Chapter 700: Deepening Worries (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 700: Deepening Worries (4)
Jin found himself quite pleased with Vail’s erratic behavior ever since they arrived at Kinzelo’s new headquarters.
Zephyrin’s threats had been unpleasant, and Orgal’s jokes—which didn't feel like jokes at all—had left a sour taste in his mouth. Vail, however, was stepping up and speaking out on his behalf, providing a refreshing sense of catharsis.
Even in the face of Vail’s verbal abuse, the members of Kinzelo simply blinked in silence for a long moment.
"Now, now, Vail. Why don't you show a little restraint? If you charge in recklessly, I'm afraid you're the one who'll end up broken."
Jin spoke as if he were trying to hold Vail back, but his intentions were the exact opposite.
His words were designed to achieve two effects at once. First, to further provoke Vail. Second, to signal to Kinzelo that he was at least making an effort to ensure Vail maintained some semblance of decorum.
As expected, Vail grew even more indignant at Jin’s words and shouted.
[I will not!]
"What do you mean, 'you will not'? You'd definitely lose. Orgal is a true Demon King, after all. So stop causing trouble and stay quiet."
In truth, Jin just wanted to see how Orgal would handle Vail.
'There’s a high probability I won’t be able to observe Orgal’s combat style closely during the final battle. I’ll have to focus entirely on Rosa.'
Therefore, there was no harm in taking this opportunity to get a preview of how the restored Orgal fought. It would surely be on a completely different level compared to the terror he unleashed at the Sword Emperor Castle.
[Ha, Jin. You really don’t know what you’re talking about. Fine, maybe that guy is stronger than me. But I can feel it.]
"Feel what?"
[He can't kill me.]
"Well, that's obvious. We're in a temporary alliance, aren't we? You're one of our most vital assets."
[I don’t mean it in that sense. It’s a more fundamental issue. With the power he possesses, he cannot kill me. That’s why I’m willing to take a few hits just to land a punch of my own.]
Jin turned his gaze toward Orgal, silently demanding an explanation.
[Unless one possesses the Energy of Creation, or something equivalent to it, it is impossible to perfectly erase a Trace of Life. There are very rare beings like that... much like the King of the Black Sea you faced in the past.]
"The fact that you specifically used the word 'perfectly' must mean that while killing is impossible, sealing or other methods are still on the table. Is that why you lot didn't show your faces when Gliek awakened...?"
Jin gritted his teeth as he recalled the Sword Emperor Holy War. At the time, Kinzelo had demanded Jin’s loyalty as a condition for their participation in the battle against Gliek.
[Sir Vail, if you truly wish to fight me, I would have no choice but to seal a portion of your power. We cannot allow a fatal issue to arise within our alliance. That is why Jin will surely be more proactive in stopping you.]
"Yeah, I intend to do just that. I’m having particularly bad luck today, Orgal."
[The feeling is mutual.]
A Trace of Life could not be killed without Creation, or an energy equivalent to it.
Jin pondered that fact for a moment.
'Ultimately, this means I will absolutely need the power of Creation to kill Orgal in the future.'
Considering the sheer scale of Orgal’s power, the need for the power of Creation was a given, even setting aside the specific attributes of the Sun God’s authority.
However, one thing struck him as odd.
'But back then, at the sealing site... why did Vail admit defeat to me like that? According to Orgal, I shouldn't have been able to kill him.'
Looking at how Vail was currently snapping at Orgal, he clearly wasn't the type to submit just because an opponent was stronger.
Vail had never met the Sun God, but he was aware that he himself was a god-like entity, and he was as arrogant and willful as that status implied.
'Was it because he realized I was Sir Sarah’s descendant?'
It wasn't a problem he needed to dwell on right now.
At Jin’s subtle nod, Vail huffed and averted his glaring eyes from Orgal.
"I suppose we’ve fulfilled our mutual promises for the most part, Orgal. Now, let’s discuss Rosa—as allies."
[About the reason why Rosa is being completed faster than I anticipated?]
"Yes. There are several strange things about Rosa’s behavior."
[Speak.]
"First of all, Rosa has become an evil so immense that she no longer even needs powerhouses like Sir Padler—the man who nearly killed you at the Caldran Snowy Plains. It’s difficult to explain the exact basis for this; it’s simply something I felt personally."
[I shall believe you, as you are not one to speak nonsense regarding such matters. Besides, it is not entirely impossible.]
"And yet, that same Rosa is suddenly using Joshua again. He feels even more incompetent than before, and he has failed every task he’s been given recently. I’ve blocked him at every turn. That is the point I find strange."
[You are asking why the Evil God would bother using such a trivial individual?]
"Exactly. Ever since I encountered him in Akin, I’ve been wondering. Why on earth would Rosa keep such a piece of trash by her side...?"
Jin organized his thoughts for a few seconds before meeting Orgal’s eyes.
"Suddenly, I remembered something you said during our first meeting."
— What her daughters desire is only one thing. The second coming of my old lover, Heluram.
— Is that why they use humans as sacrifices?
— To be precise, it is not the humans themselves. While human flesh and bone are necessary, they aren't very efficient. The real key is despair. Only a massive amount of high-purity despair can awaken Heluram.
Despair.
Jin had considered the hypothesis that perhaps Rosa was using Joshua to harvest high-purity despair.
As Jin explained this, Orgal’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"I couldn't think of any other reason why Rosa would keep that garbage around."
[...That is a truly interesting theory, Jin Runcandel. If that is the case, then the accelerated completion of the Evil God is likely related to him as well.]
"In your opinion, does my theory seem correct?"
[I had forgotten about Runcandel’s 2nd Flagbearer because his presence was so faint. But human jealousy can sometimes be so great that it surprises even the gods. If the depth of his inferiority complex is deep and dark enough to be significant even to the Evil God, then it is entirely possible. This is an angle I hadn't considered at all.]
"Then... does that mean it’s actually inconvenient for Rosa if Joshua succeeds at his tasks?"
However, Jin couldn't exactly lose to Joshua on purpose just to prevent Rosa from harvesting his despair.
If Joshua succeeded in anything Rosa assigned him, it would mean Jin or those around him would be injured or killed.
There was only one solution.
Find Joshua and eliminate him completely. Ensure that Rosa could never use him again.
[I suppose so.]
"Finding Joshua and completely annihilating him is the only way to deal with this."
[It will not be easy, as the Evil God is likely protecting him personally.]
That went without saying.
Rosa wouldn't just leave someone with that kind of utility unattended. There was likely a protection placed on him—one so subtle that Joshua wouldn't even notice it, yet so meticulous that no one could easily finish him off.
That was also why Vail had lost track of Joshua in the forests of Akin.
"Protection... protection, you say... ugh."
Suddenly, Jin was overcome by a wave of intense nausea.
It was absolutely revolting.
The fact that a human existed who, even after falling to the level of a mere doll used for producing despair, could not escape the embrace of the one who had made him that way.
And the fact that a mother existed who could send her own child from one abyss into an even deeper one without a second thought, simply because it served her needs.
[Are you alright?]
Jin barely managed to suppress the violent urge to gag and nodded.
"I’m fine. Regardless, whether my hypothesis is right or wrong, Joshua must be eliminated before the final battle."
[I agree. After all, if the day ever comes when Joshua Runcandel is alive but no longer despairs, it will be because that despair has become yours. You are a far more meaningful existence to the Evil God than Joshua... your despair would be a much better ingredient to awaken Heluram...]
Jin now wondered if despair was truly being used to bring about the second coming of Heluram.
The Rosa he had seen not long ago didn't look like she was preparing to awaken Heluram; rather, it looked as though she was preparing to become just as great a calamity herself.
Above all, Jin couldn't imagine Rosa swearing loyalty to Heluram like the Prophet did. Why would that Rosa ever serve anyone?
'Damn it... the worries just keep deepening.'
If there was any silver lining, it was the fact that Orgal had just recovered a portion of his old power.
"Then your task from here on is set, Orgal. You’ve rested in your sickbed long enough; it’s time to move."
[Are you telling me to kill Joshua?]
"You’re not going to tell me that’s too difficult with the amount of power you’ve recovered, are you?"
[Well, it depends on how much attention the Evil God is paying him. But even if you hadn't mentioned it, I was planning to look for him. If the Evil God’s protection is so deep that even my power cannot overcome it, I will at least confirm the situation. I will see if his despair is truly being used by the Evil God.]
"Good. You’re making me feel more and more rewarded for bringing Vail along. I’ll expect meaningful news the next time we meet."
As Jin stood up to leave, Orgal waved his hand and opened a Steel Dimensional Gate. Beyond the portal, the territorial waters of Tikan were visible.
[Use it if you wish.]
On the surface, it looked like a gesture of consideration, but Jin recognized it for what it truly was: a warning disguised as a courtesy.
It was a reminder that if Jin did anything foolish as an ally, Orgal could reach Tikan in an instant, at any time.
Unlike before, opening the dimensional gate didn't seem to strain Orgal’s strength in the slightest.
"I have the ship I arrived on. As you well know, it’s a space-jump ship."
When Jin countered with a similar warning, Orgal smirked.
"Well. As you said, the feeling is mutual. See you next time."
Later, after exiting Kinzelo’s headquarters and boarding the Red Owl, Vail looked at Jin with a puzzled expression.
"Hey, Jin."
"What?"
"The reason I lost to you in the beginning was because of the fire you possess."
Jin was about to ask why he was bringing that up all of a sudden, but then he remembered how he had been wondering about that exact reason back in Kinzelo’s meeting room.
"Is that so? I was actually curious about that earlier. I didn't think it was just because I was stronger. So it was because of the fire?"
"No, you might not realize it, but the fire you have is very special. And that fire will work on that guy, too. So, one day, let’s definitely beat him up together. Got it?"