C648
After Rosa became engulfed in Chaos, there were about a thousand knights who rebelled against her Runcandel.
They had fought great and small battles in the Garden of Swords, led by Dyfus, Mary, and Jorden.
However, before a month passed, more than sixty percent had been subdued, and the remaining ones had to make a decision.
Would they plan for the future or would they fight to the end and perish?
Their choice was the former, but they couldn't execute it.
Rosa easily found the rebels' hideouts and hunted them down like moles, calling them to the Garden of Swords.
The rebels battled the Chaos Knights of the Family, but in the end, they faced defeat from the summoned Flagbearers and the Black Knights of the past.
At that moment, there were around two hundred and fifty imprisoned Knights in the dungeon.
But the Knights brought by Quikantel were now less than a hundred.In the process of escaping the Garden of Swords this time, more than half of the remaining knights lost their lives.
Only 97 were left.
Jorden looked at them silently for a while.
He felt his heart weighed as if it were being filled with hot foam.
"Thank you all... for your hard work," Jin finally spoke, and the Knights saluted.
No one shed tears.
Jin also suppressed his emotions and accepted the Knights' salute.
"Fortunately, none of the survivors are infected with Chaos to a level that cannot be treated with the purifier."
The Chaos contaminating the Knights was not too deep.
However, many of them suffered severe physical injuries, so they would need the help of healers from the Holy Kingdom.
"First, it would be best for everyone to receive treatment. There is a device that can purify the chaos."
Jin explained to the Knights about the purification device.
He also mentioned that the treatment period was long, the targets limited, and it would be of no use in the corrupted Garden of Swords, as the purification process required the blood of the battle god.
"I'm fine, Twelfth Flagbearer," Jorden said.
"Chief Elder?"
"What are you talking about? Chief Elder, you should be the first to receive treatment more than anyone else..."
The Tona siblings stopped midway through their response to Jorden.
They belatedly realized the meaning behind his words.
Jorden appeared unscathed in appearance, but he had suffered irreparable internal injuries.
The price of survival for the 97 knights was his life.
Jin had realized Jorden's condition from the moment he saw him.
"Why are you all putting on such foolish faces? Follow the Twelfth Flagbearer's words and receive treatment and purification. I must fulfill my last duty before I die."
Jorden looked Jin in the eyes.
"Twelfth Flagbearer."
"Yes."
"From now on, I will pass on all the Sword Techniques of the Family that I know. It would be prudent to head immediately to the training grounds. I don't have much time left."
Jin decided to follow Jorden's words.
Even if Lani came directly, there would be no chance of recovery, and Jorden deserved that respect.
"Alright."
"The training won't be too long, so don't worry about anything else. Along the way, I'll explain anything you're curious about. You can also tell me your experiences in the Garden of Swords."
On the way to the training grounds, Jorden stopped occasionally.
Jin recounted his last battle, marveling at Jorden's incredible determination to fulfill his final mission.
"So you fought Rosa one-on-one... and yet the Chaos didn't affect you at all."
"I gained immunity."
"It's not the kind of immunity you can share with others, I suppose. I envy you. Looking back, I've always felt that about you. The whole Family does."
Jin remained silent, waiting for Jorden to continue.
"The Garden of Swords has been like this for half a year."
"I had certain expectations since they sealed Kalon and controlled the information about me since then."
"Rosa Runcandel kept having seizures until then. And then she broke her promise with you and joined forces with the Prophet. It was a crucial moment. While Zipple and Kinzelo built their fleets and employed all sorts of new technologies, we lagged behind. Of course, that wasn't right."
It was as if they had no other choice.
Jorden spoke bitterly.
"Even if you hadn't left, Rosa would have made the same decision. So your decision to enter closed-door training was probably the right one. If you were still in the Family, the first thing Rosa would have done would have been to eliminate you. Without the Patriarch... no one could have stopped her."
"Is there still no news of my father?"
Even in this rapidly changing era, the dignity of the knight named Cyron Runcandel has not diminished at all.
If he and the knights who departed on expedition were there, Runcandel would still be a land that other factions wouldn't dare to cross, even without the Prophet or the fleets.
"...Rosa said the patriarch was dead."
Jin came to a sudden stop.
"Was there any evidence supporting her claim?"
"No. I don't know if she found out through the Prophet's ability or if she said it just to establish her own authority. She just said he was dead. But I also don't expect the patriarch to be alive. Almost everyone who rebelled against Rosa thought the same."
Whether Cyron survived or died in battle, it was difficult for it to matter much.
If the Family Patriarch didn't return from an external mission while the Family's situation deteriorated, objectively speaking, he was already incapacitated.
It was as if he were dead.
"But some thought differently. Your uncle and your brothers did. Zed Runcandel went to the Black Sea to search for the patriarch as soon as Rosa's tyranny began."
Zed hadn't returned yet, so his life or death was also uncertain.
"The Fourth and Seventh Flagbearers have been missing since the final battle. Like I said then, I can't say if they're alive or dead. But if they escaped alive, they probably also headed to the Black Sea. Those two also said the only way to resolve the situation was to find the patriarch."
"So, no one witnessed the deaths of Elder Brother Dyfus and Elder Sister Mary. Maybe they could be prisoners in the Garden of Swords. It's unlikely that Rosa released all the prisoners in the dungeon."
"That might be true. But if so, they're likely to emerge as your enemies. The reason our 1,033 knights were able to resist Rosa was partly due to their willpower, but the fact that they were not directly exposed to the Chaos emitted by the Prophet played a significant role."
"Does that mean that most of the knights remaining in the Garden of Swords didn't rebel because they were consumed by the chaos?"
"There are probably some who did so voluntarily. But as you said, most likely did not. What sane knight would want to fight under that monster? No matter how strong that monster may be. Runcandel's knights have particularly high pride."
It had already been known through several cases that it was almost impossible for humans to resist the madness of Chaos.
It was something achievable only by exceptional individuals like Ron. Even Ron was completely consumed by Chaos until he received Jin's help.
'Elder Brother Dyfus and Elder Sister Mary may appear as enemies...'
Just imagining that scenario made his head feel like it was about to explode.
Jin continued pacing his steps with Jordan's without showing any emotion.
"It seems we've arrived. It's a fairly decent training ground. Did you mainly hone your sword skills here during your days as a Provisional Flagbearer?"
"That's right."
"Jin."
"Yes."
"Now, you are our Family's only hope. Never forget that."
After saying that, Jordan firmly grasped Jin's hand.
The only knight who could fight against Rosa Runeckandel's immense Chaos without limitations, the only Provisional Flagbearer who could immediately cleanse the Family.
Jordan burst into tears.
The image of the current declining Runcandel, the regret of the past when he struggled to become Patriarch, the fallen comrades, and the helplessness of having to entrust everything to the Twelfth Provisional Flagbearer.
These emotions mixed to make Jordan cry.
"...I understand, Uncle."
During the next three days.
Jordan taught Jin, Six Final Movements, four secret techniques, and one ultimate technique.
Jin, who had already reached a high level, quickly grasped the intricacies of those sword techniques in an instant, often demonstrating perfect execution with only Jordan's verbal explanations, without needing to witness how Jordan performed them himself.
Occasionally, when Jordan needed to rest due to exhaustion, Jin received various reports about the current situation in the mansion.
As expected, the leaders of each faction urgently requested a meeting in Tikan.
Runcandel had not yet shown significant movements.
There were no troop movements, but there were reports that the speed at which Hufester was invading the area had slowed down a bit.
There were still no news of Valeria.
Jin wanted to find out once and for all whether she was alive or dead, but he couldn't leave Tikan until the meeting with the main factions was over.
Because Jin had the responsibility to carry the shield of the Family and of the world.
"Now the entire inheritance is complete," said Jordan hoarsely.
As they passed down the sword movements, they conversed in a friendly atmosphere, not as enemies, but as uncle and nephew.
"Do you remember the day I cut off your arms?"
"How could I forget, Uncle?"
"In fact, that day I saw your father, the Patriarch, in you. The sight of you walking towards me, taking a step forward with both arms amputated, sometimes seemed like a nightmare to me."
"I was pretty scared that day too."
"Kuk, now you're buttering me up when I'm dying."
"It's true. I was very afraid my arms wouldn't fully reattach. And to be honest, I was sure your end wouldn't be pleasant, Uncle."
"Was that your plan then?"
"At that moment, you and I were nothing more than enemies."
"After that day, I thought you might be even more dangerous than Joshua, perhaps even more than Rosa."
Sssshhh, siiitt....
A metallic sound came from Jordan's breath.
His moment of death was approaching.
"Do you still have that thought?"
"Yes... you will defeat Rosa and become Patriarch. But..."
Bang!
Suddenly, Jordan squeezed his last strength and grabbed Jin by the shoulder.
"Never, never think that you are already the Patriarch. Even if all the remaining rebels accept you as their lord. Even if your father is alive or dead. You must claim the Garden of Swords to have the qualification. You must claim the Garden of Swords... Understood...?"
Jin nodded with gritted teeth, and Jordan gave his last breath.
And one day after his death...
A Runcandel Flagbearer arrived in Tikan.