章節 150: Chapter 309
[That's a shame,] Temar's eyes turned black with shadow force.
Sarah, too, had no choice but to make a decision as she saw it happen. She had to slash down her Orabeoni.
A blade cloaked in flames emerged from its scabbard with a swift motion.
Sarah's eyes were filled with resolute will. Now that she decided to slash him down, she wanted to send him off as painlessly as possible.
She would worry about the sorrow and anguish once this was done.
A blade shot out from the shadow force that swirled around Temar's back. Sarah and Padler swung their swords to block the incoming attack while a sword took form in Temar's hand.
It appeared to be Barisada but it was not real, it was a counterfeit created from shadow force.
Even Temar, who was wielding the sword, was not the same person the three remembered. He was nothing but a monster who could not even recognize his loved ones.
Blade waves filled with shadow force burst from Temar's dark blade.
Each of them held immense power, but compared to the 'real Temar,' these blades were feeble.
Huuung!
Murakan spread his wings, and Temar's intense energy that filled the tower came to a halt instantly as if a prey had frozen in the face of a giant predator.
This Murakan, who was dealing with the mad Temar, was the black dragon at the peak of his prime a thousand years ago.
People often said that Temar and Murakan were equal in terms of battle prowess, even when Temar was in perfect condition. Temar, who had lost his sanity, couldn't be a match for Murakan.
Moreover, Sarah and Padler were with him.
The mana of two attributes, flames and lightning, were merging with aura and forming sword energies of various colors. These sword energies extended as if they could cut through the entire tower.
Murakan used his shadow force to restrain Temar, while Sarah and Padler attacked him from both directions and put pressure on Temar.
Clang, clank, creak...!
Their energies clashed and collided as their swords met. They were in shock at the sight of Temar barely holding his ground and managed to block the swords of Sarah and Padler.
This could not be the power possessed by the giant known as Temar Runcandel.
[I'm sorry, Temar.]
Murakan gathered all of his released shadow force as if implying this would be over soon. The shadow force surged like waves from all directions, and enveloped Murakan.
At that very moment, the entire sky above the tower was filled with shadow force, and even the sky of the Black Sea in the distance fell under Murakan's control.
Even the unique poison of the Black Sea that rained from the sky was swallowed and vanished in this shadow force.
It was the power fitting of the name the people once called Murakan, the King of the sky.
[Sarah, Padler, it's time to finish this.]
However, just as Murakan finished speaking, a dimensional portal made of steel opened right in front of Temar. And a blurry figure of a human came out of the portal.
His translucent body emitted a brilliant light.
Sarah and Padler stepped back cautiously at his sudden appearance and took defensive positions, and Murakan stopped his attack.
[Fate can be quite cruel at times... just like your god, don't you think? Murakan.]
[...You bastard, how do you know about this place, and how did you suddenly appear here?]
[There aren't many things in the known world that I am unaware of, as long as they haven't been erased or manipulated, you know?]
He and Murakan seemed to be on familiar terms. Sarah and Padler also appeared unfamiliar with him.
[Temar, I assume everyone here wants to save this pitiful fellow, right?]
He said, placing a hand on Temar's shoulder. Temar stood still and did not act hostile against him, although he was struggling under the weight of Murakan's shadow force and breathing heavily.
Sarah and Padler exchanged uncertain glances.
[What kind of bullshit is this?]
Murakan glared at him.
[Bullshit? I just want to be kind to the pitiful orphans, as one vastly troubled with overflowing fortune.]
[Cut the crap and leave before I kill you too.]
Murakan's killing intent was directed at him.
But Sarah and Padler interposed themselves between Murakan and the mysterious figure, and shook their heads.
Their eyes seemed to say, just once listen to what he has to say.
It appeared to be a plea, grounded in faith. They believed that perhaps he could offer them a way to turn Temar back to normal.
[Don't act so harshly. At least hear my proposal, my old friend. I have prepared a bright future for everyone.]
Shiiiiink! Hiss...
The grey sphere distorted once again.
It didn't seem to be returning to the previous scene. Just like the time in the first tomb, the sphere was breaking down after the change of scene.
However, Jin barely felt frustrated about the scene that abruptly cut short. His heart was still beating too fast from the shock of seeing 'him' at the end.
He was a person that Jin had met in person only once.
'The leader of Kinzelo...!'
It was undoubtedly him. The translucent body, the lighting radiating from his body, his manner of speech, voice, and even the dimension portal made of steel, all matched exactly.
He also sounded like he knew Murakan back then too. It was as if he knew Murakan quite well.
However, unlike the day they met at the old Otterium, Murakan also acted as if he knew him also.
'What on earth? If Murakan knew him, why did he pretend not to know him then?'
However, Jin had to correct his thoughts quickly. 'No, it's not that Murakan pretended not to know him. Murakan genuinely doesn't know who he is now.'
The issue lay with Murakan's memories.
It was not too hard to deduce.
Suddenly, Jin recalled a conversation he had in Oterium near the end of his reserve flagbearer days.
-[It was me who stopped Temar from killing you when you went berserk. Murakan. Don't you remember me?]
-You bastard, how dare you nonchalantly flaunt someone's name? You seem to be quite an old demon, but there's no way Temar would've associated with the likes of you. And what's with the berserk thing, by the way? You must have picked up some news, huh? The one who lost control that day was...'
-[Do you want to insist it was Temar and not you? Not recognizing me is one thing, but remembering the fight that day as Temar's fault. I wouldn't even begin to fathom how unjustly the late fellow would feel if he ever found out.]
-Say Temar's name one more time. I'll kill you on the spot and send all of the scums called the Kinzelo or whatever to hell.
-[That's an impossible feat even for you in your prime. Furthermore, I can't help but be curious. Is there really an issue with your memory? Do you truly believe it was Temar who went on a rampage and not you?]
-Are you provoking me into hastening your death?
-[Or did you manipulate your memories in a way more convenient to yourself?]
-Shut up...
A conversation between the leader of Kinzelo and Murakan.
After hearing that conversation, Jin had occasionally wondered what exactly had happened between Murakan and Temar a thousand years ago.
And if there really was a past between the leader of Kinzelo and Murakan, what could it have been?
Jin's mind was in turmoil.
'The scene ended abruptly, but given the circumstances, it's likely that Temar didn't die in that tower.'
This thought was based on the reactions of Sarah and Padler when the leader of Kinzelo appeared, but there was another reason.
In the scene, Temar didn't possess the power to pierce and destroy Murakan's heart, even if Sarah and Padler were not there. He was in a severely weakened state, to the point where Murakan could have easily defeated him.
Such a Temar wouldn't have been able to put Murakan, at the peak of his prime, to sleep for a thousand years.
Although he only glimpsed it briefly, Jin immediately recognized how monstrous the shadow force displayed by Murakan in the scene was.
'Contrary to what the leader of Kinzelo said, it was Temar who went berserk instead of Murakan after looking at the situation in the scene. But what happened next is unclear. The scene was cut off, so there's no way to verify it properly.'
It was frustrating.
If the recording device hadn't been damaged, perhaps he could have observed what happened afterward.
It was no different from the time with Sylderay. Every time the perspective shifted, he had to infer the missing past, and it left his mind in chaos.
'Would Ms. Misha know? There must be a way to restore this recording device... Wait. Recording device, recording device, record…'
Suddenly, several words and a name came to Jin's mind.
Record magic.
Hister's record magic, and the teacher from his past life, Valeria Hister.
She was probably still wandering the world, trying to restore the old and lost magic spells of the Hister clan.
'Why did I only remember my teacher's name now? If it's her, she might know something about the recording device left by Solderet!'
Record magic was a unique and distinctive magic of Hister. Although he saw Plutonians and Solderet use similar devices, they didn't compare to what Hister possessed.
Record magic was a major reason why the Hister clan was completely obliterated by Zipfel. To the Zipfels who sought to manipulate history as they wished, nothing was more threatening than Hister's record magic.
But how?
How could he find his former teacher, Valeria Hister?
That was the problem. He had wanted to meet her desperately a few times after his return, but for various complex reasons, he had been waiting for the right moment.
One of those complex reasons was the justification.
Now that he had become a flagbearer, it wouldn't be too difficult to issue a search warrant to locate Valeria. He could even ask the Seven-colored Peacock as well.
Jin knew all the hiding places Valeria used and the places she frequented, along with the various aliases she used.
However, although he could abruptly seek her out to hold a reunion of his own, Valeria would only see him as a stranger. It would even complicate things if he sought her out with unknown reasons.
Although they had a deep connection in their previous lives, in this life, they were complete strangers.
'Ms. Misha once mentioned that my teacher's alias is Arya Aulhart, so I could use that as a reason to meet her. However, my presence might introduce a significant variable into her life.'
-If you are the child chosen by the Shadow, then Arya is the child chosen by history. If you ever meet that child, please give her encouragement. In a greater scope of things, she can be considered an ally to you.
At that time, Misha had been cautious when talking about his mentor. She seemed to be careful about revealing too much.
'Now that my identity has been revealed, approaching her carelessly could make my teacher a target of my enemies. I need to think carefully. First, I should meet Ms. Misha and discreetly ask for her opinion.
Jin's influence wasn't strong enough yet to provide sufficient protection for Valeria. Therefore, Jin wanted to be extra cautious when it came to meeting her.
Jin came outside as the subspace continued to crumble at a rapid pace, and he could see his companions standing on the giant clam. After that, he noticed two things: Sarah's broken sword and the new shadow force marble.
章節 151: Chapter 310
"Jin!"
"Young Master, are you okay?"
Jin's companions approached him.
Jin handed the broken sword and the shadow force marble to Jet and smiled bitterly.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Whew...
The shadow force gathered in Jin's palm. The dark energy soon turned into a single flower. Jin placed it on the ground and his companions also bowed their heads in a silent tribute.
It was a moment of silence for Sarah. Murakan and Cuicantelle couldn't hide their complicated feelings.
'Rest in peace, Dame Sarah.'
Olmango still stood on the surface of the sea, waiting for the group.
Olmango used his authority to create an invisible staircase, and the group followed the god and made their way to the beach.
[By the way, who was the fellow inside, Jin Runcandel?]
Olmango asked when they arrived at the beach.
"It was Dame Sarah Runcandel."
[Sarah, Sarah Runcandel…]
Olmango repeated her name several times.
However, Olmango couldn't recall any memories of her despite how many times he repeated her name.
[I felt somewhat strange and nostalgic, but I can't recall any memories of Sarah Runcandel for some reason. It's probably because Zipfel erased her from history.]
"Are you sure you knew Sarah? Mister God of Clams."
Olmango nodded his head in response to Murakan's question.
[Yes, I knew her. I wouldn't be feeling this much pain if I did not.]
"But if Zipfel completely erased her from history, then shouldn't she have been erased from memories of Mr. Murakan and Ms. Cuicantelle, right?" Alisa spoke.
[Zipfel's ability to manipulate history is not perfect. We would have never met each other if their history manipulation were perfect. Even with my abilities, it was impossible to completely hide the second tomb of Temar again.]
Murakan and Cuicantelle nodded.
"He is right. Zipfel has always been erasing enemies they have defeated from history, but it has its limitations. That's why Runcandel have been able to maintain their lineage with only their history of being Magic Swordsman erased."
It was also the same reason why Chenmi's magic tome being left in the world, and Schugiel Hister's magic tome and how Valeria was still alive.
"But even if it's not perfect... I couldn't easily recall Sylderay and Sarah until I faced the guardians of the tomb. It means that my memories are somewhat influenced by their magic too."
"Oh, it's hard for me to grasp all this. Erasing history, can that really be done through magic? We're not talking about gods or anything..."
"It's a tremendous and dangerous power that humans shouldn't possess. We have to fight against those who have such power."
There was a brief silence after Cuicantelle's explanation.
The bystander.
Sarah called her that, but the Cuicantelle of the present was different from a thousand years ago. She was now fighting alongside Jin.
That meant that her god, "Olta," wasn't rejecting her involvement in Jin's battles.
Although they didn't get a detailed explanation, everyone understood that Cuicantelle felt a sense of guilt towards Sarah. As the guardian dragon, she couldn't possess "absolute free will" like a human.
She had to follow her god's choice, even if she didn't like it. And she could sacrifice herself blindly at any time for the sake of her contractor.
That was the life of a guardian dragon.
'...But Murakan was trying to kill Temar.'
No one could imagine how difficult that was for Murakan, even though a thousand years had passed.
"Kid."
"Yeah?"
"So, what did you see on the recording device this time? Tell us."
Jin turned to face Olmango and his companions.
He needed to do it for sake of Murakan.
"...Everyone, please give us a moment."
Olmango and the others silently tried to step aside, but Murakan raised his hand.
"Those present here are all our companions, Kid. You don't need to hide whatever you've seen. Just tell us everything as it is."
[Hmm... Should I leave?]
Olmango glanced at him, and Murakan playfully nudged his shoulder.
"You also join us. It was frustrating that Solderet didn't leave a word for me, but either way, it seems you were quite close to my old companions as well. You've been good at hiding the second tomb of Temar."
Jin nodded. "What I saw was you trying to kill Temar."
Upon hearing this, all of his companions inadvertently opened their mouths. Murakan and Cuicantelle, however, maintained a composed demeanor.
As Jin began to provide a detailed description of what he had seen inside, the expressions of his companions shifted between fascination and sorrow as they heard the intriguing stories of old days.
Murakan let out a sigh when Jin finished the description.
"Temar... I distinctly remember fighting him when he lost control and getting stabbed in the heart, which led me to a long slumber. But..."
As expected, Murakan had no recollection of "Leader of Kinzelo." He didn't remember the enigmatic tower in the Black Sea either. He had no memory of the day when he, along with Sarah and Padler, had visited the tower.
"What the heck is that strange guy, and what was the tower in the Black Sea? To my knowledge, Temar was never weakened to that extent."
The most baffling part for Murakan was how he easily subdued Temar.
"You're saying I encountered Leader of Kinzelo a thousand years ago...? And here I was, thinking he was just a demon who heard a thing or two about me. Seems like he does have some connection to me."
Surprisingly, Murakan wasn't all that perplexed. He had come to terms with the fact that there was an issue with his own memory. Moreover, Solderet had left behind the recording device for this very reason.
"I guess my stubborn god must have left the recording device because he anticipated the possibility of my memory issues. No, he was certain of it. If we retrace our steps and investigate each detail, we might eventually confront the truth of that time."
"But Murakan."
Cuicantelle spoke up.
"What?"
"In the scene, Leader of Kinzelo said something about the orphans. Something about orphans."
"Are you referring to the part where he talks about offering goodwill to the pitiful orphans, as one vastly troubled with great fortune?"
"Yes, doesn't that sound familiar?"
"Well, I'm not sure. But it exactly sounds like something an obnoxious person might say to weaker individuals quite often."
"The phrasing just feels oddly familiar."
"You know demon bastards have a tendency to use flashy phrases. It's probably nothing, but if it bothers you, let's investigate it once. Are there any demons currently active? I've heard that the Kid's elder sister slashed one in the past."
The "pendant" Luna had given Jin back in the Storm Castle as a birthday present was originally an item of Demon Beast King Orgal. She had obtained it after killing a demon.
Murakan received the shadow force marble from Jet.
"Hmm, I really don't want to. But it seems like we should meet Misha soon. I need to ask about what this marble is used for and if she has any information about the scene you saw. There's still some vacation time left, right?"
"About a week."
"Great, let's go right away. We should have plenty of time to stop by Picon and drop the piece of Sarah's sword. See you later, God of Clams."
[What?]
"Thank you for guarding that fellow's tomb."
Murakan scratched his head as though he found it awkward to say, and Olmango merely shrugged.
[No problem, it was Solderet's request, so of course I had to help.]
"Still, it couldn't have been easy. Who knows what kind of ordeal you would have faced if you were exposed to Zipfel."
At that remark, Olmango gave a slight nod while clearing his throat.
[Indeed, it wasn't easy. If you're so thankful, can I make one request in return?]
"Go ahead."
Once again, Olmango lightly looked around at Jin and his companions.
[Cookies...]
"What?"
[Um, can you get more Latrie cookies? Seriously, the taste is unbelievably good...]
"Hey, come on. You're a god. You should not act like that over cookies! That's why people don't see you as a powerful god, you know. You can walk on water and handle incredible seals, but then you're obsessed with cookies. Show some dignity."
[Try living on seafood alone and see how it goes.]
"I will make sure to have someone sent to to get you cookies regularly, Mr. Olamago."
At this, Olamago's eyes sparkled.
[Really?]
"Of course."
[Oh, I'm so grateful. I can also generously feed my contractor, Clamshell. I was quietly feeling sorry because I almost ate them all by myself.]
Jin chuckled and exchanged glances with Olamago.
"But, Mr. Olamago."
[Yes?]
"Do you know who has the key to the third tomb?"
[No, I don't.]
***
Jin and Murakan visited Picon and handed over the broken sword of Sarah (Picon had no additional comments regarding the scene Jin had seen in the second tomb). They then headed off to see Misha.
"Please show me your identification." A neatly dressed waiter spoke with an expressionless face.
The place the two came to meet Misha was a high-end bar in the Kingdom of Mila.
This bar, operating under the name of 'Tabernacle', was strictly operated on a membership basis, and the entry was not possible without a recommendation from an existing member.
Even the royalty was not allowed to enter without permission.
Elite members of global factions like Runcandel, Zipfel, or Vermont could enter freely just by presenting their clan symbols or crests, but Jin and Murakan were in disguise.
"We are here to see Lady Grace Schilz."
Jin mentioned the bar owner's name, which was known by only a select few among the members. The waiter immediately changed his attitude.
"You're the guest of the owner. I apologize for my rudeness. I'll escort you inside."
The waiter led Jin and Murakan to a private room and then returned to his spot. A black-haired woman was sitting alone inside the room, and sipping her drink.
"Long time no see, Jin. I hope you've been well."
This woman, Grace Schilz, was none other than Misha under a different name. She was the owner of the Tabernacle bar. Tabernacle was one of her many safe havens.
"It's good to see you again, Ms. Misha. It's been a while since the West Sea battle. I apologize for not visiting sooner."
"If you came to offer empty gratitude, I would have kicked you out."
"Hmph, you still have damn temper of yours. If we didn't find you here, we might have given up. How many hideouts do you have?"
They had crossed more than twenty transfer gates while searching for her secret hideouts with the information Misha provided to Jin. Thanks to those transfer gates, Murakan had a pale and exasperated look on his face.
"I can hear you begging for a beating? Damn? Did you say, damn?' right now? Come here, I'll twist your jaw in six different directions."
After a slightly rough greeting, Jin handed her two shadow force marbles.
"Cough, cough, kuhuh..."
Blood trickled from Murakan's lips as Misha grabbed him by the collar. She held him in place and fixed her gaze on the shadow force marbles.
"Where did you get these?"
"I visited Temar's tombs."
"Tell me more."
From the day he met Picon until his recent encounter with Olmango, Jin explained everything in detail. Misha maintained a serious expression throughout his explanation.
Just like Murakan, she was also unaware of the fact that Solderet left "arrangements" in the form of Temar's tombs.
"Jin."
"Yes, Ms. Misha."
"These marbles you brought are recording devices. I've heard about them, but it's the first time I've seen one in person."
"These are recording devices?"
"Yes, the scene you saw was likely a result of these devices being activated. The unstable nature of the recorded scene was due to damage to the devices."
"Can you fix them?"
Misha replied to Jin's question.
"It's impossible for me."
"Hey, Misha. What do we do if you can't fix them?"
"You just shut up... Jin, I guess you need to meet that girl Arya Aulhart."
Jin's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Misha to mention his teacher's name first.
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