The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1095

 Chapter 1095

 

Thirty minutes before Raon’s return to Zieghart.

“Haaah….”

Glenn let out a sigh so deep it felt like the ground might sink.

‘When on earth is Raon coming back?’

It has been over one and a half months since Raon left Zieghart.

Ordinarily, he would have waited leisurely for Raon’s return, but the speed at which the house’s swordsmen were gathering tablets was faster than expected.

Instead of completing missions one by one, they had been waiting and then finishing them all at once, stacking up achievements in bulk. At this rate, Raon might actually be dropped from the successor candidates.

“Nggh….”

Glenn pressed down on his lips and began shaking his left leg.

Rumbleeeee!

His anxious will spread through his leg and began to set off strong tremors in the lord’s manor—no, throughout all of Zieghart.

“Huhuhuhu….”

Roenn entered the audience chamber with a soft chuckle.

“You’ve started again today.”

He nodded as though he had expected that.

“Still, today you held back a little more than usual.”

Sheryl looked at Glenn’s leg and let out a sigh.

“How ominous….”

Glenn muttered that something unexpected might happen and furrowed his brows deeply.

“He’s not really coming back without any achievements at all, right?”

As if imagining Raon not even making it into the successor candidates, he began shaking both his legs at once.

Rumbleeee!

Dust fell from the ceiling of the audience chamber, and outside the manor, the swordsmen’s screams could be heard.

“Even if he only piled up trivial achievements like catching wanted criminals, I would have thrown him a tablet….”

Glenn bit his lips tightly, as if so impatient he was even thinking of bending the rules.

“That’s not allowed!”

“Sheryl rushed up to the platform and shook her hand in refusal.

“You know how hard the swordsmen, including the Central Martial Palace master and the True Martial Palace master, have worked, running everywhere to build up achievements!”

Although she liked Raon too, she shook her head, saying that kind of favoritism wasn’t acceptable.

“I know that. I was just saying it casually….”

Glenn waved his hand, claiming it was only a joke, though his complexion remained pale.

“That’s a joke that doesn’t sound like one.”

Roenn brushed away the dust that had fallen from the ceiling with a faint laugh.

“Please don’t worry too much. If it’s young master Raon, he will surely bring back good news.”

He nodded, saying Glenn knew Raon better than anyone.

“That may be true, but time is running out. If Raon doesn’t return soon…”

Glenn furrowed his brows as he looked out the window.

“He might really fail to make it into the successor candidates.”

He frowned, saying there were monsters who neither slept nor ate, moving only to build up achievements.

“R-really?”

“Huh….”

Sheryl and Roen gaped, as if they couldn’t believe Raon might not even make it into the top five successor candidates.

“It was a test designed to select successor candidates while building the swordsmen's strength and mentality, but it has caught fire beyond my expectations.”

Glenn let out a short sigh.

‘It’s clearly a good thing, but because of Raon, I can’t just be happy.’

The swordsmen, not wanting to miss their one chance to become successor, gathered achievements big and small both inside and outside the house.

It was exactly the situation he had hoped for, but as the moment arrived where Raon might actually fall out of the successor candidates, a chill of foreboding ran down his spine.

‘Hold on. The reason the swordsmen got this active in the first place was because of Raon.’

Most had given up on the head-of-house seat, but thanks to Raon’s advice that there was nothing to lose by participating, most of the house’s swordsmen joined the test for the successor candidates.

Looking at it that way, it wasn’t wrong to say Raon had brought this crisis on himself.

“What are you doing! Call Raon right now!”

“I’ll try contacting him.”

Sheryl and Roenn, feeling the same foreboding, called Raon’s name with their jaws trembling.

“That won’t do.”

Glenn shook his head with difficulty.

“I told Raon that I trust him. If I call him back, what does that make me?”

He bit his lips, telling himself that however hard it was, all he could do was endure.

“Ugh!”

“huh huh huh….”

Sheryl and Roenn, worried about Raon, also started shaking their legs like Glenn.

“Aaaahhhh!”

“W-what’s going on! The quake is worse than usual!”

“The ground’s splitting! Everyone run!”

As cracks opened in the frozen ground and the buildings shook violently, the swordsmen screamed and fled.

Rumbleeeee!

It was then, as Glenn, Sheryl, and Roenn let out dull, smoke-like sighs and were splitting the ground in two—

Creeeeak!

The door of the audience chamber opened, and Chad, master of the Shadow Agents, entered.

“He-Head of house. The Light Wind Palace master has returned.”

Chad bowed his head, reporting that Raon had just passed through the fortress gate and was heading to the main building.

“Raon? And you’re only telling me this now?!”

Glenn’s face twisted in anger.

“I-I only found out just a moment ago. It looks like he used Evelyn’s magic to move, so even our information network didn’t detect him.”

He fidgeted with his fingers, insisting he came as soon as he heard the news.

“And Raon’s fine? No problems?”

“No problem. But… he’s coming with three people we’ve never seen before.”

Chad furrowed his brows, saying they weren’t in the Shadow Agents’ information network.

“Strangers, huh….”

Glenn smacked his lips, resting his hand on the armrest.

“Whether they’re wanted criminals, warriors from a great house who’ll aid in the war, or hidden recluses—it doesn’t matter!”

He clenched his fists tight and nodded.

“I hope they are people who can count as an achievement for Raon!”

Glenn clasped his hands and offered a prayer, hoping they were not just ordinary people.

“Please!”

*   *   *

“G-grandfather!”

Raon shouted Glenn’s favorite title toward him, just as his soul was about to slip away.

“Huup!”

At the word grandfather, Glenn inhaled sharply, swallowing back the soul that had nearly slipped away.

The emptiness in his eyes regained its light.

“Are you alright?”

Raon looked at him with worried eyes.

That old man nearly left this world for real!

Wrath trembled at the thought, saying humanity’s greatest power had almost vanished in such an absurd way.

How can an old man that powerful be so weak at heart?

He furrowed his brows, grumbling that he couldn’t understand why Glenn became so weak in front of his grandson.

‘Ascending….’

Raon blinked blankly.

‘Was he really that shocked?’

I had expected Glenn to be startled, but never such an extreme reaction. Instead, it was my own heart that almost jumped out in shock.

“I-I’m fine. So then….”

Swallowing dryly, Glenn looked at the Sword Sovereign standing on the left.

“The first person is senior Sword Sovereign, the second is senior War King. And the third is an ancient dragon of the Golden tribe, is that right?”

Even as he said it himself, he blinked several times as if it were absurd.

“That is correct.”

Raon nodded calmly.

“Sword Sovereign and War King….”

Karoon narrowed his eyes as if probing the energies of the two Transcenders.

“So it really is true.”

Sensing the energy waves the Sword Sovereign and War King were concealing, he pressed his lips tight.

“S-Sword Sovereign and War King? Weren’t both of them dead?”

Balder’s mouth fell open so far his tongue almost stuck out.

“Even the black market’s and the Shadow Agents’ intel never caught their traces, so I thought they’d already passed on….”

Chad drew sharp breaths, like someone seized by paralysis.

“I never thought they’d be alive looking that young.”

He trembled his eyes, saying he hadn’t expected the Sword Sovereign and War King to remain in such much-younger forms.

“Of course we should be alive! I haven’t even had children yet!”

The Sword Sovereign shook her head fiercely, declaring she had no intention of dying anytime soon.

“Isn’t that right?”

She nudged the War King beside her with her elbow.

“That’s right….”

The War King’s face reddened with slight embarrassment, but he answered steadily.

“You both look far younger than when I saw you before.”

Glenn’s brow twitched, as if the very fact of meeting the Sword Sovereign and the War King astonished him.

“I’ve gained much enlightenment since then.”

The Sword Sovereign smiled softly, thanking him for looking kindly upon her.

“Destructive King of the North, you have long since surpassed us. I congratulate you on your great attainment.”

The War King, seeming to have grasped Glenn’s level to some extent, bowed his head respectfully.

“Thank you.”

Glenn returned the greeting to the War King. It was an extremely rare sight for him, the head of Zieghart and a pinnacle of the continent, to show such courtesy.

“However, you two…”

Glenn swallowed dryly and opened his trembling lips.

“Is it really true that you will be with Raon?”

He exhaled deeply, unable to believe that part.

“It somehow ended up that way.”

The Sword Sovereign tilted her head with a small smile.

“Our lord is the one who fulfilled our sect’s long-cherished wish, so naturally we follow him.”

Calling Raon “lord,” the War King brought his hands together.

“L-Lord?”

“Huhuhu.”

“Th-this is a dream, right? I’m having a ridiculous dream in broad daylight, aren’t I?”

Sheryl, Roenn, and Chad all gaped at once.

“R-Raon is the lord of the Sword Sovereign and War King?”

Aris clutched the hair falling across her forehead with both hands, unable to believe it.

“Nephew! What have you done this time!”

Her expression twisted, caught between fascination and bewilderment.

“Lord….”

Glenn pressed his forehead with his hand, repeating the word that had come from the War King’s mouth.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

It was shocking enough that Raon had dragged the Sword Sovereign and War King into Zieghart, but now, hearing them call him ‘lord,’ Glenn couldn’t believe this was reality.

‘Have I been bewitched by an angel or a ghost?’

It was enough to make him feel a sense of alarm, as though this might be a scenario plotted by Derus.

“Raon. How did you come to accept those two?”

Unable to hold back, Glenn asked Raon to explain what had happened.

“I’ll explain from the beginning. Back at the grave of the Sword and Saber Sovereign….”

Raon recounted everything that had happened at the grave of the Sword and Saber Sovereign, and all that he experienced this time on Stallin Mountain.

Of course, since there were many listening, he slightly twisted the parts involving Sloth.

“A fortuitous encounter… no, this must be called the guidance of fate.”

Glenn exclaimed, finally grasping the situation. The suspicion was now entirely cleared, and he nodded.

“In the name of Glenn Zieghart, I accept the Sword Sovereign and War King. Welcome.”

He inclined his chin, asking them to take good care of Raon.

“Please take care of us as well!”

The Sword Sovereign winked her left eye at Glenn.

“We thank the Destructive King of the North for his generosity.”

The War King clasped his hands and extended them forward. It seemed to be his own unique, polite greeting.

“However….”

Glenn’s gaze shifted to the Golden Dragon, Paratheus, standing beside the War King.

“The dragon…”

He narrowed his eyes deeply, troubled by Paratheus.

“I understand your concern, head of house. But that one is a dragon we can trust.”

The War King stood beside Paratheus and nodded.

“He cut ties with other dragons a long time ago. He even ignores the Dragon Lord’s words.”

The Sword Sovereign clapped Paratheus on the back with a grin.

“If Paratheus were ever to betray us, I’d offer my head.”

The War King bowed, saying they trusted Paratheus more than their own lives.

“I’ll stake my sword as well.”

The Sword Sovereign tapped her treasured sword, agreeing wholeheartedly.

“Y-You two….”

Paratheus’s eyes grew red, as though moved by the support of the Sword Sovereign and the War King.

“……”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the bond among the three that seemed to go beyond simple camaraderie.

‘What is their relationship?’

Usually they seemed eager to tear each other apart, but in truly critical moments, they staked their lives to trust one another. It was a bond that couldn’t be explained by the word ‘friend’ alone.”

“You can trust him. He won’t leak information or betray us.”

Raon also supported Paratheus with a faint smile.

“L-let’s get along, shall we?”

Paratheus slurred his words like a tipsy uncle after a drink, turning his eyes aside. Glenn still seemed terrifying to him.

“Very well. Paratheus of the golden tribe, I welcome you as well.”

Glenn nodded, accepting the Sword Sovereign, the War King, and Raon’s words.

“Lady Sword Sovereign! Please take care of me from now on!”

Sheryl shot the Sword Sovereign a gaze so fiery it looked as if it could burn.

Because she was a female swordsman who had made a name for herself before Sheryl, Sheryl seemed particularly interested.

“Haah….”

Mark Goetten panted as if he might die, overwhelmed by the fact that the greatest warrior of the saber was right before his eyes.

“T-Then we can rework our plans! It’s like—bread. No, sausage bread just rolled right into our lap!”

Chad flashed a beastlike, cold blue glint in his eyes, delighted that the number of Transcenders he’d worried about had increased.

“H-How many golden tablets is this worth?”

Burren turned his gaze to Raon, swallowing dryly.

“Sword Sovereign, War King, and even an ancient dragon. No matter how you look at it, isn’t it at least five golden tablets?”

Martha smacked her lips, saying honestly even five was too few.

“I agree with five, but the head of house has only given one at a time until now.”

Trevin frowned, saying giving five at once would not be so easy.

“No! At minimum, five should be given!”

Balder raised his right hand, insisting five golden tablets was right.

“For once, you’re saying something right. But it's not enough. It shouldn’t just be golden tablets, other rewards are necessary too!”

Aris shot a sharp glance as if to pressure Glenn.

“……”

Karoon remained silent, simply turning his gaze from the Sword Sovereign to the War King, then finally to Raon.

His gaze did not look empty, if anything, it seemed to burn even more intensely.

“Raon.”

Glenn lightly gestured toward Raon.

“Is there anything else you’ve done?”

He held his head, saying to speak now if there was.

“…There is nothing.”

Raon calmly shook his head.

Nothing? You bastard, you’ve got Sloth’s support, and even the backing of the castellan of Habun, haven’t you!

Wrath shouted, smacking Raon on the head, asking if he had already forgotten.

‘That’s not something to say right now.’

Because the preconceptions about a being called a demon king are far too strong, I couldn’t bring up Sloth just yet.

As for Habun castle’s castellan Milland’s support, it was also not a good card to reveal at this stage.

“I see.”

Glenn smacked his lips briefly as he looked into Raon’s tranquil eyes.

‘Then how many golden tablets should I give him?’

I would have tossed him a golden tablet even if he’d only brought back minor achievements, but since he returned with accomplishments far beyond anything I’d imagined, I couldn’t decide how to reward him. I was happy, yet my head throbbed with the dilemma.

‘Five golden tablets….’

In truth, I wanted to hand over all the golden tablets I had, but I couldn’t do that.

‘Because up to now I’ve given only one each.’

During the successor test, the rule was set that only one golden tablet could ever be given.

Even those whose outstanding accomplishments deserved two or more tablets at once were given only one, which made it difficult to raise the count now.

‘Especially….’

Glenn lowered his gaze slightly toward Karoon.

‘For Karoon’s mission a few days ago, even giving him three wouldn’t have been excessive.’

Not long ago, Karoon had successfully hunted an ancient dragon, rescued countless people it had abducted, and retrieved a large haul of artifacts and gold ingots.

It was an achievement worthy of even three golden tablets, but since I had given only one according to the rules I had set, I couldn’t bring myself to give Raon more.

“Ahem….”

Glenn let out a low cough and bit his lip.

‘There’s no other way.’

I’ll give him only one, as decided beforehand, and make it up to him in another way, there’s no helping it.

At that very moment, as he sighed with regret and started to raise his hand…

“One golden tablet to the Light Wind Palace master—”

“Five.”

Karoon interrupted Glenn and stepped out to the front of the platform.

“At this point, with the defection of two of the Five Kings’ Transcenders nearly certain, the achievement of bringing in the Sword Sovereign, the War King, and even an ancient dragon is beyond measure.”

He raised his right hand wide open toward Glenn.

“Please grant five golden tablets to the Light Wind Palace master.”

Karoon said that was the right thing and bowed his head calmly.

“That guy….”

That shitty-eyes’ father…

Balder and Wrath both blinked blankly at Karoon.

“What, did you eat something bad?”

What, did you eat something bad?

 

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