The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 549

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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 549

I glanced back as the Garden of the Annex Building came into view. Valdemar followed behind me, his brow furrowed so deeply that new wrinkles seemed to etch themselves into his face.

‘He’s not running away, at least.’

Valdemar had stubbornly insisted he wouldn’t come, but his own words had ensnared him, leaving him no choice but to follow me to the Annex Building.

His feet dragged across the ground with every reluctant step, however, making his displeasure abundantly clear.
The Inspection Department staff walking at the rear looked equally pallid, as though being dragged into the depths of hell itself. The confidence and arrogance they’d displayed when they kicked open the Training Ground doors at dawn had vanished without a trace.

“I will never forget today’s humiliation….”

As Valdemar glared at me and ground his teeth, Dogyae struck the back of his head.

Crack!

A satisfying sound rang out like a pumpkin splitting open, and Valdemar’s body lurched forward as though he might collapse.

“Ugh!”

Valdemar cried out, clutching the back of his head.

“Why did you hit me!”
“Conducting an inspection while harboring resentment? A Special Inspector shouldn’t speak like that. Are you truly so eager to die? Should I report this to the Patriarch’s Hall?”

Dogyae glared at him, raising his massive fist like a stone.

“Ugh….”

Valdemar didn’t dare respond and lowered his head.

“I-I was just venting my frustration!”
“An inspector must not be swayed by emotion. You should always remain composed and thoroughly assess the situation itself. Do you not understand this?”
“But Harrian doesn’t manage that either….”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t do it!”

Dogyae twisted his lips and slapped Valdemar’s forehead with his palm.

“Aaaah! Stop it already!”
“I’m speaking respectfully as the Special Inspector requested. What’s the problem?”
“You’re only speaking respectfully in words. You keep hitting me and cursing! If you’re going to do this, just go back to how it was before!”

Valdemar let out a cry of genuine exasperation.

“Then it’s easier for me.”

Dogyae smiled coldly and tapped Valdemar’s head once more.

“You stupid fool! If you were lucky enough to become a Special Inspector, you should do your job properly and earn recognition from the Head of House. Are you just going around venting your frustrations? How do you get more blockheaded as you age!”

He stuck to Valdemar’s side as if he’d caught him red-handed, launching into a tirade of nagging.

“Ugh….”

Valdemar curled into a ball, clutching his chest as if he’d swallowed something wrong.

“Since we’re on the subject, let me give you some advice.”

Dogyae pointed his finger at Raon.

“You’ll understand from what you’ve seen today, but that bastard is insane. Search this entire family, no—search the entire Continent and you won’t find anyone as unhinged as him. If you want to keep your voice in this family, you’d better learn to crawl.”
“Crawl?! No matter what, I’m absolutely not inferior to that brat!”
“Of course you’re superior now. But before long, that relationship will reverse. This is my final advice to my damned disciple, so listen carefully.”
“I refuse! My vessel isn’t full yet!”

Valdemar shook his head vigorously, unwilling to accept those words.

“And from now on, speak respectfully again!”
“Back and forth, this way and that. You’re really annoying with all this fussing!”

Dogyae raised his speech level as Valdemar wanted and brought down a strike to the back of his head. This time, a dull thud echoed as if he’d struck stone.

“Huh? Blocking with aura?”
“It really hurts!”

Valdemar retreated sharply from Dogyae, shielding the back of his head. The crude footwork left the Inspection Department staff behind him with even more contorted expressions.

“Sigh…”

Dogyae exhaled a low sigh as he watched Valdemar’s eyes dart about.

‘He won’t listen, as expected. Though to be fair, I’d refuse too if someone told me to bow to my nephew.’

Still, you lack the vessel of a Head of House.

Having watched Valdemar since childhood, I knew him better than anyone.
He possessed exceptional martial prowess and courage—qualities that would make him an excellent vanguard commander—but he could never sit upon the Jade Throne of a sovereign capable of uniting an entire family.
If unqualified Valdemar became Head of House, Zigheart would collapse within a decade.

‘On the other hand…’

Dogyae’s eyes lingered on Raon’s unwavering back.

‘That boy is the real deal.’

Even a magnanimous person would have been satisfied and pleased if I’d simply appeared and stopped Valdemar’s rampage.

But this mad kid had leveraged my name to the fullest, humiliated both Valdemar and the Inspectors, and still managed to profit from it. Honestly, it wasn’t a judgment a normal person could make.

He didn’t stop at seizing the enemy’s weapon—he took the provisions and even the vessels that held them. A lunatic’s instinct. If Raon became Head of House, Zigheart could transcend the framework of the Six Emperors Five Demons and stand alone.

‘But age is the problem.’

Raon was young, lacking the accumulated achievements and martial strength compared to Karun, Denier, and Valdemar.
If only that gap could be filled, he might actually excel in the succession struggle.

‘Is there a way to help…’

As Dogyae organized his thoughts about Raon and Valdemar and continued walking, Raon stopped and raised his hand.

“Welcome to the Annex Building, Special Inspector.”

Raon pointed toward the entrance of the Garden and bowed respectfully.

“How shabby.”

Valdemar frowned as he gazed upon the Garden, barren of even a single bloom in the depths of winter. He continued speaking in a savage tone, as if venting the frustration that had accumulated within him all this time.

“Among all the gardens within Zigheart, this is the most unsightly and filthy one. It wouldn’t be strange to call it nothing more than a field.”
“Is that so.”

Even as Sylvia’s Garden was insulted, I maintained a serene smile.

“One can discern the nature of a home’s master by observing their garden. The master of the Annex Building is petty and narrow-minded….”
“Chief Steward.”

The moment Dogyae heard my call, he rushed forward and struck Valdemar across the mouth.

“Ugh!”

Valdemar, struck mid-sentence, squinted his eyes and staggered backward.

“Did your mouth spew filth? Let’s keep our words refined and proper.”

Dogyae brushed off the hand he’d used to strike Valdemar, his nose bridge wrinkling in displeasure.

“Ugh….”

Valdemar groaned helplessly, cradling his mouth. His eyes had grown as listless as those of a dog tired from a walk and longing to return home.

“Please, come inside.”

I guided Valdemar and the Inspection Department staff to stand before the Annex Building’s entrance. Thanks to Dogyae, they followed without uttering a single word.

As I opened the entrance door, I saw Sylvia and Helen descending the stairs.

“Young Master?”
“Why are you here so early? I said there was much to organize today….”

Sylvia tilted her head in confusion, then stopped in her tracks upon seeing Valdemar standing behind me.

“Oh, oh brother. No, I mean, Lord Valdemar….”

She trembled, her lips drained of color as though terrified of Valdemar.

“Sylvia. You still haven’t come to your senses….”

Valdemar frowned at Sylvia. Just as he was about to speak, Dogyae lifted his foot.

Whoosh!

Dogyae delivered a brisk kick to Valdemar’s rear and strode into the Annex Building.

“Move aside! How am I supposed to get in with a bear of a man blocking the way!”
“Ugh….”

Valdemar stepped aside, rubbing his struck rear. Wary of Dogyae’s gaze, he inadvertently bumped the entrance hall door with his shoulder.

I seized the moment and tore the entrance hall door clean from its frame.

Crash!

The door crumpled like twisted metal and toppled backward with a deafening clang.

“Huh…?”

Valdemar stared at the fallen door, his mouth agape as dust swirled around him. Everyone’s eyes turned toward him.

“No, no! It wasn’t me!”
“But the Special Inspector did strike it with his shoulder, did he not?”
“How does a door get destroyed just from a shoulder strike!”
“As I mentioned, the Annex Building is old and requires careful handling.”

I gestured to Dorian, who had come with me.

“Ah, yes. One door panel….”

Dorian pulled out his notebook and wrote down “one door panel.”

“That’s not quite right.”

I shook my head as I examined the notebook’s contents.

“The doors can’t be replaced one at a time. We’ll have to replace both of them.”
“Ah, yes!”

Dorian nodded and corrected the order to two door panels.

“It wasn’t me—it was him! He ripped the door panels out with his bare hands!”

Valdemar extended a thick finger, pointing directly at me.

“Chief Steward.”

I didn’t bother arguing and immediately called for Dogyae.

“Everyone here saw you hit it with your shoulder—what nonsense are you spouting!”

The moment Dogyae heard my call, he approached Valdemar with a frown.

“How could the door break just from a shoulder strike? That doesn’t make sense!”
“Look at your own body! It would be stranger if it didn’t break!”
“Ugh…”

Valdemar sighed in resignation and gestured to the Inspection Department staff behind him.

“Go, investigate. As quickly and safely as possible. Don’t break anything.”

His glare made it clear he didn’t want to spend any more money on repairs.

“Ah, understood.”
“We’ll keep that in mind.”

The Inspection Department staff, now intimidated and hunched over, nodded and dispersed.

“W-what is this…”

Sylvia’s rigid expression finally softened as she watched Valdemar, looking as meek as a mouse before a cat.

“Why does Valdemar look so defeated?”

She blinked, unable to comprehend the situation.

“That’s right….”
“I’m not sure what’s going on.”
“Hmm….”

Helen and the attendants also seemed unable to imagine Valdemar crumpling like that, exhaling in bewilderment.

“The Special Inspector said he wanted to investigate the Annex Building, so I brought him here.”

Raon approached Sylvia and the attendants with a gentle smile.

“There’s nothing to worry about. Everything will be fine.”

I infused my voice with conviction to reassure them all. Sylvia and the attendants’ expressions became noticeably more at ease.

“Special Inspector, shall we start over there?”

I raised my hand and guided him toward the Left Corridor.

“Tsk.”

Valdemar clicked his tongue sharply and followed behind me.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

The Left Corridor was the narrowest passage inside the Annex Building, and since Valdemar’s frame was so massive, it completely filled the space, causing the picture frames hanging on the walls to naturally fall.

Crash!

The frames that fell to the ground shattered with a sharp sound.

“Ugh!”

Valdemar, flustered, leaned his back against the outer wall.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

When Valdemar’s back touched the wall, I concentrated all my strength in my grip and pushed the wall away.
Thanks to the Destroyer King’s title, even a seemingly light gesture caused the wall to crumble and collapse.

Y-you crazy bastard! Why are you destroying the house!

Wrath’s jaw dropped as he witnessed something he’d never seen before—someone demolishing their own residence with their own hands.

“Ah….”

Valdemar’s mouth fell open as he watched the wall crumble into dust.

“No, no! It’s not me! This bastard destroyed it!”

He pointed at Raon, his jaw trembling violently.

“That’s quite excessive, Valdemar. Everyone here witnessed you striking the wall with your back.”

Raon shook his head, gesturing toward the people behind him.

“Does a wall collapse just because someone leans against it?”
“Then does a wall collapse because I pushed it with my finger?”
“Ugh….”

Valdemar’s face flushed crimson as he found himself unable to counter the argument.

“This is driving me insane. I’m telling you it wasn’t me!”

Unable to contain his frustration, he stamped his foot forcefully.

Boom!

Raon synchronized with the vibration and channeled force into the remaining wall, collapsing the half-severed section and bringing the ceiling down with it.

Crash!

The thunderous collapse of the ceiling and walls drew people from other areas, and they all stared at Valdemar with their mouths agape.

“Don’t look at me like that! I’m innocent!”

Valdemar struck his own chest and cried out, but no one believed his words.

“Are you planning to demolish the entire house?”

Dogyae struck Valdemar on the crown of his head with his fist, telling him to come to his senses.

“This is really unfair!”
“Quiet!”

He showed no interest in listening and simply covered Valdemar’s mouth.

“Dorian.”
“Ah, yes….”

Despite his fear of Valdemar, Dorian dutifully wrote down the estimate for the damaged Annex Building.

‘It worked perfectly.’

I had deliberately led Valdemar through the narrowest, most dilapidated corridor, and the plan had worked flawlessly. It was almost absurdly effective.

-You’re truly insane. Even those celestial schemers couldn’t match your cunning!

Wrath genuinely marveled at this, clicking his tongue in admiration.

“I, I will not move from this spot! I won’t fall for your schemes anymore!”

Valdemar wrapped both arms around himself and sat down right there, closing his eyes as he declared he would remain until the other Inspection Department staff finished their investigation.

‘Then there’s another way.’

I left Valdemar behind and followed the Inspection Department staff.
As they began searching through the Annex Building, I deliberately damaged old, unimportant items and added them to Dorian’s invoice.

“Why are you doing this?!”
“Please stop! That’s yours anyway!”
“I didn’t break that vase!”
“You demon!”

The Inspection Department staff grew increasingly distressed as their investigation deepened the financial hole, left with nothing but grim expressions.

“Aaaahhh!”
“Please stop!”

Valdemar lifted his trembling eyelids at the screams echoing throughout the Annex Building.

“Is this a demon’s castle…?”

*

*

*

An hour later.

The Inspection Department staff stood before Valdemar.

“Ah, there’s nothing at all.”
“Same here.”
“It’s… spotless.”

Everyone bowed their heads, insisting they found nothing amiss.

“R-really? Then let’s go!”

Valdemar rose with a smile, delighted that he could finally leave the Annex Building.

“Where are you going?”

I stepped in front of Valdemar and wagged my finger.

“The Inspectors have damaged our residence quite extensively, so compensation will be necessary.”
“Hmph! That nonsense about negative ions! It won’t work on me anymore! That’s something con artists use! Where in this world does such a thing even exist!”

Valdemar lifted his chin, apparently having researched negative ions in the meantime.

“Unfortunately, our residence contains no negative ions.”

I shook my head calmly.

“All the damaged items are ordinary things.”
“R-really? Then it won’t cost much!”

Valdemar chuckled, clearly delighted that I wasn’t a negative ion.

“But.”

I lowered my head and sniffled.

“These items and this home contain the lives of my mother, myself, and our servants. That’s far more precious than any negative ion….”
“Aaaaargh!”

Valdemar clutched his head and let out a anguished cry.

“So how much is it?”
“About thirty gold coins?”
“That’s way too expensive!”
“Memories cannot be purchased with money. I simply wish to bring my mother a small joy by replacing them with the finest products available.”

I kept my head bowed, my shoulders trembling slightly.

“How sad.”

Dogyae sniffled behind me as well.

“Ah, this is driving me insane….”

Valdemar’s eyes twitched as he looked at Dogyae, and he finally produced thirty gold coins.

“I’m leaving now!”
“Ah, wait just a moment.”

I stepped in front of Valdemar again as he tried to depart.

“I notice the latest temperature-control artifact, Warmth No. 1, that was here is nowhere to be found.”
“W-what are you talking about now?”
“There was an artifact brought from the Yonan Family next to the frame that the Special Inspector shattered. It’s the artifact that warmed this entire home, and it appears to have been destroyed when the frame broke.
“That makes no sense! There was only a frame here! How much more money do you intend to squeeze out of me….”
“Chief Steward!”

Dogyae immediately stepped forward and nodded in agreement.

“Ah, I saw that too. Wasn’t it a small orb?”
“Yes, sir. It appears to have shattered when Valdemar moved.”
“Hmm….”

Raon and Dogyae stared at Valdemar simultaneously.

“Sigh….”

Valdemar let out a resigned sigh and retrieved his spatial pouch.

“How much is it?”
“As I mentioned, it’s a precious artifact that regulates the temperature of the entire Annex Building, and it’s a handcrafted piece by the Yonan Family heir….”
“Never mind the details—just tell me the price!”
“Thirty gold coins, sir.”
“Can’t you be more reasona—”
“Chief Steward!”

I called out to Dogyae the moment Valdemar’s explanation threatened to drag on.

“Do you want me to scatter three hundred gold coins?”
“Why are you like this!”
“Either pay up or stop talking!”
“You’re really going to live a long life.”

Valdemar glared at me and retrieved thirty gold coins once more.

“Thank you.”
“….”

Valdemar trudged toward the Entrance Hall with exhausted steps, devoid of energy to respond.

“This door is paid for, correct?”
“Of course. However….”

I furrowed my brow as I looked at the table beside the door.

“The latest boundary alarm artifact Ppaggeum Number One that was here seems to have disappeared. It must have been destroyed when the door came off.”
“That thing never even existed!”
“Dorian, you saw it too, right?”
“Huh? Um… Yes, yes I did! Ppakkeum Number One!”

Dorian nodded while avoiding Dogyae’s gaze.

“Ppakkeum! I said Ppakkeum, not Ppaggeum!”

Valdemar shouted triumphantly, catching the mistake.

“That’s not the important part, Chief Steward!”
“Hey!”

Dogyae waved his hand as if to say just hand over the money already.

“Sigh, will this only end when I’m dead?”

Valdemar stared up at the empty air with a look of resignation, his mouth hanging open.

“So how much is Ppaggeum?”
“Thirty gold coins.”
“Did you price everything the same? Why is everything thirty coins!”

He shook out his empty wallet with a hollow laugh.

“I’m broke now! You bastard!”
“Credit is available.”
“Credit…?”
“Since you are a Special Inspector, I will only charge ten percent interest per day.”

I nodded and held up one finger.

“Even loan sharks don’t charge that much! You lunatic!”

Valdemar beat his chest with his fists and stomped his feet as if he were about to go mad.

Thump, thump, thump!

The table collapsed entirely from the impact.

“Add table to the list….”

Dorian now automatically jotted down the damaged furniture in his notebook.

“Grrr! Wait for it. I’ll definitely send it today no matter what.”

He stormed out of the Annex Building with a murderous scowl etched across his face.

I followed after him and wielded my spatial blade to strike the center of the Garden.

Boom!

An explosion erupted from beneath the earth, violently shaking the Garden.

“Th-this is….”
“It seems to be because of the Inspector, sir.”
“What did I do now!”

Valdemar’s eyes widened as if asking what nonsense I was spouting.

“Did you know that plants can understand human speech?”
“Huh?”
“There are research findings showing that plants grow faster when spoken to kindly, and slower when spoken to harshly.”
“What does that have to do with anything!”
“When you first came here, sir, you told the plants they were sordid and shabby. It seems the seeds couldn’t bear the shock and took their own lives.”

As I said this, I wielded the spatial blade once more.

Crash!

Successive explosions erupted from within the Garden, sending clouds of dirt soaring into the air.

“You see? They couldn’t withstand the stress and burst from the inside.”
“Stop joking! Didn’t you just operate your aura!”

Despite his fury reaching its peak, Valdemar—true to his nature as an Inspector—noticed that I had been the one operating my aura.

“That’s to protect my body. Have you ever seen aura leaking from my hands?”
“W-well, that’s….”

Valdemar, unaware that I’d mastered Spatial Blade, naturally couldn’t respond.

-The True Demon King seems like he’s losing his mind.

Wrath exhaled with exasperation.

-To think he’d use a technique acquired from capturing a lizard in such a place….

He shook his head, muttering that the boy was a demon incarnate.

“Since things have come to this, I suppose I need compensation as well. All the seeds here are saturated with germanium, after all….”
“Stop. Stop! Please, I’m begging youuuuu!”

Valdemar fled at full speed, his hands clamped over his ears. In an instant, his figure vanished from sight.

“Now that the Special Inspector has left, shall we settle the remaining accounts between ourselves?”

I watched his retreating form and gestured to the remaining Inspection Department staff.

“U-ugh….”
“What are we even doing here….”

The Inspection Department staff trembled as they overlaid my hand with the scythe of death.

*

*

*

Rimer, who had been leaning against Tiger Rock, stood up.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Valdemar run away. That guy would always hold his ground and fight no matter how many enemies there were—and now he’s bolting like this?”

He watched Valdemar flee without even turning around, and the laughter he’d been holding back finally burst forth.

“Did you anticipate this outcome?”

Rimer looked upward, his expression brimming with amusement.

“Not at all.”

Glen Zigheart, standing atop Tiger Rock, shook his head calmly. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth as well—he seemed to find this situation entertaining.

“I expected Harrian would prevent Valdemar’s schemes. But…”

Glen shifted his gaze from the fleeing Valdemar to Raon, who was instructing the Inspection Department staff to secure the Garden.

“I never anticipated Raon would exploit this situation so thoroughly.”
“Who could have? Raon’s completely insane.”

Rimer nodded in agreement with Glen’s assessment.

“He squeezed sixty gold coins out of the 5th Training Ground, and I didn’t expect him to drag Valdemar all the way to the Annex Building to extract more. He’s ruthless.”
“That’s not it.”

Glen shook his head and gazed at Sylvia, who stood behind Raon. Color was returning to her previously pallid complexion.

“Raon brought Valdemar to the Annex Building to instill confidence in Sylvia.”
“Confidence?”
“Yes. Raon promised to elevate Sylvia to the Main Lineage next year. When that happens, she’ll face the Family Estate’s executives again. He showed her Valdemar’s broken state so she could face that moment with confidence.”
“Ah…”

Rimer nodded as he absorbed Glen’s explanation.

“He really is thoughtful… wait?”

As he turned his gaze, he caught sight of Raon extorting gold coins from the Inspection Department staff.
No matter how he looked at it, he just appeared to be a thug shaking down pocket money from children.

“Are you really sure about that?”

At his question, Glen’s fists began to tremble.

“Y-you, Head of House?”
“It’s frustrating.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m frustrated that I can’t give that remarkable fellow anything. If only he’d extort money from me like he did with Valdemar….”

Glen’s fists trembled with genuine anger.

“If you’d just blackmail me, I’d hand over whatever you want!”
“…”

Rimer shook his head as he watched Glen mutter that he could surrender the entire Treasury of Zigheart.

“This household will collapse soon.”

I should probably look for another job….

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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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