章節 326: Chapter 485
[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
***
On February 27, 1800, a raging sandstorm obscured everything in sight outside the field camp.
The relentless sandstorm that blew all day with the power to bury everything was so tedious that even just watching it could make you nauseous, but the fact remained that this very sandstorm had concealed the members of Runcandel for the past few weeks.
It had also shielded the fact that there was a massive battleship construction yard here until Zipfel intentionally leaked the information.
"Ugh..."
Diphus groaned softly, pressing his forehead.
He felt a pounding headache after reading the newsletter brought by the enforcement knights who had gone to the nearby village in the morning.
(The Windfury and Black Crown Prince fought a battle on deck in the sea near Tikan..... The sea split and the sky opened up whenever the two knights swung their swords.)
(The war of ranks had started out of nowhere due to Mary Runcandel's provocation! The winner was the 12th flagbearer…)
(Mr. Cosmos, the confidant of the 7th flagbearer, revealed, 'the Captain wanted to continue to fight the 12th flagbearer as soon as she heard that he single-handedly defeated the Black King Mountain Hideout.' Were the rumors about the Black Kings incident true?)
(The rumors circulated that the 12th flagbearer had been involved in the recent unknown battle near the Gaifa Archipelago... Did Jin Runcandel kill (or make disappear) Amela?)
(Mr. Zemo, a confidant of the 12th flagbearer, confirmed, 'Amela was indeed sent to the other world by our lord in a single slash.')
(Jin Runcandel climbed to the fifth rank in just one year after becoming a flagbearer. Has the Runcandel succession structure truly changed?)
(Overwhelming victory against the 7th flagbearer! The 12th flagbearer continued to soar, and how long would their legend last?)
'Mary, I expected you to cause a big incident, but I never expected you would have a duel with the youngest in front of the public.'
They hadn't been able to visit the village every day, so it had already been over a week since the news had come out.
While the infiltration team was hiding in the Sota Desert, the world was in chaos due to the battle between Jin and Mary.
-Do whatever you want for the time being. Cause as many incidents as you like, train as you please. I'll take care of the aftermath."
Diphus recalled the words he had said to Mary some time ago. He truly intended to help Mary live her life to her fullest.
However, he desperately needs Mary's help due to the unexpected leak of information about the battleship construction yard by Zipfel.
Luna and Luntia were on different missions and unavailable, and the lower-ranked flagbearers were likely to be more of a burden if he called them.
So, with the intention of getting help just one last time before Mary left, he hurriedly sent a letter indicating the infiltration tunnel.
Diphus never thought he would hear the news that she had a fight with the youngest.
'Could it be that she didn't receive the letter? No, that can't be. Knowing Mary's style... She probably challenged the youngest to a duel with the intention of the winner to come here to support me.'
Phew.
Diphus let out a sigh.
Asking Jin for support wasn't something he hadn't considered at all.
He had just officially become the 5th flagbearer in ranking, but Jin's strength and abilities are comparable to the top flagbearers, as proven during the patriarchy declaration.
However, the reason he preferred Mary's support over Jin's was clear.
Coordination and teamwork.
Needless to say, the brother Diphus trusted most was Mary. If he had to entrust his back in such a dangerous mission, it had to be Mary.
Moreover, in terms of teamwork, Mary was a much better fit than Jin. Just knowing about Joshua and Jin's relationship would make anyone think so.
'Of course, Jin and Joshua would probably divide the work, but... I don't have a good feeling about this.'
Swoosh!
As he had that thought, suddenly both the front and back doors of the barrack opened at the same time.
Joshua and the Black Knight, who were out scouting, entered through the front door, and Jin, who had just arrived, entered through the back door.
"...The youngest? Why are you here?"
When Joshua raised an eyebrow, Diphus shrugged, and Jin casually asked a question.
"There are quite a few strange tunnels along the infiltration tunnel. Were they made by you, 2nd flagbearer?"
Strange tunnels.
That was a question that had intrigued Diphus as well. Joshua had created the entire infiltration tunnel into the Sota Desert. Diphus had attempted to create a different tunnel from another direction but had failed and eventually joined Joshua's tunnel.
During this process, Diphus had also confirmed that Joshua's infiltration tunnel was in a shape that no ordinary person or average magic could create.
Joshua's infiltration tunnel clearly dug deep enough to cause the ground to collapse, but for some reason, it maintained its shape without collapsing.
"Yeah, I made it."
"It seemed like an infiltration tunnel that couldn't have been made by humans."
"Do you think your limited standards apply to everyone? I've clearly overestimated your intelligence."
"Are you not hiding the fact that there's a helper, the so-called prophet or something?"
Since he had met Joshua in the mausoleum immediately after the patriarchy declaration, Jin had judged that Joshua would soon reveal the existence of the prophet to everyone.
Even back then, Jin had openly discussed the prophet in front of other flagbearers and elders, but Joshua had shown no sign of being particularly disturbed.
"You seem to be having some misconceptions."
Joshua shook his head and continued speaking.
"I've never hidden the existence of the prophet. The fact that you and the other flagbearers didn't know about it was simply because you lacked the necessary access to information."
Jin chuckled.
"Well, I didn't bring up the subject to get a strong reaction from you. I feel reassured to think that someone who has been a top secret for a long time is helping me with my work. There are two Black Knights now as well."
The Black Knights didn't react to Jin's provocative behavior. Joshua's gaze landed on Jin's shoulder, where Murakan in the form of a cat was snoring.
"I'm relieved to think that the clan's guardian deity is watching over this mission. Our goals are infiltration and assassination, so you're more suitable for the job than Mary."
While the two were conversing, Diphus continued to ponder the word "prophet."
'How much information did the youngest find out about Joshua?'
And how did they find out?
Diphus felt a mixture of bitterness and curiosity.
He had been aware for a while that Joshua had some special power or helper behind him, but that was all he knew.
He had been investigating for a long time but had found no clues about what Joshua possessed. He had assumed that Rosa had hidden information about Joshua from him, making it impossible to find out.
On the other hand, Jin seemed to know everything about the prophet since the patriarchy declaration. Diphus couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat.
'A defeat is a defeat, and I need to figure out a way for the youngest to share his information with me. I have to gather as much information as possible and move faster than Joshua, even if it's slower than the youngest.'
Diphus came to that conclusion, while Joshua and Jin continued to look at each other.
'I mentioned the Black Knights on purpose, but there was no reaction. Has Dox not gone to Rikalton yet?'
Jin thought to himself.
He hadn't received any contact from Dox yet, so he didn't know how his orders were being carried out.
Also, regardless of whether Dox went to Rikalton or not, it wasn't that difficult for someone like Joshua to hide his true feelings.
Joshua smiled and took out a bundle of documents from his pouch.
"Here is the information about the secret shipyard that we've been monitoring and the details of the operation until your arrival."
The document provided detailed information about the internal structure of the secret shipyard, surveillance personnel, risks, and special considerations.
'All facilities of this scale are built underground?'
Jin examined the internal structure, and he was taken aback by the sheer scale of the secret shipyard. It was much larger than he had anticipated.
Joshua smiled, as if he had expected Jin's reaction.
"There are a total of 24 sections, each equivalent in size to a decent-sized castle. Over half of the desert's underground is the secret shipyard. It makes me wonder how they built a facility this size and kept it secret all this time."
A few sections marked in red stood out.
"These marked sections are believed to be the most critical areas for the battleship's design or essential resources for battleship construction. The 4th, 11th, 17th, and 19th sections have the strictest security, and we haven't been able to access them yet."
Up to now, the infiltration team had been scouting the internal structure with the Prophet's power. The fact that they could not infiltrate these areas even with that special power and the abilities of the two top flagbearers and the two black knights meant that the only way was to enter by force.
And the moment they entered those four areas by force, the real time limit for this mission would begin.
"We need to choose our initial entry points wisely because we may only have one opportunity."
"Yes. The real operation will begin at 2 AM tomorrow. From then on, we obtain information directly from the inside, select one of the four sections, and begin the mission of destroying and taking over. The top priority is securing the battleship blueprint and destroying the most important resources. I guess this is enough explanation, right?
Jin nodded.
"Okay, then I guess I'll just have to rest for a bit."
Joshua turned around, taking up the newsletters on the table.
"And congratulations on reaching 5th rank. I'll give you a bottle of good wine as a gift when we return."
"Thank you, I'll gladly accept it. Oh, and thank you for your help during the Black Kings incident."
The conversation turned back to Dox once again.
When Joshua saw that Dox did not return during the Black Kings incident, he instructed his newsletters to write articles favorable to Jin and Murakan, ultimately increasing the clan's prestige.
"As I was looking at those articles, it occurred to me that there were times when the second flagbearer and I got along well."
"I hope the same thing happens during this mission, Black Crown Prince of Huphester. Hahaha…"
The moment he heard the title of Black Crown Prince, Jin felt an intense desire to kill Cosmos all over again.
As Joshua and the Black Knights left the tent, the eyes of Jin and Diphus naturally met.
"Second eldest brother."
"Yes?"
Jin spoke after a brief pause.
"...Let's kill that person during this mission."
Diphus was taken aback by the sudden declaration.
章節 327: Chapter 486
[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
Cough, cough!
The sound of Diphus clearing his throat echoed through the barracks.
"What did you say?"
For a moment, he thought his ears deceived him, but he received an immediate response.
"I told you that we should kill the 2nd flagbearer in this mission."
Let's kill Joshua.
Diphus had never heard such words since he was born. Even Mary at her prime had never said anything similar.
'I've been thinking about it, but he's really insane and…'
He's also a scary guy.
'He's not someone who would say things without thinking. Saying 'Let's kill Joshua' means he had already finished planning.'
The newcomer who had just arrived at the barracks now seemed to be planning to kill Joshua. Diphus couldn't immediately figure out on what basis this plan was made, but it sent a shiver down his spine.
"Anyway, you have a knack for surprising people. Why do you want to kill that person? I'm sure you are not doing this because you are angry at him for making fun of your new nickname, the Black Crown Prince."
"Of course, that's not the reason, but it wasn't pleasant."
"Joshua might have genuinely thought that your title was cool. When he was young, he liked his title 'Black Lion' the most. He used to say it felt like he was succeeding our mother."
Jin and Diphus shared a light laugh.
"I didn't know the second flagbearer had such a cute side."
"You might have found it even cuter if you had spent your childhood with him. Anyway, what if I decline your offer?"
Diphus adjusted his expression and inquired, and Jin shrugged his shoulders.
"Do you have a reason for that?"
"Once the infiltration of the underground shipyard begins, all the enforcement knights in the Sota Desert will return to the clan."
"Is this because retreating after infiltration is impossible if they're not at the level of Black Knights?"
"That's right. So the personnel directly involved in the mission are just you and me, Lord Murakan, the 2nd flagbearer you want to kill, and his Black Knights. It means that each person is precious in order to complete the mission."
Jin let out a sigh upon hearing this.
"You're talking like someone who came to this secret shipyard in the Sota Desert without knowing that it's a trap set by Zipfel, elder brother."
Diphus's eyes narrowed.
"Anyway, this mission can only be half successful at best. The best outcome will be returning safely after destroying the facility. The battleship's blueprints? Do you think Zipfel left something like that in this place after intentionally leaking the information? Clearly, there's nothing important in the 4th, 11th, 17th, and 19th sections."
Zipfel's purpose in leaking the location of the secret shipyard in the Sota Desert.
That was a problem Diphus had been pondering all along. He knew it was a trap, but it was too extensive to ignore. However, it was difficult to grasp what Zipfel's actual purpose was.
'Does the youngest have a guess about Zipfel's purpose? Killing Joshua is not an empty statement, but what are his intentions?'
As Diphus was contemplating, Jin spoke again.
"Stop thinking and make a choice. Will you join me in killing Joshua, or not? I'll give you five seconds. After that, even if you change your mind, I'll handle it on my own. 5, 4."
"Hey, hey, youngest! Wait a moment!"
"3, 2..."
In the end, Diphus nodded before Jin finished counting.
Though he felt like he was being dragged along, he realized that if he didn't negotiate with Jin now, he would probably be the one suffering in this mission.
Above all, it was an opportunity.
An opportunity to 'definitely' kill his eldest brother, the 2nd flagbearer, whom he had wanted to kill all his life. The youngest that Diphus saw was undoubtedly the person who would carry out his words.
"Damn it, alright! Let's do it together."
"A beautiful moment of brotherly solidarity, you won't regret it."
Seeing Jin smile slyly, Diphus muttered under his breath that there was no devil like him.
"But, there's a condition."
"Go ahead."
"Share all the information you have with me."
"For instance?"
"Information about Joshua's helper, the figure known as the Prophet, and what you think Zipfel's purpose is. And why do you want to kill Joshua."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"I will tell you the first one after the mission is over. However, I will tell you the second and third right away. In my opinion, Zipfel's purpose is to assess the capabilities of other major factions' forces."
"Are you saying Zipfel is using this shipyard as bait to assess the strength of external forces? Isn't that a bit far-fetched? Even I can't estimate the manpower and resources that have been put into this facility."
"You can think of it that way. However, perhaps you, too, have pondered Zipfel's purpose more than what I've just said. Is there a more reasonable explanation than what I just mentioned?"
There wasn't.
Diphus was also more concerned because he was aware of the main premise that 'as long as there is Chiron, there is no all-out war.'
"Especially, Zipfel would have needed to confirm Joshua's abilities. More precisely, Zipfel wants to see if Joshua and our mother have the strength to guard the clan in place of our father. Hasn't the era now arrived where we can no longer survive with just the name of the world's greatest sword master?"
Kinzelo had the mysterious power of its leader, Bubare's power of chaos, the Plutonian-type golems, the Empire had the Majins, Zipfel's living golems and mass production of battleships, and manipulation of history.
In such a situation, Runcandel had only held onto a single sword. At least, that's what has been revealed so far.
"So, the moment we begin the infiltration, Zipfel will have already achieved part of its goal. After all, he wouldn't have been able to create such a perfect infiltration tunnel without the power of the Prophet."
"I get it. So what about the third one? Setting aside the method of killing the 2nd flagbearer, what is your actual goal? What benefits does the death of the 2nd flagbearer bring to the clan?"
Diphus was asking this, but he had already drawn his own conclusion.
What effect will Joshua's death have on the clan?
'If the youngest and I kill the 2nd flagbearer in this mission, it will certainly bring division to the clan. Then I have to change the water and reorganize things.'
Remove Rosa and Joshua's rotten Runcandel.
That was the reorganization that Diphus had in mind.
After Jin made it public through Mary that the information about 'legacy of the first patriarch' existed within the clan.
The siblings, especially Diphus and Mary, no longer respected Rosa's favoritism. The premise that "Rosa always makes decisions for the family" had been shattered.
From then on, Rosa's favoritism was the biggest culprit in the destruction of the clan in Diphus's eyes.
'Of course, the utility value of Joshua and mother hasn't completely disappeared. After the reorganization is over, I'll have to confront my mother as well. The Prophet would be under my mother's control, not Joshua's anyway.'
What comes next?
The remaining flagbearers would continue to struggle for the throne, seeking out the legacy of the first patriarch of the clan to restore the former glory of Runcandel.
He needed to break the curse binding the clan and enter a brilliant era of magic swordsmen that Jin briefly showed.
Although they were competing for the throne, Diphus was in favor of Jin's declaration of the return of the magic swordsmen.
Jin seemed to see through Diphus's thoughts.
Diphus's thoughts seemed to be shaped in a way that wasn't bad.
'The future courses that elder brother Diphus is thinking of are close to the royal road. The problem is that there is absolutely no way Joshua would have sent his real body to this dangerous place. Elder brother Dipus doesn't know that, so he just thought it was a golden opportunity to change the clan, and he accepted my offer as if he was drawn to it.'
Jin hid his bitter smile inside, and made eye contact with Dipus.
"Second eldest brother, it feels like I am being graded for my test. What benefit does it bring to the clan? This is an opportunity to cut away the rotten chain of favoritism and purify the clan. Even if we kill Joshua, the Prophet is under the control of our mother anyway, so we can decide what to do with her abilities at that time."
Diphus's eyes widened.
He felt a strange sense of kinship knowing that Jin had the same thoughts as me. It was disappointing to think that his younger brother wasn't his perfect ally, like Mary.
"Second eldest brother, honestly, I didn't plan to make this proposal to you. I thought I could kill Joshua on my own. But elder sister Mary asked me to return with you without getting hurt."
"Mary, she said something that doesn't suit her. Creepy. Were you the type to be moved by such lukewarm words?"
"That's not it, but I'm also a human being. Sometimes I feel familial love, and sometimes I want to return the favor of my kins. That's why I told you in advance so that you wouldn't get hurt while I was killing Joshua. Coincidentally, our goals align."
Jin was sincere.
"Is this enough explanation?"
Diphus nodded and extended his hand towards Jin.
"Alright, it's a moment of beautiful brotherly solidarity, even if it's temporary."
As they shook hands, Jin couldn't help but feel a twinge of conscience for the first time in a long time.
'Well... Even if it means killing a clone, I will definitely make it beneficial to the clan in the end, so elder brother Diphus would understand me.'
Even if he doesn't understand, it will only be Diphus who looks foolish after the incident is over.
That is, if everything goes according to Jin's plan.
"Let's talk about your plan to kill him now. There might be many variables, so until we begin the infiltration, let's put our heads together to figure things out."
***
February 28, 1800, 2 AM.
Once the enforcement knights cleared the barracks and withdrew, the operation began.
Jin, Murakan, Diphus, Joshua, and two black knights, a total of six individuals, donned their infiltration gear and ran under the ground in the Sota Desert.
They were using a tunnel that stretched from where the barracks were to the secret shipyard, and it had been formed in advance by Joshua using the power of a prophet.
And as soon as they reached the beginning of the shipyard after running in silence for a while.
The group was able to encounter an unexpected sight.
"...Looks like rats used our tunnel."
Joshua said as he examined a round object placed on the ground, resembling a human head. He checked its face and it turned out to be one of the shipyard managers.
"It appears to be Kinzelo, 2nd flagbearer."
The moment one of the black knights made that statement, a loud crashing and exploding noise started coming from beyond the tunnel.
"...It seems like the beast bastards are causing trouble."
Joshua said, nonchalantly glancing beyond the tunnel.
每周推薦票狀態
200+ 推薦票
榜單 
51 推薦票 
段落評論