Episode 55
Chapter 20. Into the World (Part 1)
Jin was dreaming.
A nightmare gripped him—a pitch-black tentacle monster clinging to his face, refusing to let go. Ugh, ugh! Struggling for breath, a low groan barely escaped his lips.
Desperately, he forced his eyes open and immediately realized the source of his nightmare.
Meow.
Meow, meow, meow!
A black cat was sprawled across Jin’s face. It was Murakan. For over half an hour now, Murakan had been kneading his face with those paws.
“Get down, will you?”
Jin slowly sat up and stretched. Sunlight poured in through the window cracks, and somewhere nearby, the fragrant scent of tea wafted through the air. It was the black tea Gilly often brewed.
‘Looks like Murakan caused the nightmare… but now that I’m awake, I feel surprisingly refreshed. Did I pass out right after the duel with Vishkel?’
His whole body felt as light as a feather. The cuts on his chest and other wounds had completely healed. The medical team from Runkandel had worked their magic while he was unconscious.
“You’re awake, my lord.”
Sensing someone’s presence, Gilly approached the bedside with a cup of tea and a glass of cool water.
“Gilly, how long was I out?”
“Two days.”
“What? Two days?”
Jin was a little shocked but quickly accepted it. He had lost a lot of blood, and at the end, he had pushed himself to a new limit, draining his energy. Considering that, waking up this soon was actually early.
“The banquet must be over by now. Looks like I missed greeting the guests who came to see me.”
“Don’t worry about that. Over the past two days, your duel with Sir Vishkel has been the talk of the town. That alone was enough to repay your absence.”
It was true. Though it was a mismatch between an 8-star and a 5-star knight, their duel was the hot topic until the banquet ended.
Especially because of the ‘Spirit Blade’ Jin had shown at the end. It wasn’t perfect, but the fact that an upset almost happened against an 8-star knight was a huge deal.
Many, including Vishkel himself, had noticed this. Vishkel seemed deeply shaken—he didn’t even return to the duel grounds until the banquet was over.
‘The days of training under Luna’s guidance are finally paying off. At first, I couldn’t understand her methods at all… but who knew it would help like this?’
Jin smiled, recalling Luna’s words, almost like a religious ritual: “See with the eyes of your heart.”
He first sensed how the Spirit Blade worked during his Qingaseok training. Since then, he’d been a bit anxious to summon that feeling again.
‘Right now, it only manifests unconsciously in extreme situations.’
It was disappointing but understandable. Even managing to imitate the Spirit Blade clumsily was impressive. It was a level reserved for the so-called top-tier 8-star knights.
Jin stretched and got out of bed.
‘Anyway, the banquet brought me a lot. I confirmed the status of Veradin within Ziphl, built ties with Vishkel’s successor… and forged something similar. At least, they still seem friendly toward me after the duel.’
On top of that, he had roughed up Bubar Gaston and confirmed that Gaston had ties with Vishkel. That was the biggest gain.
‘The mastermind behind the transformation crimes might be Ibriano, or Vishkel personally. Or maybe Vishkel belongs to some organization and is using Bubar as a pawn.’
Many theories came to mind, but it was too soon to jump to conclusions. He’d have to investigate further.
And he had to hold them accountable. Five years ago, they had disguised Ziphl followers to assassinate him. That crime could not be overlooked.
Just then, Gilly pointed to a vase by the bedside. The flowers resembled baby’s breath but shimmered faintly, with pure white petals like snowflakes.
“These were left by Vishkel’s successor. They waited until this morning for you to wake up, then left.”
“Huh? Sir Siris left these?”
“Yes. Do you think he likes you, my lord?”
“No. The flower’s meaning in the Vishkel legend is ‘an unending fight.’ Looks like he wants a rematch. That guy has some strange obsession.”
Gilly shrugged.
“Well, it’s the first time you’ve received flowers from a lady. Congratulations, my lord.”
“Hahaha, my first flowers are a challenge letter. How monumental. Right, Strawberry Pie?”
Murakan meowed dramatically and glanced at Gilly.
He was feeling guilty for sneaking out to the banquet without telling Gilly. Gilly had been ignoring Murakan for two days now.
Jin shook his head lightly, and Murakan transformed back into a cat, ears drooping.
“By the way, my lord. The family head ordered me to summon you immediately once you woke. It seems the time has come to prove your worth, just as you said before.”
The qualification for the knight’s exam. Jin had expected this for a while, but now that his father’s order had come, he felt strange.
In his previous life, it was a dream he never dared to have—and now it was right at his doorstep.
“All right. Looks like I’ll be leaving the family for a while. Where is Father?”
“He’s at the ancestral tomb.”
“I’ll go see him.”
When Jin’s siblings heard Siron’s summons, they dressed neatly in their uniforms, combed their hair, and straightened their posture.
But Jin roughly tidied his messy hair, chose a high-quality leather travel outfit, strapped on his Bradamante at his waist, and walked down the hall.
The ancestral tomb.
Thousands of swords densely planted in the Garden of Swords’ guardhouse were like a graveyard in themselves. But the ancestral tomb was a special place reserved only for the family’s heroes who had achieved great deeds.
The courtyard, deep underground. Inside, pitch dark without a single light, the air was thick with the metallic scent of steel.
“Have you come?”
Siron’s silhouette appeared. Jin bowed respectfully.
“It’s been a long time since a child answered my call dressed so casually. You must have sensed you’d be living outside the family for a while.”
“Yes, I plan to leave immediately.”
Siron liked this side of Jin—the way he wasn’t intimidated by his summons and spoke his mind.
It was unimaginable in his other children, who only tried to hide their fear and discomfort when called. Luna was different, but she was practically out of his hands now.
Jin had deliberately chosen this outfit, thinking of his father’s personality.
‘Since my return, for some reason, Father has been the easiest to read.’
It was strange. In his previous life, he was the hardest to understand and barely connected with.
They were silent for a while, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence.
“Is this your first time visiting the ancestral tomb?”
Siron broke the silence.
“Yes, Father.”
“If the Garden is a place for those who brought glory to the family, the ancestral tomb is for those who protected it.”
It was exactly as he said.
Over Runkandel’s thousand-year history, countless crises had arisen—from petty internal conflicts to near extinction. Numerous battles and enemies had threatened Runkandel.
Only those who ultimately protected the family were honored with burial in this ancestral tomb.
“Do you know? The first family head, Temar Runkandel, was not buried here.”
The moment Temar’s name was mentioned, Jin instinctively knew his father would bring up Solderet.
And he was right.
“Yes, I also know there is no grave for him anywhere in the Garden.”
Only Temar’s beloved sword, Barisada, was passed down as a family heirloom. There was no ceremony honoring him in Runkandel.
“The dark power you possess—that’s why we cannot honor the first family head. Show me your spirit energy.”
Jin calmly gathered spirit energy in his palm.
After Temar’s death, Runkandel had made a humiliating pact with Ziphl.
Never use magic again.
Never worship ancestors who used magic.
This was the real reason the ‘only magic swordsman family’ of Runkandel had fallen to a knightly family. Without Solderet to protect Runkandel from Ziphl’s gods, they had no choice.
As a result of the pact, Ziphl’s gods cursed Runkandel’s bloodline.
Since Temar, no Runkandel has been born able to use magic.
“When you knocked out Tona and your brother with spirit energy, I didn’t ask how you gained that power. Do you remember?”
“Yes. I also remember lying that I would use spirit energy for the family’s sake.”
“Haha, well, you were young then. If you lied like that now, I wouldn’t let it slide.”
Though he spoke with a smile, Jin knew his father was serious. So he didn’t laugh along.
“…Solderet. Have you heard his voice?”
“Yes, I have. He called me his contractor.”
Of course, since his return, he hadn’t heard the voice again, but now that he’d revealed himself as the contractor, it couldn’t hurt.
“That must feel unfair to your siblings.”
Not only did he have potential beyond Luna’s, but he had also contracted with a god who left the family long ago. Maybe that’s why he could become the contractor.
“Will you use that power to defeat your siblings and take over the family?”
Jin had already decided his answer.
“I’ll go out and see the world. If there’s nothing more appealing than Runkandel, then I will.”
He had anticipated that this answer would greatly satisfy his father. Sure enough, Siron was grinning, revealing his neat teeth.
“While the others left the Sword Garden to earn the family’s recognition, you’re setting out to find a reason to acknowledge the family instead. Should I call that admirable, or arrogant? Heh heh heh.”
Siron extended his right palm toward Jin.
“I’ll give you five years. Within that time, either earn the family’s approval or find a reason to accept the family. Return with your answer. I look forward to it.”
No further words were necessary.
With a sharp swish, Jin drew his sword, Bradamante, and saluted.
“Thank you for everything. I’ll see you in five years, Father.”
After leaving the sacred hall, Jin returned to his room, where Gilly was already waiting, fully prepared to depart.
Her only luggage was a small basket containing Murakan, some dried provisions, and notebooks filled with copied arcane texts.
Metal pins were tightly fastened around Gilly’s wrists and ankles. When Jin’s gaze landed on them, she adjusted her clothing to conceal the bindings.
It was a procedure to suppress her aura until Jin’s status as a rider was officially confirmed.
“I’d heard about this from the senior nurses, but suddenly losing my power still feels strange. Haha…” Gilly smiled awkwardly, and Jin felt a heavy weight settle in his chest.
It was tradition. To prevent prospective riders from gaining fame by relying on their nurses’ strength, the nurses’ powers were sealed.
Afterward, breaking the seal without permission from Runcandel was a reckless act that could lead to ruin.
“Not just for these five years—I’ll protect you, Gilly. I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize. I’m just honored that you’ve already become a prospective rider. Besides, you’ll regain your strength once the trials are over.”
With that, they set off together, leaving the Sword Garden behind.