C428 - Elderly In Crisis (2)
What the hell is going on here?
This can't be real...!
The elder members of the council struggled to conceal their surprise and disbelief.
The pale heads of the deceased elders swirled on the long table.
As if to indicate the absurdity of the situation, Jin swept away some necks lying before him and placed the contract in its place.
"I've brought some copies just in case. It wouldn't hurt for each of you to read it once. I say this so you can easily understand, you'll have to pay this amount if the elders want to assassinate me with the help of mercenaries on the level of the Ghost Legion in the future."
Why was it so difficult to raise their voice against this brash and crazy Twelfth Flagbearer?
They felt as if a rock was blocking their throats, and the atmosphere in the meeting room was oppressively heavy.
On the contrary, Jin continued with a friendly smile.
"Of course, it means it's only the minimum cost. If you're unlucky, you might end up like this even after paying so much."
The room fell so silent that even the sound of breathing seemed amplified.
Jin calmly assessed the reactions of the elder council members as they struggled to figure out where to direct their gaze.
Undoubtedly, they were the oldest members of the Runcandel council.
They had been recognized as prodigies from an early age and became Runcandel cadets...
And after becoming Knights, they had survived for a long time and had various achievements.
They held various positions in the Garden of Swords, even in their old age.
However, the reason they were so rigid was not solely due to Jin's recent display of monstrous power.
They had already experienced such overwhelming power countless times in many battles.
But, undoubtedly, there was something different about Jin.
This couldn't be explained simply by stating that his power is extraordinary or that his audacity surpasses imagination.
It was as if they were facing a wall that they could never overcome, no matter how hard they tried or what they did.
In a way, the elder council members were observing the youthfulness of Cyron in Jin.
However, resembling Cyron at first glance didn't mean he was the true Cyron.
Being crushed by fear was also something they couldn't tolerate as Runcandel Elders.
"Is this what you've seen? The actions I've taken were because you lost to me in our fight. If this is humiliating for you, then break me and trample on me, whatever!"
"You've seen such a crazy bastard! Twelfth Flagbearer, do you know what you've done?
"How dare you show this nonsense!"
"It's disrespect towards the elder council, do you have any proof that the deceased members of the elder council were trying to kill you?
"You've killed more than ten council members, and..."
"This is blasphemy against the Elders Council."
When the dam of their emotions finally burst, the elder council members stood up with their faces twisted in anger.
Their angry expressions made it seem like they were going to devour Jin right at that moment.
Jin's whole body tingled at the murderous intent emanating from the elders, but now Jin was beyond their power.
He couldn't care less about their indignation.
"Respect, blasphemy, betrayal."
He...
A laugh escaped him.
He laughed to further infuriate the elder council members.
It was a natural response to the absurdity of their accusations.
He loathed the idea of sharing the name "Runcandel" with those old and rotten people.
"Are you laughing? Have you lost your minds...!"
"You, rotten ghosts of the past, really don't know shame?"
Once again, the elder council members blinked with their eyes wide open.
They felt as if they had been struck on the head with a hammer.
"Are you asking for respect? Are you telling me not to blaspheme against Runcandel?"
This time, Jin's expression twisted with anger.
Jin's eyes were filled with a formidable and intense murderous intent, but his mouth displayed a mocking smile.
His face looked like that of a demon tainted by malevolence.
"It is you who blaspheme the glorious name of the fight, Runcandel! It sickens me to share the same last name with you, who confine yourselves to sitting in your old positions and delighting in withered power."
"Twelfth Flagbearer!"
"Enough, before I put your heads on this table alongside the others. You should listen carefully to what I have to say from now on."
The elder council members were ready to draw their swords at any moment...
But Lynn Milcano raised her hand to restrain them.
Though she seemed composed, even Lynn's hand trembled slightly.
It was a tremor born of anger and emotion.
She was one of the few who had witnessed the majesty of Jin during his 'Patriarchy Declaration.'
"Do not forget our essence. The reason I kill elder council members and insult you like this is because you lost to me in our fight. If that enrages you, then crush me and trample on me, however the hell you want!"
A battle of hegemony.
Jin accepted the fight between him and the elders as such.
It's not a fight of flagbearer against flagbearer but of Runcandel against Runcandel.
Once again, Jin's heavy breathing became palpable amid the reigning silence.
Jin's breath calmed, the bloodthirst in his eyes subsided, and he returned to his usual calmness.
"Please... from now on, I hope to face you in a way that is not shameful, members of the Elder Council."
With those words, Jin turned around and left the meeting room without waiting for the response of the Elder Council members.
The elders stayed silent as they looked at the spot where Jin had disappeared, but they all shared the same feelings.
Feelings of defeat, shame, and anger welled up within them.
"Hah~, after the last uproar, the president of the Elder Council mentioned that the Twelfth Flagbearer would have a lot to do for the Family... but this is going too far. We need a plan, and we can't let him run wild like this forever."
"The Twelfth Flagbearer is insane, completely insane! First, we need to prepare the funerals of the deceased Elder Council members, and then we must report to the President of the Elder Council and the Acting Matriarch. This is a matter that requires severe punishment..."
Clack, clack!
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway.
It was the Black Panther, Rosa Runcandel.
"Elder Council members, there is no need to convey these news to me separately. I have already heard and seen everything directly."
As Rosa entered the meeting room, the Elder Council members stood up and bowed their heads.
Although Rosa's expression remained neutral, the elder council members sensed a dangerous aura emanating from her.
It's likely that she encountered the Twelfth Flagbearer on the way, but the Acting Matriarch has not taken any action.
It's impossible that she and the Twelfth Flagbearer have formed an alliance...
Something doesn't add up.
While the elder council members pondered, Jin had encountered Rosa on his way...
But they exchanged not a word nor a glance, as if avoiding each other in a moment of unfavorable battle, like predators.
Rosa looked at the necks on the table with an expressionless face.
Without a moment's hesitation, she conjured an aura in her hand, as radiant as the sun, and used it to disintegrate the heads of the deceased elder council members.
Blood, bones, flesh, and brains disappeared without a trace.
The heads cleanly evaporated from the radiant heat emanating from Rosa's hands. The elder council members could only gasp in amazement at the spectacle.
'Surely the Acting Matriarch has not fully recovered from her injuries yet, but what is this level of power?'
'It's as if she has gained a new enlightenment. It's like watching the sword of the true Patriarch.'
The level of completely disintegrating an object.
What Rosa had just demonstrated clearly resembled the level Cyron had reached, but it was undeniably different.
Rosa herself keenly felt this fact.
'I have truly gained a new enlightenment after barely surviving the blow Jin unleashed that day. But the mastery you have achieved is still infinitely far, Patriarch.'
After suffering severe injuries from Jin's sword, Rosa managed to break another layer of her limitations.
Regardless of his power, Jin's sword had shocked her more than any other sword she had encountered.
Today, she was showing for the first time the results of that breakthrough to the elder council members.
"Congratulations, Acting Matriarch! You have reached a new level."
"This kind of hope amid the Family's confusion... you haven't fully recovered yet, but the strength you possess is tremendous."
Rosa's gaze turned cold as the elder council's most senior members began to congratulate her.
They could feel the chill in Rosa's eyes, and involuntarily shivered.
"What did you expect to achieve by informing me of the actions of the Twelfth Flagbearer, members of the Elder Council?"
The smiling faces of the Elder Council members froze in response to her words.
"Did you expect me to take action against the Twelfth Flagbearer on behalf of the Elder Council?"
"Acting Matriarch-nim, it's just that..."
"Or perhaps you wanted me to be a shield, ensuring that the Twelfth Flagbearer would not harm the Elder Council again?"
They dared not answer.
Their wrinkled faces turned red with shame as they struggled to endure it.
"Chief Law Guard, why don't you answer?"
When Rosa pointed at her, Lynn took a moment to catch her breath.
"The words of the Acting Matriarch are completely correct, and this old one is filled with shame."
"After today..."
Rosa turned to the members of the Elder Council and spoke.
"The Elder Council will have to demonstrate again the importance and value of its existence. If you disappoint me once again after today, I will temporarily close the Elder Council until the Patriarch returns."
"No, Acting Matriarch! What are you saying?"
"Temporarily close the Elder Council? That's going too far..."
The council member who spoke couldn't finish his sentence.
Swing!
In an instant, a sword aura extended from Rosa's palm and cut him in half.
Fshhh...
Instead of blood, white particles stained with the aura flowed from the cut surface and tainted the air.
When the flowing particles finally stopped, the lifeless body of the elderly council member had taken on a peculiar appearance, as if it had been burned.
"I believe there will be no more people who think that the years of freedom give them strength to disobey my words."
Lynn Milcano knelt on one knee, and the rest of the Elder Council members followed suit.
Rosa looked at them and said:
"Whether you choose to persistently fight or live as scavengers, remember that depending on your choice, I can be infinitely merciful or ruthless to both the Elder Council and my blood."
At Rosa's final words, the faces of the Elder Council members paled.
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