Chapter 667: To the Enemy's Holy Land (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 667: To the Enemy's Holy Land (5)
As the ice-mana forming the seal dissipated, the residual energy began seeping into Valeria at an accelerated rate.
In an instant, she was submerged in iridescent bubbles, her body recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Even as Valeria twitched and began to draw slow, shallow breaths, Jin couldn’t let down his guard.
A heavy stone seemed to press down on his heart, weighed by the irrational fear that her recovery might suddenly stop.
Watching Jin, Veradin felt a flicker of intrigue.
It must be true that I was once close to Jin Runcandel. Why else would I keep wanting to say such useless things to him?
Ever since his mind was restored, Veradin had become a cold man, a stark contrast to his former self.
It wasn't that he had developed a cruel or horrifyingly heartless personality; rather, he had become indifferent to most things in the world.
Friendship, familial love, affection for his subordinates—none of it remained.
All that was left in the current Veradin was a blind sense of purpose: the revival of Zipple.
And yet, strangely enough, talking to Jin wasn't unpleasant.
In fact, it went beyond that; he even found a measure of enjoyment in it.
"Jin Runcandel, I heard you almost never show weakness, regardless of the situation."
"What are you trying to say?"
"The anxiety you feel, the worry that the Hister woman might not recover—it’s written all over your face. Is she your lover?"
"She might have been."
"A strange answer. Did you two break up?"
Jin didn't hear Veradin’s follow-up question. He was too focused on Valeria. Fortunately, her recovery was gaining even more momentum.
Unbothered, Veradin pulled a glass bottle from his robes and captured some of the iridescent bubbles.
The bubbles in the bottle emitted a beautiful, opal-like glow.
It was impossible to say what kind of reward these mana traces would bring Zipple.
But whatever the prize, it wasn't more important to Jin and the Barmul Alliance than Valeria’s life.
"Ah...!"
Finally, Valeria’s eyes fluttered open, and she exhaled a long, deep breath.
Without thinking, Jin pulled her into a fierce embrace.
He had nearly shouted her name.
"Jin... Jin Runcandel?"
"Yes, it's me."
"How... ugh."
"Your wounds haven't fully healed. Wait, we can talk later."
Valeria looked down at her chest.
As she remembered the moment Luntia’s sword pierced her, a brief flash of pain returned.
Memories.
Along with a splitting headache, the memories from the moment of her collapse came rushing back like a tidal wave.
"Neru... what about Lady Neru!?"
"She's safe. She was the one protecting you."
"That's a relief..."
Valeria’s gaze shifted to Veradin.
She saw him capturing the mana traces she had left behind into the glass bottle.
Though she had been disoriented just moments ago, Valeria quickly regained her usual cool composure.
"Jin, the recovery is finished. We should leave this place immediately."
She knew that the power of this land—the Zipple Holy Land—had healed her.
She had seen records regarding the Holy Land in the most recent Hister heritage site she had discovered.
The records weren't detailed, but they did mention that the Holy Land could heal a Complete Mana Body.
Because of this, from the moment she first sealed herself, Valeria had hoped that Jin and her comrades would save her and bring her here.
She had felt that if anyone could do it, it would be Jin, and her intuition had proven correct.
Beast Demon King Orgal… Jin must have gotten the information about this place from him. He was the one who gave the information to my ancestors as well.
Valeria was unaware of the events that had transpired in the meantime.
She didn't know about the Great Battle at the Garden of Swords, the temporary alliance the three great powers had formed because of it, or that Jin was the only countermeasure against Rosa.
It seems the three powers have also learned of the strength the Garden of Swords possesses. That's why they formed a temporary alliance, and Zipple opened the Holy Land...
Despite her lack of information, Valeria quickly deduced the situation.
"Let's do that."
There was much to discuss once they left. Jin, too, had no desire to stay in the Holy Land a second longer now that Valeria was recovered.
Above all, the residual energy of the Holy Land had only perfectly healed Valeria’s physical wounds.
The residual energy of chaos inside her sealed wounds hadn't been purified, so they still needed to return to Tikan to use the purifier.
"Before we head out, I have one more requirement, Jin Runcandel."
At the sudden remark, Jin met Veradin’s gaze with calm eyes.
"I didn't realize you had a talent for discarding trust so quickly, Veradin Zipple. Are you planning to threaten me now that our deal is complete?"
"You're being unnecessarily sharp. You already know what I'm going to ask."
"If it's the treatment of Fire Dragon Kadun, I will accept."
Fire Dragon Kadun.
He was currently afflicted by a massive amount of chaos from the first all-out assault on the Garden of Swords and the battle on the Caldran Snowy Plains.
Jin had expected Zipple to demand his treatment ever since the talks to open the Holy Land began.
"Right. It seems we can just bring Lord Kadun along when you head to Tikan."
"Understood."
The path out of the Holy Land was the same one they had taken to enter.
As they retraced their steps, the scenery of the human world gradually grew more vivid once they crossed the boundary.
After passing through the corridor that served as the entrance, a door appeared.
And beyond that door, unlike when they had first entered, a multitude of people were waiting for them.
Countless mages, dressed in white robes and wearing swords at their waists.
Bio-Golems…!
No, they were enhanced humans, perhaps a type of Magic Swordsman.
Their numbers were so vast that they seemed to stretch on endlessly into the distance.
"So you're openly showing me that you're cultivating Magic Swordsman Bio-Golems. Is this an attempt to intimidate me?"
Unlike with Veradin, Jin could feel a significant amount of mana and aura from every single one of them.
If their combat techniques were on a corresponding level, even Jin couldn't guarantee he could handle them all.
Especially in a situation where he had to fight while protecting Valeria.
They aren't just dolls with energy. Their very breathing is entirely different from those who are untrained.
Another strange detail was their identical physical builds. It was as if the Prophet had cloned Joshua.
As Jin approached the nearest Bio-Golem to pull back its hood, Veradin blocked his hand.
"Only look at what we've agreed to show you, Jin Runcandel."
"I have a feeling the face under that hood looks exactly like yours."
"Do I have such a common face? The few diary entries I have left are filled with claims of my own handsomeness."
"I don't know what you're plotting. It was strange from the beginning that you didn't hide the fact you were becoming a Magic Swordsman."
"I'd appreciate it if you saw it as a sharing of strength, given our common enemy."
If they had such a large number of Magic Swordsman Bio-Golems, they certainly could have played a major role during the first all-out assault on the Garden of Swords.
However, the Bio-Golems Zipple deployed from their fleet back then were crude by comparison, beings enhanced through 'Chaos Control.'
The same went for the Bio-Golems that died on the Caldran Snowy Plains.
Jin could intuitively grasp the reason.
"...It seems these Bio-Golems can only exert their full power near the Holy Land."
That was the only reason these Magic Swordsman Bio-Golems were absent during the all-out assault.
Since Kadun and even Octavia had participated directly, Zipple must have deployed nearly every force they could send at the time.
Veradin nodded, seeing no reason to hide it.
"Yes. We're looking for a way to send them beyond the Holy Land. As it stands, the moment they leave its vicinity, they stop functioning like puppets with their strings cut. They simply die. More importantly, I don't understand why you look so displeased. Surely you don't believe being a Magic Swordsman is a privilege exclusive to your family?"
Jin shook his head.
"No. It's because I was once close to you."
Jin spoke as if he, too, had nothing to hide.
"I see," Veradin said, turning to walk away. "But you should have used the past tense. There is no longer any chance for you and me to become close again."
As Jin and Valeria followed, the gazes of all the Bio-Golems swiveled mechanically to track them.
The ranks of Bio-Golems seemed endless, not thinning in the slightest as they walked the long path toward the exit.
Eventually, they reached the area where Jin had first arrived. Ronil was waiting for them with the Kozec on standby, just as before.
Only then did the Bio-Golems disappear.
As soon as Ronil saw Jin return, he checked his pocket watch and showed a look of surprise.
"How much time has passed, Brother Ronil?"
"...A day. Only one day has passed."
"The Holy Land gave the Hister woman a warm welcome. Or perhaps… it was welcoming Jin Runcandel."
"Father is looking for you."
"I intended to see him immediately. He must be curious about this."
After showing the glass bottle to Ronil, Veradin turned and extended a hand to Jin.
Jin stared at the offered hand for a few seconds before taking it.
"Farewell, Jin Runcandel. With this, I have fulfilled the promise I made before losing my memories."
Wait for me, Veradin.
Jin released the handshake without voicing the thought.
"I will escort you to Tikan, Sir Jin."
"Understood, Ronil Zipple."
* * *
Back in the windowless cabin, Jin and Valeria sat across from each other, sharing what had happened in the interim.
Valeria thanked him several times. For Jin, seeing her act this way was unfamiliar in this life, but it was a good feeling.
"...So, a temporary alliance was formed, as expected. It must have been an unavoidable choice in order to face the Garden of Swords. In that case, there is one thing I must tell them before we get off this ship."
"Something you need to tell Zipple?"
"The Imperial Family has betrayed Zipple. And perhaps your friend—the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle—is in danger."