The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 725

Raon’s mind was spinning as fast as his eyes.

‘This is dangerous….’

Though he was often called clueless by Wrath and Rimmer, he was certain about the danger of the current situation.

Making the wrong choice here would undoubtedly cause major headaches in the future.

-This is interesting!

Wrath stroked his thick chin, looking intrigued.

-Your fate could be decided by who you call upon first!

Wrath laughed, waving his tail, clearly amused by Raon’s predicament.

-If you really can’t choose, you could call me “Master”! They’d surely understand if it’s me!

‘Please, just shut up.’

Raon swatted Wrath’s chin away and turned to look at Sylvia.

“Raon. Say ‘Mom’!”

Sylvia’s lips moved as if she was teaching him how to speak, just like twenty years ago.

‘Why is she doing this?’

Shaking his head, he looked to the right.

“No! Aunt comes first! This was decided a year ago!”

Aris declared she wouldn’t yield, her hand resting on her sword hilt, ready to cut down anyone who dared interfere.

‘They won’t really fight, will they…?’

Raon swallowed nervously and shifted his gaze forward to the left.

“Isn’t ‘Uncle’ the most natural choice? It’s perfect for loosening your tongue on the first call.”

Balder waved his thick arm like a bear, looking Raon’s way.

“Ugh…”

Raon’s anxious expression soured.

‘Why is that bear getting involved?’

In the past, he’d been eager to devour him, yet now, after showing slight kindness, he was suggesting Raon call him Uncle.

Even Denier, who used to look out for him, remained silent. Was Balder thick-skinned, or just plain foolish?

‘He’s so simple-minded that it’s hard to understand him.’

Forget him.

Raon erased the grinning Balder from his mind and focused his attention on the platform.

Whoosh!

Glenn looked down at him with a gaze colder than ever.

The chilling aura radiating from him felt like an icy blade stabbing into his heart.

‘He’ll kill me if I call him Grandpa, won’t he…?’

In any normal situation, calling his grandfather first would be the right thing. However, Glenn’s eyes were frozen in an intimidating glare that made Raon unable to speak.

“Raon. It’s okay!”

“Forget the rest, just call him ‘Grandpa’!”

“It absolutely has to be ‘Grandpa’ first.”

Sheryl, Rimmer, and Roenn urged him to call Glenn Grandpa first, but Glenn’s expression darkened further.

Just meeting his gaze sent shivers down Raon’s spine.

“What is going on?”

“I-I don’t know either….”

“Well, it’s the first time a collateral branch has risen to the main line.”

“Who will Raon… or rather, Lord Raon, call first?”

“Of course, he’ll call Lady Sylvia ‘Mom’ first. Parents come first.” (TL Note: I actually have no idea why he has to call her mom even though he was already calling him mom before)

“No, Lady Aris has been waiting longer, so it’ll be Aunt first.”

“Normally, ‘Grandpa’ is the priority, but… I wouldn’t dare call him that….”

The attendees of the banquet held their breath, eagerly awaiting Raon’s decision.

Raon glanced back at the four people.

‘Let’s just ignore the bear.’

He mentally erased Balder from the scene as if he didn’t exist.

‘Aris is also out.’

Aris was the most laid-back among his relatives. Having already heard him call her “Aunt” several times, she wouldn’t get sulky if she wasn’t called first.

‘That leaves Mom and Grandpa….’

Even though he was terrified of saying “Grandpa,” it was hard to ignore Sheryl, Rimmer, and Roenn’s reactions.

He decided he could use both of them.

With Aris and Balder eliminated, he could now see a path out.

“Hoo.”

Raon made his decision and steadied his racing heart.

“Mom.”

He grasped Sylvia’s hand tightly and called her “Mom” first.

“Raon!”

“Aah…”

“Ugh!”

Sylvia beamed so brightly she seemed ready to soar into the sky, while Glenn’s face twisted into a grimace that seemed to rival a demon lord facing Derus.

“Oh no!”

“We’re doomed….”

“Hahaha….”

Sheryl, Rimmer, and Roenn stepped back, smacking their foreheads, trembling with fear in their eyes.

However, Raon wasn’t finished speaking yet.

“Mom, you should greet ‘Grandpa’ first.”

Raon lifted Sylvia’s hand, pointing it towards Glenn.

“Now that you’ve returned to the main line, it’s proper to address him as Father first.”

As if it were the most natural thing, he referred to Glenn as Grandpa.

“Oh! Right! Since I’m part of the main family again.”

Sylvia clapped her hands and nodded.

“Father, it’s been so long since we last greeted each other.”

She held the hem of her dress, carefully curtsying.

“Grandfather. I, too, greet you again. I am Raon Zieghart.”

With his hand on his chest, Raon bowed.

‘This should work, right?’

With this, he would satisfy Sylvia and avoid Glenn’s wrath, while Aris would surely understand.

One person might feel left out, but it wasn’t important.

-What is this!

Wrath dashed forward, frowning.

-Using your mother to escape a crisis! You sly bastard!

Wrath swung his round fists in frustration, clearly disappointed by the outcome.

‘Looks like it worked out.’

Seeing Wrath grumble about Raon’s “slyness” was a good sign.

“Ugh!”

Just as Raon was about to lift his head with a satisfied smile, a strangled gasp came from the platform.

“His eyes are rolling back!”

“Master! Breathe! Breathe!”

“You can’t go yet! You need to see the kids get married! Stay with us!”

Looking up, he saw Rimmer, Chad, and Sheryl crowding around Glenn, thumping his chest and rubbing his limbs.

“Huh…?”

Raon’s mouth hung open as he watched Glenn’s head tilt back like a puppet with cut strings.

‘What’s happening?’

Maybe it was from fatigue, but Glenn appeared faint, just as he did after using Mind Sword on the Five Demons’ leaders. It was like he might disappear at any moment.

“Hahaha!”

Roenn chuckled hollowly, as if even he didn’t understand the situation.

‘What is going on?’

Raon blinked at Glenn, who was growing paler by the second.

‘Did I mess up…?’

* * *

Before long, Glenn’s breathing returned to normal.

He claimed his internal injuries from the war hadn’t fully healed yet, then headed back to the audience chamber with Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn.

The strange look Glenn gave him before leaving the banquet hall lingered in Raon’s mind, but fortunately, it didn’t seem serious.

-Heh….

Wrath didn’t care at all about Glenn’s condition, savoring the banquet food and letting out satisfied sighs.

-The roast duck is the star today! The skin is as crisp as if it were freshly fried, and the meat melts tenderly on the tongue!

Wrath raised his finger, declaring roast duck the best of all the dishes.

‘I really can’t eat anymore….’

Raon sighed, leaning against the wall. His stomach was beyond full, nearly bursting thanks to Wrath. He needed a break.

-Hmm, my stomach is satisfied, so I’ll stop here for today. For dessert, some ice cream balls….

‘Runaan already ate it all, though.’

He pointed to the empty line where Runaan had eaten the last of the ice cream.

Not only were there no ice cream balls, but there was no ice cream at all.

-Eeeek!

Wrath clutched his head, screaming.

-Ice cream girl!

He wailed, crying out Runaan’s name.

“Raon! You!”

As Raon was enjoying Wrath’s scream, Aris approached him.

“You didn’t call me first?”

“I’m sorry, Aunt.”

Raon bowed his head to Aris.

“You were the only one who I thought would understand.”

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere now. You brat!”

Despite her words, Aris smiled and pinched Raon’s cheeks.

“Whoever you take after, your mind sure works fast.”

“Huh?”

“Calling Sylvia first and then connecting it to Father was a great choice.”

She praised him, ruffling his hair.

“Aunt. It’s thanks to you. Thank you.”

“Hearing you call me ‘Aunt’ so proudly makes me so happy!”

Aris couldn’t hold back and hugged him, her fresh ocean scent tickling his nose.

“When I look at you, I think of my son. You don’t resemble him in the eyes, but for some reason, you remind me of him.”

She smiled faintly, meeting his gaze.

“Still no luck finding Brother Siph?”

Now that he was part of the main family, he referred to Siph as “Brother.”

“He did ask us not to search for a while, but he’s not the type to hide his tracks this well….”

Aris furrowed her brow, her expression troubled.

“Did I go too hard on him?”

“Go hard…?”

“I trained him pretty intensely to make sure he wouldn’t get beaten up anywhere.”

She scratched her head, sticking her tongue out slightly. It seemed obvious he’d been raised under some tough love.

“Well, he’s not someone who’d die young, so we’ll find him soon.”

Aris declared she’d scour the entire continent next time and left.

“Raon!”

As soon as she was gone, Balder approached and gripped his shoulders.

“Why didn’t you call me ‘Uncle’!”

Balder scrunched his nose, looking genuinely disappointed.

He was the hardest person in this family for Raon to understand.

“If I had called you Uncle first, Lady Aris would have drawn her sword. Besides….”

Raon calmly explained the situation to Balder.

“So, in the end, you were looking out for me!”

“Yes. I mean, that’s…”

Not at all. Balder was interpreting the situation in a way that suited him best.

“I’ve liked you from the start too! You’re the most straightforward person after me in our family!”

Balder nodded enthusiastically, saying Raon’s personality suited him perfectly.

“Then I suppose I should give my nephew some pocket money!”

He pulled out a heavy pouch of gold coins, sincerely offering it to Raon.

“Eat well and grow strong. You’re still short!”

Balder walked toward the drinks, saying Raon should aim to reach two meters in height.

“Two meters is a bit much….”

Raon sighed, shaking his head.

-What is that guy?

Wrath let out a huff as he watched Balder drink straight from a large bottle.

-I can’t tell where his stupidity ends and his sincerity begins….

Even Wrath seemed puzzled, blinking his round eyes.

‘Exactly.’

Raon chuckled softly and pushed himself off the wall. He was about to approach Sylvia, who was surrounded by people, when his eyes met Karoon’s as he was heading towards the exit.

“Being a direct descendant of Zieghart…”

Karoon turned towards him.

“…means you must set an example for all swordsmen. Be more mindful of your conduct from now on.”

He offered advice or a warning with a dry gaze.

“Then I just need to avoid behaving like the Head of True Martial Hall.”

Raon muttered, meeting Karoon’s cold stare.

‘Let’s see how he reacts.’

This wasn’t to provoke him; it was bait to gauge Karoon’s thoughts.

Raon waited, forming multiple plans in his mind based on how Karoon might react.

“Yes, that will do.”

However, Karoon nodded calmly and left the banquet hall.

“Hmm…”

Raon pursed his lips, watching Karoon’s back as he walked away.

‘What’s with that guy?’

He had expected one of three reactions: fiery anger, a cutting retort, or complete disregard. Karoon’s quiet acceptance was entirely unexpected.

“Father seems to have changed a bit.”

Burren approached from the left, smiling faintly.

“Changed?”

“Yes. It’s hard to explain, but….”

He nodded, mentioning that Karoon had even started teaching him swordsmanship lately.

“Swordsmanship…”

Raon clicked his tongue. Karoon had always ignored and pushed Burren away.

For him to be teaching Burren swordsmanship now signified a significant shift in his mindset.

“Congratulations, Raon.”

Burren leaned against the wall, patting Raon on the shoulder.

“You’ve now even caught up in the one area where I was ahead.”

Despite his words, he smiled without a hint of resentment.

“Do you remember? When I was abandoned by Father and holed up alone in the annex, you came to find me.”

Looking up at the chandelier on the ceiling, Burren wiggled his fingers.

“Yeah. I could never forget that stupid look on your face.”

Raon chuckled, nodding. He’d never forget being asked by Tias to drag Burren out by destroying the annex.

“Do you remember what you said while breaking down the annex?”

“…”

He remembered, but kept silent.

“You said your goal was to raise Lady Sylvia—no, Aunt Sylvia—to the main line. And you asked me which of our goals would be harder to achieve.”

Burren narrowed his eyes, as if recalling that moment.

“At the time, I thought your goal was impossible. But you ended up achieving it. Congratulations again.”

He smiled brightly, full of sincerity.

“Thanks, but…”

“Don’t worry.”

Burren shook his head with a calm expression.

“I’ve watched you live your life and make your efforts up close. There’s no way I could give up now.”

He clenched his right hand into a fist.

“I’ll earn recognition from Father, even if I have to overpower him. I’ll win the True Martial Hall and become your strength.”

Burren pounded his chest confidently before leaving the hall.

Raon watched him leave with a subtle smile.

-Those are his eyes? He’s changed so much!

‘This might be the real Burren.’

The trainee Burren Zieghart, once trapped by feelings of inferiority and stubborn pride, no longer existed.

The man who had just pledged himself would not break, no matter the hardship. He was Burren Zieghart of the Light Wind Division, a swordsman with unyielding spirit.

‘I can’t settle here either.’

While it was a joy beyond words to see Sylvia reclaim her status and replace her long-held bitterness with laughter, he couldn’t just stop here.

Even now, Derus was likely planning new schemes as the head of the Robert family.

‘I need to uncover his true identity as quickly as possible, so he can’t play his tricks.’

With the current situation and the strength he possessed, he would undoubtedly be able to expose Derus’s identity.

‘Once I’m ready, I’ll….’

-Hey. Something very important has come up!

As Raon steeled himself, Wrath approached him from the side.

‘Something important?’

Raon swallowed dryly, wondering what he might have missed as he looked at Wrath.

-My mouth feels so dry! Go fetch me some mint chocolate!

Wrath waved his hand, demanding mint chocolate immediately.

“…”

Raon closed his eyes tightly.

‘Will he ever go back to sleep?’

* * *

“My son. I love you….”

Raon laid Sylvia, who kept drunkenly muttering her love for him, on her bed and let out a deep sigh.

“Ugh, this is exhausting.”

Everyone, including Sylvia and the maids, was drunk, and he had brought them to the annex alone, causing sweat to pour down his back.

Fighting a formidable opponent would have been easier.

But he wasn’t annoyed. He knew better than anyone how happy Sylvia and the maids had been today.

After tucking Sylvia in, Raon headed to the lake outside the annex.

-Please! Let’s get some sleep!

Wrath rubbed his round eyes, grumbling that he was dying of exhaustion.

-We can train later….

‘This isn’t training.’

Raon shook his head and walked onto the lake.

-Not training?

‘Right. This is an experiment.’

An experiment to see if he could expose Derus’s identity. Only by completing it could he use his wish with Glenn.

Whoosh!

Raon activated the Ring of Fire and his fury simultaneously.

The two forces had often clashed like water and oil, yet combining them wasn’t too difficult since they had merged multiple times before.

‘And here I….’

Just as he was about to add a new attribute between the Ring of Fire and his fury—

Ribbit!

A frog’s croak came from beside the lake.

‘A frog here?’

He was about to resume the experiment, finding it odd, when a strange thought struck him.

‘It’s winter.’

Even though Zieghart was magically temperature-controlled, it was still colder than anywhere else in winter. This environment shouldn’t host any frogs.

“Ugh!”

Raon opened his eyes wide and stepped back as the frog leapt forward to match his movement.

“Raon!”

The frog’s mouth opened wide, and Merlin’s voice emerged from it.

-Eeeek!

Wrath shrieked and hid inside the bracelet.

“M-Merlin?”

Raon exhaled sharply, taking another step back.

“It’s been so long. I read every letter of love you left behind. I engraved each word into my mind and body.”

The frog’s eyes turned a deep violet, making his hair stand on end.

“I love you, too…”

“P-Please stop.”

Just as he was stumbling back, trembling, a voice that was not Merlin’s came from the frog’s mouth.

“Garam?”

Raon blinked, calling out to Garam, and once again, the frog opened its mouth.

“Raon. I found you!”