The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 657
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 657
-Did that old fool eat nothing but stale bread and lose his mind!
Wrath’s eyes widened in disbelief at the absurdity of it all.
‘Be quiet.’
I covered Wrath’s mouth and turned my gaze toward Glen Zigheart.
‘What on earth is happening here?’
Even though the information Oma had provided to Glen Zigheart was exceptional, it wasn’t something I couldn’t have predicted entirely.
Suddenly handing over the martial arts manuals was far removed from any normal compensation.
‘What scheme did that foolish elf concoct this time…’
I couldn’t fathom what trick had been employed to warrant handing over five martial arts manuals for such trivial information.
“Are you truly giving me these martial arts manuals?”
“There’s no need to be so flustered.”
Glen Zigheart shook his head, his eyes gleaming softly like moonlight filtered through clouds.
“I merely gave you the manuals I was planning to discard.”
He waved his hand dismissively, claiming he had simply retrieved the martial arts manuals he had originally intended to throw away.
“Hmm…”
I suppressed a groan and scanned through the titles of the martial arts manuals one by one.
‘Extinction Sword Technique, Blood-Chasing Manual, Remnant Wind Sword Formula, Strong Current Body Technique…’
There were five martial arts manuals in total, and their titles were far from ordinary. Judging solely by their names, they all appeared to be advanced martial arts.
“Each of these martial arts has a screw loose, so to speak. However, seeing the Hwigwangryu you created, I thought it better to pass them on rather than discard them. There’s no need to thank me.”
Glen simply closed his eyes as if the matter held no significance whatsoever. Yet his words stretched longer than usual, and his voice trembled ever so slightly.
“As I said, it’s not some remarkable martial technique. It’s merely compensation for the information you provided, so there’s no need to thank me.”
Just as I was about to bow my head in gratitude, Glen beat me to it.
“Regardless, I appreciate it.”
I offered a faint smile and bowed to Glen. Even if it were truly a martial technique he’d set aside to discard, there was certainly something to be learned from it. I was simply grateful.
“Ahem!”
Glen cleared his throat and turned his back toward the Lake once more. The darkening sky obscured his face, but his earlobes appeared to be flushed red, as if scorched by flame.
“By the way…”
Glen’s gaze shifted slightly.
“Did that fellow—no, did the Gale Wind Squad Leader teach you martial techniques?”
He posed the question as if he already knew about Rimer.
“Yes, he did.”
“What martial technique was it?”
“Well…”
I concealed my trembling fingertips.
‘Should I tell him?’
The martial technique Rimer had taught me was no ordinary cultivation method—it was Garunua, the technique practiced by Sepia’s Guardians among the Elves. Revealing this didn’t seem like something I could simply brush past.
However, given Rimer’s nature, there was a high probability he’d already spread word of it himself, and Glen might have already discerned the truth. If I lied, he’d see through it immediately.
“It’s a martial technique called Garunua.”
I exhaled and revealed the fact that I had learned Garunua.
“…The Song of Wind, then.”
Glen’s eyes widened the moment he heard the name Karun.
“That is correct.”
“Hmm.”
He bit his lip, as if confirming whether he already knew about Karun as expected.
“Head of House. The Gwangpung Corps Leader is… hmm?”
I was about to fabricate words to defend Rimer when Glen’s expression hardened with grave intensity.
Yet it resembled not a diplomat who had failed negotiations, but a swordsman who had tasted defeat in battle.
“Ugh….”
Glen released a pained groan as he gazed at the martial arts manual he had set down.
“Head… Head of House?”
“No!”
He clenched his molars and turned his head away.
“I shall take my leave.”
Glen vanished into the darkness with those words, moving so swiftly that not even his back was visible.
-Why is that old man acting like this?
Wrath shook his head in bewilderment.
‘I have no idea either.’
I exhaled deeply and picked up the Extinction Sword Method from the top of the scattered martial arts manuals, unrolling it to examine its contents.
‘This is….’
Having studied and observed numerous martial arts recently, I was certain even without reading it all.
This manual was no discardable item. It was unmistakably an ascending technique, with its forms meticulously subdivided to facilitate the creation of new methods.
‘Was this prepared for me?’
Now that I thought about it, Glen had mentioned it would be better to give me the name of Hwigwangryu. It seemed he had prepared this in advance.
‘That’s right. That makes sense.’
It made no sense to discard a martial arts manual of this caliber. It appeared Glen intended to bestow a reward upon me for looking after his mother.
“Thank you.”
I bowed respectfully toward the direction Glen had departed, brushing the dirt from the martial arts manual with my hand as a faint smile crossed my face.
‘It’s time to enter the Cultivation Chamber again.’
-You’ve thought well, boy.
Wrath nodded in approval.
-A young pup like you must focus entirely when the time comes. Jumping from one thing to another accomplishes nothing!
‘I was worried, but I’m grateful you accepted it.’
I chuckled softly and gently patted Wrath’s head.
-Hm? What are you saying?
‘When I enter the Cultivation Chamber, I’ll only be eating rubber bread. I’m relieved you’ll endure it with me.’
-Uh…
Only then did Wrath’s eyes widen as the thought of rubber bread crossed his mind.
-No! Cancel it! Don’t go in at all! I hate rubber bread!
‘I’ll spread jam on it for you.’
-Aaaaah! Rubber bread is still rubber bread even with jam on it!
*
*
*
“Ugh…!”
Rimer watched Glen depart from the Lake, frantically running his hands through his hair.
“Why in the world is that old geezer acting like this!”
I had endured it, held it back, but now my patience was truly on the verge of snapping.
“He says he’ll give away the martial arts manual he was trying to discard! I picked it up, but he won’t even accept it!”
I had baked bread, cooked meat, sliced vegetables, and prepared an elaborate spread.
All he had to do was pick up food with a fork and eat, but Glen didn’t just kick the table aside—he flipped the entire thing over. My insides were boiling with rage.
“Hehehehe.”
Roen chuckled benevolently and shook his head.
“It seems the Head of House is far more bashful than we anticipated.”
“That’s not bashfulness—that’s just being completely stubborn and thick-headed! Ugh, how frustrating!”
Rimer swept back his bird’s-nest-like hair and ground his teeth.
“I’ve done everything I could, yet he still acts like this.”
I had deliberately provoked Glen and passed hints to Raon about Karun and how to obtain the martial arts manual from Glen.
Raon had moved exactly as expected, but Glen ignored the flower path right in front of him and stepped straight into the mud. He truly was incomprehensible.
“I’m getting frustrated too.”
Sheryl lifted her back from the rock and nodded.
“He spent all night selecting that martial arts manual, only to try to discard it. It’s absurd.”
She sighed, exasperated.
“All night? So he was searching through martial arts manuals the entire time?”
“Yes. He was looking for a martial arts manual that would suit the Gwangpung Corps, even visiting the Treasury repeatedly.”
Sheryl clicked her tongue briefly, mentioning that all the martial arts manuals she had given to Raon were precious ones.
“Ah! Now that I hear that, my heart aches even more! This is an internal injury! A real internal injury!”
Rimer tapped his chest and furrowed his brow.
“I’m done now! I even gave up gambling to help! Never again! This is harder than matchmaking!”
He brushed his hands clean, saying he needed to get back to gambling.
“Isn’t the Gambling House closed today?”
Roen tilted his head in confusion.
“A gambling house doesn’t have days off.”
“What about the internal repairs?”
“Of course that’s a lie. Gamblers are the type who’d play cards in the bathroom if the Gambling House was under repair.”
Rimer scratched the bridge of his nose, warning them not to underestimate gamblers.
“But why did you suddenly step in?”
Sheryl narrowed her eyes as she looked at Rimer.
“They say people die if they do something they don’t normally do. Did you catch some illness?”
“I’m an Elf.”
Rimer snorted, as if asking what nonsense she was spouting.
“Elves are naturally capricious by nature.”
He vanished toward the Gambling House, insisting he shouldn’t be treated like a human.
“If that’s not human, then who is?”
Sheryl let out an exasperated sigh.
“Hehehehe.”
Roen smiled warmly, not at Rimer, but at Raon reading the Book of Martial Arts by the Lake.
“You’ve grown remarkably strong. Soon we won’t be able to keep up with you.”
“Indeed.”
Sheryl turned her gaze away and nodded.
“When I first saw him, he was just a little boy who couldn’t even run properly.”
She smiled faintly as old memories surfaced.
“Since you’ve recently seen the Demon King, you must have a rough sense of things. Do you think Young Master Raon can win?”
“Right now, I’d say it’s about 3 to 7 odds. However….”
Sheryl brushed through the martial arts tome Raon was reading and adjusted her side hair.
“If that fellow brings a new martial technique, there’s no telling what might happen.”
*
*
*
“Something’s strange….”
Chad, the leader of the Bi-Yeon Society, muttered the word strange repeatedly with his forehead pressed against the desk.
“No matter how much I think about it, something’s strange….”
Why hasn’t he come to find me?
It had been quite some time since I prepared, anticipating that Raon would come seeking me out, yet he showed no intention of coming.
‘I don’t understand the reason.’
I gave Raon a hint about entering the Sword Master’s Tomb, and when I worried he might be in danger, I found the tomb’s location and sent Aris; I moved quickly to create a connection between Zigheart and the Sword Master’s Tomb.
Finally, I compiled detailed information about the Vice-Leader and his harassment of the Annex Building and handed it over to Dogyae.
Without using other informants and moving directly myself to minimize time, Raon didn’t even come seeking the Bi-Yeon Society, nor did he offer a single word of gratitude.
‘Why is that?’
If it were Jinmu Jeonju Valdemar, I could understand. Even if he helped with all his heart, he’d simply say, “Ah. Yes. Good work,” and move on.
But Raon is different. His nature resembles his grandfather Glen’s—he settles debts and favors with absolute clarity.
He must realize how significant my assistance has been, yet I cannot fathom why he remains silent.
“Sigh….”
Chad exhaled deeply and rose to his feet.
‘This is not something I can leave unaddressed.’
His instincts, honed through years of reading the room and navigating carefully, spoke clearly. Raon, no matter his current limitations, was still a branch master, and with fortune’s favor, he could ascend to Head of House.
He could not afford to let such a relationship languish.
‘Very well. If I cannot understand, I shall investigate myself.’
Chad resolved to uncover the reason directly and stood from his seat.
He left the Bi-Yeon Society building and immediately sought out Aris. She was packing her belongings, apparently preparing to depart the Family Estate.
“Chad. What brings you here?”
Aris smiled brightly and waved her hand.
“Have you come to see me off?”
“No. It’s not that….”
Chad swallowed dryly and approached Aris.
“Lady Aris. Did you not refrain from visiting the Sword Master’s Tomb in order to protect the Gwangpung Corps Master?”
“That’s right. Thanks to that, I was able to save Raon. It was a truly dangerous situation.”
Aris gave a thumbs up, indicating it had been a sound judgment.
“Have you perhaps mentioned this to Lord Raon?”
“Hmm? Now that you mention it, I haven’t. Things were too urgent.”
She laughed and shook her head.
“Ah….”
Chad’s hands trembled as he met Aris Zigheart’s innocent gaze.
‘Surely not….’
Had they both kept their mouths shut?
The worst possibility crossed my mind—that neither Aris Zigheart, who had saved Raon, nor Dogyae, who had revealed the Vice-Leader’s information, had told Raon anything.
It was entirely plausible, given that both Aris Zigheart and Dogyae were formidable beings who paid little attention to others.
“I just greeted Raon a moment ago. It would be awkward to go back again. You tell him directly.”
Aris Zigheart patted my shoulder and left the Dormitory.
“Ah….”
Chad’s mouth fell agape as he watched Aris Zigheart’s retreating figure.
‘Please, no. Please, no!’
I forced down the hypothesis forming in my mind and went to find Dogyae.
He was drinking while watching the former Vice-Leader Kiluwan digging in the Annex Building.
“Khuuu! No need for side dishes! The alcohol goes down smoothly! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
“Um, um, Dogyae.”
Chad approached Dogyae’s side, swallowing hard.
“Hm? It’s Chad.”
Dogyae lowered the bottle to his side and nodded.
“Perfect timing. Those fellows ended up digging because of you too. Let’s enjoy it together.”
He poured alcohol into an empty cup and handed it over.
“Th-thank you. But, Dogyae…”
Chad accepted the drink with trembling hands and called out to Dogyae.
“Did you perhaps mention to Raon that I provided you with information about the Vice-Leader and his misdeeds?”
“Hm?”
Dogyae rubbed his temple with the bottle, then shook his head.
“I’m too drunk to remember clearly. I probably did, though?”
He chuckled and took another sip.
“Ugh…”
Chad squeezed his eyes shut, just as I had done before.
‘Damn it all!’
Now the answer to why I hadn’t sought him out became clear.
His worst assumption upon arriving here had proven correct—Aris Zigheart, Dogyae, and the others had said nothing to me about any of this.
‘This won’t do.’
He would have to reveal it himself, however shameful.
Confessing his own actions was certainly embarrassing, but he had endured far too much suffering to remain silent.
‘Let’s go!’
Chad clenched his fists and headed toward the 5th Training Ground where I would be.
*
*
*
“Until I return, I’m counting on you to look after the Gwangpung Corps and the Annex Building.”
Raon entered the Cultivation Chamber of the 5th Training Ground, his eyes meeting those of Burren, Martha, Lunan, and the others.
“Understood. Go in without worry.”
Martha nodded briskly, as if to say there was nothing to be concerned about.
“Mm.”
Lunan blinked, saying he would have ice cream ready when I came out.
“Um…”
Burren approached Raon and tilted his head curiously.
“That sea spirit on your shoulder—it seems quite angry right now?”
The sea spirit that Raon had acquired was now thrashing wildly upon his shoulder.
“Ah, it’s dancing right now. It’s happy, you see.”
Raon tapped the spirit’s head lightly as if it were nothing. The spirit flailed about even more wildly, as though seized by madness.
“I… I see?”
Now that he mentioned it, it did seem like dancing. Though the spirit’s eyes glowing a vivid crimson was certainly unsettling.
“Then.”
Raon waved his hand lightly and entered the Cultivation Chamber.
“A new martial technique!”
Crain laughed with satisfaction, interlacing his fingers.
“Isn’t it incredibly exciting? It must be superior to Hwigwangryu!”
“What appeals to me most is that the entire Gwangpung Corps will learn it. We’ll be able to use it effectively.”
Martha leaned her back against the wall of the Cultivation Chamber and licked her lips in anticipation.
“It won’t be better. Just as I tailored the Hwigwangryu to suit the maidservants of the Annex Building, the technique Raon creates will be shaped to fit us. There’s no hierarchy in strength.”
Burren answered calmly and withdrew from the Cultivation Chamber.
“Team 1 is on watch today, right?”
“Yes. You should hurry and go.”
Martha waved her hand dismissively.
“I’m staying.”
Lunan pulled out a box of pearl-shaped ice cream from his pocket, declaring he would remain here.
“Please, just go.”
“No.”
Burren watched the two of them bicker before turning away.
As he exited the Training Ground heading toward the Main Mansion, he spotted Chad rushing toward him.
“Vice-Leader?”
His flushed face suggested something of great importance had occurred.
“Ah, Captain of Team 3. Have you… perhaps seen the Gwangpung Corps Commander?”
The fact that he was searching for Raon made it clear this was truly urgent.
“He’s entered closed-door cultivation.”
“Ah…”
Chad’s complexion drained like someone struck by illness. His expression resembled that of a man who had lost something precious.
“If it’s important, I can relay the message. He only just entered closed-door cultivation, so it should still be manageable.”
“No, no. It’s not that important…”
He shook his head and turned away. His slumped shoulders made him look like a defeated soldier, and what sounded like an odd whimper escaped him.
‘What was that about?’
Burren Zigheart tilted his head as he watched Chad’s back, then headed toward the Medical Tent in the Main Mansion.
After greeting the swordmaster guarding the Medical Tent, he stood before the infirmary door at the innermost section.
“Hah….”
He straightened his hair and clothes, took a slow, measured breath, then opened the infirmary door and stepped inside.
Soft sunlight filtered through the infirmary, illuminating a single bed upon which sat Karun, his complexion pallid.
“You called for me.”
Burren Zigheart entered the infirmary and bowed his head to Karun.
“…Sit.”
Karun slowly raised his hand, gesturing toward the chair beside the bed.
“I’m more comfortable standing.”
Burren Zigheart did not sit in the chair, only stepping forward with one foot.
“Very well.”
Karun nodded calmly and turned his gaze away. His eyes burned with a quiet intensity.
Despite his grave injuries, his commanding presence remained undiminished.
“Burren.”
“Yes.”
Karun’s eyes flashed like lightning.
“Have you no desire to return to the Central Intelligence Agency?”
“….”
Burren Zigheart’s eyes widened at the unexpected proposition.
“I shall grant you the position of Unit Commander of a newly formed military force. And….”
Karun continued speaking with calm composure, as though he had prepared these words beforehand.
“I will teach you directly.”
“Mm….”
Burren couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.
Father’s teachings and becoming the Unit Leader of my former organization. These were things I had yearned for in my dreams.
No, more than anything, the fact that Father needed me made my heart race wildly.
Burren closed his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he parted his lips with composure.
“I….”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————