Chapter 442: To the Black King Corps (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 442: To the Black King Corps (3)
* * *
The next day, Luton departed for the Holy Kingdom, while Jin and Murakan traveled to the Mila Kingdom.
Their destination was "The Veil," a top-tier secret pub owned by Grace Shields, also known as Misha.
The employee recognized the two of them immediately but gave the same answer as their last visit.
"The master is not in at the moment."
"It was the same when we came a few months ago. When will she return?"
"The master hasn't returned once since your last visit."
It was common for Misha to be away for a month or two. As Solderet’s agent, she led a very busy life and maintained numerous hideouts besides The Veil, so her absence wasn't surprising.
However, it was almost unheard of for her to stay away from The Veil long enough for the seasons to change.
"Did she leave any letters for me or my companion?"
"None. It has been so long that we were starting to worry about her ourselves."
"If she returns, tell her to contact me at this address."
Jin handed over a piece of paper and a small pouch of gold coins. The employee bowed with practiced elegance.
The two spent the rest of the day using teleport gates to visit Misha’s other known hideouts. As expected, she was nowhere to be found.
"Kyahaha! As they say, you can never find a doctor when you actually need one!"
Murakan seemed quite pleased that he didn't have to see her.
"Aren't you a bit too happy? You should be at least a little worried."
"Worried? Please. What’s the big deal if a dragon goes missing for a few months? It’s not like it’s been decades. She’s probably out frolicking somewhere."
"I have a strangely bad feeling about this," Jin said.
Murakan snorted.
"A bad feeling? Good. I’d rather she be suffering at the hands of some powerful bastards. It might make her more human. The problem is, there probably isn't anyone in this world capable of trashing her like that."
As Murakan said, it was safe to assume that no one could simply capture Misha. During the thousand years Murakan had been asleep, Misha had fought the Wraith Squad numerous times and had never once been caught.
"That’s true, but..."
Jin had a mountain of topics he wanted to discuss with Misha as soon as possible: Temar’s tomb, the leader of Kinzelo, the Demon Dragon, Chaos, Valeria, and more. While Misha might not have clear answers for everything, he felt she could provide at least some clues.
In particular, she was the only one who could provide relevant information regarding Valeria and her efforts to restore the recording devices.
"Don't worry about it," Murakan said, cutting off his thoughts. "Let's just go find the Black King Corps."
* * *
The Black King Mountain Fortress was located in the Vise Kingdom, a prominent neutral nation in the central continent.
The Vise Kingdom was a weak nation that belonged to none of the world’s major powers—once the big three, but now the big four, with Kinzelo joining the ranks of Zipple, Runcandel, and Viment. While the royal family and military still existed, virtually no one considered them the true masters of the Vise Kingdom.
The public recognized the Black King Corps and its Commander as the true rulers of Vise.
It was a natural assumption. The Black King Corps possessed enough power to topple the Vise Kingdom with only a fraction of its 3rd Army. The prevailing theory was that the Black King Corps chose not to seize control simply to maintain their identity as a "mercenary group."
"Man, they really are something," Murakan commented as they walked.
"What is?"
"Usually, when an armed group settles in a small country like this, they take over the royal family and resort to extortion and tyranny."
The Black King Corps was the complete opposite. It wasn't an exaggeration to say they supported the Vise Kingdom, providing significant aid to both the royal family and the public.
Because of this, the Vise Kingdom was known as a pleasant place to live, with a never-ending stream of immigration applications. It was also a place where numerous ancient ruins and artifacts remained pristine, drawing crowds of academy professors, scholars, and students every year.
"It’s the opposite of the money-grubbing image people usually have of mercenaries."
"Despite the name, they seem like decent fellows. If they're uncooperative, I guess I can go easy on them when I beat them up."
"Decent, you say? I wonder."
Jin chuckled.
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"The Black King Corps doesn't manage the Vise Kingdom out of the kindness of their hearts. This kingdom is the Black King Corps' hostage warehouse."
As Jin explained, the Black King Corps used the Vise Kingdom as a hostage warehouse and the ultimate shield to maintain their "neutrality." They had created a structure where any major power wishing to suppress them by force would inevitably have to trample over the Vise Kingdom, killing countless residents and destroying ancient ruins in the process.
When Jin finished his explanation, Murakan’s eyes widened.
"Whoa… So they're pulling off villainous deeds while maintaining a pristine image and reaping all the benefits? They're a bunch of nasty, smart bastards. I’m starting to dislike the fact that they use the name 'Black King.'"
Of course, the Black King Corps had the strength to maintain neutrality even without the Vise Kingdom, but for any organization, the more leverage, the better.
"Well, no hostages have been killed in my lifetime," Jin noted. "We're almost there. You should transform."
Poof, meow!
Murakan transformed into Nabi Runcandel and perched on Jin’s shoulder. Since Jin had dyed his hair red and altered his face using products from the Gold Snow Tribe, neither the gatekeepers of the Vise Kingdom nor the civilians recognized him.
However, Jin was certain that if he wandered around the kingdom in this form, someone from the Black King Corps would surely recognize him.
Murka’s 3rd Army members wouldn't be able to forget this appearance.
When it was revealed that the black cat Jin carried when he left Storm Castle was Murakan, the story had become a hot topic of conversation within the Black King Corps. They had all agreed that, of course, the "Young King" wouldn't have been carrying around an ordinary cat.
Since the city saw many outsiders, Jin and Murakan didn't draw too much attention. Jin wandered near the royal palace, glancing at the advertisements and newsletters of the Gold Top Merchant Group posted everywhere.
He was subtly emitting an aura that no one below the 6-star level could sense.
Before long, just as he expected, Jin felt a mercenary approaching him.
"...That cat. You… could it be?"
The mercenary seemed uncertain at first, but he soon became convinced that this was Jin Runcandel, whom he had personally escorted long ago.
"Sir Latam, I presume," Jin spoke first, before the mercenary could say more.
The mercenary was startled and stared at Jin, shocked that he had been remembered.
"I didn't expect you to remember my name. My apologies for not recognizing you immediately, sir." Latam replied with a hurried bow.
"I remember you usually standing beside Sir Murka, the Captain of the 3rd Army. It’s good to see you."
As they shook hands, Latam realized the rumors circulating about Jin were true. He was inwardly impressed by the immense strength transmitted through Jin's grip.
"I doubt you came here for no reason. Do you have business with the Commander?"
The fact that he mentioned the Commander directly, rather than a lower-ranking captain, showed how much Jin’s status had grown in his eyes.
"I do."
"The Commander happens to be at the fortress, so I will guide you personally. However, there are guests who arrived before you, so I hope you understand."
A 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel could typically meet the Commander at any time, even without notice, but he wasn't in a position to push aside a prior guest. From Latam’s words, Jin could infer one thing.
It means there’s a guest with a higher status than mine.
He was right.
Currently, at the Black King Mountain Fortress, a guest was waiting who held a higher status than Jin in the eyes of the Black King Commander. Thus, Jin had to wait until that person's business was concluded.
Who is it?
Not many people came to mind. He would find out soon enough anyway. He just hoped it wasn't someone whose presence would make this coincidental meeting too uncomfortable.
"Of course, I understand."
"Thank you. Please follow me."
It was close to midnight by the time they reached the Black King Mountain Fortress.
It didn't feel as eerie as Ghost Song Castle, but the rugged mountain range where the fortress was built seemed to exude an extraordinary energy. No guest, no matter how distinguished, could find the journey to the Black King Mountain Fortress beautiful or comfortable. If one lacked the strength to scale the mountains, they would have to be carried on someone's back like a pathetic sack. The only way to maintain one’s dignity was to arrive by dragon or flying ship, but only a handful of people in the world were permitted to fly over the Black King Mountain Fortress.
Soon, as he faced the spectacle of the fortress nestled halfway up the mountain, Jin let out an internal exclamation of admiration.
The various hollows in the mountainside looked as if they had been carved out by a giant, and upon them stood rows of massive, pitch-black citadels. Even at a glance, they formed a solid defensive wall. As if prepared for a dragon invasion, rows of mana cannons were pointed toward the sky, and all sorts of magical devices and traps seemed to writhe like snakes across the rock face.
Looking at this, the Garden of Swords seems quite modest.
As they entered the central fortress, rows of mercenaries offered a salute. News of Jin’s visit had already spread through the fortress before he had even finished climbing the mountain.
"You've arrived, Sir Jin Runcandel! It’s good to see you again!" Murka greeted Jin warmly.
While heading to the reception room, Jin occasionally glanced around, looking for Zephyrin. Just as he was wondering about her, her characteristically cheerful voice drifted from up ahead. They were right in front of the Black King Commander’s reception room.
"I'm sorry, 2nd Captain!"
"Is 'sorry' all you've got? Seriously! I can't imagine how frustrated the 3rd Captain must be with you. How could you be so rude in front of the Commander’s guest!"
"I didn't know any better!"
"Why would you try to attend to a guest when the Commander didn't even call for you? Is that your place? It’s absurd! And why on earth would you say you wanted to meet the 1st Flagbearer of Runcandel…"
"I'll take the punishment!"
"Oh, my head… Hey, someone get this thing out of my sight, now!"
Just like when he first saw her at the Sword Emperor Castle banquet, Zephyrin was getting scolded for making a mistake.
"Sigh… That girl. Haaa! My apologies, Sir Jin. You're witnessing such a disgraceful scene again." Murka sighed.
"It’s fine."
"I have no idea how to make a proper person out of her. Hey! Zephyrin! Get over here right now!"
Zephyrin came running over, giving Jin a broad, unabashed grin.
Once more, Jin and Murakan couldn't take their eyes off the Axe-Sword Krantel on her back, which looked even larger than her own body.