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"Kyaaaah!"
"Uuuh!"
Nobles and merchants who had not learned martial arts reflexively screamed. They mistakenly thought that Lata had attacked Jin, and they had a hard time grasping the situation even when they saw Lata's severed finger on the ground.
"What is the meaning of this, Lata Proch!"
"This is the Garden of Swords!"
The eyes of the guardian knights who aimed their swords at Lata's neck flickered.
Although ten swords were pressing against his neck, the guardian knights felt one thing: if Lata decided, he could easily push away their swords and move as he pleased.
'Ghost leader is more dangerous than the rumors suggest. He can still overwhelm us even with his finger cut off.'
'He just cut off his own finger, but what would have happened if he had decided to attack the 12th flagbearer…'
The guardian knights who thought that far shook their heads inwardly.
'It doesn't seem like anything significant happened. The 12th flagbearer is no ordinary monster either.'
A sticky stream of blood flowed from the severed surface, and Jin stared at it without any movement.
What is the meaning of this?
Jin didn't ask such a question. He simply waited with an expressionless face. He expected Lata to explain the reason for his actions first.
That's why Jin didn't take out his sword, even though Lata made a sudden move. On the contrary, Jin radiated an even more mysterious aura.
In the first place, the weight is different. Regardless of his battle prowess, Jin possesses a dignity that's difficult to describe....
Lata felt that way. He wondered why he had realized this fact so late. Jin had something different from the other supernovae he had met until now.
"I understand, let me formally introduce myself again. I am the owner of the Ghost Castle, the leader of the Ghost mercenary Corps, Lata Proch."
Everyone in the hall couldn't help but be surprised by his polite tone.
It was a natural reaction since everyone had heard rumors about the Ghost leader more than once or twice. The image of the Ghost leader that ordinary people had was that of a cruel king of fiends without blood or tears.
"I am Jin Runcandel, 12th flagbearer of Runcandel."
"I came to the Garden of Swords today to apologize for the rudeness I committed at the Sword Emperor Castle last time."
Jin looked down at the severed finger. "So that's why you cut off your finger?"
"That's right."
Losing one finger did not cause significant damage to Lata's martial prowess. It might be a problem for ordinary martial artists, but this level of hindrance was insignificant for those who had already attained a certain level of mastery.
However, Lata cutting off his own finger meant that he was willing to pay the price in blood.
"Put away your swords."
At Jin's command,the guardian knights withdrew the swords that had been against Lata's neck.
"Sir Lata."
"Yes, please speak."
"There is no grudge between you and me. So, sir, you don't need to apologize to me, and your finger has no value to me."
Lata's pupils trembled.
But it wasn't trembling with shame or humiliation. The emotion in his eyes seemed closer to anxiety.
"...Even if I cut a few more?"
No, seriously, why do you keep wanting to cut your fingers?
Instead of asking that question, Jin chose a different response.
"It's the same even if you cut your arm instead of your fingers, sir."
"Damn it, I should have prepared something else. How can I cover my mistake? Tell me. I'll do my best."
At this point, the people inside the hall were exchanging glances with each other. Was this person really the Ghost leader? Everyone had such reactions, and even the guardian knights, who couldn't show their feelings, were deeply shocked.
Even Jin himself couldn't help but feel perplexed.
'Lata Proch couldn't be that kind of person. Why is he acting so obedient?'
The reason Jin was slightly belittling Lata at the moment was for a different purpose.
Lata's personality. In other words, Jin was behaving like this because it was necessary to look intimidating and challenging when dealing with a beast-like person.
Since hierarchy is highly important among beasts, it thought it necessary to make it clear that he was superior to Lata.
Therefore, Jin was expecting another duel in this process.
The duel at the Sword Emperor Castle had actually ended in Jin's favor, but due to the terrorist attack, the outcome was not decided.
'I thought Lata would run wild and attack me because of my attitude, and I was going to use that as an excuse for a duel.'
It would undoubtedly be a good outcome if he defeats the Ghost leader in front of the entire clan. Then, they would proceed to acknowledge each other in a warm atmosphere and naturally convey that he had received considerable favor from the Ghost mercenaries.
That was the scenario Jin hoped for in this meeting.
'If he comes out like this, there will be no need to fight.'
There is no need for another duel, and it's clear to anyone that Lata was showing a submissive attitude.
'Come to think of it, Lata kept hovering around me during my stay at the Sword Emperor Castle after the terrorist incident. I thought he might be trying to negotiate under different conditions for Faye's release. Could it be that he was looking for an opportunity to apologize to me?'
Drip, drip. Thick drops of blood continued to fall from Lata's severed finger onto the ground.
"Sir Lata, to be honest, I thought you were going to challenge me again."
"I'm not that much of a fool. I realized back then that I'm not even close to being able to fight against you, 12th flagbearer."
In the end, when Lata said that, people in the hall started murmuring.
'What is he saying?'
'They had a duel before the terrorist attack at the Sword Emperor Castle,, and there were rumors that the 12th flagbearer had the upper hand.'
'No matter how you look at it, can the difference be so significant that the Ghost leader would say that?'
Since many martial artists had judged Jin's superiority over Lata during the duel, 'Runcandel's 12th flagbearer' and 'Ghost leader' were positions where the latter carried more weight.
"In that case, Sir Lata, it seems you owe me a debt rather than apologizing to me. Do you remember?"
-Are you suggesting a wager through a duel?
-Isn't there something you need from me?
-Before I kill you, I'll have you sign a blood oath then.
-Blood oath or whatever, if you win, I'll grant whatever you desire. Whether you take my life or engage in any act that can humiliate me while I'm still breathing, it's all fair game. But if I win.
Lata recalled the conversation from their previous duel and said, "Of course, I remember."
"Sir Lata, you need to become even stronger than you are now to fulfill my request. It's not the time for cutting your fingers. However, I have doubts about whether you are truly the person who can take on my request. Guardian Knights, quickly bring the medical team director to my room."
"Yes!"
Swish!
Then, Jin used his ice barrier seal magic to preserve Lata's severed finger before saying, "Follow me."
As they left the reception room and made their way to Jin's room, a powerful vibration occurred within the Garden of Sword.
It wasn't a natural phenomenon like an earthquake; it was the result of someone using tremendous power. The sky even darkened with an ominous darkness.
Lata had experienced such a phenomenon once before when Murakan had used his power at the Sword Emperor Castle.
"This is the Guardian Dragon's..."
"Oh, it seems to have started. You don't need to worry about it."
Lata wondered what had started, but he refrained from asking when he noticed that it wasn't something Jin wished to discuss.
On their way to the room, Jin pondered why Lata was behaving this way.
'I hope he didn't suddenly change his attitude without reason.'
The director of the medical team, whom the guardian knights had summoned, arrived in the room first. He quickly reattached Lata's finger and then disappeared abruptly.
"...Thank you."
"Enough with the pleasantries; let's get to the point. Why are you behaving like this?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The Lata I remember had a significant grudge against me and was a very reckless person. That's why he challenged me to a duel and nearly embarrassed himself."
"Hmm! hmm, that's..."
"If you don't provide a reasonable explanation for this sudden change in attitude, I won't accept any price of victory from you."
Lata's eyes widened, and after a moment's hesitation, he nodded and finally spoke, "I have fallen for a man named Jin Runcandel."
Jin was nearly about to spew out the tea that Gilly had served him.
"You fell for me? That's not a convincing reason to do all this. Just because of something like that?"
Jin's eyes narrowed and he continued with a stern expression. It was the first time anger had crept onto his face.
"I think the elders of my clan might have commissioned the Ghost mercenaries to assassinate me. Then you should make up for your failure and carry out the request again. Does it make sense for you to try to join me?"
If Lata was really resorting to such actions solely based on having "fallen for," Jin had no intention of considering him an ally.
"That doesn't make any sense. If I were from a prestigious knight family like you. But, Sir Jin, I'm just a mercenary who lives by the sword. I can act vile and lowly, just like any other despicable beast. Especially in times like these."
"In times like these? Please explain."
"I dueled with you, Sir Jin, and we went through the terrorist attack at the Sword Emperor Castle together. After that, I stayed at the Sword Emperor Castle for about two weeks, and observed how the situation unfolded. As a result, I reached one conclusion."
"What conclusion?"
"If the Ghost mercenary corps has to survive, it can no longer remain neutral."
-An alliance? The Ghost mercenaries never allies themselves with any faction. We only have contracts and clients. Jin Runcandel, I challenge you to a duel.
This statement Lata made at the banquet contradicted not only his previous words but also directly negated the values upheld by the Ghost mercenary corps as a mercenary organization.
"That day was a special day for me. It was the moment I realized my arrogance through our duel, and the terrorist attack gave me confidence that the future war and power dynamics would take a completely different form from what I knew."
The underground tunnels, demonic creatures, living golems, massive battleships, and shape-shifting mages, and above all, the overwhelming power and regeneration ability displayed by the demon.
Just as Lata said, Kinzelo's terrorist attack that day was shattering the common sense held by most people.
"Despite that, the Imperial Family didn't protect Hairan afterward. Even when such a crazy group attacked the Sword Emperor Castle, they acted as if even the Sword Emperor Castle with Sir Ron had little use for the imperial family."
"They might have seen it as a good opportunity to keep Hairan in check, don't you think?"
"Thinking of it that way, it still seems like Sir Ron's power is too enormous. The Imperial Family must have had their own preparations, and perhaps they decided to abandon Hairan because of that. If the Imperial family was ready for such a situation, then I wonder what Runcandel or Zipfel would be like. I saw Kinzelo's power myself."
Since that day, Lata had a feeling that a "new era" was dawning. He believed that a burdensome era had opened up where it was difficult to continue living as a mere martial artist or a mercenary group.
Even Ron Hairan was treated as unnecessary, let alone the Ghost mercenaries.
That's why he judged that he should choose wisely who would seize the hegemony of the new era and form an alliance with them.
"From that perspective, I'm convinced that you will be the next patriarch of Runcandel. That's why I've come here to stand on your side, Sir Jin. Does this explanation suffice now?"