Chapter 53

Chapter 19. Banquet (8)

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Jin pulled the book from Bubarr's grasp and tore it apart, both vertically and horizontally. The thick book, which was quite substantial, was mercilessly shredded like thin cloth.

"Looks like the guest needs a bit of a beating."

"Eh...?"

Bubarr's eyes widened as he looked up at Jin. He had no idea why Jin was reacting this way.

That 'I don't get it' expression.

It only made Jin angrier.

'Not only did he casually mention my sister's name, but what's this about a brother-in-law?'

If it weren't for the banquet, he would have pulled out his tongue right away.

Bubarr's words and actions were not just an insult to Luna Runcandel as an individual but also a slight to the entire Runcandel family. Even as a member of the Viment royal family, he couldn't speak to him like that.

Of course, Bubarr didn't intend to belittle the Runcandels; he was just incredibly clueless.

"Haha, brother-in-law. Huh, no, sir! Why are you doing this all of a sudden!"

Bubarr's continued use of 'brother-in-law' almost made Jin punch him immediately. Jin closed his eyes for a moment to calm down, then raised his hand to summon the guardian knights.

"Take this man to the arena."

"Yes, Young Master."

Clank, clank! Two guardian knights standing at the edge of the banquet hall grabbed Bubarr by the shoulders. Bubarr still didn't understand why Jin was so angry.

'Did my joke cause a problem? What's the big deal, to humiliate someone like this? This trash!'

Bubarr had a rather surprising mindset.

He was also someone who was far from polite or well-mannered. If not for his unique ability, 'Transformation,' he would have been killed in the streets long ago.

As the commotion grew, all eyes turned to the scene. People watched with curiosity as Jin chose a man as his first opponent in the arena (most of them were unaware of the duel between Jin and Siris).

"Sir! Don't do this! I was just expressing my love! Everyone has the right to express their love!"

Bubarr shouted as he was dragged away, but Jin didn't respond. There was nothing worth replying to.

"Aah! Sir Jin! How can you treat a guest like this? Let me go!"

As they approached the arena, Bubarr felt like a beast being led to the slaughterhouse.

'Damn it! They should have killed this guy five years ago!'

Five years ago, on the day Jin left Storm City. The zealous followers of Zeph, disguised as guardian knights, attempted to assassinate Jin.

The one who transformed them was none other than Bubarr Gaston. Although he belonged to the Kinzelo, he often helped Zeph's followers.

His nature was to assist anyone who could cause chaos in the world, as long as it didn't put him in danger.

'He doesn't know that I was the one who transformed the assassins back then, so why is he treating me like this? Even saying my sister is beautiful makes him angry!'

No one knew about that incident except Jin and Bubarr himself. The people who requested the transformation were reportedly killed after the plan failed.

"The duel will be a hand-to-hand combat."

Just before entering the arena, Jin said coldly. When Bubarr didn't respond, the guardian knights grabbed his head and forced him to nod.

'Bu, Bubarr!?'

Bishkel, who had just finished touring the banquet hall with Marjella, grabbed his neck when he saw the scene.

"Brother, what's going on? Wow! It's a duel. Sir Jin and Mr. Bubarr are having a duel!"

"That idiot...!"

He must have taken advantage of my absence to approach Jin and say something ridiculous about introducing him to Luna or declaring his love for her. Otherwise, there would be no reason for Jin and Bubarr to fight.

Bishkel gritted his teeth. If it weren't for his transformation ability, Bubarr wouldn't be worth keeping alive. Once he completes the Kinzelo's great mission, he will tear Bubarr apart with his own hands.

"Hmm, we should follow, Marjella."

"Sure, brother! I've wanted to see Mr. Bubarr fight for a long time."

Meanwhile, Siris, holding Murakan, was also heading to the arena.

'I was planning to challenge him again after the mood settled, but what's going on? Why is Jin fighting that guy?'

This was a frustrating situation for her. She didn't expect to win if they fought again, but her plan was to keep dueling with Jin until the end of the banquet.

"Hey! I'm really glad I came to this banquet. To meet the successor of the Imperial Palace so closely! Nice to meet you, Miss Siris Endorma? I'm Veradin... "

"Get lost."

"Ah, right."

Veradin, who tried to act familiar and got scolded, followed her with a gloomy face.

"By the way, be careful of that cat. It scratched my face once, hahaha. It's a very fierce one."

Siris completely ignored the white-haired old man and entered the arena. Even if she knew he was a promising candidate for Zeph, her reaction wouldn't have been much different.

The arena was filled with excitement, unlike when Jin and Siris fought yesterday.

Duels between renowned warriors were ongoing, and the spectators were cheering and jeering loudly.

Normally, one would have to inform the announcer and wait for their turn to duel, but Jin didn't need to. As he entered, the arena fell silent.

A guardian knight whispered to the announcer about Jin's duel.

"Next, we have the main event of this banquet! The rising star of Runcandel, Young Master Jin, will be dueling!"

Cheers erupted!

Jin stretched and walked to the center of the circular arena, pointing at Bubarr.

"Come up."

The spectators didn't know who Bubarr was, but no one dismissed him just because he was unknown. They assumed he must be a formidable warrior to be in the Runcandel banquet hall.

"Is he a hidden master?"

"He came as a retainer of the Ebliano family. Still, he must be a formidable figure."

Bubarr couldn't back down now, and he was seething with anger.

He had been protesting his innocence the whole way, but the young brat kept ignoring and humiliating him. It was time to show his skills.

"Fine! I'll accept the duel. Don't regret it!"

Bubarr stepped into the arena and faced Jin.

"Sir Jin of Runcandel. Before the duel, please introduce yourself formally. That much you can do, right? My name is Bu... "

"Shut up. I don't even want to know your insignificant name. Let's start."

Before the announcer could signal the start, Jin charged forward. The spectators could tell from Jin's attitude that Bubarr had made a serious mistake.

"Wham!"

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Bubarr was hit in the cheekbone and stumbled backward. Tears welled up in his eyes, and curses flew out reflexively.

But Bubarr wasn't entirely clueless. Though unknown, he was a 6th-class warrior.

"Ugh!"

Whoosh!

His bulky body delivered an incredibly fast punch. Despite the comical appearance, Bubarr's fist was covered in glowing aura.

A fierce counterattack. Jin dodged the punch without hesitation.

The destructive power of the aura was clearly in Bubarr's favor. The spectators were slightly disappointed that Bubarr was 'weaker than expected' but still considered him more accomplished than Jin.

"Sir Jin chose a stronger opponent."

"Moreover, this fat guy seems to specialize in combat. It would be embarrassing to lose, so why did he choose him?"

As the spectators assessed, Bubarr demonstrated quite decent combat skills. In a regular arena, he would have been quite notable.

In contrast, Jin was a knight who used a sword. With Bubarr's aura being superior, it wasn't unreasonable for people to predict Jin's disadvantage.

Crack!

Bubarr's hook landed on Jin's jaw. Jin's legs felt a bit weak, and Bubarr smiled triumphantly.

'With this level of skill, how dare you mess with me, Bubarr? I'll make you beg for mercy, brat.'

But the smile didn't last long.

"Ugh?"

Instead of stumbling and falling, Jin, with a fierce look in his eyes, swung another punch.

'How did he...? I hit his jaw accurately, and I felt his legs weaken.'

It was an act. The blessed body of a Runcandel doesn't easily collapse, even with a jaw-breaking hit. If Bubarr had ever fought a Runcandel before, he wouldn't have been so complacent.

Thud!

Jin's palm struck Bubarr's face, producing a heavy impact sound. His nose was half-collapsed, and blood spurted out.

He didn't even have time to scream. The more the opponent fell, the more ruthless the Runcandels became in battle.

Crack! Smack! Crack, Crack!

Another hit to the broken nose, left cheek, right rib, and chest. Jin's aura-covered fists pummeled Bubarr relentlessly.

The beatings continued, and Bubarr was soon covered in blood, floating around the arena like a buoy.

"It's over."

"Feigning weakness and then finishing quickly. The most efficient way to deal with a strong opponent."

The spectators were disappointed not to see Jin's sword skills but felt they had seen enough. The biggest gain was witnessing the type of fight Jin pursued.

'Sir Jin doesn't indulge in unnecessary pride in battle. If he judges his opponent to be stronger, he immediately finds a way to resolve it.'

It's not uncommon for a 5th-class warrior to defeat a 6th-class one, but it's rare for a 5th-class to dominate like Jin did.

A literal beating. After the first hit, Bubarr couldn't even land a proper blow, just being dragged around and pummeled.

'I should probably stop now. I'm too soft-hearted, anyway.'

If it were another Runcandel, Bubarr would have been torn apart the moment he said 'brother-in-law,' even in a banquet hall.

"Hmm."

Jin shook the blood off his fists and caught his breath. Bubarr, lying on the ground, twitched and cried.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a woman in the audience shouted.

"Brother Bishkel! I don't understand Sir Jin's actions. Didn't the match end already? To trample on a defeated opponent so mercilessly!"

"Mar, Marjella?"

Bishkel looked at his sister in shock.

"Sir Jin was too harsh on a weaker opponent. The man lying there is our friend. Are you just going to stand by and watch? Brother, I'm so disappointed."

Bubarr Gaston. That disgusting man is neither weaker than Jin nor our friend...

Bishkel wanted to say that but was troubled by his sister's 'disappointed' comment.

"Are you asking me to duel Sir Jin?"

"Yes, I want Brother to teach Sir Jin a lesson. In a more honorable way than what we just saw."

"Wow, what a fiery lady!"

"Bishkel! Please grant your sister's request. Hehe, it will be an interesting match."

In the end, Bishkel, pushed by Marjella and the audience, had no choice but to step into the arena.