The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman 1337

 Chapter 1337

 

Burren returned to the Central Martial Palace and laid Karoon down on his bed. Looking at Karoon's unconscious face after his defeat to Raon, he lightly bit his lip.

‘Father...’

To me, father is greater than anyone else. There may be many people with greater might or stronger mental fortitude, but to me, he has always been the greatest and the strongest.

Even after father lost to Raon today, that feeling hasn't changed. The path I still want to walk, the one I still want to follow, is the one behind father.

‘But...’

As Burren pulled the blanket over Karoon, his fingertips trembled.

‘This was the first time I've carried father on my back, and he was so light.’

I realized it on the way back to the Central Martial Palace with father on my back. Father wasn't as heavy as I'd thought. He was so light that I could barely even feel him on my back.

Only then did father's face from today's spar come to mind. He hadn't shown the dignity of the master of the Central Martial Palace, the cold-hearted demeanor he usually displayed as the Destructive King of the North's eldest son, nor the elegance a noble should possess.

‘The only thing reflected in father's red eyes was his desire to win.’

Father cast everything else aside. He fought as nothing more than a swordsman driven by the single-minded determination to defeat Raon.

The moment I realized that, my nose began to sting, and my vision blurred.

‘You truly wanted to win.’

The moment I realized father had desired today's victory more than anything, an unbearable heat welled up inside my chest.

I'm frustrated... and angry at myself. Even now, I still can't do anything for father. I'm still stuck where I am

‘If I had reached Transcendence…’

If I'd reached Transcendence long ago like Runaan, I could have sparred with father, discussed swordsmanship with him, and helped him improve.

Instead, I remained stuck at the peak of Grandmaster level, unable to be of any help at all.

Grandfather even said today's spar would serve as the catalyst for me to reach Transcendence, yet I couldn't even properly follow the fight. Far from finding that catalyst, I didn't gain the slightest insight.

The more I thought about it, the more pathetic I felt.

“Father. I'm sorry...”

Grinding his teeth together, Burren lowered his head before the unconscious Karoon.

“If only I had been born with greater talent….”

Just as he bit his lip, lamenting his own meager talent—

“Burren...”

Karoon called Burren's name in a chilly voice as he opened his closed eyes.

“It's been a while since you've said something so foolish.”

He furrowed one eyebrow as if Burren were utterly hopeless.

“F-Father?”

Burren's lips trembled as he saw the coldness settle once more into Karoon's red eyes.

“You're already awake? How...?”

“Because there was such a gap in strength between Raon and me.”

Karoon let out a short sigh as he sat up.

“Ah, then Raon must have held back….”

Burren's eyes widened as he looked at Karoon.

“That's a relie—”

“No.”

Karoon firmly shook his head.

“The difference in might between Raon and me was so great that when my sword shattered, the aftermath of the collision scattered into the air. Had that force exploded inside my body, I wouldn't be sitting here.”

He let out a faint chuckle as he looked at his trembling hand, as though even he hadn't expected such an outcome.

“I see...”

Burren gave a short nod, finally understanding.

“Honestly, I thought our chances of winning were fifty-fifty, but to think he would cut my sword down while it was digging into his flesh.”

Karoon curled the corner of his mouth in disbelief.

“He truly is a monster.”

Despite losing to Raon, a faint smile spread across his face, as though he felt no bitterness over the defeat.

“A-Are you really alright?”

Burren had expected the atmosphere to be as heavy as a funeral, so the sight left him so bewildered that his eyelids fluttered on their own.

“The gap between Raon's realm and mine is greater than a mountain. I haven't even reached the end of Transcendence yet, while Raon has already surpassed it and entered the Absolute realm, chasing after father. Even so...”

Karoon clenched his blistered hand into a fist.

“I still forced Raon to break into a cold sweat and fight with everything he had. Of course, it would've been nice if I'd defeated him, but even in defeat, it feels like all my efforts finally bore fruit.”

He nodded calmly, looking genuinely satisfied with the outcome.

“Through my secluded training in the first head of house's training ground, and through this spar with Raon, I've learned what kind of swordsman's path I should walk from now on. I have no regrets about the road I've taken. However….”

Clicking his tongue, Karoon pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose.

“It is regrettable that I missed my last chance to defeat Raon. From now on, no matter what I do, I'll never catch up to him again. Had I known it would come to this, I should've stepped on him a lot more when he was a child.”

He let out a quiet laugh after making a remark that sounded half joke, half serious.

“F-Father...?”

Burren swallowed hard, sensing how much Karoon's demeanor had changed.

“Now it's your turn to speak.”

Karoon looked straight into Burren's eyes.

“What exactly are you apologizing for, and what do you mean you lack talent?”

He folded his arms, telling Burren to properly explain what he had just said.

Just by assuming that posture, he seemed to have returned to being the master of the Central Martial Palace once again, a man so cold it seemed not a single drop of blood ran through his veins.

“It's...”

Burren bit his lip before slowly opening his mouth.

“It's about me. If I'd had just a little more talent, I could've helped with your training. And even in the spar today...”

He told Karoon everything that had been weighing on his mind.

“So even if I couldn't be like Raon, if I had talent like Runaan's, I could've been of some hel—”

“You truly are a fool.”

Karoon spoke in a voice as cold as it had been in his days as a heartless man.

“I thought you were walking your own path as a swordsman, but I didn't know you were agonizing over something so stupid, the likes of which only a trainee would fret over.”

He wrinkled his nose in annoyance as he called him a fool once again.

“Of course it would be nice to possess talent like Raon's. No wall can hold him back for long. But as you well know, that child reached his current realm only after enduring hardships and shedding blood far beyond what his talent alone could achieve. To be honest, I don't have the confidence to walk that same path myself.”

Karoon shook his head firmly, saying that the Raon standing before them today was not someone shaped by talent alone.

“As for Runaan, I can speak even more confidently. Her level of talent isn't all that different from yours. The difference in your realms comes from the difference in your experiences. She endured a childhood straight out of hell, and she reached Transcendence through the strength of the bonds she forged with all of you. Do you really think that was nothing more than Runaan's talent?”

He tilted his chin, telling Burren to see the situation for what it truly was.

“You, who have always been beside them, should know that better than I do from here in the Central Martial Palace. So why are you choosing to look away?”

Karoon narrowed his eyes until they were as sharp as blades, as if to say Burren understood this better than anyone.

“You said the head of house told you today's spar would become the catalyst for overcoming your wall, didn't you? He meant exactly what he said.”

He nodded, as though he now understood why Glenn had said those words.

“You gave up too easily. You decided Raon was someone you could never catch, and you were content to simply support Martha and Runaan as comrades. That's probably why you were made vice palace master.”

Karoon let out a snort, as though he knew everything that had been happening within the Light Wind Palace.

“High positions like palace master or vice palace master are like a swamp. You must reshape the position to fit your own colors. If you become someone who merely fits the position, you'll only end up sinking into it.”

His brows furrowed as he spoke from experience.

“Since you've started thinking like a foolish trainee again, then return to being one. Whether they're above you or below you, regard everyone as a rival. Do not fear the future. Challenge yourself without end.”

Karoon slowly closed his eyes before opening them again, saying that was the fastest and surest path.

“Challenge...”

Repeating the word under his breath, Burren swallowed.

‘Come to think of it... how long has it been since I last truly challenged myself?’

Ever since I became the Light Wind Palace vice master, I've always chosen the safe path. Raon and Martha took the dangerous roads, while Runaan always remained behind to protect the swordsmen. My role was simply to keep the palace steady at its core.

That certainly made me stronger as a swordsman... but perhaps it also set the limits of how far I could grow.

‘I don't know what I should do first. But….’

Burren clenched his trembling fist and nodded.

‘I have to do something. Anything.’

The war is no longer far away.

Before it begins, I'll challenge myself in whatever way I can to grow stronger.

“Thank you!”

Burren lowered his head, declaring that he would challenge himself in everything, just as Karoon had advised.

“Hmm.”

Karoon smacked his lips as if he finally liked the look in Burren's eyes.

“By the way...”

Burren lowered his brows slightly as he looked at Karoon.

“How do you know so much about what's been happening in the Light Wind Palace, father?”

Tilting his head, he looked genuinely puzzled.

“Ah? Uh...”

For the first time, Karoon's eyes, which hadn't wavered even while fighting Raon, shook as he looked away.

“I heard the rumors. Those things are famous enough.”

“Huh? But some of those were things only we should have known...”

“Stop talking nonsense and get out there and swing your sword!”

As if he didn't want to hear another word, Karoon shouted and drove Burren out of the room.

“Hmm…”

Burren tilted his head as he stared at the tightly shut door.

“Well, that's not what's important.”

He bit his lip firmly, as though he had gained a new realization.

“For now, I'll focus only on what I can do.”

Vowing that he would never disappoint Karoon, Burren left the Central Martial Palace.

* * *

“Nephew!”

Aris clapped her hands as she walked up behind Raon.

“You've gotten even stronger than I expected.”

She let out an exclamation, saying she had never imagined he would become this strong.

“The Central Martial Palace master was the truly impressive one, not me. I actually got stabbed, after all.”

Raon frowned as he looked at the wound on his chest, where Karoon's sword had pierced through and blood was still trickling down.

“Karoon's sword was truly remarkable. He brought out the absolute best that could possibly come from that level of might. It was like a draw sword technique performed with the resolve to die.”

Aris shivered slightly, saying Karoon's draw sword technique had given her goosebumps.

“But your sword was on an even higher realm.”

She smacked her lips, noting that even Karoon's sword couldn't pierce through Raon's sword.

“Well, that's because I was stronger than the Central Martial Palace master.”

Raon slowly nodded, saying that was all there was to it.

“Hah!”

Aris stared at Raon with wide eyes.

“I was sure you'd say, ‘I just got lucky.’ Looks like your personality's changed too, Nephew. I like it! That's exactly how a direct line of Zieghart should be!”

She even applauded, saying she liked Raon's current attitude much better.

Only now have you climbed a single step.

Wrath snorted, saying he still had a long way to go.

If you are to awaken the authority of <Pride>, your personality must become ten times more arrogant than it is now.

He shook his head, saying Raon was progressing so slowly that it was pathetic.

‘I'm still getting there.’

Just as Raon was about to tell him to wait and watch a little longer.

“I was originally planning to take someone else, but I've changed my mind!”

Still clapping enthusiastically, Aris grabbed Raon's shoulder.

“Come with me!”

“Huh? Where…?”

Raon's eyes widened as he looked at Aris's cheerful smile.

“Where else? The sea, of course!”

Aris waved her hand, as if asking why he would ask such a question to someone who came from the sea.

“Something I know you'll like has come up out at sea!” 

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