Episode 16
Chapter 8: The Garden of Swords (Part 1)
“Seriously, why didn’t anyone warn me beforehand that transforming would have side effects?”
It had been an hour since the unofficial trio of Runcandel was formed.
Outside the inn, the Black King’s Order was bustling with preparations to depart, while the three of them sat in a circle on the floor, chatting casually.
“Kid, you’ve been asleep for a thousand years. Of course your brain’s a bit rusty. Oh, and since it’s been so long since I last transformed, it was hard to maintain the form.”
“You crazy dragon! You almost turned into a cat!”
Transformation was a privilege granted only to dragons.
It was definitely a special ability, but calling it a ‘blessing’ would be a stretch. There were some extremely dangerous limitations.
First, a dragon in transformed state was very weak.
If you turned into a cat, your combat ability was no better than that of a cat. The same applied if you transformed into a lion, a fish, or a bird.
Second, if the transformation lasted beyond a certain time, the dragon could never return to their original form on their own again.
At that point, the dragon’s sense of self would gradually fade, and they’d be reduced to an ordinary animal.
“Phew… I was scared too. I once saw a guy who got caught by a fisherman because he lost track of time while playing around as a fish. I laughed about that for two hundred years. But damn, I almost ended up like that.”
“Hahaha! I can’t believe there’s a dumb dragon like that… Ah.”
Gili, who had been laughing unconsciously, suddenly wiped the smile off her face.
“Sorry, my lord. Murakan.”
“Strawberry Pie, why the sudden change after laughing so heartily?”
“I showed too much laughter while on guard duty.”
“Hey, Strawberry Pie, what are you—a golem? It’s okay for a person to laugh sometimes, right? Hey! Kid! How have you been treating your nurse all this time?”
“Mu, Murakan. My lord has always been very kind to me.”
“If that wicked little brat ever treats you badly, tell me. I’ll make sure they regret it.”
They really clicked—like, perfectly.
Jin thought so with a light chuckle. It had been a long time since he’d seen Gili so lively.
“But Murakan, is transforming into a human form okay? No side effects?”
“Yeah. There aren’t really any big restrictions on human transformation. It’s actually easier. When I’m in my true form, my magic drains nonstop. Maintaining a big body takes a lot of energy.”
“Why is it only human transformation that’s unrestricted?”
“The gods, in their own way, showed some consideration for us dragons. When we’re born, we look just like humans. But in dragon form, it’s hard to handle things like reproduction and other needs…”
“Okay, enough of that.”
Murakan seemed to think he’d made a very funny joke, chuckling to himself. Surprisingly, Gili was struggling not to laugh, her lips twitching.
End times.
That word briefly crossed Jin’s mind, but he didn’t dislike this strange party that had formed so suddenly.
No, he was quite pleased. Having trustworthy comrades to share secrets with was always a good thing.
“Anyway, looks like we’re leaving soon. Transform again.”
Murakan grumbled as he shifted back into a cat. This kind of transformation would continue for a while, until Jin grew strong enough.
Over the next two days, the Black King’s Order escorted Jin and his group to the capital of the Mittel Kingdom with exceptional skill. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say their escort had the dignity of an official knightly order rather than a mercenary band.
Along the way, it was hard to explain how a stray black cat they’d picked up on the road ended up among the escort.
But the Black King’s Order understood that even a young ruler could have a warm, childlike side.
“Thank you for your hard work, Murka, commander of the Black King’s Third Unit. Payment for the additional request will be generously provided later by the Runcandel main house.”
“This mission was a valuable experience for us as well, Gili. I look forward to the future of the young Runcandel you serve.”
While Gili and Murka exchanged greetings, Jin stood a little apart, with Murakan perched on his shoulder.
“By the way, Gili McLoran.”
“Yes, Murka?”
“Forgive me for the personal question, but having seen you fight firsthand, I can’t help but ask. As someone who lives by the sword, I was genuinely impressed. Why did the McLoran family…?”
Gili’s expression darkened. Murka cleared his throat and waved his hand apologetically.
“Sorry. I wish I could shut my mouth ten seconds ago.”
“It’s fine. Well then.”
As the Black King’s Order departed, Gili let out a long sigh. Soon after, she composed herself and led Jin and Murakan toward the Mittel transit gate.
“Welcome to the Mittel Transit Gate. Please show your identification.”
Gili presented a dagger engraved with the Runcandel emblem—the Black Sword.
“Ah! So you’re a vassal of Runcandel. It’s an honor to meet you. You’re headed to Karon in the Hupester Union, right?”
Karon was the city where Runcandel’s main house, the ‘Garden of Swords,’ was located. The Hupester Union was effectively under Runcandel’s rule.
“That’s right.”
“Please follow me. We’ll escort you with special privileges.”
Since Mittel was also part of the Hupester Union, it was practically Runcandel territory. The transit gate manager seemed genuinely honored to guide Jin’s group, his face bright with excitement.
“If you wait just two hours, you’ll arrive in the blink of an eye. Have a pleasant journey.”
The special waiting room at Mittel’s transit gate was as lavish as a noble’s reception hall. There were no other guests in the special section.
Jin sank into a plush sofa and pulled out his study notebook. Studying whenever he had spare time was a habit he’d developed as a mage.
“Sigh, my lord.”
“What is it?”
“To be honest, I’m a little worried. About you being a contractee of the gods, and Murakan’s true identity. Even if it somehow got out to the family, we might be able to cover it up…”
“Magic, you mean?”
“Yes. That’s the one thing no one in Runcandel would ever tolerate.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll hide it well enough…”
Just then, someone opened the door to the special waiting room.
A boy who looked like a noble stepped inside. He had light bronze skin, was about a head taller than Jin, and was accompanied by two guards.
The moment they entered, the calm atmosphere in the room shifted sharply. Gili and the boy’s attendants began glaring at each other.
It was sudden, but since Runcandel and Ziphl had come face to face, this tension was inevitable.
‘Those Ziphl bastards? Who is that?’
Jin studied the boy’s face carefully. It looked familiar, but since he hadn’t seen many Ziphl up close in his past life, he couldn’t be sure.
“No wonder I didn’t want to go to Hupester. Looks like I was just trying to avoid running into these annoying guys.”
The boy, sitting a little apart from Jin, muttered loudly. His guards now openly stared not only at Gili but at Jin as well.
A blatantly childish provocation.
Gili’s neck veins bulged with anger, but Jin decided to watch quietly. Gili stayed still as well.
“Meow.”
Murakan, transformed into a cat, seemed to enjoy the situation, weaving between them and meowing.
“Oh, a pet cat is cute. That coward doesn’t deserve to keep it. Come here, come here.”
“Meow!”
Murakan leapt into the boy’s arms. He relaxed under the boy’s touch for a moment, then suddenly—
“Kyah!”
He unsheathed his claws and scratched the boy’s nose before quickly escaping the embrace. Jin couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Gah!”
“Eighth young master!”
The guards reached for their swords at their waists, but the boy raised his hand to stop them.
“Ah, it’s fine. It’s just a scratch. It’s not like it’s a person—animals do that. Guess you picked a fight and got what you deserved.”
Wiping his nose, the boy continued.
“…Still, drawing a sword in front of Runcandel is a stupid move.”
He shrugged and glanced at Jin.
‘Not scared, just calm. Or maybe he doesn’t even care about me.’
The boy’s childish provocation toward Jin as soon as he entered the special section was intentional.
He was curious what kind of potential the youngest Runcandel, just emerging from the storm, might have. And the boy had reached a conclusion.
“Jin Runcandel. You’re quite an interesting one.”
The boy stepped forward and extended his hand.
“I’m Veradin Ziphl. I threw a few words your way just to test you, but now I apologize properly.”
Veradin Ziphl!
The moment Jin heard the name, he understood why the boy’s face seemed familiar.
In his past life, Veradin had become a nine-star mage at thirty and was the leading candidate to become the next head of the Ziphl family. He was a huge celebrity, so Jin had often seen his face in newsletters.
A young mage idolized for his skill, character, and background.
Back then, when Jin had just become a five-star mage, Veradin had seemed an impossibly distant figure.
“Is that so? I was curious about you too, so I stayed quiet. Glad to hear you’re not a complete idiot.”
“Oh? What makes you say that?”
“If your men had drawn their swords—even if it was just a joke—you would’ve had to escort Hupester without a single aide. And you’d probably be missing a finger or two yourself.”
“Haha, that’s a funny joke.”
“Does it sound like a joke to you?”
Veradin flinched for a moment when she caught Jin’s icy glare.
“…Well, fine. Impressive. But as a senior in a similar position, here’s a piece of advice: if you ever meet another Ziphl and end up in an unpleasant situation, don’t go cutting off fingers recklessly. It’d just wear out our families too much.”
She was warning him with the possibility of war in mind.
Veradin genuinely meant it as advice.
“That’s the real joke, Veradin Ziphl.”
“Hmm? Why’s that? If we and the Runkandel keep fighting bloody battles over every little thing, there won’t be anything left of the world. I’m just saying, think about the people who suffer in wars.”
“My father, Siron Runkandel. And your father, Keliak Ziphl.”
Jin smiled faintly as he added,
“Do you really think they’d drag their entire families into some childish fight?”
Veradin’s eyes widened as she absorbed his words, clearly caught off guard.
“Even if I had cut off your fingers today, there wouldn’t have been a war between Runkandel and Ziphl. They’d just settle it by paying a few thousand gold bars and be done with it.”
Blinking, Veradin slowly nodded.
“I’m learning an unexpected lesson here. I’ll be sure to repay this debt someday.”
“Forget someday. Pay it now.”
“How?”
“Just stay quiet until the teleportation gate activates. Don’t do anything to disturb my rest.”