The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1284

 Chapter 1284

 

After wrapping up everything in Cameloon, Raon returned to Zieghart before dawn broke.

“We greet the acting head of house!”

Illiune, the foreign minister guarding Zieghart’s outer compound, opened the main gate, came out, and knelt down.

“We greet the acting head of house!”

The swordsmen guarding the outer compound also knelt following Illiune, and bent their waists while containing the utmost courtesy.

“……”

Raon let out a quiet breath as he accepted their greetings.

‘This feels… different.’

He had passed through Zieghart’s main gate every time he returned from a mission, but the emotions he felt now were completely different from before.

At first, Raon had been the one showing respect first. Later, once he became the leader of the Light Wind Division, they treated each other with formal courtesy.

But now, unlike before, Illiune was the one bowing first and offering the highest level of respect.

And in that moment, Raon realized something.

It wasn’t simply that he had become stronger.

Raon Zieghart himself had grown into someone worthy of that respect.

A faint warmth spread quietly through his chest.

“Rise.”

After organizing his emotions in a fleeting moment, Raon gave the order for Illiune and the swordsmen to rise with calm eyes.

“Yes!”

Illiune energetically nodded and raised his body, and following him, the outer compound’s swordsmen also gave nods and stepped back.

“I’ll continue to leave the outer compound in your hands.”

It was when Raon was about to enter Zieghart while saying he entrusted the protection of the outer compound to them as always.

“I heard the rumors!”

Illiune stepped one pace closer to the side and grinned.

“They’re saying you pushed the Heavenly Demon to the brink of death?”

He also seemed to have heard the rumors Black Market’s master Roseline spread, as he clenched his fist hard enough for a sound to be heard.

“How does the foreign minister even….”

Raon blankly blinked his eyes.

“The news started spreading this morning. They’re saying you didn’t just fight the Heavenly Demon evenly, you completely overwhelmed him. As expected of you, acting head of house!”

Illiune laughed loudly, saying he’d been shocked at first, but if it was Raon, maybe it really was possible.

“To overpower the Heavenly Demon… that’s unbelievable!”

“We need to change the nickname Sword Emperor now too!”

“You have our utmost respect, acting head of house!”

The outer compound’s swordsmen also praised him together with Illiune and raised the hands holding their swords high into the sky.

“Haa….”

Raon let out a sigh while rubbing his aching temples.

The King of Essence is so jealous….

Wrath bit his lips tightly while looking at that sight.

For rumors like that to spread throughout the entire continent, I am so jealous!

His plump blue cheeks trembled as he grumbled that he wanted his own name to spread throughout the world like that too.

“I can’t believe the rumors already reached Zieghart.”

Burren stared wide-eyed at the outer castle swordsmen, who could barely hide their admiration for Raon.

“I’ve heard rumors travel fast, but faster than teleportation magic? That’s ridiculous.”

He let out a hollow laugh, saying it was amazing that the rumor spread in Cameloon at dawn had already reached Zieghart.

“See? I told you!”

Martha jabbed Burren in the side as if proving her point.

“I said everyone would believe it! That guy, no, the acting head of house, has pulled off crazy things way too many times already!”

She curled up the corners of her lips, saying it was only natural.

“Raon. Raon….”

Runaan weakly raised her arm and chanted Raon’s name along with the outer compound swordsmen. Judging by the limp way she waved her hand around, she looked half-asleep.

“This is how it should be!”

Evelyn smiled brightly and nodded, clearly delighted just hearing people chant Raon’s name.

“Because in this world, only Raon and people who are not Raon exist.”

She rubbed her hands together as if it was only natural for Raon to be treated like this.

“Haa….”

Raon sighed again and entered Zieghart’s main gate. His head hurt, and his heart was filled only with the desire to quickly go rest.

“Huh? It’s the acting head of house!”

“You’ve returned!”

“You look completely fine! So the rumors were real?”

“Acting head of house, did you really overwhelm the Heavenly Demon?”

“It’s true you cornered the Heavenly Demon to the brink of death, right?”

Since it was morning, swordsmen who had just finished breakfast rushed over toward Raon with sparkling eyes. Every single one of them clearly wanted to hear the same answer.

“Well, that’s…”

Raon shook his head, about to explain that the rumors were exaggerated, when—

“Of course it’s true!”

Evelyn stepped forward proudly, lifting her chin.

“The Heavenly Demon, after fighting Raon, returned while wearing an injury to the extent that bones are visible!”

She floated in the air a scene of the injured Heavenly Demon that no one knew when she had filmed, and even amplified her voice with magic.

“Shout it! Raon! Raon! Raon!”

Evelyn stomped her foot fiercely, demanding everyone chant Raon’s name immediately.

“That video is….”

“Th-that’s the dragon helmet! It’s the Heavenly Demon!”

“Th-the rumor was true!”

“As expected!”

“I told you it would be!”

“Long live the Acting Head of House!”

“Raon! Raon! Raon!”

“Sword Emperor! Sword Emperor! Sword Emperor! Sword Emperor!”

Like the people in Cameloon, Zieghart’s swordsmen raised both hands while shouting Raon’s name and nickname.

“T-That’s not what—”

Raon waved both hands, trying to explain, but it was hopeless. As if Evelyn’s madness had spread to everyone around her, the swordsmen ignored everything he said and only shouted louder.

“Urgh…”

Raon gave up trying to correct them and shook his head.

“Everyone disperse and rest.”

After ordering the swordsmen following behind him to rest, he immediately entered the audience chamber.

“Huhuhuhu! You’ve returned!”

Roenn bowed his head as if he had been waiting, then handed over tea that had just been boiled and still had warm steam rising from it.

“I heard the rumors!”

Sheryl approached with a face full of excitement and smacked her lips.

“The Heavenly Demon….”

“Please don’t start too, Heavenly Blade Division leader.”

Raon let out a weary sigh, looking at Sheryl as if to say, You already know the truth, don’t you?

“All I did was withstand a single punch from the Heavenly Demon. Even that nearly killed me.”

He shook his head, saying Roseline had spread wildly exaggerated rumors.

“Huhuhuhu.”

“Ay, no fun.”

Roenn laughed benevolently as if he knew it would be so, and Sheryl wrinkled her nose in disappointment.

“Enough with the nonsense. Please bring me the paperwork that’s piled up first.”

Even in a state where both his stamina and mental strength were exhausted, and he had suffered internal injuries, Raon poured the steaming tea into his mouth as if trying to handle his work as head of house first.

“It’s hard to believe you actually overwhelmed the Heavenly Demon…”

Sheryl placed the stack of prepared paperwork in front of Raon.

“But this much is obvious now, you absolutely have the qualifications to become the head of house.”

A faint grin spread across her lips as she looked at him.

“Honestly, I think you’d handle leading Zieghart far better than most people ever could.”

“I agree as well.”

Roenn poured tea into Raon’s teacup again.

“More than anything else, a head of house who truly puts his people first is someone everyone will naturally follow.”

He drew a gentle smile, saying he felt exactly the same as Sheryl.

“No. I’m still lacking by far.”

Raon firmly shook his head and picked up the documents Sheryl had placed before him.

“I don’t want a single person in this house to die. So…”

As memories of the overwhelming pressure radiating from Pride and the Heavenly Demon surfaced in his mind, he bit down hard on his lip.

“I must become even stronger.”

*   *   *

“Sword Emperor Raon Zieghart….”

Heavenly Demon muttered Raon’s name while forcibly tightening the muscles around the horrific wound on his shoulder, where bone was still visible beneath the torn flesh.

‘Zieghart truly is full of interesting people.’

He had unleashed the Heavenly Hegemon intending to kill Raon Zieghart, but Raon received his fist strike without retreating even a single step.

Of course, afterward, Raon had been so drained he couldn’t even move a finger, but the very fact that he had endured Heavenly Hegemon was something beyond his expectations.

‘How long has it been since my predictions in martial arts were wrong?’

It wouldn’t even be strange to call it the first time.

In martial arts, he had been born with absolute talent.

He could replicate another person’s techniques after seeing them only once. He could read a sword manual once and wield its techniques better than even the person who created them. Simply breathing was enough for him to gain enlightenment in martial arts.

Because he had always believed himself unmatched in all things related to martial arts, Raon Zieghart surviving the Heavenly Hegemon had come as a tremendous shock.

That was why he had honored Raon’s demand for a blood price.

“This should be interesting.”

It was when the Heavenly Demon twisted up the corners of his lips while clenching a fist with his right arm whose flesh had been torn away.

“How could it not be?”

A voice answered from behind a gigantic tree radiating blue mana as though it were a World Tree itself.

Pride stepped out from behind it.

“Because that human is the vessel of <Wrath>, the only one the King of Essence considers his true rival. No… he’s a man who even mocks Wrath itself.”

A crooked smile spread across Pride’s lips, as though he knew exactly how Raon Zieghart treated Wrath.

“<Wrath>….”

The Heavenly Demon frowned while speaking the word Wrath.

“So that’s what it was.”

Every time he looked at Raon, the <Pride> embedded in his soul shook greatly.

Especially when their strikes collided, <Pride> had rampaged like mad, and it seemed the reason was because of the authority of <Wrath>.

“You look terrible.”

Pride let out a mocking snort as he glanced over the Heavenly Demon’s wounds, which were still dripping blood.

“No… considering you practically destroyed your own body, maybe I should just call you an idiot.”

He clicked his tongue as if genuinely dumbfounded.

“Since there were words I spit out myself, it was a matter I had to do.”

The Heavenly Demon looked at his own wounds with calm eyes, as if he still did not regret that decision.

“Isn’t that the very pride you keep talking about?”

Turning his gaze toward Pride, he spoke with absolute certainty that his actions had been the correct ones.

“You were stubborn as hell as a kid, and you haven’t changed one bit.”

Pride held his head as though exhausted and let out a sigh.

“So what is it?”

The Heavenly Demon lowered his hand slightly, signaling Pride to get to the point.

“Siquir has entered an awakened state. It seems she gained enlightenment while fighting the vessel of <Wrath>.”

Pride smacked his lips while referring to the Death Sword Spirit as Siquir.

“I want you to watch over her. If she overcomes her current hardship, she’ll be able to stand in an even higher place.”

He stretched out his hand while telling the Heavenly Demon to look after the Death Sword Spirit.

“I refuse.”

The Heavenly Demon firmly spoke words of refusal.

“By raising her to the absolute realm, I already finished what I had to do.”

He shook his head, saying his contract with Pride had ended.

“You really never listen the first time.”

Pride let out a deep sigh.

“Siqur needs to grow stronger if you want to achieve your ‘goal.’ You felt it yourself this time, didn’t you? If the vessel of <Wrath> is already that powerful, then Glenn Zieghart will appear even stronger. You don’t have the luxury of wasting time anymore.”

He lightly wagged a finger, as though reminding the Heavenly Demon of something he already understood better than anyone.

“…….”

The Heavenly Demon silently closed and reopened his eyes, as if he thought Pride’s words were correct.

“This time, I’ll do as you ask. However…”

He flashed cold eyes while looking at Pride, who had the corners of his lips curled upward.

“Once that day comes, our contract ends for good.”

The Heavenly Demon rose to his feet, saying that at that time, no matter what Pride said, he would not listen. Despite the countless wounds covering his body, the combative energy pouring from him never wavered in the slightest as he stared directly at Pride.

“Fine.”

Pride scoffed and nodded.

“When the time comes, the King of Essence will accept whatever you bring.”

He arrogantly lifted his chin as though he truly did not care what the Heavenly Demon chose to do afterward.

Fwoooosh!

The Heavenly Demon silently gazed into Pride’s calm eyes for a brief moment before vanishing into the wind.

“A demonic dragon destined to destroy the world…”

Pride, seeing the back of the Heavenly Demon who left to find the Death Sword Spirit, twisted up his lips.

“Will it really come to that?”

*   *  *

“Hoo.”

After finishing all the piled-up documents, Raon let out the breath gathered in his throat.

‘It’s finally over.’

He had arrived at Zieghart in the morning, but by the time he finished the paperwork, the sun had already set.

Honestly, the work of the head of house felt more difficult than fighting on the front lines.

Exactly! That’s why you should just dump the work on your subordinates like the king of Essence does!

Wrath snorted as though he couldn’t understand why Raon insisted on reviewing everything personally.

Finishing things quickly is one of a monarch’s virtues!

‘Even so, I still need to check them myself.’

The documents that reached him as acting head of house had already been filtered through the Shadow Agents and Roenn’s hands. Only the ones that truly required his attention ever made it to his desk. If he ignored even these, he had no right to call himself the head of house.

You really are a pain.

Wrath shook his head in disapproval.

You should just hand everything off like the King of Essence does and go eat food instead….

‘Isn’t dumping your work on your subordinates just abusing your authority? I thought you cared about your subordinates.’

Raon looked at Wrath while narrowing his eyes thin as threads.

U-uh…?

Wrath’s jaw trembled awkwardly.

T-That’s not it! The King of Essence intentionally devised such a system to improve the capabilities of his subordinates!

He frantically waved his chubby hands as if desperately denying the accusation.

‘Now I finally understand why the system goes crazy on you.’

Raon let out a small chuckle, finally understanding why the system constantly mocked Wrath.

That’s not true! Absolutely not! The system is just a mad dog! It bites everyone!

Wrath gnashed his teeth, insisting he had never done anything to earn the system’s hatred.

‘The more worked up you get, the more suspicious you sound.’

After organizing the documents and setting them down, Raon shrugged.

Aaargh, this is driving me insane! He’s telling you, it’s not like that! The King of Essence is the real victim here, hmm?

While shouting, Wrath tilted his head while looking at Raon rising from the throne.

Where are you going? Are we finally getting food?

Even while angry, he smacked his lips at the thought of eating.

‘No. Food sounds good, but I’ve got something I need to do.’

Something to do?

‘I’m not completely certain yet, but…’

Raon let out a faint smile as he draped the pitch-black black dragon coat over his shoulders.

‘I think I may have found a way to awaken <Pride>.’

 

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