Chapter 140: After the Death of Kidad Hall (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 140: After the Death of Kidad Hall (1)
It took a full month for the news of Kidad Hall’s death to break.
Naturally, the world was sent into an uproar. Though he had been in seclusion for a considerable time and his presence had faded from the public eye, the death of a 9-star mage was inherently shocking news.
Furthermore, the exact cause of death could not be determined.
Kidad had died in his secluded residence, tucked away in the depths of the Forest of Romp. The people of the nearby village hadn't thought much of Kidad’s month-long absence. They simply assumed he was busy conducting research with the boy who accompanied him.
Because of this, Kidad’s body, left neglected for a month, had become prey for wild animals. Only a few small bone fragments remained.
Consequently, journalists, members of the Magic Association, and those with personal grudges against Kidad were forced to focus on the message carved into the wall of his home.
– Jin Gray: The prime suspect in the murder of Kidad Hall. Who is he?
– Why was Kidad Hall murdered? And what was the reason for his seclusion?
– The essence of reverse flow magic is unfortunately presumed to be stored in the Eternal Warehouse of the Holy Kingdom of Vankella...
While articles with such headlines poured out day after day, those who knew the name ‘Jin Gray’ were holding their own discussions.
“It couldn’t be the youngest, right? Jin Gray… it’s a common name, after all.”
“That’s impossible. It’s true the youngest is incredible, but we’re talking about a 9-star mage. There’s no way. Yeah, exactly. It’s definitely not him.”
“Haha, right…?”
The Tona brothers, now Reserve Flagbearers waiting to leave the family home, were in denial. Yet, for some reason, they couldn’t shake the feeling that it was indeed their youngest brother.
“Honestly, our idiot brothers. You’ve never even met a 9-star mage, so you can spout such nonsense. To think these two will become Reserve Flagbearers in a few months… Tsk.”
“Oh, come on, Sister Myu. Listening to them babble such stupid things is almost cute—in a ‘makes-me-want-to-kill-them’ sort of way. A 9-star? As if. That White Wolf Tribe incident was ridiculous enough.”
As Myu and Anne snickered and glared at the Tona brothers, Mary turned her gaze toward them.
“Everyone, shut up. You’re ruining my meal.”
“Che! Sister Mary, can’t we even talk a little?”
“I said shut up.”
“Ha! Sister, why did you stay quiet when the Tonas were talking—”
“Myu, Anne. If either of you says one more word, Mary is going to beat you to death. Even I won’t be able to stop her this time. Mother isn’t here right now, after all.”
The second son, Dipus, shrugged his shoulders.
Luntia shook her head as if the entire situation was a nuisance, while Ran and Vigo focused silently on their food.
It was a dinner where the pure-blooded second-generation Runcandels had gathered. The only ones missing were Luna, Yona, and the Reserve Flagbearer, Jin.
Clack.
Joshua set down his knife and wiped his mouth.
“Now, now, that’s enough. It’s a rare occasion for us all to have dinner together; is there any need for sour faces? Besides, I also suspect the youngest might have killed Kidad Hall.”
Every eye turned toward Joshua. Even Luntia, who had been staring blankly as if uninterested, looked up.
“Even you, Eldest Brother? Do you really think that makes sense?”
“Hmm… Of course, it would be impossible for the youngest alone. But if Yona helped him, it would be possible.”
At that, Mary and Dipus glared at Joshua with eyes full of hostility. The two of them were perpetually disgusted by Joshua’s schemes.
“Give it a rest, Brother. I knew you didn’t call us here just for a meal, but this routine is getting exhausting. Are you really trying to keep a Reserve Flagbearer in check now?”
“Can you take responsibility for saying Yona helped him, Eldest Brother?”
“Well, it’s just a guess. Do I need to take responsibility for that? A 9-star Great Mage is dead, and the cause of death hasn’t even been found. It would be difficult to pull off unless it was the work of ‘Nameless’.”
Nameless.
Yona was currently affiliated with the assassin group ‘Nameless’ rather than Runcandel.
“It seems you’ve wanted something bad to happen to Yona for a long time, Brother. Hearing you bring up her name so suddenly makes me nauseous. And to link her with the youngest? It’s absurd.”
“The name Jin Gray was left at the scene. My theory is this: the youngest commissioned Nameless to make a name for himself. And Yona carved the name into the wall with a sword on his behalf.”
Myu and Anne clapped their hands and nodded.
“Oh, that makes sense when you put it that way! Then does that mean the missions the youngest succeeded in during his cadet days might have also used the power of Nameless?”
“It’s just a hypothesis. As Myu said, the youngest has been achieving unbelievable things for a while now, so I think there’s no harm in investigating it once.”
“You’re right, Brother. I’ve had too many questions about Jin for a long time. I’ve also been curious about what Yona thinks of the family.”
Slam!
Mary stood up abruptly and struck the table. Myu and Anne flinched and turned away, while Luntia swallowed a sigh. She felt like another annoying situation was about to unfold.
“I suppose a 7th Flagbearer like me shouldn’t talk back to the 2nd Flagbearer of the family. But remember one thing, Brother. If you hurt Yona, Father likely won’t just stand by and watch.”
Dipus stood up next and added a word.
“Brother, try to show a bit of grace sometimes. If you want Yona, just break her with your sword and force her to submit. This wagging of the tongue… it’s not the Runcandel way, is it?”
“Hehe… I don’t think you’re in a position to say that, Dipus. If you don’t like me, why don’t you just draw your sword right now?”
Dipus’s gaze briefly shifted to Luntia.
“And give her the satisfaction?”
As Mary and Dipus turned and marched out the door, Joshua smiled with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the two people who had triggered this whole situation couldn't help but feel like they were getting indigestion.
Ugh, now that the younger ones are gone, the older ones are even more chaotic…
I can’t even imagine how much Sisters Myu and Anne are going to torment us for a while. Damn it. If the youngest were here, their bullying might have been less intense. To think I’d actually miss him…
The Tona brothers were deeply depressed.
*
“Dante!”
In the Zipple banquet hall, notorious for being the most boring place on earth, Veradin sat down next to Dante, waving a newsletter.
Dante had attended because he was invited, but he had been agonizing over what kind of expression to wear at this stodgy party to avoid being rude.
Thus, he managed an awkward smile for Veradin, who had just finished greeting people here and there before coming to find him.
“You’ve arrived, Veradin? It is… a truly… wonderful banquet. Thank you for not forgetting to invite me.”
“Hey, why the formalities between us? I know better than anyone how boring our family’s banquets are. I just called you because I wanted to see you. Sorry, sorry. You were bored, right? I was bored too. I miss the nights at the Arena of Cosmos so much.”
“Oh… the Arena! That was a good time. There’s no need to be sorry. I’ve been feeling quite empty since that day myself.”
“I’ve spent more than a few days just fiddling with an empty treasure chest and reminiscing. More importantly, did you hear the news? This.”
Veradin said, holding out the newsletter.
Surprisingly, Dante had only just learned of Kidad Hall’s death. Until right before coming to the banquet, he had been in closed-door training and had no idea what was happening in the world.
“Huh! What on earth… A 9-star mage was murdered, and the name Jin Gray was left at the scene?”
“I’m more surprised by you. You didn't know this until now? Anyway, this incident… To me, it looks like that guy’s work. Dante, what do you think?”
Hmph!
Dante let out a confident snort.
“Of course! He’s more than capable of something like that. I don’t know the reason or the method, but I am certain it is our friend’s handiwork.”
“So, Dante. Can you spare some time?”
“Right now?”
“No, starting tomorrow, for a good while.”
Veradin leaned in close to Dante’s ear and whispered.
“Want to go see him after all this time?”
“Do you know where he is?”
“We can just go look for him!”
The moment Dante reflexively nodded with a wide grin, the guests and journalists gathered in the banquet hall interpreted the scene in a completely different way.
Those two were definitely talking about Kidad Hall just now, weren't they? And yet they were smiling as if they share some secret.
I heard the relationship between Zipple and Hairan has been very good lately. It seems Zipple was involved in Kidad Hall’s death, and Lord Veradin gave Lord Dante some information.
Perhaps Zipple is strengthening its alliances while cleaning up non-aligned forces. Kidad was someone cast out by Zipple, after all. I’ll have to handle this story carefully.
*
Meanwhile, the protagonist of all those rumors was looking for an ear pick.
“Is someone talking behind my back? My ears keep itching… Murakan.”
“What.”
“Is the work on the Book of Reverse Flow almost finished?”
“Agh! Damn it, I have a right to live like a human too, kid. I’ve been stuck on this magic tome for a month already!”
True to his word, Murakan had been busy substituting the Rune characters in the Book of Reverse Flow ever since Jin returned. Only after the substitution was complete could the magic be engraved onto Jin’s body.
Unlike with Chenmi’s Flash Cannon, the structure of the Rune characters was excessively complex, which was why he hadn't finished yet.
“But no one else can work on the magic tome except you.”
“Why do you always leave out Quicantel? She knows how to do this too!”
“I told you, I always leave her out of these things. Instead, if you finish it all, I’ll get you a whole cartload of limited-edition erotic picture books…”
“If you bring anything less than premium grade, I’ll end you.”
While Murakan was huffing, Casimir came to find Jin.
“Young Lord.”
“Yes, Sir Casimir.”
“Um… I think I’ll need to be away for about a month, so I came to let you know.”
“Oh, for a month? Where are you going?”
“Well, that is, uh. Viment. Yes, I have to go to Viment for a bit. I left something behind there.”
As the deposed prince of Viment, there was currently no reason for Casimir to personally retrieve something from the Viment Empire.
And Jin knew very well that there was only one reason Casimir would act this awkward and say such strange things.
Father must have called him. To the Black Sea. It must be because of Kidad Hall. Did he want to receive a report in person this time?
It was just like every other time he was lying about something related to Cyron. Casimir still thought Jin didn't know he was sending reports to the patriarch.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Oh, no! It’s something I must handle entirely on my own, haha. Anyway, Young Lord Jin. I’ve secured what you asked for last time, so please think carefully once more about using it while I’m away.”
Jin offered a grin, silently wishing Casimir good luck.