Chapter 753: Those Who Remain (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 753: Those Who Remain (3)
“You’re… fading away?”
[That is correct. The soul energy that constitutes our forms is weakening. We believe it is because the Evil God has vanished.]
[Six months at the shortest, a year at most. That is the likely limit of our time in this world.]
Alphen and Tasha spoke in turn.
A pang of sorrow struck Jin at their words, and he furrowed his brow. Balas, however, let out a boisterous laugh as if it were nothing to worry about.
[Hahaha! My great-grandson, you have a heart as tender as your father's when he was just a babe. Do not trouble yourself over our disappearance. Isn't it the way of things for all mortals to eventually die? If anything, we three have been granted new life despite having died long ago. This is more of a blessing than a curse. Just think of us as terminally ill old men waiting in the back room.]
[57th Patriarch… I'm not exactly old, you know…]
[Terminally ill old men in the back room… Hmm. I doubt that expression is very comforting for the Young Master.]
“I’ll see if there’s a way to extend the time you have left.”
[Yes, yes. But don't push yourself too hard. Those who must go, must go. Regardless, we will do our utmost to support you for as long as we remain.]
“Thank you, Great-grandfather.”
In truth, the patriarchs' existence was a double-edged sword.
While the three of them added significant strength to Runcandel—now at its smallest scale in history—their presence also provided an opening for other factions to exploit.
It was undoubtedly Jin and the temporary alliance who had saved the world from the Evil God.
However, the Evil God was also born in Runcandel.
More than a few people felt uneasy about that fact.
With past patriarchs resurrected through soul energy still lingering, it created the perfect pretext for someone to turn the world against Runcandel, painting them as a source of evil.
[Our only concern is that external forces will use the three of us as a pretext. The crafty and wicked Zipple will almost certainly attempt such a thing.]
The patriarchs were also aware of this.
“Were there any signs of that while I was unconscious?”
[None as of yet.]
“Then we should be fine for now. Zipple and Kinzelo aren't acting recklessly because they fear me.”
The power of the Fighting God Union, which he had demonstrated at the Temple of the Evil God, and Murakan’s overwhelming might.
While Jin’s own strength had earned him the title of the World’s Second Sword, it was those two factors that the other factions feared most after the alliance dissolved.
Jin’s individual martial prowess was not yet enough to overwhelm the great powers on his own. In fact, despite the damage they sustained at the Temple of the Evil God, his enemies had become stronger than they were when Cyron was still around.
“The other factions, especially Zipple, likely wanted to strike the moment the battle against the Evil God ended. They certainly would have, if they hadn’t witnessed the Fighting God Union and Murakan in action.”
[In other words, they're holding back because they haven't confirmed whether you can use those two powers at will.]
“Precisely. I can’t use those two powers whenever I wish; both have significant constraints. The enemy likely suspects this, but they won’t move until they’re certain.”
[What do you think would happen if Zipple attacked us right now?]
“What’s the approximate extent of Zipple’s losses?”
[I've been told they suffered no deaths among their transcendent-level personnel, though over seventy percent of their fleet was destroyed.]
“Then we have to assume they haven't suffered any truly critical damage. It’s all recoverable with time. In fact, their fleet production may already be complete.”
Even during the war against the Evil God, Zipple managed to restore hundreds of ships in just two months. That meant they must have several more shipyards on par with the one in the Sota Desert.
[So, what would happen if Zipple attacked us now?]
“We’d have little chance of winning. Even if we managed to hold out, the clan would inevitably suffer catastrophic damage once again. What about Kinzelo’s losses?”
[Similar to Zipple's. None of their major demons died, though they lost their fleet and many of their Artisan's Masterpieces.]
Jin suspected Kinzelo had also begun to recover. With the enhanced Authority of Orgal and Bubar’s abilities, rebuilding a fleet wouldn't be a difficult task.
[If Zipple and Kinzelo joined forces to attack us now, defeat would be inevitable.]
“Yes.”
Currently, Jin couldn't use the Fighting God Union again. He lacked the materials to recreate the Wavelength Tracking Synchronization Device.
He could summon Murakan if he wished, but even that was a gamble.
If Murakan manifested again, Misha would have to take his place for a time, which meant the seal on Elona Zipple could potentially be broken.
[Are you saying you need to bluff, then? Act as if you can still use the powers you displayed at the Temple of the Evil God?] Tasha asked.
Jin smirked and shook his head.
“In my opinion, it would be better to openly reveal that I can’t use them.”
[Why is that?]
“It will confuse them. If I try too hard to hide it, they’ll become certain. But if I reveal a weakness, they’ll grow suspicious. They’ll wonder if it’s a trick to bait the other factions into breaking the non-aggression pact, giving me a justification for war while I can secretly still summon the Fighting God and Murakan… something like that.”
[And what if they actually take the bait?]
“Even if that happens, Kinzelo and Zipple can’t easily collude. If one side moves first, we can simply reach out to the other. Besides, we hold a card that each of those two factions desires above all else.”
Vail and Valeria.
“As far as I know, neither Zipple nor Kinzelo possesses a card valuable enough to trade with the other for one of those two. If either of them wanted to form an alliance to eliminate the other, they would rather join hands with us.”
[Khahat! Especially since Kinzelo, unlike Zipple, doesn't harbor a thousand-year grudge against us. I also hear they've consistently shown you goodwill.]
Of course, Jin had no intention of actually using them as bargaining chips. They were simply so valuable that his enemies couldn't help but grow anxious at the mere thought of him doing so.
In any case, Jin judged that there was no real possibility of his enemies forming an alliance. He believed they would only truly unite if Runcandel first became the single most overwhelming power in the world.
“However, there will be political maneuvering to frame us as the axis of evil, using the Evil God’s origins and the three of you as justification. That part is unavoidable, no matter how much public support I’ve earned since my days as a reserve flagbearer.”
[I do not know how it was during the 20th and 21st generations, but we are a clan that has never cared for such things. The Path of the Overlord, paying no heed to the world’s gaze—that is the Runcandel way.]
“I care, Grandfather.”
[Then your will is the right one! Because you are the Young Master!]
“We will also proceed with our own maneuvers. I plan to officially introduce the Record Mage, Valeria Hister, to the world and release all records of this war to the public. I will make it clear that while the Evil God born in Runcandel did harm the world, the intentions of myself and the comrades who ended this war did not stem from a desire to become its conquerors.”
[We should also proceed with compensating for the damages.]
[Official requests have been flooding in regardless, 57th Patriarch.]
“That will require a massive amount of capital. For that, we’ll use the money we’ve earned so far and receive help from the Empire.”
This was something he had already discussed with Dante before the final battle. Dante was safeguarding the vast slush funds of the imperial family left behind by Amir Viment.
However, no amount of money could ever compensate for the emotional pain of those who had lost their families. The same went for the lives of the dead.
At that thought, Jin tightly closed his eyes for a moment.
He felt an immense sense of responsibility toward them. What the clan had done was now what he had done. Even if it was caused by someone else just before he became the Young Master, the responsibility was his to bear.
In addition to material compensation, Jin intended to provide a place for people to live. He wanted to offer the vacant lands of Huphester to the war refugees.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy. Setting aside the issue of resources, the lands of Huphester had a history of being tainted by chaos and left in ruins, so not many people would be eager to move there.
However, when he shared these thoughts with the patriarchs, the answer he received was entirely unexpected.
[Requests for relocation and immigration are already flooding in. You said you care about public opinion? I can tell just by looking what kind of life you've lived, my great-grandson. Even though the world ended up in this state because of an Evil God born from our clan, there are many refugees who come seeking you and you alone.]
“...Is that true, Great-grandfather?”
[Yes. We said we never cared for the world’s gaze, but in truth, this old man has seen and felt much because of it.]
The Evil God had shown the world the end result of a Runcandel that pursued only power.
Jin’s Runcandel would be very different.
[Since you were unconscious, all permissions have been on hold. You need only order the flagbearers to begin accepting them immediately.]
Jin remained silent for a moment, thinking of those people.
Through this incident, Runcandel had certainly taken more from the common people than it had ever given.
And yet, they were coming to lean on ‘Jin Runcandel.’
In this unstable era, where the clouds of war began to gather the moment the battle against the Evil God ended, Jin was becoming a beacon for countless people.
Jin is different from the others. He is different from the leaders of the other great powers, different from the other rulers. If it’s him, he can surely lead this world to a better future.
There were as many people who saw Jin this way as there were those who felt revulsion toward Runcandel.
“Yes. I need to get the reports from the flagbearers and issue a statement to the entire world.”
[And after that?]
Jin gave a smirk.
“I’ll observe the enemy’s movements while I rescue the remaining flagbearers and find the clan’s former Head Butler to bring him home.”