The Reincarnated Assassin Is a Genius Swordsman

Chapter 1337 Burren returned to the Central Martial Palace and laid Karoon down on his bed. He looked at Karoon's face, who had fainted after being defeated by Raon, and bit his lips slightly. 'Father...' To him, the existence called Karoon was greater than anyone else. There were many people who had stronger Martial Prowess or mental strength than Karoon, but to him, his father was always the best and strongest. Even though Karoon was defeated by Raon today, there was no change in his heart. The path he still wanted to go and follow was behind his father. 'But...' Burren covered Karoon with a blanket and his fingertips trembled slightly. 'Father was too light when I carried him on my back for the first time.' He felt it while carrying Karoon on his back all the way to the Central Martial Palace. He wasn't as heavy as he had thought. He was so light that it didn't even feel like he was carrying someone on his back. Only then did he recall Karoon's face that he had seen today. He showed neither the dignity as the Palace Master who ruled the Central Martial Palace, nor the cold expression he had shown as the first son of the Destructive King of the North, nor the elegance he should possess as someone from the direct line of Zieghart. 'What was reflected in father's red eyes was only the desire for victory.' Karoon had abandoned all of that and fought as a single swordsman, revealing only the will to defeat Raon. When he felt that, his nose tingled without him realizing it, and his vision blurred. 'You really wanted to win.' When he realized that Karoon had desired today's victory more than anything else, an unbearable heat rose from within his chest. It was irritation and anger toward himself for not being able to do anything for his father and still just standing in place. 'If I had reached Transcendence...I could have at least sparred with father.' If he had reached Transcendence long ago like Runaan, he could have sparred with Karoon or discussed swordsmanship to help him, but he was still stuck at the Peak of Grandmaster and was of no help at all. Moreover, Glenn had said that the duel he saw today would provide him with the opportunity to reach Transcendence, but he couldn't even watch properly, so far from getting an opportunity, he couldn't grasp anything at all. In many ways, he was so pathetic that his insides ached. "Father. I'm sorry..." Burren bowed his head to the unconscious Karoon while grinding his teeth. "If I had just a little more outstanding talent..." It was when he was thinking of his own talent as insignificant and biting his lips. "Burren..." Karoon called Burren's name in a cool tone and opened his closed eyes. "It's been a while since you said something stupid." He frowned with one eyebrow as if it was pathetic. "Ah, father?" Burren's lips trembled as he saw Karoon's red eyes harden coldly. "Are you already awake? How..." "Because there was a difference in power between Raon and me." Karoon let out a short sigh and sat up. "Ah, then Raon controlled his strength..." Burren opened his eyes wide as he looked at Karoon. "Thank goodness..." "That's not it." Karoon shook his chin firmly. "Because there was a great difference in Martial Prowess between Raon and me, my sword broke and the aftermath of the collision scattered into the air. If that force had exploded in my body, I wouldn't be able to be like this." He chuckled while looking at his trembling hands as if he hadn't expected such a result. "I see..." Burren said he understood now and nodded his head briefly. "Honestly, I thought the chances of winning were fifty-fifty, but to think he would cut it off while the sword was digging into his flesh." Karoon curled up his lips as if it was absurd. "He's truly a monster." Despite being defeated by Raon, he drew a gentle smile as if he wasn't in a bad mood. "Are, are you alright?" Burren's eyes widened when he saw Karoon's smile. He naturally thought the atmosphere would be heavy like a funeral home, so he was flustered and his eyelids came down automatically. "The gap between Raon's and my level is more than a mountain. I haven't even reached the end of Transcendence yet, and Raon has already surpassed Transcendence and reached the Absolute realm, chasing after father. Even in such circumstances..." Karoon clenched his blistered hand into a fist. "I made that Raon break out in cold sweat and give his all. Of course it would be nice if I had beaten that guy, but even though I was defeated, I feel refreshed because it seems my efforts have borne fruit." He calmly nodded his head as if he was satisfied with the current result. "Through the Secluded cultivation I did in the First Patriarch's Training Ground and the duel with Raon, I've come to know what path as a Swordsman I should take from now on, so I have no regrets about what I've done. However..." Karoon clicked his tongue while pressing his brow with his finger. "It is regrettable that I missed the last chance to defeat Raon. From now on, no matter what I do, I won't be able to reach that guy. If I had known it would be like this, I would have stepped on Raon a lot when he was young." He chuckled while saying words that were unclear whether they were a joke or serious. "Ah, father...?" Burren felt that Karoon's atmosphere had changed a lot and swallowed his dry saliva. "Now you tell me." Karoon looked at Burren's eyes with gently glinting pupils. "What are you sorry about, and what do you mean you lack talent." He crossed his arms, telling him to properly explain what he had said to him. Just by making that appearance, it seemed like he had returned to being the Central Martial Palace Master who seemed like he wouldn't shed a drop of blood. "That is..." Karoon bit his lips and then slowly released them. "It's about myself. If I had been just a little more talented, I could have helped with father's cultivation, and even in the duel I saw today..." Burren told Karoon about the worries that filled his head right now. "So if I had talent like Runaan, even if not like Raon, it would have helped..." "You're a stupid guy." Karoon spat out the word stupid in a cold tone as if he had returned to his cold-blooded days. "I thought you were proceeding on your own path as a Swordsman, but I didn't know you were having such stupid worries that only trainees would have." He said stupid one more time and wrinkled his nose bridge. "Of course it would be nice to have talent like Raon. Even when walls block the way, he breaks through quickly. However, as you know, that child rose to that position by overcoming much hardship and bloodshed beyond just that talent. Honestly speaking, I don't have the confidence to walk that same path." Karoon firmly shook his head, saying that the current Raon wasn't a being created by talent alone. "I can tell you more clearly about Runaan. That child's and your talent level aren't really different. The gap in level is a difference in experience. That child spent a hellish childhood and reached Transcendence through the power of the bonds built with you all. Does that only look like Runaan's talent to you?" He bobbed his chin, telling him to read the situation properly. "You who were always with them would know better than me who was in the Central Martial Palace, so why are you turning away?" Karoon narrowed his eyes thin like a blade, saying don't you know better than anyone. "The head of house said that today's duel would provide you with the opportunity to overcome your wall, right? That's exactly what he meant." He nodded his head, saying he seemed to know why Glenn had said such things. "You gave up too quickly. You regarded Raon as someone you could never catch up to, and only thought of supporting Martha and Runaan as comrades. Probably because of that attitude, you received the position of Vice Palace Master." Karoon snorted as if he knew all about the Light Wind division's situation. "High positions like Palace Master or Vice Palace Master are like swamps. You have to change the position to your own color; if you become someone who fits the position, your feet will get stuck." He furrowed his eyebrows while speaking from his direct experience. "Since you've had stupid thoughts like a trainee, go back to your trainee days. Whether above or below, regard everyone as rivals. Don't fear the future, and challenge endlessly." Karoon closed his eyes and then opened them, saying that path was the fastest and most accurate. "Challenge..." Burren repeated the word challenge and swallowed his dry saliva. 'Come to think of it, how long has it been since I challenged something?' After becoming the Vice Palace Master of Light Wind Palace, he always took only the stable path. The dangerous paths were walked by Raon and Martha, and Runaan always protected the swordsmen from behind, so all he had to do was firmly guard the center of Light Wind Palace. Thanks to that, he had indeed become stronger as a Swordsman, but it also seemed like his limits had been set because of that. 'I don't know what I should do right away. But...' Burren clenched his fist with trembling hands and nodded his head. 'I have to do something now.' War was not far off now. He resolved to take on challenges that would make him grow somehow before then. "Thank you!" Burren said he would challenge anything as Karoon said and bowed his head. "Hmm." Karoon clicked his tongue as if he finally liked the look in Burren's eyes. "But..." Burren slightly lowered his eyebrows while looking at Karoon. "How does father know so much about Light Wind Palace's affairs?" He tilted his head with a slightly confused expression. "Huh? Uh..." Karoon turned his head while his eyes, which had been calm even when fighting Raon, trembled. "I heard rumors. They're quite famous after all." "Yes? But there were affairs that only we would know about..." "Stop talking nonsense and go outside to swing your sword!" He shouted as if he didn't want to hear any more and sent Burren outside. "Uhmm..." Burren tilted his head while looking at Karoon's tightly closed door. "Well, that's not what's important." He bit his lips firmly as if he had gained new enlightenment. "Right now, let's only think about what I can do." Burren left the Central Martial Palace, resolving to never disappoint Karoon. * * * "Nephew!" Alice approached Raon from behind and clapped her hands. "You've become stronger than I thought?" She exclaimed that she hadn't even thought he would become this strong. "The Central Martial Palace Master was more amazing than me. I was actually stabbed after all." Raon frowned as he looked at the wound on his chest where Karoon's sword had entered and blood was flowing down. "Karoon's sword was certainly amazing. It produced the best result possible from that Martial Prowess. It was like Drawing Technique prepared for death." Alice trembled slightly with her arms, saying she got goosebumps watching Karoon's Drawing Technique. "But your sword was in an even higher place than that." She clicked her tongue, saying that even such a sword of Karoon couldn't pierce through Raon's sword. "Well, that's because I was stronger than the Central Martial Palace Master." Raon said that was all there was to it and slowly nodded his head. "Ha!" Alice opened her eyes wide while looking at Raon. "I naturally thought you'd say 'I was lucky,' but our nephew's personality has changed too? I like it! That's how Zieghart's Direct Lineage should be!" She even clapped, saying she liked Raon's current personality more. -You've finally climbed one step. Wrath snorted, saying it was still far off. -For that guy to awaken the Authority of <Pride>, his current personality needs to be ten times more arrogant. He shook his head, saying it was pathetic how slow he was. 'But I'm still improving.' It was when Raon was about to tell him to watch a little more. "I was originally thinking of taking someone else, but I changed my mind!" Alice grabbed Raon's shoulder with the hand that had been clapping strongly. "Come with me!" "Yes? Where to..." Raon opened his eyes wide seeing Alice's excited smile. "Where else! The sea, of course!" Alice waved her hand as if asking what kind of question that was to someone who came from the sea. "Something happened at the sea that you'll like!"