One Week After Birth;
"It has been a week since I came to this world."
During this short time, Jay had already gathered enough information to understand the basics of his situation.
"First of all, my name in this world is Jay Runcandel. This name was given to me by my father."
"This world appears to be a medieval fantasy world, where people can use powers such as magic and sword aura."
"And I was born into a powerful clan known as the Runcandel Family… along with my twin brother, Jin Runcandel."
The first time Jay heard the nanny call his brother's name, he had been completely stunned.
Because he knew that name very well.
Jin Runcandel.
The protagonist of one of his favorite novels—
Swordmaster's Youngest Son.
The contractor of Solderet, the God of Shadows.
Realizing that he had been reborn as Jin's twin brother had filled Jay with excitement.
The Runcandel bloodline was one of the strongest bloodlines in the world. Every member of the clan possessed powerful physiques and extraordinary talent in swordsmanship.
And wielding a sword had always been one of Jay's dreams in his previous life.
Whenever he imagined holding a sword, his entire body trembled with excitement.
And now he had been born with a body perfectly suited for swordsmanship.
Not only that—
The Runcandel family was one of the most powerful ruling families in the world.
As one of its youngest sons, Jay would have access to enormous resources and knowledge.
Of course, the Runcandel family was also extremely competitive. To obtain those resources, one still had to prove their worth.
But unlike Jin, Jay didn't feel burdened by being the youngest son.
Jin had considered it troublesome because of the terrible experiences he had suffered in his previous life.
However, Jay already knew something important.
As long as one gained the approval of their father, things would become much easier.
Cyron Runcandel was not someone who would harm his own children without reason.
Unfortunately, many of the siblings misunderstood this.
"Sigh… I'm thinking too much."
"After all, I'm only seven days old."
For now, Jay decided to focus on growing quickly.
Because in one year, the Selection Ceremony would take place.
That ceremony would determine the future of every child in the Runcandel family.
Jay felt slightly nervous thinking about it.
"Should I also choose Barisada, the Patriarch's sword, like Jin?"
"But if I do that… will I also be cursed like him?"
He wasn't sure if he possessed the same curse resistance as Jin.
Thinking about this reminded him of something else.
"There is definitely some kind of power inside my body… both in my mind and my soul."
"But for some reason, I can't control it."
Jay suspected that this was the power the Soul King had mentioned.
"Alas… I'm being impatient again."
"Let's just rest for now."
"Otherwise my nanny—ah, her name is Gilly—will start teasing me again."
After all…
"I'm quite cute."
With that final thought, Jay pushed aside his worries and fell asleep peacefully in his crib.
One Year Later;
A full year passed.
Both Jin and Jay had now turned one year old.
And the day of the Selection Ceremony had finally arrived.
Jay's POV
Although I told myself not to rush things, this past year has been unbelievably boring.
All I do every day is drink milk, sleep, and get cleaned by Gilly.
I can't even access the techniques or knowledge stored in my mind.
It's as if they are sealed.
And to break that seal, certain conditions must be met.
The problem is—
I have no idea what those conditions are.
Is it age?
Power level?
Something else entirely?
"I have no idea."
Jay sighed internally.
It was extremely frustrating.
His body might be that of a baby, but his soul was still that of a twenty-year-old adult.
Knowing that you possess great power but cannot access it…
That was the most frustrating feeling of all.
"Sigh… I guess only time will tell."
At that moment, the two brothers were lying quietly in their crib when the door suddenly opened.
A woman entered the room.
She had jet-black hair and sharp, piercing eyes that perfectly matched the elegant yet intimidating aura surrounding her.
Her beautiful yet fierce appearance had earned her a nickname throughout the clan.
The Black Panther.
She was Rosa Runcandel, the wife of the Patriarch and the mother of both Jin and Jay.
The moment Gilly saw her, she immediately bowed respectfully.
"Mistress."
Rosa gave a slight nod.
"Gilly, are the preparations complete?"
"Yes, Mistress," Gilly replied with a bright smile.
"Everything is ready."
"After all, today is the day both young masters will participate in the Selection Ceremony."
Rosa slowly approached the crib and looked down at her two sons.
"Do not worry, my children."
"Everything will be fine."
"You simply need to choose."
"After that… leave the rest to me."
Her voice was calm yet filled with quiet strength.
"Always remember something."
"A single choice cannot decide your entire future."
"So continue working hard."
"After all, you are Runcandels."
"And a Runcandel never gives up."
She paused briefly before adding with a faint smile,
"And even if you choose something unworthy… your family will always support you."
Jay was slightly surprised hearing those words.
At first, he had assumed his parents were distant and indifferent.
But now he realized something.
They did care.
They simply didn't show it openly.
And at that moment, Jay silently made a decision.
"If anyone ever tries to harm this family…"
"I will kill them."
"Even if they are my own siblings."
A moment later, Rosa gently picked up both Jin and Jay.
Together, they began walking toward the Great Hall, where the Selection Ceremony was being held.
As they approached the entrance, Rosa handed the twins to Gilly.
"Wait here until you are summoned."
After saying that, she stepped inside.
A few minutes later, Gilly was called in.
The hall was enormous.
In the center of the room, countless objects were scattered across the floor.
Various weapons, artifacts, and mysterious items.
But the most noticeable ones were the many swords planted firmly into the stone floor.
The moment Jay saw them—
His body began trembling with excitement.
He desperately wanted to grab one.
Gilly misunderstood his reaction.
Thinking he was nervous, she gently rocked him to calm him down.
Soon, Cyron spoke.
"Put Jin down first."
Since Jin was born a few minutes earlier, he would choose first.
As expected—
Jin crawled forward and grabbed the Patriarch's Sword, Barisada.
The moment he did, the entire hall fell silent.
The elders, siblings, and guests were all shocked.
Only Cyron laughed loudly.
"Interesting!"
Finally, it was Jay's turn.
Gilly placed him gently on the floor.
"Relax, young master," she whispered encouragingly.
"You'll be fine."
"Just choose what you like."
Jay glanced briefly at his mother, who gave him a small nod.
Taking a deep breath, he began crawling toward the objects.
"Which one should I choose?"
Every sword looked powerful and beautiful.
But choosing the Patriarch's sword would immediately place him in the center of political conflict.
That was something he wanted to avoid.
"I'll just pick something ordinary."
After all, he still possessed the Soul King's knowledge and power.
Perhaps one day he could awaken his own Zanpakutō.
But then—
While crawling among the swords, Jay suddenly noticed something strange.
Something that absolutely should not have been there.
His eyes widened.
"How did this thing get here…?"
But a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Well… who cares?"
"I've made my decision."
Excited, Jay crawled toward the object and grabbed it tightly.
The moment he did—
Someone in the hall suddenly exclaimed in shock.
"How could this be…?!"
"The youngest master chose that?!"