Chapter 29: Advancement, Initiation Ceremony (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 29: Advancement, Initiation Ceremony (2)
The Garden of Swords was turned upside down the moment the Beginner Training Class finished their mission report.
The mission had been an impeccable success, and Rosa, having heard the details from Garon, expressed her utmost satisfaction.
The other Runcandels waiting at the main estate, however, looked as if they couldn't believe their ears.
"What? Jin fought a White Wolf warrior and won!?"
"That’s impossible. He probably just killed some bandit wearing a wolf pelt. How could a kid who just became a 3-star knight kill a White Wolf?"
The speakers were the fourth daughter, Myu Runcandel, and the fifth daughter, Anne Runcandel. They were ten and nine years older than Jin, respectively, and both were 7-star knights.
An elite White Wolf warrior was no easy opponent even for them, who were at the entry level of the 7-star realm. It was only natural that Myu and Anne found Jin’s achievement hard to swallow.
"Even if the one the brat faced was particularly weak, it makes no sense for a 3-star to take a White Wolf’s head."
"Exactly. And Mother actually believed that at face value?"
While the two women shook their heads in disbelief, two other boys couldn't help but turn pale.
They were the brothers Daytona and Heitona.
Due to the ill-fated relationship that began back at Storm Castle, Jin was less of a younger brother and more of a monster to them.
"D-do you think... Jin really did that?" Heitona asked, clutching Daytona’s shoulder. His grip was trembling slightly.
"No matter how much of a freak he is, a White Wolf should still be too much for him."
"Right? I thought so too."
Just as a smile of relief began to form on Heitona’s lips, Daytona’s eyes widened as he continued.
"But whether he killed a White Wolf or not isn't the important part, Heitona. If that guy advances to the Intermediate Class now, we’re dead!"
A look of despair clouded the Tona brothers' eyes.
Inwardly, they had been desperately hoping Jin would screw up this mission big time. If that happened, his advancement might be delayed, giving them time to grow stronger so they wouldn't have to walk on eggshells around their youngest brother anymore.
But now, all hope was lost. Not only had Jin rescued the search targets, but he had also taken down a White Wolf. Among the beginner cadets, he was practically being treated as a hero.
Damn it, damn it, damn it! Back at Storm Castle, we got a pass because we were young. But we should never have messed with him when he first joined the Beginner Class…!
Daytona sighed as he recalled the past.
During their second year in the Beginner Class, the Tona brothers had relentlessly bullied Jin for a time. Since they had arrived at the main estate two years earlier than him, they’d had the chance to learn swordsmanship first, meaning there was a brief period when they were stronger than Jin.
Those first few months had been blissful.
Beating up Jin—who had ordered them around like servants at Storm Castle—under the pretext of dueling was, without exaggeration, the greatest joy of the Tona brothers' lives.
But those sweet days were short-lived. Only a few months after Jin joined the training class, the brothers found themselves getting thrashed by him every single day in front of the other cadets.
And now, in just a few days, that hell would begin all over again.
The Tona brothers would have to face that devilish younger brother every single day once more…
"This is depressing..." Heitona said, his voice light as if his soul had left his body, having recalled the same past as Daytona.
"No, no! Wait, maybe it’ll be okay. We might be able to beat him, right? It’s not like we’ve been slacking off in the Intermediate Class!" Heitona looked up and spoke again.
"...No. We can't win. Honestly, I don't believe he defeated a White Wolf, but a rumor like that doesn't just come out of nowhere."
"Ah."
The brothers slumped their heads in unison once more. They were painfully aware that they were clearly below Jin on the food chain.
As a gloomy aura radiated from the Tona brothers, Myu and Anne, who had been watching, snorted in derision. They found the sight utterly ridiculous.
"Oh my, I forgot we had such idiots among our brothers."
"Are you seriously acting like that because you're scared of the youngest moving up to the Intermediate Class? Kyahaha!"
"Gah!"
The Tona brothers flared up and glared at them, but they could only hold it for about two seconds. Having barely reached the mid 3-star level, they had no way of standing up to their 7-star sisters.
"Daytona. Did you just make a squealing sound like a stuck pig? Hmm?"
"Shall I break your arms and toss you into the livestock shed?"
"It’s... it’s not that!"
"That? Dropping the honorifics already?"
"It's not that, sister..."
The sisters burst into laughter at the Tona brothers. Soon, Myu and Anne each grabbed one of the brothers and planted a light kiss on their foreheads.
"Oh, we’re just kidding, kidding! Our little brothers are just so cute, we can't help ourselves."
"Exactly! Sometimes you're so cute I just want to gobble you up and crush you."
While the brothers trembled under their sisters' excessive displays of affection, Myu suddenly licked her lips and smiled.
"Hmm, so. You're scared of the youngest?"
"Sister, there's no way we'd be... Haha, of course not..."
"Uh-uh! It’s okay to be honest. This sister of yours really hates liars."
"We're terrified."
This time, Anne nodded with a wicked smile. Myu and Anne were a pair that worked in perfect sync, much like the Tona brothers.
"Then, do you want your big sisters to help you out a bit?"
"How?"
"Oh, there are ways. It’s only the Intermediate Class, after all."
The Runcandel Intermediate Training Class was on a completely different level from the Beginner Training Class. The weakest cadets were 3-star, while the strongest reached 5-star.
The number of cadets was also much larger than in the Beginner Class, making it a true arena of survival of the fittest. The Runcandel Intermediate Training Class was nothing short of a wild jungle.
To put it in perspective, 3-stars were herbivores, 4-stars were strong herbivores, and 5-stars were the predators.
The atmosphere was bound to be starkly different from the current Beginner Class, where a sense of camaraderie had formed as everyone pushed each other forward.
Since the spectrum of cadets ranged from 3-star to 5-star, quite a few had remained intermediate cadets for over ten years. Myu and Anne were currently using several of those "eternal intermediate cadets" like slaves.
"I’ll give word to my slaves in the Intermediate Class. Use them to trample the youngest."
"They’re incompetent fools who can't even graduate from the Intermediate Class, but they’re still 5-stars. They should be useful enough. Got it?"
"O-oh...!"
The Tona brothers' eyes sparkled.
"Are you saying you're handing over your Intermediate Class faction to us? Really?"
With thirteen siblings, various factions had naturally formed within Runcandel. Even the Tona brothers had their own small faction within the Intermediate Class. Jin, too, essentially had the beginner cadets as his faction for now.
"Hahaha, I’m lending them to you, you dimwits. I don't like the idea of the youngest growing up too fast either. There’s something unsettling about him."
"If you can't crush Jin even after taking my slaves, you’d better be prepared for what comes next, my dear brothers."
The Tona brothers clenched their fists and nodded.
If they could use their sisters' 5-star cadets, defeating Jin didn't seem like a mere pipe dream anymore.
*
I feel like people are talking about me everywhere.
Having finished his report, Jin scratched his ear as he returned to his room.
"I heard you successfully completed your first mission. Congratulations, Young Master. This nanny is so moved...!"
"Thanks, Gilly. I want to take a bath, so please get some warm water ready."
"It is already prepared."
"As expected."
It was good to be home. Jin hummed to himself. Having spent nearly a week camping outdoors, he had missed the warm tub and the scent of fragrant soap.
"Hey, kid."
However, just as he was about to enter the bathroom, Murakan blocked his path with a look of pure fury.
"Oh, our Nabi Runcandel. I missed—"
"Are you out of your mind?"
"What now?"
Startled, Jin turned his head to avoid Murakan’s gaze.
"How many times, huh? How many times did I tell you not to use Sword Liberation? You could have died if something went wrong. Huh? Is there a problem with your ears, or is it your head? Tell me now so I can just get rid of one of them."
"Haha... Why is the Great Black Dragon using such harsh language? There was a reason for—"
"A reason? A reeeason? You’re saying there was a reason more precious than your life? Where in the world could there be a reason more precious than the life of Solderet’s one—and only!—contractor? Hmm?"
"Murakan-nim. The Young Master has only just returned, so for now..."
"Stay out of this, Strawberry Pie. This is serious."
"Understood."
"No, Murakan. Listen. It’s not like I did it on purpose. My cadet was kidnapped right in front of me; how could I just let that go? He was about to become minced meat for the White Wolves."
"The pendant! Is Orgal’s Pendant around your neck just for decoration? You could have just summoned your sister with that!"
"It’s a waste! I don't know what kind of powerful enemies I’ll face in the future, so how could I use it now?"
"A-a waste? You think that’s more wasteful than your life? Oh, oh boy. Ugh!"
Murakan clutched the back of his neck and collapsed. A startled Gilly rushed over to support him.
"Are you alright, Murakan-nim?"
"Hey, are you okay? Don't just collapse like that."
"...Fine. Dammit, it’s already in the past, so getting angry only hurts me. My neck is so stiff from the stress I feel like I’m going to pass out."
Yet, as he leaned on Gilly, Murakan somehow looked quite satisfied. It was almost as if his goal hadn't been scolding Jin, but rather getting Gilly to support him.
"Um, Murakan. By the way, how did you know I used Sword Liberation?"
"Your spirit energy suddenly jumped to the mid 4-star level; how could I not know? You damn brat. Does a Contractor of a Thousand Years just gain an extra star of spirit energy like that after being so reckless?"
"I felt like I’d gotten stronger after the spirit energy overload, but I didn't realize I’d gone up a whole star."
Jin couldn't help but cheer inwardly. He had been secretly anxious about the sudden surge in his spirit energy, but seeing Murakan’s reaction, it seemed he didn't need to worry.
"Consider it a blessing from Solderet. I’ve seen eleven beings experience spirit energy overload in my life, and nine of them died."
"Who’s the other one who survived? The First Patriarch?"
"No. That was me. If it had been Temar, he would’ve died."
Pfft.
Murakan and Jin burst into laughter at the same time.
"Anyway, don't you dare do it again. You’re happy about gaining a star all of a sudden, right? That’s the price of a life-threatening gamble. If you get drunk on that sweet growth and try Sword Liberation again before reaching 5-star, you will definitely die."
"I don't want to experience that pain a second time either. So, if the scolding is over, I’m going to go wash up now."
Jin scurried off into the bathroom.
"Strawberry Pie, don't give him any food today. A brat like that needs to starve for about two days to come to his senses. Got it?" Murakan called out to Jin’s retreating back, but…
"I-I am sorry... Murakan-nim. Since I have the duty of serving the Young Master..."
"Kiyah, I’m jealous, so jealous. I’m so jealous I’m going crazy. What a kid, having more luck than he knows what to do with."