Swordmaster’s Youngest Son: I am the Twin of Jin Runcandel

As the group marched majestically toward the Storm Castle, a solemn silence enveloped the procession. The Runcandel crested flags fluttered in the wind, and the coordinated steps of the knights echoed like a martial symphony. However, within the ranks of the flag bearers, murmurs and discussions began to blossom. Their father's sudden order to gather and head toward the castle intrigued everyone.

Mary, the 7th flag bearer, was particularly agitated. She turned to Dephus, the 4th flag bearer, who was walking with apparent nonchalance.

"Dephus, do you know something I don't?" she asked, her eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Earlier, you tried to ask Sister Luna, but she didn't seem to know either."

Dephus, whose face still held a calm and thoughtful look, shrugged slightly.

"Hmm… The Tona brothers are joining the castle next year, that's true, but I highly doubt our mobilization has anything to do with them," he replied calmly.

"What? So if it's not because of them, why are we here?" Mary insisted, a note of frustration in her voice.

Dephus crossed his arms as he walked and took a moment to think before answering.

"I think it's about the younger ones."

Mary stopped short in her thoughts, her eyebrows raising in surprise.

"The younger ones? Jin and Rin? Seriously?" She shook her head, clearly perplexed. "Why them? I don't understand a word of this!"

Dephus gave a slight smile, amused by his sister's reaction.

"You seem to be forgetting a crucial detail, Mary. They were the two who picked up the swords of the head of the family during the selection ritual. Barasida and Bradamente are no ordinary weapons. Father leaves nothing to chance, and it's obvious that he's had an eye on them ever since."

Mary crossed her arms, still confused.

"Picking up swords is one thing, but mobilizing all of us for them? That seems like overkill to me. I mean, they're still so young. How can they be so important?"

Dephus looked at her with an enigmatic smile.

"That's precisely because they're so young. And you know as well as I do that we can never guess Father's true intentions. Maybe he sees something in them that we don't yet perceive."

As they talked, Luna, the first standard-bearer and eldest of the family, walked at the head of the group. She glanced discreetly behind her and noticed Mary and Dephus deep in conversation. With a calm but authoritative gesture, she placed a finger on her lips to silence them.

"Dephus. Mary." Her voice was soft, but it carried a force that commanded respect.

The two immediately fell silent, their exchange interrupted. However, in Mary's mind, the thoughts were still spinning.

"So, this is important enough that Father himself decided to come… Are the younger ones really as special as they say? Maybe I underestimated them."

A mixture of excitement and frustration stirred within her. Mary didn't like being kept in the dark, but she knew she could do nothing but wait and see for herself what made Jin and Rin so special.

The procession continued to advance, majestic and silent, the atmosphere slowly filling with anticipation.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the castle was abuzz. All the servants were bustling about like a coordinated tide, running through the hallways and working on every task. The floors were scrubbed until they shined, every piece of furniture was dusted, and the decorations were checked one last time to make sure they were perfectly aligned. The arrival of the head of the Runcandel family was no ordinary event, it was a rare occasion that demanded impeccable preparation.

The head of the family, Chiron Runcandel, almost never moved to the Storm Castle. He usually only met his children once they had completed their initial training and were moving to the main house. His arrival therefore signified that something of exceptional importance had occurred. All the staff understood that nothing was to be left to chance.

In one of the castle's bedrooms, the excitement was quieter, but the importance of the moment was palpable. Gilly and Tia, the two nannies, worked with meticulous precision to prepare their young masters, Rin and Jin, for this official meeting. The two boys sat in front of mirrors, their faces serene, almost impassive. No sign of fear or stress showed in their eyes, which contrasted with the excitement of the servants around them.

Tia, a brush in hand, carefully arranged Rin's silky white hair. She made sure that each strand fell perfectly, reflecting the elegance expected of a Runcandel. Gilly, for her part, took care of Jin, adjusting the young boy's outfit with a sharp gaze, ready to detect the slightest crease or flaw.

Rin, who was looking at his reflection in the mirror, seemed lost in thought.

"So Khan really did report to Chiron what happened," he thought, smiling inwardly. "Everything is happening like in the original. That reassures me frankly." If everything were to be changed by my arrival, it would be a disaster."

This thought made him smile slightly. Even in this world, where everything seemed bigger and more real than he had ever imagined, events followed the pattern he knew. However, his smile was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Rin, are you ready?" Jin asked as he turned to him, adjusting his collar with a methodical gesture.

Rin looked up from his mirror and fixed his twin brother. He nodded confidently, then replied with a smile.

"Yes, I am ready. We can go."

The two brothers then stood up from their seats, revealing their sumptuous outfits, worthy of their status as young Runcandel masters. Jin wore a perfectly tailored black suit, sober and elegant, highlighting his slim but athletic figure. The silver details on his collar and cuffs added a touch of shine, symbolizing his membership in one of the most powerful families in the world. His short, neatly styled black hair framed his serious face, and his dark eyes shone with quiet determination.

Next to him, Rin was dressed in a similar outfit, but with a few distinctions. His black ensemble was accented with touches of dark purple on the trims and sleeves, a subtle choice but one that emphasized his individuality. Unlike Jin, his slightly longer white hair added a striking contrast to his outfit. Although his features were almost identical to Jin's, his slightly taller height and calm yet imposing aura made him an impossible presence to ignore.

The contrast between the two brothers was subtle yet obvious, like yin and yang. One with dark hair and a more contained energy, the other with bright hair and a more mysterious aura.

Gilly and Tia paused to observe them. The two boys, so young and yet already bearing the elegance and power of the Runcandel, seemed perfectly prepared for their meeting with Chiron.

"They are beautiful," Tia whispered to Gilly, who nodded silently.

The two nannies then accompanied them to the door, before letting them go for this decisive moment in their young lives. Rin and Jin walked side by side through the halls, their footsteps echoing softly on the polished marble floor, like an echo of the expectations weighing on them.

The Storm's Castle was plunged into a heavy silence, broken only by the growing sound of hooves and wheels on the stone path leading to the main entrance. From the windows, the servants watched, breathless, the arrival of the Runcandel procession. The fluttering banners, emblazoned with the family insignia, were a rare and impressive sight. In front, Chiron Runcandel led the march on horseback, his imposing figure dominated by a black cloak adorned with silver threads, his long white hair flowing behind him.

Behind him followed seven standard-bearers, all mounted on steeds as majestic as their reputation. Their mere presence was enough to make the hearts of those who watched tremble, a testament to the power and unwavering discipline of House Runcandel. Finally, a hundred knights brought up the rear, their armor gleaming despite the gray light of the impending storm.

As the procession approached, the tension in the castle rose a notch. The servants lined up in the courtyard, bowing in perfect reverence. The main gate of the castle, immense and adorned with ancient engravings, slowly opened.

"Khan," he ordered calmly but firmly, "bring me the Tona twins."

An imperceptible murmur ran through the servants present, but no one dared to move or utter a word. The mere mention of the twins Daytona and Haytona in this context added further tension to an already heavy situation.

Khan bowed deeply. "At your command, master." He turned, heading quickly into the castle to carry out the order.

A few minutes later, hurried footsteps echoed through the hall, and Khan reappeared, accompanied by Daytona and Haytona. The older twins, still scarred from their recent altercation, entered the courtyard with dark, apprehensive faces.

"Here they are, master," Khan announced, bowing again.

Chiron turned slowly to his eldest sons, his gaze sharp as a blade. Daytona and Haytona buckled slightly under the crushing pressure, but they forced themselves to stand tall, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity.

"Come closer," Chiron ordered, and his simple voice made the two brothers tremble.

Daytona and Haytona, trembling slightly under their father's piercing gaze, slowly knelt down, their foreheads almost to the ground. The silence that reigned in the courtyard was so oppressive that it seemed as if even the wind had stopped blowing. Chiron Runcandel, straight as a statue, looked down on them, his presence dominating the scene as that of a king would judge unworthy subjects.

After what seemed like an eternity, he spoke, his deep voice ringing with authority, "Haytona, Daytona… I heard that you had a fight with your younger brothers, Jin and Rin. Now, tell me…" He paused, his gaze piercing the two kneeling boys. "What was your share of the blame for this altercation?"

Daytona glanced hesitantly at his brother before answering, his voice trembling, "We… we didn't do anything, father."

Haytona, as if to reinforce his twin's point, quickly added, "Yes, Jin was the one who struck us first…"

A flicker of disapproval briefly crossed Chiron's eyes, but he remained silent, letting them continue.

"Besides," Daytona continued, a little bolder this time, "he used a strange power… some kind of magic, something dark and frightening."

Haytona nodded quickly, adding with a mixture of fear and ill-concealed satisfaction:

"Yes, father. And we know that magic is forbidden in our family… don't we?"

The silence that followed their words was even heavier than before. The servants who dared to breathe in the courtyard took a step back, fearing Chiron's reaction. The standard-bearers, for their part, exchanged meaningful glances, each of them exasperated by the twins' pathetic excuses.

Chiron took a step forward, and although the movement was almost imperceptible, it made the two boys prostrate before him shiver. He looked at them, not with anger, but with an icy calm that was far more terrifying.

"Haytona. Daytona." His voice rang out like a clap of thunder. "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. You are sorely lacking in maturity and discernment. You don't have the mentality to carry on the Runcandel name."

His words, though spoken without apparent anger, caused any ounce of confidence in the two brothers to crumble. They lowered their heads even further, as if to hide from the brutal truth.

Chiron waved his hand, as if to dismiss them.

"Go away. I have nothing more to say to you."

The twins looked up hesitantly, their faces marked with shame and confusion. They stood awkwardly, bowed deeply one last time, and then left the courtyard without a word.

The standard-bearers, who had been watching everything, couldn't hide their disappointment. Mary, in particular, crossed her arms, shaking her head slightly.

"Is that all?" she muttered to herself. "Pathetic."

Joshua, standing at his side, replied in a neutral, almost mocking tone:

"They were no better."

Luna, the first standard-bearer, remained impassive, but her gaze was fixed on her father. She seemed to be trying to read beyond his gestures, as if Chiron had done so for a reason much deeper than he let on.

In the meantime, Chiron turned back to Khan, who was waiting nearby, motionless as a statue.

"Bring Jin and Rin," he ordered in a calm but unmistakable tone.

"At once, master," Khan replied before disappearing quickly inside the castle.

A few minutes later, Jin and Rin made their entrance. As soon as they appeared in the courtyard, a different aura filled the space. Unlike their elders, their presence was almost magnetic, giving off a natural majesty that even their young age could not conceal. The contrast was striking, and the flag bearers couldn't help but exchange surprised glances.

The two brothers advanced side by side, their movements synchronized, their posture straight and proud. Jin, dressed in his impeccable black suit, gave off a calm and determined aura. At his side, Rin, slightly taller, with his bright white hair and piercing black eyes, seemed to carry an almost supernatural radiance. His black and purple suit reflected the dim light of the storm, reinforcing his imposing appearance.

Arriving in front of their father, they knelt simultaneously, in perfect synchronization.

"Greetings, my lord," they said in one voice, their tone filled with respect but also strength.

Even the flag bearers, although seasoned, were impressed by this scene. Luna, for the first time, sketched a slight smile, while Chiron observed them with an indecipherable gleam in his eyes.