The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 887
Chapter 888
‘Opposition….’
Raon narrowed his eyes, observing Karun.
‘What’s his reason?’
He himself also believed that the Tempest Unit still lacked in various aspects to be promoted to a Squad.
Since he didn’t even desire the position of Squad Leader, he didn’t mind if the promotion was postponed, but he was curious about Karun’s reason for opposing it.
‘Especially since he proposed it and then opposed it.’
Recently, Karun had been offering various forms of assistance rather than hindering him.
Since he had proposed the promotion to Squad Leader and then opposed it, Raon felt there must be a reason behind it.
“Heavy Armor Squad Leader.”
Glenn, looking down at Karun, deeply furrowed his brows.
“You personally brought up the agenda and then opposed it. What is your reason?”
His voice, filled with a deep anger and a tone of incomprehension, suggested that he too couldn’t understand.
“That’s right! You were the one who said it yourself. Promote the Tempest Unit to a Squad!”
Balder, standing in front of Karun, shook his fist.
“It’s not like you’ve gone senile, so why are you kicking your own proposal!”
He shook Karun’s shoulders, urging him to come to his senses.
“Sir Karun proposed the Tempest Unit’s promotion?”
“Huh, that’s something….”
“But why propose it and then oppose it?”
The executives also tilted their heads in confusion, unable to comprehend Karun’s actions.
“Heavy Armor Squad Leader.”
Glenn, crushing the armrest of the throne with his grip, called out to Karun.
“State your reason for opposition.”
He revealed eyes as dry and chilling as ice, as if to say he wouldn’t tolerate any games.
“The Vice-chairman of the Flying Swallow Unit is correct.”
Karun pushed Balder aside and stepped forward.
“The Tempest Unit Leader, since reaching transcendence, has achieved countless accomplishments, and the Tempest Unit has excellently supported him from below. The force that has most widely and prominently raised Zieghart’s reputation recently is undoubtedly the Tempest Unit.”
Despite presenting his opposition, he calmly acknowledged the achievements of Raon and the Tempest Unit.
“It’s not just about performance. The Unit Leader is transcendent, the Assistant Leader is at the peak of Master level, and most of the members are Masters, so their strength is undeniable.”
“So why oppose it!”
Balder, demanding to know the reason for his opposition, slammed his fist against the pillar behind him.
“Personnel.”
Karun slowly closed and opened his eyes.
“The current number of members in the Tempest Unit is only slightly over thirty. It’s a small number even for a Unit, let alone a Squad. Even if most of the swordsmen are Masters, there’s bound to be accidents due to the lack of personnel.”
He shook his head, acknowledging their strength and performance but pointing out that their numbers were too few.
“Hmm….”
Raon calmly nodded.
‘An irrefutable argument.’
For the current Tempest Unit to become a Squad, they needed more people.
Since the first selection process, the only ones who had joined the Tempest Unit were Yua, Julius, and Mark Göten.
If they were promoted to a Squad, they might have to take on multiple missions simultaneously, so replenishing their personnel was essential.
“A Squad of Zieghart should be capable of handling at least five missions concurrently. Even if the current Assistant Leaders of the Tempest Unit are at the peak of Master level, with the limited number of subordinates, it would be difficult to assign them to all missions.”
Karun, without a hint of emotion, simply stated the plain facts.
“Hmm, that’s true….”
The Vice-chairman of the Flying Swallow Unit, lowering the documents, nodded in agreement.
“It’s decreased recently, but soon, missions related to the war will pour in again.”
He crumpled the document slightly in his hand, acknowledging that the Tempest Unit’s manpower was indeed lacking.
“Personnel….”
Glenn, as if unable to refute Karun’s words, let out a low groan.
“Therefore.”
Karun took another step forward and raised his hand.
“For the Tempest Unit to be promoted to the Tempest Squad, I believe at least 30 more swordsmen need to be added. If they are experienced swordsmen, the number could be slightly lower.”
He calmly stated his opinion and lowered his hand.
“Well, that’s true, but….”
Balder, frowning at Karun, said,
“The selection process ended last year. It’ll take a few years for it to open again. Let’s promote
them first and then….”
“That’s out of the question.”
Karun firmly shook his head.
“This isn’t just any force; it’s a Squad of Zieghart. We cannot carelessly handle a Squad that is practically the face of the family.”
He revealed a chilling gaze, as if to say, ‘Get a grip.’
“He’s not wrong.”
Glenn slowly nodded, as if acknowledging the validity of Karun’s words.
“However….”
Karun, turning slightly towards Raon, tilted his chin.
“It would also be a waste to simply shelve the achievements of slaying two ancient dragons, forming an alliance with the Sepia, and rescuing the Gray Hammer guild, thereby granting all Zieghart swordsmen the opportunity to wield swords made from dragon bones.”
He clasped his hands together and looked up at Glenn.
“Therefore, please allow other Units to be incorporated into the Tempest Squad.”
Karun bowed his head, suggesting that instead of recruiting trainees, existing forces should be merged with the Tempest Unit to form the Squad.
“Hmm….”
Glenn, as if finally understanding Karun’s intention, concealed his anger and let out a soft breath.
“Not a bad idea.”
He nodded his chin as if accepting Karun’s suggestion.
“However, since this topic arose today, we should give both sides time to consider.”
“There is one Unit that has expressed their desire to join the Tempest Squad.”
Karun raised his hand, indicating that there was already a Unit that had been discussed beforehand.
“Yes?”
“What?”
Raon and Glenn’s eyes widened in surprise.
“The Iron Squad, currently out on a mission, has conveyed their wish to join under the Tempest Squad.”
Karun lowered his hand, stating that the matter had already been discussed with the Iron Squad Leader.
“When did….”
“I spoke with them before the Iron Squad departed for their mission.”
Karun nodded with a calm expression, as if he had calculated this entire situation from the beginning.
‘Iron Squad….’
Raon narrowed his eyes at Karun.
‘Then he’s definitely not a spy.’
If Karun had suggested providing personnel support, Raon would have rejected it outright.
However, Trevin, the Iron Squad Leader, was a trustworthy comrade. Even when the entire family disregarded him, Trevin had treated him like a fellow direct descendant and had even come to support him at the Arian family’s residence.
If it had been anyone else, Raon might have suspected Karun of harboring ulterior motives, but Trevin and the Iron Squad were absolutely not like that.
“The Iron Squad….”
Glenn nodded and turned his gaze to Raon.
“It seems alright. The Iron Squad and the Tempest Unit have fought together on numerous occasions.”
“Yes. We’ve both helped each other and received help many times.”
Raon nodded in agreement.
“Then it seems both sides are positive about it.”
Glenn, pleased, formed a faint smile.
“W-We want to join too!”
“How do we apply?”
“Please give us a chance!”
Perhaps because the Iron Squad had expressed their desire first, the executives who had been silent all raised their hands, wanting to be incorporated into the Tempest Squad.
Among them were those stronger than the Iron Squad, but Raon wasn’t particularly drawn to them. When accepting new comrades, trust was more important than strength.
“No, then you should have said so from the beginning! Why create such an ominous atmosphere for no reason!”
Balder, frowning, poked Karun’s side.
“Look at those chubby cheeks! You came fully prepared to take care of your nephew, didn’t you?”
“Shut your mouth.”
Karun, frowning, lightly tapped Balder’s side.
“Cough!”
Balder, despite not appearing to have been hit that hard, clutched his abdomen and collapsed on the spot.
“Then, the matter of promoting the Tempest Unit to a Squad will proceed after the Iron Squad’s return.”
Chad, the Vice-chairman of the Flying Swallow Unit, let out a sigh of relief as if things had gone well, and then raised the second document.
“The second agenda is to expand the facilities to accommodate the increasing number of injured….”
While listening to Chad’s words, Raon glanced at Karun. He had finished what he wanted to say and was standing with his arms crossed, looking straight ahead.
‘Somehow
….’
He seemed to have become a more admirable person.
Raon’s initial impression of Karun had been that of a petty and narrow-minded individual. But now, Karun himself seemed incredibly vast, beyond just his strength.
‘People….’
Raon, observing Karun, who was taking a path opposite to Derus, smiled faintly.
‘Can change too.’
***
“Heavy Armor Squad Leader.”
Raon approached Karun after the Grand Meeting had ended.
“….”
Karun, who was about to leave the audience chamber, turned with a cold gaze.
“What is it?”
Karun raised an eyebrow slightly, as if asking why he had come.
“Thank you for helping us get promoted to a Squad.”
He bowed his head, expressing his gratitude for Karun’s preparations, which he himself hadn’t been able to make.
“No need for thanks.”
Karun shook his head calmly.
“The Tempest Unit’s promotion to a Squad is a natural progression. It wouldn’t look good if a Squad of Zieghart operated with such a small number, so I simply prevented that beforehand.”
He turned his back, stating that he hadn’t done it for the Tempest Unit’s sake.
“But you were the only one who thought that far ahead.”
Raon bowed his head, expressing his sincere gratitude.
“If you’re grateful for that….”
Karun turned his head again, looked at him for a moment, and then slowly opened his lips.
“Even after becoming a Squad, continue to strive forward.”
With those final words, he left the audience chamber.
“Huh, did that guy eat something wrong? Did he get swapped out somewhere?”
Balder, holding his side where Karun had struck him, let out a gasp.
“You think so too, right?”
“Yes. It’s quite surprising.”
Raon nodded with a smile.
“Ugh, he just poked me with his finger, why does it hurt so much? Help me up.”
Balder, asking for support, leaned his body.
“Alright.”
Raon greeted Glenn, who was seated on the throne, and then supported Balder as they left the audience chamber.
“Listen carefully. Once you become a Squad Leader, you’ll have more to do than you think. First, you have to build a new building, and the kids are so disobedient….”
Glenn, watching Raon and Balder, and Karun walking ahead of them, twitched his wrinkled eyes.
“Karun taking Raon’s side, and Raon supporting Balder….”
Cheryl approached the platform with a faint smile.
“I never thought I’d see such a sight. It’s unpredictable how things turn out in this world.”
She chuckled, finding it amusing.
“I agree.”
Roenn nodded with a hearty laugh.
“I never imagined Young Master Raon would become close with those two.”
“Honestly, I thought the Lord’s child-rearing had completely failed.”
Cheryl raised her eyes slightly.
“But thanks to having good grandchildren, his child-rearing seems successful after all.”
She chuckled, amused by the changes in Karun and Balder.
“That’s right. The grandchildren were excellent from the beginning.”
Roenn, mentioning the names of Raon, Burren, and Martha, formed a gentle smile.
“Hmm….”
However, Glenn, despite hearing praise for his sons and grandchildren, didn’t relax his serious expression.
“Lord?”
Cheryl, finding it strange, approached Glenn.
“Is something wrong?”
“Raon….”
Glenn, biting his lip slightly, continued,
“He doesn’t like Karun more than me, does he? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile like that….”
He trembled, his hand gripping the throne as if worried.
“Ah….”
“Huh….”
Cheryl and Roenn lowered their heads, speechless.
***
“Try it once, Sis.”
Raon stepped back from Syan and nodded.
“Okay!”
Syan nodded confidently and swung down the wooden sword she had raised above her head.
Whooosh!
The sword wind emanating from the blade split the earth and the lake before her.
“Well done.”
Raon smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
“The power control was perfect.”
Unlike before, Syan had precisely controlled her strength, preventing the sword wind
from spreading beyond the lake.
To achieve such power control after only a week of training was a testament to her body, which had once reached the level of Grand Master.
“Did I do well?”
Syan raised her head with sparkling eyes, seeking more praise.
“Yes, it was perfect.”
“Ehehe.”
She smiled, scratching the back of her head in delight.
“Then shall we try a horizontal slash next?”
“Okay!”
Syan, gaining confidence, nodded vigorously and performed horizontal slashes, diagonal slashes, and thrusts.
Her swordsmanship, not far behind her peak as a Grand Master, rippled the lake’s surface.
“How was it?”
“Amazing….”
Raon nodded slowly.
‘Truly.’
He had only intended to teach her power control to prevent harm to others, but she was already expressing the true essence of the sword.
-With a little more training, she might regain her original skills.
Wrath nodded, acknowledging her remarkable talent.
‘I agree.’
As Wrath said, if he focused on training her, it wouldn’t take long for her to return to the level of a peak Grand Master.
‘Wait, then….’
Would the youngest of the annex building become the father?
He glanced at Sylvia and Edgar, who were watching them.
Sylvia’s skills were improving thanks to her continuous training, but Edgar was still busy healing his injuries.
If Syan’s skills rapidly increased, Edgar might become the weakest in the annex building.
‘That would be interesting too, wouldn’t it?’
-Ah, my dignity as a father….
Wrath let out a sigh of lament.
‘I should continue training her while I’m still at the family estate.’
As the war continued, even within Zieghart, they couldn’t let their guard down.
It was best to teach Syan proper swordsmanship to protect herself and the annex building.
-What are you planning to teach her?
Wrath narrowed his eyes curiously.
‘There’s something perfect for Sis right now.’
Raon smiled and approached Syan.
“Sis, the name of the swordsmanship you’ll learn this time is the Blade of Glowing Light.”
The Blade of Glowing Light, the sword of senses, was the perfect swordsmanship for Syan, who possessed talent surpassing even his own.
“Blade of Glowing Light…? What does it mean?”
Syan tilted her head, curious about the Blade of Glowing Light.
“Hmm, it’s a swordsmanship that embodies the meaning of a puppy biting with its teeth.”
Unable to say ‘mad beast,’ he used the term ‘puppy’ instead.
“Puppy!”
Syan nodded eagerly, liking the sound of it.
“Then first, let’s start with the application method….”
Raon explained the incantation and the most basic application method of the Blade of Glowing Light to Syan.
With her sharp mind, she memorized the application method in one go and began to express the Blade of Glowing Light on her own.
-She’s much better than you.
‘Exactly.’
Raon nodded. As Wrath said, Syan’s talent surpassed his own.
After training Syan until sunset and about to conclude the sword
smanship lesson, three pigeons soared through the darkening evening sky.
The pigeons, as if having flown in great haste, were panting heavily.
“Wow, they’re cute!”
Syan put down her sword and embraced the panting pigeons.
‘Hmm….’
Raon, in the meantime, retrieved the letters attached to the pigeons’ legs and unfolded them. There were three letters, but their contents were all the same.
‘The unbreakable sword is complete, a blade that turns even resentment into your strength has been forged, the demon has descended.’
They were letters from Balkan, Kuberad, and Borgos, each informing him of the completion of their swords. The wording of the letters sent shivers down his spine.
“This….”
Raon looked up at the shimmering sky and licked his lips.
“I can look forward to this, can’t I?”