章節 232: Chapter 391
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October 1, 1799.
The depths of the Black Sea.
A man is running with his body covered in black blood, intestines, and flesh of a monster.
He is guardian knight Kahn. In his arms, he carries a letter he received from the enforcement knight who had come all the way to the beginning of the Black Sea.
It has been over ten years since he has been delivering letters to Chiron about Jin. However, Kahn's face was more serious than ever.
He couldn't examine the contents of the letter, but he had heard from the enforcement knight about what had happened at the main house.
'I have to go as quickly as possible. Before the patriarch enters the territory of the five kings of the Black Sea...!'
Territory of the five kings of the Black Sea.
Chiron and his knights were now planning to enter the land ruled directly by the kings of the Black Sea beyond its depths.
Kahn had encountered the enforcement knight while inspecting the beginning of the Black Sea and its surroundings one last time before that.
The cursed land had always been like this, but from the territory of the five kings of the Black Sea onward, it would be a completely unknown world.
Perhaps after entering, they would be completely cut off from the outside world for a while.
Today, there were unusually many monsters clinging to him. Each one was a creature that could become a demonic creature with core as long as they had the time and opportunity, and Kahn had to fight them for another full and half-day even after entering the depths.
Huff, hoo...
When Chiron's expedition team started to become visible, it was when he could no longer endure. Fortunately, they had yet to enter the territory of the five kings of the Black Sea.
Chiron and the knights were taking a short break, using the monster's corpses as fuel for a fire. The foul smell of burning monster flesh stung their noses.
"Lord Patriarch."
Kahn lowered his head and took a breath. The unpleasant smell of burning monster corpses pierced his nostrils.
"What's the matter, Kahn?"
Chiron, as always, remained seated in the air. The haggard faces of knights contrasted with his clean face.
"I received an urgent letter from the main house. It's about the 12th Flagbearer."
Chiron slowly opened his eyes, filled with curiosity.
"Bring it here."
With a polite gesture, Kahn handed the letter to him.
Rip!
For the knights except Kahn, watching Chiron tearing the seal with intense curiosity was a highly unusual sight.
Kahn felt a strange sense of pride in that fact.
'It's been a while since the Patriarch has shown such interest, especially after the 1st Flagbearer.'
'I've heard senior Black Knights talk about it a few times, but it seems the Patriarch has high expectations for the 12th Flagbearer.'
While the Black Knights marveled at the situation, there was one monster who discreetly wondered if it was okay to interject.
[Ha, hahaha. Oh my, it seems like there's good news, old man!]
It was the legendary monster Ozdock.
Of course, Chiron didn't respond to Ozdock's flattering comment.
Instead, the cold gazes of the Black Knights were directed at Ozdock. It meant for him to shut his mouth and quietly sit in a corner.
Unfortunately, Ozdock failed to read the atmosphere (and even interpreted Chiron's lack of response as a positive sign) and continued cheerfully raising his voice.
He did so out of exhaustion. Without a word, the relentless days of slaughter and combat had worn down even Ozdock, a demonic creature who had lived for two thousand years.
Ozdock desperately wanted to say something, whether it's light banter or casual chit-chat, anything.
[Well, if it's the 12th Flagbearer. Isn't that your youngest son, the one who fought with me back then? He took one of my inner ocre. Oh, of course, I don't mean that it was a waste. It'll be put to good use... Hehe. Your son was quite an impressive guy. Handsome too... Hik! P-please don't hit me. I apologize!]
Just as the Black Knights were about to intervene and forcibly silence Ozdock, Chiron lightly raised his hand to stop them.
"Leave him be."
"Yes!"
As the Black Knights withdrew their raised fists and bowed awkwardly, Ozdock nervously scratched the back of his head.
[I apologize. I just thought you might have some good news, old man. Um, um... I'll go fetch some tea right away!]
True to Ozdock's words, a faint smile had already appeared on Chiron's lips.
He began reading the letter.
(Patriarch, the 12th Flagbearer has caused an incident.)
"Zed."
He could tell from the first line. It was the handwriting of his younger brother, the only one among his siblings who had survived the battle of hegemony in his youth.
(He leaked information about the tomb of the First Patriarch through the 7th Flagbearer. The Patriarch probably knew about it even before, but just that caused chaos in the clan.
Do you know what happened while everyone was waiting to confirm the truth after his return?
As soon as he returned, he had a fight with elder council president Jorden. Because of this, the elder council president cut off both of his arms. The Holy Queen came and healed him, but he narrowly escaped by not wielding the sword as before.)
At those words, Chiron's brows narrowed, and Ozdock suddenly knelt and extended a skull, not a teacup, but a monster's skull filled with tea.
The fire used to brew the tea came from the burning monster corpses, making it a truly gruesome tea. Nevertheless, the fact that this tea was one of the greatest luxuries one could enjoy in this place was something that no one would believe.
(Anyway, right after the treatment... he made a declaration to reinstate the status of Runcandel as the magic swordsmen clan.
Then he suppressed the opposing Elders and defeated the 3rd Flagbearer in a direct confrontation.)
Chiron's pupils dilated. Ozdock and the Black Knights couldn't help but be taken aback by his reaction.
The 3rd Flagbearer, Luntia.
If she had lost to Jin, it was undoubtedly because she had let her guard down. However, Luntia's defeat to Jin was still a fresh shock to Chiron.
Whether it was because she let her guard down or because Jin had reached a new level, a loss was still a loss.
(The arena where the incident occurred disappeared without a trace, and he nearly obliterated the central courtyard and main house.
After wielding a flame-type magic sword, he unleashed insane lightning strikes... it's difficult to explain. You had to see it firsthand.
I knew that lunatic would someday cause a major incident in the clan, but I never expected it to be this catastrophic.
Below is a summary of the damages in the Garden of Swords as we struggled to handle the 12th Flagbearer.
Acting matriarch, critically injured.
2nd Flagbearer, 4th Flagbearer, 5th Flagbearer, 6th Flagbearer, 7th Flagbearer, 8th Flagbearer, 9th Flagbearer, 10th Flagbearer, 11th Flagbearer, minor injuries.
3rd Flagbearer, critically injured.
12th Flagbearer, in a critical condition.
Chief of the Black Sword Association, Chief of the Guardians of Law, Chief of the Guardians of Civilians, minor injuries.
Elder Council, more than half with minor injuries.
Guardian knights: 1 severely injured, 4 with minor injuries.
Enforcement Knights: 12 severely injured, 54 with minor injuries.
Numerous others were injured.
No casualties among combatants.
No casualties among non-combatants.
At the request of the main house, the decree of the second stage of the emergency state in Huphester was activated, complete lockdown of Huphester Alliance transfer gates, and media control in progress.
The Garden of Swords is maintaining a state of war, recalling all dispatched knights.
...The precise list of injured is detailed in the final section.
The Acting matriarch suffered deep internal injuries due to not evading the blow containing his full fighting spirit in the end.
Medical staff say she needs to take extreme rest for a while.
Do you believe this? It wasn't a sudden attack by the Zipfel Main force, nor an invasion by Vermont, nor a rebellion.
All of this happened because of the power of the 12th Flagbearer. Because of that reckless kid who hasn't even reached twenty!
Elder Brother.
If possible, it would be good to return for a while. It would be a great source of strength for the members of the clan.
And it would be a pleasure to see how he has grown with your own eyes.)
Hahahaha...!
Chiron suddenly bursted into laughter.
Ozdock tried to laugh along discreetly, but when he met Chiron's eyes, he had to shut his mouth.
Chiron erased his laughter at that moment.
By now, the knights were also eager to know the contents of the letter. So, they subtly signaled Kahn. After all, he had been responsible for letters regarding the 12th Flagbearer for a while, so they wanted him to try his luck.
"My lord, is the situation at the main house not as bad as I've heard?"
"What have you heard?"
"I heard from Enforcement Knight that the entire Huphester has been locked down, and it's in a state of war."
"That's written in the letter as well. But it's not something that can be covered by hiding it, and it seems like everyone was shocked."
"To be honest, I'm worried about the 12th Flagbearer."
"What we should be worried about is the land beyond that."
Kahn and the knights nodded heavily. Chiron's gaze extended beyond the depths, toward the territory of the five kings of the Black Sea.
The Five Kings of the Black Sea, just a few more days and they would reach that territory. A day's journey ahead, Luna, Vanessa, and Tuben were conducting reconnaissance.
In that land, even Chiron would have to exert his full strength in many battles.
Rustle, Chiron turned the letter back to the front. He wanted to reread the part that had bothered him from the very beginning.
12th Flagbearer, in critical condition.
There was a clear distinction between critical condition and minor injuries. Since the 'declaration of the Magic Swordsmen,' Jin had yet to regain consciousness and remained in a hospital bed.
Towards the end of the letter, there was a plea from Zed to Chiron, asking him to return for a while.
It meant that he didn't want the flames of the 12th Flagbearer to extinguish like this and that he wanted Chiron to take direct action. It also carried the meaning of asking for support, if possible.
It was the first time in his entire life that Chiron had seen Zed making such a request.
"Considering the impending battle with the Black Sea Kings, it would be impolite to be concerned about clan matters."
While he did accept Zed's request, Chiron had no intention of returning and seeing things himself.
"But before I miss the opportunity, I should give him a proper reward."
The compensation Chiron was talking about was not related to the incident Jin had caused this time.
-I will report to the lord that the 12th Flagbearer is the first one who discovered this demonic creature. If the lord deems the demonic creature valuable, there will be a reward accordingly.
What Tuben had said to Jin, as he took Ozdock away.
Since joining Chiron's expedition team, Ozdock had been proving his worth. Although his memories were hazy, he had made significant contributions to the task of finding the territory of the Black Sea Kings.
Even after entering the kings' territory, he remained a valuable asset.
"Kahn."
"Yes, my lord."
"Quickly contact the main house and make arrangements so that Jin can use it."
章節 233: Chapter 392
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As Chiron said, it was not something that could be covered up.
They sealed off the entire Huphester, controlled all media, and strictly restricted the access of those waiting in the clan during the 'Magic Swordsman Declaration.'
In the midst of the Garden of Swords, following the eruption of the flame of hell, dozens of decisive killing moves unfolded simultaneously.
The fight that took place at the center of the city of Kalon was something the residents couldn't remain unaware of.
It wasn't a scale of conflict that could be covered up.
Through the informants of each faction already present among the residents, the chaos caused by Jin spread beyond the Garden of Swords and was rapidly and forcefully spreading throughout the world.
The speed at which the rumors were spreading was as fast and intense as a storm.
"... Oh my god, I asked him if he was going to commit treason, but I never thought he would. If this isn't treason, then what is?"
Vankela Holy Kingdom, the Holy Queen's office.
Upon hearing the news from the saints of Dawn Carriage Society who could be considered the intelligence division of the Holy kingdom, Lani furrowed with a troubled expression. What on earth, I sneak out in the middle of the night for treatment, and right after that, such a major incident happens...
"I should have known from the moment he said he should give his arms a chance to shine. Ha, what do you think, gentlemen? Do you think Sir Jin is currently unharmed?"
The saints shook their heads.
"The security was too strict, so we couldn't investigate directly, but based on the information leaked from the residents of the city of Kalon and various faction informants, he doesn't seem good at all."
"Some even say that he's not only in a critical condition but that he's already dead."
"What did you say, dead!?"
"...No faction has been able to confirm Jin Runcandel's condition since the incident."
"Ha."
A saint stepped forward, as if resolved, and spoke up.
"Your Majesty, as a saint and a recipient of Ayula's grace, if I may be so bold... I believe you must make a decision for the sake of the nation's benefactor."
After the incident in the Holy Kingdom, the name 'Jin Runcandel' had become a symbol within the kingdom, rivaling even the Holy Queen herself. Furthermore, those in the know were aware that Jin continued to provide astronomical support to the kingdom. Hence, such a straightforward proposal was put forth.
Lani pondered for a moment with a serious expression, before responding.
"...Very well. I've heard that Huphester has declared a second stage Emergency Alert, but if I formally request a visit, they have no choice but to comply. I will go personally to assess his condition and take measures for his treatment. However..."
Lani looked at the determined saints and continued.
"As far as I know, he's always a man with a plan. He didn't do this recklessly. If I were to intervene thoughtlessly, I might inadvertently provide his enemies an excuse. Moreover, neither Sir Jin nor his guardian dragon has directly asked for my assistance yet. I will wait for more news for now!"
Lani's decision was met with nods from the saints.
If there were indeed significant issues regarding Jin's life or death, the Holy Kingdom was prepared to use every available means to assist him.
***
"Grandfather!"
At the same moment, in Vermont's Sword Emperor Castle, discussion about Jin was taking place.
The moment Dante urgently sought out Ron with a worried expression, Ron was also hearing the same news from the knights of Hairan.
And like Lani, Ron too furrowed.
It wasn't because of Jin's situation that troubled him. Ron wasn't distraught over that.
It was because he didn't know how to console his grandson, who would shout that he'd rush to the Garden of Swords immediately.
"Has my grandson arrived?"
"Grandfather, I dare speak. Today may be the last day my grandfather sees me."
The word 'last' hit Ron Hairan's head like a sledgehammer from the start.
"..... Why would my grandson suddenly be like this? Did you eat something wrong? Haha."
"I intend to head to the Garden of Swords immediately."
"Well, Dante."
"Even if you try to stop me, I will definitely go. Regardless of how upset you and the clan may be. However, shamelessly, I would like to make one request to you before I go."
"Well, Haha... Go ahead and say it for now."
"Please help me to save my friend. Also, if my friend has already passed away by the time I arrive. Please respect whatever choice I make at that time."
If Jin had died, it meant that he would fight alone in the Garden of Swords. Naturally, at the end of that awaited either death or a life of cripple, or the disgrace of the entire Hairan, who would fight desperately to save Dante.
Not prey but evil.
From the moment Ron first saw the scoundrel who tricked his pure grandson, or rather, from the moment his grandson went to the cosmos arena and met his friend and got all excited, Ron had felt an inexplicable foreboding.
'If I'm not careful and pass the clan on to my grandson, then ultimately, the Sword Emperor Castle might fall into the hands of that devil.'
Just thinking about it made his blood boil. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad outcome if Jin was already dead. After all, he had worked so hard to cultivate his clan to give to his grandson!
"Dante Hairan, my beloved grandson."
"Yes, Grandfather."
"First, calm yourself. I never taught you to be like this."
"I understand. However, I'm ashamed to admit that I can't prioritize the clan over my friend. I am not enough to be the young patriarch."
If Dante had his way, he would willingly give up his position as the next patriarch of the clan and forfeit all rights, as long as he could go alone to the Garden of Swords. That's the kind of person his grandson is.
Naturally, he couldn't just stand by and watch that happen.
"That's not what I mean. Don't you trust your friend?"
With those words, Dante's eyes widened as if he had been struck in the back of the head.
He took the bait, just as Ron had thought.
"What I know is that devil…. No, your friend Jin Runcandel is not the type to disappear so abruptly. He's always a cunning strategist, always with a hidden agenda. I'm sure he will appear without any problem."
Ron didn't sincerely believe that. Given the magnitude of this incident, it wouldn't be surprising if Jin was dead. However, for now, he needed to console his grandson, so a little lie was necessary.
It was remarkable how easily it seemed to work. Dante's face showed deep appreciation for that single sentence.
"Grandfather...! Now that I think about it, it does seem possible! No, you're right. In that case, there must be a chance! I thought too hastily!"
"Haha, good. So, train quietly while waiting. There's nothing better than closed-door training to clear your head. You must trust your friend. If it becomes known that you need to make a decision, I will step in myself."
Dante nodded with sparkling eyes.
"Thank you, Grandfather! I'll head to the training grounds right away!"
"Good. Cool your head while swinging your sword."
With a joyful heart, Dante had no choice but to withdraw. He hadn't expected his grandfather to personally intervene, but the cooperative gesture eased his anxiety.
As soon as Dante entered the training grounds, Ron called the knights and issued the following command:
"As soon as it is confirmed that Jin Runcandel has become crippled or has died, take measures to continue the young patriarch's closed-door training for ten more years. Seal it tightly so that he cannot get out under any circumstances. So that sadness, despair, and anger can be sublimated into his sword."
"As you command!"
This was the best course of action Ron could take for the sake of his beloved grandson if things went wrong with Jin. Not seeing his grandson for ten years would be more agonizing than any torture, but he couldn't let his grandson die because of Jin, nor could he go to war with Runcandel.
***
"Hmm, my son-in-law... What should I do?"
Hidden Palace.
Talaris spoke as she lay on a bed made of ice crafted by herself, stretched out sideways. The small beastmen of the Golden Pengi were tirelessly manicuring her fingernails, and the Watertail tribesmen were gently massaging her scalp with slow, deliberate strokes.
"Daughter, your husband... might be dead."
"Jin. Dead. No."
"Ah, Darkflame, can you change the phrasing a bit? It sounds so unfortunate!"
Pengi gave Darkflame a sharp look.
"No, Jin, dead."
"Oh, enough. I expected too much. If that's the case, why don't you just go and kill him yourself?"
"Quiet, and keep doing what you're doing. Huh? My lovers will be here soon. If they don't like my fingernails or toenails, I will kick you all out. Even if you're eaten by some wild beast, I'll pretend not to know."
Crunch, crunch!
While the small beastmen were busy, Talaris watched her daughter with a mischievous look on her face.
"Well, if you're worried, why don't you go check once?"
"Based on Mother's reaction, I don't think there's a need to do that. If I go now, I will only be mistreated."
"Oh ho, so you're saying you are worried?"
Thump!
Syris rose to her feet, lightly striking the ice table with her fist.
"Mother, do you think I'm a fool?"
"Oh, you startled me. Why are you suddenly so angry?"
"One item from the undersea warehouse has disappeared. Do you think I wouldn't know that it was taken by Runcandel's first-class butler?"
The reason for Syris's anger was simple.
"When did you ever search through the undersea warehouse?"
"Mother, you gave up managing the undersea warehouse a long time ago, it's been 10 years. During my time at Hidden Palace, I've checked it without fail every day."
A single item, a drop of Numerus's blood, had been kept in the storage of the Hidden Palace for a long time. She knew that the drop of blood that butler Heinz took had been in Hidden Palace's possession for a long time.
But the fact that Runcandel claimed ownership and took it away abruptly was not sitting well with her.
"Really, did I ever tell you that it was ours…"
"Who owns the undersea warehouse? It is the Hidden Palace. What I'm saying is that Runcandel shouldn't have used it without permission."
"Well, that's something I promised to Chiron a long time ago, but anyway... were you upset because they took it while you were managing the warehouse?"
"Anyway, I'm upset because Runcandel is treating us like a storage room."
"In that case, should you receive something in return from Jin? Don't get into unnecessary conflicts with your mother."
"That's already my plan."
As Syris turned around and left the living room, Talaris shook her head.
"She's my daughter, but she can be a bit irritating sometimes. In any case, it originally belonged to Runcandel, and they are using it to save my son-in-law. What's there to be annoyed about?"
"Well, that, that."
Suddenly, when Darkflame spoke up, all eyes turned to him.
"Maybe, she, doesn't, know, how, to, express, her, friendship."
"Indeed, huh. So she wanted to give him with her own hands? That makes sense."
At that point, Pengi had no choice but to open his eyes wide and exclaim.
"This, this! You can speak in the right order now! Why didn't you do that earlier?"
"I did, tried."
"Argh! So annoying!"
"Now even these bugs are arguing in front of me. Do you really want to be kicked out? Once you've finished manicuring both fingernails and toenails, prepare a special perfume."
While the small beastmen of the Golden Snow Tribe were busy preparing the perfume, Talaris contemplated what decision Kelliark Zipfel would make regarding Jin's "Magic Swordsman Declaration."
"Chiron is soon entering the territory of the Five Kings of the Black Sea... I hope Kelliark doesn't know that fact."
If he did know, it was entirely possible for Kelliark Zipfel to declare an all-out war against Runcandel.
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