The Reincarnated Assassin Is a Genius Swordsman

Chapter 747 "Rimmer." Glenn stood at the center of the crumbled training ground. "You've always said you wanted to make Raon the head of house. You often mentioned treating him like a young king. But..." He lowered his chin, looking down at Rimmer who was performing a sword salute. "Why do you suddenly want to make Raon a true king? Raon himself doesn't even think about becoming the head of house." Glenn furrowed his brows, unable to understand Rimmer's actions. "It doesn't matter how Raon views the throne of Zieghart." Rimmer slowly raised his head, meeting Glenn's eyes. "I am the one who wishes to follow that child's path." "Raon's path?" "Yes. If Raon wants to be the head of Zieghart, I'll pave the way to the throne. If he leaves the family to build his own castle, I'll be the first to pick up a shovel and lay the bricks." His eyes gleamed with a solemn color, as if he had already made his resolve. “Uh...” Glenn swallowed a thin sigh. 'He's serious.' Rimmer's aura was as sharp as if he were in battle. It meant he had made a decision before coming here. "When Raon was attacked and went missing, I thought a lot." Rimmer bowed his head, biting his lip until it nearly tore. "Why couldn't I protect him? Why couldn't I prevent it? Why did I let my guard down? Despairing at my own incompetence, I couldn't sleep or eat, endlessly swinging my sword." His hand, still in the sword salute, trembled as he continued speaking. "After Raon reappeared and saved the Head of House, I realized. How important Raon is to me. And to the Light Wind division." Rimmer exhaled a long breath and raised his gaze again. "Although it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, the same thing might happen again, and the day Raon truly dies might come." He gritted his teeth as if the thought was unbearable. "That's why I want to establish my own resolve." "So that's why you want to serve Raon as your lord." Glenn nodded, as if finally understanding. "Right now, the first person I must protect is the head of house. Even if Raon and the Light Wind division's children die before my eyes, protecting the head of house takes priority." Rimmer revealed a chilling killing intent, as if standing in the middle of a battlefield rather than a training ground. "I want to break that framework. I want to protect Raon and the Light Wind division before the head of house." He struck the ground with his tightly clenched fist. "Before I die, I will ensure that no one can harm Raon." Rimmer pounded his left chest where his heart beat, with his bleeding fist, as if making a vow. "Please grant me permission." He knelt on both knees, as if he wouldn't rise until given permission. Sheryl looked down at Rimmer intently, arms crossed. She seemed to have anticipated this situation. "Rimmer. You're still impulsive." Glenn looked up at the sky that seemed to have a hole in it, then lowered his eyes. "You've been impulsive since we first met. Many elves tried to stop you, but you even stole that sword to follow me." He slowly lowered his gaze to look at Rimmer's sword. "Hey, I didn't steal it!" Rimmer shook his head, insisting he had received it legitimately. "I liked that impulsive side of you. That's why I accepted you." Glenn met Rimmer's clear eyes. "After those children died, you've been hiding your emotions behind false smiles, but now you've finally returned to the Light Sword Rimmer I know." He smiled brightly, as if pleased. "Do as you wish." Glenn firmly gripped Rimmer's shoulder, urging him to walk the path he had chosen. "Thank... you." Rimmer bowed his head deeply, his shoulder trembling under Glenn's touch. "Haa..." Sheryl let out a long sigh, relieved that the conversation had ended well. "You idiot." She leaned her head against the wall, as if exhausted. "Still, it's going to be a bit lonely." Rimmer said, smacking his lips as he stood up. "I haven't even thought about how to treat you if I'm not serving you as my lord." He scratched the back of his head, as if finding the situation awkward. "It's simple." Glenn turned to Rimmer with a faint smile. "Comrade. And friend. Isn't that enough?" It was something he would never have said before, but spending time with Raon and Sylvia had helped his emotions grow. Now, he felt he could build new relationships not just with Rimmer, but with others as well. "That sounds good." Sheryl nodded gently, as if she liked the idea of that relationship. "Ah..." Rimmer's fingertips trembled, seemingly moved by Glenn's words. "What are you doing?" Sheryl approached Rimmer and lightly jabbed him with her elbow. "You should answer him." She jerked her chin, urging him to speak. "Um, Head of House..." Rimmer's eyes reddened as he curled his lips. "I'm sorry, but the difference in our face value is too great for us to be friends." He shook his head, covering his mouth. "I still look like I'm in my vibrant 20s and can blend in anywhere, but you, Head of House, have so many wrinkles that it wouldn't be strange if you ascended to heaven right now..." "You crazy fool..." Sheryl, who had been smiling, now closed her eyes tightly with a hardened expression. "If we become friends, people will curse at me. For now, I'll continue to serve you as Head of House..." As Rimmer rambled on with his hands spread, red lightning gathered in the sky above, forming a shape like a sword. "Uh, Head of House?" Rimmer's lips trembled as he looked at the red lightning sword covering the entire night sky. "My aura is completely depleted right now, so if that hits me, I'll really die, you know?" He waved his hands, laughing awkwardly. "Then die." The moment Glenn lowered his hand, the lightning sword began to descend, splitting the sky. "Hey, friend! Comrade! Head of Houuuuuse!" A massive lightning bolt fell with Rimmer's scream, destroying the Head of House's training ground. BOOM! Raon felt the powerful aura and looked back. 'Red lightning?' Seeing the huge red thunderbolt fall from a clear sky, it seems Rimmer got himself struck by Glenn for being cheeky. 'Looks like I'll have to train with Gambling Monster alone today.' Shaking his head at what seemed like a daily occurrence, he entered his room. -That, that looks a bit big... Wrath narrowed his eyes, noting the unusual aura. 'It's fine. That elf will never die.' Raon smiled as he took off his outer clothes. It seemed that even if he died, even if Wrath died, Rimmer would never die. That's the kind of person he was. -Ooh! There's a sandwich! Wrath licked his lips at the sight of the sandwich on the desk. -This is Helen's handiwork! Put it in my mouth right now! The fellow drooled, loving Helen's food the most. 'There's something I need to check first.' -Check? What? 'The Blade of Requiem's gift.' He checked the reward sent by the Blade of Requiem. [The <Blade of Requiem> has accepted the energy of the Soul-Severing Orb.] [The <Blade of Requiem> offers purified energy.] [All abilities increase by 25 points.] [A new trait <Blood Path> is created.] The power hidden in the Ghost King's orb was beyond expectations, instantly raising all abilities by 25 points and even creating a new trait. -Ugh... Wrath let out a choked groan, as if just now realizing the meaning of those messages. -This is maddening! Not content with taking from my main body, now you're even devouring human blood and resentment! You parasite! 'The parasite isn't me, it's you.' Raon snorted, pointing at Wrath. 'When I eat food, you taste it too. You can't do anything without me. If this isn't parasitic, what is?' -Eh...? Wrath blinked his round eyes, seemingly at a loss for words. -N-nonsense! I am not a parasite! The reason I'm here isn't for food, but for your body and revenge-" 'Then I guess it's okay if I have this for tonight's snack?' Raon waved a Nadine bread in front of Wrath's eyes. -Ah, no, right? You won't eat it, right? There's a sandwich right there... Wrath waved his trembling hand, asking why a rich guy like Raon would eat such tasteless stuff. 'First, I need to activate Gluttony.' Raon grinned at Wrath and put the Nadine bread in his mouth. A chewy texture like rubber and a dry yet sticky taste filled his mouth. -You angel bastard! 'No matter how I think about it, it's not that bad...' -Aaaaargh! 'It's just your preconceptions. The taste isn't ba-' -Guaaaaargh! Wrath's screams didn't stop until Raon ate the sandwich. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Dawn at the Fifth Training Ground, filled with gray fog. Raon drew the Heavenly Drive, facing Martha. "Are you ready?" "Ready?" Martha bared her teeth, brushing back the black hair that had fallen over her forehead. "I almost collapsed waiting. I've oiled my sword so much it might rust." She exhaled roughly, urging to start. "Then let's see your swordsmanship first." Raon jerked his chin, standing two steps away from Martha. "It's the Crushing Ocean Sword I received from my father." Martha nodded and raised her sword high. As she brought it down, the air vibrated and the ground shook. It was an immense power. 'The Crushing Ocean Sword...' Raon rotated his wrist as he watched Martha's swordsmanship unleashing explosive strikes. 'Still extreme offense. No, it's even more intense than before.' Martha's swordsmanship had always focused on quick sword, heavy sword, and strong sword techniques since her trainee days, but now she was even employing the Crushing Sword technique, said to be the strongest among strong sword techniques. -I sense sorrow from that sword. Wrath frowned, as if feeling sorry. 'It's a sword to save her mother.' In reality, the chance to strike the Leader of the White Blood Religion with a sword would rarely come, so Martha was honing only her strong sword techniques to not miss that moment. There was a chilling yet sorrowful determination to kill her opponent even if it meant her own death. "How is it?" Martha rested her sword on her shoulder after demonstrating all the Crushing Ocean Sword techniques. "It's offensively one-sided to the point of being crude." Raon approached Martha, twirling the Heavenly Drive. "We can start right away." "You've finished analyzing already?" "Your sword style is simple, so it's easy to understand. Of course, I've seen it many times too." He beckoned with his finger, as if saying 'come at me anytime'. "I'll make you regret that!" Martha charged with a fierce shout, bringing her sword down. The blade, imbued with Titan's Aura, fell like wind-laden rain. 'I'll give her credit for the power.' Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Martha's sword strikes rushing in as if to crush the ground. 'Martha doesn't need to change her style.' Unlike other swordsmen, Martha had accurately grasped the sword style she should pursue. It seemed best to open a path for her to further develop her strengths. Clang! Raon blocked her sword strike with the same technique. BOOM! The moment the swords clashed, a powerful shockwave spread out, shaking the entire training ground. "Ugh..." Martha staggered back five steps, nearly falling. But Raon didn't move an inch from his spot. "What the..." Martha bit her lip as she watched Raon calmly holding his sword. 'His aura was definitely weaker than mine, wasn't it?' Just a moment ago, Raon's aura was only at the lower Master level, and he hadn't used his monstrous physical strength. She couldn't understand why she was pushed back when she had used the same technique with greater force. 'I can't tell from just one try.' Martha gritted her teeth and unleashed the fifth technique of the Crushing Ocean Sword, the Strong Cloud Crushing Strike. Her sword strike poured down wide and heavy like a cloud driving lightning. Once again, Raon countered her sword with the same technique. BOOM! As the two Strong Cloud Crushing Strikes collided, the resulting explosion sent Martha flying back helplessly. "No way..." Martha swallowed dryly as she looked at Raon, who stood unmoved, not even a wrinkle on his clothes. "Is it the center of gravity?" Her lips trembling, she swung her sword fiercely. "Such a difference just from the center of gravity?" “It’s not just that.” Raon calmly shook his head. "The body's center of gravity can change the very essence of swordsmanship. It can make heavy things heavier, light things lighter. It's a crucial factor." It's an important factor that can make heavy things lighter. "But I moved exactly as the sword manual instructed!" Martha stomped her foot, seemingly unable to understand. "The sword manual doesn't know who you are." Raon opened his eyes calmly as he lowered the Heavenly Drive. "Don't be satisfied with just following someone else's teachings. Find your own sword and path. Strong swordsmanship doesn't necessarily make a strong person." He turned his shoulder, saying that she should be able to understand. "There's no need to rush. You're not alone." "Ah..." Martha bit her lip as she repeated Raon's words. The urgency in her eyes slowly began to subside. 'Was I so rushed that even that oblivious guy could notice...' No, he couldn't have missed it. The Leader of the White Blood Religion she saw on the battlefield had become much stronger than before, as if mocking her growth. The overwhelming aura made it impossible to even approach her. Every day had been hell since feeling that absolute martial prowess. No matter how much she trained her swordsmanship and footwork, she only felt that she couldn't save her mother, and even when she slept, she only had nightmares. On the surface, she trained as usual, but there was no way it could go well. However, Raon's words that she wasn't alone, her faith in him, and seeing the rapid growth of the sword division members rekindled her hope that she could do it too. "Right..." Martha nodded. "Miss Rakshasa who rose from hell can't stop here!" She charged at Raon, bringing her sword down. By slightly tilting her knee forward and lowering the angle of her arm, the power of her sword strike increased by half. A gasp escaped her at the unbelievable result. "Still a long way to go." Raon beckoned with his finger, urging her to improve further rather than praising her. "I know!" Martha unleashed all the techniques of the Crushing Ocean Sword to maintain her current sensation. She used Raon as a mirror, perfecting her own movements. "Let me tell you clearly." Raon deflected Martha's sword, revealing a dry look in his eyes. "You've mentioned Grandmaster, but the chances of you and the other squad leaders reaching Grandmaster level by the next war are extremely low. It's not an exaggeration to say it's impossible." He shook his head, his voice cold. "Then what will you do?" "What do you mean, what will I do!" Martha drew a smile that was both fierce and beautiful. "I'll keep going anyway!" This wasn't like before, where she didn't care what happened. It was a hopeful commitment to do her best in the given situation. Martha finally managed to push Raon back a step before lowering her sword. She felt a thrill, thinking that if she could organize her current realization, she might be able to advance to the next level. "Not yet. Let's keep going!" Just as she was about to charge at Raon again. "That's enough." Runaan stepped in front of Martha, shaking her head. "Why suddenly..." "Time." She pointed her finger at the sky, well past noon. "Ugh, but it's just the right moment..." "I'm next. Miss Rakshasa is done." Runaan shook her head, saying this was as far as it goes. "Who are you calling Miss Rakshasa!" Martha frowned at Runaan. "You called yourself that. 'Miss Rakshasa who rose from hell.'" Runaan repeated Martha's words, nodding slightly. "Eek..." "Move aside, Miss Rakshasa." Just as Martha and Runaan were glaring at each other, about to draw their swords, a powerful wave of aura erupted from the right side of the training ground. It was Dorian and Krein. Clusters of materialized aura were burning from the swords of the two sparring. "Astral Energy." "Have those guys reached Master level?" Runaan and Martha widened their eyes, looking at the Astral Energy burning from Dorian and Krein's swords. "Is this Astral Energy...?" Krein's eyes welled up with tears, as if he couldn't believe the Astral Energy he had produced. "M-my hands feel like they're going to fall off! What do I do with this? H-help me!" Dorian's hands trembled, seemingly frightened by his own Astral Energy. "With this...The first step has been taken." Raon curled his lips, looking at the differently colored Astral Energy flickering from Dorian and Krein. * * * Four gray windows appeared before Derus Robert's faded throne. "It's been a while. Or should I say, this is the first time in this form." He beckoned with his finger towards the figures reflected in the gray windows. "Derus Robert." The Leader of the White Blood Religion, reflected in the first gray window, crossed her legs as she lifted the hem of her dress. "You've been deceiving everyone quite well." She frowned, as if displeased with Derus. "Haven't we gained our own benefits thanks to that?" The Fallen, reflected in the second gray window, smiled faintly. "Of course, if you had explained the situation, we could have gained even more." He muttered regretfully, revealing a strange look in his eyes towards Derus. Meanwhile, the third gray window didn't reflect any person. Only darkness like a bottomless abyss rippled within it. "But why a Five Demons conference?" The Leader of the White Blood Religion waved her hand, looking at the fourth gray window. "If the sword-obsessed old man and those water demons are dead, it should be Four Demons, right?" She snorted, as if saying they couldn't even count. "Whether the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance is dead or not, the Holy Sword Alliance participated in the conference." At Derus's gesture, the last gray window flickered, revealing an old swordsman with sharp features. "From now on, I am the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance." Rector, the Blood Sword Master of the Holy Sword Alliance and known as the Sword Demon, raised his chin. "If anyone has objections, speak now." His eyes burned quietly, as if illuminating the darkness.