Chapter 269
Episode 86: The Unwelcome, Yet Reliable Rider (Part 2)
As Jin stepped back, the members gathered around the Elder Council dispersed.
Jed naturally followed Jin outside and nudged him in the side.
“Uncle Jed, earlier the situation was complicated, so I couldn’t properly greet you…”
“Is that really what you should be saying first? I was wondering how you managed to succeed in the Mammit mission back in intermediate class. Magic, of all things! Where on earth did you learn magic? Ah, I suppose Murakan taught you.”
“I had no choice if I wanted to survive. I apologize.”
“You say that with such a slick face.”
Jed felt like diving into this reckless youngest nephew’s head to see what was going on.
“Jin.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“Your actions earlier were bold, I’ll give you that. But Elder Jorden is no pushover, despite appearances. He may seem like a petty old man, but he’s cunning and tough as nails.”
“I know. He’s the one who survived the family’s hierarchy wars with Father, isn’t he?”
“Well… you could say the head of the family just let it slide. But if he knows him so well, why did he act like a mad dog?”
“I was simply following your teachings, Uncle.”
“What?”
“You taught me to fight every day during intermediate class, remember? I’ve been living by that advice ever since. Provoking the Elder was part of that.”
Jed was momentarily speechless.
‘He was already gutsy as a cadet… but what kind of crazy kid is this? Even the head of the family in his youth didn’t act this recklessly.’
Just like back in intermediate class, Jin was once again pushing Jed’s buttons.
“Anything in excess becomes too much. Keep this up, and even if I teach you the decisive technique, you might never get to use it properly before you’re done for. I’ll pass it on soon enough. Wait for my call.”
“Thank you, Uncle. I won’t forget your kindness today.”
“I’ll forget it the moment I think you’re going off the rails.”
That was no empty threat.
‘Seems even those who favor me treat me like a villain to some extent.’
Villain—or the prodigal son returned.
That was exactly how Jin was being treated in Runcandel right now.
Only Siron and Luna genuinely welcomed him, but Siron kept his feelings hidden, and Luna wasn’t yet in a position to openly support Jin.
Emma could be counted among those who greeted him, but her intentions were self-serving—using Jin to secure safety for herself and the Tona siblings, not out of genuine affection.
Discrimination and prejudice.
Jin was no stranger to fighting those in his past life.
Besides, the villainous reputation wasn’t entirely unfounded, so he could accept it without much resistance.
Just as he was about to leave and return to the room where Gilly and Murakan waited, a middle-aged man with neatly combed hair approached and bowed.
“Young Master, congratulations on your promotion, Petro. You’ve become the top steward.”
“Thank you. Actually, the head of the family has called a rider meeting. I should also congratulate you, Young Master. This will be your first rider meeting. Please proceed to the family head’s office.”
Jin thought to himself: he’d just arrived, received Siron’s sword, had his appointment ceremony, met the elders, and now a meeting. His first day back was turning out to be quite hectic.
“Understood.”
“I’m very glad you returned safely. I hope I can be of great help to you from now on.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
Petro was the first person in the Sword Garden to treat Jin with straightforward warmth.
Yet, for some reason, Jin found Petro’s attitude somewhat ominous—not because Petro was being two-faced, but simply a bad feeling in his gut.
When they arrived at the office, all eyes of the brothers waiting there turned to Jin.
As he scanned their usual expressions, he noticed Luna’s face was unusually dark.
‘Is something wrong with Luna? Petro’s friendly attitude felt off for a reason.’
Petro was Luna’s man.
“All present. Take your seats.”
“Yes, Head of the Family.”
Jin took a seat at the edge.
Without any preamble, Siron spoke bluntly.
“As of today, I’m heading back to the Black Sea. Though I’ve returned to the family often for various reasons, this time I intend to stay away until I achieve definite results.”
The riders nodded gravely.
No one dared ask what kind of results he aimed for in the Black Sea.
“Also, for this Black Sea mission, the First Riders and three Black Knights will accompany me.”
So that was why Luna looked so grim.
Jin deliberately avoided looking at Luna.
Her sudden deployment was unsettling, but showing any sign of concern now would be fatal.
Siron might interpret even the smallest gesture as ‘I can’t do anything without Luna.’
“My frequent returns from the Black Sea mean the riders have not met my expectations. Everyone must step up.”
“We apologize, Head of the Family.”
“We apologize.”
As the riders bowed in unison, Rosa stepped forward.
“Since the First Riders are being sent on a long-term mission, your workload will increase. But with the arrival of the new Twelfth Riders today, some gaps will be filled. So riders, stay alert but don’t worry too much.”
With that one sentence, Rosa undermined Luna’s authority and foreshadowed Jin’s future.
Her words implied that the First and Twelfth Riders were on equal footing, and that Luna’s previous duties would be handed over to Jin.
‘Looks like they’re determined to drown me.’
For Jin, this was actually welcome.
Better to be given difficult missions and complete them than to be deliberately sidelined.
Obstruction and misinterpretation would naturally follow, but as long as he never slipped up and completed every mission, the momentum would inevitably shift to him.
‘Mother and Joshua will use every dirty trick to prevent that from happening.’
Looking back, Rosa’s tactics weren’t much different from how Joshua, Mew, and Anne had pressured Jin before.
But even if the methods were similar, the fact that Rosa was behind them meant Jin had to be cautious.
In both intellect and strength, she far surpassed Joshua.
She had been leading the Sword Garden in Siron’s absence and effectively held Runcandel in the palm of her hand for decades.
“As always, when I’m away, Rosa holds supreme command. It’s important to judge your ranks, but always remember the current situation is unstable.”
It was surprising that Siron openly acknowledged the unstable state of affairs and advised them to moderate their power struggles.
This effectively gave Rosa free rein and was a clear message that the riders’ world was full of things Jin didn’t know.
“Third Rider.”
“Yes, Head of the Family.”
“How many spies from Zipl do we currently have in the Sword Garden?”
“According to precise counts: 97 servants, 20 low-level guardians, 12 mid-level guardians, 5 high-level guardians, 15 stewards and scribes of second rank or higher, 2 second-rank riders, 5 execution knights, 7 elders, and one Black Knight. Additionally, it’s estimated there are at least 20 more spies capable of critical intelligence.”
Hearing Luntia’s report, Jin nearly gasped.
“What? A Black Knight?”
The presence of spies among the second-rank riders and execution knights was shocking enough, but a confirmed Black Knight spy was truly staggering.
“And what about the spies we planted in Zipl’s main house?”
“40 servants, 10 low-level mages, 5 mid-level mages, one elder, and one mage from the magic tower. That’s all.”
For a moment, Jin wondered if this conversation was some kind of initiation ritual—intentionally exaggerating the intelligence situation to intimidate him.
But Siron Runcandel was no one to stoop to petty tricks.
“As you see, they maintain strict security using various magics and artifacts. Meanwhile, the Sword Garden is like a plaything inside their crystal ball.”
“Head of the Family, this is my fault.”
“It’s lamentable that the enemies remain strong despite the years since I ascended to Changsung. It’s not your fault. However, the Black Knight spy must be dealt with swiftly.”
“I intend to assign that as the first mission to the Twelfth Riders.”
Only Jin and Joshua showed no reaction to that statement.
The others couldn’t hide their momentary shock.
Some felt it was excessive, others found it exhilarating, and some were worried the youngest might actually succeed using the power of the guardian dragon Murakan.
It had always been like this.
Though Jin had the secret of spiritual energy and magic, every time everyone expected him to die, he returned victorious.
So among the brothers, a grim belief that Jin might actually pull off the ‘Black Knight assassination’ had taken root.
“I leave the judgment to you.”
As Rosa slightly bowed, Siron turned his gaze to Jin.
He said nothing further.
The personal guidance and care Siron had given Jin, often without Jin realizing it, had truly come to an end.
But on the other hand, that also meant Siron trusted Jin completely.
“I’m ending the meeting. Members of the 1st through 4th cohorts, stay behind. The rest of you, head back and wait for Rosa’s orders.”
As the cohorts filed out of the office, they scattered in different directions toward their quarters.
Ran and Viego gave some instructions to their attendants waiting outside before disappearing down the hallway. Mew and Ann shot Jin unpleasant smirks before vanishing.
The Tona brothers looked like they wanted to say something to Jin but couldn’t think of anything, so they just lingered awkwardly before turning away.
A soft chuckle escaped Jin as he watched their backs.
Suddenly, the last remaining brother roughly patted Jin on the shoulder.
“Hey! This guy’s come back all grown up! I’m really impressed.”
“Merry, sister.”
“This sister of yours was itching to see you the moment you showed up—I thought my hair was going to stand on end. Come on, let’s go. You owe me for that Phoenix Heart.”
“I was just about to say, I’ve been feeling a bit dizzy myself. How about we share a drink and catch up on what we’ve missed?”
Merry immediately scowled.
“What? What nonsense are you spouting? You think I waited all this time just to have a drink with you? Come on, let’s settle this once and for all.”
Jin smiled gently at her.
“I’d rather not, sister.”