Chapter 394
Episode 118: Impossible to Hide (Part 4)
Amidst the tense atmosphere, all of Runcandel was abuzz with talk of the “Dark Swordsman Declaration.”
Whenever the knights, the elders, and their followers gathered, the conversation inevitably turned to Jin.
Could he truly awaken? If he did, what punishment would await him? And among the Sword Demons, how many would rally to his side?
Of all these questions, the only thing the people of Runcandel could predict with any certainty was this: roughly ten percent of the knights would support Jin. Because of that, while the balance of power might shift, a complete reversal of fortunes seemed unlikely.
“…Given this mood, sis, I think it’s time you stepped up and acted more decisively than before.”
Mew and Anne had come to see Runtia, pressing this point since earlier.
They’d spent over half an hour explaining at length, but the gist was clear: now that the youngest sibling had bared his fangs, Runtia needed to lend her full strength so Joshua wouldn’t have to bear the burden alone.
This wasn’t Joshua’s order. Rather, they wanted to use this opportunity to reaffirm their loyalty to the next head of the family.
“If Joshua oppa becomes the next head, control over the Eastern Five Regions will be ours.”
“Even if we can’t find that Hister guy.”
Since long ago, after pledging themselves to Joshua, they had never dreamed of becoming the head themselves. Their sole hope was survival and governance of the Eastern Five Regions or other territories through Joshua.
They expected that once Joshua took the helm, most of the other siblings would be purged.
“Runtia, sis?”
Runtia stared blankly at the pale white ceiling.
Because of the nature of the strong body she had forged, full recovery would take more time, but the critical treatment had already been completed days ago.
“Are you even listening to us?”
Throughout their chatter, Runtia hadn’t once responded.
Had I lost…?
Since the treatment ended, that thought had haunted her mind.
For the past twelve days, no matter who came to see her, she remained silent—like someone struck mute, or lost in a daze.
“…Sis, I understand how shocking it must have been to be seriously wounded by the youngest.”
“But staying like this will only make you look pitiful.”
Mew and Anne carefully avoided the word “defeat,” instead saying “seriously wounded.”
In truth, they didn’t believe Runtia had truly lost to Jin. They saw her collapse as an accident, certain that if they fought again properly, the outcome would be different.
Not just Mew and Anne, but everyone in Runcandel shared this belief.
Except Runtia herself.
She wasn’t just shocked and bedridden.
She was replaying the fight with Jin over and over—without a single moment’s rest for twelve days straight.
Even if she fought again, even if she gave it her all from the start without a hint of carelessness…
She still couldn’t be sure she could change the outcome.
There were many things she hadn’t shown, but just as many cards Jin hadn’t yet revealed.
A strange heat was rising in Runtia’s hollow eyes—an intensity Mew and Anne couldn’t yet perceive.
They exchanged glances and shook their heads.
“Anyway, just think about what we said. You’ve been expecting Joshua oppa to become head, haven’t you?”
“If you step up now, it’ll be a huge help. We’ll be waiting, so contact us anytime you’re ready.”
After Mew and Anne left, an elderly woman entered the room—Runtia’s nanny, Risham.
“Miss.”
Runtia barely turned her head to meet Risham’s gaze.
“I heard the youngest master just woke up.”
Startled, Runtia sat up quickly, and Risham smiled. It was the first time in nearly twenty years she’d seen Runtia react like this.
“So? Can he hold a sword again?”
Runcandel still didn’t know that Jin had used Numerus’s blood. That’s why Runtia asked this first.
“He’s surprisingly fine. Strong enough to reenact that fight right now.”
“My sword and my knight’s coat…”
“I knew you’d want them.”
Risham handed over Runtia’s beloved sword, Charle, and her neatly folded knight’s uniform.
Watching Runtia hurriedly dress, Risham recalled the girl’s youth.
How she used to say she wanted to be the strongest in the family.
“Looking back, after the first head gave up everything, Miss lived as if she’d lost all meaning in life…”
Risham’s eyes reddened.
Like all the other nannies in the family, she had once dreamed—of seeing her charge rise to the very top of the clan, ruling the world.
But Runtia had lost her goal too soon. Standing atop the summit, facing the massive star Luna, and proving she could shine brighter than it—that was the only thing that had ever driven her.
After that great star vanished, ennui set in. A life filled only with quiet and meaningless inner peace began.
And Risham sensed something.
When the twelfth knight’s blade cut through Runtia’s chest, when her precious charge fell before that pale steel…
A new star had finally risen in her heart.
“Where is the youngest? Is he going to see Mother?”
“No, I heard he’s heading to the ancestral shrine.”
Just as Runtia was about to leave, Risham spoke again.
“Miss.”
“Yes?”
“Good luck. You’ve had it until now, and you will forever.”
Runtia turned and watched Risham’s retreating figure for a moment.
Then she began walking with renewed vigor—like a general setting out for battle.
The heavy weariness was gone from her eyes. The desire Mew and Anne hadn’t sensed was now shining brighter than ever.
Many knights, elders, and their followers had already gathered at the ancestral shrine to witness Jin’s awakening.
It was the first time in years so many had come at once.
But among the crowd filling the shrine, Runtia saw only Jin.
Seeing the youngest standing tall, surrounded by people, she couldn’t help but smile.
“Looks like the coma from just a few days ago was a lie. He’s perfectly fine.”
“How on earth did he wake up?”
“If he’s awake, he should have visited the acting head first. Why come to the shrine, twelfth knight?”
The elders’ voices rang out, but Jin only looked around silently.
When his eyes met Joshua’s, he fixed his gaze on him.
“I heard you worked hard cleaning up the mess, second knight. You gathered the knights early—very impressive.”
When Joshua’s arms were severed, he had preemptively assembled the knights, stabilizing the Sword Garden quickly after the Dark Swordsman Declaration. He’d shown the qualities of a future head.
Had Joshua failed to anticipate the situation and left the knights scattered, chaos would have lasted days longer. In the worst case, outside forces might have invaded.
With Rosa, Runtia, and most of the combatants wounded, it was the perfect opportunity for enemies to strike Runcandel.
Though the twelfth knight spoke as if judging the second, no one dared openly scold Jin. Joshua himself showed no sign of displeasure.
“A knight’s role is not to disrupt the family, but to organize and lead it. I only did what was right.”
Though humble in tone, the meaning was clear to all: I did what was necessary, while you endangered the family.
“I merely cleared a path through stagnant, rotting water. The acting head knows this, which is why he doesn’t punish me.”
“Mother doesn’t punish you because she sees your value. It’s also why you came to the shrine immediately after waking.”
The Temar and the legacy of old Runcandel.
Everyone had witnessed that power clearly—the twelfth knight alone overturning the Sword Garden.
Greedy eyes glared at Jin, hoping that if the old Runcandel knights could be gathered again at the shrine, the power wouldn’t belong solely to the twelfth knight.
That was why the elders wanted to hear only one thing from Jin now:
Did he have a way to make them all “Dark Swordsmen” immediately?
For Jin, this was a turning point. If he shared that secret with his followers right away, many elders would warm to him.
“Surely you have a plan to summon the first head and ancestors to this shrine.”
“This place is full of fools.”
Suddenly, Jin’s expression twisted in displeasure.
“If you want to know, then come outside. Challenge me, fight me, take it by force. Do as I showed you that day. Otherwise, you’ll die without ever leaving a single line in history.”
“Don’t delude yourself into thinking only you can wield that power, twelfth knight.”
“Second knight, don’t equate me with the prophet and the terrible deeds he commits.”
The Prophet. Even though Jin mentioned him directly, Joshua showed no surprise.
Only a few elders already knew of the Prophet’s existence—and they, too, remained calm.
From Joshua’s reaction, Jin could tell that he, too, was planning to bring the Prophet fully into the spotlight soon.
“He wants to show that he, too, possesses a power capable of countering the legacy of old Runcandel and the might of Ziphl. Kinzello and Biment will soon start mass-producing golems as weapons. Joshua probably knows that much already.”
Back in his previous life, when Ziphl began amassing ‘mass-produced mages’ in large numbers, the balance of power in the world had shifted dramatically.
But the masters and demons Kinzello and Biment were creating now wielded power far beyond anything those mass-produced mages could match.
By ‘normal’ means, it was nearly impossible to stand against those who had fully revealed Runcandel’s true nature.
With a soft crackle, Jin ignited a spark of magical fire at the center of the shrine, then stepped past Joshua and moved forward. Just as he was about to leave, Runtia blocked his path.
For a few seconds, Jin and Runtia simply stared at each other in silence.
“I will become the governor as well.”
The moment Runtia spoke those words, everyone gathered in the shrine could hardly believe their ears. Even Joshua’s eyes widened in surprise, unable to hide his emotions this time.
Jin chuckled softly and said, “I thought it was all fools here, but turns out there’s a real one after all. Let’s do this right, sis.”