章節 273: Chapter 432
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Squeak!
Sigmund sliced through the bone and flesh of Rox with a sharp noise.
Rox was not the kind of person to be defeated so easily, but the result of focusing solely on Lata was a bitter one.
He belatedly tried to retreat, but blood was already gushing from the severed leg.
"Argh...!"
The fight was over the moment he lost his leg.
Jin calmly cut off Rox's other leg, then shifted his gaze to Lox, who was barely holding on to his spirit.
"Make sure this one doesn't die, Sir Lata."
"How dare you, Rox!"
"Dare? Do you know who I am, to speak so recklessly, Lox Seygal?"
Swoosh!
Jin's blade rushed towards Lox's forehead. Lox reacted easily to the attack, but he was shocked by the force pressing down on his wrist when he parried Jin's attack.
'What kind of strength is this!'
He blocked the blow, but it felt like his wrist was about to snap, and the muscles supporting his posture were all on the verge of tearing apart.
Just as Lox pondered the identity of Jin.
Pzzzzz!
The lightning bolts emanated from Sigmund's blade, faintly glowing with a bluish hue.
Until a few years ago, the lightning symbolized the contractor of Peitel, but not anymore.
"Jin Runcandel...!"
"If you recognize me, then accept my sword quietly."
The Plutonian Swordsmanship's lightning bolt descended upon Lox's head. Lox is also a martial artist who has reached a certain level, he has shown a resilient response against attack he is experiencing for the first time.
But that was all he could do.
Even in pure swordsmanship skills, Jin was far ahead of Lox. As the battle began in earnest, Rox was pushed back and appeared as if he was retreating.
"Have you truly become Runcandel's dog as I heard from elders, Lata Proch?"
Lata shrugged his shoulders while roughly bandaging Rox's leg.
"It seems the traitors misinformed you, Lox. I have become a hound of Jin Runcandel's, not Runcandel."
"You know no shame, you bastard."
"Shame? Losing is the greatest shame in the mercenary world. You and the Elders made a wrong choice, and you're paying the price for it."
Lox glared at Lata and charged towards him, but Jin simply blocked his charge.
Clang!
Sigmund and his sword clashed, and sparks flew.
Lox Seygal quickly came to the conclusion that escaping is out of the question, let alone winning this fight.
"Lox Seygal. We've just met as enemies, and I don't have any pent-up feelings against you. So, if you answer a few questions of mine, I'll send you off without pain."
"It's frustrating that our throne was taken away by that monster, Smarion, who appeared out of nowhere. But I never thought I would hear such words from someone like a 12th flagbearer of Runcandel."
"Can I take this as you reject my offer?"
As Jin asked, some of the squad leaders who had gone in the other direction entered the Seygal brothers' room.
"My lord! We've captured them."
The squad leaders had apprehended the treacherous Elders from another room. They had been poisoned to the point where they could barely speak.
Lata's eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he looked down at the Elders.
"These old rats... Did they think they could defy my will? They even dared to collaborate with Seygal and looked for other factions that might finish us."
Naturally, Jin didn't feel any type of emotion from the betrayal of the Elders of the Ghost mercenaries.
However, for Lata, their betrayal was quite a shock. The Elders were not only people from Seygal, but they had also been closely associated with Lata for a long time.
"Thanks to you rats, my Lord had to bear the burden of the Ghost mercenaries' potential threat as soon as we formed the blood alliance. So, from now on, answer my questions truthfully."
Lata seated Rox next to the Elders and continued speaking.
"First, which faction did you choose? Second, did you reveal the alliance between my lord and me, and the secrets of the Ghost Castle? If you don't answer my question sincerely, then I will slaughter you, your kins, relatives, and even the dogs you raised."
It was no empty threat. Lata was more than capable of carrying it out.
"Hahaha..."
There was silence for a moment, and then one of the captured Elders suddenly burst into laughter.
"Lata Proch! Do you think killing our kins and relatives will be a tremendous pain for us?"
"What did you say?"
"What do you think, Jin Runcandel?Would we have left the Ghost Castle if we were afraid of such things?"
Not only the Elders but also Rox Seygal was raising the corners of his lips.
"Lata, you said that me, Rox, and the Elders made the wrong choice and are paying the price. Losing is the greatest shame in the mercenary world. Yes... that statement is not wrong."
Lox spoke calmly, his voice steady and filled with an odd sense of confidence.
Jin felt as though he had seen such an expression somewhere before.
"However, are we really the ones who made the wrong choice?"
"Lox Seygal, what nonsense are you babbling about?"
"In my opinion, it will be you who pays the price in the end, not us. Runcandel? You choose the wrong side, Lata."
The Seygal brothers and the Elders displayed an enthusiastic demeanor even in the face of death. There was no sign of humility or mockery in their behavior.
What underlay their attitude was not courage or pride.
Jin intuitively made that decision. And suddenly, he thought of one person.
'Barton Vicenna.'
The only Black Knight who betrayed Runcandel and sided with Zipfel.
That man's final words were like this.
-There are two things that will never change even if you kill me today. First, if Sir Chiron disappears, Runcandel will inevitably perish. Second, even if my body is destroyed, I can exist longer than you.
-When that time comes, you will eventually have to admit that Barton Vicenna's choice was not wrong.
The Seygal brothers and the traitor Elders had the same look in their eyes as Barton had that day. The gaze that only those who believed that they had already entered a world where death had lost its meaning could have.
"Zipfel?"
When Jin opened his mouth, all eyes turned toward him.
"You joined Zipfel and leaked information to them. They must have promised you immortality or transcendent power. So, the thought of dying here now probably doesn't frighten you."
Jin gripped his sword and looked at Lox.
"But you know what? Someone told me the same thing before. And I told him how my sister and I broke the Demon God's Orb."
The word "Demon God's Orb" caught the attention of the Seygal brothers and the Elders, and they seemed puzzled.
"So... it might be wise not to put too much faith in the Demon God's Orb. If it truly possesses that much omnipotent power, then your deaths here wouldn't make sense. Sir Lata."
"Yes, my Lord."
"We do not need to extract any information. Execute them all."
The moment Lata nodded, Lox glared at Jin.
"I have a gift for you, Jin Runcandel."
"No need..."
Zeeeing!
Red characters suddenly began to appear all over Lox's body. The restrained Rox, along with the Elders, had gone under the same phenomenon.
And Jin and Lata had just seen something very similar to these red characters a short while ago.
'It's the same seal that imprisoned Smarion...!'
A seal that uses the user's life as its material, passed down from generation to generation only to the elders of the Ghost mercenaries.
Seygal's remnants were attempting to unleash this seal one last time. Rox and Lox had inherited this seal from the Elders who had betrayed Lata long ago.
"You're going to be sealed like your father, Lata!"
"These lunatics...! Are you really planning to kill every last one of your family members?"
Lox burst into a mocking laugh at Lata's question.
"Is there any reason for me to even take care of such things? It will be enough if we get the Ghost mercenaries from you later."
In other words, the remnants of Seygal were attempting self-destruction.
Whether they sincerely believed that the remaining family members had no value left in the fortress, or if they were merely putting on airs and pretending they were unscathed, it was unclear.
What was clear was that these remnants were indeed planning to seal the entire fortress.
The red bodies seemed like they could burst at any moment.
"Think about who really made the wrong choice in hell!"
Hahaha, ah, uh, argh...!
Lox's laughter had continued for a long time, and suddenly subsided.
Red seal was drawn all around, and the bodies of Seygal's remnants twisted and snapped, being sucked into the seal.
They were trying to imprison them just like they did with Smarion. The red energy was contracting as if a giant's grip was closing in.
Lata and the squad leaders instinctively swung their swords at the seal.
The blades made contact, but the imprinted areas soon returned to their original state.
"My Lord! The squad leaders and I will clear a path for you. Please escape."
Even though it had only been a few days since they formed the blood alliance, Lata spoke without a moment's hesitation.
"If we keep cutting the seal before it fully recovers, there might be a chance for you to escape, my Lord."
As Lata spoke, Jin was examining the properties of the seal. When he tried to cut it with his swords like Lata and others did, it immediately reverted, and it was clear that it took longer to recover when Jin used the lightning.
They could probably escape together if he used the waterfall or battle god techniques, but there was no need for that.
I felt it when I cut the gates of hell opened by Myuron Zipfel in the past, the shadow force will definitely work best against it.'
Jin swung Bradamante imbued with shadow force, and the seal was sliced apart like a sheet of paper.
Furthermore, its recovery was extremely slow this time unlike the previous attempts .
"Sir Lata, there's no need for all of you to risk your lives. I will open the way for you. Let's go."
Lata and the squad leaders came to a realization once again upon hearing those words.
In the new era that lay ahead, it was clear that they were the ones who had grasped the best rope.
章節 274: Chapter 433
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The large pot simmered, and steam rose from its contents, which included octopus, mussels, abalones, scallops, clams, crab, creating a delightful aroma.
Haemultang.
It was a dish that Euria, the daughter of Kashmir and Alisa, had loved since she was two years old.
She is nine years old now. She couldn't attend school due to some circumstances, but she spent her days without feeling lonely or bored, along with Enya's younger brother, Pinte (and the old dog, Puffy), and Jet's son, Kou.
And the day that Euria especially enjoyed was when everyone, kids and adults alike, gathered to cook and eat Haemultang like this.
"Haemultang, haemul-tang!"
Thanks to Euria's enthusiastic chanting, all the children sang this strange and delightful song. It was such an endearing sight that even Veris, who was often regarded as a witch by the children, couldn't help but chuckle.
Especially Kashmir and Alisa felt deep and intense emotions when they saw Euria like this.
'If it weren't for Lord Jin, Euria would…'
'It's such a blessing to witness our daughter in such moments.'
The couple couldn't help but be moved as they served Haemultang to the children.
"Eat a lot, kids. Make sure to chew thoroughly."
"Yes!"
The adults raised their glasses in a toast while watching the kids enjoying their meal. It was indeed a harmonious moment.
"Not only were we able to save Euria, but if it weren't for Lord Jin, we wouldn't have moments like this," Kashmir said.
"You're right, Sir Kashmir. Thanks to lord, people who would have never met are now gathered as a family. It's so sweet and heartwarming. It's been a while since I've tasted such a fine wine. It's a shame lord isn't here..."
It was the first time Tikan's companions had such leisurely moments after the terror at the Sword Emperor Castle.
Along with the tasks left unfinished during their stay at the Sword Emperor Castle, there was a mountain of information to be gathered.
"Today, without uncle Jin, no. Without oppa, it feels a bit empty." Euria said.
Everyone agreed with Euria.
"Aunt Strawberry Pie too."
"Butterfly too."
"Yes, we are disappointed too. Is it delicious?"
"Yes, yes."
"Lord Jin said he supervises the Guardian Knight promotion exam, right?"
"That's right, Miss Enya. You are indeed keeping track of Lord Jin's schedule. It seems like they intend to monitor the promotion of the Guardian knights so that it doesn't go according to the wishes of the Elder Council. Even Lord Murakan mentioned that he would support Lord Jin and is attending as an observer."
Although they couldn't see the scene directly, they could easily imagine Murakan causing a commotion. After all, he was the guardian of the clan and a mighty black dragon, so it wasn't hard to picture him shouting and making a scene.
"I think Lord Murakan may be the only one who can give the Runcandel's Guardian knights a run for their money."
"I think he will do the same with the Elder council in the near future."
Everyone giggled and savored their food with a somewhat disappointed look.
They felt disappointed to think that only Jin, Murakan, and Gilly could not feel this intimate and warm moment.
"Next time, we should invite the Ghost leader for a meal along with Lord Jin."
"He behaved like a real madman at first, but I heard he once again risked his life to protect the Lord. He's not lacking as my successor."
"Jet, if you ever say something like that somewhere else, you could really disappear without a trace. I tolerated it because you're cute, but Lata Proch doesn't have that kind of personality."
"Probably, at least a few of your fingers would have disappeared if he had been in front of you. Does the Ghost leader look like a pushover to you?"
In response to Kuzan and Veris, Jet replied indifferently, as if unimpressed, "I'm just trying to act tough at times. What's the big deal with you people? Come to think of it, you two are my successors as well."
On the other hand, Yulian, who was standing beside them, nodded silently as if affirming.
His guardian dragon, Caltor, was still unable to wake up despite Cuicantelle feeding him elixir every day.
However, ever since Jin brought the inner core of Jin Ozdock, he had shown a very favorable attitude toward all his comrades.
Alisa brought a new bottle of alcohol amidst this conversation and looked at her comrades.
"We'll be busy again for a while after today. Everyone knows that Lord Jin is quite worried about Tikan these days, right?"
Indeed, Tikan has been one of Jin's major concerns lately.
Since the patriarchy declaration, the internal conflicts had intensified, and recently, there had been tension with the emperor. In addition, Zipfel and Kinzelo had shown constant suspicious movements.
The whole world now knew that Tikan was Jin's force, so it was not an exaggeration to say that it was a situation where an attack could come at any time.
"It's fortunate that Runcandel can't directly attack us thanks to Lord Jin. He said the Ghost mercenaries will send support troops soon, but we can't rely on the Lord alone. We need to prepare ourselves as well."
Of course, those who were stationed with Tikan had considerable power, surpassing the forces of most small countries.
However, the problem was that their individual strengths were excellent only when compared to small countries, and their limited number of troops was a significant issue.
"Lord Jin's preparations for war and disaster response, which he has been working on since his days as a reserve flagbearer, are slowly being completed."
"That alone is not enough, honey. Besides, that system is specialized for escape, not defense or counterattack. Hm, maybe I should find and train some of my juniors who were abandoned by the Imperial family."
"The special task force dropouts are too dangerous."
"I know, it's just something I said out of frustration. I'd rather hire the mercenary Amela, even if it comes to that."
Amela, the great mercenary of the Gaifa islands, was a figure who rivaled the Black King Mercenaries leader and was among the top three mercenaries in the world.
"Even if not Amela, we should consider the Black King mercenaries. We should meet with their leader before the Lord arrives."
Kashmir said, and someone approached them with lively footsteps.
"Dessert! We have special Latrie cookies! They're fresh, crunchy, and delicious, too deadly for the kids to eat!"
It was Latrie. His appearance instantly captivated the children's attention, leaving them spellbound, and even the adults couldn't resist their appetites.
"Give me one!"
"Me too!"
Latrie beamed with satisfaction as the children rushed forward.
However, a moment later, as Latrie was handing out cookies, he suddenly shifted his gaze to Euria.
Unlike the children, Euria didn't rush to grab a cookie and was staring into empty space with vacant eyes.
"E-Euria!"
Latrie's urgent voice made everyone immediately sense what was happening.
Euria was in a state where Az Mil's power was manifesting.
Although she had improved significantly compared to when she was very young, Euria still couldn't fully control Az Mil's power. It was a side effect of glimpsing too much of the future during her childhood.
Latrie quickly tried to "resonate" with her, but it wasn't as easy as when Euria was very young.
"Latrie, is Euria okay!?"
"I think I need to transform into my original form to enter..."
"No, I am fine, Latrie."
It was Euria's voice. She was still staring into the future inside her mind, but unlike before, she seemed to be aware of the boundaries between what she was 'seeing' and the present.
"Can you hear my voice, Euria?"
"Yes, I can hear you."
"Is it painful?"
"I don't think so, not yet."
Latrie and their comrades exchanged glances.
Eventually, Latrie sat down in front of Euria and closed his eyes. Resonance still didn't occur. Instead, Latrie calmly decided to ask Euria what she was seeing.
"Euria, tell me what you see."
"Tikan..."
Euria answered in a drowsy and dreamy voice.
"Where in Tikan? Our mansion, or the refreshment shop, or the streets?"
"Everywhere. I can see everything... as if I'm looking from a distance."
"Is there something you are riding? Like Lord Murakan or maybe me?"
"Neither of you."
"Then what does it look like?"
There was a moment of silence. It was the result of intense concentration to discern the exact context shown by Az Mil's power.
"A boat... a small boat. And..."
"Kyaaah!"
Out of nowhere, Euria let out a scream and opened her eyes.
Latrie and others immediately embraced Euria, and she was trembling as if she had witnessed something extremely frightening.
"Tikan."
Euria whispered with a quivering voice.
"Tikan will be attacked."
"When?"
"Right now."
Boom...!
Before Euria could finish speaking, a terrifying explosion was heard from outside the mansion.
It felt like a minor earthquake accompanied by vibrations.
Something powerful was striking the outer walls of the Free City.
"Is it cannon fire? Mana bombs?"
Jet reflexively shouted as he looked out the window, but Cuicantelle and the martial artists already knew it was something else.
What was attacking the Free City was the sword energy of the martial artists, and not just any sword energy – it was from individuals with at least 9-star power level, and there were many of them.
"Get the kids to a safe place, and everyone, prepare for combat. These are not ordinary individuals. Contact Jin and the Ghost mercenaries immediately!"
Cuicantelle shouted, and the explosions and vibrations continued to reverberate.
***
In the central training grounds of the Sword Garden, a solemn atmosphere prevailed as the guardian knights were undergoing their promotion exam.
Jin and Murakan sat on the opposite side, observing and evaluating not only the guardian knights but also the elders who were assessing them.
"If it wasn't for the elders, I would have promoted only those who fit my taste perfectly. Having too many geniuses in the clan is a problem. There is no shortage of knights even if we run things like my way, tsk," Murakan said.
"Those who couldn't be promoted despite their outstanding skills were being rotated among the flagbearers anyway. Hm, that fellow doesn't seem bad." Jin replied.
Jin and Murakan were scrutinizing the gems among the gems, when someone hurriedly entered the training ground.
Creak!
The door opened, and it was none other than the butler Petro.
Petro tried to maintain a composed expression to avoid giving anything away to potential enemies, but Jin saw through his anxiety and apprehension.
'Young master, we've received an urgent distress signal from Tikan,' Petro whispered as he approached, and Jin had to make an effort not to show his concern.
Jin calmly inquired about the situation, 'What exactly is the content of the signal?'
'It reports an invasion by martial artists with 9-star or higher battle prowess. There have been no additional signals.'
If there were no additional signals until they reached the transfer gate, it would signify an extremely dire situation.
'Have you contacted the gatekeeper?'
'Of course.'
'We depart immediately. Also, were any of my affiliated forces in the vicinity of Tikan?'
If not, it could spell disaster. However, should we say it's fortunate in misfortune, Petro gave this response.
'Young masters Daytona and Haytona have been roaming near Tikan for several days. They are awaiting the opportunity to meet with you.'
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