349
[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
Kalon.
The residents were watching a group of people with curious eyes as they walked down the street. The ones they were looking at were ten Beastmen and two humans.
There were Berakt and White wolf warriors, along with Bishkel and Margiella.
In Kalon, it was not uncommon to see knights in armor gathering in groups of five to hundreds, but seeing Beastmen walking around was a sight to behold.
Among them, Berakt stood out.
Just by walking, he exuded an overwhelming presence, as if a fortress was moving or a gigantic warship was sailing.
In any other city, the residents would have shuddered with anxiety and fear at the sight of Berakt, even if they hadn't committed any wrongdoing towards him.
But this was Kalon.
The heart of Huphester and the stronghold of Runcandel.
The residents of Kalon were not afraid of outsiders. It was, without a doubt, the safest city in the world.
No looters, no enemies, no monsters could cause chaos within Kalon. Drawing swords, fighting, and determining victory or defeat were only allowed for those belonging to Runcandel.
"Halt."
As the group of Berakt approached the entrance to the Garden of Swords, a guardian knight guarding the area spoke in a low voice.
From the perspective of the White wolf warriors, it was a truly disrespectful voice. How dare a mere human speak to the great warrior of White wolf tribe with such arrogance.
So, at the moment when the White wolf warriors growled, Berakt exuded a composed aura. It was an order to stay still.
"Why didn't you notify us in advance of your visit?"
"I didn't think it was necessary on my way to meet an old friend."
Berakt replied calmly to the guardian knight's question.
"We'll need to confirm if you're allowed to enter. Please wait."
The knight who maintained his composure even under overwhelming aura until the end was at 7-star level.
By general standards, it was an impressive level, but with that level he could not take on anyone Berakt brought with him, let alone Breakt.
Yet, the guardian knight's confidence stemmed from the pride of being in Runcandel.
The guardian knight had a belief that even if the opponent was such an enormous giant and kill him because of disrespect, the opponent would never leave the city alive. It applied to Kelliark Zipfel as well, not just Berakt.
A while later, the knights returned with the response and informed the guardian knight.
"You are allowed to enter."
The White wolf warriors wanted to tear him apart immediately, but Berakt appeared completely unfazed.
Instead, he was secretly praising the guardian knight.
"I've been thinking for a while now. Among the human race, it seems like the ones who are somewhat useful have gathered in Runcandel."
"Runcandel’s knights do have some spirit, Mr. Berakt."
"Hmph! Of course, the best among them is our vice-leader."
But Berakt's humiliation didn't end there.
Even after they entered the Garden of Swords, there was no one there to greet them. As a result, they had no choice but to stand awkwardly in the courtyard for a while.
"These guys are being too much. Great warrior, even though we came here unexpectedly, do we have to just stand still and endure this treatment?"
"What else can we do if we don't stand still?"
"Let's go back. We didn't come here to have a conversation with these humans in the first place."
At that moment, Berakt raised his head, and Bishkel spoke on his behalf.
"For us, this treatment may be unpleasant, but for Runcandel, the fact that we showed up here without saying a word is already quite displeasing. Considering that, they are showing us considerable hospitality, so let's just stay put."
As Bishkel explained, Berakt seemed satisfied and gave a small smirk.
‘As expected, only our vice-leader is worthy among humans.’
After a while, 30 enforcement knights and Rosa Runcandel came out to the garden.
“‘Old friend’, I didn't know we were on such terms, Berakt Sidricker."
"It's been a while, Rosa."
In their youth, Rosa and Berakt had many intense duels. The outcomes were evenly matched, and each time they fought, both of them sustained significant injuries.
Every time, they refrained from taking each other's lives because they hoped to avoid unnecessary conflicts between the Beastmen and Runcandel.
"You didn't come here to have a duel out of personal grudges, right? What's the matter, coming without any prior notice?"
"I have something to tell, something to receive, and an offer for your youngest child."
"Is it about my youngest?"
"Yes."
"Come in. Let's talk inside."
Rosa instructed someone to fetch refreshments.
However, she did not ask Jin to come right away.
(When it becomes clear what Berakt wants to tell you, what he wants from you, and what he's offering, and when I reach the conclusion that it benefits Runcandel to meet him face to face, then come to the reception room.)
That was the content of the note Rosa's servant brought.
‘Unexpectedly visit me, with things to tell and ask, and make offers.’
What's going on?
‘Moreover, according to the servant's message, Bishkel and Margiella came along too."
Bishkel, who became the new patriarch of the Ivelianos clan when Jin began his reserve flagbearer career.
Jin had always thought that Bishkel being an executive in Kinzelo was most likely for the resurgence of the Ivelianos clan, considering their martial arts heritage in Huphester.
‘It wouldn't be necessary to act hostile towards Runcandel if that were the case. Coming to the Garden of Swords without even requesting a visit, accompanied by Kinzelo's giants... Bishkel's intentions have exceeded my expectations.’
Or he finished weighing between Runcandel and Kinzelo.
Regardless, it was important to know Berakt's purpose for coming immediately.
Things to tell and ask, and an offer. It wasn't too difficult to infer two out of the three.
‘What they will receive from me must be a compass or a debt from the previous Spectre corps attack. There's nothing else that Kinzelo could demand from me. And what they want to offer me is…’
An alliance.
Jin concluded that Kinzelo would propose an alliance to him.
‘During the Holy Kingdom incident and the recent rescue of the small Beastmen, Kinzelo has shown me constant favor. They haven't taken a single hostile action against me.’
There's no such thing as free favor. There must be a clear reason why Kinzelo kept showing goodwill to Jin.
It was because their alliance with Zipfel had broken.
The one who made the most significant contribution to breaking the alliance was indeed Jin. Destroying the Demon's God's Orb and stealing the compass shattered the trust between the two factions.
Although the alliance was bound to break someday, Jin hastened the process significantly.
During this process, while Zipfel suffered unilateral losses, Kinzelo gained some benefits.
Moreover, with Vamel's sudden appearance, Jin Runcandel kept provoking Zipfel, leading Kinzelo to naturally consider proposing an alliance.
If Kinzelo formed a partial alliance with Jin, an individual, and later Jin ascended to his clan's throne, then Kinzelo could proceed to form a complete alliance with the powerful force called Runcandel.
They concluded that their great cause would be easily accomplished.
‘What he wants to tell me... What could it be? Information about Zipfel?’
One thought immediately came to mind, but there was no way to guess what kind of information it might be.
When Kinzelo's purpose becomes clear, and when it is concluded that your meeting with Berakt is beneficial for Runcandel... come to the reception room...
Jin reviewed the contents of the note again.
It didn't take him long to calculate everything.
"Murakan."
"Yeah."
"Let's go to the reception room."
"Huh? Me too?"
While Jin was deep in thought about Rosa' note, Murakan had been chatting with Gilly without much concern.
"Yes, I think Kinzelo might propose an alliance to me, so it's better if you come along."
"Why? Are you afraid that Berakt will cause trouble?"
"I don't think that'll happen. It's just that I need to let my mother know that the 12th flagbearer of Runcandel and the contractor of Solderet are different entities."
"In that case, I'll pretend to be a cat. I don't want to bother talking to those folks more than necessary if I'm in my human form. It's too much trouble."
"Sure, do that."
Poof, Meow! Transformed into a cat, Murakan climbed onto Jin's shoulder.
"It’s the 12th flagbearer."
"Come in."
As they entered the reception room, they saw Rosa, the knights, and Berakt's group.
Rosa and Berakt appeared composed, but there was a tense atmosphere among the knights and Beastmen. Their energy was so intense that Jin felt his face would go numb.
In that tense atmosphere, Margiella, with a cheerful smile, stood out the most.
"I heard you've come to find me. Sir Berakt Sidricker, the Great Warrior of White Wolf Tribe."
"That's right. We know each other, right?"
"It’s my first time seeing you."
Jin nonchalantly replied, and Berakt let out a small chuckle.
"I would like to talk to you alone, but my old friend doesn't seem to permit that, so let's just be straightforward."
"Yes. You said there's something to tell me, something to receive, and something to offer."
"Let's start with the offer. Join Kinzelo."
Shiing, shiing!
The enforcement knights drew their swords menacingly as soon as Berakt finished speaking.
The White wolf warriors couldn't draw their weapons in return. Their blood boiled, but they knew that openly defying the Runcandel knights would lead to immediate annihilation.
Attack.
If Rosa said just one word, Berakt and the Kinzelo warriors would be wiped out on the spot.
In the silence that followed, Jin shrugged his shoulders.
"Alright."
At Jin's words, the enforcement knights' eyebrows twitched, and Jin continued right away.
"If you offer me the position of leader, I will join Kinzelo."
"Hahaha!"
Berakt burst into laughter, and a strong vibration filled the reception room.
"A black panther’s child is black panther, indeed. It's certain that you were born from the womb of Rosa Runcandel."
"I'll take it as a compliment."
"But why did you answer that? Were you really considering giving up your position as the 12th flagbearer of Runcandel and joining Kinzelo?"
"Personally, it's not the most satisfactory outcome, but for the sake of my clan, it doesn't seem like a bad choice. If Kinzelo has risen to a powerful force rather than a third-rate terror organization, then combining forces with Runcandel could be enough to annihilate Zipfel."
Of course, it was a lie. Jin had no intention of joining Kinzelo, regardless of any proposal they might make.
"That's a shame. I can offer you the position of vice-leader, so if you change your mind, feel free to contact me anytime."
Jin could read one clear intention from Berakt's words.
'This is a warning to my mother. If Runcandel tries to overly restrain me, it means that Kinzelo is ready to extract me with a drastic condition.'
For Jin, it was like getting insurance without any intention of using it. But Rosa would have to think about how to deal with Jin a little more carefully.
"What do you have to tell me?"
At that moment, Jin could see Margiella using lip language, just like during the Holy Kingdom incident, saying something with a wink.
‘That's something I will tell you, Sir Jin.’
With Rosa and dozens of enforcement knights watching, Margiella was probably the only one who could express her thoughts with lip language.
349
[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
Kalon.
The residents were watching a group of people with curious eyes as they walked down the street. The ones they were looking at were ten Beastmen and two humans.
There were Berakt and White wolf warriors, along with Bishkel and Margiella.
In Kalon, it was not uncommon to see knights in armor gathering in groups of five to hundreds, but seeing Beastmen walking around was a sight to behold.
Among them, Berakt stood out.
Just by walking, he exuded an overwhelming presence, as if a fortress was moving or a gigantic warship was sailing.
In any other city, the residents would have shuddered with anxiety and fear at the sight of Berakt, even if they hadn't committed any wrongdoing towards him.
But this was Kalon.
The heart of Huphester and the stronghold of Runcandel.
The residents of Kalon were not afraid of outsiders. It was, without a doubt, the safest city in the world.
No looters, no enemies, no monsters could cause chaos within Kalon. Drawing swords, fighting, and determining victory or defeat were only allowed for those belonging to Runcandel.
"Halt."
As the group of Berakt approached the entrance to the Garden of Swords, a guardian knight guarding the area spoke in a low voice.
From the perspective of the White wolf warriors, it was a truly disrespectful voice. How dare a mere human speak to the great warrior of White wolf tribe with such arrogance.
So, at the moment when the White wolf warriors growled, Berakt exuded a composed aura. It was an order to stay still.
"Why didn't you notify us in advance of your visit?"
"I didn't think it was necessary on my way to meet an old friend."
Berakt replied calmly to the guardian knight's question.
"We'll need to confirm if you're allowed to enter. Please wait."
The knight who maintained his composure even under overwhelming aura until the end was at 7-star level.
By general standards, it was an impressive level, but with that level he could not take on anyone Berakt brought with him, let alone Breakt.
Yet, the guardian knight's confidence stemmed from the pride of being in Runcandel.
The guardian knight had a belief that even if the opponent was such an enormous giant and kill him because of disrespect, the opponent would never leave the city alive. It applied to Kelliark Zipfel as well, not just Berakt.
A while later, the knights returned with the response and informed the guardian knight.
"You are allowed to enter."
The White wolf warriors wanted to tear him apart immediately, but Berakt appeared completely unfazed.
Instead, he was secretly praising the guardian knight.
"I've been thinking for a while now. Among the human race, it seems like the ones who are somewhat useful have gathered in Runcandel."
"Runcandel’s knights do have some spirit, Mr. Berakt."
"Hmph! Of course, the best among them is our vice-leader."
But Berakt's humiliation didn't end there.
Even after they entered the Garden of Swords, there was no one there to greet them. As a result, they had no choice but to stand awkwardly in the courtyard for a while.
"These guys are being too much. Great warrior, even though we came here unexpectedly, do we have to just stand still and endure this treatment?"
"What else can we do if we don't stand still?"
"Let's go back. We didn't come here to have a conversation with these humans in the first place."
At that moment, Berakt raised his head, and Bishkel spoke on his behalf.
"For us, this treatment may be unpleasant, but for Runcandel, the fact that we showed up here without saying a word is already quite displeasing. Considering that, they are showing us considerable hospitality, so let's just stay put."
As Bishkel explained, Berakt seemed satisfied and gave a small smirk.
‘As expected, only our vice-leader is worthy among humans.’
After a while, 30 enforcement knights and Rosa Runcandel came out to the garden.
“‘Old friend’, I didn't know we were on such terms, Berakt Sidricker."
"It's been a while, Rosa."
In their youth, Rosa and Berakt had many intense duels. The outcomes were evenly matched, and each time they fought, both of them sustained significant injuries.
Every time, they refrained from taking each other's lives because they hoped to avoid unnecessary conflicts between the Beastmen and Runcandel.
"You didn't come here to have a duel out of personal grudges, right? What's the matter, coming without any prior notice?"
"I have something to tell, something to receive, and an offer for your youngest child."
"Is it about my youngest?"
"Yes."
"Come in. Let's talk inside."
Rosa instructed someone to fetch refreshments.
However, she did not ask Jin to come right away.
(When it becomes clear what Berakt wants to tell you, what he wants from you, and what he's offering, and when I reach the conclusion that it benefits Runcandel to meet him face to face, then come to the reception room.)
That was the content of the note Rosa's servant brought.
‘Unexpectedly visit me, with things to tell and ask, and make offers.’
What's going on?
‘Moreover, according to the servant's message, Bishkel and Margiella came along too."
Bishkel, who became the new patriarch of the Ivelianos clan when Jin began his reserve flagbearer career.
Jin had always thought that Bishkel being an executive in Kinzelo was most likely for the resurgence of the Ivelianos clan, considering their martial arts heritage in Huphester.
‘It wouldn't be necessary to act hostile towards Runcandel if that were the case. Coming to the Garden of Swords without even requesting a visit, accompanied by Kinzelo's giants... Bishkel's intentions have exceeded my expectations.’
Or he finished weighing between Runcandel and Kinzelo.
Regardless, it was important to know Berakt's purpose for coming immediately.
Things to tell and ask, and an offer. It wasn't too difficult to infer two out of the three.
‘What they will receive from me must be a compass or a debt from the previous Spectre corps attack. There's nothing else that Kinzelo could demand from me. And what they want to offer me is…’
An alliance.
Jin concluded that Kinzelo would propose an alliance to him.
‘During the Holy Kingdom incident and the recent rescue of the small Beastmen, Kinzelo has shown me constant favor. They haven't taken a single hostile action against me.’
There's no such thing as free favor. There must be a clear reason why Kinzelo kept showing goodwill to Jin.
It was because their alliance with Zipfel had broken.
The one who made the most significant contribution to breaking the alliance was indeed Jin. Destroying the Demon's God's Orb and stealing the compass shattered the trust between the two factions.
Although the alliance was bound to break someday, Jin hastened the process significantly.
During this process, while Zipfel suffered unilateral losses, Kinzelo gained some benefits.
Moreover, with Vamel's sudden appearance, Jin Runcandel kept provoking Zipfel, leading Kinzelo to naturally consider proposing an alliance.
If Kinzelo formed a partial alliance with Jin, an individual, and later Jin ascended to his clan's throne, then Kinzelo could proceed to form a complete alliance with the powerful force called Runcandel.
They concluded that their great cause would be easily accomplished.
‘What he wants to tell me... What could it be? Information about Zipfel?’
One thought immediately came to mind, but there was no way to guess what kind of information it might be.
When Kinzelo's purpose becomes clear, and when it is concluded that your meeting with Berakt is beneficial for Runcandel... come to the reception room...
Jin reviewed the contents of the note again.
It didn't take him long to calculate everything.
"Murakan."
"Yeah."
"Let's go to the reception room."
"Huh? Me too?"
While Jin was deep in thought about Rosa' note, Murakan had been chatting with Gilly without much concern.
"Yes, I think Kinzelo might propose an alliance to me, so it's better if you come along."
"Why? Are you afraid that Berakt will cause trouble?"
"I don't think that'll happen. It's just that I need to let my mother know that the 12th flagbearer of Runcandel and the contractor of Solderet are different entities."
"In that case, I'll pretend to be a cat. I don't want to bother talking to those folks more than necessary if I'm in my human form. It's too much trouble."
"Sure, do that."
Poof, Meow! Transformed into a cat, Murakan climbed onto Jin's shoulder.
"It’s the 12th flagbearer."
"Come in."
As they entered the reception room, they saw Rosa, the knights, and Berakt's group.
Rosa and Berakt appeared composed, but there was a tense atmosphere among the knights and Beastmen. Their energy was so intense that Jin felt his face would go numb.
In that tense atmosphere, Margiella, with a cheerful smile, stood out the most.
"I heard you've come to find me. Sir Berakt Sidricker, the Great Warrior of White Wolf Tribe."
"That's right. We know each other, right?"
"It’s my first time seeing you."
Jin nonchalantly replied, and Berakt let out a small chuckle.
"I would like to talk to you alone, but my old friend doesn't seem to permit that, so let's just be straightforward."
"Yes. You said there's something to tell me, something to receive, and something to offer."
"Let's start with the offer. Join Kinzelo."
Shiing, shiing!
The enforcement knights drew their swords menacingly as soon as Berakt finished speaking.
The White wolf warriors couldn't draw their weapons in return. Their blood boiled, but they knew that openly defying the Runcandel knights would lead to immediate annihilation.
Attack.
If Rosa said just one word, Berakt and the Kinzelo warriors would be wiped out on the spot.
In the silence that followed, Jin shrugged his shoulders.
"Alright."
At Jin's words, the enforcement knights' eyebrows twitched, and Jin continued right away.
"If you offer me the position of leader, I will join Kinzelo."
"Hahaha!"
Berakt burst into laughter, and a strong vibration filled the reception room.
"A black panther’s child is black panther, indeed. It's certain that you were born from the womb of Rosa Runcandel."
"I'll take it as a compliment."
"But why did you answer that? Were you really considering giving up your position as the 12th flagbearer of Runcandel and joining Kinzelo?"
"Personally, it's not the most satisfactory outcome, but for the sake of my clan, it doesn't seem like a bad choice. If Kinzelo has risen to a powerful force rather than a third-rate terror organization, then combining forces with Runcandel could be enough to annihilate Zipfel."
Of course, it was a lie. Jin had no intention of joining Kinzelo, regardless of any proposal they might make.
"That's a shame. I can offer you the position of vice-leader, so if you change your mind, feel free to contact me anytime."
Jin could read one clear intention from Berakt's words.
'This is a warning to my mother. If Runcandel tries to overly restrain me, it means that Kinzelo is ready to extract me with a drastic condition.'
For Jin, it was like getting insurance without any intention of using it. But Rosa would have to think about how to deal with Jin a little more carefully.
"What do you have to tell me?"
At that moment, Jin could see Margiella using lip language, just like during the Holy Kingdom incident, saying something with a wink.
‘That's something I will tell you, Sir Jin.’
With Rosa and dozens of enforcement knights watching, Margiella was probably the only one who could express her thoughts with lip language.
