Chapter 253: The Feat of a Reserve Flagbearer (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 253: The Feat of a Reserve Flagbearer (2)
Sshk!
Sigmund sliced through the beam of mana, scattering fragments of light into the air.
“Kyaaa!”
“Aaaagh!”
The citizens gathered in the square shrieked instinctively at the sudden assault, and the paladins of the Golden Shield Society lunged toward the platform.
“Protect Lady Rani!”
“Everyone, get down! You’ll be caught in the crossfire!”
The paladins of the Golden Shield Society formed a wall around Rani and shouted at the citizens. Fortunately, most of the people followed orders and threw themselves flat onto the ground.
However, not everyone was so quick to react. A significant number of citizens were still scrambling in a panic.
The situation was precarious; the civilians could easily be caught in the Zipple mages’ attacks.
The mages targeting Jin were at least 7-star. For an ordinary person, even a glancing blow would mean severe injury or death.
Yet, the mages chanted on, as if they couldn’t care less whether the people lived or died. In fact, they had no intention of stopping their incantations until Jin was dead, even if dozens of unrelated civilians perished in the process.
The Zipple Clan no longer cared about maintaining its image as a symbol of justice.
If they failed to kill ‘Barmul’—Jin Runcandel—here, they would be looked down upon forever. No, it would be worse than that. Letting Barmul escape now would mean the entire Zipple Clan had been played by a mere Runcandel Reserve Flagbearer.
They had to prevent that at all costs.
“We must finish him before Jin Runcandel leaves the square!”
“Drive him back to the center!”
The mages were desperate. They knew all too well that if they let Jin escape now, the main house would have their heads, no questions asked.
Jin calmly assessed the mages’ positions.
Four on the left, six in the center.
Ten for now.
That was all who were in the square. However, including those outside, several times that number were hunting for him.
The six in the center are the weaker ones.
He had to break through them and get out of the square. If he were cornered before their main reinforcements arrived, escape would be impossible. More importantly, he refused to let innocent citizens die in the crossfire.
Of course, he had considered the possibility of innocent people being caught up in this even before revealing his identity.
But this was the best way.
He had judged that revealing his identity before as many neutral members of the press, third-party powers, witnesses, and ‘helpers’ as possible was the only way to truly humiliate Zipple.
Rani had made a heartfelt plea.
She had told him that if innocent citizens died, it would be the result of her request, so he should reveal himself in the square regardless. She insisted that if such a tragedy occurred, all responsibility and guilt would be hers to bear.
While Jin wasn't entirely comfortable using the safety of the citizens as collateral, he hadn't refused.
It was because he trusted Luna.
I was worried about innocent people getting hurt or killed, but…
Jin glanced toward Luna.
It looks like that won't be an issue. As expected of my sister.
Under Luna’s command, the Runcandel guardian knights and the warriors of Huphester were swinging their weapons in perfect unison.
Amazingly, they intercepted every single attack that strayed toward the citizens.
Though they were officially a condolence delegation, these were guardian knights assigned to escort the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Flagbearers. Their skills were just a step below the Enforcement Knights, and the Huphester warriors were elites from their respective families.
“If a single innocent person dies in the Holy Kingdom today, the honor of Runcandel and Huphester will be dragged through the dirt! Block them, then scatter! There will surely be fighting outside the square as well!”
Clang!
The guardian knights and Huphester warriors protected the citizens of the Holy Kingdom as fiercely as if their own families were under attack. To them, carrying out a mission under Luna’s command was the greatest honor imaginable.
The noble White Whale.
The greatest legend since Cyron, and a name the warriors of Huphester admired beyond measure. They didn't know when they would ever get to swing their swords alongside Luna again. It was unthinkable to disappoint her in this glorious moment.
Meanwhile, Luna had other thoughts.
Youngest, that satisfied look on your face tells me I’ve read your intentions correctly.
Her heart raced at the thought that she was successfully performing her first mission as Jin’s ‘sword.’ She could no longer imagine anyone other than Jin Runcandel, her youngest brother, leading Runcandel after their father.
Sshk, clang!
Countless spells flew wildly, but they were all filtered out, allowing only those aimed at Jin to pass. Under Luna’s protection, the civilians were evacuating in an orderly fashion, while several journalists risked their lives to stay close behind the guardian knights, scribbling furiously in their notebooks.
“1st Flagbearer, this is no time for this.”
Joshua approached Luna.
“What is it?”
“Shouldn't we save the Reserve Flagbearer? Even if he broke the family laws, if he dies at the hands of Zipple, the family's prestige will—”
“2nd Flagbearer, what does the death of a Reserve Flagbearer have to do with Runcandel's prestige? He must handle this matter entirely on his own. Our relationship with the Holy Kingdom takes precedence over his safety.”
“…Then wouldn't it be more appropriate for us to punish the Reserve Flagbearer with our own hands? That should be a more important issue than protecting commoners. Please, make a prudent decision.”
At that, a sharp killing intent instantly flared in Luna’s eyes.
“Your Black Knights are not here right now. What makes you think you can defy me? Watch your tone, unless you want to be humiliated.”
The color drained from Joshua’s face.
As Luna said, his Black Knights weren't present. However, he had secretly brought his own Enforcement Knights, who were now waiting in disguise throughout the square. If he truly wanted to defy her, he could. His knights would obey him over Luna, no matter the order.
If that happened, it would be Luna, not him, who would be humiliated.
However, Joshua decided not to argue with Luna any further.
I cannot let a moment of humiliation tarnish the Runcandel that will soon be mine. Besides, if I defy my eldest sister now, I’ll lose the trust of the other martial families.
Succession wars were a private affair. Opposing Luna in such a public setting would only diminish Runcandel’s dignity. He was boiling with rage at her arrogance, but he wouldn't play the fool.
“I understand,” Joshua replied in a flat voice.
He had stepped forward out of anxiety that he might lose Solderet’s contract if something happened to Jin, but looking back, it seemed unlikely that things would go that far.
Rumble—!
Blue lightning fell from the clear sky.
Pluto Sword Basic Form: Lightning. The very power that had led the world to mistake Barmul for a ‘Contractor of Paitel.’
The six mages at the center of the square collapsed one by one, unable to even react to the lightning.
So that’s the power of the Pluto Tribe. He held back this much when he fought me in the Blue Bird Archipelago? Unless Tower Master-level mages set up a proper formation, they won't be able to stop him.
Crack! Boom!
With every strike, the square’s pavement erupted, sending stone and mages flying. Now that Jin was certain Luna had the citizens perfectly protected, he had nothing holding him back.
The six mages lost their lives in an instant.
The Pluto Sword is quite useful for this. Unless you're a genius, you're bound to fall easily the first time you face it.
Of course, the six mages in the center were individuals the world would call geniuses. That was why they were active as mages of the Zipple main house.
But by Jin’s standards, they were mediocre. Compared to the powerful enemies he had fought in the past, they were nothing more than small fry.
“Respond calmly! Treat him like a lightning-type mage! And keep casting spells to prevent him from getting close!”
The four mages on the left were talented, even by Jin’s standards. They skillfully blocked the lightning's path with shields as they narrowed the encirclement. They also used various modified ice spells to obscure his vision, and the sudden eruption of ice pillars around him made it difficult to find a clear target for his lightning.
He could have trusted the Huphester knights to protect everyone while he cut down the pillars with his sword energy, but there was no need to waste more time in the square now that he'd broken through the center.
“Shuri!”
Jin pulled the Red Jade from his robe. Vrrr! As the jade glowed, Shuri emerged from within.
“What on earth is that…!”
“A-A cat?”
This time, even the talented mages gasped and recoiled. Anyone would react that way upon encountering a cat larger than a carriage for the first time. Not to mention, a cat of that size was firing beams of mana from its eyes.
[Kiyaaaa!]
Leaping high into the air, Shuri screeched and fired beams from her eyes. Jin used the mages' own ice pillars as stepping stones to vault toward her. By the time he landed on Shuri’s back, the mages were too preoccupied with blocking the beams to notice.
Thud…
Landing lightly on the ground, Shuri roared once more.
The sound wave washed over the square. The civilians still milling about in confusion and the journalists desperately trying to record the scene all collapsed, their legs turning to jelly. The roar had been controlled so that only trained warriors could withstand it.
Is that really a Runcandel Reserve Flagbearer…?
Not only the Huphester warriors, but the fallen civilians and the barely surviving Zipple mages all had the same thought. It was a scene straight out of a children's fairy tale.
With all the civilians down, a wide path opened up instantly.
Shuri surged forward, racing down the cleared path. She moved at an insane speed, yet not a single civilian was trampled by her massive paws.
[Meow!]
Shuri was asking which way to run.
Jin pointed toward the teleport gate. He was heading for the port, where the gold bars Zipple had brought were piled like a mountain. His final plan was to melt every last bit of that gold, dump it into the sea, and then make his escape.
Reaching the teleport gate took only a moment. The Zipple mages outside the square couldn't even keep up with Shuri.
As soon as Jin and Shuri arrived, loyalists of the Holy Kingdom who were waiting in advance activated the teleport gate.
“Thank you, Young Master Jin. I wish you luck.”
“You as well.”
And as soon as Jin arrived at the port, he was met by someone he hadn't expected to see.
“…Jin? Is that you, Jin?!”
A white-haired youth recognized Jin, his eyes widening in surprise.
The successor of Zipple, Veradin Zipple.
It seemed Veradin had also just arrived at the port. And behind him…
Whoosh…
The gold bars were already engulfed in flames.