Chapter 152: Yona Runcandel (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 152: Yona Runcandel (1)
It didn't take long for him to realize that the emotion he felt was pity.
Twelve years old. No, maybe even younger. Was Sister Yona raised to be nothing more than a tool for slaughter?
They had only exchanged a few words, but Jin could already tell that Yona was a deeply emotional person. It was obvious, given how easily she swung between laughter and tears.
However, those emotions were twisted.
Yona was far more desensitized to the guilt of killing than even the Tona brothers had been before his regression. To her, most people were merely moving lumps of meat. The infinite possibilities a life held simply because it was “alive” meant nothing to her.
She was, in a sense, a monster.
But she wasn't a true monster. Not the Yona from his past life who lived like a shadow after being hurt by Anne, nor the Yona before him now, who repeatedly sobbed and laughed. Deep within her heart, the emotions common to all people still resided.
Things like sibling affection, the fear of being hurt, the desire to be close to someone, and the simple wish for a playmate.
All of those things had been suppressed. Simply because she was born with talent, she had been turned into the worst assassin in history.
Sigh.
Something hot and sharp surged from deep within his chest. It churned in his stomach, rose to squeeze his heart, and clawed at his throat, demanding to be spat out. That emotion was rage.
It was rage directed at those who had systematically annihilated his eldest sister’s humanity since she was twelve—or perhaps even younger.
And those people were none other than Jin and Yona’s own flesh and blood.
“Are you angry because I’ve been secretly sticking to your side for the past few days? I did stay away whenever you were washing or… you know, taking care of business.”
“That’s not the issue. But wait—you’ve been sticking to my side this whole time?”
“Yeah.”
“Without missing a single moment?”
Yona glanced toward Veradin and Dante.
“Hmm… I don’t think I was ever more than ten steps away from you for more than five hours a day. It was the same even after your frien—no, after those things arrived.”
He hadn’t been without his suspicions, but hearing it directly from Yona sent a wave of shock through him. Since arriving in Samil, Jin had only perceived Yona’s presence three times.
Even then, one time was because she had dropped a note herself, and another was when he had already expected her to show up with Oul. The only time he had truly sensed her on his own was while evading the assassins after opening his Mind’s Eye.
“Jin, do you find me scary? Or unpleasant?”
Jin shook his head.
“I did until a moment ago. But not anymore.”
“Hee-hee!”
Yona burst into a laugh, her face full of innocence. Seemingly in a better mood, she took a light step closer to Jin.
“I did think about you maybe dying at the hands of the assassins. But it’s true that I wanted you to grow stronger. If you had died, I would have been a little sad, but I would have forgotten quickly, and you would have been at peace.”
Every word, which should have been bone-chilling, instead struck him with a dull ache, like being cut by shards of broken glass.
“Have you never thought it was unfair?”
“What? Me watching you? Like I said, when you were bathing or—”
“Not that. The fact that you’ve been treated as nothing more than a killing doll your entire life, Sister. Since you were so young. Even for pure-blooded Runcandels, that’s an absurd, horrific thing to do to someone.”
“Is it bad?”
“It is.”
At that, Yona tilted her head as if she truly didn't understand.
“Has the youngest never killed anyone?”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Hee-hee, I was born this way. So there’s no need to be sad.”
“Born this way? What on earth does that…”
Jin trailed off, lost in thought.
It’s true that the Runcandels are an inhumane family, but what they did to Sister Yona is exceptionally cruel. That must be related to why she’s already become an assassin who surpasses the Nameless King.
Even for the Nameless King, Oul, it would be impossible to remain in a small room with Jin for hours without being detected. Let alone observing him from within ten steps for the better part of each day for several days.
“Sister, are you perhaps a God’s Contractor?”
“No.”
There was no god associated with assassination or erasing one's presence; the closest would be Solderet. Still, Jin had to ask, because her abilities were beyond the scope of a normal human.
“Then how is it possible? If what you say is true, there isn't a single person in the world you couldn't kill.”
“You don't need to know, youngest. Hmm, and it’s not like there’s no one I can’t assassinate. If I have to work alone, there are quite a few. But if I organize a proper assassination squad, the number of people left would be about as many as my fingers and toes combined.”
In other words, there were only about twenty people in the world she couldn't assassinate if she led a squad. Even if that figure didn't account for the target's ability to escape, it was an unbelievable claim.
“Can’t you tell me?”
“You have secrets too.”
Just as Jin was about to deny it, Yona glanced subtly at his shadow. It was as if she knew everything about the power dwelling within it.
Does she know I’m Solderet’s contractor? Or did she just happen to look at my shadow by chance?
There was no point in pressing for an answer.
Yona was aware of Jin’s spirit energy, but only because the power she possessed feared it. Jin had no way of knowing, but that power was constantly whispering to Yona, telling her to kill him. Yona was simply ignoring those whispers.
“You certainly keep me on my toes.”
“Just think of it as me liking my brother too much. You have no idea how surprised I was when you came to Samil. Even that kind Sister Luna has never visited me here.”
“You’re making me sad now. Does Sister Luna dislike you?”
“I don’t think she likes me. I broke my promises a few times. Actually, quite a lot…”
Jin soaked a handkerchief in water and held it out to her.
“Wipe your face. You have tear stains.”
Taking the handkerchief, Yona rubbed her cheeks, her eyes sparkling.
“I want the youngest to like me.”
“We don't have enough memories or a bond for there to be deep sibling affection between us yet.”
“But I like you even without those things.”
“That’s because you had a fantasy about me. And it’s a fact that you tried to kill me. You might call it an expression of affection, but to me, it was a threat to my survival.”
“Then what should I do?”
“I’m not sure.”
Give me the Ten Thousand Poison Liquor.
He couldn't bring himself to say the words. He couldn’t stand being so transactional. He didn't want to do something as pathetic as demanding an exorbitant price in exchange for affection.
Furthermore, Jin was still unsure of how to handle his relationship with Yona.
While he felt pity for his eldest sister, it was clear from her story that even Luna had either given up on her or was keeping her at a distance.
Breaking promises with Sister Luna… it most likely means Sister Yona has killed a blood relative before. If not, given Sister Luna’s personality, she wouldn't have just abandoned Sister Yona like this.
As he searched his memories from both his past and present lives, he recalled that while they were at Storm Castle, Gilly had left several times to attend the funerals of cousins and uncles. The causes of their deaths had never been publicly disclosed.
At the time, Jin had simply thought a distant cousin he only knew by name had died, and he hadn't attached any special meaning to it. He had never even seen their faces.
“Ugh, should I threaten to kill you if you don't like me?”
“That is usually the fastest way to drive someone further away.”
“Then should I give you the Ten Thousand Poison Liquor? Take that and keep playing with me. I figured if my siblings ever came to find me, that would be the only reason.”
It would be a lie to say he didn't want to nod.
However, Jin decided to refuse for now. He felt it would be better to demand it after he had sorted out what kind of relationship he wanted with Yona.
“I refuse. Besides, what you want from me isn't affection based on a transaction, is it? Affection isn't something given and received with conditions. Even if you give me the Ten Thousand Poison Liquor, the affection I have for you will remain the same.”
“Awoooo!”
Yona clutched her head.
“Then what am I supposed to do! Can I never be close to you? Even though I like you so, so much?”
Watching his sister shout urgently with tears welling up again, Jin hid a bitter smile.
“The cadets aren't wandering around outside today either, right? It seemed like a curfew was imposed every night for the past two days to set up the confrontation between us and the assassins.”
“That’s right. There’s no one today either.”
“Then shall we take a walk?”
“Hee-hee!”
He needed time to organize his thoughts—to figure out how he should treat this reckless and pitiful sister of his.
As soon as they stepped out of the inn, they were met with a moonlit path. It was the first leisurely night walk he’d had since coming to Samil.
“There are a lot of collapsed houses around here.”
“Because you broke them all. I had to write a hundred apology letters because of that. If we go a bit further that way, there’s a place I like. Visitors are usually banned from entering. Want to go?”
“Sure.”
All the way there, the conversation mostly consisted of Yona chattering away and Jin offering brief responses.
Because Yona felt this walk might be her last memory with her youngest brother, she walked very slowly. Jin matched her pace, feeling a strange sense of guilt.
After passing several paths where cadets usually stood guard, they reached a fairly steep hill. They had walked for two hours before standing in front of the hill Yona had described as "a bit further."
“What’s up there?”
“A flower field and a cliff.”
“Hearing that from you makes me a little dizzy.”
“Are you worried I’ll push you off? That would be such a waste of effort. You wouldn't die from falling off a cliff that height anyway.”
“I was joking.”
With a smirk, he climbed the hill to find a field filled with a single type of wildflower.
It was a flower Jin knew well: Green Roses. Just as the name suggested, they were roses with green petals. From a distance, they were so small they were indistinguishable from common weeds, and they grew all across the continent.
Because of that, they were treated much like weeds. They could be found anywhere, grew all year round, and were useless for both decoration and consumption. They were, for all intents and purposes, weeds.
“Oh…”
Still, when bathed in moonlight, they had more charm than mere weeds. Looking down at the petals, each smaller than a fingernail and swaying in the breeze, they possessed a certain mysterious beauty.
“Pretty, right?”
“Yes. I never knew Green Roses could be such a sight when gathered under the moonlight.”
“Most people treat Green Roses like weeds, but they’re my favorite flower. They don't die easily even if you step on them or don't give them water, and even if they do die, new ones sprout up in the same spot right away.”
Somehow, the reason is…
As Jin swallowed his words and looked around the field, Yona plucked two Green Roses and began to twist them together.
“If you do this, the tiny petals spread out and make a more decent shape. It’s another charm of the Green Rose. It’s harder than it looks, you know? If you just weave them haphazardly, the petals break. It requires delicate work.”
The moment Yona, with a giggle, held out the two Green Roses woven into a ring—
Ah!
Jin recalled a memory from his past life that he had long forgotten.
This wasn't the first time he had received such a thing.
It was the first time in this life, but in his past life, someone had occasionally left them in his room. Two Green Roses woven together just like this, their tiny petals spread wide.
Back then, he had guessed it was one of the servants who pitied him for being treated like trash despite his pure blood. Gilly had adamantly denied it was her.
“Take it and stop being mad. Anyway, you didn't die, and you even opened your Mind’s Eye thanks to me…”
“To think it was you, Sister.”
“Huh?”