The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 68

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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 68

Two days later, at dawn.

Rimer stood atop the platform of the Training Ground before the sun had risen.

The trainees gazed at him with eyes that mingled tension and anticipation.

“I say this one last time. Outside the family, anything can happen. Doubt, and doubt again. If it becomes too much, turn back without hesitation.”
“Yes!”

His gaze fell upon Raon, who stood at the very front of the trainees. Raon nodded calmly in acknowledgment.

“Then depart. Normally it would take a month, but since I’ve opened the main road, you should arrive in two weeks. I wish you safe travels.”
“Thank you.”

Rimer clapped his hands as he always did during training. The trainees bowed their heads to him and the instructors, then turned to leave.

“Form four columns. Move according to the buddy pairs assigned this morning.”

At Raon’s command, the trainees moved with perfect synchronization.

“Heh.”

Rimer let out a wry laugh at the sight.

‘He created buddy pairs?’

No matter how accomplished he was, he was still just a boy in his teens. To have planned buddy pairs while feeling the tension of embarking on a mission without instructors—his composure was remarkable.

‘That boy never ceases to amaze me.’

Watching Raon, there was never a dull moment. Each time, he sparked fresh anticipation.

‘What surprised me most was the Nine-Flower Pill.’

When I saw Raon consume the Nine-Flower Pill he’d obtained as a reward for defeating Martha, my jaw had dropped involuntarily.

‘I never imagined he’d absorb all of it.’

When one consumed an elixir, there was inevitably wasted energy. The proper way to consume an elixir was to minimize that loss with the help of others, yet Raon had accepted all the elixir’s power entirely on his own. In every way, he was a monstrous creature.

‘He should manage just fine.’

Raon possessed exceptional talent not only in martial prowess and aura, but in perception as well. He’d proven that in his confrontation with the 6th Training Ground, so he would complete the mission without difficulty and return.

“Preparations are complete.”

Raon approached Rimer after finishing his preparations. His eyes were calm and settled. There was neither anticipation nor tension in his gaze.

‘And he’s only fifteen….’

Rimer felt goosebumps rise on his arms as he nodded.

“Depart.”
“Departing.”

He answered quietly, then led the trainees away from the Training Ground.

“….”

Rimer watched the retreating figures of the trainees he’d cultivated for three years for a long while.

After all the trainees had disappeared, the instructors approached him.

“Chief Instructor. Shouldn’t we follow them now?”
“No.”

Rimer shook his head. He clasped his hands together and grabbed the back of his neck, stifling a yawn.

“When there’s someone with supernatural perception, I’ll catch some sleep before heading out.”

He walked directly toward the Chief Instructor’s office.

“Huh….”
“Is that… okay?”
“Shouldn’t we be going now?”

I heard the instructors’ worried voices from behind, but Rimer simply laughed as if he hadn’t noticed.

‘Let them worry about the orcs instead of those kids.’

*

*

*

I walked at the head of the column and glanced back. The forty-two trainees moved in four rows, but they were divided into three factions.

The first was the Branch Family faction centered around Burren Zigheart. The Branch Family members followed Burren like he was their master.

The second was the Vassal Family faction that opposed the Branch Family. However, since Lunan Slion—who should have been their center—was stuck right beside me, their position had become somewhat ambiguous.

The third was the recommended trainees from commoner backgrounds. They had received my help during the temporary trainee period and had continued to follow me ever since.

And finally, Martha—an exceptional existence who belonged to none of them.

I surveyed all the trainees’ faces, then closed my eyes.

In truth, I had thought it didn’t matter what they did or what became of them.

Though I held the status of a trainee and belonged to Zigheart, I never considered myself one of them. I had only planned to elevate Sylvia above the main family and leave.

But.
Through the sparring with the Owen Kingdom, the first mission, and the battle with the 6th Training Ground, I had come to realize it wasn’t that simple.

As I shared the same heart with them and spent more time together, I had grown fond of them—just a little.

‘Mother’s words weigh on my mind too.’

Sylvia’s voice, asking me as the top trainee to show the bearing of an old Zigheart swordsman, still echoed in my chest.

‘This is difficult.’

Perhaps because I had lived as an assassin, looking after my own people was harder than killing enemies and destroying them.

“We’ll rest here for a moment.”

I stopped before a colossal tree so vast that five grown men stretching their arms could not encircle it. The trainees leaned their backs against the trunk and sank down.

“I have something to say.”

I stood before them as they drew water and caught their breath.

“Some of you may dislike me, but for now, I am your chief instructor.”

My calm voice stating the facts drew varied reactions—some clenched their fists, others nodded in acknowledgment, and still others showed no response at all.

“I know there are those among you who didn’t take the monster subjugation mission seriously, or came with the giddy excitement of a pleasure outing. Your hearts are free, but if you approach it with that playful mindset, either you or your comrade behind you will become a casualty.”
“Mm….”

The trainees who truly harbored such thoughts lowered their heads slightly in shame.

“As the chief instructor said, anything can happen during a mission. Don’t move recklessly—follow my orders.”
“Yes.”
“Understood!”

Lunan and the recommended trainees answered loudly, while Martha and the Vassal Family trainees nodded in agreement.

“….”

The Branch Family trainees remained silent, watching Burren’s expression.

“Of course.”

Burren poured water over his own head and stood up.

“I said it when our duel at the 6th Training Ground ended—I acknowledged you as chief instructor. If the orders are reasonable, I’ll charge into the jaws of death itself. But if it brings shame to the Zigheart name, I won’t follow your orders.”
“What do you think it means to uphold Zigheart’s honor?”
“To know honor as a swordsman. To help the weak, to stand tall before the strong, and to never show shameful conduct through diligent training.”
“….”

I gazed silently into Burren’s eyes.

“I haven’t forgotten that I envied you, provoked you, and brought shame to the Zigheart name by refusing to accept the judgment. Because I know this, I’m saying these words now. From this moment forward, I will never show shameful conduct.”

Burren struck his chest with his clenched fist. His eyes burned with a deep, verdant green—his resolve made visible.

‘He’s changed so much.’

To confess his own mistakes before so many people and pledge to do better—it was not the behavior one would expect from a fifteen-year-old boy.

“Then I understand.”

I nodded. If Burren had transformed this much, it seemed right to trust him. I placed the water I’d been drinking back into my bag and turned to leave.

“Let’s move out again.”

*

*

*

Burren watched me forge ahead through the snow, my small frame cutting through the white expanse. Though I’d recovered my health and appeared appropriate for my age, I was still smaller than the other trainees, including himself.

‘And yet….’

The magnitude of my vessel bore no comparison to that of the other trainees.

As we traveled to complete the mission, he observed me continuously and came to a piercing realization: the endurance I’d displayed during training was nothing—absolutely nothing.

Raon never tires. Or rather, even if exhaustion came, I never showed it.

While the other trainees struggled against the cold and fatigue, I remained perpetually calm and composed. Because of this, the tension of those following behind me eased, and their physical exertion diminished considerably.

‘If that one had departed alone, he might have arrived long ago….’

It was no idle thought.
As the top trainee, I always stood watch through the night. I was the only one who never once dozed off.

‘My martial prowess must have grown even stronger.’

Half a year ago, I’d defeated Cain, a direct lineage member two years my senior. By now, I must have advanced further—perhaps reaching the advanced or even supreme tier among Sword Users.

To be honest, I increasingly felt that I couldn’t win.

‘But I won’t give up.’

I hadn’t exerted myself as much as Raon yet, and abandoning a rival wasn’t befitting of the Zigheart name.

Crunch!

Burren Zigheart gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

Thanks to Raon, I’d regained my senses. To repay that debt, I would catch up to him.

‘Wait for me, Raon Zigheart.’

*

*

*

Colorful roofs arranged in elegant harmony, as if peacock feathers were scattering in the breeze—the pride of Sebu Village, the rainbow-ringed roofs.

After arriving near Sebu Village in two weeks, Raon and the trainees stood on a hill, looking down at the village.

“There it is.”
“Finally….”
“Phew, now we can sleep indoors.”

The trainees, exhausted from sleeping rough, smiled as they rubbed their shoulders and lower backs.

“Sebu Village….”

Though I’d never been here before, I’d done some research for the mission. It was a small village where a handful of people lived by farming, with no special products or tourist attractions.

Monsters descended from the mountains only once every few years, so it wasn’t particularly noteworthy as a mission. Indeed, wooden palisades had been erected around the village to ward off monsters.

“Let’s head down.”

After surveying the entire village and the mountainous terrain surrounding it, I nodded.

“Yes!”

The trainees tightened their packs and descended the mountain behind Raon.

‘Hmm?’

I narrowed my eyes into crescents and bowed my head slightly.

‘What is this?’

A chilling sensation flowed down my back. The same feeling I experienced daily during assassin training. A human’s gaze.

‘An instructor? No.’

It was different from an instructor’s observation—they already knew about me. This was an eerie sensation that scrutinized everything meticulously.

‘No one else senses it.’

The trainees’ faces were rigid with tension about fighting monsters. Burren Zigheart, Martha, and Lunan Slion all wore expressions of complete obliviousness.

‘Of course.’

The sensation was so faint that even I wouldn’t have detected it without my years living as an assassin. It would be strange if the trainees noticed.

I kept my head lowered while rolling my eyes. My aura was still too weak to pinpoint the location.

‘This is troubling.’

I couldn’t determine whether this was a test from the family or some other threat. In such circumstances, concealment was the best approach.

I descended the mountain without speaking. As I deliberately slowed my pace, the sensation grazing my neck began to fade.

It seemed to be fleeing toward the Treasury. This was my opportunity.

Whoosh.

I created a thin barrier with my aura to prevent sound from leaking, then turned around.

“Burren Zigheart.”
“What is it?”

Burren Zigheart lifted his head, concealing the tension beneath his composed expression.

“For this mission, you’ll take the lead and give the orders.”
“Suddenly? What do you mean….”
“On the first mission, only Lunan and I were actively involved. This time, you and the others will be the main force. Prove what you said before.”
“What I said before….”
“That you’d show the bearing of a true Zigheart swordsman.”
“Hmm….”

Burren Zigheart bit his lip. The furrow in his brow showed he was taking my words seriously.

The trainees walked quietly, but their ears and eyes were all fixed on me and Burren Zigheart.

“Fine.”

Burren Zigheart nodded slowly. The hesitation vanished from his eyes.

“I’ll show you clearly that I’ve changed. Let’s go!”
“Yes, sir!”

He quickened his pace with a resounding shout. The Branch Family members following Burren Zigheart moved with renewed vigor.

“You all heard that.”
“Understood.”

The trainees who normally followed me nodded in unison.

“Lunan.”
“Got it.”

Lunan Slion immediately understood and turned to the Vassal Family trainees following him.

“Hmm….”
“Understood.”

The Vassal Family members seemed displeased that momentum was shifting toward Burren Zigheart, their expressions hardening, but they eventually nodded in agreement.

“Martha. I’ll explain the reason later, but for now, consider Burren as the leader.”

I glanced at Martha standing right beside me. She closed her eyes coldly, then opened them again.

“There’s no need for such words. I already told you I’d follow your orders. All you need to do is prove it with results.”

Martha left those words and walked toward Burren.

-Are these young ones beginning to change?

Wrath let out a low voice, as if displeased by something.

-Insolent brats!

As expected, he was a personality wreck who raged at everything.

‘You sense someone observing nearby, don’t you?’
-You noticed? Well, since you inherited my traits, you’d deserve to bite your tongue and die if you didn’t know.
‘Where is he? How many are there?’
-Do you think this king would tell you their location?
‘Just one, then.’
-Huh?
‘You can’t lie, so if you said “him,” it’s only one.’
-You… you bastard….

Wrath trembled with fury, shaking uncontrollably.

‘Even so, there’s still a problem….’

There might be only one observer, but if I included his allies, there could be several. I couldn’t let my guard down until the very end.

“Hmm….”

I smacked my lips as I gazed at the wooden palisade of Sebu Village coming into view.

‘This mission doesn’t seem like it’ll be easy.’

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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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