Chapter 100: Enemy or Friend
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 100: Enemy or Friend
For a split second, Jin’s heart sank.
‘Dante Hairan. Could he have… noticed my mana and spirit energy?’
The number of people who knew about his powers had grown recently, but they were still abilities that had to be kept hidden from the world. Jin suppressed his agitation and met Dante’s gaze.
“Hidden power? What are you talking about?”
“What’s this, Jin? Don’t tell me you’ve already mastered a Runcandel Decisive Technique?”
Veradin’s interest was immediately piqued. Having recently become a 7-star mage himself, he expected Jin to have made a comparable leap in growth.
“Ah… it’s just my intuition. My gut has never been wrong when it comes to a fight. I can tell the moment our swords clash—whether I can win, whether I can’t… things like that. And even though your accomplishments in swordsmanship seemed less than mine, for some reason, I felt like I was going to lose.”
“Is that so? How strange.”
“Since I ended up losing, my intuition was right once again. But if you truly had no hidden techniques or powers, then I suppose I was just deceived by my own feelings and failed to perform at my best.”
Jin offered a quiet smile at Dante’s words, but internally, he was stunned. It was a truly formidable instinct.
“Anyway, you can look forward to our next fight. I’ll give it everything I have then.”
“Jin, Dante. Same goes for me. I’m looking forward to the day we all lead our respective families and face each other.”
As they spoke, the eyes of Dante and Veradin burned with a thick, intense fighting spirit.
Even as they sat in a circle sharing drinks, it was inevitable that the three of them would one day point their swords at one another.
Enemies and friends, friends and enemies. Such was their relationship.
‘But when that time comes, I wonder if I’ll actually be able to kill you.’
As a brief silence fell, that was the thought crossing Dante’s mind.
“But you know, after all the fighting is done, I don’t think it would be bad to just become allies. We can settle our wins and losses and then just get along…”
Veradin scratched the back of his head as he trailed off.
“I never dreamed I’d hear such soft-hearted words from the next patriarch of the Zipple Clan,” Jin remarked.
“It’s a wish, just a wish! If things go south, I’ll kill you both, haha. Oh, more importantly, something absurd happened to me recently.”
“What happened, Veradin?”
As Dante played along, Veradin clenched his fist.
“Do you know the Akin Kingdom? It’s a kingdom under the Lutero Magic Federation. Apparently, someone was impersonating me there last year.”
Jin almost spat out his drink but managed to maintain a poker face.
“Hah! Is that true? To impersonate you on the soil of the Lutero Magic Federation… that man must have a death wish. So, what happened?”
“...Surprisingly, we haven’t caught the culprit yet. The guy who used my name apparently annihilated a dark organization called Tessing, but his whereabouts are unknown. Even my family’s investigators can’t find a single clue.”
“Why not issue a wanted notice?”
“That would be the Zipple Clan undermining its own prestige, Dante. It would be like advertising to the world that a superpower like them can’t even catch a single petty impersonator.”
As Jin spoke calmly, Veradin nodded.
“Exactly. We also lost Uncle Andrei recently… our reputation is already on shaky ground. Oh, Jin. I didn’t bring this up to make you uncomfortable. It hasn’t been confirmed that a Runcandel killed my uncle yet.”
“And if it was a Runcandel?”
At Jin’s question, Dante cleared his throat and glanced between them. Veradin, however, merely shrugged.
“We’ve killed plenty of Runcandels, too. Our families are constantly settling scores, so we’ll get our due when the time comes. Um… and to be a bit more honest, I didn’t like my uncle. In fact, I hated him.”
“For the next patriarch of the Zipple Clan to hate the late Vice-Patriarch… That’s not something you should say so carelessly. What are you thinking, Veradin?”
Jin spoke indifferently, but he was wondering why Veradin disliked Andrei.
‘Was it because Andrei strayed from the path of a pure mage by using the power of the Demon God Stones? Or was it due to his perverted nature? Regardless, the Demon God Stones are definitely something the entire Zipple Clan is involved in…’
Then again, did Veradin even know about the existence of the Demon God Stones?
‘From what I’ve seen of Veradin, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had an aversion to things like biological experiments or using the Demon God Stones. It’s highly likely his reason for hating Andrei is related to that.’
It wasn’t a question he could ask right now.
“I wasn’t really thinking anything. I just said I hate him because I hate him. Aren’t we close enough to talk about that? I’d like to believe so!”
“Haha… Since you put it that way, I’m suddenly reminded of some disgusting individuals within my own family. One day, I shall deal with them all with my own hands!”
Unless one was a fool, no one would blabber about internal family affairs in front of an enemy like this.
‘Dante really does seem to be the fool type, but Veradin is strangely hard to read. He’s definitely no ordinary person.’
Using the Blood of Numerus on Dante. And bringing up the deceased Andrei just to emphasize how much he hated him. Jin couldn’t make sense of Veradin’s actions with common logic.
“Ah, the conversation drifted. Anyway! About that impersonator. I can’t issue a wanted notice, but it feels wrong to just let it go… so I’m thinking of deploying the family’s Special-Class Mages to find him.”
Veradin raised his voice again, his face reddening with indignation.
“Oh? You can deploy 8-star mages just to catch a single impersonator? The Zipple Clan truly is impressive.”
“Hey, the Hairan Clan could do that much too. Jin, what do you think?”
“If I were you, I’d manipulate public opinion to take credit for destroying Tessing, rather than focusing on the impersonator.”
“What?”
“According to you, all the culprit did was use your name to wipe out a dark organization. Did any commoners get hurt?”
“No, quite the opposite. I heard Akin is in a festive mood every day lately. Apparently, Tessing’s tyranny was immense.”
“Then it’s the perfect material to frame as one of your heroic deeds. Besides, since he hasn’t been caught, the culprit will likely impersonate you again. If he keeps it up, he’ll eventually get caught. Deploying Special-Class Mages is a foolish move.”
“Hmm, that’s true. Was deploying Special-Class Mages going too far? I’ll have to think about it when I get back.”
“If you do catch him, please let me know. I’m curious to see what kind of fearless person he is.”
“Sure. Dante, you should come visit our banquet hall sometime soon. I’ll send an invitation.”
Afterward, the three of them spent the night clinking glasses and exchanging trivial stories.
However, unlike Dante or Veradin, Jin kept his words to a minimum for one reason.
‘If I get any more attached, it might become difficult later.’
It was a short meeting.
But it was a night that made him think it would have been better if they could have been purely friends.
*
“Young Master! What on earth were you thinking, using the Blood of Numerus on Dante Hairan?”
“Furthermore, you should have killed Jin Runcandel on the spot. It was a golden opportunity to eliminate a rival!”
“Keep the fact that I didn’t kill Jin a secret from Father. And this treasure chest—make sure it doesn’t get a single scratch until we return to the family. Hehe, it’s a souvenir I quite like.”
“What is a mere treasure chest worth? If you suffer a great misfortune later because you lack the Blood of Numerus, we won’t be held responsible.”
“Enough, enough. There’s nothing wrong with gaining Dante Hairan’s favor. Instead of losing a drop of the Blood of Numerus, I’ve increased the chance that the Hairan Clan will stand on our side when we fight the Runcandels in the future.”
“But…!”
“And the reason I didn’t kill Jin is because there are a few things I need to verify. I’m going to sleep until we reach the main estate, so you two can leave.”
As the guards grumbled and withdrew, Veradin let out a deep sigh.
‘In the end, this will all reach the ears of my father and the elders. Even if I use the same excuse for the Blood of Numerus, how am I supposed to explain not killing Jin…? Should I just say I didn’t think I could win? It wouldn’t be a lie, though.’
Veradin’s future already looked bleak.
*
“I am sorry, Grandfather. I not only failed to win this time, but I also narrowly escaped death twice.”
“You nearly lost your life twice in that lowly tournament…? What happened? Was your swordsmanship lacking, or was there some hidden master there, blinded by money and gambling?”
Ron Hairan, the Patriarch of Hairan, spoke with a surprisingly gentle expression despite his words.
He had sensed it the moment his grandson returned. The boy, the apple of his eye, had come back changed, having realized something.
“My swordsmanship wasn’t lacking, but my spirit was. Furthermore, there was no hidden master blinded by money, but I did meet two young men who moved my heart.”
“Haha, for you to say such a thing, I find myself immediately curious. You, who show no interest even in the peerless beauties that frequent our house… tell me, what are the names of these young men who shook my grandson’s heart?”
“Grandfather, I am sorry, but I cannot tell you their names… and I am sorry again, but I wish to ask a favor of you.”
“You rascal!”
Ron pulled Dante into a sudden hug and playfully put him in a headlock.
However, he did not ask for the boys’ names again. He knew well that breaking his grandson’s stubbornness, once he’d made up his mind, was as difficult as reaching the Realm of Creation himself.
“Ack, ack. I… I can’t breathe.”
Of course, even as a joke, the strength of a 10-star knight was more than enough to be painful.
“You make this grandfather of yours feel neglected the moment you arrive! But I shall forgive you. What is this favor?”
“No matter the situation, please allow me to save them just once.”
*
“Oh, you’re back? What’s with the look, kid? Don’t tell me you went there and got thrashed by that Dante or Donte guy? You look a bit gloomy. Don’t you think so, Strawberry Pie?”
“What do you mean gloomy? Of course I won.”
“Young Master, are you tired? Your face really does look a bit pale. While defeating Dante is something to celebrate… did something happen to worry you? Did you lose your strength from a poison attack or something?”
“No, Gilly. I think I’m just a bit tired. Did everyone get along well while I was gone?”
“Oh, Young Master Jin! You’re back! Ooh! You won the tournament this time! Quick, sign the back of my shirt as a memento!”
Enya came running over as usual, offering her back and a pen for an autograph.
‘A memento.’
Taking the pen, Jin stared blankly at the shark-bone trophy in his other hand.
‘Those idiots. I wonder if they’re really going to make a gold coin frame or keep a dented treasure chest as a souvenir.’
Scribble.
Jin chuckled and left his signature on Enya’s shirt.
“Thank you for always thinking of me as someone special, Lady Enya.”
He felt a sudden wave of gratitude for the people who so readily shared their easy friendship with him.