Swordmaster's Youngest Son Prologue

This was a thought that frequently crossed Jin Runcandel’s mind.

Is failure simply my destiny?

This young man, brimming with latent potential, had not yet reached his thirties. He hadn't spent his entire life harboring such a bleak outlook. Like anyone else, there was a time when his heart was filled with grand ambitions and lofty dreams.

One particular instance was the day he first gripped a sword, marking his start as the youngest child of the Runcandel Clan.

Throughout his childhood, Jin was convinced that his future would be paved with the same glory, honor, and renown achieved by his father and his siblings.

But reality was harsh; Jin possessed no talent.

For many generations, members of the Runcandel Clan were expected to reach the rank of 1-star knight by age 13. Throughout a family lineage spanning over a millennium, not a single child had ever failed to attain 1-star status before their 14th birthday.

A typical Runcandel would reach the 3-star level by 16 and depart to travel the world as a 5-star knight before turning 20.

However, Jin was already 25 by the time he finally became a 1-star knight.

Even a jester with zero natural aptitude could have reached that rank, provided they applied enough sheer effort.

It was only because his siblings witnessed his desperate, noteworthy struggles that they chose to banish him rather than execute him.

‘But it wasn't that I lacked talent. That wasn't the reason at all...’

After being cast out of the family, Jin discovered to his shock that his true genius lay in a realm far removed from the sword.

Magic.

Jin possessed an extraordinary gift for the arcane.

While wandering without a purpose, he happened to become the apprentice of a magician. After only three years of practice, the God of Shadows reached out to him with a contract.

He was placed on a direct path to becoming the greatest grand magician of his age. Solderet, the God of Shadows, was the divine being that every magician dreamed of serving.

Furthermore, Jin learned from Solderet that he was actually gifted with the sword as well.

[Contractor, it appears someone has held a deep resentment toward you since your youth. A trivial curse has prevented you from utilizing your true capabilities. Perhaps that is why I found you so intriguing.]

‘Trivial.’

That was the word Solderet used to describe the curse that had been stifling Jin’s innate abilities. The culprit behind this curse, known as the ‘Bladed Illusion,’ was a 9-star magician.

Naturally, Jin had been completely oblivious to the curse's existence until Solderet pointed it out.

Solderet made short work of the curse that had plagued Jin's life. The blood-colored chains concealed within Jin’s frame were simply swallowed by the shadows.

[Now you can become a magic swordsman without equal, Contractor. I shall be watching your progress with great anticipation.]

It was the truth.

Acting on Solderet’s claim, Jin once again took up the blade he had previously discarded. Every time he swung it, his mastery reached unprecedented heights. Jin Runcandel, formerly the greatest disgrace in Runcandel history, was no more.

Magic in one hand.

A sword in the other.

Within a decade, he would have gained enough power to stop hiding from the clan that had abandoned him. All that remained was to rise as the most powerful magic swordsman in history and stand above the world.

‘I guess I really am destined for failure.’

Cough!

Jin vomited a mouthful of crimson. Blood was leaking from every orifice—his eyes, nose, and ears.

The shadow of death was closing in.

He hadn't even been granted the opportunity to channel his magic or utilize Solderet’s divine strength.

Three 9-star knights had launched a sudden, unprovoked assault on the capital of the Akin Kingdom. Jin had sustained a mortal wound during their violent rampage while he was fast asleep.

...In the middle of his sleep.

A single 9-star knight had the power to flatten a country like the Akin Kingdom in less than a day. With three of them raiding the city simultaneously, Jin stood no chance.

He couldn't even manage a reaction, having just collapsed into an exhausted slumber after finishing his training.

What a pathetic way to die. He wanted to scream at the sheer absurdity of his fate, but only a delirious, broken laugh escaped his blood-soaked lips.

As he stood at the threshold of death, he was utterly alone.

Not the teacher who had cared for him, nor the family members who had discarded him, were there. Not a single soul.

Even Solderet remained silent.

‘Why... Why did the heavens grant me a second chance only to snatch it away so instantly?’

Finally, Jin Runcandel's eyes drifted shut.

Though he felt no lingering attachments, his heart was heavy with the regrets of his life.