Chapter 654: Traces of the Caldran Snowy Plains (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 654: Traces of the Caldran Snowy Plains (1)
Eastern Region 5, the Caldran Snowy Plains.
During this season, it was common for even seasoned adventurers and trained martial artists to lose their way and freeze to death in the blinding whiteout.
Naturally, the party currently traversing the tundra was in no danger of freezing, but navigating with nothing but the crude map Ronil had provided was a daunting task.
Or rather, it would have been, if not for Shuri. Once again, the feline proved to be an exceptional guide for the group.
"Kyaha! Come here, Shuri. Give this big sister a kiss! How is our Shuri so smart? Is it because you take after your master?"
[Myaaa!]
As Shuri subtly pushed Sandra away with a paw, Zephyrin snorted.
"Big sister? You spout nothing but nonsense, Bio-golem. Jin Runcandel’s Red Jade Cat is a spiritual creature at least a thousand years old."
"Oh my, why is this piece of trash picking a fight again?"
"Picking a fight? I simply find you amusing."
"Hedo, rip her mouth into a cross."
"You’ve been talking big ever since we set out, hiding behind your muscular butler. You really ought to learn that there are far more terrifying monsters in this world than you think."
"Hmph, if you’re so confident, why don't you take the first swing? I guarantee that the moment you lay a finger on me, Hedo will draw his sword. Then, naturally, you two will fight until a victor is decided—and I think I know who would win."
"Ah, honestly. How did I end up being treated like this? If it weren't for my master's orders..."
"In the Sota Desert, you couldn't attack because of the items Sir Jin seized, and this time it's because of your master's orders. Being a Demon Grand Duke of the Demon World is quite a convenient title, isn't it? You always have a mountain of excuses ready, even when you lose."
"Ha, fine. Then you hit me first, Bio-golem. I’ll make sure to kill you."
Unlike Zephyrin, Sandra actually tried to swing her fist immediately, but Hedo pulled her back before she could connect.
Hedo let out a deep sigh as he watched Sandra flailing in his grip. Ever since the journey began, Sandra and Zephyrin had been engaged in a relentless war of nerves. Looking back, the atmosphere between them had been toxic since their very first encounter in the Sota Desert.
"Don't you think you're being a bit too relaxed in enemy territory?" Jin asked.
"But Sir Jin, she keeps getting on my nerves! You saw it just now, right? She started it."
"Are you keeping it a secret from Lord Jin that you’ve been intentionally stepping on my heels this entire trek?"
"If either of you does that one more time, I’ll leave you behind and go on alone. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble escaping the Caldran Snowy Plains without me, right?"
Sandra and Zephyrin snapped their mouths shut simultaneously.
That charisma, I love it! Sandra swooned inwardly.
Damn it, if I tell my master I got kicked out for bickering with a Bio-golem, I’ll be treated even worse than this... Zephyrin grumbled to herself.
Sandra complied simply because it was Jin speaking, while Zephyrin relented because she knew he wasn't making an empty threat. As the two fell silent in an instant, Hedo felt almost resentful that Jin had waited until now to intervene.
The party moved forward quietly.
Their pace was agonizingly slow. Ever since Ronil had visited the plains, knights tainted by chaos had been stationed here in force.
The moment they were discovered, the Garden of Swords would dispatch their main force. In the worst-case scenario, Rosa herself might come looking for them. While it would take considerable time for her to personally track them from the Garden of Swords to the Caldran Snowy Plains, there was no telling if she might deploy a Chaos Dragon or utilize something like the Prophet’s path they had encountered in the Sota Desert.
If Lord Oul were here, we could move incomparably faster than this. This is frustrating.
Oul was currently unable to help Jin, as he was busy tracking Yona’s whereabouts.
In the nearly three years since the battle to subjugate Gliek, Yona’s berserk cycles had been growing shorter and shorter. Thinking of Yona made Jin's heart ache.
I must use the purifier on Elder Sister soon... I have to find her before the erosion is complete.
According to the news Oul had sent to Tikan a few days ago, she hadn't reached the stage of total erosion yet. The Barmul Alliance couldn't possibly track her down better than Nameless could.
Jin felt a bitter pang. Even after gaining such tremendous power, he was still insufficient to perfectly protect his family and his clan. Because of that, he felt like he could finally understand his father, Cyron, a little better.
He walked for three days, clearing his mind of stray thoughts. Fortunately, the party managed to slip through the snow-covered rocky mountains without being spotted by the patrolling knights.
However, they gained no further information about Valeria during the journey. There was nothing but snow, jagged rocks, and a pale, darkened sky that blurred the line between day and night.
"...It looks like we’re almost there."
In the distance, a dead-end cliff cutting through the heart of the snowy mountain came into view.
Shuri pointed a paw toward one side of the cliff face; though it wasn't visible to the party yet, that was the location of the cave. Jin sent Shuri back into the red jade.
He did so because he could sense the Energy of Chaos. It had been a lingering presence over the last three days, but a particularly thick shroud of Chaos Energy emanated directly from the vicinity of the cave.
"Hmm, I figured as much. While it’s difficult to closely monitor the entire snowy plain, they are certainly guarding the area near the cave where the Hister disappeared," Hedo noted.
"If you intend to keep going, it seems we won't be able to avoid a fight from here on out, 12th Flagbearer," Zephyrin added.
"It’s a problem I expected anyway. We’re going in," Jin replied.
"You realize there are far too many variables from this point forward, right? Honestly, I’m not so sure. I wonder if a single Hister survivor is worth risking this much danger to save."
"That isn't for you to judge, Zephyrin."
"You’re quite the tyrant. Of course, if the Hister is actually inside that cave, there’d be no need to hesitate. But honestly, Lord Jin, you don't think that's likely either, do you?"
"Hey! My darling’s comrade disappeared there. Whether it’s likely or not, it’s only right to go check! Do you demons have no sense of loyalty at all?" Sandra snapped.
"I hear a dog barking somewhere," Zephyrin sneered, ignoring her. "Lord Jin, what I mean is that we should look somewhere other than these plains. Sir Ronil lost her, and as I see it, Runcandel is in the same boat. If they had caught her, they would have already attempted negotiations or blackmail."
As Zephyrin said, the chances of Valeria still being in that cave were nonexistent.
However, Temar’s tombs were always composed of 'subspaces.' This had been true in Baolai of the Andre Great Plains, the coast of the Schuteron Kingdom, the world of the Beastmen, and the Wantaramo Forest.
Ronil had said that Valeria vanished without a trace right inside that cave.
If a subspace leading to Temar’s tomb exists inside that cave...
It would mean Valeria had reached Temar’s fifth tomb and taken refuge there. Or, rather than taking refuge, she might have been forcibly pulled inside because certain conditions were accidentally met.
"A subspace might exist, Zephyrin. Every one of Temar’s tombs I’ve encountered so far has been hidden within one."
"So you’re saying the Hister survivor might have entered it? Now I understand a bit better why you haven't given up hope."
"To think we might have a subspace date following our snowy plains date! Romance, pure romance!" Sandra cheered.
"And there’s something I haven't understood from the start—why did you even bring this Bio-golem? She’s not exactly combat power, and she just spouts senseless garbage every time she opens her mouth." Zephyrin directed this question at Hedo, not Jin.
Hedo didn't answer, silently wiping the frost from his glasses instead. "...12th Flagbearer, so the entry is decided. How do you plan to proceed?"
"I think it would be best if Zephyrin handles all the knights first."
Though the Chaos Energy was thick, Jin believed Zephyrin was more than capable of overwhelming all the knights guarding the cave. Even though she always seemed to lose to Jin or get tricked by him in some way, she was undoubtedly a Demon Grand Duke—one of the strongest beings in the world.
"The rest is obvious, then. I draw their attention until the main reinforcements arrive, right?" Zephyrin asked.
"An excessively simple method," Hedo remarked.
"There’s no other way. We can't assassinate that many people without leaving a trace," Jin said.
"Then what is my role?" Hedo asked.
"Cover me while I search for traces of the subspace inside the cave."
"Well, I like that," Zephyrin smirked. "I needed someone to vent my frustration on because of a certain Bio-golem anyway."
"Zephyrin."
"What is it?"
"I’d like to ask a favor."
Jin spoke as he met Zephyrin’s eyes. Zephyrin almost let her fluster show at his steady gaze. It was the first time she had ever seen this devil speak to her with such a polite attitude.
"A favor...?"
"If possible, I’d like you to end the knights without too much suffering."
— Does that mean most of the knights remaining in the Garden of Swords haven't rebelled because they are consumed by chaos, and not of their own free will?
— It’s not that there are none who chose it. But as you said, most are likely trapped. What sane knight would want to fight under such a monster? No matter how strong that monster is, the knights who make up Runcandel are, above all, people of immense pride.
Jin recalled the conversation he’d had with Jorden while being initiated into the clan’s secret techniques.
Most of the knights currently stationed in the Caldran Snowy Plains were likely those who had been twisted into monsters of chaos against their will. It was impossible to purify all of them. Judging by the sheer magnitude of the Chaos Energy saturating the air, they were likely already nearing total erosion.
Just as Zephyrin opened her mouth to reply, Jin bowed his head slightly toward her.
Taken aback, Zephyrin eventually shrugged her shoulders as if she had no choice.
"...I’ll do it. I don't like the idea of doing this just for your sake, but I suppose a clean death is a bit more dignified."
"Thank you. I’ll make sure to repay the debt."
"Shall I start right away?"
"Yes."
"I’ll give a signal if something unexpected happens. If I roar three times in a row, come out of the cave immediately and prepare to escape."
"Go and die! Wait, no! You can't die. Stay alive until we all get out of here, Demon Dragon! And make sure you keep your promise to Sir Jin. Got it?" Sandra yelled.
Zephyrin snorted as she began to transform into her true form.
[You just worry about your gloomy solo date, Bio-golem. Based on my long experience, it seems the Hister survivor Lord Jin is trying to save is far more than just a simple comrade... Hehe.]
"Wh-What did you say?!"
The knights on the snowy plains, sensing Zephyrin's massive presence, began to release their Chaos Energy in earnest.
Sandra hurled curses at Zephyrin’s retreating back as the Demon Dragon took flight.