C510
March 5, 1800, a day has passed since those who participated in the special mission in the "Sota Desert" returned to the Garden of Swords.
The mission was successful, but the losses were enormous.
"We saved him. However, the arm... The necrosis and tissue loss were so severe that we couldn't do anything," said the medical director with a heavy voice.
It was Mon.
Although they managed to recover Mon's amputated arm after the battle with Bianca, those who participated in the Sota Desert mission fought several fierce battles with the Federation Navy even after crossing the central border of Lutero.
Even at the end of the battle with Bianca, the arm was in a state that could not be remedied without treatment at the level of the Holy Queen.
"Will he be able to continue with missions in the future?" Jin asked, suppressing the anger boiling within him.
Jin didn't ask that question about whether Mon, one of the best Knights of the Family, could perform missions.
He asked with the hope that Mon would maintain his existence and pride."Except for the left arm, the rest of his body will recover perfectly soon. It may be difficult for him to perform Black Knight missions, but I believe he can handle missions below that level."
"...Thank you, Medical Director."
"Please, come in. He's awake."
When Jin entered the operating room, he saw Mon wrapped in bandages and medical equipment.
"Mon-nim."
After his return, Jin heard from Zed that Mon and Jane were lovers.
"Twelfth Flagbearer."
Mon remained silent for a while, looking out the window.
The sky over the Sota Desert during the mission was either blurry or filled with the flames of battle, contrasting with the unusually sunny light now filling the hospital room.
"It's inevitable that I'll be demoted to Guardian Knight or Execution Knight. This arm will only be a burden to the other Black Knights."
"The mission couldn't have succeeded without you, sir."
"The weather is nice."
Mon neither affirmed nor denied Jin's words.
He was simply reflecting on the information he had heard from Jin on the way back.
"Don't burden your heart too much. Being a Black Knight is just a symbol of loyalty to the Family. Even without it, my essence remains unchanged. However..."
Mon turned his head towards Jin and continued speaking.
"If your words are true... if it really is so, it seems that things have changed."
The word "changed" did not refer to himself but directly to this place, the Garden of Swords.
-The Seventh Final Movement, Volcano, the Second Flagbearer was probably facing certain death...
-No, he's alive. The one who executed the Volcano was not the real Joshua but his clone.
-Clone?
-Young one, what are you talking about?
While escaping from the Lutero Magical Federation, Jin informed the group that Joshua might be a clone.
It had not been proven yet, but Dyfus and Mon couldn't shake off the uneasy intuition.
"Twelfth Flagbearer."
"Please, speak."
"Jane really wanted to serve you. And the moment your words are proven true..."
At that moment, someone entered the medical room.
It was Jin's butler, Petro.
"Young Master!"
Jin instinctively felt why Petro had come so urgently. Mon felt the same.
"The Second Flagbearer has returned...!"
When Petro finished speaking, immense energy radiated from Mon.
The entire building shook so strongly that it was hard to believe it belonged to a person who until yesterday was on the brink of death.
Tears of red and bloody tears welled up in Mon's eyes. Soon, he gathered strength, rose from the bed, and looked at Jin.
"Come quickly, Twelfth Flagbearer."
They went outside.
They saw Joshua standing in front of the steel gate.
He was in good health, without a single injury, and led all his knights except the Black Knights.
A flag with the Runcandel symbol, the black swords, was raised.
The knights who were outside the gate and had come with Joshua and the knights gathered inside the garden held the same flag.
The sight was horribly repulsive.
"Your words were true."
Dyfus stood next to Jin and spoke. Dyfus's tremor was palpable as he barely contained his anger.
"Jin."
"Yes, elder brother."
"Make sure to drag that guy and kill him. And if Mother shields that disgusting one again this time, I won't let it slide."
Betrayal.
Or reform.
Dyfus had made a decision.
Jin too.
However, unlike Dyfus...
Jin was almost sure that his trusting elder brother would find it difficult to evade responsibility this time.
Looking at the knights behind Joshua, Jin felt more convinced.
He must have brought his knights here out of fear.
'But he hasn't realized that, I don't know about the hounds, but the clan knights don't pledge loyalty to him...
It was a complete mistake for Joshua to bring the knights en masse to the Garden of Swords.
Joshua should have come alone.
That's what Jin thought, and so did his mother, Rosa, who came out of the main house.
The knights formed a line on both sides of the path.
Rosa, walking among them, had indifferent eyes.
"Second Flagbearer, Joshua Runcandel. Reporting after completing the mission."
Joshua's voice, struggling to maintain confidence, lacked the pride of having successfully completed a challenging mission.
There was no boasting about completing a difficult mission.
There was only the fear of a son who couldn't be sure if he would receive punishment or reward from his mother.
Until he entered the Garden of Swords, Joshua always believed that he would receive a reward as usual.
No, he wanted to believe it.
However, as soon as Joshua faced Rosa's cold expression, he felt that hope fading.
It's challenging for small children to endure their parents' unusual facial expressions.
Joshua even rationalized the act of accompanying the knights.
It was not because he feared Rosa's decision but a mere act to elevate the dignity of the next patriarch, who had returned after diligently completing the mission.
"I received the report that you died during the mission. What happened?"
No matter how much Joshua tried to rationalize it, he knew it from the first words.
His mother didn't seem pleased with his return.
It was time to realize the painful reality.
"Mother, that..."
"Address me properly. Right now, I am not here as your mother."
Joshua's eyes widened.
Those who were watching were also surprised.
It was the first time Rosa, and not Cyron, trampled on Joshua's authority in front of everyone.
"I apologize... Acting Patriarch. I made a mistake."
"Explain clearly how the Second Flagbearer, Joshua Runcandel, is standing there instead of being dead."
Why are you alive?
You should have died there.
That's how Joshua heard Rosa's words.
Joshua couldn't help but shudder at his mother's voice, which went beyond a simple reprimand and even felt malicious.
"Answer me; the Fourth and Twelfth Flagbearers wouldn't have dared to lie to me!"
When Rosa shouted again, a strong pressure filled the surroundings.
"The reason I'm alive is..."
Joshua stammered.
His eyes flickered, and he felt infinitely smaller. There was a deep sense of contempt in the eyes of the family members looking at him.
"I sent a clone on the mission..."
At that moment, Jin thought to himself.
'Not only did you make the senseless mistake of bringing the knights, but you're also missing the last chance to change our mother's mind, Joshua.'
Joshua had no idea why his mother was exploding in anger that way.
It was because he had forgotten his essence.
Hoo!
Joshua took a breath and looked at Rosa. However, his trembling legs couldn't hide the fact that he was scared.
"The reason I'm alive is that I sent a clone created through a Prophet on a mission. As a result, the mission was successful."
"A Black Knight died, and another was left disabled. Can you call that a success?"
That was the main reason why Joshua was being reprimanded now.
Mon survived, but in reality, Runcandel lost two Black Knights in this mission.
As the person in charge of the mission, Joshua had to take responsibility.
But there was another reason why Rosa went so far.
The essence of Runcandel, the fight.
Joshua had forgotten it.
Maybe he hadn't forgotten it, but it simply didn't exist from the beginning.
The method didn't matter.
Even if he used a false body for the mission, even if it resulted in a Black Knight facing death and another being disabled, even if it caused greater losses.
Joshua should have fought.
As the next patriarch of the family, he should have elevated the values of the family.
He shouldn't have trembled and stammered like a scared dog, like a terrified child.
He had to prove that he had never been wrong.
He had to face Rosa and face the family.
He should have roared, asking if there was a superior way to use the power of the Prophet and cloning, why no one had done anything if there was a better way, and who really caused the death of the Black knight of the clan.
Just like Jin did when he made the patriarchal declaration.
'If you had shown that you never forgot the essence of Runcandel, Mother would have defended you again this time.'
Jin felt nauseous.
He, more than any other Runcandel and more than any of his children present here, understood Rosa Runcandel better.
It was a fact that made him shudder.
"I made a mistake..."
Rosa's eyes became even colder.
Why?
Why didn't you recognize me?
Didn't I successfully complete the mission for the family?
Haven't you tolerated my use of Prophet and cloning power until now, Mother?
Aren't I your most beloved son?
Joshua's head was full of those thoughts.
The essence of Joshua Runcandel was nothing more than a child fighting to be recognized by his parents.
It couldn't be called a fight.
"Fourth Flagbearer."
"Yes, Acting Patriarch."
"Speak. Did you know that the Second Flagbearer sent a clone?"
"I didn't know."
"Twelfth Flagbearer, did you know?"
"I had a suspicion."
"But why did this mission require the sacrifice of the Black Knight, and not just his clone?"
"As I reported yesterday, because our family invested the least among the three main factions in this incident. However..."
Jin looked at Joshua and continued.
"If he had shared all the information with me and the Fourth Flagbearer from the beginning, if he had offered the sacrifice of the clone in advance, there would never have been the death of the Black Knight Jane-nim or the loss of Mon-nim's arm."
"Mother, no! That was just a hypothesis! Let me explain; my plan was clearly perfect, but there were too many variables in this mission...!"
A smile more than of disdain appeared on Rosa's lips.
"Black Sword Association, submit Joshua Runcandel."
"As you command!"
Those who responded to Rosa's order were the knights led by Joshua from outside the garden, not from inside.
Except for the Black Knights, all of Joshua's higher-ranking knights were formed by the Execution Knights of the Runcandel Elder Council.
Although Joshua himself had just found out.
"Lain, Becks, Rihanna... and even Sinatra. Are you all... members of the Black Sword Association...?"
The Execution Knights of the Black Sword Association removed the masks hiding their faces and revealed their identities.
Everyone in the room held their breath as the old, ruined, and unrecognizable faces were revealed.
"From now on, the status of Joshua Runcandel as the Second Flagbearer of the Runcandel Family is suspended. Furthermore, I issue a secret search order for both his real body and the clones, which may be active outside."
"Lock him up in the dungeon."
"Mother, Mother...!"
Fall.
Everyone watching Joshua Runcandel crying for his mother was thinking of that word.
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KO-FI
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