TSMRG 19

TSMRG

Posted by Aashi, Released on September 6, 2025

Chapter 19

I Reincarnated as the Swordsmanship Clan’s Greatest Genius

When Ruin returned to his quarters, it wasn’t long before the Sword Spirit began pestering him again.

[You! Explain yourself at once. How is it that you know all of these things?]

“I told you already. My father taught me.”

[Fine. Then let me ask again. Have you completed the Linked Forms? Or are you already learning the Seven Star Sword Style? If that’s the case, I’ll have to adjust my teachings.]

“Sigh, enough already. Stop nagging me. Just let it go.”

Ruin shook his head, clearly unwilling to respond further.

The swordsmanship system of the Linegrime clan, as Ruin knew it, was divided into three stages:

“The Basic Seven Forms, the Linked Forms, and the Seven Star Sword Style.”

Anyone who mastered up to the Seven Star Sword Style was considered an elite swordsman of Linegrime.

“Well, I’ll learn it eventually, when the time comes.”

After all, with Heaven’s Seamless Cloth on his side, no matter what he studied, he was confident he could draw out the best possible results.

For now, however, he wasn’t interested.

“First, I need to focus on building my foundation.”

As his Heaven’s Seamless Cloth advanced in stages, everything else would naturally fall into place.

“Seron, huh…”

He recalled the genius boy he had clashed with during the banquet. Dressed in pristine white dress uniform, he had shown off the elegance of a young nobleman—while also looking arrogant, dismissive, and scornful of Ruin.

“Like father, like son, huh?”

Ruin smirked, remembering Oswell Linegrime, master of the Flying Heaven Hall.

Thanks to the memories of Unit 1872, he knew better than anyone what sort of man Oswell, the second son of Lord Daemon of the Northern Sword, truly was.

“But for someone like that, Seron seemed rather naïve.”

Through Ruin’s jaded eyes, Seron still hadn’t found his true nature. Instead, he was simply acting out the role others wanted of him—the cheers of admirers, his father’s teachings, and the expectations of those around him.

“Well, he’s still just a kid, after all.”

[Hm? A kid? Who? You’re the one who—]

The Sword Spirit suddenly reacted, but Ruin only shook his head and ignored him.

Still, he remembered the moment he was pulled outside the banquet hall by Preon.

He had locked eyes with Seron, who had been bowing before Oswell.

“His eyes… were blazing.”

For most of the banquet, Seron’s gaze had been lifeless. But at that instant, when he met Ruin’s eyes, they flared with burning fire.

“One way or another, I’ll have to educate him properly someday.”

Just like when he had “disciplined” Andrei and a few others at the Sword Ceremony, Ruin once again found himself thinking of taking the role of a true educator.

“We’ll be seeing a lot of each other, anyway.”

Time passed, and the chaotic banquet came to an end.

At last, the morning of his departure for his hometown arrived.

For Ruin, with the memories of Unit 1872, it felt strange to have stayed so comfortably at Banapen, the very heart of the Linegrime clan.

But it was over now.

“Ah, I just want to go home already.”

After several years of living peacefully as Ruin, he had come to cherish the sense of stability that life had given him.

Even the parents he had no memory of in his past life—he found himself missing them dearly.

“Hah, who knew I’d ever feel like this?”

He had lived like a shadow, an emotionless doll, drenched in blood. So these newfound feelings were a strange and wondrous change.

“Is this a good thing? Well… at least it isn’t bad.”

He didn’t know for certain, but he was sure it wasn’t something negative.

And his parents, he thought, would be delighted—after the shock and worry of hearing his story.

That was why Ruin was eager to return and tell them everything.

[Wouldn’t it be better to remain here and continue your training? Nowhere else in the world has such pure and powerful energy as this place. Especially if you’re already learning the Seven Star Sword Style—]

At the Sword Spirit’s muttering, Ruin’s tender emotions froze over.

“No, I don’t need that.”

That was a lie.

Banapen was indeed the best place to train his Heaven’s Seamless Cloth.

If he could sneak into the Sword Arsenal, the efficiency of his training would multiply—tenfold at least.

But still…

“I don’t want to.”

After all, with his Hunter of the Forest title from Heaven’s Seamless Cloth, even the woods near his home were more than enough for efficient training.

“Maybe if I say I want to go hunting professionally… though, yeah, Mom would kill me.”

He pictured his mother Daisy’s furious face, flames practically in her eyes, and chuckled wryly.

“Are you ready?”

It was Preon Zircajin, Grandmaster of Snow Rock, who had first brought Ruin here and chosen to become his guardian.

“Yes, Grandmaster. I’m all done.”

“Good. Then let’s leave.”

Just as Preon mounted his horse—

“You’re leaving already?”

“Secretary Joel?”

Preon turned at the sudden appearance of Joel, personal secretary to Lord Daemon of the North.

Joel smiled politely to Preon, then looked at Ruin.

“My lord has sent a message.”

“A message?”

Both Preon and Ruin looked intrigued.

Joel’s smile deepened.

“He says—he looks forward to seeing you in three years.”

“Ah…!”

Preon immediately understood, nodding slightly.

Ruin tilted his head, still confused.

“Yes, it begins for the direct descendants around that time,” Preon explained.

Ruin finally understood.

“He wants me to become a swordsman of Linegrime.”

In three years, he would be thirteen.

At that age, all Linegrime heirs were summoned.

For two years, they trained at the main house to earn the title of swordsman.

But Ruin’s case was complicated—his father Kavel had been expelled from the clan. Normally, no one would complain if Lord Daemon excluded him entirely.

Yet by sending his secretary directly, Daemon had clearly declared his intent to bring Ruin into the main family’s training hall.

“So… he’s drawing a line between me and Father.”

Though he would never forgive Kavel, Daemon apparently intended to consider Ruin as part of Linegrime.

“I’ll see you then, young master. I too look forward to that day.”

Joel bowed deeply.

Ruin returned the courtesy.

“Until we meet again.”

Joel smiled warmly at him before turning back to Preon with a small nod.

“Alright, let’s truly depart. We’ll move quickly. Ruin, take the carriage.”

“Yes, understood.”

Ruin climbed into the carriage prepared for him. Before entering, he turned to look back at Banapen one last time—at Joel, who was seeing him off.

“We’ll meet again someday.”

[Tch. Why are you making such a foolish choice? Hmph!]

He ignored the Sword Spirit’s grumbling completely.

“…We’re almost there.”

Preon’s voice brought Ruin’s eyes to the scenery outside the carriage.

The familiar woods, the mountains, and the sky.

They had left Linegrime territory and arrived at the forest entrance where his parents lived.

The carriage could go no further, so Ruin quickly took his luggage and stepped out.

“Heave-ho.”

[Hmm. The energy here isn’t bad, actually.]

Ruin chuckled at the Sword Spirit’s remark.

“Didn’t you just call me an idiot earlier?”

[And I still think so. For your growth, Banapen would’ve been far better.]

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

[Well, since I’m your teacher, the location doesn’t matter much. It’s just a matter of efficiency.]

“Right, whatever you say.”

Shaking his head at the Sword Spirit’s nagging, Ruin turned to Preon.

“I can go alone from here. You don’t need to follow me all the way.”

He didn’t want to advertise that he was a direct descendant of Linegrime, so he tried to dissuade him.

But Preon firmly refused.

“Escorting you home is part of my duty.”

“…Fine, I suppose I can’t argue with that.”

Preon had brought five escorts along—excessive for guarding a single child.

But having decided to be Ruin’s guardian, he intended to leave nothing to chance.

“Give me your luggage.”

“I can carry it myse—”

“Quiet!”

Preon cut him off like a strict father. Ruin sighed quietly and handed it over.

“There’s no need for all this…”

[Hah! Look at you, being treated like royalty. The world’s going downhill.]

“It’s not like I asked for it…”

As Ruin bickered with the Sword Spirit, they set off into the forest under Preon’s strict command.

Following the narrow forest path, familiar scenery soon came into view.

A little further ahead lay the village. And deeper still…

“Home.”

Relief was just beginning to wash over him—when a prickling sensation ran down his spine.

“What’s this?”

He sensed energy coming from the direction of his parents’ cabin.

Quickly channeling his Heaven’s Seamless Cloth, he realized—

“…?”

There were multiple presences.

“Six… no, seven?”

One strong, five moderate, and one faint.

Clearly, a group with some purpose.

Preon, walking beside him, muttered quietly.

“So we have guests.”

He had sensed it too.

“Stay sharp. We don’t know what might happen.”

“Yes!”

The escorts answered solemnly.

Their pace slowed, but soon enough, they reached the cabin.

“Dad! Mom?!”

Ruin saw his parents standing before several strangers, looking troubled.

“Ruin!”
“My son!”

Kavel and Daisy’s eyes widened. They rushed to him and embraced him tightly.

“Son, did you have a good trip?”

Kavel asked proudly, as if the strangers didn’t matter.

“Ruin, are you hurt anywhere? Are you tired? It must have been so hard!”

Daisy showered him with worried questions, her eyes filled with both concern and pride.

Smiling softly, Ruin nodded.

“I’m not hurt, I’m not tired, and it wasn’t hard, Mom.”

He turned to his father, grinning.

“I had a good trip, Dad. And look at this!”

He showed them the sword on his back.

Kavel’s eyes lit up as he ruffled Ruin’s hair.

“Oho! That’s my boy. Of course you’d bring one back from the Sword Ceremony. So, do you like it?”

“…Well…”

[What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying you don’t like me?!]

At the Sword Spirit’s outburst, Ruin just grinned and handed the sword to his father.

“Take a look, Dad.”

“Alright.”

Kavel took the sword without hesitation.

[What are you doing?! Don’t touch me with your filthy hands! Put me down immediately!]

The Sword Spirit raged, but Ruin ignored him.

“…Impressive. Whichever eye you inherited, it’s sharp. You chose well, son. This is a fine blade—one of the rarest I’ve ever seen, even when I lived at the main house.”

Kavel praised the sword with discerning eyes.

The Sword Spirit, though grumbling, couldn’t help but preen at the compliment.

[Hmph… well, he does have a good eye. There’s no sword better than me, after all. Heh.]

Ruin shook his head and looked past them—at the strangers in front of the cabin.

They looked mostly like knights in service to someone. Among them stood one much younger man.

“Six… But I definitely felt seven presences earlier.”

Just then—

Creak.

The cabin door opened, and out stepped a sly-looking man with violet hair.

“Well, would you look at that. I just stepped out for a moment, and suddenly there are more people?”

The man glanced at Daisy and Ruin.

“That boy—Daisy, is he your son?”