Chapter 674: Beneath the Imperial Palace... (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 674: Beneath the Imperial Palace... (3)
Thanks to the discovery and clearing of the chaos tunnels beneath the Imperial Palace, public sentiment toward Jin and Dante soared to new heights.
Articles about the incident poured out daily.
As usual, there was no need for Dino Jagrun to sway public opinion; hymns of praise were already rising from every corner of the empire.
Even the ministers, who had secretly resented Dante for overworking them, felt a renewed sense of loyalty. If not for Dante and Jin, no one would have realized the empire was on the verge of being overthrown.
*
Hairan’s 2nd Castle.
Since the demolition of the main castle began, the empire had been using this location as a temporary Imperial Palace.
After a long meeting had just concluded, only Jin, his companions, Nameless King Oul, and the top assassin Bizen remained in Dante’s office.
“I apologize for the meeting running long, Lord Oul.”
“Not at all. If anything, we arrived too early,” Oul replied in a low voice. He looked utterly exhausted, his eyes sunken as he continuously puffed on a cigarette.
Everyone gathered in the office had their eyes fixed on the black lump resting on the table.
It was what remained after the fake Yona had been decapitated.
This was not the first time Oul had seen such a thing.
“We assumed we must have lost track of Yona at some point, but… I never imagined this thing would have entered the Imperial Palace.”
Nameless referred to the black lump as a ‘rampage remnant.’
These remnants had only recently begun to appear. As the name suggested, they were a type of chaotic residue left behind whenever Yona’s rampages subsided.
Ever since the Great Battle against Gliek, the chaos within Yona had been reacting to the monster’s lingering remains, tormenting her once again.
As time passed, the cycles of her rampages grew shorter and more dangerous. Now, it had reached a point where it was impossible to restrain her, even if the entirety of Nameless worked together.
At Oul’s nod, Bizen opened a box he had placed beside him.
Inside were six more rampage remnants, identical in form to the one found beneath the Imperial Palace.
Though they had been told beforehand that there were six more, seeing them in person only deepened the group’s unease.
The reason for their distress was simple. According to Valeria’s analysis of the remnants, the Prophet was using these traces to create fake Yonas through the power of chaos.
“…Lord Oul, how many rampage remnants has Nameless lost track of?”
“At least three, possibly more than five.”
“Then that means there could be five or more fakes still out there. Worse… it’s highly probable that additional remnants—traces we’ve missed—are being generated even now.”
Oul nodded heavily.
“Is there any chance Sister Yona has been completely captured by the Garden of Swords?”
“Unlikely. The moment you struck down the fake, we were already tracking and engaging the real Yona.”
Oul spoke as he rolled up his right sleeve.
A long, dark gash was visible—a wound he had received while pursuing Yona a few days ago.
The only reason there had been no casualties was that the search party consisted solely of Oul and the top assassins. Even then, if Yona had targeted the other assassins before Oul, Bizen would not be standing here today.
“She seemed to be in agony after nearly killing me. Right now, that child is far more dangerous than the fake you faced.”
“Did you get the impression that Sister Yona has been brainwashed by the Prophet?”
“You’ve seen for yourself how immense the power of chaos within her is. Furthermore, Sir Cyron once told me that her chaos is of a very special kind. I doubt the Prophet could control it so easily.”
“So my father said that.”
“Indeed. Is there still no word from Sir Cyron’s expedition?”
“None.”
At Jin’s calm reply, Oul closed his eyes for a moment. He, too, did not believe Cyron and the expedition were still alive.
“As soon as this matter with Yona is settled, I will send people from Nameless to investigate.”
“Thank you, Lord Oul.”
“In any case, regardless of whether the Prophet can control Yona’s chaos, the current Garden of Swords would struggle to capture her quickly, despite their strength. However, unlike us, they can create fakes simply by obtaining these rampage remnants.”
In terms of tracking and assassination, Nameless possessed capabilities superior even to the Runcandel Clan before it was tainted by chaos. If an organization like that had failed to capture Yona for several years, Oul was certain the Prophet would fare no better.
“You said the last place you lost track of her was Akin.”
The last place Nameless had lost Yona was the Akin Kingdom, within the Lutero Magic Federation.
It was the very place where Jin had dismantled the dark organization Tessing and obtained the Rune of Mul-ta, Shuziel’s Magic Tome, and his ally Jet.
“She should still be in Akin. The remaining search parties haven't reported anything to the contrary. Even if she left, she would still be within the Lutero Magic Federation.”
The further Yona was from Huphester, the better.
Especially now, they could receive assistance from Zipple thanks to the temporary alliance.
However, unlike the situation with Valeria, Jin wanted to avoid involving the ‘entirety of Zipple’ if at all possible.
Sister Yona’s case is different from my teacher’s…
Valeria was someone Zipple absolutely needed. That was why they had accepted Jin’s unreasonable demands in exchange for nothing but her mana traces.
But Yona was different.
If given the chance, Zipple would likely want to eliminate Sister Yona.
Currently, even Nameless couldn't control her due to her rampages, but it was obvious that the moment she regained her senses, she would stand by Jin’s side. Therefore, Zipple had no reason to capture her alive.
Even if Jin requested her capture, they had plenty of excuses to refuse. They could claim that civilians in Akin were at risk due to her rampage or conclude that capturing her was impossible due to her martial prowess.
Of course, Jin could threaten to break the alliance the moment they killed Yona, but that would be nothing more than throwing a tantrum while gambling with the fate of the entire world.
Oul was thinking the same thing.
“We’ll need Zipple’s help, but I’m worried. Unlike us, they have no reason to keep Yona alive. Yet, if we don’t inform Zipple, civilian casualties will occur, or we’ll inevitably end up giving Zipple leverage over us. Honestly, it’s frustrating.”
“Until now… has Sister Yona ever killed a civilian during her rampages?”
At that heavy question, Oul met Jin’s eyes.
“No.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes, I swear it. It seems Yona has focused all her indiscriminate murderous urges on me and the assassins of Nameless.”
Pshhh. Oul exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“That’s likely because she was thinking of you, 12th Flagbearer.”
Jin felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Since meeting him, Yona had never killed anyone without reason. She had always fought against the chaos, and that effort was still holding, even now.
“What do you think we should do?”
Oul felt a pang of wretchedness as he asked the question. He felt a sting of self-reproach at the fact that he was asking Jin for advice on a matter concerning ‘Nameless,’ regardless of how strong Jin had become.
“Since physical mutations haven't occurred and she’s still resisting the chaos, it means she hasn't been completely consumed. We have to find her as soon as possible, before she can no longer use the purifier.”
“Does that mean it’s better to risk Zipple’s help, even if they might eliminate Yona?”
“Yes. However, I don’t intend to speak with the Zipple leadership.”
Oul’s eyes narrowed.
“Then?”
“I will only seek help from Tower Keeper Hedo and Sandra Zipple. Those two will likely help us find my sister without the rest of Zipple finding out.”
In any case, Hedo and Sandra had already sent a request to meet. Jin needed to examine Hedo’s sword, which was suspected to be the entrance to the Sixth Tomb, and he intended to fully bring them over to the Barmul Alliance’s side.
Oul didn't bother questioning whether they could be trusted or if Sandra Zipple held that much authority. He saw a glimpse of a young Cyron in Jin.
That was how much weight Jin’s words carried.
“Understood. Then Nameless will resume the search in Akin immediately.”
“Furthermore, could you have the personnel not involved in the search for Sister Yona infiltrate Huphester?”
“It will be done. It seems our time of neutrality is over. As of today, Nameless will officially join the Barmul Alliance. This is the Alliance's business, so it's only right that we step forward. I will send our people as soon as you provide the list of rescue targets.”
“Thank you, Lord Oul. I’ll have the Seven-Colored Bird and my companions on standby, so please contact Tikan the moment you discover Sister Yona.”
Oul stood up and offered Jin a handshake.
“To think that audacious brat from a few years ago has grown so much that I’m now taking his orders. Even your father couldn't achieve this, so you have every right to be proud.”
“Nameless is a member of the Barmul Alliance; I don’t consider you beneath me. Still, I trust you’ll turn a blind eye to the matter of the Ten Thousand Poison Liquor we discussed.”
“I would do anything if it means saving that child. I can finally say this honestly now…”
Oul cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed.
“Yona is the youngest daughter of Nameless, our princess, and our greatest treasure. Not just me, but everyone cherishes her. Perhaps even more than your own family—maybe even more than you. Even if she loses her abilities as a God of Murder, that fact will never change.”
Calling it a special confession felt redundant, as Oul and the members of Nameless had always shown an incredibly soft side toward Yona.
Because of this, no one found his words surprising, yet Oul continued to cough awkwardly.
Though Yona might not have realized it, her subconscious also considered Nameless her ‘family.’ That was why, even while being consumed by chaos, she was trying to burden only them. If it were anyone else, she knew she could never forgive herself once she returned to her senses.
“Sometimes, people feel more like family than your actual blood relatives,” Jin said. “For me, it’s my companions and my brothers of the Pluto Tribe. For Sister Yona, that’s Nameless. When she returns, I think it would be wonderful if we could all welcome her back together.”