Episode 318
Chapter 97: Joshua’s Counterattack (Part 2)
In the conference room, the moment Rosa dropped her shocking proposal, everyone held their breath. Yet, Jin’s expression remained unusually calm.
Joshua hadn’t expected anything special hidden behind Jin’s poker face. After all, Jin always maintained that impassive look, so there was no reason to find it strange.
Still, Joshua’s sudden question—whether Jin had already found Aria Owlheart—was purely a gut feeling.
Silence fell.
What was it? Had Joshua been too composed when everyone else was shocked earlier? Even if that were true, it wasn’t enough to speak with such certainty.
He quickly racked his brain.
But he couldn’t figure out when or how Jin had learned about his meeting with Valeria.
Since their confrontation began, Jin was feeling something new: genuine unease.
The only relief was that when Joshua abruptly mentioned Valeria, Jin didn’t lose his trademark impassive expression.
Jin smiled to himself.
No matter how Joshua found out, it was a matter that could be brushed off with a thick skin and a firm denial.
“Both you and your mother seem quite desperate. Judging by the nonsense you’re spouting.”
“Little brother.”
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak so familiarly. We’re not exactly close enough to be calling each other that.”
“This is more important than you think.”
“So that’s why Mother offered the Eastern Five Regions as compensation.”
At first, Joshua spoke with confidence, but since it was just a hunch, he wasn’t sure how to steer the conversation.
So, you still haven’t found that person either?
He couldn’t bring himself to ask so bluntly.
“If you hand that person over to me, I’ll give you not only the Eastern Five Regions but even more. I stake my name and family’s honor on it.”
“Sounds like an interesting story. Let’s hear it, since you keep missing the mark.”
“Your life.”
Jin chuckled.
Then, he fixed his gaze on Joshua, serious now.
“You still have no talent for jokes. Didn’t I tell you before? Your last chance to kill me was then.”
“And the safety of your comrades.”
Joshua expected Jin to react strongly to that, especially after calling him “you” with such severity.
But Jin didn’t feel the need to get riled up.
He simply thought it was inevitable.
I was wondering when they’d take my comrades hostage. So, it’s now.
His comrades were his strongest shield.
But at the same time, they were his greatest—and only—weakness.
Naturally, Jin had long prepared himself for the day Rosa and Joshua would pressure him by targeting his friends.
Not just Jin, but all his comrades had anticipated this.
The ransom for Hister was becoming more and more puzzling. Not only the Eastern Five Regions, but now they were pulling out their strongest card to pressure him?
What had Rosa demanded in exchange for handing over Hister? The question gnawed at Joshua’s mind.
Life—and the lives of his comrades.
Joshua’s promise to guarantee both to Jin likely meant…
It was probably related to the contract with Solderet. Perhaps Rosa demanded from Zipl some way to transfer the contract—or even Jin’s own contract—to Joshua.
It was only speculation.
But it seemed like a plausible scenario.
Joshua’s goal wasn’t to kill Jin but to seize Solderet’s power, and Rosa’s interests would align with that.
Mother had seemed oddly protective of me lately. Transferring only my contract to Joshua and using me as a tool for the family would be the best outcome for her.
Even without Solderet’s power, even if I couldn’t use magic or the power of the Pluto clan…
Jin was still one of the most outstanding and promising riders in Runcandel.
His pure swordsmanship alone was enough to mark him as a potential next head of the family.
For Rosa, as long as Jin handed over the shadow’s power to Joshua and didn’t betray the family, there was no reason to give up on her youngest son.
Moreover, the fact that Zipl could transfer divine contracts was almost certain, given the different contract holders in past and present lives, and Midor Elner and Veradin’s use of spatial explosions.
A flood of thoughts raced through Joshua’s mind.
All these assumptions boiled down to one question:
Why were Joshua and Rosa so obsessed with the spirit stone?
“How about it? Ready to talk now?”
Joshua asked, and Jin smiled.
“I’ll say it again—I’ve never found Hister. I don’t know what you’re basing this on. Feels like you’re just guessing.”
“I’ll give you ten days. Bring Hister to me within that time.”
“If you want to make a name for yourself, you’d be better off running outside than wasting time chasing nonsense like this.”
Jin turned away but added one last thing.
“Just so you know, I hope you’re not a fool willing to bleed heavily over some half-baked delusion. Don’t touch my comrades carelessly. It won’t end well.”
“I’ll take your advice under consideration.”
“That’s not advice—it’s a warning. Who knows? At a moment like this, say, in an empty hallway with just the two of us, I might impulsively draw my sword and cut down two riders without thinking of the consequences.”
“Pathetic. Do you really think you could beat me one-on-one?”
“If you’re confident, we can fight right now.”
Joshua shrugged.
“The twelfth riders aren’t in such a bad position after all. I have nothing to lose even if you beat me.”
It was a throwaway line, assuming Jin wouldn’t fight him. As Joshua said, even if Jin lost a duel, he had nothing to lose, but if Joshua won, he’d lose his reputation.
Joshua watched Jin’s retreating back until he disappeared.
And he was certain.
His beloved youngest brother had at least met Aria Owlheart.
If Jin truly knew nothing about Hister, he would have proposed a deal when Joshua approached him.
Joshua saw Jin as someone who, when he sensed desire in others, would exploit it—even without a weapon to shake that desire.
That was the Jin he knew.
But now, despite revealing his desire first, Jin denied knowing Hister.
He showed no intention to use that for a deal or to toy with Joshua.
That was why Joshua was sure about Jin’s connection to Hister.
A big win, and a smile tugged at his lips.
But even if Jin’s comrades were kidnapped or killed, Jin would never hand over Hister.
It would only provoke a wild beast.
It was better that Jin knew about Hister. As long as he held it, neither Runcandel nor Zipl could find Hister. It was safe.
The youngest never let go of the cards he held.
That was the Jin Joshua understood.
Though they were clearly enemies, Joshua respected Jin.
From the days when everyone underestimated Jin before he rose to prominence, Joshua had never looked down on him.
“My lord.”
Howard, the top butler who had stepped back, approached Joshua. He was the younger brother of Butler Chief Heinz and one of Joshua’s closest aides.
“Any progress?”
“I caught an unexpected big fish. Howard, don’t assign any of my knights to search for Aria Owlheart or Hister. It’s a waste of manpower.”
“Understood.”
“Instead, spread false information about Hister among the riders. While they’re distracted, secure as many death row prisoners as possible in Rickalton.”
Howard didn’t question Joshua’s judgment.
“Also, find out the full list of merchants, wealthy patrons, and nobles connected to the Free City of Tikan.”
“That’s already been tracked by the clerks. The information is updated weekly, so errors should be minimal.”
Joshua nodded with satisfaction.
“Cut them all off. I want to dry up their funds. It doesn’t matter if the youngest and his comrades figure out why their contacts suddenly vanished, but no one outside should know we’re applying pressure.”
“I’ll make sure they keep quiet. What about contacts in Zipl, Bigung, and the Empire? It’s hard to guarantee secrecy there.”
“How many are there?”
“I need to check, but I heard about ten in total. Half of them are in Zipl.”
“Leave Bigung alone. For the others, find out if they have solid ties to Zipl’s main house or the Imperial Court. If not, send pirates to raid and strike.”
“Understood.”
There was no need to provoke the beast into all-out war just yet.
Instead, Joshua decided to gently rattle Jin’s nerves—cut off his funds, subtly threaten his comrades—and see how Jin would respond.
And whether his comrades would endure all the hardships and stay by his side.
“There’s no way a sharp mind like his would go all-out against me. But it’ll be annoying enough.”
Ten days passed.
April 10, 1799, Free City of Tikan.
Kashimir sat in his office, his expression dark.
The city’s economy was grinding to a halt at an unprecedented pace.
Already, over 80% of their business partners had requested to suspend transactions, accepting contract breaches and penalties. The remaining 20% looked set to vanish soon as well.
“The power of the second generation of Runcandel is truly overwhelming. Not a single client has bothered to explain why they’re cutting ties, Your Highness.”
As soon as Jin heard the news, he, Murakan, and Gilly had disguised themselves and gone to meet Tikan.
“That brat—your brother—who on earth did he take after to be this petty?”
“Who knows.”
“Your Highness, we were prepared for an attack from the second generation, but I never imagined it would be like this… For now, we’re using slush funds to patch things up, but I don’t know how much longer we can hold out.”
Joshua’s assault was effective. In some ways, it caused more damage than a direct assassination attempt would have.
The leadership of Tikan was struggling to have the Free City recognized as a sovereign state, which meant they were funneling massive sums of money to various factions every month.
“It’s frustrating, but with our current finances, we can’t beat that bastard—no, Joshua… that despicable son of a—yet, my lord. Even the news of pirate ships appearing in nearby waters has emptied the tourist spots.”
Gilly spat out his anger.
Jin’s slush funds were substantial, but not enough to sustain an entire city.
“I didn’t expect him to come at us like this. If he’s this determined to fight, I can’t just stand by.”
“Do you have a plan?” Kashimir asked.
Jin smirked.
“I’m going to hit one of his villas.”