300
On March 10, 1799, Rosa assembled a meeting of the flagbearers.
Barton's empty helmet lay on the long table.
All the flagbearers, except for Jin, gazed at the helmet in shock, but none of them showed their emotions outwardly.
The flagbearers already knew that the key figure in this mission was not Diphus but Jin.
Diphus had informed Mary that this mission could never have succeeded without Jin. Mary spread this information among the flagbearers as if it were her own business.
Shuffle, shuffle...
The sound of Rosa inspecting the mission report echoed in the silence of the meeting room.She calmly finished reading the report and spoke.
"It seems you've forgotten the mission details."
"Is there anything we missed out on?"
Some of his siblings flinched at Jin's casual question. It was Ran, Vigo, Myu, Anne, and Tona brothers. They had only heard that Jin and Diphus had successfully completed the mission.
"I commend you for securing Ventica and assassinating Barton Vicenna. However, what the clan demanded of you was a natural death."
What the clan demanded of you.
Rosa emphasized those words.
"If our goal was to simply assassinate Barton Vicenna, there was no need to assign it to you, flagbearers. The Black Sword Association and I could have handled it ourselves."
"Mother."
"Speak, 12th flagbearer."
"It was impossible to have Barton Vicenna killed by the hands of the enemy in this mission. Because of the variable known as Kelliark’s power, we needed more personnel to carry out the mission according to plan."
"If that's what you thought, then you should have retreated when Barton Vicenna insisted, and you could have waited for the next opportunity. Of course, at that time, this mission would have been handed to other flagbearers, not you."
Jin didn't hesitate to throw Diphus under the carriage. "It was due to the strong determination of the 4th flagbearer, the decision-maker for the mission."
“Fourth flagbearer. Is that true?”
"Yes."
"Why didn't you retreat?"
"I judged that there is no other flagbearer who can perform this mission better than me and the 12th flagbearer at the moment when 1st flagbearer is absent."
"That's your opinion, Diphus."
"We actually brought results. Although we couldn't stage a natural death, we accomplished both tasks without any casualties."
"Do you not know why the clan wanted to kill Barton Vicenna in such a complicated manner? It's to make sure his betrayal doesn’t become known to others. Don't all the mages from Zipfel already know that he survived? Once his death is known outside, Runcandel will be seen as purging the Black Knight."
Death in action versus purge.
Unlike other knights, the Black Knight had to go down through the former. Revealing that the Black Knight was being punished meant there were problems with loyalty and unity.
The fact that the Black Knight was purged would have had a huge impact in itself. That was the symbol of the Black Knight within Runcandel and Huphester.
Of course, even with the former, there would be inevitable consequences for Runcandel's presitige.
However, the forces assigned to the "Securing Ventica Mission" were much stronger on Zipfel's side.
It was quite possible for the Black Knight to die facing Kozec and White Night.
If the mission had gone as planned, they could have declared that the Black Knight sacrificed himself ‘to save the flagbearers.’
"As you all know, it's a sensitive time. With the patriarch and the 1st flagbearer absent, Zipfel is expanding its influence day by day. In this situation, if it becomes known that the Black Knight has been purged, how do you think our allies will view us?"
Myu and Anne were amused by their audacious thoughts and barely held back their laughter.
'That's right. No matter how great Diphus and the youngest are, they're still human. They got too carried away and ended up in a bad situation. Once Joshua Orabeoni takes control, he'll probably get rid of them first.'
'I heard the elder council denied him the decisive killing moves too. Way to go. With this incident, the elder council might hate him even further.'
Ran and Vigo, on the other hand, simply admired Jin and Diphus for actually killing Barton Vicenna but didn't think any further.
The Tona brothers were as worried as usual but managed to hide their emotions.
Rosa clearly saw the thoughts of those six. And suppressed her frustration and disappointment.
"... If the 4th and 12th flagbearers don't have any countermeasures for this, I will consider this mission a failure."
"Mother, you could announce that Barton Vicenna died in battle without any problem. You know that, don't you?"
The six of them opened their eyes wider in surprise at Jin's words. Those six were the ones who had just disappointed Rosa.
On the other hand, Rosa, Joshua, Luntia, Diphus, and Mary had calm expressions, as if they had expected it to turn out this way.
"Zipfel nearly got their Kozec destroyed, lost more than thirty elite mages and Six Red Dragons and Veradin suffering severe injuries despite using Kelliark's power. Yet, they couldn't even secure Ventica."
Used Kelliark's power.
At that moment, the six flagbearers turned their attention back to Jin once again. This was not in the report they were handed out.
However, no one objected and asked what he was talking about.
"It doesn't make sense that Runcandel didn't suffer any damage during that process. Once it's revealed that I was the one who destroyed Kozec, it won’t just end up as losing their reputation."
“Wait a minute, the youngest. Are you saying it was you who destroyed Kozec, not elder brother Diphus?”
Jin ignored Vigo's question and continued talking.
"If we release a false statement that the Black Knight died in battle, Zipfel will welcome it with open arms because both of us would gain something. Obviously, we didn’t take any real damage, and we've secured Ventica, so we gain vastly more than them."
"Are you not considering the possibility of Zipfel exposing the fact that the Black Knight was indeed a spy?"
"Yes, and there's no need to consider that possibility. If Zipfel reveals that Barton was a traitor, then it means they completely lost the battle, even with Kozec and the Black Knight on their side. I'll take full responsibility if Zipfel reveals the whole truth."
Silence hung in the room for a while.
Unlike Ran, Vigo, Mu, Ann, and the Tona brothers, the others were aware that the conversation so far had been Rosa's "test."
What Rosa had said to Jin was not merely meant to corner him. This mission was genuinely significant for the clan, and Rosa wanted to see how Jin, as a flagbearer, would handle it.
She also wanted to set an example for the flagbearers who didn’t take the hint, that this is how the Runcandel flagbearer should be.
If Jin had come up with an answer like "I couldn't help it," Rosa would have immediately punished him for the mission's failure.
However, as always, Jin brought satisfactory results. Despite the serious variable of the spatial explosion, he achieved near-perfect results in the mission.
That’s why she thought it was such a waste.
‘It's truly lamentable that I will have to bring this child down someday. But until that day comes, there's a lot you have to do for the clan.’ Rosa thought.
‘Feel free to use me as much as you like. In the end, it will tighten the noose around your neck and Joshua's.’
Jin and Rosa each thought such things as they met others’ gaze.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the meeting room door.
"Madame Rosa, it’s Heinz."
"Come in."
Head butler Heinz bowed his head and entered the room with a bundle of news reports.
They were newspapers from the Lutero Magic Federation.
"Zipfel has released an article about the Ventica mission. They are trying to make the impression that they killed the Black Knight, despite their loss in battle."
"Kelliark Zipfel got it first. A cunning man, indeed. He must have realized that Barton was found out after hearing about the mission report.”
This time, even the high-ranked flagbearers were visibly surprised. Of course, as usual, Luntia stifled a yawn.
"Was there any other special information?"
"None. Shall I prepare the response article?"
"Yes, do so. Glorify the death of Barton, but do not reveal his real name. Also, destroy all records and documents related to Barton."
“I will do as you command, madam.”
As of today, Huphester would be flooded with articles praising Barton, but his black helmet and remains would not be enshrined in the mausoleum.
After Heinz left, Rosa focused her gaze on Jin once again.
"It went as you said, 12th flagbearer. I must reward you. Do you have any specific requests?"
"Once the ancient everlasting steel mining is complete, please allocate 10% to me. And I'd like to take about ten days of leave."
"I shall grant it."
Surprisingly, Rosa readily accepted Jin's request.
For now, she decided to focus on using Jin rather than restraining him. Just like how Runcandel and Zipfel looked out for each other, Rosa and Jin were no different.
Above all, Rosa believed that everything Jin gained would ultimately belong to Joshua as time passed.
So, providing support above a certain level was not bad for her. In fact, she needed to provide him with wings at times.
"That's it for the flagbearers’ meeting. I will assign the mission to 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th flagbearers in the evening, so send your butlers to my office later."
"Understood."
Immediately after leaving the meeting room, Jin walked straight to his room without engaging in conversation with anyone.
Instead, when he passed by the Tona brothers, he remembered their promise.
"Let's have a drink tonight."
"Y-Yes! I'll prepare something good!"
While the other flagbearers scoffed at the Tona brothers, both Diphus and Mary felt a strong sense of envy.
Mary only wanted to get closer to Jin, but Diphus had different intentions.
‘The swordsmanship that the youngest showed, it was undoubtedly... similar to the 6th Decisive killing move, Lightning flash. Moreover, the Demon God’ Orb? There are too many things I didn't know about the youngest. Even his magical prowess far exceeded my expectations.’
Mary glanced at Diphus's neck and blinked in surprise.
"Oh, Diphus Orabeoni? Are you cold? You've got goosebumps on your neck. It's quite disgusting. We should warm ourselves up with some hot drinks too."
Upon returning to their room, Gilly greeted Jin.
And the Black Dragon, Murakan, who was over 3,000 years old, only gave a short glance with a sullen face when he arrived.
"You've worked hard, young master."
"Thanks, but Murakan, what's wrong with you again?"
"Oh, well..."
Gilly gave an awkward smile and looked embarrassed.
The reason why Murakan had such a sulking look was simple.
Gilly had insisted on going on this vacation "all together."
In other words, Murakan had a hard time accepting that the date he had so longed for had gone down the drain.
"I heard the Contractor of Olmango is in the Schutzeron Kingdom. I've always wanted to visit the beaches over there at least once, and I thought it would be great to take a vacation together with Tikan's comrades. If you're okay with it, young master, wouldn't it be nice if you could come along…."
Jin burst into laughter as he watched Murakan frown once again.
300
On March 10, 1799, Rosa assembled a meeting of the flagbearers.
Barton's empty helmet lay on the long table.
All the flagbearers, except for Jin, gazed at the helmet in shock, but none of them showed their emotions outwardly.
The flagbearers already knew that the key figure in this mission was not Diphus but Jin.
Diphus had informed Mary that this mission could never have succeeded without Jin. Mary spread this information among the flagbearers as if it were her own business.
Shuffle, shuffle...
The sound of Rosa inspecting the mission report echoed in the silence of the meeting room.She calmly finished reading the report and spoke.
"It seems you've forgotten the mission details."
"Is there anything we missed out on?"
Some of his siblings flinched at Jin's casual question. It was Ran, Vigo, Myu, Anne, and Tona brothers. They had only heard that Jin and Diphus had successfully completed the mission.
"I commend you for securing Ventica and assassinating Barton Vicenna. However, what the clan demanded of you was a natural death."
What the clan demanded of you.
Rosa emphasized those words.
"If our goal was to simply assassinate Barton Vicenna, there was no need to assign it to you, flagbearers. The Black Sword Association and I could have handled it ourselves."
"Mother."
"Speak, 12th flagbearer."
"It was impossible to have Barton Vicenna killed by the hands of the enemy in this mission. Because of the variable known as Kelliark’s power, we needed more personnel to carry out the mission according to plan."
"If that's what you thought, then you should have retreated when Barton Vicenna insisted, and you could have waited for the next opportunity. Of course, at that time, this mission would have been handed to other flagbearers, not you."
Jin didn't hesitate to throw Diphus under the carriage. "It was due to the strong determination of the 4th flagbearer, the decision-maker for the mission."
“Fourth flagbearer. Is that true?”
"Yes."
"Why didn't you retreat?"
"I judged that there is no other flagbearer who can perform this mission better than me and the 12th flagbearer at the moment when 1st flagbearer is absent."
"That's your opinion, Diphus."
"We actually brought results. Although we couldn't stage a natural death, we accomplished both tasks without any casualties."
"Do you not know why the clan wanted to kill Barton Vicenna in such a complicated manner? It's to make sure his betrayal doesn’t become known to others. Don't all the mages from Zipfel already know that he survived? Once his death is known outside, Runcandel will be seen as purging the Black Knight."
Death in action versus purge.
Unlike other knights, the Black Knight had to go down through the former. Revealing that the Black Knight was being punished meant there were problems with loyalty and unity.
The fact that the Black Knight was purged would have had a huge impact in itself. That was the symbol of the Black Knight within Runcandel and Huphester.
Of course, even with the former, there would be inevitable consequences for Runcandel's presitige.
However, the forces assigned to the "Securing Ventica Mission" were much stronger on Zipfel's side.
It was quite possible for the Black Knight to die facing Kozec and White Night.
If the mission had gone as planned, they could have declared that the Black Knight sacrificed himself ‘to save the flagbearers.’
"As you all know, it's a sensitive time. With the patriarch and the 1st flagbearer absent, Zipfel is expanding its influence day by day. In this situation, if it becomes known that the Black Knight has been purged, how do you think our allies will view us?"
Myu and Anne were amused by their audacious thoughts and barely held back their laughter.
'That's right. No matter how great Diphus and the youngest are, they're still human. They got too carried away and ended up in a bad situation. Once Joshua Orabeoni takes control, he'll probably get rid of them first.'
'I heard the elder council denied him the decisive killing moves too. Way to go. With this incident, the elder council might hate him even further.'
Ran and Vigo, on the other hand, simply admired Jin and Diphus for actually killing Barton Vicenna but didn't think any further.
The Tona brothers were as worried as usual but managed to hide their emotions.
Rosa clearly saw the thoughts of those six. And suppressed her frustration and disappointment.
"... If the 4th and 12th flagbearers don't have any countermeasures for this, I will consider this mission a failure."
"Mother, you could announce that Barton Vicenna died in battle without any problem. You know that, don't you?"
The six of them opened their eyes wider in surprise at Jin's words. Those six were the ones who had just disappointed Rosa.
On the other hand, Rosa, Joshua, Luntia, Diphus, and Mary had calm expressions, as if they had expected it to turn out this way.
"Zipfel nearly got their Kozec destroyed, lost more than thirty elite mages and Six Red Dragons and Veradin suffering severe injuries despite using Kelliark's power. Yet, they couldn't even secure Ventica."
Used Kelliark's power.
At that moment, the six flagbearers turned their attention back to Jin once again. This was not in the report they were handed out.
However, no one objected and asked what he was talking about.
"It doesn't make sense that Runcandel didn't suffer any damage during that process. Once it's revealed that I was the one who destroyed Kozec, it won’t just end up as losing their reputation."
“Wait a minute, the youngest. Are you saying it was you who destroyed Kozec, not elder brother Diphus?”
Jin ignored Vigo's question and continued talking.
"If we release a false statement that the Black Knight died in battle, Zipfel will welcome it with open arms because both of us would gain something. Obviously, we didn’t take any real damage, and we've secured Ventica, so we gain vastly more than them."
"Are you not considering the possibility of Zipfel exposing the fact that the Black Knight was indeed a spy?"
"Yes, and there's no need to consider that possibility. If Zipfel reveals that Barton was a traitor, then it means they completely lost the battle, even with Kozec and the Black Knight on their side. I'll take full responsibility if Zipfel reveals the whole truth."
Silence hung in the room for a while.
Unlike Ran, Vigo, Mu, Ann, and the Tona brothers, the others were aware that the conversation so far had been Rosa's "test."
What Rosa had said to Jin was not merely meant to corner him. This mission was genuinely significant for the clan, and Rosa wanted to see how Jin, as a flagbearer, would handle it.
She also wanted to set an example for the flagbearers who didn’t take the hint, that this is how the Runcandel flagbearer should be.
If Jin had come up with an answer like "I couldn't help it," Rosa would have immediately punished him for the mission's failure.
However, as always, Jin brought satisfactory results. Despite the serious variable of the spatial explosion, he achieved near-perfect results in the mission.
That’s why she thought it was such a waste.
‘It's truly lamentable that I will have to bring this child down someday. But until that day comes, there's a lot you have to do for the clan.’ Rosa thought.
‘Feel free to use me as much as you like. In the end, it will tighten the noose around your neck and Joshua's.’
Jin and Rosa each thought such things as they met others’ gaze.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the meeting room door.
"Madame Rosa, it’s Heinz."
"Come in."
Head butler Heinz bowed his head and entered the room with a bundle of news reports.
They were newspapers from the Lutero Magic Federation.
"Zipfel has released an article about the Ventica mission. They are trying to make the impression that they killed the Black Knight, despite their loss in battle."
"Kelliark Zipfel got it first. A cunning man, indeed. He must have realized that Barton was found out after hearing about the mission report.”
This time, even the high-ranked flagbearers were visibly surprised. Of course, as usual, Luntia stifled a yawn.
"Was there any other special information?"
"None. Shall I prepare the response article?"
"Yes, do so. Glorify the death of Barton, but do not reveal his real name. Also, destroy all records and documents related to Barton."
“I will do as you command, madam.”
As of today, Huphester would be flooded with articles praising Barton, but his black helmet and remains would not be enshrined in the mausoleum.
After Heinz left, Rosa focused her gaze on Jin once again.
"It went as you said, 12th flagbearer. I must reward you. Do you have any specific requests?"
"Once the ancient everlasting steel mining is complete, please allocate 10% to me. And I'd like to take about ten days of leave."
"I shall grant it."
Surprisingly, Rosa readily accepted Jin's request.
For now, she decided to focus on using Jin rather than restraining him. Just like how Runcandel and Zipfel looked out for each other, Rosa and Jin were no different.
Above all, Rosa believed that everything Jin gained would ultimately belong to Joshua as time passed.
So, providing support above a certain level was not bad for her. In fact, she needed to provide him with wings at times.
"That's it for the flagbearers’ meeting. I will assign the mission to 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th flagbearers in the evening, so send your butlers to my office later."
"Understood."
Immediately after leaving the meeting room, Jin walked straight to his room without engaging in conversation with anyone.
Instead, when he passed by the Tona brothers, he remembered their promise.
"Let's have a drink tonight."
"Y-Yes! I'll prepare something good!"
While the other flagbearers scoffed at the Tona brothers, both Diphus and Mary felt a strong sense of envy.
Mary only wanted to get closer to Jin, but Diphus had different intentions.
‘The swordsmanship that the youngest showed, it was undoubtedly... similar to the 6th Decisive killing move, Lightning flash. Moreover, the Demon God’ Orb? There are too many things I didn't know about the youngest. Even his magical prowess far exceeded my expectations.’
Mary glanced at Diphus's neck and blinked in surprise.
"Oh, Diphus Orabeoni? Are you cold? You've got goosebumps on your neck. It's quite disgusting. We should warm ourselves up with some hot drinks too."
Upon returning to their room, Gilly greeted Jin.
And the Black Dragon, Murakan, who was over 3,000 years old, only gave a short glance with a sullen face when he arrived.
"You've worked hard, young master."
"Thanks, but Murakan, what's wrong with you again?"
"Oh, well..."
Gilly gave an awkward smile and looked embarrassed.
The reason why Murakan had such a sulking look was simple.
Gilly had insisted on going on this vacation "all together."
In other words, Murakan had a hard time accepting that the date he had so longed for had gone down the drain.
"I heard the Contractor of Olmango is in the Schutzeron Kingdom. I've always wanted to visit the beaches over there at least once, and I thought it would be great to take a vacation together with Tikan's comrades. If you're okay with it, young master, wouldn't it be nice if you could come along…."
Jin burst into laughter as he watched Murakan frown once again.
