Chapter 31

Chapter 12. Struggle, Seize, Enjoy (1)

"Khh, kuh!"

In the silence where even the sound of breathing was suppressed, the groan of the cadet with a cut on his arm echoed through the training ground. The cadets were so bewildered by the situation that they doubted their own eyes and ears.

"Ugh."

"What, what are you doing?!"

"What are you all doing, quickly call the medical team!"

The Tona brothers raised their voices a beat too late. Jin stood in front of them, his face expressionless.

"Jin! You bastard... Are you crazy?"

"Why did you swing your sword like that out of nowhere?!"

The Tona brothers' eyes trembled with unease as they protested.

'Could he have already figured out that we used the sisters' faction?'

'How could he pinpoint and strike so accurately?'

They had to somehow resolve this situation. The Tona brothers' minds were filled with such thoughts. There were two major issues.

First, they had injured the cadets from the faction that their sisters had supported as mercenaries on the first day. This would leave them with no excuse if their sisters scolded them later.

Second, if they didn't retaliate against Jin immediately, their authority would plummet to the bottom.

They had been humiliated by their youngest brother in front of all the intermediate cadets. The sight of Jin's calm demeanor made their spines shiver, but if they showed fear and backed down, it would be the end.

What would they tell their sisters? They couldn't offer an excuse like, "I'm really sorry, even with the support of the cadets, the youngest was too scary..."

Swish!

In the end, the Tona brothers drew their swords simultaneously.

"I'll kill you!"

"How far do you plan to go?"

"Cadet."

Jin turned to the cadet holding his injured arm, completely ignoring the Tona brothers. The cadet lifted his head at Jin's call.

"What is your name?"

"...Kajin Romero."

"Do you know why I cut you?"

"Ugh, I don't know. Why did you do that?"

"Hey, Jin! Are you ignoring us? You brat, draw your sword again. We'll finish this today..."

"Brothers."

Jin slightly turned his head to meet the Tona brothers' eyes.

"Am I not talking to Kajin right now?"

"W-What did you say?"

"I said, be quiet. If you want to duel with me, I'll accept anytime later."

"How dare you cut my cadet and...!"

"Your cadet?"

Heito nearly covered his mouth.

"Is this friend part of your faction? I cut him because I saw a strange murderous intent in his eyes."

Silence fell over the training ground again. The Tona brothers could only stare with wide eyes, unable to do anything.

Their attempt to counterattack had only made them more entangled in Jin's game. The conversation had solidified Kajin Romero as part of the "Tona brothers' faction."

This meant that Jin's current actions were not just a sudden outburst but part of the traditional "rank war" of Runkandel, a place with a long history.

The rank wars of Runkandel were a steady source of material for bards and a favorite topic for the gossipy masses. There were few stories more thrilling than the intense blood feuds between brothers.

"The medical team has arrived!"

Cadets at the back of the formation shouted and cleared the way. Unlike the Tona brothers and the cadets, the medical team had a very routine atmosphere, as they dealt with blood and injuries daily in Runkandel.

The Tona brothers had to step aside due to the medical team's movements. Even direct relatives couldn't interfere with emergency treatment.

"Kajin. And all the cadets gathered here, listen well!"

Suddenly, Jin shouted, eyes wide open.

"I am Jin Runkandel. From now on, you can suddenly draw a sword at me or ambush me from behind when I'm off guard."

The cadets stared at Jin with their mouths agape.

"But remember this one thing. Those who show even a hint of hostility towards me will be cut down without hesitation, just like now."

After finishing his speech, Jin calmly returned to his place. The cadets standing nearby could only swallow their dry throats as he passed by.

He had caused a huge commotion, especially with Jedd Runkandel watching from the podium with a fierce gaze.

However, Jin did not apologize to Jedd. Given Jedd's character, he believed he would deserve praise rather than punishment.

'He loves rank wars and courage more than anyone in the family. Even more than Father.'

The medical team carried Kajin on a stretcher out of the training ground, and the cadets waited to see what punishment Jedd would give Jin.

Most expected Jin to be reprimanded. The Tona brothers secretly hoped their uncle would harshly crush the youngest.

"Jin Runkandel. The thirteenth and youngest son of the head of the family."

"Yes, Elder."

Jin deliberately avoided using the term "uncle." Whether it was his father or uncle, the elders of Runkandel always liked to maintain a certain distinction between public and private matters.

"You've done something incredible. Do you think this is acceptable in front of me?"

The Tona brothers' faces, which had been stiff, now showed a hint of hope.

Jedd Runkandel, truly a great uncle! A single reprimand from him would surely crush even the youngest.

"That's right."

"You're bold. Why?"

"Because I didn't fight the Tona brothers; I fought the Elder."

Following the cutting of Kajin, this unexpected bombshell left even the Tona brothers, who had been hoping for Jin to break, in shock.

'Is he really out of his mind? How could he do this?'

The Tona brothers and all the cadets felt the same way.

"You fought me. That's a very, very interesting story. Why do you think so?"

Sssss...

A white sword formed in Jedd's grip. Crafting a sword purely from aura was a feat only the most exceptional among the 8th-rank could achieve.

"Speak. Depending on your answer, I might cut off your head right here."

"You encouraged the initiation ritual for the intermediate training class despite my presence among the cadets. I perceived it as an attack from the Elder."

Swish, chit!

Jedd lightly swung his sword, cutting Jin's left cheek. Jin maintained his posture and gaze, waiting for Jedd's response.

"So, you caused this trouble because you found the initiation ritual unpleasant, and you thought I was attacking you?"

"Except for the fact that I wasn't at all unpleasant, it's as you say."

"Then why did you cut a cadet instead of attacking me directly?"

"Because I can't defeat the Elder yet. If I thought I had a chance, I would have cut the Elder, not Kajin or the Tona brothers."

"You seem to have no regard for your life. Or perhaps you're too confident being the son of the head of the family."

"Being passive when the opponent is stronger is not a virtue of Runkandel, in my opinion."

The nearby cadets were trembling. They couldn't understand how a fifteen-year-old could have such audacity.

Jedd spoke after a few minutes of silence.

"Forgetting one's life is a momentary thing, but honor is eternal. Foolish."

The aura in Jedd's grip dissipated.

"Your foolish courage has made this uncle feel good. Fine, I'll acknowledge you. You have the value to live in Runkandel."

Hahaha!

Suddenly, Jedd burst into a loud laugh.

"Remember this day, cadets. You've seen Runkandel itself today. What this young man has shown is the essence of our sword demons."

"Yes!"

"Struggle every day. Dismissed! Only Daytona and Heito remain. Training starts tomorrow."

The cadets began to leave the training ground in an orderly manner. The Tona brothers felt the blood drain from their bodies, and Jin, passing by them, said:

"As your younger brother, I have one piece of advice."

The Tona brothers turned their dazed faces.

"Always think about the future. Right now, other brothers might be more frightening than me, but will that still be true later?"

The Tona brothers couldn't respond to Jin's smiling face.

* * *

"Wow, Jin... What kind of presence is that? Did we really see that?"

"Is it true that he killed a White Wolf warrior? If he turns against his faction, he's in big trouble."

"He's just the thirteenth of the third generation. If he joins the wrong faction, his life could be unpredictable. Once he stumbles, it's over. The other brothers are so formidable..."

"That's true, but he was really amazing. Who could do that in front of Elder Jedd?"

"And what if he ends up with the power? It's well-known that the head of the family doesn't like Joshua..."

"Shh! Don't say such dangerous things. What if someone hears? Are you trying to turn the intermediate class upside down?"

This incident had a huge impact among the cadets. In the dormitory, there wasn't a single intermediate cadet who wasn't talking about Jin.

And Scut, Mesa, Velop, and the others.

The nine cadets who advanced with Jin were already classified as the "youngest group." As a result, they also had to endure the burdensome gazes of the seniors.

They moved together as Jin had instructed.

"Since Master Jin cut Kajin, there might be retaliation today. Everyone, stay alert!"

About an hour after Mesa's warning, a group of intermediate cadets came to the room where the youngest group was gathered.

The youngest group exchanged glances, prepared to fight at any moment, and cautiously opened the door.

They were ready to punch any of the visiting cadets who showed even a hint of hostility, just like Jin had done earlier.

"Hello, juniors."

However, the hands of the visiting intermediate cadets were filled with various snacks, including cigarettes and alcohol.

It felt like suddenly the envoys of an enemy country had come to establish friendly relations.

The youngest group was a bit taken aback and could only accept the baskets offered by the seniors with blank faces.

In fact, they had been extremely tense, thinking about the violent days that would follow the intermediate initiation ritual in the dormitory.

It wasn't that they were afraid of being beaten by the seniors.

But they were worried that if they kept waking up at night, Jin might look ridiculous.

"We brought these because we didn't know what you'd like. The cigarettes are from the Mila mountains, and the wine is from the Kurano duchy. They're expensive. Don't worry, they're not poisoned, so feel free to accept them."

"Why are you giving us these things all of a sudden?"

"Why? To make a good impression. We don't belong to any faction, so we can't participate in the rank wars, but we secretly want to support Master Jin."

Not belonging to any faction in Runkandel meant they were not very skilled.

The reason these mediocre cadets came to the youngest group was because of the Tona brothers.

They had suffered countless abuses from the Tona brothers during the year after advancing to the intermediate class. So, they wanted to express their gratitude to Jin.

The Tona brothers were only lambs in front of Jin and the other brothers; otherwise, they were ruthless tyrants.

The Tona brothers' reputation as notorious killers in Jin's past life was not unfounded.

"Then, we'll be going. We wish you a brighter future than us."