Chapter 384: Who is the Real Runcandel? (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 384: Who is the Real Runcandel? (4)
Blink, blink.
For a long moment, Murakan just blinked, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. His face was a mask of pure bewilderment, but soon, his eyes began to sparkle, and a wicked grin spread across his lips.
“Kwahahaha! You’re going to declare Runcandel’s return as a clan of magic swordsmen? Are you serious?!”
His voice was filled with the excitement of a child who had just received an unexpected gift.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“Did you find some kind of answer in that guy’s fourth tomb? Something to break the curse the Zipple and their gods laid on us?”
The humiliation Runcandel had suffered at the hands of the Zipple a thousand years ago—a curse disguised as a Covenant.
Never use magic again.
Never worship the ancestors who used magic.
That was the reason Runcandel, once the world's only clan of magic swordsmen, had been reduced to a mere family of knights. As a result of that curse, every Runcandel born after Temar came into the world with a body incapable of wielding mana.
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“Visiting Temar’s tombs simply helped me make up my mind. At this rate, Runcandel has no future.”
Through Solderet’s recording devices left in each tomb, Jin had glimpsed the majesty of the Runcandel of old. As the legitimate successor carrying their will, he had uncovered their secret history and personally experienced the martial prowess of the great magic swordsmen of the past.
The Runcandel of that era was undoubtedly a clan of incomparable brilliance.
And yet…
Even that radiant Runcandel had been forced to its knees by the power of the Zipple. Before that dark, colossal power that manipulated reality and history at will, even the greatest magic swordsmen were helpless.
All they could do was leave behind a small spark for the future.
“Their ability to manipulate history is on a different level than what you remember from your era. Just as we are reclaiming the history of the old Runcandel, the Zipple must be working to reclaim the power they held back then.”
The Zipple of that time hadn't emerged unscathed, either. They had suffered immense losses in the process of breaking the old Runcandel. Had they ended the war without significant damage, the very existence of Runcandel today would have been impossible.
A thousand years had passed, yet neither Runcandel nor the Zipple had fully regained their ancient strength.
“I suppose so. Just look at their attempts to recreate the Origin Stone. It’s clear they’re intent on total world domination.”
“In my opinion, if things stay as they are, the Zipple are far more likely to reclaim their old power first. That’s why I need to start moving in earnest.”
Until now, he hadn't been able to.
Since his regression, Jin had spent most of his time hiding his strength from the clan. He only revealed himself as a magic swordsman to the world near the end of his time as a reserve flagbearer, and even after donning the flagbearer’s uniform, he rarely displayed his full capabilities in front of his family.
It wasn't because he enjoyed hiding his power, nor was it because he didn't find it frustrating.
It was simply a necessity. He had to wait until he was certain he could withstand the clan's pressure once his true strength was revealed.
Jin judged that the time was now.
“Youngest.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Appointing you as a flagbearer is a great loss for Runcandel. I will be watching to see if you are a man worthy of making up for that loss.”
“I understand.”
“I do not have much time left. The appointment ceremony begins in one hour. Stay here until then, and then come out.”
He recalled the conversation he’d had with Cyron on the day he became a flagbearer.
The fact that Cyron didn't have much time left meant only one thing.
The time during which the world's strongest knight could protect Runcandel was running out.
‘As long as Father is here, the Zipple will not strike Runcandel.’
Jin had reached that conclusion not long ago.
It was common knowledge that the Zipple avoided a full-scale war with Runcandel, despite their clear advantage in total military strength, because of Cyron. The general consensus was that the two powers would eventually clash if a situation arose where neither could back down.
However, Jin’s conclusion was different: as long as Cyron existed, there would be no full-scale war, regardless of the cause or justification. Never.
‘I have already broken the Covenant Runcandel made with the Zipple long ago.’
And that wasn't all.
He had killed pure-blooded Zipples like Andrei, Karl, and Myuron, as well as several members of the Wraith Squad, the Zipple’s elite force. He also had a record of twice crippling the Kozec, the flagship that symbolized the Zipple’s global authority. During the Holy Kingdom Incident, Jin had single-handedly dragged the Zipple’s prestige through the mud while still a reserve flagbearer, and recently, he had been grating on their nerves with his cosmetics business.
While he had always been careful to cover his tracks or create justifications to prevent escalation, any one of those incidents was significant enough to spark a total war.
‘Yet the Zipple still haven't attacked Runcandel. Not even when I’ve caused all that trouble while Father is away in the Black Sea.’
It was partly because Cyron was a formidable obstacle.
But Jin believed it was also because the Zipple were aware that Cyron’s time was limited.
‘They probably think victory is theirs as long as they wait patiently…’
I do not have much time left.
Jin felt he finally understood why Cyron had left him with those words.
“Even if I declare now that I will return Runcandel to a clan of magic swordsmen, no one in the Garden of Swords can easily punish me. My presence has become too significant.”
“Whoa, look at our kid. Saying such bold things with such a serious face. You must be pretty confident, huh?”
Both Jin and Murakan let out a small chuckle at the same time.
“Instead of punishing me, the clan will split into factions. The progressives who want to return to being a magic swordsman clan, and the conservatives who want to maintain the current tradition.”
“And you and Joshua will each lead one side.”
“That’s how it will go.”
“Won’t your mother stand in your way?”
“Mother probably won’t be a major issue. It’s too much of a burden for her to get rid of me now, and more importantly, since I brought up Temar’s tombs, there’s too much she needs to find out from me. There’s plenty for her to exploit.”
“She really is an annoying woman. Anyway, tell me what you found out in the fourth tomb. I was dying of curiosity while waiting for you.”
“In the fourth tomb…”
Jin spent some time explaining the events in the Wantaramo Forest to Murakan, who listened intently with wide eyes.
“…Hah, so that Hister kid was a descendant of the fairies? And the fairies of Wantaramo were cursed by Heluram?”
“Yes.”
“Damn it, I remember almost nothing about the fairies from back then. I can’t tell if it’s because of that cursed history manipulation or because I slept for too long.”
Murakan pressed a hand to his forehead in frustration. Whenever he faced the fact that his memories were incomplete, a deep sense of emptiness made his head spin. It was a phenomenon born from the guilt of forgetting his comrades and the helplessness of being the only one who survived.
“We can find them one by one, Murakan. Don’t blame yourself.”
At Jin’s words, a faint smile touched Murakan’s lips.
“Right, kid. Since I have you, we’ll eventually get it all back. And about that Valeria person.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m starting to think she might be one of Solderet’s arrangements as well.”
“Could be. In fact, the Hister family is the only card that can perfectly counter the Zipple’s history manipulation.”
“Where is she now? I’d like to talk to her myself. Just as she looked into your records, couldn't she look into mine and bring back my memories?”
“Valeria is likely traveling the world right now, searching for the fifth tomb. I have a few addresses where I can reach her, so I’ll arrange a meeting soon.”
“Well, since she can use record magic, she’ll be much better at finding it than us or our enemies. Excellent. I’ll look forward to gaining something from my own records when I meet the Hister kid.”
“I think we’ve settled things for now, so I should head out.”
While Jin had been in the operating room, the Garden of Swords had remained in a state of emergency. It was partly out of fear that Murakan might go on a rampage, but they all realized it too: once the 12th Flagbearer woke up, he wouldn't let things slide. The Garden of Swords was about to be thrown into upheaval.
The moment Jin stepped out of the room, a new confrontation would begin.
“Alright, let’s go. I want to see how those Runcandel brats’ faces change when they hear your declaration.”
“No, it wouldn't look right if I brought you along.”
“What?”
“The impact is better if I make the declaration alone and handle the aftermath myself. How would it look if a Runcandel, facing other Runcandels, had to hide behind his guardian dragon?”
“There’s always a ‘what if,’ kid. What if the 2nd Flagbearer, his followers, or even your mother tries to kill you after hearing your declaration?”
Jin simply shrugged.
“That won’t happen. But even if it did, do you really think I’d die?”
Jin was confident he could escape even the worst-case scenario. With the help of the few people who were clearly on his side, like Mary, it was entirely possible.
“Heh, feels like only yesterday we were joking about ‘Children's Spirit Energy Competitions’ and whatnot. You’ve really grown up, kid.”
“Besides, you have something else to do.”
“What is it?”
“You need to go get Strawberry Pie—I mean, Gilly.”
The moment Gilly’s name was mentioned, Murakan’s brow furrowed.
“I’m telling you now, if there’s even a single scratch on Strawberry Pie, I’m killing everyone directly involved, even if you try to stop me.”
“That goes without saying. Go out first, get the location of where Gilly is being held from Elder Telot, and bring her back. I’ll only feel at ease if you’re the one who goes.”
As Murakan left the room, Jin took a deep breath.
Whew…
It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous. However, amidst the tension tightening his chest, there was also a sense of swelling anticipation.
Click!
After confirming Murakan was flying outside the window, Jin opened the door and stepped out. The sunlight felt exceptionally bright.
“Young Master!”
Petro approached Jin and bowed his head.
“My arm is back in one piece, thanks to you. Thank you. I was… quite moved.”
“It was nothing, sir.”
“Are Mother, the flagbearers, and the elders in the central conference room?”
At that question, Petro shook his head with a heavy expression.
“They are at the training ground.”
“The training ground?”
“Yes. They told me to bring you there as soon as you woke up… I have a bad feeling about this. The reason they called you to the training ground is all too obvious.”
It meant they were prepared to settle things with force if necessary.
Unlike the worried Petro, Jin smiled as if this were for the best.
“I was a bit worried about smashing up the conference room, so this actually works out better.”
“Pardon?”
While Petro stared with wide eyes, Jin added one last thing.
“I can’t exactly swing a sword on an empty stomach, can I?”