The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1151

 Chapter 1151

 

“Y-You… continent-bound riffraff….”

Raon bit his lip as he watched Aris shaking her fist.

‘I can’t argue back.’

I had no rebuttal to Aris calling me and the other successor candidates continent-bound riffraff.

‘Because we really are riffraff.’

I had complacently assumed I would naturally take one of the two final successor slots. I never imagined that neglecting to visit the harbors and coastal towns and cities connected to me would come back to bite me like this.

‘I was way too relaxed.’

The Robert region, the city where the Black Tower had been hidden, the harbor I saved from the White Blood Religion, there were many coastal cities and villages I had rescued.

If I had somehow managed to visit every one of them, there was a strong chance that today’s first place wouldn’t have gone to Aris, but to me instead.

But I hid behind the excuse of not having enough time and focused on other matters, failing to properly look after them. I felt that, beyond the test itself, I had done something wrong to those people.

Crack!

Karoon had made it into the final candidates, but he clenched his fist hard enough to make a sound, as if it was unbearable that Aris, someone he hadn’t even considered, had stolen first place from him.

“So that means it’s not brother and my nephew going up, but brother and sister?”

Balder let out an exclamation, saying all sorts of things really do happen. Seeing how he didn’t even care that he had been eliminated himself, he truly seemed to be in a good mood.

“Uwaaaaah!”

“I never thought Lady Aris was interested in becoming head of house.”

“Same here. I thought she only forced herself to take the first test.”

“Well, who wouldn’t be interested in becoming Zieghart’s head?”

“With that many supporters, she must have been recognized not only for her skill but also her character.”

The spectators in the training ground nodded, saying Aris was indeed worthy.

“Grrrrrk….”

Glenn, who apparently hadn’t been informed of the results beforehand, was even foaming at the mouth.

“How in the world did this….”

Even after reading the results with his own eyes, his fingertips trembled as if he still couldn’t believe it.

“Hrrrgh….”

Chad clutched his head, screaming silently like he was at a loss.

“It’s over. My future….”

Thinking of the bets he had placed on Raon in the past, he squeezed his eyes shut.

Puhuhuhahahaha!

Wrath burst into wild laughter, as though he found the situation unbearably funny.

It’s been so long since the King of Essence has seen your face get that twisted! His clogged-up chest feels completely cleared out!

He rubbed his round belly with his plump hand, saying it felt refreshing.

This is why the King of Essence told you to put in some real effort.

“Hmm….”

Raon pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes.

‘Tch.’

He wanted to argue back at Wrath, but this time he truly had nothing to say, so he only clicked his tongue inwardly.

“How was I? I did well, right?”

Aris shrugged, saying she had moved for the sake of the house.

“I really went around without a single break.”

“Why now, of all times….”

Glenn pressed his lips down tight.

“You decide to work hard this time? Why don’t you try doing things properly on a regular basis….”

He gripped the armrest of the throne hard, as if resentful toward Aris.

“Father. Your real thoughts are slipping out, you know?”

Aris gave Glenn a small, amused smile, asking if he was alright.

“Hmm, sorry.”

Glenn let out a breath, calming the anger that was rising inside him.

“Seeing that side of you makes me even happier.”

Aris said her heart beat faster seeing Glenn’s twisted expression. She seemed like someone who would get along extremely well with Wrath.

“Ahem!”

Having nothing more to say, Glenn only cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow.

“S-So… are you going to accept the rankings as they are?”

Glenn lowered his gaze toward Aris, as if clinging to a sliver of last hope.

“Hmm….”

Raon swallowed hard at Glenn’s words.

‘If it’s aunt, she might withdraw… or even hand it over to me.’
Because Aris held great affection for me, withdrawing for my sake was entirely possible. And Glenn’s question was clearly asked with that hope in mind.

‘But that would be pretty pathetic.’

No matter the circumstances, I could have made it through on my own ability, failing to do so and relying on Aris to help me would be utterly humiliating.

Pathetic indeed.

Wrath clicked his tongue long.

But that woman truly cares about you.

He frowned, saying it was obvious Aris would try to help him.

‘Haa. It might not be bad if aunt takes the spot, though….’

Raon scratched his cheek and smacked his lips.

“No. I will not accept it.”

Aris firmly waved her hand.

“Ooh!”

For the first time Glenn lifted his hips slightly from the throne. Expectation lit up his eyes.

“In the past, I would have said yes. Honestly, becoming a candidate in the first place was because I just happened to stumble into it.”

Aris let out a small laugh as Glenn’s expression twisted again.

“Huh…? Th-Then?”

Glenn sat back down and swallowed hard.

“Before the second successor test started, I planned to gather supporters roughly and hand them over to Raon. I could just withdraw, after all.”

At first Aris nodded and said she had intended to do exactly what Glenn wanted, pass everything to Raon.

“But meeting the people changed my mind.”

She brushed back her hair, carrying the cool scent of the ocean.

“I’ve been away from the ocean for so long, yet those fools still remembered me and supported me without expecting anything.”

Aris gently curled her lips upward, saying they were truly foolish people.

“All I did was chase away other pirates and deal with a few monsters, trivial things, but they still remembered and welcomed me with smiles.”

She lowered her eyes slowly, as if recalling the faces of people who had happily welcomed the pirate ship Azure Wind’s arrival, then opened them again.

“And all of them were the same.”

Aris nodded quietly, saying that the people of the harbors and cities where the Azure   Wind docked had all waited for her with the same hearts and eyes.

“No matter how much I treasure Raon, more than my own life, I felt it would be wrong to twist their feelings just to suit my own intentions.”

She shook her head, saying that was why she changed her mind about withdrawing for Raon’s sake.

“I see.”

Glenn sank back into the throne, slowly easing the furrow from his brow.

“You’re changing little by little too, Aris.”

Moments earlier he looked as if he might smack the back of her head, but now a faint smile appeared on his face instead.

“I’m getting older too, you know.”

Aris nodded calmly, as if to say change was only natural.

“All right. Then it can’t be helped.”

Glenn seemed disappointed that Raon hadn't passed the test, but he also seemed satisfied with Aris's matured change.

“Hmm.”

Watching Aris’s sincere smile, Raon slowly closed his eyes and opened them again.

‘That’s how it should be.’

As Aris said, the people of the harbors and coastal cities supported her, not me.

Even if she withdrew and pushed me forward, I still couldn’t say I had passed the test in any true sense.

‘It’s a shame I failed the test… but—

I’m glad aunt seems brighter.

Aris carried a painful past, betrayed by her own son, and in the end, losing him. Ever since then, even when she smiled, there had always been a faint shadow over her face.

But now, she was smiling with the same refreshing, ocean-like warmth she had shown when we first met. It felt as though she had finally finished sorting out her heart.

Oh? This means!

Wrath snapped his head around and grinned so wide his mouth threatened to split.

You're eliminated!

He burst into cackling laughter, scoffing at why someone who failed was even smiling.

Before coming here, you and that big shitty eyes were acting all high and mighty like you’d already won! Look at you now, pathetic!

Wrath let out a snort, saying it was the first time he’d ever seen Raon fail since they met. Judging by how he was twisting his body around, he was really enjoying it.

‘Ugh…’

Raon swallowed the groan rising inside him.

‘Yeah… this is embarrassing.’

Just as Wrath said, the conversation I’d had with Karoon before entering the training ground resurfaced.

I had been striking arrogant poses together with Karoon, acting like we’d already won before even coming here.

Remembering that now made my face burn with embarrassment.

If there were any way, I wanted to climb back up no matter what, but it didn’t seem possible right now.

Honestly, the disappointment was big, but seeing Aris regain her original smile made me happy too, so I decided I would congratulate her.

“Congratulations.”

Raon bowed his head to Aris, sincerely.

“Oh! There’s one more thing I forgot to say.”

Aris laughed as if she’d nearly forgotten and stepped toward Raon.

“I tried my best, but there were places that supported you to the very end.”

She said he had built good connections, and pulled two emblems from inside her clothes.

“I went to them myself, yet both Sicot and Luren said they’re supporting you.”

Aris smiled and handed the emblems to him.

“Sikot… Luren….”

Recognizing the emblems, Raon swallowed a dry gulp.

These places...

‘Right. They’re the places we saved from the White Blood Religion’s attack.’

Those two harbors were places they had gone to and personally defended when the White Blood Religion tried to attack with their Bloody Spirit Ship.

Because Raon the Light Wind Palace had shown them everything, from how they fought to how they saved them, it seemed they decided to support Raon even though he hadn’t visited them in person.

“Thank you.”

Raon received the emblems of the two harbors and held them carefully, as if they were something precious.

“Huh? Then….”

Chad swallowed dryly and looked through the papers again.

“The gap between the Central Martial Palace master and the Light Wind Palace master is almost nonexistent!”

His chin trembled as he said the numbers were now so close it was hard to differentiate.

“So who’s ahead right now?”

Balder stomped his foot, urging him to speak quickly.

“It seems the Central Martial Palace master is ahead by just a little. But population numbers aren’t exactly precise, so….”

Chad shook his head, saying he needed exact calculations, yet the difference was almost nothing.

“Hrm!”

Karoon’s eyes trembled narrowly, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his forehead as tension surged back into him.

“H-How many people is the difference right now?”

He narrowed his eyes, urging Chad to give an exact number.

“T-to figure that out, I’d have to calculate everything again….”

Chad rolled his eyes, saying it would take a little time.

“Haah, this is….”

Glenn pressed his temples, unable to find a way forward.

“Heh heh.”

Aris crossed her arms and simply laughed, as if the situation itself amused her.

“Uh, um….”

Raon cautiously raised his hand, glancing around.

“The Sword Sovereign and the War King also said they support me, but I don’t think they were included in the count. And there are the six adult dragons. No, there should also be the young dragons that follow them, so… that makes around twenty dragons altogether….”

He smacked his lips and listed the names Chad hadn’t mentioned. If all of those were included, he might be able to beat Karoon, so he shamelessly made one last desperate struggle.

Eh…?

Wrath dropped his jaw as if dumbfounded.

Wow, you pathetic loser!

He let out an empty breath, saying Raon’s pathetic level was going off the charts.

[So pathetic….]

And it wasn’t just Wrath, everyone in the training ground was thinking the exact same thing.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Chad widened his eyes, saying he completely forgot about those.

“T-Then….”

Just as he was about to recalculate—

“Ahem!”

Karoon cleared his throat loudly like Glenn, drawing everyone’s attention.

“C-Counting dragons as supporters is a bit questionable, isn’t it? The five adult dragons, maybe, but the young dragons that follow them haven’t even been properly confirmed. No, actually, they’re not even people, so I’m not sure if including those five as supporters is really right in the first place...”

He slightly raised his voice, insisting that dragons shouldn’t be counted as supporters.

“What? You said before that we should include them! You said it yourself!”

Balder shouted at Karoon, dumbfounded.

“T-That was then. Thinking about it again, there are… some parts that don’t seem all that reasonable….”

Karoon shook his head, saying humans can change their minds.

“Come on, that’s not right. Dragons can take human form, and they’re intelligent. And besides, the ones who defected, no, the dragons who switched sides, deserve to be properly recognized as well.”

Raon shook his head fiercely, insisting that excluding them was absolutely unacceptable.

At that moment, everyone in the training ground, including Wrath and Glenn, had the same thought again.

[Both of them are pathetic….]

*   *   *

“Um… well….”

Chad looked at the finished calculations, his eyes darting left and right.

“A-A-According to the calculations, the number of supporters for the Central Martial Palace Master and the Light Wind Palace Master is almost identical. The difference is within about ten people, and since that number can shift depending on when the count was taken… w-we can’t produce a definitive result.”

Saying it wasn’t something he could decide, he handed the papers to Glenn.

“Hmm….”

Glenn accepted them with trembling hands and slowly read through them.

“Shadow Agents master is right. With numbers this close, the supporter count can change depending on the time and place of the survey, so it’s too inconclusive to declare a result.”

Despite saying that, his lips began to tremble slightly.

“Normally, the right thing to do would be to hold the test again, but Zieghart is currently entering a period of war preparation, so that isn’t possible. Therefore….”

Glenn folded the papers and rose from the throne.

“I will overturn my previous decision and place all three, Aris Zieghart, Karoon Zieghart, and Raon Zieghart, into the final pool of successor candidates.”

He nodded to everyone in the training ground, saying this was the consequence he must accept.

“Uwoooooooh!”

“This is actually better!”

“Yeah, this is acceptable!”

“No, I think this is absolutely the right choice!”

“Exactly! This makes things even more interesting!”

“Although it was a little pathetic at the end...”

“A little?”

The spectators roared in agreement, saying that putting all three up, just as Glenn had said, was the right choice. Of course, there were also people pointing out how pathetic Raon and Karoon had been.

“Heheh.”

Aris nodded calmly, as if she had known things would turn out like this.

“…….”

“…….”

Karoon and Raon stepped toward each other, three steps each. The two stared quietly at one another before lightly slapped their palms together and returned to their original spots.

Even this is pathetic….

Wrath shook his head, saying that even the act of slapping palms was pathetic.

“Haa….”

Raon lowered his head and let out a deep sigh of relief.

‘It doesn’t matter if it was pathetic.’

I had made it through, after all.

If I had acted pathetically and still failed, that would’ve been truly humiliating,but I had somehow managed to pass, so it was fine. The embarrassment washing over me now would fade with time.

“Hoo...”

Glenn finally relaxed as well, exhaling a heavy breath as the tension left his face.

“As I said before, the third successor test is intelligence gathering. The one who brings the most crucial information for striking Derus and Eden will be awarded the successor’s position.”

He nodded, saying that intelligence work must be taken just as seriously as training.

“And lastly….”

Glenn took a deep breath and looked down at the swordsmen lined up in the training ground.

“I ordered the Light Wind Palace master to select those who will receive my instruction before the war. Today, those names will be announced.”

He jerked his chin at Raon, telling him to step forward.

“Yes.”

With unhesitating steps, Raon climbed onto the platform. Unlike his earlier pathetic display, his eyes were steady and serious as he looked over the swordsmen and opened his mouth.

“I will now announce the names of those who will receive the head of house’s instruction.”

 

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