The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1283

 Chapter 1283

 

“Huh…?”

Raon blinked at Roseline in surprise.

“What do you mean by that?”

They had been having a serious conversation about Hydra, and then out of nowhere she asked if he was ready to become a hero. The sudden shift left him genuinely confused.

Hero?

Even Wrath frowned like the idea itself was ridiculous.

He’s not a hero, he’s a complete fraud! Give this brat the chance, and he could smooth-talk even heaven and earth themselves with that silver tongue of his!

He shook his head as if Roseline had completely misunderstood Raon’s nature.

“To be honest, I already had a rough idea of everything that happened before you even told me.”

Roseline lowered her gaze slightly as she traced the rim of her teacup with her fingertips.

“You cut down the gigantic monster guarding Eden’s gate in a single strike, entered the very land of demons to exact vengeance for Birdnew village, and even returned after receiving recognition and an apology from the Heavenly Demon. Calling someone like that a hero wouldn’t feel strange at all. In fact, there’s hardly any other word that fits better.”

Her hands trembled faintly as she spoke, saying that even someone as old and hardened as herself couldn’t help but be moved by the story. It sounded sincere… yet somehow theatrical at the same time.

“I never intended to become a hero.”

Raon firmly shook his head.

“I only did what I had to do as Zieghart’s acting head of house.”

I meant it.

No matter that my opponent had been Eden, or even the Heavenly Demon himself, I simply believed the people of Birdnew village deserved justice. Only then could those who died unjustly finally rest in peace.

‘Though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping to gain something from it too.’

Blood should be repaid with blood. But if I could also obtain information that might prove vital in the coming war, details about Eden’s executives or insight into the Heavenly Demon’s martial arts, then all the better.

And in the end, I had gained all of it.

Calling the mission a massive success wouldn’t have been an exaggeration.

‘Still…’

Becoming a hero had never once crossed my mind.

I had weighed revenge and profit on the same scale, but the idea of being praised or admired by the world had never crossed my mind. That was why Roseline’s words felt strange to me.

A balance between revenge and gain…

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he repeated Raon’s thoughts to himself.

The King of Essence keeps telling you, you truly possess the qualities of a king!

He licked his lips greedily, like Raon was a treasure he desperately wanted.

Come with the King of Essence to Devildom this instant! The birth of a new Demon King shall be celebrated across the worl—

‘Enough.’

Raon shoved the excited Wrath aside and looked back at Roseline.

“Of course that’s how it was.”

Roseline accepted his answer calmly and nodded.

“You undoubtedly came all this way thinking only of Birdnew village when you opened the gate leading to Eden. But heroes are always born from circumstances like those.”

A faint smile spread across her lips, as though his answer only reinforced her opinion.

“If you had acted for fame or personal gain alone, things never would have turned out this way. The Heavenly Demon understands human nature better than anyone.”

The corners of her wrinkled lips curled slightly, as though she knew exactly what kind of person the Heavenly Demon was.

“You know the Heavenly Demon?”

Raon’s eyes widened.

“No. Not truly. I merely exchanged a few words with him.”

Roseline slowly shook her head.

“But after living this long and seeing countless people, I’ve become fairly confident in my ability to read others. And the Heavenly Demon…”

She lightly tapped her teacup. The green tea inside shook violently, as though it might spill over.

“He’s the most terrifying person I’ve ever met. Not because of his overwhelming might, but because of the absolute certainty of his convictions. They’re sharper than any blade.”

Her gaze trembled faintly as she stared at the teacup, as if the memory still sent chills down her spine.

“The Heavenly Demon is the kind of man who places the entire world beneath his feet. For someone who has never once failed to achieve a goal he set for himself to recognize you… that alone speaks volumes about your worth, acting head of house.”

She gave a faint smile and added that, until now, the only person the Heavenly Demon had ever recognized was Glenn Zieghart.

“I want the world to know this. It’ll greatly raise morale for the Five Kings Alliance in the war ahead.”

Roseline smacked her lips lightly, unwilling to let such a story go untold.

“Hmm…”

Raon rubbed his chin and shook his head.

“I understand your intentions, Black Market’s master, but… it’s a little embarrassing. I’d rather you didn’t.”

He doubted it would really help morale all that much, and honestly, the thought of his name spreading across the continent made him uncomfortable.

“Oh my, forgive me.”

Roseline smiled brightly and bowed her head.

“I never imagined you’d refuse, acting head of house, so I already spread the story.”

Her smile deepened, looking not even slightly apologetic.

“Though… I exaggerated it just a little.”

*   *   *

“H-Hey! Did you all hear the news?”

A man with sweat soaking through his back raised his voice as he dropped into a seat at the outdoor tables in front of the pub.

“Hm? What news?”

“What news could there possibly be this late at night? You’re probably just embarrassed for showing up late and trying to make up some nonsense.”

The bald man and the catfish-mustached man already sitting there shook their heads like they’d seen this routine countless times before.

“No, I’m serious this time!”

The sweet-soaked man slammed his fist onto the crooked table and shouted.

“Haah… Fine. Let’s hear it, then. What happened?”

The bald man smacked his lips briefly, signaling for him to continue.

“Come on, there’s no point listening to him!”

The man with the catfish mustache took a swig of beer, acting completely uninterested.

“Just a little while ago, here in Cameloon…”

The sweet-soaked man swallowed dryly and raised his eyes.

“The Sword Emperor, Raon Zieghart, clashed with the Heavenly Demon!”

The moment the words ‘Sword Emperor’ and ‘Heavenly Demon’ left his mouth, silence fell not only over the outdoor seating area, but even inside the previously noisy pub itself. The entire drinking district became so quiet it felt like a library.

“Th-The Sword Emperor and the Heavenly Demon?”

Despite claiming he didn’t care, the catfish-mustached man immediately straightened up, his jaw trembling.

"Wait, why the hell would those two be here?"

The bald man waved his hand impatiently, urging him to continue.

“The Sword Emperor came for revenge. Birdnew village, inside Zieghart territory, was attacked by Eden’s demons. He came to Cameloon to demand blood payment for it.”

The sweet-soaked man launched into the story smoothly, as if he knew every detail already.

“Ah… I did hear Birdnew village was destroyed…”

The catfish-mustached man let out a grim sigh.

“But why Cameloon? How did the Sword Emperor even know the Heavenly Demon was here?”

The bald man frowned, unable to make sense of it.

“There’s a barrier in the western wall of Cameloon connected to a hidden back gate leading into Eden. The Sword Emperor captured one of Eden’s executives and forced open the dimensional gate there. And once it opened, a gigantic lion-like monster came out.”

The sweet-soaked man continued dramatically, breathing heavily between sentences.

As a street vendor used to drawing crowds, his voice carried naturally, and everyone nearby listened without even blinking.

“The Sword Emperor sliced apart the massive creature guarding Eden’s gate in a single strike, entered Eden itself, slaughtered countless demons, and claimed blood payment for Birdnew village. I heard Eden headquarters suffered catastrophic damage. And when even the Heavenly Demon’s disciple, the one leading Eden in place of the Fallen, was defeated, the Heavenly Demon finally stepped in personally!”

Sweat streamed down his forehead as he uttered the Heavenly Demon’s name.

“Even before the Heavenly Demon, the very pinnacle of the continent, the Sword Emperor never took a single step back. He raised his sword and demanded vengeance for Birdnew village, while the Heavenly Demon silently clenched his fist. It was a clash between martial gods who had gone beyond Transcendence itself!”

The man gulped dryly, like he had witnessed the scene himself.

“S-So what happened after that?!”

“The Heavenly Demon obviously won, didn’t he? He’s the strongest man on the continent!”

The catfish-mustached man waved impatiently for him to continue, while the bald man bit his lip, convinced the Heavenly Demon had naturally come out victorious.

“No! The Sword Emperor was left standing completely unharmed, while the Heavenly Demon suffered wounds so terrible you could practically see bone and flesh beneath them! He bled enough to fill an ocean! Raon Zieghart forced the Heavenly Demon himself to pay the blood price for Birdnew village!”

The sweet-soaked man nodded vigorously as he spoke Raon’s name with a trembling voice.

It was true that Raon had stood unharmed while the Heavenly Demon bore horrific injuries.

But the underlying context was completely different.

It wasn’t exactly a lie… but it certainly wasn’t the truth either.

“In the end, the Heavenly Demon even apologized for what happened to Birdnew village and gave the Sword Emperor a gift. That means he acknowledged him! Hell, you could even say the Heavenly Demon came out on the losing end!”

The man’s hand trembled against the table as he described the unbelievable battle.

“A friend of mine works for the Black Market, and according to him, the Heavenly Demon’s injuries were so severe that he might not even recover fully before the war begins.”

Mentioning a Black Market source only made the rumor sound more credible.

“Meanwhile, the Sword Emperor and the Light Wind Palace swordsmen all returned without a single serious injury. Apparently, they’re still staying at Cameloon Central Hotel even now.”

The sweat-soaked man smacked his lips after even revealing where Raon and the Light Wind Palace swordsmen were staying.

T-To think the Sword Emperor was that monstrous..."

“This is insane! At this point, shouldn’t people start calling him the Sword God instead of the Sword Emperor?”

“But Glenn Zieghart, the Sword Emperor’s grandfather, is already called the Sword God.”

“Honestly, more than that, I’m amazed the Sword Emperor came all the way here to avenge Birdnew village and ended up fighting the Heavenly Demon himself. Makes me want to move to Zieghart territory right now.”

“Same here. It means they’ll protect us no matter what happens, and if something does happen, they’ll avenge us too.”

“A-Anyway, thanks to the Sword Emperor, the Eden bastards hiding here all retreated, right? Shouldn’t we at least raise a toast to him?”

“Sword Emperor! Sword Emperor! Sword Emperor!”

The people listening nearby raised their mugs high, chanting Raon’s nickname.

And it wasn’t just happening there.

The same stories were spreading everywhere people gathered, tea houses filled with nobles, restaurants where laborers grabbed meals before dawn, casinos, auction halls… every corner of Cameloon buzzed with talk of Raon.

“Raon Zieghart! Raon Zieghart!”

“Sword Emperor! Sword Emperor! Sword Emperor!”

Thanks to the Black Market agents acting under Roseline’s orders, Raon’s name echoed throughout the entire city.

“Ugh…”

Raon clutched his head as he listened to his name and nickname erupting from every direction across Cameloon.

‘W-What is this…?!’

When Roseline said she’d only exaggerated the story a little, Raon had already felt uneasy.

And, unsurprisingly, that feeling had been right on the mark.

In the rumors she spread, he’d somehow turned into a swordsman even stronger than the Heavenly Demon.

‘Though… it’s not completely false.’

It was true that I had walked away unharmed while the Heavenly Demon retreated with wounds that looked fatal.

But those wounds hadn’t been inflicted by me.

Which made the rumors painfully embarrassing to hear.

‘What am I supposed to do about this?’

Raon let out a long sigh and glanced at Wrath.

H-He’s jealous…

Wrath smacked his lips enviously as Raon’s name echoed throughout the streets from every direction, completely unlike the headache Raon himself was dealing with.

‘Ugh...’

Raon let out another long sigh as he looked at Wrath, who remained as unhelpful as ever.

What’s the problem? Being praised is a good thing! Why are you making such a fuss over it?!

Wrath frowned, unable to understand him.

‘Because it’s full of lies.’

Raon narrowed his eyes.

‘If it were all true, I could accept it. But there’s way too much exaggeration mixed in….’

Hmph! Then just turn the lie into the truth!

Wrath snorted as though Raon were being pathetic.

Honestly, you're so small-minded!

Unlike when he usually called Raon a vessel fit to become a Demon King, this time Wrath clicked his tongue in genuine irritation.

Look at the King of Essence! He always carry himself with absolute confi—

Just as Wrath gestured proudly at himself, telling Raon to follow his example—

[Your great achievements are spreading across the continent.]

[The level of your soul and your fame are rising dramatically.]

[All stats…]

[Title…]

Likely because Roseline's fabricated story was spreading like wildfire, a sudden barrage of reward messages popped up.

Uh…

Wrath’s jaw dropped open in shock, as though even he had never seen something like this before.

‘See? Things always work out when you get involved.’

Raon curled his lips into a grin as he looked at the reward messages.

‘Maybe you’re right. I should be more confident. I’ll gladly take all of this with open arms.’

He lightly tapped the messages floating.

Y-You son of a bitch!

Wrath raised his bluish fist and shouted furiously.

What kind of insane system gives rewards just because your fame spreads?! If that’s how it works, then the King of Essence should get rewards too!

‘Oh, sure. So you want a title too? Something like “The Demon King Who Gets Pushed Around by Everyone”?’

Shut up!

 

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