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."
章節 100: CHAPTER 259
"Altering your memory? What do you mean by that?" Dante's eyes widened in horror.
Even Jin felt a chill run down his spine.
"The clan has been manipulating my mind for some time. Forging memories is actually feasible in magical theory, you know?"
As Beradin said, it was theoretically possible.
There were rumors that the special force Vermont was also secretly forging memories, but the only faction truly capable of memory forging was the Zipple clan.
Dante realized that Beradin wasn't joking. He was stunned by the shock for some time.
"I can't believe it. Why would someone do that? What do they gain by falsifying your memories, my friend?"
"I have no idea either. It's the first time it has happened since my uncle's death, so it must be the elders, or..." Beradin paused and furrowed his brow. "Or they did it on my father's orders to falsify my memory. But I can't understand their motives, especially considering the recent incident. It's not like I witnessed something I shouldn't have. The whole world saw how my clan tried to cover up the Holy Kingdom incident with money."
"It seems the memory manipulation might have been imperfect," Jin replied after hearing his story.
Beradin's eyes widened. "That's convincing. Maybe they were trying to erase another memory and accidentally manipulated the memory of that day as well. I'm sure doing things like that must be hard to pull off perfectly, even for my clan."
"You realize it's nothing to be happy about, right?"
"But I feel like I've finally found a clue. It makes some sense when you put it that way. But what memory were they trying to erase then? There was nothing particular in the recent entries of my diary."
"It's just a theory."
"But I feel like your theory might be correct."
"Still, you would know better than me. How could I know which memory your clan is trying to erase from your head?"
"Urgh, trying to think is giving me a headache again."
Jin remembered the day Latrie returned to Tikan.
"Lord Jin, there's something I must inform you of first. My daughter's guardian dragon returned today about three hours ago," Kashimir had said.
"Latrie has come back?"
"Yes, but there's something strange about him. He doesn't seem to remember anything from the entire time he was missing. For now, he's with my daughter, but he also doesn't seem to understand what has happened. Could it be that he wasn't kidnapped?"
"It can't be, since Biuretta herself confessed it to Quikantel."
Jin also thought it was strange that Latrie's memories had disappeared.
He hoped the Zipples had erased Latrie's memories, but to think they would do the same to Beradin.
Or maybe Beradin was lying. Or he could simply be mistaken.
But Jin decided to dismiss those possibilities.
Latrie's memories must have been erased by the demon god's stone. They erased all his memories during the period he was kidnapped. The reason they bothered to alter his memories instead of simply killing him must have been a measure to ensure the safety of Az Mil's contractor.
If that was the case, Beradin's memory manipulation could also have something to do with the demon god's stone.
Perhaps the reason Beradin risked his life to set fire to the gold wasn't, after all, his anger over the Holy Kingdom incident.
It's likely that Beradin witnessed other atrocities committed by the Zipple clan, like the demon god's stone, before setting fire to the gold.
And amidst his confusion, the revelation of the Holy Kingdom incidents made him impulsively rebel against his clan.
Jin thought about it and sighed inwardly.
The migraines he suffered and the extreme instability he showed in the Holy Kingdom could also be side effects of memory manipulation.
But it was not a good idea to ask him if he knew about the demon god's stone.
Now that he knew about Beradin's memory instability, he had to take precautions.
If Beradin had been enraged by the demon god's stone, who knew what he would do after Jin mentioned it.
Until they were sure Beradin would act rationally, it was best that Beradin didn't know.
"Beradin?"
"Yes?"
"I think there can only be one reason why the Zipples would be manipulating your memories. They are trying to turn you into a successor who perfectly fits their preferences. And it's not the elders who are behind it. Keliac Zipple, your father, has to be behind all of this."
Jin was sure of this now. Beradin was nothing more than a perfectly groomed successor in his past life.
Unlike what was known about him in the world, Beradin had also signed a contract with two gods back then. But regardless of the type of power he obtained, all the power he amassed had to be used for the Zipples, not for himself.
At that time, there was no peculiarity of Jin living his second life, and therefore, Beradin had no power to resist his own clan. He had reached the age of thirty without knowing about the atrocities his clan committed and what they were doing to him.
"I suppose so, don't I? Damn it, and here I thought I was an exemplary successor in my own right. Even this isn't enough to please my father, is it? I'm contracted to two gods, and my magic skills are about to reach nine stars!"
Tuyan and Phinia said nothing. They had finished cleaning. They sat by the window on the other side and drank tea.
No human in history had ever signed a contract with more than one god at a time. Beradin was the first human to do so. But Dante was so shocked by the memory manipulation that he barely even reacted.RE𝒂ad updated st𝒐ries at n/𝒐/vel/bin(.)com
Jin's gaze briefly fell on the dragons. Beradin smiled when he saw it.
"By the way, why don't you ask?"
"Ask you what?"
"How I entered into a contract with two gods."
"You must have had so much potential, I suppose. Plus, it's not a question to ask at this moment."
"Right. The fact that you're a Magic Swordsman is much crazier than the fact that I signed a contract with two gods. Wait, but that's quite annoying when you think about it. See, you keep saying that it wasn't you who killed Kiddard Hall. Not only did you kill him, but you even took his Inverted Sky."
Jin was about to respond when Beradin continued.
"Furthermore, you were the one who impersonated me in the kingdom of Arkhin! Hey, Dante. What do you think? I'm more scandalized that he took us for fools all this time than by my own memory manipulation. He's a swindler, that's what he is. We'll have to turn him in to the police."
There they were, saying whatever came to their minds.
Jin shrugged, and Dante nodded clumsily.
"Beradin, my friend, you don't have to try so hard."
"Try hard at what?"
"You're forcing yourself to sound cheerful and bright."
Jin felt a shiver down his spine as Dante spoke.
Beradin must have felt the same. He seemed stunned as he blinked, but quickly shook his head. "No, that's not true. I'm actually fine, you know?"
"How can someone be fine after having their memories manipulated? And by your own clan, the one you trusted! You can be honest with us. We're friends, aren't we?"
"Yes, the truth is, I'm fine with everything."
An uncomfortable silence followed. Dante could only fake a few coughs, his ears reddening with indignation.
"But it seems they didn't touch the diary, even when they manipulated your memories."
"Those guys take care of the diaries, that's why." Beradin pointed to the dragons.
"Do your guardian dragons know about the memory manipulation?"
"Yes, they do. In fact, it's the opposite. Not many people in the clan know that I'm a divine contractor and that I have two guardian dragons."
"But why don't they do anything about it?"
"Because Itelmion and Richta haven't said much about it. The two gods must have decided that it doesn't harm me. In fact, they seem eager to see me tamed soon so that I can become the patriarch as soon as possible."
Becoming the patriarch of the Zipple Clan meant becoming the most powerful figure in the whole world.
It was the best thing that could happen to the two gods who chose Beradin. Not only would it elevate their reputation, but they would also have dominion over all the other contractors of the clan.
Although Jin couldn't see the true motives of the two gods at the moment, it all seemed too repugnant to him. The dragons, strange and overly courteous, also got on his nerves.
Puppets.
The word struck him.
Beradin wasn't living his own life. He was living the will of someone else. A will stained by conspiracy and atrocities.
"You just thought of me as a puppet, didn't you?"
"That's insane."
"How did you figure it out?"
Startled, Jin and Dante looked at each other. Dante thought the same as Jin.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Jin composed himself and asked.
"About what?"
"Leaving the Zipples."
"Ah, that. I suppose it won't be easy. The only realistic way to do it is to wait for you to become a flagbearer and capture me as a hostage. But that could easily lead to a full-blown war. Besides, there's no telling how much your brothers could torture me."
"The Runcandels and the Zipples fight each other all the time, regardless of you."
"That may be true, but Jin, I also have my share of responsibilities. If my clan is going in the wrong direction, I should be the one to stay and correct it, don't you think? I'll restore everything. I'll make the Zipples the clan I've always been proud of again."
"That's the most unrealistic goal of all."
"Not if I have the help of you two."
"Friends or not, there are some lines we cannot cross. The Runcandels can't help the Zipples."
"That's very cold of you. I'm starting to feel disgusted again."
"Of course, I suppose I could personally help you. But what will happen afterward? Helping you will cause a division within the Zipple Clan. If we succeed, the division will be so immense that the clan has never faced such a crisis. Do you think the Runcandels and the other clans will just sit back and watch?"
That would never happen.
Once Beradin created a division within the Zipples, all factions would seize the opportunity to destroy the clan. And before that, Beradin's determination was impossible from the start.
"Moreover, do you think you'll still be the person you are now by then? They will continue manipulating your memories. Are you sure you can maintain your identity? I don't think it's something you can control by will or belief. You must leave the Zipple Clan, Beradin."
"So, you think I would succumb and change my way of being if I don't, right?"
"Yes, I do."
"That might be the case. I can't deny it. But Jin, you would have made the same decision as me if you were in my shoes. I'm not leaving the clan."
"No, if I were you, I would leave the Runcandel Clan if I were forced to live a life where my own will was slowly taken away from me without my knowledge."
"Jin." Beradin smiled and continued. "I'm not an extraordinary guy like you."
There was a tone of resignation in his words. Jin didn't know what to say.
Beradin wasn't a fool either. He knew better than anyone how terrifying the idea of memory manipulation and altering his personality was.
The discrepancy between his diary entries and reality, and the resulting confusion, were things he had been struggling with for years.
"Jin, I understand Beradin too. I'd like to support his opinion," Dante said.
There was a good reason why Jin insisted on Beradin's need to leave the clan. He didn't want to face a future where he or his Runcandel brothers had to kill him.
"I know it's shameful to say this, but as long as you two never abandon me, I think I should be able to change clans. I don't care if the clan's powers diminish in the process. Huh?"
After Beradin expressed his opinion, the portal door outside the vacation house suddenly lit up.
Someone was coming to this place. The only people who could come at this precise moment were members of the Zipple Clan.
At that very moment, the two guardian dragons who had been having tea jumped to their feet and stood before Beradin in a fraction of a second.
They seemed to be protecting him.
"Tuyan? Phinia?"
Unlike their courteous attitude before, the two dragons didn't respond. They raised their energies without much emotion.
A group of magicians emerged from the portal door. They wore gray robes without crests.
They had no markings of the White Night, nor of the special and elite classes of the Magicians. The gray robes didn't even inform others of their Zipple status.
Jin didn't know what this meant. But he could deduce it from the way they handled mana and the speed at which they cast chain spells as they emerged from the portal door.
They must be like the black knights of the Runcandel Clan.
Whoever they were, one thing was clear. They were here to capture Jin.
"Jin, I didn't call them!" Beradin desperately shouted.
Jin nodded. "Beradin."
"It wasn't me, believe me, really..."
"I know. I won't hold it against you, so stop panicking and order your guardian dragons to protect Dante as well. Those guys seem to be trying to blow this whole place up."
Jin looked out the window and saw that the sky was red from the chain spell cast by the gray-robed magicians.
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