The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 456

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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 456

I opened my mouth to respond, then closed it again.

‘I can’t just blurt this out.’

The person asking whether I had aspirations for the path of Head of House was none other than Zigheart’s Head of House himself. This wasn’t a question I could answer thoughtlessly.

-Hmm?

Wrath glanced at me as if asking what I was doing.

-Why aren’t you answering quickly? Answer before that old man gives you another scolding! You never wanted to become Head of House anyway!

He waved his hand dismissively, saying what use was a Head of House to someone destined to become a Demon Lord in the Demon Realm.

‘That’s what I thought back then.’

The most recent person to discuss the position of Head of House with me was Adis Sepia, the owner of the Sepia Trading Company.

Before leaving, he had asked if I intended to become Zigheart’s Head of House, and at the time, I had answered that I wasn’t sure yet.

‘But my thinking has changed somewhat.’

I had intended to give Glen the same answer I’d given Adis Sepia, but upon reflection, my perspective had shifted since then.

‘Because I’ve seen the Arian Family.’

Having witnessed firsthand during my mission with the Arian Family how an incompetent leader could devastate a clan and torment its members, my thoughts had changed somewhat.

‘It’s not that I want to become Head of House—it’s that I don’t want to see an unqualified person take that position.’

In the current situation, the next Head of House of Zigheart would certainly be one of the hall masters.

The most likely candidates were one of these four: Glen’s eldest daughter who had left the family, Karun of the Central Martial Hall, Denier of the Hyeonmu Hall, or Valdemar of the Jinmu Hall.

Beyond them, there are a scant few Grand Masters like Roen and Sheryl, but they harbored no desire whatsoever to ascend to the position of Head of House.
They would remain hidden unless madmen emerged to assault beyond the Main Gate of Zigheart.

‘Among the candidates, Denier appears most promising, but truthfully, that remains uncertain.’

While Denier demonstrated the finest qualities among the Main Lineage, that could merely be the tip of the iceberg.
With someone like Derus Robert in the picture, one could not afford to trust easily.

I had no desire to witness a greedy swine like the Arian Family become Head of House and manipulate Zigheart at will.

‘It seems I’ve grown attached to Zigheart after all.’

I thought myself incapable of feeling such sentiment.

When I first discovered my birth in Zigheart, I had devised a plan to obtain what I desired and then depart the Family.

Yet as I opened my heart to Sylvia and her attendants, took Rimer as my mentor, and embraced the Gwangpung Corps as brothers, a considerable affection for this Family had taken root.

My resolve to sever Derus Robert’s neck remained unwavering, but my determination to leave the Family wavered with each passing day.

‘And besides….’

I lifted my gaze, offering a faint smile as I observed Glen Zigheart patiently awaiting my response.

‘Now I understand the Head of House’s temperament somewhat.’

Though his frigid gaze and commanding presence still sent shivers through my bones, I had begun to sense what he disliked and what he preferred.

“Mm.”

I gathered my thoughts and cleared my throat.

“To speak honestly, I’m uncertain whether my path truly leads toward the position of Head of House. However, I believe it would be preferable for me to occupy that seat rather than witness someone unqualified assume it.”

I spoke truthfully, voicing the very thoughts that had occupied my mind moments before.

-Huh? What Head of House!

Wrath thrust his face forward with a sharp cry.

“You must become the True Demon King! Your very visage screams it! Go to the Demon Realm and mock and toy with all the other demons!”

He shouted at me to go to the Demon Realm and ridicule the other demons as well. I had no idea what a “True Demon King’s visage” even meant, but I certainly had no intention of going to the Demon Realm.

Glen Zigheart studied my eyes intently, as if trying to discern my true intent, then nodded slowly.

“I see.”

A faint smile crossed his face. It was the first time I’d seen him smile like that.

“Your perspective seems to have broadened somewhat.”

Glen’s voice was calm, suggesting he was rather satisfied with my response.

“We’ve lost time to idle chatter. It seems we’ll need to extend today’s session.”
“Yes.”

I nodded and lifted the Heavenly Sword once more.
Just as I was about to unfold the first form of the Spear-Bow Sword technique, the sound of the Annex Building’s rear door opening reached my ears.

Turning around, I saw Sylvia approaching with a white tray in her hands.

“….”

Glen gazed at Sylvia with an indifferent expression, as if he already knew.

“I prepared this because I was worried you might be hungry since it’s gotten late.”

The savory aroma of butter-toasted bread tickled my nostrils.
The savory aroma of butter-toasted bread tickled the tip of my nose.

Oh!

Wrath, who had been frowning, suddenly lifted his head.

‘She’s not your mother!’
“I’m not your mom!”

Raon pushed away the clinging Wrath and approached Sylvia.

“Didn’t you sleep?”
“Sleep hasn’t been coming easily lately.”

Sylvia smiled with half-lidded eyes. She didn’t show it outwardly, but it seemed her worries had multiplied upon learning of my duel with Airand.

“Um, Head of House….”

She glanced sideways at Glen.

Glen nodded as if to say go ahead.

“Oh, no! Raon, learn well from the Head of House. I just made this, so please eat it right away!”

Sylvia bowed to Glen before hurrying back to the Annex Building.

‘She’s still frightened of me.’

I watched Sylvia’s retreating figure with a bitter gaze, then picked up the tray and approached Glen.

“Mother may not excel at other dishes, but she makes excellent sandwiches. You won’t be disappointed.”

I offered the tray with confidence.

“…I see.”

Glen gazed at the sandwich with its wisps of steam for a long moment. With a hand that trembled faintly, he grasped the sandwich and took a bite.

I stood beside Glen and picked up a sandwich as well, watching Wrath swallow eagerly before taking a bite.

The crispy, savory bread combined with the fruit jam spread inside and the harmony of ham and cheese was exquisite.

-Kuh, truly delicious! A world apart from that Nadin bread!
‘I haven’t eaten Nadin bread in ages.’
-Hmph. Don’t let your guard down! Who knows if that old man has another Nadin bread hidden away?
‘Surely not.’

As I shook my head, Glen’s voice reached me.

“It’s delicious.”

He let out a soft sigh, taking small bites of the sandwich as if reluctant to see it disappear.

“Indeed.”

Raon nodded with a faint smile.

Silence settled between us. Only the gentle chirping of crickets and the sound of two people chewing sandwich filled the surface of the Lake.

“We’ll continue for another hour today.”
“Understood.”
“I brought some bread, but it seems unnecessary.”
“….”
-See!

*

*

*

“Ugh!”

Burren bit his lip as he watched the emerald whirlwind stretching from his feet to the sky.

‘Damn it….’

It hurt like hell.

The blade-like wind swirling around him felt as though it would shred his skin. Though he’d believed his resistance to wind was considerable, enduring this proved far more difficult.

‘I can’t counterattack or block it.’

Rimer had instructed him to endure through body and spirit alone—neither deploying aura to defend nor drawing his blade to cut. There was nothing left but to persevere.

‘That’s right. I have to endure. No matter what.’

To catch a glimpse of Raon’s back, to earn Father’s recognition—I could bear this much pain.

‘At least I’m doing better than before.’

Burren sighed and looked to his right.

“Ugh….”

Lunan Slion was submerged in ice-cold water wearing a swimsuit, her groans echoing across the space. Of course, the water she was immersed in was no ordinary frozen lake.

It was frigid water colder than ice—something Rimer had commissioned from the deputy tower master of the Magic Tower within Zigheart. She’d been told it contained chill magic of the fifth circle or higher.

“Huff….”

Lunan Slion bit her pale lips and gazed at the water’s surface, where her own reflection stared back at her.

‘This is unbearably cold….’

Blessed with the gift of frost since birth, she had never experienced cold before. Now, the piercing agony of the chill cut deeper than any blade.

‘I can still endure this.’

Her body had reached its limit, but her spirit could push further.

To repay even a fraction of the debt she owed Raon, she had to overcome this suffering and ascend to Master rank as swiftly as possible.

‘And my brother’s situation as well….’

The conflict with Sylvia was far from resolved. To protect her family from him, she could not rest content with her current strength—she had to advance further.

“Huff….”

As Lunan Slion exhaled a plume of white breath, a grinding sound came from the opposite direction.

Crunch.

It was Martha. She was buried in the earth with only her head protruding, her face twisted in agony.

“Hey! Why am I the only one being treated so harshly!”

Martha glared at Rimer, who dozed peacefully in a rocking chair, and let out a cry of protest.

“Why am I the only one buried in the ground! And it keeps pressing down on me! I feel like my body’s going to be crushed!”

Her eyebrows trembled faintly as the pain intensified.

“Ugh…”

Rimer let out a long yawn and merely tilted his head.

“Why, you ask? Because you have an earth affinity, that’s why.”

He scratched his neck and smacked his lips.

“Burren has wind affinity, so he’s in the wind. Lunan has cold affinity, so he’s in ice water. You have affinity for earth, so you’re buried in the ground. I explained all this from the beginning.”
“You didn’t.”
“You didn’t!”
“You didn’t!”

Lunan Slion, Burren Zigheart, and Martha screamed at the same time.

“Ah, is that so? I forgot.”

Rimer chuckled and scratched his head.

“Well, since I’m too lazy to explain properly, let me just say this: your elemental affinities are quite high. They’re comparable to the Red-haired Elf’s, but that alone isn’t enough to achieve anything. You need to elevate them much further.”

His eyes grew solemn.

“I’ve experienced and realized this myself, so you can trust me.”

Rimer waved his finger at the unit leaders with furrowed brows.

“If you endure the pain now, your affinities and mental images can advance to the next level.”

He himself had become capable of wielding lightning by continuously exposing himself to Glen’s lightning strikes, and had even elevated his Sword Realm Manifestation to greater heights.
Those talented youngsters would surely be able to climb even higher.

“But this is a bit…”
“Difficult.”
“Yeah. It feels like we’re dying.”
“Then you can stop if you want. But do you know what?”

Rimer chuckled and continued speaking.

“I heard Raon is training with the Head of House again. At this rate, we won’t even be able to see his back anymore, will we?”

As he waved his hand dismissively, a fierce determination ignited in the eyes of the three listeners.

“This much? We can do it anytime!”
“Yeah. It’s nothing special!”
“Right.”

Martha, Burren, and Lunan nodded with raised lips, as if they had never complained in the first place.

“Then I’ll get some rest!”

Rimer nodded contentedly and sank back into the rocking chair.

“But….”

Lunan stared intently at Martha, whose head alone protruded from the ground.

“Demon woman. You can do this anytime?”

She blinked her eyes teasingly, mocking Martha for biting her tongue.

“You brat!”

Martha’s jaw trembled with rage, but she was buried in the ground and couldn’t escape.

“I’ll kill you!!”
“Come out and say that.”
“Arghhhh!”
“Stop fighting already….”

Rimer’s lips curled upward as he listened to the three of them bicker.

“They get along well.”

*

*

*

Raon stood upon the lake with his eyes closed.

His breathing harmonized with the lake’s essence, and the gentle ripples spreading across the water’s surface began to settle into stillness.

Despite Raon’s feet pressing upon it and a strong wind blowing, the lake remained undisturbed.
A faint mastery of space had been achieved—something Glen Zigheart had once demonstrated.

Raon paid no mind to this remarkable achievement, focusing entirely on harmonizing with the lake’s flow and his aura’s resonance.

A deep, resonant hum emanated from within.

As if Raon and the lake had become one, his breath and aura began to dissolve into its depths.

While Raon maintained his simultaneous meditation and training, a soft voice called from beyond the lake’s edge.

“Young Master.”

Opening my eyes at Judith’s voice, I saw her waving with her usual composed expression.

“It is time to go to the Sparring Arena.”
“Has it already come to that?”

I lifted my gaze toward the sky. The sun was slowly approaching the center of the heavens.

‘Time truly flies.’

Perhaps because I had only trained, the appointed time for my duel with Airand had passed far more swiftly than expected.

Spending the entire day practicing what Glen Zigheart had taught me, time seemed to flow differently than usual.

-You would have gone fast.

Wrath’s shoulders trembled as he furrowed his brow.

-The True Demon King, still without his ice cream, moved with the sluggish pace of a snail!
‘That’s why I said I’d set up a buffet with pearl ice cream.’
-How can I trust someone who broke his promise for a whole month!
‘I’ll finish the fight quickly today and go right away. Really.’
-You… truly mean it?
‘You can trust me today. I have nothing else to do now. Just cheer me on.’
-Understood!

Wrath nodded and waved his round hands about wildly. He seemed to be cheering in his own way.

I emerged from the Lake with a faint smile. Unlike before, not even a ripple disturbed the water’s surface.

‘I’m making progress.’

Though not quite at Glen’s level, I had managed to make this small Lake my domain to a considerable degree.

“Where’s Mother?”
“She was too nervous to bear it and headed to the Sparring Arena first. She carried the trembling Helen with her.”
“Is that so?”

I chuckled softly. Sylvia and Helen had spoken as if they weren’t worried, saying they trusted me, but it seemed they were quite anxious in reality.

“I should prepare as well.”

As I headed to the Annex Building to retrieve my Black Dragon Robe, I spotted a red-haired woman whose locks blazed like flames crossing the Garden of the Annex Building.

A stunning swordswoman whose beauty was unforgettable once seen. It was Serena, the Commander of the Gonggeom Unit. She stood before me and gave a subtle nod of acknowledgment.

“It’s been a while. Commander of the Gwangpung Corps.”
“Commander, what brings you here?”
“Could we talk for a moment?”

I glanced at Judith. She nodded, indicating she still had time.

“This way, please.”

I led Serena toward the Garden.

I narrowed my eyes as I observed Serena’s mask-like expressionless face.

“I apologize, but even if the Commander of the Gonggeom Unit is acquainted with the Commander of the White Lotus Society, there’s no chance he’ll go easy on him in the duel.”
“I trained with that bastard from the beginning. We started at the same time.”

Serena began speaking in a flat, emotionless tone, as if lost in thought.

“We entered different units during the selection ceremony, but we earned our positions as squad leaders and vice commanders around the same time. I’d say we were more like rivals than friends.”

In fact, Airand and Serena were the first commanders to approach me before the selection ceremony.

“But after we both became commanders, the gap between us gradually widened. I crossed the Wall before he did.”

I knew that too. In truth, even before Serena became a Grand Master, most of the clan’s swordsmen ranked her higher than Airand.

“I’d occasionally meet with Airand and we’d have sword discussions, but at some point, he stopped showing up. He just kept taking missions outside the clan.”

Since I didn’t know what Serena intended by saying this, I decided to simply listen.

“Our Gonggeom Unit and the White Lotus Society were rivals, so we knew each other’s members by sight. But at some point, the faces in the White Lotus Society started changing to people I didn’t recognize.”
“Hmm….”
“At first, I thought it was an unavoidable sacrifice due to the heavy workload, but it kept getting worse. Those with outstanding talent survived, and those without died. You could say it’s natural, but as you know, on an actual battlefield, only the strong don’t survive.”
“That’s true.”

Those with exceptional talent can’t automatically survive indefinitely, nor do those without talent automatically perish.
With various factors like the circumstances of the moment and luck overlapping, it makes no sense to say only the weak die.

“When I think about it, I think I knew but avoided facing that fact. I thought he’d come to his senses on his own. He’s not a bad person, I thought. I waited, believing he’d return. But the situation only got worse. I bear some responsibility for this too. After this duel ends, I plan to report it to the Head of House.”
“There’s no need to go that far….”
“No, this is something I must do. I wish it had been sooner….”

Serena smiled for the first time and shook her head.

“I said I wouldn’t go easy on him, right? Of course that’s the right call. Normally, I should be the one beating that bastard to death, but since you’ve made your move, break him properly. If you even sever his arm, maybe he’ll come to his senses.”

She bowed respectfully, asking for my cooperation, then departed.

“I’m sorry, but….”

I watched Serena’s retreating figure and adjusted the scabbard of the Heavenly Sword.

“One arm alone falls far short.”

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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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