An obnoxiously heavy sword.
Orgal's Pendant.
The Phoenix Heart.
And the manuscript of the secret tomes.
These were the physical gains Jin had obtained during his stay in the Storm Castle. And according to Murakan's explanation, Jin could use the pendant to summon Luna once. Moreover, the artifact's effect also provided him a lethal immunity against 5-star or lower attack spells.
'Not like I want to summon her for trivial purposes.' Jin thought while sitting in the kitchen, his mind and body immersed in two different places.
Furthermore, the pendant possessed the capability to almost nullify the impacts of magic spells casted on the wearer.
Even though two years had elapsed since Jin consumed the Phoenix Heart, his body had not yet completely assimilated its effects. Merely one month after ingesting the heart, Jin diligently assessed the extent of his body's absorption by daily placing his finger in contact with the flame of a candle.
"Lady Mary would be very proud of you if she were here, Young Master." Gilly remarked with a smile.
As expected, Jin proceeded to place his index finger above a candle flame today as well, just as he had been doing for some time.
Astonishingly, the flame, as it made contact with the tip of his finger, had no discernible effect. Jin experienced no sensation of burning; it felt as if he had dipped his finger into lukewarm water. This sight filled Gilly with elation, and she approached the young boy slowly, her heart brimming with joy.
"It's also my first time seeing the effects of the Phoenix Heart. And as your nanny, I'm overjoyed to know that the beneficiary of the heart is you, Young Master Jin."
"Hm. Good to know."
The short, detached replies started taking lesser and lesser impact on Gilly. At first, she thought Jin had disdain for her. However, after all these years, she came to a realisation. The youngest was just like that. If anything, he definitely cared more about Gilly than his own brothers.
That thought alone filled her with elation and joy.
"Is it the full extent of absorption though? For it to be deemed such a divine thing, only withstanding a candle shouldn't be enough, right?" Jin asked out loud as Gilly turned around.
"I am very sorry, but I am unaware of it." She replied.
Jin placed his chin over his left palm as he continued to hover his finger over the candle flame. 'Resistance to candle flame can be developed over a set period of time anyways. Surely, if she wants to fight me, she won't give me something as useless as this. Maybe I am only partway of absorbing it.'
His thought process wasn't off the mark. His body had still not absorbed majority of it.
'But is it the same for all flames?'
A sudden curiosity welled up in his mind. Hiding his hands under the table, he ignited fire on one finger and shoved it into the palm of his other hand. The sweltering heat took him by surprise, but it wasn't something outside his tolerance.
'I am not fully resistant against flames generated with magic. Hm, maybe it depends on the absorption rate of the phoenix heart and the star level of magic. Hmmmm.... This means I can't summon any phoenix until I fully absorb it. It can hurt me as well.'
He was correct.
The flames that are constantly swirling around the mystical beasts known as phoenixes generally have the force of 5-star spells. So, whenever a phoenix flaps its wings, it's no different from having 5-star fire magic being shot out constantly. And unfortunately, these flames can also injure the magician who summoned the phoenix. So even if someone were to become a 6-star magician, it would be difficult to summon and use a phoenix unless they have a high resistance against flames.
"You seem to be quite loved by your sisters, Young Master. There's Lady Luna, Lady Luntia as well as Lady Mary. I wonder how you will repay their affection, hohoho."
"Hm, yeah. Loved...I guess you can call it love as well."
Jin shivered. The crazy stories about Mary and the overwhelming pressure he had felt from Luntia. For the most part, surely, it wasn't entirely love. However, it was a form of love. Just not the conventional type. It was the kind of love that involved severing each other's limbs and bringing each other to brink of death.
An intense love. Something Jin wasn't really fond of.
He was fonder of someone like Luna. No fighting. No extravagant things. Just living in a faraway village without anyone bothering. However, Luna had earned that place. Jin had yet to do it.
"I don't really have to repay it all." Jin shrugged. Gilly's ears drooped a little. Recently she had the notion that her young master was making some progress on the emotional front, but it seemed like she was wrong.
A distinct knock resonated slowly, drawing Jin's attention away from his current activity. A voice from the other side identified the visitor, "This is Khan, Young Master Jin. It's time for your training."
Jin acknowledged the message with a nod, responding, "Ok."
Currently, Jin was training two skills simultaneously.
He was learning Shadow Energy release from Murakan in the underground chamber and was being taught the Runcandel martial arts by Khan, a knight at the castle. As a result, Jin had no time to rest on a daily basis. When he opened the door and exited his room, Khan politely bowed.
Jin looked up at Khan.
Understanding what he meant, he spoke up. "In the morning, we'll study combat footwork. Around noon, it will be the different striking techniques using both punches and kicks. Then, we'll tackle joint lock techniques in the evening together with some general physical training."
'What a pain...'
Watching his reaction, Khan fell into deep thought. Was he not teaching him properly? Was he not enough to entertain the youngest of the Runcandels that he has to feel this tired?
Thinking about all these things made him tense up.
Khan had taught the clan's combat techniques to a total of six Runcandel children in the Storm Castle.
The Tona twins, who had left two years ago; Jin's sixth sister, Yona; his fifth sister, Anne; his fourth sister, Myu; and finally, Jin himself.
'Young Master has the same weak presence as Lady Yona... I mustn't slack off in teaching him! I am already running out of things to teach him...'
Khan was at a rather peculiar crossroad. He had to teach a particular set of skills to the Runcandel children inside the Storm Castle. That set of skills was definitely achievable, but it was extremely difficult to do so. Even Luna had some trouble absorbing everything that was thrown at her.
However, although Jin didn't seem to be "naturally" talented with most of the things, he was like a sponge. He absorbed every last bit of technique that Khan showed him, broke it down and then perfected it.
There was a pre-set answer to everything. During the exhausting physical training when Jin would sweat buckets, during the exercises where he'd get bruised and his youthful skin would tear and burst, even during the spars when he'd get thrown onto the floor. He had a form of 'contingency' for every situation.
It was eerie. Even for a Runcandel.
However, his pride as their Guardian Knight swelled even more.
Khan focused his attention as a flame of enthusiasm sparked in his eyes. He and Jin then moved to the training grounds inside the castle.
"Young Master Jin."
"Hm?"
"It's a great honour to be able to instruct you, Young Master. I promise to provide you the best possible training regime and guide you to the best of my abilities in the next few months, until your 10th birthday."
"Thanks for bearing with me."
It was a rare occasion for the Young Master to utter a sentence instead of humming. Khan thought of this as pride and arrogance. But actually, he just had social anxiety. Poor boy was misunderstood. Or rather, he was too tired all the time to speak?
Who knows.
"Ok, young master, here I come."
Saying that, both of them immediately got into their respective stances. The world around them blurred as Jin kept his eyes on Khan, analysing him. He was still quite weak to even comprehend Khan's full powered movements, but he wasn't going all out.
Going all out would be stretch. He wasn't really trying much. However, that was only concerned with the aura augmentation. Khan was still trying his very best with technique execution. He had to leave no opening, or else Jin would immediately catch up to it.
'He's like a merciless beast. He only attacks the weak area...which is practical.'
Jin launched the first attack, his lean frame moving with an instant burst of precision. His blows were swift, his form impeccable, yet there was a subtle awkwardness to his movements, as if he hadn't quite grown into his new body.
Khan parried Jin's attacks effortlessly, his years of experience evident as he countered with a series of measured strikes.
Their fists collided, each impact echoing through the room.
Khan's moves were fluid and practiced, his technique honed through countless years of brutal battles and duels alongside his liege---Cyron and missions he fulfilled for the Runcandel Clan.
Jin, however, was a work in progress, or rather that is what it seemed like.
There were moments when to Khan, it seemed like a slightly larger frame would have allowed him to put up an even more formidable fight.
Khan's keen observation didn't escape him. He recognized Jin's potential but understood the limitations he was currently working with. It was a frustrating realisation for someone as determined as Khan, who had always strived for perfection via experience, yet the boy in front of him seemed to be reading him like a book.
Only limitation was just that his body wasn't keeping up with his brain.
The training session continued; the combatants locked in a silent duel.
Jin adapted quickly, learning from Khan's movements and adjusting his own tactics. With every clash, he grew more in tune with his body, discovering its capabilities and limitations. Khan was a patient teacher, allowing Jin to explore and experiment.
With every blow that previously landed on Jin's face and made him fall to the ground, the same blow never landed. Khan's leeway to let him experiment as much as he wanted was nurturing his attunement with his new body. It filled his heart with pride.
'The youngest master is just as talented as the eldest lady, if not more.'
Khan steeled his resolve and started landing even heavier blows than before. Swinging his hand in an uppercut, Jin backed half a step as the knuckles slightly grazed his chin. However, seeing as Jin was on his heels, it was the perfect time to throw him off-balance.
Khan boxed in, delivering two lightning-fast jabs: one to his gut and other to his face. Jin reduced the impact of one by raising his knee and cushioning the effect to his gut while the other jab was deflected as he spun his body and kicked his punch with his shin. The trajectory changed as he got closer.
His presence almost disappeared for a second as Khan felt him disappear and reappear in front of him. Twisting his torso, Jin punched at his face that was lowered now due to the trajectory being offset, however, Khan recovered and landed a knee into his gut.
Jin placed both hands on his knee and pushed it away, however, the difference in age applied to their physical strengths as well. His body caved in before falling on his knee. However, he pushed the ground and stood up again.
'He's a lot better than the martial arts masters I had faced...'
Jin felt praise for him.
Coughing, Jin spat some saliva mixed with drops of blood from his mouth.
"I apologise yo---"
"No need. Its ok."
"...I am grateful for overlooking this matter. We can end the training session here today."
Jin straightened his back and stood up, looking into Khan's eyes. Extending his hands up like a praying mantis, he spoke. "We end it when I am satisfied. And I am far from it."
An uncontrolled smile appeared on Khan's face as he bowed his head. "Sure thing, young master."
(***)
"Kyaaaaaa! We're packing up our bags with grace,no more of this forsaken place!We've had our fill of stress and strife,So long, adieu, on with our life!" Murakan happily hopped all over the place, his face fill of tears of happiness.
"Can you please stay quiet? My ears are still ringing." Jin sat with the wall as his back support, a huge blue mark under his eyes and blood stains over his chin. A huge cut marked his lips as he pressed a sack of ice against his right cheek.
"Nope. Let me sing." Murakan rejected. He was far so happy today. "We're leaving, we're believing, this town we won't be grieving.Goodbye to all the woes we face,we are finally leaving this goddamned place!"
He sang lyrics he made on the spot, kicking the debris of mess that he made a while ago.
"Are you that happy?" Jin asked, looking at him from the corner of his eyes.
"Of course, I am. This place feels like a cage!" Murakan cried. "No more thundering nights to face,Or endless rain that's such a disgrace.We'll find new lands, a sunny space, a change of scene, a fresh embrace! Lalalalalalalalaaaaaaaaa~"
"The weather is quite nice here though." Jin spoke out loud.
"You madman! Well, you are Temar's descendent so it's no wonder you would be crazy. Fair, fair." Murakan had given up on the mental stability of Jin. He had the notion Jin would go crazy before the actual time comes up.
Once again, the innocent boy was being misunderstood. Because he said it with such a straight face, Murakan actually thought he liked this weather. Jin was just trying to joke.
Two years had swiftly slipped away since the departure of the Tona twins from the castle. Yet, for Jin, these two years felt like a mere blink of an eye.
He held a deep reservoir of knowledge and skills that he had already required from the tomes. However, it was all just theoretical. Just as he observed in his spars, there were a lot more factors to consider. Theoretical knowledge would only take him so far.
It has been a month since Jin graduated from Khan, learning everything he had to offer. Part of the reason why this happened so quickly was because Jin would fight from morning to night, until his body was at the verge of breaking.
And on the next day, his body was in top condition again.
His reasoning was that if he had a body that could withstand this regimen, why just let it rot? Why not take advantage of the genetically gifted physique. Hence the day and night blended into one as he made himself go through every kind of hell.
Until the day finally arrived when Jin landed an uppercut and lower kick combo on Khan, making him stumble. Of course, the stumble was as meek as it could be, but that was enough to warrant him as passed.
Even if they fought with a little Aura, Jin would've put up a decent fight.
After all...
(***)
Today was finally the day.
The last day after which Jin would leave the Storm Castle. The nurturing ground for savages. For the most part.
The following day, the Runcandel Clan's guardian knights were scheduled to arrive, their purpose being to escort Jin back to the clan's central residence known as the 'Garden of Swords.'
Jin spent this time eating sweet things made by Gilly with Murakan.
"So, you do have some humanity left in you, kid! My time spent educating you was worth it. Hahaha!!"
Just with that, he forgot all the atrocities Jin had committed on him. He was such an easy dragon to manipulate.
"But kid, what did you mean by something may happen?" Murakan asked, biting into the strawberry pie.
"Nothing much. I had a little talk with Guardian Knight, Khan. Just some precautionary measures." Jin replied, placing the back of his head on the cold wall behind.
"Chill out, child. No one is dumb enough to put a hand on someone from your family." Murakan reassured him.
"Hmm. Is that so?" Jin had a few suspicions. "Well, I really want to see the outside world now. These 10 years were quite boring. All I had was a glutton dragon and siblings who want to kill me. Except the three sisters of course."
"Say that again, kid! Who is a glutton?"
"You. Who else?"
Jin hurriedly ate the pastry in his hand and ran away from Murakan who had murder on his mind.
(***)
The next day, around lunchtime, two knights from the Runcandel main house came to the castle. There were fewer escorts compared to the time the Tona twins left the castle, but both escorts were 7-star knights this time around.
"Young Master, you must steel yourself now. From here on out, your every desire won't be fulfilled. It will be difficult for me to bake you pies and cakes all the time too..." Gilly spoke in a solemn tone as she stared directly into Jin's eyes. "The main house won't be as tranquil and peaceful as our days here. You must keep that in mind."
"Hm, I know. Don't worry." His reply was a bit casual and friendly with Gilly. Except her, he hadn't really talked in a friendly manner with anyone else.
"Guardian Knights Jerome and Holtz greet Young Master Jin. The two of us will safely escort you to the Garden of Swords."
The knights from the main house politely saluted the young boy. A steel, horse-drawn carriage was waiting for them at the bottom of the mountain.
'Something's wrong.'
(***)
Throughout Jin's stay at the Storm Castle, the days were characterized by incessant rain.
However, as they descended from the mountain and reached the base, the landscape underwent a dramatic transformation. The scenery before them was now blanketed in pristine white, for it marked the first snowfall of the season in the Mitel Kingdom.
What made it all the more noteworthy was the substantial accumulation of snow, which within a matter of hours had risen to knee-level.
The striking whiteness of the terrain necessitated a reduction in the carriage's speed, and two of the knights, Jerome and Holtz, alighted from the carriage to deal with the obstructing snow.
With their swords in hand, they began clearing a path by sweeping the snow aside, ensuring a safe and unhindered journey.
Although this was Jin's first-time seeing snow in a long while, he wasn't particularly excited about it due to their grave circumstances.
An ominous premonition lingered in his mind.
A carriage advancing slowly, and a snowfall that seems to be attempting to swallow the entire world whole. Jin was running a few simulations in his mind. In order to perform a rather decent Shadow Energy release.
"Young Master...what was that thing you wanted to talk about?" Gilly spoke as Jin blinked his eyes a few times and shifted in his seat.
"Hm. The knights outside. They are not with Runcandel." Jin spoke nonchalantly.
"Young Master, what are you talking about...? Everyone at the Storm Castle knows of their faces, including me. They're definitely Jerome and Holtz of the clan."
"Probably. But there is something wrong with their aura." Jin replied.
It wasn't something about their aura. His Shadow Energy was reacting.
In his training sessions with Murakan, he had explained to Jin how his attunement with Shadow Energy was better than anything he had ever witnessed. Hence, he could feel shifts easily.
'My Shadow Energy never reacts with Mana or Aura. What is this response? No, it is not from me. It is resonating with something else and that is reacting with my Energy.'
"But young mas--"
As if on cue, all of a sudden, the two horses pulling the carriage screamed out in horror. The 3-star magic spell 'Icicle Shot' had pierced the horses' flanks. The carriage shook as if it were about to flip over, and in the next second, the coachman was killed by the same spell.
Jin steadied himself.
'I knew it. There was something wrong with them.'
"It's an attack!"
Jerome and Holtz shouted out loud. Immediately, Gilly covered Jin with her body and observed the situation outside. The usual gentle and kind gaze was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes appeared to be burning with rage as she showed fierce killing intent.
Jin snuggled up to her.
'She doesn't seem to be involved. She doesn't really have a motive as well. Hm. The list of suspects is long.'
"Gilly?" Jin spoke up as she looked down at him.
"Ah, yes." Gilly peaked outside and then got inside in the blink of an eye. "There are around 20 assassins. They seem to be composed of magicians and warriors, but we cannot eliminate the possibility that they have archers with them. I have yet to determine whether there are 7-star or higher enemies." Gilly reported her own observations of the situation.
The Runcandel nannies were all 7-star or higher warriors. Before long, Gilly's weapon—a claw—revealed itself from within her sleeve and gave off a sharp glow.
"I wasn't asking for report." Jin replied as a contended look appeared on his face. "I have a mission for you."
"Yes."
Watching the sinister aura leak out of him, she bowed immediately.
"Capture the traitors. Arrange for an empty place as well." Jin spoke as her eyes widened. The state of Tona Twins flashed in the back of her mind. Only God knew what the young one was going to do with them.
The realisation made a shiver run down her spine.
However, her loyalty was completely tied to Jin.
"Yes!" She agreed without batting an eye, emptying her mind of any second thoughts. She was his nanny, and she would fulfill this duty.
In an unexpected move, Gilly swung her claw diagonally while still seated within the steel carriage. The carriage was effortlessly cleaved in two, its halves falling apart to reveal the open sky to Jin from inside the disassembled vehicle.
Without hesitation, she swiftly scooped up her young master and leaped out of the dismantled carriage, running like an arrow shot through the wind.
Given that the traitors had arranged the carriage, there might have been concealed mechanisms or traps designed to hinder their escape. To elude any potential hazards, the nanny knew she had to act with utmost speed and agility.
The darkness of the night, compounded by the heavy snowfall, severely limited their visibility once they were outside. In the obscurity, they could only discern intermittent flashes and sparks occurring roughly 200 meters ahead of them.
The voices of those who had attacked the carriage. At a closer look, Jerome and Holtz were fighting on equal grounds against 20 or so opponents.
"Gilly."
"Yes, young master."
"Dismember them."
"Yes."
As they reached closer to the two, Jerome and Holtz looked back and were about to say something, but Jin cocked his head to the side, a condescending gaze in his eyes. One single look was enough for them to understand he had caught up to them.
"Don't kill them, remember?"
"Yes."
Gilly wrapped aura around her claw and glared furiously. The face of the two traitors distorted visibly, and smiles began forming on the attackers' faces who had surrounded the 7-star knights.
"That woman is Gilly McRolan! Jin Runcandel's presence has been confirmed!"
"All men, prioritize the protection of Jin Runcandel!"
The attackers were indeed the boy and nanny's allies.
"Do not come any closer." Jin calmy spoke as the thin layer of aura enveloped him. However, it was enough to pale their skins. A 10-year-old is not supposed to wield aura to this extent. The notion of something this outlandish was enough to make everyone look at him, completely stupefied.
"Now's your chance, Gilly." He spoke as he looked at the robes of those who said they were allies of Jin.
'A leaf and a black grebe. It's the Yuta Clan and the Black King Mercenaries.'
The Yuta Clan was a clan of magicians in the Mitel Kingdom, whereas the Black King was a group of mercenaries that could be considered one of the strongest mercenary groups out there. Since there was only a single black grebe on their crest, it seemed that it wasn't their most elite troops.
"What gave it away...?" Jerome spoke to Holtz.
"You are not 7-Stars."
"What are you talking about, brat!"
"The fact that you still haven't noticed your arm is missing is enough proof."
Jerome looked down. Instead of his left hand, there was nothing. A round, irregular stub that had turned into a fountain of blood had taken its place. He cried out loud, but before he could cry for the first arm, his second arm fell to the ground as well.
Jin stood a few steps away, watching blood splatter everywhere with a stoic face. The other allies watched in horror as Gilly cleaved down their limbs while Jin watched with a contended look. There was not a single flinch at the sight of them squirming in his feet, completely limbless and powerless.
Their tears, catarrh and blood mixed in a small puddle in the pressed down snow beneath them.
Jin placed his boot over Jerome's head and pushed his face deeper into the snow. "Save your breath. You'll have to talk a lot in a while." An ominous glint appeared in his eyes as he directed Gilly to take them somewhere.
"Uhh...haha...uhm, excuse me, Young Master..." A man came forward, cautiously, as if approaching an agitated lion. I am Murka, Vice-captain of the Black King Mercenaries' 3rd Corps! Having received a commission from the Runcandel Clan, we joined forces with the Yuta Clan of the Mitel Kingdom in order to rescue Jin Runcandel!"
"Hm. Ok." Jin turned around suddenly as he heard the fake Holtz letting out a sickening chuckle.
Jin walked over to him. Looking down, he stooped down to his eye level.
"Keuk, Kuhuhu... This is merely a warning. The Era of the Runcandels is, urgh... coming to an end."
"Anything else?"
"Glory to the Zipfels!"
"So, you are with Zipfels, huh?"
'It's definitely not just them.'
"Well, I will know that later." Jin spoke as he held his hair and yanked off a huge patch of it. Looking at it closely, he narrowed his eyes. "Looks pretty realistic."
(***)
'What kind of a 10-year-old boy acts like this?'
Cold sweat dripped down everyone's faces as they saw Jin come out of a shabby shed. Cleaning the stains of blood from his hands and face, he walked towards Gilly. Gilly bent down and cleaned his face with a wet cloth.
'There is something wrong with the Runcandels...if a kid is that vicious...'
From the inside of the shed, pained screams and moans erupted, screaming to kill and liberate them.
The sight of prisoners being mercilessly tortured and murdered is a daily occurrence to these men. Watching Jin order Gilly to kill the fake Jerome and Holtz in a bloody manner was nothing new to them.
Nevertheless, these vicious mercenaries were wary of Jin due to his age.
Where else would they ever find a 10-year-old behaving this way towards their assassin? Even though he was a Runcandel, he was merely a kid who had just left the Storm Castle and entered the world. In fact, their senses were warning them to be extremely careful with Jin when they saw him give Gilly orders.
His speech and behaviour weren't those of a child, not to mention his method of disposal of the surviving assassin. The thought of even peeking into the shed to see what he had done to make them scream so much made them nauseous. They didn't even want to imagine it.
The mercenaries could only see Jin as a Runcandel overlord—who just happened to be somewhat short in height.
Very short, instead.
The Black King Mercenaries, notorious for their crude and ill-mannered conduct, now stood in stark contrast as they adopted an air of refinement. Each of them appeared rigid and apprehensive, as though they were burdened with tight and uncomfortable attire.
However, this transformation in their demeanor was not solely prompted by their apprehension of the young figure known as Jin Runcandel. Beneath the fear, there also gleamed a hint of respect and fascination in their eyes.
Jin walked carelessly, kicking up snow. They watched how aloof he was now that the danger had subsided. Gilly watched Jin with a warm smile, the melancholia fading away. It was like she had forgotten about all he did a while ago. She was just happy seeing him enjoy himself.
Time to time, Jin would often sit down and place his head inside the snow and then bring it up like he was inside the sea. Her heart felt fuzzy watching him not look like he was planning the end of the world.
She walked forward to catch up to him. "Once we return to the main house, I shall accept any punishment for..."
"For what? That there were traitors inside our escorts? It is the clan's fault. Not yours." Jin dismissed nonchalantly. He now knew he could trust her. Even with his life. Thus, there was no reason to let her feel emotions like this.
"I am honour--"
"No need for that as well. You can drop the formality. At least when no one is around." Jin looked around as he saw the men---his escorts were walking by maintaining a respectable distance from him.
"Thanks." She smiled as Jin slowed his pace and instead of making her walk behind him, he walked side by side with her. A bitter smile crept up Gilly's face. She felt herself lacking when compared to little boy that she was meant to look after. She felt as if Jin hadn't warned her beforehand about the bandits, she might've lost him.
The weight of it weighed down on her shoulders.
As she made a pledge to herself, Gilly tightened her fist and raised her head. Feeling relieved by her resolute face, Jin began to look away from her. 'This will do.'
However, his mind wandered to something.
'Only dragons are able to transform, or that is what Murakan said. They weren't 7-Star and looked exactly like our knights. Hm. Seems like Murakan isn't a viable source of information. A lot has definitely changed since the last 1000 years that he was asleep.'
"We will arrive soon. If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to tell my subordinates." As soon as one of Jin's escorts spoke to him, the morning sun began to rise.
"Gilly, did you pack anything?" Instead of giving the opportunity to the escorts to get an excuse of talking to him, Jin asked Gilly instead. Gilly didn't realise the reasoning behind this, but she had actually packed a few things that Jin liked.
"Yes, young master."
Jin looked back at the leader of the escorts, "As you can see, my dear nanny has prepared food. Thanks for the offer regardless."
The leader was already interested in Jin. Making him starve for his attention a while more wouldn't result in a backlash. And Jin wasn't being rude as well. After that Jin and Gilly went to rest in an inn, where he ate the home cooked food by Gilly.
Despite having trained his magic, spiritual arts, and martial arts at the Storm Castle, walking under heavy snowfall for several hours was still an exhausting task for a child's body. As Gilly was sitting on the bed, removing the creases from his sheets, Jin wobbled sideways before falling to the side, his head landing in her lap.
She panicked, but seeing down, she saw the boy's sleeping face, knocked out of his mind. He was heaving deep breaths, his eyes ever so slightly open, almost as if he was so sleepy that he forgot to completely shut his eyes.
She smiled at him, letting him sleep in her lap, not wanting to disturb his sleep.