Chapter 343: The Recorders (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 343: The Recorders (1)
Siris’s eyes flashed with a cold, sharp light. A brilliant blue energy surged from her blade, a clear sign that she had achieved remarkable growth.
The chill unique to the Endorma bloodline was a power renowned for its mystery and might. It was this power that had allowed them to maintain their sovereignty against the world's great powers, despite ruling only the small territory of the Secret Palace.
To think she’s this powerful while using a regular masterpiece sword instead of Ten Thousand Ice.
The sharp aura made Jin’s forehead tingle. She was undoubtedly one of the strongest warriors among her peers—perhaps even stronger than Dante.
But was she a match for the current Jin? The question required no thought. She was strong, yes, but nowhere near the level needed to defeat him.
Young stars like Siris, Dante, and Veradin could no longer be considered Jin’s rivals. It was beyond dispute that Jin was the strongest among them. He was no longer a mere "rising star" but a contender standing shoulder-to-shoulder with legends who had dominated the world for ages.
Though few in the wider world recognized this yet, those truly in the know accepted it as fact.
Jin and Siris locked eyes, holding a long moment of silence. The small beastmen watching them bowed their heads and trembled, while Talaris observed with an amused smile.
Beating Siris here wouldn't be a good look.
He had come, shamelessly, to ask for a difficult favor. Even if Siris was the one who drew her sword to initiate a duel, defeating her would only create a burden. On the other hand, his pride wouldn't allow him to throw the match, and he knew her pride wouldn't accept a hollow victory either.
Besides, he had no desire to clash blades the moment they were reunited. It had been nearly two years since they last met, and Jin was genuinely happy to see her. He wanted to ask how she had been, to catch up.
As Jin hesitated over whether to draw his sword, Siris suddenly burst into laughter.
Pfft.
“So you can make a face like that. I’ve only ever seen you look like a stone wall or a sly snake. This is refreshing.”
As Siris sheathed her sword, Talaris let out a boisterous laugh. The energy she released rippled through the Great Hall of the Secret Palace, making it vibrate as if struck by an earthquake.
“Was that a joke?” Jin asked.
“I'm well aware that testing our strength is meaningless now. Some things are obvious without needing confirmation.”
Siris had acknowledged that Jin was stronger than her two years ago.
—I was surprised when I first heard you were participating in the operation, Lady Siris.
—I’m more surprised that you turned the second floor upside down by yourself. You’ve become a monster, Jin Runcandel.
That was the conversation they’d had during the Compass Theft Incident. Siris wasn't the type to indulge in petty vanity when faced with objective facts. Furthermore, she didn't consider it shameful to be weaker than Jin.
While her desire to duel him was sincere, it was something that could wait until she had fully mastered Ten Thousand Ice. She was simply happy to see him after so long and, feeling a bit neglected, had decided to play a little prank.
“It’s been a long time, Jin.”
Siris offered her hand. Jin smiled and took it.
“I apologize for not coming sooner.”
“At least you didn't say you couldn't come. If you had, I would have charged you with insolence. It’s obvious without even asking—you must have been getting scolded by Mother.”
“My son-in-law deserved a scolding. Mmm-hmm. Still, my heart has softened a bit since he wrote hundreds of letters, daughter.”
“Hundreds of letters?”
“Yes, look at this. Isn't it cute?”
Siris’s brow furrowed as she looked over the letters. “Where is mine?”
“Pardon?”
“So only Mother’s eyes count? What about mine?”
The corners of Jin’s mouth curled up. He reached into his robes, pulled out another box, and handed it to Siris. Inside were about ten letters.
Siris couldn't help but burst into laughter again.
“I was joking this time too, but I didn't expect you to actually have them.”
“These past few days have been the most I’ve ever written in my life.”
“Hmph. It seems I’ve witnessed a delightful bit of charm after a long time,” Talaris said, nodding as if satisfied. “Well, since you’ve shown such sincerity, I shall forgive you. So, you’ve come to entrust these furballs to us this time?”
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Top quickly stood up and snapped to attention.
“Greetings! To the great and all-powerful 51st Palace Master, Talaris Endorma! I am Top, the first manager of the Golden Top Merchant Group!”
Following his lead, Suni, Dori, and Songi all stood up at once, standing stiffly with their heads held high.
“I am Suni, the second manager! If you save us, we will serve you as our lifelong benefactor!”
“I am Dori, the third manager! We will bring vitality to the Secret Palace!”
“I am Songi, the fourth manager! We will make you happy!”
Dark Flame, who had stood up sluggishly a moment later, also spoke.
“Dark Flame. Representative, Water Tail tribe. We are quiet, and good. Catch fish well.”
“Hey! How can you speak so informally?” Top hissed.
“Human speech, honorifics. Do not know.”
Talaris remained unimpressed, but Siris stared at the small beastmen, looking as if she were about to melt from their cuteness.
“I’ve heard the gist of the situation,” Talaris said. “These fellows were using you to advertise cosmetics and ended up being hunted by the Zipple, right?”
“That is correct.”
“Then Runcandel should have a justification to protect the business. Why did you specifically come to entrust them to our Secret Palace?”
Having served as the Palace Master for so long, Talaris grasped the situation immediately, without needing a detailed explanation.
“Because I trust the Secret Palace more than my own clan.”
“Fine. Then what's in it for us?”
“I will share a portion of the profits from the cosmetics business—”
“No, no. We have plenty of money. More than enough to keep this small land well-fed.”
“I believe it's always better to have more money.”
“That’s why I intend to take a portion of the profits anyway. But that alone isn't enough. I want you to offer something more enticing.”
For a few seconds, Jin pondered Talaris’s intention. He noticed that she still hadn't taken her eyes off the letters.
Lady Talaris isn't just reading my letters because they’re interesting.
She was focusing on the specific contents written within.
Temar’s tomb.
It was his descriptions of that place. While explaining the details of Temar’s tomb, Jin had naturally included the story of the Zipple’s history manipulation.
“From now on, I will share all information I discover regarding the Zipple with the Secret Palace.”
“That is a satisfying answer. Very well, for those terms, I suppose I can play babysitter for a while.”
Only then did Jin feel a wave of relief, letting out a silent sigh. He had been worried. Even after receiving the letters and the ancient Ten Thousand-Year Steel, Talaris was in a position where she could have treated him coldly or kicked him out. Even if she had attacked him out of "displeasure," Jin would have had no right to complain.
Yet, Talaris had chosen to help him, as she always did. Although she had received a price, Jin felt as though he hadn't paid anything at all.
I would have had to share the business profits anyway, and I needed to share information about the Zipple regardless.
To fight the Zipple, an ally like the Secret Palace was absolutely necessary. The more he learned about them, the more Jin felt that Runcandel alone could not defeat them.
Although it seems they aren't at the level of completely recreating history like they did a thousand years ago, one can never be sure. History manipulation is still ongoing, and I might be operating on false history myself.
Ever since seeing the history manipulation within the recording device, he had found it difficult to shake those thoughts. Knowing that you could remember a lie as the truth, yet be unable to pinpoint what was false, was the kind of thing that could wear down a person’s mind.
“You’ve repaid a great debt with just a few words today, my son-in-law.”
Talaris held more affection for Jin than he realized. It wasn't just because she saw him as a potential son-in-law, but because he was the child acknowledged years ago by her difficult and eccentric friend, Cyron.
Siris muttered to herself, asking who kept calling him a son-in-law, but Talaris completely ignored her.
“Now, only my daughter and son-in-law stay. The rest of you, get out. We have some things to discuss among ourselves.”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
As the small beastmen scurried out of the hall, Talaris’s expression turned quite serious.
“Jin.”
“Yes, Lady Talaris.”
“The Secret Palace has remained neutral for most of its history, but that hasn't always been the case. We also made a certain oath when the first Palace Master was chosen by the divine sword, Ten Thousand Ice, and Mort.”
Fsssh…
Brilliantly glowing ice crystals gathered in Talaris’s palm, forming a single sword.
It was Ten Thousand Ice.
“This sword possesses an absolute cold that can never be broken. Even ancient Ten Thousand-Year Steel is nothing more than a heavy, cumbersome lump of metal before the ice of Ten Thousand Ice. Not even your father could break this blade.”
Talaris’s sudden talk about Ten Thousand Ice was meant to explain the "oath" the Endorma bloodline had made.
Boooong!
Mort let out a low cry. Talaris climbed onto Mort’s back and reached out her hand. Once Jin and Siris were also on board, a snow-white dimensional gate leading to the "Otherworldly Snowy Plains" opened before them.
The sight of the impossibly vast Otherworldly Snowy Plains took their breath away. Mort sprinted through it at full speed.
Where are we going?
Just as Jin was about to ask, Talaris’s Ten Thousand Ice began to glow, emitting a powerful resonant sound. The resonance grew stronger and stronger until, at its peak, Mort came to a halt.
As they dismounted, what stood before them was another fortress, one that appeared even more massive than the Secret Palace in the West Sea.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve visited this place.”
The Secret Palace within the Secret Palace. Or, the True Secret Palace. That was what it was called by the few who knew of its existence.
“And it’s been a truly long time since I’ve brought an outsider here.”
As they slowly walked inside, the vast interior was a lonely, pale landscape. In the very center, a massive pillar of ice, formed by the power of Ten Thousand Ice, was visible.
That person inside the ice… who is it?
Like an eternal coffin, the pillar of ice held a person within. It was a woman Jin had never seen before, yet her white hair gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.
“This woman,” Talaris said, her voice echoing in the cold silence, “is an ancient mage of the Zipple, whom our Secret Palace has kept sealed for a thousand years with the power of Ten Thousand Ice.”