章節 270: Chapter 429
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***
A dark forest, where it seemed even a single ray of sunlight couldn't penetrate. This forest was rumored to be haunted by ghosts and evil spirits.
[Mya!]
Jin rode Shuri and passed through the complicated and dimly lit forest path. There were no other companions with him.
The complexity of the path made him think that a maze might have been a better option. If it weren't for Shuri, he might have regretted coming here alone.
-Young Master, please take Lord Murakan with you.
-Are you sure about this, Lord? If you go alone and he happens to have ill intentions, it won't be easy to secure an escape route.
-Is there a reason why you have to go alone?
Before setting off, Jin's comrades had all expressed their concern.
It was because they still couldn't completely trust the owner of this land.
Bruu, buuuu-.
As the forest grew denser, the eerie and ominous sound that could be heard from all directions became more intense.
'Ghost Castle, huh? The name suits this place incredibly well.'
It was his first time seeing it in person, but as always, Shuri skillfully navigated without getting lost, and they arrived without incident.
It's massive and pitch black.
That was the immediate impression that Jin had when he saw the castle that suddenly rose at the edge of the forest.
Even the thick mist covering the area couldn't conceal the strange demonic energy emanating from the Ghost Castle.
It became difficult to even breathe while standing in front of the castle because of this ghastly aura.
Once again, Jin was astonished that he had defeated the lord of this enormous castle, Lata Proch.
He sent Shuri back to the ruby and waited for a while by the castle gates.
After some time, the gates creaked open, but he couldn't see who had unlocked the massive iron gates.
He wondered if a person had actually opened it in the first place.
It felt as if the wind or a specter had simply passed through, and what immediately came into his view was not the ordinary interior of a castle but darkness.
Advancing into it seemed no different than jumping off a cliff.
However, Jin marched forward without putting extra strength into his grip on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Screech, one feels as if they are passing through a nightmare landscape due to the eerie and chilling wind sounds.
A dark vacant lot appeared moments later.
"12th flagbearer, you've been through a lot to get here."
Jin heard the familiar voice of Lata Proch.
Jin wondered if Lata had just finished a battle or if he had come to interrogate those imprisoned beneath the Ghost Castle. Lata had a scent of fresh and pungent blood.
"The scent of blood seems to linger here."
"Our line of work isn't exactly a pleasant one. Aren't you used to it by now?"
"Just thought I'd mention it."
As they approached, Jin caught a glimpse of Lata's face illuminated by the torch he was holding.
"You didn't seriously come here alone, did you?"
Lata was genuinely surprised that Jin had found his way to the Ghost Castle alone.
It wasn't just Lata; every member of the Ghost Mercenary Corps shared the same sentiment.
At least, ever since Lata became the leader of the Ghost Mercenary Corps, or even before that when Smarion Proch led the Ghost Mercenary Corps, no one had ever come to the Ghost Castle alone.
Whenever the leaders of Runcandel and Zipfel had secret meetings, they always brought a group capable of putting up a significant fight.
It was only natural.
Ghost Mercenary Corps had maintained their neutrality to a certain extent, but it was a faction with significant influence.
Especially in their headquarters, the Ghost Castle, they held a position among the top level of neutral factions.
Ghost castle is located in the territory of Vermont empires, but they chose to acknowledge their autonomy instead of launching an assault on the Ghost Castle.
"The Ghost Mercenary Corps has taken on risks to fulfill my request, so I should show a certain level of trust as well, shouldn't I?" Jin said.
Lata nodded his head as if he was touched by Jin's statement. Jin felt a bit awkward about Lata's response but didn't show it.
"Indeed, that's impressive. Very well. Let's write up the contract now."
After sending the heads of the elders, Lata immediately contacted Jin and requested him to visit the Ghost Castle.
The reason was writing a contract for the alliance.
The paper Lata handed over consisted of the simplest terms among all the contracts Jin had seen before.
Moreover, it contained unexpected content.
(Lata Proch and his Ghost Mercenary Corps will acknowledge Jin Runcandel as their lord, and this matter has the complete agreement of all members of the Ghost Mercenary Corps.)
It was more of a pledge of loyalty than a contract.
"This is not just a simple alliance but a blood alliance between the lord and his subjects."
"What... is this?"
Jin decided that he would form an alliance with the Ghost Mercenary Corps first and gradually build a strong bond in the future.
He never expected something like this.
"Is there something you don't like?"
"No, it's not that. It's just a bit surprising."
"I respected you at the Sword Emperor Castle, and then I feared Jin Runcandel more than the elders of Runcandel. So, I killed the elders."
On the day they met at the Garden of Swords, Lata decided to accept Jin as his lord, along with the conviction that it was the only way for the Ghost Mercenary Corps to survive in this "new era."
"And I am practically an absolute authority within the Ghost Mercenary Corps. My will is essentially the will of all ghosts. The Ghost Mercenary Corps will become the most important force under your command," Lata proclaimed.
There were numerous leaders in the world, but those who received unwavering support from their subordinates were not so common. Lata was exceptional among them.
He was no different from his subordinates.
Jin drew a dagger from his belt. He cut his palm and marked the paper with his blood, and Lata did the same.
"I accept, Sir Lata."
"Please follow me, my lord."
Jin followed Lata into the central hall of the castle, and saw ghost mercenaires lined up.
There were probably thousands of mercenaries wearing black assassin uniforms and maintaining an unwavering posture.
Lata stood before them and raised his sword to salute Jin. The rest of the Ghost Mercenaries followed suit and raised their swords.
It was the moment when Jin became the new master of the Ghost Mercenary Corps. It was also the moment when the Ghost Mercenary Corps fully stepped out of neutrality for the first time.
"I will introduce the members to you one by one."
"Alright."
Jin looked at the sentence on the paper again. The part that caught his eye was, 'this matter has the complete agreement of all members of the Ghost Mercenary Corps.'
"Looking at the lined up troops here, it doesn't seem to be much different from the usual size of the Ghost Mercenary Corps. Were there many who opposed the idea of forming a blood alliance with me?"
"Some of the people who used to serve my father opposed it. The elders, so to speak."
"Neither you nor I are on good terms with the elders. What happened to them?"
"They all left the Ghost Castle."
"Do they know any special secrets or vulnerabilities of the Ghost Mercenary Corps?"
Lata hesitated at that question. "I didn't expect you to think of that. Yes, there are. And it's embarrassing to admit, but I haven't dealt with them yet. I'm still trying to track them down."
"It's been several days already, so it's highly likely they've sought refuge with other factions for protection."
"I apologize for showing such a lax attitude from the beginning."
"No need to apologize. Just in case, I'll also employ someone to search for the elders who fled. Please inform me about any secrets or vulnerabilities of the Ghost Castle that they might know."
"It is the monster sealed in the deepest part of the Ghost Castle's basement."
"... monster?"
Jin expressed his doubt, and Lata continued to explain with a bitter smile.
"We can't deal with that monster at this moment. It's been sealed in the basement for decades. It is unable to eat anything, yet it's still alive. And the seal that keeps it in check is getting weaker every year."
"It sounds like a monster straight out of a legend."
"It might be a sudden revelation, but you don't seem particularly surprised."
"I've encountered a sealed inner core demonic creature before."
Naturally, Jin assumed that what was sealed in the depths of the Ghost Castle was a demonic creature with an inner core.
"Just how powerful is it that even Ghost Mercenary Corps members can't handle it?"
"It's immeasurable. It's difficult to explain... Would you like to go see for yourself?"
Jin followed Lata down the stairs and headed to the basement.
The deeper they went, the more Jin could feel an eerie and malevolent ghastly aura pressing down on him.
'Is this the source of the dense ghastly aura that permeates the entire Ghost Castle."
It wasn't just the ghostly aura that spread a suffocating feeling throughout the castle.
"We've arrived."
As they reached the lowest level, they came across a massive iron door with a red seal engraved on it.
It was a type of seal Jin had never seen before, but he could intuitively sense that humans had been used as materials for this seal. It was a seal with immense restraining power.
"This is..."
"I heard that it is a seal that was passed down only to the elders, and even previous ghost leaders didn't know about it. This seal was created by other elders, excluding the ones who fled, by using themselves as materials."
As Jin approached the seal, he felt the weight of the ghastly aura pressing heavily on his entire body.
"Are you saying that this seal weakens every year?"
"Yes."
Jin could understand now why Lata had proposed the blood alliance so quickly.
'If the monster behind this seal is released, the ghost mercenaries will not be able to survive unless they abandon the castle.'
Of course, the likelihood of the seal being broken immediately was low, and Lata hadn't proposed the blood alliance solely for that reason. However, it was definitely a significant issue.
"I showed you this place first because this is currently the biggest and only problem Ghost Mercenary Corps is facing. It's shameful, but you could even say that this seal threatens the existence of the Ghost Mercenary Corps."
Now that they were bound by blood alliance, they needed to discuss and resolve this problem together.
Though it was an action that revealed vulnerability right after forming the blood allaince, Jin did not find Rata spiteful or laughable.
After all, Lata had chosen him over figures like Runcandel, Zipfel, the imperial family, or Kinzelo.
If Lata had allied with Runcandel or Zipfel, it would have likely been easier to resolve this seal and the other issues.
"Indeed... I can feel it just by ghastly aura leaking from the seal. So, what kind of demonic creature is sealed inside?"
In response to Jin's question, Lata shook his head.
"No, it's not a demonic creature."
"Not a demonic creature?"
"The entity sealed inside is my father."
Smarion Proch.
The monster sealed in the depths of the Ghost Castle was none other than the previous Ghost Mercenary Corps leader.
章節 271: Chapter 430
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Smarion Proch.
Jin didn't know much about him. However, as anyone with even a passing interest in the history of martial artists would know, he was an almost mythical figure with a mutation-like existence.
Smarion was born into a simple peasant family. But from a young age, he displayed a talent for causing harm to humans, and the first people he killed were his own parents.
Eventually, he overthrew the ruling "Seigalga" and planted the Proch flag in the Ghost castle and become a legendary figure.
He was the father of Lata and Faye.
'I believe Smarion died around the time Sir Lata entered his teenage years.'
It was not easy to understand that the owner of this ghastly aura was Smarion.
"..... Is this true?"
"My father was a fiend from birth. He killed his parents and attempted to kill me and Faye as well."
However, Smarion's attempts to kill Lata and Faye were more about 'education,' as other assassin clans or ruthless Knight clans often did.
Although they don't want to admit it, Lata and Faye knew that they became stronger because of it. In other words, Smarion had always used a certain level of madness to achieve results.
"However, the elders who died and became the materials for this seal said that Smarion completely lost his reason from a certain point. He literally became a madman." Lata added.
The elders who were close to Lata at the time claimed that Smarion started showing "signs" when Lata was about ten years old.
Smarion was already known for being a murderous fiend, but unlike the previous leaders, he was famous for cherishing his subordinates. That's why the ghost mercenaries showed absolute loyalty to Smarion, and he always trusted them.
After the 'change' began, his behavior gradually changed.
"They said he used unimaginable and bizarre methods to torture and kill his men and their family."
"I've never heard such negative rumors about the former ghost leader."
"The deceased elders thoroughly prevented the records and stories of that time from being known to the outside world. He didn't just behave wickedly towards his subordinates. They said he harmed himself horribly."
"If the former Ghost leader indeed showed such signs, then it wouldn't have ended with just a rebellion."
"There were several revolts. But they were crushed every time due to my father's overwhelming power. Maybe the lord doesn't know, but there was even a time when my father had a confrontation with Sir Chiron."
"My father and the former ghost leader...?"
Jin didn't know that there was such a secret between Runcandel and the Ghost mercenaries.
In fact, this record is not stored as a document in the Ghost castle, and Runcandel classified it as an extremely confidential secret known only to the patriarch.
"I haven't seen it myself because it happened before I was born. However, the fight lasted for a full day, and Sir Chiron emerged victorious in the end. But for some reason, he spared my father's life."
Chiron spared the defeated.
Jin couldn't imagine such a scene, but Chiron was young during those days, so it was possible.
"Afterward, Sir Chiron occasionally visited this Ghost castle. He would spar with my father or talk about various things."
"Really?"
"I don't know about the fight that lasted for a full day, but me and my sister witnessed my father and Sir Chiron drinking together. It was odd, but my father never seemed to hold a grudge against Sir Chiron after losing to him."
Chiron talked with someone and shared a drink.
It was difficult for Jin to imagine this too.
"At that time, even that crazy man became quite a kind father. He would sit us siblings on his knees and even make us laugh."
"It must be a good memory for you."
"Now that I think about it, maybe my father wanted to impress Sir Chiron."
"Do you remember what kind of conversations the two of them mainly had?"
Jin wondered about the connection between his father, Chiron Runcandel, and Smarion Proch. Despite the terrible ghastly aura coursing through his entire body, a strong curiosity arose within him.
"I was too young, so I hardly remember anything. But..."
Lata gazed at the red seal and continued.
"There's one scene that I remember vividly. I was sitting next to him holding Faye in my arms, and enjoying some snacks after a long time. Sir Chiron asked my father a question after watching us for a moment."
-Smarion. Is that okay these days?
"That...?"
"And my father replied."
-How can that be okay, Chiron? As you know, I don't have much time left.
"I madly resented my father when he finally became a complete monster and the senior members who had been protecting me became the materials for the seal. Yet, somehow, I remember my father saying, 'I don't have much time left.'"
Jin felt a sense of déjà vu after that remark.
Back when he returned from Laprarosa and was becoming a flagbearer, Jin had heard Chiron say the exact same words to him.
'I don't have much time left. What on earth does that mean...?'
At that time, he hadn't given much thought to the reasons behind Chiron's limited time. Instead, he had focused on the importance of becoming the patriarch before Chiron's time ran out.
Smarion. Is that okay these days?
That.
What if "that" was the connection between Chiron and Smarion?
'What if Smarion had become a monster due to something my father referred to as "that", and what if my father also has the same problem…?'
Smarion had become a monster, and his father had also been affected by the same issue. It led Jin to a horrifying assumption.
'Could my father also... become a monster? Like Smarion Proch, beyond this seal?'
Smarion's words, "As you know," haunted him. Such a statement would typically only be made when the other person also knew about the situation.
Jin's heart pounded, and his thoughts raced faster.
"Sir Lata, have you ever heard what my father meant by 'that'?"
"Unfortunately, no. I've asked some of the deceased elders, but they didn't know either. Sir Chiron is probably the only one who knows."
The Black Sea.
It has some connection to that dark land.
Jin felt a strong conviction. It must be deeply related to the reason why Chiron is so obsessed with the Black Sea.
'Why my father is fixated on the Black Sea and what he's searching for there might become clear when elder sister Luna returns.'
And the monster behind this red seal could potentially be a clue. Of course, it's the biggest weakness for the Ghost mercenaries before the possibility of being a clue.
Jin organized his thoughts, and he met Lata's gaze.
"Since we can't ask my father right now, we need to find out what 'that' is."
"Yes, my lord."
"But finding the escaped elders is our top priority. They not only possess information about this seal but also know about our blood alliance. We can't let that information spread."
In most cases, Jin didn't want to publicize the fact that the Ghost mercenaries had become his force.
He would prefer to reveal the extent of his influence once it had grown further. Moreover, the Ghost mercenaries needed to maintain a facade of neutrality and maintain their connections for interaction with other factions.
"That's correct."
"The problem is more significant than I expected. It is highly likely that they have already colluded with others, but... Let's hope that hasn't happened yet. Whether it's Zipfel, Kinzelo, the imperial family, or even Runcandel. If any of them attempt to break this seal and invade Ghost castle, there will be no solution."
"I am ashamed, my lord."
"I will go back, and immediately start spreading my people. Please give me the map with marked escape routes and all the information about the traitors."
"Understood."
"And Sir Lata."
"Yes, my lord."
Jin smiled and added, "I'm counting on you from now on."
"I'll do my best, my lord."
***
Meanwhile, as Jin received the oath of allegiance from Lata and the Ghost mercenaries within the Ghost castle, the elder council members of Runcandel were holding another somber meeting.
The Heat is On, a perfect phrase for their current situation.
"I didn't expect the acting matriarch to come out like this."
"She can't do this. Do you know how much blood we've shed for the acting matriarch all these years?"
"Huh, prove the significance and value of the elder council….. What else do we have to prove!"
Grit!
The door opened as the elder council members vented their frustrations one by one.
"Have you arrived, Elder council president?"
"Elder council president!"
"Elder council president, did you hear what happened..."
The newcomer was the Elder council president, Jorden Runcandel. The elder council members had been eagerly awaiting his arrival.
It was because they had believed that if it's Jorden, he would find a way to salvage the situation.
Had it not been for the recent series of events centered around Jin.
Jorden must have been very satisfied with the appearance of these old ghosts who had been waiting for him like eager puppies. Elders couldn't make a proper judgment because they were intoxicated by the sweet recognition they received all this time.
But not anymore.
'These pathetic bastards…'
Jorden was immediately filled with anger and nausea upon seeing the sight that greeted him.
Since when?
Since when did the sharpest swords of Runcandel become like this?
He was filled with overwhelming doubts and regrets, as if the bones in his chest were shattering.
As much as Jorden wished he could just cut down these corrupt elder council members right now, he never forgot that they were his biggest remaining support.
In fact he is also drunk on the power from a certain moment, if not to the same extent.
'We must renew ourselves and become the pillars of Runcandel again!'
Otherwise, an era has arrived where not only ascending to the throne but even surviving in the Garden of Swords is uncertain.
"I can't help but feel disappointed in you and myself."
"Elder council president..…?"
Jorden looked at the elder council members with a different expression in his eyes.
"It seems the time has come for us to regain our lost instincts and spirit. If we continue like this, we will wither and disappear. From today on, the Elder Council will no longer fight safe battles, so those who are afraid should leave now."
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