The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1159

 Chapter 1159

 

Raon let out a faint laugh inside as he began to sink into trance.

‘I never thought I’d actually awaken while saying I was hungry, just like Wrath said.’

Since I had skipped lunch today and helped the swordsmen with their martial arts, Wrath had been throwing a fit since the afternoon.

I was hungry too, so when I said I was starving and was about to go eat, I suddenly entered a trance.

It was to the point of being a little embarrassing that I ended up entering awakening on my own, just as Wrath had said.

‘But why am I still conscious?’

Normally, when one enters an awakened state, they forget reality and experience something like dreaming together with the sword, but strangely, I could clearly maintain rationality right now.

Most warriors fall into trance either when training swordsmanship or when fighting enemies with their lives on the line, but I had once awakened in the middle of going to the bathroom like Wrath said, and another time in the middle of eating.

‘But even then, when I fell into trance, I must have only been thinking about swordsmanship.’

He had awakened in odd situations many times, but he had always fallen into trance while thinking about swordsmanship, so once he entered it, he had focused solely on the sword.

But right now, he was not thinking about swordsmanship at all. He awakened while on his way to eat, and even his rationality remained intact, so he felt a bit flustered.

‘What is going on?’

Raon tried to move his body, but again, strangely, he couldn’t move at all.

‘I can’t hear Wrath either.’

Wrath was flapping his round hands and yelling something at me, but not a single bit of the demon king’s voice reached me. I could only feel that Wrath was cursing.

‘It’s trance, but not trance.’

He had entered awakening countless times until now, but cases like this were virtually unheard of.

‘What’s different?’

The difference was that I had awakened without thinking of swordsmanship.

‘Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve entered awakening without thinking about swordsmanship.’

A meal. In other words, it seemed this result occurred because I entered awakening in a state immersed in the human desire of having to eat.

‘Then what am I supposed to do?’

He could think, but his body couldn’t move. His mental world had entered a peculiar kind of trance, so he didn’t know what he should do to make this useful for training.

‘When I think about it, it’s strange.’

Raon clicked his tongue quietly.

‘Why did I get stronger?’

Recently, I had only listened to the sound of sword winds from swordsmen practicing, followed Glenn around, and given advice, yet I achieved far better martial progress than when I had trained desperately before.

Setting aside breaking free from my distress, it was strange that I was growing stronger little by little even though I wasn’t practicing swordsmanship or sparring with strong opponents.

‘It’s definitely not the power of Sloth seeping into me.’

His  nature didn’t fit well with Sloth, he couldn’t gain martial growth just by sleeping.

All he had done was help swordsmen far weaker than himself, and he couldn’t understand why such growth was happening.

‘Even just earlier.’

He furrowed his brows slightly, recalling how he had only thought about eating because he was hungry, yet had suddenly entered awakening.

‘Is it rest and food? The common point of the two is….’

He rubbed his fingertips, thinking of the common point between the two elements that had recently made him grow.

‘They’re things absolutely necessary for people.’

Rest and food were essential elements for ordinary people.

But he had never taken care of those two.

‘There was no rest in my life, and I only ate when Wrath made a fuss.’

In childhood, because of my desire to become direct line, and after becoming direct line, because of my desire for revenge against Derus Robert, I had always swung my sword.

I reduced sleep, skipped meals, ignored rest, and kept my body and mind in a constant state of tension.

‘I thought that was the right thing…’

Was it not?

Seeing my swordsmanship progress rising even though I was swinging the sword the same as before, it seemed my previous judgment had been wrong.

‘Come to think of it, a swordsman is still human.’

Even Glenn, who could cut the world with a single sword, and I, who could cut mountains though not to that extent, though we were called superhuman, we were still humans made of flesh and bone.

‘Since I’ve rested lately, my body and mind really do feel far better than usual. Then what I can go on to from here is…’

Immersed in this change he was experiencing for the first time across both his previous and present lives, Raon began to sink ever so slightly into an awakening, not as a swordsman, but as a human.

*   *   *

“Hmm! Hm-hmhm!”

Glenn hummed a tune as he returned to the lord’s manor. As though his mood was rising, even the shoulders that were always squared and rigid shook faintly as he walked.

“You look like you’re in a good mood?”

Sheryl approached Glenn’s side and raised her eyebrows slightly.

“Did something special happen?”

She lowered her chin as if asking him to tell her as well.

“Well, it must be because of Sir Raon.”

Roenn gave a small smile, as if the answer was obvious.

“Raon?”

Sheryl tilted her head as she said Raon’s name.

“Raon wasn’t particularly different from usual, though?”

She narrowed her eyes, saying that he had just been giving advice to the swordsmen like always.

“That’s what makes him adorable!”

Glenn turned to Sheryl and raised his voice, not in anger, but because excitement pushed his tone upward.

“Just like a baby duck following the mother duck, the way he follows me is unbelievably adorable!”

Recalling the sight of Raon following after him, he trembled his lips as though moved.

“That child who used to be so cold now follows me like I’m a mother duck, and that is just….”

Glenn couldn’t finish his sentence and drew in a sharp breath before exhaling. If this had been the audience chamber, Zieghart would have suffered its greatest earthquake today.

“Good grief…”

Sheryl let out a long sigh, clearly growing tired of this.

“Huhuhuhu!”

Roenn smiled gently, as if saying he had expected this.

“But that’s not the only reason.”

Glenn waved his hand with half-closed eyes.

“There’s something else?”

Sheryl’s eyes shone, demanding he explain why he was so excited today.

“Hmm…”

Roenn also clicked his tongue, looking curious.

“When Raon first started following me, he only agreed with my opinions and gave additional advice to the swordsmen.”

Glenn lowered his brows as he recalled the first time Raon followed behind him a week ago.

“But lately, Raon doesn’t just follow my opinions. He’s been expressing more of his own thoughts. Today, he even gave advice contrary to mine.”

He drew a deep smile, saying Raon gave advice that had a different grain from his own.

“He gave contrary advice, so why are you happy?”

Sheryl sensed that Glenn was smiling sincerely and swallowed dryly.

“Because it means Raon is moving away from me.”

Glenn smiled faintly and lifted his head.

“Even if he learns the same versatile sword, and is the same Zieghart, the path of the sword is countless, and sooner or later it must diverge. Even if that child learned the Azure Sky Sword and Heavenly Lightning Cultivation from me, if he only follows behind me, he will never escape my shadow. Raon seems to be overcoming his distress and finding his own sword.”

He quietly nodded, as if hoping Raon would change his sword in a different way from his own.

“So… hmm?”

Glenn, who had been speaking excitedly, suddenly turned his back in haste.

“Already?”

He swallowed and rushed back toward the training ground.

“Head of house?”

“Let’s go as well.”

Sheryl’s eyes widened, startled, and Roenn immediately followed after Glenn.

What the three of them saw upon returning to the training ground was Raon, standing frozen in place. His eyes were hazy, as if dreaming, staring into empty air.

“Trance?”

Sheryl confirmed that Raon had entered awakening and swallowed dryly.

“It’s trance, but the atmosphere feels a little different from other awakenings.”

Roenn lowered his brows as he sensed a gentle energy rising from Raon.

“You’re right.”

Glenn trembled his lips and nodded.

“Raon is not gaining enlightenment in swordsmanship right now.”

With eyes filled with rising joy, he clenched his fist tightly.

“As a person. He is gaining the seed that will lead to the ultimate path.”

Glenn stayed in place until Raon woke, his chest burning with warmth. Inside his red eyes, like the sun, joy and gratitude toward his grandson bloomed at the same time.

‘Thank you, truly.’

*   *   *

From the next day on, Raon did not follow Glenn around, and only stood blankly on the platform.

“W-what’s with him again?”

Krein bit his lip slightly as he looked at Raon standing blankly.

“He’s not even meditating with his eyes closed like before, he’s just spacing out.”

He moistened his dry lips, saying he was scared of Raon’s new appearance.

“What if he suddenly tries out a new kind of training and torments us again?”

“Hmm, it’s not that….”

Dorian looked at Raon and slowly shook his head.

“Right now the palace master’s mind is in a very peaceful state.”

He closed and opened his eyes, saying it felt different from the times Raon thought about tormenting them.

“It’s a little weaker, but it feels similar to when I take care of supplies.”

Dorian smacked his lips, saying Raon felt similar to when he was satisfying his own desires.

“He somehow regained his energy.”

Burren approached behind Dorian and lowered his brows.

“As always, our palace master doesn’t need to be worried over.”

He gave a faint laugh, saying he knew this would happen.

“I told you. Just leave him and do what we need to do.”

Martha hooked her elbow over Krein’s shoulder and snorted.

“Y-yes….”

Krein slid aside, glancing around nervously.

“But still, do worry about him once in a while.”

Sylvia shook her head with a soft smile.

“He may look like that, but he’s a gentle-hearted child.”

She smiled, saying she appreciated them thinking of Raon.

“Yeah. Raon is kind and gentle.”

Sia nodded strongly, saying no one was as kind as Raon.

“Kind and gentle….”

“Hmm….”

“R-right? Yes.”

Burren, Martha, and Dorian only smacked their lips with lowered eyes at Sylvia and Sia’s words.

“Gentle? That person? Absolutely not—gah!”

“Shut up.”

Krein tried to mention what he usually suffered, but Martha smacked his back and he collapsed forward.

“Hng….”

Runaan exhaled softly, as though she knew Raon would come back, and leaned against the training ground wall. As if her worries had vanished and her mind felt at ease, she immediately began purring as she fell asleep.

“Let’s go too. We’ve rested enough.”

After ordering the Light Wind swordsmen to resume training, Burren dragged the collapsed Krein away toward the outer edge of the training ground.

Ssshhh.

After the swordsmen of Light Wind Palace resumed their training, Raon half-opened his eyes.

‘More has changed than I expected.’

If a normal awakening was like being struck by waves, yesterday’s awakening was like a gentle drizzle.

I thought there wouldn’t be much difference from before, but what I saw and felt was far different from what I’d expected.

‘I can see the flow of swordsmanship in more detail, and I can feel the grains of mana as if they’re touching my fingertips.’

I could feel the grain of the sword techniques that I couldn’t see even yesterday.
It felt like I could make the swordsmen’s perfected techniques sharper and stronger.
Every sense was a little different than before. Loose as it was, awakening was still awakening.

It is natural that it must be different!

Wrath rushed up to his face.

You ruined this king’s dinner like that, and if nothing had changed, he would have smacked the back of your head!

He gnashed his teeth, telling Raon not to say obvious things.

‘That’s why I ate breakfast like three meals’ worth.’

Raon let out a sigh, grabbing his stomach as he recalled eating until he was sick of it.

Hmph! If you hadn’t eaten that much, you would already be a corpse!

Wrath snorted, saying he was letting him off because he ate breakfast so heartily.

So what will you do now?

He rolled his eyes as if asking what Raon would do now that he had awakened.

Though, what’s the point in asking you? You’ll just swing a sword again.

Wrath clicked his tongue, saying it was obvious without even looking.

The King of Essence is going to take a nap, so wake him up when it’s time for lunch….

‘No.’

Raon firmly shook his head and stepped down from the platform. He walked toward Runaan, who was leaning against the wall.

“Hmhhm…?”

Runaan wiped the drool at the corner of her mouth with her sleeve as she looked at Raon standing right in front of her.

“I didn’t sleep much…. I’m just getting started….”

She slowly shook her head, saying she hadn’t slept at all today.

“I didn’t come to nag you.”

Raon gave a faint smile and sat down beside her.

“I’m going to sleep too.”

Like her, he folded his arms and gently closed his eyes.

“Huh…?”

Hearing that, Runaan’s eyes, always half-open, flew wide open as though she had woken up completely.

“You’re… sleeping?”

She even raised her voice, which was rare.

“Huh?”

“D-did I hear that wrong?”

Burren and Martha also dropped their jaws at Raon’s words.

“H-he’s crazy! I told you! I told you the palace master went crazy long ago!”

Krein shook his head violently, saying that wasn’t Raon Zieghart.

“T-the weirdest part is… Sir Raon’s mind is extremely calm….”

Dorian blinked, saying Raon’s mind and emotions were completely normal right now.

Y-you’ve really gone mad!

Wrath trembled his tail as though baffled.

You awakened and got stronger, and instead of swinging your sword you’re going to sleep? Who in the world are you!

He waved both hands wildly, saying it felt like another soul had taken over.

‘I’ve finally realized it. Right now isn’t the time to swing a sword.’

Raon nodded with the most relaxed expression he had ever shown.

‘I’m going to try living as a person from now on.’

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