The Reincarnated Assassin is a Swordsmaster

Chapter 9

The sun had risen.

Raon walked out of the annex with the bag he had packed in advance. Sylvia and the handmaidens were waiting for him, lined up in front of the garden.

“I’m leaving.”

Raon waved at the people who were looking at him with worried faces. Sylvia’s eyes become moist.

I’m glad I’m going alone.

He was glad that only the trainees were allowed in the training hall. If he’d gone with Sylvia, he wouldn’t have been able to make it to the training hall.

“Lady Sylvia, are you really going to send him away with that look on your face?”

“Hmm...”

Helen’s comment slightly warmed up Sylvia’s frozen expression.

“Raon.”

Sylvia stood in front of him, fidgeting her hands. She was still worried, but she couldn’t say the words “give up” anymore.

I’ve seen what kind of boy he is.

Raon had trained every single day in the past month while enduring the spreading cold energy in his mana circuit.

He ran and ran again every day with painful breaths. She couldn’t send away such a hardworking and patient boy with such a gloomy look on her face.

“Raon. Good luck.”

Sylvia smiled, managing her emotions, which were stirred by concern.

“Thanks.”

Raon nodded firmly and turned his back. He walked straight toward Training Hall 5.

“Will he be okay?”

“He’s gotten much better. He might come back after passing the training.”

“I don’t even care about those things. I just don’t want him to get hurt.”

“That would certainly be the best outcome.”

Sylvia and Helen watched as Raon walked further away. They prayed that he would simply return safely.

***

Training Hall 5 looked like a long box, the endlessly high walls installed in a rectangular shape.

To the right of the entrance, there was an outdoor training area with sandy ground, and to the left, there was an indoor training area under a roof.

Raon looked around the training hall and took a look at the kids standing in the center.

There are many, as I’ve heard.

Even though it wasn’t close to the scheduled time, there were more than a hundred people warming up all around.

He’d heard that there were always about this many people because there were kids referred from the outside in addition to the main and branch families of House Sieghart and the vassal families.

She said there were going to be more this time.

Helen had mentioned that even Training Hall 6 would be in operation this year due to the increased number of people.

He heard a crunching sound behind him and turned around.

A boy with green hair and a round face was eating snacks out of the pouch at his stomach.

“Would you like one?”

He pulled another snack from the pouch, noticing that Raon was staring.

“No thanks.”

“Okay.”

He nodded and drew another snack out. It was a square bun this time.

Raon was about to warm up his body, thinking what an interesting boy he’d just met, when a cold voice came from behind.

“That’s him, right? Look at his arms and legs. They look like they’ll break at any moment. Can he even train?”

“If he’s sick, he should’ve just stayed home. I don’t get why he’s bothering everyone.”

“I closed my eyes when he was talking back to Lord Sieghart. He doesn’t know his place. He probably thinks he’s main family.”

The kids from the branch families criticized him loudly. Many were glaring at Raon. Perhaps the rumor had already spread.

“Look at his wristband!”

“Flower patterned?”

“Grow up, seriously.”

They also snickered at Wrath on his wrist. So the wristband was also visible to others.

- Are they talking about me?

Wrath, who’d been as quiet as if he were asleep, trembled with rage.

I told you to change the design.

- They’re scum. They know nothing about elegance. What are you doing? Break their heads now.

Wrath’s voice sizzled like boiling water.

For what?

- You are not going to do anything after they tried to pick a fight with you?

You don’t even know what’s going on.

- I don’t care! Anyone who even looks directly at me should have their eyes gouged out...

I’m not crazy like you.

Raon was glad he hadn’t handed over his body to this mad devil.

“Hmm.”

Raon turned his head and looked at the kids of the branch families who’d just blabbered. They flinched a little, but then stuck out their chins mockingly.

I’d have ignored them in my past life.

In his past life, he would’ve ignored them and turned away because an assassin shouldn’t attract attention.

But he’d decided to live this life as Raon Sieghart, not an assassin. There was no reason to ignore them.

“What did you just say?”

Raon walked toward those kids looking cold as ice. Their faces showed surprise. They clearly hadn’t expected him to respond.

“Huh?”

“W-what do you...”

“Stop buzzing like a mosquito and talk properly.”

“Erm...”

“W-well...”

The kids from the branch families glanced at each other, not knowing what to do.

I knew it.

These kids were only copying what their parents did. There was no solution to situations like this.

“Have you not been taught that you shouldn’t talk behind someone’s back about something you wouldn’t be able to say to their face?”

“Sh-shut up!”

“How dare you?! You live in the annex because your family’s collapsed!”

“You’re a branch family, not main!”

“Same goes for you. ‘How dare you’ is said to someone who is of a lower position than you. You have no right to speak those words to me.”

Raon’s voice remained steady, neither heightened nor lowered. He was simply stating the truth.

“Urgh!”

Three kids spread their legs and clenched their fists as if they’d fight him at any moment.

Raon cracked his fingers. Warming up his body and garnering attention before the training started wasn’t a bad idea.

“You bastar—”

“Enough!”

Just as the kids were about to confront him, a shout came from the right. A boy with blue hair, who appeared to be in his early teens, stepped forward.

- Why’s he interrupting? Break his skull.

Warren, was it?

He was the main family member who’d demonstrated the best talent in the Discernment Ceremony.

“The training will begin shortly. What are you all doing? Are you trying to tarnish the name of Sieghart in front of outsiders?”

Contrary to expectations, he criticized all of them instead of backing up the three branch family members.

“L-lord Warren!”

“W-we’re sorry!”

The kid who’d been about to jump at Raon dropped his head like a mouse in front of a cat.

“You still don’t seem to know your place.”

Warren walked closer to Raon after receiving an apology.

“You’re just a speck of dust that can be blown off at any time. Unless you wish to get kicked out of the annex, don’t make a scene.”

Warren frowned, clearly displaying his hatred.

Annoying bastard!

The boy in front of Warren, Raon, had taken advantage of the situation a month ago and had captured Lord Sieghart’s full attention away from Warren’s own ability.

What Warren hated the most were incompetent people, and second were arrogant individuals who didn’t know their place.

Raon Sieghart was both.

The fact that a straggler who wouldn’t even be able to participate in the training properly, who would surely fail, captured Lord Sieghart’s attention frustrated him.

“If you don’t want to participate in the training, leave immediately. No, just get out. There’s no chance you’ll pass.”

Three kids quietly laughed at Warren’s criticism. As they were about to walk back with satisfied faces, Raon stepped forward.

“What’s this load of rubbish you’re spitting?”

Raon tilted his head. He looked at Warren’s eyes, annoyed.

“Who do you think you are?”

“What?”

“You’re just main family, nothing else. Kick me out of the annex? You, who is not even a trainee, believe you can do that? Oh, I suppose you could go ask your father.”

“How dare a branch family…?”

A green aura surrounded Warren’s fist. As he was approaching with a death stare, the training hall door slammed open forcefully.

A red-haired man strode through the quivering door.

He had an otherworldly appearance, complete with pointed ears. His mysterious aura exuded an energetic presence as he walked in.

“You guys fighting already? You are all so full of energy, aren’t you?”

He walked into the center of the training hall, giggling.

I didn’t know he was here.

Raon narrowed his eyes. This was the elf swordsman Lemaire, called the Blade of Madness of House Sieghart. There was no one who didn’t know him.

I heard he retired...

Rumor had it he’d retired after injuring his elixir field. Raon hadn’t expected to see him here.

“Ahem!”

Lemaire glanced between Raon and Warren, then proceeded to the podium where he could oversee the entire training hall.

“Hm...!”

Warren lightly bit his lip and turned away. It felt as though he was letting it go this time, but warning Roan for the future.

“Nice to meet you all.”

Lemaire smiled, standing at the podium.

“I’m senior instructor Lemaire, who will be overseeing your training.”

His voice was light. It was as pleasant as a breeze instead of sounding flippant. He continued, maintaining a confident smile.

“There are 160 participants and eight instructors. There seem to be more of you than there are instructors, don’t you think? So we’d better reduce that number down to a quarter.”

Lemaire’s confident smile revealed a profound sense of playfulness.

“R-reduce?”

“To a quarter?”

“What’s he…?”

The kids’ faces turned pale. This was the first time they were reducing the number of participants for basic training.

“This is to filter out the best. I want to raise proper swordsmen, even if only a small number of them.”

Lemaire swiped his finger, looking at the kids as if he was picking out an item.

“Huh? I-I only came because I was told to come...”

The green-haired boy who’d pulled out a snack earlier dropped the bread he was holding.

“I’m a branch family member of House Sieghart! Filtering out even before I become a trainee makes no sense!”

“I agree! We all came after being told to participate by house!”

“Oh, I don’t bother with all that talk about main or extended family and such nonsense.”

Lemaire frowned, picking his ear with a pinky finger.

“I make the rules here. If you have a problem, bring it up with Lord Sieghart, who gave me the authority.”

He seemed more like a gangster in a back alley than a senior instructor, but his demeanor matched his friendly appearance.

Filter out...?

Raon scratched his chin. He had heard Lemaire had an outstanding talent for sensing other people’s temperaments and potential.

It sounded like he was planning to choose trainees using that ability.

- Who is that arrogant prick?

What?

- How dare he be so dismissive of me? I don’t like it. Pull his elf ears out.

I mean, will you like anyone?

True to his name, Wrath was angry at everything. He didn’t seem to be happy with anything.

- Back in the demon world, no one would dare to look in my eyes. The true king who all demons worshi... H-hey!

Be quiet.

Raon tapped the wristband as Wrath started talking too much.

“Then let’s begin the test immediately.”

Lemaire blew off the earwax on his pinky.

“What do you believe is the most important factor in learning martial arts?”

“Talent!”

“A strong and flexible body!”

“A powerful elixir field!”

“Sword and aura cultivation techniques are the most important!”

Kids shouted what they thought was the most important element, as if they believed the test had already started.

“Talent, body, elixir field, swordsmanship... They’re all correct. However, they’re walls and the roof. There should be a proper foundation underneath. That foundation is built from health and mental strength.”

“Oh...”

“Aha...”

Kids lowered their hands and nodded, agreeing with him.

“Since some of you may have prior experience in martial arts while others haven’t, the test will be conducted with a simple and guaranteed method.”

Lemaire’s fingers slowly moved from the kids to the outdoor training hall.

“Run the training hall until I say stop. At full speed!”

As soon as he stopped talking, two people started moving.

They were Warren, a member of the main family, and Runan Sleorn, a member of the vassal family who had participated in the Discernment Ceremony with Raon.

“Eek!”

“L-let’s go!”

“Run!”

Other kids started running, following those two.

- Don’t move. There is no one who can order me to...

Raon filled his lungs with fresh air, ignoring Wrath. He began running, following the kids in front.

It’s certainly different.

Runan and Warren were already far ahead. Even though they ran with ease, they were so fast that others couldn’t keep up.

It wasn’t because the quality of their aura was outstanding; it was because they had trained from a young age.

- Ahem. If you’ve decided to run, get to the very front. Why’re you in the very back?

I don’t understand what you want.

- I just don’t like to lose.

This isn’t a competition.

Raon saw Lemaire, who was perched on the podium whistling.

That man saw the temperament and potential of a person. He wouldn’t just look at what was visible.

“Huu...”

Raon exhaled and then illuminated both of his eyes.

The ones who endure win this test.

He believed he was the best at that on the entire continent.

***

“Warren and Runan certainly stand out.”

“They’re not just fast. They’re stable. Since they’re not even running at full speed, they’ll keep running like that for hours and on. And they’re only twelve years old. I’m scared of what they’ll be like when they grow up.”

“Seriously.”

Two instructors standing under the podium made chit-chat, watching the kids running.

“Even the branch families are pretty good this year. They seem to have taught them properly.”

“Same goes for the referred kids. I see many talented ones.”

They evaluated every one, not just Warren and Runan.

“Hm...”

The instructors frowned as their eyes landed on Raon, who was running with the last group.

“He’s not keeping up as expected.”

“He’s ill. He should be applauded for even running like that.”

“Hm, he already looks exhausted. Looks like he’ll fail soon.”

They turned their calm gazes toward the other kids, as if they had already made up their minds.

However, Lemaire, who was humming behind them, couldn’t take his eyes off of Raon.

Strange.

His green eyes illuminated brightly.

I’ve never seen someone like him.

He had been blessed with a more abundant natural gift than members of other tribes, granting him an exceptional ability to assess the potential of others.

He believed that the only humans he couldn’t use that power on were the most powerful people on the continent.

But...

His mind changed today for the first time.

Runan and Warren at the very front and even the branch families and referred kids couldn’t escape his eyes.

He could tell how they’d grow up and become stronger.

Then there was Raon Sieghart.

Why can’t I see it?

It was as if a cloud blocked his view of seeing his future and potential.

Was it because he was talentless?

That wasn’t the case. This meant that his potential was beyond his own recognition, as if Raon were much stronger than him.

“Interesting.”

Lemaire smiled. In this boring era, an interesting human had finally appeared in front of him after a long time.

***

“Look at that.”

“Last place, after acting all confident?”

“He doesn’t even deserve to be given last place. He won’t be able to keep up anyway.”

The three kids from branch families smirked, watching Raon running in the last group.

“Of course, a sheltered kid wouldn’t be able to run properly.”

“Look at that startled face.”

“He wouldn’t even last ten minutes.”

Kids other than those three also burst out laughing.

But Raon’s serious face wasn’t the result of exhaustion.

We’re just gonna run in this training?

In his previous life, training always entailed releasing a starving wild animal in the background.

Telling him to only run until he got tired was a cakewalk compared to back then.

This is way too easy!