Chapter 55: Out into the World (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 55: Out into the World (1)
Jin was dreaming.
He was trapped in a nightmare where a pitch-black, tentacled monster was stuck to his face, refusing to let go. Ugh, ugh! Amidst the suffocating pressure, a low groan finally escaped his lips.
The moment he desperately forced his eyes open, Jin understood the source of his nightmare.
Meow.
Meow, meow, meow!
A black cat was sprawled across his face. It was Murakan. He had been perched on Jin’s face for over thirty minutes, rhythmically kneading his paws.
“Seriously, get off me.”
Jin slowly sat up and stretched. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the window, and the fragrant scent of tea wafted through the air. It was the black tea Gilly often brewed.
I guess the nightmare was Murakan’s fault… but I feel refreshed now that I’m awake. I must have passed out right after my duel with Vishkel.
His entire body felt as light as a feather. The gash on his chest and his other wounds had vanished without a trace—a testament to the skill of the Runcandel medical staff who had treated him while he was unconscious.
“You’re awake, Young Master.”
Sensing movement, Gilly approached the bedside with a teacup and a glass of cool water.
“Gilly. How long was I out?”
“Two days, sir.”
“What? Two days?”
He was slightly surprised but quickly understood. He had lost a significant amount of blood, and in that final moment, he had touched a new realm and exhausted all his strength. Considering all that, he had actually woken up quite early.
“The banquet must be over by now. It seems I didn’t even get to say goodbye to the guests who came to see me.”
“You needn’t worry about that. Your duel with Sir Vishkel has been the talk of the clan for the past two days. That alone served as a far better farewell.”
It was true. Despite the mismatch between an 8-star and a 5-star, their duel remained on everyone’s lips until the very end of the banquet.
It was because of the ‘Heart Sword’ Jin had displayed at the very end. While it couldn't be called a perfect Heart Sword, the mere fact that a 5-star had come so close to achieving such a feat against an 8-star knight was a monumental event.
Many people, including Vishkel, had recognized what it was. Vishkel, in particular, seemed so shaken that he never returned to the dueling grounds for the remainder of the banquet.
The days I spent being tutored by Sister Luna are finally starting to bear fruit. At first, I couldn't understand her training at all… I never thought it would help me in this way.
Jin chuckled, remembering Luna telling him to ‘see with the mind’s eye’ as if it were some strange ritual.
He had first grasped the feeling of the Heart Sword during his training with the Blue-Eye Stone. Since then, he had been anxious to trigger that sensation again.
For now, it seems it only manifests subconsciously when I’m pushed to my absolute limit.
It was a pity, but it couldn't be helped. Even a clumsy imitation of the Heart Sword was an incredible feat. It was a realm typically reserved for 8-star knights—those known as masters.
Jin stretched again and stood up.
Regardless, I gained a lot from this banquet. I confirmed Veradin’s status within the Zipple clan and established a… sort of friendship with the successor of the Secret Palace. At the very least, she seemed to view me favorably even after the duel.
Furthermore, he had thrashed Bubar Gaston and confirmed his connection to Vishkel. That was the most significant gain of all.
There’s a possibility that the Ivliano family, or Vishkel personally, is behind the transformation crimes. Or perhaps Vishkel belongs to some other organization and is in a position to command Bubar.
Many hypotheses came to mind, but it wasn't a matter to jump to conclusions about. He would have to dig deeper over time.
He also had to make them pay. He had to punish them for the crime of disguising Zipple followers to assassinate him five years ago.
Just as his thoughts reached that point, Gilly pointed to a vase by the head of the bed. The flowers resembled baby’s breath but glowed faintly, their pure white petals shimmering like snowflakes.
“The successor of the Secret Palace left these. She waited for you to wake up until this morning before she departed.”
“Huh? Siris left these?”
“Yes. Do you think she’s taken a liking to you, Young Master?”
“No. In the language of flowers, the Secret Palace Snow Flower means ‘Unending Battle.’ It seems she wants another round with me. That woman has a strange obsession.”
Gilly shrugged.
“In any case, this is the first time you’ve received flowers from a lady. Congratulations, Young Master.”
“Kuhaha! Your first flowers are a challenge to a duel? How monumental! Don’t you think so, Strawberry Pie?”
Murakan shouted with exaggerated flair, stealing a glance at Gilly.
He was currently walking on eggshells because he had snuck out to the banquet hall behind Gilly’s back. For the past two days, Gilly had been treating Murakan as if he didn't exist.
Realizing the situation, Jin shook his head lightly. Murakan quickly transformed back into a cat and let his ears droop.
“By the way, Young Master, the Patriarch commanded that you visit him immediately upon waking. It seems the time has come for you to prove your worth… just as you mentioned before.”
The qualification test to become a Flagbearer. He had long expected this, but now that his father’s order had actually come, a peculiar thrill ran through him.
Something he couldn't have even dreamed of in his past life was becoming a reality right before his eyes.
“Right. Then I’ll be leaving the clan for a while. Where is Father?”
“He is at the Mausoleum.”
“I’ll be back.”
When Jin’s siblings received such a summons from Cyron, they would dress in neat, formal uniforms, comb their hair, and perfect their posture.
Jin, however, simply tidied his messy hair and chose a travel outfit made of high-quality leather. Then, with Bradamante strapped to his waist, he walked down the corridor.
The Mausoleum.
While the thousands of swords planted in the Garden of Swords were a grave in their own right, the Mausoleum was a hallowed ground permitted only to the clan’s greatest heroes—those who had achieved extraordinary feats.
It was located in the deepest part of the main house’s basement. Inside the pitch-black interior, devoid of even a single spark of light, the thick scent of iron hung in the air.
“You’ve come.”
Cyron’s back was a towering silhouette in the darkness. Jin bowed his head respectfully.
“It’s been a long time since one of my children answered my summons in such casual attire. I suppose you’ve sensed that you’ll be living outside the clan for a while?”
“Yes. I intend to leave immediately.”
Cyron liked this about Jin—the way he spoke his mind without being intimidated, even in his presence.
It was something unimaginable from his other children. They were usually too busy hiding their struggles and fears whenever he called… Luna was different, but she was essentially beyond his control now.
Jin had intentionally dressed this way, having taken his father’s personality into account.
For some reason, Father is the easiest person to read since my reincarnation.
It was a mystery. In his past life, his father had been the most difficult person to approach, and they had barely ever interacted.
The father and son remained silent for a while, though it wasn't an uncomfortable silence.
“Is this your first time in the Mausoleum?” Cyron broke the silence.
“Yes, Father.”
“If the Garden is a place for those who brought glory to the clan, the Mausoleum is the final resting place for those who protected it.”
It was exactly as he said.
In Runcandel’s thousand-year history, how many countless crises had there been? From petty internal divisions to the brink of total annihilation, innumerable battles and enemies had threatened the clan.
Only those who had successfully defended the family through each trial enjoyed the honor of being buried in this Mausoleum.
“Did you know? The first Patriarch, Temar Runcandel… he was not permitted to be buried here.”
The moment Temar’s name was mentioned, Jin had a hunch. His father was about to bring up Solderet.
And Jin was ready.
“Yes. I also know that there is no tomb for him anywhere in the Garden of Swords.”
Only Barisada, Temar’s favorite sword, was passed down as a clan heirloom. There wasn't a single ceremony to commemorate him in all of Runcandel.
“That dark power you possess—that is the very reason we cannot commemorate the first Patriarch. Show me your spirit energy.”
Jin calmly gathered spirit energy in his palm.
After the death of the first Patriarch, Temar, Runcandel had entered into a humiliating covenant with the Zipple.
Never to use magic again.
And never to worship the ancestors who used magic.
This was the true story of how Runcandel, once the ‘sole clan of magic swordsmen,’ had been reduced to a clan of knights. With Solderet no longer there to protect Runcandel from the Zipple’s gods, it was an unavoidable choice.
As a result of the covenant, the gods of Zipple had joined forces to place a curse on the Runcandel bloodline.
After Temar, every Runcandel was born with a body incapable of using mana.
“When you struck down the Tona brothers with spirit energy, I did not ask how you obtained that power. Do you remember?”
“Yes. I also remember lying, saying I would use that spirit energy for the sake of the clan.”
“Haha, indeed. It’s a good thing you were young. If you had told such a lie now, I wouldn't have let it slide.”
He was speaking with a laugh, but Jin knew he was serious. That was why Jin didn't laugh along.
“……Solderet. Have you heard his voice?”
“Yes, I have. He called me his contractor.”
Of course, he hadn't heard the voice even once since his reincarnation, but there was no harm in revealing himself as a contractor now.
“It must be quite unfair for your siblings.”
Not only was I born with potential exceeding Luna’s, but I also formed a contract with the god who abandoned the clan long ago. Perhaps that’s the only reason I could become his contractor in the first place.
“Can you use that power to crush your siblings and swallow the clan whole?”
Jin had already decided on his answer.
“I will go out and see the world. If I find nothing more appetizing than Runcandel, then I will devour it.”
He had expected this answer to satisfy his father immensely. Sure enough, Cyron broke into a wide grin, revealing a perfect set of teeth.
“The others left the Garden of Swords to be recognized by the clan, yet you are leaving to find a reason to recognize the clan yourself. I don’t know whether to call you commendable or arrogant. Kuhuhu.”
Cyron opened his right palm and held it out toward Jin.
“I will give you five years. Within that time, whether you are recognized by the clan or you recognize the clan yourself… return with an answer. I shall look forward to it.”
No more words were needed.
Shring!
Jin drew Bradamante and performed a sword salute.
“Thank you for everything. I will see you in five years, Father.”
When he left the Mausoleum and returned to his room, Gilly was already waiting, fully prepared to depart.
Her luggage consisted of a single small basket, which contained Murakan, some dried rations, and notebooks filled with transcriptions of secret manuals.
Iron needles were embedded snugly into Gilly’s wrists and ankles. When Jin’s gaze fell upon them, Gilly adjusted her clothes to hide them.
It was a seal, meant to block the use of her aura until Jin proved his worth as a flagbearer.
“I had heard about it from the senior nannies, but losing my strength so suddenly feels a bit awkward. Haha…”
Gilly spoke with an awkward laugh, and Jin felt a lump in his throat.
It was tradition. Since it would be problematic if reserve flagbearers built their reputation by relying on their nanny’s martial prowess, the nannies’ power was sealed.
Trying to remove the seal without the clan’s permission was tantamount to choosing to become a cripple.
“Not just for these five years, but from now on, I will protect you, Gilly. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Please, never say that again. I'm just overwhelmed with emotion that you've already become a reserve flagbearer. And besides, I’ll regain my strength once the test is over anyway.”
With that, they left the Garden of Swords.