Chapter 14

Chapter 6: Ambush

While the storm castle was always battered by wind and rain, on the day Jin left, the first snow of the season was falling in the Mittel Kingdom at the foot of the mountain.

It was a heavy snowfall. In just a few hours, the snow had piled up to knee-deep levels.

The coachman, hindered by the hazy view, could barely maintain any speed, and the guardian knights Jerome and Holtz had to get out of the carriage to clear a path through the snow with their swords.

"Looks like we'll have to stop at a nearby village and wait for the snow to stop, young master. Even if we push on to the capital, we won't be able to use the teleportation gate with this much snow."

"There's no other choice."

Given the situation, Jin wasn't particularly pleased to see the snow, which he hadn't seen in a long time.

The slow-moving carriage and the snowflakes that seemed to engulf the world. Jin passed the time by skimming through the notes he had copied from the prophecy book.

And at dawn.

Clang! Whooosh! Suddenly, the two fine horses tethered to the carriage let out agonized whinnies.

A 3-star magic spell, "Ice Spikes," had simultaneously pierced the flanks of the two horses. The carriage jolted as if it were about to overturn, and a second later, the coachman was also struck by the same spell and died instantly.

"We're under attack! Young master, please stay inside the carriage!"

"We're under attack!"

Jerome and Holtz shouted. At the same time, Gilly, who was holding Jin, quickly surveyed the situation outside the carriage.

Her usually gentle and calm eyes were now filled with a deep killing intent, almost as if they had turned red.

"Young master, don't worry. With two 7-star guardian knights and me, you'll be safe."

Her calm and composed voice. Gilly had shown this side of her a few times in her previous life. Attacks on Runkandel were not uncommon, and Jin had experienced a couple of them himself.

"There are about twenty assassins. They seem to be a mix of mages and warriors, but we can't rule out the possibility of archers. No one above 7-star has been confirmed yet."

Gilly reported the situation as she understood it.

Runkandel's nannies were all warriors with combat abilities of at least 7-star. Gilly's weapon, the claw, had already slipped out of her sleeve and was gleaming fiercely.

'As soon as we left the storm castle, things got chaotic. Who are these guys?'

Gilly kept trying to calm Jin, but he was already more composed than she was.

Fear at the sudden attack?

He couldn't even feel it. With three 7-star combatants guarding him, and the pendant from Orgal, he could handle any crisis at least once.

'To attack Runkandel's carriage to this extent, they can't be just any riffraff. The fact that the knights didn't notice the ambush suggests that a 6-star mage is involved.'

Jin calmly visualized the situation outside the carriage.

'The attacks on the carriage have stopped, and the sound of weapons clashing is distant. The ambush started from quite a distance, and Jerome and Holtz have gone out to counterattack... huh?'

Jin realized something was off.

"Gilly."

"Yes, young master."

"Jerome and Holtz. They're not from our family. Or they're traitors."

"Young master, what do you mean by that... Everyone in the storm castle, including me, knows their faces. They were definitely Jerome and Holtz."

Jin knew their faces too, as he had met them a few times in his previous life.

But the reason Jin suspected they were fakes or traitors was simple.

"Gilly. Our family's guardian knights would never leave a Runkandel child unattended, no matter what. Even if a nanny is with them."

"Ah!"

"Jerome and Holtz. One of them should have stayed by my side. But they both went out to fight. Either traitors or fakes. There are only two possibilities."

Gilly checked outside the window. Sure enough, as Jin said, Jerome and Holtz had both left their posts at the start of the battle.

Gritting her teeth, Gilly's face twisted with anger. She was angry at herself for not realizing the situation until Jin pointed it out, and at the traitors.

"...I apologize, young master. I will return to the family and accept severe punishment for this."

"From this moment on, Gilly Macrolan will protect young master Jin as a member of the Runkandel family. Please understand if I have to be a bit aggressive in my protection."

"Escaping is important, but we can't overlook who these people fighting with them are. They could be allies."

"Yes, young master. Runkandel's honor will not be compromised."

Swoosh!

Suddenly, Gilly struck the front of the carriage with her claw. Despite striking from a seated position, the steel carriage was split in two, and the sky opened up.

Then, Gilly carried Jin and swiftly jumped out of the carriage. She judged that, since it was brought by the traitors, it might have hidden dangerous devices.

The dark dawn sky and heavy snow made it difficult to see outside. All Jin and Gilly could see was something flashing about 200 meters away.

'The fact that they both rushed out as soon as the battle started means they judged they couldn't handle it alone.'

So, if the attackers were allies, it meant it was okay to fight back.

However, the ones fighting Jerome and Holtz could also be another enemy. Gilly, carrying Jin, started running towards them.

"Find Jin Runkandel!"

"3rd Squad! Block the one on the left!"

The voices of the attackers. Up close, Jerome and Holtz were fighting about twenty people on equal terms.

"Young master, why did you come out of the carriage!"

"It's dangerous here, please go back to the carriage!"

Jerome and Holtz shouted upon seeing Jin.

"Shut up, filthy traitors. Who's behind this? How dare you target young master...!"

Gilly glared, her claw infused with aura. The traitors' faces twisted, and the faces of those surrounding them lit up with joy.

"That woman is Gilly Macrolan! Jin Runkandel's safety has been confirmed!"

"Everyone, prioritize protecting Jin Runkandel in the battle!"

The attackers were allies.

Jin felt a slight sense of relief. If Gilly joined forces with them, he wouldn't need to use the pendant.

The battle paused for a few seconds, and Jin took the opportunity to examine the armor and robes of the allies.

'Leaves and the Black Sura emblem. The Yutaga and the Black King Corps, then.'

The Yutaga is a magic family in the Mittel Kingdom, and the Black King Corps is a top mercenary group. The single Black Sura emblem suggested they weren't the elite.

Still, each one was at least 5-star. The Yutaga mages also seemed to be skilled.

'They're fakes, not traitors. The Ice Spikes that killed the horses and the coachman... were a failed assassination attempt by a Yutaga mage.'

As soon as Jin gauged the approximate strength of the allies, he was certain.

If Jerome and Holtz were real 7-star knights, twenty 5-star fighters would be no match. Especially in a space where visibility is poor, the gap in combat power would only widen.

Yet, no allies had died since the battle began. This was proof that Jerome and Holtz were not Runkandel's real 7-star guardian knights.

"I am Murka, the commander of the 3rd division of the Black King Corps! We received a commission from Runkandel and have come to rescue Jin Runkandel in collaboration with the local Yutaga."

"Hahahaha..."

Suddenly, the fake Jerome burst into laughter.

The eerie laughter continued for a while, creating a sense of unease that made the Yutaga and the Black King Corps tense and grip their weapons tightly.

Gilly stepped in front of Jin.

"Who are you?"

She had also realized they were fakes. It was natural, as she couldn't be unaware of the prowess of a 7-star knight.

"Keh, asking such an obvious question... Gilly Macrolan. There's nothing to tell a dog of Runkandel."

The fake Holtz also sneered and adjusted his stance, showing no intention of speaking further.

"...Young master, what should we do?"

Jin didn't hesitate for a second in response to Gilly's question.

"Kill one and bring the other to me with his arm cut off."

"I will carry it out."

"Gilly Macrolan. I know you're strong, but you're underestimating us."

"Murka of the Black King Corps. Please protect young master for 30 seconds."

Gilly lightly ignored the fake Jerome's provocation. Murka immediately formed a defensive line with his squad in front of Jin.

'It's been a while since I've seen a 7-star knight in battle.'

While Jin was thinking this, Gilly had already launched herself at the fakes. As she pushed off the snow-covered ground, the air split with a tearing sound.

It was a lightning-fast charge. The Black King Corps and the mages couldn't believe the speed she had gained from the soft snow.

Swish!

The three-pronged claw slashed across the fake Jerome's neck.

He didn't even have a reflexive reaction. Only after his head fell did he realize it was over, and the fake Holtz quickly turned to face Gilly.

He was trying to track Gilly's movement to follow her.

The fake Holtz could see Gilly's movements. So, when he tried to counterattack with the sword in his right hand.

Thud. He had to hear the sound of his right hand, which had fallen with the sword, burying itself in the snow.

"Huh."

Swoosh, swoosh! Gilly's rapid strikes followed, and the fake Holtz managed to dodge a few.

But that was all. His body, losing balance due to the missing arm, moved erratically, and his dodges were mere flounders. Gilly's claw cleanly cut off the fake Holtz's left arm as well.

All of this took just 7 seconds.

Gilly used the remaining 23 seconds to stop the blood gushing from the fake's severed arm. She used a clump of the dead Jerome's long hair to tie it off.

The Black King Corps and the mages were shocked.

'Is this just a nanny?'

'This is on a different level...!'

In contrast, Jin smiled contentedly.

"I have completed my task, young master."

Gilly dragged the fallen fake Holtz towards Jin. The fake was struggling to breathe with snowballs in his mouth.

Snap! Gilly grabbed the fake's hair and pinned him to the ground at Jin's feet.

"It seems you underestimated your opponent, not Gilly, but your master. If you wanted to assassinate the youngest of Runkandel, you should have sent at least a few 8-star knights."

Jin said coldly, and the fake Holtz spat.

"J-just a warning. The era of Runkandel... will end."

"That's what I hope too."

Jin's words made the Black King Corps and the mages exchange surprised glances.

"I hope the era of Jin Runkandel, not Runkandel, will begin."

"Praise the great Ziph!"

"Ah, a Ziph follower. Then there's no need to take you back to the family."

Crack!

Jin struck the side of the fake's head with a fist infused with aura, a skill he had learned during his martial arts training.

"I'll let you go."

"Kill him!"

"No, if you can survive and return like this, you'll be a good example for your comrades. You've wasted my time. Gilly, throw him anywhere."

"Yes, young master."

Gilly lifted the fake and threw him into the snow.

Jin, looking at the fake Holtz, who was huddled and coughing, thought to himself.

'You're just naively crazy. Do you really think Ziph will look favorably on this?'