Chapter 267: Flagbearer Appointment Ceremony
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 267: Flagbearer Appointment Ceremony
The Corridor of Flagbearers.
Situated on one side of the Garden of Swords, this massive corridor was longer than any other structure in Runcandel. The names of every flagbearer in the clan’s history were densely etched across both walls of the passage. Among them, those who had achieved extraordinary feats had their portraits hung alongside their names.
Jin walked down the passage, slowly reading the names on the walls. A faint smile played on his lips. Surprisingly, he found that most of the names from the past thousand years were already etched into his memory.
How many books about the flagbearers did I read in my past life?
Now, his own name would be carved at the very end of this list that stretched on like the Milky Way.
Step, step.
As he neared the end of the corridor, he felt a massive surge of energy—the combined aura radiating from Cyron, Rosa, the eleven flagbearers, and about a hundred guardian knights.
In that moment, he felt a flutter of excitement, like a young child.
In the thousand-year history of Runcandel, the Jin of his past life was the only pure-blooded member who had failed to become a flagbearer. Not only that, but his entire existence within the family had been denied, his records expunged, and he had ultimately been exiled.
But now, he walked this corridor with his head held high.
It took… forty-seven years.
Twenty-eight years in his past life, and nineteen in this one.
For a moment, the bridge of his nose stung. His body trembled with the realization that he had finally found his rightful place after a journey that had taken an entire lifetime.
As he reached the end of the corridor, Jin composed his expression and steadied his breathing.
Cyron and Rosa were positioned at the center, and before them stood his eleven siblings in full formal uniform. Surrounding them, about a hundred knights stood in a wide circle, while family scribes and painters observed the scene with solemn faces.
"12th Flagbearer Jin Runcandel, step forward."
Rosa spoke first. She wore a faint, proud smile, but Jin knew all too well that it wasn't sincere.
Mother is my greatest enemy.
Standing directly before her was Joshua Runcandel, his eldest brother. Rosa was the primary foundation of Joshua’s power.
A sudden question crossed his mind.
How much does Mother know?
Does she know that Joshua tried to curse me? That he’s trying to steal my contract? That he has a Prophet by his side who uses dark, mysterious powers to create his clones?
Could Rosa Runcandel truly be ignorant of such things?
Mother couldn't possibly be that naive. The fact that she fasted for two days after I was exiled in my past life… that might have been out of guilt for the curse.
It was possible Rosa didn't just know about Joshua's actions but had even orchestrated them to some extent. A wave of loathing and disgust washed over him.
If Rosa had participated in the curse, it would have been because she judged it the better path for Runcandel. This ruthless family had always been this way. Each member did what they believed was best for the clan, each pursuing their own ends. In that calculus, there was no room for trivial emotions like familial affection.
Even if it meant commissioning a curse to cripple an infant.
Even if it were something worse. As long as it was for the family and produced the desired results, it was permissible.
Thanks to their judgment, I developed more grit. In a twisted way, Mother’s decision was the right one.
If he hadn't seen the Delusion of the Blade descending upon his cradle with his own eyes at the age of one, Jin might have become a far less resilient man. Revenge and hatred were, at times, the greatest driving forces in life.
Furthermore, though Jin did not yet know it, Rosa had once designated him as the next Patriarch after Joshua. That judgment, too, had been what the Rosa of that time saw as the best path for Runcandel.
Of course, now that I’ve returned, Mother and Joshua will have to take responsibility for their actions. Just as I’ve decided to respect her disgusting judgment, it is now her turn to respect mine.
Whether Rosa had directly participated in the curse no longer mattered to Jin. Either way, she would never give up on making Joshua the Patriarch.
Jin smiled back at Rosa.
As he took his place before Cyron and Rosa, the flagbearers drew their swords in unison and held them high.
Sring!
Lined up on both sides, the flagbearers created a path with their blades.
Luna, Joshua, Luntia, Dipus, Ran, Vigo, Mary, Myu, Anne, and the Tona brothers. All eleven of his siblings hid their true emotions as they looked at him.
You will be the king of this ruthless family. I will make sure of it.
These were Luna’s thoughts.
In the end, everything will unfold according to the prophecy's destiny, Jin.
And these were Joshua’s.
A magic swordsman… I never imagined this kid would be the one to shake the very foundations of Runcandel.
Dipus.
I expected him to challenge me, but perhaps I’m the one who has to challenge him now!
Mary.
Brother Joshua wasn't keeping an eye on this kid for nothing.
Ran.
Myu and Anne are going to have a hard time.
Vigo.
Damn it, I’ll need Brother Joshua’s help if I want to crush him now.
Myu.
I knew it, I should have killed him back then!
Anne.
Wait… since the youngest is one rank below us, does that make his official rank lower than ours?
Surely the youngest won't bully us like Myu and Anne do, right? For now, we should stay on his good side like Emma said…
The Tona brothers.
Jin felt as if he could read all his siblings' thoughts—except for Luntia’s.
I can never tell what Sister Luntia is thinking.
Luntia was the only sibling even Luna found somewhat difficult to handle. In truth, she was thinking only two words.
…How bothersome.
Luntia was already annoyed by the bloody wind that would once again blow through the family because of Jin. If possible, she hoped her youngest brother would stay quiet, just like her.
I wonder how Sister Yona is doing. She probably threw a fit when she heard I was gone.
The only sibling not present. Looking at this scene, which resembled a den of predators, he found the fact that she was on his side reassuring.
Soon, Cyron met Jin's eyes.
"Pass through."
Jin slowly entered the path of swords formed by the flagbearers.
As Jin passed, the swords were lowered in pairs, like doors closing behind him. At the very end, Luna lowered her sword alone.
Once all the flagbearers held their swords down, maintaining their posture, the hundred knights forming the circle raised their swords in unison.
"Jin Runcandel has finally earned the right to raise the family's flag anywhere. Henceforth, Jin Runcandel shall hold the duties and authority of the 12th Flagbearer of the clan. However, bear in mind that all of this can be stripped away the moment you tarnish the family's honor."
"I, the 12th Flagbearer Jin Runcandel, shall keep that in mind."
"Now, return the swords of the flagbearers and the guardian knights to their proper positions."
This was the most important ritual of the appointment ceremony.
He had to raise the flagbearers' lowered swords and strike down the guardian knights' raised swords, all with his own blade. Failing didn't mean one couldn't become a flagbearer, but it would leave an immediate stain on one's record. It was customary for the siblings to accept the new flagbearer's sword without much resistance.
Jin turned around and slowly drew Sigmund.
The first sword he had to raise was Luna's Krantel. The massive, heavy axe-sword felt as if it were being held down with significant force.
Luna gave a playful smirk. It was a prank born from her confidence that Jin could easily lift Krantel, even with the strength she was using.
Clang!
A thunderous sound erupted as Jin struck Sigmund upward. Luna barely hid her surprise and raised her sword as if it were natural.
Hey, did you have to hit it that hard? My wrist hurts, you brat!
Krantel was thrust back up, and Jin returned the smile as he passed Luna.
Seeing this, the other siblings who had intended to break custom quietly abandoned their plans. Myu and Anne had plotted to interfere, and Mary had wanted to test Jin's strength.
Jin tapped the remaining ten swords, and they were raised to their proper positions without any further resistance.
Next, it was time to lower the swords of the hundred guardian knights.
They filled the ranks entirely with high-level guardian knights.
For the guardian knights, there was no custom of quietly lowering their swords. Instead, it was common practice to assign knights of a level appropriate to the new flagbearer's achievements. In the case of the Tona brothers, more than half had been novice guardian knights, which was slightly below the Runcandel average.
The guardian knights stood motionless, gripping their hilts with all their might. He had to force down all one hundred of those swords.
For Jin, who had already passed Garmund's test on his first visit to Laprarosa, this was no difficult task.
Clang, clang! Boom!
With every strike Jin delivered, a guardian knight's sword was forced down to the floor. The knights showed no outward reaction, silently receiving his blade.
I suppose this much isn't enough to surprise you anymore.
Contrary to Jin's thoughts, however, the guardian knights were deeply shocked. Some of them, who had put their full strength into withstanding a single blow, found it hard to believe that Jin had not even reached the age of twenty.
It took about ten minutes to lower all one hundred swords. When the task was done, Jin raised his blade to the sky once more.
When he returned to his position, Rosa wore a satisfied smile.
"The Flagbearer Appointment Ceremony is concluded. Now, Jin Runcandel, pass through the Corridor of Flagbearers and proceed to the Elder Council to face the family elders."
The ceremony was over.
Jin had officially become the twelfth flagbearer of Runcandel and had earned the right to meet the elders as a flagbearer.
Meeting the elders as a flagbearer was vastly different from meeting them as a cadet or a reserve flagbearer. This was because it was the elders who passed down the family's Decisive Techniques and Secret Techniques to the flagbearers.
Mother and Joshua must have already influenced the elders, so this will likely be difficult. Still, if even one of them steps forward and offers to teach me, I won't forget it.