章節 237: Chapter 396
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October 25, 1799.
The influential families and clans of Huphester, Vermont, and the Lutero Magic Federation were gathering at Hairan's main residence.
The banquet at the Sword Emperor Castle had begun.
Their procession was truly grand. The various colors of each clan's banners around the imposing Sword Emperor Castle resembled a colorful flower garden from a distance.
The individuals gathered under those banners were the core figures and pillars of each clan.
Compared to the rare banquets of Runcandel that happened once every ten years, Hairan was a clan known for frequently hosting banquets.
However, it wasn't common for the key figures of each clan to attend every time. It depended on who the "host" is. Depending on the host, individuals worthy of that status attend the banquet.
In that sense, this Sword Emperor Castle banquet is worthy of being compared to the Runcandel banquet held when Jin was fifteen years old.
The fact that Ron himself is the host made all the difference.
Ron had personally hosted a banquet for the first time in a staggering 22 years. The last time was when he had gathered people for the sake of his newly born grandson. Regardless, his grandson had grown into a stubborn fool.
"Wow, lord! This is my first time at such an event. Everyone, look over there. That's the esteemed Sir Jonsina of Dragon King Knights! And right next to him is the Commander of the Imperial Magic Division Lady Serri, and that person is..."
"Hehe. Ms. Enya, why are you so amazed? They're not that impressive compared to our lord these days."
"Well, I do think so too. However, since so many famous individuals have gathered, it seems appropriate to react a bit more energetically."
"That's an amusing thought, hehe."
Enya and Jet still got along well. Veris and Kuzan nodded at their interaction (Yulian didn't attend, as he was taking care of Caltor), Gill let out a small laugh, and Murakan clicked his tongue.
Alisa and Kashmir, on the other hand, had somewhat stern expressions.
"Kashmir, Alisa. Are you worried about running into the Emperor?" Cuicantelle asked. She was still unofficially wanted by Vermont, along with Enya, but now she didn't need to hide.
Jin had become a flagbearer, and his faction was growing into a force that could no longer be ignored.
"It's not necessarily that, but I feel strange," Alisa shrugged her shoulders.
"While we might not encounter the Emperor himself, but I am sure we will meet a few members of the imperial family. Anyway, if we intend to elevate the status of Tikan to a country, we can't keep avoiding them forever."
The group had all used Golden Snow Tribe's products to disguise themselves, much like they did during the Compass Theft Operation.
However, even with their extravagant disguises, people didn't pay them much attention. With so many prominent figures around, Jin and his group were only perceived as fashionable nobles easily spotted anywhere.
"It's almost our turn."
The group had been waiting in line for five hours since dawn.
"Show your invitations."
The eyebrows of the gatekeepers twitched as they examined Jin's invitation.
"Paul Gray Mick? That's a name I've never seen before. Furthermore, the patriarch has left a note telling you not to come if possible, yet you have brought companions?"
"If it's absolutely necessary for you to enter, your companions can step aside."
"Well, you allowed the companions of nobles in front to enter as well."
When Enya asked, the gatekeepers exchanged awkward glances.
"That's customary... Anyway, it's not allowed. Since the patriarch doesn't seem to welcome your presence, there's nothing we can do. It's better if only you enter."
"Wait a moment."
Whisper, whisper.
Jin whispered something in his ear, and the gatekeepers' eyes widened.
"... Are you truly Jin Runcandel?"
"Sir Ron sent the invitation in my alias, so I came using that name. Please lower your voice a bit, as a courtesy."
"If you are the 12th flagbearer of Runcandel, show me the proof!"
When the gatekeeper suddenly shouted, the eyes of the other nobles in the next row widened.
"Are you really Jin Runcandel!?"
"What did you say? Jin Runcandel is here? Where? That person?"
Suddenly, all eyes turned to Jin and his group. Some nobles even shouted that they had seen the "that gorgeous blonde" even in the feudal state of the Empire, Bellado, confirming that he was indeed Jin Runcandel.
After the recent Garden of Swords incident, which is commonly referred to as the "Youngest Declaration", Jin's whereabouts had become the top concern of the public. It was only natural for the gossip-prone nobles to make a fuss about it.
And as soon as the commotion started, someone took the opportunity to interject.
"Oh! Welcome, Jin!"
It was Dante Hairan, standing on the castle wall, looking down at the guests. Next to him, Ron Hairan stood with an uncomfortable expression.
And another person.
The moment they heard the name Jin Runcandel, a figure in the VIP entrance area turned to look.
"Jin? Jin is here? Where, where!"
This good-natured idiot, white-haired young man was none other than the next patriarch of the Zipfel, Veradin Zipfel. As he craned his neck to see Jin, his attendants touched their foreheads, trying to restrain him.
"Young Master, please maintain your composure."
"He is the enemy's flagbearer. If you act as if you are pleased to see him..."
Despite the attendants' objections, Veradin continued to search for Jin, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
"Veradin is here too!"
Dante waved towards Veradin.
At that moment, Veradin met Jin's gaze and shook his hand. Jin, in turn, naturally avoided his gaze and continued walking into the Sword Emperor Castle.
It was because he worried that Veradin might be in trouble.
As a result, those who came to the banquet responded to Dante's gestures, thinking that they were being welcomed, and shook hands in return. The nobles near Veradin also extended their hands to him.
Some things remained the same, Jin couldn't help but think. Similar situations had occurred in the past during the Cosmos Arena.
'I didn't expect that he would attend. Is he in his right mind today?'
On the other hand, there was a bitter taste in his mouth.
The last time they had met, Jin and Veradin had fought each other. At that time, Veradin had not only failed to greet Jin as he did now but had acted like someone determined to kill him.
He couldn't jump to conclusions yet. Not until he had a conversation with him.
'No, even if we talk in person... Can I be sure that his mind hasn't been manipulated?'
It would probably be difficult. There was no clear information on the level of Zipfel's mental manipulation.
Still, it wasn't so bad to see his friend looking healthy after a long time.
As they entered the castle, the reception area was already crowded with people.
If Jin's identity as Runcandel hadn't been revealed, they would have had to wait quietly in the reception area until evening. The entrance of regular guests would only begin after all the VIPs had taken their seats.
Thanks to the commotion, Jin and his group could immediately enter the banquet hall.
"I went to all the trouble of disguising myself, but it seems pointless now. I wanted to see Sir Ron's smug expression when he realized I wasn't coming."
The real fans in the banquet hall had already heard the news. They were openly scrutinizing Jin and his group with curiosity.
Even the guests in the banquet hall were already aware of Jin's presence. They were overtly examining the group, and their curiosity was evident.
Jin's arrival at the banquet hall was a surprise to everyone, but except for a few individuals, the people Jin had brought with him were unfamiliar to them.
Officially, Hairan had not sent an invitation to Runcandel. Ron made that decision based on the consideration for Rosa as she was still recovering. Ron also had his own reasons for not being particularly enthusiastic about Runcandel.
As they were guided to their table, one person with an interesting gait approached them.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Jin Runcandel."
She was a woman with an unbelievably white skin, an almost unearthly beauty, and had a slender figure. It was the first time Jin and his group saw her, and she carried an incongruously large weapon, the "axe-sword," on her back.
'Axe-sword...? Has there been someone else besides elder sister Luna who used such a sword as their weapon?'
Although part of it was concealed, it was clear that it was an axe-sword.
"Who are you?"
As Jin inspected the axe-sword, Murakan asked with a somewhat mocking tone.
"Oh, I'm Zephyrin of the Black King mercenaries. I've always admired Sir Jin for a long time, so I came to greet you."
"Admire who? Him? Why on earth? Are you in the same league as this girl?"
When Murakan pointed at Enya, someone urgently called Zephyrin's name.
"Hey, Zephyrin!"
Someone with an anxious voice called out to Zephyrin. A man rushed towards her from behind, and he was someone whom Jin knew.
"Oh, Captain!"
Thud!
Before Zephyrin could respond, Murka, the captain of the Black King mercenaries 3rd division, slapped her on the back of her head, causing her to bow her head slightly. He had a natural look, as if dealing with a troublesome student. It seemed like a common occurrence.
"Are you just shamelessly tagging along? Hm, hm! I'm sorry, Sir Jin Runcandel. I failed to supervise my subordinates properly. She is a newcomer who recently joined, and she's quite the troublemaker. If the newbie came here thanks to the leader, they should just behave quietly...!"
"No need to worry, Sir Murka. It's been a while."
Murka had been in charge of Jin's escort when he left Storm Castle. The nickname "Young Emperor" given by the Black King mercenaries, who protected him, had gained renewed attention recently due to the recent events.
"It seems you've been promoted to Captain."
"It happened not long after escorting you, Sir."
"Although it's quite belated, I should congratulate you."
While Jin was chatting with Murka, he couldn't help but be subtly bothered by Zephyrin.
'Is it because of the axe-sword? I have a strange feeling for some reason…'
Murka, seemingly aware of this fact, pointed at Zephyrin.
"Her real weapon is just a regular long sword. She carries this axe-sword around her back and claims to admire Lady Luna, always saying she does it out of respect. Please don't think too badly of her."
While talking with Jin, Murka occasionally scolded Zephyrin, but he showed affection for his subordinate.
"Of course."
"I'm grateful that you understand. Hey, hey! Why don't you say thank you right away?"
"Thank you!"
Once again, when Zephyrin quickly bowed her head (she bowed so energetically that the axe-sword hilt smacked in the back of her head), Murakan shook his head as if he was not surprised.
"Ah, I'm tired. One fan is more than enough. Go away quickly."
"Yes, see you again next time. Enjoy the banquet."
After Murka and Zephyrin left, the group exchanged glances.
"Our Lord doesn't need to do anything; beautiful women like her come to him on their own. As expected!"
"That Zephyrin woman seems a bit suspicious, doesn't she?"
"You probably feel that way because she is going to be your competitor. What's so suspicious about her? She just seems a bit inexperienced."
While Jet, Enya and Murakan made their comments, Jin and Cuicantelle continued to look at Zephyrin's back with their eyebrows narrowed.
"Jin."
"Yes, Ms. Cuicantelle."
"That Zephyrin, she doesn't seem like a human."
章節 238: Chapter 397
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The gaze of the group turned once again to the back of Murka and Zephyrin at the words of Cuicantelle.
Murka had been scolding Zephyrin all the way back to the Black King mercenaries' table.
"Huh? Ms. Cuicantelle, what are you talking about?"
"Cuicantelle. Are you saying you won't even treat these inferior ones as humans? That girl didn't seem that way to me."
As Jet and Murakan expressed their doubts, Cuicantelle sighed.
"Murakan, how can you be so blunt? Well, you've always been a carefree guy, haven't you?"
"I'm not in the mood for that kind of talk from you."
"Didn't you sense something strange from that human?"
"What do you mean? I only smelled a weird perfume. These newcomers to the banquets always seem to spray their perfume so heavily. Maybe they don't usually bathe..."
At Murakan's words, Enya and Jet both wrinkled their noses and sniffed their own clothes at the same time. They were also newcomers to the banquet, so they had used a lot of perfume.
"Um, those kinds of people don't necessarily not bathe regularly, you know...?"
"Well, you're right. Haha, I accidentally spilled some perfume on myself while handling it this morning."
Of course, the smell Cuicantelle was referring to was not the scent of perfume.
"It was the smell of our kin, Murakan."
Everyone looked at Cuicantelle in surprise.
"What...?"
"It was covered by the perfume, but I'm sure of it. The smell I sensed from that human was the blood of our kin, and not just one kind of blood, but several mixed together."
Hiding the smell of blood for the seasoned mercenaries who had been on countless battlefields was impossible.
The pungent smell of blood was as strong and intense as meat sizzling on a grill.
But the blood of dragons was completely different from that of humans.
Dragons had a unique and mysterious scent that was difficult to discern with human sensory organs, and it varied from one species to another.
"The terror of the Ante Mountains. It was even stronger than what I sensed from that human."
"Hmm, that's something. So, Cuicantelle, are you saying that Zephyrin could be a dragon hunter?"
"A dragon hunter? There has never been such a thing in the world, you bastard. Vanessa Olsen was probably the closest thing. Well, if it's the smell of our kin... then was the perfume deliberately used to mask that smell?"
"There's a possibility."
"If what you're saying is true, then that person is probably either a demon or a demon dragon. But as far as I know, there isn't a demon who can perfectly transform into a human form, so there is a high possibility that she is a demon dragon."
Demon dragons.
They were dragons that served demon god or demon king. They were given the same name whether they were created by demon gods from the beginning or the dragons who served other gods and moved to the demon world.
"The last time a demon dragon appeared in the human world was during the Holy Kingdom's Protection War. Before that, it was about 1,200 years ago when Helluram summoned a demon dragon."
"Before the demon god appeared, they were occasionally seen, but that's it. So should I go and ask? Are you a demon dragon?"
"And what will you do if she says yes?"
"We'll have to kill her."
"Hmm, it might be better to just stay quiet, Murakan."
When Jin tried to stop him, Murakan shrugged his shoulders.
"Why?"
"If she denies it, there's no way to prove it. It might not be true. Besides, if you suddenly cause a ruckus claiming that you've discovered her true identity, there will be no solution. This is Sir Ron's banquet hall, after all."
If Murakan's actions were to disrupt the banquet, the responsibility would fall squarely on Jin.
"Jin is right, Murakan. Why are you so stubborn? Besides, there's a slim chance that the scent of our kin is coming from the sword. It's unlikely, but if that's the case, then she might be an ordinary human, and the weapon may have belonged to a demon dragon or someone like Vanessa."
As if she had heard something, Zephyrin turned her head while scratching the back of her head.
While doing so, she naturally made eye contact with Jin and waved her hand with a mischievous smile.
"Hey, if you're as strong as me, you don't need to use your head much. What do you guys know? Heh. Oh, by the way, that Zephyrin or whatever, she looks like a complete fool from here."
"But, Ms. Cuicantelle. If she is really a demon dragon, there must be a reason why she came to me. In my opinion... it's probably the magic tome of Rontelgius."
Rontelgius's magic tome.
The item they had obtained a few months ago when they attacked Joshua's secret villa came to mind. If a demon dragon had something to discuss with him, that would be the only reason.
"I agree with that, Jin. After the banquet is over, we should look into Zephyrin. I think we need to find out more about her."
"Anyway, we have business with the Black King mercenaries as well. After the banquet ends, we should go to the headquarters of the Black King mercenaries. It might be a good opportunity to meet the leader of the Black King mercenaries at the banquet hall."
The Black King mercenaries, the world's most renowned mercenary group, was the most crucial of the neutral factions Jin needed to recruit.
It was a mercenary group that even Runcandel couldn't afford to ignore.
"Furthermore, if Zephyrin's connection to Rontelgius is revealed, we can also investigate Joshua's relationship with them," Jin added.
"But Lord Jin," Enya interjected, "how did Zephyrin know that we had the magic tome?"
"It's probably because she sensed the unique mana of demons or demon dragons. We've been carrying that ominous thing with us for the past few months, so it's likely she could sense it in our presence," Cuicantelle answered on Jin's behalf.
"Oh, so demon dragons have an extraordinary sense...," Enya remarked.
Since finding the magic tome, Tikan had been diligently gathering information about Rontelgius. However, they had made no progress thus far, Zephyrin's appearance could have a potential lead.
Additionally, the presence of a demon dragon was not likely to have a positive impact on the human world. It was important to quickly uncover Zephyrin's true identity and purpose.
Of course, if she turned out to be an ordinary human, that would be a different matter.
As the group discussed Zephyrin, another figure approached their table. Unlike Zephyrin, this newcomer had an unmistakable air of hostility and malice surrounding him. He didn't even make an effort to conceal his killing intent, causing others at the table to fixate their gaze on him.
"Huh, what's this now? It's been a while since I've seen such unfriendly eyes," Murakan said, visibly irritated by the newcomer's attitude. His companions, however, did not react.
"Jin Runcandel."
Jin raised his head to meet the eyes of the newcomer. Immediately, Jin could tell who he was.
Lata Proch. He was the brother of Faye Proch, whom Jin had captured as a prisoner not long ago. He was also the young leader of the Ghost mercenaries.
"Kid, pass a message to this fearless brat for me. Tell him that if he doesn't start showing some respect with those pretty eyes of his, he won't be able to see anything ever again," Murakan said.
"As you heard, Sir Lata. What business does the devil of Proch have with me?" Jin responded casually, undeterred by Lata's attitude.
Murakan's comment and Jin's calm demeanor did nothing to sway Lata's expression.
However, it seemed like he hadn't regained his composure but had arrived here already seething with anger from head to toe.
"Did you kill her?"
He was talking about Faye.
"I spared her."
"I won't ask twice. Tell me what you want."
The atmosphere was tense. It was because this banquet is clearly different from Runcandel's 'single-log bridge party.'. It wasn't an event where you could fight freely just because you held grudges against each other.
However, despite that, everyone was curious.
Runcandel's 12th flagbearer, who had turned the Garden of Swords upside down single-handedly, and the Ghost mercenaries' leader, hailed as the reincarnation of Smarion, were quite the spectacle. Even more so than that, this spectacle was rarely seen anywhere else.
'Will Runcandel's 12th flagbearer cause another wave in the world again?'
'Lata Proch is a monster among monsters. If the 12th flagbearer defeats him, the top flagbearers of Runcandel will surely feel threatened once more.'
Those who watched were full of expectations, but Jin didn't want to fight Lata.
The Ghost mercenaries, like the Black King mercenaries, was an important neutral force that needed to be recruited as an ally.
The Ghost mercenaries' headquarters was situated in Vermont, and if they could be persuaded, they could provide significant assistance in curbing the Empire's power.
Of course, despite the efforts of large clans like Runcandel, Zipfel, and Vermont to recruit them as allies, there was a good reason why neutral forces like the Black King mercenaries and the Ghost mercenaries had remained 'neutral' for so long.
Naturally, if they made the wrong choice, the very existence of the group itself would be jeopardized.
That's why sizable neutral forces sometimes offered their allegiance to Runcandel, sometimes to Zipfel, sometimes to Vermont, and sometimes refused to deal with any of them, maintaining their existence.
'But now, all neutral forces must come together. Beyond ascending to the throne of Runcandel, I must bring down Zipfel. It's an absolute necessity.'
Once Zipfel completes the Demon God's Orb and begins to achieve what they desires.
At that time, not only Runcandel but also those who stood in the Gray Zone would come to an end.
In a manipulated world, even existing as oneself would be impossible.
'I must let everyone know that only I have the means to stop that.'
While Jin was briefly lost in these thoughts, Lata was becoming increasingly hostile.
'Somehow, this human seems like it would be really tiresome to make an ally. Perhaps if I had answered that I killed Faye, he wouldn't have hesitated and would have thrust his sword without a second thought.'
In front of him was undoubtedly the infamous leader of the Ghost mercenaries.
However, to Jin, he felt more like a rebellious teenager who needed to be disciplined and guided onto the right path.
He was someone who needed to be raised properly and pacified.
"I haven't thought of anything yet."
"Then think of something right now."
"What if I don't want to?"
"I said I wouldn't ask twice. There will be no negotiation, and you will forever be my enemy."
"It sounds like you're treating all of Runcandel as your enemy."
"I heard you're not the type who blindly follows your clan. Well, if you want to interpret it that way, you're welcome to. By the way, Veradin Zipfel is here too. I'm prepared to have a conversation with him as well."
Despite openly displaying his hostility, Lata was undoubtedly the leader of the Ghost mercenaries, capable of understanding what would effectively pressure Jin, even when he was boiling over from head to toe due to anger.
Amidst Jin's contemplation of what response to give, Veradin, who was standing behind Lata, cleared his throat.
He looked at Jin, chuckled, and spoke, "Well, Sir Lata, I'm not prepared to have a conversation with you. But you two seem to be getting along quite well. When did the Ghost mercenaries and Runcandel form an alliance?"
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