Chapter 395

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It was impossible to keep the Garden of Sword in state of war and block off the entire Huphester territory.

This was because the war had not actually broken out. No matter how much authority Runcandel had as ruler clan of Huphester, they couldn't continue to suppress the convenience of all residents without a special justification.

Furthermore, the cause of the incident had already spread among the Kalon residents and spies.

The rumor was that Jin Runcandel had caused the accident.

And the rumors were spreading like a buoy that would float back to the surface no matter how much it was pushed down, there were words about Jin circulating among the Huphester residents.

Starting with the news that the 12th flagbearer had fallen into a critical condition.

And rumors that a rebellion had occurred in the Garden of Swords (which could be interpreted differently depending on one's viewpoint). Dangerous rumors even suggested that the 12th flagbearer had defeated all the flagbearers and even suppressed the acting matriarch.

Amidst the overwhelming flood of rumors, Runcandel had to make a decision.

In the end, before Jin could wake up and before a week had passed, Runcandel lifted all the blockades and restored Huphester to its original state.

Unless they were going to eliminate Jin, it was better for the reduced truth to spread rather than rumors.

Jin Runcandel, the 12th flagbearer of Runcandel, the greatest swordmaster on the continent, had destroyed the Garden of Swords!

The Sword Clan originally belonged to the Magic Swordsmen. An exciting and turbulent declaration of reinstating Runcandel status as a Magic Swordsman clan, Huphester vibrated.

The true identity of the thunderbolts that Jin Runcandel had used in his early days as a reserve flagbearer was the power of the ancient beastmen tribe that disappeared thousands of years ago...

Would Runcandel consider Jin Runcandel a traitor or a flagbearer of evolution?

I will become the Patriarch, a single sentence that rang in the Garden of Swords... It was also reported that the 3rd flagbearer, Luntia Runcandel, had made the same declaration. The possibility of a three-way battle in the Runcandel succession battle was high.

The declarations spread like a raging fever! The 4th flagbearer, Diphus Runcandel, and the 7th flagbearer, Mary Runcandel, reaffirmed their determination not to give up the throne. Would it become a five-way battle?

What about the position of the 2nd flagbearer, Joshua Runcandel?

Where is Jin Runcandel, the one whom the people of Huphester wanted to see?

From the moment the blockade was lifted, articles poured in like wildfire.

As always, led by Dino Zaglan, journalists who were sympathetic to Jin had no rest for a while.

The appearance of a hero is always exhilarating. The public had been enthusiastic about Jin Runcandel since the Holy Kingdom incident, and his name had long been synonymous with a hero.

Originally, Runcandel would not have let such articles from news outlets go unnoticed.

However, at this point, suppressing the media was quite burdensome. There was no benefit in killing those who were friendly to Jin.

On the contrary, it could be detrimental. Moreover, similar articles were already emerging from outside of Huphester, so Jin's presence had become impossible to conceal.

Of course, alongside the endless praising sentences, journalists from the opposing camp to Jin were also having hectic days.

Was Runcandel really a Magic Swordsman clan? Baseless rumors, Runcandel was a clan that had become conqueror of the continent solely with a single sword. Could the 12th flagbearer dare to tarnish that glorious history?

Denying the legitimacy of the clan was equivalent to rebellion, and it was a time when Runcandel's strict judgment was needed...

The limitations of a Magic Swordsman had already been extensively proven in the history of humanity, so one shouldn't be fooled by the extravagant stories of the 12th flagbearer...

It was an excessively radical move to consider this simply as a form of rebellion. Those who referred to it as merely "radical" should have their heads split open with an axe and displayed at the entrance to the Garden of Swords.

While the lower-ranking flagbearer had made declarations of patriarchy, the 2nd flagbearer remained steadfast. The 2nd flagbearer encouraged the lower-ranking flagbearer, saying, "Healthy competition is always necessary," and displayed dignity befitting the next patriarch.

Where is that madman right now?

Strip Jin Runcandel of his flagbearer status!

Amidst the praising and maliciously articles that stirred up the world, there was one thing both media outlets were equally interested in: where Jin Runcandel is right now. After visiting the Garden of Swords, all that could be heard was the news that Jin had left the Garden of Swords, and his whereabouts were still unknown.

"Haha...!"

Zipfel, the 1st Magic Tower, the Tower of Stories.

As usual, Kelliark Zipfel was sitting in front of the crystal orb on the top floor, passing his time. Beside him, various newspapers from different countries were piled up in a mess.

Contrary to what was known to the public, there was a boyish look on his face. He underlined the newspapers as he read them, and he was unmistakably a nobleman with gray hair.

[What's so funny, again!]

Kadun, the Fire Dragon, was grilling skewers reaching almost 5 meters using his fiery breath, standing a good distance away. Despite his true form, his face was filled with irritation.

"I have felt it before, Runcandel's youngest has always been quite an interesting fellow."

[Interesting? Are you in your right mind?]

"Why not? At his age, he single-handedly turned Runcandel into a complete mess. Even I couldn't do what he's doing. It's refreshing, isn't it?"

Crunch!

Kadun angrily bit into a cooked skewer.

[How much damage have we suffered because of that damn brat? Your brother died, and the Demon God's Orb was destroyed, not to mention our alliance with Kinzelo. The Holy Kingdom incident... I can't even bring myself to mention it. And just a while ago, we lost a Black Knight spy, Kelliark!]

"Including the fact that we lost some of the Spectres."

[Yes, that too. Is that all? A Magic Swordsman...! That brat is breaking the oath!]

The reason for Kadun's anger was that.

A thousand years ago, he and Zipfel of that time had taken away Runcandel's magic with so much difficulty.

Kadun could understand that Jin, as an individual, was overturning the world as a Magic Swordsman. The problem was that Jin had declared his intention to turn the entire Runcandel back into a Magic Swordsman clan.

It was unbearable.

Thinking back to how mighty Runcandel was in those days, it made his teeth chatter and sent shivers down his spine.

"Calm down, Kadun."

[You haven't experienced it a thousand years ago, so you wouldn't know. If it weren't for those bastards... the world would have been entirely ours since then. It's because of those terrible Magic Swordsmen that I had to wait an extra thousand years.]

"A thousand years isn't that long for a dragon, is it?"

[A thousand years is long for a dragon too! Damn it, can't you see that I'm reacting so sensitively to this?]

"I understand. It's about how important this matter is."

[We need to meet with Runcandel's acting matriarch again and put pressure on them to remember the oath.]

At that, Kelliark smiled slyly.

"No, there's no need for that."

[You should give a convincing explanation.]

"Of course. Think about it, Kadun. Based on what we've observed so far, the 12th flagbearer of Runcandel is not the kind to recklessly cause trouble. The fact that he openly mentioned reinstating the Runcandel status as a Magic Swordsman clan is because he has a reliable safety net."

[Are you talking about Chiron Runcandel?]

"Yes, Chiron Runcandel. What the 12th flagbearer believes in is his father. I don't know how much of the Black Sea's secret Chiron has shared with his youngest son, but one thing is for sure..."

Chiron Runcandel had not yet entered the territory of five kings of the Black Sea.

As Kelliark continued, Kadun's pupils dilated.

[...No way. The Runcandel's strongest knights, along with the demigod, have been searching for several decades by now. By this time, they should have undoubtedly found the territory of the five Kings.]

"I also expected that from Chiron and his knights. However, judging by the actions of the 12th flagbearer, it's more likely that he's still wandering, unable to find the Five Kings' territory."

If Chiron had already found the territory of the Black Sea Kings and he couldn't get out for a while, Jin wouldn't have made the declaration of Magic Swordsman.

That was Kelliark's judgment.

"The Black Sea is truly an unknown land. Even if Chiron hasn't found the Five Kings' territory yet, it wouldn't be surprising."

[Hmm, that's true.]

"Maybe he gave up on finding the Five Kings' territory. So, while he is still alive, he might be looking for an opportunity to break the oath with the 12th flagbearer."

[Either way, it's annoying.]

"Kadun, Chiron is just a human after all. And he won't get what he wants."

Kadun nodded silently. A human, and one with limited time left at that.

Once Chiron disappear, Runcandel wouldn't be a problem anymore.

"Besides, the oath is just a symbol. What's actually carved into Runcandel's blood is a curse. So don't rush it, let's keep an eye on it. It's quite interesting, you know."

[Alright. But still, it's a good idea to confirm Jin Runcandel's whereabouts for now. It's unsettling.]

"That's a valid point. Let's see, I'll check the crystal ball..."

[You can't see anything in there!]

As Kadun exclaimed in frustration, something caught Kelliark's eye below the crystal ball.

There was a sealed letter. It had arrived for his precious son, Veradin Zipfel.

"...We might not need to look. I'm pretty sure he's coming here."

Kelliark shook the letter in his hand.

[What is it?]

***

While everyone was curious about Jin's whereabouts, he was simply spending his time with his comrades at the mansion in the Tikan Free City.

He was leisurely checking the newspapers while enjoying some Latrie cookies.

However, Jet suddenly rushed over and handed Jin a letter.

"Lord! A letter has arrived in Tikan under your pseudonym. It seems like an invitation of some sort."

"Give it here."

Jin already expected it to be an invitation, so his reaction was rather calm.

When he opened the seal, the first thing he saw was the image of a lion holding a sword, the "Seal of the Sword Emperor."

Only the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle could use it.

(Paul Gray Mick! I invite you to the Sword Emperor's Banquet.

Join us to enjoy the splendors of the Sword Emperor Castle and to shine your name.

Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle, Ron Hairan.

P.S.: Regrettably, I am sending this invitation to you because of my grandson. Please refrain from coming if possible.

Don't come!)

After reading the contents, Jin chuckled.

He could almost vividly imagine how desperately Dante must have pleaded with Ron Hairan to invite him to the banquet.

Jet, who glanced over the contents, sighed.

"My lord, why did he bother sending the invitation if he didn't want you to come? Ron Hairan is quite petty."

"Jet."

"Yes, my lord."

"Do you have suitable attire for the banquet?"

"Yes, I do, but... Why do you ask?"

"Then prepare it. Let the others know too. We're all going together to meet this petty lord."