671
[T.L: punisher87]
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'Seven.'
Despite the various tragedies that had occurred, Dante had rapidly gained absolute power in the empire over the past three years.
Usually, power gained so quickly is precarious.
However, with only seven traitors, it was a testament to how well Dante and his advisor, Kashmir, had been doing.
Euria handed Dante a diagram of the traitors' locations that had been previously drawn.
'Three 10th grade officials, three 7th grade officials, and one 5th grade official?'
Jin also glanced at the traitors' positions out of the corner of his eye.
'They're too insignificant to be recruited to assassinate the regent of the empire.'
At first glance, they were all people who didn't even have a trace of political power or remarkable abilities. They were just ordinary officials.
Dante also had the same question. He couldn't think of anything these officials could do to assassinate him.
However, outward status and abilities can change at any time. Zephyrin had proven that, and the power of a prophet's chaos control could transform people into different forms.
"Well, I believe you're all too busy to even consider betrayal."
At those words, quite a few of his servants spit out swearing in their hearts, saying, "What the fuck is this?", but those who lied were not included.
Silence ensued. Even when Euria was verifying the liars, the room was silent for almost ten minutes, and the officials couldn't figure out why Dante was acting this way.
Then, after a long period of contemplation, Dante eventually turned his head towards Jin and gestured for him to come closer.
'What?'
'I knew those seven could be traitors, but what's the best way to ask the next question?'
'How did you become so stupid in my absence? You are asking that question now.'
'I've always had a somewhat dense side to me.'
'I should have properly organized the question list for you beforehand. You don't need to worry, Dante. Ask if there's someone who passed information to Runcandel. That way, you'll find out whether they have only had a change of heart or have truly betrayed you.'
'Oh, I see.'
Dante cleared his throat.
"Ahem! Since there aren't many questions left, you must understand my eccentric behavior."
"No, it's not!"
"No, it's not!"
Euria thought about listing the liars as well, but stopped because there were too many of them.
"Among those here, has anyone informed the Garden of Swords about me or the Empire?"
Of course, the answer was no. However, the seven who were first highlighted by the power of truth were telling lies again.
Jin soon found out why the Garden of Swords had enlisted such ordinary people as its helpers.
'The entry to the imperial castle. If the Prophet didn't endow them with special abilities, it means that they only need entry in the Imperial castle.'
The reason for the need to go in and out of the imperial castle was obvious. The internal structure.
The Vermont Imperial Castle was the largest external building in the world and had the most complex internal structure. Particularly secret areas such as the emperor's residence or underground passageways were unknown to most other powerful forces.
'Even the seven traitors who have been identified as low-level and mid-level operatives cannot know all those secret areas.'
It is only natural that the forces such as Runcandel, Zipfel, and Nameless could not find out even after planting numerous spies in the imperial family for a long time. In addition, the location of the secret areas of the imperial family changed irregularly.
So why them?
Jin made an assumption.
'The tunnel that the prophet made in the past Sota Desert...… What if she needs the help of an imperial servant to make it? She might need a rough idea of the internal structure of the palace, if not a very detailed one.'
Even with that assumption, there were still questions.
Dante has been out on missions alone in the contaminated area many times, so such a moment would be more appropriate if he was assassinated.
'I can gradually find out why she chose the imperial castle instead when he was on a solo mission.'
First, he needed to confirm what information they had provided and whether his assumptions were correct.
'Jin.'
'Finally, ask if any of the gathered subordinates have received chaos or other special abilities.'
Dante nodded.
"Final question. Among the subordinates gathered here, has anyone been bestowed with chaos or other special abilities?"
"No!"
Not a single person lied this time.
That meant even if they captured them immediately, there would be no other casualties.
'Detain those individuals.'
As Jin whispered, Dante revealed the anger he had been suppressing.
"Hairan!"
"Your orders, lord patriarch!"
"Capture Kima wrights, Julian wrights, Edmond Kell, Deva Roskela, Bernard Qian, Killane Knash, Ata Boin immediately."
Hairan's elite who attended the meeting arrested them before even 15 seconds had passed.
The subordinates were shocked by the sudden turn of events.
They had been summoned out of nowhere and now they were being intimidated by these thugs.
Or some even thought that Dante had finally vented his vengeance for Ron and turned into a tyrant.
"Your Majesty, why are you doing this?"
"Your Majesty, why are you doing this to us?"
"I will tell you my truth so that other subordinates do not misunderstand. The person standing behind me is the princess of the Free Nation Tikan and a contractor of Azmil."
"Ah...!"
Everyone exclaimed. If the girl in disguise is Euria Alfrion, then the identity of the man who was exchanging whispers with the regent was obvious.
There was no reason to hide his identity anymore.
"We are from Vamel Alliance, Jin Runcandel. Our alliance informants have discovered that the imperial family has betrayed Zipfel and sided with the Garden of Swords. Therefore, it was urgently needed to find out if there were any people in the Empire who were in contact with the Garden of Swords."
The imprisoned traitors knelt before Dante. Dante immediately covered Euria's eyes as he drew his sword, and struck one of the men's necks.
Thick, pouring blood quickly stained the golden floor.
"Hee, hee."
"Oh, it's a misunderstanding. I didn't betray."
"Shut your mouth. The one who died painlessly earlier was just lucky. You guys are unlucky."
The traitors trembled and looked around. Not only Dante and Jin's party, but even the servants who had anger and hatred for the terrible overwork under the Regent were staring at them as if they were going to kill them.
Even if they didn't like Dante, it was true that all the servants gathered here were dedicating their lives for the empire.
Everyone felt a great sense of pride that the imperial capital was in such good condition in this chaotic era, and they thought there was no other way than Dante's way for empire.
But those traitors were trying to ruin it all.
"If you want to save yourself even a little bit of bad luck, it's best to answer my questions very truthfully in detail from now on."
As Dante gestured, the attendants quickly handled the corpses and wiped the blood. Euria, who opened her eyes again, saw that there were only six people left, and thought that Dante had unexpectedly brutal power.
"First of all, what was promised by the Garden of Swords?"
Jin had expected it to be eternal life, as foolish people like the Barton and Seygalga's elders had said in the past.
"... survival."
One of the traitors met Dante's eyes. He had the most calm eyes among the remaining six. He was determined that such a day could come someday.
"Survival?"
"Your Majesty...we have personally met with Madame Rosa. To be precise, it was a meeting through some kind of crystal ball, but we were able to see the power that Runcandel possesses through a conversation with her. She said she would destroy everything in the world except for Huphester."
"So, you betrayed the empire to go under Rosa's wing and live a petty life, is that it?"
"If you truly care about the Empire, you must surrender to Madame Rosa even now. I may be a traitor, but this is the only advice I can give you."
According to Euria, the traitors, including him, sincerely thought so. Not only the empire, but the whole world would be powerless against Rosa.
"I won't blame your weak choices. So you should accept the punishment that will come to you in the future."
"...You intend to annihilate our entire family."
"Everything in your family will be erased from this world. But if you confess the information you provided to Rosa, I will spare the innocent children and servants."
Euria showed a blue string, revealing that Dante's words were true. The traitor who was talking to Dante lowered his head.
"There is not much information that low-ranking subjects like us can know, Your Majesty. The information we provided to Rosa was the entire structure of the palace, as promised."
At that point, Jin recalled the Prophet's Tunnel once again.
"Did they explain what they would do with that information?"
"No, they did not."
It was the truth. As Jin expected, they had no information that could be passed on to Runecandel other than the rough structure of the palace.
In fact, Rosa didn't ask them for any other information.
"I'll keep my promise. Take them away."
"Yes, sir!"
Watching the traitors being dragged away, all of the servants were wearing distorted faces. Their anger was directed at Rosa and the Garden of Swords, not at Dante.
Jin stepped forward.
"The prophet in the Garden of Swords has the ability to create special tunnels. It is highly likely that they asked traitors about the internal structure for the purpose of making it. Maybe they didn't just try to assassinate the regent, they might have tried to invade the imperial castle through the tunnel."
Therefore, their next task was to confirm whether tunnels had already been formed inside the palace.
Dante had already thought of a way to do that.
"We'll destroy the entire palace to find out. Since it's full of the symbols of the lost imperial family anyway, there's nothing to regret. We'll start immediately, so prepare yourselves."
672
[T.L: punisher87]
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As soon as Dante gave his order, the faces of his subordinates turned pale. They had never seen Dante break a promise before.
"Your Majesty, are you serious about destroying the palace?"
"Right now?"
They spoke cautiously, their mouths barely moving under the weight of the situation.
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"The palace has been a symbol of the empire for thousands of years! It cannot be destroyed so easily!"
"Your Majesty, although many of the main pillars of the Vermont family betrayed the Empire, this Imperial Castle belongs to the Empire, not the Imperial Family."
"To the Empire..."
Dante's eyes narrowed.
"Even if this doesn't happen now, I've been thinking about downsizing the palace. How many people and resources are wasted on maintaining this grand golden palace?"
"Your Majesty, we trust that you listen to Sir Jin's advice. But isn't this decision too hasty?"
"If we wait until our suspicions are confirmed, it will be too late. What if a legion of chaos emerges from an unknown tunnel and assassins start pouring out? How will we cope then?"
"But...!"
"Enough! I have no intention of reversing my decision. You subordinates should accept it. If I have to break this insignificant palace to ensure the safety of the empire, I will do so, no matter how many times."
Dante's sharp voice silenced his subordinates. If they said one more word, there would undoubtedly be consequences.
Jin thought Dante's imperial demeanor was still impressive, and he believed this decision was a hundred percent correct.
However, he also thought that if he stepped forward, the situation would be even better.
'Maybe Dante doesn't know this, but all of them are deeply loyal to the Empire. However, there are complaints from overwork and pressure.'
Jin cleared his throat.
"Ahem. May the Vamel Alliance present one formal opinion on the demolition of the palace, as per Sir Mageil's suggestion?"
"Please speak, Sir Jin."
"As Sir Mageil said earlier, the prophet's tunnel is just a suspicion. Also, as the regent said, once it is confirmed, it is an irreversible problem, and the regent is unlikely to change his mind."
"Shouldn't you advise Your Majesty to reconsider...?"
"How can I stop something that even the imperial courtiers can't stop? Instead, the Vamel Alliance, which was the first to mention the tunnel, will take some responsibility for the demolition of the palace. As an alliance."
The subordinates murmured to each other, exchanging glances.
Jin smiled at them with pure kindness, but the subordinates worried about what the 12th flagbearer would take.
"Currently, the free nation Tikan has the world's highest level of capabilities. Equipped with various cutting-edge technologies, including an improved mana cannon lances looted from the previous imperial family."
"Are you saying that you will share those technologies?"
"Yes. We will share more than before. I will dispatch Lady Amela, who has made the greatest contribution to the increase in Tikan's defense capabilities, and other personnel to help with its development. The Vamel alliance will also provide some of the essential materials needed. From the moment we build the new city that will become the center of the Empire, regardless of the existence of underground tunnels."
Now that Jin has shown his cards, the servants thought the next thing he would say was about what he would get from the empire.
"We will also support the defense of the entire Empire and share technology related to battleships. This should be enough of a reward for destroying the symbol of the old era."
But when he mentioned additional support, subordinates wondered why Jin was doing this.
"The Vamel alliance and the Empire are allies, and the Regent and I are the closest friends. The world is facing a crisis of destruction and chaos. I hope everyone knows that we are not trying to support the Empire in order to take something from it later."
Anyway, even if he didn't destroy the imperial palace, Jin intended to do so from the beginning.
Now that Rosa had become an evil god, and even after they had defeated her, the crisis facing the Empire and Dante was no different from the crisis facing the Vamel Alliance and Jin. After all, there were still Zipfel and Kinzelo left even if they defeated Rosa.
"Thanks for expressing your dislike, I received an unexpected gift from Sir Jin. The benefits that Sir Jin has promised are incomparable to this palace."
Dante already knew about this matter, but he still felt a bit uncomfortable.
His subordinates were confused about whether they should like or dislike this situation, but within a few days, they became convinced that they should like it.
Amela came to the empire and showed various equipment. The artifacts developed by Qwaul far exceeded the common sense of subordinates.
"... It seems that the demolition is not proceeding as quickly as I thought. It worries me that it's taking too much of your time."
Destroying the largest building on the earth was not a problem that could be solved in one or two days.
Jin and Dante were searching for tunnels at the demolition site. The top-level members and delegates who knew all the secrets of the castle combined their information to estimate the location of the tunnels, and Jin personally confirmed each new location.
It was because Jin was the only one who could properly sense the energy of chaos.
"It's okay. We've solved most of the urgent issues, so now your safety is the most important matter. And this is fast enough. We can't just break everything down as much as we want."
"Thank you for saying that. By the way, Joshua Runcandel is suspected to be the one who sent assassins to the palace... If that's true, he's really like a cockroach. He was stripped of his flagbearer qualification, became a beggar, and yet he came back."
"Even if he is not at the level of Elder Sister Luntia, he probably got stronger too. That doesn't seem to be much of a problem, but I'm worried about which sword he gave to the imperial family."
It was difficult to guess who the assassin was that Runcandel gave to Airan Vermont.
'Among the people I've encountered in the Garden of Swords so far, there aren't many who can defeat Dante now.'
Except for Rosa herself, Padler Runcandel, Lionel, and Luntia.
However, Luntia is currently unable to come out in the human world, and the destructive swordsmanship of Padler and Lionel was not suitable for assassination.
'Of course, there may be other people who can defeat Dante, and if their purpose is not assassination but a surprise attack through the tunnels, they alone will cause catastrophic damage to the empire....'
-<….. Runcandel gave a monster to the Airan Vermont, the Vermont imperial family, to kill Dante Hairan, the sword emperor.>
Gave a monster.
Jin was bothered by that part. "....Runcandel" was either blanked out due to a lack of record magic achievement or for some other reason, but the vague term "monster" was accurately stated.
It was unclear whether the term "monster" referred to an extraordinary entity with no equal or a strange being born from chaos, among other possibilities. Before encountering it, there was no way to know for sure.
Above all else, Jin was more concerned with the possibility of assassination than an invasion, because the term "monster" was in the singular form.
"Isn't there a high possibility that it could be the former patriarch of Runcandel or the ten great knights you met?"
"That could be true."
As they began demolishing the palace, a strange feeling seemed to settle heavily in Jin's mind, as if something had been placed on top of it.
'Why do I feel so uneasy? Nothing has been confirmed yet....'
Perhaps it was because he was reminded of the chaos that had tainted the Garden of Swords, but Jin struggled to suppress the sticky, ominous feeling.
Clang!
The sound of buildings being demolished could be heard from all around.
If it weren't for the absolute support of the people towards Dante and Jin, who had been demolishing the intact buildings for days with no results, the mood in the capital would have been much more negative.
Jin, Dante, and the pillars of the Empire hoped that no underground tunnels would be discovered.
However, exactly ten days have passed since the demolition began, Jin's prediction was proven correct.
"It's the energy of chaos, Dante."
"Have you found something!?"
"It's on the first floor, third chamber. Prepare the troops and let's go."
As the third chamber began to be demolished, energy of chaos, which had been hidden, was revealed. No one else seemed to feel it.
Even upon closer inspection, the third chamber being demolished did not seem to have any notable features.
Swish!
As Jin drew Bradamante, Dante and the troops waiting with him assumed a defensive posture.
As the blade, imbued with shadow force, cut through the floor of the third chamber in a straight line, those who witnessed it could not help but hold their breath.
'What the hell is that thing!'
'There really is a tunnel under the palace...!'
What was revealed as the floor split apart under the blade was not a layer of earth and rocks, but chaos in the shape of a black well, unlike anything else.
About a hundred people could enter at once through the entrance of the massive underground tunnel.
"How could we have known nothing about this while it was forming under the palace?"
"Zipfel didn't even notice when the Prophet formed a tunnel in the Sota Desert. I wished it didn't exist, but it's out now."
Jin looked around at Dante and his troops.
"There's a high possibility of there being another entrance. Now that the existence of the tunnel has been confirmed, we need to increase the demolition speed and evacuate the people near the palace as planned. You and I should go inside to check it out."
Dante nodded his head in agreement. The two of them immediately entered the tunnel, and the others carried out their assigned roles.
The tunnel was impressively deep and the bedrock was still intact. Unlike the complicated structures of tunnels Jin had experienced in the past, this one was relatively simple.
Even as they reached the end of the underground passage, Jin was engulfed by an unpleasant and ominous feeling. It wasn't that he was afraid of an unknown enemy, but for some reason, he broke out in cold sweat and his heart began to race.
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, I guess it's finally showing. I've been feeling weird since we started investigating. I don't know why. It's not something to worry about..."
The moment Jin said that, he suddenly felt a chill in his spine. Although he didn't feel any particular energy, he had a strong feeling that if he moved incorrectly, something would deeply cut his body. No, he was certain.
Dante also felt the same sense of crisis, slightly later than Jin.
And the only person who could make the two of them so tense without any warning was one person - the only one known as the "god of death" among the assassins.
'No way...!'
With a wicked sound, a single sword swept past both of them. Dante's back was grazed, and Jin narrowly avoided it.
And the moment their eyes met with the surprise attacker, Jin could finally recognize the identity of the ominous feeling that had tormented him.
[Die....]
"Elder Sister... Yona."
Jin couldn't help but grit his teeth as he watched the approaching figure once again.
673
[T.L: punisher87]
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Yona Runcandel.
Jin almost lost his temper as soon as he saw that figure and her ruthless eyes full of chaos and murderous intent.
However, showing any openings even for a moment in front of a being like her was nothing short of suicide.
'Damn it, what did those scumbags do to you, elder sister!'
Jin's love and care for his one and only youngest sister was much deeper and greater than his hatred for Rosa and the Garden of Swords which rose in an instant.
The reason Jin could hold on to his sanity in that moment was because he was solely focused on protecting his sister from feeling guilt and pain.
When his sister regained consciousness, he didn't want her to feel any pain or guilt that he may have caused.
Kang-!
Clang!
Bradamtante's blade quickly blocked Yona's sword.
Yona showed a moment of confusion as if she didn't expect to be blocked so easily, and Dante did not miss that opportunity.
"Jin...!"
However, Dante did not take advantage of Yona's moment of hesitation. He knew better than anyone else what Yona meant to Jin, and he couldn't hurt her carelessly.
Dante missed the opportunity to end the situation as soon as it began, so he didn't know what might happen if he couldn't quickly subdue Yona.
An invasion could begin in another tunnel while Yona buys time, or she could indiscriminately slaughter the people in the city if she managed to escape from the two of them.
In other words, Dante thought of his friend's feelings before the safety of the empire.
As the supreme ruler of the empire, it was a choice he should never have made, but as Dante, he had no choice.
"Thank you, Dante."
"Hmph, how should we proceed? I ask you this question too often, and I'm ashamed of it."
Jin quickly regained his composure.
He felt a stronger anger than ever before, but at the same time, his mind and inner self became even stronger. From now on, if he made even the slightest mistake, he would lose Yona.
'She is in a state of losing her mind due the energy of chaos, and the prophet has probably done something to trick her even more.'
Perhaps because of that, she was duller than the Yona that Jin knew. Although it was more destructive, it was clear that Yona's unique shadow-like movement had faded.
Can she be subdued?
After two more attacks, Jin reached a conclusion.
"Dante, if we both get a little hurt, we can subdue her."
If it was about killing, it would be possible without having to suffer such damage.
For Dante, killing Yona was obviously the right thing to do, and Jin was making an unreasonable request.
"Okay."
But Dante didn't hesitate. If it had been Ron in the tunnel, he would have made the same request to Jin.
"I owe you a lot."
"That's ridiculous. I have a long way to go before I can repay what I have received from you."
Whoa-!
Jin put shadow force on Bradamante.
However, even though such a thick shadow force glowed like fire and aimed at Yona, she did not show any reaction.
'Is it because of her lack of reason? If it's my sister, she would have a strong negative reaction to energy.'
Yona calmly held her own sword against Bradamante which was covered in shadow force.
The sword was also not Yona's sword 'Death'. At first glance, it looked like Death, but it was longer, and above all, it lacked the characteristic eerie feeling.
"Hup!"
Dante, who stepped on the side, exhaled sharply. Yona's blade cut a little of Dante's hair. She had decided to eliminate Dante first.
"I have to be prepared for some serious injuries."
"It seems like there's no major battle going on outside. There's no commotion at all."
"Do you feel that from here?"
"Thanks to experiencing a bit of transcendent sensation. I hope this tunnel was made just for elder sister Yona's infiltration."
Dante could barely concentrate on anything else, as he was solely focused on monitoring Yona.
Even if that wasn't the case, reading the atmosphere outside in this deep underground was a daunting task for him.
"As expected, you have become a monster, my friend."
"I keep experiencing these trials, and I wonder if it's because of that."
As Jin began to seriously constrain her, Yona had to change her plans and deal with Dante first.
The combination of the world's closest to the strongest magic swordsman and the Empire's strongest swordsmanship was a formidable force. Furthermore, the two worked together like twins, so Yona could only launch almost random attacks that were almost like retaliation.
The only problem was that each of her attacks were deadly. Even if they were dulled, they were still deadly, and the darkness of the underground made her even more free.
As soon as they saw her in front of them, a sword came out from behind, and as soon as they thought they had hit her, a thrust from the corner came in again.
Even though Jin and Dante were fighting back to back, it was only Yona who could make a blind spot and dig into it.
[I'm going to kill you... Jin... Runcandel...]
That person couldn't possibly be Yona.
This fact kept gnawing at him, but Jin did not lose her composure.
"You remember the day I first visited nameless. Even then, I was almost killed by my sister with this friend."
[Kill... all...!]
"As I did back then, I will not let you kill me today. I will make sure of that, for your sake."
There were many moments when Jin and Dante could finish Yona together, but the opportunity to subdue her did not come, and the two were getting more and more injured.
After realizing that the two were not even trying to cut her deeply, Yona became more and more daring and risky in her attacks.
"Is everything still okay outside?"
"If the situation gets worse, I will let you know immediately... Wait, Dante."
"Has it started!?"
"No, not that. Did you call me a monster earlier?"
"Suddenly, why?"
Monster. Contrary to the name '... Runcandel', that word was accurately recorded in Valeria's record magic window.
'Why does Valeria's record insist on calling elder sister Yona a monster?'
-But if it's Joshua, is there a reason why the record magic doesn't show his name correctly?
-Well, maybe because he accepted chaos and became a whole new being. Of course I can't be sure, it's just a hunch.
Suddenly, Jin remembered a conversation he had with his comrades before coming to sword emperor castle.
'As I guessed back then, if she became a new entity by accepting chaos, there should have been a blank space. Is there something different between elder sister Yona and …Runcandel?'
Then, maybe it's not Elder Sister Yona.
Jin thought so. Maybe the Prophet made a clone of Yona or something, like Joshua's clone.
'Moreover, judging from the state, she doesn't seem to be under proper control. It's strange that this vast underground space was created for only elder sister Yona. If they had planned to send more people, there would have been chaos outside already. It would be most effective to attack outside when Dante and I were trapped here.'
If the Yona in front of them is not the 'real Yona', then there is no reason to subdue her while enduring wounds. And this Yona had no resemblance to the Yona that knew.
'If it were elder sister Yona, she would have suffered at least once. Even if it was not the prophet but someone like Helluram or Glyek who directly consumed her, at this point, she would have suffered from fighting with me... '
Yona, whom Jin knew, is that kind of person.
Yona is always in danger because of chaos, and she had killed people for no reason for a long time, and because of the chaos, she always made others scared.
But she was a person who overcame that horrible chaos and eventually learned to love Jin, family, and people. She was the one who constantly green rose for Jin, even while hearing a voice telling her to kill humans.
"Dante, go outside."
"Jin, are you thinking of giving up on Lady Yona? Don't do that!"
"I have no intention of doing that. I'm buying time, so go and bring Euria for me."
"Princess Euria?"
"She may not be elder sister Yona. I'll explain it later. I can't face her alone for too long."
It was only natural that the two of them had to prepare for serious injuries if they were to subdue Yona. It's because they were just taking the hits.
"I will be back as soon as possible!"
As soon as Dante turned around, Yona's blade rushed in without a doubt. Jin cut off the vaguely visible sword and blocked Yona.
"I felt like I was going crazy earlier due to a dirty and ominous feeling, but now I feel like something is being relieved, and my head is clearing up. I have a feeling that you're not the real one."
Pik-!
Yona's sword grazed Jin's cheek and passed by.
He still hadn't pierced her weakness.
That was how he fought Yona alone for about ten minutes.
Jin was covered in blood, but his breathing and movement were completely unchanged. Instead, his senses, which had been outside, were now focused on Yona.
"Jin!"
"Jin oppa!"
Dante bit his lip at the sight of Jin covered in blood, but Euria saw that there were no deep wounds and wasn't as shocked.
"What about outside?"
This time, Jin asked Dante.
"It's fine, are you okay!"
"Jin oppa is okay. And that person is..."
Euria concentrated for a moment, activating Azmil's power, her eyes glowing green as she perceived Yona's truth.
"It's not Yona unni!"
"A clone like Joshua?"
"I don't think so, just...a soulless combat doll. That's how it appears to me."
"Are you sure it's not elder sister Yona?"
"Absolutely not."
As Euria confirmed this, Jin's knees gave out and he knelt on one leg on the ground.
Of course, the fake Yona took advantage of this moment and rushed towards Jin, intending to finish him off, and Dante, in horror, shot his sword to protect Jin.
But Yona's sword was faster than Dante's.
However, while kneeling, Jin swung Bradamante, blocking the fake Yona's sword and then sliced off its neck.
"Yes… it seemed so. There was no way elder sister Yona would do this."
The headless fake Yona writhed for a moment before disappearing into thin air.
In its place, a black lump remained.
674
[T.L: punisher87]
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Thanks to the discovery and handling of the tunnel of chaos under the imperial castle, the Empire's popularity towards Jin and Dante reached new heights.
Articles about this incident were pouring in every day, and as always, Dino Zaglan didn't need to exert any effort to sway public opinion. Praises were coming from all over the place.
The ministers, who were dissatisfied with Dante because of overwork, became more loyal to Dante.
They knew that without Dante and Jin, no one would have been able to uncover the plot to overthrow the Empire.
Hairan 2nd Castle.
After demolition began, the empire was using this place as a temporary castle. After the long meeting that had just ended, Jin, his comrades, the nameless king Owal, and the best executioner, Bizen, were left in Dante's office.
"Sorry for the long meeting, Sir Owal."
"It's alright. We came too early anyway," replied Owal in a low voice. He looked exhausted as he continuously smoked his cigarette.
The people in the office were fixedly staring at the black object on the table. It was the item that remained after they cut off the fake Yona's neck.
Owal had seen it before.
"While we assumed there might have been a time when we lost Yona, we never expected it to end up in the Garden of Swords."
The Nameless referred to the black object as Yona's "rampage residue."
Rampage residue began to be discovered very recently, and as the name suggests, it was a kind of chaos aggregate that remained in place whenever Yona's rampage stopped.
After the subjugation of Glyek, Yona's chaos has been tormenting her again in response to his remnants.
As time went by, her rampages became shorter and more dangerous, and now it had reached a point where even the entire Nameless couldn't hold her down.
At Owal's gesture, Bizen opened the box beside him.
Inside, there were six rampage residues similar to those obtained in the underground tunnel of Imperial castle.
Although they had heard beforehand that there were six more, the group felt even more uneasy when they faced the residue directly.
The reason for their uneasiness was none other than the fact that Valeria had discovered that the false Yona was being created through these rampage residues, using the power of chaos.
"... Lord Owal, how many rampage residues are unknown?"
"At least three and at most five."
"That means there could be at least five or more remaining fakes. And in the worst case... no, there's a high probability that additional rampage residues are still being generated, ones we are overlooking."
Owal nodded heavily.
"Is there any possibility that elder sister Yona was completely captured in the Garden of Swords?"
"I doubt it. At the moment when you dealt with the fake, we were tracking the real Yona and engaging in combat."
Owal rolled up his right sleeve and said.
A black and long scar he had received while tracking down Yona a few days ago.
Since the search party consisted only of Owal and the highest ranked assassins, there were no casualties.
If Yona had aimed for the highest ranked assassins instead of Owal, Bizen could not be standing in this place right now.
"She must be suffering. She almost killed me, she is now someone who is too dangerous to be compared to the fake you fought."
"Did you feel like elder sister Yona was brainwashed by the Prophet?"
"You must have seen it once too, how huge the power of chaos she possesses is. And I heard from Sir Chiron in the past that the chaos she has is a very special kind. It doesn't seem like something the Prophet can control easily."
"My father said that."
"Yes. Are you still unable to contact Sir Chiron's expedition team?"
"That's right."
Upon Jin's calm response, Owal closed his eyes for a moment. He also did not think that Chiron and his expedition team were still alive.
"As soon as Yona's matter is resolved, have someone from Nameless send out a search party."
"Thank you, Lord Owal."
"Anyway, even if it's possible for the Prophet to control Yona's chaos, it will be difficult to catch him in a short period of time, even with the current excellence of the Garden of Swords. However, unlike us, they may be able to generate fakes just by obtaining these rampage residues."
In terms of target tracking and assassination, Nameless had abilities even better than Runcandel before being tainted by chaos.
Such nameless had not been able to capture Yona for several years, so Owal was certain that even a prophet would not be able to find her.
"You said the last place she was seen was Akin, right?"
The current location where the nameless had last lost Yona was in the Akin Kingdom, within the Lutero Magic Federation. It was where Jin had dismantled the Tesing criminal organization and obtained Multa's rune, Schugiel's magic tomb, and Jet.
"She may still be in Akin, since the remaining search parties have not reported anything significant. Even if she has left, she is likely still within the Lutero Magic Federation."
The further Yona was from Huphester, the better. Especially now that they were able to receive help from Zipfel due to their temporary alliance. However, unlike during the Valeria incident, Jin did not want the help of the entire Zipfel group.
'Elder Sister Yona's case is different from my teacher's...….'
Valeria was someone who was essential to Zipfel. Therefore, even with only receiving the price of researching her mana traces, Jin's unreasonable demands were accommodated. But Yona was not like that.
'If possible, Zipfel would want to take this opportunity to get rid of elder sister Yona.'
Although they were currently unable to control her due to her rampage, the moment she recovered, it was obvious that Yona would be on Jin's side. Therefore, from Zipfel's perspective, there was no reason to capture her alive.
Even if Jin asked to capture her alive, there were plenty of reasons to refuse.
For example, the civilian casualties that may occur within Akin or the fact that capturing Yona was impossible due to her martial arts. Of course, the moment they killed Yona, the alliance would be terminated.
However, it is nothing more than a struggle for the fate of the world as a whole.
Owal was thinking the same thing.
"We need Zipfel's help, but I'm worried. Unlike us, they have no reason to keep Yona alive. But if we don't tell them, there is a possibility of civilian casualties or us being caught off guard by Zipfel's weakness. It's frustratingly complicated."
"Until now, you never saw elder sister Yona go on a rampage and kill civilians...… right?"
At the heavy question, Owal made eye contact with Jin.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I swear there's nothing. It seems that Yona has focused all her indiscriminate desire for murder on me and the nameless executioners."
Huu, Owal let out a puff of smoke from his cigarette.
"That's probably because she was thinking of you, 12th flagbearer."
Jin's chest tightened.
Since meeting Jin, Yona had not killed anyone without reason.
She had always been wary of chaos, and her efforts were still effective.
"What should we do?"
Owal felt a deep sense of remorse at the fact that he was asking Jin about the anonymous assassin. No matter how strong Jin was.
"She hasn't undergone any physical changes yet, and since she's resisting the chaos, it's likely that she hasn't been completely consumed. We need to find her as soon as possible, before it becomes impossible to use the purification device."
"So it's better to get help from Zipfel, even if it means risking Yona's elimination?"
"Yes. However, I don't intend to speak with the top leaders of Zipfel."
Owal's eyes narrowed.
"Then what?"
"I'll just get help from Tower Keeper Hedo and Sandra Zipfel. If it's the two of them, they'll probably help me find my sister without telling Zipfel."
Jin already sent a request to meet Hedo and Sandra. They had to examine Hedo's sword, which was suspected to be the entrance to the sixth tomb, and make them completely loyal to the Vamel alliance.
Could you trust them, or did Sandra Zipfel have that level of authority. Owal didn't add any further comments to Jin.
He felt like he could sense the young Chiron from Jin's words.
That's how heavy Jin's words were.
"I see. Then, our Nameless assassins will resume their search for Akin from now on."
"Also, can we use any personnel that aren't involved in the search for elder sister Yona to infiltrate Huphester?"
"Sure. We can't maintain our neutral position in this situation. As of today, nameless will officially belong to the Vamel alliance. It's only natural that we should step up for the alliance's cause. I'll send someone as soon as you hand over the list of rescue targets."
"Thank you, Lord Owal. The Red Owl and my comrades will be on standby. Please contact Tikan immediately if you find elder sister Yona."
Owal stood up and shook Jin's hand.
"It's impressive to see a wild little boy from a few years ago who has already grown up and puts me under his feet. It's something even your father couldn't achieve, so you can be proud."
"Nameless is only a member of the Vamel alliance, and I do not consider it my subordinate. Still, I believe that you will turn a blind eye to the return of thousand-poison antidote, which was promised earlier."
"If you can save that child, I will do anything. I can honestly say that now... "
Owal cleared his throat as if embarrassed.
"You see, Yona is actually the youngest daughter of our nameless clan, a princess, and our greatest treasure. Not just me, but everyone cherishes Yona, perhaps even more than you do. Even if that child were to lose her ability to kill, that fact would never change."
It wasn't a special confession, as Owal and the members of the nameless clan had always shown an endless weakness towards Yona.
Therefore, everyone didn't feel it was anything new, but Owal continued to cough.
Yona didn't realize it, but even her subconscious regarded the nameless clan as her "family."
So, even while engulfed in chaos, she was only trying to cause trouble for her family. If it wasn't for her family, there would be no one to forgive her when she regained her senses.
"Sometimes there are people who seem to share deeper relationships than their own blood relatives. For me, it was my comrades and the brethren of the Plutonian Tribe. For Yona, it's the nameless clan. When she comes back, it would be nice if we could all welcome her together."
675
[T.L: punisher87]
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Tikan, Latrie cafe.
"Jin, did you know? These days, I'm very happy."
Crunch!
Sandra spoke while munching on a Latrie cookie.
Hedo, sitting next to her, wiped the cookie crumbs from Sandra's mouth with a blank expression, and Jin felt that they were more like father and daughter than butler and master.
"Isn't it polite to ask why someone is happy in a situation like this?"
"It's touching to hear the word 'polite' from a lady's mouth..."
"What do you mean?"
"It's quite moving. You should continue to think about manners and decorum."
"What are you talking about? You don't have any manners to begin with. Normal people feel intimidated just by looking at these needlessly bulky muscles."
"Please stop spilling your cookie crumbs everywhere. Why can't you eat without making a mess, whether you're five years old or not?"
"Hedo takes care of everything, so why would I bother?"
"Then maybe I shouldn't help you anymore from now on."
"Then I'll rip you apart!"
Jin was getting the impression that they were a pair of comedy actors. Sometimes, he couldn't help but chuckle as he listened to their conversation.
"Why are you so happy, Sandra Zipfel?"
"Well, because I've been seeing you a lot lately! You are asking the obvious, haha."
"Um... I see."
Jin had never imagined that he would one day ask a pure-blood Zipfel and an unknown extraterrestrial tower keeper to betray Zipfel, except for Veradin.
'Who holds the key is not Sandra, but Hedo.
While on the surface, Hedo was obedient to Sandra, but Jin believed that Hedo had the real leadership between them.
Of course, Hedo followed Sandra's requests to a certain extent, but there was a line that he would not cross. If Sandra made demands beyond that line, Hedo would never comply, and Sandra would only swear or urge him, but that was all.
The final decision-making power lay with Hedo.
"My, you lady shows such a positive expression every time the 12th flagbearer calls you, that's why he easily tells us to come and go. Relationships sometimes need mysterious push and pull to maintain their allure. This means that Jin Runcandel cannot find Lady attractive."
"Well...that's an interesting point. But as far as I know, you've never been in a relationship, how do you know so much about it?"
"Well, there are 24 hours in a day, my lady. And I spend an average of five hours a day not with you."
"Then you used those five hours to date, is that it? Tower keeper."
Jin asked. He was really curious. Hedo was only the second-class butler and tower keeper in name, but in reality he was acting as the top executive in Zipfel.
So, there would undoubtedly be a considerable amount of work or tasks to be done during those five hours, making it questionable whether he could date within that time.
"... Well, is that strange?"
"It's a little fascinating. It seems that Zipfel's top executives are not as busy as I thought."
"Oh my, Jin is more interested in Hedo than me! Are you crazy, Hedo!? You wag your tail like this?"
"I'm just a butler, not a top executive, 12th flagbearer."
"If you are just a butler...…."
Jin's eyes narrowed.
"Then I want to offer you a job transfer."
There was no need to beat around the bush.
"Okay!"
Sandra immediately nodded with twinkling eyes, but Hedo's eyes sharpened.
"A job transfer?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what you're talking about?"
"I know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Then let's pretend we didn't hear anything."
"Hedo, why again!"
"Why again? It's not 'again', my lady. The 12th flagbearer is telling you and me to betray our clan."
"What's wrong with that? I've been doing that for a long time."
"My lady, I know you tend to be indecisive at times, but this is something the 12th flagbearer should never say. The alliance is temporary, and Zipfel and Runcandel cannot coexist."
-It was only a few years ago when he almost got beaten by Hedo in the Sota Desert. Back then, Hedo overwhelmed Jin and his party, but what about now?
-What do you mean?
-Can you win?
-I don't think so. I expected it because he was fighting alone in the Garden of Swords, but seeing it up close is a different feeling.
- See! If it's Jin, there's definitely a possibility. I didn't think so at first either, so it's not Hedo's fault. So, how about we do what I suggested last time...… Oh, You scared me!
A conversation between Hedo and Sandra in the Kaldran Snowfield. In fact, Sandra had been arguing to support Jin before. Hedo was firmly opposed to it.
"Is it just because of the long-standing animosity between Zipfel and Runcandel?"
"Yes."
"You are not a pure-blood Zipfel. There doesn't seem to be any personal animosity towards the Runcandel or Vamel alliance either."
"That's right, you're not pureblood. I, a pure-blood, said I would betray them, but why are you stopping me and freaking me out!"
"I I don't have personal animosity towards you. But now it seems like it's going to happen. Don't you think you're taking advantage of my lady's feelings for your own gain?"
"Jin isn't using me! And even if he is, what's wrong with that? I'm happy with it."
"It may seem that way. But I'm saying this for your sake, not just for the alliance or Runcandel's benefit."
Jin meant it. Jin couldn't understand Sandra's feelings towards him, and she herself felt like an enigma.
Over the past few years, Jin developed a kind of camaraderie and empathy with her as we went through several events together. As long as Sandra remained with Zipfel, he was convinced that her future would ultimately be bleak.
"Sandra, give us a minute."
"I don't want to."
"Just stay here, my lady."
"I'll make dinner later for you, just give me 30 minutes."
"I'll have a cup of tea with Enya. Well, I'll be back!"
When Sandra disappeared, only Jin and Hedo remained in the cafe. Hedo wiped his glasses uncomfortably and took out a cigarette.
"This is a no-smoking area."
Hedo's shirt button bounced towards Jin as his bulging muscles swelled. Hedo lit a cigarette and smoked it in one breath.
The gray smoke temporarily obscured the two men's vision.
"I don't think I have to be courteous to you when you cross the line."
"I understand that much. As far as I can see, tower keeper, you're loyal to Sandra Zipfel, not Zipfel."
Sandra Zipfel, not Zipfel. That was what Jin had intuitively felt since he first saw him.
The source of that absolute loyalty is unknown, but Hedo will definitely choose the latter when he had to choose between Zipfel and Sandra Zipfel.
"Am I wrong?"
Instead of answering, Hedo lit another cigarette.
"I will assume that means yes. That means I understand even less. If Sandra Zipfel continues to stay in her family, what do you think will happen in the end?"
"It will stay the same."
"I met Veradin not long ago. He lost his memory and became a living golem magic swordsman test subject and a different person from before. I thought Sandra might end up like that too, sacrificed to the experiment."
"My lady won't end up like that, Jin Runcandel."
"Is it because you're looking after Sandra Zipfel?"
"Yes."
"I don't understand. Are you saying that the protection you're talking about would allow for a certain level of experimentation on Sandra?"
Sandra is already a living golem. She has been able to use some of time authority through some means, and had a physical ability that was not like a mage, along with her regeneration abilities.
"I think that Sandra Zipfel's somewhat peculiar mental state and the experiments she has undergone may not be entirely unrelated."
"Lady Sandra is naturally strange. It has nothing to do with the experiment."
"Well, I hope so, but can you guarantee that it won't happen again in the future? If she changes like Veradin did, can she still be considered Sandra Zipfel?"
"That's not for you to judge."
"It's not for you to judge either. It's up to Sandra herself to decide. And what kind of protection is that? You allow experiments up to the point where a person is not completely destroyed, and beyond that, you say you will protect them? Is that really why you keep Sandra by your side?"
"I responded to your call to find out the identity of my sword, I did not come to Tikan with the intention of becoming a traitor. And as for the experiments..."
As if a certain memory had come to mind, Hedo narrowed his eyes.
"...It's what the lady wanted."
"You're talking cowardly. Even if Sandra wanted it, it doesn't mean it's right to let her become a test subject. Or did you decide that she needs at least that level of regeneration ability to protect her no matter what?"
"Then what can you do for her?"
"What?"
Hedo stood up from his seat.
"Let's say that Lady Sandra betrayed Zipfel. What's next? Can you and the Vamel Alliance always prioritize protecting lady Sandra, no matter what? Even if the entire alliance is wiped out, can you still prioritize lady Sandra?"
"Of course not."
"You are undoubtedly strong. You are even stronger now than I am. But when the fight with Rosa is over and the alliance will break, I still can't imagine you defeating Zipfel. It's the same even if I join under your command."
"So you're saying that you're willing to bet Sandra's life on what you think is the more likely outcome."
"Yes. I would have rejected it even if Sir Chiron had made the same offer. Now that I've said it so plainly, I hope you understand and give up."
"In that case, can I understand it as accepting the proposal when I have the power to completely overwhelm Zipfel?"
Hedo nodded without hesitation.
"Absolutely. If you can give me that kind of confidence, even if you refuse, I might beg you to take me and my lady with you."