Chapter 349: Kinzelo’s Visit (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 349: Kinzelo’s Visit (1)
The city of Kalon.
Its residents watched with curious eyes as a group of people walked down the main thoroughfare. They were staring at ten beastmen and two humans.
It was Verakt, the White Wolf warriors, Vishkel, and Margiella.
In Kalon, it was common to see armored knights moving in groups of five or even hundreds. The sight of beastmen walking the streets, however, was a rare spectacle.
Verakt stood out the most.
His mere presence was overwhelming; just by walking, he exuded a pressure as if a fortress were on the move or a massive galleon were sailing through the city. In any other place, the residents would have trembled with fear and anxiety at the sight of him, even if they had done nothing wrong.
But this was Kalon.
The heart of Huphester and the seat of Runcandel.
The residents of Kalon did not fear outsiders. The city was, quite literally, the safest in the world. No matter how great the titan, how fierce the enemy, or how terrible the monster, none could run amok within its walls. Here, the right to draw a sword, fight, and settle scores was a privilege reserved solely for those who belonged to Runcandel.
"Halt."
As Verakt’s group reached the path leading to the Garden of Swords, a Guardian Knight stationed there spoke in a low voice.
To the White Wolf warriors, his tone was unforgivably insolent. A mere human dared to speak so arrogantly to the Great Warrior of the White Wolf Tribe.
Just as the warriors were about to growl in response, Verakt quietly released a condensed aura—a silent command for them to stand down.
"Why was this visit not announced in advance?" the knight asked.
"I did not think it necessary when visiting an old friend," Verakt replied calmly.
"Wait here while I verify your clearance."
The knight, who maintained his overbearing attitude to the end, was a 7-star. By any normal standard, it was a formidable rank, but he was nowhere near a match for Verakt—or for anyone Verakt had brought with him.
Nevertheless, the Guardian Knight remained composed, his pride as a Runcandel unwavering. He believed that even if he were to lose his life for questioning the discourtesy of such a massive figure, that same figure would never leave the city alive. That truth held firm even for Kelliark Zipple himself, let alone Verakt.
After a long while, soldiers returned with an answer for the Guardian Knight.
"Entry is permitted."
The White Wolf warriors wanted to tear the man apart right then and there, but Verakt himself seemed entirely unbothered. In fact, he was inwardly praising the Guardian Knight.
I’ve thought this for a long time, but it seems all the truly capable humans are gathered in Runcandel.
"Runcandel knights certainly have spirit, Uncle Verakt," Margiella remarked.
"Hmph! Though the best among them is our Vice Captain, of course," one of the warriors grumbled.
Verakt’s humiliation did not end there.
Even after they entered the Garden of Swords, no one came out to greet them. They were left standing idly in the courtyard for quite some time.
"This is too much. Great Warrior, I know our visit was sudden, but must we endure such insults in silence?"
"And if we don't stay silent, what will you do?"
"Let us leave. We shouldn't have tried to talk to these humans in the first place."
Verakt shook his head, and Vishkel spoke up in his stead.
"From our perspective, this treatment is an insult. But to Runcandel, our unannounced arrival is a grave offense. Considering this is Runcandel, they’re practically giving us a warm welcome. So stay quiet."
Verakt grinned, seemingly satisfied with Vishkel’s explanation.
As expected. There’s no human quite like our Vice Captain.
After another long wait, thirty Enforcement Knights and Rosa Runcandel finally emerged into the garden.
"An old friend? I wasn't aware we shared such a relationship, Verakt Sidriker."
"It’s been a long time, Rosa."
In their youth, Rosa and Verakt had fought many duels. Their record was even, and both had suffered major injuries every time they clashed. The only reason they hadn't killed each other was their mutual desire to avoid a pointless all-out war between the beastmen and Runcandel.
"I doubt you came all this way to trade blows out of nostalgia. What brings you here unannounced?"
"I have something to tell your son, something to receive from him, and a proposal to make."
"Is this about the youngest?"
"It is."
"Come in. We’ll speak inside."
Rosa sent a servant to find Jin. However, she did not tell him to come straight to the drawing room where Verakt was waiting. The servant delivered a note with Rosa’s instructions.
[Once I know what Verakt intends to tell you, what he wants from you, and what he plans to propose—and only after I've decided that your meeting him will benefit Runcandel—then you may come to the drawing room.]
He shows up out of the blue and says he has something to tell me, something to receive, and a proposal to make, Jin thought. What are they up to?
And according to the servant, Vishkel and Margiella were with him.
The Ivliano family. Vishkel had become its patriarch around the time Jin began his life as a reserve flagbearer. Jin had naturally assumed that Vishkel served as an executive of Kinzelo to secure the revival of the Ivliano family. After all, the Ivliano family was once renowned as one of Huphester’s most prominent martial houses.
To achieve that, he shouldn't be antagonizing Runcandel. The fact that he's here at the Garden of Swords with a Kinzelo titan, unannounced, means his goal is different from what I assumed.
Or perhaps he had already finished weighing his options between Runcandel and Kinzelo.
Regardless, the priority was to understand Verakt’s purpose.
Something to tell, something to receive, and a proposal. It wasn't difficult to deduce two of them.
What he wants to receive from me is either the compass or compensation for the Wraith Squad’s ambush. There’s nothing else Kinzelo would demand from me. And the proposal…
An alliance.
Jin was certain Kinzelo would propose an alliance.
During the Holy Kingdom incident and when I rescued the small beastmen recently, Kinzelo has consistently shown me goodwill. And that's despite me never acting friendly toward them, stealing their compass, and decimating the Dark Magic Association.
Kindness without reason didn't exist. There was a clear reason Kinzelo kept showing him favor.
It was because their alliance with Zipple had shattered.
Jin himself was the one who had contributed most to ending that alliance. The destruction of the Demon God Stone and the theft of the compass had broken the trust between the two powers. The alliance was bound to break eventually, but Jin had significantly accelerated the timeline.
In the process, Zipple suffered one-sided losses, while Kinzelo reaped gains of their own.
Furthermore, with the meteoric rise of "Barmul" Jin Runcandel, who was constantly thwarting Zipple, it was only natural for Kinzelo to consider an alliance. If Kinzelo formed a partial alliance with Jin as an individual, and later, when he ascended to the patriarch's throne, that evolved into a full alliance with the massive power of Runcandel… they likely concluded that their grand ambition could be easily achieved.
Then what is it he wants to tell me? Information about Zipple?
That was the only thing that came to mind, but he had no idea what kind of information it might be.
Come to the drawing room once Kinzelo’s purpose is clear, and once I conclude that your meeting with Verakt benefits Runcandel…
Jin looked over the note again.
It didn't take long for him to finish his calculations.
"Murakan."
"Yeah."
"Let's go. To the drawing room."
"Eh? Me too?"
While Jin had been contemplating Rosa’s note, Murakan had been chatting idly with Gilly.
"Yes. It seems Kinzelo is going to propose an alliance, so it’s better if you come along."
"Why? Worried that Verakt guy will start a riot?"
"That won't happen. I just need to show Mother that Jin Runcandel the 12th Flagbearer and Jin Runcandel the Contractor of Solderet are two different things."
"Then I’ll just go as a cat. If I’m in human form, I’ll have to exchange words with those guys, and that’s a pain."
"Do that."
Poof, meow! Murakan transformed and hopped onto Jin’s shoulder.
"The 12th Flagbearer is here."
"Enter."
Upon entering the drawing room, Jin saw Rosa, the knights, and Verakt’s group. Rosa and Verakt looked calm, but a thick tension flowed between the knights and the beastmen. The bloodlust they radiated was enough to make one's skin tingle.
Amidst it all, Margiella's beaming smile stood out.
"I heard you were looking for me, Sir Verakt Sidriker, Great Warrior of the White Wolf Tribe."
"Indeed. We’ve met before, haven't we?"
"This is our first meeting."
When Jin spoke nonchalantly, Verakt let out a low chuckle.
"I’d like to speak with you alone, but I doubt my old friend here would allow that. So, I’ll get straight to the point."
"Yes. You said you had something to tell me, something to receive, and a proposal."
"First, the proposal. Join Kinzelo."
Shing! Shing!
The moment Verakt finished speaking, the Enforcement Knights drew their swords.
The White Wolf warriors couldn't draw their weapons in response. Though their blood boiled, they knew all too well that doing so would lead to immediate catastrophe.
Strike.
If Rosa uttered that single word, Verakt and the Kinzelo warriors would not leave this land alive.
In the brief silence that followed, Jin shrugged.
"Sure."
At his response, the Enforcement Knights' eyebrows twitched. But Jin immediately followed up.
"I’ll join if you give me the position of Leader."
"Hahaha!"
Verakt burst into a boisterous laugh, causing a powerful vibration to ripple through the drawing room.
"What a character. He truly is the one who came from Rosa Runcandel's womb."
"I’ll take that as a compliment."
"But why did you answer like that? What would you have done if I accepted the offer? Did you really intend to give up your status as the 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel and join Kinzelo?"
"Personally, it wouldn't be an ideal development, but for the sake of the family, it seems like a decent choice. Since Kinzelo has emerged as a major power rather than a third-rate terrorist group, joining forces with Runcandel would make it entirely possible to annihilate Zipple."
It was a lie, of course. Jin had no intention of joining Kinzelo, no matter what they offered.
"That’s a shame. I can offer you the position of Vice Captain, so contact me anytime if you change your mind."
Jin read Kinzelo's specific intention in those words.
This is a warning to Mother. If Runcandel suppresses me too much, Kinzelo is ready to take me in at any time with extraordinary conditions.
For Jin, it was like gaining an insurance policy without lifting a finger. While it was an insurance he would never use, Rosa would now be forced to reconsider how she handled him.
"What is it you have to tell me?"
At that moment, Jin saw Margiella mouthing words… just as she had during the Holy Kingdom incident.
I’ll be the one to tell you that, Sir Jin.
With Rosa and dozens of Enforcement Knights watching, she was likely the only person in the world who would dare to communicate by silently mouthing words.