Episode 15
Chapter 7: Transformation, Exposure
Restless.
Restless, restless…
After dealing with the impostors, the Black King’s Guard—newly assigned to escort Jin—felt inexplicably uneasy, as if sitting on a bed of nails. Since Yuta’s mages had descended the mountain separately, the daunting task of accompanying this terrifying little boy fell entirely on their shoulders.
‘How can a ten-year-old be like that?’
That was the unanimous thought among the entire Black King’s Guard, including Third Battalion Commander Murka.
The Black King’s Guard—battle-hardened veterans forged from blood, flesh, and bone, who had turned the tide of countless wars.
For them, witnessing the brutal punishment of captured enemies was nothing unusual. The fact that Jin had ordered Gilly to kill the fake Jerome and Holtz was hardly shocking.
Yet, the Black King’s Guard tread carefully around Jin, and it was all because of his age.
Where else would you find a ten-year-old so bold in the face of assassins? Even if he was from Runcandel, he was still just a kid who had recently left the Storm Fortress and stepped into the world.
What was more, Jin exuded a strange aura of authority when giving orders to Gilly. His demeanor, his words, even the way he dealt with enemies—it was impossible to believe he was only ten.
To the Black King’s Guard, Jin was nothing less than the young sovereign of Runcandel.
“During the escort to the transit gate, there must be not a single lapse. No frivolous behavior or careless words. Understood?”
“Yes, Commander Murka.”
The mercenaries of the Black King’s Guard, known for their roughness, were behaving like refined gentlemen. Though they seemed somewhat uneasy, as if wearing ill-fitting clothes.
But it wasn’t just that Jin felt like a fearsome child from Runcandel. They were captivated by the dangerous little boy.
“Master.”
As they trudged through the snow, Gilly called out to Jin. Her tone was calm, but Jin caught the shadow of gloom on her face.
“We’ll reach the village in a couple of hours. It might be best to wait there until the snow stops.”
“Agreed.”
Jin brushed the snow off his shoulders.
“And Gilly.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Don’t dwell on the escort mishap. It wasn’t your fault.”
He truly believed that. Even Kanjo didn’t know Jerome and Holtz were fakes—how could Gilly have figured it out?
It wasn’t a big deal that Jin had told her the escort knights’ protocols first. At least, that’s what Jin thought, but Gilly kept replaying her mistake in her mind.
“I’m sorry.”
Hearing that, Jin smiled wryly, memories stirring.
Gilly never made excuses.
She didn’t say she’d lost her touch after ten peaceful years in the Storm Fortress, or that she was out of sorts and dulled her senses.
‘In my previous life… I felt so sorry and troubled because of Gilly’s personality.’
Gilly was the only person in Runcandel who had always cared for Jin without fail. Even after Jin was banished and she fell into misery, she never blamed him.
Even at the moment they were both exiled from Runcandel, with the aura of a seven-star warrior sealed away, Gilly said the same thing.
“I’m sorry.”
“After returning to the main house, I’ll accept any punishment…”
“Enough. I told you not to say that. It’s an order.”
Gilly bowed her head.
“Yes, Master.”
“You’re my nanny, but also my only escort knight. If you’re troubled by a minor mistake, it puts my protection at risk. I hope I don’t hear the same words again.”
It was painful to say this to Gilly, but it couldn’t be helped.
This life, it was his turn to protect his nanny. Even if he had to be cold at times, his warm nature must never be overshadowed by harsh reality. Jin had to lead her well.
“I’ll improve, Master.”
Gilly bit her lower lip as she replied. She knew Jin’s cold words were meant to protect her feelings.
‘For such a clever master to have a slow-witted nanny like me… I must always stay sharp to avoid causing trouble like today.’
Determined to be worthy of her master, Gilly clenched her fist and lifted her head. Seeing that, Jin felt a little relieved and turned his thoughts to the assassins.
The fake Jerome and Holtz.
They were zealots of Ziphl, using flawless disguises to deceive everyone in the Storm Fortress.
Magic alone couldn’t achieve that. ‘Transformation’ was a privilege granted only to dragons, and even then, perfectly mimicking another person was impossible.
So how had the assassins pulled off such a perfect disguise?
As soon as the Runcandel main house confirmed the real Jerome and Holtz had been targeted, they quickly dispatched the Black King’s Guard stationed in Mittel to track down the impostors.
They probably wouldn’t find them. Ziphl’s followers swarmed like cockroaches. Targeting and killing them all was impossible politically and practically.
Also, if Jin publicly revealed the attack and issued a warrant, it would damage Runcandel’s reputation.
In the end, as always, Runcandel would punish some of Ziphl’s followers as an example to instill fear.
But Jin already knew who the culprit was.
‘Bubar Gaston.’
More precisely, not the culprit himself, but the one who disguised the culprit—Bubar Gaston.
As far as Jin knew, Bubar was the only person in the world capable of ‘perfect transformation.’
Bubar had revealed himself around the time Jin turned twenty. The Biment Empire’s special task force had relentlessly pursued him for ten years to end his ‘transformation crimes.’
Jin recalled how Bubar’s transformation crimes had once filled every news outlet.
Back then, everyone knew Bubar, but now only Jin, the one who had returned, remembered him.
‘Since he can perfectly transform, maybe Bubar could be recruited as an ally.’
Jin shook his head.
‘He was a madman who claimed to be an artist even in Biment’s underground prison. It’s better to deal with him. Besides, he practically threatened me with a knife.’
Bubar was a force of chaos, chaos for chaos’s sake—that was his twisted sense of artistry.
Thinking of that gave Jin a headache.
The good news was, he didn’t have to struggle to find Bubar’s location. Jin still remembered the place of the ‘sculpture workshop’ Bubar had run for years, pretending to be an ordinary citizen.
“We’re almost there. If you need anything, tell my men.”
As they arrived at the village, the bright morning sun broke through.
Jin grabbed a simple meal of soup and eggs at the inn, then rested in his room. Despite all his training, walking for hours through the harsh snow was tough on his young body.
“Meow.”
“Meow.”
“Meow!”
It was 3 p.m. on November 2, 1790. The heavy snowfall that had poured until noon stopped as if by magic, and a black cat was crying.
The cat sat pressed against the third-floor window of the inn where Jin was sleeping. It tapped the glass with its tiny paws, a lively and curious little creature—just like any other cat.
“Hmm.”
Jin stirred, rubbing his eyes. After a few hours of deep sleep, his body felt light as a feather and refreshed.
“Meow! Meow!”
Now the cat was scratching the window vigorously with both front paws, as if begging to be let in.
He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Who would ever imagine that this adorable cat was actually the great black dragon Murakan?
‘Crazy… but cute.’
Maybe just a little teasing?
Feeling playful, Jin pretended to ignore the cat and reached for the warm water by his bedside.
“Kyahak! Kyahaak!”
Murakan suddenly threw a tantrum. Jin gave up on the joke, sensing the trouble it would cause, and opened the window.
“Alright, alright. No need to get so mad over a little teasing…”
Pop!
In an instant, Murakan transformed into his human form and collapsed onto the floor.
Thud!
At that moment, Gilly, who had been waiting outside the door, entered the room.
“Master!”
Swish!
The moment she saw Murakan, she drew her claw weapon, her aura sharp and threatening.
‘This is bad. Oh no.’
Jin and Murakan found themselves in an unexpectedly dire situation, unable to say a word.
Gilly dashed forward, pinning Murakan down and pressing her claw to his neck, whispering fiercely:
“Who sent you? Tell me the truth before I tear you to shreds…!”
She had mistaken Murakan for an assassin. Completely and utterly.
Watching this, Jin felt something drain from his chest—something like his soul slipping away.
“G-Gilly.”
“Step back, Master! This is a highly trained assassin. She came without a sound…!”
It was no wonder Gilly hadn’t sensed anyone—Murakan had been a cat just moments ago.
For a brief moment, Jin scrambled for excuses to smooth over this unexpected crisis.
But there was no way out.
‘I was wrong. This can’t be smoothed over. I have to be honest.’
He took a deep breath and spoke.
“Gilly. He’s not an assassin. Lower your claw.”
Gilly’s eyes went wide as she stood up. Murakan, whose arm had been twisted backward by her strength just moments ago, was now barely making pitiful whimpering sounds.
“My lord, then what about the interest—”
“And apologize properly, with respect. He is Murakan, the Black Dragon, guardian of Runkandel.”
Gilly simply couldn’t believe it.
How could this pitiful man, sprawled out and whimpering in pain from a slightly twisted arm, be the great Black Dragon Murakan? He was still writhing as if the pain hadn’t eased at all.
Murakan’s struggle wasn’t because Gilly had subdued him—it was a side effect of his transformation. But Gilly had no way of knowing that; she hadn’t been told about the side effects yet.
After briefly glancing at Jin’s expression, Gilly silently decided to follow his lead.
“A lowly servant of Runkandel dared to show disrespect to the guardian. Please forgive him.”
“Ugh…”
Murakan flipped over and stared intently at Gilly.
“I forgive you… my strawberry pie.”
Strawberry pie!
The moment she heard those words, Gilly suddenly understood why her lord was so obsessed with strawberry pie. Why, every time he went to meditate in the storm fortress’s backyard cave, he always brought so many strawberry pies with him.
It was an instinctive realization.
Whoosh—!
A gust of cold winter wind blew through the open window. For a long moment, the three of them exchanged nothing but awkward glances in the silence.
“Gilly.”
“Yes… my lord.”
“I’ll be honest with you. Could you close the door first?”
Creak.
After Gilly shut the door, Jin began to explain the many secret events from the past that had taken place in the storm fortress. He didn’t mention the reincarnation, but he did reveal the transcription of the arcane tome and his contract with Solderet.
Surprisingly, Gilly remained calm and composed throughout the explanation. Though, at times, she nodded enthusiastically, as if secretly thrilled.
“So, that means you’re an accomplice now. No one in the family can know that Murakan has awakened, or about my connection to him.”
“I’m counting on you from now on, strawberry pie.”
And just like that, the unofficial trio of Runkandel was formed.