Chapter 502: Blackmail (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 502: Blackmail (1)
Massive dark clouds, like an upturned mountain range, shrouded the skies of the Sota Desert.
They were the clouds formed by Kinzelo’s flagship, the Gruneil.
The dark expanse incessantly unleashed bolts of brilliant blue lightning, creating a scene like a tidal wave rising into the heavens.
Within that storm, the dark, mass-produced ships of the Zipple Clan were being shattered and broken, plummeting toward the earth below.
Already, nearly twenty of their mass-produced ships had been shot down.
One hundred and fifty dragons, over fifteen hundred mages, and the flagship Kozec.
Most of the reinforcements from Drakka converged on the Gruneil with a sense of dread.
They had always believed that no force other than the Runcandels could ever harm the Zipples. Yet Kinzelo, which had been nothing more than a third-rate terrorist organization before the Holy Kingdom Incident, was now defiling the airspace of the Lutero Magic Federation.
Of course, after the terror attack on the Sword Emperor Castle, the public had become aware that Kinzelo was a power to be reckoned with, standing on par with the three great factions.
However, the Gruneil seemed even stronger now than when it had first appeared at the Sword Emperor Castle.
The mana emitting from the protrusions across its hull distorted the surrounding space, and the entire Sota Desert vibrated from the falling debris of the mass-produced ships.
Sandstorms laced with lightning triggered fierce tornadoes everywhere, slowly sucking the damaged ships into their vortexes.
‘A day like this was bound to come eventually...’
Octavia Zipple stood on the captain’s bridge of the Kozec, observing the situation with expressionless eyes.
She and the few other high-ranking mages who had long known of Kinzelo’s true power showed no signs of surprise.
That didn’t make it any less of a bitter reality.
In fact, they were even more furious than the members who had underestimated Kinzelo. Their rage was inevitable, for they understood the true reason behind Kinzelo’s invasion of the Sota Desert.
‘Their leader couldn't have fully recovered since the attack on the Sword Emperor Castle. The only reason they would act so brazenly, as if ready for all-out war, is...’
The Runcandels.
It was because they existed.
Kinzelo was exploiting the fact that the Zipples could never commit to an all-out war, not while the Runcandels were still standing. No matter how much Kinzelo provoked them, the Zipples couldn't risk fighting on two fronts.
No, it might be possible, but the Zipples would inevitably suffer catastrophic damage bordering on ruin after such a war.
If that happened, the global hegemony they had fought a millennium for would be handed to some other power on a silver platter.
Despite possessing hundreds of flying ships, despite replicating the Origin Stone, and despite developing immortal bio-golems to the brink of completion...
The fact that they still couldn't gain an overwhelming advantage in this nightmarish tug-of-war—and the reality that their enemies were exploiting this very vulnerability—aroused a chillingly deep hatred within her.
‘We must become even stronger. We must reclaim the clan’s lost magic and authority, and we must do it a day sooner.’
She had to be certain. Before Cyron’s time ran out, before the Kinzelo Leader’s body was complete, she had to prove that the Zipples were the true masters of the world.
Dragons, mages, and the fleet were surrounding the Gruneil.
Perhaps "surrounding" was not the right word. From the beginning, the Gruneil had shown no sign of fleeing, even as the entire Zipple force swarmed toward it.
Octavia stepped out of the bridge and took her place at the bow of the Kozec. She then raised her glowing staff toward the sky.
“Vishkel Ivliano!”
Octavia’s majestic voice, amplified by mana, echoed across the heavens. Aboard the bridge of the Gruneil, Vishkel watched her.
Even at Octavia’s appearance, he did not lose his characteristic cold expression.
“I have long wondered why the Kinzelo Leader values you so highly. Perhaps today, I will finally glimpse the reason.”
Vishkel had no answer.
He didn't actually possess any particularly special abilities yet.
He simply had the virtues of being meticulous in his duties as the Vice Captain and always maintaining a cool-headed rationality.
Compared to the other executives of Kinzelo, who were mostly hot-tempered or had abrasive personalities, that was an ability in its own right. He also had a strange knack for earning the favor of non-human beings.
Regardless, Vishkel’s silent stance only fanned the flames of Octavia’s strange anticipation.
“I hope witnessing your power is worth the price of this humiliation.”
Whirrr—!
As mana erupted from Octavia’s staff, the thunderous barrage from the Gruneil momentarily subsided.
For a brief moment, she had exerted mana greater than the Gruneil’s own power source.
That mana soon transformed into a massive net that enveloped the Gruneil and even caught the falling debris of the mass-produced ships.
Beep-beep, screeech!
Warning alarms blared throughout the Gruneil, signaling imminent impact.
The shield, which had once withstood Ron Runcandel’s Invisible Sword, had not yet developed even a small crack, but the entire hull was tilting under the immense force of the net.
‘Octavia Zipple... She is truly the second-in-command of the world's greatest clan.’
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Vishkel’s forehead.
He wondered just how much time their new recruit could buy them.
Yawn—!
A woman standing behind Vishkel yawned so wide it looked like her mouth might tear.
She was dressed in a flamboyant gown ill-suited for battle, and a pair of dainty, palm-sized wings sprouted from her back.
“Looks like it’s time! Hey, Vice Captain. I just have to fight those things until that person finds the Runcandel brats, right?”
“...Ainas. I suggest you approach this situation with a bit more gravity.”
Ainas Caligo—that was the woman’s name.
“Hmph! Are you telling the Second Princess of the great Caligo family to get serious against lowly humans? Oh, I suppose there are dragons too.”
Ainas’s arrogant and flippant attitude had been making Vishkel uneasy since before they even arrived in the desert.
“Ah, don't look at me like that. Fine, I get it. I just have to do it right, yeah?”
Ainas said as she lightly lifted a greatsword resting beside her. She looked utterly relaxed as she stood and swung it around.
“If possible, instead of just buying time, can I just wipe them all out? Hehe.”
“This is no time for jokes.”
“Watch and see if it’s a joke or not. You just sit back and have a warm cup of tea, Vice Captain. I’ll slaughter them all before it gets cold...”
Octavia narrowed her eyes as she watched Ainas step onto the bow of the Gruneil.
“A demon... Don't tell me, have you opened the Gate? So this was your ability, Vishkel Ivliano!”
Octavia’s eyes flashed as she began to release mana once more. Ainas gave a contemptuous snort and threw herself through the air toward her.
“What a noisy human hag... Gack!”
However, far from reaching Octavia, Ainas was intercepted by Chain Magic cast by the other mages and went plummeting toward the ground.
Before she could even hit the dirt, she was engulfed by dragon breath and a magical bombardment. She ended up screaming:
“Vi-Vice Captain! Help me! Help! Hurry!”
Vishkel could only press his hand to his forehead and let out a deep sigh.
To make matters worse, his despair was far from over.
Swaaaaah—!
Suddenly, a tidal wave of sword energy surged from the ground. Unlike Octavia’s net, this sword energy dealt direct damage to the Gruneil’s shield.
It was Hedo’s sword.
Crack!
A crack spiderwebbed across the Gruneil's lower hull. Vishkel had no idea what a man like Hedo—who seemed like a demonic version of Bubar—was even doing here.
‘I heard it withstood the Sword Emperor’s blade. It is indeed a sturdy ship.’
Hedo leaped into the air, unleashed another spray of sword energy, and landed on the bow of the Kozec.
Octavia’s eyes widened in shock at his heavily wounded appearance.
“It seems Kinzelo is quite determined. I was surprised when the request for backup came, but for you to suffer such injuries, Sir Hedo? Moreover, I saw on my way here that the 2nd Magic Tower has been completely destroyed.”
Just like Vishkel, Hedo had no answer for Octavia.
So, he decided to snap at her instead.
“I hope you manage your subordinates better in the future, Wraith Captain.”
“Manage my subordinates?”
“They mindlessly carried out Lady Sandra’s orders. It’s thanks to them that this mess happened.”
It wasn't entirely false, but it couldn't be called the truth either.
However, Octavia concluded that now was not the time to argue with Hedo.
“It seems my subordinates have earned your ire. I will hear the details later. First, I must find the ones who inflicted such heavy wounds upon you. Who were they, and in which direction did they flee?”
Hedo’s gaze fell upon Ainas, who was frantically flailing to avoid the non-stop barrage of attacks.
“Aaaaah! Vice Captain, what are you doing?!”
A demon.
It seemed like a suitable excuse.
He hoped it would be.
“...It seemed to be a demon. They fled toward the Kuta Forest, but their path after that is uncertain.”
“Were the Runcandels with them?”
“The flagbearers, a Black Knight, and the Black Dragon Murakan were together.”
He couldn't hide everything. The full truth would eventually surface, and to claim he'd never even seen the Runcandels would be a betrayal far worse than a simple lie. If that happened, Sandra would be in danger.
At the mention of ‘Murakan,’ Octavia’s pupils dilated.
“If the Black Dragon came, it means the 12th Flagbearer is also in the Sota Desert. Your struggle is more understandable now.”
“If you don't go now, you'll lose them.”
Octavia drew a long arc in the sky with her staff.
Then, mana formed glowing sentences in the sky, written in Rune characters.
[All units, focus on the Kuta Forest. The entire Wraith Squad will search for the fugitives.]
[Capture Jin Runcandel alive!]
As soon as the command was given, ten dragons broke formation and began flying at full speed toward the Kuta Forest.
Having already experienced the humiliation of losing Jin before their very eyes several times, the members of the Wraith Squad burned with the determination to finally capture him.
Unfortunately, the Kuta Forest that Hedo had mentioned was in the exact opposite direction of where Jin’s group and Sandra had fled.
Hedo simply cleared his throat and resumed firing sword energy at the Gruneil.