361
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It has been ten days since obtaining the new Bradamante.
He hasn't had a chance to properly use the Bradamante yet. As a knight, he wanted to test the enhanced features of his sword as soon as possible, but there was another issue that was bothering him.
‘The Great Plain of Anz, where the first tomb of Temar was located. And the Schutzeron Kingdom where Clamshell and Mr. Olmango have been to…’
[T/L: Clamshell contractor of Olmango.]
Ever since Kinzelo came and informed him that "other factions are also searching for Temar's tomb,"
Jin had been thinking about it all along, and before going to capture Ozdock, he asked Tikan's comrades to revisit the tombs they had been to before.
And today, Kashmir brought the news.
(People suspected to be associated with Zipfel and Vermont have been seen near the Great Plain of Anz and the beaches near the Schutzeron Kingdom.)
Jin learned about the existence of Temar's tombs in those regions through the instructions left by Solderet as his contractor.
In other words, unless you're a contractor, it's practically impossible to track the tombs.
‘They must have gone to the Great Plain of Anz and Schutzeron Beach because of my actions.’
Even after becoming a flagbearer, Jin has always moved in disguise when dealing with matters related to Temar or other personal matters.
When he went to the Great Plain of Anz, he deliberately went through the Hola Mountains to create confusion in case anyone was tracking (at that time, only Joshua was conscious of it), and when he went to Schutzeron Beach, he pretended to be on vacation for a few days.
The third was located in the hiding place of the Felinoids tribe, and it was impossible to enter without their guidance due to its unique characteristic. Nonetheless, the Spectre Corps had tracked Jin and found him.
‘My routes are being exposed.’
Jin wasn’t directly followed by a pursuer.
If he had, there was no way he wouldn't have noticed. Unless it was someone like Yona or Nameless King.
‘Margiella did mention that my movements were exposed to the Vermont Imperial Family. They probably tracked and deduced several important areas from the aliases I used and the revealed movements. That's why they sent people to the Great Plain of Anz and Schutzeron Beach.’
Of course, just because Zipfel and Vermont sent people to the Great Plain of Anz and Schutzeron Beach didn't mean they immediately uncovered meaningful information.
The investigations in those places were already completed, and Jin had taken the recording devices.
However, the fact that "he is being followed" was important in itself.
He had thought that someday it would come to this. Major factions aren't fools.
It was just a bit disappointing that it started to be exposed more quickly than expected.
Being the "12th Flagbearer of Runcandel" was a position where he couldn't carry out covert actions. Not only the Garden of the Sword, but also enemies were naturally eager to scrutinize every move of Jin.
Moreover, the enemies are also searching for Temar's tombs like Jin.
Discovering three tombs alone without any fatal issues so far was nothing short of a miracle.
‘It's partly because I did well, but eventually, there will be a limit. And I was lucky while encountering the Spectre corps in the third tomb; it could have been a significant setback.’
Without the sudden intervention of Kinzelo and the help of Diphus and Mary, Jin could have incurred considerable losses.
‘I need more allies.’
Not just Jin alone, even Jin and Tikan's companions together couldn't stand against Vermont and Zipfel.
Even Runcandel was filled with his enemies, and Kinzelo would eventually participate in the "tomb search competition."
While pondering, someone tapped Jin's shoulder.
"Hey, youngest!"
It was Mary.
"Elder sister."
"What are you thinking so deeply about? Ah, are you thinking about when you'll have a rematch with me?"
Mary sat down beside Jin.
Jin looked at her, slightly flustered.
'If elder sister Mary is a true ally, she could really be dependable.'
Mary already considered Jin as one of her people.
Jin also felt a sense of human fondness and a sentiment akin to sibling affection towards her.
However, Jin had not informed her about the existence of Vin Branche and Picon Minche.
It was because Jin judged that as the 7th Flagbearer, she would most likely use them as the blacksmith of the clan.
But there was a separate reason why Jin couldn't fully trust her.
'As long as my second eldest brother exists, elder sister Mary cannot be entirely on my side.'
Diphus Runcandel, the 4th Flagbearer of the clan.
To make Mary an ally, Diphus had to be brought on board.
But of course, not just Diphus, even Mary had not given up the patriarchy.
'Me, Second Eldest Brother Diphus, elder sister Mary, Joshua. There are four of us who haven't definitively given up on the patriarch's seat.'
And then there was one person whose intentions were entirely uncertain, Luntia Runcandel.
If she too had aimed for the patriarchy, there would be a total of five people competing.
Therefore, trying to approach Diphus to resolve the immediate problem was a reckless gamble.
Trying to win Mary by recruiting Diphus could easily end up with just providing information and being stabbed in the back.
‘Trying to recruit Diphus and Mary right away might be a stretch. But it is possible to use them.’
Diphus and Mary always prioritize choices for the clan as flagbearers, no matter the issue.
Jin smiled inwardly, suddenly reminded of that proposition.
"A rematch, you say? It might be better to conclude this match with your victory, elder sister."
"Huh? Why would that be? Since uncle Tuben barged in, it's only fair to declare it invalid and have a rematch!"
"The match had already been decided even before Sir Tuben came. Your big move caused Ozdock to transform."
"No, do you really think so?"
"Yes."
Of course, Mary knew this.
So she had been thinking about fighting again, but when Jin admitted defeat so easily, it was an entirely unexpected turn of events.
‘But this can't be, right? I would have to wait another three months for a rematch with the youngest!’
Thinking like that, Mary let out a groaning sound.
She knew that the youngest was just as fiercely competitive as she was, so she had anticipated him gladly accepting a rematch.
"I don't think that way. Let's fight again."
"Don't be so stubborn with someone who's admitted defeat."
"Then I will use the command of the winner. My command is a rematch. No problem with that, right?"
"...Did you not bother reading the contract I sent you when we first agreed to the match?"
-In each fight, victory or defeat is based on knocking someone out. The first one to fall is the loser, and the loser must carry out one command from the winner. Of course, we'll make sure there are no unfortunate events, and we'll write the contract accordingly.
-That's appealing. The contract is a bit burdensome, though.
A conversation they had during their first battle. At that time, Jin had actually created a contract and obtained Mary's signature.
Recalling that fact, Mary tilted her head.
"Um... I think I did read it."
"The contract includes clauses about the limits of the winner's command. It states that you cannot demand suicide, expulsion from the clan, property confiscation, etc., from the loser. And it also mentions that you cannot command a rematch."
"Fine with suicide and expulsion from the family, I guess. But why the rematch!?"
"...Do you really think I need to explain that?"
"Then let's say I accept my victory. Let's nullify the whole battle that used that demonic creature and talk about a rematch from the beginning."
"I think the winner had been decided from the moment you mentioned the right of command, elder sister."
Mary had nothing more to say.
"You sly little fox!"
"A flattering compliment."
"Ugh, fine. Okay. You're good. I'll accept that I won. So, I'll really use my command. Hand over that cat."
"If you're talking about Butterfly Runcandel, you can take him as much as you want."
"Butterfly, no. Not Lord Murakan. I mean Shuri, your ruby cat."
"If you read the contract, there's a clause that says the winner cannot give a command that the opponent cannot fulfill. Shuri is already contracted with me, and I can't release it."
"This, this is just unfair."
"Elder sister, please give a more realistic command. It's not that difficult, is it?"
Mary almost grabbed Jin's head in frustration.
But it wasn't Jin's fault. She was the fool for not properly reading the contract... and she had been trying to take advantage of the youngest once again. So, she really didn't have a right to feel aggrieved. She couldn't help the anger welling up, though.
Jin glanced at Mary, who was sulking.
"For example... you could command me to get you some delicious liquor."
"I don't need that kind of thing!"
"Or maybe ask for a few limited edition magazines that Murakan has?"
"The last time I checked, I had an even more amazing collection... ugh, no. Wait, let me see that. Who's the fool here?"
"If you don't like that, you could ask about the information Kinzelo brought me this time. How many practical commands like these do you have?"
Mary's pupils suddenly widened.
Ah, why did I forget about that? Her expression seemed to say. When Kinzelo visited the clan, it was herself who had prevented Gilly from making a mistake.
'It's a bit frustrating to be played by the youngest... Well, it's not bad to know. Diphus Oraboni would also be curious about what was discussed between Mother, Jin, and Kinzelo at that time.'
Since Kinzelo's visit, Rosa had yet to reveal any information about it to the flagbearers.
"Fine, then. What information did Kinzelo give you back then?"
"They told me that various factions, including Zipfel and Vermont, are tracking the legacy of the First Patriarch."
"What? The legacy of the First Patriarch?"
"It is about Temar Runcandel's tomb."
"...The First Patriarch's tomb, what about it?"
"In the tomb, there are the powers and long-held secrets of ancient Runcandel. I was searching for the tomb independently of the clan, and Kinzelo noticed that."
Mary's eyes widened.
"You were searching for the First Patriarch's tomb independently of the clan? Are you saying that Mother knew about this and stayed silent?"
Mary's sudden anger wasn't directed at Jin.
Rosa Runcandel.
Her anger stemmed from the fact that her own mother hadn't disclosed such a crucial matter to the flagbearers until now.
'Surely you didn't expect me to reveal the truth about Temar's tomb to the other flagbearers, Mother.'
Jin nodded, hiding his smile.
361
[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
It has been ten days since obtaining the new Bradamante.
He hasn't had a chance to properly use the Bradamante yet. As a knight, he wanted to test the enhanced features of his sword as soon as possible, but there was another issue that was bothering him.
‘The Great Plain of Anz, where the first tomb of Temar was located. And the Schutzeron Kingdom where Clamshell and Mr. Olmango have been to…’
[T/L: Clamshell contractor of Olmango.]
Ever since Kinzelo came and informed him that "other factions are also searching for Temar's tomb,"
Jin had been thinking about it all along, and before going to capture Ozdock, he asked Tikan's comrades to revisit the tombs they had been to before.
And today, Kashmir brought the news.
(People suspected to be associated with Zipfel and Vermont have been seen near the Great Plain of Anz and the beaches near the Schutzeron Kingdom.)
Jin learned about the existence of Temar's tombs in those regions through the instructions left by Solderet as his contractor.
In other words, unless you're a contractor, it's practically impossible to track the tombs.
‘They must have gone to the Great Plain of Anz and Schutzeron Beach because of my actions.’
Even after becoming a flagbearer, Jin has always moved in disguise when dealing with matters related to Temar or other personal matters.
When he went to the Great Plain of Anz, he deliberately went through the Hola Mountains to create confusion in case anyone was tracking (at that time, only Joshua was conscious of it), and when he went to Schutzeron Beach, he pretended to be on vacation for a few days.
The third was located in the hiding place of the Felinoids tribe, and it was impossible to enter without their guidance due to its unique characteristic. Nonetheless, the Spectre Corps had tracked Jin and found him.
‘My routes are being exposed.’
Jin wasn’t directly followed by a pursuer.
If he had, there was no way he wouldn't have noticed. Unless it was someone like Yona or Nameless King.
‘Margiella did mention that my movements were exposed to the Vermont Imperial Family. They probably tracked and deduced several important areas from the aliases I used and the revealed movements. That's why they sent people to the Great Plain of Anz and Schutzeron Beach.’
Of course, just because Zipfel and Vermont sent people to the Great Plain of Anz and Schutzeron Beach didn't mean they immediately uncovered meaningful information.
The investigations in those places were already completed, and Jin had taken the recording devices.
However, the fact that "he is being followed" was important in itself.
He had thought that someday it would come to this. Major factions aren't fools.
It was just a bit disappointing that it started to be exposed more quickly than expected.
Being the "12th Flagbearer of Runcandel" was a position where he couldn't carry out covert actions. Not only the Garden of the Sword, but also enemies were naturally eager to scrutinize every move of Jin.
Moreover, the enemies are also searching for Temar's tombs like Jin.
Discovering three tombs alone without any fatal issues so far was nothing short of a miracle.
‘It's partly because I did well, but eventually, there will be a limit. And I was lucky while encountering the Spectre corps in the third tomb; it could have been a significant setback.’
Without the sudden intervention of Kinzelo and the help of Diphus and Mary, Jin could have incurred considerable losses.
‘I need more allies.’
Not just Jin alone, even Jin and Tikan's companions together couldn't stand against Vermont and Zipfel.
Even Runcandel was filled with his enemies, and Kinzelo would eventually participate in the "tomb search competition."
While pondering, someone tapped Jin's shoulder.
"Hey, youngest!"
It was Mary.
"Elder sister."
"What are you thinking so deeply about? Ah, are you thinking about when you'll have a rematch with me?"
Mary sat down beside Jin.
Jin looked at her, slightly flustered.
'If elder sister Mary is a true ally, she could really be dependable.'
Mary already considered Jin as one of her people.
Jin also felt a sense of human fondness and a sentiment akin to sibling affection towards her.
However, Jin had not informed her about the existence of Vin Branche and Picon Minche.
It was because Jin judged that as the 7th Flagbearer, she would most likely use them as the blacksmith of the clan.
But there was a separate reason why Jin couldn't fully trust her.
'As long as my second eldest brother exists, elder sister Mary cannot be entirely on my side.'
Diphus Runcandel, the 4th Flagbearer of the clan.
To make Mary an ally, Diphus had to be brought on board.
But of course, not just Diphus, even Mary had not given up the patriarchy.
'Me, Second Eldest Brother Diphus, elder sister Mary, Joshua. There are four of us who haven't definitively given up on the patriarch's seat.'
And then there was one person whose intentions were entirely uncertain, Luntia Runcandel.
If she too had aimed for the patriarchy, there would be a total of five people competing.
Therefore, trying to approach Diphus to resolve the immediate problem was a reckless gamble.
Trying to win Mary by recruiting Diphus could easily end up with just providing information and being stabbed in the back.
‘Trying to recruit Diphus and Mary right away might be a stretch. But it is possible to use them.’
Diphus and Mary always prioritize choices for the clan as flagbearers, no matter the issue.
Jin smiled inwardly, suddenly reminded of that proposition.
"A rematch, you say? It might be better to conclude this match with your victory, elder sister."
"Huh? Why would that be? Since uncle Tuben barged in, it's only fair to declare it invalid and have a rematch!"
"The match had already been decided even before Sir Tuben came. Your big move caused Ozdock to transform."
"No, do you really think so?"
"Yes."
Of course, Mary knew this.
So she had been thinking about fighting again, but when Jin admitted defeat so easily, it was an entirely unexpected turn of events.
‘But this can't be, right? I would have to wait another three months for a rematch with the youngest!’
Thinking like that, Mary let out a groaning sound.
She knew that the youngest was just as fiercely competitive as she was, so she had anticipated him gladly accepting a rematch.
"I don't think that way. Let's fight again."
"Don't be so stubborn with someone who's admitted defeat."
"Then I will use the command of the winner. My command is a rematch. No problem with that, right?"
"...Did you not bother reading the contract I sent you when we first agreed to the match?"
-In each fight, victory or defeat is based on knocking someone out. The first one to fall is the loser, and the loser must carry out one command from the winner. Of course, we'll make sure there are no unfortunate events, and we'll write the contract accordingly.
-That's appealing. The contract is a bit burdensome, though.
A conversation they had during their first battle. At that time, Jin had actually created a contract and obtained Mary's signature.
Recalling that fact, Mary tilted her head.
"Um... I think I did read it."
"The contract includes clauses about the limits of the winner's command. It states that you cannot demand suicide, expulsion from the clan, property confiscation, etc., from the loser. And it also mentions that you cannot command a rematch."
"Fine with suicide and expulsion from the family, I guess. But why the rematch!?"
"...Do you really think I need to explain that?"
"Then let's say I accept my victory. Let's nullify the whole battle that used that demonic creature and talk about a rematch from the beginning."
"I think the winner had been decided from the moment you mentioned the right of command, elder sister."
Mary had nothing more to say.
"You sly little fox!"
"A flattering compliment."
"Ugh, fine. Okay. You're good. I'll accept that I won. So, I'll really use my command. Hand over that cat."
"If you're talking about Butterfly Runcandel, you can take him as much as you want."
"Butterfly, no. Not Lord Murakan. I mean Shuri, your ruby cat."
"If you read the contract, there's a clause that says the winner cannot give a command that the opponent cannot fulfill. Shuri is already contracted with me, and I can't release it."
"This, this is just unfair."
"Elder sister, please give a more realistic command. It's not that difficult, is it?"
Mary almost grabbed Jin's head in frustration.
But it wasn't Jin's fault. She was the fool for not properly reading the contract... and she had been trying to take advantage of the youngest once again. So, she really didn't have a right to feel aggrieved. She couldn't help the anger welling up, though.
Jin glanced at Mary, who was sulking.
"For example... you could command me to get you some delicious liquor."
"I don't need that kind of thing!"
"Or maybe ask for a few limited edition magazines that Murakan has?"
"The last time I checked, I had an even more amazing collection... ugh, no. Wait, let me see that. Who's the fool here?"
"If you don't like that, you could ask about the information Kinzelo brought me this time. How many practical commands like these do you have?"
Mary's pupils suddenly widened.
Ah, why did I forget about that? Her expression seemed to say. When Kinzelo visited the clan, it was herself who had prevented Gilly from making a mistake.
'It's a bit frustrating to be played by the youngest... Well, it's not bad to know. Diphus Oraboni would also be curious about what was discussed between Mother, Jin, and Kinzelo at that time.'
Since Kinzelo's visit, Rosa had yet to reveal any information about it to the flagbearers.
"Fine, then. What information did Kinzelo give you back then?"
"They told me that various factions, including Zipfel and Vermont, are tracking the legacy of the First Patriarch."
"What? The legacy of the First Patriarch?"
"It is about Temar Runcandel's tomb."
"...The First Patriarch's tomb, what about it?"
"In the tomb, there are the powers and long-held secrets of ancient Runcandel. I was searching for the tomb independently of the clan, and Kinzelo noticed that."
Mary's eyes widened.
"You were searching for the First Patriarch's tomb independently of the clan? Are you saying that Mother knew about this and stayed silent?"
Mary's sudden anger wasn't directed at Jin.
Rosa Runcandel.
Her anger stemmed from the fact that her own mother hadn't disclosed such a crucial matter to the flagbearers until now.
'Surely you didn't expect me to reveal the truth about Temar's tomb to the other flagbearers, Mother.'
Jin nodded, hiding his smile.
