Chapter 106: The Tragedy of Colon (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 106: The Tragedy of Colon (5)
“Is that plan no good? He has no guards or attendants. As long as I can draw Myuron’s attention, getting a look at the basement should be easy enough.”
“It’s a terrible plan. Let’s say you draw his attention and we confirm the bio-golem experiments are real. We might secure some evidence, but after that, there’s no guarantee you’d be safe.”
“Can’t I just make a smooth exit after playing the part of his drinking companion? Once you’ve all cleared out of the basement, of course.”
“You don’t know much about mages. How many boundary magic spells do you think are protecting that basement? The moment we step inside, Myuron will know. When that happens, you’re a dead man.”
“I wouldn’t have started investigating this place if I wasn’t prepared for that.”
“There’s a difference between courage and recklessness, my friend. What’s the point of your great feat if you die before you can accomplish it?”
Jin had no intention of using Dino as a disposable pawn. The brave journalist deserved to survive. Besides, if Dino died, it would be much harder to justify their actions.
“Let’s do this instead,” Jin said. “You’ll introduce us, and we’ll become Myuron’s drinking companions too.”
“Pardon?”
“We’re going drinking with you. Our cover is that we’re wandering mercenaries and storytellers. You happened to meet us, found us interesting, and brought us along to meet Myuron.”
“Will he believe that? He’ll surely find it suspicious.”
Jin gave a bitter smile.
“What kind of person did Myuron seem like to you?”
“A madman. Someone who takes pleasure in the pain of others… I suppose.”
“That’s right. But is that all? No matter how thoughtless he seems, he’s the sixth son of the Zipple Clan. And in my opinion, he already knows who you are.”
Dino waved his hands dismissively, insisting it wasn’t possible.
“Surely not. If he knew who I was, he never would have let me live this long.”
“He might not know your exact identity. But read your journal again. Every single native you made contact with was dragged to that basement within a week. What do you think that means?”
Dino’s eyes widened.
He had always assumed the natives being taken was just part of the sequence of Myuron’s experiments; he never considered it might be related to him.
Myuron had never harmed him personally. In Dino’s experience, the powerful didn’t simply let people go when they were caught digging into their secrets. That single fact had clouded his judgment, blinding him to the obvious pattern recorded in his own journal: every native he met was dragged to the basement within a week.
“And a drinking companion? Do you really think Myuron wanted to drink with you because he was bored? Not a chance. He was observing a rat that didn’t even realize it was trapped in a jar. That rat is you.”
“What do you mean… A rat in a jar… Me?”
“Yes. He was likely curious. He probably wondered what gave you such fearless confidence, why you were so bold, and why you still hadn’t caught on even after he sent you signal after signal by dragging away every native you met.”
“That… can’t be. What could Myuron possibly gain from doing something like that?”
“You said it yourself. Myuron is a madman who enjoys the suffering of others. If so, he probably gets off on it, don’t you think?”
Dino’s legs gave out, and he stumbled backward.
He wanted to believe Jin’s theory was a massive leap in logic, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to refute it. And if it was true, he was overwhelmed by a despair so profound he didn’t know how he could ever apologize to the natives who were taken because of him.
“So, even if we go to Myuron with you, he won’t be on his guard,” Jin continued. “He’ll be delighted that his little rat brought some cute friends along. To him, it just means he has more toys to play with.”
Jin spoke with such confidence for three main reasons.
First, with the sole exception of Tika, the timing of the natives being taken after Dino met them matched his journal perfectly.
Second, there were the stories he’d heard before his regression. Back then, his siblings used to say that even the Tona brothers, at the peak of their troublemaking, were angels compared to Myuron Zipple.
Third was the conversation he’d had with Veradin on the final day of the Arena of Cosmos. Veradin had shared many things that night, including his intense loathing for Myuron Zipple.
— Brother Myuron is particularly disgusting. He’s nothing like our late Uncle Andrei. Just thinking about that man makes me want to gag in my sleep. I have no idea what the Elders were thinking, giving the position of Tower Master of the 7th Magic Tower to someone like him.
— Hah, for you to say that! Just what kind of man is he?
— Dante, he is a monster from an abyss a kind soul like you could never even imagine.
Jin found it strange how easily he trusted Veradin’s assessment of Myuron. And now, remembering Veradin and Dante, he felt a faint pang of nostalgia.
“What if… you’re wrong about all this?” Dino stammered. “If you look at the journal, there’s one person. One native who is still alive despite meeting me.”
“Latika Tika Mamutika.”
“Yes, she is…” Dino cut himself off and grit his teeth. “I sincerely hope your assumptions are wrong. Because if your predictions are correct, I think I know why Myuron has kept Tika alive…”
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Jin said. “We’ll see if I have a vivid imagination, or if Myuron really is that much of a piece of trash.”
“Kid, that’s all well and good, but what’s the plan once we meet Myuron?” Murakan asked.
“What else? I’ll play along for a bit, then strike when the time is right. Based on what Dino told us, this all ends once that one man is dead.”
“Playing along at the drinking session is to make Myuron lower his guard,” Casimir added, nodding as he grasped Jin’s intent. “He won’t know our true strength, and we can check if he has any hidden cards or traps.”
“Exactly. While we’re sharing a drink and chatting, we might get an easy chance to kill the bastard. And even if my assumptions are wrong, a fight is inevitable.”
A short while later, the four of them put their heads together. They decided on their aliases and occupations, then coordinated their stories to prepare for any unexpected questions.
“The moment we get there, we need to locate the natives,” Jin said. “When the battle begins, protecting Dino and the other natives is our top priority.”
“And if any of the three of us sees an opening, take the shot,” Murakan added. “Don’t wait for a signal.”
Dino spent five minutes giving them a condensed summary of everything he knew about Colon.
“The basement in the center of the ruins is where the natives were taken. I’ll say it one last time: there are no guards or attendants. Since I can’t join the fight, I wish you all good fortune.”
With their preparations complete, the four of them started down the path. Dino led the way, with the others following close behind. As they walked, Jin deactivated the Rune of Mul-ta, and Casimir and Murakan removed their masks.
Myuron, who had been muttering to himself, waved welcomingly as soon as he sensed their approach.
“Oh! Dino, I was just thinking how much I wanted to see you. Hehe, you can’t have a real conversation with these savages… I see you brought friends today?”
The moment he saw Myuron’s broad smile, Dino felt goosebumps crawl up his spine.
Just like the boy said… He’s welcoming us?
Managing to keep his composure, Dino bowed politely.
“I apologize for bringing others without permission, Lord Myuron. I happened to meet them, and I thought it might be lonely for you if you only had me to pour your drinks every time… I apologize if I overstepped.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! Where did you find these friends?” Myuron asked, his gaze shifting toward the campfire. It seemed he was trying to hide the corners of his mouth, which were curling into a grin.
“I met them while gathering herbs near the Pailon border. They are mercenaries active in northern Pailon, heading back to their hometown on leave.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Lord Myuron Zipple.”
“An honor to meet—”
“Enough, enough. No need for introductions. Let’s skip the useless formalities. Hey! Bring more glasses!”
At his command, a nearby native scurried over with glasses and passed them to the newcomers.
Glug, glug, glug.
Myuron carelessly filled their cups, letting the wine overflow onto the ground.
“Dino… Dino Jagrun.”
A strange smile played on Myuron’s lips as he pulled the bottle back. He narrowed his eyes, leaning his face even closer to the campfire.
“Yes, Lord Myuron.”
“Ever since we first met two weeks ago, I’ve been so curious about you. A commoner who enters a Zipple restricted area as if it were his own backyard? That shouldn’t be possible, right?”
“I am sorry.”
“Ah, hehe. I’m not blaming you. Anyway, I’ve been very interested in you since then… especially when I saw you meeting the natives behind my back! I wondered if you were some clumsy observer my father sent to watch me. That man has his eccentricities, after all.”
Hehe, hehe, hehehehe.
Myuron let out a series of quiet chuckles. Dino stood frozen, not knowing what to do as he waited for the man’s next words. Jin’s party, meanwhile, had their senses sharpened to the absolute limit. It felt as though things were escalating far more quickly than they had expected.
“But now, you’ve even brought friends into a restricted area without my permission…? Ah! Dino, what in the world is going on in that head of yours? What gives you such fearless confidence? I simply couldn’t understand it. It was enough to give me chills!”
Myuron suddenly burst into a fit of boisterous laughter. His body shook so violently that it looked as if his face might plunge into the campfire at any moment.
“Lord… Myuron?”
Snap.
Myuron stopped laughing instantly and, still leaning forward, downed his drink in one gulp.
“But now I finally understand why you were so incredibly bold.”
“I’m not sure what you mean…”
“The Garden of Swords. They were backing you all along.”
Shring!
Jin was the first to move, his sword a blur. Almost simultaneously, Casimir lunged for Myuron’s flank while Murakan stepped in front of Dino, raising a protective shield.
Clang!
Both swords were repelled, striking something invisible. A barrier of compressed mana, previously hidden within the campfire, suddenly expanded outward.
I couldn’t sense that much mana at all! So he was holding his face near the fire this whole time for this?
Murakan was just as shocked. Even though Myuron was not a user of spirit energy, he seemed to possess some ability that completely concealed the presence of his mana.
“Jin Runcandel! So that runaway priestess made a request to the Runcandels!”
“You know my face,” Jin said, stepping back. He clicked his tongue and readjusted his grip on his sword. “I thought I’d maintained a fair bit of mystery. I guess those aliases we worked so hard on were for nothing.”