The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1150

 Chapter 1150

 

Raon led the Light Wind swordsmen and took a spot on the left side of the training ground.

The leaders of the armed organizations, who had entered the training ground earlier and were waiting, gave him slight bows or nodded in greeting.

Ugh!

Wrath looked around the training ground from end to end and let out a sigh.

It looks like every human in your house has gathered here today. The training ground is going to burst.

He shook his head, saying that seeing only the tops of people’s heads sticking up made it look like bean sprouts packed tightly together.

‘Well, it’s an important day.’

Today was the important day when the final two successor candidates would be selected.

Since they would have to spend the next year preparing for war, the people of Zieghart must have gathered thinking of this as their last festival.

Well, there won’t be anything enjoyable for a while….

Wrath nodded, saying that nothing drained one more than preparing for war.

So, are you confident?

He tilted his chin as if asking how Raon felt.

‘To some extent.’

Raon half-opened his eyes as he glanced at Karoon standing beside him.

'This one, at least, looks confident.'

Karoon stood straight-backed with his hands clasped behind him, as if convinced he could not possibly lose. His gaze was fixed only on the golden throne on the platform, as though he were already the successor.

‘Then the others…’

Raon calmly turned his gaze to the right.

“Hm-hm-hmm.”

Aris was humming and shrugging her shoulders, as if she found this moment itself enjoyable.

“Nephew! You’re here!”

“Aunt. Hello.”

“You’re the star of the day, should’ve come a bit later, you know.”

She grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously as if delighted to see him.

‘And…’

Raon looked toward Serena, who was standing alone where the division leaders were waiting.

“Be quiet.”

After silencing the Void Sword Division swordsmen, Serena stared ahead with a calm gaze. At the end of her line of sight was also the empty golden throne.

‘She was always serious.’

Among the successor candidates, the only ones still looking at the throne were Serena and Karoon. Those two seemed more earnest about becoming head of house than anyone else here.

‘Well, she did say she would become the head of house the moment we first met.’

Before the selection ceremony, Serena had come to me, asking him to join the Void Sword Division and support her, the one destined to become the head.

At the time I had thought she was just crazy, but now that things had come this far, I genuinely admired her will.

‘This is what not giving up looks like.’

In Zieghart’s history, no outsider had ever become the head. Serena knew that better than anyone, yet she didn’t give up and poured everything she had into aiming for the position. Whatever the result today, I wanted to applaud her determination and willpower.

Boom!

As Raon turned his gaze back to the platform, a heavy, ground-shaking step echoed from behind.

“Wahahahaha!”

It was Balder. Laughing loudly like a commander dominating a battlefield, he strode up to Raon’s side.

“Nephew! How have you been?”

Saying it had been a while, Balder slapped Raon’s back and shoulders hard. Even without aura, he was so strong that Raon felt like his collarbone might break.

“Ah, yes.”

Raon massaged the shoulder that Balder had struck and nodded.

“Good! Good! You look well.”

Balder chuckled in high spirits and stood beside him, looking toward the platform.

‘Hmm?’

Raon narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Balder, who couldn’t hide his smile.

‘What is this?’

Balder was simpler than anyone and never hid his emotions. For someone like him to be unable to stop smiling meant he was confident in today’s results.

Ohh!

Wrath let out an exclamation as if he felt the same thing.

Even that idiot seems to have prepared something!

Seeing Balder’s confidence, he licked his lips as though anticipating the result.

‘It seems so.’

Raon furrowed his brows a little.

‘I thought the result was already decided, but now I’m not so sure.’

Honestly, I had naturally assumed that Karoon and I would become the final successor candidates.

But when I looked around the training ground today, Balder seemed even more confident than Karoon, and Serena looked like she had something prepared as well. The only one I couldn’t read was Aris.

'Well, it's good if I make it, and if I don't, it can't be helped.'

Becoming head of house would be good, but more important was Zieghart’s survival.

I had already grown attached to this house, so even if I wasn’t chosen as a candidate today, what I needed to do wouldn’t change.

You really are a boring guy.

Wrath snorted, saying Raon’s reaction was too mild and no fun.

There should at least be the fun of watching you tremble.

‘I’ll show you later. After I achieve my goals.’

Just as Raon waved his hand at Wrath,

“The sky of Zieghart. The Destructive King of the North, the head of house, is entering”

The gatekeeper of the training ground roared loud enough to shake the sky and earth. His voice was more than twice as loud as when Raon and Karoon had entered.

Step.

Footsteps rang out,  steps that silenced every person gathered in the head of house’s training ground.

At the entrance of Glenn Zieghart and the Heavenly Blade Division, which was under his direct command, the people unconsciously closed their mouths and stiffened like statues.

“We greet the head of house!”

“We greet the head of house!”

The moment Glenn entered the training ground, starting with Karoon, everyone inside knelt and bowed.

Step.

Unlike when he was in the audience chamber, Glenn ascended the platform at a pace so slow it felt tedious, receiving the greetings of Zieghart’s swordsmen.

“Rise.”

He nodded calmly and sat on the golden throne that shone alone.

“Yes!”

The Zieghart swordsmen bowed once more as if this sight was only natural, then straightened their bodies.

“Begin.”

“Yes? Ye—yes….”

At Glenn’s command, Chad, the Shadow Agents master, who had been holding the papers against his chest, stepped forward. His lips trembled as though something had gone wrong.

“Th-the successor candidates determined after the first test were the masters of the Central Martial Palace, the True Martial Palace, the Light Wind Palace, the Void Sword Division leader, and, uh, Lady Aris Zieghart.”

Chad stated the results of the first test first, looking at each person in turn.

“And the second test was to gather supporters who would follow the successor candidate.”

He drew breath slowly, seeming nervous just from making the announcement.

“I will now announce the results of the second successor candidate test.”

Chad unfolded the papers he had been clutching with shaking hands.

“First, the supporters of the Void Sword Division leader. The factions supporting her are the Kingdom of Artina, the Water City Aquarian, the Poem City Reminis, the Tower Village Eldr….”

Serena had the support of most regions where she had carried out missions. It showed how earnestly she had completed her missions.

“Lastly, the village of Nokrin, where the Tower of Shadows stands.”

Although Serena had gathered a notable amount of support, most were from small factions, so it didn’t seem likely that she would remain among the final two candidates.

“Serena! Serena! Serena!”

Those supporting Serena shouted her name desperately and pumped their fists.

“Thank you.”

Serena bowed to those who supported her with a composed expression. Even knowing she likely wouldn’t become a final candidate, she seemed satisfied with what she had achieved by her own strength.

“Next, the factions supporting the True Martial Palace master. The Crystal Village Arsia, the Cloud City Aethercian, the Mining Kingdom Fellun….”

The factions supporting Balder were greater in number than expected, and they were of high standing as well. It seemed he had gone around in person to gather those who would support him.

‘That’s quite a number.’

Of course, he still wasn’t likely to become successor.

More factions were named than I had expected, but since the support ended up divided between Balder and Karoon, Balder still couldn’t catch up to me.

“…and finally, the Moving City Noride.”

Chad let out a slow breath as if slightly out of breath.

“Uwaaaaaaa!”

“Balder! Balder! Balder!”

This time, the training ground became noisy with people shouting Balder’s name. It was a little different from when it had been calm yet warm during Serena’s turn.

“Uahahahaha!”

Balder laughed simply because he was pleased. Looking now, it seemed he’d slept well and was just in a good mood.

“Hmm.”

Even though the training ground had become loud, Glenn didn’t try to stop it. Instead, he showed a faint smile. He seemed to be accepting this situation like a festival.

“Third, I will call the factions supporting the Light Wind Palace master. The Northern Shield Habun Castle, vassal houses Sullion and Arianne, the White Whale and Martial Blade Pavilion of the Five Divine Orders….”

Chad began naming the factions that supported Raon.

‘I remember them all.’

Every time Chad called a faction’s name, Raon recalled the past events he had gone through with them. Since every one of those moments had been battles fought with their lives on the line, the tension of those times resurfaced, yet he also found himself smiling.

“Lastly, the Holy Kingdom of Schper.”

The moment Chad’s words ended, the spectators seated inside the training ground immediately stood up.

“Uwooooooo!”

“Raon! Raon! Raon!”

“Sword Emperor! Sword Emperor! Sword Emperor!”

A far louder cheer than Balder’s shook the entire training ground. He had heard his popularity had risen recently, but it seemed far more people liked him than he had thought.

“……”

Raon silently lowered his head toward the people calling his name.

‘This should be enough.’

No calculation was necessary, these numbers easily surpassed Serena and Balder.

With only Karoon and Aris left, and Aris not interested in the successor candidacy, he felt the result was already decided.

“Huu.”

Chad caught his breath as if it had been hard work, then lifted the fourth paper.

“Fourth, I will speak of the factions supporting the Central Martial Palace master. The Central Martial Palace master has received support from Zieghart’s long-standing allies and the vassal houses. The factions that supported him are the Sisirian House, the Kingdom of Tairan….””

He listed the factions supporting Karoon while breaking into a cold sweat. Far more names appeared than expected, and they were all places with large populations. It was, as expected, the kind of connections befitting Glenn’s eldest son.

“L-lastly, the desert city Zerha. Huu.”

As soon as Chad finished listing Karoon’s supporters, he let out a long sigh as if his throat hurt.

“Karoon! Karoon! Karoon!”

“Central Martial Palace master! Central Martial Palace master! Central Martial Palace master!”

Karoon’s supporters shouted his name and his title. As is always the case, the eldest son has the most supporters, and Karoon’s name burst from people’s mouths almost as loudly as Raon’s.

‘Almost even, but….’

Raon clicked his tongue lightly.

‘Karoon seems to have a bit more than me.’

Karoon had secured the support of Zieghart’s long-established connections, just as Chad had said. I had gained quite a few supporters myself, but, as expected, I couldn’t overcome the connections Zieghart had built over a thousand years.

‘Still, it’s fine. They pick two anyway… hm?’

Just as Raon smiled thinly and nodded,

‘Wait a minute!’

He swallowed dryly and looked at Chad.

‘If I think about the order so far, it’s in ranking order, isn’t it?’

Serena, Balder, me, and then Karoon. It seemed the four names had been called not by rank or alphabetical order, but in the order of how many supporters each of us had.

‘T-then could it be….’

Raon looked at Chad with trembling eyes.

“Er-hemm.”

Chad, sounding exhausted, wet his throat with water and lifted the fifth paper.

“F-fifth, I will announce the factions supporting Lady Aris Zieghart. First, the undersea city Atrian, the western coastal alliance Sirphin, the flower harbor Libellis, the mechanized harbor Mekrian….”

He called out Aris’s supporters at a much faster pace than when announcing Raon’s or Karoon’s. But the list of names did not end easily.

“W-what is this….”

“Why are there so many?”

“These aren’t villages or cities on the continent, they’re all ports or harbor cities!”

“No, there are unions too!”

The spectators, too, were stunned by the factions supporting Aris, staring with their mouths wide open as they focused on Chad’s words.

“L-lastly, the fog harbor Sirentium. Hff… hff!”

Chad now sounded completely hoarse, gasping as if his throat had given out.

“Uwoooooooo!”

“Aris! Aris! Aris!”

The spectators, shocked yet seeming to enjoy Aris’s unexpected showing, shouted her name.

“We’ve been had….”

Karoon pressed down his lips hard.

“While the four of us were dividing up the continent, she took the sea and the factions around it all for herself. In a way, it’s the natural result.”

He furrowed his brow, saying he hadn’t expected Aris to move this diligently.

“Hmm….”

Raon’s fingertips trembled slightly.

‘I definitely overlooked this.’

I had focused on the factions on the continent, leaving me no time to visit the coastal city where House Robert had been, nor the city where the Black Tower stood, which I had originally intended to go to.

Looking at it now, I realized that Aris had even secured the support of the factions none of us had visited.

“T-then I will announce the rankings.”

Chad lifted the sixth and final paper.

“Ahem! Fifth place, the leader of the Void Sword Division. Fourth place, the master of the True Martial Palace. Third place, the master of the Light Wind Palace. Second place, the master of the Central Martial Palace, a-and first place is Aris Zieghart!”

Even he, the master of the Shadow  Agents, seemed to have never expected today's results, shouting Aris's name with his eyes squeezed shut.

“Urgh….”

“Is… is that for real?”

“Lady Aris is actually first place?”

“T-then Sir Raon didn’t make it!”

“Crazy….”

The swordsmen and spectators were completely stunned by the result, far beyond anything they had expected, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

“Gguhhhh!”

Glenn also must have thought that Raon and Karoon would naturally advance, as he sharply drew in a breath, his eyes trembling. The dignity he had shown when entering the training ground had already flown off somewhere.

“Uh….”

Raon, startled, trembled in his legs as he repeatedly moistened his dry lips.

Puheheheheh!

Wrath clutched his stomach as he burst into mocking laughter.

You said you wouldn’t get flustered, and yet you show it right away today! Yes! That’s it!

He clutched his stomach and giggled, saying he loved Raon’s flustered expression.

You and that big shitty eyes both acted like you already won, look at you now! Look at you!

Wrath flicked his tongue, mocking both Raon and Karoon at the same time.

“It was hard because time was short, but I pulled it off in the end.”

Aris thrust her fist up sharply, as if asking how they liked it.

“This is the power of the connections I built while roaming the seas for over twenty years! You continent-bound riffraff!”