Chapter 308: Fragments of the Past – Sarah (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 308: Fragments of the Past – Sarah (1)
Jin’s eyes widened.
What is he talking about…?
In the scene projected by the sphere, the Murakan of the past was saying things the Murakan Jin knew would never say.
Silence fell.
Sarah’s eyes, fixed on Murakan, trembled violently. A chilling, murderous intent soon flickered in her gaze, yet Murakan remained expressionless.
"Give up on the Patriarch… Yes, I heard rumors you were spreading such talk. I heard it from the magic swordsmen of the Execution Division. Padler said something similar, too."
Ptui!
Sarah spat a mouthful of dark blood before continuing.
"I thought it was just some kind of misunderstanding. I figured they didn't know you as well as I do, or… or that everyone was just spouting nonsense because they were exhausted from this never-ending war…"
Sarah stalked toward Murakan and grabbed him by the collar.
"But now, I’ve heard it with my own ears. You, suggesting we kill the Patriarch. Are you serious? We have to eliminate him? You are the Patriarch’s Guardian Dragon!"
"Sarah."
"Answer me, Murakan!"
"…Look around you."
At his words, Sarah turned her head.
Corpses were everywhere—the remnants of the bloody battle the two had just fought. Scattered among the severed remains were countless black swords symbolizing Runcandel and dragon crests representing Zipple.
"Temar killed more than half of those mages. If he and the rest of us hadn't arrived as reinforcements, the tide would have turned against us. This battle would have likely ended in a Zipple victory."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I arrived on the battlefield before you did. That means, unlike you, I watched Temar fight. And the ones he killed weren't just Zipple mages."
"Are you… are you saying the Patriarch killed our own knights?"
Murakan nodded slowly.
Sarah, who had been clutching his collar, felt the strength drain from her hands. She looked around again, her eyes scanning the state of the fallen.
She examined the wounds, the clean cuts, with intense focus. Soon, she realized that some of the allied casualties—no, the majority of them—had fallen to Temar’s blade. His sword always left unmistakable traces.
"Sarah, he is going mad. Temar… is no longer the man we knew," Murakan said after a long silence.
"No, the Patriarch wouldn't go mad…"
"Don't look away. You already know the truth."
"Nonsense."
"How long do you think you can keep lying to yourself? I know you don't want to face it. Neither did I. But even in the last battle, you saw Temar cutting down our allies. He almost killed Padler, only regaining his senses at the last second to stop himself."
"The Patriarch is human, too. He just lost his reason for a moment due to the relentless, brutal fighting."
"Are you still going to deny it after seeing all these dead knights?"
Sarah shook her head vehemently.
"There must have been a reason why the Patriarch killed them. Murakan! If we don't believe in the Patriarch, who will?"
"I know better than anyone how hard this is to accept. But you must see the truth. If for no other reason, then for his sake."
"The truth is!" Sarah screamed. Her voice was sharp with defiance, yet it trembled on the verge of tears. "The truth is that the Patriarch is still the same man we've always known! Murakan, there must be a reason why Temar killed them!"
"Sarah."
"They must have been knights turned into puppets by Zipple’s magic. You know that, don't you? You know how those bastards manipulate the human mind! We have to trust the Patriarch!"
"Do you truly believe that?"
"Maybe… maybe they were spies. Yes, they must have been spies. That’s why Temar killed them himself…"
Slap!
Murakan struck Sarah across the cheek.
Her vacant, unfocused eyes stared into the empty air.
"Do not insult the fallen knights. They died fighting for Runcandel, for Temar, for you, and for the rest of us—to stop the world from falling into Zipple’s hands. How can you, one of the Ten Great Knights, bring such shame upon them!"
Sarah’s eyes welled up.
Tears began to stream down her face. She had regretted her words the moment they left her lips, but she couldn't take them back.
Sarah collapsed to her knees and pulled the corpses of her fallen comrades into an embrace, utterly unable to cope with the chaos raging in her heart.
Murakan looked down at her for a long time before quietly pulling her into a hug.
"Just what made the Patriarch like that? You… you know, don't you? You know what’s driving him mad. Tell me."
Zzzzt—!
Bzzzzzt…!
The grey sphere projecting the images flickered and distorted. The scene rapidly blurred and sharpened in succession.
As a result, the two figures became impossible to see clearly, and their voices began to break up.
"It’s doing this again…"
Jin had experienced this once before in the first tomb.
It wasn't unexpected. Since the space itself was destroyed, he had assumed there would be issues with the recording devices as well. He had no choice but to wait for the sphere to stabilize.
Between the Spirit Energy Orb from the first tomb and the recording devices in these graves… none of them seem to be fully intact.
Watching the recording felt like tinkering with a broken clockwork mechanism. It would show events from a thousand years ago perfectly, only to malfunction at the most critical moments.
According to the recording, Murakan decided Temar had gone mad and intended to kill him. That might be why Sir Silderay spoke of Murakan with such distaste.
It seemed he really needed to meet Misha soon. She would likely know something about these recording devices.
Zzzzt!
The image from the grey sphere cleared up again.
However, just as in the first tomb, the perspective had shifted.
Murakan and Sarah were no longer on a battlefield littered with corpses. Instead, they stood in a desolate landscape teeming with monsters.
The Black Sea.
Jin recognized it instantly. There was only one place in the world with such a dark and barren landscape.
But there was one strange detail.
Why is there a tower in the Black Sea…?
It was definitely the Black Sea, yet in the distance, far from where Murakan, Sarah, and a man Jin didn't recognize were standing, a single tower soared into the sky. It was a tower that did not exist in the Black Sea of the present day.
"There really is a tower… So the Patriarch is inside," the man said. Murakan and Sarah called him Padler.
The three stood in silence for a long time, gazing at the distant structure. From its peak, black smoke billowed incessantly—it was Spirit Energy.
Even at a glance, the atmosphere was ominous. The Spirit Energy erupting from the tower seemed to harbor a sinister, poisonous aura.
"Sigh…" Padler let out a deep sigh. "Murakan, is this truly the only way?"
When Murakan didn't answer, Padler continued.
"To be honest, I don't have the confidence."
"Temar has grown weak. I can handle him on my own. The reason I called you two was simply…"
"It’s not that. I mean, I don't know if this is the right thing to do. Killing the Patriarch with our own hands… isn't it too cruel? For him, and for us."
"Don't hesitate now that we've come this far, Padler. Do you think I want to kill him? I can't even put into words this wretched feeling. I am suffering, too." Murakan turned to look at Padler, his eyes bloodshot. "In my two-thousand-year life, there has never been a day more horrific than this. Can you even imagine what it’s like for a Guardian Dragon to have to kill his contractor? Unlike you humans, I can't even commit suicide to escape the pain. If I had my way, after killing him, I would…"
Murakan stopped mid-sentence and grit his teeth.
The ground of the Black Sea where they stood was vibrating. The dark energy flowing from the tower was weighing down the entire area.
Not a single monster was in sight. Like animals instinctively hiding from a natural disaster, they had all fled.
"Murakan. Know this one thing," Sarah said. Murakan did not turn his head toward her. "If the roles were reversed, the Patriarch—no, my Brother… he would never have given up on you."
"I know."
"You pretend this is for his sake, but in the end, you and your god are just making the choice that benefits you most. And damn it all, we have no choice but to follow that decision."
Sarah began to walk forward.
The two men followed behind her, their footprints sinking into the dark soil of the Black Sea.
The closer they got to the tower, the darker the landscape became. The Spirit Energy emanating from it held a toxicity far more terrible than anything else in the Black Sea.
By the time they reached the entrance, all three had to deploy their protective shields at full power. Murakan transformed into his true dragon form and released his own Spirit Energy.
The interior was a massive, hollow space. In the center was a spiral staircase, and the group didn't exchange a single word as they climbed.
Finally, upon reaching the top of the tower…
They came face-to-face with Temar, who stood in the center.
Like someone afflicted by a plague, his entire body was covered in black spots. He didn't move an inch, even as he saw them arrive.
"Brother."
Temar said nothing.
"We… I have come, Brother. Why are you all alone in this lonely place?"
Sarah was clinging to a sliver of hope. Temar hadn't shown any hostile reaction. It was the hope that her beloved brother might not have gone mad after all, that even now, everything could be undone.
[Sarah…]
Her eyes widened as she nodded. "Yes, it’s me. Sarah. Do you recognize me? Hmm?"
[Come… closer… It’s… cold…]
Just as Sarah smiled brightly and tried to step toward Temar, Murakan grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Don't go near him."
"Let go."
"If you get any closer, he’ll attack."
"I said, let go!"
"Dammit, Sarah! Listen to me! Look at the Spirit Energy swirling around Temar! Can't you see the blades protruding from it? He formed them specifically to stab you!"
Padler squeezed his eyes shut.
He had sensed the hidden weapons made of Spirit Energy the moment he first saw Temar. Because of that, he had no choice but to accept it.
The Patriarch had gone mad.
The Temar that Padler knew was a man who wouldn't strike back even if his only sister stabbed him in the back. But now, he was trying to lure Sarah in just to kill her.
Shring!
Padler drew his sword. The blade, imbued with Lightning Energy, left its scabbard and illuminated the dark chamber.
"As one of the Ten Great Knights, Padler Runcandel, I have enjoyed infinite glory since the Patriarch bestowed upon me the name Runcandel. For raising my sword against him now, I will atone even in death."
At that, a grotesque smile spread across Temar’s lips.