Chapter 418: Betrayal (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 418: Betrayal (1)
What on earth had happened?
That was the only thought anyone could muster.
Who could have predicted that the main estate of the Viment Empire’s greatest martial family—a place that seemed as though it would never fall unless a world war broke out—would be so miserably destroyed without warning?
The fiends who had brought down Sword Emperor Castle had already vanished, utilizing some unknown power.
By the time the battle neared its end, even the Dragon Knights had joined the fray, but the terrorists hadn't retreated because they had suffered any fatal damage.
It was, quite literally, a total defeat.
Black smoke rose indifferently from the ruins of Sword Emperor Castle and its surrounding areas.
“…Kid.”
“Brother Jin.”
Murakan and Linpa approached Jin. Murakan’s face was haggard with the fatigue of battle, while Linpa looked as serene as she had when she was first summoned.
While Murakan had fought desperately alongside Ron to block the ship’s cannons and the Leader’s attacks, Linpa hadn't had the chance to unleash her full power.
Jin’s body suddenly tilted forward, and Linpa caught him.
Just as he had felt when he summoned Garmund in the past, a pang of guilt toward Linpa washed over him—guilt born from the fact that once she returned to Laprarosa, she would remember nothing of this.
Linpa nodded as if she understood without him having to say a word.
“The outside world… has changed much. For a toy… to defy us like that… this is a first.”
“You and your brothers are likely the only ones in the world who would describe Verakt Sidriker as a toy.”
“I… will return now. You must have… much to do.”
“Thank you, Brother Linpa.”
Linpa grinned, ruffling Jin’s hair. Then, her expression turned heavy as she spoke.
“That demon… he looks… familiar.”
“Are you talking about the Leader of Kinzelo?”
Linpa nodded.
“I have definitely… encountered him before. With our… brothers.”
At those words, Jin flinched and met Linpa’s eyes.
“What do you mean? Are you saying he has fought the Pluto Tribe before?”
“That much… I do not know. However… I am certain. That we met…”
Linpa tried to recall more about the Leader, but while the feeling of having met him was certain, nothing else came to mind.
—Kinzelo’s Leader… I’ve encountered that guy a thousand years ago, too…? I thought he was just some demon who’d picked up a few things here and there. It seems he really is a demon with some connection to me.
Suddenly, Jin recalled the conversation he’d had with Murakan about the Leader after leaving Temar’s second tomb. It was right after they had glimpsed the Tower of the Black Sea in the records guarded by Sarah, seeing Murakan, the other Ten Great Knights, Temar, and the Kinzelo Leader together.
Back then, I just thought Murakan couldn't remember the Leader because of his memory issues… but perhaps…
Perhaps the records regarding the Leader had themselves been manipulated.
The thought struck him.
In the records, Murakan seemed to know the Leader quite well a thousand years ago. Now, Linpa was certain she knew him the moment she saw him, yet she couldn't remember the details.
If someone manipulated the history and records of the Leader, it would obviously be Zipple. But why?
The exact reason wasn't immediately clear. However, it was a problem that could be reasoned out quite simply.
Because he’s a threat.
The authority and power the Leader displayed would have certainly been a threat even to the Zipple of a thousand years ago. Everyone had seen it clearly: even while unstable, he had suppressed the entirety of Sword Emperor Castle single-handedly, held back both Ron and Murakan, and continuously healed his allies in real time.
Everyone shared the same intuition.
If Kinzelo’s Leader had been in a ‘perfect’ state, the battle would not have ended there.
“Be careful… Brother Jin. He is… a dangerous one.”
“I understand.”
“Until… next time.”
Fshhh…
Linpa’s body dissolved into particles of spirit energy and slowly faded away. Jin watched her disappear, catching his breath with a bitter expression.
He surveyed the battlefield.
The swordsmen of Hairan, including the Dragon Knights, were tending to those trapped under rubble or wounded, while the allied forces were gathering their respective troops.
Veradin was still being carried on Enya’s back. Shuri, who had approached at some point, informed him that she had safely evacuated Dante.
As long as those two are safe, the worst-case scenario has been avoided.
Jin had been the first to move to save them in the heat of the chaotic battle. Now, what remained was the cleanup and the counterattack—and that was not his responsibility.
“My Lord!”
The Dragon Knight Leader descended beside Ron.
Ron was surveying the surroundings, dark red blood trickling from between his lips. The sight still felt surreal to Jin.
Huff, huff…
Even from a distance, Ron’s ragged breathing seemed to reach him. Despite his disheveled hair and the numerous wounds covering his body, he still exuded a strange dignity.
Ron strode toward Jin.
At that moment, all the martial artists watching blinked in surprise. Immediately after the battle, he was seeking out the Runcandel Flagbearer before his own Hairan subordinates.
All eyes followed the two. Ron, who quickly reached Jin, wiped the blood from his mouth and abruptly seized Jin’s right arm.
He thrust it high into the air. It was a gesture of respect, like one would show to the winner of a match.
To the martial artists, this was as shocking a sight as the terror attack itself. Some instinctively covered their mouths with both hands, gasping. The Sword Emperor, the Patriarch of Hairan, commending the 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel immediately after a terrorist attack was just that surreal.
Jin was inwardly bewildered—no, in truth, he was just as shocked as the martial artists covering their mouths. However, he maintained as expressionless a face as possible.
Of course, regardless of his surprise, he immediately realized why Ron had chosen to elevate him first.
It’s to block Runcandel.
Sword Emperor Castle had fallen, and Ron Hairan had suffered severe internal injuries. The best time for a predator to attack another predator is when the opponent is wounded. In other words, any external forces wishing to keep Hairan in check would have their best opportunity for a long while, starting today.
Runcandel was, without question, the most troublesome of those forces. If Runcandel decided to strike after assessing the situation, Hairan lacked the strength to stop them.
Their only potential allies were the Imperial Family and Zipple. However, the former had been wary of Hairan to the point of tying down the Dragon Knights from the start, and Zipple was an even more dangerous power to reach out to.
In such a situation, what if he prioritized Jin, who had attended the banquet as the de facto ‘representative’ of Runcandel?
No matter how much Runcandel followed the Path of the Overlord, they couldn't strike Hairan immediately after such a public display of unity—especially with every faction present at the banquet watching.
Well, even if Lord Ron hadn't done this, the possibility of Runcandel attacking Hairan is low… but for Hairan, there is no move more efficient or safer than this.
In a way, it was chilling—the fact that he had made such a sharp judgment immediately after that chaotic ordeal. And this was from the world’s greatest knight, a man in a position where it would be all too easy to be arrogant.
“Jin Runcandel, I, Ron Hairan, Lord of Sword Emperor Castle, shall never forget your hard work and courage in this matter.”
However, there was one thing Jin hadn't considered.
Those words weren't just the calculated thoughts of a veteran politician; they were filled with sincerity. Ron truly held the role Jin played in this incident in the highest regard.
Instead of answering, Jin silently bowed his head.
“Furthermore, the Hairan family expresses deep gratitude and… condolences for the devotion of those who were caught in the attack and fought alongside us. Too many have been sacrificed. I promise that we will take responsibility in some form.”
As Ron bowed his head, the other martial artists watching had no choice but to lower themselves even further.
When they raised their heads again, their gazes naturally converged on Jin. Continuing to stare at Ron was improper, and it was only natural to feel a sense of wonder toward the 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel, who had recently shaken the Garden of Swords and now distinguished himself at Sword Emperor Castle.
Jin found the gaze of Rata Prochi, which was shining particularly brightly, to be burdensome. He looked away, spotting Zephyrin being scolded by Murka in a corner.
A Demon Dragon, huh.
Of course, there was no confirmation yet that Zephyrin was a Demon Dragon, but Jin felt he needed to meet the Black King Commander as soon as the situation settled.
For the time being, no one here would be able to leave Hairan until the investigation was conducted.
*
November 10, 1799. About two weeks had passed since the ‘Sword Emperor Castle Terror’ incident.
Not only Hairan but the entire Viment Empire had yet to recover from the shock of that day. The same was true for people elsewhere who had only heard the news through the papers.
Sword Emperor Castle remained half-destroyed.
Restoration had not yet begun. Most of the retainers lived in tents near the castle, making it look as though Sword Emperor Castle was the only place within Viment territory currently at war.
In fact, Sword Emperor Castle was at war.
It was a war against those they had believed to be allies. The Viment Imperial Family did not help Hairan.
Beyond not helping, they defended Kinzelo with unusual fervor. Despite the clear identity of the terrorists and the damage they had inflicted, the scribes of the Imperial Family had yet to label Kinzelo as a terrorist organization.
They merely used the vague expression ‘unforeseen accident.’ The Imperial Family even went as far as to suggest they couldn't be certain that the giant monsters and bio-golems used in the attack belonged to Kinzelo.
Not many had expected the Imperial Family to show such a lukewarm response. However, everyone observing their current attitude could deduce the same thing.
Some kind of deal had been struck between the Imperial Family, Kinzelo, and Zipple after the incident.
Not only Kinzelo, but Zipple also took the stance that they had nothing to do with the terror attack after taking Veradin away, and the Imperial Family was condoning it. Normally, since circumstances suggested Kinzelo had targeted Veradin, Zipple should have been the one to make Kinzelo pay.
Taming or killing. Those were the ways the Imperial Family dealt with Hairan.
In a sense, Hairan had been betrayed by the Imperial Family.
“Sigh…”
In the basement of Sword Emperor Castle, Dante let out a sigh, his face haggard with exhaustion. The underground spaces of the castle were generally intact compared to the surface.
Jin placed a hand on Dante’s shoulder.
“Are you nervous about meeting him, Dante?”
“I would be lying if I said otherwise.”
“Let’s just pray that his diary is still an inviolable sanctuary.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps echoed from the darkness. Soon, a person draped in a robe appeared, led by knights.
It was Veradin.
At Dante’s gesture, the knights withdrew. Veradin pulled back his hood, revealing his face. In the middle of the hollow basement, the shadows of the three men flickered deeply.
Dante did not offer the characteristic bright, polite greeting he usually gave when meeting someone he was truly glad to see, and Veradin kept his mouth tightly shut.
Amidst the heavy silence, it was Veradin who spoke first.