Chapter 510: The Fall (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 510: The Fall (3)
March 5, 1800. A day had passed since those involved in the 'Sota Desert' special mission returned to the Garden of Swords.
The mission was a success, but the losses were staggering.
"I saved his life. But the arm… The necrosis and tissue damage were too severe. There was nothing I could do."
The medical director spoke in a heavy voice. He was talking about Mon.
Though they had recovered the severed arm after the battle with Bianca, the mission team had been forced into several fierce skirmishes with the Federation's navy even after crossing the Lutero Central Border.
From the moment the battle with Bianca ended, the arm had been beyond saving unless it received treatment on the level of a Holy King.
"Will he be able to carry out missions in the future?" Jin asked, suppressing a simmering rage.
He wasn't asking because he saw Mon's skills as a valuable asset to the family. He asked in the hopes that Mon could maintain the sense of purpose and pride that defined him.
"Except for his left arm, the rest of him will make a full recovery soon. It will be difficult for him to remain a Black Knight, but I believe he can handle any mission below that rank."
"…Thank you for your hard work, Director."
"Go on in. He’s awake."
Entering the operating room, Jin saw Mon wrapped in bandages and hooked up to medical equipment.
"Sir Mon."
After their return, Jin had heard from Zed that Mon and Jane had been lovers.
"12th Flagbearer."
Mon stared out the window, remaining silent for a long time. Unusually bright sunlight flooded the room—a stark contrast to the skies over the Sota Desert, which had been either hazy with dust or choked with the flames of war throughout the mission.
"It's inevitable that I'll be demoted to a Guardian Knight or an Enforcement Knight. With this arm, I would only be a burden to the other Black Helmets."
"The mission wouldn't have succeeded without you and the others, Sir."
"The weather is nice."
Mon neither affirmed nor denied Jin's words. He was simply mulling over what Jin had told them on the journey back.
"Don't let your heart grow too heavy. Being a Black Helmet is merely a symbol of loyalty to the family. My essence doesn't change without it. However…"
Mon turned his head toward Jin and continued.
"If what you said is true… if it truly is… then I think things really will have changed."
The 'change' he spoke of wasn't about himself, but about this very place—the Garden of Swords.
— The 7th Decisive Technique: Volcano… the 2nd Flagbearer must surely be dead…
— No, he's likely alive. The one who unleashed Volcano wasn't the real Joshua, but his clone.
— A clone?
— Youngest, what do you mean by that?
While escaping the Lutero Magic Federation, Jin had informed the group that Joshua was likely a clone. Though his words were still unproven, Dipus and Mon couldn't shake the foul feeling they inspired.
"12th Flagbearer."
"Yes, Sir."
"Jane actually wanted to serve you. And the moment your words are proven…"
At that moment, someone arrived at the treatment room. It was Jin's butler, Petro.
"Young Master!"
Jin instinctively knew why Petro had come in such a hurry. Mon felt it too.
"The 2nd Flagbearer has returned…!"
The moment Petro finished his sentence, a massive surge of energy erupted from Mon.
The entire building shook under a force so immense it was hard to believe it came from someone who had been on the brink of death just yesterday.
Bloody tears streamed from Mon's eyes. Soon, he withdrew his power, rose from his bed, and looked at Jin.
"Go on, 12th Flagbearer."
Jin stepped out into the main courtyard.
He saw Joshua standing outside the Great Steel Gate. He appeared perfectly fine, without a single scratch, and had brought all his personal knights with him, excluding the Black Knights.
The Black Sword, the flag bearing the symbol of Runcandel.
The knights who came with Joshua, waiting outside the gate, and the knights gathered inside the garden all held the same flag.
The sight was sickening.
"You were right," Dipus said as he stood beside Jin. Jin could feel Dipus trembling, barely suppressing his rage.
"Jin."
"Yes, brother."
"I will drag that bastard down and kill him. And if Mother shields that disgusting wretch again this time, I will absolutely not let it slide."
Rebellion.
Or reform.
Dipus had made his resolve.
So had Jin. But unlike Dipus, Jin was almost certain that his overconfident brother would find it difficult to escape responsibility this time.
That certainty deepened when he saw the knights standing behind Joshua.
He must have brought his knights out of fear. But does he still not realize? The hounds may change, but the family's knights pledge their loyalty not to him, but to Runcandel…
Bringing his knights to the Garden of Swords was a complete blunder.
Joshua should have come alone. Jin thought so, and so did their mother, Rosa, as she stepped out from the inner chamber.
The knights parted, forming two rows. Rosa walked between them, her eyes devoid of emotion.
"2nd Flagbearer of the family, Joshua Runcandel! I have returned after completing the mission!"
There was no dignity in his voice, only a feigned confidence that barely held. There was no pride from completing a perilous mission, only the fear of a son uncertain if he would be punished or rewarded by his mother.
Until he arrived at the Garden of Swords, he had believed he would be rewarded, as always.
No, he wanted to believe it. But the moment he faced Rosa's cold expression, Joshua felt his hope fading. Children often can't bear it when a parent's expression deviates from the familiar.
Joshua was even rationalizing bringing his knights.
He told himself he hadn't brought them out of fear of Rosa's judgment, but as a display to highlight the dignity of the Next Patriarch returning from a hard-fought mission.
"I received a report that you died during the mission. How is it that you are here?"
No matter how much he rationalized, Joshua knew from her very first words. His mother was not pleased to see him.
It was time to face the painful reality.
"Mother, that is—"
"Address me properly. I am not standing here as your mother right now."
Joshua's eyes widened.
The others watching were also shocked. It was the first time Rosa, not Cyron, had trampled on Joshua's authority in front of everyone like this.
"I apologize… Acting Patriarch. I made a mistake."
"Tell me clearly. How is it that Joshua Runcandel, the 2nd Flagbearer of the family, is standing there instead of being dead?"
Why did you return alive? You should have died there.
To Joshua, that was how Rosa's words sounded. He couldn't help but tremble at his mother's voice, which carried not just a rebuke, but true malice.
"Answer me! Surely the 4th and 12th Flagbearers didn't dare lie to me!"
As Rosa shouted again, a heavy pressure rose in all directions.
"I-I am alive because…"
He stammered. His eyes wavered, and Joshua felt himself shrinking into nothing. The eyes of the family members watching him were filled with deep contempt.
"I sent… a clone… on the mission…"
At that point, Jin thought to himself:
Not only did you make the meaningless mistake of bringing your knights, but you've finally thrown away your last chance to change Mother's mind, Joshua.
Joshua had no idea why his mother was erupting in such fury.
It was because he had forgotten the essence.
Whoosh!
Joshua gasped and looked up at Rosa, but he couldn't hide his trembling legs.
"I am alive because I did not send my true self, but a clone fashioned through the Prophet. As a result, the mission was a success—"
"One Black Knight met their death, and another was crippled. Can you call that a success?"
That was the superficial reason Joshua was being reprimanded. Although Mon survived, Runcandel had effectively lost two Black Knights in this one mission.
As the supreme commander of the mission, Joshua had to take responsibility.
But the real reason Rosa was doing this was different.
The essence of Runcandel: Struggle. Joshua had forgotten it. Or perhaps, he never had it to begin with.
The method didn't matter.
Even if he used a clone for the mission, even if it resulted in one Black Knight's death and another's crippling, even if it caused even greater losses—Joshua should have struggled.
As the Next Patriarch, he should have upheld the family's values.
Instead of trembling and stammering like a frightened dog or a terrified child, he should have proven that he was never wrong.
He should have stood up to Rosa and stood up to the family.
He should have roared, demanding to know if there was a better move than using the Prophet's power and a clone. He should have challenged them, asking why they stayed silent if they had a better way, and demanding to know who was truly responsible for the death of a Runcandel Black Knight.
Just as Jin had done during his declaration to become a Flagbearer.
If you had shown that you hadn't forgotten the essence of Runcandel, Mother would have defended you again.
Jin felt a nausea-inducing disgust.
He shuddered at the realization that he, more than any other Runcandel—more than any of her own children present—understood the person known as Rosa Runcandel the most deeply.
"I was… wrong."
Rosa's eyes grew even colder.
Why?
Why… won't you acknowledge me?
I clearly succeeded in the mission for the family, and haven't you turned a blind eye to my use of the Prophet's power and clones until now?
Am I not your most beloved child?
Joshua's head was filled with such thoughts. The essence of Joshua Runcandel was nothing more than that of a child desperate for his parents' acknowledgment.
That could not be called a struggle.
"4th Flagbearer."
"Yes, Acting Patriarch."
"Speak. Did you know that the 2nd Flagbearer had sent a clone?"
"I did not."
"12th Flagbearer, and you?"
"I had my suspicions."
"Then why was the sacrifice of Black Knights necessary for this mission, rather than just his clone?"
"As I reported yesterday, it is because our family invested the least among the three great powers. However…"
Jin looked down at Joshua and continued.
"If he had shared all information with the 4th Flagbearer and me from the beginning, if he had volunteered the clone's sacrifice in advance… Sir Jane would never have died, and Sir Mon would never have lost his arm."
"Mother, no! That's merely a hypothetical! I can explain everything! My plan was perfect, it's just that there were too many variables in this mission…!"
A smile that went beyond mere contempt spread across Rosa's lips.
"Black Sword Council, subdue Joshua Runcandel."
"By your command!"
The ones who answered Rosa's order weren't the knights inside the garden, but the ones Joshua had brought with him from outside.
All of Joshua's highest-ranking personal knights, excluding the Black Knights, were composed of the execution squad of the Runcandel Elder Council. Joshua was only realizing this fact now.
"Line, Vex, Rihanna… even Sinatra. You bastards… you were all part of the Black Sword Council…!"
The executioners of the Black Sword Council, having revealed their identity, tore off the human-skin masks they wore. As their mangled, unrecognizable old faces were revealed, everyone present held their breath.
"As of this moment, Joshua Runcandel's status as the 2nd Flagbearer of the family is suspended. Furthermore, a secret search warrant is issued for both his true self and any clones that may be operating outside."
"Throw him into the underground prison."
"Mother, Mother…!"
The Fall.
Everyone watching Joshua Runcandel cry out for his mother was thinking of that single word.