Chapter 268
Episode 86: The Unwelcome, Yet Reliable Knight (Part 1)
The Elder Council chamber resembled the courtroom of the Bimant Supreme Justices in many ways.
At the center of the vast hall stood three massive wooden podiums, so imposing they almost took one’s breath away.
On each podium stood the Elder Chief, the Deputy Elder Chief, and the Council Secretary, respectively, while behind them, other elders sat in an arch formation.
These three men were the heads of the Elder Council’s subordinate organizations: the Black Blade Society, the Law Enforcement Society, and the Protector Society.
In other words, they were the pillars of the Elder Council.
The Law Enforcement and Protector Societies upheld the laws of Runcandel and the protection of the people of Hupester, while the Black Blade Society was responsible for the overall “cleansing of grudges” within Runcandel.
They were the ones who decided who should be executed and who should be spared, meting out the necessary punishments.
The Elder Council wielded considerable power within the family.
Among them, the Black Blade Society was unparalleled.
If they set their sights on killing someone in Hupester, that person would become a traitor regardless of innocence, or a betrayer regardless of merit.
They were like ancient phantoms who could erase anyone—commoner or noble alike—from existence without a trace.
Of course, despite their immense power, they were not above restraint.
The family head and the twelve knights could keep them in check.
Especially since the family head’s orders were absolute; even if the Black Blade Society issued an execution order, if the family head opposed it, the target’s name had to be immediately removed from the execution list.
Just like today, when Jin’s name was erased from Runcandel’s execution list.
“Jin Runcandel.”
“Yes, Elder Chief.”
“You are nineteen years old this year. Your name was added to the Runcandel execution list on January 1, 1798, but as of around noon today, February 9, 1799, it has been removed.”
Elder Chief Jorden Runcandel of the Black Blade Society raised his eyebrows in clear displeasure at this fact.
His voice was thin and somewhat irritable, uncharacteristic of the Runcandel family. A wispy white beard under his chin only added to his lack of imposing presence.
“On the surface, he seems unimpressive, but my great-uncle is a man who rose from nothing. He survived competing with the family head and managed to seize some power for himself.”
Usually, only the family head’s children competed as knights.
But in special cases—such as when a successor eliminated other knights too quickly during succession, or when an outstanding relative within the family’s cousins emerged—the rules changed.
Jorden’s case was both.
In his youth, he had shown promise and fought a ranking war with Siron as a second-tier knight.
Of course, compared to Siron, Jorden was like a sparrow to a phoenix.
But if Siron hadn’t existed, Jorden would have been considered the phoenix among ordinary purebloods.
In other words, without Siron, he might have become the family head.
“How do you feel about this?”
“I’m pleased.”
“Hmm… I suppose it’s a happy occasion from your perspective. But for me, it’s quite an unpleasant experience. A wanted man comes knocking, and you make him a knight.”
Jorden openly expressed his dissatisfaction with Siron’s decision.
“Everyone in the family knows my great-uncle has always felt fear and inferiority toward my father. That’s why he’s so irritable. But I didn’t realize he could be this reckless.”
His recklessness was obvious.
As the highest authority in the Elder Council, and with no elder willing to tattle on such minor remarks to Siron, Jorden acted with impunity.
Moreover, Jorden was Rosa’s loyal subordinate.
Though all were old, what benefit would a regular elder gain from crossing him?
“Elder Chief, please calm yourself. I too am displeased that a magic swordsman has become a Runcandel knight, but at least today, shouldn’t we welcome him?”
Deputy Elder Chief Lin Milkano spoke in a composed tone.
She, a former head of the Milkano family, was also one of Rosa’s people.
This meant that both the Black Blade and Law Enforcement Societies—the two pillars of the Elder Council—were backing Joshua.
The Council Secretary Telot Runcandel of the Protector Society silently watched Jin.
“Yes, Deputy Elder Chief is right. This is a moment to celebrate the birth of the family’s twelfth knight… Well then, congratulations, Jin Runcandel.”
Jorden said this while waving his hand dismissively.
It was a clear sign to leave.
“I expected as much, but this is harsh. I didn’t think he’d avoid even mentioning the Duel Scroll.”
When a knight first visited the Elder Council, it was customary for the elders to congratulate him and offer to pass down the Duel Scroll and secret techniques.
But with Jorden so openly refusing, the other elders hesitated to step forward.
Regardless, Jin hadn’t expected much.
What he was really aware of was one elder who had been frowning throughout this ordeal.
Jedd Runcandel.
His uncle, who had taught him during his cadet days. Jedd looked like he wanted to tear Jorden apart on the spot but was restraining himself in frustration.
He had no choice.
For his student to be disrespected was tantamount to disrespecting himself.
“I should give Uncle Jedd a small gift,” Jin thought calmly, locking eyes with Jorden.
“Thank you for your congratulations, Elder Chief.”
“Enough. Are you still standing there?”
“If it weren’t for the Elder Chief, I wouldn’t have survived.”
No sooner had Jin finished speaking than Jorden’s eyes blazed with fury.
Bang!
He slammed his fist on the podium and glared at Jin.
“What did you just say?”
Jorden’s outrage stemmed from the same reason as Jedd’s.
He had been insulted.
By a green, newly minted youngest knight.
“If it weren’t for the Elder Chief, I wouldn’t have survived.”
That statement implied the Black Blade Society was incompetent, which was why Jin had escaped capture.
Though in truth, it wasn’t due to their incompetence.
At that moment, Jedd burst into loud laughter.
“Ha ha ha!”
All eyes turned to Jedd as he suddenly stood.
“What’s so funny, Elder Jedd?”
“The Elder Chief just got a taste of his own medicine. When this kid first came to the intermediate class, I was fooled by him several times too. I laughed because I felt a strange kinship—don’t take it the wrong way.”
“Ugh…!”
“Our old-timers in the back room have been so gruff that the youngest knight seems thoroughly pissed off. I can understand that to some extent. In fact, no one felt a greater betrayal than I did when I learned he was a magic swordsman.”
“Elder Jedd, what are you trying to say?”
Lin asked, and Jedd pointed at Jin.
“To you, he may look like a troublemaker provoking the Elder Chief, but think about this. Jin received the family head’s personal sword and woke up after just three hours. What did he do immediately afterward?”
No one answered, so Jedd continued.
“He went to the ancestral shrine. Not the infirmary, not the dining hall, not the family head’s office—but the ancestral shrine. That means he’s not a complete jerk. Among the current generation of knights, has even one gone straight to the family’s guardian spirits like Jin did? No, there hasn’t.”
“So what if he did? Is that really something to praise so highly? Even if he was taught by Elder Jedd, that’s overdoing it.”
“It is something remarkable, Elder Chief. Especially from the Elder Council’s perspective. A respectful man like that will take good care of us old-timers when he gains power.”
Whether from the Black Blade, Law Enforcement, or Protector Societies, many ordinary elders surprisingly agreed with Jedd.
In fact, few knights treated the ordinary elders with proper respect.
Joshua had once treated the elders with great reverence, but since gaining power, he had been acting like a proper superior.
“You’re exaggerating. If the twelfth knight had even a grain of respect, he wouldn’t have dared insult me.”
Jorden clicked his tongue.
“That’s because the Elder Chief has been too harsh. Anyway, it seems no one wants to teach him the Duel Scroll. Elder Jedd here plans to pass it on to the twelfth knight, thinking ahead to when we’re older and weaker.”
“Do as you please. But Elder Jedd, you haven’t forgotten, have you? Many Duel Scrolls and secret techniques require the approval of the majority of the Elder Council before they can be passed on.”
Suddenly, a vein bulged on Jedd’s forehead.
He was an ordinary elder, stubborn and hot-tempered.
Jorden and Lin, holding the positions of Elder Chief and Deputy Elder Chief, led the other elders.
It was obvious whose opinion the elders would side with.
But Jedd answered without a hint of wounded pride.
“Do you think I’m an idiot? I haven’t forgotten the rules. If you don’t agree, I’ll only teach what I can independently.”
“Then let’s vote right now. Elders who want to pass the Duel Scroll to the twelfth knight, raise your hands!”
Jorden barked, and the hall fell silent as if doused with cold water.
“No way, these old men… Even if they’re trying to play it safe around Jorden, not a single one raised their hand? Did Jin really mess up that badly? If anything, standing up to the elders should’ve earned him some respect as a Runcandel!”
Not a single person raised their hand. Even Homin, the chairman whom Jin had quietly trusted, and Telrot Runcandel were subtly avoiding Jed’s gaze.
“Heh, as you can see, this is how it turned out. Elder Jed, it’s unfortunate. I suppose you can stop sending out the twelfth generation now. As for the decisive techniques you can pass on without the council’s approval, you’ll have to handle those yourself.”
Within Runcandel, there were ten decisive techniques, seven secret techniques, and three ultimate arts.
However, the ultimate arts weren’t something the elders could pass down, and among the decisive and secret techniques, only those that received majority support—eight and five respectively—could be taught.
In other words, only the so-called “lower-tier” decisive and secret techniques were available for transmission.
Jed swallowed his simmering frustration and nodded.
“Unfortunate, Jin.”
That’s what Jed thought, but Jin himself judged that he had actually gained far more from this meeting with the elders than he had expected.
“Some of the decisive techniques are just variations modeled after the Divine Warrior Technique and the King’s Sword. There’s no urgent need to master them right away.”
On the other hand, discovering an ally in “Jed Runcandel” was a refreshing development.
He had secretly assumed that even his uncle had fully sided with Joshua, which would have made persuading the elders a tiring task.
“Dealing with Jorden’s great-uncle can wait for now. What’s more pressing is the chairman of the Defense Council, Lin Milcano… What could be this old lady’s weakness?”
MIlcano.
And conveniently, there was someone Jin knew well present there.