章節 38: CHAPTER 197
"You're not supposed to fly through!"
Jin reactively shouted.
However, the ship already shot off into the sky and towards the barrier.
"Don't worry. This won't get caught by their little magic!"
The ship had no wings and was not an organism. The Seventh Order was not technically 'flying', and Cosmos apparently knew that the Crimson Chain Barrier wouldn't detect it.
Riding a flying boat was not an everyday sight. Even for Jin of the Runcandel Clan, Kashimir of the Vermont Imperial Family, Alisa of the Special Forces, Syris of the Hidden Palace, and the dragons who had lived thousands of years. Although it was in the air for only a short amount of time—from the water pressure tossing the ship into the sky—Jin and his crew were flabbergasted.
'A normal pirate did this?'
From underneath the entire island, Cosmos had prepared an escape route.
"Kuhaha! I made the Seventh Order for this!"
'Seventh'. Which probably meant that there was a First to Sixth. No one particularly heard Cosmos's laughter.
They felt like their soul was leaving their body, and the boat soon began its descent. On the other hand, the pirates looked like nothing happened; they just enjoyed the ride while screaming and flailing their arms like monkeys. The wind violently brushed their cheeks, their hair blew to a mess, and their eyelids were about to flip inside out.
Looking down, Jin saw the ships. All magicians aboard the Bellard fleet surrounding the island just looked up in astonishment.
The Seventh Order just flew by like a bird beyond the flurry of ships and further down the horizon.
A jaw-dropping sight for anyone on the planet.
"Heheheh! We're descending. Hold on!"
Before Cosmos even said that, Jin and his crew had been holding on for dear life. The boat just had to survive the impact of landing. If the water did not embrace the ship, the Seventh Order would explode.
However, it didn't seem like Cosmos was too worried.
Sploosh…! Crack!
A massive wave was sent in all directions, and simultaneously, a loud crash resounded.
Something definitely broke on the hull of the ship. Wooden debris flew everywhere; so much so that wooden planks surrounded the entire ship.
Despite this, the pirates were busy chatting. 'This is better than last time', 'Nice landing', and all kinds of compliments were exchanged.
As the water settled, the Seventh Order began to sail forward, as if nothing happened.
"Huh…"
Jin let out a sigh. The island behind him looked tiny.
"How do you think we pirates survived throughout the ages amongst you monsters? Because of these things, no empire can chase us at sea."
"The boat looked and sounded kinda beat. Didn't you hear anything from the hull? Most of the framing is broken as well. Can this boat really outsail them?"
Cosmos slapped Jin's shoulder and laughed.
"Oho! Of course. The ocean loves us. Do not fret. Once they make some minor repairs, those ships will look like beans. In an hour, you won't even see 'em! Sailors, get to position!"
On Cosmos's command, the giggling pirates frantically got to their stations. The ones with nothing to do were Cosmos and Jin's crew.
"I'm pretty impressed. How'd you do it?"
"Learning our secrets would be problematic."
"Well, whoever experiences this can't do anything else but ask."
"Kuhaha! It's something that the Runcandels can't replicate. I'm not the Pirate King for nothing."
Some of the crew still looked shocked.
'Why is he a pirate when he's able to do this kind of engineering?'
Although they wanted to ask, it seemed that Cosmos took a lot of pride in his occupation, so offers of gratitude would be more appropriate.
"Thanks, I guess. We got out of the island pretty comfortably."
"Hmph. Is this some auto-generated response? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have escaped. Just keep your side of the promise. I know you swore to follow through, but I still have my doubts."
"As long as my friends and I make it to land. What's the route?"
"We will proceed to the Zhan Kingdom without following a particular route, and then we will resupply in an allied island. It'll take exactly two weeks. Once we get there, y'all can leave on your merry way. How much are you giving?"
"Beyond your comprehension. The arena money will look like spare change."
Giving much more wouldn't be wasteful at all. Escaping on Quikantel and Murakan was their worst option, and swimming out would have put everyone's life on the line. Faced by those adversities, they fortunately met Cosmos.
Not only that, Jin also met Beradin and Dante thanks to Cosmos's competition, and he obtained the map of the Kollon Ruins. Realistically, the pirate helped him greatly throughout his trials.
Cosmos smirked.
"I let you on because I had no other choice… but you're pretty soft for a Runcandel. Isn't the Runcandel way to wipe out people all the time? I'm not a businessman, just a day pirate."
"You want me to?"
"I'm just saying. Since you take your solemn swears more seriously than we take ours, let's not do any take-backs. I'm looking forward to the money that's about to flow in."
"Don't worry. You'll earn as much as you contributed."
* * *
Cosmos didn't flinch.
Even when Jin told him about the pursuers that would come for him.
"They were going to chase us anyway, and they'll lose us this time too."
"They'll send dragons this time. No matter how fast the Seventh Order is, it can't outsail dragons in air."
"You think we're stupid? We're going into hiding with your money first. Do you even know how many islands there are on this planet? How're they gonna search through every single one of them? Don't worry, and just send the damn money."
June 18th, 1797.
The moment everyone reassembled at Tikan, the first thing that Jin did was send Cosmos the gold bars he had. He even sent a handwritten letter, stating a small offer of a residence in the Huphester Alliance if he avoided any illicit actions.
"Young Master."
Gilly looked as if she were about to cry. For her, it was a long and painful wait since he embarked for the Great Mythra Desert. She didn't complain too much, though. As Jin's nanny and former knight, she knew that Jin had gotten much stronger.
"You've grown and obtained what you wanted."
Gilly lent the golden compass to Jin and smiled.
"We almost kissed our lives goodbye for this damned thing."
"While you were gone, we already found out how to use it. It's very similar to any other artifact. Just exert some mana, and it should work. I have some other news to tell, but would you like to take a look at this first?"
"Sure. I'll take a quick glance, and I want to have you cook something for me again."
"I'll prepare it on your call."
Jin steadily exerted mana into the glass of the compass.
Cling! Chching! Klick!
The gears inside the compass spun, and the mana reflected off the glass face, forming a holographic image of a map in the air.
'This is… the continent?'
At first glance, it looked like a normal travel map artifact, excluding the strong colors and finer contrast. It had red dots throughout the landmass, which astonished the crew. The dots were gathered around the land ruled by the Vermont Empire, Zipfel Clan, and the Lutero Magic Federation. A few were located in the Huphester Alliance, and the rest were scattered.
"So these are all the Contractors…!"
"It seems so, Sir Kashimir, and most of them are bunched up at the Zipfel Clan and Vermont Empire."
However, it didn't track the Contractors with dead accuracy. The red dots only signified how many there were in the area, occupying the center of each defined sovereign nation. It didn't even show the Contractors' appearance or status. Nevertheless, just the knowledge of their existence was enough for the Zipfels.
With their insane manpower and warpower, they could narrow down and search for a Contractor very easily. It was especially easy when one dot landed on the Mamit Lawless Zone, a particularly smaller area.
Still, for larger nations with several dots, it would be more challenging.
"I've been observing it before you arrived, and it seems that the location of the dots constantly changes. It's probably because the Contractors move often."
A chill ran down Jin's spine.
"Thank god Enya and Euria left Tikan. Had they stayed, who knows what would've happened here."
The Zipfel Clan probably would have known that three Contractors gathered in Tikan.
Tikan was a Free City upon an island. Unlike most nations, if it had many red dots, narrowing down the search would be beyond easy regardless if there were only one or many.
"If we stayed, then there'd be three shining on Tikan. Just like now… Hm?"
Jin's eyes flicked back and forth on the map. Then, he stopped mid-sentence when he found Tikan.
"Wait… Is this fake? Why's there no dot in Tikan?"
Everyone in the room stared at the map.
"Strange. It looked like it had the ability to search for Contractors. Four days ago, a red dot appeared in the Schucheron Kingdom, and then the press reported a Contractor who contracted with the God of Shells…"
"God of Shells? Was the name Olmango or Olongo? Well, it marks up on those as well? That fella is too useless to even be considered a god."
Murakan snorted, but everyone else looked dead serious.
"…Something's off. If Gilly's right, then this thing is the real deal. But why aren't there any markings on Tikan?"
After a brief silence, a thought occurred to Quikantel, then she looked at Jin and Murakan.
"Can you two leave for a while?"
"Why?"
"Just do it."
"Where to?"
"Out of Tikan."
章節 39: CHAPTER 198
Jin and Murakan got kicked out as soon as they returned. They took the Transfer Gate to Manji Island in the western sea.
"Why the hell did you kick us out like that? You done?"
Murakan complained, and Quikantel shook her head.
"There's no difference. Enya, you try."
"Eh? Me too?"
Enya got ejected to Manji Island as well. Then, something changed on the map. As soon as Enya went to the island, a new red dot appeared.
"Hmmm… I see now. This compass can't track Solderet's Contractor, and I guess it has some shielding effect for those around him?"
However, when Enya returned to Tikan, the dot disappeared.
"I'll take Enya and Euria over there this time."
Jin took both of them to the island, and red dots appeared, signifying Euria and Enya. Jin also tried leaving Tikan alone. However, no dots appeared in either Tikan or Manji Island.
"Weird. I can tell that the compass can't detect Jin, but he doesn't have a shielding effect?"
Afterwards, Enya and Euria went to other neighboring nations, and the results were the same. Whether Jin was there or not, their dots appeared on the map.
"There seems to be an anomaly with Tikan."
Quikantel slammed the table with her fist.
"Could it be the mirror…?"
Jin concurred. They then conducted an experiment with the mirror. Not even an hour passed before they realized that the mirror had concealed their presence from the compass.
"So Jin remains undetected by the compass, but not Euria and Enya. However, as long as the mirror remains in Tikan, they're safe from the artifact."
It guaranteed Euria and Enya's safety as Contractors. The God of Mana, Kullam, along with Solderet's seal nullified the compass's tracking ability.
"Hm… Then we can just keep Little Miss Ice Cream and Jin's Number One Fan over here. Even if they leave, I don't think they can track us down that easily."
"It's probably the same reason Andrei Zipfel failed to pinpoint Enya's location."
Thankfully, they didn't suffer for nothing. Jin now knew the approximate location of various Contractors around the world and could predict the ones being targeted by the Zipfels. If the red lights began to group towards the Lutero Magic Federation, then there could be a kidnapping at hand.
Not only that, but they also confirmed that Tikan was a sanctuary.
'If new Contractors appear, then we can search for them before the Zipfels can in order to ensure their safety.'
"We should allocate some manpower for surveillance on this item. Sir Kashimir, if you could, please."
"Understood. Since we have confirmed that my daughter can remain safe, I can be a little more at ease."
"Young Master, I have more news for you."
"Yes, go on."
"First… I think you should look at this."
Gilly set a piece of parchment on the table. It contained the most recent news article.
(Bellard Empire, Island of Pirates. A warrior with a magical black helmet appeared… A hero, or a villain?)
"Pfft— HAHAHA! Hero? Villain? Holy shit, I'm going crazy. This kid!"
Murakan read the first line and began to hysterically laugh at Jin. Syris slightly smiled, suppressing her laughter.
The paper went on.
(A mysterious knight named 'Vamel' used 'lightning' and is possibly a new Contractor of the God of Storms, 'Peitel'. If they were indeed Peitel's Contractor, they would be the first in the last 288 years.
It did not seem as if the knight had any affiliation with the large clans, as the Zipfel Clan and Vermont Imperial Family are showing great interest in forming a connection with them. It has been a while since someone piqued their interest. The Runcandel Clan did not voice any opinions on this matter, but we are currently awaiting comments.
Witnesses have testified that the knight was a man with fashionably luscious blonde hair and a beautiful face. However, it is highly probable that this is a disguise and is possibly made of human flesh.
It is not clear why this mysterious knight came to the island. Although it is suspected that their objective was to slaughter the pirates, most pray that they are someone of moral good rather than bad.)
Jin's face turned beet red. Hundreds of articles had been published in this fashion.
'I knew this would be imminent, but this is kinda embarrassing…'
While Murakan slapped his knee, Jin thought of the information hidden within the press releases.
'There wasn't a single mention of the Kinzelo Group or the compass. They didn't say anything about Chukon Tolderer and Kal Zipfel being there either. Neither did they include that the Runcandel Guardian Knights, Vermont Special Forces, and Imperial Guards made an appearance. Every single article is just talking about me, the pirate massacre, and the casino.'
Which meant that the Runcandels, Zipfels, Kinzelos, and Vermonts already silenced the press.
'The Zipfel Clan and Vermont Imperial Family officially reaching out through an article means that they have no idea who I am, and they have no confidence in finding out in the near future.'
If that weren't the case, then there was no need for an official declaration. The Zipfel Clan and Vermont Imperial Family were masters of kidnapping someone without anyone noticing.
'Nice. I got some good intel about their knowledge through these articles.'
In other words, those who met the 'black-helmed knight' were Kuzan, Beris, and Wratch. They now had a definite clue that would aid them in tracking Jin. From now on, whenever Jin used Myulta's Rune, these pursuers would get one step closer to him. Not only them, but the four great powers of the continent wouldn't stay still either.
Jin instantly gained fame in the public eye as Jin Runcandel, Jin Grey, and Vamel.
"Those guys who saw my fancy helm will probably search for me until their eyes pop out. Especially Kuzan, Beris, and Wratch."
"Hey, kid. Are they on your level though?"
"It'll be a hefty fight."
"It seems you learned new things from the Land of the Illustrious Legends. Though I didn't get to witness it firsthand, it seems that the Zipfels and Vermonts have much interest, which is very significant."
"You'll be very impressed, Strawberry Pie. I got front row seats for a few minutes and was amazed. Kid, show her too. The Shadow Blade and stuff."
"Of course."
He was a little embarrassed, but Gilly was just as grateful.
"Let's have a drink together. It's been too long. I'm glad that we are all back together again."
Gilly announced.
That day, Syris did not return to the Hidden Palace, and stayed for the party. While everyone laughed and talked, she did not, choosing to enjoy her time silently.
* * *
While Jin and his crew partied all night, knights had gathered in a secret base in the Huphester Alliance, where Joshua and his knights were also present.
"A black helm and the power of lightning… What do you think?"
On the table was the same article that Jin read. Joshua eyed Kuzan and Beris, who had their hands behind their back. The two had recently made up their minds and swore their life to Joshua. If he didn't become the patriarch, they believed that they would never have a chance to exact vengeance on Solderet's Contractor and the Black Dragon.
"It is possible that it is him."
Kuzan replied. Beris smiled at the teen sitting next to Joshua.
"Is it the black helm?"
"Yes. We searched for it everywhere ever since that day, but we haven't encountered anyone with such a helm. Since he's a magic swordsman, he can probably cover his sword in lightning."
Joshua puffed some smoke.
"…Yeah, I thought so too."
"Do you believe that Vamel is Solderet's Contractor?"
At Kuzan's question, Joshua silently nodded.
"Well, I'm not too certain. If the new information didn't come in, I would've arrived at the same conclusion as you did. He hid the fact that he was Solderet's Contractor and led a show."
"If you can tell what kind of information…"
"It wasn't a show. Although the article didn't really discuss the lightning spell he used, I heard that five assault-general White Wolves died from it."
Kuzan and Beris bit their lower lip. After Taimyun Marius died, they still hadn't received further information about Solderet's Contractor.
When a black-helmed knight appeared, they immediately thought it'd be him. However, this one wielded lightning, not spiritual energy. The two couldn't comprehend the fact that monstrous White Wolf warriors died and the possibility that Vamel wasn't the one they were searching for.
"So annoying. Five of them? Five? He definitely isn't that guy. If his magic had been that good, Kuzan and I would've been toast. Just what is this Vamel guy? I don't think he's a magician."
Beris complained. Then, she stared at the boy sitting next to Joshua and licked her lips. She poked his cheek and eyed him mockingly.
"Hey, you. Are you really Peitel's Contractor? I think Vamel's the real one."
Pzzt!
The boy glared at Beris as lightning sparked from his body.
"Stop."
With one word from Joshua, the boy calmed down.
"Five White Wolf warriors at once… Julien, can you do that?"
"I cannot."
Joshua shook his head at the boy's calm response.
"Then it's time for you to get stronger."
Beris licked her lips again. She had been enjoying her time teasing the boy.
Underneath the table, Julien's hands were trembling. However, it wasn't from Beris's teasing but due to his fear of Joshua.
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