C384 - Who Is the Real Runcandel? (4)
Blink~.
For a moment, Murakan just blinked, as if he had heard something bad. He had a bewildered look, but soon his eyes gleamed with a wicked smile.
"Hahaha! Are you saying you'll bring Runcandel back to how it was before? Are you serious?"
His voice was excited, like that of a child receiving an unexpected gift.
"Do you think it's just a joke?"
"Have you found something while investigating the tombs of Temar? Can you lift the curse inflicted by Zipple and its gods?"
A thousand years ago, Runcandel suffered the humiliation of Zipple and the curse called "The Covenant/The Oath."
Never use magic again.
Furthermore, do not worship those ancestors who used magic.
That was the reason why Runcandel, once a Family of Magic Swordsmen, had been reduced to an ordinary Knight clan.
As a result of the curse, all Runcandels born from then on had bodies incapable of using magic.
"No, it's not like that."
"Then?"
"When I looked into the Tombs of Temar, I simply made a decision. At this rate, Runcandel has no future."
From the recording devices left in each tomb, Jin glimpsed the majesty of ancient Runcandel.
He confirmed secrets as the descendant who inherited their legacy, and experienced firsthand the invincibility of the great Magic Swordsmen of Runcandel.
Ancient Runcandel was undoubtedly a glorious clan.
However.
Even the glorious Runcandel of that time knelt before the power of Zipple.
Even the great Magic Swordsmen of Runcandel from those times had no choice but to kneel before that dark and colossal power that could manipulate reality and history at will.
All they could do was leave a small spark of hope for the future.
"Their ability to manipulate history is not limited to that time. Just as we are trying to recover the history of ancient Runcandel, Zipple is also trying to recover the power of that time."
At that time, Zipple did not emerge unscathed either.
Zipple suffered significant losses in breaking ancient Runcandel.
If they had ended the war without significant losses, it would have been impossible for Runcandel to exist now.
A thousand years had passed, but both Runcandel and Zipple had not regained their former power.
"Indeed. Just by seeing their attempts to reproduce the Origin Orb, it's clear they are determined to dominate the world."
"In my opinion, as things stand, it's more likely that Zipple will regain ancient power faster. So I have to start moving seriously from now on."
Until now, he hadn't.
Since his return, Jin had almost always concealed his power from his clan.
Only when his tenure as a provisional flagbearer was about to end did he reveal to the world that he was a Magic Swordsman.
Even after becoming a flagbearer, he had not fully revealed his abilities to the members of his clan.
It wasn't because he enjoyed hiding his power. It wasn't because he didn't find it frustrating.
It was simply because he needed to. Until he had the necessary confidence to withstand the pressure from his clan when his power was revealed.
Jin judged that now was the right time.
-Younger one.
-Yes, Father.
-Appointing you as Flagbearer would be a significant loss for Runcandel. I will observe whether you are worth the trouble it would cause.
-I understand.
-I don't have much time left. The appointment ceremony will begin in an hour, so stay here until then.
Jin remembered the conversation he had with his father, Cyron.
The fact that Cyron didn't have much time left meant one thing: there wasn't much time for the world's strongest Knight to protect Runcandel.
As long as my father is alive, Zipple won't attack Runcandel.
Jin had come to that conclusion not long ago.
It was well known that, despite Zipple having a clear advantage in power, they avoided direct confrontation with Runcandel because of Cyron.
However, Jin's conclusion was that even though there were ample reasons and justifications for both sides to engage in a major battle, there would be no total war as long as Cyron remained alive.
"I've already violated the covenant between Runcandel and Zipple."
Furthermore, Jin had defeated Zipple's elite forces, including pure-blooded Zipple like Andrei, Karl, and Myuron, as well as some of the top Magicians, the Specters.
He had also destroyed Zipple's flagship, Kozec, the symbol of their power, not once but twice.
Especially during the Holy Kingdom incident, when Jin was still a Provisional Flagbearer, he had humiliated Zipple to the extreme, reducing their prestige to nothing.
Recently, he had been scratching the inside of Zipple through his cosmetics business.
Although he had tried to avoid leaving traces and had created justifications to prevent issues from escalating, each incident could have easily led to total war.
However, Zipple had still not attacked Runcandel.
Even though I've caused all these disturbances, and my father is exploring the Black Sea.
That was partly because Cyron was a formidable presence, but Jin believed that Zipple also realized that Cyron didn't have much time left.
"They must think that if they wait silently, victory will be theirs..."
"I don't have much time left."
Jin seemed to understand now why Cyron had left him with those words.
"Now, even if I declare that I'll restore Runcandel to a Family of Magic Swordsmen as you used to be, no one in the Garden of Swords can lightly punish me anymore. My presence has become too significant."
"Well, look at you, saying embarrassing things with such a serious face. Do you really have the confidence for that? Huh?"
Both Jin and Murakan chuckled.
"Instead of punishing me, maybe they'll split into factions, with those advocating for restoring the status of Magic Swordsmen Family and those clinging to traditional values."
"Joshua and you are likely to lead each faction."
"Likely."
"Do you think your mother will oppose it?"
"My mother probably won't be a major issue. It's too burdensome to eliminate me at this point, and more importantly, there's a lot she needs to find out about me, especially after I personally mentioned the Tombs of Temar. There's a lot to use."
"Anyway, you're an irritating person. By the way, tell me what you learned from the Fourth Tomb. I was dying of curiosity while waiting for you."
"In the fourth tomb..."
Jin went on to explain the events he had experienced in the Wantaramo Forest.
Murakan listened attentively with wide-open eyes.
"So, is that Histor girl a descendant of the Fairies? And were the fairies of the Wantaramo Forest cursed by Heluram?"
"That's right."
"Damn, I barely remember anything about those Fairies back then. I don't know if it's because of history manipulation or because I slept too much."
Murakan touched his forehead in frustration.
He often felt dizzy when confronted with the fact that his memories were incomplete. It stemmed from a deep sense of self-guilt for forgetting his comrades and feeling powerless for having survived alone.
"You'll gradually recover those memories, Murakan. Don't blame yourself."
In response to Jin's words, Murakan gave a faint smile.
"Yeah, brat. With you around, I'll end up getting it all back. And about that Valeria..."
"Yes?"
"Maybe she's also one of Solderet's arrangements."
"That's possible. In fact, Histor is probably the only one who can perfectly counter Zipple's history manipulation."
"Where is she now? I'd like to have a conversation with her too. Just as she examined your Records, maybe she can look at mine to revive some memories."
"Valeria is probably traveling the world in search of the Fifth Tomb. I have some contact addresses, so I'll arrange a meeting place soon."
"Well, she can use Record Magic, so she'll probably find it much better than us or our enemies. Excellent. When I meet that Histor girl, I should expect some gains from my Records."
"It seems like everything is more or less settled. I should start heading out."
While Jin was in surgery, the Garden of Swords had maintained a state of emergency.
They were concerned that Murakan might cause a commotion, but everyone knew that once the twelfth flagbearer woke up, he wouldn't let it slide.
The Garden of Swords would start to stir.
The moment Jin left the room, a new meeting would begin.
"Very well, let's go. I want to see how the faces of those Runcandel brats change after your declaration."
"No, if you join, things won't go well."
"What?"
"I should make the declaration alone and bear the aftermath that follows. In case I have to carry a Guardian Dragon on my back when one Runcandel is dealing with other Runcandels."
"Well, there's a thing called 'what if,' brat. What if someone like the Second Flagbearer or those who follow him, or even your mother, try to kill you after hearing your declaration?"
In response, Jin shrugged.
"There's no chance of that happening. But even if it were, do you think I would die?"
Jin was confident he could escape even in the worst circumstances.
With the help of a few people who clearly favored him, including Mary, it was possible in any situation.
"Ha, it feels like yesterday when you were learning to release your Shadow Energy. You've grown a lot, you little rascal."
"And you have your own tasks to attend to."
"What is it?"
"Strawberry Pie - no. I mean, you have to bring Gilly."
As soon as Gilly's name was mentioned, Murakan's eyebrows furrowed.
"I'll tell you in advance, if there's even a small scratch on Strawberry Pie, you better be prepared because I'll kill anyone who's directly involved even if you stop me."
"That goes without saying. First, go to Elder Tellot and find out where Gilly is being held. You'll have to bring her personally for me to feel safe."
Once Murakan left the room, Jin took a deep breath.
Phew...
If he said he wasn't nervous, he would be lying.
Amidst the tense anticipation, there was also a sense of excitement.
After confirming that Murakan flew out the window, the sunlight seemed unusually bright as Jin opened the door.
"Young Master!"
Petro approached Jin and bowed his head.
"Thanks to you, my arms have healed well. I'm very grateful. It's been very moving."
"It's nothing."
"Is Mother, the Flagbearers, and the Elders in the central meeting room?"
To Jin's question, Petro shook his head with a heavy expression.
"They are at the training ground."
"The training ground?"
"Yes. As soon as you woke up, they asked to take you there... I have a bad feeling. It's too obvious why they've summoned you to the training ground."
It meant they were willing to resolve it by force if necessary.
While Petro was worried, Jin smiled as if things were going well.
"I felt a little uncomfortable wrecking the meeting room anyway. This is better."
"Are you telling me?"
"Bring me something to snack on. Something like a sandwich."
As Petro's eyes widened in surprise, Jin continued.
"You can't wield a sword on an empty stomach, can you?"
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