Chapter 441: To the Black King Corps (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 441: To the Black King Corps (2)
“Hmm, leaving tomorrow already? Why not stay a bit longer and play with my daughter?”
“Mother! Am I a child? Why do you keep saying such strange things!”
Siris glared sharply as she spoke, prompting Talaris to clear her throat. It was rare for Siris to speak with such a biting edge.
“Ahem, hmph! It was just a suggestion. No need to make me feel so embarrassed, is there?”
“Besides, if we want to prevent what happened today from happening again, it’s only right for Jin to secure reinforcements as soon as possible. You can’t protect Tikan every single time, Mother.”
“You are absolutely right, Lady Siris,” Jin replied.
Siris’s eyebrows twitched at his response.
“It’s not that I dislike doing it. We are allies, so it’s only natural that we protect one another. However, neither Mother nor I are always on standby at the Secret Palace, so we need other measures in place.”
As Siris said, the incident had made one thing clear: they needed to find a force to protect Tikan as quickly as possible.
I can’t always be this lucky.
The fact that Luton and the Exiles’ raid had resulted in no casualties—aside from damage to property and facilities—was nothing short of a miracle. Of course, it was also the result of Jin and his comrades constantly being vigilant against intruders. However, had Talaris been even slightly later, they wouldn't have been able to achieve such a perfect defense.
Future enemies would undoubtedly try to calculate whether the teleport gates were active before attacking, just as Luton had.
Runcandel still won’t be able to attack me directly, but more people like the Elders will start using external forces to strike at me.
Furthermore, there were Kinzelo, Zipple, and the Viment Empire.
Kinzelo, at least, had been maintaining a somewhat friendly stance, so the possibility of them suddenly turning hostile was low.
I don't particularly like that fact, but in terms of my comrades' safety, it isn't a bad thing.
Zipple and Viment, on the other hand, were different stories entirely. They could strike Tikan at any time without warning. Tikan had effectively abandoned the neutrality it had maintained for so long since its inception as a ‘Free City.’
Viment, in particular, must see Tikan as a thorn in their side.
He recalled his unpleasant encounter with the Emperor. The man had hinted at a hidden power and proposed an alliance, which Jin had coldly rejected. Moreover, since Tikan was the city of the deposed prince, Casimir, the Emperor had every reason to strike at any moment.
It’s possible my enemies within Runcandel and the Emperor might form a temporary alliance.
Several days had passed since the death of the Exile, yet no significant changes had occurred between the Elder Council, Rosa, and Joshua.
My mother is the one holding the leash. Either some kind of deal is being brokered between her and the Council, or she hasn't decided what punishment to hand down yet.
It was a dilemma Rosa had to face. The moment she struck the Elder Council, she would essentially be admitting that she had failed to properly purge the enforcement knights long ago. She could use the pretext that ‘the Black Sword Council failed to properly purge the treasonous enforcement knights,’ but given the family's current atmosphere, that argument wouldn't carry much weight.
Yet, the matter was too grave to simply overlook. Whether the original purge had been justified or not, the Elder Council had ultimately failed to carry out the Acting Patriarch’s orders decades ago.
In the end, Rosa had to punish the Council in some way.
If the punishment was too severe, the backlash would be intense; if it was too light, the authority of the Acting Patriarch would be undermined.
The former could cause the Council to break away from Joshua entirely, while the latter would be a violation of the family's laws.
Jorden had his own ambitions, but on the surface, he was aligned with Joshua’s faction. Rosa had been pushing the image of Joshua as a highly capable next Patriarch who controlled both the Black Knights and the Elder Council. With the emergence of threatening competitors like the 12th Flagbearer and the 3rd Flagbearer, losing that image because the Council turned their backs would be a devastating blow.
Even if Mother holds the leash, the Elder Council has other options. Those old foxes could side with my brother Dipus, Mary, or my sister Luntia—or they could even betray Runcandel entirely and join an external force.
In other words, the Garden of Swords had entered a new phase because of this incident. In a political climate moving at a breakneck pace, victory was the most important thing.
And for victory, the safety of one's allies was always the top priority.
“From now on, I will have two of the 7 Swords of the Secret Palace, Ryu and Hiten, stationed here permanently.”
Talaris’s eyes widened. She hadn't expected Siris to make such an unprecedented offer.
Clap, clap!
Talaris began clapping, delighted by the thought that the two were making progress. Luton, watching her, immediately followed suit. When the small beastmen joined in the applause, even Murakan added his own claps to the mix. Only Jin and Siris remained oblivious to the reason for the celebration.
“Lady Siris, thank you for your consideration.”
“Right. I should go get some rest now.”
As Siris stood up to leave, Talaris nudged Murakan in the ribs.
“Hehe, what do you think, handsome? It would be a disaster if our son-in-law married someone else later, wouldn’t it?”
“Are you threatening the kid now?”
“Not exactly. Anyway, tomorrow, is it? Did the Black King Commander say he would meet you?”
“I plan to go find him first. There’s also a peculiar individual I need to investigate through the Black King Corps.”
“A peculiar individual?”
“A new mercenary named Zephyrin. Murakan and Lady Quicantel say there’s a high probability she’s a Demon Dragon.”
From the Kinzelo Leader and the Master Artisan—both suspected to be demons—to Smarion Prochi sealed beneath Ghost Song Castle, to the half-mad Emperor who proposed an alliance, to the Viment Demons, and now a Demon Dragon.
“Times certainly have changed. In my youth, such strange things didn't go around causing trouble. Besides, isn't your greatest enemy, the 2nd Flagbearer, followed by some prophet or other? It’s the end of the world, I tell you. The end of the world.”
Talaris shrugged as if exhausted. She had been kept up to date on most of the information Jin had gathered recently.
“Among those, I have a few suspicions regarding Smarion Prochi.”
“Suspicions?”
“The power of Chaos.”
“What is that?”
Jin’s eyes narrowed.
“It is a bizarre power that occasionally appears in the world. Much like the power dwelling within your younger sister, Yona Runcandel.”
He naturally recalled the conversation he’d had with Yona during his time as a reserve flagbearer.
—Don't you ever think it's unfair?
—What? Me being the only one watching you? I told you, when you're bathing or doing your business…
—Not that. You've been treated like a killing doll this whole time, Sister. Ever since you were a child. Even for a pure-blooded Runcandel, that's insane. It's horrible.
—Is it bad?
—It is.
—Has the youngest never killed anyone?
—That's not the point.
—Heehee, I was born this way. So there's no need to be sad.
—Born this way? What on earth does that mean…
Even after that, she had never told him what the power she was born with actually was. She had only brushed it off, saying that the youngest had secrets of his own.
“Not just Sister Yona, but Margiella of the Ivliano family and that Bubar fellow from Kinzelo also possess strange powers. Are you saying those are the powers of Chaos?”
“Yes. It can be innate, or it can be acquired. I don't know the details, but what is certain is that the possessor of that power can be consumed by Chaos at any time.”
“Consumed? You don't mean…”
The image of Smarion Prochi, sealed in the lowest depths, flashed through his mind.
“It means becoming a monster like Smarion Prochi. I, too, have dealt with people who were tainted and transformed by Chaos in my youth.”
Talaris paused for a moment. Memories she didn't want to recall had momentarily resurfaced. After suppressing those bitter and painful thoughts, Talaris spoke again.
“On the other hand, I have also seen people who never succumbed to Chaos and lived out their lives beautifully. Based on my experience, transforming into a monster seems to be related to the possessor's will or the magnitude of the Chaos they hold.”
“Lady Talaris.”
“Speak.”
“Does my father… also have something to do with that power called Chaos?”
That was a secret known to very few. Talaris hadn't intended to go that far, but she decided there was no need to deny it now.
“He does. Cyron has also been fighting that power for a long time. How did you know?”
“I deduced it from the conversation Sir Rata told me my father and Smarion Prochi had while Smarion was still alive.”
Jin couldn't help but feel a sudden surge of turmoil. The possibility that Cyron shared the ‘same problem’ as Smarion was something he had anticipated from the moment he first saw Smarion at Ghost Song Castle.
But to think it wasn't just a problem for Cyron and Smarion.
Sister Yona, and Father too. Does this mean they could suddenly turn into monsters one day…!
Just imagining his sister and father becoming like that felt like his heart was being torn to shreds. Judging by their immense abilities, the magnitude of the Chaos they held was likely far from small. He felt certain they were on an entirely different level compared to the likes of Bubar or Margiella.
“I heard Cyron’s is acquired, and Yona’s is innate. I heard it directly from your father.”
“The reason Father is obsessed with the Black Sea must be related to that as well.”
“Yes. But even though we are friends, Cyron didn't tell me everything about his Chaos, so I have nothing more to tell you.”
“This is more than enough.”
“The important thing is that Smarion Prochi must be eliminated. Once Chaos consumes a person, it only continues to grow.”
The sealed Smarion’s power was growing stronger. He had to be eliminated before he became something uncontrollable.
“By the way, handsome, you seem to know very little about the power of Chaos. I’d have thought you'd be the one who knows the most about it. Why this power disturbs the human world, where its roots lie… do you know nothing?”
Everyone’s gaze turned toward Murakan. He shook his head as if he truly didn't know.
“I don't know. I don't know if it vanished from my memories or if I never knew to begin with. I hate the very thought of her… but I suppose it's a matter worth asking my sister about.”
Sigh! Murakan let out a frustrated breath and continued.
“Kid, before we meet that Black King Commander or whatever, let's stop by and see that wretch for a moment.”