676
[T.L: punisher87]
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"To think that I ate a dish cooked by Jin... Ah! I just want to live here in Tikan forever. Don't you, Hedo?"
"Not at all, my lady."
"Why are you always so negative? I'm starting to dislike what you're doing lately."
"If you keep it up, there's a chance that news of the young lady's exploits may reach the clan. If that happens, you may not be able to meet the 12th flagbearer even if you have the opportunity, like today."
"Wow, there's no shortage of trash here, huh? Do you think a brute like you fits in with that size?"
"It seems like a good combination. No one would think I'm a brute just by looking at my appearance, so there's some unexpected charm."
A day has passed since Hedo and Sandra came to Tikan.
And the others who watched the two of them, like Jin, felt that the two of them were just like a father and a daughter who were on good terms (but the daughter is quite a troublemaker).
"Hmm, no matter how much I think about it, this Jet can't figure it out. What's the reason that this amazing guy can't even move against Sandra Zipfel? It doesn't seem like he has any weaknesses."
"It's a strange relationship indeed."
"In the first place, the existence of this person named Hedo is strange, Sir Valkas. We don't have any information about him in our Ghost mercenaries, and it's the same for the Black King mercenaries, isn't it? Our lord also only found out about his existence after meeting him in the Sota Desert. Does it make sense that we know so little about someone of that caliber?"
"I think Sir Chiron, Runcandel, as well as Zipfel's top brass, seem to know about him, but... He is definitely a person shrouded in mystery."
Tikan still knows very little about Hedo. He is Sandra Zipfel's exclusive butler and second-in-command, yet he receives the highest treatment within the clan.
Hedo has the position to request a vacation based on the vague reason of "personal matters" in these times.
"The words written on the sword that Miss Valeria is examining are also mysterious."
Since yesterday, Valeria has been staying up all night looking at the records of Hedo's sword, the 'Bale'.
Since the Bale is related to the old Runcandel, its history has been manipulated as expected.
"Sir Hedo."
Valkas called Hedo on behalf of everyone.
"You can just call me Tower Keeper, leader of the Black kings."
"It's more convenient to refer to you as sir. I called you because I had a question."
"What is it?"
"I'm curious about the relationship between Sir and Sandra Zipfel."
"What's there to be curious about a butler serving his master?"
"Because it doesn't look like an ordinary butler and master. According to what I heard from Lord Jin, sir, you are loyal to Sandra Zipfel, not Zipfel. If you have any special stories, I'll prepare good drinks and cigarettes."
Valkas was subtly good at socializing. Hedo also showed no signs of being awkward with Valkas' sudden approach.
"Good wine and cigarettes are always welcome, but there is no particular story."
"Don't do that, tell me. Curiosity about Sir and Sandra Zipfel is paralyzing Tikan."
Valkas pulled out the Mila Mountain top-grade pine smoke from his pocket and offered it to Hedo. Hedo smiled satisfactorily after enjoying the aroma once.
"This quality is so good that it might be the only box to come out of the Mila tobacco farm in one year. I'll tell you then."
The group pricked up their ears, but Hedo gave a very disappointing answer the next moment.
"There are often people who care more about their dog or cat than their own body. The reason why I attend the lady is no different from that. I have been by my lady's side since she was little, so it is only natural now."
"Compared to a pet?"
"To put it bluntly, it's the lady. Anyway, compared to the cigarettes I received, it's a trivial matter. I hope you're not disappointed."
"Then...! How did you come to Zipfel's side?"
Jet glanced over and intervened. He also took out the finest pine from Mila, a different kind from Valkas, and held it out to Hedo.
It was stolen from Qwaul's drawer.
"You don't have to be so scared, Jet. I happened to belong to Zipfel while wandering as a young man. Um, this is also a very refined scent."
"It looks like you're having a lot of fun taking the Tikan people's stocks, Tower Keeper."
Jin shrugged and spoke.
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me if you have anything that can pique my interest."
"There's no need to do that, we will naturally know everything when you become one of us."
If Jin asks Sandra, he will be able to find out about Hedo's past.
But Jin didn't do that.
There was no need to make the giant uncomfortable by uncovering his hidden past, which was not that important anyway.
The important thing was entering the sixth tomb through Bale.
"More than your past, I'm more curious about the history of your sword. The word 'Bale' written on the sword is believed to be the name of a person of one of ten great knights of old Runcandel."
"Like the guy we saw in the snowfield? I can guess to some extent."
"It's a very bitter story for me that the sword of a ten great knight is possessed by Zipfel's servant. Well, Tower Keeper, you are qualified enough to own a sword that is just as good if we exclude the fact that you are from Zipfel."
"I thought you would be scared."
"I'm just stating the facts. When I first met you, I thought, 'are there really monsters like this in the world?'"
"That won't change my mind."
"One of the reasons I have to show myself well to you is also related to elder sister Yona's matter."
Jin had asked for help in finding Yona as soon as Sandra and Hedo arrived.
"If that's the case, didn't the lady agree yesterday?"
"Hoho, don't worry. Honey, I'll save my sister-in-law somehow."
"I believe in Sandra. But I have a feeling you might report to higher ups."
"You're treating me like a snake in the grass twice. You can bring the Contractor of Truth and confirm it."
"I'll trust you."
"It's not that you trust me, but you'll think I won't report it even if Yona Runcandel goes wrong because lady Sandra will persuade me."
"I'm not that devious. But if the other side acts deviously first, then there's nothing we can do."
"I don't mind being kidnapped."
As the conversation continued, Valeria came out of the lab. She had the same dazed expression as always during such times, but there was one thing different.
'Her eyes are sparkling quite a bit...?'
It was a gaze that Valeria only showed when she made a particularly significant discovery. Jin smiled inwardly, thinking of his past life, as he saw her like that.
"Jin."
"Have you finished analyzing the records?"
"Yes, come with me. I'll explain it to you."
As Jin left, Sandra glared at Valeria's back as if she wanted to kill her, and Hedo let out a sigh and calmed her down.
"You seem excited. The harvest seems to be bigger than expected, right?"
"Of all the items we have found related to the old Runcandel, this one holds the most intact record."
"Didn't you say that the history of this sword was heavily manipulated?"
"Yes, I did. At first, it was actually like that. But this is the first time I've encountered something like this. As soon as my magic touched the sword, its history began to recover on its own."
"Recover its own history?"
Just like a dry forest drinking rainwater, Valeria's record magic slowly revived the records contained within the sword as soon as it touched it.
Valeria only maintained that state overnight without taking any special measures to restore the records.
"Yes. It's safe to say that this sword perfectly contains a fragment of Runcandel from a thousand years ago. It is in incomparably better condition than the records we saw in Wantaramo Forest."
Jin had never seen an 'intact record' of old Runcandel before. The records Jin had seen were always partially or mostly damaged.
"Then it'll show us more than the recording devices left by Solderet."
"Of course. And maybe...,"
Valeria paused and met Jin's gaze.
"We might even meet a living old Runcandel. Inside this sword's tomb."
"What...did you say?"
Jin's pupils dilated.
"I thought about why the manipulated history was so easily recovered. It might have weakened naturally over time, but that alone wasn't enough of an explanation. And it wasn't because my record magic was exceptional."
As Valeria casted record magic on Hedo's sword, she clearly felt that a certain living force within it began to resist the history manipulation.
"So you mean that a living ten great knight is resisting the history manipulation and reacting to your record magic inside the sword?"
"There's no guarantee that it's a one of the ten great knights, but it's highly likely that someone is still surviving inside the sword. Not as a guardian, but as a true living entity. And if their mind is intact and if they show favor to you, you can also hear stories from that time directly from them."
Jin's heartbeat quickened. The many doubts that he had harbored could have been resolved if only he could directly hear the story of the mysterious old Runcandel.
The background of Sylderay calling Solderet a traitor in the first tomb, the reality of manipulated history, the death of Temar, and the end of Runcandel at that time. And the reason why Solderet hid the fact that he had already foreseen himself as the contractor a thousand years ago.
"It is an amazing story. I didn't expect to find such a clue in the sword of Zipfel's Tower Keeper. Without that sword, we couldn't have entered the fifth tomb."
"Are you going to inform the Tower Keeper about this?"
"It might be a good idea to let him know. He's a thorough person, and he'll probably ask us to verify it through Euria when we finish the story. We've already mentioned Euria before, so if we're caught in a lie, he won't cooperate with us."
It wasn't a matter of refusal. Hedo is the master of the sword, so it would be better to be honest unless Jin is going to take it by force.
Of course, Hedo is a person of Zipfel. It was a difficult matter to inform him about the existence of 'an old Runcandel that might be alive', but there was no other way.
"Right now killing the tower keeper or taking the sword from him would be crazy, so that would be better. When are you going to enter the Tomb?"
"We should prepare now and try it outside, since we don't know what might happen during the opening process."
677
[T.L: punisher87]
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* * *
An uninhabited island in the waters of the Tikan.
Jin chose this place as the place to open the sixth tomb, the subspace of the sword.
In preparation for an emergency, Jin and Tikan's powerful warriors, as well as the sword's owner Hedo and Sandra, were seated in the middle of an uninhabited island.
"Are you going to open the subspace by spreading shadow force like last time?"
"Maybe. To be precise, I'm going to inject it into the sword."
"Hmm."
Hedo adjusted his glasses, looking unhappy.
"Didn't you say in Kaldran Snow Field that the location conditions must be met for opening Temar's tomb, 12th flagbearer? I don't think this uninhabited island is a place that meet those conditions."
"Not all tombs are the same. I only speculated about the situation at that time due to unexpected circumstances."
Hedo shrugged and handed Jin his sword. Jin smiled slyly as he received the sword from Hedo.
"It doesn't seem coincidental that you acquired this sword after a thousand years, Tower Keeper?"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"I suddenly wondered if it's just a coincidence that you acquired this sword after a thousand years of history. The combination of a ten great knight and a Zipfel butler is not just a coincidence."
"That's a pointless belief in fate."
"I just want to appease you by mentioning useless theories of fate. What if you're a descendant of the ten great knights named Bale. That's why the sword chose you, not just by chance."
"That's a romantic story, honey."
"My lady, it's not romantic at all."
"Why does our stupid butler think that way again?"
"When the patriarch first accepted me into the clan, he checked all of my personal information. You remember, don't you?"
"Oh, those cheap guys who abandoned Hedo. I remember, I never saw their faces because they were already dead."
"Did you hear that, 12th flagbearer? My parents were poor criminals. They abandoned their children because they couldn't afford to raise him, and when they couldn't bear the guilt, they came looking for me at an orphanage, but never took me back. They were criminals who disappeared after their guilt became unbearable."
Hedo seemed unaffected by what he said.
In fact, he didn't feel any particular emotions about being abandoned by his parents from birth. He didn't miss them, nor did he hate them.
"In addition, the clan checked their roots, and it turned out to be a merchant family from the fallen Urot Kingdom. Whatever is inside the sword, it cannot be my ancestor."
"That's a bummer."
"It seems that you, not just the lady, need to learn the mysterious art of pushing and pulling. If you come to me saying you want to recruit me, your heart will be even more troubled, won't it?"
"I will keep that in mind," Jin replied, pretending to be disappointed as he smirked.
Hedo felt a twinge of distaste at his act and thought that he should have beaten him more in the Sota Desert.
Soon, Jin looked around at the people and spoke up, "I will now infuse the sword with shadow force. It would be good if the tomb opens without incident, but I don't know what variables may arise, so everyone should remain vigilant."
"Yes, my lord!"
"Understood, my lord."
As Jin released the shadow force, the area around them instantly grew dark. Even though it was daytime, it seemed like night had descended in an instant, and the bright sunlight was blocked by the black veil.
'As expected, a large amount of shadow force is needed this time too.' Jin thought, feeling tense due to the memory of the previous tomb where he had fought Luntia with difficulty while running low on shadow force.
He may also encounter a formidable opponent with no shadow force left. Above all, there was a high probability that a living member of the old Runcandel may exist within the sword.
That person could attack Jin like the guardians of the previous tombs, and if they were one of ten great knights, they couldn't be weaker than Luntia.
'A living member of the old Runcandel...'
It was possible because subspace is a 'dead world', or because they are beings like dragons or demons with a lifespan of thousands of years. It is because Jin didn't know that all of the Ten great Knights are human.
'Or it could be sealed. Like Elona Zipfel.'
Shadow force continued to spread endlessly, sometimes pouring into the sword and being absorbed. Those watching could not even fathom the size of the shadow force that Jin was handling.
'It feels like the shadow force release of Murakan in his prime. That idiot must have finally found his strength, but he couldn't even help Jin because he was doing Misha's job...… we would be reassured if he was here at times like this.'
Except for Jin, the other members of the group were rejected by the tomb in the Kaldran Snowfields. Although they had fought against the guardian Sarah together in the past, Cuicantelle hoped that they could still join Jin this time.
Time passed by like this.
'Shadow force is being injected like crazy, but I don't feel any signs of change from the sword...'
As it was before on the Kaldran Snowfield, the sword of Hedo remained motionless, without emitting any radiance or forming any door.
"Jin, does something feel different from last time? Could the redhead have brought incorrect information?"
Sandra looked at Valeria suspiciously.
Valeria remained silent, watching Jin and the sword.
"If we fail like this, do we have to investigate how to open the door of the sword again through the record magic? Like the location conditions."
"I think redhead is a complete sham, Hedo. It's strange that the old Runcandel is still alive inside the sword in the first place."
"I am also suspicious."
"Uh, but if everything the redhead said is true and the door suddenly opens. What if that old Runcandel attacks Jin? Just like in the Kaldran snowfield."
"Isn't the problem that the lady should be worried about if the old Runcandel becomes an ally of the 12th flagbearer?"
"I hope that will happen, Hedo. That would be a good thing for Jin. How could I worry about that?"
"I have lost my roots and family to you guys, and have been hunted for a long time."
Valeria spoke in a low voice, not even looking at Sandra.
"What did the redhead say?"
"It means to shut up and focus on your work because I feel like tearing you to death. We all gathered here to work anyway."
Valeria still didn't look at Sandra, but the faint bloodlust in her low voice made Sandra blink.
And then, just as Sandra was about to scream, Hedo's sword suddenly began to vibrate and trigger its first change.
"Is the subspace about to open?"
"Fortunately, it doesn't seem like any problem will occur..."
Cuicantelle interrupted. It was because of Jin's expression.
"Jin, are you okay?"
"Honey!?"
Jin's face, which had been expressionless, was now full of confusion.
The reason for this was simple.
'The Tower Keeper's sword seems like it's about to break free...!'
As someone who was directly injecting shadow force, Jin was more aware of the changes occurring in the sword than anyone else.
And based on his intuition, it seemed that Hedo's sword had chosen to 'move' instead of opening a gate, just like before.
Before three seconds had passed, Jin was sure that the sword was about to be launched somewhere.
Although he tried to stop the flow of shadow force into the sword, it had already gained enough momentum to move.
Zzzzap! Swoosh!
Like a mana cannon being fired. The sword suddenly shot up into the sky, tearing through the black veil that covered it and shooting straight up like Runcandel's light speed thrust.
The speed at which the sword shot up distorted space, causing everyone on the island to look up at the sky.
"Oh, Hedo's sword just shot up like a firework...!"
Hedo jumped up, unable to hold onto his own sword, and landed on the ground with a bewildered expression.
Meanwhile, the sword had already changed direction and was flying off into the distance.
"Catch it!"
Cuicantelle shouted. However, the sword that had risen in a straight line had already turned and was flying somewhere.
Jin's shadow force absorbed by the sword even left long traces in the sky like the tail of a comet. In the blink of an eye, the sword was more than 500m away from them.
Intuitively, Jin assumed that the sword was flying in search of a space to open up its subspace.
If so, the opening of the tomb was a success, but it was not a very good situation. It means that there is no means to pursue that sword immediately.
The red owl was put on standby in the nameless location, while Mort was injured and even if they were both present, it would be difficult to chase after the sword in that state. The sword was not moving through space, but rather pure high-speed flight, faster than anyone had ever seen.
"Miss Cuicantelle!" Jin called her. Because he has to chase the sword.
"Understood!"
Cuicantelle quickly manifested the power of time and transformed into her true form. But the sword had already flown off into the distance, narrowly avoiding the effects of her time powers.
Those who had gathered in perfect order climbed onto Cuicantelle's back.
Cuicantelle immediately started flying at full speed, but it was impossible to catch up with the sword.
[I'll follow the traces of the shadow force left by the sword!]
Fortunately, Hedo's sword moved forward leaving a long trace of shadow force in sky.
It had already flown so far away that it was no longer visible, but if they followed the traces, they could still reach the sword's destination.
The problem was the fact that the destination was unknown and the sword's flight was prolonged.
'The situation has completely exceeded our expectations. We thought that if there were any problems with opening the tomb, it would be a battle against the tomb's guardian, not chasing after a flying sword like this!' Cuicantelle thought to herself.
Moreover, the sword had flown through the sky for such a long time, leaving so many traces of its shadow force. This meant that any other forces could easily discover what was happening, not just Tikan.
If all forces such as the Garden of Swords, Zipfel, Kinzelo, and the Imperial Family were to gather at the sword's destination, it could create a major problem.
'The temporary alliance may hesitate to act, but not the Garden of Swords...!'
There could be a situation where all the great forces gather in Temar's 6th tomb.
Hedo's murderous gaze fell on Jin's back.
"Looks like it's a completely unexpected problem for you too. If I lose my sword due to this situation, it won't be much fun. 12th flagbearer...."
678
[T.L: punisher87]
[Support me here:- buymeacoffee.com/punisher87 ]
* * *
The sword flew for four full days. It flew over the entire continent and seas without a break for four days.
The speed was so fast that the party had only managed to catch a glimpse of the tail for the first ten minutes. After that, they relied on the air defenses and witness reports of their allies.
[Damn it, where the hell is its destination?] Cuicantelle exclaimed with anger.
No one could have predicted the sudden emergency situation, and for four days, she had not been able to close her eyes even for a moment, flying around the world.
Of course, flying for four days straight was not uncommon for a dragon, but it was still a strain on their stamina.
She never thought that the day would come when she would have a chase with the 'sword'.
"My sword... Can I even find my sword?"
Like all knights, Hedo loved his long sword very much. Not only was it an item that no modern blacksmith could match, but it also held sentimental value for him, having been acquired as a reward after a battle with a monster in the Black Sea in his youth.
Now, his beloved sword had been waving through the sky for four days, and as Hado, he couldn't help feeling a little overwhelmed.
Hedo had a pale complexion that didn't go well with his muscularity, and Sandra continued to offer meaningless words of comfort.
"It's a shame that we lost the sword, but thanks to it, I'm having a sky date with Jin for four days, Hedo. It will be an unforgettable memory for the rest of my life!"
Those who were riding on Cuicantelle's back couldn't help but admire Hedo, who did not lash out at Sandra's pointless comments.
"It's almost time to see the outline of the destination, Miss Cuicantelle. Please endure a little longer. And the tower keeper, please be patient. All I can say is sorry."
Until now, Hado's sword had been wildly flailing in all directions, going north, then south, then east, and then west, driving their pursuers crazy.
It even gave the feeling that the sword was intentionally teasing them.
Of course, during those two days, the gardens of swords, Zipfel, and Kinzelo, as well as various fishing villages along the coast, had been left in chaos.
"What is that?"
"Is that some kind of far-off meteor?"
"Oh no, is it the remnant of chaos? We need to run!"
Fishing villages and towns along the coast were in a state of panic.
"Is that the remnants of chaos?"
"After that, the silver dragon Cuicantelle is chasing it!"
"Oh, I see the 12th flagbearer and Vamel Alliance too! I guess he's trying to suppress the chaos."
"Jin Runcandel!"
"Cheers to his Highness the Regent and Jin Runcandel!"
Even the people living peaceful lives in various cities under the protection of the Vamel alliance and Dante's powerful forces became aware of the situation. In fact, within four days, there were more people who knew about the situation than those who didn't. It had become impossible to secretly enter the sixth tomb of Temar.
"Sorry? Will an apology bring Bale back to me?"
"I'll take responsibility and compensate for the damage later."
"It's already too late...! The lady and I have already been exposed to our clan's battleships!"
Indeed, during their pursuit of the sword, the group had already encountered several pursuers from other factions, including the chaos dragon and black ships of Runcandel, the battleships of Kinzelo and Zipfel, which meant that they had been spotted by Sandra and Hedo.
-Is that Sir Hedo...…!?
-Isn't that Sandra next to him? Why are the two of them together with the 12th flagbearer when they are vacation...…?
-Come to think of it, that flying object is very similar to Sir Hedo's sword.
Especially because Hedo's muscular body was so distinctive that anyone who had seen it once could recognize him from far away, pretending not to know was impossible. However, pretending not to know was also useless.
Therefore, Hedo already felt anxious about having to go back and explain himself.
Currently, the Vamel alliance and Zipfel are in a temporary alliance, and Hedo was in a very special position within his clan.
The problem was that he had not reported it beforehand.
"Why does that matter? It's obvious that when Hedo goes out with me, I'm going on a date with Jin."
"It's a problem because I didn't report in advance that the 12th flagbearer was trying to help me to examine the sword, my lady...."
"Tower Keeper, why didn't you report that?"
It was because he didn't want to get tired.
Hedo did not inform the clan about the fact that Bale played a decisive role when entering the fifth tomb last time.
Although Zipfel had already checked his ancestors, if they found that there was any connection between himself and the old Runcandel, he would have to go through a number of annoying procedures.
Furthermore, he had kept the fact that he escaped from the snowfield earlier than the other Zipfel a secret because of Jin, so it was not an easy situation for Hedo.
"Because I didn't know things would get this complicated."
Although he had been grumpy with Jin the whole time, Heddo actually thought that all of this was his fault.
'Have I been too dependent on the kindness of the patriarch and leaders, or have I been too careless?'
He was not particularly worried about being punished for this later.
The problem was Sandra.
-Is it because you are protecting Sandra Zipfel?
-Yes.
-I don't understand. Is the protection you're talking about allow for the experiments on Sandra to a certain level?
The conversation Hedo had with Jin before the sword went wild.
Just as he said, until now, Hedo's existence had been the reason why Sandra had been able to avoid 'very lethal' experiments.
Zipfel knew exactly what Heddo wanted. What he wanted was not more power, not more opportunities to fight stronger opponents or climb up to the top of the hierarchy.
It was solely Sandra's survival.
That's why Zipfel turned a blind eye when Hedo broke the rules. Zipfel didn't investigate seriously even if something suspicious happened because everything Hedo did always resulted in Sandra's and Zipfel's benefits.
However, this time was different. If Jin became stronger again because of Hedo's sword or if there was a problem with the manipulation of history in the old Runcandel, Hedo would have nothing to say even if Zipfel threatened Sandra.
'If a thorough investigation begins, my involvement in killing the Specters in the Sota Desert and that I released the 12th flagbearer's party by pretending to capture Ainas may also be revealed...'
Hedo hoped that the end of this incident would be clean and that it would not come to that.
But his wish could not be fulfilled.
[Huh, huh. The sword...… stopped!]
Cuicantelle said, breathing heavily.
In the middle of the territorial waters, which Huphester calls the Sea of Swords, and the Magical Federation of Lutero calls it the Sea of Magic.
"We passed through this area on the first day of our flight, but now you're telling me that this sea was our destination?"
"It could have been just a brief stop... thankfully, it seems like that's not the case."
Jin replied, and the sword stopped for the first time since it had started moving, pointing towards the sea like a clock hand. Suddenly, with an enormous ripping sound, the sword struck the middle of the sea, as if it were about to pierce through it.
Pheeeew, shhuuaaaak-!
The air split apart and a tremendous roar echoed, as a massive wave formed and rose up like a mountain range, with the water reaching up towards the clouds.
Boom!
Cuicantelle and others spread a protective shield and pushed back the seawater. The feeling of weight was as heavy as an attack from a powerful being was transmitted from the seawater.
Maybe the whole world shook for a while. And the power that Hedo's sword exploded was all Jin's shadow force that it had absorbed four days ago.
It will take a long time for that kind of uproar to subside. The sea would continue to wreak havoc for a while, pushing the tsunami all the way to the land, and there is nothing else people can do until the disaster is over.
However, what the sword had caused was not a disaster, but a momentous discovery.
The shadow force pouring out of the sword began to move on its own, touching the bare ocean floor that was revealed beneath the water.
Like someone caressing a long-forgotten and dusty treasure, the shadow force continued to descend into the depths.
"My lord, the shadow force is pulling up something that looks like a massive structure from the bottom of the sea!"
Valkas exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.
All of his companions witnessed the same scene. It was like a legend told in many regions, where an ancient civilization hidden beneath the sea was revealed.
Even Hedo, who had been consumed by worry until just now, momentarily forgot his troubles and stared in awe at the scene before him.
Those watching were all filled with reverence.
When Olmango had pulled a giant clam out of the ocean while dividing it in the past, it had been shocking, but compared to the spectacle before the group now, it seemed small.
"Wow... Honey, is that the sixth tomb of your ancestor?"
Jin was about to answer when she caught Valeria's gaze.
"Didn't you say that it is a subspace that exists inside the sword?"
A small blue window displaying record magic was open in front of Valeria.
The window displayed such a message.
"... Yes, the subspace within the sword has been opened. It seems that the subspace within the sword has come out to the outside, instead of us entering it through a dimensional portal."
If so, the sword had been flying to find a position where it could take out that space.
"But this doesn't seem to be Solderet's subspace. If it was his, the name would have been accurately stated."
Valeria let out a small sigh as she spoke, seeming doubtful. There was a more important issue at hand than who this subspace belonged to.
"I found it!"
[The aircraft stopped! Stop attacking and check those traitors first!]
These were the words of the pursuers who came from Zipfel and the Garden of Swords. Like the Vamel Alliance, they had been chasing the sword until just now, and had fought each other during the process due to overlapping paths.
"Grand Duke, we found it. Please don't use your strength as the leader is in critical condition."
Kinzelo was the same.
Once again, three huge forces had gathered in the middle of the ocean. Jin's group couldn't hear their voices due to the distance, but they knew that they were nearby.
Jin continued to gaze at the sea water pouring like a waterfall in all directions.
Shadow force mixed seawater pouring around like a waterfall in all directions.
Every area touched by the shadow force was the subspace within the sword.
In other words, all those who had been chasing the sword had already entered the subspace within the sword... There was no avoiding fighting within the tomb.
679
[T.L: punisher87]
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Vamel alliance, Garden of Swords, Zipfel, and Kinzelo.
Jin never expected to enter the sixth tomb of Temar with all of them.
It all started with the possibility of encountering the living old Runcandel and the Sword's flight, leading up to the current situation.
This tomb opening was surpassing all expectations from beginning to end.
Whoa...…!
The shadow force that continued to escape from the sword was creating a huge whirlpool. Although it is covered by black sea water, something like a building or some kind of device has arisen every second on the seabed.
A crumbling fortress, a broken spire, and mysterious devices that looked like defensive equipment. The subspace that the sword had been holding was not normal and it looked like it had already been destroyed several times.
However, an unknown sense of crisis was making Jin's neck feel cold.
'Is it because of the guardian?'
Except for when he met Luet Damiro Yul, the "unremembered" living Runcandel figure, Jin had always been in danger whenever he opened a tomb.
Even this time, his whole body was sending danger signals. The source of the signal was not from the pursuit team sent from the Garden of the Swords but rather from the ocean.
'I have recovered the shadow force used to open the tomb, so there shouldn't be any problems before the battle.'
He decided to exclude the assumption that the Guardian would be able to discern friend from foe.
They would likely attack indiscriminately, and it would be best to use that to their advantage to prioritize eliminating their enemies.
'The problem lies with the Zipfel and Kinzelo factions. How much protection should we offer them….'
Thinking up to that point, Jin raised his head.
'They're not children. I don't need to worry about them.'
If they thought it was an important issue, they would have sent the right people for it. If it was a temporary alliance thing, Jin would have asked for support in advance, but this is more of a personal matter for Jin.
In other words, they were people who meddled in personal affairs, so there was no need to go out of his way to protect them, even if they wouldn't harm him.
'Anyway, I can feel the energy of Bianca Kaligo and Ranke Halovice from Kinzelo's side, so even if Zephyrin is powerless, they will protect them on their own. Since Kadun is undergoing treatment for Zipfel, Octavia or Ronil must have come, but they're not at a level where they can't take care of themselves.'
The Garden of Swords, Zipfel, Kinzelo's battleship and dragons were getting closer. Jin fired a light speed thrust in the direction of the Chaos Dragon and the black ship.
As the light-speed thrust, which was filled with killing intent, surged, the Chaos Dragon and Black ship rushing towards him left behind remnants of chaos as they perished.
In the midst of the scene of a myth where the sea seemed to create a different world, the glorious aura emitted by each faction's troops, and a single sword thrust at the center of it all.
Among all that, the guardian finally revealed itself from the depths of the ocean.
No, the guardians.
"My lord, there are giant creatures in the depths of the ocean...!"
Jin looked down.
Red eyes like distant wildfires were looking down at the invaders.
Giant bodies like castles, shields and spears befitting their stature. The giants, who had taken on the form of humans, seemed to have been sculpted from hard rocks that Jin couldn't even cut through easily.
Except for Jin and Hedo, the rest of the group was stiff with awe-inspiring pressure.
It wasn't just one or two.
At a glance, there were over a hundred giants preparing to slaughter the invaders.
Moreover, the number was increasing in real-time. It wasn't like buildings or underground places where they would emerge, they were forming in the air shortly after their outline became visible.
[Those are... cemetery giants?]
Cuicantelle said with a sigh.
Cemetery giant. It is an ancient weapon that almost endangered the youngest division when Jin was a cadet in the past.
At the time, it was Bubare Gaston's work that threatened the youngest division, and Murakan destroyed it at once.
'At that time, Murakan had barely regained his strength. Even if it was one of those things, it would have been impossible to subdue it. Does it make a difference because it is not Bubare's work, but the original?'
But it didn't seem like that was the reason from Cuicantelle's mood.
"Miss Cuicantelle, do you know about those things?" Valkas asked.
[I know them well, we dragons killed all the remaining cemetery giants 2,000 years ago. It was a war in which Murakan and I participated. But, the cemetery giants now are of a different kind than what we destroyed.]
-Well, God of Sculpture? I've never heard of that name before.
-It's natural that you don't know. Like Kullam, whom we met in Colon, he is one of the gods who have disappeared from history. Well has been in the graves of the dead gods.
A conversation with Murakan about the cemetery giant in the past.
As the dragons know, the cemetery giant is a weapon created by 'Well', the god of sculpture. They were made to protect the tombs of the forgotten gods and himself who had been degenerated into ordinary humans.
Cuicantelle expression twisted.
[A little while ago, Arya said that this tomb doesn't seem to be a Solderet subspace, right?]
"Yes, the name of the Solderet is not displayed in the record window."
[Apparently, this is a tomb of a dead god, not Temar's. It must be different from the tomb that we dragons dealt with.]
"Then, it was originally the tomb of a dead god, but it could have been used as Temar's tomb for a while in the process of moving his tomb."
[Perhaps... Ugh!]
Suddenly, Cuicantelle shook her head in agony. Just as Murakan responds to his manipulated and forgotten memories.
[The ten great knights who were supposed to protect this place... he was a figure related to the dead god who was originally the owner of this tomb...!]
It was impossible to recall any more memories. Cuicantelle regained his composure and breathed heavily.
"We can meet him and ask. What are the stories about this tomb?"
"The fact that Miss Cuicantelle's memories are starting to come back is proof that there is an old Runcandel alive inside, Jin."
Jin nodded at Valeria's words.
"This is a great harvest, Tower Keeper. I have a request."
"You have no boundaries to being shameless. It gets worse and worse, are you asking me a favor in this situation?"
"I will take care of all the cemetery giants myself. So don't just watch over Sandra, take care of my comrades as well."
"No, I will leave as soon as I find my sword."
Jin shakes his head apologetically.
"If that is possible, do it. But I can read the shadow force, and that sword is now firmly fixed so that no one can pull it out."
Jin pointed to the sword and said. It wasn't a lie.
Jin was convinced that even if he used all of his shadow force again, he would never be able to pull out Hedo's sword stuck in the seabed again.
Moreover, the sword was not in the shape of the long sword that Hedo used to know.
"My... sword, what kind of bizarre shape is that!"
"Perhaps that is the true nature of your sword."
Valeria shrugged and answered in place of Jin.
It would be appropriate to describe the sword as having horns on it.
Hedo, who had heightened his sense of sight, gritted his teeth while looking at the small blades that rose on both sides of the sword.
"12th flagbearer!"
Finally, Hedo exploded and screamed.
He had experienced situations where things worsened to this extent at the drop of a hat in the past, but this was the first time since he met Sandra.
There had never been a situation where Hedo could not control even if Sandra did something crazy.
It was impossible for Hedo to give up the sword and escape.
Even if he minimally grasped it, the size of the shadow force space formed in the sea was 4km. He couldn't run away by running because it was in the middle of the sea, and above all, the layers of shadow force barriers were a problem.
The barriers would not disappear unless they swallowed all intruders.
Some of the members of the Garden of Swords and Zipfel were already being sucked into the barrier and leaving behind the screams of despair.
There was no need to imagine what had become of those who were absorbed by the barrier. Flesh, swords, and debris like staff were pouring out on the opposite side where they were caught.
This place was already hell.
"I sincerely apologize. Since the situation has become like this, I can only suggest the best direction. After this job is done, I will definitely apologize and compensate."
Although he wanted to apologize more sincerely, Jin had to cut it short because the cemetery giants started to move.
"Miss Cuicantelle, Sir Valkas, Tower Keeper. Please take care of our comrades. Let's handle this as quickly as possible."
"Hey, Hedo! He's trying to go alone to those monsters, so you throw yourself in and help too!"
"Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh!"
While Hedo struggled to keep his sanity and made strange noises, Valeria grabbed Jin's shoulder.
"I'm going down too, Jin Runcandel."
"What!? Why you!?"
Of course, it was Sandra's reaction, not Jin's.
Other comrades were also puzzled. It's hard to understand why Valeria participates in a fight that even Valkas can't participate in.
But Jin accepted her words without even thinking.
"Thank you for helping."
Maybe in a past life, but the present Valeria is not the kind of person who run towards death because she was worried about Jin
Therefore, her decision to step forward meant that she had confidence in herself.
Valeria naturally reached out her hand to Jin.
Without any particular meaning, it meant that they would go down together for the fight, but as Sandra, she couldn't help but feel dizzy and nauseous.
"This person. This...… What are you doing! Stop, Stop! Ah, my head, I'm dizzy!"
"My Lady!"
In the end, Sandra fainted as if she couldn't bear to see that sight (Hedo took care of her), and Jin held Valeria's hand.
It was the teacher's hand that Jin hadn't held in a long time.
Would he be able to share the heavy burdens that lay within those thin and fragile hands together in this life, or perhaps he was already sharing them?
Jin suddenly had that thought.
"Let's go."
As Jin and Valeria jumped off Cuicantelle's back, the cemetery giants fired red beams as if they had been waiting.
Jin's lightning energy mixed with Valeria's blue magic, illuminating the dark seabed.
Jin felt the same sense of crisis that made his neck cold when the subspace first opened, but it quickly faded away.
680
[T.L: punisher87]
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Red columns shot up from the seabed. The beams of the cemetery giants were so dense that it was not easy to avoid them, but the two of them used mana and aura to adjust their direction while descending.
Like people who had been breathing together for a long time, they didn't need to say anything. Jin and Valeria moved as one body and took care of each other's safety.
Jin mostly knew her fighting style from his past life memories, but Valeria did not.
Still, when Jin fought with Valeria, he felt a strange feeling, just like her.
'Unlike me, the teacher doesn't know who I am in this life, but we always fight so well together.'
'Fighting with Jin is always strangely stable….'
The two of them had not yet suffered any significant damage as they headed towards the center of the enemies, but the sky was already in a frenzy.
The Vamel Alliance was not damaged thanks to Cuicantelle's excellent evasion, but the pursuit forces of Zipfel, Kinzelo, and the Garden of Swords were in trouble due to their overwhelming numbers.
Small fish that escaped from the net and those that couldn't. That was exactly the state of the Vamel alliance and the other forces. Only Cuicantelle was leisurely dodging the beams protected by those on her back.
Each force's skilled members did their best to minimize friendly casualties, but the power of the cemetery giants was beyond common sense.
If each of the cemetery giants had a transcendent quality, Jin would not have thought to fight. No matter how strong it is, a weapon without a sense of self has its limits.
Whoaaah-!
Along with the red beams, giant spears flew in from all directions. They were so fast that their size and weight could not be imagined.
When Jin deliberately tried to strike the first spear that arrived instead of avoiding it, his wrist suddenly became stiff.
'Solid attacks, but they lack variation or depth.'
Repetitive patterns like a machine reacting to certain situations.
However, they were able to break through the defenses and land on the ocean floor without much trouble, despite the increasing complexity and fatigue from the large number of obstacles.
As soon as the two of them landed, the defensive equipment on the buildings began to activate and aim at Jin.
'Is it an automatic reaction mana cannon like the one Lady Amela made?'
The mana cannon did not identify friends or foes. Even if the cemetery giants were in the way, the cannon fired in Jin's direction.
However, the cannon bounced in all directions like light reflected in a mirror. The cannon hitting the bodies of the cemetery giants made a clunking noise that was not fitting for its power.
Most of the beams bounced off into the sky or the wall of the sea, but there were still too many that threatened Jin and Valeria's path.
'This could be a bit tiring.'
At that moment, Valeria struck the ground with her silver oak staff. A massive magic circle was formed, flowing along the groove.
"It's not a protective shield."
"I'm going to twist the flow of the reflected beams. So you just focus on destroying the cemetery giant."
The mana extended emanating from the circle began to carve runic letters into the air. The thousands of runic letters were fixed about five steps apart from each other, and the beams could not easily pass through them.
Even the cannon beams that were caught in the runic letters could not touch the two of them. The beams seemed unable to recognize the radius of the two people's movements.
'The size of mana is much smaller than the destructive power of the beams... how is this possible?'
It was like a master deflecting a sewage attack with much less force. Valeria was accomplishing what is usually only seen in battles between warriors with her magic.
'I think she probably survived from elder sister Luntia through this magic.'
It was Jin who was shocked by his teacher's magic.
"I get it."
Pzz-!
Sigmund had a deep lightning energy.
Then, Jin put all his strength into cutting the ankle of the cemetery giant blocking their way. The blade did not go in smoothly.
Instead, one part of the ankle was broken and dug with a dull roar, but Jin thought that was enough.
'If I focus and swing my sword with determination, I could cut through it, but...'
In order to do that, Jin needs to be highly focused every time he swings a single time. He didn't see the point of fighting so inefficiently.
Grasp!
As the blade was embedded in the bone and caused an explosion, the ankle of the cemetery giant broke. Although the form in which Jin, a skilled knight, had cut the giant was somewhat messy, the effect was definite.
"Groooan...!"
As the cemetery giant with a broken ankle knelt down to stabilize itself, Jin leaped forward and plunged his sword into its head.
Just as the head was smashed and before the smashed head debris fell to the floor, Jin descended like lightning and knocked out the spears that were flying towards Valeria.
It seemed like the thunder god was stepping on the spear and crushing it. Compared to the cemetery giants, Jin was small enough to look like an insignificant creature, but his presence was incomparable even with all the giants combined.
'If my father were here, he could have disintegrated these guys naturally without having to concentrate.'
For a moment, the thought of his father crossed his mind, and he narrowed his eyes.
"You seem to have the luxury of having other thoughts. Here, I have to risk your life every moment."
"I'll try to focus a little more."
In fact, just as Valeria twisted the trajectory of the mana cannon, Jin could have made sure she would not be hurt. Even with the cemetery giants, it was possible.
Valeria knew that as well, but she had said it for no reason. Jin was a little surprised at the fact that she was saying something useless.
A pleasant battle.
Regardless of the situation, the two of them were becoming more and more lighthearted as they perfectly matched each other's attack and defense. When Jin swung his sword, something on the graveyard giant would break, and when Valeria cast her spell, their attacks would go awry.
It seemed like they could enjoy breaking the cemetery giants no matter how many of them there were.
Already, more than ten cemetery giants had been destroyed. Even amidst this, there were new cemetery giants forming, but fortunately, they were not appearing faster than the two could handle them.
Moreover, the rate at which new cemetery giants were appearing was slowing down. Jin expected that they would stop being generated once a certain number was reached.
"Jin."
"What?"
"Originally, these weapons do not operate when their protectee disappears."
"Do you mean that the remains of a forgotten God may be somewhere in this tomb?"
"It could be, or... the god itself might still be there."
"Could the supposedly living Old Runcandel be a god?"
"I can't confirm until we meet them since I don't have access to magic records right now. Even if we examine the records, there's only so much we can know at our current level. Also, their movements seem too simple, even for being straightforward."
Valeria's words made Jin suddenly feel like the movements of the cemetery giants were strange, as if they had a specific purpose.
"From what you've said, it doesn't seem like the cemetery giants are only moving to get rid of intruders."
Since each one was so massive and they had to destroy whatever was in their way to protect their allies, Jin hadn't noticed it until now.
"The form of their formation isn't one of encirclement, Valeria. It just looked like that because of their size."
Jin and Valeria started to examine the overall movement of the cemetery giants as they passed between their legs.
Firstly, not all of the cemetery giants were attacking Jin and Valeria. Some giants just stood still and looked at the ground, while others were digging in the earth.
Unless something was broken, there was only one reason to dig in the ground.
"They are trying to find something."
"The cemetery giants exploring the underground have more elaborate forms than the other giants. Jin, if my prediction is correct. This is an ancient method of breaking the seal. They are trying to find the core of the seal buried somewhere here."
"After finding the core?"
"All of the cemetery giants' power will be connected to the core, and the seal will be released. The reason the sword has been flying for so long was probably to find the location of the hidden core."
"Then that means if we defeat them all, it will prevent the sealed being from waking up."
Valeria nodded her head.
"The choice is yours."
The sealed being that would wake up from the seal is the old Runcandel, who is presumed to be a god or a divine being.
There is no guarantee that whoever it is, will show favor to the two of them. On the contrary, there was a much higher possibility that they would come out as hostile.
Or, there was a possibility that it was more than just being hostile, and it was filled with resentment and hatred like a Padler.
"Let's wake it up." However, Jin did not hesitate.
If he destroys all the cemetery giants immediately, he and his party will be safe, but a piece of the old Runcandel's history will be lost forever.
From then on, the two of them switched to a defensive stance. The cemetery giants continued to attack, but gradually decreased their intensity as the two did not counterattack.
After about ten minutes had passed, the cemetery giants stopped attacking the two of them. However, the attacks towards the sky did not cease.
"The cemetery giants are not attacking lord and Arya. It must be the result of Lord finding some clues. We just have to keep dodging and blocking!"
Thanks to this, the sky became even more chaotic, but Jin's comrades were not affected much.
In the first place, the Vamel Alliance did not fight back even once after the cemetery giants woke up.
On the other hand, Zipfel, Kinzelo, and the Garden of Swords fought back all the time, so the cemetery giants didn't even recognize Cuicantelle as enemies from some point on. Even so, the reason why she sweated hard to avoid the red beam was simply because her allies were blocking the path to attack the recognized enemies.
"I almost committed a great disrespect to my ancestors who woke up after a thousand years."
After about 10 minutes passed, a cemetery giant vibrated with his eyes flashing. Coincidentally, it was right in front of Jin and Valeria.
"GROOK!"
As the cemetery giant roared, the other giants also lit up their eyes and shook their bodies, as if it was a process of injecting power into the core of the seal.
The Cemetery Giant, who roared first, finally raised its hands that had been waving beneath the sea.
In its hands was a small sphere shining like a miniature sun, and Jin and Valeria could see the power of the Cemetery Giants concentrating on that sphere.
"I pray that only what we can bear will awaken, Jin."