章節 98: CHAPTER 257
The patriarchs of the two major factions each promised three hundred and one hundred million gold coins for his capture.
It was the first time in human civilization history that a figure of one hundred million was promised for the capture of a man. The world, already buzzing with news of the Holy Kingdom incident, was stirred by the news of the arrest warrants.
Elite mercenary groups like the Black Kings and the Specters started their independent searches, while smaller groups joined forces for the hunt.
Even state military forces and cavalries of smaller kingdoms eagerly searched for Jin. It was the expected response, as three hundred million gold coins were more than enough to boost the economy of an entire kingdom.
But their pursuit contributed little to the search.
No other group searched for Jin as eagerly and desperately as the two major clans, the Runcandels and the Zipples.
Thousands of Guardian Knights, Mages, the armies they commanded, and allied clans from both factions formed exploration parties to search for Jin.
"Young Master, I wonder if he'll be okay," Gilly sighed. She held a wanted poster of Jin Runcandel, the Reserve Flagbearer.
All her companions were gathered in Tikan, watching the situation unfold.
The promise Jin obtained from Cyron in the past still held. No Runcandel could set foot in Tikan without Jin's explicit permission.
Thanks to that promise, the Runcandel Guardian Knights didn't enter Tikan, but there were about fifty of them waiting in the vicinity of the island.
On the other hand, the Zipple Mages thoroughly searched every inch of Tikan before departing.
They searched the records of every portal in the world for cases involving Jin Grey and Bamel, which pointed to Tikan as their base of operations.
Of course, the Zipples didn't glean much from their search there. They completely disregarded the fact that Tikan was a neutral state. They even forced their way into Kashimir's mansion but didn't find Jin.
The reason was simple. Jin wasn't there.
"He'll be fine. Don't worry too much, Strawberry Shortcake," said Murakan.
Gilly weakly nodded. Seeing that, Murakan made a face.
He wasn't disgusted. Literally, he was contorting his face back and forth to make her smile.
"That's it. Don't be so sad because of that foolish boy. You should keep smiling like that. It's nice to see you smile."
Gilly couldn't help but laugh, and soon she burst into loud laughter, making Murakan smile along with her.
All these crazies. How can it be funny? Veris secretly cursed while watching the two and frowned (Note: Beris before, Veris now).
And, surprisingly, Kuzan mimicked Murakan and started contorting his face.
Veris desperately tried to hold back laughter this time. Now it was Yulian's turn to share his thoughts.
Kuzan and Veris. Those lunatics are having a good time.
But even Yulian had to smile when Euria suddenly approached him and nudged him in the side, asking him to play.
In other words, the whole world was busy with people trying to hunt down Jin, but Tikan was quite peaceful.
That, despite the various factions that arrived on the island to ransack it.
"Lord Jin has truly become a great figure. In fact, he's the most popular person on Earth right now." Kashimir brushed back his hair. His expression showed fatigue. "You have no idea how those Zipple Mages scrutinized every inch of my safehouses. It gives me a headache just thinking about it."
"But since we agreed to their search, the Zipples can't say anything against us for a while, as they searched our house without good justification or any solid evidence."
Alisa tapped Kashimir's shoulder as she spoke.
Although Jin had been to Tikan before, the Zipples had no reason or justification to force an extensive search of Tikan since it was a neutral force.
Therefore, the Zipples couldn't meddle in Tikan's affairs for a while, as Alisa just mentioned. The Zipples were certainly powerful, but that didn't mean they could get away with everything concerning neutral factions outside of the Lutero Magical Federation.
"I was really surprised when the royal guards from Vermont arrived." This time, it was Enya who spoke.
Cuicantelle nodded as well.
Although the Vermonts didn't search Tikan as thoroughly as the Zipples, the two were still unofficially wanted by the Vimenth.
Especially now that Jin Grey's name had been revealed to the world, the Vermonts were also tracing the identity of Austin Grey, Enya's fake name she used in the incident with the remains of the Dark Magic Guild.
But the three cadets from the Academy that Jin and Enya used as servants back then, namely Chip, Maura, and Aurel, concealed from the Vermont leaders the secret that Austin had actually been Enya.
Thanks to that, the Vermonts didn't search Tikan as thoroughly as the Zipples.
"But we should be thankful that the Runcandels haven't come. If they were here, they would create a disaster, destroying everything in sight, digging up lands, and demolishing things."
Jet shrugged and continued.
"But I can't understand Sir Cyron. I thought he definitely cared for our dear lord. That's why he checked most of his deviations and still forbids the Runcandels from entering Tikan, right? I can't understand why he would put a three hundred million gold coin bounty on Lord Jin's head."
Jet sounded extremely annoyed by that fact.
"Why don't you raise it with him if you're so curious?" Murakan asked.
"Hmph, this Jet doesn't back down. If you take me to the Dark Sea where Sir Cyron is, Master Murakan, I can always bring it up, yes, sir!"
"Are you crazy? Who said you can ride me? Plus, once you face Cyron, weaklings like you will suffocate and won't even be able to open your eyes from the gravity he exudes."
"But still, don't you feel upset about it? I thought Sir Cyron would definitely take care of our lord. But now, the Runcandels are more eager to kill Lord Jin than the Zipples. I'm so frustrated, yes, I am!"
"The boy's father must have a reason for doing so. I thought I told you that yesterday."
"What reason could that be? Hmph, I also have a son, but I would never do something like that, no, sir."
"Sure, sure. I understand how you feel, but... Wait a moment. Why is this guy taking it out on me? Hey, Insect. Haven't you been disciplining your lackeys?" Murakan asked.
"But I also agree with Mr. Jet! If Lord Jin is captured by bounty hunters or the Runcandels, how am I supposed to go on living?" Enya shouted, making Murakan's eyes widen in surprise.
"Wait, what does that have to do with your life?"
"Lord Jin is my light, the carrier of my life energy. He's essentially my life force. The world will lose all meaning without Lord Jin. I can't bear this at all. Mr. Jet! Let's go and talk to Sir Cyron face to face about it."
"Yes, that's right!"
Enya and Jet high-fived each other and pompously left the room.
Murakan clicked his tongue as they left, and the rest of the companions simply laughed. Quikantel was the only one who sighed deeply.
Of course, the two never actually went to Cyron. Instead, they went to Latrie's confectionery to steal cookies and tea while talking behind Cyron's back.
Rub-rub.
Cyron scratched his ears. As his experienced senses, sharpened as a Demigod, felt an itch in his ears, he always had rather noisy visitors.
Tik!
Mott, the snow toad, opened a dimensional door.
"Cyron!"
Unlike Enya and Jet, here was a person who could truly come to Cyron to complain.
Talaris, the ruler of the Secret Palace, was fuming and shouted as soon as she saw Cyron.
"You'll break my eardrums."
"My internal organs burn with frustration, that's why! What the hell do you think you're doing? Don't you ever think about how I would feel, no, how my daughter would feel about it?"
Not even a marriage. They weren't even engaged, yet she demanded that he consider Siris. Cyron found it ridiculous, but he kept his eyes closed without responding. Now that he reflected on his behavior, he realized Talaris was always like this.RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at nô(v)e(l)bin/.c/o/m Only
"Cyron, you better think carefully. You must know how public opinion must be after Keliac killed his own son, Karl Zipple, just to cover up the incident."
"The situation with the Zipples and the Runcandels is different, Talaris."
"It's not like Jin has caused harm to the Runcandel clan. In fact, he brought them much more profit. But an arrest warrant? When they should be rewarding him? Besides the fact that he broke the pact, you still have plenty of reasons to take care of him, don't you?"
Ribbit, ribbit! Mott croaked loudly, as if he wanted to say he sympathized with Talaris's complaint. But when Cyron glanced at him, Mott averted his big eyes elsewhere and pretended to be busy.
"It has already been decided. The decision will stand."
"My goodness, don't tell me you actually want to kill Jin."
"Do I have to be more obvious?" He didn't hesitate for a second.
Talaris was about to say something, but instead, she took out a cigarette from her inner pockets. She smoked a whole cigarette in one breath and stuck another one in her mouth.
She finished five consecutive cigarettes and looked at Cyron.
"Cyron, don't tell me you've succumbed to chaos after your battle with the Dark Sea Kings. I suspected you had lost your humanity after reaching the height of a Demigod. But this isn't right. You wouldn't do this unless you were mad."
Shriek~
Ice gathered in Talaris's right hand and formed into a sword.
The sea ice sword, the divine sword she had chosen.
"And what exactly are you trying to do right now?"
"If you have truly succumbed to chaos, as the master of the sea ice sword and as your friend, I cannot allow it. Show me proof that you're still sane before I count to three. If not, I'll stab you."
One, two...
Cyron gave a faint smile as he watched Talaris.
"You haven't forgotten our promise. Withdraw your sword, Talaris. You guessed wrong."
Their conversation up until now was Cyron's test for Talaris.
On the other hand, Talaris had also unsheathed the sea ice sword as a gamble to hear Cyron's innermost thoughts. She knew he wouldn't reveal his true intentions because she was a stranger, whether an old friend or not.
She had considered the possibility of Cyron succumbing to chaos.
Talaris sheathed her sea ice sword.
The plains in the central region of the Black Sea froze into a fan shape behind her. A vast area was frozen due to her powers, and one couldn't even see where the frost ended.
"I have no idea what happened to that charming lion of the Runcandels. Now, all that's left is this peculiar old man. Very well then. Tell me. What is your intention?"
"My father has given me another chance."
"How can you interpret it that way? I didn't know you had such a carefree side. Just like the Zipples, the patriarch of the Runcandels, your own father, issued the arrest warrant. It can't be a publicity stunt." Dante replied as he handed him the bulletin.
"Even if I hid you within my own clan, I can't say we would last more than two months. I'm sure this place, Beradin's vacation home, is no different."
If the Runcandels and the Zipples were putting all their forces into finding one man, there wasn't a single person who could escape their clutches. They would track them down everywhere, no matter where they hid.
This was even more impossible for a celebrity like Jin.
"You're right. And I'll never survive if they catch me. Well, if they catch me, that is. On the other hand, if I'm not captured for over a year and I return to my clan of my own accord, my reputation will skyrocket as the Reserve Flagbearer who played not only with the Zipples but also with the Runcandel clan."
The way Jin made fools of the Zipples was a genuine embarrassment for them.
But for the Runcandels, although it would still be a disgrace, ironically, their reputation would also increase.
"Are you saying Sir Cyron would retract his arrest warrant in that case?"
"He won't retract his arrest warrant for Jin Runcandel the reserve flagbearer, but there was never an arrest warrant for Jin Runcandel the flagbearer at all."
"Whoa. I feel like you'll somehow make it happen. If anyone could, but honestly, I'm not so sure. Are you sure you can hold out against the Runcandel and Zipple clans for a whole year?"
Even for Jin, it would be an impossible feat if he had to hide in the human world. However, it was a different story if he could hide in his brothers' land.
My father must know that I would hide in Lafrarosa because he has the report from Sir Kashimir.
But Dante didn't need to know that.
He was about to respond with a smile when he saw the private portal door of the vacation home shining with light through the window.
"Duck."
Jin and Dante pressed against the window and ducked.
There was always the possibility that the person coming out of the portal wasn't Beradin but other Zipples.
章節 99: CHAPTER 258
A single person emerged from the portal. But the person wore a hood and a mask, making it difficult to distinguish a face.
"I don't think it's Beradin."
"I thought the same."
Jin and Dante spoke.
Though they couldn't see the face, the build was too different. The person coming out of the portal had the physique of someone who had trained in martial arts for a long time.
In fact, the person carried a long sword at their waist. It couldn't be Beradin. Jin recalled what Beradin had said when they made the pact to use the property as a safehouse.
"This is the address of my private vacation home. My clan never watches over me or interferes with anything that happens here," Beradin had said. "I'll give your names to my stewards so you can visit me whenever you want without much trouble."
"Oh, maybe it's the steward. There was no one here when we arrived."
As Dante said, they hadn't met the steward yet. There was no one when they arrived. The door was locked, so they kicked it open and had been waiting for Beradin for three days.
"The person seems too strong to be a steward, though."
"I agree."
The masked figure's gaze fell on the broken door.
The masked figure stood still amid the roaring sounds of the waves and stared at the broken door for some time. It was clear that something displeased them. For some reason, both their hearts sank.
Shing!
The masked figure drew their long sword.
"They must think there's an intruder."
"Yes, maybe we should step forward and tell them honestly?"
"If that masked figure isn't on Beradin's side, we should kill or subdue that person. I don't know about you, but I can't afford to get caught now."
They had to consider the possibility that the masked figure was there on the Zipple clan's orders.
Jin unsheathed Bradamante and activated the Myulta rune. Dante was lost for a moment but soon tore his robe to cover his face and followed Jin.
Silently, they stepped out into the hallway. They concealed their energies and took their positions. They hid on either side of the hallway, in the left corridor and the right room.
Soon, they felt the masked figure moving. Unlike the two who had concealed their energies, the person walked down the hallway emitting a force that clearly revealed a killing intent.
The masked figure passed by the room where Jin was hiding.
Jin emerged and attacked the person. He easily approached from behind and pointed his sword at their throat. Dante leaped at the same time and disarmed the person.
"Don't scream. If you answer my questions, I'll let you live."
They perfectly subdued the person.
But Jin felt something was off. The masked figure seemed completely calm, even with a sword at their throat.
"Who are you?"
The person didn't respond.
"Don't make me ask twice. This is your last chance. Who are you...?"
Jin was about to continue his threat.
Splash!
The person's body disappeared.
Rather, what had composed their body turned into water. Jin, who had been pressing his sword against the person's throat, lost balance, and Dante looked around in horror.
It's a dragon!
Jin's instinct told him. The masked figure was a dragon, and a water dragon at that, a dragon of Itelmion, the water god.
More than eighty percent of the active dragons in the human world belonged to the Zipple clan. So, the water dragon they had just encountered would likely be under the Zipple's control as well.
The water dragon that had turned into water now flowed toward the end of the hallway.
Jin and Dante hurried to chase after it. Jin didn't need to explain to Dante why they couldn't let the dragon escape.
But their worries were unnecessary.
"I've never seen such audacious brats. No wonder Beradin is interested in you."
The water dragon transformed back into human form at the end of the hallway and shrugged.
"Stop trying to attack me. I only tried to kill you because I thought you were intruders."
Jin and Dante exchanged looks with each other.
"With all due respect, may I ask what brings you here? Was it Beradin who sent you?" Jin sheathed his sword and bowed.
The water dragon returned the gesture with a nod. "Well, you could say it was him. I am the steward here. Don't look at me with that confused face. Who said dragons can't be stewards?"
"I didn't say anything or give a glance."
"Really? Well then."
The water dragon took off their mask.
They had delicate features on their face, which seemed out of place for their muscular build. The blue hair that reached their shoulders made them almost look like a lady, as long as one only looked at their face.
Does this mean Beradin is a contractor of Itelmion?
Thoughts immediately rushed into Jin's head. He had never considered the possibility of Beradin being a divine contractor. Even in his past life, Beradin was known to be a nine-star Magician, but there was no information about him being a contractor.
In fact, there were no Itelmion contractors in my past life.
Of course, Jin couldn't know everything that had happened in his past life. He didn't have access to intelligence organizations like the Seven-Colored Peacocks, so he had serious limitations in accessing information that wasn't revealed to the public.
On the other hand, Beradin being a contractor wasn't surprising at all. The Zipple clan had the highest number of contractors among their ranks, and divine contracts were usually decided based on talent and potential.
As Beradin was the most gifted among the young generation of the Zipples, he would obviously be a contractor.
"My name is Tuyan. I would say you two are Jin Runcandel and Dante Hairan. Pleased to meet you."
"Tuyan, I think we have intruders!" Before Jin could respond, another dragon appeared outside the vacation home.
The dragoness, who casually called the water dragon by their name, lowered her long neck and placed her head in the hallway to look at the two boys.
"Oh, aren't those the boys Beradin mentioned?"
"Yes, Phinia."
"He said their names are Jin Runcandel and Dante Hairan? Nice to see you, boys. I've always wanted to see you." Phinia transformed back into her human form and grinned widely.
She was an earth dragon of Richta, the earth god.
Even Jin was confused at this point. Dante was overwhelmed, and he couldn't stop casting glances from Jin to the dragons.
"Have you come to see Beradin?" Phinia asked, walking toward them with a light step.
"Yes, we have."
"He'll arrive in an hour. We have to prepare some things before he comes, so why don't you take a rest in the reception? By the way, were you the ones who broke the door?"
Both of them nodded, to which Phinia sighed. "The key is under the huge rock next to the entrance, so if Beradin or we aren't here next time, use the key to open the door. It's quite a hassle to bring materials here when things break."
Jin and Dante nodded, still confused by everything.
Tuyan and Phinia headed to the storage shed next to the house without saying anything more.
Surprisingly, what they brought from the shed were cleaning supplies.
"Well then? I thought I told you to go to the reception."
Are they trying to clean the house before Beradin arrives?
Jin felt puzzled. Dante must have felt the same because he spoke quickly. "Let us help too."
"Nonsense. We can't let our guests do the chores. Beradin would be angry if you did."
Tuyan formed water and spread it on the floor to start mopping. Then, Phinia ushered the two boys away.
Jin and Dante had no choice but to sit in the reception. For some reason, they felt very uncomfortable.
"Those dragons were really cleaning, weren't they?"
The two dragons, who were the stewards, were cleaning the vacation house before Beradin arrived.
"I think so. Well, I'm glad they're not under the orders of other Zipples. But it's been quite a surprise."
They sat and waited for the dragons to finish cleaning.
Dante seemed to be on pins and needles. He couldn't hide his anxiety. Meanwhile, Jin pondered which of the two could be Beradin's guardian dragon.
The water one? The earth one? Which one could it be?
Jin's curiosity was immediately answered when Beradin arrived at the vacation house an hour later.Ch𝒆êck out l𝒂t𝒆st 𝒏𝒐v𝒆l𝒔 on nov𝒆l/bin(.)c𝒐m
"My friends! Haha, what joy to see you again. I thought the last time would be the last time we saw each other. I hope my guardian dragons weren't too harsh on you, right?"
Guardian dragons.
That's how Beradin referred to the two dragons who courteously bowed when Beradin arrived. It was quite a shocking scene, but Jin decided to stop being surprised.
Whether he was contracted by two gods at the same time or hiding something else, that didn't change the fact that he had rebelled against the Zipple clan with his own life.
Similarly, Jin was hiding many things from them as well.
"By the way, Dante is one thing, but I didn't expect Jin to be here too. Were you so worried about me that you risked your arrest warrant? I'm so moved that I'm about to cry. Look into my eyes. They're moist, you see?"
"Have you calmed down?"
"Yes, thanks to you. I must have been crazy back then. I would have died if it weren't for you, and at the hands of my father, too. In fact, I was close to death myself. The mana reflux was so severe that I still have migraines," Beradin responded casually.
The three of them silently looked at each other for a while. The dragons brought them tea.
"Jin?"
"Yes?"
"You have a plan, don't you?" There was bitterness in Beradin's eyes as he spoke.
He asked if Jin had plans because he knew he couldn't do much to help. It wasn't like the last time he set fire to the gold. Even if he rebelled without much consideration, there wasn't much he could change.
That made Beradin feel awful about himself. Jin had saved his life, but he couldn't help Jin in any way.
Jin was practically a dead man when his clan decided to capture him, and now even the Runcandels were after him. Beradin couldn't find a way for Jin to survive.
"That serious look doesn't suit you, Beradin. Unlike you, I'm someone who plans before rushing in. I have ways to survive."
"Really?"
"So don't worry about that. Instead, I have something I'd like to propose to you."
"What is it?"
"Abandon your surname."
Fwoop!
Dante spat out the tea he was drinking. In fact, he even dropped the teacup he was holding, spilling hot tea on his thighs. But he was so shocked that he barely registered the pain.
That's how impactful Jin's words were.
"I will eliminate the entire Zipple clan in the future, and that name doesn't suit you either. Each of your brothers and your uncle who died at my hands were all involved in terrible acts, including biological experiments."
"I knew it. So, you were the one who killed my uncle too."
The fact that Miuron Zipple had died at the hands of Bamel, who was Jin, was now known to everyone. Deano reminded people of the tragedies of Kollon when writing columns about the incident in the Holy Kingdom.
"How much do you know?"
"About what?"
"About what the Zipples, your clan, are preparing," Jin said.
Beradin gave a bitter smile. "Well, I'm not sure how much I know."
"I'm asking you a serious question."
"And I'm answering you with complete seriousness, Jin Runcandel. Have you ever experienced something like this? Like trying to write your diary, but yesterday's entry is completely different from what I remember from the day."
"What?"
"My memory is being manipulated by someone. I thought my uncle was behind it because it didn't happen again after his death. But take a look at this."
Beradin took out a notebook from his inner pockets.
It was the entry for December 25, 1797, the day after Jin revealed his identity.
December 25, 1797.
I would have died yesterday if it weren't for him. I felt bad for the clan's decision, but to think I would lose all rationality like that. My chin still hurts from his punch. But thanks to him, I survived. His decision was right.
If I had ever harmed the Magicians of the clan, my father could have killed me too.
It might well have been my last encounter with them. I hope both of them are safe.
Although their names weren't mentioned, it was clear that it referred to Dante and Jin.
"This is the entry I wrote right after my mana reflux treatment. But after the follow-up treatment, I lost all memory of what happened that day. In fact, I don't even remember setting fire to the gold. I told you I didn't expect you to arrive because I acted accordingly after reading my diary and the bulletins."
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