Episode 53
Chapter 19: The Banquet (8)
Thwack! Thwack!
Jin snatched the poetry book from Bubar’s grasp and tore it apart, ripping it lengthwise and crosswise. The once thick volume shredded like thin cloth under his hands.
“You really need to be taught a lesson, don’t you?”
“Huh…?”
Bubar’s eyes widened as he looked up at Jin, utterly confused by his reaction. He had no idea why Jin was so angry.
That very expression of cluelessness only fueled Jin’s rage.
‘Not only did he recklessly mention my sister’s name, but he had the nerve to call me his brother-in-law?’
If this weren’t a formal banquet hall, Jin would have ripped out his tongue on the spot.
Bubar’s words and actions weren’t just an insult to Luna Runcandel as an individual—they were a slight against the entire Runcandel family. Even the Viment royal family wouldn’t dare speak to him that way.
Of course, Bubar had no intention of disrespecting Runcandel; he was simply hopelessly oblivious.
“Haha, bro—brother-in-law? No, no, I mean, Your Highness! Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
Bubar babbled nonsense about being Jin’s brother-in-law, nearly provoking Jin to throw a punch. Jin closed his eyes briefly to calm himself, then raised his hand to summon the guardian knights.
“Take this man to the dueling grounds.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Click, click! Two guardian knights standing at the edge of the banquet hall grabbed Bubar by the shoulders. Still, Bubar had no clue why Jin was so furious.
‘Was my joke really that bad? What the hell? How can someone be so humiliating? This damn brat!’
Bubar’s mindset was surprisingly twisted.
He was far from polite or refined, and if it weren’t for his unique ability—transformation magic—he would have been killed in the streets long ago.
The commotion drew everyone’s attention. The guests looked on with curiosity at the man Jin had chosen as his first duel opponent—most of them unaware of the duel between Siris and Jin.
“Your Highness! Please don’t do this! I was only expressing my love! Everyone has the right to express love!”
Bubar shouted all the way as he was dragged off, but Jin didn’t respond. There was nothing worth replying to.
“Ah! Young Master Jin! How can you treat a guest like this? Let me go!”
As they neared the dueling grounds, Bubar felt like livestock being led to slaughter.
‘Damn it! Those zealots of Ziphl should have killed this bastard five years ago!’
Five years ago, on the day Jin left the Storm Fortress, Ziphl’s fanatical followers disguised as guardian knights had tried to assassinate him.
Bubar Gaston was the one who had transformed those assassins. Though affiliated with Kinzel, he often lent aid to Ziphl’s followers.
If it caused chaos in the world, he’d help anyone—so long as it didn’t put him in danger.
‘He has no idea I was the one who transformed those assassins. So why is he acting like this? Even when I compliment his sister, he loses it!’
Not even Jin knew this secret; only Bubar did. The assassins who requested transformation had failed and were reportedly killed.
“Duel will be hand-to-hand combat.”
Just before entering the dueling grounds, Jin said coldly. When Bubar didn’t respond, the guardian knights grabbed his head and forced him to nod.
‘B-Bubar!?’
Meanwhile, Vishkel, who had just finished touring the banquet with Margiela, clutched the back of his neck upon seeing the scene.
“Brother, what’s going on? Wow! It looks like a duel! Bubar and Young Master Jin are dueling!”
“That idiot…!”
He couldn’t help himself and caused trouble again!
Surely, while Jin wasn’t around, he must have approached him, asking to be introduced to Luna or babbling nonsense about loving her. Otherwise, there’d be no reason for Jin and Bubar to fight.
Vishkel ground his teeth. If it weren’t for transformation magic, Bubar wouldn’t be worth sparing an eyelash. Once Kinzel’s grand plan is complete, he vowed to tear that bastard apart himself.
“Phew, we should follow them, Margiela.”
“Sounds good, Brother! I’ve wanted to see Bubar fight for a while now.”
Meanwhile, Siris, holding Murakan in her arms, was also heading toward the dueling grounds.
‘I was planning to challenge Jin again later, depending on the mood. What’s going on? Why is Jin fighting that guy?’
She couldn’t help but feel annoyed. She hadn’t expected to defeat him again, but her plan was to keep dueling Jin until the banquet ended.
“Oh! I’m really glad I came to this banquet. To think I’d get to see the heir of the Bow Clan up close! You must be Siris Endorma, right? I’m Veradin Ji…”
“Get lost.”
“Ah, geez.”
Veradin, who had tried to make conversation, was met with a sharp rebuke and followed her with a sullen face.
“By the way, watch out for that cat. It once scratched my face, haha. A fierce little beast.”
Siris completely ignored the white-haired man’s attempts at familiarity and entered the dueling grounds. Even if she knew he was Ziphl’s rising star, her reaction wouldn’t have changed.
Unlike the previous day when Jin and Siris fought, the dueling grounds were now filled with heat and excitement.
Renowned warriors fought one after another without pause, while spectators cheered and jeered at the top of their lungs.
Normally, challengers had to notify the announcer and wait their turn, but Jin didn’t need to. The moment he stepped in, the dueling grounds fell silent.
A guardian knight whispered to the announcer.
“Next up, the star of this banquet! The rising sacred warrior of Runcandel, Young Master Jin’s duel!”
Wooooah!
Jin warmed up and stepped into the center of the circular arena, pointing at Bubar.
“Step up.”
The crowd didn’t seem to know who Bubar was.
But no one dismissed him just because his name wasn’t well known. Anyone who could attend the Runcandel banquet was considered a formidable fighter.
“Is he a recluse master?”
“I heard he came as a retainer of the Ibriano family. Still, he’s definitely no ordinary figure.”
Bubar had no choice but to stand his ground, his anger rising.
He had protested his innocence all the way here, but that brat had continued to insult and belittle him. Now was the time to show his strength.
“Fine! I accept your challenge. Don’t regret this!”
Bubar stepped into the arena and faced Jin.
“Young Master Jin of Runcandel, before we duel, at least introduce yourself properly. You can do that much, right? My name is Bu—”
“Shut up. I don’t care about your worthless name. Let’s start.”
Before the announcer could signal the start, Jin lunged forward. The crowd immediately guessed that Bubar had made a grave mistake.
“Ugh!”
Caught completely off guard, Bubar’s cheekbone took a solid hit, forcing him to stagger back. Tears welled up as a curse slipped out reflexively.
But Bubar wasn’t a fool. Though little was known about him, he was a six-star warrior.
“Eek!”
Whoosh!
Despite his bulky frame, his punch was astonishingly fast. Though his movements looked somewhat comical, Bubar’s fist was enveloped in a fierce aura.
A sharp counterattack. Jin dodged without hesitation.
By all appearances, Bubar’s aura was more destructive. The crowd, a bit disappointed that Bubar wasn’t as weak as they’d hoped, still acknowledged his superiority over Jin.
“Jin chose an opponent stronger than himself.”
“And that fat guy seems to specialize in hand-to-hand combat. If he loses, it’ll be embarrassing. Why would he do that?”
As the spectators said, Bubar’s hand-to-hand skills were quite good. If this were a normal dueling ground, not the Runcandel banquet, he’d be a notable contender.
Jin, on the other hand, was a sword-wielding knight. With Bubar’s aura clearly stronger, it was no surprise people thought Jin was at a disadvantage.
Smack!
Bubar’s hook landed squarely on Jin’s jaw. Jin’s legs wobbled slightly, and Bubar smiled triumphantly.
‘With skills like this, you dare challenge me, Bubar? I’ll make you beg and whimper, kid.’
But the smile didn’t last.
“Gah?”
Jin, who should have staggered and fallen, instead shot a fierce glare and threw another punch.
‘He hit my jaw perfectly. How is this possible?’
He definitely felt his legs weaken.
It was an act. The blessed body of Runcandel didn’t collapse easily, even with a broken jaw. If Bubar had ever fought a Runcandel before, he wouldn’t have been so careless.
Thwack!
Jin’s palm struck Bubar’s face with a heavy thud. His nose caved in halfway, blood spurting.
No time to scream. The more his opponent faltered, the less mercy Runcandel warriors showed in battle.
Smack! Crack! Smack, smack!
Jin’s two fists, glowing with aura, pummeled Bubar’s broken nose, left cheekbone, right rib, and solar plexus.
The beating didn’t stop there—when the kicks started landing, Bubarr was drenched in blood within seconds, drifting around the arena like a helpless buoy.
“It’s over.”
“A quick, decisive strike after lulling him into a false sense of security. That’s the most effective way to deal with a stronger opponent.”
The spectators regretted not seeing Jin’s swordsmanship firsthand, but they still felt thoroughly entertained. Above all, they’d witnessed the kind of fight Jin preferred, and that was the real prize.
‘Prince Jin isn’t the type to stubbornly cling to pride in battle. If he judges his opponent stronger, he immediately looks for a way to end it.’
It wasn’t uncommon for a five-star warrior to beat a six-star one, but for a five-star to utterly crush a six-star like Jin just had? That was extremely rare.
It was, quite literally, a beating. Bubarr hadn’t even managed a proper counterattack after the first solid hit—he was dragged around, pummeled relentlessly.
‘Maybe I should ease up soon. I really am too soft-hearted for my own good.’
If this had been any other Runcandel, the moment Bubarr called him “brother-in-law,” they’d have torn him apart limb by limb—even if it was in the middle of a banquet.
“Phew.”
Jin wiped the blood off his fist onto the ground and caught his breath. Bubarr, collapsed on the floor, twitched weakly, tears streaming down his face.
Just as Jin turned to leave, a woman in the audience suddenly shouted out.
“Vishkel, brother! I don’t understand Prince Jin’s actions. Wasn’t the match already decided? To trample so mercilessly on an opponent who’s already broken—how can you stand for it?”
“Ma—Margiela?”
Vishkel stared at his sister in shock.
“Prince Jin was too harsh on someone weaker. That man lying there is our friend. Are you just going to watch quietly? Brother, I’m deeply disappointed.”
Bubarr Gaston. That despicable man wasn’t weaker than Jin, nor was he our friend—far from it…
Vishkel wanted to say all that, but the word “disappointed” from his only sister stuck in his mind.
“…You want me to duel Prince Jin?”
“Yes. I want you to teach Prince Jin a lesson. But in a more honorable way than what he just showed.”
“Oh, what a fiery lady!”
“Vishkel! You must accept your sister’s request. Haha, this will be an entertaining match.”
In the end, Vishkel had no choice but to be pushed into the arena by Margiela and the crowd.