Chapter 24: Jin, Cadets, Beastmen, and... (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: Jin, Cadets, Beastmen, and... (2)
“How many of them?”
“Three confirmed, sir.”
“There’s no way only three men would attack Runcandel cadets. There must be more. Eddington, David! Once we’re near the camp, search for the attackers.”
“Yes, sir!”
“If you encounter them, do not engage. Report back immediately.”
It was strange. The cadets had been attacked by humans, not beastmen.
‘They attacked even though the cadets were wearing Runcandel robes. Could they be Zipple fanatics?’
As they moved, Jin continued to receive reports from Vellop.
“The attackers were all masked, so we couldn’t identify them. However, they used the type of longswords most common in the Jhan Kingdom.”
If that was true, they were most likely locals from the Jhan Kingdom.
However, it was too early to rule out Zipple fanatics. They could have intentionally used weapons from the Jhan Kingdom to sow confusion.
‘Since Group 2 managed to escape after the fight, the enemies they faced probably weren't 5-star knights or stronger. The problem is the enemies we haven't found yet…’
Why on earth did they attack Group 2?
If they were Zipple fanatics who knew that ‘Runcandel cadets are on a mission,’ they should have targeted Group 1—Jin’s group—not Group 2.
After running for three solid hours, the camp finally came into view. They could have arrived sooner by crossing the plains instead of taking the forest paths, but that would have exposed them to the enemy.
Eddington and David split off to scout for the attackers. Only Jin, Vellop, and Sierra remained near the camp.
It was five in the morning.
By the time they reached Group 2’s hideout, the sun would be fully up. Since they didn’t know the enemy’s numbers, daylight would put the cadets at a disadvantage.
‘I hope the kids in Group 2 are hiding well. They’re a sharp bunch…’
The three of them started moving again. The plan was to meet at Group 2’s hideout and properly assess the situation once Eddington and David returned.
When Jin arrived at the hideout a short time later, Group 2 was nowhere to be found. Instead, he was greeted by a large amount of blood splattered across the cave entrance.
“Y-Young Master. This is…”
“They were found. They were attacked.”
Jin gritted his teeth, pressing a hand to his forehead.
‘Those bastards. I don’t care who they are. I’m finding them and killing them before I leave this place.’
It had been a long time since he’d felt true rage. In his previous life, even at the moment of his sudden death, he had felt more frustration than anger. After his regression, he had been too busy enjoying each new day.
But now, his head grew hot with fury.
The blood splattered around the cave belonged to children who were barely teenagers. More than that, they were children who followed him.
Jin closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to calm down. He needed a cool head to find them and get his revenge.
“Calm down, Vellop. The blood hasn’t dried yet. It hasn’t been long.”
Jin spoke calmly to Vellop, who was panting heavily. Seeing so much blood, Vellop seemed to think that all of Group 2 had been killed.
“There’s a lot of blood, but no bone fragments or flesh. There are no drag marks in the bushes, either. Group 2 fought back, then fled. There are many footprints, but judging by the sizes, it looks like only one or two people searched this spot.”
Sierra nodded silently. She was already examining the footprints and bloodstains, trying to determine Group 2’s escape route.
“It looks like they went west, Young Master. And there’s a discarded bandage here.”
“A bandage?”
Jin hurried to Sierra’s side and examined it. It was definitely a product manufactured in Huphester.
“Only one attacker was here. Group 2 must have wounded him badly, forcing him to flee. Then, they probably performed first aid on themselves before sensing another attack and running.”
Looking west, they could see a clear trail of trampled grass stretching into the distance. There were no hoofprints, only human footprints. With the bloodstains guiding them, there was no need to hesitate.
“Sierra, hide nearby and wait for Eddington and David. Vellop, you’re with me. We’re moving out.”
They ran at a breathless pace. Having been searching all night without a wink of sleep, the physical toll was immense.
Vellop looked like he was about to collapse, but Jin wasn't worried. If the attackers consisted of five or fewer 4-star martial artists, he could handle them alone.
His only real concern was the cadets seeing him use Spirit Energy or mana, but he pushed the thought aside.
Saving his people came first. His secrets could wait.
‘The clash of steel! The cadets are fighting!’
His persistence had paid off. Less than thirty minutes later, the distant ring of impact reached his ears. Vellop heard it too, stopping to get his bearings.
Jin held his breath and scanned their surroundings, making sure no enemies had followed them.
‘From here on, move stealthily, Vellop.’
‘But Young Master, Group 2 is fighting right now!’
‘This is a forest. Instead of announcing our arrival, it’s better to approach quietly and strike from behind. If there aren’t many enemies, we can end this in an instant.’
Sticking close to the trees, the two moved toward the sound until they finally saw them: Group 2 was alive.
They were locked in a fierce battle in a small clearing. None of the cadets had lost a limb or suffered a fatal wound, but every one of them had at least one shallow cut.
‘Scut, Kiko, Jushen… where is Mesa?’
Only three cadets were in sight.
Two masked men were pressing them hard. Judging by their movements, they were 4-star martial artists, just as Jin had predicted.
‘When I give the signal, we strike their backs simultaneously. I’ll take the one on the left, you take the—no. Do you have a dagger?’
Vellop pulled a dagger from his shirt and tossed it to Jin.
‘Close your eyes.’
Why is he asking me to close my eyes in a situation like this?
Vellop wasn't the type to question an order for long. If the Young Master said close them, he closed them. While Vellop’s eyes were shut, Jin shrouded the dagger in pitch-black Spirit Energy.
Spirit Energy could increase cutting power and destructiveness like Aura, but it had another effect.
An object enveloped in Spirit Energy has its very presence diminished. This dramatically increased the success rate of a surprise attack.
“Vellop. Listen carefully. Exactly two seconds after I finish speaking, jump in and strike the man on the left.”
Swish!
The moment the whisper ended, Jin threw the blackened dagger. It tore through the air with a faint whistle and buried itself in the back of the right attacker’s head.
“Ugh.”
For a moment, every blade froze. Before the attacker on the left could even turn his head, Vellop lunged forward, bringing his sword down on the man’s back.
The man spun quickly and parried Vellop’s strike, but Jin was already there, severing the man’s Achilles tendon in a follow-up ambush.
“Aaaargh!”
Thud, crack! Instead of killing the man, Jin struck the back of his head and his cheekbone with his pommel. As the man collapsed, Jin pinned him to the ground with a knee to his neck, completely neutralizing him.
“Young Master!”
The cornered cadets of Group 2 rushed to Jin’s side. Their faces were a mixture of relief at their survival and shame for having ruined Jin’s first mission.
“Is everyone alright? Who sent this bastard?”
Jin slammed his fist into the calf of the groaning attacker. He pressed his knee down harder, shoving the man’s face into the dirt to muffle his screams.
“We’re alright. But Mesa… she was taken by them.”
“We have no excuse, Young Master.”
Sigh.
Jin took a long breath, ripped off the attacker’s mask, and grabbed him by the hair. It was an unfamiliar face, a man who looked to be in his thirties.
“Don’t worry about excuses. For now, stop your bleeding. Scut, that wound is deep.”
“P-Please… spare me…”
“Spare you?”
Hearing the attacker beg for his life, Jin let out a hollow, humorless laugh.
‘He values his own life. He’s no Zipple fanatic.’
Begging for mercy wasn't the first thing a man brave enough to attack Runcandel cadets should say.
“You should have said that before you touched my people. You now have exactly two choices. Tell me your affiliation, your purpose, and your base, and I’ll give you a clean death.”
Slap, slap.
Jin slapped the man’s cheeks as he continued.
“Or, you can die with your mouth shut, and Runcandel won’t stop until every last person associated with you has been slaughtered. Choose wisely.”
The attacker’s eyes shook violently.
“I don’t intend to give you much time to think.”
“Really… r-really? If I talk, you’ll only kill me? I know Runcandel’s retaliation… it’s usually not so merciful.”
“Usually, it isn’t. But I am a man of my word. My name is Jin Runcandel. I swear this on my name and the honor of my family: if you talk, your family and friends will not be harmed.”
The attacker turned his head to look at the cadets. He saw them nodding silently.
“I’ll talk.”
“A wise choice.”
“I belong to a revolutionary group called ‘Kinzelo.’”
Kinzelo.
The name immediately triggered a memory from before Jin’s regression. A massive terrorist attack carried out by Kinzelo, a self-proclaimed ‘revolutionary organization,’ had once thrown the Jhan Kingdom into chaos.
Kinzelo was different from the Zipple fanatics.
While Zipple’s terror was aimed solely at Runcandel, Kinzelo carried out attacks all over the world. They were a group of lunatics who believed that the ‘revolution’ would only be complete when their king ruled the entire world.
‘Kinzelo was the group that worked with the beastmen to cause chaos. They became infamous for assassinating the King of Jhan and massacring civilians.’
Jin didn’t know what became of Kinzelo after that, only that they were still active right before he died.
“A revolutionary group. I see. Was your plan to attack Runcandel cadets to incite turmoil in the Jhan Kingdom?”
“I’m just a low-level member, so I don’t know that much. I don’t know where the headquarters is, but the branch I work for is at the entrance to the Land of the Beastmen. There are about twenty members there.”
“I understand. One last thing. Why did you take Mesa?”
The attacker shook his head with a sigh.
“For propaganda. Orders came from above to capture any female cadets if possible. They said they needed to be used for revolutionary propaganda…”
“Disgusting.”
Shring!
As Jin drew Bradamante, the attacker squeezed his eyes shut.
“I’ll keep my promise.”
As the attacker’s head fell to the ground, Jin flicked the blood from his blade.
‘The situation is too dire to wait for reinforcements from the main house. For now, I'll have to go alone.’