Chapter 485: Siblings United (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 485: Siblings United (2)
February 27, 1800. Outside the field tent, a sandstorm raged, obscuring everything beyond arm’s length.
The storm, which had been blowing all day as if determined to bury the world, was nauseating to watch. Yet, it was this very sandstorm that had served as the shroud for the Runcandels over the past few weeks.
Of course, it was also the shroud that had concealed the existence of a massive aerial fortress shipyard—at least, until Zipple intentionally leaked the information.
"Ugh..."
Dipus pressed a hand to his forehead, letting out a low groan. Reading the newsletters brought back by the enforcement knights from a nearby village had sent a throbbing headache through him.
The duel at sea off Tikan between the Gale and the Black Prince! Every time the two flagbearers swung their blades, the sea split and the heavens opened!
A sudden war for rank triggered by Mary Runcandel’s provocation! The winner is reported to be the 12th Flagbearer!
Pirate Komo, a confidant of 7th Flagbearer Mary Runcandel, stated, “The Great Captain wanted to fight him the moment she heard the 12th Flagbearer subdued the Black King Mountain Fortress alone.” Were the rumors of the Black King Corps incident true?
Whispers from the Gaifa Archipelago… Was it Jin Runcandel who killed (or caused the disappearance of) Amela?
The 12th Flagbearer’s confidant, Jemo, stated, “It’s true our master took down Amela in a single strike.”
Jin Runcandel, a flagbearer for barely a year, leaps to 5th in the rankings! Is the Runcandel succession line truly changing!?
An overwhelming victory against the 7th Flagbearer! How far will the legend of the soaring 12th Flagbearer go?
‘I expected Mary to cause some trouble, but… I didn’t think she’d actually have a public duel with the youngest.’
Since they couldn't visit the village every day, this news was already over a week old. While the infiltration team was hiding in the Sota Desert, the world had been buzzing with the fight between Jin and Mary.
—Do whatever you want for a while. Cause trouble, train as you like. I’ll take responsibility for the aftermath.
Dipus recalled the words he had said to Mary not long ago. He had truly intended to let her run wild.
However, Zipple’s sudden leak about the aerial fortress shipyard had made Mary’s help indispensable. Luna and Luntia were away on other missions, and calling upon lower-ranked flagbearers would have been more of a liability than an asset.
So, he had sent an urgent letter with the infiltration route marked, intending for her to help one last time before going her own way. He never expected the news of her clash with their youngest brother to reach him first.
‘Did she not receive the letter? No, that’s impossible. Knowing Mary’s style… she probably challenged the youngest to a fight and proposed that the winner come here as reinforcement.’
Sigh.
Dipus let out a long breath.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered asking Jin for help. Though he had only just officially become the 5th Flagbearer, Jin’s martial prowess and abilities had already been proven on par with the top-tier flagbearers during the Patriarch Declaration.
The reason he had hoped for Mary over Jin, however, was simple.
Synergy and coordination.
Without question, the sibling Dipus trusted most was Mary. If he had to entrust his back to someone on such a dangerous mission, it had to be her.
Furthermore, in terms of team composition, Mary was a much better fit than Jin. Anyone would think so, especially considering the bad blood between Joshua and Jin.
‘Of course, both Jin and Joshua are professional enough to separate public and private matters… but I still have a bad feeling about this.’
Shhh!
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the front and back flaps of the tent opened simultaneously.
Joshua and two Black Knights entered through the front after a scouting mission, while Jin, who had just arrived, stepped in through the back.
"...Youngest? Why are you here?"
As Joshua shot him a look, Dipus simply shrugged. Jin immediately spoke up.
"There were quite a few strange passages along the infiltration route. Did the 2nd Flagbearer make those?"
Strange passages.
That was something Dipus had been curious about as well. The infiltration route into the Sota Desert had been entirely constructed by Joshua. Dipus had attempted to forge a route from a different direction but had failed, eventually joining Joshua’s path.
In the process, Dipus had confirmed that Joshua’s infiltration route was created by means beyond mere martial strength or ordinary magic. The tunnels were dug so deep that the ground should have collapsed, yet for some reason, they held their shape perfectly.
"Yes, I made them," Joshua replied.
"They didn't seem like something a human could make."
"Do you believe the limits of your own abilities apply to everyone? If so, I overestimated your intelligence."
"Are you not even hiding the fact that you have a helper anymore? A Prophet, or whatever it is?"
Ever since meeting Joshua in the Mausoleum right after the Patriarch Declaration, Jin had suspected that Joshua would eventually bring the Prophet’s existence to the forefront. Even back then, Jin had openly mentioned the Prophet in front of the other flagbearers and elders, and Joshua hadn't seemed particularly shaken.
"You seem to be mistaken about something."
Joshua shook his head and continued.
"I have never hidden the Prophet’s existence. The reason you and the other flagbearers didn't know was simply because you lacked the necessary clearance to access the information."
Jin let out a short, dry laugh.
"Well, I didn't bring it up just to watch you get defensive. Knowing that a being who was top-secret for so long is helping us makes me feel quite reassured. Especially since we have two Black Knights with us as well."
The Black Knights showed no reaction to Jin’s provocative words.
Joshua’s gaze shifted to Jin’s shoulder. Murakan, transformed into a cat, was snoring away on top of it.
"I, too, feel much more at ease knowing the family’s guardian deity is watching over this mission. Since our goals are infiltration, sabotage, and assassination, you are a more suitable choice than Mary anyway."
While the two spoke, Dipus kept dwelling on the word 'Prophet.'
‘The youngest… just how much information has he uncovered about Joshua?’
And how on earth did he find out?
Curiosity mixed with confusion, and his chest felt tight. Dipus had long suspected that Joshua had some special power or helper, but that was the extent of his knowledge. Despite tracking him for years, he hadn't found a single clue. He had assumed it was impossible, since Rosa herself was concealing Joshua’s secrets.
Yet here was Jin, speaking as if he’d known everything about this 'Prophet' since the Patriarch Declaration. For Dipus, it was a moment that stirred a profound sense of defeat.
‘What’s done is done. I need to find a way to get the youngest to share his information. I have to get as much as I can so that, even if I'm slower than him, I can still move faster than Joshua.’
As Dipus reached that conclusion, Jin and Joshua continued to stare each other down.
‘I mentioned the Black Knights on purpose, but there was no reaction. Has Dox not visited Ricalton yet?’ Jin thought.
Since Jin hadn't received word from Dox, he didn't know how his orders were being carried out. And even if Dox had gone to Ricalton, it wouldn't be difficult for someone of Joshua’s caliber to hide his true thoughts.
Joshua smiled and pulled a bundle of documents from his coat.
"This is the information we’ve gathered on the secret shipyard and the mission details before you arrived."
The documents detailed the internal structure of the secret shipyard, its guard personnel, and various risks.
‘A facility of this scale is built entirely underground?’
Jin was inwardly shocked as he looked over the layout. The scale of the secret shipyard was far larger than he had anticipated.
Joshua smiled as if he had expected such a reaction.
"There are a total of twenty-four sectors, each roughly the size of a castle. More than half of the desert’s subsoil is the secret shipyard. It’s a mystery how they managed to keep such a massive facility a secret all this time."
Several areas marked in red caught Jin's eye.
"The marked areas are where we expect the ship blueprints or the most critical construction components to be located. Sectors 4, 11, 17, and 19. Security in these four locations is particularly tight, so even we haven't been able to approach them yet."
Until now, the infiltration team had been conducting internal reconnaissance using the Prophet’s power. The fact that they couldn't get in even with that special power, two top-tier flagbearers, and two Black Knights meant that brute force was the only option left.
And the moment they used force to enter one of those four sectors, the true time limit of the mission would begin.
"We’ll have to choose our first target carefully. We’ll likely only get one chance," Dipus said.
"Indeed," Joshua agreed. "The infiltration operation begins tomorrow at 2 AM. From then on, we will gather more direct information from the inside, pick one of the four sectors, and begin the mission to destroy and seize our targets. The top priorities are securing the ship blueprints and destroying the most vital resources. Is that explanation sufficient?"
Jin nodded.
"Good. Then I shall take a short rest."
Joshua gathered the newsletters from the table and turned around.
"And congratulations on reaching the 5th rank. When we return, I’ll gift you a bottle of fine wine."
"I’ll accept it gladly. Oh, and… thank you for pulling the strings with the press during the Black King Corps incident."
It was another jab regarding Dox.
When Dox hadn't returned during the Black King Corps incident, Joshua had instructed his media outlets to publish articles favorable to Jin and Murakan, which ultimately increased the family’s prestige.
"Reading those articles made me think that the 2nd Flagbearer and I can actually work well together sometimes."
"I hope this mission goes the same way, Black Prince of Huphester. Hahaha..."
The moment he heard the nickname 'Black Prince,' Jin felt a sudden, violent urge to kill Cosmos.
As Joshua and the Black Knights left the tent, Jin and Dipus’s eyes met.
"Second Brother."
"Yeah."
Jin paused for a moment before speaking.
"...Let’s kill him. That man. During this mission."
At the sudden declaration, Dipus’s eyes widened in shock.