Chapter 250: Villain (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 250: Villain (7)
A fleet of nearly five hundred sailing ships was approaching the eastern port of the Holy Kingdom.
A fleet of this scale should never have been able to appear so suddenly. Worse, its owner was no ally of the Holy Kingdom.
It was a beastman fleet led by Verakt Sidriker, the Great Warrior of the White Wolf Tribe.
Entering territorial waters with five hundred ships without so much as asking for permission was an act the Holy Kingdom could only interpret as a declaration of war.
However, to everyone’s surprise, every single one of the five hundred ships had a black ribbon tied to its tallest mast—a sign of mourning.
Furthermore, every vessel, without exception, had its cannons removed. At the bow of each ship stood a White Wolf beastman waving a massive black flag.
They had come not for war, but to offer condolences.
It was a mourning delegation on a scale unprecedented in history.
"Are they insane? They know the Holy Kingdom is in chaos, yet they send five hundred ships just to pay their respects?" Murakan muttered, shaking his head.
"Kinzelo's name is out in the open because of Dino, so this is them showing off. They're trying to prove they aren't some third-rate terrorist group. I don't know whose idea it was, but it's clever."
"Clever?"
"Kinzelo said they'd help me. But if the world sees them as some pathetic organization, no one will take them seriously, no matter what aid they offer the Holy Kingdom."
"Hmm, that's true."
"This is their way of signaling that they're a major power, one that can send five hundred ships just for a funeral. That's the angle."
"The reporters are going to have a field day with this."
It was an unexpected move from Kinzelo, who had concealed their strength until now.
Have they decided they no longer need to hide their power? Or did they simply lack an opportunity to display it until now?
Either way, it was a development that would infuriate Zipple.
They had already taken a hit to their reputation trying to hide that Karl was captured by a “third-rate terrorist group,” and now Kinzelo was starting to flaunt its power in earnest.
The Holy Kingdom permitted only one of the five hundred ships to dock. Not only was it impossible to accommodate the entire fleet, but this was an excessive display, even for a funeral.
From the single docked ship, Verakt descended, accompanied by five beastman aides and about twenty bound humans.
Verakt's massive physique was overwhelming, drawing every eye. The White Wolves accompanying him were renowned warriors in their own right, but their presence was utterly eclipsed by Verakt's aura.
They immediately used a teleport gate to travel to the capital and made their way to the square where Rani was.
Every time Verakt took a heavy stride, the nearby crowds flinched. Like animals encountering a natural predator, most of them didn't dare to meet his gaze.
Verakt offered little courtesy in return, but the crowd, paralyzed by fear, didn't dare to jeer. The atmosphere was entirely different from when the White Night had arrived with the Kozec.
Soon, Verakt stood before Rani. The paladins of the Golden Shield Society waited for him to speak, their tension at its peak.
‘Kid.’
Jin and Murakan were also watching the scene.
‘Yeah.’
‘That guy is seriously strong. I’m not even sure your eldest sister could guarantee a win against him.’
That was Murakan’s assessment of Verakt.
"I am Verakt Sidriker, the Commander-in-Chief of Kinzelo’s Revolutionary Army and the Great Warrior of the White Wolf Tribe. I have come to mourn the death of Holy King Miklan."
"…Thank you, Verakt Sidriker."
"Lord Rani, you may not be aware, but I owe the late Holy King a debt from some thirty years ago. I was gravely wounded in battle, and Miklan, who happened to be training in our lands, treated me."
"I recall my father mentioning that he underwent a period of ascetic training in the lands of the beastmen around that time. So that's what happened."
"He was the finest human I have ever known. I offer my deepest condolences."
The people couldn't help but be shocked. It was surprising enough that a Great Warrior of the White Wolf Tribe—a race famous for treating humans like insects—had come to pay respects, but no one had imagined he would speak and act with such civility.
Rani’s gaze fell upon the bound humans behind Verakt. They were wearing filthy, tattered Zipple robes.
"And these humans bound behind me are Zipple prisoners we were holding. Back when we were allies with Zipple, these humans carried out biological experiments in our lands without permission, following the orders of the Zipple Patriarch."
"What?"
"These wretches will confess the details themselves. I pray that your nation finds its way out of this sorrow soon."
A stir went through the crowd.
Jin, watching from afar, once again wondered who within Kinzelo had devised this scheme.
Following the show of force, he subtly treats Rani as the head of the Holy Kingdom. Then, he drives the nail in by claiming the biological experiments were Kelliark’s orders.
The process of completely framing Zipple was bound to be a mud-slinging fight anyway. In that sense, Verakt’s statement was an excellent opening attack.
Though, considering the biological experiments were actually a joint venture between Kinzelo and Zipple, this is incredibly shameless.
The priority was to force Zipple to withdraw from the Holy Kingdom. Kinzelo’s crimes could be addressed after the Holy Kingdom was back on its feet. For now, Kinzelo’s name was out in the open, too.
While Rani was choosing her response, Verakt spoke again.
"My prolonged presence will only make everyone uncomfortable, so I shall depart at once. It is a fact that we were also allies with Zipple, and we will take responsibility for that in the future."
* * *
It was revealed that the prisoners Verakt brought were all mages belonging to Zipple’s Academy.
They exposed every single experiment Zipple had performed on the citizens of the Holy Kingdom, leaving nothing out.
Their confessions aligned almost perfectly with the records left by Mutual Silla and even included details of experiments Zipple had conducted on their own, not as part of the joint venture.
Through their confessions, the existence of additional experimental facilities within the Holy Kingdom was exposed to the world. Zipple had built secret laboratories in the northern part of the capital and several other cities.
That was the decisive blow. Rani and the citizens were beyond shocked to learn that Zipple’s laboratories existed within their own borders.
Jin felt the same.
"I thought the best we could hope for was to expose Karl as a scapegoat, tarnish Zipple's image, and force them into a partial withdrawal. But this changes things. To think there were laboratories inside the Holy Kingdom."
Any image of Zipple as a kind and righteous family of mages was now dead and buried in the Holy Kingdom.
Despite this, Zipple had yet to release any significant additional statements.
"Kinzelo really came through with the support. Or maybe I should say you used them well, kid," Murakan said.
"That's right. But I don’t plan on leaving them alone, either. If things continue like this, Kinzelo has nothing to lose. They only stand to gain, building an image as a successful organization capable of kidnapping a Zipple Tower Master and taking their mages prisoner."
"Even though they lost the Dark Magic Association and Riol Zipple’s magic tome."
"That’s not enough. I need to show the world that Kinzelo is no different from Zipple. I've used them for all they're worth in the Holy Kingdom. Now, it's time to discard them."
"How are you going to do that?"
Just as Jin was about to answer, someone knocked urgently on their door.
"Young Master Jin!"
It was Casimir’s frantic voice.
"Sir Casimir? What is it?"
"Karl Zipple… has been murdered!"
Jin and Murakan shot to their feet.
"What? Weren't the loyalists of the Golden Shield Society guarding the underground prison?"
"An assassin broke through their perimeter. It was undoubtedly sent by Zipple."
"Ha."
Karl Zipple was the one person who couldn't die right now.
He had to stay alive to prove Kelliark had framed his own son as an innocent scapegoat. Furthermore, with Karl dead, the Holy Kingdom’s justification for pressuring Zipple would inevitably weaken.
It would look like the Holy Kingdom had killed the very man Zipple offered up as the “mastermind of the biological experiments.” Zipple could then claim that with Karl’s death, “the price has been paid.”
Of course, a Zipple assassin had killed Karl, not the Holy Kingdom, but the truth didn't matter.
Zipple's media puppets would start churning out fabricated articles today, claiming the Holy Kingdom was demanding excessive reparations even after Karl's death.
To avoid being victimized by a “tail-cutting” strategy, one must never let the tail be cut.
"Zipple’s media is already moving. They’re saying Zipple has paid enough for their crimes."
"Humans are a foolish race, but would they believe that? Even a lowly beast could see Zipple killed Karl."
"Naturally, no one within the Holy Kingdom believes it. However, outsiders will think the Holy Kingdom killed Karl while torturing him for a confession. Rumors will spread that the Holy Kingdom framed Karl’s death as an assassination to hide that fact. Because…"
Casimir sighed and continued.
"Zipple—those bastards left the name 'Barmul' at the scene of the murder."
Jin and Murakan’s eyes widened.
I will cleanse the resentment of the Holy Kingdom's citizens with your blood – Barmul.
After killing Karl, the assassin had carved this sentence into the wall at the prison entrance with a sword.
"Reporters have already confirmed the sentence on the wall. They deliberately carved it at the entrance, not inside Karl's solitary cell, ensuring everyone would see it."
"I see their intention. Image and prestige. They lost both because of me, so now they're calling me out, demanding I reveal my identity."
"That’s how it looks to me as well, Young Master."
The assassin who killed Karl had identified himself as “Barmul.”
As Murakan said, no one would believe it.
However, unless the real Barmul officially announced that he was not the culprit, the Holy Kingdom could no longer hold Zipple accountable. Regardless of the circumstances, it was a fact that Karl was dead.
Conversely, if the real Barmul—Jin—appeared in public and proved he was not the culprit, Zipple’s image would truly plummet. Not just in the Holy Kingdom, but worldwide.
The mantle of “evil and tyranny” that had long been the symbol of Runcandel could pass to Zipple.
"What will you do?"
"Since they’re trying so hard to become the villains, I should lend them a hand. I have to officially announce that I had nothing to do with it."
"Your will is what matters, Young Master… but in my opinion, revealing your identity is too dangerous. Since they lost both image and prestige, as you said, doesn't this mean they want to find out who Barmul is and show the world exactly what happens to those who oppose Zipple?"
Jin smirked.
"On the contrary, if the one who defied Zipple continues to live on just fine, it'll be a massive blow to them in its own right. This actually works out perfectly. While I'm revealing my identity, I'll take down Kinzelo, too."