The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman

“Pe… performance?”

Balder’s thick lips trembled.

“Do you mean to say you intend to calculate that performance by the number of Gold Badges?”

He swallowed hard, staring at the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Badges held in Glenn’s hand.

“It is not a ‘maybe.’ That is exactly what I mean.”

Karoon uncrossed his arms and lowered his hands.

“The badges of Zieghart are the most certain and cold indicators of one’s performance to date.”

He nodded, adding that it would be impossible to meticulously evaluate past achievements through any other means than the Zieghart badges.

‘Performance, huh…’

Raon narrowed his eyes, fingering Heavenly Drive.

‘Certainly, that is the most efficient and convenient way.’

Since this was the first test, evaluating performance was merely a trial to weed out the mediocre. It was a simple method that no one could complain about, making it the ideal direction for the first stage.

“Question!”

Darkhan, who had entered the audience chamber at some unknown point, raised his hand.

“Who is that person, really?”

“Is he a new subordinate the Head Of House brought in?”

“He looks like he might belong to the Light Wind Palace…”

The people looked back and forth between Darkhan and Glenn, filled with doubt.

“…”

Glenn simply ignored Darkhan and looked toward the executives.

“It is as the True Martial Palace Lord said.”

Glenn flicked his fingertips, making the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Badges float in the air.

“These badges were distributed individually to the swordsmen based on the difficulty of the mission and the result. In other words, they are the best means to judge the performance you have accumulated.”

He pushed the Gold Badge to the front, his red eyes flashing.

“The Head Of House of Zieghart is the final Holy Wall that protects the family and the first sword that cuts the enemy’s throat. I cannot place someone in that position who has not risked their life to build achievements for the family.”

Glenn pulled the badges back into his palm, stating that the first test would look solely at performance.

“Now that I think about it, that makes sense.”

“It is only right that those who sacrificed for the family become the Head Of House.”

“As expected of the Head Of House. He presents a test that no one can refute from the start.”

The family executives nodded one after another, agreeing that it was the correct approach.

“I have a question!”

Darkhan raised his hand again.

“…”

Glenn ignored him once more.

“Wha… what is it? Am I the only one who sees that man?”

“No, I can see him too…”

“What on earth is their relationship?”

The executives scrutinized Darkhan with even greater curiosity.

“Raon!”

Aris suddenly called out to him.

“Yes?”

“I accumulated quite a few badges when I was younger, you know?”

She wagged her finger toward him.

“Want some?”

Aris beamed with a bright smile, looking entirely sincere.

“Ah, no…”

Raon let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.

‘To openly offer them here…’

With so many people listening, she was discussing the illegal transfer of badges. As expected, Aris was not normal.

“Badges already received cannot be transferred to others. You should know that, shouldn’t you?”

Glenn frowned, looking down at Aris.

“It was a joke. A joke!”

Aris waved her hand as if it were nothing and stepped back.

“Hmm…”

Glenn smacked his lips briefly and turned his gaze back to the executives.

“I repeat. I will calculate your performance based on the type and number of badges you have received and select the candidates for the successor.”

He nodded, emphasizing that one must have many badges to pass the test.

‘Hmm…’

Raon smacked his lips while looking at Glenn.

》”What is the matter?”

Wrath looked down.

》”There are likely few, if any, who possess more Gold Badges than you.”

He tilted his head as if wondering why Raon was worried.

‘My conscience is pricking me a bit.’

Raon let out a short sigh.

》”Your conscience is pricking you? What do you mean by that?”

‘Grandfather took special care of me. I feel like I might have received more than others even for the same level of achievement.’

He had not realized it before, but now he knew for sure. Glenn favored him slightly over the others. He felt a slight tightening in his chest, thinking that Glenn might have given him a Silver Badge for a Bronze-level achievement, or a Gold Badge for a Silver-level one.

》”You are talking absolute nonsense!”

Wrath growled like a puppy.

‘What?’

》”That old geezer is a pervert who eats Nadine-bread every day and watches you for twelve hours while you’re passed out, but he has never neglected his role as the leader!”

Wrath waved his fist as if telling him to snap out of it.

》”It is a clear fact that the old man treasures you more than the other children.”

Wrath tapped his own forehead, urging Raon to think about it.

》”But he is not a man whose public and private boundaries collapse to the point of tampering with the grade of the badges. If you said he overlooked your Martial Study, I wouldn’t be able to refute it!”

He flicked his chin, stating that Glenn cherished the family more than he let on.

‘Now that I think about it…’

Raon smacked his lips and looked toward the podium.

‘I think you’re right.’

As Wrath said, Glenn might have provided other rewards or taught him swordsmanship, but he did not seem to have ever inflated the grade of the badges.

‘Grandfather treasures Zieghart above all else.’

Raon unconsciously smiled, feeling that Glenn truly loved Zieghart.

“Then will it be decided solely by the performance accumulated until now?”

Serena, the Void Sword Captain, stepped forward and raised her hand.

“Isn’t that how it works?”

Trevin tilted his head.

“What else would we look at if not what has been built up until now?”

He brushed off his hands as if it were obvious.

“I disagree. Since the successor selection has begun now, I believe it should start from this moment. That is the only way it’s fair!”

Martha clenched her fist, arguing that they should compete to accumulate Gold Badges starting today.

“Then those who accumulated badges previously would be at a disadvantage.”

Burren shook his head, arguing that such a move would be unreasonable.

“Of course, it is a bit regrettable to decide based only on past performance.”

He lowered his eyebrows, understanding Martha’s point. He seemed unable to decide which side was correct.

“Hwaaaaam…”

Runaan yawned with her mouth wide open, appearing completely uninterested in the position of Head Of House.

“Ru… Runaan!”

Her father, Lokan Sullion, glanced around and waved his hand, signaling her to shut her mouth.

“I have a question!”

Darkhan shouted again, this time using formal language.

“…”

Glenn ignored Darkhan once more, and now the executives did not even look at him. It seemed they were treating him as if he did not exist.

“The performance I speak of is the achievement accumulated by an individual.”

Glenn lowered his chin calmly.

“When evaluating achievements created directly by a swordsman, one cannot ignore past performance.”

He looked down peacefully, stating that it was only natural to look at the number of badges collected in the past.

“However, it is also true that the period starting from now, when I have announced the selection of a successor, is more important. Therefore…”

Glenn opened his palm again, bringing out the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Badges.

“Past Bronze Badges will be worth 1 point, Silver 2 points, and Gold 3 points. Badges received from this point forward will be worth double those points.”

He nodded, accepting both the opinion to look at the past and the opinion to start from now.

“Exactly five. I will select five candidates for the successor based on performance.”

Glenn spread his palm wide, stating he would pick only five people for the first test.

“Five? If it’s that many, then…”

“Yeah. Not bad.”

“It’s worth challenging.”

The high-ranking executives smacked their lips, feeling it was a winnable competition.

“But there are hardly any important missions these days, are there?”

Balder raised his hand.

“The Four Demons—no, the Three Demons—have hidden in the shadows, and most people are living in a temporary peace. In truth, there isn’t much to do.”

He shook his head, suggesting it would be difficult to find missions that would grant Gold Badges.

“Finding the mission, and determining what to gain from that mission, is also a skill. There is no mission in this world that is not important.”

Glenn lowered his fingertips with an arrogant posture, stating that from now on, they must handle everything themselves.

“Does that mean we have to handle everything from start to finish?”

“Well, he’s right. Since it’s one’s own business, it’s right for the individual to take care of it.”

“I’m fine with that. However…”

The executives’ gazes simultaneously shifted toward the pillars where the Palace Lords stood.

“Can we even compete with those two?”

“Lord Karoon has been a Palace Lord for a long time, so that’s one thing, but the Light Wind Palace Lord is truly…”

“His performance is absurd. At that age, there’s simply no one who can compete with him other than the True Martial Palace Lord.”

The swordsmen sighed, deciding they would have to move while treating Karoon and Raon as outliers.

“Then you may leave.”

Glenn waved his hand, signaling them to go as if he had said all he needed to say for the day.

“He said five people, right? I wonder how it’ll turn out.”

“If you exclude Lord Karoon and Lord Raon, there are exactly three spots left.”

“I wonder if Lady Aris will participate?”

“Seeing as she offered to give her badges away earlier, she doesn’t seem interested.”

“But her eyes were sparkling too much for that, weren’t they?”

The executives split into small groups, discussing the succession.

“…”

Among the swordsmen leaving the audience chamber, Raon locked eyes with Karoon.

“The second test will be the real start. Prepare yourself thoroughly.”

Karoon’s cold gaze flashed, as if warning him not to fail.

“Why are you worrying about me?”

Raon tilted his chin, meeting Karoon’s eyes.

“Because if you aren’t there, it means nothing. I will ascend to that throne by climbing the legitimate stairs.”

Without a hint of malice or jealousy, Karoon looked up at the throne with calm eyes.

“I understand. I will grant you that wish.”

Raon bowed to Karoon, leaving him with a word that they would see each other again.

(T/N: Am I the only one rooting for Karoon to be the new head? )

Step.

Raon and Karoon left the audience chamber simultaneously.

Whoooosh.

The gait and posture of the two were equally straight and elegant, but their gazes were starkly different.

Glenn watched the backs of Raon and Karoon, who were similar yet different.

‘What choice will you two make here?’

Just as he smiled with anticipation, a sound shook the ceiling of the audience chamber.

“I said I have a question, you brat!”

===

As soon as Karoon returned to the True Martial Palace, he summoned all the executives.

“You have heard that the Head Of House is selecting a successor.”

“Yes!”

The executives of the True Martial Palace answered immediately without hesitation. It seemed they were already fully aware of the selection process.

“From this moment on, seize every important mission that comes down from the Flying Swallow Guild, and deploy people externally to report every unusual occurrence.”

Karoon indicated that not only would he monopolize important missions, but he would also participate in external affairs.

“Do not miss a single one. Bring them to me first.”

“We obey your command!”

The executives of the True Martial Palace simply bowed their heads, as if they did not even need to think.

“Fa… Father…”

Burren tentatively raised his hand.

“Even if you don’t monopolize the important missions, wouldn’t you be more than enough to make it into the top five?”

Karoon had collected and saved every single Gold Badge he had ever received without using a single one. Since he had lived as a Palace Lord for so long, he certainly had more than Raon.

“This test is not a simple passing point. It is a critical gateway to determine the Head Of House. It is not about simply crossing the line, but about showing an overwhelming presence.”

Karoon clenched his fist on the desk. His will toward the position of Head Of House spread, and the office began to vibrate as if it were about to explode.

“Then, is it because you think there will be special privileges for first place…”

“No.”

Karoon shook his head firmly.

“Even if there are no such privileges, it is only right to be first. That is what I believe the Head Of House of Zieghart should be.”

Even in this moment, he ignited a heat in his red eyes, as if giving a lesson to his son.

“We will follow the Palace Lord!”

The executives of the True Martial Palace seemed moved by Karoon’s resolve, pressing their lips together and bowing their heads.

“Ah…”

Burren also swallowed hard, admiring Karoon’s unwavering soul.

‘Father is serious. He intends to defeat Raon and become the Head Of House no matter what.’

Despite knowing that he was behind Raon in terms of critical achievements and martial power, Karoon had no intention of giving up. It was clear he intended to chase him down, even if he had to bite with his gums if he had no teeth.

Strangely, however, that image did not feel ugly. Rather, he felt it was cooler than before, to the point where he wanted to follow him.

‘Raon…’

Burren curled his lips slightly, thinking of Raon, who would be in the annex.

‘What do you intend to do?’

===

“Head Of House! What a dream-like title! Let’s definitely go for it!”

Edgar exclaimed, grabbing Raon’s shoulder.

“You must enter in first place!”

He nodded vigorously, urging Raon to surpass Karoon and pass the first test as the top performer.

“Stop it! Raon will handle it himself!”

Sylvia smacked Edgar’s back with her palm.

“Ignore that man and do as you wish.”

She hugged Raon with a gentle smile.

“I-if you’re going to do it, first place…”

Edgar rubbed his sore back and looked up with trembling eyes.

“Raon. I heard that being first isn’t always the best.”

Sia waved her hand up and down, telling him to take it slow, mentioning she had heard it from Grandfather.

“Still, I hope you get first place.”

She giggled, wishing for her brother to be number one.

“Unfortunately, that will be difficult.”

Raon shook his head toward Sia.

“Lord Karoon and I have lived as Palace Lords for different lengths of time. No matter how hard I work, it’s difficult to beat the power of time.”

He scratched his cheek, saying it would be hard to collect more Gold Badges than Karoon.

“Since five people are being picked anyway, I just need to get into that group. Don’t worry too much.”

Glenn had called performance the first test. Even if there were benefits for first place, it would not be an insurmountable gap, so there was no absolute need to catch up to Karoon.

‘However…’

‘I should maintain my position.’

Since there was a chance someone might catch up from behind, he would need to produce a certain amount of performance.

“I want first place too! I don’t want it written in the Biography of Raon Zieghart that he started in second place!”

Encia raised her finger, asking him to take first.

“What do you think, Yua?”

She called Yua, who had brought the tea, and hugged her.

“I just want the Young Master to do whatever he wants.”

Yua giggled, as if anything Raon did was fine with her.

“You can’t ask Raon’s follower.”

Edgar shook his head, saying they could not get a real answer from Yua.

“Yua likes whatever Raon does.”

“Because he is my benefactor.”

Yua smiled, seemingly unfazed by Edgar’s nagging.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

“Yua.”

Raon stopped Yua as she was heading back to the kitchen.

“How long has it been since you went to Habun Fortress?”

“Me? Uh…”

Yua put a finger to her lips and looked at Raon.

“I think it’s been a little over a year. I’ve been so busy lately that I couldn’t go, but I’m planning to visit this time.”

She smiled, saying she would take a vacation to see her grandfather.

“You’ll give me a vacation, right?”

Yua clasped her hands together in a plea.

“Of course! Go ahead!”

Sylvia nodded instead of Raon, telling her to go.

“Don’t think about this place and just enjoy yourself!”

Edgar waved his hand with a smile, seemingly forgetting about the Head Of House matter in this brief moment.

“Sh-should I go with you?”

Yulius approached Yua, glancing around cautiously.

“No.”

Raon raised his hand firmly.

“Because I’m going with her.”

He grinned and placed a hand on Yua’s shoulder.

“Eeeek!”

“You’re going to Habun Fortress?”

“At this critical time?”

The people in the annex widened their eyes, as if they had never imagined Raon would follow Yua to Habun Fortress.

“Yes.”

Raon nodded with a smile.

“It might not be of much help in the competition for Head Of House, but there’s someone I absolutely need to see in the future.”

He smacked his lips, thinking of the Demon King Sloth, who was hiding and sleeping across from Habun Fortress.

“This time…”

“Then!”

Suddenly, a magic circle appeared on the ceiling, and Evelyn popped out.

“I’m coming too!”

Evelyn’s eyes began to burn deep and hot, like the heat within a bonfire.

“AB.SO.LUTE.LY!”