Chapter 64: Chenmi’s Magic (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 64: Chenmi’s Magic (1)
Two men with fierce expressions sat in a cramped room.
For hours, they had been going over the same story with Jet.
“Let’s summarize one more time, Mr. Jet. So, you wrote this tip-off solely for the well-being of Akin and the peace of its commoners.”
“And you, who were nothing more than a low-level informant for Tessing, decided to betray them because you were so deeply shocked after accidentally witnessing the slave pens in their auction house?”
“Not only that, but you risked your life to steal various documents, including a ledger recording magic tome transactions. Thinking this was the perfect chance to completely dismantle Tessing, you handed it over to Zipple.”
“And out of all the news outlets in Akin, you specifically chose the one known for resisting Tessing because you’ve always had a keen interest in local politics…”
“Finally, since you are merely a virtuous whistleblower, you want us to provide protection so that you aren’t threatened by Tessing remnants or other outside forces… Is that it?”
Jet nodded vigorously as he listened.
“Exactly! Goodness, I did this with a good heart so we could all live well together. I don’t know why I’m being treated so harshly. Please, let me go now. I’m worried about my son.”
The two men stared at Jet for a long moment before sighing in unison.
They were investigators from the Viment Empire. Following orders from superiors who had verified the tip-off, they had intercepted Jet at the docks and were now interrogating him.
As Jin had assessed, Jet was a man with a powerful survival instinct. The moment he heard the investigators speak, he had immediately deduced which testimony would be most advantageous for him.
Telling them he had been deceived by a Veradin impersonator would be of no help at all. He had to frame his actions as being driven by pure goodwill to justify a request for witness protection.
The investigators were in a bind.
No matter how I look at him, this guy is a bottom-feeding thug, not some hero for the public good. His name is on the tip-off, but there’s no way he wrote it.
The report was clearly the work of those mysterious assailants who wiped out Tessing, not this guy. Still, this means we don’t have to go through the trouble of hunting them down.
Rather than finding the true author of the tip-off, it was far more convenient to paint the thug before them as a hero of justice for the public announcement.
Furthermore, though the handwriting differed from that of the tip-off, the script used in the slave ledgers matched this thug, Jet. At the very least, it was certain that he had personally recorded the slave lists, providing the clues that allowed Viment to rescue its own citizens.
The investigators shrugged.
“Fine, Mr. Jet. To be honest, you look like nothing but a lowlife to me. Regardless, in recognition of your contribution to saving many of Viment’s wronged citizens, we’ll overlook a few minor lies.”
“However, Zipple has already requested an official transfer of your custody, so we have no choice but to cooperate.”
“Zipple is looking for me…? No, no, you can’t! I’ll die if I go there.”
“Not if you act exactly as you did with us. As long as you don’t recant your statement, the Viment Investigation Squad will protect you as a witness. Make sure your testimony remains consistent over there.”
“We don’t want things getting complicated because your story doesn’t match ours. Before you head to the Zipple interrogation room, go see your son and get some food. You still have a bit of time.”
An hour later, after being moved to the Zipple interrogation room, Jet faithfully followed the investigators' advice.
He never breathed a word about the existence of the ‘Veradin impersonator,’ and the Zipple investigators couldn’t kill him, even though they knew his testimony was false.
“Don’t think this makes you a hero, though. We will announce that the destruction of Tessing was an execution carried out entirely under Zipple’s jurisdiction.”
“As long as you let me live, I don’t care what you say.”
“We can beat the information we didn’t get from you out of the surviving Tessing members. Get out. And you’d best give up any hope that Viment’s witness protection will be perfect.”
* * *
They had annihilated Tessing.
Despite causing such a massive incident, not a single wanted poster was issued for the three of them.
This was because Zipple saw no need for it. While it was a shame for the low-level grunts who had been taking bribes from Tessing, Zipple’s public declaration that they had dismantled the organization naturally boosted their approval among the people of Akin.
Of course, from Zipple’s perspective, gaining the support of the commoners in this tiny nation was about as significant as an ant offering its strength.
“In other words, Zipple and Viment took the prestige, while you took the practical gains.”
“That’s right. I obtained the Rune of Mul-ta, Chenmi’s magic tome, and Shuziel Hister’s magic tome. I even had a real battle against a 7-star knight.”
“Not all 7-stars are the same, Young Master. You need to be more cautious in the future. Magic helmets, spells, spirit energy, swordsmanship… You are indeed incredible, but you can’t keep walking such a dangerous tightrope every time.”
“Of course. I’m well aware that for all my tricks, I’m no match for a true powerhouse like you, Gilly. I’ll be more careful.”
The three of them had been observing the flow of events from a rural village in Akin for a few days. Seeing everything unfold exactly as Jin had predicted made Murakan and Gilly marvel.
“Anyway, it seems Zipple has no intention of looking for us for the time being. We can move on to our next destination with peace of mind.”
“Where is our next destination?”
Naturally, Jin already had a place in mind.
“The Free City of Tikan.”
“Tikan?”
After his experience in Akin, Jin felt a desperate need for an informant. He needed a group that could serve as a convenient excuse when he acted on knowledge from his past life in front of Gilly and Murakan.
Not only that, but there were mountains of issues he wanted to investigate: Vishkel Ivliano and Bubar, Kinzelo, Alu’s real name, the forbidden magic of the Colon Ruins, and more. These were not things they could learn just by traveling together harmoniously.
In that sense, the Free City of Tikan was perfect.
I need to go there and form a connection with the Ghost Sword, Casimir.
The Ghost Sword, Casimir, was a swordsman so famous that few in the current era didn't know of him. He was a man who had repeatedly declined Runcandel’s offers to become a swordsmanship instructor for their beginner cadets.
He had rejected the position of a Runcandel instructor—the dream of every swordsman—because of his massive information agency, the ‘Seven-Colored Bird.’
It was said that the Seven-Colored Bird was second only to the intelligence agencies of Runcandel, Zipple, and Viment. This meant it would be the most useful organization for Jin to utilize until he became a Flagbearer of Runcandel.
As outstanding as the agency was, very few people yet knew that its leader was Casimir.
The same applied to the fact that Casimir was the ‘Deposed Prince’ of Viment. From the perspective of a regressor, it was a secret of little consequence, but when his identity was first revealed, it had sent shockwaves across the world.
The seven key informants who make up the Seven-Colored Bird are all from families that were once loyal subjects of Viment. It’s essentially a group formed by those discarded by the Viment Imperial Family, including Casimir himself.
Jin didn't know the full story either, but he was certain that every member of the Seven-Colored Bird was highly capable.
About ten years from now, they would finally appoint the Deposed Prince Casimir as the first king of the ‘Tikan Free State.’
Thanks to negotiations using the vast information the Seven-Colored Bird had accumulated over decades, they managed to have their sovereignty recognized by Viment, Runcandel, and Zipple. They were no ordinary individuals.
Going to Tikan is simple, but the problem is how to get close to Casimir.
After a moment of thought, a smirk spread across Jin’s face.
What a small nation needs is national power. I should approach him using what Casimir desperately wants as bait.
The fastest and most stable way to increase national power is to first strengthen one’s military. Only then can a nation withstand foreign invasion and build a solid foundation.
However, even after transitioning from a city to a state, Tikan remained a tiny, insignificant nation for a long time.
With a small population, they had few soldiers and even fewer talented individuals. Since they lacked significant resources, the engine needed to develop the country was incredibly weak. It was the inherent limitation of a state that relied solely on ‘intelligence.’
If I judge him to be a decent person, I could bring up the mirror artifact from the Colon Ruins.
Of course, he couldn't show Casimir a mirror artifact he hadn't even obtained yet, nor could he prove its efficacy.
Therefore, the key was the magnitude of Casimir’s desire for military power. The greater the desire, the more a person is forced to believe what they want to believe.
I don’t intend to hand the mirror artifact over to Casimir even if I get it, but I can share its benefits. I can smooth-talk him, maybe showing off the Rune of Mul-ta as a masterpiece to prove that such artifacts do exist in this world.
Beyond just the Rune of Mul-ta, Jin planned to break the unwritten rules of a reserve flagbearer when he met Casimir. He had to reveal his identity as a Runcandel for Casimir to even pretend to listen.
For some reason, he felt a sense of joy every time he broke a Runcandel rule.
“What are you grinning about, kid? I asked what kind of place Tikan is. I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s likely because of the informants, Lord Murakan. There is a massive information agency called the Seven-Colored Bird in Tikan…”
As Gilly explained in his stead, Murakan nodded.
“So you mean you’re going to pick out some bastards worth using, just like you did with Jet. Not a bad idea, but is that really something to be so excited about?”
“I was smiling because of the magic tome. Won’t you have finished deciphering Chenmi’s magic tome by tomorrow? I’m just excited to start learning it.”
“Right, the magic that fellow Chenmi left behind is finally taking shape. It seems to be Light Magic…”
“What?”
“I said it’s Light Magic.”
“I thought all Light Magic was lost after the ancient era… Ah.”
Jin, who had spoken reflexively, shook his head. He had already heard several times that Chenmi was a mage from Murakan’s era.
Light Magic.
It was a dream for all mages of the current era.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with this world. To think Chenmi’s magic tome was just rolling around in an underground auction house run by thugs… If I were Chenmi, I’d be clawing my way out of my grave.”
“Just what kind of person was this mage named Chenmi?”
Murakan smiled and stared intently at Jin.
“About 1,500 years ago, the mages of Zipple formed an expedition to kill Chenmi. Five hundred elite mages. And they failed. That’s probably why the people of this world, including you, don’t know who Chenmi is.”
Just as Runcandel had expunged the records of them being magic swordsmen.
Zipple had also completely erased the existence of the Great Mage Chenmi from history.
“It’s their specialty. Erasing those who threatened them from history. If you don’t master the ultimate stage of spirit energy, the current Runcandel will soon share that same fate.”