The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 647
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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 647
Kiluwan, the Vice-Leader of the Elder Council, narrowed his eyes as he watched Sylvia descend the stairs.
‘She’s become an entirely different person.’
Since returning to the Family Estate, Sylvia had always been withdrawn and timid.
She hunched her shoulders and back like a mouse, always keeping her gaze lowered. She could never meet anyone’s eyes, and when she did, she would flee in an instant.
But the Sylvia before him now was different.
Her shoulders were held straight as an iron tower, radiating the noble and dignified bearing unique to the Zigheart line.
Her golden hair, as if melted sunlight, was pulled back tightly, and the black martial robes she wore evoked the image of a masterwork blade. Her presence was so sharp it made the skin prickle.
The greatest change was in her eyes. Those crimson eyes that once trembled with anxiety had sunk as deep as the Deep Sea, showing not even the slightest quiver.
Crunch.
Kiluwan clenched his teeth.
‘Is this really Sylvia?’
Even before she left the Family Estate, she had never possessed such bearing and presence. It was as if her very soul had been transformed.
‘I heard she had stabilized her artificial core…’
Could a change this profound truly occur?
It hadn’t been long since Sylvia obtained her artificial core, yet her martial prowess had already reached the pinnacle of Master rank. No matter how he considered it, it made no sense.
“S-Sylvia?”
Crisson also stammered, sensing the change in Sylvia, and the Elder Council’s warriors even took steps backward, overwhelmed by her presence.
“It has been a long time, Vice-Leader.”
Sylvia ignored Crisson and stepped forward before Kiluwan, bowing her head.
“An Elder Council matter? What brings you here?”
“Ahem.”
Kiluwan’s displeasure escaped as a stifled cough.
‘Insufferably audacious.’
The sight of her—who had abandoned the family and fled, now presuming to boast of awakening a dantian—struck him as utterly contemptible.
“Tsk.”
Kiluwan clicked his tongue at Crisson without deigning to answer Sylvia.
“Impertinent!”
Crisson received the signal and stepped before Sylvia.
“How dare a Branch Family member speak so carelessly!”
“So the Branch Family cannot even address the Elder Council? I learn something new today.”
Sylvia’s gaze remained fixed on the Vice-Leader, not Crisson, as a cold smile played across her lips.
“You know nothing of your place.”
Crisson glared at Sylvia, his mouth twisting into a sneer.
“Do you think awakening a dantian erases your crimes!”
“I have committed no crime.”
Sylvia shook her head, her eyes serene and unwavering.
“When I left the family, I returned everything the family had given me. When I returned, I received only the Head of House’s mercy. There is no crime left upon me.”
She straightened her spine with quiet confidence. An aura of self-assurance, untainted by shame, radiated from her and pushed back against Crisson’s malice.
“Silence! The stain you left upon Zigheart will never fade!”
Crisson ground his teeth and turned his head away.
“If the stain I’ve left behind tarnishes the name of Zigheart, then Zigheart would be far too small. However, I do not view Zigheart in such a diminished light.”
Unlike before, Sylvia no longer hesitated to invoke the name of Zigheart.
“Besides, I have no wish to hear words from those who have abandoned the spirit of the old Zigheart and prey upon the weak.”
“How dare you!”
Crisson, whose stomach churned at the transformation in Sylvia—a woman he once could not even meet eyes with—struck first with a raised hand.
Whoosh!
In that instant, Sylvia clenched her right fist. Her knuckles shot forward like lightning, striking Crisson’s jaw with devastating force.
Crack!
Crisson, who had aimed to strike Sylvia’s cheek only to receive a blow to his jaw instead, crumpled like a puppet with severed strings.
“Ugh….”
Though he remained conscious, his brain had been rattled enough that his legs moved without his body obeying—he could not stand properly.
“Hah!”
“C-Crisson, sir!”
“What is the meaning of this!”
The warriors of the Elder Council gasped and rushed toward Crisson.
“It was self-defense. He struck my body first.”
Sylvia brushed dust from her shoulder where his hand had touched and shook her head.
“You’ve changed greatly. You were not of such temperament even before you left the family.”
Vice-Leader Kiluwan regarded Sylvia with eyes that burned with quiet fury.
“To become a mother my son need not be ashamed of, I had no choice but to change.”
Sylvia shook her head with a faint smile.
“Ugh!”
Crisson, true to his mastery, quickly regained his senses and positioned himself before Kiluwan once more.
“Vice-Leader, there’s no need for you to intervene! I’ll handle this.”
He glared at Sylvia, his lips bitten so hard they bled.
“So what brings you here?”
Sylvia nodded with leisurely composure.
“I received word that illegal activities within the family were witnessed at the Annex Building. I should verify this personally!”
Crisson surged forward with fierce aura, heading toward the Annex Building’s staircase.
Screech!
Jubel burst forth from the shadows of the staircase, blocking the path.
“You cannot proceed.”
“How dare a lowly wretch obstruct the Elder Council’s proceedings!”
Crisson, humiliated by Sylvia, lost his reason and brought his blade down toward Jubel—no killing intent, but with enough force to sever an arm.
Sylvia lifted her left heel, gliding forward as if the ground itself folded beneath her, and positioned herself before Jubel. With her left palm, she struck the descending blade’s flat against Jubel’s shoulder.
Boom!
As Crisson’s body staggered, she advanced one step and struck his jaw again with her scabbard.
Crack!
Struck harder in the same spot, Crisson’s body flew into the air before crashing down. White teeth scattered from his mouth like corn kernels.
“Ugh…”
This time, Crisson’s eyes rolled back as if he had lost consciousness.
“Do you understand what you’re doing right now?”
The Vice-Leader stared at the trembling Crisson, his gaze turning sinister.
“As the master of the Annex Building, I merely protected my people. Furthermore, I have no intention of allowing unauthorized individuals to enter without permission.”
“Permission?”
“I’m aware that the Elder Council possesses inspection authority within the family. However, a warrant is required to exercise that authority. Without one, you are no different from a brigand or a thief in my eyes.”
Sylvia shook her head with unwavering confidence. The Elder Council held inspection rights to counterbalance the Head of House’s absolute authority, but such authority required an official warrant to be exercised.
“That warrant—you know it appears the moment I speak the word?”
“Then bring it.”
She nodded as if to say he could do as he pleased.
“Hmph.”
At the Vice-Leader’s gesture, one of his men dashed toward the Main Mansion.
After a brief interval, the man returned, and in his hand was a certificate authorizing inspection of the Annex Building.
“Satisfied?”
“Yes.”
Sylvia stepped aside with a darkened gaze.
“You’ll come to regret what happened today.”
The Vice-Leader narrowed his eyes and entered the Annex Building first.
“That remains to be seen.”
Sylvia followed behind him, shaking her head slightly.
*
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*
Raon took a large bite of the mint chocolate ice cream in his hand. A bitter yet refreshingly cool flavor filled his mouth simultaneously.
-Ehehehehehe!
Wrath burst into childlike laughter the moment he ate the mint chocolate, as if fully recovered.
-Indeed, mint chocolate! Cough! This is the true taste of mint chocolate! Hack! How I’ve missed it! Kehehack!
Yet the continuous coughing made it clear his condition was far from good.
‘I’ll need to feed him well for a while.’
It was no exaggeration to say I owed my life to Wrath, so I resolved to give him everything he desired to eat.
“That tactless Princess.”
Lunan, who was eating the same mint chocolate, quietly raised a finger and pointed to the right.
“Hmm?”
I followed his finger and turned my gaze. A female mage wearing large spectacles walked past while reading a thick grimoire, her eyes never leaving the pages despite her concentration.
‘That’s Jeina?’
Princess Jeina had always carried an air of magnificence about her, accompanied by numerous attendants.
But now her face bore no makeup, she wore no jewelry, and her attendants were nowhere to be seen.
Had I not known better, I would have mistaken her for an ordinary mage.
Perhaps for that very reason, she seemed to have achieved accomplishments of a caliber far beyond what I had witnessed before.
“Wow….”
Dorian also let out a low whistle upon seeing Jeina.
“So that’s the tactless Princess….”
He had seen Jeina from the Black Market, so his astonishment was laid bare without pretense.
“She’s completely different from when I first saw her. Should I bring her over? She’d be thrilled to hear about that ring?”
“No, that’s fine.”
Raon shook his head calmly. He didn’t want to disturb someone who was concentrating.
‘People really do change.’
In my past life, I believed people never changed.
But living this life, I’ve come to realize multiple times that wasn’t true.
‘Only Derus Robert. You will never change for the rest of your life.’
Because I knew he would never change, I could plan my revenge without the slightest hesitation.
When I thought of revenge against Derus, conversely, the family in the Annex Building came to mind.
“Sigh….”
I finished the remaining ice cream and shook my head.
‘I want to rest at the Annex Building.’
-I want to eat more at the Annex Building.
‘….’
What a Demon Lord he was at ruining the mood.
*
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*
“Head of House.”
Chad knelt before Glen and lowered his head.
“News regarding Raon has arrived.”
“News?”
Glen, who had been gazing out the window as if indifferent to everything in the world, slowly turned and settled into the Jade Throne.
“Speak.”
His voice was subdued as if he paid little mind, yet his eyes rippled like constellations, urging haste.
“The warrior who obtained the legacy from the Sword Master’s Tomb is none other than Raon!”
Chad raised his voice to match the magnitude of such astounding news.
“Is… is that truly so?”
Glen sprang to his feet in less than three seconds. A smile began to bloom across his face like snow accumulating on a rooftop.
“Yes!”
Chad nodded firmly, affirming his certainty.
“Hehehehe.”
“He truly consumed the Sword Master’s legacy? How extraordinary.”
Roen and Sheryl smiled with wide eyes, their expressions brimming with astonishment.
“Krhm!”
Glen savored their reactions, dancing slightly with his shoulders while jutting his chin forward.
“My lord, I must caution against such unbridled joy.”
Chad swallowed dryly and lifted his gaze with resolve.
“Raon discovered that the Sword Master was an ancestor of our Zigheart, and that the land where his tomb rests also belongs to Zigheart!”
“What?”
Glen’s eyes widened in surprise—this much he had not anticipated.
“The Sword Saint was a Zigheart Ancestor?”
“Yes! It’s an undeniable fact. Not just the Gwangpung Corps and Gonggeom Unit, but even the Neutral Factions that emerged from the Tomb—they all gave the same testimony.”
Chad nodded rapidly.
“I never could have imagined that.”
Sheryl let out an incredulous laugh.
“Hahaha, Raon truly accomplished something remarkable.”
Roen clapped his hands, his usual smile deepening.
“It’s far more than a mere accomplishment. History itself has been rewritten!”
Chad too waved his hands excitedly.
“Ahem, ahem!”
Glen cleared his throat and touched his increasingly reddening cheeks.
“I’m… just a little pleased.”
As Roen, Sheryl, and Chad’s reactions grew more animated, the corners of his mouth continued to rise.
“If that land belongs to us, we should send people to manage it. Since it’s somewhat distant, we ought to establish our presence firmly from the start.”
Sheryl stroked his chin, suggesting that it would be wise to begin administration immediately.
“Of course that’s true, but there’s no need to rush.”
Chad shook his head with a faint smile.
“Why is that?”
“Actually, after Raon left the Tomb…”
He told them how Raon had crushed hundreds of heads and established the Sword Scar Land.
“So it has already become a sacred ground?”
“Indeed. Though he alone shattered hundreds of heads—or rather, skulls—without taking a single life, that very restraint kindled both greater terror and reverence. Thus it became a sacred ground bearing the name Sword Scar Land.”
Chad exhaled a breath of disbelief at his own words.
“Roen!”
Glen turned his gaze and called out Roen’s name.
“I’m writing it down now. ‘From this moment forward, this land belongs to Zigheart. I grant you ten seconds. Lay down your weapons or leave. Choose one.'”
Roen began transcribing into the Raon Gospel the very words Raon had proclaimed before the Sword Master’s Tomb.
“That fellow really pulled off something remarkable.”
Sheryl too made no effort to hide her refreshed laughter, delighted by Raon’s exploits.
“Why do you praise him so?”
Glen turned his head as though questioning when he had ever ordered the Raon Gospel to be written.
“It is only natural to do so once Zigheart’s Land has been established!”
Yet even as he spoke of it as merely natural, his earlobes flushed crimson, and his mouth curved upward so sharply toward his cheekbones that even from behind, his smile was unmistakable.
“So when will the children return?”
Glen could not contain his excitement, even referring to them not as the Gwangpung Corps but as “the children.” His voice trembled.
“They went to Valcar, but they should return soon.”
“…I see.”
Glen sighed, disappointed they were not returning immediately. As he unconsciously began bouncing his leg, the entire Patriarch’s Hall began to shake.
“Head of House! They will return shortly, so please do not worry.”
“Yes. They are bringing gifts, so it is only natural they are a bit delayed.”
Sheryl and Roen exchanged faint smiles as they watched dust fall from the ceiling.
“Who said I was worried? I was merely curious!”
Yet contrary to his words, the Patriarch’s Hall began to tremble with increasing violence.
“And there is one more matter I must inform you of.”
Chad erased the smile that had bloomed on his face and lowered his gaze.
“As you likely know well, the Elder Council currently occupies the Annex Building and is conducting inspections. I hear they are being quite blatantly oppressive.”
He furrowed his brow as if displeased with the Council’s actions.
“They intend to control Raon through Sylvia.”
Roen’s eyes narrowed, a rare occurrence.
“Hmm, shall I go and handle it?”
Sheryl rolled her shoulders lightly, as if ready to sweep the matter away immediately.
“The Elder Council’s inspection authority is a provision passed down since the founding. As a measure for separation of powers, even the Patriarch’s Hall cannot obstruct it.”
Glen shook his head calmly.
“Still, we could if we wanted to, could we not?”
Sheryl furrowed her brow.
“True. We could obstruct them. But they have been waiting for exactly that—they would then escalate with even more vicious provocations through other means.”
Glen shook his head as if reading the Elder Council’s intentions.
“So we must fight using the Annex Building’s strength.”
Roen nodded his chin calmly.
“But the Annex Building has no authority whatsoever. It will be difficult even to endure.”
Chad swallowed dryly, worry evident in his expression.
“That’s true. However, the Gwangpung Corps Commander has made an extraordinary contribution this time.”
Glen gazed down at Chad, his eyes flashing with a cold gleam.
“It wouldn’t be unreasonable to grant him one wish.”
Chad understood the meaning behind those words and immediately rose to his feet.
“I’ll inform him at once!”
*
*
*
Ten days had passed since the Elder Council’s inspection began.
“There seems to be something hidden beneath this floor. Open it up.”
“The window frame is warped! Smash it!”
“I see a gap in the ceiling! Tear it out!”
The Elder Council’s warriors destroyed perfectly intact floors, walls, and ceilings before immediately finding fault with the next thing.
“How can you leave these filthy things uncleaned!”
“The cleaning is absolutely abysmal. I’m marking the sanitary conditions as the worst possible.”
“Did they actually think of preparing and eating food in a place like this? This is worse than a beggar’s den.”
Without even bothering to clear away the debris they had scattered, they instead mocked and tormented the maids who were cleaning up after them.
“We apologize.”
“We’ll clean it up right away.”
“Please wait just a moment.”
The maids of the Annex Building endured the Elder Council warriors’ tyranny in silence to avoid causing trouble for Raon and Sylvia, tidying the ransacked residence and personally repairing the broken ceilings and floors.
After ten days of relentless labor, their hands and feet bore blue bruises.
Sylvia also worked alongside the maids to organize the Annex Building and assist with the cleaning.
Despite enduring the harshest torment from Crisson and the Elder Council warriors, she bore it all with the same composure as before.
“My lady.”
Helen approached Sylvia, who was clearing away the debris of the collapsed wall, and bowed her head.
“Please rest for a moment. You’ve been working non-stop since dawn.”
“I’m fine. You rest first, Helen.”
Sylvia smiled and patted Helen’s shoulder.
“I’m all right, but the children are struggling.”
Helen set down the rag, blackened with grime, and sighed. She bit her lip, thinking that the maids would soon collapse.
“That’s true. But there’s no way around it right now.”
Sylvia shook her head.
“Using force is exactly what they want.”
The Vice-Leader was harassing the Annex Building through legitimate means.
If I forcibly used power here, it would cause grave harm to Raon, exactly as they desired.
“You understand well.”
A quiet voice came from the right. When I turned my gaze, Dogyae was sitting on a broken window frame.
“The Elder Council is full of serpentine old men like that. One reason I left the Elder Council was because I didn’t want to see the faces of such old men.”
Dogyae furrowed his brow, saying there were far more contemptible old men than virtuous ones.
“Your sighs were so loud they even ruined my drink.”
With those words, he tossed a small piece of paper he’d been holding and vanished.
“Ah….”
I unfolded the paper Dogyae had given me and clenched my fists. With newfound resolve, I nodded and left the Annex Building.
“Dig deeper over there! Don’t stop working!”
Crisson, his jaw wrapped in bandages, was instructing the handmaidens to excavate the Garden.
Most of the handmaidens were exhausted, their hands trembling, while only Judith and her younger sister Jubel tirelessly moved their arms so the others could rest.
“Ah, that’s enough over there. Now dig on the opposite side.”
Crisson sneered mockingly at the handmaidens before ordering them to excavate another location.
As a result, the Garden that had once bloomed with flowers lay devastated as though ravaged by war.
The Vice-Leader sat at an elegant table positioned in the center of the ruined Garden, enjoying refreshments.
“Vice-Leader.”
Sylvia approached him with serene eyes and bowed her head.
“What is it?”
The Vice-Leader set down his teacup with graceful composure and nodded slightly.
“Perhaps it would be wise to stop now.”
“Stop?”
He lifted his gaze with a sneer playing across his lips.
“Even after ten days, you haven’t abandoned that arrogance. How presumptuous.”
“….”
Sylvia said nothing, regarding the Vice-Leader with calm, unwavering eyes.
“It is I who will end this situation, not you. Do not forget who holds the authority to decide.”
The Vice-Leader twisted his lips upward as he watched the handmaidens laboring with blood-stained hands.
“If you don’t wish to see them suffer, you should know what to do. Your current path is not the right one.”
“For a moment of comfort, bowing one’s head to a filthy human is hardly a virtuous choice either.”
“To the very end….”
His lips twisted into a cruel smile.
“Do you truly believe the permit’s expiration date will save you? Your delusion runs far too deep. Renewing a permit is a trivial matter.”
The Vice-Leader raised his voice, asking if I intended to see this through to the end.
“It is you, Vice-Leader, who harbors a grave misunderstanding.”
“What?”
“I offer this counsel with genuine concern for your welfare. Let me speak plainly one final time—for your own sake, it would be wise to withdraw now. Should you do so, I shall overlook everything that has transpired until this moment.”
Sylvia’s eyes gleamed with the confidence of one who held the upper hand.
“You’ve lost your mind. Very well—let us see how far you dare to go!”
The Vice-Leader ordered Crisson to obtain a new permit at once.
“Do as you wish.”
Sylvia turned from the Vice-Leader and approached the handmaidens who were digging into the earth.
“My lady, we are fine.”
“Y-yes, truly. Do not concern yourself.”
“We can endure as long as necessary!”
Judith and the handmaidens shook their heads, urging me not to worry.
“I am truly sorry.”
Sylvia smiled faintly and let the letter from Dogyae, which she had been clutching tightly, fall into the excavated earth.
[Raon Zigheart confirmed to return by this evening. He will be granted authority to prevent the Elder Council’s tyranny. -Dogyae]
Judith and the handmaidens’ eyes widened at the intelligence from the Bi-Yeon Society delivered through Dogyae’s hand.
“Just hold on a little longer.”
Sylvia smiled faintly as she buried the paper beneath the soil.
“You will witness their heads—their minds—shattered into pieces.”
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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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