Chapter 589: Kinzelo's Purpose (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 589: Kinzelo's Purpose (1)
“Ha, haha! I—I’m not sure what you’re talking about. The Viment Imperial Family found the body of Runcandel’s First Patriarch?” Margiella said, her eyes darting to the side.
“Don’t play dumb. You all definitely had that information.”
“Hmm, and on what basis do you make that claim?”
In the past, Margiella and Verakt had visited the Garden of Swords to inform Jin that the Imperial Family was searching for Temar’s tomb. At the time, Margiella had offered to tell him why they were looking for it if he joined Kinzelo.
Naturally, Jin had refused flatly. Since then, he had discovered the Imperial Family’s objective—and the fact that they already possessed a part of Temar’s body—without any help from Kinzelo.
“A hunch.”
At Jin’s blunt answer, the expressions of the Kinzelo executives soured.
“I’ve always thought of you as a very rational, cool-headed, and remarkable person, Sir Jin. Just like my brother. But a hunch? That word doesn’t suit you at all.”
“Lady Margiella, that devil has always been like this. Don’t you know how much I, Bubar, have suffered because of his temper?”
“So this is the Jin Runcandel our friend Bubar complains about so much. I am Ainas Caligo! Daughter of the Caligo family, and I love sweet potato croquettes! I challenge you to a duel! How many can you eat?”
“What?”
“I asked how many sweet potato croquettes you can eat at once. Five, at most? I can eat five hundred… Hehehe! I’ll massacre you.”
“S-Stop it, Ainas…”
“Listen well, you lowly human! If my big sister hadn’t stopped me, you’d be dead!”
It suddenly occurred to Jin that Amela would have fit right in with this group of idiots. The thought that she would have gotten along perfectly with them made his head throb.
“You’ve made some interesting friends since I last saw you.”
At Jin’s sarcastic remark, Vishkel’s face turned so red it looked ready to explode.
“And you said using a hunch as a basis isn’t like me? It seems you’ve misunderstood. Whether my basis is a hunch or something else doesn’t matter. What matters is that if you don't spit out what you know about the Imperial Family, you won't get to see the items I brought.”
“Ha! Look at him, just look at him, being stubborn again! How are we supposed to know how they got Temar’s body!?”
“If you don’t know, you should go find out, Bubar. I’d imagine you’re the one in Kinzelo who wants to analyze these blueprints and mechanical devices the most. And let’s not waste each other’s time—if you truly don't know, just say so. I’ll leave immediately.”
As he spoke, Jin pulled the mechanical devices and blueprints from his robes and waved them in front of the Kinzelo executives.
Lord Murakan often said the Young Master has a very obnoxious side to him. I think this is exactly what he meant…
This guy… back at the hut, and now here. He really has a knack for pushing people’s buttons.
His companions had similar thoughts as they watched the smiling Jin. Meanwhile, the Kinzelo executives barely suppressed their boiling rage.
“Zephyrin? It looks like either you or Margiella are in charge when the Leader isn't around.”
“Our Vice Captain is Vishkel Ivliano,” Verakt said, his face contorted. Since Zephyrin’s arrival, he had been feeling a slight sense of crisis regarding his own position.
“Is that so? Whoever’s in charge, make a decision. Haven't you heard that time is money?”
“Wow, Sir Jin is being quite unpleasant today.”
“I don't need you to like me.”
“Is that how it’s going to be? Have you forgotten how I and my kind family members helped you?”
“I’ve forgotten all of that, but I remember everything you did to the Holy Kingdom and the Sword Emperor’s Castle…”
Margiella’s eyes were smiling, but her teeth were clenched. She pondered for a moment before finally deciding to accept Jin’s proposal.
“Sir Jin. First of all, we truly do not know how they obtained the body of Runcandel’s First Patriarch.”
“Then, farewell.”
“Instead, we know which part of Temar’s body they possess. If I tell you this, will you share the information about those items?”
“Tell me first.”
“This is the height of arrogance, damn it. Lady Margiella, is there any reason to listen to this any further? Sir Jin, I don't know where you get the nerve to act like this. This is Kinzelo’s territory. If we harbored even a bit of ill will, massacring you all would be child’s play—”
“Of course I have something to rely on. Mort!”
[BO-OOONG!]
At Jin’s shout, Mort and Siris, who had been hiding nearby, revealed themselves. Jin and his companions had traveled to the Land of the Beastmen on Mort from the very start.
“Thank you, Lady Siris. And Mort. Did you really think I’d come here without a safety net, Zephyrin?”
“Tch.”
“And this is merely a safety net. You think you can massacre us if you set your mind to it? That’s a bold bluff.”
The smile vanished from Jin’s face as he began to release his aura. A tremor shook the area, and a storm of blue lightning erupted from him, spreading in all directions.
At the sheer pressure of his energy, the Red Tiger and White Tiger warriors patrolling or waiting near the market collapsed to their knees.
He’s grown…
Verakt, of course, didn’t flinch from the aura of a Pluto Tribesman, but he was shocked. The Jin before him possessed power on a completely different level from the one in his memories.
His growth rate was terrifyingly fast. He was barely twenty years old, yet he radiated an energy approaching the 10-star rank.
Even the flow of his energy is unusual. It’s mixed with the energy of Chaos, and he’s in a state where he could become explosively stronger at any moment, given the right catalyst. Did he transcend his realm during the Sword Emperor Holy War?
Jin glared at Zephyrin.
“Besides, you’re in a situation where you can’t use your full power. That’s why you took a one-sided beating from Lady Talaris back in Tikan. And seeing as your Leader hasn't shown up, he probably can't use his power either. Am I wrong?”
“Oh! Lady Zephyrin, you did get hit—”
“So that lump on the Grand Duke’s jaw back then was—! Mmph!”
Vishkel clamped a hand over Bubar’s mouth, and Bianca did the same to Ainas.
“So, if you want to go a round, I’ll happily oblige.”
“Your arrogance knows no bounds, Sir Jin… How do you plan to handle the consequences?”
“And you seem to have forgotten, but this Land of the Beastmen is very close to the Jhan Kingdom. The Jhan Kingdom is within Runcandel’s sphere of influence. If a fight breaks out here, we only need to hold out until the family’s reinforcements arrive. It just so happens that Sir Stam seems to hold quite a grudge against you all as well.”
Since they had recently used the Leader’s power, they truly weren't in a position to pick a fight. In the end, Zephyrin could only grit her teeth, just as she always seemed to do around him.
“It seems you’ve finally grasped the situation. Now, let’s hear it, Margiella.”
“The part of Temar’s body the Imperial Family possesses is an arm.”
Valeria’s Record Magic could only reveal that a ‘part’ of Temar’s body had been used. Hearing the specific word ‘arm’ instead of that vague description made Jin’s chest tighten.
It meant that even in death, his ancestor's body had been torn apart and was being exploited in various places.
“An arm?”
“Yes, the left arm. As you seem to already suspect, the Imperial Family is trying to complete their demonization magic through it.”
“How did you know they have the left arm?”
“Because we once had a deal with the Imperial Family.”
In reality, they had found out through the Leader’s ability, but Jin didn't bother to press the point.
“From what we’ve observed, Temar Runcandel’s body is essentially a collection of magical information from the peak of the old era. Though we never got a chance to analyze it properly because the deal fell through.”
Valeria had also predicted that Temar’s body would be a repository of ancient magical knowledge.
“Surely you won't nitpick and ask how you can trust this information?” Zephyrin challenged.
Jin nodded. “I’m not that unreasonable.”
“Then how did you know the Imperial Family had Temar’s body, Sir Jin? It doesn't seem like you tortured the Emperor… Is it because that Record Mage is with you after all?”
Jin didn't answer, simply tucking the items back into his robes.
“Huh? Why are you putting them back? Now that you’ve heard our information, don't think about running off. If you do, it really won't end with just words. No matter what damage we might take.”
“Oh, I just put them away because they were getting in the way. Don't misunderstand. The window for dialogue is still open. I was originally going to show them to you after hearing about Temar’s body, but I’ve just added a penalty for your insolence. It doesn't feel good to hear talk about massacring us, does it?”
“Hey, 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel. That’s enough. I can’t listen to any more of this,” Verakt growled, drawing the greatsword from his back.
Margiella grabbed his arm and smiled. “It’s alright, Uncle Verakt. Let’s hear him out. It seems today is a day Sir Jin has many questions for us. And Sir Jin, I hope you remember this moment. Remember me, trying my best to resolve this with words.”
“I’ll try. Fine, last question. Kinzelo, what exactly is your purpose?”
In his past life, he had never been curious about Kinzelo’s purpose. He had thought of them as just a third-rate terrorist group that started causing some international trouble around the time of his death.
But the Kinzelo of today was on a completely different level.
To be precise, they probably had this kind of power back then, too, but were just hiding it. So many things have changed because of my regression.
Margiella and Jin’s gazes met.
“As far as I know, your goal is to install your Leader as the sole ruler of the world. But I don't think that’s all.”
“That is all.”
“Making your Leader the sole king of the world is everything? So, world conquest—is that the goal?”
Margiella smiled and replied, “Didn't I tell you once before? We simply want to create a better world. So, rather than ‘conquest,’ I think ‘purification’ suits us better.”