Chapter 584: Sorting Out the Situation (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 584: Sorting Out the Situation (4)
The Tower of Stories.
"To think they had a laboratory right in the heart of the Empire…" Octavia Zipple muttered, grinding her teeth.
She looked as though she had yet to escape the aftermath of the war. Her entire body was wrapped in mana-infused bandages, and various tubes from life-support devices were connected to her back. Dark spots were clearly visible through the gaps in the wrappings. Having endured both the corruption of chaos and the forced super-regeneration from the Demon God Stone, she would have to rely on these devices for the foreseeable future.
"The Imperial Family… those insidious bastards have more gall than I ever imagined. The capital is a place our mages travel through every single day."
Beside her, Kadun was also struggling to suppress his rage.
Hedo, however, smoked a cigarette with a stoic expression. He simply appeared composed because his mind was blank, but to Octavia and Kadun, it looked like something else entirely. They were under the impression that he was exercising superhuman patience to coolly analyze the situation.
"It is galling, but it's a relief that the Imperial Family has a trump card left. So please, calm yourselves, Lord Kadun. And you as well, Wraith Captain."
At Hedo’s words, Kadun and Octavia cleared their throats, looking slightly embarrassed.
"…Sir Hedo is right. I’ve shown an unsightly side of myself."
"Indeed… those wretches are cornered. They'll shamelessly reach out to us again."
A cataclysmic shift had occurred in the global landscape following the Sword Emperor Holy War. The era where one could confidently claim that Zipple stood alone at the summit had come to an end.
Of course, they hadn't completely lost their status as the world's number one family, but none of the great powers knew the exact extent of each other's damage. They could only guess that it was beyond imagination.
Consequently, the two great families—Runcandel and Zipple—had to keep a close eye on each other while reinforcing their strength as quickly as possible, by any means necessary.
Furthermore, Cyron Runcandel was still alive and well.
While it was a foregone conclusion that he had entered the domain of the Five Kings of the Black Sea, Zipple had to account for the possibility of his return to the continent at any time. They also had to worry about the existence of the Prophet.
In that sense, Zipple couldn't help but covet the demonization technology possessed by the Imperial Family.
The Imperial Family couldn't collude with Runcandel, anyway. Jin was the primary reason, but even if Rosa ignored him and requested an alliance, it was an unattractive proposal for the Empire. Runcandel possessed absolutely no magitech capabilities.
Above all, the Imperial Family had maintained a much closer relationship with Zipple than with Runcandel over the years. Although they had essentially stabbed each other in the back during the Sword Emperor Holy War, they were now in a position where they desperately needed one another.
"Exactly," Hedo continued. "Since the 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel prevented the Imperial Family from cutting their losses, they have no choice but to rely on us. We will be able to proceed with any negotiations on favorable terms. This is something to welcome, not be angry about."
Zipple did not yet know the true power of the demons. The reports spread by Jin’s faction—claiming they were 9-star knights or higher with super-regeneration—were likely exaggerated.
Nevertheless, they believed there must be a reason the Imperial Family dared to cling to this project, even while deceiving Zipple. As for the demons' combat power, they could simply examine a specimen during negotiations.
"Punishment can wait until after we've extracted their technology and the family has recovered," Hedo concluded.
"However, one thing is strange," Kadun said. "How on earth did the 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel know the location of the laboratory? It's unlikely our family's intelligence is inferior to his."
Octavia nodded at the remark.
"I suspect it's because a Hister survivor is with the 12th Flagbearer. From the moment he neutralized the Patriarch's Great Magic during the war, it was as good as confirmed that he is accompanied by a Record Mage."
Destruction Flame Orb of the Dark Heaven: Demon Emperor Form 2. During the Sword Emperor Holy War, Jin had shattered that spell with an ease that suggested he already knew everything about it.
Octavia’s gaze drifted to another life-support device behind them.
Sealed within was Veradin Zipple, who had attempted to go berserk. He had not regained consciousness once since the war began.
And it wasn't just Octavia and Veradin who were relying on such devices.
Kelliark himself was inside a life-support device on the top floor of the Tower of Stories.
In short, Zipple was facing its worst crisis in a thousand years.
"And it was just when Lord Kelliark declared he would personally find the Hister survivor," Kadun lamented. "Black Dragon Misha and that Hister survivor are damnably lucky."
"We must wait for contact from the Imperial Family first," Octavia said. "And once that boy wakes up… I should have him meet with the 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel."
"Octavia, no matter how close the 12th Flagbearer is with Veradin, do you really think he'll spit out information about Hister?"
"There's no harm in trying, Lord Kadun. The 12th Flagbearer will surely be curious about Veradin's condition, so he won't avoid a meeting."
As the conversation turned that way, Hedo felt a bit awkward. Before attending this meeting, he had received a request from Sandra Zipple.
—Auntie is definitely going to make Veradin meet Jin once he wakes up. When that happens, Hedo, you tell her that I’m going too.
—I cannot do that, My Lady.
—Yes, you can.
—Every time you meet the 12th Flagbearer, you are essentially committing acts of treason. The Patriarch is turning a blind eye for now, but if this continues…
—Ah! I have a plan. You said a Record Mage is with my darling, right? Then Auntie won't be able to send Veradin with his mind manipulated, so she'll be worried. She won't know what Veradin might say! I’m saying I’ll take on the role of his monitor.
—In my opinion, they would consider your mouth to be the bigger problem, My Lady.
—Anyway, make sure you tell her. End of story.
Sigh…
Hedo let out a deep sigh along with a cloud of cigarette smoke. Having no choice, he finally broached the subject.
"Wraith Captain, how about sending Lady Sandra along with Young Master Veradin?"
If anyone else had said it, Octavia would have dismissed it as not worth hearing.
"What makes you think that, Sir Hedo?"
"I believe there is a need to monitor Young Master Veradin. We cannot quickly determine what memories he regained or lost due to his berserk attempt, and there is a possibility the Hister survivor might check if his mind has been manipulated."
"That makes sense. But for such a role, instead of a ticking time bomb like Sandra, someone more reliable…"
"If we send a proper official, it will be difficult to avoid the 12th Flagbearer's suspicion. Naturally, the scope of their conversation would also be narrowed."
Hedo felt his justification was somewhat lacking even as he spoke, but he figured it was better than dealing with Sandra’s tantrum later.
Surprisingly, however, Octavia and Kadun readily accepted his opinion.
"It would be best to do as you say," Kadun said. "I heard there's a strange vibe between the 12th Flagbearer and Sandra, right? That might actually help. And even without a Record Mage, the 12th Flagbearer has the Contractor of Az Mil. Detecting mind manipulation would be child's play for him."
Hedo wanted to reply that the "strange vibe" was merely Sandra’s one-sided romantic offensive and that the 12th Flagbearer would never lose his cool over such a thing, but he just stayed quiet.
"Understood, Sir Hedo," Octavia said. "Tell Sandra to be ready as soon as Veradin wakes up."
Hedo felt he would have been more at ease if he had been rejected. He simply nodded with an awkward smile.
* * *
Of course, Talaris did not expect her seventy-seventh lover from thirty years ago to still be living in a log cabin in the remote wilds of the Pailin Kingdom.
She had lent them Mort simply in the hope that her daughter and son-in-law would actually go on a date.
A young man and woman, a remote foreign land, and perhaps an old log cabin that might still be standing—there were few conditions better than those for romance to blossom.
Bo-ong—!
As the snow-white portal opened, the scenery that appeared was indeed quite romantic, just as Talaris had hoped.
In a dense forest where not a single ray of sunlight reached, fallen trees formed a hemispherical clearing. In the center stood a picturesque, weathered log cabin.
"It certainly is remote," Jin remarked. "To think the log cabin Lady Talaris mentioned would actually be here."
"Phew, Mort," Siris sighed. "You're partly responsible for Mother's history of flings. If it weren't for your dimensional travel ability, her list of lovers would have been cut in half."
[Bo-o, bo-oong…]
"Anyway, nothing here seems particularly damaged, so we should be able to take a quick look and head back," Jin said.
"Yes, Siris."
Contrary to Talaris's expectations, however, the two of them immediately began investigating, like people who had come strictly for work.
If I had known finding clues about Quaul Ganesto would be this simple, I would have asked Valeria to come with us, Jin thought.
If they had a Record Mage, they could have easily examined any records Quaul left behind without having to personally scour every corner of this wilderness. If they didn't find any other information, it seemed best to return later with Valeria.
However, as soon as the two entered the log cabin, they found signs that someone was living there.
There was a faint smell of food, as if someone had eaten just a few hours ago, along with a heavy scent of tobacco. The floor was so cluttered with cigarette butts and empty liquor bottles that there was hardly any room to step.
"…Someone is living here?" Siris whispered. "Surely it's not that Quaul Ganesto person."
"It would be great if it were, but things going this smoothly makes me feel uneasy instead," Jin replied.
"Until recently—no, perhaps even now—he might be active as a Zipple engineer. There's no way he'd be staying in a place like this. Not without any guards."
"Still, let's wait and see who it is."
"Mort, you take a look around the perimeter. Stay well-hidden as you move…"
Siris, who was speaking to Mort through the window, suddenly stopped. Beyond Mort, in the distance, a man was walking toward them.
At a glance, he had a bushy beard and disheveled hair, looking like a typical mountain bandit. Upon seeing him, Siris immediately abandoned any hope that he might be Quaul. Nothing about his appearance matched her mother's taste.
But in the next moment, the man suddenly shouted at them and pulled something from his coat.
…A small mana cannon? Jin thought.
Click, whirrr—!
The mana cannon he pulled out looked small at first, but as its components shifted and unfolded, it instantly transformed into a weapon larger than a medium-sized cannon.
"Who the hell are you people?"