Chapter 633: Return to the Family (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 633: Return to the Family (2)
The Tower of Stories, Zipple.
The gazes of Kadun, Hedo, and Octavia were locked onto the newsletter spread across the table.
[The Hero of the Sword Emperor Holy War, 12th Flagbearer of the Garden of Swords, Jin Runcandel. Returns after completing closed-door training!]
"So, Jin Runcandel has returned..." Octavia muttered, the words tasting like bile.
The troublesome 12th Flagbearer had vanished shortly after the Sword Emperor Holy War ended. Hedo, who still bore no particular ill will toward Jin, maintained a stoic expression, but the eyes of Octavia and Kadun were brimming with murderous intent.
Good grief. To think the leaders of the world’s greatest clan always react this way toward a mere boy. Without the Patriarch here, there’s no one to keep them in check.
Kelliark Zipple.
He was currently being sustained by chaos control devices and body maintenance systems. It was only natural, as he and Rosa had been exposed to the highest concentrations of chaos during the Sword Emperor Holy War. Until about a year ago, he had made occasional public appearances to hide Zipple’s vulnerabilities, but now, Kelliark was in a position where he had to truly 'save' every second of his time. At least until Zipple acquired perfect chaos control techniques or until Kinzelo agreed to a deal.
Well, I suppose I also underestimated him a bit back in the Sota Desert...
Looking back, that had been the problem. If he had finished Jin in the Sota Desert before Sandra caused a scene; if he had cut him down before Jin opened a path; or if he had stayed by Sandra’s side and killed him in the Gaifa Archipelago when she fell in love with him... Jin wouldn't have become such a massive headache. Not for Zipple, and not for Hedo personally.
If there was any silver lining, it was the fact that, for now, a stronger Jin Runcandel returning wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Zipple.
Hedo unfolded another newsletter lying beside the table.
[Sir Dante Hairan subjugates the demonic beasts of Ghost Song Castle! As the Imperial Guardian Sword succeeding the late Sir Ron Hairan, Dante is evaluated to have reached 10-star after the Sword Emperor Holy War...]
"Smarion Prochi of Ghost Song Castle was likely subjugated by the 12th Flagbearer, not Dante."
"What makes you think that, Hedo?"
"Dante Hairan has been appearing consistently in public. Yet, there are no traces of injury on him, and none of his knights have perished. No matter how strong the Imperial Guardian Sword has become, he isn't at a level where he can subjugate that much chaos without a scratch. If he were alone, he would have had to risk his life."
"That is true. But wouldn't the same apply to Jin Runcandel?"
"We cannot be sure. That depends on how much stronger the 12th Flagbearer has become."
"Even with two and a half years of growth, could he really have reached such heights?"
"He is, without a doubt, a different kind of human. Everyone here has experienced how he consistently produces results that defy common sense."
"Even so, if he handled Smarion without injury, it must be because Murakan has regained his strength and reappeared."
Hedo nodded in agreement.
"Either the 12th Flagbearer has attained power close to the Realm of Creation, or Murakan has reclaimed his old strength. Neither scenario is particularly bad for us at the moment."
Runcandel—Zipple’s long-standing rival, whom everyone believed was in decline. Zipple and Kinzelo, however, were making judgments entirely different from public opinion.
"The Garden of Swords. There is no better piece than the 12th Flagbearer to keep them in check right now."
Hedo unfolded yet another newsletter on the table.
[The Garden of Swords announces the discovery of relics belonging to the First Patriarch, Temar Runcandel... While no specific details were released, they expressed a strong will to reclaim the clan's forgotten history.]
"The 12th Flagbearer likely doesn't know the exact situation within Runcandel yet. That’s why he felt something was off as soon as he returned and announced his comeback to the world before informing his family. This article is the reaction Runcandel showed afterward."
After losing most of their history to Zipple a thousand years ago, Runcandel had rarely made public statements regarding their ancestors. Among them, mentioning Temar directly was the ultimate taboo. But now, the power of Zipple’s stories that had suppressed Runcandel had weakened, and they no longer cared about Zipple’s reaction. They hadn't even kept quiet about the 'mana affinity' phenomenon occurring among pure-blooded Runcandels since the Sword Emperor Holy War.
There was only one reason they could do this: Confidence. The confidence that they now possessed the strength to no longer fear Zipple’s covenants.
"Did those bastards... find Temar’s tomb before Hister’s survivor? Through the Prophet’s power?"
"Most likely. But whether that is true or false doesn't matter. What matters is that the moment the 12th Flagbearer sees this article, he will have no choice but to go to the family."
"To confirm the life or death of the Hister survivor and the relics he should have obtained?"
"Not just that. Returning to the family is an inevitable choice for Jin Runcandel. Even if it's just to become the Patriarch. He will never give up on the clan, even if Runcandel isn't what it used to be. He isn't the type to compromise."
"It is as the Ghost Captain and Lord Kadun say. Of course, the 12th Flagbearer won't visit the family unprepared. He will likely prepare the Palace Master’s Snow Toad as an escape route, and I doubt he will bring the Barmul Alliance with him."
"Then he will surely die there, Sir Hedo. Because he doesn't know just how dangerous the Garden of Swords has become!"
Octavia seethed, frustrated at the thought of losing her chance for revenge.
"No, Octavia. If Murakan has regained all his old strength... and if, as Hedo says, the boy's martial prowess has reached the level of a 1st-Class Superhuman or higher... the two of them alone could wage something akin to a war against Runcandel."
"And unless the 12th Flagbearer chooses to submit to Runcandel along with the Barmul Alliance, a fight in the Garden of Swords is inevitable."
"He will never make such a choice."
Just how much damage would Runcandel sustain in that process? None of the three could accurately gauge it. However, all three judged that the probability of Jin surviving was extremely low—even if Murakan supported him with his full strength restored.
"Then we can take this opportunity to confirm the strength Runcandel possesses through their battle."
Zipple knew that the Prophet, along with Rosa, had effectively seized control of the Garden of Swords, and they deduced that their power was beyond imagination. However, they didn't know the exact level. That was why they were avoiding a full-scale war, using the previous truce as an excuse.
"Watching quietly to observe the trends is certainly a good option. But I think it wouldn't be bad to go a step further."
"A step further...?"
Kadun and Octavia’s eyes turned toward Hedo.
"If Runcandel’s strength is weaker than we expect, they will take a massive hit in that fight."
Hedo was suggesting that would be the perfect time to finish Runcandel once and for all.
"We must not give them time to recover. You all know how quickly the Prophet resurrected those many knights who died in the Sword Emperor Holy War and how she enhanced them."
That was intelligence reported while Jin was in Laprarosa. The spy who revealed the Prophet’s resurrections and enhancements had 'melted' and died right in front of Kelliark as soon as the report was finished. In other words, the Prophet had intentionally flaunted her power back then, even knowing he was a spy. Recalling that memory, Kadun and Octavia shook their heads as if a chill had run down their spines.
"So, Hedo, are you saying we should also prepare for a full-scale war?"
"I am saying we need to be ready to respond according to the flow of the battle. Not an unconditional full-scale war."
"You mean if the battle turns into a situation where both sides are crippled, we should step in and finish them both... and if it doesn't look right, we just pull back."
A brief silence followed, and Kadun soon made a decision.
"If it goes as you say, it would certainly be the best-case scenario. But this isn't a matter for us to decide alone. We should wake Kelliark for a moment and leave the judgment to him."
They then headed to the top floor of the Tower of Stories to inform Kelliark of the situation. Inside his maintenance device, Kelliark nodded, agreeing that Hedo’s opinion was correct.
* * *
Kinzelo New Headquarters.
At the same time, they were holding a meeting on the same topic as Zipple. They were also reaching a conclusion similar to Zipple’s. The person who proactively suggested aiming for a scenario where both sides lose was Vishkel Ivliano.
"Hmm, the Vice Captain’s opinion seems good, but... will that guy really go to the Garden of Swords alone? He might have beaten Sir Lanke, but going alone to the Garden of Swords, which even we can't touch recklessly, would be madness. Especially for a sly fellow like him?"
"Hah! That Jin Runcandel guy, he must have lost his mind after turning Lanke into a bloody pulp, eh!?"
Bubar and Ainas expressed their doubts.
Lanke was sitting in a corner, staring blankly and muttering to himself. Though, every time he heard the expression that Jin had 'beaten' him, he glared at Ainas and Bubar as if he wanted to kill them.
"Unless his brain is fried because he easily trampled Sir Lanke, as Lady Ainas said, I don't think he'll go to the Garden of Swords. Sir Lanke and the entirety of Runcandel are on completely different levels. Oh, of course, I'm not saying Sir Lanke is a pushover. He just lost..."
"Right, he just lost. So cheer up, Lanke!"
Vishkel was sick of Bubar constantly spewing whatever nonsense filled his thick skull.
"...Lady Ainas, and Bubar. Stop emphasizing Sir Lanke’s defeat. It’s irrelevant to the topic of the meeting and it's disrespectful."
Chomp, chomp.
The two didn't even listen to Vishkel, pulling out sweet potato croquettes from their pockets and eating them. Vishkel snapped the pen he was holding.
"Umm, what does the Leader think?" Margiella asked, patting Vishkel’s shoulder.
[The Vice Captain’s opinion is correct. Zipple has likely made a similar plan. If both Jin and Runcandel take a massive hit, and we and Zipple strike Runcandel together... even the current Garden of Swords would find it difficult to handle, no matter how powerful they are.]
"Then, Leader. Are you saying we should prepare for an all-out attack?"
[For now, that seems best, Verakt. Though we will have to watch the subsequent developments. There is no way Jin Runcandel will swear obedience to the Prophet... so a fight will inevitably break out. And Ainas, Bubar. Lanke’s defeat is no disgrace. Jin Runcandel has become strong beyond comparison to his former self.]
The eyes of the executives widened at the Leader’s direct evaluation. Zephyrin, in particular, who had been with Orgal for a long time, could count on one hand the number of humans he had praised to this extent.
"The outcome will depend on how strong the hidden power of Runcandel is. If they're weaker than expected, it's an opportunity to wipe them all out. Master, you've made a decision that's quite to my liking for once. I was getting annoyed at having to walk on eggshells around those things."
[Zephyrin, do not speak lightly of the Prophet.]
"Hmph, I really am a pitiful dragon who never gets any favoritism from her master."
Margiella patted Zephyrin’s shoulder this time.
"Well, since the Leader has given his permission, shall we start preparing? It’ll be a fight where both the Garden of Swords and Sir Jin Runcandel will inevitably get hurt, so it should be quite enjoyable."
Margiella smiled brightly. She thought that perhaps this might be the very last chance to make Jin one of their own.