The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1350

 Chapter 1350

 

“First…”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked back at the Light Wind swordsmen standing behind him.

“Please exempt the Light Wind Palace from Zieghart's ongoing tactical training.”

Since the war with Eden was not far off, Zieghart was currently conducting tactical training to allow movement according to various strategies. Raon bowed his head, saying to exclude the Light Wind swordsmen from that training.

“The tactical training...?”

Glenn blinked his eyes at Raon's unexpected words.

“Can you explain your reason?”

The kindly expression that had looked ready to grant any wish faded as he asked why Raon wanted the Light Wind Palace excluded from the tactical training.

“The house's tactical training is an essential element in war. Failing to understand the commander's orders in a split-second decision and responding clumsily would only hand the enemy an opportunity.”

Leaning forward from the throne, Glenn slowly closed and reopened his eyes as he emphasized that the current tactical training was far more important than individual training. He seemed genuinely puzzled rather than trying to pressure Raon.

“I understand that perfectly.”

Raon nodded calmly, saying that he was well aware of that.

“The Light Wind Palace won't participate in the tactical training, but I fully intend to make sure everyone understands battlefield tactics.”

He waved his hand, making it clear that he was by no means dismissing the importance of tactical training.

“Then why refuse the training?”

Glenn tilted his head, unable to understand.

“I want the Light Wind Palace to operate separately from Zieghart's main force.”

After looking each of the Light Wind swordsmen in the eye, Raon smiled faintly.

“Operate separately?”

Glenn gestured with his chin for him to continue.

“At present, the Light Wind Palace possesses the greatest might in all of Zieghart.”

Unlike before, Raon showed no false modesty and frankly declared that the Light Wind Palace was the strongest fighting force in Zieghart.

“The Light Wind Palace has reached a level beyond even Sir Karoon's Central Martial Palace and the head of house's Heavenly Blade Division. And…”

He closed his eyes briefly as memories of growing together beneath the name Light Wind flashed through his mind before opening them again.

“We've grown up together since childhood, so there's no need to build our teamwork. On the contrary, fighting alongside other armed groups risks disrupting that synergy.”

Everyone from the fifth training ground had grown together through the Light Wind Squad, the Light Wind Division, and finally the Light Wind Palace. More recently, they had also perfected their coordination with the Warring Steel Division, so fighting alongside different armed groups now would risk disrupting that synergy.

“Therefore, I intend for the Light Wind Palace to operate independently under my command.”

Raon nodded, saying that the Light Wind Palace would operate independently under his command during the war against Eden.

“Waaah!”

“Palace master…”

“He must have felt bad about making us suffer all this time.”

“I knew it! You're the only one who truly looks out for us, palace master!”

The Light Wind swordsmen bit their lips, visibly moved by what they believed was Raon's attempt to spare them from the house’s training.

“Independently?”

"You mean they'll operate separately from Zieghart’s main force?"

“No, no matter how outstanding the Light Wind Palace's accomplishments have been, that's a bit…”

“He's probably just trying to reduce the Light Wind Palace’s casualties. They've been together since childhood.”

“T-That's an unreasonable request!”

The executives gathered in the audience chamber frowned, saying it made no sense. Most of them viewed Raon and the Light Wind Palace favorably, but they still believed exempting one armed group from the mandatory training everyone else received was unacceptable.

“…”

Karoon alone remained silent, quietly waiting for Raon's next words.

“Quiet!”

Balder stomped forward.

“My nephew hasn't finished speaking yet, so shut up and wait!”

He defended Raon as though he belonged to the Light Wind Palace rather than serving as the master of True Martial Palace.

“That's true. Setting aside our might and accomplishments, it does sound unreasonable. That's why…”

Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the dissatisfied executives.

“We'll take responsibility for fighting the celestials, the most dangerous enemies in the war.”

He nodded, declaring that the Light Wind Palace would stand at the very front against the celestials.

“The... the celestials?”

“You're volunteering to lead the fight against them...?”

“They're even more dangerous than Eden!”

“Exactly! It's not just their strength, they have those unique abilities!”

"Why would you fight the celestials just to avoid tactical training?"

The swordsmen frowned, thinking that this would only increase the Light Wind Palace’s casualties.

“As I said, the Light Wind Palace is the strongest force in Zieghart.”

Raon nodded calmly, as though it were nothing remarkable.

“With great strength comes great responsibility. It's only natural that we take on the celestials. If another armed group gets caught between us during those battles, they'll only become an obstacle. That's why we intend to operate separately.”

He placed his fist against his chest, asking that the Light Wind Palace be entrusted with fighting the celestials.

“Hah!”

“I-I've never heard this before!”

“Light Wind Palace master…”

"So that's what he had in mind... and we..."

“I-I'm sorry! I was thinking far too petty!”

The swordsmen lowered their heads, apologizing for jumping to conclusions about Raon's intentions.

“……”

Karoon simply closed his eyes and gave a small nod, as though he had expected this from the very beginning.

“As expected of my nephew!”

Balder thrust his fist into the air.

“If anyone has a problem with what my nephew said, they'll have to get past me first!”

He stomped the floor, declaring that he would always stand on Raon's side.

"Just leave him be..."

Aris let out a sigh as she wrung the seawater from her soaked top. 

"You'll only regret it if you mess with him for no reason." 

She waved a dismissive hand, telling everyone to simply grant Raon's request. 

“Ahem!”

Glenn slowly curled his lips into a smile as he looked over the executives, whose eyes were filled with admiration for Raon.

“Since no one appears to object, I shall grant the Light Wind Palace’s master’s request.”

He nodded, saying that, as Raon had requested, the Light Wind Palace would be permitted to operate independently during the war.

“Thank you.”

Raon bowed to Glenn and the executives, saying he was thankful that they understood his intentions.

“Wooooooah!”

“Light Wind Palace! Light Wind Palace!”

“Sword Immortal! Sword Immortal!”

The executives in the audience chamber raised their hands, chanting the names of the Light Wind Palace and the Sword Immortal as though they felt guilty toward him.

“Kuh-huh-huh-hmm!”

Glenn blushed like a ripe apple and shook his leg, as if he was truly satisfied with that sight. He seemed overflowing with joy from seeing a satisfactory response for the first time in a while.

However, while everyone else was caught up in the excitement, there were some whose faces looked as though they had just bitten into something foul.

“W-We never heard about this either...?”

“Damn it!”

“Light Wind Palace master, you bastard!”

“You'd been planning something this insane?”

“I-I want to kill him! I want to kill him with everything I've got!”

The Light Wind swordsmen, who had learned only today, just like the executives,that they would be the ones standing at the very front against the celestials, turned pale as they immediately took back all the praise they had showered on Raon moments earlier, replacing it with curses.

"You could've at least told us too!"

*   *   *

“N-No...”

Krein's jaw trembled.

"He really didn't have to tell us something like this..."

He bit his lip as he looked at Raon standing atop the platform of the fifth training ground.

“I'll say it again.”

Lowering Heavenly Drive, Raon tilted his chin.

“If you lose your focus during this training, you could die. Your body may survive while your soul dies, leaving you a living vegetable. Or your soul may survive while your body is destroyed, leaving you completely crippled.”

He smiled faintly, saying that, in a way, it was fortunate that at least one of them, the body or the soul,would survive.

"A-A living vegetable? Completely crippled? How is that supposed to be fortunate?!"

Dorian swallowed hard, unable to believe what he had just heard.

“I don't want to do this! He's completely serious!”

Through his Mind's Eye, he sensed that Raon was completely serious and screamed.

"So if we make it through the training, we have to fight the celestials on the front lines... and if we don't, we end up as living vegetables...?"

Krein clutched at his hair with a face that looked ready to burst into tears.

“I just want to die…”

He sniffled, saying that he missed the old Raon, who had been kind.

“Sorry, but Raon was never kind.”

Martha let out a derisive snort at Krein.

"From the very first time I met him, he was as cocky as they come."

She twisted her lips as though recalling the day she had first met Raon.

"I have to agree with that."

Burren nodded with a faint chuckle.

“The palace master was never kind.”

He laughed softly, saying he had never once thought of Raon as kind.

"But he is kind..."

Runaan tilted her head, unable to think of a single time Raon hadn't been kind.

"He literally just said he's going to put us through training that could turn us into living vegetables, and you still think he's kind?"

Krein blinked at Runaan as if wondering whether she'd gone deaf.

"Then we just have to make it through the training...."

Runaan lightly wagged a finger as though that settled everything.

“Ah…”

Realizing there was no reasoning with Runaan, Raon's number one admirer, Krein could only shake his head.

"Now then..."

After finishing his explanation, Raon lowered his gaze toward those below the platform.

“Krein. Come up.”

As always, he called on Krein first and beckoned him forward.

“Ugh…”

Krein squeezed his eyes shut, having expected his name to be called.

"If I die, bury me somewhere filled with yin energy. Somewhere that man will never come."

Asking Dorian for the favor, he climbed onto the platform.

“This is similar to the training we did before. Endure my Heart Sword using the power of your own soul.”

Raon drew Heavenly Drive and pointed it toward Krein's heart.

"U-Um..."

Krein swallowed hard as he stared at Heavenly Drive.

"W-Wait... if this is Heart Sword training, why are you drawing Heavenly Drive too?"

He waved his hands, telling Raon to put the sword away.

“It seems you were too busy chatting to listen properly.”

Raon narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Unlike before, this training requires you to block both the Heart Sword and the real sword at the same time. I'll only swing once, so defend against it with everything you've got."

He gave a solemn nod, saying that if Krein could withstand this training, even the celestials' tricks would no longer work on him.

"H-How am I supposed to block that?!"

"Don't worry. I'll only swing with enough force that you can overcome it if you give it everything you've got."

Raon waved a hand, telling him not to worry.

“We're starting immediately, so get ready.”

“W-Wait a second! At least let me prepare myself…”

As Krein drew his sword while asking him to wait, Raon's Heavenly Drive came crashing down like a bolt of lightning.

"I said wait!"

With a scream uncannily similar to Wrath's, Krein lashed out with a fierce strike at Raon's blade. As expected of one of the Light Wind Palace's finest swordsmen, he managed to unleash his full strength even in that desperate instant.

"You crazy bastard!"

Despite Krein's furious shout, his sword was effortlessly knocked aside. Raon rotated Heavenly Drive and smashed Krein across the head with the flat of the blade.

“Guaaah…”

Wearing a vacant expression, Krein collapsed onto the platform, drool streaming from the corner of his mouth.

“Haa…”

Letting out a sigh heavy enough to make the ground sink, Dorian dragged the unconscious Krein off the platform.

“This is what happens when you don't stay focused.”

Raon clicked his tongue, telling them to devote everything they had to the training.

“Excuse me…”

Trevin, the leader of Warring Steel, raised his hand.

“That attack just now. Could Krein really block it?”

Tilting his head, he said it hadn't looked like a sword Krein was capable of stopping.

“Good question.”

Raon curled the corners of his lips as he looked at Trevin.

“Warring Steel Division leader, come up and see for yourself.”

He beckoned Trevin with a finger, telling him to verify it for himself.

“N-No! I wasn't saying I wanted to try…”

“Come up.”

As though he had no intention of listening to another word, Raon simply ordered Trevin onto the platform.

“Haa, seriously…”

Scratching his head, Trevin climbed onto the platform.

“I was only asking!”

Even as he sighed, he drew his sword and prepared for the training.

“We begin.”

With a faint smile, Raon brought Heavenly Drive Sword at Trevin immediately, without even taking a ready stance.

“Ah…”

Trevin let out a quiet gasp as he faced the Heart Sword crushing his heart and Heavenly Drive descending as though it would split his skull apart.

"There's no way I can block this—"

The moment he got his answer, Trevin realized why the other Light Wind swordsmen had remained silent, and ground his teeth.

BAM!

*   *   *

"The training's already over?"

Glenn let out a hollow laugh as he looked at Raon, who had come to find him after just two days.

"The training refined their bodies, souls, and martial arts all at once, so they probably will not be able to get up for about three days."

A faint smile spread across Raon's lips as he said he had wanted to give the Light Wind swordsmen both training and a chance to rest at the same time.

“I suppose that's true. Those children have been pushing themselves nonstop.”

Glenn gave a calm nod, saying he understood Raon's intentions.

"So you've come to see me because you want to focus on your own training this time?"

The corners of his lips lifted, as if he already knew why Raon had come.

"Very well. It's been a while since we last—"

"Training with you would be great, grandfather, but..."

Raon shook his head, stopping Glenn as he was about to rise to his feet.

"There's something I need to do first."

"Something you need to do?"

Glenn blinked, seemingly unable to guess what Raon meant.

"There's less than a month left until the war against Eden. Before it begins, I want to understand how the war is likely to unfold."

Raon nodded, saying that he wanted to understand how the coming war was likely to unfold before it began.

"What do you mean? How can anyone know how a war will unfold before it's even begun?"

Glenn tilted his head, wondering how anyone could possibly know such a thing before the war had even started.

"One person."

Looking toward the window behind Glenn, where gentle sunlight streamed in, Raon smiled faintly.

"There's someone who can."

 

 

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