The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 857

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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 857

After sending Denier off, I entered Pedrick’s Residence.

“We have quite a few guests today.”

Pedrick welcomed me warmly, waving his hand with his index and middle fingers pressed together.

“Did the party end well?”
“It’s still going on.”

I shook my head, explaining that everyone was still enjoying themselves.

“Then why did you come here?”

Pedrick waved his hand dismissively, telling me to go back and have fun.

“I brought some dishes and dessert.”

I unwrapped the cloth bundle and placed the freshly prepared buffet dishes and pearl ice cream on the table.

“Please enjoy them now. Since I just made them, they should still be warm.”
“Hmm! I was getting hungry anyway….”

Pedrick gazed at the steaming dishes and smacked his lips with anticipation.

“You’re the only one who looks after me! My so-called friend is too busy stuffing his own face to even show his face.”

He scoffed and snorted derisively at Glen.

“Thank you. I’ll eat well.”
“No, thank you.”

I bowed my head, thanking him for allowing me to stay at Zigheart.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here either. You don’t need to say such things.”

Pedrick clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Honestly, I do miss traveling without a destination, but I’ve decided I won’t leave until Aris is completely healed.”

He smiled faintly, saying he couldn’t abandon a patient and leave.

“So, what should we try first?”

Pedrick deliberated over what to choose before picking up a slice of pizza first.

-Clang! You don’t know how to eat properly! At a buffet, you’re supposed to warm your stomach with hot broth first!

Wrath furrowed his brow in exasperation.

‘Hm? Didn’t you suggest we start with pizza too?’
-W-well, the True Demon King was so hungry because of you that I had no choice but to….
‘Then shouldn’t you warm your stomach even more?’
-La-la-la-la-la!

He hummed a tune and turned his head away, pretending not to hear.

‘Anyway.’

I chuckled softly and picked up the other two wrapped packages.

“I’ll bring some food to my aunt and Merlin.”
“Yes. Aris’s internal injuries have almost completely healed, so she should be able to eat regular food. As for Merlin, it’s a matter of stamina, so this is even better.”

Pedrick nodded, telling me to deliver it well.

“Yes.”

I bowed once more to Pedrick and then knocked on the door to the infirmary where Aris was.

“Come in.”

I opened the door at the sound of Aris’s voice.

“Aunt… huh?”

I was calling out to Aris when my eyes widened. She was doing push-ups with her hands planted firmly on the floor.

I hadn’t expected to find her exercising, so my mouth fell open involuntarily.

“R-Raon?”

Aris seemed to have thought the person knocking was Pedrick, and she gasped sharply the moment she saw me.

“Is it alright for you to be exercising?”

I set the cloth bundle of food on the table and looked at Aris.

“Oh, it’s fine….”

Aris nodded awkwardly with an uncomfortable smile.

“Staying still made me feel like my body was getting stiff, so I thought I’d move around a bit.”

She rolled her shoulders, insisting that her physical condition wasn’t bad.

“I heard you’ve been visiting me often. Thank you.”

Aris lowered her gaze like a criminal bearing a grave sin, her eyes fixed only on her own feet.

“Of course I had to come.”

I shook my head and unfolded the cloth bundle. As I laid out the food on the table, I opened my mouth to speak.

“There’s a small gathering being held at the Annex Building right now, so I brought some food.”
“…I heard. They said it was a celebration for Sia waking up.”

Aris nodded as if she already knew.

“I should have attended, but I’m sorry.”

She still had apologies on her lips.

“It’s fine. You can join us later.”

Following Wrath’s advice, I handed Aris a warm bowl of stew first.

“…Thank you.”

Aris accepted the bowl with trembling hands.

“Let me try some. Oh, this is delicious!”

She moved her spoon with a forced smile that anyone could see through.

“Aunt.”

I closed my eyes briefly, then opened them and grasped Aris’s trembling hand.

“I understand that you carry guilt toward me and the Gwangpung Corps. But we have already properly bid farewell to our Master.”

I shook my head, speaking of how not just I, but all of the Gwangpung Corps had accepted Rimer’s death.

“Our Master departed with a smile, satisfied that he had saved you and Dorian.”

I gripped Aris’s increasingly trembling hand more firmly.

“If you continue to avoid us and respond with such difficulty, that would be an insult to our Master and the entire Gwangpung Corps.”

I gazed at Aris’s wavering eyes and nodded calmly.

“A swordsman of Zigheart who stands with blade in hand always carries death at their back.”
“Mm…”

Aris looked at me, then bit her lip that she had pressed inward.

“Raon. You are truly upright. I envy you, and yet… I regret it too.”
“…”

I understood what the envy and regret in Aris’s words meant, so I exhaled softly.

“Yes. I understand your feelings. Since everyone says so, I should gather my strength too.”

She thanked me and pushed all the stew in her bowl into her mouth.

“Everyone?”

I murmured the word “everyone” and looked toward Aris Zigheart.

“Yes. Denier came by and told me something similar about you.”

Aris Zigheart pointed to a fruit basket sitting atop the wardrobe.

“He’s always seemed like someone hollow inside, but when he encouraged me today, it felt genuine.”

She laughed softly, saying she’d seen Denier again.

“That’s why I’ve been exercising to gather even a little strength.”
“…I see.”

I nodded, maintaining my composed expression.

‘Denier gave her advice?’
-…What exactly is that bastard? What is he thinking?
‘I have no idea.’

For Aris Zigheart to say such things meant there was genuine sincerity behind his words.
It was difficult to fathom what Denier was thinking or what he was aiming for.

‘Why is he trying to wake her up?’

Honestly, for Aris Zigheart to make a comeback would require considerable time, and there was no guarantee she’d return to her original strength.
From a cold, enemy perspective, she held no practical value, so I couldn’t grasp his intentions.

‘Then he’s not an enemy?’

No, if he wanted to use her as a hostage, waking her would be the better choice…

As I tilted my head in confusion, Aris Zigheart shook her chin.

“And there’s one more person.”

Aris Zigheart raised a finger.

“What? One more person?”
“That troublemaker who’s been driving me absolutely crazy….”

As she sighed, the infirmary door burst open.

“Raon!”

It was Merlin. She had her mask askew and was bouncing on her feet.

“You should have come to me first! I’ve been waiting for you, so why haven’t you shown up?”

She complained that I’d been spending all my time playing with Aris instead.

—Hiiieek!

Wrath flinched and swallowed air nervously, even though Merlin wasn’t appearing in animal form anymore.

“That’s her.”

Aris chuckled and pointed at Merlin.

“She said she came here to recover her stamina after waking up. But instead of actually recovering, she just keeps coming to find me and chattering away—I’m exhausted.”

She shook her head, saying Merlin had worn her out with all her strange talk.

“Lady Aris, don’t say such things! We had fun together!”

Merlin muttered her protest and poked Aris’s arm with her elbow. Watching them, it was clear the two had grown quite close.

“I brought something for you too.”

I smiled and unwrapped the bundle of food I’d prepared for Merlin.

“My hand hurts….”

Merlin claimed her perfectly fine hand was aching and hunched her shoulders.

“Your hand?”
“Yeah. So….”

She leaned her upper body forward and parted her crimson lips.

“Will you feed me? Ah!”

Merlin closed her eyes as she asked to be fed directly.

“Here we go again.”

Aris Zigheart let out a hollow laugh as she watched Merlin.

“But she has an absurdly beautiful face, so I don’t understand why she keeps wearing that mask.”

She shook her head, lamenting that Merlin’s appearance was no less striking than Lunan Slion’s or Martha’s.

“Ugh.”

The moment the mask was mentioned, Merlin clamped her mouth shut and adjusted it firmly back into place.

“Merlin?”
“Oh, that’s right—I have some fruit too.”

She said she’d be back in a moment and returned with a fruit basket identical to the one in Aris Zigheart’s room.

“This is….”
“Your uncle brought it.”

Merlin smiled softly, mentioning that Denier had given it to her.

“He was taking care of me so thoughtfully.”

She nodded, saying he seemed like a good person.

“Sister! Let’s eat together!”

Merlin set her own food on the table as well, creating a small buffet.

“Who knew the Queen of Terror, Merlin, could be such a coquette.”

Aris Zigheart let out a hollow laugh, finding it remarkable.

“I don’t do that with just anyone!”

Merlin smiled softly, saying it was only because Raon was here.

“Raon, you certainly seem blessed with good fortune.”

Aris Zigheart chuckled lightly and placed a rib into her mouth.

“It’s not good fortune—it’s my blessing.”

Merlin frowned, insisting that she alone was sufficient.

-No way! It’s the Demon King’s blessing!

Wrath shook his head vigorously, claiming he was the greatest blessing of all.

‘Yes, think whatever you wish….’

I shook my head and gazed at the two fruit baskets Denier Zigheart had brought.

‘Denier Zigheart….’

*

*

*

The next day at noon.

I stood before a massive building that was even more ornate than the Patriarch’s Hall—so lavish that the word “excessive” sprang to mind—and took a shallow breath.

When I knocked on the silver iron gate that rose like a guardian of the structure, the main gate opened with a grand sound, and an intellectually-minded middle-aged man bowed his head.

“We have been awaiting you, Commander of the Gwangpung Corps.”

The middle-aged man slowly raised his head and introduced himself.

“I am Gotarn, Chief Steward of Jinmu Hall.”
“I am Raon of the Gwangpung Corps.”

Raon bowed respectfully in return to Gotarn.

“Please come this way. The Jeonju is waiting for you.”

Gotarn offered to guide me, and we entered the absurdly ornate main mansion of Jinmu Hall.

“Yes.”

I followed Gotarn into the corridors of Jinmu Hall, my eyes sweeping left and right as we walked.

‘There are certainly many decorations…’

But there’s no order to them. It’s impossible to make sense of.

Typically, fine decorative pieces are arranged with balance in mind.

Swords grouped with swords, armor with armor, and artwork with artwork—yet here, luxuries were scattered about haphazardly.
It felt less like the Jinmu Hall of Zigheart and more like wandering through a marketplace.

“Quite chaotic, isn’t it?”

Gotarn chuckled with understanding.

“The Jeonju prioritizes his own desires above all else, so we have no choice but to leave things as they are.”

He shook his head, noting that Valdemar rarely heeded anyone else’s counsel.

“I see.”

I nodded to Gotarn and smacked my lips thoughtfully.

‘I’ve found the right person, indeed.’

Collecting lavish items spoke to vanity, and leaving them scattered about afterward revealed stubbornness.

I had certainly found the perfect person to use as a counterweight against Denier.

“This is the Organization Master’s office.”

Gotarn stopped before Balder’s office, which rivaled even Glen’s Audience Chamber in grandeur.

“Then I shall open the door.”

He rapped his knuckles sharply against the iron door, then pulled the handle.

“Organization Master. I’ve brought a guest.”
“Ah! Is that so?”

Balder, the Jinmu Jeonju, let out a small exclamation while reading a thick book through frameless spectacles.

“….”
“….”

Neither Gotarn nor I spoke. We both recognized how painfully transparent his act was.

“Ahem! The weather was so fine that I indulged in some reading, and time simply flew by.”

Balder set down the pristine book—unmarred by a single fingerprint—and chuckled awkwardly.
He’d attempted to inject theatricality into his voice, but it fell woefully short.

“I pay my respects to the Jinmu Jeonju.”
“Yes, come in.”

He gestured welcomingly toward the sofa positioned to the right.

“Thank you.”

I straightened and took a seat on the sofa beside Balder.

“For you to seek me out—that’s quite unexpected.”

Balder’s acting had already crumbled, and he’d reverted to his usual gruff manner of speech.

“…I shall take my leave.”

Gotarn slipped out with embarrassment, his eyes downcast.

“I came here to ask for your help, Organization Master.”

I got straight to the point the moment I sat down.

“A favor, you say….”

Valdemar nodded as if he’d expected this.

“Go ahead. If it concerns my nephew, I should naturally help!”
“Hmm….”

I felt a bit burdened by his immediate willingness to help. But right now, Valdemar was the only person I could trust.
There was no one else I could rely on.

“I’d like you to keep an eye on the Hyeonmu Hall Master.”
“Denier?”

Valdemar called his older brother by name without hesitation.

“Yes. As you know, Aris hasn’t recovered her strength yet, and I’m worried that Denier might attempt some unproven sorcery on her.”

I sighed, explaining that Denier seemed intent on performing unverified treatments on Aris and feeding her elixirs of questionable origin.

“In other words, he’s playing quack doctor!”

Valdemar compressed my lengthy explanation into a single word: quack.
It was good that I’d come here—he believed my words without question.

“Yes, exactly. A quack.”

I smiled faintly and nodded.

“He’s always been like that—once he fixates on something, he can’t see anything else. Even though he looks blank, he’s stubborn as they come.”

Valdemar snorted, remarking that his brother looked respectable on the surface but was ignorant at heart.

“Regardless, I came here because I thought you were the only person in Zigheart who could handle something like this, Organization Master.”

I bowed my head as I made my request.

“Y-yes? Of course?”

Valdemar’s lips curled upward in a wide smile, pleased by the implication that only he could accomplish such a task.

“Ahem, well, it’s certainly within my capabilities, but… I’ve been rather occupied developing new techniques lately, so I’m not sure if I’ll have the time?”

He glanced at me sideways while muttering that his technique development wasn’t progressing well.

“…Once I return from my mission, I would be honored to examine the techniques you’re developing, Jeonju.”

I had anticipated this price from the beginning, so I nodded immediately.

“Y-you really mean it?”

Valdemar shot to his feet, clearly not expecting such a swift agreement.

“Yes, of course. You’re already using your precious time, so I’m the one who benefits.”
“Excellent! That’s my nephew for you—always so straightforward! Alright! I’ll even keep tabs on how many pieces of bread that man eats!”

He called out for me not to worry and patted my back firmly.

“Thank you. And please keep this matter confidential.”
“Confidential? Why?”
“Denier is also taking action for Aris’s sake. I don’t want to embarrass him.”

I clasped my hands together and asked him to simply watch for any unusual behavior.

“You…”

Valdemar’s brow furrowed as he stared at me.

‘Did he see through it?’

Even I had to admit my answer was somewhat flimsy, and it seemed he had indeed caught on.

“Jeonju, what I meant to say was…”
“You’re a good kid!”

Valdemar praised my virtue and gave my shoulder a vigorous pat.

“….”

I swallowed hard as I watched Valdemar’s eyes sparkle with fervent excitement.

‘Is this right?’

Even as the answers he desired flowed from my lips with ease, a peculiar sense of guilt gnawed at me.

-Ha….

Wrath exhaled in exasperation, as if utterly bewildered.

-Is that really the price of a human being?

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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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