Episode 266
Chapter 84: The Spark (3)
Just as Anne raised her hand, ready to slap Jin’s cheek—
Mew grabbed Anne’s shoulder.
“Let’s just go, Anne.”
Her tone was more of a command than a suggestion.
Anne knew better than to defy Mew at a moment like this. Though the two usually seemed close enough to ignore rank, their hierarchy was actually quite clear.
“Tch!”
Anne snapped her head away.
‘Mew’s smarter than I thought.’
Attacking Jin now or starting a fight would be foolish.
Not only had they yet to fully gauge Jin’s strength, but more importantly, Siron had already declared that the “Knight Appointment Ceremony” would begin as soon as Jin woke up.
If they caused Jin any harm or stirred up trouble—
That would be outright disobedience of Siron’s orders.
Besides, Mew and Anne had once been forced by Siron himself to carry out a reckless mission to kill Jin just before a banquet. They had to be extra careful.
Crunch.
Mew clenched her teeth. Though her anger burned hotter than Anne’s, she was determined not to get dragged into a mess by the youngest sibling.
“…I can’t exactly say congratulations. Go see your father now.”
“Right, sisters.”
“And Emma Niltro, don’t do anything you’ll regret. This is your first and last warning.”
With that, Mew and Anne brushed past Jin and walked away.
The Tona brothers’ jaws dropped even further.
‘Are those crazy girls actually intimidated by the youngest one?!’
‘What did I just witness?’
Meanwhile, Emma struggled to suppress a laugh bubbling up from deep inside her chest.
“Brothers, your jaws are about to hit the floor.”
“Yeah, yeah, close your mouths already.”
“Thanks…!”
Suddenly, the Tona brothers hesitated, then each gave Jin a quick hug.
They knew that thanks to Jin, Mew and Anne’s pride had taken a hit—something they’d only ever dreamed of before.
“How have you been, brothers?”
Jin gently pulled away from them.
‘I can’t help but remember the day I cut down my brothers, the mirage of the Great Desert.’
Reluctantly, Jin admitted he felt something like brotherly affection for them—not nearly as strong as for Luna or Yona, but some kind of fondness had grown since the Storm Castle days.
The way they cautiously approached him was almost endearing.
“Yeah, we’ve been fine. Except for Mew and Anne being a bit… overbearing every day.”
“I never thought I’d see the youngest alive again. It’s really good.”
“Right!”
“Is that so? I’m not quite that happy.”
Jin’s cold reply made the Tona brothers’ shoulders slump.
“Ah.”
“Ah… sorry. We probably overreacted.”
Jin had a reason for answering that way.
“Let’s take it slow from now on. I don’t dislike you guys that much.”
He needed to send a message to Emma.
From now on, no one was to use him without permission, no matter who they were.
And they had to show their loyalty more clearly.
Emma, quick to catch on, nodded immediately, understanding Jin’s intent.
The Tona brothers, on the other hand, seemed deeply moved just by the idea of “getting closer,” nodding vigorously.
“We’ll be going now, Knight of the 12th Order.”
“Just call me Jin, Emma.”
“Yes, Jin. If you ever crave a good cup of tea, please visit this nanny’s room anytime. I’ll prepare rare teas you can’t find outside the Sword Garden.”
She was basically inviting him to come see how the family was doing. Pleased, Jin exchanged a light glance with Emma.
“I’ll drop by soon. I hope you have some satisfying tea leaves ready.”
As Emma and the Tona brothers disappeared, the nearby servants hurried back to their posts.
The guardian knights saluted Jin and went on their way.
Now that he was a knight, his rank officially surpassed that of ordinary guardian knights.
Siron’s office was in the main building.
But before heading there, Jin planned to visit another place first—the sacred underground chamber deep within the courtyard of the Sword Garden.
The Spirit Mausoleum.
‘Before seeing Father, I should pay respects to the heroes who protected Runcandel.’
Of course, Jin genuinely felt that way.
But there were two practical reasons for visiting the mausoleum first.
First, Siron hadn’t ordered him to come see him immediately.
Second, none of the brothers had ever gone to the mausoleum right after finishing their trainee period.
The second reason was crucial.
‘Just by visiting the mausoleum first, I might gain favor with some of the elders.’
Many elders were extremely traditional, valuing ceremony and history above all.
Right now, the Sword Garden was like enemy territory to Jin.
To defeat Joshua and claim the throne, he needed allies—many allies.
If a simple gesture could win over some elders, there was no reason not to visit the mausoleum first.
As a trainee, Jin hadn’t had access to the mausoleum, but now he did.
Exiting the hallway and stepping into the courtyard, more eyes watched him.
Still, he didn’t run into any of the brothers and reached the mausoleum without incident.
The underground chamber was dark, filled with stone coffins, not a single light.
‘It’s strange that Temar’s tomb isn’t here. The Pact…’
After Temar Runcandel’s death, Ziphl and Runcandel had made a humiliating pact.
The terms were simple: never worship the magic sword ancestors who used magic, and never use magic again.
Because of that, Jin had often heard accusations that Ziphl had broken the pact.
‘I’ve seen them foam at the mouth over the broken pact, but even after my existence became known, Ziphl still can’t bring himself to strike Runcandel.’
That meant one thing.
They were hesitant to attack Runcandel. And the reason was clear: Siron Runcandel, the world’s only Dragon Knight.
If Siron disappeared, Ziphl wouldn’t hesitate to strike Runcandel.
In other words, as long as Siron was around, Ziphl would likely keep up this attitude.
‘I was worried a big war might break out soon, but now I’m sure there won’t be a full-scale battle for a while.’
As Jin bowed silently before a coffin, he sensed footsteps approaching from outside.
Someone had just entered the mausoleum.
“Welcome, Father.”
It was Siron.
Though he was in his office, he had sensed Jin’s awakening and come here immediately.
To talk with his son.
Outside, knights and guardian knights were already preparing for the appointment ceremony under Siron’s orders.
“Disappointing.”
Siron’s first words were blunt.
Disappointment.
Jin had heard that many times in his past life, but this was the first time in this one.
Still, Siron didn’t sound scolding—it was more like a casual joke between father and son.
That put Jin at ease enough to respond.
“Is it because I woke up too late?”
“The chance I gave you in front of everyone earlier was the last. You should have used everything you had to get a better result.”
Despite Siron’s words, Jin had left a strong impression on everyone in the Sword Garden by receiving Siron’s spirit-infused sword.
Still, Siron felt it wasn’t enough.
Not because Jin’s training or growth was lacking—Siron himself wasn’t much better at nineteen.
“Are you saying I should have used spirit energy?”
Jin hadn’t used any spirit energy when receiving Siron’s sword.
He’d relied solely on aura and the brain power of the Underworld King’s race.
If he’d used spirit energy, the outcome might have been different.
He might not have been able to “parry” Siron’s sword, but at least he wouldn’t have been knocked out.
Why hadn’t he used spirit energy?
Because from the start, Jin didn’t want to reveal all his cards to his enemies.
‘Right now, except for Luna, everyone is my enemy.’
They only knew Jin was the contractor of Solderet and a magic swordsman with incredible power for his age.
They didn’t yet know the true extent of his “precise technique.”
And as always, the less your opponent knows about your cards, the better.
‘So Father’s opinion is that I should have used spirit energy to show a more overwhelming display.’
Siron said nothing, closing his eyes in front of the coffin.
A long silence followed.
Jin didn’t find it uncomfortable.
The fact that his father offered an “opinion” rather than a reprimand or order was fascinating.
It meant he acknowledged Jin.
“Youngest.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Appointing you as a knight is a great loss for Runcandel.”
Jin bowed instead of replying.
“I will watch to see if you are worth making up for that loss.”
“I understand.”
“For me—”
Siron turned away.
“My time is short. The appointment ceremony will begin in an hour. Stay here until then.”
Before Jin could say anything, Siron left the mausoleum.
Watching his father’s retreating figure, Jin was left to ponder for a long time.
‘Father said… his time is short?’
What could that possibly mean?
A chronic illness? Such a thing couldn’t possibly weaken the body of a Changseong Knight. Aging? That, too, held little significance for Siron in his current state.
His mind was going blank in an instant.
This wasn’t something to be brushed off as mere small talk.
Siron seemed reluctant to say more, and Jin didn’t dare press him further.
Still, whatever the reason for Siron’s limited time left, Jin felt he understood the unspoken meaning behind those words.
‘He’s telling me to become the head of the family before Father’s time runs out. And Father has made it clear he won’t be offering me any more direct chances or help.’
No wonder Siron’s figure, as he left the ancestral shrine, struck Jin as quietly lonely.
It was the first time Jin had ever felt that way about Siron, an emotion none of his other siblings had yet experienced.
The only others who had ever felt something similar toward Siron were the former Black Knights who had fought alongside him in the past, and Rosa in her youth.
After gathering his thoughts and before leaving the shrine, Jin summoned a flicker of flame with his magic, lighting the small candles on the shrine’s candelabras.
Then, he turned and made his way toward the Cavalry Hall.