章節 355: Chapter 514
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Sota Desert.
The flagbearers and the black knights were not the only ones who performed their mission there.
'Other members... there were more?'
Joshua barely raised his head and looked at Rosa. Her expression was not visible due to the darkness of the dungeon.
"Four Black Knights, the 1st division of the Black Sword Association, and others I personally hired... I was also there in the desert."
"What...!"
Certainly, not just Joshua.
Jin, Diphus, Mon and even Jane had no idea that Rosa and her knights were in the Sota Desert.
They didn't start together. Rosa and her knights entered the desert after the group initiated the operation. And their goal was not only to succeed in the mission to steal the blueprints.
"I watched you."
What choices do the flagbearers make and how do they succeed in their mission?
In particular, what kind of judgment does Joshua make?
Rosa had carefully observed the overall flow of the mission in the desert with the troops she personally led.
-Acting Patriarch, only Mon is left in the underground shipyard. The 2nd flagbearer seems to have decided to monopolize the information. However, since Kinzelo also moved at the same time, it will be revealed soon.
-We confirmed that the 4th flagbearer, 12th flagbearer, Murakan start moving. We decided to withdraw as tracking them further would likely expose us to detection by the crystal balls.
-If it's the youngest, he probably already knows that it's not the shipyard but the 2nd magic tower. Wait near the 2nd magic tower and report back when the youngest and his group overcomes the barrier.
-Reporting!
Even when the barrier of the 2nd magic tower collapsed due to the Shadow sword, and more than a hundred battleships were revealed, Rosa was not shaken at all, unlike Jin and his group.
She already figured out that much a long time ago. The flagbearers who went to the Sota Desert didn't know, but it wasn't the first time in the long history of the cold war that Zipfel attempted to build a flying fleet centered around Kozec.
-How many spies does Zipfel currently have in the Garden of Swords?
-Exactly confirmed: 97 servants, 20 low-level guardian knights, 12 intermediate-level guardian knights, 5 high-level guardian knights, 15 butlers, 2nd-class or higher butlers and scribes, 2 flagbearers, 5 enforcement knights, 7 elders, and one Black Knight. In addition, it is estimated that there are at least twenty more spies capable of fatal-level intelligence.
-Our Spies in Zipfel?
-At Zipfel's main house, there are 40 servants, 10 low-level mages, 5 intermediate-level mages, one elder, and one tower master. That's all.
It was the last meeting of the flagbearers that was personally convened by Chiron just before leaving for the Black Sea.
On that day, the conversation between Chiron and Luntia had a nuance that Runcandel was far behind in information warfare compared to Zipfel.
However, in reality, it was Runcandel who extracted more critical internal information. Barton Vicenna, the Black Knight who was the worst spy, was killed by Jin and Diphus.
-It was Yona who informed Kinzelo of the flagbearers' operation time.
-It seems so. I didn't expect her to take on such a double request, Madame Rosa.
It is no different from the fact that Rosa was able to hide in the desert throughout the Sota Desert mission, avoiding the eyes of Jin, Yona, Zipfel, and Kinzelo.
There is only one person who rules the City of Samil, the nameless king Owal.
It was thanks to hiring him and the best nameless assassins.
-I'll take on this mission.
-No.
-Even if you stop me, I'll go, hehe.
-If you really have to go. There are some conditions.
Rosa found Owal shortly after Yona left.
-I know that when the youngest was a reserve flagbearer, you delayed Yona's return to the clan under the pretext of Thousand-poison antidote, Sir Owal. However, that doesn't mean you can use Yona to betray Runcandel...
-Betrayal? I simply received a request. Madame Rosa, your words seem a bit excessive.
-It ends as just a bit excessive, given that Chiron is absent and I am here in his place.
-Shouldn't Runcandel be grateful to me for sending Yona to the Sota Desert?
-In this turbulent world, if you did it purely out of your will to stand on Runcandel's side, it would be something to be grateful for, sir.
-That's not entirely wrong either.
-You would have let Yona go on one condition. Bring the original or a copy of the blueprint to Samil. You intended to weigh the balance between the great factions, holding that as a negotiation chip. That, too, is not completely wrong, right?
-Hmm.
-Even if Chiron is here, the price of deceiving Runcandel is heavy. But I don't want to turn an ally like Nameless into an enemy over this, sir. Please join me in the Sota Desert.
-That's a story of my generation's Nameless being an ally with Zipfel, Madame Rosa.
-I won't make it too difficult for you. I am not asking you to participate in combat and vault theft. You just need to help with hiding. Can't you conceal others better than Yona can?
Owal did exactly that, only assisting with hiding and observation. He, and the top assassins who came to Sota Desert with him, never drew their swords even once until the incident was over.
-Acting matriarch, the only remaining individuals confirmed inside the 2nd Tower are Sandra Zipfel and 4 members of the Spectre corps. Since the 12th and 4th Flagbearers have also entered the Tower, the battle should be over by now.
-Phenomena of a 1st-level superhuman using force have been detected.
-This vibration is the height of the sword wave. Could it be that he's here...?
-The phenomenon is intensifying. acting matriarch. There's a high probability that the flagbearers and Black Knight Jane will die soon at this rate. Rescue operation, preparations are complete.
-Stand by.
-...Just now, there was a time distortion in the 2nd Tower. The Silver Dragon Claw was used. Yona also participated in the battle. Madame Rosa, are you really okay with this?
-You seem worried about Jonah, Sir Owal.
-2nd Tower is starting to collapse, Drakka's main force will arrive soon. Acting matriarch, now is the last chance to approach.
-Continue to stand by.
If the sole purpose was the success of the mission and the survival of the flagbearers...
Rosa should have entered at that moment.
But Rosa Runcandel wanted to confirm something else.
She was anticipating the moment when Joshua Runcandel would awaken and bloom. If that wasn't possible, she at least wanted to see him make better judgments than Jin.
She believed he would accomplish at least that much.
-1st-level superhuman combat stopped, it is presumed to be influenced by Sandra Zipfel. The battleship Grenil is en route.
-The battle of the 2nd Tower ended. The flagbearers are escaping. Black Knight Jane is confirmed to be critically injured, and Sandra Zipfel has joined them.
Afterwards, the flagbearers met with the Zephyrin, requested an escort, Jin used his wisdom to break through the Romin Forest, and the moment Jane sacrificed herself at the central border.
In the end, Rosa didn't see what she expected. Once again, it was not Joshua but Jin who led the mission to success.
"You made poor judgment throughout the mission, showed that you were trying to save the clone at all costs, and lost the Black Knight of clan in the process."
"Hah... You watched all of that happening."
"Your youngest brother risked his life every moment and successfully completed the mission without my help or the clan's."
"Why didn't you help! If you had stepped in, couldn't you have saved Dame Jane!"
"Oh? That's actually the question I want to ask. Why didn't you use the power the Prophet planted in your clan when fighting with Hedo?"
Joshua only used that power when Jane sacrificed herself.
"Did you want to save the clone? Perhaps it's not just that. You had expectations that you would achieve better results without using the clone if the youngest, Diphus, Murakan and the clan's Black Knight were there! Such disgusting expectations."
"No, I... in the end, the volcano."
"That was because at that time, there was no other choice for you. Weak people like you end up thinking that a forced choice is their own will."
"I did it... for the clan."
"If you had used that power when facing Hedo, Jane wouldn't have died. I was in the desert. Although everyone was constantly preparing for their one and only death, you saved your clone until the end. That was your real choice and will."
Joshua couldn't say anything.
It felt like even if he were stripped bare, exposing his internal organs, he wouldn't feel more pierced than this.
"After that, you led the knights when you returned to the clan,stuttering at my few questions, trembling and apologizing... You couldn't even let out a scream or retaliate when my sword fell just now."
A will beyond right and wrong, a transcendental struggle.
Until the very end, Joshua had only brought disappointment to Rosa.
What made it even more bitterly ironic for her was the fact that she, too, had harbored expectations from Jin. From a certain point on, just like Joshua had focused on how far Jin could go, Rosa had also shifted her focus to what Jin could achieve.
Jin Runcandel, her youngest son.
He always had the power to make everyone expect more. Just like Luna once did.
"It's not just the Sota Desert, Joshua. I have kept my eyes on you throughout the numerous missions you have participated in. And I was never satisfied."
"Kill me... I am not worthy of living. Neither my mother nor the clan members. No one left to expect something from me."
"This is a place where you can't die even if you want to. Your sins are not light enough to be resolved by death. And, as you said, there's nothing left to expect from you. However, you have the prophecy."
...
Chiron Runcandel would once again call the shadows and possess...
...
...
Joshua Runcandel.
Joshua Runcandel would once again invoke the shadows and possess. The shadow would not leave the world again in the glory of Joshua Runcandel.
Finally, your war will end in victory, and eternal blessings will descend upon the land.
Hail the one who called the shadows.
"I think it's still worth looking forward to the absolute language of God."
Joshua involuntarily burst into laughter at that passage.
"Haha... Prophecy? Until just now, you were praising my outstanding siblings and the clan's values, telling me that my place should be in the abyss…. Are you saying that you are looking forward to the prophecy that has not yet come true?"
"You are not dead yet. And I, not only expect the realization of the prophecy but also anticipate the struggle to shatter it. Your youngest brother, Jin. It doesn't seem like his struggle will fail to shatter the prophecy. No matter how absolute it may be."
"Hah."
"Prophecy and struggle. Which one do you think I put more expectations on?"
Rosa turns around.
She added with a hint of bitterness,
"If by any chance, the day comes when your prophecy leads you from this dungeon to the real world of struggle, and if you endure that world. I will bring you back to the surface. Of course... As always, your prophecy will likely disappoint me that time as well. Just as you always have."
章節 356: Chapter 515
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The Tower of White Night.
The Tower of the White Night, which always gave off a soft light even in the middle of the bleak desert, lost its mana and looked miserable due to the catastrophe in the Sota Desert.
Three elderly figures and a dragon who had turned into a human were standing on a rooftop with a huge hole in it.
Kelliark, Octavia, Hedo and Kadun sat on the chairs created by Kelliark's mana, gazing at the Sota Desert.
The desert was still full of traces of battle.
The underground shipyard had exploded, causing the entire center of the desert to collapse, forming a gruesome and gigantic pit. The blowing sand carried sparks and heat, permeating the air.
The fire and lightning bolts that were rising like tumors all over the desert showed no sign of ending even though they had been suppressed for several days. The remains of dead dragons and the wreckage of destroyed battleships filled the surroundings.
Twelve dragons were killed, 43 battleships were destroyed, and eight Spectres and more than 250 mages were killed.
Moreover, some battleship's blueprints and parts of the 'machinery' were stolen.
"It's the first time our clan has suffered such a blow since the Holy Kingdom Protection War 500 years ago."
Kelliark spoke calmly, prompting a snort from Kadun.
"I couldn't even compare this to that time."
Though he spoke as if it were a trivial matter, Kadun was the most disturbed among them.
The duke family of the Demon World has reappeared, and Murakan seems to have regained a considerable amount of his old strength. These two factors unsettled Kadun.
He felt like nightmares from the past were coming back to life.
Of course, Murakan had only recovered about half of the power he had during his prime, but those who heard Hedo's report were under the misconception that he had fully regained it.
The misunderstanding about Murakan's battle prowess, starting from the Black Kings incident, continued to grow.
"The Runcandels successfully escaped even when you were present, Sir Hedo. It seems Kadun isn't afraid of Murakan for no reason."
"No, I never said I was afraid."
"You said that with your own mouth last time. It was right after the Black Kings incident."
"Do you have to talk about that in front of others?"
"...It wasn't just the Runcandels and Murakan, but also Kinzelo and its demons were a problem too. Based on the circumstances, it appears that a demon named Bianca Kaligo wounded Sir Hedo."
Kelliark and Kadun nodded at Octavia's additional explanation.
"Unlike Ainas Kaligo, Bianca Kaligo showed battle prowess at the level of a 1st-level superhuman. The damage was limited to this extent thanks to Sir Hedo."
"That's right. If Hedo hadn't been there, this tower would have vanished without a trace, Kelliark. And your daughter would either be dead or captured for experiments or a prisoner."
"Her judgment to evacuate all the forces of the Magic tower in advance was excellent. It would have been a massacre if everyone had been there. Because of that, my subordinates seem to have incurred Sir Hedo's hatred a little...…."
"Your daughter sometimes makes exceptional judgments with a strange intuition. That's the only thing Sandra has in common with you."
Hedo remained silent, once again fixing his gaze on the distant desert.
He had started telling lies that he never told in his life since he began serving Sandra, but this was the first time it was as serious as this.
"If there is anything you wish for, please tell me, Sir Hedo."
"Just not holding me responsible for failing to protect the vault is enough."
"That is not your fault, Sir Hedo. Stop avoiding it and speak."
"...If you could grant me a few days off, I would appreciate it. Including the young lady."
Kelliark smiled. Hedo felt uncomfortable under his penetrating gaze that seemed to see through everything.
"Very well, take a break for ten days. You can leave immediately."
"Then I'll see you when I return, patriarch."
Hedo immediately left the place when Kelliark finished speaking.
It was mainly because constantly telling lies was becoming unbearable, but the rest of the group admired his dignified departure.
"I like Sir Hedo's confident demeanor."
"That human is undoubtedly Zipfel's treasure, Kelliark. You must hold onto him well, so he doesn't change his mind."
"Yes, that's true. By the way..."
Kelliark's gaze shifted between the Romin Forest and the central border.
In the aftermath of the battle, the place where Joshua executed the volcano still remained inaccessible to recovery personnel.
"That power, it was undoubtedly chaos, right? Octavia."
"Yes, patriarch."
"Runcandel and chaos... both the infiltration tunnel and the power he showed at the end makes it clear. The Prophet of Calamity is with Runcandel."
The Prophet of Calamity.
Ever since Solderet disappeared, Zipfel had been constantly tracking her.
As far as Zipfel knew, the last time Solderet communicated with humans was with their former patriarch, Riol Zipfel.
After that, there had been contractors of his, but there was no recorded instance of Solderet communicating with them.
So, Zipfel had assumed that Solderet either lost his power or sealed himself to avoid keeping the oath.
That was until Jin appeared, and until the evidence of the Prophet of Calamity being with Runcandel emerged.
"And the fact that Joshua Runcandel openly used the power of the prophet indicates that Chiron reached the territory of the five kings."
"Yes, patriarch. Chiron Runcandel would never have allowed the use of that unstable power. Still, it's surprising. He must have known about the existence of the prophet, yet he tolerated it until now. I wonder if he thought there was no other way?"
"No, that's not it. That monster is not such a weak human as to rely on something other than himself."
"Then why...?"
"Well, maybe he was looking forward to seeing his children and kins overcome even the prophecy of calamity through Runcandel's values and struggle."
"He probably didn't know when his time would run out, and once we regain our ancient power, Runcandel is bound to perish. Why would he make such a choice? I'm sure he had some expectations from the prophecy."
"He's different from us. He's old-fashioned."
Suddenly, Kelliark's appearance began to rejuvenate.
Wrinkled face and rough hands became smooth, and disheveled hair regained its luster. No one will be able to recognize that he is Kelliark Zipfel, who has instantly taken on the face of a playful boy.
"Anyway, we cannot start an all-out war just based on the suspicion that Chiron has entered the territory of the Five Kings of the Black Sea. Moreover, the enemy's capabilities exceed our expectations considering what has been newly confirmed in this incident."
Runcandel and Kinzelo.
Through this incident, Zipfel was able to reaffirm their strength. The Prophet of Calamity, Demon Dragon, the power of the Duke family of Demon World, and more.
Even that might not be everything.
"It seems the price of the arrogance gained from dominating the world for a thousand years is a bit painful. We intentionally lured them to confirm their power, yet we suffered the most significant damage."
"Hmph, see that? I told you over and over again that this was not the time to be leisurely looking at crystal balls that show nothing. They got their hands on the blueprints and machine, so those guys will become even stronger."
"So, I need to be a bit more cautious from now on. I have to speed up all my plans."
Completion of the Demon God's Orb, confirmation of Chiron's entry into the Black Sea's Five Kings territory, efforts to confirm and reinterpret the accurate content of Runcandel's prophecy, restoration of the ancient civilization, understanding Solderet's true intentions, tracing Temar's tomb, and more.
To accelerate and realize all these tasks, one person was indispensable.
"I will allocate more manpower and resources to finding the last survivor of Hister."
"Do we have such manpower available right now? When are you going to recover all that?"
"You better work harder on finding it yourself, Kadun."
"Ah, this is so frustrating!"
"I need to move a bit too..."
"Really!? Aren't you going to waste your time looking at crystal balls now?"
"Yeah."
Valeria Hister.
She was the key to all the major factions. The key to victory, the key to delaying defeat, the key to gaining new opportunities.
"Perhaps I might have to sit down again at the negotiating table with Rosa Runcandel. If we meet again because of Hister, the deal will be much more disadvantageous than the last time."
***
Kinzelo Headquarters.
Most high-ranking executives, including Bishkel and Berakt, alternately gazed at the firmly closed door of the leader's room and the anchored battleship Grenil at the back.
Since the incident at the Sword Emperor Castle, the leader had never fully awakened. However, this time, Zephyrin and battleship Grenil used his power again, and the leader's condition continued to deteriorate.
Creak, thud! boom...
The part of the half-destroyed Grenil dropped even when it was standing still and seemed to scream in agony. This further complicated the feelings of the executives.
"So, vice-leader! You used me as bait quite appropriately. I've never seen such a cunning human before."
"Hahaha, even though Lord Bishkel looks ruthless, he's actually a pretty good person. He even treats me to sweet potato croquettes every time."
"Wow, this tastes good. I should ask for this every day too. Anyway, if the vice-leader hadn't devised a plan to use me as bait there, I probably would have been captured. Those humans are stronger than you think... ugh. Still, they're nothing but short-lived bugs compared to my unnie."
"Let's toast to Lord Bishkel!"
"Alright, Bubare! Cheers to the sweet potato croquettes!"
Only two people, Bubare and Ainas, were talking excitedly.
Ainas was unaware that she had never been used as bait, and Bishkel had merely refrained from using the power of the battleship for fear of wasting it on saving her.
It was true that it saved Ainas in the end.
The battleship Grenil and Bianca followed the signal from the Zephyrin, and while Zipfel was pursuing them, Joshua executed the volcano, and Ainas was quickly forgotten by everyone on the battlefield.
Bishkel was truly losing his hair as he heard Bubare and Ainas laughing loudly.
Seeing a handful of hair in his palm, it was difficult to suppress the impulse to immediately slit their throats.
"Stop tormenting the poor vice-leader, you devils."
Zephelin grabbed Bubare and Ainas by the hair.
"That's right, no matter how good my orabeoni is, everything has to be in moderation. Besides, the leader is lying there, not only from this incident but also from healing mister Bubare. Shouldn't we be a bit quiet today?"
Even Margiella stood beside Zephyrin and spoke.
"I think both of you should go over there and sit in the corner. It was infuriating enough to be toyed with by Jin Runcandel, and on top of that, Joshua Runcandel, whom I was supposed to take as a hostage, blew himself... Do you understand? My mood is really, really bad."
Upon Zephyrin's words, Bubare and Ainas appeared to be breaking into a cold sweat and disappearing with hesitant steps.
"Uh... Sorry, Grand Duke. My younger sister... is still kind."
"I understand, I understand, Princess Bianca."
"Sorry, sorry."
Bianca bowed her head repeatedly in place of Ainas and disappeared, following her younger sister.
Zephyrin sighed deeply, pondering whether they were truly the ones who would bear the future of the demons.
"What are you going to do now, Ms. Zephyrin?" Margiella asked and Zephyrin gritted her teeth.
"I guess I have to negotiate with Jin Runcandel. If he tries to play with me again this time, I'll do whatever it takes to kill him..."
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