The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman

“That’s enough for today.”

Darkhan waved the hand holding the black sword.

“Whew…”

Raon exhaled a cloud of white breath, Heavenly Drive driven deep into the ground.

‘It’s getting harder and harder.’

After completing Flame Spirit, he had improved Heavenly Flame: Flame Dragon Break, and after that, Flawless Sea of Flames.

However, because there were still higher-level swordsmanship techniques to master, his physical body and mind were being pushed to their absolute limits.

‘The mornings are the same.’

Glenn had recognized Raon’s growth rate and adjusted accordingly, strengthening the Will infused into the sword.

Since the Will and the Authorities of the Monarchs were still clashing within his Mental World, Raon was undergoing training that felt like a brush with death every single day, despite his growth in both power and mental fortitude.

‘I can’t believe I’m exhausted after just one week.’

Raon clenched his trembling fists. He had only trained for a week, but the fatigue hitting him felt as if months had passed, making him let out a hollow laugh.

‘If I hadn’t taken my frustration out on the kids from the Light Wind Palace, I might have collapsed already.’

》”You… did you just say you took your frustration out on them?”

Wrath nodded vigorously, as if he had expected exactly this.

》”You claimed it was training for the Light Wind Palace children, but in the end, you were just venting your own stress! You filthy wretch!”

He gnashed his teeth, calling Raon vicious.

‘So, did the Light Wind Palace kids get stronger or not?’

Raon tilted his chin, looking at Wrath.

》”Huh? Uh…”

Wrath blinked, appearing flustered.

‘They got stronger, right? The kids grow, and I relieve my stress. It’s killing two birds with one stone.’

Raon puffed out his chest with even more confidence.

》”I-is that so?”

Wrath’s mouth hung open in bewilderment.

》”It… it sounds right, but it also sounds like nonsense. Being with the world’s greatest lunatic is making this King go crazy as well…”

He groaned, clutching his head as if he no longer knew what to believe.

“Raon. Have you thought about the question I asked you a week ago?”

Glenn approached him and looked down.

“I’ve thought about it, but I haven’t found the answer yet.”

Raon shook his head with a small sigh.

“Then I guess you can’t join our conversation yet?”

Darkhan chuckled and turned around.

“Let’s go.”

He gestured to Glenn, noting that the current Raon did not seem capable of joining the conversation about the Heart Sword.

“I don’t like it, but he is right. Think more deeply about the things I told you previously.”

Leaving those words behind, Glenn departed the training hall with Darkhan.

(T/N: This is really not on my Bingo card—Glenn and Darkhan being heart sword buddies lol)

“Haaa…”

Raon slumped down onto the dirt ground, frowning.

“Dammit…”

It was true that his martial power had grown rapidly while training under Darkhan and Glenn for the past week.

However, the most important part of this training was not the growth of his swordsmanship or the strengthening of his Will.

‘The Heart Sword.’

His primary goal was to grow the Heart Sword, which had returned to 1-star after the Soul Requiem Sword shattered, but he had not expected to be unable to even begin.

“Think about what I can show through the Heart Sword? What does that even mean?”

No matter how much he thought about it, he could not grasp the meaning of Glenn’s words.

‘The Heart Sword is just a sword forged by tempering the soul.’

》”Pathetic!”

Wrath clicked his tongue loudly.

》”Are you truly incapable of doing anything without the Soul Requiem Sword?”

He furrowed his brows in disappointment.

‘I know. Even I think it’s pathetic.’

Raon nodded with a sigh.

‘I think I relied too much on Master and the Soul Requiem Sword.’

He had believed he was manifesting the Heart Sword through his own Will, but thinking back, he realized he had been dependent on Rimmer and the Soul Requiem Sword for the most crucial parts.

Wooooong.

A transparent energy rose above Raon’s hand. A blurry Heart Sword. It possessed the energy, but it was an incomplete blade that had not yet achieved form or Will.

‘I can use the Heart Sword, but I don’t know what it is.’

Raon let out a self-deprecating sneer as he watched the flickering Heart Sword.

‘I attained the Heart Sword, but I don’t know how I attained it. I’m damn pathetic.’

He bit his lip hard, insulting himself.

“I have no time to rest, but I really want to.”

As Raon lay back on the training hall floor, a small swallow descended from the sky.

“Huh? You’re back already?”

The swallow he had sent to deliver news to Rektor had returned with a reply.

Tweet!

The swallow tilted its head as if greeting him and extended its right leg, where a letter was tied.

“Thanks.”

Raon stroked the swallow’s head, untied the letter, and read it.

[I believed that you and Zieghart would bring down the White Blood Cult and defeat the White Blood Lord. Seeing that belief become reality, I cannot express my pride in words. I suppose I’m getting old, as I find myself simply tearing up. I wanted to be of help to you, and I am sorry I could not go with you. I…]

The letter was simple. It congratulated him on the victory and apologized for not being able to help.

‘But…’

What was this part?

[Your sword cuts through even the tenacity of the White Blood Lord. Your battles always move the hearts of people. I am truly proud of you.]

Raon had not mentioned in his letter to Rektor that he had personally killed the White Blood Lord.

He had only written that the White Blood Cult was destroyed and the White Blood Lord was dead, yet Rektor had written as if he had witnessed the fight himself.

‘Could it be…’

Raon’s chin trembled slightly.

‘Did Grandfather come too?’

Thinking about it, it would be stranger if he had not. Rektor was the person who cherished him more than anyone else.

‘Wrath. The person who supported us during the war with the White Blood Cult…’

Raon looked at Wrath and frowned.

‘Was it Grandfather?’

》”Hup!”

Wrath clamped his mouth shut.

‘Not some other Monarch, but Grandfather helped us. Why didn’t you tell me?’

Raon demanded an answer, stretching Wrath’s cheek like cheese.

》”I-if the old man intentionally hid his presence, I thought there must be a reason!”

Wrath raised his hand, telling him to think about it carefully.

》”If it were simply to deceive Derus Robert, he could have at least sent you an Aura Message!”

He shook his head, claiming he was merely being considerate of Rektor.

‘Hmm…’

Raon let out a low groan.

‘That’s true.’

As Wrath said, seeing that Rektor did not want Raon to know, there was likely another reason.

‘He’s usually an idiot, but he’s considerate at times like this.’

Raon gave a small smirk.

》”What do you mean, ‘at times like this’?! This King is always overflowing with consideration!”

Wrath did not argue about being called an idiot. He only got angry about the part regarding his consideration. Raon felt it every time, but he was a truly peculiar fellow.

》”And there were a few others.”

‘A few others?’

》”I don’t know most of their names, but one was a guy who threw you aside, saying you were too noisy.”

‘Threw me aside for being noisy? Ah! Lawrence!’

Raon clapped his hands in realization.

‘Lord Lawrence came too.’

Lawrence had said he would definitely participate in the war against the White Blood Cult, but he had not appeared on the battlefield.

Raon had thought it was a shame for both Lawrence and themselves, but it seemed he had helped Raon and Martha from an unseen position.

It seemed that human connections, even when they seemed about to snap, continued to endure.

‘It’s good to hear news of Lord Lawrence, but I’m worried about Grandfather.’

Raon narrowed his eyes as he reread Rektor’s letter.

‘He should avoid dangerous things.’

To strike Derus from behind, Rektor had not participated in the war and instead waited as one of the pillars of the Four Demons.

Raon worried about what he might be planning, even going so far as to deceive him.

“Whew.”

Just as Raon sighed and shook his head.

Wooooong!

The incomplete Heart Sword floating above his hand rippled like a puddle stepped on by a foot and began to take the shape of a small blade.

Though it was a sword, the blade was wide, as if it could also be used as a shield.

‘Could it be…’

Raon’s eyes widened as he looked at the shield-like sword.

‘Is this the part the Head Of House was talking about?’

It seemed that his heart, his desire to worry for and protect Rektor, had manifested as that shield-shaped sword.

The manifestation of the Heart Sword clearly shared the same nature as Will.

‘So that’s why he asked what my Will was before we started training.’

He finally understood why Glenn and Darkhan had asked what kind of sword he wanted to achieve.

Wooooong.

Raon returned the Heart Sword to its original circular shape and curled his lips into a smile.

‘I know for sure now.’

It seemed Glenn and Darkhan had remained silent until now so that his soul could engrave this realization on its own.

‘I’ll be even busier. Ah, before that…’

He was about to refine the Heart Sword based on the realization he had just gained, but then he opened his eyes.

‘I should reply first.’

Raon wrote a reply to Rektor and tied it to the leg of the young swallow, which was yawning.

“I’m counting on you.”

Tweet!

The swallow let out a refreshing cry as if telling him not to worry and soared high into the distant sky.

》”Are you not going to the old man and the lunatic?”

Wrath narrowed his eyes, wondering why Raon was not following Glenn and Darkhan.

‘Come to think of it, there’s no need to follow them.’

Raon smiled, floating his soul above his palm.

‘Because I’m not making someone else’s Heart Sword. I’m making my own.’

Glenn and Darkhan were not here to create the Heart Sword for him, but to help him grow it. He had to forge his own sword.

》”It seems you’re finally getting the hang of it.”

Wrath nodded, approving of the thought.

‘Just watch.’

Raon slowly closed his eyes and recalled everything he had built up until now.

‘Watch how my sword changes.’

===

“What are you smiling at?”

Lawrence frowned as he looked at Rektor, who was grinning while reading a letter.

“What did that Raon brat write?”

“He tells me not to do anything strange and to just sleep with my legs stretched out.”

Rektor waved his hand without taking his eyes off the letter.

“It seems he realized we went to the White Blood Cult’s main headquarters.”

“He realized that?”

Lawrence let out a hollow laugh, glancing at the letter.

“His intuition is incredibly sharp. Even the way he hindered me was all intentional.”

He smiled faintly, recalling how Raon had visited the cave on purpose.

“He says he attained the realization of the Heart Sword thanks to me. It was worth sending a reply even amidst the busyness.”

Rektor’s expression brightened, as if simply reading Raon’s letter brought him happiness.

“Do you love your grandson that much?”

Lawrence narrowed his eyes, seeing Rektor treat the letter like a treasure.

“Of course I do. My son, whom I thought was dead, gave me a lovely daughter-in-law and two of the continent’s greatest geniuses. How could I not be happy?”

Rektor nodded, saying that because they had each overcome difficult times, family was inevitably precious.

“I see. I think I’ll never know that feeling in my life.”

Lawrence shook his head with a bitter look.

“Why? You should experience it too.”

Rektor patted Lawrence on the shoulder, telling him to find a good woman and get married.

“Who knows what would pop out if I had a child?”

Lawrence turned his gaze away, saying one monster was enough.

“No one is born a monster. You can tell just by looking at yourself.”

Rektor looked at him with warm eyes, saying Lawrence himself was the proof.

“You are also my family, Lawrence.”

“Ummm…”

Lawrence frowned as if Rektor’s gaze was burdensome, but he did not utter any words of rejection.

“Master. Lord Lawrence.”

Muston, who was walking ahead, gestured to the two.

“I see a white veil up ahead. I think we’ve found the right place.”

He pointed to a shimmering white veil at the foot of the rocky mountain. It was the same color as the White Blood Cult’s barrier, but holy energy, not blood energy, was flowing through it.

“Stop talking nonsense and focus.”

Lawrence bit his lip, pushing Rektor’s hand away.

“If we let our guard down for even a moment, you’ll never see that beloved grandson of yours again.”

He tied his hair, telling Rektor to steel his heart.

“You be the one to be careful. This isn’t a fight. It’s merely a reconnaissance mission.”

As Rektor pressed a button on his sleeve, his face began to change into that of a young man in his twenties. It seemed to be an artifact for hiding one’s identity.

“Let’s go.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Rektor stepped toward the white veil.

‘For my family.’

===

Another week passed.

Raon continued to spar with Glenn to strengthen his Will, then grew the Subtle Principle of the Thousands Sword with Darkhan.

As time passed, he could clearly feel his Will and swordsmanship growing.

There were no problems, except for the fact that Wrath was complaining about being sick of the main building’s food and that the Heart Sword was still not complete.

》”Isn’t that the biggest problem?”

Wrath opened his eyes wide in disbelief.

“Another week has passed.”

Darkhan stood before Raon, his lips twisting into a smirk.

“Well? Has the realization finally come?”

He shrugged, as if asking how long he was expected to wait.

“Your Will and swordsmanship are growing so rapidly that they almost don’t fit your current stage.”

Glenn nodded calmly, looking at him.

“However, it is a shame that there has been no achievement regarding the most important Heart Sword.”

He lowered his eyebrows, noting that it was taking longer than expected.

“Tell me how much of what I said you have understood.”

“Everything. I have realized the full meaning of what the Head Of House said.”

Raon looked up at Glenn and nodded.

“A week ago.”

“What?”

Glenn stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening.

“Eh? You knew a week ago, so why are you only telling us now?”

Darkhan blinked blankly, unable to understand.

“Because I have to forge my own sword.”

Raon drove Heavenly Drive into the training hall floor and brought both hands together in front of his chest.

“I have finally captured the Will and form I desire.”

Telling them to watch, he summoned an intangible sword that would be invisible to an ordinary human.

Fwaaaaaah!

Waves of flame and frost surged over the soul, which was still formless like a lump of iron.

The two energies hammered and forged his soul like a master craftsman’s hammer, sharpening the blade.

Though it was still in the form of a modest dagger, its noble and beautiful appearance was identical to the lost Soul Requiem Sword.

Hwoooooook!

The sight of the blade, burning with red flames and blue frost simultaneously, connected to a black hilt, evoked both mystery and dread.

“An unextinguishable flame. And frost that never melts…”

Darkhan let out a sharp breath, feeling the power and Will dwelling within the Heart Sword.

“Are you seriously a lunatic?”

He poured out the highest praise a fellow lunatic could give.

“And a sword that does not break.”

Glenn’s chin trembled, seeing his own oath manifested through Will and Aura within the Heart Sword.

“I misjudged you. You did it faster and more magnificently than I thought.”

He nodded with a warm, proud gaze, admitting that Raon had far exceeded his expectations.

[Will is strengthening.]

[Authorities of the Monarchs are strengthening.]

[Soul Rank has increased.]

[The grade of the trait <Heart Sword> has increased by two levels.]

Raon smiled as he watched the messages float before his eyes.

》”Hmph. Since you didn’t sleep for a single minute for a week and stayed up every night, this is the least you should achieve.”

Wrath did not get angry as before. Instead, he snorted, as if this were only natural.

‘I did it.’

‘I think you can leave in peace now.’

Raon closed his eyes, feeling a clear breeze blowing over his head.

‘Today…’

For the first time since starting this training, Raon smiled as he sank into a deep, dark slumber.

‘I can finally sleep comfortably.’