The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 61

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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 61

Combat training against the 6th Martial Grounds.

Burren had heard the rumor before as well. It was a story that came out of a tavern two months ago, but since there had been no further mention of it afterward, he had dismissed it as mere gossip.

But tomorrow? Tomorrow?

Burren thought something had gone wrong with his hearing. There was no other way he could be listening to such insane words.

“Instructor.”
“Yes.”
“Did you just say tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t do what Lunan does. Tell me clearly. Is it really tomorrow?”
“Yes, that’s right.”

Rimer nodded readily, his expression so infuriatingly confident that Burren wanted to strike him.

“Not a sparring match, but a full-scale engagement—and tomorrow?”
“The numbers aren’t that large, so it’s more of a localized skirmish than a full-scale battle, I’d say….”
“That’s not the point!”

Burren stamped his foot with a heavy thud.

“You’re telling me this today when the match is tomorrow? Where in the world is such a thing allowed? Could it be that the rumor from the tavern back then was actually true?”
“Oh, you knew about it. That was a conversation between me and Methun.”
“Damn it!”

A one-on-one sparring match would be one thing, but a full-scale engagement was a duel that staked the pride of the Training Ground itself. To announce it only a day in advance was utterly absurd.

“This is why I call you all greenhorns.”

Rimer clicked his tongue while crouching.

“Do wars or battles begin politely, saying ‘Hello? We’re about to fight you now. Please be careful!’? No. Most battles break out suddenly, in situations you never anticipated.”

Despite his unassuming posture, he radiated a sharp, overwhelming presence that dominated the space around him.

“Once war breaks out, you have to jump into action—whether you’re eating, sleeping, or taking a shit. You draw your blade first without knowing who the enemy is or how many there are. If you find out a day in advance, that’s actually plenty of time to prepare.”
“Hmm!”
“That’s….”

Burren and the trainees fell silent, unable to find a rebuttal.

‘He’s right.’

I nodded in agreement.

‘Most missions come with sudden changes anyway.’

Assassination was no different.
Naturally, targets were far more vulnerable when they ventured outside rather than remaining within their homes.
It was common for assassins to formulate plans only after their target left the house and began traveling elsewhere.

Devising assassination plans on the fly and executing them was an essential skill for any assassin.

“Besides, I informed the 6th Martial Grounds about this last night too. There’s hardly any difference from your situation.”
“Sir, you should have mentioned that before explaining.”
“You got angry before I could explain. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you lose your temper like that.”

Rimer chuckled with amusement.

“Ugh! My apologies.”

Burren bowed his head in embarrassment, his earlobes flushed crimson.

“Since you all understand now, I’ll begin the explanation.”

Rimer stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He seemed to be attempting an imposing stance, though it didn’t quite land.

“Combat begins tomorrow at dawn, six o’clock. We have forty-three people, and they have sixty. As for victory or defeat….”
“Wait, why do they have sixty people?”
“That’s almost one and a half times our numbers….”

The trainees stiffened upon hearing that the 6th Martial Grounds had significantly more personnel.

“I told you already. War isn’t fought by matching numbers perfectly. Later, when we face a larger enemy force, will you call us cowards for being outnumbered? Of course not.”
“Ugh….”
“W-well, you have a point.”

The trainees tilted their heads and returned to their positions. They continued to feel as though Rimer was shutting down their objections.

“Let me explain again. Our 43 fighters and their 60 move simultaneously. Victory goes to whoever neutralizes all enemies or captures the opposing formation’s flag. In some ways, it’s simpler than a sparring match.”

He muttered that it was far too easy and told them to be grateful he hadn’t revealed this until tomorrow at dawn.

“Hmm, now that I think about it… it doesn’t seem that difficult.”
“Well, half of the 6th Martial Grounds trainees are dropouts from here anyway. No direct bloodline members.”
“You don’t know? Cain Zigheart entered the 6th Martial Grounds a few months ago.”
“C-Cain Zigheart is two years older than us! How are we supposed to beat him!”
“It’s fine. His injuries were severe—he spent a year bedridden. He probably hasn’t fully recovered yet.”
“Oh, then it’s doable.”

At the mention that Cain Zigheart hadn’t yet recovered from his injuries, the trainees exhaled in relief.

“That’s not true.”

Burren shook his head.

“Cain Zigheart has already fully recovered from his injuries. Even during recovery, he continued aura cultivation and sensory training. His current combat strength is at the advanced Sword User level.”
“A-advanced Sword User?”

At his words, the trainees’ faces drained of color.

“Hmph, so what? If you’re scared, back out. I’ll handle Cain or whoever.”
“It’s not about being scared. I’m just giving you information. And you can’t do it alone.”
“What?”

At Martha and Burren’s quarrel, color returned to the trainees’ faces.

“We have Burren, Martha, and Lunan on our side anyway. Plus Raon.”
“Honestly, I think we’ll win without much trouble. Those two can hold back Cain, and the rest of us just sweep through the others.”
“It’s possible. We’ve beaten Owen Kingdom knights before, and we completed the mission this time too.”

The trainees smiled, saying that 6th Martial Grounds trainees were nothing to worry about.

“Hmm, underestimating them will cost you dearly.”

Rimer’s lips curved into a cold smile.

“There’s a training called the Inferno Trial that dramatically elevates swordsmen’s abilities all at once. The 6th Martial Grounds trainees endured that trial without a single dropout. And they did it because of you.”
“Because of us?”
“The 5th Training Ground has been receiving the most attention in the family recently. Those kids are burning with determination to catch up to you. If you take them lightly, you’ll lose without even realizing it.”

He offered genuine advice for once.

“Come on! Every day has been an inferno for us.”
“Even if those who dropped out here got stronger, their talent is different. Their talent.”
“Right. We’ve never lost or failed until now.”
“As long as we stop Cain, we’re guaranteed to win!”

Despite the warning, the trainees’ arrogance only burned brighter.

“Confidence is good.”

Rimer chuckled and nodded, his smile suggesting he wouldn’t mind even if they lost.

“One last thing—a full-scale battle is like a small war. That means the leader’s commands are paramount. Tomorrow, everyone follows Raon’s orders.”
“Yes!”
“…Yes.”
“Understood.”

The trainees who normally followed me answered immediately, while those under Burren and Lunan Slion hesitated before responding.

‘This is going to be troublesome.’

I wrinkled my nose. Crushing the 6th Martial Grounds wouldn’t be difficult, but controlling the trainees was a nuisance.

“Today’s training is voluntary. Whether you devise strategies or train here, prepare for tomorrow’s battle as you see fit.”

Rimer returned to his usual light and playful demeanor.

“Chief Instructor. You haven’t mentioned the most important thing.”

Burren raised his hand.

“What?”
“Where is the combat taking place?”
“Oh, that.”

Rimer clapped his hands together.

“Behind the Main Mansion, at Bekmang Mountain.”

He looked down at me with a sly grin—the kind of smile that said, ‘You know Bekmang Mountain well. I’m counting on you.’

“Sigh.”

I shook my head in disbelief. It seemed Rimer had wagered everything on my victory.

He’d made the situation as dire as possible, then placed his bet on the 5th Training Ground. Truly a remarkable fellow. Well, elf.

‘No wonder he’s ruined.’

There was a reason he always returned from gambling dens and horse races with empty pockets.

“Then I’m off.”

Rimer waved his hand like a child heading out on a picnic and left the Training Ground.

“Gather up.”

I exhaled deeply and assembled the trainees in the center of the Training Ground.

“We’ll devise a strategy now for tomorrow’s team battle. Does anyone have information about the 6th Martial Grounds?”
“I… I know a bit.”

Dorian, trembling with nervous sweat, swallowed hard.

“As you all know, the top student of the 6th Martial Grounds is Cain Zigheart. He’s sixteen, two years older than us, but he suffered a severe injury during a mission and spent over a year recovering before returning. ”
“An injury…”
“As you heard earlier, his combat ability is at the advanced Sword User level, and he has considerable influence—all the trainees in the 6th Martial Grounds follow him. Especially the three from the Branch Family are formidable…”

Dorian, true to his nature of having connections everywhere, rattled off information about the 6th Martial Grounds.

“At this rate, we don’t even need to devise a strategy.”
“Yeah, we can ignore everyone except Cain Zigheart.”
“Right. Two of the four strongest will hold back Cain Zigheart, and the rest of us will sweep through the others.”

The trainees chuckled and prattled on about how unnecessary planning had become.

“If we can just contain Cain Zigheart, victory won’t be difficult at all.”

Burren, too, seemed confident in their chances, suggesting they each move according to their own judgment.

“Strategy is pointless. Why bother taxing our minds? We’ll just crush them with raw power. Leave it to me—I’ll sweep through them single-handedly if needed.”

Martha raised her clenched fist high.

Both she and Burren seemed eager to distinguish themselves in this battle, having accomplished nothing during the mission two months prior.

“Hmm….”

I listened to everyone’s opinions and nodded.

“To summarize: there’s a clear difference in power. We don’t need strategy or tactics—just overwhelming force. We contain Cain Zigheart by any means necessary. That’s it, right?”
“Yeah.”
“We’ll win no matter how we fight.”
“Let’s finish by noon and grab lunch.”

The trainees smiled as though victory were already assured. Only Lunan, who remained characteristically silent, and Dorian, who had exhausted all his words, refrained from speaking.

“Alright. Let’s do it that way.”

I surveyed all the trainees and nodded.

“Oh, how refreshing.”
“So we’re doing individual training?”
“Want to bet on how many I’ll take down tomorrow?”

The trainees chuckled and dispersed to begin their individual training.

-Foolish lot, aren’t they.
‘Indeed.’

Raon nodded with a cold gaze.

‘Those fools have no idea what it feels like to be hunted from behind.’

As Rimer had said, they would only come to their senses after a hard lesson.

*

*

*

At the same time, in the 6th Martial Grounds.

About a hundred trainees, their hair and clothes caked with dust, gathered in the center of the training grounds.

“You have all endured the hellish trials with a dropout rate exceeding 70%.

The solemn voice of Methun, the chief instructor of the 6th Martial Grounds, straightened the trainees’ spines.

“And it was by your own choice. Do you remember why?”
“Because of the 5th Training Ground!”

The trainees shouted in unison, their voices so thunderous that even the larger 6th Martial Grounds trembled.

“Correct. The 5th Training Ground—those who received the most attention from the family, who were disregarded even by the Owen Kingdom, yet were the first to challenge us to a match. You endured for the chance to crush them.”

Methun examined each trainee carefully. Their eyes had grown incomparably sharper than before.

“Now that opportunity has arrived. You, who were once ignored and received no attention whatsoever, finally have the chance to defeat the 5th Training Ground.”

As his voice resonated through the grounds, the trainees’ eyes gleamed with fierce determination.

“Even if the odds are 43 to 60, everyone in the family will predict their victory. But I believe the outcome is fifty-fifty. Tomorrow, go out there and show us everything you have built!”
“Yes!”

The trainees roared so loudly the training grounds seemed to shake apart.

“Cain Zigheart.”

Methun called forth the sole direct descendant of the 6th Martial Grounds. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy standing at the center stepped forward.

“I’m counting on you.”
“You can trust me.”

The trainee called Cain bowed with unwavering confidence.

“I will demonstrate to everyone that the 6th Martial Grounds is stronger than the 5th Martial Grounds.”
“That’s not all.”

Methun shook his head slightly.

“As the top trainee of the 6th Martial Grounds, you must defeat Raon Zigheart, the top trainee of the 5th Martial Grounds.”
“….”
“Why do you lack confidence?”
“Not at all.”

Cain’s eyes gleamed with fierce intensity.

“It’s simply so obvious that I didn’t bother mentioning it. That bastard cannot defeat me. My abilities are far superior.”
“Excellent confidence.”

Methun nodded with satisfaction.

“Not just you, Cain. Everyone must give your absolute best so that all your efforts thus far are not in vain.”
“Yes!”

That night, the lights of the 6th Martial Grounds burned late into the darkness.

*

*

*

“Hmm….”

I studied the map of Bekmang Mountain where tomorrow’s battle would take place and nodded thoughtfully.

‘I know all these places.’

Ever since I followed Rimer to Bekmang Mountain and trained while circling the area, I’d memorized the surrounding geography. Geographically, I held a far greater advantage than the 6th Training Ground.

‘But…’

The trainees’ condition wasn’t good.

The trainees were intoxicated by their continuous victories and achievements.
Particularly, even though I had accomplished several things alone, they deluded themselves into believing their own strength had grown simply by being present at those moments.

‘Of course, they are strong.’

Thanks to Rimer’s teaching methods, the trainees were indeed stronger than swordsmen or knights of similar age. But they were nowhere near overwhelming or dismissible.

Given how these children grew significantly in the blink of an eye, a single moment of carelessness would result in defeat.

-That’s all because they haven’t experienced proper real combat. One must face a life-or-death situation against someone weaker to truly understand.

Wrath seemed to have noticed my thoughts and let out a scoff.

-Watching those idiots reminds me of when I was in the Demon Realm. There was this arrogant high-ranking demon who dared to be insolent before me, so I grabbed his horns and tore them right off…
“Ah, here we go.”
-I’m sharing a story that’s become my flesh and blood, and you interrupt me again…
“Yes, yes.”
-Ugh! Raon Zigheart!

I waved my hand dismissively and lay back on the bed. I shut off my hearing and closed my eyes.

Well, that bastard isn’t entirely wrong.
It would be a good method to let the 5th Training Ground trainees experience defeat and show them they weren’t special.

Rimer probably aimed for that to some degree. Of course, he wouldn’t want them to actually lose—he’d want them to reach the brink of defeat before pulling out a victory.

‘This should be interesting.’

I smiled faintly.

‘The perfect opportunity.’

It was an opportunity to demonstrate to the trainees who still didn’t follow me what an exceptional commander could accomplish.

After tomorrow’s battle concluded, every single trainee from the 5th Training Ground would have no choice but to obey my orders without question.

“Then I’ll need to steal some information first.”

My eyes gleamed softly like the moon hanging in the night sky.

*

*

*

The following day, on the eastern slope of Bekmang Mountain.

Cain Zigheart and fifty-nine trainees from the 6th Martial Grounds gathered in a circle around a yellow flag.

“I’ll brief you on the operation one final time.”

Cain’s sharp voice cut through the air as he studied the map of Bekmang Mountain.

“The 5th Training Ground trainees are positioned to the west. They haven’t unified yet—they’re still divided into four factions: Raon’s, Burren’s, Lunan’s, and Martha’s.”

He was well aware that the 5th Training Ground trainees remained fractured.

“They’ll definitely move separately. Martha especially will charge forward alone. Dun.”
“Yes.”

A burly trainee beside Cain nodded at the call.

“Take Team 1 and intercept them as we practiced. If you engage her in a wheel formation, testing her like you would a blade, you can win.”
“Understood.”
“Burren employs sharp yet systematic swordplay. Decal!”
“Yes!”

A trainee with long arms and legs like a monkey raised his hand.

“You go. With the 2nd Squad that has mastered Sensory Blade, you should be able to defeat Burren. I’ll move with the Branch Family, so take the 3rd Squad with you as well.”
“Yes!”

Cain Zigheart glanced one last time at the green-haired woman standing to his right.

“Karin. Your opponent is Lunan Slion. He’s unpredictable, but I hear he follows Raon’s words well. Wait here and move according to my instructions with the 4th Squad.”
“Got it.”
“Finally, the 5th Squad and I will remain here to stop Raon.”

Cain Zigheart lifted the map and straightened his posture.

“How are you planning to track their movements? If you misjudge their position, everything falls apart.”
“It’s fine.”

A confident smile crossed his face.

“I’ll use Observation Eye.”

Observation Eye was a martial technique that allowed one to sense the positions and auras of distant enemies. It was the optimal ability for a localized engagement like this.

In a one-on-one duel it might be different, but in a localized battle like this, information and detection were paramount. With his detection ability, he was confident he could win even against other instructors, not just Raon.

“Now is the time to show the will of those who endured the Demon Realm’s master. After today, the 6th Martial Grounds will become the finest training ground in Zigheart!”
“Uoooooooo!”

At Cain Zigheart’s powerful voice, the trainees of the 6th Martial Grounds roared in unison.

However, there was one thing neither the clenching-fisted Cain Zigheart nor the trainees burning with resolve knew.

There were crimson eyes watching them from atop the trees.

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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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