Chapter 171: A Brief Farewell (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171: A Brief Farewell (1)
Slash, squelch! Pshhh…!
As always, Guardian Knight Khan was busy carving his way through the monsters of the Black Sea, a sealed letter tucked securely against his chest.
However, what he had to deliver to Cyron this time was more than just a letter from Casimir.
“The Youngest Young Master spent two days with Lady Yona, Patriarch.”
Having finally concluded a three-day slaughter, Khan spoke as he handed the letter to Cyron.
Cyron did not answer immediately, choosing instead to unfold the letter. It was the first correspondence since Casimir had been summoned to the Black Sea.
[The first page details Young Master Jin’s actions and their results. From the second page onward, I have provided a detailed description of the situation based on the Young Master’s testimony. You may skip the latter section if you wish. I hope the length is not too taxing…]
The letter began as described, organized quite neatly. It was neither as long-winded nor as excessively brief as his previous ones.
Casimir, that fellow, is finally sending something legible.
As Cyron scanned the report, his eyes deepened.
An 8-star mage, Rolt Jo, and a White Wolf warrior. It has been a long time since I heard the name Hapalep.
In his youth, Cyron had also fought against the Hapalep clan of the White Wolf Tribe. It was when he was in his twenties, nearing the 10-star realm, that the Hapalep chieftain had challenged him.
The chieftain had been a memorable powerhouse. Their duel had lasted over five hours, though the result, naturally, was Cyron’s victory.
Of course, now that he had surpassed 10-star to become the one and only Creation Knight, the chieftain would be no match for him even if he returned from the dead.
On that day, the Hapalep warriors Cyron saw were all far more skilled than the average member of the White Wolf Tribe.
The White Wolf named Goltep, whom the youngest defeated, must be from the chieftain’s grandson’s generation. If the Hapalep clan is still full of such hardy warriors, it was a significant victory.
Turning to the next page, the detailed descriptions began. Cyron became immersed in the letter, reading for a long while as if it were a long-awaited novel.
[It is said that when he split Goltep’s hammer in two, he spoke the word ‘Cut.’ It seems to be a personal habit of Young Master Jin. When faced with something difficult to cut, conviction can be a crucial factor.]
This was the passage that particularly piqued Cyron’s interest.
It is no mere habit. That is the way of the ancient Runcandel magic swordsmen. It matches the descriptions in the records almost perfectly.
As the Patriarch, Cyron was privy to all the secrets of the Runcandel clan.
Whether it was fragments of history describing the Runcandel ‘Era of Magic Swordsmen’ that Zipple had failed to erase, or the methods used by those blessed by Solderet to wield a sword—only the Patriarch could access such things. They were materials sealed in a special archive that neither Elders nor Flagbearers could enter.
Incantations, the sword, and spiritual energy.
When he first saw the records of the magic swordsmen’s battles upon becoming Patriarch—especially the battle records of Temar Runcandel, of which only a few lines remained—he remembered being plagued by curiosity for a long time.
Is the realm he reached as a magic swordsman greater than mine?
A topic he had long forgotten without reaching an answer now sent ripples through his heart.
The records called it the ‘Spirit Sword.’
He wanted to summon his youngest son immediately and command him to demonstrate it, but he had to restrain himself. It would be incomplete anyway; it was a technique whose lineage had been severed for a thousand years.
Having finished his reflections, Cyron closed the letter.
“Khan.”
“Yes, Patriarch.”
“What did the youngest and Yona do for two days?”
“They simply spent some leisure time together. Lady Yona’s senses are so sharp that it was impossible to watch them twenty-four hours a day, but it seems they truly just played.”
“Just the two of them?”
“Yes.”
“Did the youngest ask Yona for anything, or receive any help?”
“According to the Guardian Knights within the Con Principality, nothing of the sort occurred. Since you personally warned him through Gilly after he received the Ten Thousand Poison Liquor, the Youngest Young Master likely wouldn’t dare disobey.”
Cyron blinked once.
“He is a strange one. Fearless in many ways.”
“Are you referring to the Youngest Young Master?”
“Indeed. I never imagined that Yona could mingle normally with others. Even Oul, whom Yona favored slightly, suffered several death threats from her. Even Luna keeps her distance from that child.”
As Khan bowed his head, Cyron let out a short chuckle.
“Tell the Guardian Knights in the Con Principality to monitor Yona more loosely from now on. If they interfere with her playing with her brother, she’s the type of child who would kill them, even knowing they are my knights.”
“Understood.”
*
The companions in Tikan had no choice but to hold a meeting as soon as they heard the news Jin brought back.
The information was far too shocking.
“It’s startling enough that Zipple and Kinzelo were allies until recently, but the reason that alliance ended was because the Demon God Stone was damaged… and the one who damaged it was none other than Young Master Jin?”
The Demon God Stone held by Zipple had been destroyed during Jin’s decisive battle with Andrei Zipple on a deserted island in the Viment Sea.
Strictly speaking, Luna had been the one to shatter it, but she had only joined the fray because Jin had sought out that location.
Thanks to that, Jin had changed the fates of Enya and Yuria that day, while Zipple lost a Vice-Patriarch and a Wind Dragon.
To think Bubar was the one who made it. It’s surprising no matter how much I think about it.
In his previous life, Jin had thought Bubar was merely a mad shapeshifter who enjoyed causing chaos. But according to the new information, Bubar was at the very core of the Kinzelo Group.
“Furthermore, that bastard uses a special ability called ‘Sculpting’ to create artifacts like the Demon God Stone or to transform others… using the remains of dead gods and the ruins of ancient civilizations.”
As Murakan spoke, his face was unusually grave.
“Yes. So when they say ‘remains of dead gods,’ are they talking about things like the tears or blood of Numerus?”
“That’s right. But kid, remember when I went to the unprotected zone near the Kurano Duchy to help your faction’s cadets? I told you I met a Grave Giant there.”
Grave Giants.
Those golems that guarded the tombs of dead gods had vanished two thousand years ago. It was the dragons who had wiped them out, and Murakan and Quicantel had participated in their elimination back then.
“I couldn’t for the life of me understand why a Grave Giant was there, but now I see. It was the work of that Bubar Gaston fellow. And it seems he has contracted with Well, the God of Sculpture.”
“Well, the God of Sculpture? That’s a name I’ve never heard.”
Everyone except Murakan and Quicantel felt the same. Even among the general populace, very few knew the name Well.
“It’s only natural you don’t know. Like Klam, whom we met in Colon, he is one of the gods who vanished from history. Well was inside the Grave of Dead Gods.”
Well was also the being who had contributed the most when the gods were crafting the ‘Origin Stones.’
And after the Origin Stones were destroyed and a long time had passed, Well lost his divinity and was reduced to a mere mortal.
The place where such fallen gods gathered was the ‘Grave of Dead Gods,’ and the Grave Giants were golems Well had created to protect his and their dignity after death.
As Murakan explained this secret history, Quicantel nodded silently. For most dragons, the elimination of the Grave Giants was not a pleasant memory.
After all, it was an act of desecrating the tombs of beings who were once worshipped as gods.
“Then you’re saying a dead god—no, the human named Well—was resurrected, regained his divinity, and contracted with Bubar? Is that even possible?”
“It’s absolutely impossible. However, there’s no other way to explain it unless Bubar is Well’s contractor, so I’ve formed a hypothesis. Seeing as he can even transform others, I’m starting to think he might not be a contractor, but Well himself.”
“It seems like I keep getting involved with divine beings ever since I became a Reserve Flagbearer,” Jin muttered.
“If what Murakan-nim says is true, Bubar Gaston is quite a mysterious figure. Why would such a person be with Kinzelo?”
“It must be related to Kinzelo’s ‘Great Cause,’ Strawberry Pie. First, we need to find out what this Great Cause they speak of actually is. Seeing as they handed the Demon God Stone over to Zipple, it’s clear they have grand ambitions. They probably want to become the sole god of this world.”
Thanks to the memories of his previous life, Jin knew what the ‘Revolution’ Kinzelo pursued was.
It was to crown their own leader as the sole king of the world. It was a goal that aligned with Zipple’s attempt to become the sole god using the Demon God Stone.
“What bothers me most is the object called the Compass. Looking at the context of the conversation between Vishkel and Bubar, that Compass… it seems to be a device for finding God’s contractors.”
“I think so too, kid. It’s certain they find contractors with the Compass and absorb them with the Demon God Stone.”
— In Enya’s case, her contract was already revealed to the Viment higher-ups, but the contractor of Az Mil hasn’t been revealed to the world yet.
— Then how did they approach Latri in the first place? Seeing as they haven’t returned him yet, they definitely seem to know about Az Mil’s contractor. They even knew the contractor was young.
— That’s true. Hmm… while I was asleep for a thousand years, did some kind of magic to detect contractors get invented?
— There’s no way such magic was created. Whether a thousand years ago or now, no one can recognize a contract until the contractor manifests their authority.
The three of them, recalling that moment simultaneously, nodded.
“Fortunately, it seems the Compass’s function isn’t perfect. They couldn’t find Yuria properly, so they kidnapped Latri instead.”
“The first day of next June.”
When Jin spoke, everyone’s attention focused on him.
“That is the date Zipple is scheduled to return the Compass to Kinzelo. The location is an island south of the Bellado Principality, the land of pirates.”
“A little over half a year left.”
“Until then, we should dig up as much information as possible on Kinzelo and Zipple, and then seize it. If possible, we should also look for a way to secure the Compass before then.”
As for why they had to do it…
No one asked or questioned that. There were already three contractors right here in this place—their home and sanctuary.
If the Compass ever pointed toward Tikan, hunters from Zipple or Kinzelo would come.
Jin recalled the battle with Andrei. The man had babbled about how Jin would be ‘the best material for the Demon God Stone,’ and how ‘twelve gods’ dwelled within him after he merged with the stone.
“Fortunately, it seems they haven’t caught our scent yet, but we never know when we might become targets. Zipple, Kinzelo—both are up to no good, and we can’t just sit back and watch.”