Chapter 452: New Year, False Rumors, Major Construction (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 452: New Year, False Rumors, Major Construction (1)
Extra! Extra! Black King Mountain Fortress Destroyed!
The Fall of Black King Mountain Fortress—What Is the Fate of the Vise Kingdom?
Black King Commander Valkas Kran in Critical Condition! His Failure to Appear in Public Fuels Rumors.
Why Was the Black King Mountain Fortress Attacked?
Prime Suspects: Runcandel's 12th Flagbearer and His Guardian Dragon, Murakan! Was This a Personal Grudge?
Was the Black King Corps' Power Just a Facade? A Mercenary Myth Shattered by One Man and One Dragon.
Black Dragon Murakan Tramples Black King Mountain Fortress!
Rumors Swirl: Did Jin Runcandel Subdue the 'Ghost Corps' Before This? Is He Gathering Neutral Forces?
What Will Be the Ultimate Fate of the Black King Corps?
As always, articles poured out like a flood.
And as always, none of them were entirely accurate.
Local newsletters in the Vise Kingdom and its neighboring territories lacked the resources for in-depth investigative journalism on such an event, and foreign publications had no choice but to build their stories on those flimsy local reports.
Consequently, a mixture of misunderstandings, missing information, imaginative filler, and sensationalist hype had transformed Jin into the "Destroyer of the Black King Corps."
A major reason for this was the Black King Corps' failure to properly manage the media.
Had the news been confined to the Vise Kingdom and its immediate surroundings, they might have been able to ensure only favorable articles were published. But the Black King Corps was no titan on the level of Runcandel, Zipple, Viment, or Kinzelo.
Even the Four Great Powers couldn't perfectly control the narrative of an event this massive. You can't stop a tidal wave with your bare hands.
Furthermore, the prevailing sentiment after the incident was that the Black King Corps was "finished." Major news outlets had already decided there was no need to walk on eggshells around them anymore.
With Valkas in critical condition—a fact—and their fortress reduced to rubble, it was an inevitable conclusion.
"Hehehehe, hahaha…! Truly, this is the best event to end the year."
Kelliark Zipple.
As usual, he sat on the highest floor of Zipple’s 1st Magic Tower, the Tower of Stories, perusing the newsletters. His face, which resembled Veradin’s but appeared even more youthful, was brimming with laughter.
[Ha, you’re laughing? You can actually laugh?!]
"Kadun! Don't you find this funny? I think this is several times more hilarious than that farce you and Octavia watched last time."
[Grrr! What is wrong with you? You’re always like this. It was the same last time—when that damn brat was babbling about the Magic Sword Return, you just sat there laughing and calling it interesting.]
Kadun felt like he was going insane whenever Kelliark acted this way.
— Interesting? Are you in your right mind?
— Why? At that age, he’s single-handedly tearing Runcandel apart from the inside. It’s something even we, Zipple, haven't managed to do. I find it quite cathartic.
— How much have we lost because of that miserable brat? Your brother is dead, the Demon God Stone was destroyed, and our alliance with Kinzelo has soured. The Holy Kingdom incident… I don’t even want to speak of it. And just recently, we lost our Black Knight spy, Kelliark!
— You should also include the loss of part of the Wraith Squad.
— Fine, include that too! Is that all? He’s a magic swordsman…! That brat is violating the Covenant!
That was the conversation they had shared about a month and a half ago, after receiving the invitation to the Sword Emperor’s banquet.
Even then, Kadun had insisted they pressure Runcandel immediately, but he could not defy Kelliark’s will.
It was the same now. Kadun felt this was no time for Kelliark to be acting so leisurely.
‘He’s like this because he didn’t experience Runcandel a thousand years ago. Kelliark doesn’t realize how dangerous those monsters are!’
Whether he sensed Kadun’s inner turmoil or not, Kelliark simply continued to smile brightly.
[Kelliark!]
"Ah, you’re going to burst my eardrums. Kadun, why are you so angry?"
[How can you even ask that…!]
"Is it such a big deal that the 12th Flagbearer brought down the Black King Corps? No, no. To be precise, it wasn't even the 12th Flagbearer. It was his guardian dragon, Murakan, who did the deed."
[That’s exactly why it’s a problem. Murakan is regaining his strength.]
Murakan.
The reason Kadun was reacting so sensitively to this incident was Murakan himself.
The news had come directly from Teo the Fire Dragon and Laramakua the Blue Dragon: Murakan appeared to be recovering his power.
[Whether Jin Runcandel subdued the Black King Corps, absorbed them, or simply fought and won—none of that matters. But we absolutely cannot leave Murakan alone while he returns to his prime.]
As before, Kelliark found Kadun’s reaction merely intriguing.
"Aren't you a little too obsessed with that Black Dragon?"
[Unlike when he encountered me near Santel in the Scholl Principality, he has clearly restored a portion of his heart. And he did it without a Demon God Stone.]
At that time, Kadun had easily driven Murakan into a corner.
Murakan had been no match for him, but only because the dragon was preoccupied with saving the civilians of Santel from Kadun's flames.
Besides, Kadun was fundamentally much stronger back then, as Murakan had barely recovered any of his power.
Regardless, after that battle, Murakan had survived and had since displayed his might for all to see.
First, at the site of the Sword Emperor Castle terror attack, and then just a few days ago at the Black King Mountain Fortress.
When he first heard the news from Sword Emperor Castle, Kadun had been uncertain.
He'd wondered if the weak Murakan he met in Santel had truly recovered, or if the dragon had simply been fighting inefficiently, unable to use his full power.
[Now it is certain. Kelliark, we must make a move before he recovers all of his old strength.]
"You’re actually afraid, aren't you?"
[Yes.]
Kadun admitted it with surprising frankness.
"Didn't they say you were the dragon who came closest to Murakan’s power a thousand years ago?"
[Being close and being equal are two different things. It galls me to admit it, but he was undeniably the strongest. So listen to me seriously. We cannot let that brat and Murakan run wild any longer!]
For the first time, the smile vanished from Kelliark’s face.
"I admit your words have merit. But Kadun, to me, recklessly touching the 12th Flagbearer and his guardian dragon is an even bigger gamble."
[Because of Cyron Runcandel?]
"Yes. Once he is gone, the world will fall into our hands anyway. And he certainly doesn't have much time left. Do you really think Runcandel, or the 12th Flagbearer, can surpass the realm Cyron has achieved within that time?"
It is absolutely impossible.
Kelliark finished the thought internally and met Kadun’s eyes.
"I experienced Cyron when he was nineteen. I don't get the impression that the current 12th Flagbearer is any better than Cyron was then. The 12th Flagbearer will never reach his level."
[Just as you experienced Cyron, I experienced the Runcandels and Murakan of that era.]
"I know. But Kadun, look at the situation. As I see it, the fight is over once Cyron is gone. The world will be ours. We just need to wait for Cyron’s time to end while managing the variables. Why should we stir a hornet's nest? Especially when the right opportunity hasn't even presented itself?"
Stir a hornet's nest.
Kelliark’s choice of words was deliberate. It stemmed from the fear that if they clumsily provoked the 12th Flagbearer, Cyron might return from the Black Sea.
Kadun did not respond.
It wasn't that he thought Kelliark was wrong. He just couldn't articulate the inexplicable, uneasy feeling that filled his chest.
"If you’re that worried, I’ll order more personnel to track Misha. That should help alleviate your anxiety, shouldn't it?"
In the end, Kadun had no choice but to nod.
[……Fine, I understand. Capturing Murakan’s sister would certainly be better than nothing.]
"It’s a shame we missed her by a hair’s breadth recently. Anyway, I’m more concerned about my son than the 12th Flagbearer or the Black Dragons."
[Veradin?]
"Yes. Whether it’s because the stability of the manipulation magic is dropping, or if something else is influencing him… it’s become increasingly difficult to manipulate his mind and memories lately."
An element that could influence Veradin’s mental world.
Kelliark could not fathom what it was. It was an emotion he had forgotten too long ago.
[I believe it is because Jin Runcandel and Dante Hairan are influencing him.]
"Whatever effect they are having on Veradin, the end result will only be hatred and betrayal. And if what you say is true, we must be even more careful about touching the 12th Flagbearer. Until the perfect moment arrives."
[Tch!]
As Kadun shrugged, Kelliark toyed with his crystal ball in silence for a long while.
*
The Land of the Beastmen, Kinzelo’s Main Branch.
The faces of Vishkel, Verakt, and Jo, gathered in the meeting room, were grim. The table they sat at was piled high with newsletters about Jin.
However, unlike Zipple, they didn't mistakenly believe Murakan was responsible for this mess.
"Hmm, Zephyrin… she finally caused an accident," Jo said, glancing at Verakt.
Zephyrin.
Even though Kinzelo hadn't sent anyone to the destroyed Black King Mountain Fortress, they knew with certainty that this was her doing.
It was because the Leader’s condition had deteriorated rapidly immediately after the fortress fell.
That meant that, just as at the Sword Emperor Castle, the Leader had either used excessive power himself… or someone had drawn upon his power.
Currently, only one being in the world could borrow that power without the Leader’s permission: Zephyrin. There was no room for doubt.
"I mean, is the Leader's condition, munch, munch, really that, gulp, bad? Slurp, munch! That Demon Dragon really messed up!" Bubar said while greedily devouring sweet potato croquettes.
Vishkel and Verakt felt a sudden urge to kill the mass of flesh right then and there, but they merely clenched their trembling fists.
"Vice Captain."
"Yes, Sir Verakt."
"What are your thoughts?"
"I also believe Zephyrin’s recent actions have crossed the line. After the Sword Emperor Castle incident, the Leader was already in a state where he required absolute rest."
"Furthermore, she’s someone who didn't show her face once while Kinzelo was establishing itself. I believe she should be severely punished."
"Sir Verakt, Zephyrin is not a being we can punish."
"I am aware. I was simply asking if the Vice Captain had a clever plan. If the Leader’s recovery is delayed, our Great Cause will be set back."
At those words, Vishkel closed his eyes and fell into thought for a moment.
"…In that case, I will go and meet her personally to make a request. I’ll ask her to embed herself within Zipple and act as a spy for a while. This seems to be the most we can demand of her."
"She's highly unlikely to comply."
"I will handle the discussion to ensure she agrees."
Verakt nodded, seemingly satisfied.
He remembered that Vishkel always kept his word.
"Very well. I shall trust the Vice Captain and wait."