章節 346: Chapter 505
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Only one second. Or perhaps even shorter than that.
If it had been delayed just that much, the battleship's blueprints would have been irreparably damaged.
Those who confirmed that Jin's fire had died down were unable to move for a while even after seeing that the blueprint was safe.
"Just in case."
Jin put the blueprint and machine back into his coat pocket with an expressionless face.
"It would be wise not to break your promise or plot anything behind my back. If you want to leave room for negotiation regarding the blueprints and machinery in the future, that is."
"...For someone worrying about that, you seem very confident, Sir Jin. Rest assured, that won't happen. However."
Zephyrin showed intense killing intent to the point where the skin on his face tingled.
"You will have to negotiate with us for those items in some way in the future. If you back down or change your words, I don't know how things will turn out for you at that time. It is a warning and I'll tear you into ten thousand pieces."
"Why are you trying to maintain a bloody atmosphere to the end on a moot point? If you kill Mr. Jin, I won't tear you into ten thousand pieces, but into a million pieces."
"Living golem, humans already have a short lifespan, so don't hasten your death too much. Do you want me to tell you how many half-immortal beings I've sent to hell in my lifetime?"
Jin lightly tapped Sandra's shoulder with his finger. It meant not to provoke Zephyrin any further.
"I was planning to negotiate with Kinzelo later even if you hadn't intervened. We obtained the blueprints, but our clan lacks the technological capability to decipher or realize this."
It was a weakness that didn't need to be hidden or wrapped up.
Runcandel had only withstood a thousand years with a single sword.
Having extreme aversion to magic, it was natural that Runcandel had contributed little to the development of civilization derived from magical research.
Other major factions had achieved various technological advancements and innovations during that time. Zipfel, the imperial family, and even Kinzelo, who recently revealed its prominence, were no exception.
'It may have been a miracle that the clan has survived until now solely through force. If you think the other way...… it could also be a testament to how remarkable Runcandel was.'
The overpowering strength each Runcandel possessed, the power that had sustained them for a thousand years, was coming to an end.
The current Runcandels were all keenly feeling it.
Now, Runcandel needed something more. In fact, the level of a Genesis Knight achieved by Chiron, for the first time since Temar, was clearly proving that fact paradoxically.
Even though a new Genesis knight had finally appeared, Runcandel was unable to prevent its inherent decline.
The time for change had come.
And even now, little by little, it was changing. Among the flagbearers, there were certainly those who attempted or thought about change.
Jin, who declared the reinstatement of the magic sword, Joshua, who believed in the power of prophecy, and Diphus, who was convinced of the need for innovation after this incident, were representative examples.
They each had these thoughts:
'I need to escape the desert and delay as much time as possible until sitting at the negotiation table with Kinzelo. I must secure information about the blueprints and devices somehow within that time. Otherwise, I have no choice but to make a losing deal.'
'Negotiation? There's no need for that, youngest. Even without Kinzelo's technological capabilities, I already have the means to produce battleships.'
'Joshua, Mother, and that entity called the Prophet... Perhaps they already have the means to produce battleships. Protecting the blueprints from the clan, and choosing who to trade between the clan and Kinzelo. It will all be a difficult battle. Before going back, I have to deal with Joshua so my burden will be lightened.'
Diphus had not given up on killing Joshua.
'We have to assassinate him before escaping the Sota Desert, if possible. Even if I can't kill him this time, I'll create an opportunity when I return to the clan. Definitely. That's the way for the clan.'
Zephyrin smiled brightly. She was hiding her agitated emotions again.
"That's right, to Runcandel those things are actually a pearl necklace around a pig's neck. I won't make such a foolish mistake in the next negotiation. So, enjoy today's small victory, Sir Jin."
Jin, Murakan, Yona, Joshua, Diphus, Jane, Sandra, and Zephyrin.
And so began a strange and uncomfortable companionship.
Zipfel and Kinzelo were still engaged in fierce battle in the sky and on the ground, and the dawn in the desert was coming to an end.
Being protected by one enemy from another was not a pleasant situation.
The Runcandels, who were walking expressionlessly, felt a suffocating feeling in their chests, as if a large lump of lead sat there.
Although not visible yet, the group felt that the Spectre corps' pursuit net was gradually closing in.
'At least two more hours. They will definitely find us within that time. It would be good if we're not exposed until we leave the desert.'
Zephyrin was strong. The confidence that she could contend with Murakan in his prime would not be false.
However, Jin believed that she, like Murakan, was not in perfect condition. It was the same when they first fought in the Black King Mountain Hideout, and now the shock from back then would make the situation even worse.
In reality, Zephyrin currently did not possess a transcendent power on the level of Hedo. Her strength was drawn from the leader of Kinzelo, and the leader was in a state of extreme instability following the terrorist attack on the Sword Emperor Castle.
'Even if Zephyrin is in a completely healthy state contrary to my thoughts, she cannot face the entire Spectre corps alone.'
That would be impossible even for Hedo.
If anyone discovers the group, they would send a signal, and then the entire Spectre corps would come here.
'Moreover, Zephyrin won't sacrifice her life to protect us. In the worst case, she can abandon both us and the goods and escape alone.'
Jin glanced back for a moment.
He intended to check the situation between Zipfel and Grenil unfolding in the sky.
Zephyrin let out a sly laugh at that sight.
"You seem anxious. There's no need to expect Grenil to push Zipfel aside and join this escort."
"This is not a crisis where I need more help from the enemy. This confirms once again that the power of your battleship is stronger than back then."
"Anyway, it seems like you will never shut up even if you drown, Sir Jin."
"You are just a kind of insurance. And insurance doesn't talk. If you don't want to get useless curses from Murakan or Sandra, it's better to follow quietly."
"That's right."
If one leaves the Sota Desert in the opposite direction of the Kuta Forest, they will come to the Romin Forest, and passing through that forest will lead to the central border of the Lutero Magic Federation.
The border is guarded by Zipfel and five autonomous districts, and eight autonomous countries. If they break through all of that and go further, they will reach the sea, the Lutero Western Sea, and then they have to travel a long way to reach the neutral waters.
Infiltrating and escaping the very center of the Federation is nearly impossible. The former was relatively easily achieved through the infiltration tunnels created by the Prophet, but that path couldn't be used for the escape.
The group moved on the assumption that the infiltration routes and tunnels created by the Prophet had already been revealed. Therefore, their speed was slower, and the burden of unpredictable dangers was significant.
Ha... ha...
In the midst of the desert winds, the harsh breathing of one member of the group became increasingly audible.
It was the rough breathing of Jane, the Black Knight.
She suffered the most significant injuries during the battle with Hedo. Despite being a Black Knight, she couldn't endure continuous bleeding and backflow without showing any signs.
"Dame Jane, are you okay?"
She nodded her head, but her entire body was trembling like an aspen tree.
Splish, splish. Blood was flowing from Jane's boots with every step she took.
She carefully removed the cloak covering her body, and they could see her ribs exposed between the torn infiltration suit and bandages.
Ha...!
Black blood poured out from the pale bones.
The reason she was still walking was because she is a Black Knight. If she weren't, she would have already fainted and met her death.
"..... I need to wrap new bandages."
"Ugh."
The bandages with healing magic were just makeshift first aid.
She was sensing death. Not only her but everyone felt the same. This time, Jin couldn't hide his mixed emotions.
'Even though she followed Joshua, she is a Black Knight of the clan... she devoted herself to the clan more than anyone else. Is this the only way it ends?'
If they didn't leave quickly, Jane would surely die.
But, they simply couldn't escape that fast. While the group was changing the bandages, Sandra handed painkillers to Jane.
"I take this when I have aftereffects from experiments. If you swallow it, you'll feel a bit better. It's the most effective painkiller in the world. Don't be in pain, Mr. Jin seems sad. It gets in the way of our date."
Jin stared at the painkillers, and in that moment, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of self-loathing at the thoughts that crossed his mind.
"It's a scene that makes me cry. Do you happen to have a handkerchief? I might need one too. Her death seems inevitable, so wouldn't it be better to send her off comfortably? Even considering the efficiency of our escape, it seems like a better option."
Zephyrin said that and pointed ahead with her finger.
The entrance to the Romin Forest was visible.
"That forest was already under siege right after the shipyard terror attack began. It was a tight siege that no one could sneak out except for Sir Jin's youngest sister. We have to break through by force, but you wouldn't think it would be possible with a patient, right?"
There was no need to confirm the credibility of her words.
Except for teleportation and flying, the only possible escape routes were toward the Kuta Forest and Romin Forest. There was no way Zipfel would have left those routes unguarded.
'At least, the Spectre corps hasn't discovered us during our journey here. Not yet."
Jin met eyes with Zephyrin.
"It would have been difficult without you. That's your role, Zephyrin."
"Huh?"
"From now on, break through to the right to divert their attention. We'll escape from the desert after the Spectre corps concentrates on you."
"I think it would be more rational for us to all break through to the border as quickly as possible, and then for me to act as bait from there, right? If there's a commotion, the Spectre corps will come, right? Do you really think that the black knight can survive? Are you planning to use me as bait, thinking she can survive here?"
Jin remained silent.
"You don't know that it would be impossible for everyone to return alive anyway, right? You're being too greedy, Sir Jin. That black knight is practically a half-corpse already."
"Shut up and go quickly. I am the decision maker, not you."
The reason Jin didn't give up Jane's life wasn't just because of emotional issues.
Although Zephyrin and Sandra, who do not show it but actually agree with that opinion, cannot know that fact.
"Why are you worried about me? It won't be much of a loss for you."
Zephyrin shrugged her shoulders at those words.
"Well, I will go along with it. It's not really harmful to me, as you said. It's a bit uncomfortable, but refusing won't make you back off at all. You are doing this for the life of the black knight... I thought you were completely cold, but it seems there's a childish side to you."
There would be no opportunity at all during the escort, but she judged that the possibility of stealing items would increase as Jin and his group escaped Zipfel's pursuit.
After all, she wasn't the only one from Kinzelo here.
Moreover, even after becoming bait, she could escape without getting caught and return to Jin's side at any time. At that time, Jin being in a critical situation was the best outcome for Zephyrin.
"See you at the border. Take good care of the items."
章節 347: Chapter 506
[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
Chiiiiing-!
Zephyrin's axe-sword emitted a purple demonic energy.
At the same time, signal flares shot up from various locations in the desert and the Romin Forest. A variety of colored magical signals painted the sky in an instant, turning the battlefield into a festive spectacle.
"Enemy spotted! The enemy has been dete... Argh!"
The mage who shouted couldn't finish his sentence as he met his demise. The purple sword energy shot by Zephyrin cleaved his body in half.
Though the morning was breaking, the visibility remained hazy due to the sandstorm, and the mages waiting in the Romin Forest were extremely nervous and on guard.
They made a fatal mistake due to excessive tension.
Detonating signal flares without accurately identifying the enemy was clearly a fatal mistake.
"Assemble! Gather! They are planning to break through by force, block them!"
Zephyrin's sword energy ruthlessly ravaged the forest.
The mages spent the first few seconds desperately blocking the sword energy, but the commanders soon realized that something was amiss.
"What...!?"
"It's not a shadow force or an aura... that demonic energy, it's not Runcandel! It's a demon, Kinzelo!"
"How many?"
"Confirmed as one! Unknown identity, presumed to be female!"
"Damn it, the signal flares...! Ugh!"
Thunk!
Zephyrin closed the distance in an instant and cut off the head of the commander who was shouting.
"Haha, what can I do if everyone is so stupid?"
The eyes of other mages nearly popped out as they confirmed her identity.
"You are... Zephyrin!?"
"3rd-class researcher, Zephyrin...?"
-Sir Berakt, Ms. Zephyrin is someone we cannot punish.
-I know. I simply asked you because I wanted to know if you had any tricks up your sleeve, vice-leader. If the leader's recovery is further delayed, it will postpone our great cause.
-...In that case, I will personally meet and make a request. I will ask her to stay among Zipfel's ranks as a spy for a while. I think this is the maximum we can demand from Ms. Zephyrin.
After forcefully leveraging the leader's power in Black King Mountain hideout.
Zephyrin complied with Bishkel's request and became a third-class researcher at Zipfel, working as a spy.
Therefore, her appearance was an even greater shock to the mages in the Romin Forest.
"Yes, I am Zephyrin. Oh, come to think of it, the commander who just died had a persistent grudge against me, didn't he? Ugh, he wasn't supposed to die this easily!"
"What kind of betrayal is this!"
"Are you all too bewildered to understand the situation? I've been a spy from the beginning. You stupid people were just captivated by my looks."
"Aaargh!"
The mages were almost swept away like fallen leaves by Zephyrin's axe-sword that moved in all directions.
At least three or more mages died with each swing, but the number of mages gathering following the initial signal flare was well over a thousand.
A chain barrier casted, and attack spells rained down from all directions.
Meanwhile, the confusion among those watching the signal flares from the desert was intensifying.
'Signal flares were fired in the Romin Forest!'
'Did they find Runcandel?'
'What's this? A yellow signal is going off to indicate a mistake.'
'The same goes for the black signal that signifies internal betrayal.'
'What on earth is happening in the Romin Forest!'
From Drakka to the Sota Desert, through the Romin Forest, and up to the Federation's border, all the members of Zipfel in that area were too preoccupied deciphering the chaotic contents of the signal flares to focus.
Octavia still had to deal with Gurnil, so she had no room to spare. However, Drakka and the Spectre corps needed to make quick decisions.
'Was their escape towards the Kuta Forest initially just a diversion?'
'This could be a double bluff, or it might be another attack of Kinzelo.'
'But there are still no traces of their escape near the Kuta Forest.'
'Squad leader, decide!'
The squad leaders of the Spectre corps soon made their decisions.
"1st, 2nd, 3rd Squads head to the Romin Forest. The rest continue searching the Kuta Forest!"
1st, 2nd, 3rd Squads.
The dragons carried nearly twenty members of the Spectre corps and changed direction.
Now it was Jin's turn to make a choice.
'The entire Spectre corps won't come after us. Since the signal isn't clear, they can't completely give up the search in the direction of the Kuta Forest.'
Ha, ha.
Jane's heavy breathing quieted down after taking the painkiller.
"Kid, that crazy demon dragon sure knows how to attract attention. Let's move. Hey, Black Knight, can you hold out a bit? Can you go?"
"Yes, Lord Murakan. I can fight."
"What's the point of fighting with that body? Are you trying to show off? Get on my back. Hey kid, carry Yona again."
Surprisingly, Jane willingly climbed onto Murakan's back.
"...I am sorry for showing such an unsightly sight to the clan's guardian deity."
"Don't be so embarrassed. Even knights of ancient Runcandel, stronger than you, have thrown up and caused a ruckus on my back."
Which direction will they move in?
As forces converged on the right side where Zephyrin had broken through, it seemed like the obvious choice to choose the opposite direction. Everyone thought that way, but Jin was coming to a different conclusion.
"Let's wait for a moment. Then, we'll break through in the same direction as Zephyrin."
"Kid, what are you talking about? If that's the case, why did you tell Zephyrin to draw attention?"
"What did you say?"
"The Spectre corps is coming, so why do you want to wait?"
"Oho! Mr. Jin, is there something else on your mind?"
The group expressed their doubts.
"The goal of the Spectre corps coming to Romin Forest for support is not to subdue or kill Zephyrin. Their top priority of Spectres is to find us, whether the mages die or not."
The eyes of the group widened at his words.
"In other words, the Spectre corps will search the entire Romin Forest while avoiding battle with Zephyrin as much as possible. Fighting her would only hinder the search."
Jin's words were correct.
Even in the midst of urgency, the group couldn't help but admire him.
They couldn't comprehend how he could have such insights in such a short moment.
"Wow... it is so really crazy, so cool that I might faint."
"The moment troops are most concentrated on Zephyrin, we will follow her path. Then, we will quietly escape from the Romin Forest, dealing with some enemies that may follow. We need to refrain from using aura as much as possible in order not to be distinguished from Zephyrin."
The demonic energy, which was frantically cutting down the forest and the mages, was emphasizing Zephyrin's presence.
The moment the aura mixes in between, the group will be immediately exposed to the Spectres.
"I will give you a signal when I think it is the right time."
Hiding in the sandstorm, the group waited for Jin to open his mouth again.
Five minutes had passed since Jin spoke, just after Zephyrin stirred up a storm with her demonic energy.
"Let's go!"
The Runcandels charged towards the Romin Forest.
Mages chasing Zephyrin were visible from the beginning. They were too preoccupied with reading the situation and spreading information, so they didn't notice the swords of Runcandel falling on their necks.
Squeak, thud!
Just because they don't use aura doesn't mean the blade becomes dull. Runcandels gritted their teeth and ran, leaving behind the fallen mages' necks.
"Ugh!"
"Run, Runcandel, quickly!"
They were desperate.
The entire time the Runcandels were running, they prayed in their hearts that the forest would end quickly and that they would be able to get out safely. Fortunately, the mages didn't discover them, and even if they did, they were immediately killed.
Swish!
After running for who knows how long, the sound of the air being sliced sharply reached their ears. Dragons carrying the Spectre corps were flying in the air. They had just arrived over the Romin Forest.
As Jin anticipated, the Spectre corps refrained from engaging with Zephyrin and instead seemed focused on searching the area. The forest's shadows provided cover for Runcandels from their eyes.
"Ha, ha, ha!"
"Haa!"
Eventually, when the morning was fully bright, Runcandels managed to escape from the Romin Forest. Their bodies were covered in the sticky blood of mages, sweat, wood fragments, and dust, but nobody was dead or severely injured.
The mages in the forest were still pursuing Zephyrin towards the border.
Additionally, some members of the Spectre corps were now also tracking Zephyrin due to the unexpectedly severe damage she had caused in the forest.
Now, if they could just cross the central border of the Federation, the chances of escape would dramatically increase.
However,
It was inevitable that the group would be exposed to the Spectre corps before they could choose a new escape direction. Runcandels found themselves facing gray-robed figures, their staff pointed at them.
'… About ten of them.'
Jin calmly counted their heads.
Ten members of the Spectre corps.
The ones who had chased Zephyrin wouldn't be coming back. Instead, the Spectre corps stationed in the Kuta Forest would rush to support when the battle began.
Boom!
Their leader fired a signal flare, signaling that the target had been found.
"Lord Murakan," Jane spoke up.
"Please let me down."
The first time she obediently climbed on Murakan's back was no different. She wanted to preserve every bit of remaining stamina. And the reason Jin tried to save Jane at all costs was the same.
The sacrifice of the black helmet was necessary in moments like this.
Although they didn't say anything to each other, both Jin and Jane had prepared themselves since the moment they decided for Zephyrin to attract attention.
"Dame Jane."
"You don't need to say it, 12th flagbearer."
"...I see."
"Your choice to bring me here was the right one. Sandra Zipfel, even though we are enemies, I am grateful for your help. The painkillers are proving to be somewhat helpful."
Jane drew her sword and stepped to the front of the group.
There was no room for apologies.
"I won't forget today's sacrifice, Black Knight."
"A death dedicated to the clan is more valuable than life. Therefore, this is not a sacrifice but the greatest glory."
The trembling that felt like she would break any moment while being carried on Murakan's back soon subsided.
Jane's sword was aimed calmly and firmly at the enemies.
"I may not be able to prolong this for much longer. Go quickly. You must survive to witness my glory."
Although there were other unspoken words inside her, Jane didn't say them out loud.
'12th flagbearer, in truth, I want to serve you if the opportunity arises. Not the 2nd flagbearer…'
After looking at Jane's back for a moment, Jin shouted, calling out to his eldest brother.
The 2nd flagbearer of the clan, Joshua Runcandel!
And then he continued.
"Don't just stand there. Assist Dame Jane in her final battle. That may be the only way to wash away a bit of your dishonor and betrayal."
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