Chapter 436: The Raiders, The Brothers (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 436: The Raiders, The Brothers (4)
The cold air spread like a spiderweb, rapidly ensnaring the assassin. He struggled to break free, but having just evaded Talaris’s sword, he was left utterly helpless as the frost shackled his feet.
“Urgh…!”
In seconds, the assassin was completely immobilized, shackled by the reaching crystals of Ten Thousand Ice. Moments later, he was frozen so solid he could barely move his eyes.
That a 9-star warrior could be suppressed so easily was a testament to his opponent: Talaris Endorma.
“Hmm, you froze up nicely. Just stay put until this is all over. And don't even think about doing something foolish like suicide or self-destruction. Not that you could lift a finger, anyway.”
Leaving the frozen assassin behind, Talaris entered Tikan proper, her mind still trying to place his face.
Right, it was about thirty years ago. The day I went to see Cyron.
One day, roughly thirty years ago, Talaris had visited Cyron’s secret residence.
Back then, Talaris had only one reason for seeking Cyron out.
A duel.
She couldn't even remember how many times she had requested a duel by then. At that point, Talaris had already suffered at least a hundred defeats at Cyron’s hands.
For some reason, after her loss that day, her resentment and indignation had flared more violently than ever before.
Driven by the desire to settle the score once and for all, she threw a tantrum long after the duel had ended.
She had trashed Cyron’s secret residence, hurled every profanity she could think of at him, and screamed that they should just keep fighting until one of them died.
Ugh… Looking back on it now, it’s the cringiest memory imaginable. But at the time, I felt like I’d go insane if I didn’t act out.
While the Secret Palace had never surpassed Runcandel’s power over the past thousand years, it was not uncommon for a Palace Master to possess greater martial prowess than a Runcandel Patriarch.
Talaris had challenged Cyron every day with that goal in mind. She had never succeeded, though.
Regardless, Cyron had tolerated Talaris’s rampage.
—Talaris. Rather than aiming to defeat me, it would be more realistic to dream of the Secret Palace surpassing Runcandel.
To Cyron, Talaris was his only true friend. Furthermore, she was the person who could provide the most help if he were ever consumed by "Chaos," so he had no reason to kill her.
However, to some of the Enforcement Knights who witnessed the scene, Talaris was a thorn in their side.
Her irreverent attitude toward Cyron was one thing, but the plague of rumors spreading about the two was another. Rumors claimed that Cyron couldn't bring himself to strike Talaris because he harbored romantic feelings for her.
Ah, I finally remember. Luton Perman. That was definitely his name.
Luton Perman.
He was the man currently bound by her ice, and thirty years ago, he had been the young Section Leader of the 1st Division of the Enforcement Knights.
Luton and the other Enforcement Knights of that time believed they had to deal with Talaris themselves. They saw it as the only way to protect Cyron’s prestige and the family’s authority.
Naturally, Cyron had never ordered them to attack Talaris, but he hadn't explicitly ordered them not to, either.
And so, the 1st Division members under Luton’s command ambushed Talaris.
They barged into the Secret Palace without warning, so I beat them half to death and sent them packing.
Even then, Luton and his squad members were mostly 9-star warriors or on the cusp of it, but they were no match for Talaris—especially within the Secret Palace.
While beating and subduing the Enforcement Knights, Talaris had found their excessive loyalty almost cute.
She had even felt it was a relief that a cold man like Cyron had such passionate subordinates.
In other words, she hadn't entirely hated the rudeness Luton and his men had displayed.
Talaris never reported the Enforcement Knights' misconduct to Cyron, and they continued to challenge her incessantly, even though they lost every single time—despite attacking all at once.
It was much like how Talaris had been with Cyron.
Violent, pure, and beast-like—that was how Talaris perceived Luton and his squad.
Over time, a certain affection grew between them. She even had brief flings with a few of the knights. Luton had been one of them.
A smirk played on Talaris’s lips as the memories grew vivid.
However, her expression quickly hardened as a thought occurred to her.
From the sound of it, he's been living as a nameless wanderer. Why would such a loyal man end up like this? The others who attacked the city must be exiles, too. I doubt Cyron was the one who did this to them.
If Cyron wanted someone gone, he would have cleanly exterminated their entire lineage; mutilating a face like that wasn't his style.
The memories weren't unforgettable, but they weren't unpleasant, either. A tinge of pity mixed with her curiosity.
Whatever the case, it’s a Runcandel matter, so it’s not my place to interfere. Still, if possible, it would be great if my son-in-law could recruit those dishonored beasts.
Even if he didn't recruit them as a military force, they could serve as crucial justification when he eventually moved against the Elder Council.
The interior of Tikan appeared to be in total shambles at a glance.
The sky was dyed dark with the ice of Ten Thousand Ice and Murakan’s Spirit Energy. Below, on every level—since Tikan Free City was a tower-like structure—explosions of Aura and Mana erupted in a chaotic mix.
However, despite appearances, the city hadn't suffered much actual damage.
This was thanks to the arrival of the Secret Palace's formidable forces, the city's small size, and the presence of dragons who could survey the entire area in an instant.
Murakan and Quicantel flew between the levels, protecting the civilians who hadn't managed to evacuate in time.
The rampaging assassins were being fought back by Jin, Siris, the 7 Swords of the Secret Palace, the Tona brothers, and Jin’s companions in Tikan.
Talaris traveled quickly through all the levels on her ice, providing support wherever help seemed needed.
“Son-in-law, I've figured out who these people are…”
Talaris approached Jin and began to speak. However, she stopped mid-sentence, because she had never seen Jin look like this before.
As he slaughtered the assassins, Jin’s face was almost like that of a fiend. His bloodlust and malice were so deep and thick that even Talaris was momentarily startled.
He looks exactly like his father in this state.
She caught a glimpse of a young Cyron, who had once been filled with hatred after losing his comrades.
If anything, Jin seemed even more sensitive. After all, it hadn't even been confirmed yet if there were any casualties among his companions.
Not all the assassins were exiles from the Enforcement Knights, but they were all highly skilled. Yet, Jin was cutting them down as easily as if he were sweeping away fallen leaves.
“You pieces of shit… how dare you come here…!”
Flinch!
Jin whipped his head around to face Talaris. He had only just sensed her presence, and the recognition was enough to reclaim the reason buried beneath his rage.
“My apologies, Lady Talaris. I didn't hear you clearly. Please, say it again.”
“I said I've discovered who they are. They're Runcandel exiles.”
“I suspected as much. There are only so many organizations capable of mobilizing mercenaries of this caliber…”
“Hmm. Some of them, including the one I dealt with outside, are likely former Enforcement Knights. Before you kill them all, if the damage to Tikan isn't too severe, it might not be a bad idea to have a conversation with them. They weren't such bad people, from what I remember.”
Jin nodded.
“I will do so, Lady Talaris.”
“You looked like a crazed fiend just a moment ago, yet you regain your composure so quickly.”
Jin gave an embarrassed smile at her remark.
“It was a mistake. I had considered the possibility of an attack, but facing it in person made it difficult to control my anger.”
What if Talaris hadn't been here? What if Mort hadn't been able to use Dimensional Shift? What if he had been in a position where he couldn't receive immediate word from Casimir and Petro?
Those hypothetical scenarios were what fueled Jin’s fury.
“I took a look on my way here, and fortunately, there doesn't seem to be any major damage. At least, I didn't see a single casualty.”
“Does that include the civilians?”
“Yes. Though quite a few buildings and facilities have been damaged. Finish subduing them and check the exact damage. Also, since these assassins are exiles, they might eventually become your swords. I recommend showing them a little mercy.”
“Thank you, Lady Talaris.”
“If you’re thankful, hurry up and marry my daughter.”
Jin didn't respond to that, merely bowing his head.
On the night they had talked in the Secret Palace within the Secret Palace, Jin and Siris had agreed to ignore Talaris’s talk of marriage as much as possible.
[Jin.]
Quicantel, who had spotted Jin while flying, descended and called out to him.
“Lady Quicantel! Is everyone safe?”
[The mansion area is completely undamaged. That's thanks to you, Murakan, and the Secret Palace arriving so quickly.]
Jin breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, while Quicantel and Talaris exchanged nods of greeting.
[My thanks, 51st Palace Master.]
“Don't mention it. I’ve heard you had ties with the previous Palace Masters. I look forward to our acquaintance as well.”
The assault was completely suppressed within thirty minutes of Jin, Murakan, and the Secret Palace's arrival in Tikan.
A total of seventy assassins had raided Tikan. In addition to the twenty the Tona brothers had initially spotted, fifty more had entered from the opposite side.
Upon confirming the scale of the attack, Talaris concluded that even without her group's arrival, Tikan would not have fallen to this force.
“It seems the old farts in your family sent only this many because they didn't know Lady Quicantel was here.”
If Quicantel hadn't been present, and if Jin hadn't arrived with reinforcements so quickly, this force would have been more than enough to completely destroy Tikan.
Jin looked down at the assassins who had been captured alive and brought to the mansion.
There was Luton Perman, who had been bound by the Ten Thousand Ice, another former Enforcement Knight exile, and three ordinary assassins. That was all.
The rest had been killed by Jin and his companions.
Jin looked at the three ordinary assassins and asked, “Are you also exiles from Runcandel?”
“No.”
“If our roles were reversed, I would have done the same. Don’t feel wronged by this.”
Slash!
Jin mercilessly took the lives of those three.
He wasn't swinging his sword out of rage like before. He simply judged that since they had attacked his land with this level of resolve, they had to pay the price.
Only the two Enforcement Knight exiles remained.
Jin’s gaze as he looked down at them was ice-cold.
“As exiles, I find it hard to understand why you would dare touch this place. Tell me what the Elders promised you. Or did those old men take your families hostage?”
“Our families were all murdered long ago. It was the very day we were exiled. You ask why we follow the Elders' orders despite being exiles, 12th Flagbearer?”
Luton shook his head and finished.
“For revenge.”