The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 853

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 853

“Gale Wind Hall?”

Glen Zigheart questioned Karun in return. His eyes narrowed as if he had never even considered such a proposal.

“The name doesn’t have to be Gale Wind. Watching them fight, Mad Dog would suit them better than Gale Wind.”

Karun shook his head calmly.

“I simply wish for the Gwangpung Corps to be promoted to a Hall.”

He straightened his posture, stating that this was his proposal.

“You….”

Glen Zigheart’s gaze sharpened like needles as he looked at Karun.

“What are you thinking?”
“I am always thinking only of Zigheart.”

Karun lifted his composed expression.

“Rimer is dead, and even if Aris returns, it will take considerable time.”

He clicked his tongue briefly, as if displeased.

“I don’t concern myself much with emotions, but I understand that those two were people who eased the atmosphere. The heavy air that now hangs over Zigheart is because of their absence.”

Karun pressed his right foot gently against the marble floor.

“The only thing that can dispel the gloom that has settled over all of Zigheart is to celebrate Raon’s achievement of transcendence and place him at the head of the family.”

He lifted his chin, speaking of how the emergence and recognition of a transcendent—and a young one at that—could invigorate the entire family.

“Soon, rumors of Rimer’s death and Aris losing her power will spread. When talk of Zigheart’s collapse begins to circulate, if we make an official announcement that Raon has achieved transcendence and the Gwangpung Corps has been promoted to a Hall, we can restore Zigheart’s former glory.”

Karun bowed his head, stating that to achieve this, he would need to promote Raon and the Gwangpung Corps to the rank of Division.

“…Is that all?”
“That is all. And….”

He raised his hand to his chest as if assuming a sword stance without a blade.

“Raon Zigheart is more than capable of becoming a Division Commander not merely through martial prowess, but also through his accomplishments.”

Karun’s eyes grew resolute as he declared he would never have made such a recommendation otherwise.

“Heh, you’ve changed.”

Glen let out a hollow laugh, as if taken aback.

“I no longer see you trying to crush your young nephew with brute force.”
“No, sir. I have not changed. The Raon of that time was not my nephew, so even if I returned to those days, I would be the same.”

Karun shook his head, insisting he had not changed.

“That is precisely why you have changed.”

Glen’s lips curved upward with warmth.

“The old you would never have acknowledged crushing Raon. Instead, you would have envied him for making you say such things and harbored thoughts of revenge.”

He regarded Karun with eyes filled with tenderness.

“Yet in your eyes now, I see not a trace of such negativity. Only….”

Glen rose from the Jade Throne and nodded slowly.

“Clarity. Just as it was in those days when you wielded a wooden sword at my side.”

He smiled faintly, remarking that it had been a long time since he had seen eyes so pure.

“…I do not understand.”

Karun lowered his brows with a reluctant expression.

“It took me an incredibly long time to escape the Demon’s Curse. But you and Raon overcame it absurdly quickly. You’re both far superior to me.”

Glen Zigheart nodded approvingly at Karun.

“Hmm….”

Karun’s lips trembled slightly, as if startled by Glen’s words.

“It seems the Head of House has changed quite a bit as well.”
“Yes, it does seem that way.”

The two men, who had always been cold, gazed at each other with eyes that had become somewhat more transparent.

“Since I’ve said all I came to say, I shall take my leave now.”

Karun bowed his head toward Glen as he spoke of his departure.

“I’ll give your proposal serious consideration. And come visit me again soon. I’d like to spar with you after all this time.”

Glen tilted his chin lightly, as if suggesting they cross blades.

“Then I shall see you in two days.”

Karun acknowledged with a nod and left the Patriarch’s Hall with slightly unsteady steps.

“Changed, indeed….”

Glen gazed at the Patriarch’s Hall where Karun had departed and drew a faint smile.

‘I can’t remember the last time I had a conversation like this with Karun.’

Both my transformation and his—

‘It must all be thanks to Raon.’

The turning point for Zigheart’s transformation was Raon. As Raon grew, the Zigheart clan itself experienced both great and small trials, evolving through them.

And the person who raised that Raon was none other than my closest friend—Rimer.

‘Thank you, Rimer.’

Glen Zigheart gazed up at the serene night sky and closed his eyes.

‘Your disciple is transforming this Zigheart.’

*

*

*

Karun locked eyes with Denier as the latter descended the upper staircase while leaving the Patriarch’s Hall.

“Are you returning from visiting Father?”
“Yes.”

Karun stopped in his tracks and nodded.

“I heard you were present when Sia awakened. Quite the remarkable occurrence.”

Denier chuckled softly, remarking that it was intriguing.

“I needed to know what kind of child she was.”

Karun explained that since she would become a member of Zigheart, he simply wanted to see her face.

“So what kind of child was she?”
“I cannot judge yet. Her body is that of an adult, but her mind is that of a five-year-old child.”

He waved his hand, reserving his judgment.

“Hmm, I should visit the Annex Building soon.”

Denier laughed, saying he too wished to see his new niece.

“Surprisingly, you didn’t come earlier.”

Karun’s eyes narrowed with blade-like sharpness.

“What do you find unexpected?”
“Valdemar is always doing as he pleases. I understand if he didn’t show up, but you always make an appearance at these gatherings. What were you doing?”

He observed Denier’s hand turned behind his back with a sunken gaze.

“I was conducting some research.”

Denier brought forward the books he had hidden behind his back, explaining that he had been searching for ways to rapidly restore Aris’s strength. The volumes bore titles related to sorcery.

“Then why have you remained in the Patriarch’s Hall until now? I understand everyone else has already departed.”
“I made a proposal to the Head of House.”
“A proposal?”
“I asked him to promote Raon and the Gwangpung Corps to division status.”

Karun revealed what had transpired with Glen moments earlier, seeing no need for secrecy.

“You recommended Raon as division commander?”

Denier let out a hollow laugh as if bewildered.

“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because Raon Zigheart possesses the qualifications.”
“If Raon becomes division commander, wouldn’t that significantly hinder your goal of becoming Head of House?”

He tilted his chin as if questioning the logic.

“If Raon ascends to Head of House after fair competition, then I was simply the weaker one. There is nothing to resent about that.”
“Hmm….”
“A faction without competition rots and crumbles. It is better that I do not become Head of House than for Zigheart to fall. And besides….”

Karun shook his head, his eyes sharp and unwavering as a blade.

“I have no intention of losing to that boy.”
“Ha….”

Denier let out a hollow laugh while regarding Karun.

“You’ve changed so much that I’m having trouble adjusting.”
“I haven’t changed….”

Karun started to say he hadn’t changed, but then recalled his recent conversation with Glen and shook his head.

“There’s no one who never changes.”

He acknowledged that he himself had changed and nodded.

“That’s why I want to ask you as well.”

Karun turned his ankle and faced Denier directly.

“What exactly are you looking at, Denier?”
“….”

Denier didn’t answer, instead descending the staircase with a faint smile.

“I am the same as my brother. I only ever look upon Zigheart and follow Zigheart.”

With those words, he left the Patriarch’s Hall.

“….”

Karun watched Denier’s retreating figure, then clenched his fist with the hand he’d lowered.

*

*

*

“Hmm….”

Pedrick examined Merlin’s unconscious state and let out a short sigh.

“How is she?”

Raon approached Pedrick’s side and asked about Merlin’s condition.

“There’s nothing wrong with her physical condition. It seems her exhaustion comes from depleting all of her mana reserves.”

Pedrick shook his head, indicating that her bodily state wasn’t dire.

“To have extracted that much mana, she should have endured agony far worse than death itself, yet she remained smiling until the very end. That’s remarkable. And….”

He furrowed his brow, as if something nagged at him.

“Is something troubling you?”
“No, I can’t quite grasp it at the moment….”

Pedrick furrowed his brow again, admitting he sensed something amiss but couldn’t fully comprehend it.

“She’s such an unusual person, after all.”

He shook his head, noting that while Merlin’s body seemed human, it also seemed decidedly inhuman.

“Hmm….”

I watched Merlin’s shallow breathing and bit my lip.

‘Even the Saint would struggle to truly understand her.’

There was no one who concealed themselves so thoroughly.

Merlin sacrificed herself without hesitation, as if her senses were broken. What was peculiar was that unlike her own indifference toward herself, she empathized deeply with others’ struggles. She was truly an enigmatic figure.
What’s also strange is that unlike when it comes to their own body, they show deep empathy toward other people’s matters. In many ways, they were quite an unusual character.

“Unfortunately, all I can do for now is have her consume nutritional supplements.”

Pedrick clicked his tongue apologetically.

“No, that’s more than enough.”

I lowered my head in gratitude.

“You must be exhausted from caring for Sia and my aunt. Thank you for coming despite that.”
“Whose favor was I doing? Of course I had to come! And even without your request, I would have come to check on her.”

Pedrick said he was fine and gathered his medical equipment before standing.

“Then I’ll see you later. I need some rest myself.”

With a weary expression, he opened the door and stepped outside.

“Hmm….”

Pedrick paused as he reached the Entrance Hall to leave. He tilted his head toward Sylvia’s room, from which laughter and crying could be heard.

“Your family is all here—shouldn’t you go join them?”

Pedrick blinked, questioning why I wasn’t with everyone else.

“As Merlin mentioned, Sia’s mind is currently frozen at five years old. She’ll be startled if she sees me, so I thought it best for her to spend time only with Mother and Father for now.”

I shook my head while glancing upstairs. Though I desperately wanted to care for Sia, from her perspective, a man who suddenly appeared would become her brother—it would surely frighten her.

“An uncle? Where would you find an uncle like you!”

Pedrick shook his head vigorously, saying that only someone like Valdemar would be called an uncle.

“Well, I suppose that’s fitting for now.”

He left me with words of encouragement and opened the Entrance Hall door.

“I plan to rest for a while, but if anything happens, call for me immediately.”
“Yes.”
“Then.”

Pedrick said he needed a good long sleep and departed from the Annex Building.

“Thank you.”

I bowed in gratitude until Pedrick disappeared from sight, then closed the door.

From upstairs, the voices of Sylvia, Edgar, and Sia continued to echo down.
Hearing their laughter-tinged voices, an involuntary smile bloomed across my face.

‘I can’t remember the last time I heard laughter like this.’

Since Sia had fallen into her endless sleep, laughter had vanished from the Annex Building.
After Rimer’s death, a curtain of darkness had descended, casting everything in gloom. Now, hearing genuine, unguarded laughter for the first time in what felt like an eternity lifted my spirits.

-A home where people live should naturally be filled with laughter!

Wrath nodded emphatically, remarking that even his own melancholy seemed to be lifting.

‘But you’re a Demon Race…’
-The True Demon King says this every time, but I am far more human than you are!

He tapped my head, telling me to come to my senses.

‘Not right now, you’re not.’

I smiled faintly and turned back toward the guest chamber door, observing Merlin.
I considered removing my mask but decided against it, lowering my hand instead.

‘Have you noticed anything strange about Merlin?’
-Hmm…

Wrath studied Merlin, his expression growing contemplative.

-She appears to be simply sleeping. Why do you ask?

He shook his head, wondering if I had sensed something amiss.

‘When Merlin finished the spell to awaken Sia, her form seemed to flicker as if her existence might fade away. It was like…’

I swallowed the comparison back down—like the last time I saw Rimer.

‘And Merlin said that even with the Soul Stone, awakening Sia wouldn’t be easy. Yet she woke so effortlessly. That’s what troubles me.’
-At that moment, the True Demon King was focused on your sister’s condition and didn’t observe the Mad Woman properly. But I sense nothing unusual about her now.

Wrath shook his head, admitting his uncertainty.

‘Then I suppose it’s fortunate.’

I draped a blanket over Merlin and exhaled deeply.

‘This is suffocating.’
-In times like these, sleep usually helps ease the tension….
‘No, I need to swing a sword.’

I smacked my lips and left the Annex Building, heading toward the 5th Training Ground.

-Come on! Get some sleep now! You’ve stopped your nonsense at dawn, haven’t you?

*

*

*

I spent the night honing my swordsmanship and only returned to the Annex Building as morning broke.

Thanks to Sia’s awakening, I was able to focus entirely on my training for the first time in a long while.

-Ugh, damn bastard….

Wrath, unable to sleep because of the sound of my sword strikes, groaned and clenched his jaw.

-Even if no one else curses you, the True Demon King will curse….
‘Should I throw a party?’

I snapped my fingers at Wrath, who continued spewing curses.

-A, a party? Really?

Wrath’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘Yes. I promised, after all.’

I nodded. I had sent Rimer off, and with Sia awakened, throwing a modest celebration for Wrath didn’t seem like a bad idea.

-That ruffian still hasn’t left?
‘Aunt is….’

I exhaled a short sigh.

‘It seems like it will take a while.’

Aris Zigheart hadn’t taken a single step outside Pedrick’s Residence, cycling between waking and fainting. It would take considerable time for her to stand again.

-Hmm….
‘You don’t need to worry. She’ll definitely be able to get up.’

I shook my head, expressing my faith in Aris Zigheart.

-By the way, the True Demon King is naturally pleased! So how many boxes of ice cream should we….

As I heard Wrath’s drooling sound and opened the entrance to the Annex Building to step inside, that’s when it happened.

“Huh?”

Sia stood before the entrance with her arms crossed confidently.

“You’re late!”

She cried out that I was late in the bright, ringing voice characteristic of a child.

“Huh? Why is Sia here?”

I blinked as I noticed Sylvia, Edgar, and Helen standing behind Sia.

“That’s not it!”

Sia shook her head emphatically.

“Big sister! Call me big sister!”

She pouted her lips, insisting that I call her big sister.

“Eh…?”

Raon’s mouth fell open. Sylvia and Edgar shook their clasped hands together as if pleading with him to comply.

-You said it yourself! She’s still only five years old!

Wrath cackled, insisting that Raon call her sister right away.

“Ugh….”

Raon swallowed dryly and stepped into the Annex Building.

“S-sister?”
“Sister Sia!”
“Sister Sia….”
“Well done!”

Sia lifted her hand and gently stroked his head.

“Ugh….”

Raon’s lips trembled with the same vacant expression Lunan wore.

-Kuheheheheheng!

Wrath burst into raucous laughter, clutching his belly as he mocked him.

You have no allies….

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————