The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 92

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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 92

Sylvia was tidying up the Garden, finishing what she hadn’t completed the day before.

With practiced hands, the overgrown thicket transformed into neat, rounded cushions of greenery.

“Fortunately, it wasn’t damaged too badly.”

Helen, who had been assisting from behind, approached her side.

“You’re right. With a little more work, it might even look better than before.”

Sylvia smiled faintly and picked up her shears. She methodically cleared away every trace of the havoc Rayden had wreaked, erasing all signs of his rampage.

“My lady.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think it’s truly alright to leave the young master as he is?”

Helen’s complexion was ashen with worry. She clearly hadn’t slept properly from her anxiety. The other maids blinked their eyes in unison, their faces reflecting the same concern.

“We must stop the duel by any means necessary….”
“I thought the same way at first.”

Sylvia handed the shears to Helen and nodded.

“I believed we had to prevent it no matter what. That the duel must not proceed under any circumstances. I was about to go straight to Father.”
“Then why….”
“Raon. That child has become a swordsman before I even realized it.”
“Ah….”
“Before he left on his first mission, I told him something. To live proudly, just like the swordsmen of the old Zigheart.”

She turned around, met Helen’s gaze, and smiled at the maids.

“Raon is living far more beautifully and confidently than the words I gave him. So much so that I feel ashamed of myself now.”
“My lady….”
“How could I, as his mother, fail to believe in him when he wears such a face? And besides….”

Sylvia’s lips curved into a thin smile as she gazed toward the rear of the Annex Building where Raon was.

“Just as Helen sensed, when Raon said everything would be fine, I felt such a strong premonition that it truly would be. All we need to do is trust that boy and wait with a smile on our faces.”

*

*

*

I had memorized all the information about Rayden that Judith gave me, then burned it.
Though I had never actually witnessed Rayden’s linked sword technique, the detailed contents painted themselves vividly in my mind.

‘This should be sufficient for my training.’

My goal was to overwhelm Rayden using the ordinary Yeonseong Sword Technique and Garam Footwork, so having such information made preparing for the duel considerably easier.

Based on Judith’s intelligence, I began training by slightly adjusting the flow of my footwork and swordplay.
Imagining the enemy’s movements as I swung my blade and employing my footwork, my movements became far more systematic.

Whoosh!

While I was absorbed in training, a thin chill emanated from the ice flower bracelet.

-How pitiful indeed.

Wrath clicked his tongue mockingly.

-To exert such effort against mere trash is almost tragic. Had I been in your place, I would have frozen him to the bone with a single breath.
“I could defeat him easily even if we fought right now.”

I pushed away Wrath, who was exhaling dramatically.

“What matters is overwhelming him completely. To the point where his blade never even touches my body.”
-I fail to comprehend. Is victory not sufficient?
“No.”

I shook my head. If this were merely a sparring match, any victory would suffice, but this situation was different.

“By touching Rayden, I’ve made myself and the Annex Building targets for the direct line and their followers. Even if I win this duel and escape the danger of Jinmu Hall, there’s a possibility that others will come after us.”

Any great house maintains a towering, impenetrable wall between its direct line and branch families. For a prestigious clan like Zigheart, that barrier is thick enough to be insurmountable.

The direct line members and their followers of such families have no desire to see branch family members rise to their station—not even those who were once part of the direct line themselves.

‘That’s precisely why I must prove it.’

I need to firmly impress upon Glen that I possess value exceeding that of a mere direct line member.

-Since ancient times, humans have obsessed over ancestral blood—the purer the better—all while remaining blind to the fact that it’s the same crimson hue. They’re not even vampires, yet they cling to this filthy, degrading tradition.
“For the first time, your opinion aligns with mine.”

To think I shared a sentiment with this demon who erupts in fury at every moment—it was so absurd that a hollow laugh escaped me.

-Work hard. Everything you possess will eventually become mine anyway.

Wrath left those words behind and retreated into the bracelet once more.

“Impressive. You manage to kill my motivation with a single sentence.”

I rose with a cold laugh. Just as I was about to resume my training, I sensed someone approaching.

‘It’s not Judith.’

Not Sylvia or Helen either, but the presence felt remarkably familiar. I waited quietly, and a small figure emerged.

“Huh?”

Blank eyes, flowing silver hair, and pale white skin. The person approaching the Training Courtyard was Lunan.

“Lunan?”
“Yeah.”

Lunan walked over with catlike grace, cradling a bundle containing something. He approached my side and plopped down beside the tree.

“What are you doing here…?”
“Fight.”

Lunan Slion seemed to already know that I was going to fight Rayden. Of course, it wasn’t merely a brawl—it was a duel with blades.

“That’s why I came.”

She began unwrapping the cloth bundle she’d brought, her small hands working deftly at the knots.

“Hmm….”

As I watched Lunan Slion, I felt the weight of countless gazes and lifted my head. Behind the walls, rocks, and trees, Sylvia, Helen, and the maids were observing this place.

‘Those people really are something else.’

Just when I thought they’d grown serious, they immediately relaxed. Truly peculiar individuals.

“Done.”

I turned my attention to Lunan Slion’s voice. Inside the carefully wrapped cloth lay the ice cream box she carried around like a treasure.

Click.

As Lunan Slion opened the box’s lid, five pearl-like ice cream spheres—larger and more lustrous than before—released wisps of pale, frigid mist.

“Eat.”

Lunan Slion held out the open box directly. Her previously dull eyes now sparkled with the same brilliance as the ice cream itself. It seemed she was telling me to eat whatever I wanted.

“Mm.”

I gazed at the ice cream without reaching for it, hesitating for a moment.

“Eat.”

When I remained still, Lunan Slion waved her hand insistently. Looking at those eyes, it seemed I had no choice but to eat something. However, I had to avoid the pink ice cream that Lunan Slion favored and choose something else.

-What are you doing?! Eat quickly!

Wrath, who had been dormant in the bracelet moments before, popped out like a mole.

-This king is drawn to that green one over there! The one with chocolate embedded in it! Eat it at once!

Wrath grew increasingly anxious when I refused to touch him, and he unleashed a torrent of frigid energy in desperation.

‘How irritating.’

I furrowed my brow. I hadn’t even seen the green ice cream Wrath desired. As I deliberated over my choice, Lunan Slion’s hand drifted toward my head.

‘What is this?’

I considered whether to dodge her hand, but there was no killing intent, no hostility. I relaxed my entire body, keeping myself ready to move at any moment.

Tap, tap.

Contrary to my tension, Lunan Slion’s hand gave my head two remarkably gentle taps.

“Lunan Slion?”

I opened my mouth and looked up at her. Lunan Slion gave a barely perceptible smile, nodded, and touched my head once more.

“You’re fine.”

Her luminous silver eyes and calm voice sent a tingling sensation through my chest.

‘This girl…’

Now I understood why Lunan Slion had come to the Annex Building.
She had come to return the reassurance she had given me long ago when I sparred with the orc.

“Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped me. To be worried over by such a small child was absurd.
Yet somehow, it didn’t feel entirely unpleasant. It was a feeling I couldn’t quite name—something that made my chest feel warm and full.

“Why are you laughing?”
“It’s nothing.”

I shook my head and retrieved the black pearl ice cream from the box, placing it in my mouth. The flavor—sweet yet bitter, much like my current emotions—enveloped my palate.

-Oh! Chocolate! It appears to be chocolate infused with sugar and coffee, aged for quite some time. When I was in the Demon Realm, coffee was… Wait, what are you doing?!
‘Be quiet.’

I forced Wrath, who had launched into a lengthy tirade, back into the bracelet.

“Does it taste good?”
“It does. Thank you.”
“Have more.”
“No, that’s enough.”

It truly was enough. Not so much that my stomach was full, but rather that my heart felt satisfied. I needed nothing more.

“Alright.”

Lunan Slion swallowed the red bead-shaped ice cream on his right and stood up.

“I’ll be going.”

And with that, he departed. It seemed he had accomplished what he came for and was leaving without disrupting my training.

“That guy.”

I watched Lunan Slion’s lighter gait as he left and smiled to myself. These days, just seeing the back of his head makes me laugh.

“Raon.”

The moment Lunan Slion left, Sylvia emerged from behind a tree and approached me.

“From what I can see, he seems closer than just a friend? That’s not ordinary ice cream. It’s an extremely expensive delicacy.”
“I’m curious too. From what I can tell, it doesn’t seem like this is the first time he’s gotten ice cream.”
“Raon. I’d like to have a word with that boy….”
“Both of you, don’t say another word.”

I waved my hand dismissively. While his dejected expression was unpleasant enough, that mischievous glint in his eyes was far worse.

“Please….”

*

*

*

The next day.
A second visitor arrived at the Annex Building.

“Hmm….”

I narrowed my eyes as I watched the visitor approach with a grumbling demeanor.

To be honest, I thought Lunan might come. That child had always wanted to follow my training methods or learn from me.

But this fellow was truly unexpected.

“Burren.”

I tilted my head as I watched Burren approach with an elegant, aristocratic gait. I genuinely couldn’t fathom why he would come here.

“I heard you’re having a duel with Rayden.”

Burren stopped and pouted his lips slightly.

“So you’ve heard about it too.”
“The entire family is buzzing with rumors. They say you’ve caused quite the scandal—arrogant Branch Family member that you are.”
“A scandal, you say….”
“Drawing your blade against a direct bloodline member despite being Branch Family, and requesting a duel without even the qualifications of a swordsman—the higher-ups have every reason to despise it.”

Burren looked down at me sitting there and let out a scoff. Just as I was about to ask if he’d come to mock me, his mouth opened again.

“But I think you did well. I approve.”
“What?”

I was so stunned by words I never imagined coming from Burren’s mouth that my jaw fell open involuntarily.

“Rayden holds a position as direct bloodline yet is nothing but trash who tarnishes the Zigheart name. He’s strong, but he possesses neither honor nor conviction.”

His voice burned with barely contained rage.

“The moment I heard you and Rayden had a problem, I assumed that damned bastard started it first. And I was right.”
“I see….”

Those words meant Burren trusted me. He was showing an unexpected side of himself today.

“Here.”

Burren pulled a small box from his back pocket and thrust it toward me.

“What is this?”
“It’s a salve for wounds. I don’t use it myself—cheap stuff—but I thought it might suit you, so I brought it.”
“Uh….”
“Take it. Now!”

Burren forcibly pressed the salve into my hand and turned away.

“You’re the top student of the 5th Training Ground. Feel the weight of that responsibility, and never lose.”

With those words, he retraced his steps. Amusingly, his pace quickened with each stride. His ears were flushed red—he was embarrassed again.

“Hmm.”

I opened the lid of the box in my hand. A crisp, refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out.

I applied a small amount to my injured wrist. Warmth spread through it, and the pain vanished.

‘Cheap stuff, he said?’

Looking at the clear fragrance and the color of the medicine, it was definitely not cheap. When I looked at the back of the lid, it said Saiman.

Saiman was a guild renowned for crafting potent remedies. This was the kind of item that money alone couldn’t easily procure.

“I don’t understand him at all.”

I shook my head and tucked the salve into my pocket.

“Raon. When did you and Burren become so…?”
“Young master. Your friend is at it again….”

The moment Burren disappeared, Sylvia and Helen, who had been watching the entire exchange, approached with knowing smiles.

“Don’t come any closer!”

*

*

*

Unlike the bustling Annex Building, where Raon trained with unwavering dedication day after day, Jinmu Hall remained eerily quiet.

The atmosphere was one of absolute certainty in victory—a disdainful indifference toward a mere duel with Raon.

Rayden, riding the wave of that confidence, abandoned all training and indulged in a leisurely existence far more relaxed than usual.

“Young Master.”

The butler Merkin bowed respectfully toward Rayden.

“What is it?”

Rayden, who had been lying in bed with a red-haired maidservant, turned his head.

“Perhaps it would be wise to begin training now, sir. The duel is only days away.”
“Training? You’re lecturing me about training now?”

Rayden laughed mockingly as he sat up.

“Training against that wretch? If I had wielded my Resonant Blade back then, that bastard would already be carved into pieces and buried in the ground.”
“B-but sir, his movements were far from ordinary. I anticipated and blocked his sword strikes, yet I couldn’t even properly track his fists as they extended toward me.”

Merkin gingerly touched the spot where Raon had struck him.

“Am I the same as you? Fool!”

Rayden hurled a wine glass from the table. The goblet shattered, spilling its crimson contents across the floor like blood.

“That bastard’s techniques are predictable! I already know everything—his Resonant Swordsmanship and his Garam Palm Technique. With my Resonant Blade, I could tear him apart with my eyes closed!”
“I see….”
“You’re the one who needs training. You, who collapsed with eyes rolling back at the critical moment.”
“My apologies.”
“Get out!”

Rayden snarled and collapsed back onto the bed. Merkin bowed and withdrew from the chamber.

‘As expected.’

Merkin shook his head as he observed Rayden’s chamber, from which the sound of cackling laughter emanated.

The humiliation he had suffered at Raon’s hands had clearly robbed him of any desire to train.
He was determined to preserve his pride by demonstrating that he could crush Raon without needing to train at all.

‘Raon Zigheart.’

Meanwhile, Merkin had heard that Raon, who remained in the Annex Building, was devoting himself entirely to training with each passing day.

‘That man is truly extraordinary.’

Raon’s movements were peculiar—as elusive as an assassin’s, his presence and motions difficult to discern.

“Sigh…”

Merkin exhaled deeply. Somehow, the outcome of this duel seemed to materialize before his eyes.

*

*

*

Martha sat perched upon a tree at the foot of Bekmang Mountain, overlooking the Annex Courtyard.

“Tsk.”

She twirled a strand of black hair brushing her cheek between her fingers, clicking her tongue softly.

“Disgustingly popular. Why do so many people keep coming to see him?”

Martha’s gaze fixed upon Raon, who sat in the Training Courtyard conversing with trainees from the 5th Training Ground. In the time she had been watching, seven trainees had already visited him.
Though she couldn’t hear clearly, it seemed they were offering encouragement for the duel.

“Hmph, since when were they close?”

The trainees who had once regarded him with indifference in the Training Ground, yet now feigned familiarity after growing slightly closer through the recent mission, irritated her.

“All of them are pathetic….”
“Why don’t you go check it out yourself?”
“Kyaaah!”

Martha shrieked at the sudden voice from behind and tumbled from the tree.

“Ouch, you’re fun to tease.”

When I lifted my head, Rimer was dangling his legs in the air and giggling.

“Raon doesn’t even flinch at this stuff, so it’s boring.”
“This damned elf….”

Martha ground her teeth and pushed herself up. Just as her dark eyes began to tint red, Rimer waved his hands frantically.

“Is that okay? We’ve been caught.”

Following his gaze, I turned around. Raon, who had been in the Training Courtyard, was looking this way.

“Ugh, you did that on purpose….”
“If you came all this way, shouldn’t you at least show your face and cheer me on?”
“I didn’t come here to cheer you on!”
“Huh? Then what are those things in your pocket? Are they for me?”
“I, I brought them because you saved me during that mission….”

Martha shoved her hand into her coat pocket and scrunched her nose.

“Go ahead and cheer me on. It’ll definitely give me strength.”

Rimer smiled and pointed toward the Training Courtyard. Raon was still watching this way.

“Damn it….”

Martha bit her lip hard and headed down the Mountain.

“Hmph!”

Rimer sprawled out on the fallen branch where Martha had been and hummed to himself.

“How naive. Though I suppose that’s the privilege of youth.”

*

*

*

I narrowed my eyes as I watched Martha descend from Bekmang Mountain. I’d known she was up there, but I hadn’t expected her to come down. It seemed Rimer had played a prank on me.

“Hey.”

Martha tossed me a small glass vial and a square box wrapped in cloth.

“Huh?”

I caught the box and vial as they flew toward my chest.

“It’s repayment from back then. Drink it before the duel starts.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s not poison. It’s a clarity elixir that cleanses and restores stamina and mental fortitude. Drink it or discard it—do as you wish.”

As I stared at the vial, Martha stepped closer and furrowed her brow.

“Thank you.”

I slipped the vial into my pocket.

“That monkey bastard kept whining, so I was planning to crush him one day, but you beat me to it. If you’re going to fight, make sure you kill him dead. So he never dares defy your mother again.”
“I will.”
“If you lose to that monkey bastard, I’m canceling our agreement.”

As I simply nodded, Martha flipped her black hair—now reaching past her shoulders—with a sharp motion.

“I’m leaving.”

She turned and departed the Training Ground without a backward glance.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

Raon tilted his head curiously as he opened the box Martha had given him.

“Beef?”

Inside was beef—far superior in quality to the meat they usually ate at the Annex Building.

‘So it was her.’

Sylvia had mentioned that high-grade beef occasionally appeared in front of the Annex Building. It seemed Martha had been the one leaving it.

-That black-eyed girl left behind that delicious beef?
‘Yes.’
-Hmm, excellent. I am magnanimous as befits a sovereign. From this day forth, I shall call the black-eyed girl the Beef Maiden.
‘….’

Ignoring Wrath’s nonsense, I gathered the beef when Sylvia and Helen suddenly burst from the Thicket like moles breaking through soil.

“Beef and Clarity Water—this is all about Raon.”
“Exactly. The meat itself is one thing, but giving something as expensive as Clarity Water shows this is no ordinary relationship.”
“Raon. Later, why don’t you invite Martha to dinner….”
“Please, just go!”

I shook my head. The two of them vanished back into the Thicket like ghosts before returning to the Annex Building.

‘Really now….’

A few days ago, I’d been worried by how downcast they seemed. Now they were so lighthearted I could barely keep up.

‘But this is better.’

Sylvia and Helen were showing me their bright faces because they believed I would win, and they didn’t want to worry me.

That’s who they truly are. To protect their laughter, I must ensure that nothing harmful—not even a shadow—can touch them.

I took a slow breath, rose to my feet, and resumed my training.

The training continued without pause, day and night, until the morning of the duel finally arrived.

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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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