Chapter 301: Vacation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 301: Vacation (2)
“Is that so? That’s a wonderful idea. Mother just granted me a ten-day leave as well.”
“Oh, really?”
Unlike Murakan, whose face was crumpled in disappointment, Gilly’s face lit up, her eyes sparkling. She was genuinely overjoyed at the prospect of everyone going on vacation together.
“I’m so looking forward to it! I should buy some new clothes and get my hair trimmed.”
“You seem really happy, Gilly.”
“I’m just a little excited at the thought of all our companions gathering after so long. Haha, when should we leave?”
“If it makes you this happy, we should leave as soon as possible. Let’s go tomorrow.”
“Wait, tomorrow? Then I have to hurry! Before the shops close.”
“Have a safe trip.”
Gilly grabbed her purse and scurried out of the room.
Jin smiled as he watched her go, while Murakan let out a long sigh.
“Just so we’re clear, I only told Gilly to take a vacation. I never said we should all go together.”
“Hmph, who said anything?”
“No, it’s just… I get the feeling you want to blame me for getting shot down…”
“Who got shot down?!”
“If you say so.”
For some reason, a petty sense of satisfaction washed over Jin.
“…Well, seeing her that happy, I suppose it’s not so bad. If Strawberry Pie is happy, that’s enough for me.”
“When you put it like that, you make me feel bad for enjoying your misery.”
“What? You were enjoying it? You damn brat.”
As Murakan glared at him with narrowed eyes, Jin pointed toward the door.
“If you really want a date, go catch Gilly right now. Helping her pick out clothes and watching her get her hair done—isn’t that a date, too? You can walk around and grab some juice together.”
“Oh, what a brilliant idea! I take back the ‘damn brat’ part.”
Clap!
Jin and Murakan instinctively raised their hands and shared a high-five.
“I’m off!”
Dash! Murakan bolted out of the room.
For a while, Jin watched through the open window with a satisfied smile as Murakan caught up to Gilly, the two of them exiting the Garden of Swords together. Seeing Gilly smile back at Murakan was a heartwarming sight.
They’re quite cute, those two. Maybe I’ll take a nap for the first time in a while.
Since returning to the Garden of Swords, Jin had been suffering from extreme fatigue.
Upon his arrival, he had endured a strike from Cyron, dueled Mary, fought Silderay, and even carried out a Black Knight assassination mission.
He had pushed his body to its absolute limit without a single moment of rest.
The moment his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.
When he woke up, it was night. A cool breeze drifted through the open window, and the moonlight shone down beautifully.
Gilly and Murakan had not yet returned. The two were likely sitting on a hill somewhere, enjoying beer and fruit while taking in the night view of Kalon.
Just as he settled in to enjoy the gentle night breeze from his bed, Jin bolted upright.
I never opened the window. And there’s no way Petro would have left it open.
It hadn't blown open on its own, either. He had made sure it was locked before he went to sleep.
There was only one kind of person who would enter through a window like a thief.
An assassin.
…I slept deeply, but not so deeply that I’d fail to notice an assassin approaching.
He didn't think any of his siblings would be foolish enough to bring an assassin directly into the Garden of Swords, but he had maintained a certain level of tension just in case.
Yet, he hadn't sensed a single presence until the window was already open. Just how skilled was this intruder?
As Jin sharpened his senses and scanned his surroundings, he suddenly burst into laughter.
It was because he saw a single flower, woven into a ring, sitting on the bedside table.
It was a Green Rose.
Sister Yona was here. Well, I suppose simply maintaining ‘a certain level of tension’ isn’t enough to sense her presence.
A letter lay beside the flower.
[To my beloved youngest! Congratulations on becoming a Flagbearer.
Your big sister came all this way, and you were sleeping like the dead.
Considering how you caused a huge mess and vanished the year before last without a word, I thought about just killing you.
I bet if I’d pulled out a hidden weapon, you would’ve sensed it and woken up.
I just came by because I missed you. You missed me too? Yes, I know, even if you don't say it.
I’m proud to see you’ve grown so strong. You looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn’t wake you.
I’ve been swamped with requests lately. I'm praying that among the many people I have to kill, some of them are people you need dead or who have wronged you.
Anyway, let’s go play together again once things settle down. Bye for now!]
Crackle…
To his surprise, the letter turned to dust and scattered the moment he finished reading it. It wasn't magic, but paper made in Samil’s unique style.
Honestly, Sister… I don't know whether to call her cute or terrifying.
A smile spread across his face as he imagined Yona sneaking in to leave the Green Rose and the letter.
He was grateful for her. Amidst siblings who were all trying to kill him, only Yona and Luna reminded him what the word ‘family’ was supposed to mean.
He quietly picked up the Green Rose and held it up to the moonlight.
Memories of looking at the fields of Green Roses with Yona in Samil surfaced, and he couldn't take his eyes off it for a long time.
Ah, I almost forgot.
“Let’s have a drink tonight,” he remembered saying to the Tona brothers in front of the conference room earlier. He also remembered them saying they would prepare some good liquor.
The Tona brothers and Emma must be waiting anxiously. Especially Emma; she’s probably getting restless by now.
He walked lightly toward the Tona brothers' room.
The moment he swung their door open, Jin couldn't help but burst into laughter once more.
Was today just a day for laughter?
[A banquet to celebrate the friendship of the Runcandel 12th, 10th, and 11th Flagbearers and the 12th Flagbearer’s first successful mission. It is an honor!]
The first thing he saw upon opening the door was that massive banner.
The blatant intention behind placing ‘12th Flagbearer’ at the very front was painfully obvious.
Next, he saw the Tona brothers wearing flamboyant party hats he couldn't imagine where they'd found. Candles flickered amidst a lavish spread of refreshments and fruit.
“Oh. You’re here, youngest?”
“Come, sit anywhere. Haha.”
“Brothers, what is all this?”
“Ah, well. Emma said since you were coming…”
Sizzle!
The sound of meat grilling came from further inside. Emma had been waiting all evening to time the grilling perfectly for the moment Jin arrived.
She peeked her head out, made eye contact with Jin, then hurriedly untied her apron and stepped forward to give a polite bow.
“You have arrived, Young Master Jin. Since I have committed several discourtesies in the past, I have prepared some simple drinks and dishes with a repentant heart.”
At this point, it went beyond being burdensome or absurd; it was simply hilarious.
“This doesn't look very simple. It seems quite professional. Did you… make all these cookies yourself?”
“It is nothing compared to the consideration you showed me and the Young Masters Tona on your first day back.”
“I feel like there might be poison in them.”
“Haha, surely not. If you would please have a seat, I will have the food ready shortly.”
A look of joy crossed Emma’s face as Jin sat down.
The Tona brothers, who had been worried Emma’s over-the-top hospitality would backfire, visibly relaxed.
How commendable.
That was Jin’s impression. Seeing them try so desperately to prove they were on his side didn't feel entirely bad. It helped that he was already in a good mood thanks to Yona.
Since they’re flattering me this openly, I might as well play along.
Pop!
Heitona uncorked a bottle, and a pleasant aroma wafted out.
“Congratulations, youngest!”
“Congratulations!”
For the first time, he shared a casual conversation with the Tona brothers. Like close relatives gathered for a chat, their conversation was filled with trivial topics.
It was mostly the Tona brothers chattering away while Jin listened.
While Emma had told them to ‘get close’ to him, the Tona brothers also had a genuine desire to be near Jin.
At first, it was because Jin was strong and special, but now it was simple affection—a bond forged during their time together at Storm Castle and as cadets.
Of course, the Tona brothers had made countless mistakes regarding Jin during that time, but on the other hand, there were also many moments when they had genuinely worried for and cared about him.
Empty bottles began to pile up.
It was only toward dawn that Emma joined the conversation, telling Jin about the current state of the clan and Huphester.
The part that caught Jin’s attention was this:
“Young Master Jin, while our Niltro family is a martial house, we also have a tradition of producing judges. Many of my relatives are currently active judges. However, I recently heard a strange story from my older brother, who is the Chief Justice of the Fonta region.”
“What is it?”
“He said that Young Master Joshua has instructed judges across Huphester to broaden the criteria for applying the death penalty to criminals.”
“To lower the crime rate? It's always good to catch and kill criminals,” Daytona said.
Emma nodded. “That is the likely reason. However, for some reason, once the criteria were broadened, the death row inmates were no longer executed in their respective cities. Instead, most are transported to Ricalton to have their sentences carried out.”
“Ricalton? Isn't that a city in the southern region?”
“That is correct, Young Master Jin. And there is one more strange thing.”
“Go on.”
“The death row inmates transported to Ricalton are apparently only ever executed in large groups. Once hundreds have gathered, they are put to death all at once. But strangely, no one has ever witnessed the actual executions. Only the sight of the bodies being burned is ever made public.”
Suddenly, a past conversation flashed through Jin’s mind.
—Do you also know how that woman clones Joshua?
—I only know that it requires a great many humans.
—…What?
—It seems she uses the death row inmates of Huphester. When they are sent to the Prophet, a new body is created… The Count mainly used those bodies to handle people like me. To strengthen his potential contractors, and then to personally suppress them if they went on a rampage.
The conversation he’d had while persuading Julian in Tikan.
If what Emma said was true, Ricalton was very likely the city Joshua used to procure death row inmates for creating his clones.
There’s no way Emma brought this up with the Prophet and Joshua’s physical cloning in mind. She probably just mentioned it because she knows Joshua and I are at odds and wanted to share anything related to him. But I’ve stumbled upon a clue in an unexpected place.
In reality, Emma knew nothing of the Prophet or the physical cloning.
However, seeing Jin fall into thought after hearing her story, she could guess that there was something significant about Ricalton.
“I fear I have spoken too freely of the Second Flagbearer, especially for a mere nanny. I will be careful not to speak of this to anyone else, Young Master Jin.”
She was signaling that she would never mention this story to anyone but him.
Emma was a woman with her own brand of shrewdness.
“That would be wise.”
Jin smiled as he clinked glasses with Emma and the Tona brothers.
*
Early the next morning.
A group of warriors shrouded in robes crossed the lake of the Garden of Swords.
Each wore a solemn expression, as if they were on their way to address a matter of grave importance.