Chapter 635: Return to the Family (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 635: Return to the Family (4)
“And you think… any of this can be returned to normal?”
The Garden of Swords in Jin’s memory and the Garden of Swords currently unfolding before his eyes. The only thing they had in common was the thousands of swords thrust into the center of the garden.
Every knight in sight had been consumed by Chaos. Rosa, in particular, was in a state beyond what even the Chaos Purifier from Laprarosa could remedy.
A single black horn protruded from her forehead. She seemed to have no intention of hiding it; even if she did, it looked impossible to conceal.
Furthermore, the buildings only looked the same on the outside. From the moment Jin first set foot in the Garden of Swords—no, from the moment he entered Kalon—he had sensed the thick aura of Chaos hidden throughout the entire city.
Sigh…
Jin pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long breath.
“…Are you saying you can turn back time? Or does Ilina Runcandel—no, the Prophet standing beside you—have some other trick up her sleeve?”
“What has already happened cannot be undone. However, had you kept your promise, you would have become the Patriarch this very moment. From this day forward, Runcandel would have looked to you for its survival, not the Prophet.”
You would have become the Patriarch.
Those words, which he had so desperately desired since his previous life, pierced through Jin’s mind.
Naturally, he felt not a shred of joy. Instead, a wave of nausea rose within him—a disgusting sensation, as if insects were swarming inside his skull.
“Haha…”
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
“Since when were you in a position to select the Patriarch? Cyron Runcandel is the Patriarch of Runcandel, the master of Barisada, and my father. This must have all been done without his permission. Based on nothing but your own arbitrary judgment!”
Even before joining hands with the Prophet, Rosa had hinted at making Jin the Patriarch. However, Jin had interpreted that as Rosa promising not to interfere with his succession; he had never expected a transfer of power like this.
The only one who could truly pass down Barisada was Cyron.
“So, what is your answer? Did you obtain the means to save the family from these troubled times, or did you fail?”
“Whatever I have gained, neither you nor your version of Runcandel will receive any benefit from it.”
“Then… I have no other choice.”
Except to kill you.
Rosa’s eyes narrowed. She had no intention of trying to persuade Jin further.
It wasn't because he wasn't valuable. Having decided that she must kill Jin, she was suppressing a heart more pained than any she had ever felt in her life.
But she could not win him over.
The youngest son she knew was not a man who would ever compromise. He was a man who would never yield under any circumstances, yet one who had never once been broken…
Rosa knew better than anyone that her brilliant youngest son was Jin Runcandel.
“I will ask one last thing.”
Rosa expected Jin to ask about Temar or the Hister clan. But even in this, Jin defied her expectations.
“Was this truly the best you could do?”
“It was.”
“Then there is no further need for us to speak.”
Jin’s gaze shifted to the knights standing behind Rosa.
“What were the clan’s knights doing while the Garden of Swords fell into this state? Did you all simply stand by and watch as Rosa Runcandel colluded with Chaos?”
“I’ve heard quite enough, Jin Runcandel,” Ilina, the Prophet, spoke for the first time, her voice sharp. Jin didn't even spare her a glance. “All you have done is damage Runcandel’s destiny. And what of Cyron Runcandel? He has been away from the family this entire time. And what is the result? Have you or he found a way to save the family?”
“If not for Lady Rosa’s choice, Runcandel would have met its end long before the irresponsible Cyron Runcandel or you could return. Well, in a way, I suppose this is also the fulfillment of destiny. As a result, Runcandel has become incomparably stronger than before…”
Just then, a group of knights emerged from the far side of the inner chamber.
They were the knights who had been imprisoned underground. All of them looked exhausted and frail, but thanks to Stam’s consideration, they were armed with clean armor and swords.
A faint aura of Chaos could be felt from them as well, but unlike the others who were completely consumed, they bore the clear marks of resistance.
They are the ones… the ones who resisted Chaos to the end to protect the family’s values.
It was only right to save them all and return. But that was an impossible task.
They knew that fact as well. That was why the Tona brothers shouted out to Jin.
“Jin, Youngest! Don't worry about us! Just do what you have to do!”
“To die fighting by your side is the greatest honor a Runcandel could ask for…!”
The Tona brothers, who had tormented him so much in his previous life and had often groveled before the strong in this one, had finally become respectable Runcandels.
“Releasing them now is Lady Rosa’s final mercy to you and to them,” Ilina sneered. “Prepare to meet your end alongside these remnants, Jin Runcandel. Your power will be used for Runcandel even after your death, so it isn't such a bad conclusion.”
“Knights of the clan, listen,” Jin said, looking at the knights who had come up from the underground. They were the only true knights of the family left. “I pay my respects to the painful resistance you have endured. Therefore, what you must do now is survive. I will open the path for you.”
The Tona brothers and the knights nodded solemnly.
“From this moment forward, I declare Rosa Runcandel and all who follow her to be traitors. As the 12th Flagbearer of the clan… I shall execute them.”
“As of this moment… I strip you of your status as a Flagbearer, Jin Runcandel.”
Jin and Rosa spoke at the exact same time.
As if by prearranged signal, every knight in the garden drew their sword. And everyone recalled an incident that had taken place in the Garden of Swords a few years ago.
—That high seat where Mother is sitting… I believe I must destroy even that to deepen the meaning of the declaration I made today.
—[Everyone, keep your eyes wide open… and see clearly. See what the true Runcandel is, what has protected Runcandel, and what the current Runcandel has forgotten.]
The Declaration of the Patriarch.
A fierce blue light flickered in Jin’s eyes.
Runcandel Magic Sword Secret Technique:
Karma Fire – Sarah Runcandel
Azure flames ignited within Jin’s pupils. The will of the Flame Emperor, who had fought for the family until the very end and had protected Runcandel’s values for a thousand years even in death, was now manifesting through him.
Those tainted by Chaos could not help but flinch. Until now, the aura of Chaos had perfectly paralyzed their inner selves. But now, a fear so massive that not even Chaos could suppress it—an immeasurably overwhelming presence—battered the knights’ rotted spirits.
“Block him!”
As Myu and Anne stepped forward, the corrupted knights surged behind them. Among them were knights wearing black helmets.
Black Knights—the black helmets that were once given only to the most honorable and strongest warriors in Runcandel. By a rough estimate, nearly fifty knights wearing black helmets were in the garden.
However, Jin felt nothing as the so-called Black Knights surrounded him. Just because one wore a black helmet did not make them a true Black Knight, and just because one’s power reached 10-star did not mean they were a transcendent warrior.
“You think you can stop me?”
Hundreds of streaks of pitch-black sword energy poured toward Jin. It was enough to collapse a great mountain in an instant. No one, save for the greatest powers in the world, could have withstood the sword energy they unleashed in mere seconds.
And yet, their swords could not even graze the outermost edge of the blue flames Jin had spread. Their attacks were erased without a trace before they could even touch the fire.
It wasn't just the Pluto Sword and the Spirit Sword that Jin had trained in Laprarosa. The current Jin had also reached a level near completion in the Runcandel Magic Swords.
Anyone who had seen Sarah Runcandel even once would have recognized the figure standing here as her reincarnation.
A fire that could burn the world, a fire that never backed down from any foe and fought until the very end. That fire was now staring wide-eyed, ready to punish the traitors tainted by Chaos.
Gaaaaah—!
The newly summoned Tess let out a roar. This was no risky manifestation that used Chaos as a medium, like the one during the Sword Emperor Holy War. Tess was summoned purely through Jin’s mana, yet it possessed an Azure Fire stronger than ever before.
And as soon as Tess appeared, as soon as Jin swung his sword once toward the traitors—
Nearly a hundred knights, including five who had become Black Knights through the power of Chaos, were incinerated. Their bodies melted away before they could even scream.
However, even as their flesh melted, Chaos cores remained, much like those of bio-golems. These cores were being drawn toward the Prophet as if caught in a whirlpool.
Jin snatched one of the Chaos cores as it flew toward the Prophet. The Chaos tried to burrow into his palm like a parasite to corrupt him, but it shattered instantly as Jin tightened his fist.
Seeing this, the Prophet faltered for the first time.
Is he immune to Chaos?! Like the ancient Pluto Tribe…!
It was something she had never expected.
Jin, wreathed in the flames of the old Runcandel, stood in stark contrast to the knights tainted by Chaos. And his flames, just as he had promised, were carving a path for those released from the underground.
“Ilina Runcandel.”
“Yes, Lady Rosa.”
“Show me what you can do. That boy must not leave this place alive today.”
At Rosa’s command, Ilina bowed her head.
“Understood. Then, do I have your permission to open the Garden of Swords?”
“You have it.”
The Prophet felt a wave of relief. If Rosa, seeing Jin’s transformation, had broken their contract, she would have been forced to take a much longer detour.
“I will reenact the nightmare of that day for you, you wretched traitors,” Jin declared. “If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after. I will hunt you down until not a single one of you is left alive.”
The moment Jin spoke those words, the sun was blotted out, and the world was dyed in black.