Episode 300
Chapter 92: Leave (Part 1)
March 10, 1799. Rosa convened a meeting of the Riders.
On the long table lay the empty helmet of Barton Vichena.
All the Riders except Jin stared at it in stunned silence, though none showed their emotions outwardly.
They already knew the true hero of this mission wasn’t Diffus, but Jin.
Diffus had told Mary as much—that without Jin, the mission would never have succeeded. Mary spread the word among the Riders as if it were her own accomplishment.
The quiet was broken only by the soft rustling of Rosa flipping through the report. After reading it with an expressionless face, she finally spoke.
“It seems you’ve forgotten the mission’s true objective.”
“What was lacking?” Jin asked calmly.
Several of the brothers—Ran, Vigo, Mew, Anne, and Tona—tensed at Jin’s composed tone. They had only heard that Jin and Diffus had flawlessly completed the mission.
“Securing Ventica and killing Barton Vichena was commendable. But what the family demanded was a natural death.”
“The family’s demand,” Rosa emphasized.
The order that the target’s death be caused by the enemy was not just Rosa’s personal wish—it was the consensus of the entire council.
“If the plan was simply to kill Barton Vichena, there would have been no need to involve you Riders. The Black Sword Society and I could have handled it ourselves.”
“Mother.”
“Speak, Riders of the 12th.”
“In this mission, it was impossible to have Barton Vichena die at the hands of the enemy. The variable of Keliak’s power required more personnel,” Jin explained.
“If you thought that, then when Barton Vichena called for retreat, you should have withdrawn and waited for another opportunity. Of course, that mission would have been assigned to other Riders, not you.”
Without hesitation, Jin named Diffus.
“But the 4th Rider, who held decision-making power, was determined to continue the mission.”
“The 4th Rider? Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you retreat?”
“Because with the 1st Rider absent, we judged that no one could perform the mission better than the 4th and 12th Riders.”
“That’s just your opinion, Diffus.”
“But it produced results. Though we couldn’t stage a natural death, we completed both objectives without a single casualty.”
“Do you not understand why the family insisted on such a complicated death for Barton Vichena? It was to keep his betrayal secret. All the mages of Ziphl who retreated know he’s alive. If his death becomes public, Runcandel will appear to have purged a Black Knight.”
Death in battle versus execution.
For any other Knight, it might not matter, but for a Black Knight, it had to be the former. The strongest force in Runcandel being purged would signal problems with loyalty and unity.
News of a Black Knight’s execution would cause a massive ripple—not just in Runcandel, but throughout Huepester, where Black Knights were a symbol of power.
Even a death in battle would damage Runcandel’s prestige.
But the forces Ziphl deployed to secure Ventica were far stronger.
Facing Kozek and Baekya, it was entirely plausible for a Black Knight to die.
Had the mission gone as planned, it could have been spun as the Black Knight sacrificing himself to save the Riders.
“As you all know, this is a sensitive time. With the family head and 1st Rider absent, Ziphl is expanding its influence. If news of a Black Knight’s execution leaks, how will our allies see us?”
Mew and Anne almost chuckled with schadenfreude.
“So it goes. No matter how great Diffus and the youngest are, they’re still human. Blinded by pride, they overreached and failed. When Joshua takes power, they’ll be the first to go.”
Ran and Vigo admired the fact that Diffus and the youngest had killed Barton Vichena, but had no other thoughts.
Tona was as worried as ever but kept his emotions in check.
Rosa could see the thoughts of those six clearly and suppressed a sigh of frustration.
“If the 4th and 12th Riders have no insight on this, I will consider the mission a failure.”
“Mother, you know full well there’s no problem announcing Barton Vichena died in battle, don’t you?” Jin said.
The six Riders’ eyes widened in surprise—these were the same ones who had just disappointed Rosa.
Rosa, Joshua, Runtia, Diffus, and Mary, however, remained calm, as if they had expected this.
“The enemy’s Kozek was shattered, six enemy dragons and over thirty elite mages were lost, and Veradin was severely wounded despite using Keliak’s power. Yet we failed to secure Ventica.”
“Keliak’s power was used.”
At that, the six Riders fixed their gaze on Jin again. The report they had didn’t mention this. But no one asked for clarification.
“It’s impossible that Runcandel suffered no damage in the process. Especially if it’s revealed that I destroyed Kozek, it won’t just be a blow to our pride.”
“Wait, youngest. You’re saying it was you, not Diffus, who destroyed Kozek?”
Ignoring Vigo’s question, Jin continued.
“In this situation, a false announcement that the Black Knight died in battle benefits Ziphl. It’s mutually advantageous. We gain the most—we suffered no actual losses and secured Ventica.”
“Have you considered the possibility that Ziphl might reveal the Black Knight was a spy?”
“Yes. It’s not something we need to worry about. If Barton’s betrayal is exposed, Ziphl will have lost to a Black Knight who betrayed them. If Ziphl reveals the whole truth, I will take full responsibility.”
Silence fell.
Unlike Ran, Vigo, Mew, Anne, and Tona, the others knew this had been Rosa’s test.
Her pressing Jin wasn’t to embarrass him, but to see how he would handle such a critical mission.
She also wanted to set an example for the Riders who hadn’t yet grasped the gravity of the situation—this is what it means to be a Rider of Runcandel.
Had Jin responded with excuses, Rosa would have immediately punished him for mission failure.
But Jin delivered a near-perfect success despite the severe variable of a spatial explosion.
That made her feel a bitter regret.
“Someday, I’ll have to bring this child down. Until then, there’s much you must do for the family.”
“Use me as you will. In the end, it will only tighten the noose around your and Joshua’s necks.”
Between Jin and Rosa, unspoken thoughts passed silently.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the meeting room door.
“Lady Rosa, it’s Butler Heinz.”
“Send him in.”
Heinz entered with a respectful nod, holding a bundle of newsletters from the Lutero Magic Federation.
“Ziphl has published articles about the Ventica mission. Overall, they portray Ziphl as defeated but celebrate the killing of the Black Knight as a great victory.”
“Keliak Ziphl is quick to act. A cunning one. They must be certain Barton was exposed from the mission’s outcome.”
Even the senior Riders looked surprised, though Runtia stifled a yawn as usual.
“Any other notable details?”
“No, ma’am. Shall I prepare a response article?”
“Do so. Make Barton Vichena’s death sound honorable, but do not reveal his real name. Also, erase all records and documents related to him.”
“As you command.”
From today, articles praising Barton would flood Huepester, but his black helmet and remains would never be enshrined.
After Heinz left, Rosa turned her gaze back to Jin.
“So it went as you said, 12th Rider. You deserve a reward. What do you want?”
“When the ancient eternal iron mining is complete, give me ten percent. And I’d like about ten days’ leave.”
“Agreed.”
Surprisingly, Rosa accepted Jin’s request without hesitation.
She had decided to focus on using Jin rather than restraining him for the time being.
Just as Runcandel and Ziphl looked out for their own interests, so too did Jin and Rosa.
Above all, Rosa believed that whatever Jin gained would eventually belong to Joshua.
So supporting him beyond a certain point was not a bad thing. Sometimes, he even needed wings.
“That concludes the Riders’ meeting. Riders 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 will receive mission assignments tonight. Send their butlers to my office.”
“Understood.”
As soon as the meeting ended, Jin left without speaking to anyone and headed straight to his room.
Passing Tona, he reminded him not to forget their promise.
“Let’s have a drink tonight.”
“Y-Yeah! I’ll prepare something good!”
While the other cadets clicked their tongues at the sight of the obnoxious Tona brothers, Dipus and Mary felt a deep sense of envy.
Mary simply wanted to get closer to Jin, but Dipus’s feelings were different.
“That brain sword the youngest showed… it definitely has some similarities to the Sixth Battle Chronicle’s lightning technique. And it’s infused with a demon stone? There’s so much I still don’t know about the youngest. The power of his magic far exceeded what I expected.”
Mary blinked in surprise as she noticed the goosebumps rising on Dipus’s neck.
“Brother? Are you cold? You’ve got goosebumps on your neck. Gross. We should all have some warm sake to warm up.”
Back in the room, Gilly greeted Jin warmly.
But Murakan, the nearly 3,000-year-old black dragon, shot Jin a sharp glare, his face twisted in a deep scowl.
“Thank you for your hard work, young master.”
“Thanks, but why is Murakan acting like that again?”
“Ah, well…”
Gilly forced an awkward smile, clearly uncomfortable.
The reason for Murakan’s sour mood was simple.
Gilly had insisted that this vacation be a group affair—everyone together.
For Murakan, that meant accepting that his long-anticipated date was now off the table, and he wasn’t taking it well.
“I heard the contract holder of Olmango is in the Kingdom of Shcheron, right? I’ve always wanted to visit that beach at least once. I thought it’d be great if Tikan’s companions all went together for a vacation. If it’s alright, young master, you should come along too…”
Seeing Murakan’s face twist into a deeper frown once again, Jin couldn’t help but chuckle.