The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 646

A small tavern behind the royal capital.

Despite it being midday, the tavern was filled with people enjoying drinks and meals.

“Hey, have you heard of the term ‘Sacred Sword Ground’?”

A magician in a brown robe set down his glass and narrowed his eyes.

“Sacred Sword Ground? That’s a new one for me.”

The knight sitting across from him shook his head calmly.

“You’re behind on the news.”

“I was at the frontlines until yesterday. It’d be strange if I knew what was going on in the capital.”

“It’s not just about the capital; it’s related to the Sword Saint’s tomb.”

“The Sword Saint’s tomb?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t even know that the Sword Saint’s tomb was discovered.”

“Of course I know that!”

The knight frowned, clearly annoyed at the insinuation that he was ignorant.

“Actually, it turns out that the Sword Saint wasn’t neutral but was affiliated with Zieghart. The place where his tomb was discovered is also Zieghart’s territory.”

The magician in the brown robe leaned forward, revealing the secret of the Sword Saint. The noisy tavern suddenly fell silent, as if everyone was listening intently.

“Is that really true?”

The knight jumped to his feet, unable to believe what he was hearing.

“When everyone who came back alive from there says the same thing, it’s hard to doubt.”

“Then the Sword Saint’s legacy….”

“It ended up in the hands of the Light Wind Division’s leader, Raon Zieghart, thanks to the goodwill of those who came before him.”

The magician in the brown robe nodded quickly.

“He’s already a monster, but now that he has the Sword Saint’s legacy, I can’t even imagine how far he’ll grow….”

The knight stammered, as if envious of Raon.

“Yeah, it’s like a monster growing wings.”

“But what’s this Sacred Sword Ground you mentioned earlier? Does it have something to do with Raon Zieghart?”

“You’re finally catching on. Yes, it does.”

The magician raised his voice, sensing that the entire tavern was now focused on him.

“As you might have guessed, not everyone who wanted the Sword Saint’s legacy went into the tomb. Many waited outside, forming alliances to ambush those who would emerge with the artifacts.”

“Like a bunch of hyenas.”

The knight grimaced, clearly disgusted by the idea.

“That’s right. They planned to strike when their targets were tired and injured. But….”

The magician pressed his lips together tightly.

“They didn’t consider the ‘monster obsessed with heads.’”

“A-a monster obsessed with heads?”

“I’m talking about Raon Zieghart. Apparently, as soon as he emerged from the tomb, before anyone could attack him, he declared that the area was now Zieghart territory and told them to drop their swords or get lost.”

“W-what happened after that?”

The knight’s hand trembled as he gripped his cup, the entire tavern holding its breath in anticipation.

“Ten seconds later, Raon Zieghart had taken out every warrior and magician there with nothing but an empty scabbard. Not a single person was spared; every one of them had their heads smashed.”

“H-heads smashed?”

“There were hundreds of warriors, yet none of them died—they all just had their heads bashed in. It was pure terror….”

The magician in the brown robe shivered, as if the memory still scared him.

“Even when they tried to flee, abandoning their weapons, he still smashed their heads. Now, in front of the Sword Saint’s tomb, there’s a mountain of discarded weapons and blood from the shattered heads.”

“So that’s why they call him the monster obsessed with heads….”

“Exactly. They say that out of respect for the fear he instilled and the fact that he didn’t kill anyone, that land is now considered sacred to Zieghart, where swords must be laid down. They’re calling it the Sacred Sword Ground.”

The magician shook his head, torn between fear and admiration for Raon.

“Whew, I can’t believe it. He smashed the heads of hundreds of warriors with just a scabbard….”

“Not just hit them, he smashed their heads.”

“No, I mean, heads or not, it’s hard to believe.”

The knight squinted, unable to wrap his mind around it.

“If he got the Sword Saint’s legacy, didn’t he have to fight against the Five Sovereigns or other forces? How could he defeat hundreds of people?”

“He didn’t defeat them; he smashed their heads!”

“Yeah, heads! I just can’t believe he smashed their heads!”

“There’s proof right over there.”

The magician pointed to the right. The knight and everyone else in the tavern turned their gaze in that direction.

“Hehe….”

“Hihi….”

A warrior and a magician, both with bandaged heads, were sitting there, placing empty cups on their heads and laughing strangely.

“Those two are the ones who survived that hell. They’ve been like that ever since they came back with their heads smashed. The healer says it’ll take at least half a year for them to recover.”

“T-that’s surviving?”

The knight’s jaw dropped as he looked at the two dazed survivors.

“Well, they’re still alive.”

The magician in the brown robe nodded calmly.

“Sacred Sword Ground….”

The knight rubbed his thinning hair, swallowing dryly.

“I’d better make sure not to even pee in that direction….”

***

“…And that’s how the rumor is spreading.”

Chamber smiled brightly as she waved her hand.

“……”

Raon closed his eyes tightly.

‘A monster obsessed with heads….’

The rumor has gotten completely out of hand.

All he had done was test his newly strengthened abilities and quickly take care of things to prevent the Light Wind Division from suffering, but the rumor had spread far beyond anything he had expected.

But it wasn’t entirely a bad rumor. It seemed more people were now recognizing that the area belonged to Zieghart.

-Bashing heads worked! Not that head, but this head. Keh-hehk! Kek!

Wrath tapped his own head and then started coughing dryly.

‘You keep coughing every time you talk. Just stay quiet for a bit.’

Raon shoved Wrath back into the bracelet and looked at Chamber.

“But how did you hear this rumor while you were with me?”

“A Grand Magician can do at least that much.”

Chamber sucked on her lollipop, her tone suggesting he shouldn’t underestimate magicians.

“Honestly, I didn’t believe everything you said at first.”

Her eyes gleamed with a strange light, the friendliness from earlier nowhere to be found.

“I compared your story with the rumors I gathered from outside, and it doesn’t seem too far off.”

As those words reached Raon’s ears, Chamber’s demeanor lightened again, as if she were just a carefree child.

Raon bit his lip.

‘She’s a frightening person….’

She had been smiling on the outside while cross-checking his testimony with external rumors. She wasn’t someone to be taken at face value. No wonder she was called one of the Six Kings.

“So, you really did smash their heads, right?”

“…I did, but I didn’t expect the rumor to spread this quickly.”

He thought he had moved quickly, but it hadn’t occurred to him that the rumors would move even faster.

“Rumors always travel faster than feet. It’s probably spreading across the entire continent by now. It should be easy to claim that territory.”

Chamber clapped her hands lightly as if to congratulate him.

“More importantly, you didn’t kill anyone. That’s impressive. You’re showing the right attitude for someone of your strength.”

King Lekros nodded in approval.

“No, they were clearly scum. You should’ve just cut their heads off instead of smashing them.”

Chamber frowned, clearly displeased.

“After what happened with Commander Crassus and Lord Barfil, I didn’t want to see any more bloodshed.”

“Hmm, I see.”

King Lekros nodded in understanding.

“But isn’t it more terrifying to turn someone into a fool by smashing their head?”

Chamber tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand.

“…There’s one more thing I need to show you.”

Raon quickly changed the subject, not wanting to linger on the matter.

“Something to show us?”

“It seems like you’re trying to change the topic, but fine.”

Chamber smiled and nodded.

“This.”

Raon took out a fragment of a scabbard imbued with dark energy and showed it to the two of them. The piece was still stained black.

“A piece of pottery?”

“It’s radiating a very ominous energy.”

Unlike Lekros, who was on the other side of the dimension, Chamber’s eyes narrowed as soon as she saw the fragment.

“After I took down the warriors around the tomb….”

Raon explained how Derus had attacked him after he dealt with the others around the tomb.

“So this dark energy is the aura of the person who attacked you?”

“Yes. I believe it belongs to the leader of the force that orchestrated this event.”

The scabbard of the Heavenly Sword was crafted by the master craftsman Balkan himself. It had the ability to contain internal energy, which allowed it to trap Derus’s dark aura, even if only for a short period.

“Wait. Is the energy within this fragment… death?”

Chamber touched the scabbard fragment, her lips tightening.

“Yes. It’s at least the aura of a transcendent. According to Lady Aris, it’s a power that could reach even our lord.”

“The pirate wench?”

“Yes.”

“If it’s her eyes, she wouldn’t mistake it….”

Chamber stroked her lips, clearly impressed.

“This is valuable information. Thank you.”

Chamber’s eyes gleamed with a calm light as she nodded.

“I’d like to take a look at it as well.”

King Lekros eyed the scabbard fragment, licking his lips.

“I’ve memorized it. I’ll send it to you.”

Chamber snapped her fingers, and the scabbard that had been in her hand instantly appeared in King Lekros’s hand.

“Whew….”

King Lekros let out a breath as he examined the scabbard.

“There’s truly an aura of death in this. I can’t believe such energy exists….”

His blue eyes widened in astonishment.

Raon, however, was astonished for a different reason.

‘Is teleportation magic really that easy?’

The distance between Balkar and Owen is considerable. Yet, after sending the sword earlier, she transported the scabbard fragment with just a flick of her finger.

Even though Chamber was a Grand Magician, he hadn’t expected her to use teleportation magic so freely.

“There’s no need to be so surprised.”

Chamber smiled faintly, understanding Raon’s confusion.

“There’s a small dimensional line connecting this room to that guy’s room.”

“A dimensional line?”

Raon looked at Lekros, who nodded in confirmation.

“You two are closer than I thought.”

“She was my teacher.”

“Your teacher?”

“Yes. She taught me etiquette from when I was five. She even hid her identity to do it.”

King Lekros smiled gently, as if reminiscing.

“Why are you bringing up old stories!”

Chamber pulled her hat down, clearly displeased.

Raon blinked in surprise.

‘Five years old? Etiquette teacher?’

King Lekros appeared middle-aged, but in reality, he was as old as Glenn Zieghart.

For Chamber to have been his teacher when he was five years old meant her age was far beyond what he had imagined.

“Then, Chamber, your age must be….”

He couldn’t contain his curiosity and mumbled without thinking.

*Bzzt!*

Suddenly, Raon’s vision went dark.

***

“Mmm….”

Raon slowly lifted his trembling eyelids. A strange ceiling came into view, etched with geometric patterns that resembled constellations.

‘Where am I….’

-Seriously!

Wrath’s crumpled face appeared before him.

-Your big mouth is always a problem!

‘My mouth? What did I do?’

Raon massaged his temples, frowning.

-Ah, forget it!

Wrath grumbled, waving his hand dismissively.

“You’re awake.”

It was Aris’s voice. He turned to his right and saw her sitting on a sofa, smiling.

“What did you say to that witch? I’ve never seen her make a face like that before.”

“Ah….”

When she mentioned the expression, it all came back to him. He had asked Chamber about her age, and his vision had suddenly gone dark.

“I asked Chamber about her age.”

“Oh! No wonder!”

Aris couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Well, that makes sense. That witch is over a hundred….”

Before she could finish, the ceiling twisted, and a bolt of lightning struck out of the clear sky.

*Rumble!*

Aris quickly looked up at the shaking ceiling and then nodded vigorously.

“Let’s drop this subject here.”

She waved her hand as if signaling a change in topic.

“What did the witch—no, what did Chamber say?”

“They both thanked me, surprisingly.”

Raon sighed as he sat up.

“I’m not sure why they were thanking me when I’m the one who survived thanks to them.”

“That’s only natural.”

Rimmer entered the room, shaking his head.

“Crassus and Barfil sacrificed their lives to save you, and you did exactly what they hoped by taking down the mastermind and saving others. They’re thanking you because their subordinates didn’t die in vain.”

He continued, his gaze more serious than usual.

“That’s the attitude a leader of the Six Kings should have. Learn from this experience.”

“…Understood.”

It was rare for Rimmer to give such advice. Raon engraved the looks and voices of King Lekros and Chamber in his heart.

“Here.”

Aris tossed him the scabbard fragment, now stained black.

“They both examined it thoroughly and offered to help with the search.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Raon carefully placed the scabbard fragment into his chest pocket.

‘It’s all finally over.’

The reason he had come to Balkar wasn’t just to inform them of Crassus and Barfil’s deaths.

He also intended to alert Chamber and King Lekros to the dark energy left behind by Derus Robert. Now that they were aware, it was a significant victory. If Derus tried to use that dark energy again, the two would be able to track him.

“What will you do now?”

Rimmer asked, tilting his chin.

“I’m heading back to Zieghart.”

-Keh-hehk! Kek!

“But….”

Raon smiled faintly at the sound of Wrath’s coughing.

“Before I go, I think I’ll have some mint chocolate ice cream.”

-Ooooh!

Wrath jumped out of the bracelet, cheering.

-The mere mention of mint chocolate has cured my cough! Truly, the power of mint chocolate is incredible!

‘If your cough is gone, there’s no need to eat it….’

-Keheh-hehk! Keeeeehk! Kieeeeeeeee!

Wrath started howling like a wild beast, as if blood was gushing from his throat.

‘…Alright, alright. I’ll eat it, so calm down.’

***

A group of people dressed in black stood in the garden in front of Zieghart’s annex.

“The garden has gotten bigger. Or did they expand the building too?”

The blond middle-aged man at the front of the group looked over the garden and the annex with a sneer.

“That’s where we should start, Deputy Head.”

He nodded to the elderly man with white hair standing to his right.

“Don’t be foolish, Crisson.”

The old man, referred to as the Deputy Head, furrowed his brow in disdain.

“The garden has always been this size, and the expansion of the annex was approved by the house leader. If you mess with trivial matters, it could backfire. It seems you haven’t done your homework properly.”

“M-my apologies.”

Crisson scratched the back of his head and bowed.

“I just thought that without Raon Zieghart, they’re all just scarecrows….”

“Tsk.”

The Deputy Head clicked his tongue.

“Karoon, who kept those branch family scum in check, ended up in that state, so you’d better stay focused. The only place we can get a hold of Raon Zieghart is here.”

“I’m not sure it’ll work….”

Crisson sighed, sounding worried.

“Do you know how to subdue a lion that’s as big as a mountain?”

“Um, well….”

“You run up from behind and grab it by the scruff of the neck. It can’t move an inch because it never forgets being carried that way by its mother.”

The Deputy Head twisted his lips into a smile.

“To get a hold of Raon Zieghart, we first need to put a leash on Sylvia.”

He glared at the annex with eyes full of disgust.

“I can’t stand the thought of that runaway wench who crawled out of Zieghart and that bastard of unknown origin standing at the center of Zieghart.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

Crisson nodded in agreement, finding that much at least undeniable.

“Now, stay focused and follow me.”

The Deputy Head’s eyes turned cold as he walked toward the annex. Crisson and the warriors from the Elder Council followed close behind.

*Crackle.*

Despite the path, they deliberately trampled over the flowers in the garden as they approached the annex.

“Ahem.”

At a glance from the Deputy Head, Crisson cleared his throat and stepped forward.

“This is an Elder Council event! All members of the annex, come out at once!”

He shouted to intimidate them, but his voice seemed to disappear before it even reached the annex.

*Woooong.*

The front door of the annex quietly opened, and a female swordsman with golden hair, shining like melted sunlight, walked out, wearing a white training uniform.

“Hmm….”

The Deputy Head bit his lip as he met the calm, red eyes of the female swordsman.

‘So, that’s Sylvia?’