Episode 35
Chapter 13: Receiving the First Solo Mission
The mission assigned to the Tona brothers was simply to “attend an event.”
Their task was to show up at various gatherings hosted by the Emperor and dukes of the Bimont Empire and put on all sorts of pretenses.
Honestly, calling mere attendance a mission was laughable. There was no bloodshed, no danger—just enjoying the empire’s finest cuisine and killing time.
“Ugh!”
“An event? And from the Bimont Empire, no less…”
But the moment the Tona brothers heard the mission details, their faces twisted in displeasure.
“Attending an event” was a duty reserved only for direct family members.
If an invitation came from some minor kingdom, they could just ignore it. But an invite from the empire was a different matter entirely. Even the Runkandel family couldn’t easily refuse.
In other words, one of the brothers had to go.
So every time an invitation arrived from the empire, a fierce game of chicken unfolded among the Runkandel siblings.
None of them wanted to endure that disgusting, boring party.
“Offer your condolences, nephews. Thanks to you, the other brothers won’t have to dance at the empire’s ball.”
“Sigh.”
“Why the long face? Even if it’s just attending an event, it’s still a mission. Show that attitude one more time, and I’ll have to consider putting you out of your misery.”
The Tona brothers grimaced but nodded in acceptance.
This mission was essentially a punishment. Their sisters had lent them a five-star faction but still couldn’t put the youngest brother in his place, so this was their penalty.
Especially for the Tona brothers, who lacked any social skills or tact, this was a nightmare.
“Those sisters of ours really are cruel,” Jin thought with a wry smile.
“Someone has to do it. Besides, you might spot some strong players who came just for fun. Keep an eye on them.”
“Yes, Uncle…”
“And the youngest.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“The mission assigned to you is…”
Jin perked up as Jed paused dramatically.
He was curious just how terrible the sisters’ orders for the youngest would be.
He secretly hoped it would be a mission so brutal that the youngest would come back shattered—or better yet, not come back at all.
“Assassination of a VIP. The target is a plaything of the Vice Empress Thalaris. Hmm… just a worthless punk to be taken out.”
The Vice Empress.
That title referred to the ruler of the massive tower called the “Vice Empress Tower,” standing alone in the middle of the western sea. Thalaris was the 51st Vice Empress, known as the “Abyssal Spider.”
The Vice Empress Tower was an independent power outside the influence of both Runkandel and Ziphl.
“Uncle, when you say ‘plaything of the Vice Empress’…”
“That’s the Abyssal Spider’s lover.”
Jin’s assassination target was her plaything.
In other words, her lover. Jin was to kill one of the many young men Thalaris toyed with.
“Good grief.”
The Tona brothers couldn’t help but gasp and cover their mouths.
They believed there was no way the youngest would survive after assassinating the Vice Empress’s lover.
Everyone in the Mittel Kingdom’s backwater knew of Thalaris’s notorious cruelty—especially toward anyone who harmed her lover.
“The target is currently under the protection of Vice Empress Tower’s guards, staying in the Mamite lawless zone.”
“Mamite!”
“Mamite?!”
The Tona brothers shouted in unison.
Missions to the Mamite lawless zone were usually assigned only to the Guardian Knights. This was no task for someone at Jin’s intermediate level.
Kill the Vice Empress’s lover in Mamite.
Though simple to explain, the Tona brothers already believed their youngest was as good as dead.
“I have one question, Uncle.”
“What is it?”
Jin asked calmly, and Jed smiled faintly.
‘This kid… he knows about the Vice Empress and Mamite, doesn’t he? I thought he might protest, but he just accepts it. Maybe I should tell the knights if he complains.’
Jed secretly hoped Jin would struggle with the mission.
Watching the youngest nephew grow was Jed’s greatest joy lately. Sending a barely sharpened sword into such a dangerous place wasn’t something he liked.
But Jin showed no hesitation or displeasure.
If he was willing, Jed had no grounds to interfere.
“The client is the Chendler family. The punk’s name is Alkaro Chendler, a black sheep of the Chendler count’s house.”
“Understandable. They must have worried he’d spill family secrets to the Vice Empress.”
“Exactly. The Chendlers tried several times to save him, but eventually came to us. The guy’s behavior wasn’t exactly exemplary… hmm, do you think you can handle it?”
Jed asked, half-expecting Jin to say, “This mission should be for the Guardian Knights.”
“I will.”
“Why are you so… no, I like your determination.”
Clearing his throat, Jed handed the mission documents to his nephews.
“All three of you deploy in two days. Until then, skip afternoon training and focus only on personal practice that won’t interfere with the mission.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
Jed left the secret training ground first.
The Tona brothers hesitated for a moment, lingering awkwardly near Jin.
They were oddly excited at the thought of the youngest dying soon, but also felt a strange unease and dislike. They didn’t realize that feeling was a twisted mix of love and hate.
“Why?”
“Uh, just… do well out there.”
“Yeah. You won’t really die, right? If things get rough, just expose the Runkandel name. No one will dare touch you then.”
“Haha, what? You’re worried about me? You guys have your cute side after all.”
“It’s not worry.”
“Not until you come back.”
Jin cut off Daytona’s words and drew his sword, Bradamante, casting a protective spell on it. The sudden strike made the Tona brothers flinch.
Swish! Before they could ask why, Jin swung his sword and struck the blue crystal behind them.
Chara-rang!
The beautiful sound echoed off the arched ceiling of the secret chamber.
Jin smiled with satisfaction.
He had a feeling that if he struck now, he could succeed immediately—and that feeling quickly became reality.
It had been a month since he started training with the blue crystal.
He didn’t realize what record this represented.
“You should decide who you prefer—the sisters or me.”
Swallowing nervously, the Tona brothers awkwardly nodded.
“…What should we do?”
“No idea. It’s a mess all around. Honestly, the youngest might be scarier than the sisters.”
“Agreed.”
The Tona brothers were gloomy in every way.
Outside, Jin’s thoughts drifted away from the mission he’d just been handed.
More than the dangerous task, something else was bothering him.
‘What was that sensation just now?’
The iron ball that had bounced off the blue crystal broken by Heytona.
After being hit, he suddenly felt a strange sense of a precise trajectory forming. If another iron ball came flying from that direction, he felt he could dodge it.
‘Once the mission’s over, I should ask Luna if this feeling has anything to do with the training she’s given me.’
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Everyone who had received their missions finished preparations yesterday. Now all that remained was to head to the Hupester transit gate and depart for their destinations.
“Phew, young master.”
Just before boarding the steel carriage, the youngest squad came to find Jin.
Their faces were dark and gloomy, like cattle being led to slaughter. No one knew how many would die on the mission starting today.
But the sadness and frustration ran deeper than that.
“You’re going to the Mamite lawless zone?”
“Yes. Since it’s an assassination, I have to go through the transit gate separately and complete proper entry procedures. It’s a bit of a hassle.”
“…We came to say goodbye before you left.”
The youngest squad had come specifically to bid farewell.
This might be their last meeting. They didn’t know how many would fall in the unprotected zone, and Jin himself had over an 80% chance of dying.
Everyone in the intermediate class except Jin thought so.
“Goodbye? You think this might be the last time?”
Jin teased, and Mesa sighed deeply. The others couldn’t even meet his gaze.
“Well, things don’t always go as planned. Some of us might die. If we’re unlucky.”
“We’re fine, but your mission…”
“Don’t say I’m fine, you idiots. Stop worrying about me and focus on your own missions. Got it?”
“Yes…”
“Then go. We’ll see each other when you get back.”
The youngest squad hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly left down the corridor. Jin watched their backs and chuckled softly.
“Cute bunch. Murakan, watch over them well.”
“Meow.”
Murakan, transformed into a cat, flicked his paw. It was a clear message: “You’re the rookie—take care of yourself.”
“Without you or Murakan around, this nanny’s going to be lonely for a while.”
“Think of it as a vacation, Gilly. Should I bring back a souvenir from Mamit?”
“I know you’re no ordinary cadet, sir, but Mamit is still a dangerous place. And of all things, an assassination targeting the consort of the Archery Lord… Please be careful.”
“Don’t worry, I will!”
Jin wasn’t traveling by steel carriage this time—he rode a horse. He had dyed his hair brown a day earlier and dressed like an ordinary traveler.
Even his sword, Bradamante, was coated to look like a common steel blade, just like his hair. At this rate, no one would recognize Jin as Runkandel.
This was his second mission, but his first solo assignment.
As Gilly had said, considering Jin’s current strength, it was a risky task. Yet Jin felt no fear—only excitement at the thought of freely wielding his spiritual energy and magic.
“Mamit’s always been a city I wanted to visit, even in my past life.”
Before his reincarnation, Jin’s magic master often described Mamit as “a surprisingly romantic city.”
Having spent two years there, the master frequently shared stories filled with all kinds of details about Mamit.
“The taverns in the city center are where Mamit’s low-level informants gather, right? And if you want high-level intel, you have to go to the underground black market…”
Jin never thought those repetitive tales would come in handy now. Of course, some details might have changed over time, but the city’s major power structures surely remained the same.
Feeling a sudden surge of gratitude toward his master, Jin pulled on the reins.
Just stepping out alone from the Garden of Swords brought a refreshing sense of liberation.