Chapter 424: This Suddenly? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 424: This Suddenly? (2)
"He came here with armed mercenaries? To the Garden of Swords?"
"Yes. By a rough count, the subordinates he brought exceed five hundred."
"Five hundred mercenaries… He's either got guts or he's gone mad. When did he arrive?"
"He entered the estate about three hours ago."
"I assume the mercenaries weren't allowed inside."
As Jin suspected, only Rata Prochi had been permitted to enter the Garden of Swords.
Rata and his Ghost Band had been staying at Sword Emperor Castle until just recently, much like Jin. In other words, Rata had headed straight for the Garden of Swords the moment he left the castle.
Naturally, since he had arrived with a small army without any prior notice, the Runcandels could not simply welcome them in.
It’s only because they’re the Ghost Band that they haven't been slaughtered yet.
If any mediocre mercenary group had shown up in such numbers unannounced, the Runcandels were a clan that would have killed every last one of them without a second thought.
The Ghost Band was one of the world's most prominent neutral powers, and their headquarters, Ghost Song Castle, served as a meeting ground for the great powers. It was only because of this status that they remained unharmed after such a flagrant breach of etiquette.
"That is correct."
"The reason that shifty-eyed bastard came looking for you is obviously his younger brother, but why bring five hundred men? Is he trying to pull some pathetic stunt at intimidation?"
"I don't know why he brought them either. I'll find out when I get there."
As the group began to move, the cheering from the crowd grew louder.
A group of boys and girls shouting Murakan’s name at the top of their lungs was particularly noticeable. So as not to disappoint them, Gilly gave Murakan a slight nudge in the back.
"They are young fans. Please give them a wave, Lord Murakan."
"Strawberry Pie, if you insist…"
Jin and Gilly were soon struck with shock. The moment Murakan smiled toward the crowd, several of the boys and girls began to faint one after another.
"Good grief. I thought only Enya was like that."
"I don't think even Miss Enya has ever actually fainted."
They passed through the transfer gate and boarded a steel carriage.
The red glow of the sunset wrapped the city in a warm embrace, but Jin shook his head, sensing that something exhausting was about to happen.
As they were making good progress toward the Garden of Swords, Jin suddenly brought the carriage to a halt.
"Wait."
He had spotted Rata’s subordinates standing idly along the path leading to the entrance of the Garden of Swords.
Despite there being over five hundred of them, they were simply standing in the brush. It was unthinkable for them to dare pitch tents on Runcandel territory, especially so close to the Garden of Swords.
They couldn't sit or lie down to rest comfortably, and there were no inns capable of accommodating five hundred mercenaries who had arrived so suddenly.
Thus, Rata’s men had no choice but to stand there like trees.
When Jin poked his head out of the carriage, the mercenaries' eyes all snapped to him at once.
"Follow me."
Jin said only that before starting the carriage again. Rata’s subordinates exchanged glances for a moment before quietly falling in behind them.
"The 12th Flagbearer is entering the estate!"
The bolts on the main gate were drawn, and the Guardian Knights on patrol offered their salutes.
The last time I returned, the Enforcement Knights were pointing their swords at me.
That had been the day he declared his candidacy for Patriarch. Even excluding that day, Jin had almost no memory of being welcomed upon returning to the main estate since his days as a reserve flagbearer.
Aside from people like Gilly and Petro, it was safe to say there had been no one.
Whether it was his siblings or the elders, someone was always radiating hostility and murderous intent—and they were all, at least publicly, formidable opponents.
But today was different.
The 1st Division of the 1st Unit of Guardian Knights, a handful of Enforcement Knights, and some elders.
In terms of numbers, they represented less than ten percent of Runcandel’s total power, but there were now warriors who welcomed Jin upon his return.
"Salute! You have worked hard, 12th Flagbearer!"
"You've returned, 12th Flagbearer. The Garden of Swords has been buzzing with news of your exploits."
As the knights and elders he encountered greeted him first, it finally felt as though he had truly become a Flagbearer of Runcandel.
However, those who greeted him also seemed curious as to why Jin had brought the mercenaries waiting outside into the estate.
And from a distance, walking toward Jin from the inner chambers with their faces twisted in anger, were two familiar figures.
Myu and Anne.
"12th Flagbearer."
"What do you think you're doing?"
Seeing them immediately pick a fight with such venomous expressions was almost admirable.
Should he call them stupid?
Or perhaps fearless?
One thing was certain: they possessed a level of persistence that even Jin had to acknowledge.
Even after he had demonstrated such a massive gap in power during his Patriarchal declaration, they continued to provoke him without a care. They had felt the absolute certainty back then that they could never defeat Jin, even if they attacked together, yet their attitude remained unchanged.
"What on earth were you thinking, bringing those lowlifes into the estate?"
"Ha! Because you act like this, even insignificant nobodies have started looking down on the Garden of Swords lately. Didn't those beasts from Kinzelo show up out of nowhere looking for you recently? The clan's reputation is in shambles. Kick them out this instant!"
Jin didn't answer for a moment, simply staring at his sisters before breaking into a chuckle.
"You're laughing?"
"I was almost worried I'd feel neglected, sisters. It only feels like I'm home when someone is shouting at me like this."
"Wh-what?"
"You little…!"
"These people are my guests. Like me, they are still reeling from the recent terror attack at Sword Emperor Castle, so they simply failed to announce their visit in advance."
"What kind of guest brings over five hundred mercenaries and demands entry without notice?"
"Is that a problem? Even if five hundred members of the Ghost Band come to the Garden of Swords, they are no more a threat than five hundred fallen leaves. If anything, Rata was merely showing me respect by bringing as many attendants as possible."
Unlike his sisters, who were fuming with rage, Jin wore a beaming smile.
The mercenaries following behind felt their breath hitch at this strange psychological warfare—no, it couldn't even be called a fight. It was a scene where Jin was unilaterally overwhelming his sisters.
Our 12th Flagbearer is definitely crazier than our Captain. Is it really okay to talk to his seniors like that?
We were fine just staying outside until the Captain came back. We weren't even that offended.
Our Ghost Song Castle is impressive, but this place is a total mess. A complete disaster of a family.
But I feel like we were just insulted. 'Fallen leaves,' really…?
Despite Jin’s "fallen leaves" comment, no mercenary shouted out in protest.
Instead, Myu and Anne continued in voices boiling with resentment.
"Five hundred fallen leaves! You've gotten a little stronger and now you think you can say whatever you want. According to you, the Ghost Captain showed you respect, yet you're the one insulting them."
"Compared to leaving them to stand around outside, I don't think these words are particularly disrespectful."
As Anne took a step toward Jin, Myu blocked her.
This isn't good. They're starting to look cute rather than ridiculous. It’s like they've pre-planned this routine of Anne trying to step forward and Myu holding her back.
Myu then spoke, grinding her teeth alongside Anne.
"You. Can you take responsibility for this?"
"For what?"
"Can you take responsibility for any trouble caused by the guests you brought in?"
"You speak as if trouble is guaranteed to happen. Well, fine. I'll take responsibility."
Swish!
As Myu and Anne turned and stormed away, Gilly let out a sigh of relief.
She wasn't relieved because she had been worried about Jin.
"Phew. I was so nervous wondering what would happen if the Young Master decided to cut the Young Ladies down."
"I have plenty of use for those sisters; there's no need to get rid of them yet."
"Your other sisters aren't this ill-mannered. I don't know why only those two turned out like this. Kid, I'm going to go eat and hang out with Strawberry Pie now, so go meet that shifty-eyed guy by yourself."
Murakan sent a very sparkly look toward Gilly, but she cleared her throat and avoided his gaze.
"No, Murakan. You have work to do."
"What?"
"Escort our friends from the Ghost Band and take them to my private training ground."
"Ha! Hey, kid. This great being is the Black Dragon. Didn't you see all those people praising me earlier? Do you think it's right to make me do such menial chores? Huh?"
"And protect them."
"What? Protect them from what?"
"It's highly likely that the Ghost Band mercenaries will be attacked. Do you think my sisters walked away mentioning 'responsibility' for no reason? From their perspective, this is the perfect opportunity to get back at me."
"What… No way. They'd really do that?"
"There's nothing they wouldn't do. And it doesn't hurt to be careful. Want to bet? I'm betting everything that my sisters' subordinates will attack the mercenaries. If that happens, I need to make sure there are no casualties so my promise to take responsibility doesn't look like a joke."
That was the reason he had told them to take the mercenaries to the training ground instead of a guest room or drawing room. It was much easier to protect them if they were all gathered in a wide-open area.
Murakan narrowed his eyes.
"Damn it, fine. I'll take the other side. If I win, Gilly gets fifteen days of absolute vacation after the Ghost Band leaves. Even if she says she doesn't want it, it's a mandatory vacation. Got it?"
"I don't really need a vacation…"
"Deal."
"Kid, what are your stakes?"
"I don't have any. I'm going to win anyway. Instead, make sure not a single person gets hurt."
"Don't go changing your tune later. Hehe, let's go! You mercenary runts!"
Murakan hummed a tune as he led the mercenaries toward the training ground, already excited at the thought of spending fifteen happy days with Gilly.
Jin couldn't help but laugh at the sight, while Gilly wore an awkward smile.
"The Acting Patriarch said you could skip the report," Petro said.
Rosa was still recovering from the internal injuries she had sustained during the Patriarchal declaration.
"Then I can go meet Rata right away. You said he was in the drawing room?"
"Yes, Young Master. Shall I prepare another room?"
"No, I'll just go and meet him directly."
The vast drawing room was filled with guests. Merchants doing business with Runcandel, nobles, mercenaries hired for missions, and more.
Standing out among them was Rata, radiating a heavy, sharp aura with his arms crossed. He was leaning against a wall with his eyes closed, and no one dared to stand within ten paces of him.
"Lord Rata."
When Jin entered the drawing room and called his name, Rata slowly opened his eyes.
Stomp, stomp!
He approached Jin with fast, almost threatening strides, and then…
Shring!
When he was just a step away, he suddenly drew a dagger from his coat. The bystanders and the waiting Guardian Knights paled in shock.
"Stop—!"
The Guardian Knights shouted and threw themselves forward as Rata's dagger flashed toward Jin.
Slice—!
However, the dagger didn't strike Jin’s body.
With a dry thud, something fell to the floor.
It was Rata’s own right index finger.