Chapter 495: The Tower Keeper of the White Night (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 495: The Tower Keeper of the White Night (1)
Sssssst.
The hiss of Hedo lighting a cigar cut through the air.
The chaotic scene, once a storm of clashing steel and crackling magic, fell silent in an instant. It was as if the mere appearance of the muscular giant demanded it.
Overwhelming intimidation.
There was no simpler or more accurate way to describe the man named Hedo.
Just by standing there, blocking the entrance, he made the room feel like a sealed chamber with no exit. The air grew thick and heavy, making every breath a labor.
What is that monster...? And whose head is he holding?
The Runcandels could only exchange wary glances.
The members of the Wraith Squad were doing the same, even though they knew exactly who he was. However, unlike the Runcandels, the looks shared between the Wraiths were a mix of different emotions: bewilderment, grief, shock.
And terror.
The reason for their distress was simple. The head Hedo had carelessly dropped belonged to one of their own—a fellow member of the Wraith Squad.
‘Hedo killed Loeb!’
‘Damn it, I came back to the Magic Tower specifically to prevent a disaster like this…!’
Of course, none of the Wraith Squad’s turmoil reached the Runcandels, who had been locked in a frantic struggle just moments before. Not only were their faces hidden by hoods, but the Wraith Squad was not so undisciplined as to expose their feelings to an enemy, no matter how terrifying the situation. They were the elite of the elite.
Yet, these men—selected from birth and molded through grueling training and indoctrination to wear the gray robes of the Wraiths—knew better than anyone precisely because they were strong. They knew there were monsters in this world one simply could not touch. They knew that for every mountain, there is a taller mountain, and beyond that, the heavens.
Just like the handful of transcendent beings they had encountered in their lives as Wraiths, this man was one of them.
Crackle!
The long cigar burned rapidly, like a fuse. Its thick ash didn't flutter away but fell in heavy clumps. With a single long drag, the entire cigar was reduced to embers.
Fuuuuuu—!
As Hedo exhaled the smoke he held in his lungs, a pungent cloud—more akin to a toxic mist—shrouded his massive upper body.
“Hah?”
It was Murakan who broke the silence.
He put on his most menacing expression, trying his best not to look like he was merely posturing, and spoke up.
“Who the hell are you, you bastard? Didn’t anyone teach you to knock? Look at those muscles. Did you wander out of a bodybuilding competition? If you don’t want to get beaten to a pulp, turn around and get lost.”
As he spoke, he surreptitiously poked Jin in the ribs and whispered.
‘Kid, we need to run.’
Jin felt it instinctively as well.
The four members of the Wraith Squad were formidable, but they were foes the current Runcandel contingent could handle. This mysterious warrior, however, was on a level they could not possibly contend with.
Even with himself, Dipus, Joshua, a Black Knight, and Murakan—who had recovered fifty percent of his power—it wasn't enough.
He certainly wasn't at the level of a Creation Knight. The Runcandels and Murakan, who had experienced the majesty of a Creation Knight more closely than anyone, were certain of that.
But even if he wasn’t at that level, he was definitely somewhere near it…
A giant standing tall in the lofty realm of ultimate martial prowess.
‘I’ve never heard of such a formidable warrior in the Zipple Clan. Could he be from Kinzelo?’
It wasn't just Jin; Joshua, Dipus, and the Black Knight were also completely ignorant of Hedo’s identity. Even the secret documents detailing Zipple’s hidden forces, which only Black Knights and high-ranking Flagbearers could access, had no mention of Hedo.
Crunch!
Hedo spoke as he stepped on the dead Wraith’s head, crushing it. The other Wraiths didn't dare utter a word, even as they witnessed the desecration.
“Knocking. As the Second Head Butler of the Zipple Clan, that is a concept I have never considered, O Black Dragon. After all, this is not Runcandel territory, is it?”
This person is the Black Dragon Murakan?
The moment Hedo spoke, the Wraith Squad members realized their mistake. They hadn't entirely ruled out the possibility, but with his face masked, they had assumed he was more likely a Black Knight.
“Eh? My mask isn't even torn. How’d you recognize me?”
“It is common knowledge that the Black Dragon prefers a somewhat… vulgar manner of speech. The one holding the greatsword is the 4th Flagbearer; the one holding the Black Sword Kiner, painted to look like ordinary iron, is the 2nd Flagbearer; that one over there seems to be the Black Knight Jane. And finally, the 12th Flagbearer, Jin Runcandel.”
Their identities being revealed wasn't particularly surprising; it would have been a matter of time even if they had only fought the Wraith Squad. The infiltration suits had been worn primarily to minimize unnecessary exposure in the first place.
However, the Runcandels couldn't help but find his introduction as the "Second Head Butler" utterly absurd.
For a man of such caliber to be a mere Second Head Butler defied all common sense. Furthermore, the Zipple Clan’s list of butlers had been public knowledge for a long time; one didn't even need to access Runcandel’s classified intelligence to know it.
The butlers of the Zipples, the Runcandels, the Imperial Family, and other major powers were generally not a secret. Butlers handled more than just a family’s internal affairs; they also managed many external duties. Negotiations, receiving VIPs, banquets, and various events were all part of their purview. The press would inevitably report on such matters, and the names of the butlers who handled the relevant tasks would be mentioned each time.
‘The publicly known Second Head Butler is Melvin Grouch. Grouch, who is known for his brilliant mind. But this monster is the Second Head Butler?’
If Hedo’s words were true, it meant he held the position simply because he wanted to, for reasons unknown. Everyone in the group reached the same conclusion.
“Second Head Butler? Hey, Muscles. You’re telling me you’re just a Second Head Butler?”
“Well… I do hold a few other positions simultaneously. One of them would be the role of this tower’s keeper.”
“Tower Keeper?”
“Indeed. It would be best to introduce myself properly. I am Hedo, the Tower Keeper of the White Night.”
Hedo bowed, his right arm tracing an arc across his chest in a formal greeting.
The Tower Keeper of the White Night.
Having revealed his other title, Hedo subtly observed Jin.
‘Jin Runcandel…’
The 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel, whom his lady, Sandra Zipple, had "decided to love."
Hedo was generally indifferent to outside affairs, but even before Sandra started making a fuss about love and marriage, he had felt a flicker of curiosity. He wondered what kind of person could cause such a stir in the world so frequently. One would have to go back to Luna to find a Runcandel flagbearer who commanded such attention.
However, if it weren't for Sandra, Hedo wouldn't have bothered to take a deeper interest in Jin at this moment.
“You there. Could you remove your mask?”
“I decline.”
“Though we belong to hostile families, I have shown the utmost courtesy by revealing who I am. It does not seem like a difficult request.”
“I appreciate a warrior revealing his name and title. However, a flagbearer of a martial clan cannot simply follow the request of a Zipple butler. Reveal your true name and rank. Then, I shall remove my mask.”
“I sense a bold spirit rather than mere recklessness, 12th Flagbearer. Have it your way, then.”
Sring.
Hedo spoke as he slowly drew the longsword strapped to his waist. It was nearly twice the length and thickness of a standard longsword, yet it was sleek and refined, not the blunt shape of a typical greatsword.
For a moment, Murakan flinched upon seeing the blade.
“However, you must understand that my mercy will be diminished accordingly.”
Swish—!
A sharp, piercing sound, like an awl stabbing the eardrums, filled the room.
It was the sound of Hedo thrusting his sword as he took a single step forward. The group could hardly believe their eyes—how could such a massive body move with such blinding speed?
Furthermore, the sword energy didn't travel in just one direction.
Though he had swung toward the center, the energy fanned out, covering everything in front of him. A single strike, yet it unleashed hundreds of waves of sword energy.
It was the realm of Sword Tao, a state spoken of in legends among warriors. The sword energy, spreading like a ripple, crashed over space, objects, and people alike.
The Runcandels surged their energy, raised shields, and executed their fastest techniques to withstand Hedo’s strike.
Terrifying.
That was the thought shared by everyone who parried the blow. And aside from the shock, the Runcandels couldn't help but wonder.
‘If he attacks like this, won't the Wraith Squad be hit too?’
Hedo’s sword energy was clearly threatening the Wraith Squad as well as the Runcandels. In fact, the most powerful waves of energy seemed to be pouring toward the Wraiths.
Jin and his companions couldn't yet deduce the reason, but one thing was certain: within the Zipple Clan, Hedo held a position that allowed him to trample even the Wraith Squad at his whim.
‘Does this man named Hedo possess power equal to or greater than Octavia Zipple? No, something feels strange about this. I can't just conclude that…’
Jin felt the Wraith Squad’s attitude was peculiar.
‘If this were a superior punishing the Wraith Squad, they should have been begging for forgiveness. But they’re just enduring his attack as if they have no choice… Urgh!’
Clang—!
Before he knew it, Hedo had closed the distance, his longsword crashing down toward Jin’s forehead.
It had been a very long time since Jin felt like his wrists might snap from parrying a single blow.
Before Hedo could retract his sword, Murakan and Dipus lunged at him with blade and fist, while Joshua and Jane flanked him to attempt their own strikes.
And just as the Runcandels' attacks were about to land…
Hedo’s muscles expanded, and in the next instant…
It felt as if their swords and fists had struck not a human body, but some impossibly hard mineral.
Their weapons and fists were repelled.
Even though they were desperate strikes, the swords of two top-tier flagbearers and a Black Knight, along with the fist of Murakan at half-power, were all effortlessly thrown back.
Everyone was shocked, but Murakan’s eyes were particularly wide.
While the other Runcandels couldn't take their eyes off Hedo’s shocking physique, Murakan was staring at his unnaturally long sword.
As if he had remembered something.
“You… that sword. Where did you get it?”
Murakan spoke in a low, disturbed voice.
Hedo tilted his head slightly.
“That is a strange question, O Black Dragon. And from what I heard from those who witnessed your prowess at the Gaifa Archipelago, you were not supposed to be at this level.”
Behind his mask, Murakan’s eyes, fixed on Hedo’s longsword, were trembling.
“Ah, perhaps… you are unable to unleash your full strength because you fear reinforcements from the main house. You need not worry. No reinforcements from the clan will be coming here.”