Chapter 83
Episode 28: Meeting Siron (3)
Fssss…
In the silence, the dust that had just been the door quietly swirled in the air.
“I’ve heard this before. They say Father’s swordsmanship has reached a level where he can completely annihilate his target.”
Though some residue remained in the form of dust, so it wasn’t total obliteration. Still, the swordsmanship Siron just displayed was undeniably transcendent.
What’s more, he wasn’t even holding a sword in his hand. Instead, a faint glow of aura lingered at his fingertips, the only trace of a temporarily formed aura sword.
The door’s disappearance looked like a brutal threat on the surface.
But Jin felt like he had just received a gift.
“He showed me something close to the very edge of the sword.”
Siron stared down at Jin with wide eyes. Even Jin couldn’t quite read what expression his father was trying to convey this time.
“Hmm… Did I pick the wrong first words? Well, since my head’s still on my shoulders, I guess it wasn’t too bad.”
Meanwhile, Siron was sinking into a rather strange emotion.
For the next five minutes, he said nothing, and Jin could only feel his throat drying up with tension.
The reason was…
“I think this is the first time I’ve ever heard him say he missed his child.”
It was true.
Though he had thirteen children, Siron was a father in name only. He had never once shared a genuine bond or connection with any of them.
In Runcandel, childcare was entirely left to the wet nurses.
Once the children turned one, they completed the “Selection Ceremony” and were sent to the Storm Fortress of the Mittel Kingdom to spend their childhood.
By the time they returned to the Garden of Swords at age ten, all the children feared Siron and Rosa.
During their time at the Storm Fortress, through various lessons and education, they came to realize that their “parents” were more than just that—they were the absolute rulers of this vast family.
They were powerful figures who controlled the world, and if they failed to produce results, even their own blood would be mercilessly cast aside.
Naturally, Siron and Rosa never expected to hear words like “I missed you” from their children.
What mattered was which child would become the next head of the family, who would inherit Siron’s fearsome reputation as the world’s strongest swordsman…
That was all.
“…Not bad at all.”
It had been a long time since he’d felt sentimental.
Looking back, ever since reaching the level of a demigod, it was always the youngest son who stirred even the slightest ripple in his heart.
“This child has managed to shake this old man’s heart, but it’s far from enough. Now, tell me what you’ve brought.”
A faint smile tugged at Siron’s lips.
“You say you came because you missed me… Has the outside world softened your heart enough to feel some lukewarm family affection? That’s not what I expected from you.”
That was definitely not a bad reaction!
Jin bowed his head, confident.
He decided to keep up the lie a little longer.
“It’s not the outside world that changed me—I’ve always liked you, Father.”
Siron suppressed a laugh that was about to burst out, instead revealing a deadly glare. The air in the study sharpened like a blade.
With every breath, Jin felt as if a dagger was piercing his lungs. Gritting his teeth, he met Siron’s gaze.
“Enough nonsense. Tell me why you returned to the family. Your fate—and your sister’s—depends on your answer.”
He meant it.
If Jin told a trivial story, Siron would have no hesitation in cutting his throat. Then he would erase him from his heart, just as he had done with other siblings and comrades before becoming head of the family.
“At the banquet, Andrei Ziphl, the deputy head of the Ziphl family, who insulted you, Father, died.”
“What? Are you saying you killed him?”
“No, a few days ago, Luna killed him. I was the one who called Luna. As a prospective heir, may I report the events I’ve experienced so far?”
“How audacious… A prospective heir even needed Luna’s help. Very well, continue.”
Siron stroked his beard with interest, and Jin explained the events he had gone through, moving between Akin, Tikan, and Biment.
Of course, he didn’t reveal everything. He left out suspicions about the spider-handed Alu’s connections to Runcandel, the rune of Multa, Chenmi’s spellbook, and the alliance with the Seven-Colored Bird.
“You’ve been through quite a lot in a short time. So you came to inform me of Andrei Ziphl’s death? Since he was the second-in-command of Ziphl, you expect this to shift the balance of power.”
“That’s not all, Father. From what I saw, Andrei wasn’t really the second-in-command.”
Siron raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? Why do you think that?”
“There’s no way someone of his caliber could be the only deputy head pressuring Runcandel. It’s just a hunch, though.”
“You’re right. He was only a deputy head, not the true second-in-command. The real power after Keliak is someone else. Not information I can share with you yet, though.”
“I’m grateful just to have my intuition confirmed. Father, what I really wanted to tell you was about a strange artifact Andrei used.”
“An artifact?”
“Yes, an artifact called the ‘Demon God Stone.’”
Jin went on to explain the Demon God Stone. It was a counterfeit of the divine ‘Origin Stone,’ growing stronger the more it consumed its contract holders.
To Siron’s surprise, his eyes widened in shock.
“A fake Origin Stone… Is that true? You wouldn’t have known its effects just by looking at it. Your guardian dragon, Murakan, must have told you.”
“Yes, my guardian dragon… Wait, you knew he had awakened?”
Jin blinked, staring at Siron.
“Is that all? I also know you use magic. You didn’t think you could fool me, did you?”
“I assumed you knew, but I didn’t expect you to be so aware of Murakan’s existence.”
“Hahaha!”
Suddenly, Siron burst into loud laughter. He’d wanted to laugh at his youngest son’s cleverness for a while, but the mention of Murakan finally broke him.
“You’re right, I just guessed Murakan had awakened! But seeing you talk so smoothly about it is impressive. The Butterfly of Runcandel? Haha… The great black dragon reduced to a mere housecat!”
Jin felt embarrassed and couldn’t join in the laughter.
Feeling completely exposed, his earlobes burned, but he dared not tell Siron to stop laughing.
So he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Is the Butterfly of Runcandel really that funny? Well, at least this is a good sign…”
Click.
Suddenly, Siron wiped the smile from his face, and Jin straightened up. The cheerful mood vanished, replaced once again by a heavy, stone-like atmosphere.
“A fake Origin Stone. You’ve brought me quite a serious matter. I’ll have to speak with Luna, who destroyed it.”
Siron already knew well what the Origin Stone was.
“I wonder if the Kings of the Black Sea know about this. I should visit the Black Sea again. That power is definitely dangerous… I don’t know how far Ziphl has managed to harness it.”
The Black Sea was where Siron had spent most of his time after reaching demigod status.
He had fought the Kings of the Black Sea several times, and each of them was a fragment of the Origin Stone.
“I’ll overlook your first breach of protocol. But I doubt you’ll be satisfied with just that. You could have sent a letter, yet you came here in person.”
Jin bowed his head, and Siron smiled faintly.
“Name one thing you want.”
So far, everything was going perfectly. Before Jin could even propose a deal, Siron had already offered a reward.
But Jin knew.
“Father isn’t the type to give something away easily. If I state my demands, he’ll surely attach conditions…!”
He had to think carefully.
The bigger the request, the tougher the conditions would be. But he couldn’t back down either—after all, it was Siron who had sat at the negotiation table.
“Please forbid other Runcandel members from entering the Free City of Tikan for the time being.”
“Tikan? That’s an interesting request.”
Siron’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“Oh? The youngest one already has a stronghold? The Free City of Tikan, huh…”
True to its name, Tikan was a free city—not belonging to Runcandel, Ziphl, or Biment.
At the same time, it was a land coveted by all three powers. It wasn’t militarily strong or rich in resources, but whoever controlled Tikan would gain the Seven-Colored Bird’s intelligence network and a key trade hub.
In other words, it was a double-edged sword.
Not worth waging war over, but too valuable to ignore.
“If the youngest has established a base there, the chances of Tikan becoming part of Runcandel increase. This little brat probably hasn’t charmed Kashimir, the real power in Tikan… Let’s see how this plays out.”
Siron hid his pride and continued.
“If you pass a test I set, I will grant your request.”
“Yes, Father. Please tell me what the test is.”
“Kashimir, the Sword Demon. Make him your ally and prove it to me. If you succeed, no Runcandel member you haven’t approved will set foot in Tikan.”
Jin almost couldn’t believe his ears and silently rejoiced.
Kashimir was already Jin’s man.
“Yes, Father. I was actually planning to build a relationship with him. Tikan is too valuable a place to just leave be.”
Until now, the other prospective riders had only cared about building their own reputations.
Shiron found it fascinating that Jin was already taking an interest in the family’s influence.
“You have one year. That arrogant brat who refused the teaching position for the rookie students at Runkandel multiple times… I want to see if you, the youngest, can really charm him.”
“I’ll bring him to you soon, Father.”
“Very well. You may go.”
After bowing and leaving the study, Jin almost found himself humming with excitement.
“In my past life, nothing ever went my way, but this time, everything seems to be falling into place so easily.”
Hiding his smile, he descended the stairs—and immediately spotted two boys running toward him.
“Hey, youngest! Are you okay…!?”
“Did Father say he’d save you? What on earth were you thinking, causing such a mess?”
The Tona brothers had been worried sick ever since the incident, fearing the youngest might have died. The others were too scared to even leave their rooms, nervously biting their nails.
“You guys can be kind of cute sometimes. I’m fine. But hey, I need you to do me a favor.”