The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 90

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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 90

I finished tidying the Garden and ensured that Sylvia, Helen, and all the attendants were settled before returning to my room.

Knock, knock.

After changing out of my soiled clothes, I heard a soft knock at the door.

“Come in.”

Judith opened the door and entered, bowing her head.

“Explain the situation.”
“Yes. While I was tending the Garden with the lady, Merkin, the butler of Rayden Zigheart, came to visit. He said that a letter had been sent announcing his arrival today and asked us to prepare….”

She reported everything she had witnessed from Merkin’s arrival to Rayden’s departure, leaving out not a single detail.

“… And just as Rayden was about to step on Helen, you arrived.”

Judith finished speaking and bowed her head.

“As I thought.”

I nodded. Hearing her account, the situation was nearly as I had anticipated.

“However, Raon.”

Judith lifted her head and called my name.

“What is it?”
“It may seem odd for me to say this, but you should not have intervened today. Rayden and his father, Valter Zigheart, are men who do not think of consequences.”

Her expression hardened like tree bark.

“They will certainly attack the Annex Building and you in multiple ways. Even if Rayden caused the problem first, they are the direct line and we are the branch family. It is clear as day which side the family will support.”
“….”

I watched Judith without opening my mouth until she finished speaking.

“If you think I’ve overstepped my bounds….”
“No.”

I shook my head.

“I’m grateful to you.”
“Pardon?”
“You positioned yourself beside Helen and Mother to take Rayden’s kick in their place.”

When Rayden raised his foot, Judith had subtly pressed herself right next to Sylvia and Helen, inserting her body between them and the incoming blow.
It was a deliberate act to shield them from Rayden’s attack. Even she found it surprising that she’d done such a thing.

“I didn’t even realize I was doing it….”

Judith’s face flushed crimson as she lowered her head. A spy who’d fallen for sentiment—even she found it ridiculous.

‘But still….’

The only people in the entire Zigheart who treated her as a person were those in this small, tucked-away Annex Building. She couldn’t help but develop some affection for them, even if Raon still frightened her.

“You’re right. It would’ve been best not to fall for their provocation, but what’s done is done. We have ways to prepare, so don’t worry.”
“…Understood.”

When Raon said there was no need to worry, the tightness that had been choking her chest loosened as if stirred by a fork.

His voice carried such unwavering conviction. Yet something still nagged at her.

‘This is serious.’

It seemed she’d grown far more attached to these people in the Annex Building than she’d anticipated.

“Is there anything I should do?”
“Gather information on Rayden and Valdemar. Their personalities and everything they’ve done so far.”
“Understood.”

She bowed her head and left the room.

“Hmm.”

I gazed at the closed door and clicked my tongue.

‘Unexpected.’

Judith harbored fear and doubt toward me, yet held favorable feelings toward the people of the Annex Building. Those contradictory emotions were so tangled that she herself seemed uncertain of her own heart.
If I continued to keep her in the Annex Building and showed her consideration, it wouldn’t be difficult to earn her genuine trust before long.

In truth, when I saw her trying to protect Sylvia and Helen today, I felt a twinge of guilt about deceiving her.

“But that’s not what matters right now.”

I raised my clenched fist. From the beginning, I hadn’t intended to attack Rayden.
I had anticipated this would happen, so my plan was to assess the exact situation first, then crush him with words.

But the moment Sylvia and Helen were about to be struck, my mind went blank, and all I could see was that bastard’s face.

‘Rage….’

Yes.
An unbearable fury had surged up, and I couldn’t control my emotions.

What was amusing was that even in that state, my combat awareness remained sharper than ever. It was a peculiar sensation in many ways.

“A strange emotion where rage and reason are intertwined.”

That phrase best described my state.

-You understand it well.

Wrath burst forth from the bracelet, his voice tinged with excitement.

“So it was your doing?”
-What are you talking about?
“When I had difficulty controlling my rage.”
-No, that wasn’t me. That was your fault.

Wrath chuckled within the icy flames.

“What?”
-That self-proclaimed king’s emotions stirred because you accepted them.
“But normally….”
-Are you always consumed by rage?
“Of course not.”
-My emotions are the same. They lie dormant most of the time, but the moment you grow angry, I’ll burrow into your feelings and attempt to control you.
“Damn it….”

I bit my lip. This deal with that self-proclaimed king was far more dangerous than I’d anticipated. I swore to myself that I would never accept his emotions again.

-Do you think that’s possible?

Wrath seemed to sense my thoughts and smiled.

-Humans are weak in many ways. That applies even to you, whom I consider rather exceptional.
“What are you trying to say?”
-You have a god right beside you who grants wishes, yet you won’t ask him for help? That’s absurd. Whether it’s for your own sake or for another human, you’ll propose a deal with me. And eventually….

He didn’t finish his words, merely laughing, but I could naturally infer what that final statement would have been.

“I will never surrender my body to you.”
-I can already see it. The future where you willingly offer that body to me. It’s already too late.
“Hah….”

I exhaled and activated the Ring of Fire. Cool water seemed to flow through my veins, and my mind cleared.

It was more dangerous to become emotionally agitated than to have Wrath stir up rage and cling to me. I had to maintain composure in any situation.

-Hmph.

Once I stabilized my emotions by activating the Ring of Fire, Wrath muttered that it was boring and retreated back into the bracelet.

‘The Ring of Fire is the most crucial.’

What could stop him wasn’t a sword or spear—it was the Ring of Fire. I needed to raise its proficiency as quickly as possible.

As I was tempering the Ring of Fire throughout the night, another knock sounded at the door.

“The information about Valter and Rayden you requested.”

As I opened the door, Judith handed me a thin stack of documents. The ink was still wet—it appeared she had prepared them herself.

“Thank you for your work.”
“Yes. Then….”

Judith bowed her head and departed.

I settled into my seat and examined the materials she had given me from beginning to end.

‘This is better than I expected….’

Admiration escaped my lips.
Despite being hastily assembled, Judith’s documents were remarkably well-structured. They contained all the information I currently needed about Rayden and Valter—their dispositions, temperaments, and other relevant details.

“This will be quite useful.”

Judith would prove invaluable not merely as a double agent, but as an intelligence asset.

I rotated the Ring of Fire as I read through Judith’s documents again and again.

Night surrendered to dawn, and when the sun rose once more, a third knock sounded at my door.

Upon opening it, I found Sylvia with bewildered, wavering eyes, and Roen, Glen Zigheart’s butler, standing before me.

“R-Raon.”
“Young Master. Forgive my intrusion at this early hour.”

Roen bowed with an unusually cold expression, quite unlike his usual demeanor.

“The Patriarch has summoned you.”

*

*

*

I left Sylvia behind, despite her insistence on accompanying me, and made my way to the Patriarch’s Hall.

“Young Master.”

When I reached the steps before the Patriarch’s Hall, Roen turned around. His gaze held a question as he looked at me.

“You must know why the Patriarch summoned you. Are you not anxious?”
“I know the reason, of course. But I find myself not particularly anxious.”

I shook my head with an untroubled gaze.

“I see.”

Roen smiled faintly and entered the Patriarch’s Hall. Whether it was mere impression or not, he seemed satisfied with my answer.

The atmosphere of the Patriarch’s Hall, which I entered following Roen, felt heavier than usual. It was as though gravity itself had doubled within this space alone.

I breathed slowly, as I would during meditation. The weight pressing down on my shoulders eased somewhat.

The swordsmen and attendants sent gazes that defied simple explanation. I received their stares calmly and stood before the Audience Chamber.

“Inside are not only the Patriarch, but them as well. Are you prepared in your heart?”

I nodded calmly at Roen’s question.

“Open it.”

As he directed his gaze toward the gatekeeper, the doors of the Audience Chamber began to part.

Beneath the brilliantly shining lights of the Audience Chamber, three figures stood.

Glen Zigheart sat upon the jade throne atop the platform, radiating an overwhelming presence, with two men standing below him—Rayden Zigheart and his father, Valter Zigheart.

Unlike Rayden, Valter possessed a thick, bear-like frame with broad shoulders. Had I not known their names, I would never have guessed they were father and son. Yet their sharp, keen eyes remained unmistakably alike.

Rayden glared at me as though he wished to kill me, while Valter’s expression twisted as though he were looking at an insect.

“I greet the Patriarch.”

I ignored the gazes of the two men, walked to the center, and knelt.

“Rise.”
“Yes.”

My legs nearly buckled at the glacial tone of his voice, but I clenched my teeth and forced myself upright.

I stepped back and positioned myself in line with Valter Zigheart and Rayden Zigheart, then looked up at Glen Zigheart.

“I hear there was an unseemly incident yesterday.”

He lowered his right arm and surveyed us all with an indifferent gaze.

“Patriarch! Allow me to explain!”

Rayden Zigheart stepped forward and dropped to his knees.

“Speak.”
“Yes!”

With Glen Zigheart’s permission, Rayden Zigheart turned to look at me and smirked.

“After returning to the family for the first time in ages, I heard rumors about you everywhere. Though I’d crossed paths with you before, we’d never properly spoken, so I sent word ahead to the Annex Building. On the appointed day, I went to the Annex Building, but nothing was prepared. Instead, the Garden had been turned upside down as if a ban on guests had been issued.”

Rayden Zigheart wrinkled his nose as if he’d suffered a genuine injustice.

“Disappointed, I raised my voice somewhat, and the maids of the Annex Building began to argue with me. As the commotion grew, you appeared and swung your sword at me without a word. It wasn’t a warning or a threat—it was a blade wrapped in killing intent, as if you meant to end my life. I continued to defend myself while controlling my strength, but you kept aiming for my throat until the very end.”

Rayden Zigheart’s voice carried such conviction that anyone hearing it would have believed him genuinely wronged.

“Raon Zigheart.”

Glen Zigheart showed no change in expression even after hearing Rayden Zigheart’s emotionally charged account. He called my name in the same tone as before.

“Yes.”
“Is what he says true?”
“No.”

I shook my head, my gaze steady and composed.

“Not a single word of it is true from beginning to end. Especially the part about holding back my strength—it’s almost laughable. I can still see your face turning crimson as you screamed.”
“Tch! You bastard!”

Rayden Zigheart grabbed my shoulder, but I didn’t turn to look at him.

“Young Master Rayden Zigheart.”

Roen’s left eye—the one that had been missing—gleamed with a blade-like coldness.

“Have you forgotten whose presence you stand before?”
“Tsk!”

Rayden Zigheart swallowed hard and withdrew his hand from my shoulder.

“If your accounts differ, we’ll need to call upon a witness who saw everything.”

Glen Zigheart snapped his fingers while looking between Rayden Zigheart and me. With a sharp sound, a black puppet descended before my eyes.

“Heavenly Sword Squad’s Rakeil. I greet the Patriarch!”
“Report what happened yesterday.”
“Yes, sir!”

The swordsman from the Heavenly Sword Squad who introduced himself as Rakeil was the man who had blocked my blade yesterday. He nodded and rose to his feet, beginning to speak.

“Young Master Rayden Zigheart claimed he had sent a letter, but no such letter ever arrived at the Annex Building. Sylvia and her attendants were tending to the Garden as usual….”

I narrowed my eyes. Contrary to my expectations, Rakeil revealed the facts with absolute precision, without a shred of deception.

“Rayden Zigheart.”

Glen Zigheart’s brow furrowed after hearing Rakeil’s complete account.

“Y-yes, yes!”

Rayden trembled violently and buried his head in the ground.

“That is… I….”
“Father.”
“Father.”

As Rayden faltered, unable to speak further, his jaw trembling, Valter Zigheart—who had been observing silently until now—stepped forward with a furrowed brow.

“That’s not the issue here, is it? The Branch Family wielding a blade against the Direct Line—that is the gravest problem in this matter. The very hierarchy of our house is being shaken!”
“Y-yes, that’s right! That wretch swung his sword at me with murderous intent!”

Finding an opening, Rayden nodded vigorously.

“You speak truth. The Branch Family raising a blade against the Direct Line—this is far more than mere insolence. However…”

Glen rose from his throne with a nod. His presence exploded outward like a giant stretching its limbs.

“Tell me—what do you believe distinguishes the Direct Line from the Branch Family?”
“Eh? That is… well…”
“Responsibility. As the true master of Zigheart, the Direct Line must bear the weight of that burden.”

A golden aura bloomed from his shoulders, and the entire Patriarch’s Hall began to tremble.

“In every action, every word, you must carry the consciousness that you are the master of Zigheart. Whether to torment the Branch Family or to mock them—if you choose to act, do so decisively and thoroughly. Crush them completely. Yet you, threatened with death by the Branch Family, by a child younger than yourself.”
“N-no, sir. Had I been determined, Raon’s head would already be without its master!”
“If you’ve been saved from death twice by another’s grace, you should feel shame and hold your tongue.”
“Ugh…”

Rayden clenched his teeth beneath Glen’s gaze—cold enough to raise goosebumps.

“Raon Zigheart.”
“Yes.”
“You too seem unaware of your station. You are Branch Family. For different reasons, you must be cautious with your actions. Drawing a blade against the Direct Line, who has earned the qualification of a swordsman—it is like a dog biting its master. When you suffer injustice, you should not resolve it yourself, but report it to the Main Mansion.”
“I apologize.”

I lowered my gaze and bowed my head.

“Both of you bear fault. Each shall receive appropriate punishment.”
“Father! Punishment? That wretch must not be allowed to live! One day he will bare his fangs at the Direct Line! He must be executed immediately!”

Valter Zigheart surged forward again, pointing accusingly at me while raising his voice.

“Silence.”
“If we let this incident pass, the hierarchy between the direct line and the Branch Family will collapse, and the family’s prestige will….”
“Valter. I told you to shut your mouth.”
“Ugh!”

At Glen’s voice that seemed to compress the very space around us, Valter’s massive frame appeared to crumple for an instant.

“Patriarch.”

I lifted my head to meet Glen’s gaze, my heart constricting in the suffocating atmosphere. I addressed him with a bow.

“What is it?”
“I will accept any punishment you deem fit. But before that, there is something I must do.”
“Something you must do?”
“Yes. Rayden Zigheart insulted my mother and committed violence against the attendants. I have not yet extracted the price for his actions.”
“You madman! I feel the same! I can’t forget the sight of you wielding that blade with those bloodshot eyes! I will sever your head by any means necessary!”
“Raon Zigheart, Rayden Zigheart.”

Glen called out both our names, his eyes growing cold. A crushing aura emanated from him that seemed to pulverize everything in its path.

“I just told you both to know your place.”
“That is precisely why, sir.”

I clenched my teeth and straightened my bowing frame.

“You once said this place is the domain of swordsmen. I believe a warrior’s worth must be determined by the blade.”

My resolute conviction rang out through the Patriarch’s Hall in a young voice.

“Grant me a duel!”

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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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