章節 95: CHAPTER 254
"Beradin…?"
Jin had dismounted Shurry with his eyes wide from shock.
'Why is this guy here? And what happened to the gold…?'
The flames were truly enormous.
The amount of gold was large enough for the holy kingdom to use for decades, thus the size of the flames only reflected that.
As Jin was about to ask if Beradin was the culprit, he heard another familiar voice.
"Lord Beradin! The fire's reached all the way to the end, is it time to flee… Huh? Jin?! Is it really you?"
A small physique and a husky voice.
It was Dante Hairan.
Jin hadn't noticed him at first because Dante was busy checking whether the fire was properly burning everything.
"D-Dante, you too?"
As Dante popped out, even Jin couldn't help but stutter.
'Why do these guys keep appearing when I least expect it?'
It was always like this.
When he left Storm Castle, at the Cosmos Arena, in the Nameless's city of Samil, and now here in Vankella.
Jin cleared away his wandering thoughts and looked at the two.
They were already expressing their joy with sparkling eyes.
"I can't believe we're meeting here! I guess there really is a connection between us three."
"You're right. Haha, hehe, huhu. Last time it was you causing an incident in Samil, but this time it's us who are causing the incident."
"Anyway, what's with that cat? It's hella big."
"You're riding a Crimson Gem! How did you tame this mythical beast? A-Anyway, it's so good to see you. Haha, ha."
Both Beradin and Dante spoke at the same time, pointing at Shurry.
As Jin looked at the happy-go-lucky duo standing in front of the burning gold, he felt like he was getting a headache.
"Didn't you two say you were going to run away? Did you start this fire?"
"Well, it was Beradin who started it."
Dante pointed his finger at Beradin.
Just like how a child caught doing something wrong would push the blame to somebody else.
"No, it was you."
Beradin had a straight face as he pointed at Jin.
Jin pointed at himself in surprise.
"What, me? When did I do that?"
"Beradin, he only just arrived, didn't he? It was definitely you that started this fire."
"W-Well, let's just say it was Jin. He's Runcandel's provisional flag-bearer anyway, so if you count all his accomplishments, then…"
Clang!
As Dante was about to wave his hand at Beradin, a piece of gold suddenly fell out of his pocket and onto the ground.
Jin looked between the gold piece and Dante, his shock evident.
"…You, forget it, you're insane. You couldn't have possibly stolen from this pile, right?"
"It's… It's not what you think! I just came with Beradin because he said he would pay me if I helped him."
"Dante! Did you really take gold bars without me knowing?"
Dante's eyes almost popped out at Beradin's words.
"Beradin! Why do you keep saying such strange things? You're the one who started the fire, and this was the reward I was supposed to receive…!"
The whole situation was a feast of gibberish.
Jin sighed, his palm covering his face.
'Right, there's no way Dante, straight as an arrow, would steal. On closer inspection, Beradin and this whole situation is a bit strange. His expression also looks a bit off.'
Drip.
Beradin looked around in a cold sweat.
Dante grabbed him by the collar and raised his voice, asking why he was accusing him of being a thief.
"A-Anyway! I don't know, we have to blame this on Jin. Otherwise we'll both be in trouble, Dante!"
"You never said anything about that to me the entire time we traveled here!"
"That's because I wasn't myself from all the anger!"
"You weren't yourself? The two of us rode that sailboat for three days to get here. You were fine the entire time. Do you mean to say that determination to never forgive your family's evil acts was all a lie?"
"Hey hey."
Beradin twisted his body strangely as if he was a windup doll.
"Beradin, you shut up. Dante, explain the situation. We don't have time. The Zipfel mages who want to kill me will attack soon."
"Jin, what are you talking about?"
"I was the one who exposed the whole holy kingdom incident. I revealed it at the square just now, and now I'm running away after fighting the Zipfel mages that attacked me."
"What, what? You're saying that you're Vamel?"
"You're Vamel?!"
Dante and Beradin turned to face Jin.
The three were constantly shocking one another.
But at least Jin was barely able to keep his cool.
If even Jin were to join in on this parade of idiots, then the whole situation would end up becoming a joke.
"And the fact that I'm Runcandel's provisional flag-bearer has been revealed, so Zipfel is in a situation where they're trying to kill me at all costs. The reason I chose this direction to escape was so that I could completely destroy the gold bars that Zipfel gave the holy kingdom as a courtesy."
"Jin, we really are destined to be together."
Dante clenched his fist, clearly touched at Jin's words.
"Your purpose and ours are the same. It looks like Beradin's lost his mind currently, but he asked for my help because he couldn't forgive his family. He said that, as the next patriarch of the Zipfel Clan, he had to take responsibility."
So the three effectively came to the port for the same purpose.
Beradin and Dante were indignant after hearing about the situation in the Holy Kingdom of Vankella through a newsletter.
And Beradin decided to personally step forward and correct things, even though Zipfel was his own family.
Jin and Dante were also descendants of great families and knew very well how noble his choice was.
Although he was being compensated, this was precisely the reason why Dante, the next head of the Hairan Clan, decided to help Beradin.
Dante was moved by Beradin's resolve.
Though him speaking nonsense afterwards was diminishing that emotion.
"So it's fine if I take the blame for setting the gold on fire. I would've done it anyway if you two weren't here."
"Jin."
Beradin adjusted his expression and looked at Jin.
"Our mages attacked you? To cover up the truth and to save face?"
In place of an answer, Jin quietly nodded his head.
Beradin's expression darkened.
"And they're chasing you now?"
"Yes."
"Those… bastards. They don't even know how to feel ashamed. I'll kill them all."
Beradin's hair began to flutter as if a strong wind was blowing through.
He was drawing out mana, at least 8-stars.
Jin, who had made an estimation of Beradin's magic power, sighed inwardly.
'When did he get so strong? In my previous life, I heard he reached 9-stars by 30.'
Jin had thought that Beradin's power had remained at 7-stars.
And that since he was a monster who was able to multicast, even as a 7-star, he was more impressive than other 8-star mages.
But that wasn't the case.
The mana flowing around Beradin was close to 9-stars.
"Calm down, Beradin."
"Saving face? How many innocent people are you going to kill just because of something like that?"
Suddenly, Jin remembered the day he first met Beradin.
—…Well, fine. You're a confident one. But let me give you some advice as someone who's in similar circumstances as you. Next time you meet a rude Zipfel who does something offensive, don't recklessly cut off their fingers. It would stir trouble up for both our clans, don't you think?
—Now that's what a real joke sounds like, Beradin Zipfel.
—Hm? Why do you say so? If the Zipfels and Runcandels fought to the death for every trivial issue, the world wouldn't be able to withstand the bloody battles. I'm telling you to keep in mind the potential disasters and chaos the innocent civilians would face because of us.
The words they shared to one another in the Mitel Kingdom when Jin was about to cut off Beradin's fingers.
'I always thought that Beradin was someone who was hard to read. And I thought there was no way the person who'd become the next clan head wouldn't know about Zipfel's evil deeds.'
But right now, Beradin had been truly unaware.
It's just that the way he acted was unique, perhaps Beradin was far different to the 'Zipfel' Jin had known.
"Do you know what this gold bar means, Jin? It means that if they don't accept this and move on, the holy kingdom will be impoverished for decades. That's no different from starving more than a million civilians to death."
Beradin was showing the self that Dante had been impressed with.
Jin felt like he knew the reason why his personality kept shifting to and fro.
'It's a scary thing.'
Beradin was angry at his family's evil deeds, but at the same time shuddered with anxiety of the consequences of what he had done.
However, upon hearing that Zipfel's mages had attacked Jin, anger once again won over his anxiety.
More precisely, the fact that it had been Jin who had been attacked left Beradin furious.
His reason and other emotions faded away.
If Jin had been in Beradin's situation and had acted the same…
The Runcandel Clan would have crippled Jin no matter the circumstances and banished him.
With the entire family desperately trying to save face, it was impossible for one heir to overturn the situation out of a sense of justice.
"I know as well. That's why even after revealing my identity, I set out to burn the gold bars."
"But how can you tell me to calm down?!"
"The consequences of your actions and mine are different. All I have to do is give the holy kingdom a reason to refuse the gold and run away. But you? If you kill the mages who come here with your own hands, what will you do next?"
"Father will understand my will."
"I don't want to say this, but your brother… Kal Zipfel died at the hands of an assassin sent by your father. Kal, the Fourth Magic Tower's Pillar, was used as bait to lure me in. Just because it's you…"
"It's a fire! The gold is on fire!" It's clear that he started the fire. Capture him no matter what!"
Suddenly, a shout was heard from far into the distance.
The mages who followed Jin had arrived at the port.
"Enough. Jin, Dante. You go first. I'll stop them."
Beradin spoke in a low voice.
His mana was forming a new flame in his hands.
Ring of Erupting Flames Massacre 1st Form. Unlike in Samil, the technique had been completed perfectly.
"Beradin."
"It was fun."
Jin sighed.
'Is he going through a late puberty? I understand your feelings, but you have to be able to not make mistakes you'll regret even if you're drunk with anger. You can't be like a moth to a flame.'
Jin knew there were many ways to end this situation more efficiently and cleanly.
"Okay, we'll get out first, Beradin."
"Jin! We can't just leave Beradin!"
Dante turned his head and shouted.
"But… Before I fled, you tried to stop me and were defeated gallantly."
Crack!
Jin's right fist landed squarely on Beradin's chin.
"Ugh."
Crunch!
The front kick that came next hit him in the solar plexus, and Beradin fell forward, coughing up blood.
Jin stepped on the back of the fallen Beradin's head once more, burying his head completely in the dirt.
Because Beradin had been attacked so suddenly in the midst of his spellcasting, he began to experience mana overflow.
Bubble, bubble.
That was the sound of blood foaming in Beradin's mouth.
"Jin… Jin?"
"You must not want anything bad to happen to him either. You come as well."
Jin used his robe to wrap Dante like a bundle.
"Even if it stings a little, keep your mouth shut until I give you the signal. Shurry, bite."
By the time Jin climbed back up onto Shurry's back, Dante was held in Shurry's mouth.
章節 96: CHAPTER 255
Thanks to Dante's small size, it was easy to wrap him up in a robe.
Had he been the size of an average adult man, it would've been difficult to hide his shoes.
Stab.
'I think I heard something poke him… I must be hearing things.'
Even if Jin hadn't been hearing things, Dante couldn't be taken out.
Jin looked down at the fallen Beradin.
He was twitching and convulsing, and looked like he was soon going to pass out.
The best move to break through the siege of Zipfel mages was to use Beradin as a hostage.
But if Jin carried Beradin around like a flag of his victory, though it would make the mages retreat, the fact that Beradin had been defeated by Jin would be put on an 'official record'.
Because many reporters would witness it.
Beradin fainting had to remain only within the Zipfel clan.
If possible, that was.
'There's no way he'd throw a tantrum within his family after being beaten up like this. I'd thought that it would've been Dante who'd do what he wants even if it killed him, not Beradin. The two weren't close for no reason.'
Dante and Beradin were the type of people who would live their lives for their beliefs rather than making rational choices.
As the fire continued to intensify, the gold bars began melting.
The molten gold flowed toward the sea, and not toward the fallen Beradin.
"It's him!"
"I found Jin Runcandel!"
The mages all turned their attention to Jin.
However, contrary to their urgent tone, they were not as hurried as before.
Some set up barrier magic to defend against the Illustrious Bladeworks and others prepared attack magic that they were proficient with.
There were as many as twenty Zipfel mages targeting him, but he wasn't nervous.
Since he had come from the square after revealing his identity as a Runcandel and as Vamel, there was no need to hide the fact that he was a 'magic swordsman'.
Of course, Zipfel could later pressure the Runcandel Clan by bringing up the oath.
But Jin thought of it differently.
'That's something for the family to take care of.'
If Jin hadn't believed that the Runcandel Clan wasn't capable of dealing with that, he would've never revealed his identity.
No, he wouldn't have even bothered to become the next head of the clan after regressing.
Whiirrr-!
Mana gathered in Jin's palm.
The Zipfel mages did not miss the sight of the mana scattered in the air being refined in an instant and gathering into Jin's hands.
But even after seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn't believe it.
"Mana? He gathered that kind of mana?"
The leader of the mages said in shock.
And there was but one reason why he was so shocked.
Jin hadn't simply 'gathered' mana.
His mana was gathering so rapidly that even mages who had been constantly praised as geniuses right up till the point they joined the Zipfel Clan were shocked.
Mana that was purer than the mana produced even by Zipfel's mages.
They had thought that this level of mana use was something that could only be seen from a pureblood Zipfel Clan member.
But from a Runcandel, a provisional flag-bearer that was still wet behind the ears, no less!
"Attack!"
The leader clenched his teeth and shouted.
He didn't know what that damned Runcandel had done, but he felt insulted.
It was a terrible feelling to even imagine that a Runcandel could use magic that was superior to theirs.
As soon as he finished speaking, numerous rays of light shot out from the mages' wands.
Shurry's eyes lit up and she twisted her body.
Phwoosh!
Shurry dodged incoming magic rays and sliced those that were unavoidable with her claws.
The mages calmly continued with their next spells as if having expected this much.
Various elemental magic, such as summon lightning, flame barrier, and ice prison, bombarded them.
Shurry was so busy avoiding them that she couldn't stay on the ground for even a moment.
'They're even preparing a barrier.'
Jin felt that the Zipfel mages were doing a good job against him.
Even with the numerical superiority, they calmly played by the book to eliminate him and synergised more than three elements of magic to pressure Jin without any waste.
But that was all.
'They're playing too safe. They're unable to account for any unexpected variables that a 'true genius' would be able to.'
But that was to be expected.
Because those mages didn't consider themselves to be geniuses, nor could they have ever expected that Jin's magic insight would be far superior to their own.
Hop!
Shurry jumped high to avoid the flames that suddenly erupted from the ground.
As if they had been waiting for this moment, the Zipfel mages all raised their wands and aimed at Shurry.
Just like when they had first fired magic, all ten except those who were maintaining barriers were chanting the same magic.
"Rip him apart!"
Mystic Hellwind, the very essence of 8-star attack magic.
An invoked opaque wind approached Shurry and Jin.
It was sharp like a blade surrounded in aura, and because it was blurry it was difficult to predict the trajectory.
Above all, while mid-air, Shurry had no ground to stand on and thus couldn't dodge.
'It was a no-brainer that they would choose this magic. Because of the range, there's no chance of it missing and it's difficult to block with a sword.'
But the Zipfel mages using Mystic Hellwind was exactly what Jin had wanted.
'Heavenly Defiance!'
Just before the Mystic Hellwind hit, a small crack appeared in the sky above Jin's head.
It was a crack in the sky needed for the formation of Heavenly Defiance.
As mana fluctuates within it, a vortex is created forming Heavenly Defiance.
In order to perform a complete version of Heavenly Defiance, 9-star mana is required, but Jin usually performed an incomplete version using only 7-star mana.
But this time, Jin wasn't planning on using his own mana.
Ten Mystic Hellwinds engulfed Shurry.
As the Mystic Hellwinds meshed together, Shurry's appearance as she fell was completely obscured.
Fsh, fshhh, whiirrr-!
However, what the mages heard was not the sound of Shurry's flesh and bones being sliced apart, but a rather strange noise.
As if the Mystic Hellwinds were being cut by a saw.
Although it was for an extremely brief moment, the mages instinctively sensed that something was wrong.
Thud!
Shurry and Jin landed lightly on the ground without a single scratch.
And even though less than a second had passed, the crack that had appeared due to Heavenly Defiance had enlarged to form the largest sphere Jin had ever created.
To the mages, it felt like the sky had been completely blocked out.
Rarrrgh!
It also let out a strange explosive noise that sounded like the roar of a monster.
Just as the mages tried to figure out what was happening, Jin used 'multicasting' to release the Overload Vortex.
Jin planned to activate the Heavenly Defiance using as much mana as possible.
By multicasting, he swung the Overload Vortex like a shield and changed the direction of the Mystic Hellwind that had gathered.
Thanks to this, the Mystic Hellwind was completely sucked into the crack of Heavenly Defiance and became the driving force to allow the Heavenly Defiance to be completely unleashed.
In other words, Jin had planned to absorb the Mystic Hellwinds and send it right back at them.
The Heavenly Defiance exceeding the power of 9-star magic appeared, but in reality, the only mana Jin himself used was for the Overload Vortex.
Of course, for any mage besides Jin, this was something that was only possible in theory.
The Heavenly Defiance that Jin had performed required at least five techniques beyond human capability.
One had to be able to completely finish casting Heavenly Defiance in just a few seconds, be capable of accurately reading the opponent's next attack, multicast, and have the incredible control needed to be able to form the magic at the exact location required, even while on a moving mount.
And the confidence to do all of that without hesitation even while knowing that one mistake could cause death.
"This is how you use magic."
A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of Jin's mouth as he smiled.
The blood wasn't because of mana overload caused by excessive mana use.
It was because when he used the Overload Vortex to block the Mystic Hellwinds, the recoil from blocking it had caused his forearm to slam into his chin. That was all.
The inside of his mouth felt numb.
In other words, other than that, Jin suffered no damage.
"Everyone, use defense magic!"
The leader, who was the first to understand the situation, started screaming like a lunatic.
Half of the mages couldn't even guess what was happening.
There are levels to 'magic' understanding.
That's what the leader thought as he looked at Jin.
Had he had known that Jin had this much talent and had mastered Kidard Hall's secret technique, he would have definitely responded differently.
Even though they were not of the elite, or anything special, they were Zipfel mages and there were twenty of them.
How could they have expected that they would be defeated in a magic battle with such an advantage?
Against just one Runcandel provisional flag-bearer!
Keaaang-!
The Heavenly Defiance, which had absorbed all the mana of the Mystic Hellwinds, began to start absorbing mana from the surroundings as well.
The first thing that fell was the barrier that had been prepared in advance to go against the Illustrious Bladeworks.
The attack team was deploying a new barrier, but as always, desperate chanting is fatal to a mage.
"Urgh!"
Mages fell victim to mana overload one after another.
It was a daunting task to cast a barrier after unleashing a spell on the level of Mystic Hellwind.
The moment the Mystic Hellwind had been absorbed into the Heavenly Defiance, the Zipfel mages had already been defeated.
"Instead of casting a barrier, you should have stopped casting and dispersed to run away. If you were lucky, maybe one of you would've survived."
In his past life Jin had felt inferior and defeated while looking at his siblings from the Runcandel Clan countless times.
But he had never once felt envious of the Zipfel mages.
Back then, Jin had began to use magic at the age of 25. He reached 5-stars in only three years, and so never felt the need to be intimidated by others.
He did feel slightly envious of Beradin at times, but he always thought that if he had started learning magic earlier, he could've surpassed him.
And that thought had become a reality.
Beradin was also the only member in the ZIpfel Clan who was friendly to him.
Hiss!
Sigmund was drawn from its scabbard.
The moment the blade glistened in the sunlight, the mages felt like prisoners on death row.
They were bound by the chains of Heavenly Defiance and had no means of resisting.
"Break though, Shurry."
Shurry lowered her center of gravity and rushed forward like an arrow.
The mages who had not yet fallen to magic overload launched a diversionary attack, but they were sliced like leaves by Jin's lightning-infused sword aura.
From that point onward, it was not a fight, but a massacre.
Of course, Jin had no intention of sparing even a single person.
"It's nothing personal, just blame your affiliation with Zipfel."
"You...! Zipfel will definitely kill you!"
"Thank goodness. It would have been more disappointing if you begged for your life."
Slice-!
Thud.
Every time Jin swung his sword, the mages' bodies fell to the floor like puppets with their strings cut.
A group of reporters who had just arrived at the port reflexively covered their mouths as they witnessed this.
"Wh-What on earth happened…?"
Zipfel's castle of gold was melting in flames.
And Jin Runcandel was killing the Zipfel mages in front of it.
After that evening, the whole world would be covered in articles regarding him.
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