The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 794
“What do you mean by ‘a realm only I can reach’?”
Raon leaned forward, swallowing dryly.
He wasn’t entirely sure what Rektor meant, but the anticipation in his voice made his heart pound with excitement.
“It means you can take another step into the true path of the Thousand Swords.”
Rektor lifted his finger, drawing the shape of a sword in the air.
“Your grandfather and I both pursued the path of Thousand Swords, but we never truly achieved it. The path you’re walking is an entirely new world that neither of us has seen before.”
He chuckled softly, saying that both he and Glenn were still several steps away from the true Thousand Swords.
“A long time ago….”
Raon nodded slightly.
“The head of the family once told me the same thing.”
Like Rektor, Glenn had told him that his path was different from anyone else’s, advising him to learn as many sword techniques and martial arts as possible.
Using that advice, he had sparred against the entire Light Wind Division, significantly improving not only his own martial skills but also those of his subordinates.
“So he was thinking the same way as I was.”
Rektor chuckled deeply, as if he had expected it.
“The first leader of the Holy Sword Alliance also sought the Thousand Swords, but in the end, he failed. You are walking a path that has never been traveled before.”
He nodded, as if entrusting Raon with that belief.
“Unprecedented….”
Raon pressed his lips together as he looked down at the burning Ring of Fire in his chest.
‘That might not be true.’
Every time he glimpsed the swordsmanship of his Zieghart ancestors in his memories, it felt like he was looking into a mirror.
Hadn’t his ancestor walked the true path of the Thousand Swords long before him?
‘But… who exactly is our ancestor?’
A man who roamed the entire continent as if it were his backyard, who planted hidden seeds for the future in unknown places, and who battled mysterious enemies—the identity of Zieghart’s first patriarch was becoming more and more intriguing.
‘Especially his strength. It’s unnatural.’
The figure of the first Zieghart patriarch he had seen in his memories looked extremely young.
Reaching Transcendence—no, possessing the same level of power as Glenn at that age—made it hard to believe that he was even human.
– “Hmph! ‘Unprecedented’ my ass!”
Wrath scowled as if he found it annoying.
– “If this king had wielded a sword, I would have devoured that Thousand Swords or whatever it’s called!”
‘It’s not food….’
– “Ah, speaking of food, I suddenly crave dumplings. Bring me some immediately!”
Wrath waved his plump hands, demanding food.
“Haaah….”
Raon sighed, shaking his head.
Lately, every conversation with Wrath ended with food. He was getting so tired of it that he didn’t even feel like responding anymore.
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
Rektor smiled gently, as if sensing Raon’s sigh was due to stress.
“As I said, the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance each pursue their own path. No matter how weak they are or how much they’re mocked, they never abandon their beliefs. Just by clashing swords with them, you’ll gain something.”
He advised Raon not to think about absorbing everything but to treat each battle as a small milestone.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Feeling Rektor’s sincerity, Raon bowed his head.
– “Is there no Path of Mint Chocolate? This king is more than willing to walk—”
‘Shut up!’
As Raon pushed Wrath aside, his gaze met the eyes of the swordsmen waiting outside the mansion.
They were looking at Burren, Martha, and Runaan like hungry beasts, all eager to challenge them.
‘Challenges, huh….’
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since Raon had been the one to issue a challenge.
It might be fun to lower his status and rank for once and fight purely as a challenger.
“But these challenge letters have names on them, and we don’t even know who they are….”
Burren tilted his head, unsure of whom to choose.
“The problem isn’t their names, it’s their strength! We have no idea how strong they are! And why the hell did someone write their challenge on a leaf?!”
Martha scowled, glaring at the challenge letter written on a dried leaf.
“I’ll go with this one.”
Runaan picked up a challenge letter addressed from someone named Kisaru, as if it didn’t matter who she fought.
“Oh, I forgot to explain.”
Muston clapped his hands and picked up one of the letters.
“These marks here are called Sword Marks—they represent the skill level of the Holy Sword Alliance’s swordsmen.”
He pointed at the lines next to the challengers’ names.
“A single mark means they’re at the lower to mid Expert level. Two marks mean they’re in the mid to upper Expert range. Three marks indicate they’re between upper Expert and lower Master level. And so on.”
He smiled, saying it was an easy way to gauge an opponent’s skill.
“So, the challenger Kisaru is between upper Master and peak Master level.”
He shrugged, advising them to choose their challengers based on these marks.
“I have another question.”
Burren raised his hand as he examined his challenge letters.
“A lot of the challengers who issued challenges to me have five marks. Does that mean they’re all upper Master level or higher?”
“There are many swordsmen in the Holy Sword Alliance who don’t participate in external affairs. They only focus on their training.”
Muston explained that there were plenty of reclusive warriors who had no interest in political power struggles.
“And you just let them be?”
“As long as they do their part. Some farm, some chop wood, and others handle paperwork.”
“Wait… you’re telling me that Master-level warriors… are farming?”
Burren’s eyes widened.
“Grand Masters do laundry sometimes. So what?”
Muston nodded as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Just think of them as the Holy Sword Alliance’s equivalent of an elder council.”
He sighed, saying that while these warriors weren’t useful for external affairs, they would become terrifying if the alliance was ever under attack.
“…And the previous alliance leader allowed this?”
“That man didn’t care about anything except his own swordsmanship and the swordsmen who interested him.”
Muston smirked, as if asking whether they hadn’t already figured that out from meeting the previous Holy Sword Alliance leader.
“Huh….”
Burren exhaled heavily, still unable to fully grasp the logic of this place.
“But you—why do you talk down to us while using such respectful language for Raon?”
Martha narrowed her eyes at Muston.
“Because he’s Raon-nim. You’re not.”
Muston tilted his head, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Ugh….”
Martha gritted her teeth but had no comeback, slumping back into the sofa.
“Well… he’s not wrong.”
Burren chuckled, nodding.
“I’ve decided. I’ll fight this one.”
After careful consideration, Burren picked up the challenge from a swordsman named Lupan, whose Sword Marks indicated he was at the upper Master level.
“I’ll take this one.”
Martha also clenched a challenge letter in her fist, one from another five-mark swordsman.
“Before you accept the challenge, take this first.”
Muston handed Burren, Martha, and Runaan a badge with a single sword mark engraved on it.
“From now on, you are all one-mark swordsmen. Of course, if you defeat a five-mark swordsman, you’ll instantly be promoted to that rank.”
He flicked his hand, telling them to do their best.
“Sounds good. Before I leave this place, I’ll have six marks on my badge.”
Martha grinned, gripping the badge tightly as if she were already envisioning reaching Grandmaster level.
“Even if you lose, it’s fine. Try different approaches. You need to find a path that suits you to reach peak Master level, and eventually, break through the Grandmaster wall.”
Raon gave them the advice he believed was most important for them at this stage.
“I won’t lose! Not even once!”
Martha scoffed, furrowing her brows in determination.
“Yeah, that’s a good mindset.”
Burren nodded, saying he would expect to lose dozens of times in this place.
“I’ll do my best.”
Runaan nodded slightly, positioning herself somewhere between Burren’s pragmatism and Martha’s absolute confidence.
“U-Um….”
Up until now, Dorian had been silent, but his trembling hands suddenly lifted two challenge letters.
“W-Why did I get a six-mark challenge?”
His eyes blinked rapidly in disbelief.
“Six marks mean Grandmaster level!”
“Oh!”
Muston clapped lightly as he read the name on the letter.
“This person rarely accepts challenges, so this is a great opportunity! You should definitely accept!”
He nodded enthusiastically, urging Dorian to take the fight.
“Nooo!”
Dorian wailed, flailing his arms wildly.
– “How disgraceful for one of this king’s subordinates….”
Wrath sighed, lamenting that Dorian’s cowardice hadn’t improved.
‘He’s better than before.’
Raon chuckled. If this had been the old Dorian, he would have already run away back to Zieghart.
The fact that he was still here meant he had made progress.
“In the Holy Sword Alliance, standard duels prohibit killing intent. You won’t die, so just go for it.”
Muston patted Dorian’s back reassuringly before grabbing his collar.
“Six marks?! Why did you get that?!”
“It’s a great opportunity. Stop whining and get ready.”
“Ugh… I’m so jealous….”
Martha, Burren, and Runaan clicked their tongues, envious that Dorian was given a chance to fight a Grandmaster.
“If you’re jealous, why don’t you take it?! I’m going to die!”
“Shut up!”
Dorian thrashed around, but Muston refused to let him go.
“What about you, Raon-nim?”
Unlike when he scolded Dorian, Muston lowered his head respectfully toward Raon.
“I’ll stay and talk with my grandfather for a bit before heading out.”
“Understood.”
Muston bowed deeply before turning around.
“Everyone, follow me. I’ll guide you to your challengers.”
After bowing once more to Raon and Rektor, he led the others outside.
“Raon-nim! Young Master! Hey!”
Dorian kept calling for Raon, but Raon didn’t look back even once.
“So, what is it that you wanted to ask me?”
Rektor laughed at Dorian’s pitiful expression before turning his gaze to Raon.
“Can you tell me exactly where this place is?”
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked out the now-empty window.
“This is a hidden sanctuary of the Holy Sword Alliance, passed down from the first leader.”
“Was it created by that man?”
“That… I don’t know.”
Rektor shook his head, saying he had only heard about it from the previous leader.
“Then, how long has the Holy Sword Alliance existed?”
A thought struck Raon.
Perhaps the first leader of the Zieghart family was connected to the Holy Sword Alliance.
“To my knowledge, over 500 years.”
“500 years….”
If that was the case, then it had nothing to do with Zieghart’s first patriarch.
Just as Raon was about to sigh at his mistaken assumption, Rektor continued.
“But the origins of the Holy Sword Alliance go back over a thousand years.”
He nodded, saying that if one traced its roots, it was far older than just 500 years.
“…A thousand years….”
Raon swallowed hard as he looked at Rektor.
It was becoming more likely that the golden-haired man he had seen in the cave was indeed Zieghart’s first patriarch.
“Why the sudden interest in the Holy Sword Alliance?”
“I just got curious.”
“Hmph!”
Rektor suddenly turned red and cleared his throat.
“Well! Well! If you have more questions, ask away! I’ll tell you everything!”
He spread his arms wide, looking oddly excited.
“Uh… I don’t have any more questions.”
Raon shook his head. He needed some foundation before asking questions, and right now, he didn’t have any concrete information.
“Hmm….”
Rektor sighed deeply, slumping his shoulders in disappointment. Seeing that, Raon felt like he should at least ask something.
“Uh, Grandfather! That person who reached Transcendence—where is he now?”
“Are you planning to challenge him?”
“No, not yet. I just want to gather information in advance.”
Raon shook his head calmly. He planned to sharpen his senses through duels with other swordsmen before challenging the Transcendent at the very end.
“Then there’s no need for you to know right now. Even if you wanted to meet him, you wouldn’t be able to.”
Rektor furrowed his brows, saying that the man wasn’t someone easily found. He had likely secluded himself somewhere, focused entirely on his training.
“I understand. Then, I’ll head out now.”
Rotating his wrist, Raon stood up from the sofa.
“As I said, don’t focus on winning—focus on learning. You’ll gain much more that way.”
“Yes.”
After bowing to Rektor, Raon left the mansion.
It seemed everyone had gone to watch Burren, Martha, and Runaan’s duels, as the streets were eerily empty.
‘I’m curious about the first patriarch’s identity, but….’
Raon licked his lips as he followed the sound of clashing steel coming from the mountainside.
‘Right now, my training comes first. I’ll challenge every person I meet and—’
– “Food comes first!”
Wrath suddenly interrupted, shouting about eating.
‘Read the room! I was making a resolve here!’
– “You’re the worst at reading the room! You’re not even human, you monster!”
Bickering with Wrath, Raon walked through the empty city.
—
Hoooooo!
The battlefield was still steaming, its overturned ground radiating heat. Two elderly men, both bleeding from their heads and abdomens, lay sprawled out on the ground.
“Did you see? The Alliance Leader returned….”
The red-haired old man lifted his head slightly.
“Yeah. And he brought guests. All of them….”
The black-haired old man narrowed his eyes.
“They’re strong. Or rather, they will be strong.”
“They’re already strong at their age. Even though they disguised themselves, they’re still just kids.”
The red-haired old man shook his head, telling him to take a closer look.
“That chubby one is a bit questionable, but the rest… they’re all geniuses. But among them….”
“Yeah. There’s a monster among the geniuses.”
The black-haired old man interrupted him, exhaling roughly.
“The ones below couldn’t tell, but he’s already a Grandmaster. Not just any Grandmaster, but at the highest level.”
His lips trembled as if he still couldn’t believe what he had sensed.
“I felt the same way. That means it’s certain.”
The red-haired old man let out a dry chuckle and nodded.
“I should be the first to challenge him—”
“No, I should be the first to cross swords with him—”
The two old men spoke simultaneously before freezing.
“You lost to me, so step aside!”
“Who said I lost?! You lost! You begged while crying!”
Glaring at each other, both old men pushed themselves up.
“Then let’s settle this here and now!”
“Good! Let’s determine the winner once and for all!”
The black-haired old man raised his sword high, while the red-haired old man lowered his blade in a guarding stance.
Rumble!
As their battle spirit flared up again, the ground trembled, and the river behind them bubbled violently.
Ssshhiiiing!
Both men charged at each other, their swords radiating overwhelming power.
But before their blades could clash—
Fwaaaah!
A long-limbed figure appeared out of nowhere, grabbing both of them by the collars and flinging them into the river.
Splaaaash!
The movement was so precise and effortless that neither of the old men could react. They simply crashed into the water.
“You’re too noisy. How long are you going to keep fighting?”
A tall man with long white hair stood over them, staring down in annoyance before walking down the mountain.
“Damn it!”
The red-haired old man clicked his tongue as he watched the towering figure disappear.
“How the hell does he keep getting stronger?! I didn’t even sense him coming!”
“They say he’s the greatest talent in the Holy Sword Alliance. Though the previous leader refused to acknowledge him.”
The black-haired old man chuckled, shaking his head.
“He’s not strong as a swordsman, but as a warrior. That’s why.”
The red-haired old man snorted in disdain.
“But still… I never expected him to break through the Transcendence wall so quickly.”
“Yeah. This world is disgustingly unfair.”
“Where is he going, though?”
“Probably to steal food. He always sneaks down to the city once a month because he hates working.”
“How is that guy even real…?”
Losing interest in their fight, the two old men simply floated in the river.
—
The man who had effortlessly thrown them into the river wandered into the city, his body swaying like a scarecrow in the wind.
Just as he was about to enter a restaurant, a young man stepped out from an alleyway.
“…Ah.”
The stranger had black hair and black eyes, an unfamiliar face. He wore the badge of a one-mark swordsman, but the aura surrounding him was incomprehensible, making it impossible to gauge his true strength.
“You’re a swordsman, right? Will you accept my challenge?”
His eyes gleamed with battle thirst as he stared at the towering man.