Chapter 271: Siblings (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 271: Siblings (2)
The next day, Luna and several other flagbearers departed from the Garden of Swords to rally their subordinate families. Jin was sad to part with his eldest sister so soon, but the siblings shared a moment of deep camaraderie, wishing each other safety and success on their paths.
Early that morning, 1st-Class Butler Petro came to find Jin.
“1st-Class Butler Petro, formally reporting to the 12th Flagbearer. As of today, I have been assigned to serve you exclusively. I will support you faithfully and promise not to disappoint.”
He was, of course, a parting gift from Luna. Knowing the other flagbearers and their butlers would likely try to ostracize Jin, she had made this arrangement to ensure he wouldn’t find it too difficult to gather information within the clan.
“I look forward to working with you, Petro. From now on, you can simply call me ‘Young Master.’”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Oho, so this fellow is your dedicated butler?”
Poof!
As Murakan shifted into his human form, Petro respectfully bowed his head.
“Hmm…”
Murakan spent a moment scanning Petro from head to toe.
“Lord Murakan, is there… something you need?”
“From this moment on, your name is Monocle.”
“Pardon?”
Petro was, in fact, wearing a monocle.
“Listen well, Monocle. You are to serve not only the kid but also this great Murakan. Understand?”
“Of course, Lord Murakan.”
Even seeing it with his own eyes, Petro found it hard to believe that the black cat he had often seen during Jin’s cadet days was actually this man.
“Good, excellent. Come here, lend me your ear.”
Petro cautiously leaned closer. After Murakan whispered something, Petro blinked, momentarily doubting his own hearing before nodding slowly.
“Got it?”
“A-ah, yes. Understood.”
“What did you say to him?” Jin asked.
“None of your business, kid.”
“Petro, if this Black Dragon demands anything strange, report every last detail to me.”
“I shall do so, Young Master. On that note, Lord Murakan just ordered me to obtain the complete works of the erotic artists from the Mila Painting Union…”
“Monocle!” Murakan barked, as Gilly let out a quiet chuckle nearby.
Jin just shook his head, not bothering to tell Petro to ignore the order. It was, after all, his guardian dragon’s precious hobby. Murakan, meanwhile, glared daggers at Petro, gritting his teeth.
“Petro, check on my friends from the Youngest’s Division and report back to me.”
“Ah, I have been keeping an eye on them since before your return, Young Master. Of the ten cadets, one has already become a Guardian Knight, and two are currently taking their final exams. The remaining seven are training as upper-level cadets.”
“Oh? One’s already a Guardian Knight? It must be Mesa Milkano.”
Jin naturally assumed that Mesa, the leader of their division, would be the first to earn the title.
However, Petro gave an unexpected answer.
“No. Mesa Milkano is taking the final exam alongside Scott Lyman. The one who became a Guardian Knight is Vellop Schmitz; he began to distinguish himself quite remarkably at some point.”
Vellop Schmitz.
In Jin’s previous life, Vellop had been kicked out of the Garden of Swords for his timid nature, only to join the Hairan Clan and become part of the Viment Imperial Guard. Back then, he had become a killing machine, participating in all sorts of atrocities before finally taking his own life, leaving behind a note filled with repentance for the murders he had committed.
“Vellop! To think it was him. Where is he now?”
Knowing that this same Vellop had now proudly become a Guardian Knight of Runcandel filled Jin with a fresh wave of joy and pride.
“Well, about that… he is currently deployed to the southeastern snowy mountains of the Mitel Kingdom. It’s a solo mission of indefinite duration, with the objective of bandit suppression.”
Jin’s brow furrowed in displeasure. The southeastern snowy mountains of Mitel were a frigid wasteland where almost no one lived. In the middle of that vast territory was a single small village of fewer than a hundred households; there were no petty thieves, let alone bandits.
Sending him there for “bandit suppression” meant that Vellop had been exiled the moment he became a Guardian Knight—simply for being in Jin’s faction. Because of that mission, Vellop didn’t even know that Jin had returned, unlike the rest of his division, who had been lined up to greet Jin on the day of his arrival.
“I see how it is.”
“Shall I raise the matter of Vellop’s return at the next flagbearer meeting?”
“No, leave it. Simply bringing him back will only stir up unnecessary gossip. He should return with a great achievement to his name.”
“But there are no bandits there. And even if there were, suppressing bandits is hardly a mission befitting a Guardian Knight. We have more than enough justification to recall him.”
“1st-Class Butler Petro.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Petro’s gaze sharpened as he bowed his head.
“We must always deliver results that exceed expectations. It’s not about having one outstanding performance. We must achieve gains that our enemies never anticipated, every single time. Otherwise, no one will ever acknowledge us. It means we cannot afford to do anything in a mediocre fashion.”
Their smallest flaws would be treated as fatal stains, and their greatest achievements as insignificant merits. His enemies were always ready to judge him and his people by that standard. Jin, however, was determined to one day earn his enemies’ acknowledgment before bringing them to their knees.
“I will engrave your words onto my heart!”
“Do the flagbearer documents include a list of Rank 1 or higher wanted criminals?”
“They do.”
“Bring it.”
Petro hurried off and returned with the files. Jin scanned through them, selecting five individuals.
“The apostate knight of Vankella, Hwirok; the Mad Dog of Western Viment, Jack Glow; the Red Tiger Tribe’s assault captain, Panta… It seems these guys are still active.”
A smirk played on Jin’s lips as he looked at their names and faces. He was remembering a conversation he’d had with Dante and Veradin in Samil back when he was a reserve flagbearer.
—There are villains everywhere! The Kings of Mamit, the Mad Dog of Western Viment, Jack Glow, the remnants of the Dark Magic Association, the apostate knight of Vankella, Hwirok, the Red Tiger Tribe’s assault captain, Panta…
—My heart is already pounding at the thought of the three of us going on an adventure to strike down those evil swine.
Those two… they looked so hopeful, thinking I might actually accept their proposal. Dante is probably doing fine, but Veradin… I’m a little worried about him.
He wanted to contact them both immediately. However, reaching out to the heirs of rival factions right after returning to the Garden of Swords was out of the question. He couldn’t make a reckless move until a natural opportunity presented itself.
“Take this list of wanted criminals I’ve selected and go to the Tikan Free City. Tell my friends Kuzan and Julian this: pick two of these criminals who can be tracked, then discreetly herd them toward the southeastern snowy mountains of the Mitel Kingdom.”
“Understood.”
“There must be absolutely no civilian casualties during the process. The criminals must not be injured, and neither Vellop nor anyone else can discover that they were herded. The credit for their capture must belong entirely to Vellop.”
“I will relay your instructions perfectly.”
But can Vellop, who just became a Guardian Knight, handle such notorious figures? And if it’s possible to herd them with such precision, why haven’t they been caught already?
Petro did not voice these doubts. He felt a strange sense of majesty emanating from the young man before him.
I often felt an unapproachable aura when serving Lady Luna, but what I feel from Young Master Jin is somehow different… There is an indescribable power in his words, a power that makes you believe that what he says will undoubtedly come to pass.
It was just like the words of the Patriarch, Cyron Runcandel. Of course, Jin wasn’t yet comparable to Cyron, but Petro instinctively felt that the same quality of majesty was beginning to blossom within him.
“Also, starting today, journalists across Huphester will be publishing articles about me. Ensure that every single article from the media outlets under our control undergoes a final review by Dino Jagrun.”
“Understood. What should I tell Dino regarding the content he should review and edit?”
“Tell him to emphasize the fact that I am a Contractor of both Solderet and Tess. Instruct him to use simpler, more concise sentences and vocabulary than other outlets. Delete anything that dwells on clan traditions. The articles should be simple enough for a child to understand, but without sounding low-brow.”
In other words, he wanted to promote his status as a magic swordsman using the most accessible language possible.
“Furthermore, various powers will be sending delegations to congratulate me starting next week. Separate those who show goodwill toward me. The Holy King will be visiting in person, so we must treat her with exceptional care.”
The Holy Kingdom had maintained a state of isolation ever since Rani ascended the throne. However, since Jin, the savior of her kingdom, had become an official flagbearer, she would surely make the trip herself.
“It will be the first time the current Holy King has left the Holy Kingdom. A truly historical moment. Hmm… it would be appropriate to form an honor guard of upper-level Guardian Knights, but you currently have no such knights among your people, Young Master.”
Jin gave Petro a moment to think.
“…If I may offer my humble opinion, to ensure the honor of guarding the Holy King doesn’t go to another flagbearer, how about forming a welcoming committee composed of the Colon survivors? It’s highly likely that survivors of the bio-golem experiments will be included in the Holy King’s procession, so it would make for a powerful image.”
Jin nodded, looking satisfied. That was exactly the answer he had been looking for.
“Excellent. Proceed with that.”
Petro bowed his head again.
“Lastly, my sword. Who has Bradamante right now?”
“After Bradamante was recovered from the Gold Snow Tribe, it went straight into the 2nd Flagbearer’s armory.”
That was expected, so there was no reason to be annoyed. Besides, Jin had already laid the bait to get it back.
“I wonder how long it will take.”
“Are you referring to retrieving Bradamante?” Petro asked, his voice dejected. He couldn’t think of any clever way to recover the sword.
“No. I mean how long it will take for Sister Mary to show up here with Bradamante.”
Just as Petro was about to respond—
Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp!
A set of furious footsteps charged down the outer hallway.
Click, BAM!
The owner of the footsteps kicked the door open with explosive force.
Looking at the uninvited guest whose eyes were burning with fighting spirit—his second sister—Jin almost burst out laughing.
“Youngest! You brat!”
She looked as if she’d just stormed out of a massive brawl, her hair disheveled and her body covered in fresh scratches. And at her waist, alongside her own longsword, hung Bradamante.
“Sister, what brings you here?”
“You punk, you won’t be able to refuse this time! This sword, Bradamante! You want it back, don’t you? Come outside right now. I’ll give it to you… provided you can satisfy me.”
Jin felt like dancing for joy.