Chapter 385: Who is the Real Runcandel? (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 385: Who is the Real Runcandel? (5)
“Understood, Young Master.”
A moment later, Petro returned, running so hard his feet were practically smoking as he carried a sandwich stuffed with meat. Petro wondered if it was truly appropriate to be asking for a sandwich in a situation like this, but Jin’s expression was perfectly composed.
“Oh, perfect. Good work.”
“Young Master.”
“What is it?”
“Will you… really be alright?”
“When Gilly and Murakan get back, just wait for me. Have a nice meal together.”
“……I wish you the best of luck, Young Master!”
As if to make Petro’s solemn tone feel misplaced, Jin began walking away, chewing on his sandwich with an utterly nonchalant face.
Chomp, chomp, munch…
The Garden of Swords was so deathly silent that the sound of Jin chewing was strikingly prominent.
And countless sharp gazes were fixed on that very sight.
Just how many Guardian Knights are on standby?
Between Rosa, the Elder Council, and every force Joshua could call upon, knights stood like pillars at every turn of the garden paths.
The looks they gave Jin were far from favorable. Though they tried to hide it, most harbored open hostility toward him. The chaos Jin had brought to the clan was not something the knights welcomed.
Jin, however, paid their stares no mind, focusing only on finishing his sandwich.
To an outsider, it would look like the Runcandels are preparing for war.
In fact, that was exactly the case.
Knights weren't just stationed within the Garden of Swords. The roads of Kalon City had been blockaded, with Guardian Knights deployed at every interval.
Intelligence was spreading across the globe. Reports claimed that the gathering of knights in Kalon was an ominous sign and that all powers needed to exercise extreme caution.
The Zipple, the Viment, the Kinzelo—every major power was on high alert, wondering if the Runcandels were truly about to declare war.
The entire world was on edge because of a single person: the 12th Flagbearer, Jin Runcandel.
He finished the sandwich as he strolled leisurely toward his destination.
Upon reaching the main gates of the Sparring Hall, Jin conjured a small flame on his palm and incinerated the wrapping paper.
The gatekeepers flinched at the sight.
While it was no longer a secret that the 12th Flagbearer was a Magic Swordsman, seeing a Runcandel use magic so carelessly within the Garden of Swords was still enough to cause genuine bewilderment.
“Open the door,” Jin said, wiping his mouth.
The gatekeepers were Guardian Knights themselves. They had undergone training that would be considered inhumanly extreme for an ordinary person, and they could sense the aura woven into Jin’s voice.
That was why they shuddered.
It wasn't the magic that had startled them. It was the sheer dignity in his tone—a clear, profound, and unfamiliar power.
“……The 12th Flagbearer has arrived!”
Creeeeeak…!
As the massive iron doors swung open, the first person Jin saw was Rosa, seated at the head of the Sparring Hall.
Below her, the Flagbearers and Elders turned to face him. The Guardian Knights standing behind them shifted their gaze, their eyes now promising to tear him to pieces the moment the order was given.
I’m late, Mother. I apologize for keeping you waiting.
He offered no such pleasantries.
Aren't there a few too many people gathered here just to scare me? I didn't realize the Runcandels could get this tense over one person.
Nor did he offer any sarcasm.
Jin simply stood tall, meeting their gazes head-on for a long moment.
Like a beast that had walked alone into a den of its mortal enemies.
And like a beast waiting for one of them to bark first.
“12th Flagbearer!”
When someone called out his title irritably, Jin smiled to himself.
Right. I knew if anyone was going to bark first, it would be my sisters.
It was Myu.
She made no effort to hide her murderous intent, her eyes filled with the raw desire to see Jin’s corpse before the day was over. Her bloodlust was so strong it made one’s skin tingle.
However, Jin knew that this bloodlust didn't truly belong to Myu and Anne—a fact that every warrior of 9-star or higher in the Sparring Hall could also sense.
“Do you think this is a place for you to just stand there like a statue?”
“Bow your head this instant! Show proper respect to the Acting Patriarch, the senior Flagbearers, and the Elders!”
Myu and Anne’s spiteful, shrill voices pierced the air.
Jin let the silence stretch on.
He did not answer his sisters, acting as if he hadn't heard their voices echo through the hall.
For Myu and Anne, that alone was an unbearable humiliation. Their faces turned beet-red with rage, the veins in their necks bulging as if they were about to burst.
“This arrogant brat…”
Sigh…
Jin let out a long sigh.
Myu and Anne, who had been reaching for their swords, froze. It was shocking that he would sigh as if he were the one feeling frustrated.
Yet, hidden within their shock was a sense of awe they would never admit.
If I were standing there, could I do that?
Could I sigh after seeing someone about to draw their sword? Could I make them hesitate just by breathing out?
And why…
Why isn't anyone else enraged by such an arrogant display?
In that brief moment, a torrent of questions flashed through their minds.
They had already lost.
Or rather, they couldn't win. The moment they drew their swords, they would be disgraced in front of everyone. Myu and Anne’s instincts were screaming a warning.
Even so, they had to draw their swords. If they didn't, they wouldn't be Runcandels.
“That’s quite a sigh. I used to have plenty of reasons to sigh because of these two when I was your age, too.”
It was a stroke of luck for them.
Mary stepped forward, casually pushing them back. She was saving her immature, weaker sisters from losing everything over a single mistake.
Myu and Anne could feel their pulses racing wildly through the hands gripping their swords.
“7th Flagbearer…! Move!”
“If you’re going to lecture the 12th Flagbearer on etiquette, you two should look around first. The Acting Patriarch hasn’t even spoken. Do you really think you can run your mouths like this? I might just beat you to death myself. Be quiet while I’m asking nicely.”
Losing to Mary was not a humiliation for Myu and Anne. At least, not publicly. Everyone in the Runcandel clan knew there was a clear hierarchy among the three of them.
The reason Mary went out of her way to give Myu and Anne an out was simple.
She judged that if their youngest brother cut them down and broke their wings completely, it would be a net loss for the Runcandel clan.
There was no way Mary had failed to see the future that Myu and Anne had only instinctively glimpsed. In fact, Mary could clearly picture the agitated pair charging at Jin, only to be struck down in a single blow.
“I’m warning you, don't even let out an annoyed huff. Just stay shriveled up like corpses until this is over.”
Myu and Anne barely managed to rein in their emotions and correct their posture.
Silence returned.
Jin still hadn't said a word. In the suffocatingly heavy silence, those gathered in the Sparring Hall were left with their own impressions.
Most couldn't help but feel a certain admiration for Jin. Just as Myu and Anne had felt, they wondered who else could possibly maintain such an attitude in this place.
A few of the Elders were even experiencing a sense of déjà vu.
…He reminds me of the 1st Flagbearer.
It was just like this on the day the 1st Flagbearer declared she would give up her claim to the patriarchy.
The 1st Flagbearer, Luna Runcandel.
She, who had once carried the absolute expectations of the entire family and even Cyron himself, had been just as dignified and immovable as a mountain when she declared her withdrawal from the succession race.
It had felt as though no one and nothing could stop her.
However, there was a massive difference between the Luna of that time and the Jin of today.
Jin had come here to make the exact opposite declaration.
“12th Flagbearer.”
Finally, Rosa’s voice echoed from the high seat.
“Yes, Acting Patriarch.”
Jin looked up at his mother.
“Your fate here is a fragile thing, something I can decide in an instant with a few words.”
“Is that so?”
“Therefore, you will speak nothing but the truth in response to my questions.”
“Understood.”
“Why did you leak the story of the First Patriarch’s tomb to the 7th Flagbearer?”
“Because I believed the 7th Flagbearer would bring it to light on my behalf.”
“It happened just as you said. So, what do you intend to do now?”
“I wish to hear the opinions of the Acting Patriarch and everyone else gathered here.”
Jin scanned the hall before continuing.
“Based on what I have felt while visiting the First Patriarch’s tombs since my time as a Reserve Flagbearer… the Runcandels can never defeat the Zipple.”
“How dare you!”
“What nonsense are you spouting?!”
The Elder Council, specifically those from Jorden’s Black Sword Council, were the first to react.
“I said I wanted to hear opinions, not empty shouts. Do the Elders believe we have any hope if a war breaks out with the Zipple in the future?”
“What—!”
“If you truly believe that, then go find a bowl of water, stick your nose in it, and drown yourselves.”
Shring—! Shring!
The shouting Elders drew their swords.
“You’ve crossed the line, you little brat.”
“Dreaming of a baseless future while leaning on hollow hope is for weak and rotten groups. The Runcandels have no need for such people.”
“What do you know? What gives you the right to talk about a war between Runcandel and Zipple, to judge its outcome? Do you think you've contributed enough to this family? Do you think you've fought our enemies enough?”
“Let me rephrase the question. The Patriarch reached the Realm of Creation long ago, yet he still avoids an all-out war with the Zipple. What is the reason for that?”
Jin glared at the Elders.
“It is, without question, because he judged that we cannot win. Even Father, who could sweep away everyone gathered here like dust, feels that way! So how dare you Elders claim we have a chance against the Zipple?”
The Elders didn't answer, only glaring back at Jin. Since he had invoked Cyron directly, they had nothing to say.
“You can't. Because no one gathered here could possibly possess greater power than the Patriarch.”
When Jin added that one last sentence, the Elders who had drawn their swords could no longer endure it.
“But I have a way.”