Chapter 724: The Blind Spot of a Temporary Alliance (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 724: The Blind Spot of a Temporary Alliance (1)
June 1st, 1803.
Following the operation's conclusion, the Temporary Alliance released all the information they had gathered during their struggle against the Evil God's Runcandel to the public.
The connection between the Evil God and Despair, the identity of the deceased Prophet, the truth behind Dipus's corruption—everything was laid bare.
In response, people across the world pinned black ribbons to their chests—a gesture of mourning for everyone sacrificed to the Evil God thus far.
It was also a message to the Temporary Alliance. The common folk were fighting alongside them. It was a shared expression of will—a refusal to sit idly by and produce more Despair for the Evil God to feed upon.
Those wearing the black ribbons didn't just prepare to flee or sink into hopelessness. They resisted the terror of the Evil God by fiercely maintaining their "daily lives."
That was how ordinary people fought back.
In this manner, the entire continent was gathering its strength.
Of course, there were more than a few who refused to join in.
Some shouted that the Temporary Alliance was lying to cover up its own incompetence. Others brought up the names of Joshua, Dipus, Myu, Anne, Ran, and Vigo, whispering that the Runcandels of Tikan had likely already sold their souls to the Evil God as well.
Yet, deep down, even those cynics shared the exact same yearning.
For this hell to end quickly.
For someone—anyone—to return the world to the way it was.
[Only the final peak remains now...]
Orgal spoke.
The Temporary Alliance was holding its final meeting at Tikan Palace to prepare for the decisive battle against the Evil God.
"The spread of Despair, as confirmed by Veradin’s maps, has slowed significantly. The gains from our last successful operation are substantial," Kadun added. For this meeting, Zipple had sent him as their representative instead of Veradin.
From a strictly cold-blooded perspective, the Temporary Alliance had lost very little in the recent battle.
Though they had only rescued about thirty percent of the prisoners, that still amounted to nearly thirty thousand people. Furthermore, their primary forces had suffered no critical losses in the process.
In contrast, the Garden of Swords had taken a massive blow.
First, the Prophet had been annihilated, along with the entire land of Richelton.
The explosion that erupted from the orb at the end of the battle hadn't stopped until Richelton was completely wiped off the map.
Myu and Anne had also met their absolute end due to the Prophet’s destruction.
No one witnessed their final moments. The fact of their passing remained only as a hollow record. No one paid them any real attention, and no one grieved for them.
It was a death that couldn't have been more pathetic.
Even the Tona brothers, who had been tormented by Myu and Anne for the longest time, were already forgetting them.
They simply weren't worth remembering.
Most importantly, a portion of the Evil God’s authority had vanished along with Dipus.
<The Evil God has weakened.>
Even with Valeria’s record magic, it was impossible to tell exactly how much weaker the Evil God had become.
However, it was certain that the construction of the ship Ram had ceased entirely following the Richelton operation.
This meant the Evil God had not only weakened, but had also stopped growing.
Consequently, two factors now stood as the most critical elements for the final battle:
Could Jin defeat Rosa in a one-on-one fight?
And could the combined forces of the Temporary Alliance withstand the firepower of the currently completed ship Ram?
"I heard that at Richelton, the Alliance’s forces weren't pushed back by the army of chaos at all. In fact, they say that if it weren't for the Prophet and the 4th Flagbearer, our side would have dominated the entire time. Excluding the Evil God and the ship Ram, we clearly hold the overall advantage in terms of remaining military strength."
Thus, Kadun proposed that a few of the highest-tier combatants, including himself and Orgal, handle the Ram, while everyone else deployed to deal with the army of chaos.
"Everyone else is essentially playing a supporting role to the duel between you and Rosa. Just like in the last operation, we cannot allow outside factors to interfere with your fight. You managed to take down the 4th Flagbearer and the Prophet in the end... but the Evil God will be different."
Jin let out a cold smirk.
"Can you actually handle the ship Ram? During the first all-out assault, your fleet couldn't respond to the Ram's main cannon at all. Especially you, Kadun—you nearly died. You couldn't even participate in the last operation because of the injuries you kept racking up after that day."
Despite Jin’s blatant provocation, Kadun didn't snap back as his fiery temper usually dictated.
"I’m saying I don't understand why you came to this meeting instead of Veradin."
"With Kelliark absent, I am the highest authority in the family."
"To think I’d hear such a tame response from the famously prideful Fire Dragon Kadun. I take it Veradin gave you strict orders not to cause any trouble at the meeting?"
[With only one great battle left, I see no need for us to waste energy on petty emotions. Though it is temporary, this is an alliance the likes of which the world will never see again. Why not strive a little harder to reach a successful conclusion?]
At Orgal’s words, Kadun finally withdrew his glaring gaze from Jin.
[In any case, unlike during the first assault, I have recovered some of my strength, and the Prophet has been destroyed. Therefore, the Evil God will not be able to properly control the ship Ram while fighting you. Normally, the Prophet would have operated the Ram in the Evil God’s stead.]
Jin didn't reply, his gaze shifting back and forth between Orgal and Kadun.
He was thinking about the true meaning behind the term 'Temporary Alliance.'
In the end, even now when Rosa has clearly weakened, Kinzelo and Zipple have no intention of playing their hidden trumps.
Orgal’s recovery and history manipulation.
For Kinzelo and Zipple, there was no reason to reveal those cards now. They would need them for the inevitable power struggle that would resume once the fight against the Evil God was over.
Or perhaps they truly couldn't use them yet.
Orgal’s recovery required the remnants of the Sun God, like Vail, and history manipulation required Valeria’s abilities.
Either way, things won't go exactly as you bastards planned. After I finish off the Evil God, it’s your turn...
Though they had crossed the line between life and death together several times as an alliance, Zipple and Kinzelo were still just another version of the Evil God to Jin.
The fact remained that one sought to manipulate the world through the Sun God, and the other through the manipulation of history.
"Fine, if you’re that confident. In that case, I need you to make me a promise."
"A promise?"
[What is this all of a sudden?]
Kadun and Orgal questioned him simultaneously.
"Once the final battle with the Evil God is successfully concluded, the Temporary Alliance will naturally dissolve. I believe we must agree not to attack each other for at least one year after that."
[It is a necessary point, but...]
"You don't actually think putting a seal on a document and announcing it to the public will give such an agreement any binding force, do you? This is a meaningless conversation. Once the war with the Evil God is over, everyone will do what they must, regardless of their losses."
"I must have this agreement, even if it’s just words. Because in the end, I am the one most likely to be heavily injured in the war against the Evil God."
"Even if we were allies for a moment, a war that has lasted a thousand years cannot end like this. I’ll put a seal on a document for you, but don't expect anything. I will refuse any verification through the Contractor of Az Mil."
"Why bring up Yuria? You know well enough that she isn't in a condition to use her powers right now. I actually prefer your continued honesty, but what if I hold a grudge and side with the Evil God because of it?"
"Khahaha!"
Kadun burst into laughter at Jin’s remark.
"You, do that? You’re the type of man who would rather die than side with the Evil God. That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard in a long time."
"I’m glad you found it amusing."
"Seeing you bring this up right before the final battle, it seems you’re confident about the fight against the Evil God as well."
Jin responded with a smile instead of words.
[Since a document carries no binding force as Kadun said, how about we exchange hostages?]
"We don't mind, but I doubt the 12th Flagbearer would like that. Anyway, isn't the reason you brought up this promise simply to ensure that whoever attacks first after the alliance breaks will be condemned by the world?"
Jin nodded.
"Exactly. The people of the world should know which side breaks their word first. Judging by the current atmosphere, it’ll be Zipple."
"We’ll see. I don't think those are words I should be hearing from the man who poached another’s forces and utilized another’s secrets. Time will tell."
He was referring to Hedo and the Holy Land.
Kadun was convinced that Jin would be the first to move the moment the final battle with the Evil God ended.
If the 12th Flagbearer suppresses the Evil God more easily than we expect, he might turn on us right away. There’s a high possibility he’s already made a deal with Kinzelo. Therefore, we must fight the battle against the Evil God while preserving as much of our non-fleet strength as possible.
Kadun stood up from his seat.
"We shall head back for today."
"I’d prefer it if Veradin came to tomorrow’s meeting instead of you."
Orgal also shrugged and stood up.
[It seems everyone is already thinking about what comes after the alliance breaks, but I hope we don't see this behavior in tomorrow’s meeting. The Evil God is still standing tall in Huphester, after all.]
The two left the conference room with their attendants.
Jin watched their ships disappear into the distance beyond Tikan. A moment later, Casimir entered the room.
"Sir Casimir, how is Yuria?"
Yuria was currently unable to use her powers due to her poor condition.
When Jin mentioned her earlier, Kadun hadn't been particularly suspicious. It was a well-known fact throughout the entire alliance that Yuria had suffered a massive mental shock from looking into the future right before the Richelton operation began.
However, there was a completely different reason why Yuria could not use her powers right now.
"She has improved a lot. But it seems she needs to rest for the time being."
"She must have been suffering enough from seeing the future of Richelton, yet I’ve placed another burden on her."
"My daughter takes great pride in her duties, and the energy of chaos she absorbed during the verification is being purified well, so please do not worry too much."
Last night.
Yuria had been exposed to a small amount of chaos energy while verifying the words of Lin Milkano, who had paid a sudden visit to Tikan.
—The Guardian Association President...!?
—12th Flagbearer, I have come to tell you something.
Guardian Association President Lin Milkano.
She was still on Runcandel’s side.