Chapter 440: To the Black King Corps (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 440: To the Black King Corps (1)
Ever since the Exile’s death, no one dared to speak of it openly.
However, a strange tension was brewing among the family’s retainers. It was only natural, given the many suspicious circumstances surrounding the Exile’s demise.
“Do you think what the Exile said was true?”
“What do you mean?”
Two Guardian Knights, who had just finished their shift and were starting their break, were conversing in a secluded backyard.
“The part about the Acting Patriarch purging the Enforcement Knights back then because he was worried about the 2nd Flagbearer.”
At those words, the other knight flinched and instinctively scanned their surroundings. Speaking ill of the 2nd Flagbearer could lead to irreversible consequences.
“Watch your mouth!”
“There’s no one else in this backyard at this hour. You know that, so stop overreacting. This is the one place in the Garden of Swords where you can actually breathe.”
“That may be true, but the Exile is dead now. We’ll never know if his words were true.”
“It was an incident significant enough to warrant a massive investigation, yet the 2nd Flagbearer’s summary execution of him felt… off.”
Joshua’s immediate execution of the man certainly looked like an attempt to bury the matter quickly.
“The Head of the Black Sword Council acted the same way. If Joshua was really innocent, it would have been better to keep the Exile alive to prove it.”
The knights fell silent for a moment, their minds clearly troubled.
“…If what the Exile said is true, then the price for long-standing devotion to the family is cruel indeed. And the Acting Patriarch still hasn't said a word about it.”
“There’s no rule saying the same won't happen to us one day.”
“Damn, what a bitter way to end the year…”
Clack!
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening echoed from the ground. Startled, the Guardian Knights immediately assumed a defensive stance.
Emerging from a door that had been concealed by dirt were the Tona brothers. The knights’ faces instantly turned pale.
“Loyalty!”
“Loyalty!”
Daytona and Heitona cleared their throats as they looked at the saluting knights.
“You two must not value your lives much, blabbering about such dangerous topics.”
“Hey, hey. You guys haven’t even been here two years yet. Are you itching to die?”
“We apologize!”
The Guardian Knights bowed their heads.
There was one thing they—and all the other knights who frequented this backyard for rest—did not know. This place was also the most comfortable spot in the garden for the Tona brothers. Exhausted by the pressure and tyranny of Myu and Anne, the brothers had long ago built their own secret hideout here.
Though it was just a simple underground space—essentially a dug-out tunnel with a crude door—the Tona brothers had gained more from it than they expected. Just like now, they frequently overheard the conversations of the retainers who visited the yard.
As the Tona brothers made a show of brushing dirt off their clothes, the Guardian Knights rushed over to help them, moving with careful haste. Despite the brothers' harsh words, the knights sensed that the pair didn't actually view them unfavorably.
“If it were a lie, would he really have risked his life to come to the Garden of Swords? Think of how wronged he must have felt to do that.”
“Pardon?”
Daytona’s comment made the knights’ eyes widen.
“The Exile’s final words. We don’t think they were lies.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
The Tona brothers had never participated in the war of hegemony—aside from a brief clash with Jin during their cadet days. This was well-known among the Guardian Knights. Yet here they were, openly speaking against the 2nd Flagbearer.
While the knights struggled to find a response, the brothers spoke again.
“The reason there’s no investigation is because our eldest brother and the Elder Council Head have something to hide.”
“And to think they were going to let the dogs eat the corpse. If it weren't for the Youngest, that’s exactly what would have happened. Only the Youngest was brave enough to risk offending our eldest brother to recover the body.”
“What do you two think?”
Daytona’s question put the knights in an agonizing position. It was only natural, as these two were still rookies who hadn't decided which side to stand on.
“We…”
“No, forget it. It seems we’ve put you in a difficult spot.”
“Not at all!”
“The Youngest said this, though.”
“He said our eldest brother and the Elder Council Head should have kept him alive.”
“Curious as to why?”
The Guardian Knights had no choice but to nod.
“He said it’s because there’s one more Exile who hasn't returned to the Garden of Swords yet.”
“He said if our eldest brother or the Elder Council Head had recruited or brainwashed the Exile who came this time instead of killing him, they could have used him to discredit the other survivor when he eventually showed up. What was his name… Luton Perman? Apparently, he was the section leader of the Execution Division’s 1st Unit back then.”
Though they had felt like they were sitting on a bed of nails the whole time, the knights couldn't help but feel a surge of intense curiosity.
“Is that story true? That there’s one more…”
“Shh!”
Heitona placed a finger over his lips, then over the knights' mouths. He flashed a grin.
“This is what we really wanted to say.”
“The Youngest is the only one who truly understands the value of loyalty. That’s why we’ve decided to officially join the Youngest in the war of hegemony.”
“So, you two…”
“You’d better start thinking carefully from now on. That is, if you want to be properly rewarded for your shining devotion. You may leave now.”
“And watch your mouths!”
The Guardian Knights left the backyard, blinking in a daze.
“Should we call it a day, Heitona?”
“Let’s. Everyone is so tight-lipped; rumors really aren't spreading as fast as I thought.”
The Tona brothers had been intentionally waiting for Guardian Knights to visit the backyard. They would listen carefully from inside their tunnel and only approach those who expressed doubt about the recent events.
“The Youngest said it would take time for rumors to circulate because everyone is so well-trained. Let’s be patient. Results will come. Just like with everything else the Youngest does.”
*
“Once the rumors start to spread, the family’s retainers will have no choice but to wonder. They’ll question why the 2nd Flagbearer’s knights and certain factions of the Elder Council are always searching for something.”
As Jin spoke within the Secret Palace, all eyes turned toward him. Talaris was lying on an ice bed receiving a massage from the Gold Snow Tribe, with Luton sitting beside her and Murakan and Siris across from them.
“If it’s revealed that those movements weren't for the sake of the family’s affairs, but rather an attempt to hide their own stench once again… then both parties will suffer a devastating blow.”
Jin had no intention of letting the Exile’s death end as a mere ‘unsettling atmosphere’ within the family. He wanted to shake the very foundations of the 2nd Flagbearer’s and the Elder Council’s positions.
“Hmph. The day Luton returns will be the day the worst scandal in Runcandel history breaks out.”
The 12th Flagbearer is right, but one person must survive. Section Leader. You must witness their end. And if the 12th Flagbearer allows it, when Runcandel becomes his one day… please live on for those of us who died.
Luton was stroking the sword of his fallen comrade, which Jin had brought back, as he recalled the man's final words. At the time, Luton had wanted to say he would rather be the one to die.
But he couldn't bring himself to say it. He knew better than anyone how agonizing it was for a man who had lost everything to keep living on hatred alone. Surviving was the most difficult and heavy task of all. Luton had survived to take on that responsibility, rather than leaving it to his subordinate.
“…What would you have me do now?” Luton asked.
“First, recover your strength,” Jin replied.
Since the Exile’s death, Jin and Luton had been using formal language with each other. Jin felt it was right to treat Luton as an Enforcement Knight now that he had forgiven him for the attack on Tikan. Luton, having decided to become Jin’s sword, judged that he should use language befitting his new lord.
“Right. You did seem to have weakened quite a bit. You’re still around 9-star, but you weren't the type to be suppressed by me that quickly, were you?” Murakan chimed in.
After the Elder Council had mangled his face and body, Luton had lost a significant portion of his martial prowess. Though he was still a 9-star, as the former section leader of the Execution Division’s ‘1st Unit,’ he had been the man closest to becoming a Black Knight. And that was among the former Black Knights who were considered the ‘strongest in history’—Cyron’s Black Knights.
Had the tragedy not occurred, Luton was a man more than capable of becoming a Black Knight.
“I agree that I need to recover, but I see no way to do so.”
“You must go to the Holy King and receive treatment.”
“…The Holy King?”
“Unless she uses the Legacy of Numerus, even she will have her limits. However, there is no one capable of providing better treatment than the Holy King, is there? I will write you a letter, so please go before the year ends.”
“Even the Patriarch couldn't easily make use of Miklan back when he was the Holy King. You are truly impressive,” Talaris remarked.
“You must go without being exposed to anyone.”
“Of course. That much is not difficult.”
“Mhm, the Holy King’s treatment will surely help to some extent. Recover your old skills and serve our son-in-law well, Luton,” Talaris added.
“And after I receive treatment?”
“You will become the teacher for my knights.”
The Youngest’s Division.
Jin planned to entrust their education to Luton.
“Train them the Execution Division way—without mercy.”
The Youngest’s Division had to become the core of the knights who would eventually gather under Jin. To achieve that, they needed strength to match.
Currently, with the exception of Vellop, Mesa, and Scut, the rest of the Youngest’s Division barely reached the average level of a Guardian Knight. They needed to grow rapidly.
“Training them that way might kill them. Furthermore, those who have just become Guardian Knights usually want to enjoy their status first, rather than undergo new training.”
Having endured a horrific process to become Guardian Knights, it was only human nature to want to be rewarded for a while.
“If anyone shows signs of resentment, you may cut them loose without reporting to me. But I doubt anyone will be like that.”
“Understood. I will head to the Holy King tomorrow, so please send the recruits to me immediately, my lord. It would be best to start right away.”
“By the way, Jin.”
“Yes, Lady Talaris?”
“When do you plan to visit the Black King Corps headquarters?”
“I intend to go tomorrow. It’s best to secure a force to protect Tikan as soon as possible.”