The Reincarnated Assassin is a Swordsmaster

Chapter 2

There were Six Radiants and Five Umbrae on the continent.

The Six Radiants, standing like mesmerizing suns, were known as the Six Lords. Those who spread wickedness and terror were called the Five Demons.

House Sieghart was one of the Six Lords, also reigning as the ruler over the northern side of the continent.

“Gagoo...”

Raon opened his mouth while staring into the eyes of the head of such a house.

Is this a good thing...?

The House of Sieghart wasn’t any weaker than the House of Robert which had used and killed him in his past life.

Growing power here could potentially advance the timeline of my revenge.

“He also has blonde hair and crimson eyes, just like you and me.”

While he was thinking about his next moves, Sylvia petted his head with a gentle smile.

Glenn lifted his body while maintaining his overwhelmingly imposing presence.

Huh?

Raon shivered. Warm and soft energy was coming into his body through Glenn’s wrists.

“Woo...”

The aura he hadn’t felt in a while caused him to unconsciously let out a soft moan.

What kind of aura…?

Glenn’s aura wasn’t only warm. It had immense purity, as if it was mana drawn directly from nature.

He’s warming my body.

Raon had been extremely susceptible to cold ever since the reincarnation. He had initially thought it was because he had a baby’s body, but it slowly became clear that he had a significant physical issue.

But after receiving Glenn’s aura, his entire body warmed up as if sunlight was coursing through his veins.

Vwoom.

Glenn gave Raon back to Sylvia after examining every single part of his body with his aura.

Huh?

Raon squinted his eyes. A martial artist as great as Glenn would certainly notice if something was wrong with his body, but there was no change in his facial expression.

That he still appeared as cold as ice, knowing that his grandson wasn’t normal, was incomprehensible.

“Sylvia.”

“Yes, father.”

“His name will be Raon.”

“Raon? F-father. But the meaning of Raon is...”

Sylvia’s eyebrows furrowed deeply.

“It’s just as the meaning says. It means he should live his life quietly and inconspicuously, like a shadow.”

In contrast to the feeling of his aura, Glenn’s voice sounded icy-cold.

Hah... Is this destiny?

I have the same name with the same meaning as the one in my past life. Raon laughed at the absurd coincidence.

He knew Glenn was a cold man, but he didn’t think he wouldn’t care about his ill grandson.

“That’s it.”

Glenn tapped his burgundy coat and turned his body around, as if he no longer wished to stay there.

“Wait! Father! Can you please reconsider the name…?”

Sylvia followed him out holding Raon, but he didn’t look back. He left the mansion, just like that.

They looked as if they were strangers, not father and daughter.

“Gah!”

Raon’s lips shivered. Although he wanted to stay quiet, he couldn’t control his moaning due to the chilly wind coming from the outside.

“S-sorry!”

Sylvia buried her head into his body as she hugged him tightly. She was barely holding back tears.

I have something, but I can’t think because I’m too tired.

Raon slowly closed his eyes, feeling the cold wind brushing over his body and Sylvia’s warmth simultaneously.

It’s seriously so inconvenient to be in a baby’s body...

***

At an hour when the moon hung in the middle of the sky, Raon gently opened his eyes in the crib.

She’s asleep.

He looked to the side. Sylvia was deeply asleep in bed right by the crib.

Tap.

She didn’t wake up despite the tapping sound, so she must be in a deep sleep.

Haa...

He sighed lightly.

The past one hundred days had been very difficult.

He was endlessly sleepy, and he couldn’t attempt to use mana or skills since Sylvia was with him day and night.

He couldn’t do anything, as it could be dangerous if someone even nudged him while he was using skills. But the chance had finally come.

Baby crib.

He’d begun sleeping alone in a warm crib, as advised by the head handmaiden, Helen.

Although Sylvia was right next to him, there was no way she’d wake up at this hour. It was the perfect time to practice a skill.

Shall I begin?

Raon breathed slowly.

The Flame Link.

The continent’s technique involved building aura by absorbing natural mana through deep breathing in the lower abdomen.

However, the Flame Link skill he’d acquired by coincidence was different.

It created a circular ring in the heart to enhance health and physical capabilities, much like a sorcerer crafting a circle, and also increased mental strength and mana sensitivity.

In other words, although it couldn’t generate aura, the Flame Link allowed one to create the most perfect conditions for becoming a martial artist by enhancing the body and mentality.

That’s not all.

Flame Link was a skill that followed the flow of nature. Even a martial artist who had reached a high level wouldn’t be able to detect that he had created the Flame Link.

Even Derus Robert, known as the best swordsman in the continent, wouldn’t be able to spot that Raon had learned the skill.

If I enhance my body and mentality using the Flame Link and learn the swordsmanship of the House of Sieghart, getting my revenge on Derus Robert won’t just be a hopeless wish.

However, Raon’s body had a huge problem.

cold energy.

Like blood vessels, mana circuits were blocked by intense cold energy.

He’d first realized this not too long ago.

He’d briefly attempted to use mana while pretending to be asleep, but he nearly screamed because the cold energy blocking his mana circuits frightened him.

“Hmmp.”

Raon slowly inhaled until he felt his lungs shrinking, and he felt the mana that was spread in the air.

It’s spreading.

He couldn’t feel mana as well as in the past. He assumed it was due to having a low default mana sensitivity.

After a very long time, he could finally just sense mana and channel it into his mana circuit.

Hm...

Raon paused before starting the creation of the Flame Link using the mana he absorbed.

I knew it.

About half of the mana circuit around his shoulder was blocked by cold energy.

This explains why I can’t stop sleeping and why I’m susceptible to cold.

The reason he slept more than twenty hours a day and always felt cold was because of this cold energy.

Is it still nine areas?

He flowed mana and examined his body. There were a total of nine areas of the mana circuit that were blocked by cold energy.

This is serious...

A baby’s mana circuits are usually wide open, unlike those of adults. Considering that the cold energy had already filled up halfway in this state, his entire mana circuit could get blocked as he got older.

At that point, he could die from cold and pain incomparable to what he felt now.

He had to remove the cold energy before then, no matter what.

I should be able to break through the cold energy in my mana circuits while using the Flame Link.

Although it will delay the creation by a lot, I must prioritize staying alive first.

“Hmmp.”

Raon slowly breathed in and accepted mana. Then he refined the absorbed mana into a thin and sharp nail and pierced the cold energy blocking the circuit.

Tick!

Tiny bits of the cold energy fell off as if a fork had chipped through a frozen waterfall.

Wait. I could also utilize this cold energy.

He could release cold energy like this, but he suddenly felt as if he were wasting such pure energy.

Raon pulled back the fallen pieces into the flow of the Flame Link along with mana.

The natural mana and cold energy combined into one and started circulating through the mana circuit of his entire body.

It worked!

Raon clenched his fist.

Although it was at a much slower speed than in his past life, he could use mana through the flow of the Flame Link without any issues.

Vwoom.

He could sense the cold energy, guided by mana, settling down in his body.

Being in a baby’s body turned out to be useful.

If it weren’t for the wide-open mana circuit of a baby’s body, circulation wouldn’t have even been possible.

Next... huh? Already?

He started feeling sleepy, even though he hadn’t thought or used much energy. His eyelids fell down like curtains, regardless of his will.

Damn it...

Raon closed his eyes after an angry moan.

After he had fallen asleep, and when the moon had moved about three finger-widths in the sky, a shadow appeared in front of the door.

The man who’d come in without even opening the door was Glenn.

He stared at Raon for a while and extended his hand. A faint sunset-colored light bloomed from his palm.

Fwoom.

The frown on Raon’s forehead, caused by the cold energy in his mana circuit, smoothed out like velvet.

***

“Gagugu,” Raon sighed lightly.

It’s definitely not easy.

He didn’t have time to create the Flame Link again because he was barely awake and with someone else most of the time.

But his performance wasn’t too bad, considering the fact that he’d had only one or two hours of practice and the cold energy was delaying his progress. It was as if someone was helping him.

“Raon. Shall we move a little more today?”

Sylvia bent down and shook a rattle. She seemed to think he liked rattles because he kept reacting to them.

It’s tiring to play with her.

Being completely honest, playing with handmaidens was more difficult than tolerating cold energy.

Of course it was, since he was adult’s spirit inside a baby’s body.

“Awoo.”

Raon was about to crawl towards Sylvia after nodding his head when the door gently opened with a clunk, and an old man with white hair walked in. He was wearing worn-out and shabby clothing, but his eyes were as pure as a lake.

“Huh? Uncle!”

Sylvia ran toward the door with a bright smile as if she knew him.

“It’s been a long time.”

“Oh. I meant, Saint...”

“Goo,” Raon babbled in surprise. As soon as he heard his title and shabby clothing, he recognized who the old man was.

The Ragged Saint!

Fedrick, also known as the Ragged Saint, was one of the most famous healers on the continent.

Both his divine power and medical skills were top-tier, but his wanderer tendencies made it almost impossible to encounter him.

“Oh, quit it. Call me uncle like before.”

The Ragged Saint chuckled and walked closer to Raon’s crib.

“I heard you had a baby. so I thought I’d stop by. Is this the baby?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Ahh! Blonde hair and crimson eyes? Isn’t he the first one with these traits since you?”

“Yes. Isn’t he beautiful?”

Sylvia smiled while caressing Raon’s hair.

“You’re exactly right. He’s very beautiful for a baby who isn’t even one year old. He’s totally different from that fierce bastard, Glenn.”

The Ragged Saint waved his fingers at Raon, giggling.

“What’s his name?”

“It’s Raon...”

“Raon?”

He frowned upon hearing the name.

“It doesn’t mean shadow, does it?”

“It does...”

“So he’s named after shadow... I don’t understand what Glenn’s thinking.”

He spoke the head of the house’s name as if they were close friends.

So the rumor that Glenn Sieghart and the Ragged Saint are close friends is true.

Raon gulped, staring at The Ragged Saint’s broom-like hair.

Due to his background as an assassin, he had quite a lot of information regarding what was happening around the world.

The information that Glenn Sieghart and the Ragged Saint were quite close must be true.

“Raon. Let me take a look at you.”

The Ragged Saint then massaged his shoulders, arms, leg, and chest area softly.

“Hmm...”

He chewed his lip with a serious face, then emitted a white light. Bathed in the light, the warm energy filled Raon’s body as if he had entered a hot bath.

“Huu.”

The Ragged Saint turned back after letting out a light sigh.

“How is he? He’s developing slower and seems to feel cold more than other children...”

Sylvia stepped closer to the Ragged Saint with her hands clasped together.

“It’s the frost curse.” The Ragged Saint furrowed his brow.

“C-curse? What are you talking about?!”

“The frost curse isn’t a real curse. It refers to a physical condition where intense cold energy obstructs the mana circuit.”

“Oh...”

“It appears in girls, rarely. But I’ve never seen a boy who was born with the frost curse.”

He scanned Raon’s body with strange eyes.

“He won’t have much of a problem now since his mana circuit is open, but he’ll suffer from intense cold and pain once they close down after he turns four years old.”

“W-what…?”

Sylvia anxiously bit down her lip.

Don’t worry, I can fix it myself.

Raon slightly shook his head.

Although it’d take a bit of time, he could remove the cold energy by utilizing the Flame Link. It didn’t need to be treated.

“There are a total of nine chill lumps obstructing this boy’s mana circuit. I’ve never seen such a number from the girls I’ve treated. And each one is quite strong. Attempting to forcefully break them could result in him being mentally impaired.”

“Th-then how can we treat him?!”

Sylvia yanked on the Ragged Saint’s sleeves, looking like she might pass out at any moment.

“Dilute fire-element elixir and feed it to him once a day, and have him under the sunlight for two hours from noon when the sun is at its highest.”

“Will doing that heal the disease?”

“As I said, this isn’t a disease. It’s a physical condition. If you do as I say, he won’t die at such a young age at least. But...”

As the Ragged Saint took a long pause, everyone nervously stared at him.

“Even after the treatment is done, he won’t be able to become a swordsman. The cold energy has swallowed his body and energy.”

“I don’t mind.”

Sylvia shook her head vigorously as if she was fine as long as Raon lived.

“That’s good to hear. Anyway, from now on—”

As the Ragged Saint was about to give additional advice, the door opened with a knocking sound.

“Excuse me.”

A middle-aged man wearing a sophisticated black robe bowed and entered the room.

“Master is looking for you.”

“Tell him I’ll meet him later.”

“He’d like to talk to you right at this moment.”

“Tsk, he always has such impeccable timing,” said the Ragged Saint, turning his head. “Sylvia. I’ll come visit next time.”

“Oh, okay.”

The Ragged Saint left the room with the man after staring at Raon for a bit.

Frost curse, is it?

Raon rubbed his fingers.

So that’s what it is.

He had finally learned about the cold energy that had been bothering him all this time. But not much would change.

Just as I’ve been doing, if I remove the cold energy while developing the Flame Link simultaneously, I’ll be able to treat the frost curse and achieve a stronger body and higher mana sensitivity than anyone else before I become an adult.

“Raon.”

As soon as the door closed, Sylvia laid on the bed and hugged him, burying her face into him. It was what she did whenever she was anxious.

“Mommy will save you. No matter what it takes.”

Tears welled up in the eyes that had always smiled.

Huh...?

Feeling Sylvia’s worry, his chest started to feel uncomfortable, as if a metal wire was scraping his heart.

He wasn’t quite sure what that was, but he didn’t want to keep feeling it. So...

“Gagugu.”

Raon wiped away the tears in Sylvia’s eyes with his small hand.

“Oh...”

“Sir!”

“O-oh my...”

Sylvia opened her eyes, and the handmaidens gasped.

“Raon...”

She touched his wet hand with her face down for a while and stood up.

“I should go see my father,” Sylvia said with a determined look.

***

Sylvia headed to the mansion of the head of the House of Sieghart for the first time since Raon was born.

The path was wide open, as the saint had passed not too long ago.

“L-lady. Sylvia!”

“M-master’s currently with the Sai—”

“Move!”

She pushed past the servants and handmaidens who tried to block her and opened the door to the drawing room.

By the time she’d pounded them with her fist about five times, the huge doors opened.

“What is it?”

Glenn, who was having a cup of tea sitting across from the Ragged Saint, frowned.

“Please.” Sylvia clenched her jaw and got on her knees. “Save Raon!”

She put her head down on the ground like a slave submitting to their owner, not caring about the servants in the back.

Glenn watched Sylvia put her head down without even blinking.

“I thought you’d already heard. Even if the boy recovers, he won’t be able to become a martial artist.”

Glenn clearly already knew about Raon’s condition.

“He doesn’t have to be raised as a martial artist!”

“A man with the name Sieghart, not become a martial artist? Why should I bother with such a worthless child?”

“Because he’s your grandson.”

“He is the grandson whom you brought back after you left the family.”

“Well...”

Sylvia’s eyes directed downward, shaking.

“All I can do for that boy is to grant him the name Sieghart. Once is enough for foolishness.”

Glenn’s face was cold as ice.

“Only the strong survive in the House of Sieghart. I don’t need a weak grandson. Besides, I’m sure you can find elixirs on your own.”

“But the elixirs in the family apothecary are much more effective than the ones outside…”

“Those are for people who have contributed to raising the reputation of the house. Even if he’s my grandson, I have nothing to give to someone who has done nothing. Now leave.”

“Father! Please!”

Sylvia clenched her fist until her palms bled and then put her head down on the ground once again.

I shouldn’t give up!

She would’ve left for good if she were alone. She wouldn’t have turned back, not with her pride.

But she had a child to protect now. She had to keep trying for Raon.

“Drag her out.”

Men wearing black martial arts uniforms emerged from behind the pillars upon Glenn’s commanding order. They dragged Sylvia to the door, holding both of her arms.

“P-please, Raon...!”

Sylvia continued to cry out Raon’s name, but Glenn averted his gaze as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

“Huu...”

The Ragged Saint let out a deep sigh as he watched everything unfold.

“Your acting skills are impressive. You’re the one who called me to examine the boy’s condition. Is it so difficult to treat her with honesty?”

“Shut up and elaborate on his condition.”

“As I mentioned, there are nine areas in his mana circuit that are blocked by the cold energy. He’ll be fine for now, but it will become more dangerous as he gets older.”

The Ragged Saint continued, sipping his tea.

“But there won’t be any major issues for a while, especially since you pushed the cold energy with your aura.”

Although Glenn and the Ragged Saint had checked Raon’s body themselves, they did not realize he was creating the Flame Link.

It was a skill from a thousand years ago, and it didn’t require the use of an elixir field. Even if they had absolute power, sensing the Flame Link would have been a difficult thing to do.

“Girls born with the frost curse symptoms can become sorcerers or swordsmen using high-purity cold energy, but it’s different for boys, as they have more heat. Like I said, it’s close to impossible for your youngest grandson to grow up as a martial artist.”

“He doesn’t have to be a martial artist. I just want him to survive.”

“Are you really saying that after yelling at Sylvia? Looks like the Northern Lord of Destruction himself also adores his grandson,” the Ragged Saint chuckled.

Glenn drew a line in the air, ignoring the Ragged Saint’s words.

Vwoom.

The space split into a cross shape, and a golden dimension opened. Three small wooden boxes popped out of the space filled with flames.

“I’m sure you know exactly what to do,” he said, handing the boxes to the Ragged Saint.

“Ugh, this is why I have no interest in forming a family.”

The Ragged Saint sighed, taking the wooden boxes.

“I trust you.” Glenn’s cold voice resonated strangely in a low tone.

“All right, but why did you name him Raon? There are many good names, why... shadow of all names?”

“The name Raon has meanings other than shadow.”

He looked up at the golden sun floating high up in the sky.

“A thousand years ago, it meant something completely opposite to that.”