Episode 13
Chapter 5. Leaving Stormhold (Part 2)
The Orgal Pendant.
The Phoenix’s Heart.
And a bundle of handwritten spellbooks.
These were the tangible rewards Jin had gained during his time at Stormhold.
According to Murakan’s later explanation, the pendant not only allowed a single summoning of Luna but also granted strong immunity against offensive magic of five stars or below. Conversely, it amplified enhancement-type magic—another remarkable feature of the pendant.
As for the Phoenix’s Heart, two years had passed since Jin consumed it, yet it hadn’t fully integrated into his body. Starting a month after eating it, Jin had been testing its absorption daily by touching a candle flame with his finger.
“Miss Mary would be so proud to see you now, young master,” Gilly said, approaching Jin with a look of admiration.
Jin kept his index finger on the candle flame. The fingertip remained unharmed, feeling less like fire and more like warm water.
“This is the first time I’ve seen the Phoenix’s Heart’s effect so clearly,” Gilly said with a satisfied smile. Among the nannies of Runkandel, no one was humbler than her.
‘If my studies as a mage were correct, it looks like about half has been absorbed,’ Jin thought.
Once fully absorbed, he would survive even a firestorm capable of burning down the entire castle. Against ordinary flames without magical enhancement, his resistance would be near perfect.
In other words, his immunity wasn’t flawless against magic-based fire.
Of course, only high-level fire magic of six stars or above could pierce this resistance. But among mages, the Phoenix’s Heart was valued for another reason.
‘Once fully absorbed, I’ll be able to summon the Phoenix myself without any restrictions, even years from now.’
The flames surrounding the Phoenix were inherently five-star level in power. Just its movement unleashed a barrage of five-star fire magic.
Unfortunately, those flames often harmed the summoner as well. So even when a mage reached six stars and could summon the Phoenix, it was difficult to control without fire resistance.
In short, to fully command the Phoenix, one had to consume its heart.
‘This is exciting.’
Jin’s passion for magic still outweighed his desire for the sword. After all, the three years he spent learning magic were the happiest of his previous 28 years.
“Miss Luna, Miss Mary… The ladies seem to care for you deeply. How should our young master return their affection? Hoho.”
Hearing Gilly’s words, Jin almost chuckled. Memories of Mary Runkandel’s personality and stories from the past came to mind.
‘Mary gave me the Phoenix’s Heart because she wants me to grow quickly and take on challenges.’
Mary was Jin’s third older sister—a woman obsessed with fighting. Especially when it came to battling Runkandel’s traitor Ziphl, Mary was fanatical.
That’s why she became a six-star knight before reaching adulthood, dominating the continent’s strongest warriors. She even earned the nickname “Mary the Whirlwind.”
Before that, she was called “The Madwoman of the Southern Continent,” but Mary killed everyone who called her that and earned a more respectable title.
‘It’s not just about the challenge. It’s a gift born from confidence that she doesn’t need it herself. What a formidable person.’
Jin smiled, finishing his thoughts about Mary.
“I’ll repay my sisters in the way they want.”
In that sense, the way to answer Luna’s affection was through excellent growth and survival.
To repay Mary’s affection, he had to become strong enough to press a blade to her neck.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on Jin’s door.
“This is Sir Khan, your guardian knight, young master Jin. It’s time for training.”
“Ah, it’s already that time? I’ll be right out.”
Jin was currently juggling two types of training.
Spirit energy awakening under Murakan’s guidance in the basement, and Runkandel martial arts under Khan’s instruction at Stormhold. His days were relentlessly busy.
Opening the door, Khan bowed respectfully.
“Khan, what’s on the training schedule today?”
“Yes, young master. Morning is combat footwork, noon is boxing and striking techniques, and evening is joint locks and endurance training. That’s all.”
Though the schedule was tight, Jin nodded with satisfaction, carrying the air of someone receiving a report from a subordinate.
Khan looked a bit nervous seeing Jin like that.
Watching the young master improve day by day was a source of immense pride for Khan, both as a guardian knight and martial arts instructor.
But the reason Khan felt tense every time he trained Jin was different.
“When I train young master Jin, I can’t afford to show even the slightest weakness.”
Khan had taught martial arts to six young Runkandels at Stormhold over the years.
The Tona brothers, who left the castle two years ago, Jin’s sixth sister Yona, fifth sister Anne, fourth sister Mew, and Jin himself.
Except for the Tona brothers, all had left Stormhold as infants.
“I never felt this way with the others. They were too busy keeping up with my training, and I was the one evaluating their progress. But young master Jin… he’s the one evaluating me. He’s different.”
Evaluation.
Usually, the right to evaluate lies with the instructor, even in superior-subordinate relationships.
But Khan sensed that Jin was assessing his teaching ability from the very first lesson, every single day.
Even when drenched in sweat from grueling training, skin bruised and torn, or thrown onto the muddy ground during sparring.
Jin was watching Khan’s teaching skills closely.
It was a first for Khan.
Yet he wasn’t displeased. On the contrary, Khan believed Jin embodied all the virtues a Runkandel should have.
“Truly, the head of the family has good reason to take such an unusual interest. I must proceed flawlessly today as well.”
Khan squared his eyes and headed with Jin to the training grounds inside the castle.
“Young master Jin.”
“Speak, Khan.”
“It’s an honor to train you. Only a few months remain, but I promise nothing but the best training without mistakes.”
“Thank you. I look forward to it.”
Only after finishing the martial arts schedule and utterly exhausted did Jin find time to meet Murakan and begin spirit energy awakening.
It was an excruciatingly hard but happy time.
“Ahh!”
Murakan’s exclamation was full of excitement.
Jin thought carefully and concluded Murakan had exclaimed more than twenty times in the past hour.
“Do you like it that much, Murakan?”
Murakan whipped his head around to look at Jin.
“Is that even a question, kid? Finally, I can leave this boring place! Tomorrow, no less!”
Two years since the Tona brothers left had passed like a single day for Jin. There was so much to learn and master that he could have stayed for years more.
‘Well, before meeting Murakan in the basement, I did find it pretty dull.’
Jin had passed Khan’s martial arts test ten days ago, and his spirit energy awakening had exceeded Murakan’s expectations by double. His magic power had risen to the high end of three stars.
No one in Runkandel’s history had ever achieved such results before leaving Stormhold. After all, the only training allowed there was martial arts.
Still, Jin wasn’t satisfied.
‘I wish I had reached spirit energy awakening level two and magic power five stars before leaving. But that’s probably too greedy.’
Too greedy indeed. No one in the records had ever possessed such abilities at ten years old.
‘No need to rush. What I’ve achieved so far will surely make me an unprecedented figure once revealed to the world.’
Today was October 30, 1790.
Tomorrow, Jin would head to the Runkandel family’s main estate, the “Garden of Swords,” escorted by the family’s guardian knights.
“But Murakan, what if someone from the family comes looking for you in this basement after you’re gone?”
“What do you mean? They won’t notice I’m awake and will just read the spellbooks and leave.”
“But the glass case you worked so hard to fix won’t have you inside.”
“Ha! Kid, you don’t have enough magical knowledge yet to say something like that.”
“Fine, then tell me how you’ll handle it.”
“I’ll create an illusion of myself with dragon magic and have it lie there.”
Crazy. Could that really work?
Jin almost questioned it. As far as he knew, illusion magic couldn’t create such detailed images.
“What am I? A dragon. A shadow dragon. Creating illusions like that is as easy as blowing my nose.”
“Impressive. Can it last a long time?”
“Hmm… that’s a bit tough even for me. But what can I do? I’ll keep it up as long as you’re growing. So always be grateful, okay? And show some respect.”
“So, I brought something special today.”
Jin opened the basket, and Murakan’s eyes sparkled. Inside were strawberry pies—made from the first strawberries harvested in the Kingdom of Mittel.
“St-strawberry pie…! My strawberry pie!”
Watching Murakan gobble down the strawberry pie, Jin smiled softly. Then, from the cloth bundle where he usually kept his notebook, he pulled out a few bottles.
“That—don’t tell me that’s alcohol?”
“Yeah, since it’s the last day, I sneaked some out without the nanny noticing.”
“You little—sometimes you actually do something nice and thoughtful. Makes all the effort raising you feel worthwhile, haha!”
He really was an easy dragon to handle.
The next day around noon, two guardian knights from the Runkandel main estate arrived at Stormhold.
There were fewer of them than when Tona came, but both were seven-star knights.
“Young master, you need to steel yourself now. It won’t be so easy to have strawberry pie baked for you whenever you want anymore…”
Gilly spoke with an unusually grave expression.
“At the main estate, don’t expect the quiet, leisurely days you had here at Stormhold.”
Jin had rarely experienced such peaceful days even while training at Stormhold, but he matched her solemn look.
“Yeah. Don’t worry, Gilly. I know exactly what I’m getting into.”
“I will also serve you with even greater dedication from now on. Shall we go?”
“Guardian knights Jerome and Holtz, we pay our respects to young master Jin. The two of us will escort you safely to the Garden of Blades.”
The main estate’s guardian knights presented Jin with his cloak.
The Runkandel steel carriage was waiting for him at the foot of the mountain.
And then, in the early hours of that day—
A group of assailants ambushed the Runkandel steel carriage.