章節 603: CHAPTER 760

[T.L: punisher87]

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The Kaldran Snowfield.

As Jin arrived here riding the red owl, he felt a sense of unease. Even if he were to encounter Luntia again, unlike with Vailam, the current purification process wouldn't be able to heal her.

His second sister remained engulfed in the madness of chaos, enduring lonely times as a monstrous being.

The chaos subsided, revealing the endless expanse of the pristine snowfield, with a cave leading to Luntia's subspace.

[Myaaah....]

Upon reaching the cave, as if urging him to muster his strength, Shuri licked Jin's back.

"Shuri, thank you."

"Aren't you thankful to me too?"

"Oh, right. I'm grateful to you too. Bale, let's gradually unleash your power."

As Bale transformed, the cave quickly overflowed with a golden aura.

The first time Jin came to find Luntia, he accidentally opened the portal to the subspace through Shakan and shadow force. However, this time the portal formed in the center without consuming any energy.

Even from the entrance of the portal, a dense chaos could be felt. The evil god and the prophet had met their complete demise, but the chaos used on Luntia hadn't disappeared.

[It seems quite eerie... Do we really have to go in? After all, you currently have no means to bring back your sister.]

"Hurry up and come along."

Sending Shuri back to the ruby, Jin stepped forward into the realm beyond the portal.

A vast subspace unfolded before him. The flow of time in the subspace differed from that of the human world, so he had to quickly examine Luntia and leave.

However, even as he tried to recall the path he had taken last time, he couldn't find it. There were no markers left by Valeria as before, so the subspace was nothing but a hollow darkness.

"Bale, you go that way, and I'll explore this side..."

Just as he said that.

Suddenly, Jin felt the approach of a chaos energy from a distance. It was an incredibly fast pace, as if rushing forward.

'Is that Elder sister Luntia's energy?'

The aura is dense. It likely means that there's a high chance Luntia has lost her sanity.

Once again, his chest felt tight, but Luntia, who appeared shortly after, dispelled Jin's ominous premonition in an instant.

[Jin, the youngest!]

"Elder sister?!"

Surprisingly, Luntia retained her sanity from when she was human.

-[If I connect to that, I'll go mad again.]

Her words from last time.

The "connection points" that linked her and the subspace still existed, and her appearance had horns on her forehead, just like before.

[Am I looking much better than you expected?]

"It sounds like lines from a villain, to be honest. It's surprising, but I am very happy."

[Hehe, little by little, my sanity has been returning. Now it's completely back to how it used to be. I think it's thanks to you defeating the evil god.]

Indeed, Luntia's regained sanity was a result of the evil god's death. The chaos that had lost its master could no longer erode Luntia's mind. Although it could be said that Luntia's will was remarkable for such a thing to be possible.

"I'm truly relieved, Elder sister."

[And who's this?]

"This is Bale, a former ten great knight of ancient Runcandel."

[What? I greet the esteemed ancestor!]

As Luntia knelt down and paid her respects, Bale grinned with satisfaction.

[Yes, yes. Finally, I met a descendant who knows etiquette. This brat always tries to get the better of me. Doesn't seem to understand the concept of how ancestors should be treated! Give him a good scolding for me as elder sister!]

"He's a bit reckless, but still an interesting companion. Please understand, Elder sister."

Jin spoke as he helped Luntia to her feet.

[Look at this, again, again!]

[If he's a former ten great knight, shouldn't you be showing the utmost respect to the revered ancestors?]

"That may be true, but he's not an ancestor who sacrificed everything solely for the clan. Me and my comrades almost died because of him. Now, little by little, he is becoming more like ten great knights."

Jin continued, summarizing the events that had taken place during their time apart, explaining them to Luntia.

While Luntia listened to the story, she didn't show much emotion, but occasionally her eyes took on a bitter gaze.

When the story of Diphus' death came up, she even shed tears. Unlike the Myu, Anne, Ran, and Vigo, Diphus' death held a different weight for Luntia as well.

[...Yes, you became the young patriarch,] she said.

After the story concluded, Luntia now showed courtesy towards Jin. She wanted to congratulate her younger brother, even if she couldn't attend the appointment ceremony.

[You've worked hard, Jin. While you and the others fought so desperately, I couldn't do anything. It must have been a heavy burden for you.]

"Please don't say that. Merely regaining your consciousness is a great source of strength for me. Once you return, you will have plenty of tasks for the clan."

Since their last meeting, Jin had felt a deep bond with Luntia. The remaining flagbearers were now his true family.

"To heal you, we'll need the help of the sister battle god. Please wait a little longer until then."

[You'll do well on your own, but don't spend too much time on the task of rescuing me. Now that my consciousness has returned, I'll focus on my personal training as if I were in closed door training. Even if you can't save me from here, I won't hold any resentment. Don't come to me too often; it's pointless.]

"I will definitely bring you out."

[But, Jin.]

"Yes, Elder sister."

[Before you came, someone had already visited this place. I wanted to tell you when you arrived.]

"Such an incident occurred? Please tell me in detail."

[At the time, I had regained about half of my sanity, so the memory is vague. They were wearing a robe that covered their whole body, so I couldn't see their face, but the voice was that of a woman. I couldn't possibly guess who she was, but listening to the things you mentioned... perhaps she was Lokia Ganesto, the traitor from a thousand years ago.]

As soon as Jin heard Luntia's words, he had a strong intuition.

Originally, this subspace was the fifth tomb of Temar. It was a space that couldn't be accessed without having a connection to a Solderet like Jin or a deep association with Runcandel from a thousand years ago.

Even the Prophet had likely consumed something from a thousand years ago to open this place, and Valeria had used Bale's handkerchief she acquired during her investigation to gain entry. Jin and Heddo had also entered through the shadow force and Shakan.

Therefore, it was highly likely that the person Luntia met was Lokia. If not, there were no other former ten great knights.

[Wait, how was her voice? Was it clear or somewhat muffled?]

[It was closer to clear, Sir Bale.]

[Lokia's voice was a bit hoarse.]

"You can easily change your voice. What did she say to you?"

[She proposed a contract to me. If I were to make a contract with her, she would immediately free me from this place and make me the matriarch of Runcandel.]

Even in her partially restored sanity, Luntia outright rejected the proposal.

[After I declined, she said some other things... but I can't remember the details. From then on, her voice was barely audible as I struggled to suppress my madness. Damn it, if that person had come a little later, I could have heard everything and told you. It's frustrating.]

"There might be a way to identify the parts you don't remember through record magic."

[The Hister mage whom I wounded?]

"Yes, as soon as Valeria finishes her task in the Imperial Square, we will come back and examine the records. Even if you couldn't hear it, the words that person spoke will surely be preserved in this space."

Valeria was currently maintaining the record window regarding the evil god war in the Imperial Square and couldn't move. Jin decided that as soon as that task was finished, he would bring Valeria back to examine the records of Luntia again.

[Oh, I didn't think of that. I told you not to come too often, but I guess I'll be seeing you again soon after today.]

While it was good to unexpectedly find clues about Lokia or the person suspected to be her subordinate, it also worried Jin. If Lokia acted so swiftly as soon as the evil god disappeared, it meant that she was preparing something else.

'If what Sir Padler said is true, Lokia Ganesto is a person who carried out her plans so perfectly that not even Rosa could detect her involvement."

Even Rosa, who was undoubtedly a flawless human that Jin himself had to acknowledge, couldn't perceive Lokia's intervention until she perished as a evil god. This meant that Jin had to scrutinize every detail and activate all his senses.

[Thus, you should return for now, the youngest. I've heard that time in this subspace passes much faster compared to the human world.]

Even though Luntia emphasized it several times, Jin couldn't help but feel uneasy about nodding his head. There was still one piece of news that he hadn't conveyed to Luntia.

"Elder sister."

[Are you going to talk about the story regarding my nanny, Lisham? Your expression looks heavy.]

Lisham, the nanny of Luntia.

She was the person who strongly insisted that Luntia replace Padler and become the owner of this subspace, but once upon a time...

No, she was still the most precious mother to Luntia.

Since the day Jin first met Luntia in the subspace until now, he had someone investigate the whereabouts of Lisham and her daughter.

[...Nanny Lisham is no longer in this world, right?]

"Yes."

Lisham had passed away.

It was revealed that the evil god was directly responsible for her harm.

[The youngest, I hope you don't resent Nanny Lisham too much. She has already departed... She was someone more precious to me than my own life. Even if Nanny Lisham hadn't asked me, I would have ended up being forcefully bound to this place anyway.]

Back then and even now, Jin understood Luntia's feelings. Even if he and Gilly were in the same situation, Jin would never be able to resent her.

[What happened to the nanny's daughter and grandchildren?]

"I received news about them just the day before yesterday. They became refugees during the war but fortunately survived. They are currently living in the southern part of the empire."

[Until I can leave, can you take care of them a little?]

Without a moment's hesitation, Luntia spoke.

Jin gazed into her eyes silently before answering that he would do as she asked.

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章節 604: CHAPTER 761

[T.L: punisher87]

[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]

***

Six days had passed.

Thanks to the publication of records by the Vamel Alliance, people around the world now knew all the details of the Evil God War.

"...They're wrapping up the deaths of Diphus Runcandel and Lynn Milcano."

Lutero Magic Federation, Tower of Stories.

Octavia spoke while examining the newspaper on desk.

The newspaper contained transformed accounts of the publicized records of the Evil God War.

-<Diphus Runcandel, who shares the power of evil god, placed his hope in Mary Runcandel and Jin Runcandel>

-<On May 22, 1803, Diphus Runcandel departed from the world, along with a fragment of the evil god's power. The evil god weakens.>

Led by Dino Zaglon, the Runcandel pens did not attempt to restore Diphus's honor through these records.

They merely transcribed the records into articles with a calm tone.

It was because Mary did not want it.

Diphus's death was a matter of personal mourning as her closest brother.

Regardless of why he placed hope in Jin with whatever feelings he had, the fact that so many people died at the hands of his corrupt deeds did not disappear.

However, people understood Diphus through the passage "placing hope in Jin Runcandel."

Of course, not everyone felt that way, but at the very least, Diphus was not treated as a villain who would never be seen again.

The same applied to Lynn Milcano's betrayal.

In the first place, Lynn's betrayal was not known to the public or even to the temporary allies, but her self-proclaimed role as a villain for the sake of the evil god was newly revealed.

"Our journalists are continuously trying to find flaws through Ran, Vigo, Myu, and Anne, but it won't be easy to change the atmosphere."

Furthermore, the betrayal of the resurrected former patriarchs and the continued achievements of the former patriarchs who did not succumb to corruption were receiving great responses from the public.

In this way, the published records, from one to ten, were mostly bringing favorable effects to the Runcandels.

"Moreover, they did not inform us about Lynn Milcano's betrayal at the time. Even though the evil god war ended in victory..."

When Ronil replied, Kadun furiously clenched his teeth.

"It's an obvious deception! That damn 12th flagbearer played with us. He proceeded with the information release without even discussing it with us. It's infuriating! Is he going to stab us in the back like this? It's unbearable...!"

As Kadun spoke, Veradin quietly raised his head.

"Getting angry won't solve anything, Lord Kadun. Please calm down. Every time you act like this, I feel embarrassed."

The atmosphere in the conference room grew cold as Veradin finished speaking.

Since becoming the guardian dragon of Kelliark, no one had ever seen Kadun lose his temper like this.

Whenever Kadun got unnecessarily angry or spoke nonsense, even Kelliark tried to calm him down.

"What did you say?"

"If you want to express your anger and make people uncomfortable, it takes a certain ability. Do you have the power to pressure Runcandel and the Vamel alliance right now? Can you crush them with your mere presence?"

Kadun glared at Veradin.

Since regaining his sanity, Veradin had been distancing himself from the image they had manipulated him into and the person they wanted him to be.

"Young patriarch, even your father did not treat me recklessly."

"So what? Do I have a reason to emulate my fathers attitude towards you, Lord Kadun? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with what I said."

"Veradin!"

"If you continue to express your emotions unnecessarily and ruin the atmosphere during meetings, it will only make you look ridiculous to both allies and enemies. As the guardian dragon of the clan, it means you should have weight. I think I said something similar before."

Just as Kadun was about to say something, Octavia and Ronil restrained him.

"If you're not satisfied with my methods, then immediately find a way to heal Father. Then I will show more respect towards you, Lord Kadun."

Bang!

With a loud bang, Kadun eventually shattered the table and stormed out of the meeting room.

"After the meeting, warn Lord Kadun not to behave like this again. If he leaves the meeting like this in the future, he won't have a chance to sit here again."

"...I understand."

"Has there been any response from the Vamel alliance regarding the use of the purifier?"

-During the decisive battle, I will also need the power of Kelliark. Of course, it's an unpleasant matter, but if the purification device is improved before the battle, and if there is a situation where Kelliark's power as Zipfel is absolutely necessary, then I will use the purification device.

These were the words spoken by Jin during the temporary alliance conference.

Zipfel had already requested the use of the purification device from Runcandel immediately after the war ended.

"I haven't received any response yet."

"They seem to have no intention of complying."

"Should we push harder?"

"No, it's fine. Since my father's condition is probably not at a level that can be cured by their purifier, it's better to find another solution. Tell Lord Kadun to take care of it."

"Veradin, no, Young Patriarch. It's not good to mistreat Lord Kadun excessively. Runcandel and the Vamel alliance are solidifying their alliance right after the war. We don't have a reason to create divisions among ourselves, do we?"

"Spectre Captain, our federation also needs Lord Kadun's competent presence for solidarity. Not to mention that it applies to all the leaders of the clan, including me. They have a clear focal point called Jin Runcandel."

"I hope you don't intend to break Lord Kadun's spirit and demonstrate the dignity of the Young Patriarch to the lower ranks."

"I should consider that as well. If Lord Kadun becomes more respectful, it would be a way for me to prove my leadership to the clan and subordinate forces again."

"Young patriarch."

"Enough, let's stop here. Spectre Captain, consult with the strategists to find ways to cloud the atmosphere in Runcandel. Rather than using the deceased as leverage, it would be better to create a framework by suggesting that Jin Runcandel is provoking a new war right after the purging. In fact, they are provoking us and Kinzelo a lot."

"Understood."

"The report has come in that a shipyard is being constructed near the second castle of Hairan. Dame Octavia, please monitor the situation with discretion. We need to continue applying pressure to ensure the issue is not resolved due to a shortage of steel."

"We are currently scrutinizing the transportation means of the Empire, neighboring neutral countries, and Huphester, while suspending the export of steel from the Lutero Federation, just as you suggested. It seems they are having a hard time, as you anticipated."

"That level of assurance is not enough. There is a high possibility that they have some hidden reserves. It could be the Minche Blacksmith Association... or perhaps Kinzelo."

"We are still actively investigating the former. There have been no sightings of transport ships from Huphester, the Vamel alliance, or the Empire. Additionally, the 12th Flagbearer has offended their pride by lending weapons from the Association without permission. It seems unlikely they will readily provide assistance."

"What about Kinzelo?"

"This morning, Kashmir Alprion from the Vamel alliance visited their headquarters."

"It would be difficult to intercept transportation through the leader's dimensional portal."

"I will make sure to confirm whether their deal has been finalized or fell through."

"Whether it is finalized or not, make sure to present conditions better than those offered by the Vamel alliance to redirect the deal in our favor."

After discussing a few more matters, the meeting concluded.

Veradin sat quietly in the now empty meeting room.

'...Pressuring Lord Kadun was certainly necessary, but I may have gone too far.'

In truth, Veradin had been feeling that his emotions were no longer under proper control.

While his recent actions towards Kadun had been planned in advance, he felt that his words had gone further than intended.

'Is it because of Father, or is it due to the powers I gained through the traces of mana? It seems controlling them won't be easy.'

Eventually, Veradin slowly made his way up to the top floor of the tower.

"...Father."

Placing his hand on the life support device of Kelliark.

Inside the life support device, Kelliark's entire body had turned a sickly black color.

The transformation had already progressed to the point where regeneration was impossible with the current purification methods.

"Soon, I will be able to extract you from there. At that time..."

Veradin leaned closer to the life support device, whispering the rest of his words.

"I will take my leave now. Rest peacefully."

As Veradin left the room, Kelliark quietly opened his eyes.

With lifeless eyes devoid of any vitality, he stared at the door where Veradin had disappeared.

Occasionally, his fingers twitched slightly.

***

During the past week, Jin had been meeting with the kings, lords, ruling families of allied clans, and immigrants from various regions within Huphester to provide encouragement.

The construction of the shipyard in the sword emperor's territory was progressing smoothly.

The master blacksmiths of the Association were already sending shipments of steel through Vailam, knowing that it was needed for the construction of the shipyard.

Even Veradin had not considered transportation through Vailam.

Even during the meeting of Zipfel, Vailam tirelessly carried steel as if taking a leisurely stroll.

Kashmir's visit to the Kinzelo headquarters was not only about the construction of the shipyard near the second castle of Hairan but also a deception.

Kashmir intentionally proposed a steel trade with Kinzelo and was rejected.

It was only natural since he had expressed a desire to purchase steel at a higher price than the market rate.

While the shipyard near the second castle of Hairan would indeed be used once completed, the secret shipyard in the sword emperor's territory was the key to the production of the alliance's battleships.

After receiving all the related information, Jin, Valeria, and Bale returned to the Kaldran Snowfield.

[Welcome back, youngest. It seems you've brought Valeria and Sir Bale... Valeria, I apologize for what happened before. As you know, I wasn't in my right mind.]

"It's alright."

Brief greetings were exchanged, and Valeria reviewed the records concerning the mysterious woman's words.

Fortunately, the records were immediately confirmed without any delay.

<'If Chiron Runcandel returns like this, your younger brother won't be able to handle him. Without receiving my help, never.'>

For a while, the group couldn't take their eyes off that particular passage.

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