章節 357: Chapter 516
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***
While Joshua fell, the ceremony honoring the Black Knight Jane was solemnly conducted.
The servants held a long silent prayer outside the mausoleum with mourning flowers in their hands, and Guardian knights, holding their swords upside down, formed a path leading to the mausoleum.
Rosa held Jane's black helmet like a portrait, and Murakan stood next to her.
Black knights, flagbearers, elders, clan scribes, and guardian knights followed behind. All were dressed in black uniforms and mourning attire.
Past the swords densely planted in the courtyard, to the deepest part. Even before the procession entered the mausoleum, it exuded a thick smell of iron, like the scent of blood.
The black sword flag slowly fluttered in the cold wind of the mausoleum. The sound spread through the stones inside like a mournful cry, yet there was no one truly weeping.
Those qualified to weep swallowed their tears, while those who couldn't stifled their emotions. Only the black helmet occasionally sparkled in the darkness.
This was a special place prepared for those who had faithfully protected the clan to the end.
For the Black Knights, the mausoleum could be said to be the final point of their pilgrimage. Unless they committed treason, they were destined to be buried here.
The mausoleum became darker as it deepened.
And the procession gradually became smaller. The clan members, including scribes and butlers, stopped walking at the entrance, and elders stood tall in the middle.
The ones left in the procession until the end were Rosa, the Black Knights, the flagbearers and Murakan. Only their outlines were visible as they reached the end.
Thud...
Rosa placed Jane's helmet on the specially prepared stone coffin.
"Even if the day comes when the Garden of Swords is crumbled to pieces, scattered by the wind, and the world even forgets the name Runcandel. Your loyalty and glory will never leave this place."
Murakan created a mourning flower with shadow force and placed it in front of Jane's black helmet.
"Thank you, Jane."
The stone coffin closed, and the procession emerged from the mausoleum after a while. When leaving, the order was reversed from when entering, and those who had been waiting at the front rejoined the procession.
The procession finally exited the mausoleum, and knights who had been waiting raised mourning flags throughout the Garden of Swords.
Thus, the ceremony to lay Jane's soul to rest in the mausoleum, which had continued from early dawn to noon, came to an end.
Originally, the burial in the mausoleum would take more than a week, but Rosa and the flagbearers held it in an informal manner considering the various circumstances of the clan.
Factors such as the absence of the dead body, the recent significant battle, and the fact that Joshua, the next patriarch of the clan, was imprisoned.
In the Garden of Swords, a more turbulent and sinking current flowed than ever before.
"It feels awkward..."
"Yeah, it does."
Daytona and Haytona. The two of them took shelter under the eaves of the outhouse to avoid the suddenly pouring rain and smoked cigarettes.
Some of the flagbearers naturally gathered there. It wasn't to avoid the rain or because of the Tona brothers.
Because beyond the eaves, a woman was kneeling in front of Joshua's private quarters. She was Ilina Runcandel, whom the siblings knew as Joshua's wife.
She was recognized as Joshua's wife, but she had no real authority, and her position within the clan had become ambiguous, preventing her from participating in the ceremony honoring Jane.
People thought that the reason she came outside the private quarters and knelt down was not to honor Jane in this way, but to make some kind of plea, perhaps begging for releasing her husband.
"I understand her sentiment, but it might have been better to just stay inside."
Ran shrugged his shoulders and spoke. Vigo nodded.
"There must be a reason why Mother chose to leave her in that state. Leave her alone, she'll quit when she knows it is of no use and she might end up dying like that."
Diphus thought that Rosa's not stopping Ilina's actions was ultimately because it provided even the slightest justification for Joshua's reinstatement.
And the two who knew her identity, Myu and Anne, had indifferent expressions.
Jin was focusing more on Myu and Anne rather than Ilina.
'Their demeanor has strangely changed...'
If they were Myu and Anne he knew.
Naturally, they should be showing signs of anxiety because they couldn't be certain that Joshua would be reinstated again just like him and Diphus.
'Did Mother inform Myu and Anne about the fact that Joshua might be reinstated again? No, Mother wouldn't need the help of them or others.'
Now, it didn't feel like Myu and Anne had any hidden power or will, but for some reason, he didn't feel good about it.
'Are they just determined, or is there something else?'
It felt like looking at someone other than Myu and Anne.
"Ran and Vigo orabeoni. Let's talk."
"Us?"
"Yes."
"About what?"
"Is it going to end like this? Even the lower flagbearers need to come together and take charge of a faction within the clan. Otherwise, we will be purged if someone else takes the throne later."
Myu spoke without hesitation, even though Jin and Diphus were listening.
"Myu, Anne. Who says someone will kill you? No matter which of the remaining top flagbearers takes the throne, I don't think that would happen."
"If the youngest takes the throne, it feels like our heads will roll that day, Diphus orabeoni."
"Oh, you might end up dead by the hand of Mary if you keep acting crocky like that. The clan is in this state, and you're still only worried about your own survival? Do your duties in your positions. When are you going to become a responsible person?"
Upon hearing that, Myu and Anne let out a bitter laugh.
"...It seems like becoming a person is a lost cause now."
"Ran and Vigo orabeoni, if you have the intention to talk, feel free to come to my room anytime."
After Myu and Anne left, Petro sought out Jin.
"Young Master, the acting matriarch is looking for you."
Then Diphus nodded as if he knew what was coming.
"Take care, Jin."
"Yes, elder brother."
The reason Jin and Diphus showed this reaction was none other than the fact that Jin hadn't yet handed over some battleship's blueprints and machinery obtained from the 2nd Magic tower vault to Rosa.
Jin followed Petro. Rosa was waiting for him in the central training ground. The training ground had not yet been completely restored after Jin's patriarchy declaration.
The rain stopped on the way.
"Have you come?"
"Yes, acting matriarch."
For a moment the mother and son looked at each other in silence.
"Last night, the prophet sent a message to me."
Rosa spoke about her first, not the blueprints and machine.
'A message? Wasn't Mother in direct contact with the prophet?'
-Mother will never give up the power of the Prophet. The reason she brought down Joshua this time... might be a warning to the Prophet. It is quite possible if the relationship between the mother and the prophet is not as close as that of Joshua.
-So what you're saying is, Mother plans to bind the Prophet, and later blame everything on her and reinstate Joshua?
A conversation Jin had with Diphus not long ago.
As Jin suspected at that time, Rosa had never directly communicated with the prophet. They had met before, but she still didn't know Ilina's true identity.
It wasn't because Rosa lacked the ability; it was simply because the prophet's divine power was that exceptional.
"What was the message?"
"She claims to have the ability to interpret and perfect the unfinished blueprints to create a fleet."
Jin hadn't handed over the items yet, but during the report, he informed Rosa that the blueprints were encrypted with magic codes, making them impossible to decipher with Runcandel's current technological capabilities.
It is natural that, unlike general blueprints, mass-produced battleship's blueprints cannot be deciphered or copied by anyone.
And it was impossible to even guess the use and identity of the obtained 'machine.'
"She also mentioned that she knows the purpose of the 'machine.' She says it's an item that can change the course of the future war...…."
"Acting matriarch."
"Speak."
"Do you know what the catalyst for the power of the Prophet is?"
"Living humans."
Rosa's voice held no remorse or shame.
"The infiltration tunnels and spells used in this mission, and the information related to the key of the 2nd Magic tower were all obtained by the prophet using humans as materials. She used prisoners of Rikalton."
It was the tower of living beings that Dox had seen in Rikalton.
The Prophet used those humans as material for Joshua's Sota Desert mission.
"I sent one of the clan's Black Knights to Rikalton. However, he did not return even after the deadline passed, and when I personally went there, all that remained were the bones of at least ten thousand estimated humans. Perhaps the bones of innocent ones were mixed in as well."
Jin had also sent Dox to the same place, and he still hadn't received any report from him.
And when Dox was in imminent danger of death, it was a Black Knight sent by Rosa who came to his aid.
"The Black Knight has not returned yet?"
"Yes."
"You already knew that the Prophet used humans, so why did you send the Black Knight to Rikalton? What were you trying to confirm? Did you rule out the possibility of the Prophet harming the Black Knight?"
"I don't have to answer all your questions. I didn't call you here to explain everything. If you don't like my judgment and actions, prove me wrong and move forward. You sound so uncharacteristic of yourself. If I seem despicable to you, that only proves that you're afraid of me."
Jin calmed his boiling blood.
As Rosa said, she was not in a position where she had to answer all of Jin's questions.
"Originally, I planned to use those items with the help of the Prophet."
If Joshua had shown signs of awakening, Rosa would have handed over the blueprints and the machine to the Prophet without hesitation.
She did not entirely trust the Prophet, but she was confident that all her actions revolved around 'Joshua Runcandel.'
If anyone who had faced the Prophet's absolute prophecy even once, they would inevitably be convinced.
"But this time, I changed my mind when I suspended Joshua from his position as a flagbearer. I will postpone negotiations with the Prophet. During that period, prove to me that you have a method superior to the Prophet's."
Hister.
And Hister's record magic.
When the constant mission to find 'Arya Aulhart' was given to the flagbearer, as Joshua foresaw, Rosa already thought that Jin was in contact with the survivor of Hister.
"If I fail, you will... hand them over to the Prophet. Is that what you're saying, acting matriarch?"
"That's right."
"Even if I fail, those things will not go to the Prophet. Acting matriarch."
"If you fail and don't hand them over to the clan, I will take them by force."
"What the family seeks is dominance not immorality. Positively accepting and using the Prophet's power is an act that goes far beyond the line. You speak as if you're affected by some kind of curse or something."
"You must have learned a lot about enemies in the Sota Desert. Yet you talk like a spoiled child. Listen well, Jin Runcandel, my youngest son."
To me, the survival and prosperity of Runcandel are values more important than anything else.
Nothing can surpass those values.
"Even if tens of billions of humans die in the process of realizing that, even if the world is destroyed in the desolate struggle, and what remains within it is just a few members of Runcandel. It doesn't matter to me."
"If that's the case, then what I have to do is to destroy you as always, Mother."
"I'm not looking forward to it."
Jin turned and left the training ground.
Rosa stood alone in the training ground for a long time even after Jin left.
章節 358: Chapter 517
[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
***
Tikan was still in the midst of construction. The massive equipment from the Black King Mountain Hideout was being overhauled and newly installed, so it was only natural that it would take some time.
However, even though the construction wasn't complete, Tikan now possessed more than 80% of the defensive power of the former Black King Mountain Hideout.
Purely considering the defensive power of the equipment brought from the Black King Mountain Hideout, it was 80%. When taking into account the strength of Jin's companions and the newly formed blood alliance (though they considered themselves subordinates), Tikan stood as a city unparalleled in defense, excluding the two major factions.
At the moment, there was no small nation that could surpass Tikan. Since the joining of the mercenaries and the Black Kings, Tikan had become a land that could easily be called the fifth faction.
"Ah, the nation declaration is right around the corner..."
Perhaps because of this, the man who was the leader of Tikan, the owner of the Seven-Colored Peacock, and ghost blade Kashmir Alfrion, had been crying a lot lately.
It was due to inexpressible emotions, a sense of overwhelming appreciation, heightened sensitivity as he approached his forties, and a conviction that a long-cherished dream was about to come true, and the gratitude towards his companions. These were the reasons why Kashmir shed tears of happiness.
"Oh, Sir Kashmir is crying again."
"Euria, please give your father a handkerchief. Young master Jin is there too, what kind of insolence is that?"
So said Jet and Alisa, and Amela added, "Why are you crying, Sir Kashmir?"
Truly, after a long time, all the companions gathered for a meal. (Thanks to Murakan's persistence) Except for Gilly, who went for a walk with Murakan, everyone was seated at the dining table.
"It is still not enough to make a nation declaration," Jin said.
He was also emotionally moved. However, after this mission, naturally, a sense of urgency once again settled in Jin's mind.
"Yes, as the lord says, we are still lacking. Although the chances of Zipfel and Kinzelo touching this place in the near future are low, they will attempt pressure whenever the opportunity arises," Lata said, and Valkas nodded in agreement.
"The speed of installing defense equipment is slower than expected, my lord," Valkas remarked.
"I heard it's because the equipment was specialized for the mountain range where the Black King Mountain Hideout was located, Sir Valkas."
"That's correct. Compatibility with Tikan is not bad, but it's not perfect. Also, since our time in the Black King Mountain Hideout, I've felt that there's a lot of room for improvement in our equipment. Thanks to Amela, a lot of improvements have already been made."
Amela.
As shown in the Gaifa Islands, she is a master of warfare utilizing the power of chaos.
In the Gaifa Islands, she displayed even greater power by merging with Bubare's chaos, but even without that, she was already the world's best operator of war equipment.
Valkas evaluated her better than the entire Black King mercenaries, not in terms of sheer force but in the aspect of 'warfare'.
"Even though not all the equipment has been installed yet, it's producing 80% of the power. However, I understand watching Amela reinforce the equipment. It can still get better. It means we can surpass the power of the old Black King Mountain Hideout."
"Is that possible?"
"It is possible, my lord!"
Amela said, waving her hand out of her bush clothes.
Jin felt somewhat awkward because of her behavior. In the Gaifa islands, she fought with the intention of killing them the entire time, and after Yona's interrogation, she fainted, so he went to Sota Desert without having a word of conversation.
On the other hand, Amela behaved very friendly, and referred to Jin as the lord like Valkas and Lata. This was because her chaos had submitted to Yona, and fundamentally, she had the nature of a somewhat affable child. Her slight fear of Jin and Murakan seemed to have disappeared.
"Most of old man Valkas's equipment is the product of modern magic engineering. However, some are relics, commonly called masterpieces. Like the lord's helmet. It seems old man Valkas and my cuties didn't know that well."
Before meeting Jin, Amela roamed the world as a lifelong mercenary and explorer with chaos. Thanks to that, there weren't many people in the world more knowledgeable about relics and artifacts than her.
"Haha, I can't believe I'm hearing an old man from my peers."
"Good heavens, don't call me a cutie...!"
Amela, hidden in the bushy clothes, looked younger than not only Jin but even younger than Enya. For some reason, Valkas felt oddly hurt. The one who reacted strongly to the term 'cutie' was Lata and Faye.
"Masterpiece?"
"These things were made by either demons, or ancient Zipfels. Example of this is what old man Valkas calls the Black King Cannon No. 1, but in my opinion, it's more fitting to call it the Mana absorption spray-type all-purpose accelerating blasting cannon. Old man Valkas didn't know that, so he was using it like a regular cannon."
"Mana absorption... what? Hm, Lady Amela, you know how to use such difficult words. Did you understand?"
"Mana absorption spray-type all-purpose accelerating blasting cannon...?"
Jin, who always lived with academic critiques, was familiar with such long formal names.
"Well, will it get better?"
"If all the functions are completed, it will become the strongest cannon in existence. Um... for comparison, where is it, Kozec! It would be more powerful than Kozec's Mana Input spray-type all-purpose blasting cannon."
Even comparing the slightly different names, the former seemed stronger. However, it couldn't be confirmed if Amela's words were true.
"If that's true, how did that thing end up in Black King Mountain Hideout? During the time when the Black Kings existed independently, there were occasional exchanges with engineers from Zipfel or the imperial family for equipment maintenance. They couldn't just leave alone when they saw mana... something cannons."
"The cutie asks cute questions. Did they send top-notch personnel to the Black King Mountain Hideout? Since they always sent people who were like confused scarecrows, it wouldn't be surprising if they didn't know about it. It's a problem that can be figured out with just a little bit of brain."
"That's true."
"Hey, the cutie is an Amela fan!"
"Ooh, anyway, isn't it an incredible cannon? Can Lady Amela restore it?"
Amela shook her head at Enya's question. Because she was held by Lata, her neck was barely turning, so she was just shaking the bushes.
"Ah, ugh, that, aack, I, I can't. Ahh, bones, bones, I was hit! Just a moment! My abilities are lacking. And I'm not sure if there's personnel capable of restoring it."
"My lord, whether Amela's words are true or not, it seems necessary to recruit a proper magic engineer. There are many devices to improve, and above all, we need to find clues about the machine obtained in the Sota Desert."
An item that could change the course of the future war.
That's how the prophet described the machine to Rosa that Jin had acquired.
'Mother also didn't hear from the Prophet about the exact purpose of that item. If she heard it, she would have told me too, since it will definitely benefit the clan.'
Of course, the Prophet's words could be false. She might also not know the true purpose of the machine.
But the machine wouldn't just be with the blueprints; there must be a reason for it to exist.
To find that reason, Hister's record magic and the help of a genius magic engineer were needed.
"Jet."
"Yes, my lord!"
"Infirm me immediately if Arya contacts me."
Jin hasn't met Valeria since leaving Wantaramo Forest last year and spending time with Yona.
She holds the corpse of Vermont's Majin obtained in the Wantaramo Forest as evidence to pressure the imperial family.
In addition, she was analyzing the metal used by Kinzelo's leader that Jin had obtained from the sword emperor castle and the recording device Jin had given her, and also tracking down Temar's tomb while restoring Hister's magic.
The lack of contact could be either because there is no progress or because she is exposed to some danger. It must be one of the two.
'If not, she may have entered the next succession temple.'
In addition to Valeria, Jin was still unable to contact Misha, so he was a little anxious.
"Of course. Ah, no news is good news, so don't worry too much. We haven't been in contact with her quite a bit, but is there anything wrong with that haughty lady?"
"That would be great. Hey, Murakan. Ms. Misha..."
"My lord, Lord Murakan went for a walk with Gilly... Ah, there she comes! Huh? But why is there a giant toad... Is he riding Madame Talaris' Snow Toad Mort?"
The seven swords of the Hidden Palace, Ryu and Hiten, who were sitting at the table, stood up and bowed.
"Greetings, master!"
"Greetings, master!"
Not only Murakan and Gilly, but also their masters were on Snow toad Mort.
Next to them, for some reason, Kuzan, Veris, and Yulian stood with a seemingly blank expression, as if they were some kind of attendant.
"Hehe, son-in-law. Long time no see!"
"Madame Talaris, Lady Syris."
"Why is it that you never call this mother-in-law even when there's such an occasion, my son-in-law?"
"Didn't you get an invitation from Lucas Manfran?"
"Ah, it must have been a mix-up. I almost felt resentful again. Hahaha... Ha! It's mind-boggling. On the way here, I heard from that handsome black dragon that something strange clung to my son-in-law."
It was a story about Sandra Zipfel.
At that remark, Syris let out a sigh as if she had no strength to argue with her mother anymore.
"My son-in-law doesn't like her, do you? The daughter of a hostile clan?"
"Mother, even though she is Zipfel, she's a person who has greatly helped Jin."
"Heung, you are acting stiff as usual. Can't you even take a joke?"
"It wasn't a light matter."
Of course, Syris was never conscious of Sandra Zipfel.
However, even though Jin is her friend, she seemed unable to help him by betraying the hidden palace, but she felt strange that Sandra did it.
'If it were me from the past, I would have just laughed and sneered at this. After meeting Jin, I seem to have changed a bit.'
Talaris shrugged.
"Heung, I appreciate it too. But it does not give you a right to humiliate your mother like this in front of people. This mother is still the master of the hidden palace."
"I apologize for that, Mother."
"Hehe, I was just joking. Don't be scared!"
"Ah, really."
"I can still enjoy teasing my daughter. Anyway, it's nice to see everyone. It's a bit strange and fascinating to see all three great mercenaries eating together like this. Indeed, the charm of the man I marked as my son-in-law... So, what were you all talking about?"
"Mana absorption spray-type all-purpose accelerating..."
The moment Jin answered up there.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded throughout the entire Tikan. The equipment installed by the Black Kings was causing the alarm.
Wee-wee-wee
The alarm was triggered due to the sudden appearance of an unidentified object in the sky. And the protagonist who triggered the alarm was the person who escorted Jin and his group in the Sota Desert not long ago.
Zephyrin.
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