Chapter 83

Chapter 28. Meeting Shiron (3)

Rustle...

In the silence, the powders that were just the door a moment ago quietly fluttered.

'I’ve heard this before. Father’s sword technique is said to have reached the level of completely annihilating the target.'

However, since there are traces of powder left, it can't be considered complete annihilation. The sword technique Shiron just showed was undoubtedly a transcendent martial art.

Moreover, there was no sword in his hand. Instead, the light of aura remained at his fingertips, indicating that he had temporarily formed an aura sword.

The disappearance of the door, which seemed like a fierce threat on the surface, made Jin feel as if he had received a gift.

'He showed me something close to the pinnacle of swordsmanship.'

Shiron, with wide eyes, only looked down at Jin. This time, Jin found it difficult to gauge why his father had such an expression.

'Hmm... Could it be that I chose the wrong first greeting? But from the fact that my head hasn’t been cut off yet, it doesn’t seem too bad.'

Meanwhile, Shiron was immersed in a rather peculiar emotion.

For about five minutes, he remained silent, and Jin could only feel his throat dry up.

The reason was...

'I’ve never heard anyone say they wanted to see their child before.'

Indeed, that was the case.

Although he had given birth to thirteen children, Shiron was only a father in name and had never once formed a bond or connection with any of them.

In Runkandel, child-rearing was entirely the responsibility of the nannies.

The children, after finishing the 'Selection Ceremony' at the age of one, spent their childhood in the Storm Castle of the Mittel Kingdom.

By the time they returned to the Garden of Swords at the age of ten, they were usually afraid of Shiron and Rosa.

This was because, during their time in the Storm Castle, they realized that their 'parents' were not just their parents but the absolute rulers of this vast family.

Moreover, they were powerful figures who could manipulate the world, and if they failed to produce results, even their own flesh and blood would be mercilessly cast aside.

Naturally, Shiron and Rosa, who grew up in such an environment, never expected to hear the words 'I miss you' from their children.

All that mattered was which of their children would become the next head of the family, and who would inherit Shiron’s prestige and become the world’s strongest swordsman.

'...Not bad at all.'

It had been a long time since he had been so moved.

Looking back, ever since he reached the realm of a demigod, the only one who could stir even the slightest ripple in his heart was his youngest son.

'That this brat could stir such emotions in me is commendable, but it’s far from enough. Well, let’s see what he has to say.'

Shiron’s lips curled up slightly.

"Coming here because you missed me... Have you developed some kind of family affection after tasting the outside world? But that’s not what I expected from you."

It was certainly not a bad reaction!

Jin, convinced of this, bowed his head.

And he decided to continue with the lie.

"It’s not because of the outside world, but I’ve always liked Father."

Shiron suppressed a burst of laughter and instead revealed a killing intent. The air in the study became as sharp as a blade.

With each breath, it felt as if needles were piercing his lungs. Jin clenched his teeth and met Shiron’s gaze.

"Enough with the nonsense. Tell me why you’ve returned to the family. Your fate and your sister’s will be decided based on your answer."

He meant it.

At the moment Jin started talking about trivial matters, Shiron was truly ready to cut off his head and quickly erase the memory from his heart.

Just like when he cut down his other siblings and comrades before becoming the head of the family.

"At the banquet, the deputy head of the Jifel family, Andre Jifel, who insulted Father, has died."

"What? You mean you killed him?"

"No, Luna killed him a few days ago. I called Luna. May I tell you about the events I’ve experienced since becoming a probationary swordsman?"

"Bold... So you even received help from Luna. Continue speaking."

Shiron stroked his beard with interest, and for a while, Jin recounted the events he had experienced while traveling between Akin, Tikan, and Viment.

Of course, he didn’t tell everything. He didn’t mention the suspicion that the spider-hand Aluga had ties to Runkandel, the rune of Melta, the spellbook of Chanmi, or the alliance with the Seven-Colored Birds.

"You’ve experienced quite a lot in a short time. So, you came to inform me about the death of Andre Jifel, expecting a change in the balance of power since he was the second-in-command of the Jifel family?"

"That’s not all, Father. From what I’ve seen, Andre might not have been the true second-in-command."

Shiron raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, why do you think so?"

"It’s hard to believe that a mere figure like him could be the deputy head of the only family capable of pressuring Runkandel. This is just a feeling, though."

"You’ve hit the mark. As you said, he was only a deputy head and cannot be considered the second-in-command. The true second-in-command is someone else. However, it’s not information I can share with you yet."

"I’m grateful just to have my intuition confirmed. Father, what I really wanted to tell you is about the existence of a peculiar artifact used by Andre."

"An artifact?"

"Yes, it was called the 'Demon Stone.'"

Jin then began to explain the Demon Stone. It was a replica of the 'Origin Stone,' a divine object, and it grew stronger as it consumed its contractee.

To his surprise, Shiron seemed quite shocked, his eyes wide open.

"A replica of the Origin Stone... Is that true? You couldn’t have known its effects just by seeing it. It must have been your guardian dragon, Murakan, who told you."

"Yes, my guardian dragon... Ah, you knew he had awakened?"

Jin flinched and looked at Shiron.

"Is that all? I also know that you use magic. You didn’t think you could hide it from me, did you?"

"I suspected you would know, but I didn’t expect you to know about Murakan’s existence as well."

"Kukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukukuk