The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 475

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

Chapter 475

The moment I entered the Dormitory, I conducted a light interrogation of the two agitators.

The agitators’ names were Allen and Keupl. Both seemed quite loyal, refusing to mention Heekyuk Je’s name, but it didn’t matter.

Allen’s reaction at the City Gate was enough to make it abundantly clear that Heekyuk Je had orchestrated this childish scheme.

However, even if I pressed them about the agitators, I would gain nothing unless she admitted to it herself.
Given Heekyuk Je’s rational nature, she would never have expected me to come looking for her right now.

‘That’s precisely why I’m going.’

I sought out Heekyuk Je before even unpacking my belongings—to exploit that very miscalculation.

‘What I want isn’t profit or honor.’

I had accumulated far more wealth and fame than I needed. All I wanted was to get under Heekyuk Je’s skin.

-You really….

Wrath furrowed his brow in exasperation.

-What kind of bastard are you?
‘What do you mean?’
-How do you even think like that? You can’t learn this kind of thinking just by taking notes!

He said it wasn’t a memorization problem but a thinking problem, then tugged at his fluffy cotton candy hair in frustration.

‘He’s right.’

Wrath was correct. My ability to delve into Heekyuk Je’s psychology didn’t stem from superior intellect, but from experience gained through my previous life.
It was the bloody fruit of studying humans in order to kill them.

“You should tell her to come out quickly.”

I swallowed the smile that threatened to surface and gestured to the servant standing before Ariel’s Mansion.

“I’m not particularly known for my patience.”

The guardian protecting Ariel’s Mansion swallowed hard as an irritated voice carried with it a chilling aura.

“Word must have reached the master. Please wait just a moment longer.”

The guardian gripped his spear tightly while forcing himself to maintain a composed expression. His unwavering gaze radiated a loyalty far stronger than mere martial prowess.

“Huh?”

Martha tilted her chin and stepped toward the guardian.

“Some bastard started trouble the moment we entered this godforsaken city, and he’s supposedly one of yours—so why should we wait!”

She tensed her fingers as if ready to throw a punch at any moment.

“No, no—there must be a misunderstanding. Contact should arrive shortly, so please bear with us.”

Even facing Martha’s ferocious presence, the guardian stood his ground, cold sweat beading on his brow as he held his position.

“Bell?”

Lunan Slion slipped over to the side and grabbed Seolhwa’s sword hilt.

“…No. Hold back.”

I shook my head quickly. For reasons I couldn’t quite grasp, Lunan Slion’s temperament had grown twice as volatile as usual since this mission began.

-You’re quite foolish in this regard too.
‘What?’
-It’s because you threw that ice cream party for us.
‘That was ages ago.’
-What does that matter? The fact that you held it is what’s important. We creatures remember the kindness of ice cream for eternity.

Wrath gazed warmly at Lunan Slion, as if to say he was truly worthy of being his subordinate.

‘Hmm…’

Hearing those words, I looked at Lunan Slion. Indeed, his eyes did seem to shine slightly brighter than before.

‘Ice cream? That’s so absurdly simple I’m left speechless.’

As I shook my head, the mansion door swung open and a middle-aged man with hair as neatly swept back as Roen’s stepped out.

“I am Mekain, who serves Ariel. What brings you here?”

The middle-aged man who introduced himself as Mekain bowed carefully at the waist.

“It seems Ariel caused some trouble, so I came to have a word with her.”
“What sort of trouble are you referring to?”

Mekain’s eyes grew distant, as if he knew nothing of the matter.

“I don’t mind, but would it be alright to speak here? There are many eyes watching.”

I raised both hands and curved my lips into a smile.

“….”

Mekain’s brow furrowed slightly before he retreated into the mansion.

“Please, come in.”
“Only Dorian comes with me.”

I left the squad leaders behind and entered the mansion with Dorian. The interior was surprisingly austere. There were no ornate decorations or antiques—it felt much like stepping into the Annex Building.
The interior of the Mansion was surprisingly sparse. The lack of elaborate decorations or antiques made it feel just like looking at the inside of the Annex Building.

As we were guided up to the top floor of the mansion, a door made of cedar came into view. It wasn’t expensive wood, but it was maintained impeccably.

Knock knock.

As Mekain quietly approached and knocked, Heekyuk Je’s voice came from inside.

Come in.

The door opened on its own, and Mekain gestured for him to go inside.

Raon entered Heekyuk Je’s Office, where thin sunlight was streaming in.
The splendor of the Mansion didn’t seem to carry over here. The objects were worn with fingerprints, and everything was arranged at oddly sharp angles, as if preparing for military inspection.

“I was a bit surprised to hear that Raon was coming.”

Heekyuk Je, who had been sitting on the sofa, rose slowly and smiled.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to see me again?”
“What power do I have? When those above give an order, I must obey.”

I approached Heekyuk Je and gave a slight nod. With a twisted smile, I sat across from her.

Despite my much younger junior failing to greet her properly, her expression remained unchanged. She was indeed a woman with unwavering mental fortitude.

“While I’m glad to see you again, you could have rested before greeting me, yet your manners are impeccable.”

Heekyuk Je poured a reddish tea into a cup on the table and offered a faint smile.

“It wasn’t a good greeting.”

I deliberately played dumb to her sarcastic remark and waved my hand.

“Ah, you mean what happened at the entrance? I apologize. It’s just difficult for us to control even the spectators….”

She shook her head, indicating she already knew about that incident.

I narrowed my eyes as I listened to Heekyuk Je’s calm voice.

‘She’s not an easy opponent after all.’

If I had pretended to know nothing, she would have thought me an amateur. Yet she spoke as if she had heard but was entirely unconcerned.
Just looking at her serene gaze made it feel as though she was genuinely speaking the truth.

“That can’t be right.”

I tapped the table with my index finger and licked my lips.

“Your name, Ariel, came from the mouths of the men I captured.”
“What do you mean by that?”

Heekyuk Je’s eyes widened in apparent surprise. Though I’d sensed it before, her truly terrifying quality seemed to be not her martial prowess or her ability to read fate, but that unshakeable composure.

“Ariel instructed you to do this, didn’t she? She told you to provoke me the moment I arrived at the entrance.”

I spoke the words I’d prepared beforehand, keeping my attention fixed on Heekyuk Je’s expression. For just a fleeting moment, her pupils trembled slightly.

“That’s absurd. I know nothing of such a thing.”

Heekyuk Je shook her head firmly.

“I would never tarnish my own reputation after inviting the Zigheart members here.”
“I also don’t wish to believe that Ariel, who is called Heekyuk Je, would resort to such crude and sloppy tactics. Yet what can I do? The captured men spoke of nothing else.”
“….”

Heekyuk Je’s sharp gaze pierced toward me, as if she were trying to discern the true meaning behind my words.

I met her eyes directly and took a leisurely sip of tea.

‘A probing gaze.’

For decades spanning my past life and this one, I had concealed my expressions.
No matter how keen her insight or superior her wisdom, reading my true intentions was beyond her reach.

“The agitators’ names are Allen and Keupl, I hear. You’ve heard of them, haven’t you?”
“I’ve never heard of them.”

Heekyuk Je shook her head, her eyes lowered.

“Raon.”

She lifted her eyelids and let her voice drop low.

“I apologize, but what you’re doing now is quite rude. If those two men are spreading my name, what do you intend to do about it?”
“I don’t know about that. I simply came because those two specifically mentioned Ariel.”
“Which means what they said isn’t true. Coming here and committing such rudeness is….”
“It could be true. Besides, wasn’t the rudeness committed by the White Whale, who couldn’t even properly manage the entrance? Are you threatening me now?”

I leaned forward on the sofa, bringing my hands together.

“Well, we certainly made a mistake in that regard. However, my relationship with them is….”
“You’ve just admitted you were wrong? That means you do have a connection?”
“That’s not what I meant! I failed to manage the spectators who came to watch….”
“Ah, so you instructed them to hide among the onlookers and scratch away at him subtly?”

I cut off Heekyuk Je’s words and spouted nothing but nonsense.

“….”

Heekyuk Je’s hand trembled as he held his teacup. His expression remained serene, but anger was beginning to simmer beneath the surface.

-Grrrrgh!

Wrath’s fist quivered with barely contained fury.

-The True Demon King is absolutely furious! The heat is rising!

He thumped his chest, claiming his insides were turning upside down.

“Let me state this clearly. Those who insulted you have no connection to me whatsoever.”

Heekyuk Je shook his head firmly, denying any such involvement. The way he spoke with such certainty suggested he was confident there was no link to be found.

‘I suppose that’s true.’

I had known as much from the moment I first came here.

-Then why did you come here?
‘Why else? To irritate him.’
-…Then you’ve achieved spectacular success.

Wrath nodded in bewildered acknowledgment.

-His expression may be composed, but rage is boiling beneath the surface.

He muttered while pointing at Heekyuk Je, noting that I had already accomplished my objective. With the recognition of a wrath expert, there was no doubt about it.
Confirmation from a master of anger itself—it was certain.

“Your actions now could prove disadvantageous to Raon in the future….”
“Ugh! I don’t understand all these complicated things, but they mentioned Ariel’s name! Allen and Keupl did!”

I repeated the same words with such stubborn consistency that I must have looked foolish.

“Then would it be permissible for me to meet them directly?”
“That won’t do.”

I shook my head at her with a teasing motion.

“I can’t hand prisoners over to the enemy. What if they kill them?”
“That will absolutely not happen.”
“There’s no such thing as absolute. I didn’t know Heekyuk Je would order you to meddle in my affairs either.”
“Ugh….”

A thin vein rose on Heekyuk Je’s forehead. Her composure began to waver.

“Then what exactly do you want?”
“Who knows?”

I slowly rubbed my thumb and index finger together.

“Sigh….”

Heekyuk Je exhaled a long breath, her eyes closed.

“How much do you want?”
“How much? Are you seriously trying to pay me off and sweep this whole thing under the rug right now?”

I feigned shock and covered my mouth with my hand.

“But you just rubbed your fingers together! That clearly means you want money….”
“I was scratching a mosquito bite that was itching. What are you even talking about?”
“Where would there be mosquitoes in winter!”
“Zigheart has them. Particularly vicious ones too.”

I blew on my perfectly fine finger and squinted my eyes.

“Tsk….”

Heekyuk Je dragged his fingers across the table in a long, deliberate scratch.

‘What in the world is this guy….’

Ever since reaching enlightenment, a brief conversation was enough for me to see through what someone truly desired.
I could read the emotions of powerful warriors, mages, kings, even Heads of Houses—yet this hooligan before me remained utterly opaque.

‘No, he’s definitely not a hooligan.’

Raon Zigheart acted like a ruffian, but his mind was constantly scheming. That much was clear.
He’d clearly come here with some definite purpose, yet I couldn’t fathom what it was.

‘Allen and Keupl’s testimony won’t pressure me. My reputation won’t suffer. And he’s not after money either….’

No matter how I studied his eyes, conversed with him, or observed his actions, I couldn’t discern his true objective.
Raon Zigheart was the most enigmatic person I’d ever encountered.

Raon caught sight of Heekyuk Je biting his lip slightly and offered a faint smile.

‘He’s trying to figure out why I’m doing this.’

The sudden intrusion and unreasonable demands seemed to be driving him to madness.

‘But he can’t possibly understand.’

Because there was no purpose.

I had no intention of humiliating Heekyuk Je, no desire to extort money, no wish to extract an apology.

Pure chaos. I’d come solely to cause a commotion, which was precisely why she couldn’t predict my intentions.

‘Though now that I think about it, there is a purpose after all.’

Every time Heekyuk Je saw me from now on, she’d feel her blood boil.

Applying psychological pressure on her would certainly prove invaluable in the future—it was one of the most crucial elements of this endeavor.

Raon tapped the table sharply and furrowed his brow.

“So what are you planning to do about today’s situation? Frankly, if they had actually attacked, there could have been injuries among my people.”
“I apologize for the safety concerns….”
“It’s not about safety—they mentioned Ariel’s name, that’s the problem.”
“That has nothing to do with me….”
“I don’t care. I’m not leaving until you apologize.”
“Sigh….”

Heekyuk Je exhaled heavily, her breath visible as a gray mist in the cold air.

“I cannot apologize for something I did not do.”
“But they said you did.”
“That is not my concern.”
“Then I’m not leaving either.”

Raon muttered something about seeing who would win and sank deeper into the sofa.

Heekyuk Je squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them.

“Fine. I will apologize.”

Heekyuk Je nodded, apparently eager to resolve this quickly.

“For what?”
“….”

At that cheerful question, Heekyuk Je’s eyes clenched shut again.

“You told me to apologize, didn’t you?”
“There was no sincerity in it. And you didn’t even say what you were apologizing for.”
“Ugh….”

Heekyuk Je’s cheeks flushed red. She looked like she was genuinely considering whether to kill me.

“Hieek….”

I smiled as if to say go ahead and try, but Dorian standing behind me had gone pale.

-The Demon Realm values strength above all….

Wrath shook his head in alarm.

-Is the human realm a place where one must go mad just to survive?

*

*

*

I finally emerged from Heekyuk Je’s office as evening fell. Naturally, no agreement had been reached, yet our expressions couldn’t have been more different.

Heekyuk Je’s face was shadowed with exhaustion, while I looked far more vibrant than when I’d entered, as though I’d just awakened from a restful sleep.

“Raon.”
“Why are you coming out so late!”

Lunan Slion and Martha rushed forward, quickly scanning my entire body to ensure nothing was amiss.

“The conversation ran a bit long.”

I waved my hand lightly to assure them that all was well.

“Thanks for waiting. Let’s head back.”

I waved my hand casually and headed toward the Dormitory where we’d been guided when we first arrived in Barene.

“What on earth did you do to take so long?”

Martha fell into step beside me, her expression darkening.

“I caused some trouble.”
“That suits you perfectly.”

She laughed, saying it was just like me.

“Martha’s the one who’s better at causing trouble.”

Lunan Slion gave Martha a blank stare.

“Why would I!”
“You’re a rakshasa woman.”
“Kyaaaah!”

Martha bolted out like lightning, while Lunan Slion hopped away like a rabbit.

“Phew, I really thought I was going to die.”

Dorian shook his head vigorously.

“What are you so afraid of? We can’t be touched anyway.”
“I know that, but still….”

He trembled, saying that the expression on my face—like I was wearing Heekyuk Je’s mask—had been far too terrifying.

“In any case, I’d rather not experience something like today again. I feel like my lifespan is shortening.”
“There won’t be anything like that for a while.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“Since a crack has formed in Heekyuk Je’s psyche….”

I glanced back over my shoulder and continued.

“I need to scrape together some money this time.”
“Money?”
“Yes. We’ll rest today, and starting tomorrow….”

I entered the Small Garden standing before the Dormitory with a faint smile. The Dormitory was spacious and lacked nothing, but its location in a corner of the city left much to be desired.

“Oh?”
“You’re here!”
“Master!”
“We need to eat dinner, but why are you so late!”

Burren Zigheart and the swordsmen gathered in the small Training Ground beside the garden waved their hands.

“You can start eating without me.”

As I waved my hand apologetically, I noticed a red-haired woman standing beside Yua. She wasn’t from the Gwangpung Corps, but her back was familiar.

“Ugh!”

The woman spun around as if struck by lightning, her hand flying to her cheek as she let out a piercing cry.

“You bastard!”

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