Chapter 13: Leaving Storm Castle (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 13: Leaving Storm Castle (2)
Orgal’s Pendant.
The Phoenix Heart.
And the bundle of copied secret manuscripts.
These were the material gains Jin had acquired during his stay at Storm Castle.
Murakan later explained that the pendant not only allowed for a one-time summoning of Luna but also provided strong immunity to attack magic of the 5-star level or lower. However, the pendant’s true value lay in its ability to amplify enhancement-type magic.
Two years had passed since he had consumed the Phoenix Heart, yet it still hadn’t been fully absorbed. For the past two years, starting a month after he ate it, Jin had been checking the absorption rate every day by holding his finger over a candle flame.
“Lady Mary would be so proud if she could see you now, Young Master.”
Today, Jin once again held his index finger over the candle.
The tip of his finger, touching the heart of the flame, was perfectly unharmed. It felt less like fire and more like dipping his finger into warm water.
Gilly approached Jin, her face filled with deep emotion.
“Gilly.”
“This is my first time seeing the effects of a Phoenix Heart in person. To think the one experiencing it is you, Young Master… this nanny is simply overjoyed.”
Gilly gave a warm, satisfied smile. Among all the nannies of the Runcandel Clan, there was likely no woman more humble than her.
‘If what I studied during my days as a mage is correct, it seems about fifty percent has been absorbed.’
Once it was fully absorbed, he wouldn’t just be able to withstand a candle flame, but an inferno capable of burning down an entire castle. He would possess a near-perfect resistance to any ordinary fire not infused with mana.
In other words, his resistance wouldn't be perfect against fire created through magic.
Of course, it would take high-level fire magic of 6-stars or higher to pierce this resistance… but there was another reason why mages held the Phoenix Heart in such high regard.
‘Once the heart is fully absorbed, I won't face any restrictions when I eventually summon a Phoenix myself in a few years.’
The flames of a divine beast like a Phoenix were inherently at the 5-star level. A Phoenix’s mere movement was equivalent to unleashing a barrage of 5-star fire magic.
Unfortunately, those flames often harmed the summoner as well. Therefore, even if a mage reached 6-stars and became capable of summoning a Phoenix, it was incredibly difficult to control without a high degree of fire resistance.
Essentially, one had to consume a Phoenix Heart to truly master a Phoenix.
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
For now, Jin’s passion for magic was still greater than his passion for the sword. It was only natural, as the three years he spent learning magic in his previous life were the happiest of his twenty-eight years.
“Lady Luna and Lady Mary… the young ladies seem to be very fond of you, Young Master. I wonder how our Young Master will return all that affection? Hoho.”
Hearing Gilly’s words, Jin almost let out a hollow laugh. The personality and stories of the person he knew as ‘Mary Runcandel’ from his past life came to mind.
‘The reason Sister Mary gave me the Phoenix Heart was probably because she wants me to grow up quickly and challenge her.’
Jin’s third sister, Mary, was that kind of person: someone utterly obsessed with fighting. More than anything, Mary was crazed about fighting fellow Runcandels or their arch-rivals, the Zipples.
That was why she had become a 6-star knight before reaching adulthood, picking fights with the continent’s powerhouses and earning the epithet ‘Mary of the Gale.’
Before that, she was known as the ‘Madwoman of the Southern Continent,’ but Mary killed everyone who called her that and earned herself a much more stylish title.
‘Besides the challenge, the gift probably also stemmed from the confidence that she didn't need it herself. She’s a formidable woman, no matter how you look at it.’
Jin smiled as he finished his thoughts about Mary.
“I’ll have to repay them in the way my sisters would want.”
In that sense, the way to repay Luna’s affection was through excellent growth and survival.
And the way to repay Mary’s affection was to become strong enough to point a blade at her throat.
Knock, knock.
Someone tapped on Jin’s door.
“It is Guardian Knight Khan, Young Master Jin. I have come for your training session.”
“Ah, is it that time already? I’m coming.”
Currently, Jin was balancing two types of training.
Spirit Energy Release, taught by Murakan in the basement.
And Runcandel-style martial arts, taught by Khan at Storm Castle. Thanks to this, Jin’s days passed in a relentless blur.
As he opened the door, Khan bowed politely.
“Khan. What’s on the training schedule for today?”
“Yes, Young Master. In the morning, we have combat footwork. At lunch, fist and kicking techniques. In the evening, joint locks and physical conditioning. That is all.”
It was a grueling schedule, but Jin nodded with satisfaction. His demeanor carried the natural authority of a superior receiving a report.
Looking at Jin, Khan seemed somewhat tense.
Watching the young master improve day by day at such a tender age was immensely rewarding for him as a Runcandel Guardian Knight and martial arts instructor.
However, the reason Khan felt nervous every time he taught Jin was something else entirely.
‘When instructing Young Master Jin, I must not show even the slightest hint of negligence.’
Khan had taught martial arts to a total of six young Runcandels at Storm Castle.
The Tona brothers, who left the castle two years ago; Jin’s sixth sister, Yona; his fifth sister, Anne; his fourth sister, Myu; and finally, Jin.
Except for the Tona brothers, all of them had left Storm Castle when Jin was still a baby.
‘I never felt this way when I was instructing the others. They were all too busy just trying to keep up, and I was the one evaluating their performance. But Young Master Jin… he is the one evaluating me. He is completely different.’
Evaluation.
Usually, the right to evaluate belonged to the instructor, even in a relationship between a superior and a subordinate.
But Khan felt that Jin was the one evaluating his teaching ability. Every single day, without fail, from the very first session until now.
Even when he was drenched in sweat from harsh training, when his tender skin was bruised and battered, or when his body was thrown onto the damp ground during sparring.
Jin was watching. He was judging Khan’s instructional capabilities.
This was a first for him.
Yet, it wasn't unpleasant. On the contrary, Khan believed that Jin possessed all the virtues a member of the Runcandel family should have.
‘He is truly someone worthy of the Patriarch’s unusual interest. I must be flawless in my instruction today as well.’
With eyes full of resolve, Khan headed to the castle’s training ground with Jin.
“Young Master Jin.”
“Speak, Khan.”
“It is an honor to be able to instruct you. There are only a few months left, but I promise to provide only the best training without any mistakes until then.”
“I appreciate that. I’ll be in your care.”
Only after finishing his martial arts schedule and becoming utterly exhausted could Jin visit Murakan to begin his Spirit Energy Release training.
They were grueling but happy days.
*
“Aaaah!”
Murakan let out an exclamation filled with pure joy.
How many times had he done that already? Jin thought it over and concluded it had been more than twenty times in the past hour.
“Are you that happy, Murakan?”
Murakan whipped his head around to look at Jin.
“Is that even a question, kid? I can finally leave this boring place! Tomorrow!”
For Jin, the two years since the Tona brothers left had passed in the blink of an eye. There was so much to learn and master that he felt he wouldn’t mind staying for a few more years.
‘Then again, I also found it quite boring before I met Murakan in the basement.’
He had received a passing grade from Khan for martial arts ten days ago, and his achievement in Spirit Energy Release was double what Murakan had predicted. He had also raised his mana to the late 3-star level.
In the history of the Runcandels, no one had ever left Storm Castle with such results. Normally, the only thing permitted for a Runcandel staying here was martial arts training.
However, Jin was not satisfied.
‘It would have been better if I could have left after reaching 2-star Spirit Energy Release and 5-star mana. I suppose I’m being too greedy.’
It was, admittedly, excessive greed. Even in the annals of history, there wasn't a single human who possessed such abilities at the age of ten.
‘Let’s not rush. If what I’ve achieved now were revealed to the world, it would be considered unprecedented.’
Today was October 30, 1790.
Tomorrow, Jin would head to the Runcandel main house, the ‘Garden of Swords,’ under the protection of Guardian Knights sent by the family.
“But Murakan, once you leave, what happens if someone from the family visits this basement?”
“What do you mean, ‘what happens’? They’ll just read some secret manuals and leave without realizing I’ve woken up.”
“But you won't be inside that glass coffin you worked so hard to fix.”
“Khaha, right. Kid, since you still lack magical knowledge, I suppose you’d think that.”
“Sigh, fine. Just tell me how.”
“I just need to use Dragon Language Magic to create an illusion of myself and leave it lying there.”
Crazy, that’s actually possible?
Jin almost blurted that out. As far as he knew, illusion magic couldn’t create such a sophisticated phantom.
“What am I? I’m a dragon. A Shadow Dragon, at that. Creating an illusion like that is as easy as blowing my nose.”
“That’s impressive. Can you maintain it for a long time?”
“Well… that’s a bit difficult, even for me. But what can I do? I have to push myself to maintain it until you grow up. So, you’d better always be grateful to me and show some respect, got it?”
“That’s why I brought something special today.”
As Jin opened a basket, Murakan’s eyes sparkled. The basket was filled with strawberry pies, made with the very first harvest of strawberries from the Mitel Kingdom.
“Stra—Strawberry pie…! My strawberry pie!”
Watching Murakan wolf down the pies, Jin gave a faint smile. Then, he pulled several bottles out of the cloth he usually used to wrap his notebooks.
“That! Is that alcohol by any chance?”
“Yeah. Since it’s the last day, I snuck some past my nanny.”
“You… sometimes you really know how to do something sweet. It was worth raising you all this time, hahaha!”
He was a very easy dragon to handle.
*
Around noon the next day, two Guardian Knights from the Runcandel main house arrived at Storm Castle.
Though fewer in number than when the Tona brothers left, both were 7-star knights.
“Young Master, you must prepare yourself. It won't be easy for me to bake you strawberry pies whenever you want anymore…”
As she spoke, Gilly’s face was unusually solemn.
“At the main house, you must not expect peaceful and leisurely days like the ones at Storm Castle.”
Jin had rarely spent such days even at Storm Castle because of his training, but he put on a solemn expression to match her mood.
“Yeah. Don’t worry, Gilly. I know.”
“I will serve you even more diligently than I do now. Now, let us go.”
“Guardian Knights Jerom and Holtz reporting to Young Master Jin. The two of us will escort you safely to the Garden of Swords.”
The Guardian Knights from the main house helped Jin into a rain cloak.
A Runcandel steel carriage was waiting for Jin at the base of the mountain.
And at dawn, a group of masked assailants attacked the Runcandel steel carriage.