章節 294: Chapter 453

[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]

***

"It seems like there's definitely a problem."

A knight said with a dark expression. He was reporting to Joshua Runcandel, the 2nd flagbearer of the Runcandel clan.

Joshua remained silent for a while and only the embers of cigarettes glowed. Joshua's face illuminated by the dim light, and he had a stiffer face than the knight.

Because he had never imagined something like this would happen.

It wasn't just anyone; it was the Black Knight.

The strongest guardian knight of the clan, only ten people in the clan could wear the black helmet. Black Knights never fail in their missions.

Even in the rare event of a failure, they would certainly find another way, or they would have encountered an insurmountable variable that they couldn't handle on their own, then they would return safely.

If it was an impossible situation, to the point where they had to give their lives, they had to leave a message to the clan.

In other words, no matter what problem arose, it was unthinkable that a black knight would disappear without any news.

At least, that's how Joshua saw the Black Knight. Most others felt the same way.

However, it had been days since the news about the 'Black King Mercenaries Incident' started pouring in, and the Black Knight, whom he had sent to meet with Valkas, had not yet returned.

'It's clear that he was involved in the battle at the Black King Mountain Hideout…'

Joshua let out a deep sigh, and grey smoke wafted through the darkness.

He wanted to cut the throat of the reporting knight.

What was the point of reporting what I know? Why are you scratching my inside by bringing it up when everyone already knew about it?

No one would blame Jin for venting his unresolved hatred and anger on the knight.

Joshua's hand, holding the cigarette, trembled ever so slightly. Joshua regained his composure after the intense impulse surged through him for 5 seconds.

He felt like thousands of bugs crawling all over his body for those 5 seconds, but during that time, Joshua didn't show any emotions or even a twitch.

He felt a great pride that he could control even such a terrible impulse.

"I know, so go away. And call Howard."

"Yes, my lord."

The knight left, and Joshua once again lost in thought. His gaze was fixed on the stack of newspapers on his desk.

(In the midst of the Black Dragon Murakan destroying the Black King Mountain Hideout, both the 12th flagbearer and the Black King mercenaries have yet to clearly explain the reason for the war... What are the most likely developments in this situation?)

(The contractors of the dragons, who are familiar with Murakan, have been continuously refusing to interview or comment on Murakan. It is indicating that they are extremely afraid of him. Perhaps, the cause of this incident could simply be Murakan's displeasure….)

(The dragon, known as the King of the Sky a thousand years ago, terrorized the world... What kind of being is Murakan?)

The newspapers were filled with information about Jin and Murakan, especially Murakan.

'If the Black Knight has indeed died.'

Then there was a high possibility that he was killed by Murakan.

It is unthinkable that Valkas Kran, who is good at seizing opportunities, would participate in killing the Black Knight.

But, why Murakan?

Like many newspapers, Joshua couldn't think of a clear answer.

'Surely my youngest brother could not have told Murakan to kill the Black Knight.'

The youngest, the 12th flagbearer.

Joshua had always recognized Jin. Even when the other siblings treated Jin as just a fearless young one, to Joshua, my youngest brother possessed a shining talent and potential.

The youngest was undoubtedly an exceptional individual.

It was not only his talent in swordsmanship or magic but also his leadership as a monarch that set him apart.

A monarch possesses countless virtues, but to Joshua, one of the most important ones was the affection he held for his subjects.

'In that sense, my youngest brother won't kill the Black Knight just because he's my person. Never!'

The youngest was also someone who loved Runcandel more than anyone else.

'I heard from Mother, and I experienced it firsthand. The Black Dragon Murakan is a very capricious and malevolent being. If Murakan killed the Black Knight, he would have done it against Jin's will.'

That would imply that Jin couldn't properly control Murakan.

However, Joshua soon concluded that it couldn't be the case. If Murakan had gone beyond Jin's control, there would have been too many instances when he could have caused even bigger accidents.

Knock!

A man with clean white hair and a straight posture entered the room. He was the 1st butler, Howard.

"Did you call for me, my lord?"

"Howard, what are your thoughts?"

Howard showed no sign of confusion even in the face of such a sudden question without any explanation. He already knew what Joshua was pondering.

"There are two possibilities. Either he died or he escaped. I think, in either case, there may be an element of betrayal."

Joshua's eyes narrowed at the mention of betrayal.

"Betrayal, He is... brother of youngest nanny, Gilly McRolan, before he became the Black Knight."

Joshua remembered the state of relationship between Gilly and McRolan.

"..... And Gilly McRolan, she may harbor significant animosity towards McRolan."

"I also feel the same way."

"The report mentioned that my youngest brother saw the Black Knight using the claws. So, my youngest brother could easily deduce that the Black Knight is somehow connected to McRolan."

According to Horward, my youngest brother betrayed the clan and killed the Black Knight.

Unlike Joshua, he didn't believe that the 12th flagbearer truly loved the clan. Because in Jin's eyes, Gilly held a higher position than the clan. So, he killed the Black Knight to release her grudge and to strike at Joshua.

'It is plausible considering that my youngest brother cares about Gilly very much.'

But Joshua shook his head.

"It doesn't seem like my youngest brother would be so emotionally driven," Joshua said.

"Yes, my lord."

"Perhaps Gilly's desire for revenge will be resolved in some other way. If there's any chance that he betrayed us, it might be the case like Barton Vicenna."

"Are you referring to the traitor?"

"Yes. If the Black Knight had betrayed the clan like Barton, my youngest brother might have killed him. He has punished the clan's traitor."

"But, my lord, in that case, it implies that our unity is in question. If it's revealed that another Black Knight of the clan has betrayed us..."

Howard trailed off.

Joshua was hoping it wasn't that scenario. If it turned out to be a traitor, it would mean he couldn't even detect it this time, unlike during the Barton situation.

Meeting with Howard didn't provide any clarity. Joshua felt like wandering through the fog with a frustrating feeling.

Suddenly, Joshua realized what he needed to do.

"After all, the fact that the Black Knight is involved in the Black King mercenaries' incident is information that hasn't been made public. Not just the general public but also enemy forces."

The information about the Black Knight's involvement was only known to the Black King mercenaries and Jin's group.

'And my youngest brother loves the clan, so he would never hand over that information to the Zipfel or any other factions. Even if it could cause me significant harm, he would prioritize Runcandel's well-being,' Joshua concluded.

In other words, whether the Black Knight had betrayed them or not, Runcandel and Joshua had nothing to lose at least externally.

"As long as the 12th flagbearer and the Black King mercenaries remain silent, there won't be any more information released to the public."

Of course, they were unaware of Zephyrin's existence.

"Losing the Black Knight is a devastating blow, so the clan must seize the opportunity to minimize the damage," Joshua declared.

Howard nodded in agreement. "Just say the word."

"Prepare a statement praising the 12th flagbearer, and portray the Black King mercenaries' defeat at hand of Jin and he absorbed them. It needs to convey a sense of reality, not just rumors. It's unpleasant, but Valkas Kran won't be able to respond casually. It's a matter that decides the fate of the Black King mercenaries."

"Yes."

"Additionally, distribute articles that commend Murakan's might. Let rumors spread about the Dragons of Zipfel being afraid of Runcandel's guardian dragon."

This time, even Howard couldn't help but question.

"Are you sure about this, my lord? You might end up giving wings to the 12th flagbearer. Moreover, provoking Zipfel like that..."

"My youngest brother out of nowhere swallowed one of the largest neutral forces that everyone had been eyeing for so long."

Howard bowed his head again.

"It's been days since this ridiculous event happened, yet Zipfel hasn't made a proper statement. What do you think this means?"

Zipfel has no intention of fighting.

Joshua continued his explanation.

"Whether it's because they are afraid of my father or because Murakan truly terrifies them, Zipfel has abandoned the Black King mercenaries just like they always have. It was taken away by Runcandel."

Jin could predict and prepare for Black King mercenaries' opposition, not Zipfel.

"Valkas Kran might protest violently by saying something like, what nonsense are you saying when we never surrendered or we will side with Zipfel if you keep pushing us."

It just happened to be the question Howard wanted to ask.

"If Valkas Kran strongly protests like this, we can just eliminate the Black King mercenaries."

It was a few seconds late when Howard finally realized what Joshua was saying.

"Ah…!"

Howard sighed.

"Zipfel has already indicated they have no intention of going all out against the Runcandel just to acquire Black King mercenaries. In such a situation, if the Black King mercenaries entrusts itself to Zipfel, will we engage in all-out war? Zipfel will never assist the Black King mercenaries if we adopt an attitude of going all out against them."

"I'll put it into action immediately."

"Yes, execute it according to your detailed instructions."

After Howard left the room, Joshua leaned back in his chair. He lit a fresh cigarette, and the sound of the ashes burning sounded unusually loud.

Granting wings to the 12th flagbearer...

Howard's words echoed in his mind. The words were true. This incident would certainly raise Jin's standing once more.

'But, in any case…'

Everything Jin had and would ever gain eventually came back to me.

Amid the grey smoky that filled the air, Joshua held onto that conviction.

評論 0條評論

投票

章節 295: Chapter 454

[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]

***

January 1, 1800.

The new year had dawned.

Tikan's family gathered at the Latrie bakery, and warmly blessed each other for the year to come.

Crunch, crunch, the sound of children breaking cookies with their teeth filled the air, and candles in various corners shed their colorful light.

The aroma of freshly baked bread and cookies was irresistible, and the magical scent coming from Latrie's kitchen made both children and adults salivate.

It was truly a picturesque and refined scene of the first day of the new year, and the old dog Puppy yawned and strolled over to where the children were.

Puppy had been sitting in his spot until just now, but the rough-looking men with dark expressions, in stark contrast to the warm atmosphere, were the reason why he shifted his position.

They hadn't changed their bloodstained clothes or even combed their disheveled hair.

They just sat with contorted expressions while knocking on the table with their fingers, and expressed their frustration and anger with their entire bodies.

They were the captains and officers of the Black King mercenaries. The reason they hadn't changed their clothes was their way of showing loyalty to the fact that they were still fighting alongside Valkas, who was in a coma.

The reason they were here on the first day of the new year, not in the Bise Kingdom, was that they couldn't repair the fallen Black King Mountain Hideout.

More precisely, they had been robbed of that right.

It was all because of Runcandel.

(In the year 1800, as a new century began, the star, 12th flagbearer of Runcandel, was the first to shine.)

(The world's greatest mercenaries, the Black King mercenaries! What is the reason they joined the 12th flagbearer?)

(It was revealed that Black King mercenaries' leader, Valkas Kran, swore loyalty to the 12th flagbearer in the utmost secrecy in the Free City of Tikan…)

(Runcandel is the master of the Black King mercenaries now, which no great faction could embrace.)

(In fact, the year 1799 was practically Jin Runcandel's year, and would this momentum continue this year?)

(The war between the 12th flagbearer and the Black King mercenaries was one of the greatest events of the previous century, with the winners being the 12th flagbearer and Runcandel.)

(The King of the Sky, the mighty Black Dragon! Murakan roared in the world once again.)

(The mightiest of dragons, the ruler of the sky. Even Zipfel was afraid of that name! Mu-ra-kan.)

"Hah...!"

"Ha!"

The members of the Black King mercenaries sighed and gasped as they read the newspapers spread out on the table.

One character at a time. It was beyond comprehension how they could be filled with such unjust and infuriating content.

They wanted to go to Runcandel and confront them. How foolishly you must view us to take such actions, and when did we ever say we would join the 12th flagbearer?

After the articles poured out.

Runcandel sent knights and people to ensure that the Black King mercenaries couldn't interfere with the recovering things from the Black King Mountain Hideout.

Externally, it was as if Runcandel was performing the duties of a monarch's clan on behalf of the "spiritless" Black King mercenaries.

In reality, it meant that the Black King mercenaries were under Runcandel's control, so they should follow its directives. It was also an act to clarify once again their affiliation to external factions and civilians.

It felt like they were about to burst out of frustration.

It was difficult to accept losing their territory in an instant, but the humiliation was even more unbearable...!

Crunch, crunch!

The sound of children breaking cookies and the Black King mercenaries clenching their teeth was in stark contrast.

It was as if a line had been drawn on a canvas, with entirely different pictures on each side. The side with Tikan's family and the side where the Black King mercenaries sat.

"How about relaxing your expressions a bit, folks?"

One person from Tikan's side came over to the table where the Black King mercenaries were seated, said, "My lord has provided such an excellent setting for us. So, why are you to keep sitting here with such grim faces? Have any of you ever eaten cookies like this while living as mercenaries? This is my first time."

It was the Ghost Leader, Lata Proch. He had come to greet Jin on the first day of the new year.

Lata's sister, Faye Proch, also joined him and added a word.

"Yeah, there are kids around, so don't look so fierce. I feel like tearing you apart, though."

Relations between the Ghost mercenary Corps and the Black King mercenary corps were not so good, especially considering that Lata had been evaluated as the worst among the Three Great Mercenaries. He had been waiting for an opportunity to turn the tide.

Now that he had become Jin's retainer, his desire for that had waned, but it was absurd to see the Black King mercenaries with this attitude.

"What did you say?"

"What did I say? That's informal. Friend. Except for Sir Valkas, no one among you outrank me. We're going to work together from now on, so the hierarchy should be clear, right?"

"Work together? Who's going to eat a meal with you!"

One of the officers shouted, and Lata's eyes filled with killing intent.

The officer flinched, and the captains' squint their eyes. Lata smirked as if he was holding back and said.

"I understand your feelings, but this is not the time for that, all of you. Can't you see how the situation is changing? What do you think Sir Valkas would decide when he wakes up? Do you really think he'll say he wants to become neutral again?"

Tension crackled between Lata and the Black King mercenaries. Just like Lata had said, Valkas had not yet regained consciousness.

Immediately after the Black King mercenaries incident, Jin, along with Valkas and the Black Knight, headed straight for the Holy Kingdom.

Jin believed that no one but Holy Queen Lani could cure them of Zephyrin's poison.

But even she couldn't completely heal them with her pure divine power this time.

She requested around five hundred different medicine ingredients for their treatment, some of which were so rare that they were classified as 1st-class materials, and even Runcandel obtained them only through high-priority missions.

As a result, Jin and some of his companions had busy days, even until today, on New Year's Day. They explored the corners of the world, scoured danger zones and unprotected areas to collect medicine ingredients.

Lata and his ghost corps, as well as Kuzan, had suffered the most among them.

However, Lata had no intention of revealing this hardship to the members of the Black King mercenaries who were clenching their anger.

He believed that he had endured all of this hardship not for the sake of the Black King mercenaries but for his lord.

".... Sir Lata, do you really think our leader will go under the 12th flagbearer's command?"

"Well, I don't want to admit it, but in all aspects, Sir Valkas is superior to me. In terms of strength, adaptability, judgment, experience, and more. Oh, there's one thing where I might be better—maybe I have a bigger temper. I think my guts are bigger too."

"He's a better person overall, isn't he, big brother?"

Faye said that with a mocking tone and a vomiting gesture. Although the siblings had a very close relationship, it seemed they didn't consider each other as beautiful. However, they would praise each other in front of others.

"Anyway, when it comes to Sir Valkas, can I really ignore what I've seen and what I've read? Now, becoming a part of my lord's forces is the best and only option. If the Black King mercenaries behave recklessly, they'll be shunned not only by Runcandel but also by Zipfel. That could lead to their destruction."

"That's an issue for the leader to decide when he wakes up. It's not up to you to worry about."

"Alright, but you bastards have been talking too rudely for a while now…."

"Hey, you mercenaries bastards. Are you the only ones here? Control yourselves. If you find the Hidden Palace Guard amusing, should I give you a lesson?"

Ryu and Hiten were stationed in Tikan under the command of Talaris. They were sitting on the Tikan family's side, and enjoying tea and cookies.

"Ha! What did you say? Speak up again...!"

Creak!

Just as Lata and the Black King mercenaries were about to burst in anger, the door opened, and a voice was heard.

"Hey, what's this? Why are there so many quarrelsome guys on the first day of the New Year? Huh? Are you guys fighting? You are, aren't you? Don't you see kids playing over there?"

It was Murakan. Upon hearing his voice, Lata and Faye immediately bowed their heads, and the Black King mercenaries cleared their throats and turned their gaze.

"Sorry."

"Cuicantelle, couldn't you have told them to stop fighting? They're causing a ruckus from the first day of the New Year."

"I was afraid that they would die if I beat them."

"Oh, I see. Well done. Latrie, bring some cookies. Quickly. They smell amazing."

"I was curious about how far they'd go."

Beside Murakan were Jin, Valkas, and the Black Knight, who was still wrapped in bandages and being carried on a stretcher, similar to Valkas. And also Lani, the Holy Queen, in a hood.

The Black Knight still hadn't regained consciousness.

Lani removed her hood, and a deep and sacred aura seemed to envelop the interior of the bakery.

In this strange solemnity, the mercenaries instinctively lowered their heads.

They know that she was healing their leader, so pay their respect to her.

"We greet the Holy Queen!"

"Today, I have come here as a friend of Tikan. It is uncomfortable, mercenaries, please raise your heads."

Lani shrugged when she said that and then looked at Jin and Valkas.

"Anyway, looking at the atmosphere here, you two seem to be in for some hard work. In any case, I'd like some cookies too. I need to eat and then return to continue the New Year's celebration."

She had found a moment during the New Year's celebration to secretly seek out Tikan. Then, she casually mingled with Tikan's family and exchanged pleasantries before the members of the Black King mercenaries raised their voices.

"Leader!"

"Are you okay?"

"I am fine, so don't make a fuss. And all of you, don't do anything rash, and mind your attitudes."

At Valkas' words, the members of the Black King mercenaries lined up and bowed their heads.

"Should I speak, or would you like you to address them, Sir Valkas?" Jin said, looking at the mercenaries.

Jin and Valkas had already discussed the future of the Black King mercenaries before coming to Tikan.

"Let me speak. This seems to be the last opportunity for me to speak as the independent leader of the Black King mercenaries."

The eyes of Black King mercenaries widened at his words, and Lata nodded as if he had expected this.

The Black King mercenaries had not expected Valkas to accept this imposed choice.

Valkas was aware, just as Lata had foreseen, that this was the only means by which the Black King mercenaries could survive.

"From today, the Black King mercenaries will be sworn in as subordinates of the 12th flagbearer. This doesn't simply mean he is our leader by following the order of money, as in the world of mercenaries, but rather our lord, and we pledge our trust and loyalty to him through a blood alliance."

While Lata had firmly taken control of a significant part of the Ghost mercenary corps, the Black King mercenaries had placed even stronger trust in Valkas. The members were initially baffled by his sudden decision, but they quickly regained their composure and nodded.

"Yes, Leader!"

"And starting now, all the equipment from Black King Mountain Hideout must be relocated to this place, Tikan Free City. The process will involve a complete overhaul of Tikan Free City itself, so everyone should prepare to bring the equipment here."

It was the moment when Tikan's most substantial defense system was decided.

評論 0條評論

投票