The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1153

 Chapter 1153

 

“All right.”

Raon nodded to Karoon, then beckoned to Burren, who was standing beside him.

“That’ll be all for today. Dismissed.”

“…Yes.”

Burren looked at Karoon and then at Raon in turn, before slowly turning around.

“We’re heading back.”

He led the Light Wind Palace swordsmen out of the training ground in Raon’s stead.

“This way, please.”

Raon pointed toward an empty spot on the outer edge of the training ground. Since people were starting to pour outside after the event had ended, it seemed better to talk inside rather than outside.

“……”

Karoon silently nodded and followed Raon toward the far end of the training ground.

“So what is it….”

Raon sat across from Karoon and was just about to open the conversation.

“U-uh, excuse me.”

Dorian suddenly appeared and reached into his belly pocket.

“There’s nothing here, so…!”

He took out a table from his belly pocket, then teacups, and even a luxurious kettle filled with hot water, and set them all down.

Sssshhh!

Only after brewing tea that gave off an antique aroma in front of Raon and Karoon did Dorian step back.

“H-have a good conversation!”

Grinning broadly, clearly in a good mood after being chosen today, he dashed toward the exit of the training ground.

“You really do have some unusual people gathering around you.”

Karoon nodded as he took a light sip of the tea Dorian had prepared.

“Well… that tends to be the case.”

Raon let out a faint smile as he recalled not only Dorian but several other faces that fit the description “unusual”.

"So, what is it?"

After holding the tea in his mouth for a moment and swallowing, Raon looked at Karoon.

“……”

Karoon lowered his teacup with agonizing slowness, then finally opened his mouth.

“Why did you choose me?”

“…Pardon?”

Raon narrowed his eyes slightly at Karoon.

“I asked you why you gave me the chance to receive the head of house’s instruction.”

Karoon raised his calm gaze and met Raon’s eyes.

“You and I are rivals contending for Zieghart’s throne. My sister suddenly inserted herself in the middle, but she will never become the head of house. She simply wants to make the board bigger.”

He frowned as he looked toward Aris, who was watching them with a faint smile.

“Even if I receive the head of house’s instruction, it does nothing to help you. That’s why I’m asking why you chose me.”

Karoon gripped his teacup tightly, urging Raon to answer him properly.

“That’s a strange question.”

Raon drank his tea, letting out a thin, quiet laugh.

“A strange question?”

“Yes. You and I competing for the head house’s seat is true. However, before that….”

He lowered his chin slightly as he looked into Karoon’s earnest, weighty eyes.

“We are swordsmen of Zieghart. What must come first is not the individual, but the house. If the Central Martial Palace master grows stronger, tens, no, hundreds of household members can be saved. I believed that was more important than me becoming the head of house.”

Raon said that right now, rather than who becomes the next head of house, what they needed most was to strengthen their might  as much as possible to prepare for the coming war.

“Then why did you choose Sylvia and Sia?”

Karoon half-opened his eyes as he asked why Sylvia and Sia had been selected.

"Was that not for personal reasons?"

“As I said, my mother’s and sister’s talents are so extraordinary that even within Zieghart, which overflows with geniuses, they stand out as something alien. If Zieghart were attacked while we’re fighting outside, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Zieghart’s future rests on those two.”

Raon shook his head, insisting he absolutely did not choose Sylvia and Sia because of personal feelings.

“If I were being personal, I would have chosen my father first. Unfortunately, my father doesn’t have the talent my mother and sister do.”

Edgar, who happened to be passing by, heard this and suddenly hung his head with a dull groan.

“Urgh…”

Karoon’s hand trembled around his teacup, as if Raon’s words had shocked him. He stayed frozen for a long moment before letting out a low sigh.

“I see. So you also….”

Karoon quietly gazed at Raon, then slowly nodded as if something had finally made sense to him.

“…What?”

Raon tilted his head at Karoon.

“The house over the individual… I didn’t expect that I would come to think the same way as you.”

Karoon let out a short laugh and lifted his teacup with a hand that no longer trembled.

“I didn’t think that way from the beginning. As the place where I stood changed, my thoughts changed as well.”

Raon explained that his thinking changed as he went from a collateral line, to vice squad leader, squad leader, division leader, and now palace master.

"That part is a bit different."

Karoon nodded, saying he agreed but with some differences.

“What do you mean, different?”

“……”

Karoon pressed his lips together and, for just a brief moment, looked at Raon with eyes carrying a faint warmth.

Clack!

Without a word, he emptied his teacup in one go and rose to his feet.

“I got my answer, so I’ll be going.”

“Huh? You’re just going to say your piece and leave…?”

Raon let out an incredulous laugh and called after him, but Karoon didn’t respond. He simply left the training ground with the Central Martial Palace swordsmen who were waiting for him.

Still the same unpleasant, arrogant big shitty eyes.

Wrath clicked his tongue.

Though… it does feel like those eyes of his got a little warmer….

‘Yeah.’

Raon gave a faint smile as he looked at the teacup Karoon had emptied clean.

‘His eyes. No, he himself has changed.’

He pretended not to understand, but he knew exactly what Karoon had wanted to say.

‘I thought this before, too….’

Raon began clearing the table and tea set that Dorian had laid out and left behind, wearing a soft smile.

‘I don’t think it’d be bad even if Karoon became head of house.’

*   *   *

"That's nice to see, isn't it?"

Sheryl watched Karoon and Raon walking away after their conversation and smiled gently.

“I never imagined those two would have that kind of relationship.”

Roenn nodded, saying that life was truly strange.

“Indeed.”

Sheryl smacked her lips as she recalled the old days.

“They used to be practically enemies. And even now, they’re still rivals fighting over the position of head… yet somehow, they’ve turned into something like a real uncle and nephew.”

She let out a small laugh, saying she could see genuine affection between Raon and Karoon.

“They’ve both changed. Under the name of Zieghart.”

Roenn chuckled heartily, saying it was a truly wonderful development.

"This is good. It means we won't have to worry about internal strife anymore."

Sheryl waved her hand with a bright smile.

“Isn’t that right? Head of hou—”

She started to turn around to speak to Glenn when—

“Khugh!”

Glenn was covering his mouth with his hand, letting out a trembling, watery groan.

“Those kids….”

His face had flushed red as his quivering eyes followed the backs of Karoon and Raon.

“Hah….”

“Huhuhu….”

Sheryl and Roen were left speechless, their jaws hanging open, as they watched Glenn on the verge of bursting into tears.

“Are… are you that happy?”

Sheryl hurriedly blocked Glenn’s face so others wouldn’t see and sighed.

“Karoon was stubborn and jealous since he was a child, and he fueled those feelings to climb all the way to the position of palace master. I thought it was something he could never fix… but to think he would change like that…”

Glenn shook his head, saying even he never imagined Karoon would change this way.

“It is a miracle.”

Sheryl nodded heavily.

“No, it’s not a miracle.”

Glenn looked at Raon’s disappearing back and slowly shook his head.

“Raon has changed everything. Not just Karoon, but me, and this entire family.”

He said that thanks to Raon, the once-distorted Zieghart had begun to return to its true form, no, to shine even more brilliantly than in its prime, and he smiled.

“That’s true.”

Roenn nodded softly as he looked at Glenn, whose eyes were still moist.

“To think that I… would rely on someone.”

Glenn rubbed his reddened nose and lifted his gaze.

“Knowing Raon is behind me… it feels like no matter who the enemy is, no matter how many come, we won’t lose.”

He smiled faintly, saying he was already looking forward to the training that would begin tomorrow.

*   *   *

“Sit here!”

The moment Raon returned to the annex building, Sylvia dragged him over and sat him down in front of an empty dining table.

“Raon!”

Sylvia leaned her upper body forward with a frown.

“What on earth were you thinking! Why did you suddenly call me and Sia!”

She frowned, saying it was so sudden her heart nearly burst out of her chest.

“Haaah….”

Edgar was still slumped over with his head hanging down, letting out sigh after sigh, probably because of what he’d heard at the training ground.

“I’m sorry. Everything about the selection had to remain secret, so I had no choice.”

Raon put his hands together toward Sylvia.

You deserve to be scolded. No, being scolded is exactly what you ought to get!

Wrath snickered while lightly tapping Raon’s head.

The maids arrived with steaming dishes and placed them on the table.

Heup!

Wrath’s mouth fell open at the sight of the food.

N-now! You must eat it now to experience the true flavor!

He pointed frantically at the steaming pizza and roasted meat, shouting for Raon to hurry and eat.

‘You idiot! How am I supposed to eat in this situation!’

Raon swallowed dryly and gestured slightly toward Sylvia, who was glaring at him like a predator from across the table.

Just eat! If you eat, she won’t say anything!

Wrath jerked his chin as if saying even a dog shouldn’t be disturbed while eating.

“Raon! Even if it had to be kept secret, you could’ve at least given us a hint!”

Sylvia let out a sigh, saying she hadn’t even been practicing swordsmanship lately, what was she supposed to do now?

“Besides, my talent is ordinary! Back at the South-North Union, I only joined the war because I thought you were dead!”

She shook her head, afraid others would be disappointed after seeing her talent.

“It’s fine. Nobody inside Zieghart can compare to mother’s talent.”

Raon assured her with a shake of his head.

“Still….”

“I like it, though.”

Sia tilted her head at Sylvia.

“Because I get to stay with Raon and Grandpa. Don’t you like it, mom?”

She tugged at Sylvia’s sleeve, wondering why she was angry.

“O-of course I like that.”

Sylvia waved her hands, saying that wasn’t the issue.

“I just mean I need to know in advance so I can prepare. So I don’t embarrass myself.”

She sighed, admitting she’d been lacking in training recently.

“It’s fine! I’ll teach you!”

Sia patted Sylvia’s head as if she were a child, saying she’d personally teach her swordsmanship.

“Hmph, even so, I’m not at the level where I need to learn from my own Sia, am I?”

“Yes you are. You’re bad mom.”

“I—I’m bad? I’m still a swordsman!”

“You’re a swordsman, but you don’t train.”

“Urgh….”

As true Zieghart descendants, Sylvia and Sia held their pride firm when it came to the sword, regardless of being mother and daughter.

“Hey, son…”

Edgar let out a deep breath and grabbed Raon’s shoulder.

“Am I really that lacking in talent? Back in the Holy Sword Alliance, they, well, they called me a genius, you know. My aura itself wasn’t anything special, but when it came to sword technique, there was nobody who could keep up with me. Sure, I’ve fallen off now, but hearing I don’t have talent...”

Apparently genuinely hurt, he rambled nonstop about how great his talent had once been.

Eat! Hurry! Eat it now!

Wrath, meanwhile, shook Raon’s head by the hair, begging him to eat before it was too late.

“Then after this training is over, how about we have a match?”

“Okay! Loser grants the winner one wish!”

“I was called a genius so often it was practically my nickname, but hearing I have no talent, it stings. And coming from my own son, it stings even more….”

The food is cooling! At this rate, everything will die!

Hearing his family’s voices pounding in his ears, Raon squeezed his eyes shut.

'Can't the training just start today?'

Please….

*   *   *

Early the next morning.

Without a single person missing, all the swordsmen Raon had called gathered at the head of house’s training ground in formation.

They all had bloodshot eyes, as if none of them had been able to sleep out of excitement at the chance to receive instruction from the continent’s greatest swordsman, Glenn Zieghart.

“……”

Unlike his usual habit of arriving late, Glenn was the first to appear at the training ground today. With his hands clasped behind him, he examined the swordsmen. Each time his gaze passed over them, they shuddered violently as if they were standing naked.

“I have a rough grasp now.”

Just by looking, Glenn had already grasped Simply by looking, Glenn seemed to have fully assessed each swordsman’s level and weaknesses. He calmly blinked once and opened his eyes again.

“Step forward in the order the Light Wind Palace master called your names, and begin with a spar.”

He jerked his chin, saying the first training would begin with sparring.

“Until you’re on the brink of death.”

 

 

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