Volume 6 Chapter 148 â Accidental Victory (2)
[Translator â jhei]
[Proofreader â yukitokata]
Owal lightened the pressure he placed upon Jin. The bottomless darkness soaked the atmosphere, but Beradinâs and Danteâs snoring didnât change one bit.
Owal already used some needles to paralyze them. Now, instead of his fighting spirit, he could immobilize Jin with just his glare.
Jinâs body trembled regardless of his resolve, but he didnât feel any fear.
He shook because his body couldnât take all of the energy being emitted by Owal.
âI didnât say it on purpose, but heâs furious just because I brought up Elder Sister Yonaâs name. It means itâs sensitive information, basically resulting in the leaderâs wrath.â
In fact, Owal revealed his own weakness. Even now, all he did was glare at Jin, and he didnât look like he was going to take Jinâs life.
âI kinda get itâ¦â
He concluded his calculations.
All thanks to the past few days that Yona presented to him.
âThe Leader of Nameless is incredibly strong, but when it comes to assassination skills, Elder Sister Yona is one level above him based on Namelessâs principles.â
When Jin first spent his time in the intermediate cadetâs house, Yona observed him in the cramped second floor for over an hour. Afterwards, she constantly stalked Jin close by, indiscriminate between open or cramped spaces.
Without being spotted. That was a skill incomparable to assassination, and Jin had been mistaken thinking that he was just weak or Namelessâs best assassins was a little better.
It wasnât that at all.
If basic assassination were the goal, the Leader of Nameless could take Jinâs life without him knowing. However, even the leader couldnât make a feat like Yona had.
Not just in Nameless. No one in the entire world could mimic Yona Runcandelâs skills.
Jin suddenly remembered Lunaâs words before he became a provisional flag-bearer.
âAmong the siblings, is there anyone you feel a threat from?
âNobody for a one-on-one. Maybe Luntia or Dipus? Or maybe you in the futureâ¦? However, Yona is really dangerous.
âElder Sister Yona? Because of poison?
âNo, sheâs an assassin. Assassins can take anyoneâs life if they lower their guard. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
At the time, Jin thought it was just a reminder about the danger of assassins. However, he just realized the hidden meaning behind Lunaâs words.
âI wouldnât care if I rip you apart right now, but just to be considerate of Lord Cyron, Iâll turn a blind eye for you.â
Owal responded in a soft voice, Jin stood and bowed.
âHe mentioned Father because he had a reason to. To guarantee that heâll never kill me, even if I slander Elder Sister Yona.â
Jin liked the fact that there was less of a reason to die at Owalâs hand.
Moreover, he became more certain that the leader came to save him.
âThe Leader of Nameless came so he could save me from my sister. The deaths of Dante and Beradin from Yonaâs horseplay would be problematic for the leader.â
Jin willed down his smirk.
He liked his ability and position to throw threats, but a weakness was more effective when it was held in hand than shaking it provokingly. With the attitude that he could squeeze and make it explode whenever he wanted.
Unfortunately for him, he caught another weakness aside from YonaâBeradin and Dante.
âI apologize. I was naive and provoked you. I will receive any punishment.â
âYou thought I wouldnât know? With an expression that tells me that you know why Iâm here. No matter how courageous you are, that demeanor is impossible unless you are certain of your survival.â
That was Namelessâs leader. Jinâs mask became useless, but he didnât really care.
Exaggerated respect and etiquette would be futile against these types of people.
âIt was a poor choice of words that disrespected you. I donât want to make such mistakes twice. Iâm certain that you have come for Dante and Beradin who are lying over there.â
âCorrect. Killing you, a provisional flag-bearer, wouldnât be much of a problem, but theyâre a different story. If you obey my words well, then Iâll dismiss your mockery from before. Iâll also forget about your relationship with those two.â
âIâm listening.â
The leader alleviated his anger and lit a cigar.
âStarting tonight, instead of cadets, white-masked executioners will come for you. You three must stick together, and make sure to seek the town square while escaping.â
Hearing the orders, Jin extrapolated that the leader could no longer control Yona.
If the leader wanted to save Dante and Beradin, then he just had to exclude them from being targets. However, he chose to come to Jin and offered him advice instead.
âMay I ask why?â
âYou still have the courage to scorn me?â
âNo, sir. I will do as you say.â
âAnd when the day after tomorrow comes, make sure to escort the two successors out of the city. At all costs. If they do not listen, take them down and throw them out.â
âSo I should be alone.â
âYou understood well. The executioners will come thrice.â
Owalâs simulation went like this:
Since Yona had three opportunities, he would help the teens for the first two times, but the final time would be to not raise suspicion.
If Yona found out, Nameless would be flipped inside out. So if Dante and Beradin ran away, she would forget about them.
Since the one most important to Yona, Jin, remained in the city until the last day of the challenge.
âYona will send an intermediate, advanced, then a master executioner. Since she intends to help her brotherâs growth instead of killing Beradin and Dante.â
The three could never survive a master executioner. Neither would Jin alone.
âIf Dante and Beradin leave, it doesnât matter if Jin lives or not. Well, itâd be nice if he survives and makes Yona happy, but thatâs too much to ask.â
It was still possible that Yona would step in and save Jin before the master executioner kills him.
Owal honestly thought that was the only way.
Organizing his thoughts, the leader rubbed the light of his cigar on his finger.
âSir.â
âSpeak.â
âYou have just told me to face death. Since you told me to survive where itâd be challenging even with my companions.â
âSo you are saying that you canât do it?â
âNo, sir. However, I believe that I should also have a reward for risking my life. At least, in the case where I successfully execute your orders.â
Owal nodded.
âAlright, Iâll heed your request. What do you want?â
âThe Thousand-Poison Antidote.â
âYou crazy bastard.â
âIs that not possible?â
Unable to express Jinâs shamelessness in words, Owal burst into laughter.
âThat wouldnât be possible, even for Lord Cyron.â
âHmâ¦â
Maybe that was too far.
âI was going to get it through Elder Sister Yona anyway, but if the leader were to give it to me directly, itâll be guaranteed. And I wonât need to deal with him if I get it from my sister. But now that I think about it, itâs too far-fetched.â
Knowing that his request had been rejected, Jin wasnât too disappointed. It was just a crazy thought that was worth a try.
âRequest something else. If you speak more nonsense, I wonât give you more opportunities to speak.â
Jin enunciated what he wanted, syllable by syllable, and Owalâs eyes widened.
ââ¦Alright. You can request that in exchange for risking your life. However, you must keep the two successors alive.â
Owal would fulfill Jinâs request only if Jin satisfied his conditions and survived.
âThank you for understanding. I will keep your promise.â
Jin internally screamed in happiness.
The moment the leader accepted the deal, Jin deduced that he was unstoppable in Samil.
About to leave the inn, the leader glanced back at Jin.
âAnd let me offer you some words of wisdom.â
âI will listen with gratitude.â
âThereâs only a few who we canât kill with ease, but we do not senselessly kill everyone. Do you know why that is?â
Having already decoded Owalâs intention, Jin looked up at him.
Owal was gently scolding him, who toyed with the Leader of Nameless.
âBecause a weapon that could fatally wound a man is more frightening when held in hand. And wielding such a weapon without care could result in a commotion.â
And Jin was dropping more hints to âthe leader whom he owed.â
âHuh! Then why did youââ
Owal halted mid-sentence and stopped in his tracks. He shook his head.
âWait, Jin Runcandel, that kid⦠Did he not know that Yona was our weaknessâ¦?! Since I didnât ask about the cityâs destruction first, he already predicted that our meeting was about Yona?â
He remembered his expressive self that overreacted when Yonaâs name was mentioned, and for the first time in a while, he felt embarrassed. A feeling of shame and failure washed over him.
He lost to a child in a game. The ruler of the city, the man deemed as the king of assassins.
âI canât even look at him anymore. Shit. Iâm an embarrassment. Even if heâs a pureblood, heâs last in line and only a provisional flag-bearer. Of course he doesnât know a lot about Yona.â
Jin sarcastically bowed and hid his smile.
ââ¦Terrific.â
Owalâs short, deep complement echoed in the room, and the moment he stepped out of the inn, he disappeared.
As he returned to his chamber, the leader felt disappointed. The youngest son of the Runcandel Clan was fated to die at the hands of Yonaâs master executioner.
Beradin and Danteâs paralysis disappeared, and they couldnât even conceive what happened while they were asleep.
* * *
Reaper Scans
* * *
âEven the lord couldnât have known that the provisional flag-bearer was friends with the successors of the Zipfels and Hairans⦠Weâve obtained some interesting information we can report.â
âThereâs also something between Yona and the provisional flag-bearer. Since we witnessed the situation, the evidence will soon start pouring in.â
A group of men were having a discussion. They were in an advanced cadetâs home. The house owners had a chain around their throat, suffocated to death.
The group were Joshuaâs henchmen.
âWe arenât done just because we got some information. And since the level of the assassins after the youngest sonâs head is increasing, watch very closely. Donât forget that he canât die yet.â
However, they forgot that Namelessâs best executioner resided in the building across them.
The executioner had been stalking them since they came into the city, watching them every single moment.
âââââ
âââ
âââââ