Volume 7 Chapter 169 â The Fragmentor of Chaos (4)
It was a blatant lie, but it was Jinâs only choice since he slipped up in front of Vishukel.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âVishukel Yvliano. Just one mistake and heâll become a pain in the ass. I have to conjure something that heâll believeâ¦â
Vishukel tilted his head, shook it, and kept a sharp eye on Jin.
âTo meet me instead of Bouvard?â
âYes.â
âFor what reason⦠Oh, thatâs why.â
Jin looked hungry for a fight as his expression looked inviting. Vishukel smiled in interest.
âWould you like to duel me as a provisional flag-bearer?â
âNot a bad reaction.â
âItâs embarrassing to admit, but thatâs true. Since I canât personally go to the Yvliano Clan with my current status as a provisional flag-bearer, I first sought Bouvard, someone who Lady Margiela referred to as a âfriendâ.â
Vishukel flinched at the word âfriendâ.
âHm, so youâre basically saying that you tried to meet me through Bouvard.â
Vishukel didnât ask Jin as to how he found the workshopâs location. There was no reason for the Runcandels to not investigate Bouvard who dueled the banquetâs host.
âAlthough, I wasnât lying about having a bust of my father created. If I knew that Bouvard was the most talented fragmentor of this city, I wouldnât have searched the streets this entire time.â
A silence passed.
Jin didnât know if his lies worked on Vishukel, but he wasnât desperate to find out. Vishukel took out a cigarette.
Scritch.
He scraped a match on the boxâs match striker, and smoke fluttered into the air.
Vishukel took a second puff when half of the cigarette was burnt as he organized his thoughts on Jinâs unexpected appearance.
ââ¦That day, the duel was quite memorable. I also waited for the day to duel you.â
âThank you for the compliments.â
âHowever, now is not the time.â
âWhy not?â
âEven though a rose grows some thorns, I should never step on a growing flower. Young Master, as someone older than you, allow me to advise you. Excessive bloodlust is poisonous.â
Jinâs pupils shook.
âLook at this guyâ¦â
It was a lie turned challenge, but he didnât need to be this patronizing.
However, Jin shouldnât rebuke it.
âAfter becoming a provisional flag-bearer, I fought many enemies. But it seemed my opponents were always a bit lacking. I donât get the same rush that I got when I fought you. The feeling of using the Mindâs Blade.â
âPlease donât embody your current achievements as your whole self, Young Master.â
âThose achievements almost caused some horrible accidents on the duel that day.â
The level of provocation rose.
Nonetheless, Jin knew that Vishukel wouldnât want to fight him anyway.
âHe isnât someone to fall for these provocations, and he wonât earn anything out of a battle.â
Vishukel was currently an 8-star. Jin was announced to be a 5-star at the banquet. A sizable skill gap existed between them.
However, Vishukel knew that Jinâs achievements werenât small after one and a half years since the banquet. Though, he didnât think that those achievements were relevant towards the outcome of the battle.
Vishukel rubbed the ashes of the cigarette on the wall, then sighed.
âPlease stop, Young Master Jin. I donât want to get tired from such extraneous business. I came here on vacation. Donât you think itâs a little disrespectful?â
âI apologize for that.â
Fwip!
Vishukel created a palm-sized blade with his aura and cut Jinâs bangs. Before the blade disappearedâbefore the hairs fell to the groundâhe cut the falling strands once more.
Realizing what happened half a beat later, Jin felt a cold sensation creeping up his back, and Bouvard thought Vishukel beheaded the Runcandel.
âIâm showing you in case you didnât understand. Do you think youâd stand a chance after failing to react to that?â
He was right.
Excluding the fact that Jin didnât react on purpose.
âI almost instinctively dodged it. Shoot, I would have duel him for real then.â
Jin didnât want to duel either. The goading was all just to wash his body off from Vishukelâs suspicion and catch his attention so that Yona could do her job.
Bouvard smacked his lips after seeing that Jin was still alive.
âWhy didnât you just cut this insolent bastard, Sir Vishukel? It would have felt great.â
âBouvard, are you out of your mind? What are you gonna do when Young Master Jin becomes a flag-bearer in the future?â
âThat kid will definitely die before he does. I can tell just from him fearlessly challenging you. He thinks heâs on top of the world just because heâs a Runcandelââ
âBouvard Gaston.â
Jin turned and stomped towards Bouvard.
âWhat? Why?â
âHow will you deal with me?â
âHmph. You think Iâm scared?â
Shing!
Jin unsheathed Bradamante.
âYoung Master Jin?â
âI admit my hubris and discourtesy, Lord Vishukel. I am no different from a child who canât even clash swords with you. However, this fellow talking bad of Runcadel is another problemâ¦â
Jin wasnât simply making a scene; he really wanted to kill him. Bouvard flinched and tried to scramble behind Vishukel.
âOne more step and Iâll kill you, Bouvard.â
âYoung Master Jin, please stop.â
âLord Vishukel, if your clan was slandered, would you remain still?â
Vishukel could not answer. It was true that Bouvard spoke poorly about the Runcandels.
âI could take some of Bouvardâs comments towards me since you were in front of me. However, towards my clan⦠Heâs one crazy fellow.â
Watching the situation unfold, Bouvard didnât blabber a single word. He realized that he would actually die if he moved a muscle.
âHaaa, I understand. However, in this case, Iâm going to have to stop you as well.â
âThen do so.â
âAnd what if you die?â
âEven if I die, I will kill him and protect the Runcandel name. Of course, since I am a provisional flag-bearer, you will face no consequences.â
âIf you kill Bouvard at this moment, I will kill you. If that happens, whatâs the point of protecting the Runcandel name?â
âEven if the clan doesnât find out, I will not be ashamed of myself.â
âMust you do this?!â
Vishukel raised his voice for the first time.
âShit! Itâs my fault for not controlling that damned bastardâs mouth. The young master isnât joking right now. What to doâ¦?â
Cold sweat dripped down from Vishukelâs nape. His desire to kill Bouvard was stronger than Jinâs, but in order to finish Kinzeloâs project, he had to keep him alive.
However, Jin and Bouvard were too close to stop. The only way to stop Jin would be to cut his arm or throat before he could move.
Yet Vishukel was not confident in cutting his arm.
In his waist was only his belt. Before Jin came, Vishukel was eating sweet potato croquettes, so he unarmed himself. He could conjure a blade with his aura, but a small blade like that wouldnât work.
To cut the arm, Vishukel needed a longer sword, but with that size, Bouvardâs head would go off first. Hence, Vishukelâs only choice was to cut Jin by the throat.
âIf Jin Runcandel dies, will Lord Cyron really do nothing?â
Cyron was not the type to seek such vengeance. It was true that he valued Jin, but the moment the Runcandel Clan reacted to the death of a provisional flag-bearer, they would be labeled as hypocrites.
Vishukel couldnât be certain, however. The first provisional flag-bearer to have an honorary banquet after Luna killed in the hands of an Yvliano. What if that rumor spreadâ¦?
He predicted that, on top of the Yvliano Clan, the Kinzelo Group would also take a toll.
âI just need to hide it. No, I canât. Too many people saw his face in the workshop street.â
Putting the panicking Vishukel behind him, Jin opened his mouth.
âI will count to three, Bouvard. During that time, kneel and apologize with your life! One!â
âKneel, Bouvard!â
Vishukel screamed. If Bouvard just kneeled, this awkward situation would all come to a close.
âTwo.â
âKneâ!â
Thump!
Bouvardâs chubby knees hit the ground. Vishukel sighed in relief, and Jin put his sword on Bouvardâs throat.
âI did as youâ!â
âYouâre not done. Now, apologize. I should hear something I like before my hand slips.â
Bouvard trembled in anger and shame, and Vishukelâs heart dropped.
âI⦠did you wrongâ¦â
Jin sheathed his sword and smiled.
âIf it werenât for Lord Vishukel, I wouldâve killed you. That is the usual consequence for slandering the Runcandel Clan. Thank him, Fragmentor.â
Jin then walked to Vishukel and bowed.
âI have committed many acts of discourtesy, Lord Vishukel. If itâll help, you may beat me as much as you like.â
Vishukel smacked his forehead.
ââ¦I knew that Runcandels were like fire, but you are on another level. You were in no wrong to punish Bouvard. I show approval as the patriarch of the Yvliano Clan.â
He was genuinely impressed.
âHeâs definitely a handful, but no other flag-bearer of Runcandel would do this. Jin Runcandel, you have surprised me many times since the banquet.â
He made sure to make Bouvard shut up in front of any stranger since then.
âHowever, I hope we donât have such chaotic encounters in the future. Please donât forget that I didnât attack you because Bouvard deserved his punishment.â
âI wonât forget.â
âYou are free to leave.â
Jin left the workshop, and Vishukel stared at his figure getting smaller and smaller.
Once Jin was no longer in sight, he finally spat curses.
After hearing five or six horrible words, Bouvard grabbed Vishukel and let out depthless excuses. Then, he silently went to the basement.
âItâs my first time seeing Sir Vishukel that angry. Jin Runcandel, that bastard. He was so disrespectfulâ¦!â
Bouvard would never realize that Vishukelâs anger was towards him instead of Jin.
When Bouvard returned to the first floor, he had many croquettes in his arms.
Rustle, rustle.
âPlease eat this and calm down, Sir Vishukel. Errrr, that rat bastard will never live a long life.â