The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1319

 Chapter 1319

 

“Th-That bastard is insane!”

Krein vented his frustration as he climbed the dimly lit North Grave mountain.

“He sent us back to Zieghart first and then fought archangel Uriel! Anyone could tell he looked pale as a ghost, so why isn't he resting? Why is he causing all this trouble instead?!”

He ground his teeth so hard that they nearly made a sound, clearly furious at the person responsible for dragging them up the North Grave mountain in the middle of the night.

“I-It’s not even a matter of resting. He needs treatment....”

Dorian let out a deep sigh beside Krein.

“It’s not just a simple injury. He suffered severe internal injuries.”

Shaking his head, he said he had read Raon’s condition through his Mind’s Eye.

“I-Internal injuries? Is that guy seriously out of his mind?”

“Well, he fought archangels back-to-back. It would be stranger if he were perfectly fine....”

“I heard he refused to leave today's training to someone else and insisted on handling it personally too. What is wrong with him?!”

“At this point, shouldn't he be called a Sword Demon or Sword Fiend instead of a Sword Immortal?”

The swordsmen from the various armed groups climbing the North Grave Mountain with Krein each voiced their complaints.

“More than anything else, I don't think Sir Raon should become the head of house.”

“R-Right! I wanted Lord Raon to become the head of house instead of Sir Karoon, but now that I think about it, I was completely wrong!”

“Zieghart's prestige and reputation would probably rise even higher than they are now, but....”

“Yeah. We'd be the first ones to die under him. We have to stop it no matter what!”

The swordsmen who had once admired Raon now shook their heads firmly, insisting that he absolutely must not become the head of house.

“Oh? Is that so?”

Martha approached from behind the complaining swordsmen, draping an arm around their shoulders as a chilly smile spread across her lips.

"R-Rakshasa! I mean, Lady Martha!"

“Gah!”

"U-uhm..."

The swordsmen trembled at the sudden appearance of Martha, one of Raon's closest companions.

“You idiots!”

Frowning deeply, Martha verbally slammed them into the ground.

“You call yourselves swordsmen of Zieghart, the strongest of the Five Kings, and you're opposing Raon becoming the head of house because you're afraid of a little training? Should I cut your heads off right here and now?”

She rested her hand on her sword, making it clear she would gladly do exactly that.

“N-No!”

“We were just joking! Joking!”

“Y-Yes! I actually like this training!”

Shouting that they had only been kidding, the swordsmen hurriedly sprinted up the mountain.

“Hmph!”

Martha snorted and brushed off her hands as if they were pathetic.

“Don't be too hard on them.”

Burren let out a sigh toward Martha.

"Even for us, who've already gone through the focus enhancement training several times, it's still difficult. It must be much harder for those guys."

He left a faint smile as he remarked that the swordsmen who had suddenly been saddled with extra training deserved some understanding.

“And that's exactly why those idiots keep acting up. You're too soft on them.”

Martha clicked her tongue and jerked her chin.

“A swordsman is supposed to train with their life on the line! You never know when you'll die, so the harsher the training, the more grateful you should be!”

Clicking her tongue, she insisted that people could only grow when they faced crises severe enough to make them feel death.

“They'll understand eventually.”

After once again telling her not to get so worked up, Burren headed toward the eastern side of the mountain.

“Lady Rakshasa. I mean, Martha...”

Runaan stepped in front of Martha and leaned her face closer.

“W-What?”

Startled by the sudden approach, Martha hurriedly took a step back.

“You did well...”

Runaan gave Martha a thumbs-up.

“Uh...?”

Martha stared at the raised thumb with her mouth hanging open.

“Anyone who... badmouths Raon... beat them all up....”

Runaan nodded while using words she would normally never say.

“Keep it up...”

After praising Martha once more, she headed toward the summit of North Grave mountain.

“Hah.”

Watching Runaan's retreating back, Martha let out a disbelieving laugh.

“To think I'd live to see the day that sleepyhead and I actually agree on something.”

Just as she was shaking her head in disbelief—

“Martha.”

At that moment, Raon descended and landed directly in front of her, drawing Heavenly Drive.

“No explanation necessary, right?”

Calmly nodding, he indicated that they would begin sparring immediately.

“W-Wait! I'm first?”

Martha frowned as if the very idea made no sense.

“I haven't even warmed up yet!”

Biting her lip, she demanded to know why he had ignored everyone else below and come straight to her first.

“Besides, I was defending you just now!”

Martha ground her teeth in disbelief.

“A swordsman should always be prepared. As you said, you never know when you'll die.”

Raon raised Heavenly Drive as if he intended to begin immediately, whether Martha drew her sword or not.

“Urgh! Fine! Let's do this, then!”

Muttering that she'd warm up during the fight, Martha drew her sword.

“I don't know what this new exhaustion training is supposed to be, but I'm at least going to land one strike on you!”

Telling him to see for himself how much she had changed, she charged forward and brought her sword down.

Craaaang!

Raon lightly deflected Martha's strike before drawing Heavenly Drive diagonally through the air.

Fwoooosh!

The red-hot blade swept across Martha's neck.

“Uh...?”

Her sword slipped from her hand as she dropped to her knees.

“Ah...”

Clutching her neck, Martha toppled backward, overwhelmed by the chilling sensation of it being severed and the shockingly intense pain that accompanied it.

“AAAAAAAH!”

Unable to endure either the terror of death or the agony of being cut down by a blade, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

'W-Why? Why would Raon...?'

Raon was someone she trusted as much as her mother, no, even more than her mother. She couldn't understand why he had killed her.

'Is this what death really feels like? My body is getting colder and colder....'

She had come close to death many times before, but she had never felt it this intimately. Her body and mind seemed to drift apart, and an icy chill spread through her as though she had been trapped inside a block of ice.

‘It hurts so much... and it feels so unfair. But...’

Martha drew a short breath as she stared at the silent Raon.

'Shouldn't I be dead already?'

She was certain her throat had been cut and that she had collapsed because of it, yet for some reason her thoughts continued uninterrupted. More strangely, she had no difficulty breathing.

“W-What the... huh?”

She froze in the middle of speaking.

Her eyes widened.

Her throat had been cut. Being able to speak should have been impossible.

“What is this?!”

Startled, Martha grabbed her neck again.

The neck she had been convinced was severed by Heavenly Drive was completely intact. There was only a tiny scratch left behind.

“You...”

She gritted her teeth at Raon, who had been quietly watching her.

“What did you do to me?!”

Shouting for an answer, Martha forced herself to her feet on trembling legs.

"I only pretended to cut your throat while using the Heart Sword to inflict a death-like shock on your soul."

Resting Heavenly Drive on his shoulder, Raon smiled faintly.

"It's a trick that makes your soul believe it has died. It's like blindfolding a condemned prisoner and pressing cold ice against their neck. They become convinced they've been beheaded, and the shock alone can stop their breathing."

He waved a hand casually, as if it were nothing special.

"Th-that's actually possible?"

Martha's jaw trembled in disbelief.

“Normally, it would be impossible for me. But my Heart Sword evolved during this mission, which made it possible. I was a little uncertain while practicing it, but thankfully it worked.”

Raon grinned, admitting that what he just did to Martha was both practice and confirmation.

"P-practice..."

Martha unconsciously rubbed her neck again, still unable to shake the lingering chill.

“Wasn't it interesting? Let's do it again. I can't use it too many times, but it's far more effective than focus enhancement training.”

He raised Heavenly Drive once more, suggesting they go another round.

"Urrgghh..."

Martha let out a chilling breath.

“I had it all wrong. Those idiots were right.”

She chewed on her lip while staring at the visibly excited Raon.

“You absolutely cannot become the head of house! You absolute madman!"

*   *   *

After finishing the training that used the Heart Sword to inflict a death-like shock upon the swordsmen's souls, Raon descended the mountain.

‘Fortunately, it worked on everyone.’

Controlling the power of the Heart Sword so that no lasting damage remained on their souls had been difficult, but thankfully, I had successfully allowed every one of them to experience death. The people who participated in today's training would undoubtedly become stronger.

Of course it worked.

Wrinkling his nose, Wrath twisted his lips.

You've practiced it on your own soul countless times. How could it possibly fail?

He frowned, saying he had lost count of how many times Raon had used it on himself.

'It's different when you're using it on someone else.'

Raon smacked his lips, admitting that he had been nervous throughout the process.

You're always worrying over nothing.

Wrath snorted, insisting there had never been any reason for concern.

‘Well, that's good to hear.’

Smiling, Raon slid Heavenly Drive back into its scabbard.

“Today's training was certainly shocking.”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Sheryl let out a dry laugh.

“I never imagined something like this was possible.”

She admitted she had never expected a technique capable of shocking the soul so profoundly that it made someone experience death itself.

“Huhuhuhu…”

Roenn blinked his wrinkled eyes as he looked up toward the North Grave mountain.

“They're all completely exhausted. It will take quite some time for their minds to recover.”

He swallowed dryly, remarking that it was the kind of training that drained a person as thoroughly as death itself.

“But they'll rise stronger because of it.”

Following Roenn's gaze toward the North Grave mountain, Sheryl curled her lips into a smile.

“Those who have experienced death always emerge tougher than before.”

She nodded, saying that in that regard, it was one of the finest training methods imaginable.

“That's true. Their stamina, willpower, and even their swordsmanship will improve. They'll grow in every aspect.”

Raon agreed with Sheryl, a faint smile forming on his lips.

"The problem is that it's difficult to do often. That's why I sought out the swordsmen first before even recovering my own body."

His physical injuries were severe, but he had yet to suffer any mental exhaustion. In fact, after clashing with the archangels one after another, he felt better than ever before. That was why he had wanted to give the swordsmen this new form of training through the Heart Sword.

“Ah, so that's why…”

Only now did Sheryl realize why Raon had started training immediately, and she let out a loud exclamation.

“Ohh…”

Roenn also formed an 'O' with his mouth, this time out of admiration rather than amusement.

Hmph! It wasn't because you were thinking about your subordinates. You just wanted to blow off some steam after getting beaten up by Uriel, didn't you?

Wrath snorted as though he could see straight through him.

‘Maybe.’

Raon casually waved a hand, brushing aside Wrath's provocation.

‘That reminds me. Let me ask you something about what you said yesterday.’

His eyes narrowed as he recalled Wrath's words while they had been walking toward the lord’s manor.

‘What did you mean when you said my soul was boiling like lava?’

Exactly what he said.

Wrath shrugged.

At that moment, your soul was boiling and surging as though it were about to erupt.

Blinking, he indicated that he meant it literally.

‘Surging?’

Raon tilted his head.

‘Nothing felt strange at the time, though.’

Contrary to what Wrath had described, neither his body nor his soul had undergone any noticeable change. He had simply had a pleasant conversation with Illiune, the Foreign Minister. He couldn't understand what Wrath meant by saying something had been boiling within him.

‘Could it be…?’

Just as Raon was about to question Wrath further—

“A-Acting head of house!”

Chad, the master of the Shadow Agents, came running toward him while waving both hands. He shouted as though delivering the most important news in the world.

“The head of house has returned!”

 

 

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