The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 650

The swordsmen, finally regaining their composure, swallowed dryly as they stared at the lingering magical text in the sky.

“Did… Did he just insult the Deputy Head’s parents?”

“Yes, it’s an insult, no matter how elegantly it’s written….”

“Is the Light Wind Division just full of crazy people? What kind of Division Leader does that….”

The swordsmen who had just recovered from the shock could only gulp as they continued to gaze at the magical words that hadn’t yet faded away.

“But don’t you think it was really well-written? It felt like a poem or song lyrics.”

“Yeah, it sounded like a song.”

“I can’t get it out of my head! It’s stuck there!”

A few of the swordsmen chuckled, somewhat in awe of Raon’s writing and Yua’s voice.

“An ignorant person projects their inferiority onto others, but a wise person recognizes their own shortcomings and tempers their mind!”

“A base-minded person mocks those they see as lesser, but a noble-hearted person shares knowledge and kindness with those who need it!”

Children started to sing Raon’s words as if they were a song, Yua’s rhythm still fresh in their minds.

“No, stop it!”

“Don’t let them sing that!”

Parents quickly tried to hush their children, but the phenomenon had already spread throughout the main building, far beyond their control.

“In the end, this is a duel challenge, isn’t it? Things are going to get messy….”

“Considering the Deputy Head’s usual demeanor, he’d never accept it, but if he doesn’t, then….”

“He’ll be seen as a coward. He has no choice but to accept!”

“Raon Zieghart… He’s a terrifying man….”

The swordsmen shuddered as they read the words written in magic once again.

Rimmer, leaning against the wall, enjoyed watching the reactions of the people around him before heading into the Lord’s audience chamber.

He kicked open the heavy doors of the chamber and strolled in.

“Did you see that? Our crazy guy caused quite a stir, didn’t he?”

Rimmer waved his hand cheerfully, his smile lighting up the room as if a spotlight had been turned on.

“I only introduced him to Berbin, and he created quite the mess!”

Despite his words, he chuckled as he looked out at the magical writing still visible through the window.

“Kuhahaha!”

Roenn, who rarely laughed heartily, burst out laughing.

“I knew Young Master Raon wouldn’t just sit quietly, but I didn’t expect him to plan something like this.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, admitting that Raon was becoming increasingly unpredictable.

“I like it.”

Sheryl murmured the words Raon had written, an elegant smile playing on her lips.

“It’s almost poetic. Even as a mockery, it’s exceptionally well-crafted.”

She whispered that she had already memorized it, her fingers twitching slightly.

“You’re one of the last people I expected to say something like that.”

Rimmer tilted his head at Sheryl, puzzled.

“Why?”

“No matter how elegant the words, it’s still an insult to….”

“It was the Deputy Head who insulted Raon’s mother first. If anything, Raon was the gentleman in this situation by expressing it so gracefully.”

Sheryl shrugged, acknowledging the truth.

“Wow, even our old-fashioned leader is giving praise.”

Rimmer clapped his hands in the air, praising Raon’s plan.

“Actually, Yua’s voice played a big role in how widespread this became. Her voice has a mesmerizing quality that’s hard to ignore.”

Roenn nodded, smiling fondly as he thought of Yua.

“That’s true. He really used his head well.”

Rimmer agreed, nodding.

“There’s no doubt the duel will happen now.”

“Indeed. Even a slippery old fox like the Deputy Head won’t be able to wiggle out of this one.”

Sheryl chuckled, agreeing.

“I’m looking forward to three weeks from now. But…”

Rimmer, still gazing at the lingering magical text, turned his attention to the back of the room.

Aris, who seemed like she would be the most excited, was instead deep in thought, sitting quietly in a corner.

“What’s up? Your favorite nephew just caused a huge stir, and yet you’re just sitting there?”

Rimmer approached Aris, tilting his head in confusion.

“Well…”

Aris furrowed her brow as she looked at the text floating in the air.

“At first, I was happy, but as I kept reading…”

“As you kept reading?”

“I started feeling guilty.”

Her gaze slowly shifted toward the platform.

“……”

As soon as Glenn met Aris’s gaze, he quickly turned his head away and shut his eyes tightly. Now that Rimmer thought about it, Glenn’s lips, which normally would have curled into a grin by now, hung limp.

“Heh.”

Rimmer slowly read Raon’s challenge, then involuntarily took a deep breath.

‘This challenge hit everyone, didn’t it….’

***

Doqua walked with his usual deliberate pace as he entered the Elder Council.

“Ah!”

“D-Doqua, sir….”

The martial artists inside the Elder Council hesitated, unsure whether to block Doqua or step aside.

“Don’t worry, I’m just here to deliver a message.”

Doqua waved them off as he walked down the right corridor toward the Deputy Head’s office.

“Y-you can’t! You’re not allowed to enter right now….”

“Shut your mouth.”

Crisson tried to stop Doqua, declaring that entry was forbidden, but Doqua simply pushed him aside and opened the door to the Deputy Head’s office.

“Hmm!”

Doqua surveyed the room with a twisted smile.

The Deputy Head’s office, usually neat and orderly if not particularly luxurious, was now in utter disarray, as if a battle had taken place. The ebony desk was split in half, bookshelves lay in ruins, and all the decorations were smashed as if they’d been struck with a hammer.

“It’s quite the mess. It’s no different from the state of the annex after you ruined it.”

“……”

The Deputy Head glared at Doqua from his broken chair.

“When I look at this, I’m impressed. You took ten days to make a mess of the annex, and it only took a few minutes for Raon to do this to your office. You could say it’s a decisive victory for him.”

Doqua flipped his thumb down, mocking the Deputy Head.

“If you don’t want to die here, you’d better shut your mouth.”

The Deputy Head ground his teeth as if he was ready to leap at Doqua.

“Kuhahaha!”

Doqua laughed heartily, as if the Deputy Head’s expression amused him.

“To think that an old fox like you would make such a face. It’s like a weight I’ve carried for ten years has been lifted!”

“Doqua!”

The Deputy Head started to rise from his chair, but Doqua shook his head.

“Unfortunately, I’m not just here to mock you.”

Doqua pulled out a document and tossed it to the Deputy Head. The paper fluttered through the air and landed in the Deputy Head’s hand.

“It’s a challenge from the owner of the annex. A 2-on-2 tag team duel between the annex and the Deputy Head’s office. The winner keeps fighting.”

“2-on-2?”

The Deputy Head frowned, clearly not expecting the duel to be a tag team match.

“You were the one who claimed to be the overseer of the annex, weren’t you? Are you participating yourself?”

“No.”

Doqua shook his head calmly.

“I’d love to take you down myself, but the kid won’t allow it.”

“Hmm…”

The Deputy Head narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge Doqua’s intentions.

“What are you staring at? Unlike you, I don’t lie.”

Doqua sneered, waving his hand dismissively.

“Let me repeat. This is a duel between the annex and the Deputy Head’s office. If you bring anyone else into this, you’ll end up in an even worse situation.”

“…I understand.”

The Deputy Head glared at Doqua, biting his lip.

“Kuhuhuhu.”

Doqua, unable to hold back his laughter, pulled out a bottle of liquor from his coat.

“What a delicious expression. I can’t miss out on this appetizer.”

He downed the entire bottle while relishing the Deputy Head’s twisted expression.

“It’s hilarious that even an old raccoon like you can’t handle that kid. I suppose you can’t stand being labeled as ignorant, base-minded, and poorly educated.”

“You’ll regret this!”

“I’ve said everything I came to say, so I’ll be on my way.”

Doqua tossed the empty bottle onto the floor of the Deputy Head’s office and turned to leave.

KWAANG!

As he exited, the sound of the ceiling and floor being smashed echoed from the Deputy Head’s office.

“That’s music to my ears.”

Doqua chuckled, taking a swig from a second bottle as he walked away.

***

“Yua, are you okay?”

Sylvia exhaled in relief as she hugged Yua, who had just returned from the magic tower.

“I’m fine!”

Yua nodded energetically, returning Sylvia’s hug.

“Raon! You should have told me instead! Making Yua say something like that…”

“Yua wanted to do it. And…”

Raon stroked Yua’s head and shook his head.

“She was the only one who could.”

It wasn’t a lie. Thanks to Yua’s voice, the words Raon had written had resonated like a song or a poem.

If Sylvia had delivered those lines, the impact wouldn’t have been nearly as great.

“But she’s still just a child…”

“Don’t worry. There weren’t any bad words in it.”

Strictly speaking, it was just a way of saying, “What were your parents even doing?” But the words were carefully chosen, so Yua’s mouth hadn’t been sullied.

“Yua! You did great! I feel so refreshed!”

Helen grabbed Yua’s shoulders and laughed.

“Me too! I didn’t see that old man’s angry face, but just imagining it feels so good!”

“I had a hard time holding back, but now I feel like a weight’s been lifted!”

“I’m going to sleep with both feet stretched out tonight!”

Even the other maids couldn’t hide their joy, their faces beaming.

“Me too…”

Even Judiel nodded, her large eyes shining. Seeing everyone so happy made it clear just how cruel the Deputy Head had been.

“To be honest, I do feel… No, I feel a lot better.”

Sylvia awkwardly smiled as she scratched the back of her head.

“But I still feel bad for Yua.”

“I’m really okay!”

Yua gently held Sylvia’s bruised hand, shaking her head.

“I was really angry too. I’m glad I could help, even in a small way.”

Yua had been genuinely furious when she saw the state of the annex after returning. That anger had driven her to accept Raon’s request without hesitation, and her sincerity had resonated with everyone.

“And besides, Mother, you have something else to do.”

“Something else?”

Sylvia tilted her head, puzzled.

“You know that message was a challenge to a duel, right?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t request a one-on-one duel.”

Raon lowered his gaze to the slowly fading magical text.

“It’s a 2-on-2 tag team duel. The winner keeps fighting.”

“T-then…”

Sylvia’s eyes widened as she began to understand what Raon was saying.

“Yes. You’ll be the vanguard, Mother.”

Raon nodded calmly.

“The opponents will be Crisson and the Deputy Head. You’ll have to take down Crisson and then face the Deputy Head.”

“Take on both?”

Sylvia’s jaw dropped. She seemed shocked at the idea of facing not just Crisson, but the Deputy Head as well.

“You were angry, weren’t you? You wanted to protect the annex, but there was nothing you could do.”

“……”

Though she didn’t speak, Sylvia responded by biting her lip hard.

“I’m giving you the opportunity to channel that anger.”

As Raon spoke, he pulled out the Deputy Head’s martial art manual, the *Ten Techniques of the Illusionary Sword*.

“There are three weeks left until the duel. It’s going to be far more challenging than enduring the Elder Council’s inspection. The choice is yours, Mother.”

Raon’s eyes met Sylvia’s as he said this.

Her red eyes slowly began to burn with determination. The woman who had once shed tears and blamed herself for her weakness was no longer there.

Now, there was only a swordswoman who had taken up the sword to protect her family.

-Mother is quite talented, but she won’t be able to win.

Wrath shook his head, feeling sorry as he looked into Sylvia’s eyes.

‘That might be true.’

-If you know that, then why?

‘Even if there’s a 999 out of 1,000 chance of losing, there are times when you have to fight for yourself.’

Raon nodded as he met Sylvia’s determined gaze.

“I don’t need an answer. Let’s start right away.”

***

The entrance of Mount Bukmang had been torn up as if it had been bombed.

“Huff….”

Sylvia rolled across the ground, panting heavily.

“You’re too slow. Your body needs to move at the same time as your mind, not after your mind has thought it through.”

Raon closed in on Sylvia as she retreated, swinging the *Heavenly Sword*. The silver blade, gleaming like sunlight, slashed toward Sylvia’s leg.

It wasn’t the *Whirlwind Swordplay* or the *Spectral Shadow Sword*. It was the *Ten Techniques of the Illusionary Sword*.

“Ugh!”

Sylvia urgently stepped back, moving so quickly that her shadow seemed to disappear, but Raon’s sword followed her like a magnet.

“The *Ten Techniques of the Illusionary Sword* isn’t just about illusions and transformations. It’s incredibly fast. If you’re not prepared, your limbs will be severed before you even notice the illusions.”

Raon thrust the *Heavenly Sword* forward, aiming the blade directly at Sylvia’s chest.

“Got it!”

Sylvia gritted her teeth and barely managed to deflect the blade as it came toward her solar plexus.

Swiik!

But the true essence of the *Ten Techniques of the Illusionary Sword* wasn’t just its speed; it was the changes and illusions. The blade’s trajectory shifted sharply, slicing through Sylvia’s flesh.

“Ugh!”

Despite the wound, Sylvia maintained a stoic expression as she continued her swordplay.

“It’s good that you’re not panicking, but your movements are becoming stiff.”

Raon stepped into Sylvia’s space, deflecting her barrage of attacks with the *Heavenly Sword* before delivering a blow to her side with his left elbow.

Thwack!

Sylvia let out a short cry as she was sent sprawling across the ground.

“Ugh….”

“A swordsman can’t just focus on their swordplay. Your opponent is a crafty old fox. He’s several steps ahead of you, so you need to be prepared for anything.”

“…I understand.”

Despite her exhaustion and the pain she was in, Sylvia forced herself back to her feet. Her eyes, once filled with tears and self-blame, now burned with a fierce determination to protect her family.

“Let’s start again.”

Raon harshly kicked off the ground, approaching Sylvia with a swift, fluid movement as he unleashed a series of techniques from the *Ten Techniques of the Illusionary Sword*.

Crash!

The sky and earth were filled with the trails of Raon’s sword as countless strikes whirled like a storm.

“Ah…”

Sylvia trembled, unable to read the overwhelming flow of the sword.

“When fighting against illusions and transformations, the most important thing to remember is to trust your instincts. If your eyes get deceived by the opponent’s flow, it’s over. No matter how hard it gets or how much your mind feels like it’s burning, you must analyze everything with your aura and intuition until the end.”

After giving a brief piece of advice, Raon brought the storm of sword strikes crashing down.

Swoosh!

Despite the intense pressure, Sylvia didn’t move. Her eyes, burning with determination, fixed on the trajectory of the *Gale Severing Slash*, the decisive technique of the *Ten Techniques of the Illusionary Sword*.

Swish!

As the sharp blade began to cut through her skin, Sylvia’s hand shot out like a bolt of lightning. It was a single thrust, but it struck right at the heart of the *Gale Severing Slash*.

Clang!

The expertly executed thrust disrupted the flow of Raon’s sword technique. The multitude of glowing blades fell like leaves drenched in rain.

“Huff…”

But just as Sylvia let out a sigh of relief, the dying flow of the sword came back to life.

“Ah!”

The blade surged forward even faster, grazing Sylvia as it passed.

“Ugh…”

Sylvia staggered and fell to her knees as Raon stood before her, shaking his head.

“I warned you, didn’t I? Your opponent is a crafty old fox. He can even use a finishing move as a feint.”

Raon looked down at Sylvia with cold eyes.

“Stay focused. In your current state, you won’t last ten moves against the Deputy Head.”

“…I understand.”

Even without Raon telling her to get up, Sylvia struggled to her feet, gripping her sword tightly.

Swiik!

As soon as Raon and Sylvia locked eyes, they both lunged, aiming for each other’s vital points.

Clang!

A powerful shockwave erupted as their swords clashed, causing the leaves on the trees to tremble in fear and fall to the ground.

The training between the mother and son continued from sunrise to sunset, day after day.

With each clash of their swords, another leaf fell from the trees and bushes.

When the trees were finally bare, their swords stopped, and the three weeks had passed.

The day of the duel had arrived.