Episode 24
Chapter 10: Jin, the Cadets, the Beastmen, and… (Part 2)

“How many of them were there?”

“Confirmed count is three.”

“There’s no way just three of them attacked the Runcandel cadets. There must be more. Eddington, David! Once you get near the camp, search for the attackers.”

“Yes, sir!”

“If you encounter them, don’t engage—report back immediately.”

It was unexpected that the cadets were attacked by humans, not beastmen.

‘They were wearing Runcandel robes, yet they were still attacked. Could they be die-hard followers of Ziphl?’

As they moved, Jin kept receiving updates from Bellop.

“All the attackers wore masks, so identifying them was difficult. But they reportedly used the longswords most common in the Zhan Kingdom.”

That suggested the assailants were likely insiders from Zhan.

Still, Jin couldn’t rule out the possibility that these were Ziphl’s fanatics. Maybe they deliberately used Zhan-made weapons to sow confusion.

‘Since Squad 2 managed to escape after the fight, none of the enemies they faced were likely knights of five-star rank or higher. The real problem is the unknown number of enemies…’

Why attack Squad 2, though?

If these were Ziphl’s fanatics, and they came knowing that Runcandel cadets were on a mission here, they should have targeted Squad 1—Jin’s squad—instead.

After running for three hours straight, the camp finally came into view. They could have reached it faster by crossing the plains instead of the forest path, but that would have risked detection.

Eddington and David set off to scout for the attackers. Near the camp, only Jin, Bellop, and Sierra remained.

It was five in the morning.

By the time they reached Squad 2’s hideout, dawn would have fully broken. Without knowing the enemy’s exact numbers, daylight would put the cadets at a disadvantage.

‘Those Squad 2 kids better be hiding well. They’re tough.’

The three resumed moving. The plan was to regroup at the hideout, then wait for Eddington and David to return with intel.

Jin arrived near the hideout but found no sign of Squad 2—only a large pool of blood outside the cave.

“L-Lord Jin… this is…”

“They were discovered and attacked.”

Jin clenched his teeth, pressing his palm to his forehead.

‘Damn bastards. Whoever they are, I’ll find them and kill them.’

It had been a long time since Jin had felt such raw anger. In his previous life, even in his final moments, frustration overwhelmed him more than rage. Since his reincarnation, he’d been too busy living a new life day by day.

But now, his head burned with fury.

The blood scattered around the cave belonged to kids no older than early teens—his own followers.

Jin closed his eyes briefly to calm himself. Revenge required a clear head.

“Calm down, Bellop. The blood’s still fresh—it happened recently.”

Jin spoke to Bellop, who was breathing heavily, convinced that Squad 2 had all been wiped out.

“There’s a lot of blood, but no bones or flesh. No signs anyone collapsed in the bushes. Squad 2 must have fled after the fight. There are many footprints, but judging by their size, only one or two people came here.”

Sierra nodded quietly. She had already analyzed the footprints and bloodstains to determine Squad 2’s escape route.

“It looks like west, my lord. And here’s a torn bandage.”

“A bandage?”

Jin quickly moved to Sierra’s side and examined it. It was definitely a product from Huepester.

“So there was only one attacker. He must have seriously wounded someone in Squad 2 and fled. Then Squad 2 gave emergency first aid before sensing another attack and running.”

Looking west, Jin saw long trampled grass. No horse hooves, only human footprints—and blood. No need to overthink the trail.

“Sierra, hide nearby and wait for Eddington and David to join us. Bellop, you and I will follow the trail.”

They ran hard, their breaths ragged. None of them had slept all night while searching, so exhaustion was inevitable.

Bellop struggled just to keep up, but Jin wasn’t worried. If the attackers were no more than five four-star warriors, he could handle them alone.

His only concern was that using his spiritual and magical energy might reveal them to the cadets—but he decided not to overthink it.

Saving his people came before keeping secrets.

“Clang! Clang! The cadets are fighting!”

Their pursuit paid off. Less than thirty minutes later, distant sounds of battle reached their ears. Bellop stopped and changed direction upon hearing it.

Jin held his breath, scanning the surroundings to ensure no enemies had followed them.

“From now on, move stealthily, Bellop.”

“My lord, but Squad 2 is currently engaged in combat.”

“This is a forest. It’s better to approach quietly and strike from behind than announce our support openly. If there aren’t many enemies, we can end this quickly.”

Pressing close to the trees, they moved toward the sounds of battle. Finally, they spotted Squad 2 alive and fighting in the forest clearing.

None of the cadets had fatal wounds, but each bore at least one shallow cut or stab.

‘Scut, Kiko, Jushen… where’s Mesa?’

Only three cadets were visible.

Two masked attackers pressed them hard. Their movements confirmed Jin’s suspicion—they were four-star warriors.

“When I give the signal, strike their backs simultaneously. I’ll take the left one. You… wait, do you have a dagger?”

Bellop pulled a dagger from his pocket and tossed it to Jin.

“Close your eyes.”

Why now? Jin wondered.

Bellop didn’t question it. If his lord said to close his eyes, he did so without hesitation. While Bellop’s eyes were shut, Jin cloaked the dagger in a dark spiritual aura.

This aura enhanced the dagger’s cutting power and destructive force, but also made the weapon’s presence almost invisible—greatly increasing the chance of a surprise attack succeeding.

“Bellop, listen carefully. Two seconds after I finish speaking, rush in and strike the left attacker.”

Swish!

As soon as Jin finished whispering, he threw the darkened dagger. It sliced through the air and embedded itself in the back of the right attacker’s head.

“Ugh.”

The attackers all froze mid-swing. Before the left attacker could turn, Bellop charged and slashed down on his back.

The attacker quickly spun around to parry Bellop’s blow, but Jin’s follow-up strike severed the Achilles tendon.

“Argh!”

Crack! Snap! Jin didn’t finish the attacker immediately. Instead, he struck the back of his head and cheekbone with the pommel, then knelt on his neck to fully subdue him.

“My lord!”

The cornered Squad 2 cadets approached Jin. Relief at surviving mixed with guilt over failing their first mission was clear on their faces.

“Is everyone okay? Who sent this bastard?”

Jin punched the groaning attacker’s calf, then pressed his knee down, forcing the attacker’s face into the dirt to silence him.

“We’re fine, but Mesa… was captured by them.”

“My apologies, my lord.”

Jin exhaled deeply, then pulled off the attacker’s mask and grabbed his hair. The man was unfamiliar, appearing to be around thirty.

“Don’t apologize. The higher-ups will be dealt with soon. You all need to stop the bleeding first. Scut’s wounds are deep.”

“P-please… spare me…”

“Spare you?”

Jin let out a bitter laugh.

‘If he values his life so much, he’s not one of Ziphl’s fanatics.’

Begging for mercy wasn’t something a bold human who attacked Runcandel cadets would say first.

“You should have said that before attacking my men. Now you have two choices: tell me your affiliation, purpose, and base, and I’ll kill only you cleanly.”

Jin slapped the man’s cheek twice as he continued.

“Or keep your mouth shut and die, forcing Runcandel to exterminate everyone connected to you. Choose wisely.”

The attacker’s eyes darted wildly at Jin’s words.

“I won’t give you much time. Stop thinking and decide.”

“R-really… if I talk, you’ll only kill me? I know Runcandel’s revenge isn’t just that mild…”

“Usually, yes. But I keep my promises. My name is Jin Runcandel. I swear on my name and family honor: if you speak, no harm will come to your family or friends.”

The attacker glanced at the cadets, who silently nodded.

“I’ll talk.”

“Wise choice.”

“I belong to a revolutionary group called ‘Kinzelro.’”

The moment Jin heard that name, he immediately recalled a notorious incident that had once thrown the Zan Kingdom into chaos before his regression. It was the memory of a massive terrorist attack carried out by Kinzello, a group that called themselves a “revolutionary organization.”

Kinzello was different from the zealous followers of Ziphl.

While Ziphl targeted only Runkandel with their acts of terror, Kinzello struck indiscriminately across the world. They were a fanatical cult convinced that their king had to become the ruler of the entire world for their “revolution” to be complete.

“Kinzello… they were the ones who allied with the beastmen and wreaked havoc. They became infamous for assassinating the Zan king and massacring innocent civilians.”

Jin didn’t know what had become of Kinzello after that. All he knew was that even just before his death, they were still active and dangerous.

“A revolutionary group, huh? Makes sense. So their plan was to attack the cadets of Runkandel and stir up trouble within the Zan Kingdom?”

“I’m just a low-ranking member, so I don’t know the full details. I don’t even know where their headquarters is. The branch I worked for was located at the edge of the beastmen’s territory. There were about twenty members in total.”

“Understood. Just one last question—why did they take Mesa with them?”

The attacker shook his head and sighed.

“Propaganda. I heard the higher-ups ordered that female cadets be captured alive whenever possible, to use them for revolutionary propaganda…”

“Disgusting.”

With a swift motion, Jin drew his sword, and the attacker closed his eyes.

“I’ll keep my promise.”

As the attacker’s head fell, Jin wiped the blood from his blade.

‘Waiting for reinforcements from headquarters isn’t an option—the situation’s too dire. I’ll have to go alone for now.’