Chapter 382: Who is the Real Runcandel? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 382: Who is the Real Runcandel? (2)
Gush, spurt!
A fountain of blood erupted from the severed stumps. A pool of crimson formed on the ground in an instant, and the Enforcement Knights had already stepped back, sheathing their swords.
Jin’s expression remained calm. His gaze never wavered from Jorden.
To Jorden, that composed stare from a mere fledgling was more terrifying than anything else. Despite being unarmed—despite having his arms hacked off—Jin simply stood there, walking forward with steady thuds. For some reason, a chilling sensation, as if a blade were tracing his spine, washed over Jorden.
‘This is absurd…!’
The thought flashed through Jorden’s mind as he gritted his teeth.
Absurd.
The idea that he could see a young Cyron Runcandel in this arrogant brat was surely nothing more than a leap of logic.
Back then, when he was a second-tier flagbearer competing against Cyron, Jorden had received a silent warning from him exactly once.
It was a look.
A gaze that promised elimination if he continued to challenge him.
Only after facing that indifferent warning did the young Jorden truly realize the truth: Cyron was of a different caliber, a being from another world entirely.
He realized he was nothing more than an ant that Cyron could crush at any moment.
‘The Patriarch back then was already at the pinnacle of the world. He was, quite literally, the Solitary Supreme.’
So why did this 12th Flagbearer, with both arms severed, possess that same aura? An oppressive presence he hadn't experienced from anyone since Cyron!
Blink.
In the time it took to close and open his eyes, these thoughts raced through his mind like lightning. All this déjà vu was condensed into a single, fleeting moment.
"Medics! Call the medics, now…!"
Someone’s urgent shout pierced his ears, sounding distorted and elongated as if he were underwater.
Gasp!
Only then did Jorden catch his breath and snap out of the trance. Goosebumps, cold as iron filings, prickled the back of his neck.
"Get the medics here! Damn it, hurry!"
The one screaming was the butler, Petro.
Normally, a mere butler would never dare to shout like that in the presence of elders and flagbearers. However, Petro had only one thought in his mind: treatment had to begin before Jin’s arms became necrotic.
Even for top-tier healers, perfectly treating a severance wound was no easy feat.
Reattaching a limb was simple enough, but a warrior’s arm was different from an ordinary person’s. If it didn't regain its original function perfectly, it was no different from a warrior having their wings clipped. Even the continent’s most renowned healers couldn't restore a limb to its original state if they missed the window of opportunity immediately following the injury.
"Medics!"
Mary also bit her lower lip and called for the medical team. Her knights were already sprinting toward the infirmary like madmen.
In less than twenty seconds, the knights returned, carrying the medics on their backs. In the meantime, Dipus and Mary worked feverishly to staunch the bleeding from Jin’s shoulders.
‘Uncle Jorden, this won't end well for you.’
Amidst the chaos, Jin swallowed a victorious smile.
Even though Jin hid his smirk, everyone watching this scene in the courtyard knew the truth. They knew which of the two, Jin or Jorden, was the real winner.
"Move aside!"
"You two, go fetch the herbs! We’ll perform emergency treatment here and then move the 12th Flagbearer to the operating room!"
The Runcandel healers shouted as they examined Jin’s body.
"Is the youngest going to be okay?! Can his arms be restored?!"
The Tona brothers, who had been anxiously watching from the sidelines, finally ran over and barked questions at the medics.
"We cannot give a definitive answer!"
The situation was grim. Not only was the blood loss extreme, but Jin was already exhausted from dealing with assassins before his return to the family.
While Runcandel’s medical team consisted of the finest healers in Huphester, even they couldn't guarantee a perfect recovery.
"You must treat him perfectly! You must!"
"7th Flagbearer, I’m fine, so don't worry too much," Jin offered Mary a faint smile. The healers, pouring mana into the severed surfaces, were breathing heavily.
"And I’m sorry for dumping the meeting on you alone."
"Don't worry about that crap, dammit. I still have a long way to go before I’m done fighting you."
"Petro."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Jin gestured with his chin toward Fey inside the carriage.
"That is my trophy."
He was telling Petro not to let anyone take Fey or even inspect her while he was in surgery.
Normally, this would have been an impossible order for Petro to carry out. In a situation like this, if the Elder Council demanded her, Petro—and his master, Jin—would have had no choice but to hand her over.
However, through this incident, the name 'Jin Runcandel' had attained a new level of prestige within the family.
No one could ever again lay a finger on the 12th Flagbearer, nor his people, without serious consideration.
Even the Elder Council Head had tried to pressure Jin with a seemingly valid reason, only to end up utterly humiliated. Now, crossing Jin was a matter that required genuine resolve.
"Understood!"
Though he remained worried about Jin, Petro felt a surge of pride so intense it made the back of his head tingle.
"12th Flagbearer, we are moving to the operating room!"
"I leave it in your hands."
"We will do our absolute best."
Having finished the emergency treatment, the medics began to move Jin toward the infirmary.
Jorden and the elders watched them go in silence for a long time.
The atmosphere was not one where the Elder Council could declare that the Elder Council Head still had business with the 12th Flagbearer, or that a mere butler had no right to interfere, or that the Enforcement Knights were justified in severing the arms of a law-breaking flagbearer. They couldn't say a single word.
Above all else, Jorden had lost his will to fight.
‘Even if it was just for a moment… I, Jorden, felt fear toward that brat based on a mere sense of déjà vu.’
Was the fear he felt from Cyron in his youth truly that profound? Or did the 12th Flagbearer possess an indescribable will of his own? He couldn't quite tell which it was.
‘But one thing is certain: he is not someone to be taken lightly…!’
In truth, Jorden had recognized Jin’s potential long ago. He knew Jin had extraordinary qualities that set him apart from the other flagbearers.
Nevertheless, he had never considered Jin an opponent who could 'actually fight' him.
Just as he had once thought of Cyron long ago, he believed he could crush Jin whenever he wished.
That belief had been completely shattered by today’s humiliation. In a lifetime of holding a sword, this was the first time he felt defeated despite cutting down his opponent exactly as intended.
‘Joshua… this boy might be a greater threat to you than even the 2nd Flagbearer. No, perhaps…'
Though he couldn't bring himself to look back, Jorden was acutely aware of Rosa’s gaze directed at them from the inner chamber.
‘He might be more dangerous than Lady Rosa herself.’
There was one other person thinking along the same lines as Jorden.
Joshua Runcandel, the 2nd Flagbearer of the family. He stared down at the pool of blood Jin had left behind, gripped by an ominous premonition.
‘…It looked reckless at a glance, but it was clearly a calculated move. From the moment he urged Mary to go public with the information about the First Patriarch’s tomb, he must have been ready to drop a bomb on the family.’
The skirmish with Elder Council Head Jorden just now was merely the prelude.
Joshua was certain of it.
‘He’s not the type to stop here. He must have something he’s relying on to pull a stunt like this.’
Ever since Mary revealed the information she received from Jin at the last meeting, Joshua had been agonizing over Jin’s intentions.
The legacy.
Mary had clearly stated that there were legacies Solderet had left for Jin in the First Patriarch’s tomb.
‘It’s not just because he decided it would be too difficult to find those legacies alone. There’s another reason. What is it, Jin?’
He needed to figure out Jin’s intent before the surgery was over.
Because as soon as the surgery ended, Jin would undoubtedly cause another uproar in the family.
The youngest was exactly the kind of person who would do that.
He had to prepare. If he stood by, dazed by unexpected developments like he just had, he wouldn't be able to keep up with his youngest brother’s plans.
Countless variables cluttered Joshua’s mind. His head felt like it was going to explode, and a strange sense of anxiety tightened his chest.
‘There must be something fundamental. All of the youngest’s actions must ultimately be to obtain what he truly desires.’
After much deliberation, Joshua finally reached a conclusion.
The Patriarchal Competition!
He wondered why he hadn't thought of it immediately.
‘The youngest leaked the information about the First Patriarch to Mary to gain an advantage in the competition for the throne.’
Inducing the other Runcandels to participate in the search for the tomb through Mary, having only Mary attend the meeting while he stayed away, and even humiliating Jorden at the cost of his own arms immediately upon his return…
They were all actions aimed at seizing the upper hand in the race for the patriarchate.
‘He had Mary leak the information to gain a justification. He had only Mary attend the meeting so that, in the meantime, he could secure the final legacy he could obtain without the family’s help. And as for ruining the Elder Council Head’s reputation…'
It was a display of presence.
Having reached his conclusion, Joshua scanned his surroundings.
What he saw were the Runcandels, all in a state of commotion.
Jin’s every move now exerted a significant influence on the family.
At some point, the dynamic had shifted; instead of Jin observing the family’s atmosphere, the family was now chasing the flow Jin created.
That meant the position of the 12th Flagbearer now carried substantial weight.
It also meant that his own position as the next Patriarch, which he had solidified so firmly, could begin to crack.
"Howard."
Joshua called for his butler.
"Yes, my lord."
"After today, people will start betting their fates on the youngest."
Howard flinched and met Joshua’s eyes.
"There’s no need to be surprised. Father has had his eye on him from the start, so it’s only natural. They will be few at first, but a rolling snowball can grow in an instant."
"How do you intend to respond?"
"Assemble all my knights in the Garden of Swords. Every single person who can arrive before the youngest’s surgery is over—without exception."
"Understood."
Joshua’s reason for assembling his knights was simple.
No matter what kind of bomb Jin dropped when he woke up from surgery, Joshua needed to manifest his own dignity as the 2nd Flagbearer and the future Patriarch.