Chapter 349
Episode 107: Kinzello’s Visit (Part 1)
The city of Caron.
Residents cast curious glances as a group of people strode down the main street. What caught their attention were ten beastmen and two humans.
Berakt, the Whitefang warriors, and Vishkel and Marjiela.
In Caron, it wasn’t unusual to see armored knights marching in groups ranging from five to hundreds. But seeing beastmen walking openly was a rare sight.
Berakt stood out above all.
Just his presence as he walked exuded an overwhelming aura, like a moving fortress or a massive sailing ship cutting through the sea.
In any other city, the locals would have shuddered with unease and fear at the mere sight of Berakt—even if they hadn’t wronged him.
But this was Caron.
The heart of Huepester and the birthplace of Runcandel.
The people of Caron did not fear outsiders. This city was, without a doubt, the safest place in the world.
No warlord, no enemy, no monster could cause chaos within Caron’s walls. Only those affiliated with Runcandel were permitted to draw swords, fight, or settle scores here.
“Stop.”
As Berakt’s group reached the path leading to the Garden of Blades, a guardian knight stationed there spoke in a low voice.
To the Whitefang warriors, his tone was outrageously disrespectful. No mere human had the right to speak so arrogantly to the great Whitefang champion.
Just as the warriors growled in protest, Berakt quietly radiated a concentrated energy—a command to stay calm.
“Why did you not notify us in advance of your visit?”
Berakt answered calmly, “I saw no need when coming to meet an old friend.”
“I will confirm if you may enter. Wait here.”
The knight’s tone remained haughty to the end. His rank was seven stars—a formidable level by ordinary standards, but not enough to challenge Berakt or anyone he brought.
Still, the knight’s confidence stemmed from pride in Runcandel.
Even if the visitor was a colossal figure like Berakt, the knight believed that any breach of protocol would cost the offender their life—and that no one, not even Keliak Ziphl, would leave Caron alive after such an incident.
After some time, soldiers returned with an answer.
“Entry is permitted.”
The Whitefang warriors wanted nothing more than to tear the knight apart, but Berakt showed no sign of offense.
Instead, he silently praised the knight.
“I’ve always thought that the only useful humans are gathered here in Runcandel.”
“The knights of Runcandel do have spirit, don’t they, Uncle Berakt?”
“Hmph! Of course, the best among them is our deputy commander.”
Berakt’s humiliation didn’t end there.
Even after entering the Garden of Blades, no one came out to greet them. They had no choice but to stand awkwardly in the courtyard for a while.
“This is too much. Great warrior, no matter how sudden our visit, must we endure such disrespect in silence?”
“And if we don’t?”
“Let’s leave. We never intended to negotiate with humans anyway.”
Berakt shook his head, and Vishkel spoke on his behalf.
“From our perspective, this treatment is humiliating. But Runcandel must be deeply displeased that we came unannounced. By their standards, this is almost a warm welcome. So, let us remain patient.”
Berakt smiled broadly, clearly satisfied with Vishkel’s explanation.
“As expected, no one compares to our deputy commander.”
After a long wait, thirty execution knights and Rosa Runcandel appeared in the garden.
“Old friends, huh? I didn’t know we were that close, Berakt Sidriker.”
“Long time no see, Rosa.”
In their youth, Rosa and Berakt had fought many duels. Their wins and losses were evenly matched, and each battle left them severely wounded.
They spared each other’s lives to avoid needless all-out war between the beastmen and Runcandel.
“Surely you didn’t come to relive old times and fight again. What brings you here without notice?”
“I have things to tell your child, things to receive, and a proposal.”
“Is this about the youngest?”
“Yes.”
“Come inside. Let’s talk.”
Rosa sent someone to fetch Jin.
But they were not immediately invited into the reception room.
(Once it’s clear what Berakt wants to tell you, what he intends to receive, and what he proposes—and if you conclude that meeting him benefits Runcandel—then come to the reception room.)
That was the message Rosa’s servant delivered.
‘Suddenly showing up with things to tell, receive, and propose… What’s the catch?’
‘And according to the servant, Vishkel and Marjiela came along.’
Vishkel had recently become head of the Ibriano family around the time Jin began his apprentice knight training.
Jin naturally assumed Vishkel’s role in Kinzello’s ranks was to revive the Ibriano family, once famed as a premier swordsmanship house in Huepester.
‘If that’s the case, there’s no need to risk offending Runcandel. Coming to the Garden of Blades unannounced with a Kinzello heavyweight suggests Vishkel’s purpose is beyond my expectations.’
Or perhaps he’s already weighed the balance between Runcandel and Kinzello.
Either way, the immediate priority was to understand Berakt’s purpose.
Things to tell, things to receive, and a proposal. Two of those were easy to guess.
‘What he wants from me is probably the compass or repayment for the last Phantom Tower attack. Kinzello has no other demands I can think of. What he wants to propose…’
An alliance.
Jin believed Kinzello would propose an alliance.
‘During the Holy Empire incident and the recent rescue of the small beastmen, Kinzello has consistently shown me goodwill. Even though I stole their compass and destroyed the Dark Magic Society, I’ve never been treated as an enemy.’
No kindness is without reason. Kinzello’s repeated goodwill toward Jin had a clear motive.
Their alliance with Ziphl had broken.
Jin had played a major role in breaking that alliance. Destroying the Demon Stone and stealing the compass shattered the trust between the two powers.
Though the alliance was doomed eventually, Jin hastened its collapse.
Ziphl suffered one-sided losses, while Kinzello gained some benefits.
Moreover, with Balmel’s sudden rise and Jin Runcandel constantly undermining Ziphl, Kinzello naturally considered proposing an alliance.
By allying with Jin personally, and later with Runcandel as a whole when Jin ascends as family head, Kinzello could more easily achieve their grand ambitions.
‘But what could he want to tell me? Information about Ziphl?’
Only one thing came to mind, but Jin had no clue what it might be.
Once Kinzello’s purpose was clear, and if meeting Berakt proved beneficial to Runcandel, then come to the reception room…
Jin reread the note.
It didn’t take long to finish his calculations.
“Murakan.”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s go to the reception room.”
“Huh? Me too?”
While Jin pondered Rosa’s note, Murakan had been chatting idly with Gilly.
“Yes. I think Kinzello will propose an alliance, so it’s better if you come along.”
“Why? Are you worried that Berakt will cause a scene?”
“Not at all. But I need to show Mother that Jin Runcandel, the twelfth apprentice knight, and Jin Runcandel, Solderet’s contractor, are different.”
“Then I’ll just pretend to be a cat. If I stay in human form, I’ll probably have to talk to those guys, and that’s a hassle.”
“Do that.”
With a pop, Murakan transformed and jumped onto Jin’s shoulder.
“Twelfth apprentice knight reporting.”
“Come in.”
Inside the reception hall, Rosa, the knights, and Berakt’s group awaited.
Rosa and Berakt wore calm expressions, but tension crackled sharply between the knights and beastmen. The hostility was so intense it made faces sting.
Amid it all, Marjiela’s bright smile stood out the most.
“I heard you wanted to see me, great Whitefang champion Berakt Sidriker.”
“That’s right. We’re acquainted, aren’t we?”
“First time meeting.”
Jin said coolly, and Berakt chuckled.
“I’d like to speak with you alone, but I doubt my old friend would allow it. So I’ll get straight to the point.”
“Yes. You said you have things to tell me, things to receive, and a proposal.”
“First, the proposal: join Kinzello.”
Swish, swish!
Before Berakt finished speaking, the execution knights drew their swords.
The Whitefang warriors couldn’t draw their weapons in response. Their blood boiled, but they knew that doing so would lead to immediate disaster.
Strike.
If Rosa gave that order, neither Berakt nor the Kinzello warriors would leave this place alive.
A brief silence hung in the air, and Jin shrugged his shoulders.
“Alright, then.”
At those words, the executioners’ eyebrows twitched, but Jin quickly added, “If you offer me the position of captain, I’ll join.”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
Berakt’s booming laughter shook the entire reception room.
“Well, well, you truly are something. Born from Rosa Runcandel’s own womb, no less.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“But tell me, what were you thinking when you said that? Did you really intend to give up your status as one of Runcandel’s Twelve Knights and join Kinzel?”
“Personally, it’s not the outcome I’d hoped for, but for the sake of my family, it doesn’t seem like a bad choice. Now that Kinzel has risen from a third-rate terrorist group to a major power, joining forces with them could very well mean the complete destruction of Zipl.”
Of course, it was a lie. No matter what they offered, Jin had no intention of joining Kinzel.
“That’s a shame. I can offer you the position of vice-captain for now. If you change your mind, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
From that, Jin could read Kinzel’s true intention clearly.
‘This is a warning to my mother. If Runcandel keeps watching me too closely, they’re ready to snatch me away with an irresistible offer at any time.’
For Jin, it was like gaining an insurance policy without even trying. One he hoped never to use, but one that would force Rosa to reconsider how she treated him.
“What is it you want to tell me?”
At that moment, just like during the Seongguk incident, Jin caught sight of Margiela silently mouthing words—lip movements flickering rapidly.
‘Let me tell you, Lord Jin.’
Under the watchful eyes of Rosa and dozens of executioners, the only person bold enough to communicate through lip-reading like that was probably her alone in the entire world.