The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 901

 Chapter 901

 

‘That’s…’  

Raon trembled as he looked at Denier’s eyes.

‘What kind of smile is that?’

Even when he searched through both his past and present lives, he had never seen such a smile before.

It felt as if Denier had been waiting for this exact moment, overflowing with anticipation. At the same time, it resembled a sneer—yet there was also something hollow about it, like an empty expression crafted by a puppet imitating human emotions.

“Light Wind Palace master?”

Lost in thought, Raon suddenly heard Chad’s voice.

“Yes?”

Snapping out of it, Raon quickly turned his gaze toward Chad.

“It’s time for you to step down.”

Following Chad’s hand gesture, Raon lowered his gaze and saw that the Light Wind swordsmen, which had been standing by his side, had already returned to their original positions.

The only ones remaining on the platform were him and Glenn.

“… My apologies.”

After bowing to Glenn and Chad, Raon stepped down from the platform.

“You spacing out like that is rare division leader. Were you reminiscing about the past or something?”

Dorian smirked, clearly delighted to have found something to tease him about.

“Spacing out is the best…”

Runaan praised him and lightly patted his arm.

“He’s no longer a division leader but a palace master now. You should start addressing him properly.”

Burren nodded, telling her to use a more respectful form of address for Raon.

“….”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Dorian, Runaan, and Burren.

‘Did no one else see it?’

Seeing how all the Light Wind swordsmen were smiling, it seemed that he was the only one who had witnessed Denier’s eerie expression.

‘Wrath.’

Raon shifted only his eyes to call Wrath.

Of course the King of Essence saw it.

Wrath did not betray his expectations and nodded slowly.

It was a mix of desire, relief, and emptiness. Even he doesn’t understand that person’s true nature.

Wrath furrowed his brow, saying that just thinking about Denier gave him a headache.

‘So only you and I saw it?’

Not only was the duration of that smile extremely brief, but everyone here was focused on your sword salute. That’s why no one else would have noticed that guy’s expression.

Wrath nodded, stating that it was only natural that nobody besides them had seen it.

‘That makes sense.’

Since it was the moment when he was giving his speech as a new palace master and performing his sword salute, he was likely the only one looking at Denier.

“Then, this concludes the promotion ceremony.”

Glenn personally declared the end of the ceremony before turning his back.

"Uwaaaaaa!"

"Light Wind Palace! Light Wind Palace!"

"Raon! Raon! Raon!"

The Zieghart swordsmen and spectators erupted in applause and cheers once more, directed at Raon and the Light Wind swordsmen.

“Light Wind Palace master.”

Once the cheers began to settle, Glenn gestured for Raon to come forward.

"Now that the Light Wind division has become Light Wind Palace, buildings and a proper training ground must be built. Do you have anything in mind?"

Glenn nodded slightly, indicating that Raon could use any available space.

" In that case, may I develop the path connecting the fifth training ground to the North Grave mountain?"

The road between the fifth training ground and the North Grave Mountain was wide, making it an ideal location for constructing new buildings and training ground.

“Are you suggesting demolishing the fifth training ground?”

“No. I’d like to leave the fifth training ground as it is.”

Raon firmly shook his head.

‘Whether we use it or not, I want to keep it.’

Rimmer cherished that place enough to use it as the code for his vault. Raon wanted to preserve the fifth training ground until the day Zieghart ceased to exist.

“Shadow Agents master, can it be done?”

Glenn nodded slightly and called Chad over.

“I expected the Light Wind Palace master to say that, so I already looked into it. There should be enough space to build a new training ground without removing the existing one.”

Chad gave a faint smile, saying there was plenty of available space.

“You already looked into it?”

“Yes. I knew the palace master values his memories, it was a logical guess.”

He gave a small bow, as though it was no trouble at all.

“… Thank you.”

Raon also bowed in return, expressing his gratitude.

“No need to thank me. It’s part of my job.”

Chad waved his hand dismissively, maintaining a calm demeanor.

“Then I will go first. There are many places where I need to receive the blueprints.”

With a determined look, he declared his intent to create the finest facility and buildings before he left.

"He may not seem very serious, but he’s reliable when it comes to handling his work. There’s a reason the previous Shadow Agents master trusted him before retiring."

“Yes, I’ve come to see that as well.”

Raon nodded as he watched Chad’s retreating figure.

‘At first, I thought he was one of Karoon’s spies… but I was wrong.’

Because Chad was always overly polite and cautious in his speech and behavior, Raon had initially suspected that he was an informant trying to extract information for Karoon.

However, Chad turned out to be completely neutral, and not only that, but he had handled his duties as the Shadow Agents master so professionally that Raon felt guilty for suspecting him.

He would have to apologize someday.

“Once again, congratulations.”

Glenn said that he had worked hard and patted his shoulder.

“Thank you.”

Raon bowed to Glenn and turned around.

Tsk.

Just as he was about to walk away, Glenn clicked his tongue. As Raon hesitated, about to turn back, the sound of rough footsteps came from ahead.

“Raon!”

“My son!”

“Nephew!”

Sylvia and Edgar ran toward him with their arms wide open, while Aris, for the first time in a long while, smiled brightly and called out to him.

“Little brother!”

Sia followed Aris’s lead, calling him her little brother while waving both hands excitedly.

“H-Hold on, one at a time—urk!”

Though he asked them to come one at a time, all four of them hugged him at once, as if capturing a criminal.

“Young master!”

“Congratulations!”

“We knew you’d succeed!”

Helen, Judiel, and the other maids congratulated him with teary eyes.

“Thank you. It’s all thanks to your support.”

Raon bowed to his family and the maids who had taken care of him since childhood.

“You achieved this yourself.”

“That’s right. What did we even do…?”

Sylvia and Helen shook their heads, but Raon did not retract his bow.

“Yua and Yulius did well too.”

Sylvia hugged Yua and Yulius, who were standing behind Raon, sniffing as she spoke.

“That’s true. It must have been hard to train while handling all the annex building work….”

 

“You’ve really worked hard.”

The maids also hugged Yua and Yulius, their eyes welling up with tears.

“We could do it because everyone helped us.”

Yulius shook his head, his nose turning red.

“Yes! I’m pretty amazing!”

On the other hand, Yua confidently put her hands on her waist and raised her chin.

Seeing the stark contrast between the two children, the residents of the annex building burst into warm laughter.

As expected of the pineapple girl!

Wrath nodded approvingly.

A subordinate of the King of Essence must have such confidence! If they were like you, always acting humble, it would be no fun at all!

He grinned, saying there was a reason why Yua was to his liking.

‘She’s grown well.’

Raon ignored Wrath’s claims about raising Yua himself and turned to check on the other Light Wind swordsmen.

“I’m the team leader of the palace now…!”

Runaan gave a big nod, firmly declaring that she was now the team leader of Light Wind Palace.

“I-If you went from team leader of the division to team leader of the palace… doesn’t that mean you weren’t promoted?”

Runaan’s father, Rokan, the head of House Sullion, furrowed his brow, as if questioning whether that was really the case.

“Just say it’s a good thing!”

Clara, Runaan’s mother, smacked Rokan on the back.

“….”

“….”

Karoon and Burren remained silent, simply staring at each other.

“Since the Light Wind division has become a palace, you’ll probably be the vice palace master.”

Karoon narrowed his eyes and finally broke the silence.

“Huh? M-Me, the vice palace master?”

Burren opened his mouth in disbelief.

“Not because you’re exceptional, but because there’s no one else.”

Karoon raised his hand and pointed at Martha and Runaan.

“Ah…”

Burren glanced at the absentminded Runaan and the fierce Martha before swallowing dryly.

“The vice palace master isn’t someone who slacks off behind the palace master. In fact, you’ll often have to take on annoying and difficult tasks in his stead, so you’d better be well-prepared.”

“Y-Yes….”

Though he answered, he furrowed his brow, uncertain about how exactly he should prepare.

“Follow me. I won’t teach you anything—you’ll have to see and learn for yourself.”

Clicking his tongue, Karoon turned his back.

“Ah, yes!”

With a smile brighter than the one he had when the Light Wind Division was promoted to the palace, Burren quickly followed Karoon.

“Looks like you’ll be getting a division leader’s position next.”

Looking slightly drunk, the Gambling Monster waved his hand at Mark Goetten.

“If that happens, I plan to refuse.”

Mark Goetten firmly shook his head.

“Refuse?”

“Yes. I’ve never led anyone before. Even in Light Wind, I wasn’t part of a team. I’d rather be a guardian instead.”

He clenched his fist, saying that he wanted to continue fighting in an independent position like he was now.

“Well, that’s not a bad choice. But you do know that as a guardian, you must be even more confident in your martial skills than a division leader or a squad leader, right?”

The Gambling Monster nodded briefly before lowering his hand.

“Yes. That’s why I plan to focus solely on training for a while.”

Mark Goetten nodded, as if he had already taken that into consideration.

“Your gaze has improved. Good. Follow me—I’ll make sure you gain the skills worthy of Light Wind Palace’s guardian.”

“Sir…”

“If you don’t meet my standards, I’ll cast you out immediately, so be prepared.”

The Gambling Monster handed his liquor bottle to Mark Goetten and left toward the fifth training ground.

“Of course.”

Mark Goetten carefully held the liquor bottle as he followed behind.

“Oh, thank you!”

“A gift? These are supplies from the south, aren’t they?”

“Hey, I didn’t do anything! Our palace master took care of everything!”

As expected of his sociable nature, Dorian was surrounded by people, receiving gifts and congratulations from all around.

Aside from him, most of the Light Wind swordsmen were also celebrating with their families and friends, enjoying the moment. ‘Over there…’

Raon shifted his gaze to the two people whose smiles felt the warmest of all.

“From now on, you have to call me division leader! Your daughter is now a division leader!”

Martha proudly raised her chin in front of Denier.

“Of course! Not just division leader, I should call you division leader-nim!”

Denier even added an honorific, nodding in agreement.

“At first, I wanted you to join our Wise Martial palace, but now, I can only say that your choice was the right one.”

He erased his lingering regrets, smiling with pure joy in his eyes.

“Honestly, there were plenty of days I wanted to give up. But thanks to the Light Wind members and you, father, I made it through. Thank you.”

For once, Martha set aside her usual rough demeanor, lowering her head with a slightly softer expression.

“No, I should be the one thanking you. You’ve brought me nothing but happiness.”

Denier gently reached out and hugged Martha.

The smile he gave her was soft and warm, completely different from the one he had shown Raon earlier— it was the very image of a kind and affectionate father.

“Congratulations.”

Denier met Raon’s gaze and spoke in a quiet voice. His tone was calm, yet an inexplicable chill crawled up Raon’s spine.

T-This is starting to feel a little scary…. Wrath exhaled sharply, sounding uneasy.

‘I can’t figure him out.’

Even with all his experience as an assassin in his previous life and as Raon Zieghart in this life, he still couldn’t read Denier’s thoughts or intentions.

There was definitely something there, but there was no clear evidence to openly suspect him, let alone confront him, which made it all the more frustrating.

‘He’s never done anything suspicious, nor has he ever been caught doing anything.’

Denier had shown incompetence at times, but he had never once committed an outright suspicious act.

Even during Glenn’s personal audits, he had come out clean, and he was more popular with the public than even Raon himself. There was no way to openly accuse him of anything.

Whoooosh.

Just as Raon bit his lip in frustration, a cool, serene wind flowed from the Blade of Requiem, gently swirling around him, as if telling him not to worry too much.

‘…You’re right.’

Feeling the cool yet gentle wind, he nodded.

‘I won’t let something like what happened to my master ever happen again.’

With that vow in mind, he clenched his fist tightly, determined not to lose anyone ever again.

*   *   *

Despite the sun still being up, a tavern in the back alleys of Cameloon was already bustling with noise.

At one of the farthest tables, amid the countless rumors spreading across the continent, a familiar name was spoken.

“Have you heard?”

A middle-aged man with thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows lowered his beer mug and gestured with his chin.

“Heard what? There’s no shortage of rumors in Cameloon.”

A muscular middle-aged man with seaweed-like red hair, loosely draped over his shoulders, furrowed his brows.

“Not those useless rumors! I’m talking about Raon Zieghart!”

The black-haired man slammed his beer mug onto the table.

At the mention of Raon’s name, the noisy tavern momentarily fell silent.

“Oh, you mean the rumor that he killed the DemonBlade? I’ve heard it, but it’s hard to believe….”

The red-haired man popped a peanut into his mouth, shaking his head.

“Everyone knows that the Usurper, Raon Zieghart, is strong, but the DemonBlade is different.”

“He was an unbreakable wall for decades. And you expect me to believe that a brat who isn’t even thirty took him down?”

He shook his head as if it was completely absurd.

“I bet the DemonBlade will show up any day now and publicly deny it.”

“That’s not an unreasonable thought. I had similar doubts myself. But…”

The black-haired man leaned forward slightly, shaking his head.

“There’s evidence piling up.”

“Evidence?”

“Yes. Raon Zieghart was promoted from division leader to palace master upon his return to the house. The Destructive King of the North is cold and rational—there’s no way he’d reward a fake achievement with a position like that.”

He raised an eyebrow, as if asking, "You know how Glenn is, don’t you?"

“Hmm, that’s true….”

The red-haired man nodded in agreement.

“There’s more. The Black Snake Coalition, where the DemonBlade was the leader, has gone completely silent. They’re not even collecting taxes.”

“W-Wait, seriously?”

“Yes. Those guys had been slowly preparing for external activities, but now they’ve shut their doors completely. There’s no reason for that unless their leader is dead.”

“Hmm…”

The red-haired man blinked as if mesmerized by the black-haired man's words.

“The final reason is the DemonBlade and the Black Snake Coalition itself.”

“The DemonBlade and the Black Snake Coalition?”

“That’s right. Among the Five Kings, Five Demons, Five Divine Orders, the DemonBlade and the Black Snake Coalition were extremely sensitive about their reputations.”

“If someone spread false rumors about them, they would personally hunt that person down and cut off their head. But….”

The black-haired man took a bite of his cold sausage and shook his head.

“This time, they haven’t done anything. Even though the DemonBlade’s name is being dragged through the mud all over the continent, they’re just staying silent. Why do you think that is?”

“…Because it’s true?”

“Exactly! The DemonBlade really did die at Raon Zieghart’s hands, so they can’t do anything about it!”

He nodded firmly, as if there was no doubt about it.

“Besides, I even heard details about their fight.”

“W-What? How!?”

The red-haired man’s eyes widened in shock.

“I just happened to pick up some supplies from Zieghart territory. The rumors there have already spread everywhere.”

The black-haired man clicked his tongue and smacked his lips.

“So, here’s what really happened…”

Just as he was about to reveal the details of the battle between Raon and the DemonBlade, he suddenly glanced around.

The tavern, which had been as loud as a marketplace, had fallen completely silent—like a library.

Every pair of eyes in the tavern was now focused on him.

“Ahem! My throat’s a little dry.”

The black-haired man cleared his throat and lightly shook his empty beer mug.

As someone who loved gossip and spreading rumors, he knew this was a golden opportunity to get some free drinks.

“Hey, barkeep!”

“Two beers for him over there!”

“I’ll take two more as well!”

“Bring some snacks too! Put it all on my tab!”

"I’ll pay for it! Just hurry up and start talking!"

The tavern’s drunks, eager to hear the black-haired man's story, ordered drinks and snacks with their own money just to keep him talking. Some even tossed coins his way.

“Ahem! Alright then, let’s continue.”

The black-haired man chugged his freshly served beer and grinned.

“C’mon, hurry up! I’m dying to know!”

The red-haired man, his curiosity at its peak, shook his leg restlessly.

"You see, the DemonBlade, in order to recover his lost arm and strength…."

The entire tavern fell into complete silence, so quiet that even the sound of an ant crawling could have been heard.

Everyone was completely focused on his story.

But this wasn’t just happening in this tavern alone.

As Roenn traveled south, the stories he had spread began to circulate from mouth to mouth, naturally spreading Raon's tale across the entire continent.

*   *   *

[The entire continent is in shock at the feat you have achieved.]

[All stats increase by 10 points]

[The rank of the trait < Flame that Overcomes Death> has increased]
[The rank of the trait < Blade that Severs Death> has increased]
[The rank of the trait <Energy of Death Detection> has increased.]

‘Huh?’

Raon stopped mid-swing, his sword hanging in the air, and blinked blankly.

‘What is this?’

He had only been training in the training ground, yet out of nowhere, a reward message appeared.

Wh-What is this!

Wrath, who had been enjoying a pleasant nap after eating bead ice cream for dessert, jolted awake.

Why did a reward suddenly pop up!

Wrath trembled, unable to comprehend the situation.

"The continent is in shock…"

Raon narrowed his eyes as he focused on the first message.

‘It seems like this reward came because the rumor of me defeating the DemonBlade has spread across the entire continent.’

Honestly, even he still found it hard to believe, so it wasn’t strange that the entire continent was in an uproar. Of course, he never expected to receive a reward because of it.

Kuaaaah!

Wrath grabbed his head and let out a pained scream.

This damned system! It only exists to torment me!

Wrath shook his head furiously, as if he was about to lose his mind from frustration.

“Hm…”

After briefly checking the rewards, Raon grabbed Heavenly Drive once more and continued practicing the techniques of Heavenly Lightning Cultivation.

Huh?

Wrath furrowed his brows as he watched Raon.

Are you not happy?

‘I am.’

There was no way he wouldn’t be happy about receiving such rewards for free.

‘But no matter how many rewards I get, I ultimately have to grow stronger on my own.’

The system’s rewards certainly helped him grow stronger, but if his own martial arts didn't improve, they ultimately meant nothing.

To protect everyone in the battles to come, he had to reach a level where he could at least stand against any of the heads of the Five Divine Orders.

Tch. You’re always going back and forth between being likable and annoying.

Wrath crossed his arms and snorted.

His lips pouted slightly, but his eyes held a hint of approval.

‘Because that’s how it should be.’

Even though he had defeated the DemonBlade, he was still far from strong enough.

There was no guarantee he could defeat the Thespian Emperor or any of the heads of the Five Divine Orders, so now was the time to focus entirely on training.

Chiiiing!

As Raon channeled the lightning energy of Heavenly Lightning Cultivation and performed its technique, the door to the training ground opened, and Chad, the Shadow Agents master, entered.

“Light Wind Palace master.”

Chad bowed as he addressed Raon, still getting used to the new title.

“Shadow Agents master.”

Raon lowered Heavenly Drive, crackling with lightning energy, and bowed in return.

“What brings you here?”

“The head of house has summoned you.”

Chad raised his gaze, his eyes heavy and solemn.

“It’s about the Black Tower.”

 

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