrowed their brows.

“Whatever you do to us, it’s pointless.”
“That’s right. We know nothing and have nothing to say!”

Baek Rangdo and Hyeol Unkgyeom had clearly decided to endure the interrogation, clamping their mouths shut.

“I see. Then.”

I chuckled lightly and paralyzed them again.

“Don’t speak. I won’t listen anyway.”

I wrapped the scorching heat of Manhwagong and the frigid cold of Glaceia around my fingertips, then drove them into the mana circuits of Baek Rangdo and Hyeol Unkgyeom.

Crack-crack-crack!

The sound of bones and muscles twisting echoed through the chamber as Baek Rangdo and Hyeol Unkgyeom collapsed to the floor, convulsing violently.

“Ugh….”
“Kgh….”

Unlike their confident words from moments before, the two men’s eyes rolled back as agony consumed them.

‘Still effective as ever.’

What I employed just now was an interrogation technique—an improved version of the Shadow’s interrogation methods, refined in my own way.
It wasn’t merely the agony of bones and muscles twisting; it also induced an itching sensation as if thousands of ants were gnawing at the flesh, making it unbearable even for those with formidable mental fortitude.

‘And thanks to Manhwagong and Glacia, I’ve added the sensations of cold and heat to the mix.’

Combining pain, itching, heat, and cold all at once—this was no longer a level of torture a human could endure.

I didn’t ask them anything at all. Humming softly, I began slowly reading the martial manual of the Heavenly Sword that Glen had given me.

Inside the interrogation chamber, only the groans of Baek Rangdo and Hyeol Unkgyeom and the sound of pages turning could be heard.

*

*

*

I spent the time until the sun that had set rose again, reading only the martial manual of the Heavenly Sword.

“The more I read, the more I discover.”

The Heavenly Sword contained the highest level of martial knowledge among all the manuals I’d obtained so far, and with each reading, new insights revealed themselves.
It seemed I shouldn’t burn this one like the others, but rather read it continuously.

“Nngh….”
“Ugh….”

I turned my head at the groans from the left. Baek Rangdo and Hyeol Unkgyeom were drenched in cold sweat, their prison garments completely soaked, their entire bodies trembling violently.

“Hah….”
“Nngh….”

Their faces were covered in bulging veins as their eyes darted rapidly. It was a far cry from their confident declaration yesterday that they would keep their mouths shut.

‘As expected, they can’t hold out.’

Being warriors, they had likely grown accustomed to pain, but the sensation of flesh being gnawed away—that itching—seemed beyond their ability to overcome.

‘They’re softening up now.’

I nodded, observing Baek Rangdo and Hyeol Unkgyeom, whose life force had unmistakably extinguished.

‘And this one too….’

I exhaled a sigh and glanced at my right shoulder.

-Groooan….

Wrath hung limply across my shoulder like melting ice cream under the sun.

-I want ice cream! How much longer will you make me wait!
‘You haven’t even decided on a flavor yet.’
-W-well, that’s true, but it’s different once we get there! Come on, let’s go already!

He whined, insisting we abandon these two and hurry off for ice cream.

‘Not much left now.’

I closed the martial manual of the Heavenly Sword and rose to my feet, approaching Baek Rangdo and Hyeol Unkgyeom. I bent down to meet their eyes.

“Ugh….”
“Ah….”

Both Hyeol Unkgyeom and Baek Rangdo trembled with bloodshot eyes, clearly exhausted from pain. Their expressions pleaded silently for me to simply speak.

I first loosened Hyeol Unkgyeom’s clenched jaw.

“Kaaagh!”

He released a violent cry, lifting his gaze.

“P-please ask. Anything….”

Hyeol Unkgyeom raised his tone respectfully, bowing his head as if urging me to speak freely.

“Why did Heekyuk Je send you to that lake?”
“He ordered us to assess the condition of the Black Tower’s demons when they emerged from the Frozen Lake. We were to confirm how many of the hostages survived and to gauge the magnitude of the demonic energy concentration….”

He paused briefly before revealing the instructions he had received from Heekyuk Je.

“How did Heekyuk Je know there were Black Tower mages and the Cheoljeon Unit at that lake?”
“I, I don’t know either. I simply carry out the orders I receive….”
“Then does Heekyuk Je have a connection with the Black Tower?”
“I, I don’t know that either.”

Hyeol Unkgyeom shook his head, saying he was merely in a position to receive orders from Heekyuk Je. His eyes betrayed no deception.

“I see.”

It seemed his lower rank prevented him from knowing anything beyond that.

Raon clicked his tongue briefly and released the restraint on Baek Rangdo.

“Haaah….”

Baek Rangdo trembled, drool dripping from his mouth like a man brought back from the brink of death.

“Why did you come to the lake?”
“That, that person said something seemed wrong and ordered me to come….”
“Is that person Heekyuk Je?”
“Y, yes.”

He said Heekyuk Je had sensed something unusual would occur and ordered him to return with Hyeol Unkgyeom.

“How did Heekyuk Je know something would go wrong?”
“He reads the heavens. There’s nothing he doesn’t know….”

He still used honorifics. Even now, Baek Rangdo retained his respect for Heekyuk Je.

‘Can he really read the celestial patterns?’

It was difficult to believe that a human could perceive the flow of heaven, but at this point, it was clear he possessed some extraordinary ability.

“Then what’s the relationship between Heekyuk Je and the Black Tower?”
“…None.”

Unlike Hyeol Unkgyeom, Baek Rangdo stated definitively that he had no connection with the Black Tower.
Yet his tone made it clear there was something more to it.

“What about the other Oma?”

I met Baek Rangdo’s gaze. His pupils trembled faintly.

“…There’s nothing like that either.”

Baek Rangdo pressed his lips firmly together and shook his head.

“He still hasn’t regained his senses.”

I chuckled softly and raised my fingers. The scorching heat and biting cold that had imprisoned the two of them in hell began to creep upward once more.

“This time it’s two days. Come back the day after tomorrow.”
“Wait, hold on!”

Just as I was about to resume the torture, Baek Rangdo shook his head vigorously.

“I, I’m not sure if it’s related, but I did see one thing.”
“What is it?”
“I saw someone wearing a helmet with you!”
“A helmet? What kind of helmet?”

Baek Rangdo bit his lip and lifted his bloodshot eyes.

“A dragon. It was a helmet shaped like a dragon.”

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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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