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Cough, cough!
The sound of Diphus clearing his throat echoed through the barracks.
"What did you say?"
For a moment, he thought his ears deceived him, but he received an immediate response.
"I told you that we should kill the 2nd flagbearer in this mission."
Let's kill Joshua.
Diphus had never heard such words since he was born. Even Mary at her prime had never said anything similar.
'I've been thinking about it, but he's really insane and…'
He's also a scary guy.
'He's not someone who would say things without thinking. Saying 'Let's kill Joshua' means he had already finished planning.'
The newcomer who had just arrived at the barracks now seemed to be planning to kill Joshua. Diphus couldn't immediately figure out on what basis this plan was made, but it sent a shiver down his spine.
"Anyway, you have a knack for surprising people. Why do you want to kill that person? I'm sure you are not doing this because you are angry at him for making fun of your new nickname, the Black Crown Prince."
"Of course, that's not the reason, but it wasn't pleasant."
"Joshua might have genuinely thought that your title was cool. When he was young, he liked his title 'Black Lion' the most. He used to say it felt like he was succeeding our mother."
Jin and Diphus shared a light laugh.
"I didn't know the second flagbearer had such a cute side."
"You might have found it even cuter if you had spent your childhood with him. Anyway, what if I decline your offer?"
Diphus adjusted his expression and inquired, and Jin shrugged his shoulders.
"Do you have a reason for that?"
"Once the infiltration of the underground shipyard begins, all the enforcement knights in the Sota Desert will return to the clan."
"Is this because retreating after infiltration is impossible if they're not at the level of Black Knights?"
"That's right. So the personnel directly involved in the mission are just you and me, Lord Murakan, the 2nd flagbearer you want to kill, and his Black Knights. It means that each person is precious in order to complete the mission."
Jin let out a sigh upon hearing this.
"You're talking like someone who came to this secret shipyard in the Sota Desert without knowing that it's a trap set by Zipfel, elder brother."
Diphus's eyes narrowed.
"Anyway, this mission can only be half successful at best. The best outcome will be returning safely after destroying the facility. The battleship's blueprints? Do you think Zipfel left something like that in this place after intentionally leaking the information? Clearly, there's nothing important in the 4th, 11th, 17th, and 19th sections."
Zipfel's purpose in leaking the location of the secret shipyard in the Sota Desert.
That was a problem Diphus had been pondering all along. He knew it was a trap, but it was too extensive to ignore. However, it was difficult to grasp what Zipfel's actual purpose was.
'Does the youngest have a guess about Zipfel's purpose? Killing Joshua is not an empty statement, but what are his intentions?'
As Diphus was contemplating, Jin spoke again.
"Stop thinking and make a choice. Will you join me in killing Joshua, or not? I'll give you five seconds. After that, even if you change your mind, I'll handle it on my own. 5, 4."
"Hey, hey, youngest! Wait a moment!"
"3, 2..."
In the end, Diphus nodded before Jin finished counting.
Though he felt like he was being dragged along, he realized that if he didn't negotiate with Jin now, he would probably be the one suffering in this mission.
Above all, it was an opportunity.
An opportunity to 'definitely' kill his eldest brother, the 2nd flagbearer, whom he had wanted to kill all his life. The youngest that Diphus saw was undoubtedly the person who would carry out his words.
"Damn it, alright! Let's do it together."
"A beautiful moment of brotherly solidarity, you won't regret it."
Seeing Jin smile slyly, Diphus muttered under his breath that there was no devil like him.
"But, there's a condition."
"Go ahead."
"Share all the information you have with me."
"For instance?"
"Information about Joshua's helper, the figure known as the Prophet, and what you think Zipfel's purpose is. And why do you want to kill Joshua."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"I will tell you the first one after the mission is over. However, I will tell you the second and third right away. In my opinion, Zipfel's purpose is to assess the capabilities of other major factions' forces."
"Are you saying Zipfel is using this shipyard as bait to assess the strength of external forces? Isn't that a bit far-fetched? Even I can't estimate the manpower and resources that have been put into this facility."
"You can think of it that way. However, perhaps you, too, have pondered Zipfel's purpose more than what I've just said. Is there a more reasonable explanation than what I just mentioned?"
There wasn't.
Diphus was also more concerned because he was aware of the main premise that 'as long as there is Chiron, there is no all-out war.'
"Especially, Zipfel would have needed to confirm Joshua's abilities. More precisely, Zipfel wants to see if Joshua and our mother have the strength to guard the clan in place of our father. Hasn't the era now arrived where we can no longer survive with just the name of the world's greatest sword master?"
Kinzelo had the mysterious power of its leader, Bubare's power of chaos, the Plutonian-type golems, the Empire had the Majins, Zipfel's living golems and mass production of battleships, and manipulation of history.
In such a situation, Runcandel had only held onto a single sword. At least, that's what has been revealed so far.
"So, the moment we begin the infiltration, Zipfel will have already achieved part of its goal. After all, he wouldn't have been able to create such a perfect infiltration tunnel without the power of the Prophet."
"I get it. So what about the third one? Setting aside the method of killing the 2nd flagbearer, what is your actual goal? What benefits does the death of the 2nd flagbearer bring to the clan?"
Diphus was asking this, but he had already drawn his own conclusion.
What effect will Joshua's death have on the clan?
'If the youngest and I kill the 2nd flagbearer in this mission, it will certainly bring division to the clan. Then I have to change the water and reorganize things.'
Remove Rosa and Joshua's rotten Runcandel.
That was the reorganization that Diphus had in mind.
After Jin made it public through Mary that the information about 'legacy of the first patriarch' existed within the clan.
The siblings, especially Diphus and Mary, no longer respected Rosa's favoritism. The premise that "Rosa always makes decisions for the family" had been shattered.
From then on, Rosa's favoritism was the biggest culprit in the destruction of the clan in Diphus's eyes.
'Of course, the utility value of Joshua and mother hasn't completely disappeared. After the reorganization is over, I'll have to confront my mother as well. The Prophet would be under my mother's control, not Joshua's anyway.'
What comes next?
The remaining flagbearers would continue to struggle for the throne, seeking out the legacy of the first patriarch of the clan to restore the former glory of Runcandel.
He needed to break the curse binding the clan and enter a brilliant era of magic swordsmen that Jin briefly showed.
Although they were competing for the throne, Diphus was in favor of Jin's declaration of the return of the magic swordsmen.
Jin seemed to see through Diphus's thoughts.
Diphus's thoughts seemed to be shaped in a way that wasn't bad.
'The future courses that elder brother Diphus is thinking of are close to the royal road. The problem is that there is absolutely no way Joshua would have sent his real body to this dangerous place. Elder brother Dipus doesn't know that, so he just thought it was a golden opportunity to change the clan, and he accepted my offer as if he was drawn to it.'
Jin hid his bitter smile inside, and made eye contact with Dipus.
"Second eldest brother, it feels like I am being graded for my test. What benefit does it bring to the clan? This is an opportunity to cut away the rotten chain of favoritism and purify the clan. Even if we kill Joshua, the Prophet is under the control of our mother anyway, so we can decide what to do with her abilities at that time."
Diphus's eyes widened.
He felt a strange sense of kinship knowing that Jin had the same thoughts as me. It was disappointing to think that his younger brother wasn't his perfect ally, like Mary.
"Second eldest brother, honestly, I didn't plan to make this proposal to you. I thought I could kill Joshua on my own. But elder sister Mary asked me to return with you without getting hurt."
"Mary, she said something that doesn't suit her. Creepy. Were you the type to be moved by such lukewarm words?"
"That's not it, but I'm also a human being. Sometimes I feel familial love, and sometimes I want to return the favor of my kins. That's why I told you in advance so that you wouldn't get hurt while I was killing Joshua. Coincidentally, our goals align."
Jin was sincere.
"Is this enough explanation?"
Diphus nodded and extended his hand towards Jin.
"Alright, it's a moment of beautiful brotherly solidarity, even if it's temporary."
As they shook hands, Jin couldn't help but feel a twinge of conscience for the first time in a long time.
'Well... Even if it means killing a clone, I will definitely make it beneficial to the clan in the end, so elder brother Diphus would understand me.'
Even if he doesn't understand, it will only be Diphus who looks foolish after the incident is over.
That is, if everything goes according to Jin's plan.
"Let's talk about your plan to kill him now. There might be many variables, so until we begin the infiltration, let's put our heads together to figure things out."
***
February 28, 1800, 2 AM.
Once the enforcement knights cleared the barracks and withdrew, the operation began.
Jin, Murakan, Diphus, Joshua, and two black knights, a total of six individuals, donned their infiltration gear and ran under the ground in the Sota Desert.
They were using a tunnel that stretched from where the barracks were to the secret shipyard, and it had been formed in advance by Joshua using the power of a prophet.
And as soon as they reached the beginning of the shipyard after running in silence for a while.
The group was able to encounter an unexpected sight.
"...Looks like rats used our tunnel."
Joshua said as he examined a round object placed on the ground, resembling a human head. He checked its face and it turned out to be one of the shipyard managers.
"It appears to be Kinzelo, 2nd flagbearer."
The moment one of the black knights made that statement, a loud crashing and exploding noise started coming from beyond the tunnel.
"...It seems like the beast bastards are causing trouble."
Joshua said, nonchalantly glancing beyond the tunnel.
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The first divisions of Runcandel and Kinzelo, who did not come to the Gaifa Archipelago, all set up camp in the Sota Desert while Jin was meeting Amela.
Just as Joshua used the power of a prophet to form tunnels in the desert, members of Kinzelo also used their abilities to create a scouting tunnel and secretly used some of Joshua's tunnels.
Jin's gaze fell upon the head of the deceased shipyard manager.
The cut surface on the neck was messy, as if it had been torn apart. It was far from suitable for infiltration and assassination.
'Furthermore, it's quite a distance away, and yet the commotion is significant. It's not an incident that happened on the spot during infiltration; it was a direct attack on the shipyard.'
It seemed that members of Kinzelo had decided to approach the secret shipyard in the Sota Desert in a completely different way than Runcandels.
'Why would members of Kinzelo dare to act with such audacity? They must have a solid reason for this.'
The Sota Desert is adjacent to Drakka, the capital of the Lutero Magic Federation.
That's why Runcandels choose this method of infiltration. But members of Kinzelo were boldly stirring up the most dangerous beehive in the world.
"There is no way our information was leaked, but they started their operation at the same time... Is it just an unfortunate coincidence?"
As Jin began to ponder, Joshua gritted his teeth and scowled.
Kuzzz, Boom-! Thud! Bam!
Joshua's words were suddenly drowned out by a deafening explosion as if they were waiting for the Runcandels. The vibrations were so intense that it felt like the tunnel might collapse at any moment.
For instance,
It seemed that Runcandel's plan had completely backfired. The blaring alarm from the defensive magic, ringing like crazy amid the deafening sound of the explosion, was getting on their nerves.
Jin had been calculating ways to kill Joshua and succeed in his mission since last night. However, Kinzelo's sudden act of terrorism was unexpected.
'But perhaps, this turn of events might not be that bad. At least not for me and my elder brother Diphus.'
Jin was confident that Joshua had 'information about this mission that he did not share with him and Diphus.'
As he had told Diphus earlier, the 4th, 11th, 17th, and 19th sections marked on the interior map of the shipyard were meaningless.
'Joshua probably believed that either I or elder brother Diphus would naively choose one of those sections to investigate. He must think that we had no choice but to do something, even if it meant destroying the shipyard anyway. And he would try to take advantage of the chaos to sneak off on his own to the real location with valuable information.'
Jin had assumed that the location of the information that Joshua was trying to monopolize was '2nd Magic Tower'.
Drakka was not the only place near the Sota Desert shipyard. Not too far away, there was also Zipfel's "2nd Magic Tower."
Of course, it was only a guess that Joshua was trying to monopolize information about the 2nd Magic Tower.
That's why, when the infiltration began, Jin had planned to keep an eye on Joshua with the help of Diphus. He would intentionally mention the 2nd Magic Tower or focus the search on the part of the shipyard closest to it.
'There's a low chance that Zipfel has prepared for infiltration all the way to the 2nd Magic Tower, considering how close Drakka is. It's hard to believe that either we or Kinzelo would dare to meddle with the 2nd Magic Tower. Both of us would have more than enough on our hands just with destroying the shipyard…'
Ah!
The moment Jin thought that far, he felt a shiver run down his back.
'Perhaps there's no need to keep an eye on Joshua; it's definitely the 2nd Magic Tower. The members of Kinzelo are trying to draw the attention of the forces of the 2nd Magic Tower and lure them into the shipyard, and then rob the empty house!'
That is the reason why Kinzelo is blatantly terrorizing the shipyard.
They were aware that the truly important data was not inside the shipyard but outside, specifically within the 2nd Magic Tower.
Furthermore,
'Damn you Kinzelo bastards! Are they also aware that part of the battleship blueprints exists in the 2nd Magic Tower, not in the shipyard?'
Joshua was also thinking along the same lines.
However, unlike Kinzelo, who was confidently destroying the shipyard, he felt a chilling sensation in his bones.
'It can't be a coincidence that they started the terror act right during our infiltration time! Information about our operation and the 2nd Magic Tower must have leaked, although I don't know the exact route….'
Joshua had originally planned to entrust Jin, Murakan, and Diphus with the task of distracting Zipfels like what members of Kinzelo were doing right now, while he seized the chance to move towards the 2nd Magic Tower.
The underground shipyard was vast, so he thought that it would not be that difficult to deceive his brothers and Murakan.
So, when he confirmed that it was Jin and Murakan who came yesterday instead of Mary, he inwardly rejoiced. But now, the situation has taken a turn for the worse!
Amidst the distant explosions and the silence that followed, the attention of Runcandels' focused on Joshua.
It was an unspoken pressure for him to make a judgment, as the highest decision-maker in this matter.
He felt anxiety at the fact that members of Kinzelo outmaneuver him, the pressure to reevaluate all his moves from the beginning, and the emotionless face of his youngest brother right in front of him.
Due to these factors, Joshua could barely keep his composure.
'First of all, I must remain calm. If I show even the slightest hint of panic, Jin will surely pick up on it. He's not one to miss a scent, no doubt about it.'
No matter how cautious he was, Jin was already reading Joshua's innermost thoughts. Joshua hadn't realized it, not even in his dreams.
And it wasn't just Joshua whose insides were burning.
'Given the scale of Kinzelo's terror attack, the mission of destroying the shipyard is practically over. Moreover, as the youngest said, the importance of the four sections that Joshua claimed was just a trick to deceive me and the youngest, so it is right for Joshua to make the decision to retreat now....'
Diphus also felt his mouth becoming dry as he recalled the conversation he had with Jin last night.
-I mentioned earlier that there wouldn't be anything important in the 4th, 11th, 17th, and 19th sections, didn't I?
-That's right. Given that Zipfel deliberately leaked the location of the shipyard, there's no way they'd leave crucial data like battleship blueprints here.
-But there must be important data somewhere near the shipyard. Most likely in Drakka. But we can't rob that place, so the most likely place is the Second Magic Tower.
-So what you're saying is that the really vital information is in the Second Magic Tower, and Joshua is pretending to infiltrate the shipyard with us while planning to gather information from the Second Magic Tower alone?
-Yes.
-Hmm, let's assume you're right. And our eldest brother is undoubtedly a piece of trash, but he's not such a fool as to jeopardize the clan's interests for personal gain. Just recently, he used the media to support you during the Black Kings incident.
-You're right. However, for Joshua to extract information from the Second Magic Tower securely, it might be better to deceive us as well, don't you think?
-That's possible. But, Jin, your argument is based on possibilities, not concrete evidence. It's just a speculation. And even if that speculation were true, what does it have to do with killing Joshua?
-When Joshua will go to the Second Magic Tower, he won't take both Black Knights with him. At least one Black knight has to stay in the shipyard for the purpose of deceiving us and gaining time. However, we will also go to the Second Magic Tower without Joshua's knowledge. After all, only one Black Knight is left in the vast underground shipyard.
-And attack Joshua who is with only one black knight?
-We will attack him after he gets the information from the Second Magic Tower. If we're lucky, both of the Black Knights will be left behind in the shipyard. So, he might be alone.
-What if there is still a Black Knight with Joshua at the Second Magic Tower?
-But since Murakan is there, we can easily kill him.
-No, I'm asking how we plan to deal with the Black Knight. Subduing him without killing is impossible for us even if Lord Murakan is with us. Also killing a Black Knight is a different problem than dealing with Joshua.
-Well, that's more like an act of treason than a war of succession.
-It is not even close. Kill the Black Knight while carrying out such an important mission? That is definitely treason. I'm getting disappointed because there are too many variables in your speculations. I thought you were holding a strong hand.
-It's the assassination of the second flagbearer of Runcandel. Moreover, he's known as the next patriarch. If you can't even handle this level of risk, you can't do anything for the rest of your life. Even such a dangerous opportunity may never come again.
-Whoa.
-And I have no intention of killing the Black Knight. I never thought my second brother would be this scared, but please, if you want to quit, go ahead.
-...For now, after infiltrating, let's search the area closest to 2nd Tower to assess Joshua's intentions.
Diphus was trying to suppress his restless thoughts since he had this conversation yesterday.
The disappointment he felt for his youngest brother, who was determined to kill Joshua with weak speculations, and the sense of desperation that made him want to jump aboard a flimsy ship, were overwhelming.
'But if Joshua chooses to continue the mission rather than a retreat, then... it means Jin's speculation was true...!'
Unlike Joshua and Diphus, Jin cleared his confused mind and was already calculating new variables.
'Kinzelo, those sons of bitches have helped me again. You're going to choose to enter, Joshua. You might want to die from frustration, but as elder brother Diphus says, you won't give up the clan's significant interests.'
Jin concealed a smile.
It was not yet a complete victory, as the speculation was merely becoming true.
"Oh, it's so frustrating. Hey!"
Suddenly, Murakan shouted at Joshua with an indignant tone.
"Aren't you the one with decision-making authority? Make a decision quickly. Are you going to continue the mission or not? Why are you just standing there stupidly? Come on, I'm busy! If we are going to retreat, let's retreat quickly. I want to see strawberry pie."
Joshua had no choice but to respond in this way.
"…We will continue the mission."
Thump!
The moment Diphus heard the decision, he felt his heart pounding like a drum.
He was shocked. He couldn't gauge how far Jin had been thinking ahead.
'Yes, I was just suspicious for no reason. I can kill Joshua as long as I follow Jin's moves!'
Once again, Jin was keenly aware of Diphus's disappointment turning into anticipation. He couldn't help feeling a bit sorry.
'How disappointed he will be once he finds out that the current Joshua is not the real one. I feel a little guilty.'
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Jin, Murakan, Diphus and Joshua lifted the masks hanging around their necks.
Boom! Bam!
Only a minute or so had passed, but the noise and vibration of the battle had already grown significantly.
Now that the decision was made, they had to get in as quickly as possible even by a second. Drakka and the 2nd Magic tower would provide immediate support.
"However, since the situation has changed, we will skip regrouping after collecting internal information and disperse immediately upon entry to confirm 4th, 11th, 17th, and 19th sections. The Black Knights and I will take care of 4th and 11th sections, while 4th and 12th flagbearers will handle 17th and 19th sections."
The 4th and 11th sections were relatively further from the 2nd magic tower compared to 17th and 19th sections. Joshua was also extremely cautious. Even in such a situation, he wanted to ensure that Jin and Diphus were unaware of the 2nd magic tower as much as possible.
"Either secure the battleship's blueprints or destroy the most important resources, and return to the main house alive. Also, prioritize escape in case you are likely to be captured or killed by the enemy. All other decisions are left to your discretion."
"Understood."
Joshua extended his fist to Jin and Diphus. The two of them briefly looked at his fist and lightly bumped it.
"I wish you good luck, younger brothers."
"As we live, the day when my eldest brother wishes me good luck has finally come. Well, let's have a celebratory drink you decided to give to Jin when we all return safely."
"Good luck, 2nd flagbearer."
First, Joshua and the Black Knights entered the shipyard beyond the tunnel. Jin, Murakan, and Diphus watched their backs for a moment.
"Ha! Kid, if you hadn't poked me in my side, I could have turned his jaw around without a doubt. Did he speak to me informally just because I give him a hard time for making a decision quickly? Someone like a 2nd flagbearer? Many people died at the hands of this Murakan, indeed. I think of that every time something like this happens. He didn't even wish me luck."
"Oh, well, I appreciate your patience."
"Lord Murakan, that guy's head will fall off his body before dawn anyway."
"Right, he's as good as dead."
"Jin, I take back what I said about being disappointed yesterday. You were right all along. Kinzelo went beyond our expectations, but still."
There was no need to keep an eye at Joshua anymore, but they still had to properly assess the situation after entering.
'I need to calculate when Kinzelo will make its move on the 2nd Magic tower. It is a problem if I go too fast or too slow compared to them. However, I must enter later than Joshua.'
The key was to take advantage of the competition between Kinzelo and Joshua at the 2nd Magic tower.
Now, it was time for quick thinking and adaptability.
"Reinforcements will arrive within 30 minutes at the latest. They might have already arrived."
Even if the dragons were flying to the location, it would still take a minimum of 30 minutes to reach the Sota Desert.
"If that cubic thing you mentioned is here too, it's possible."
Spatial-time device. The unidentified cubic object that Midor Elnor used in Gaifa Archipelago.
Jin had shared information about it with Diphus in advance. Since the survivors of Gaifa Archipelago had witnessed the Spatial-time device themselves, there was no significance to keep it secret.
"I think there's a high possibility it's in the shipyard as well. While Joshua was here, he might have received information related to it from elder brother Vigo or our mother, so it's best to assume that he is aware and taking action."
Zipfel was also aware that the other three major factions knew about the Spatial-time device, so there was no need to hide it.
The reason why Sandra Zipfel was so angry when Midor Elnor used the device for revenge in Gaifa Archipelago was because it should have been revealed at a more critical moment, such as when directly striking Runcandel's main house or when forcing one of the major factions to surrender. Midor believed that he could kill Jin and his enemies and leave no evidence behind.
"Anyway, we'll have to join forces with Kinzelo for a while."
After entering, Jin decided to slaughter the Zipfels with Kinzelo first, instead of going to the sections assigned by Joshua.
"We need to deal with as many as possible, especially those from the 2nd Magic Tower."
"I guess that way we can reduce the number of troops returning after we enter the 2nd Magic Tower, right? If there is a cube in the 2nd Magic Tower."
As Diphus responded, it was necessary to reduce Zipfel's forces as much as possible because of the cube.
Kinzelo was well aware of this fact, which was why they were conducting such a large-scale terror operation. It wasn't just about securing an easy entry into the 2nd Magic tower.
"That's right."
"Oh, my head hurts! So, kid, in summary, you're saying we should just go in and kill all the Zipfels?"
"That's correct, but don't reveal your true form, and conserve your strength. If they find out that you and I are here, the level of reinforcements may change. Anyway, let's start making our way in."
The tunnel led to the 6th section of the shipyard.
As they entered, the first thing they saw was the collapsed facility, flames raging in various places, and Red tigers slaughtering managers with a sinister, mocking laughter, as if they were third-rate villains.
"Die, you wretched humans!"
"As of today, this place is under the control of Kinzelo!"
"Pl-please spare us!"
Jin and his group hid between the devices, pillars, and pipelines, watching them for a moment. It seemed that Joshua and his group had already moved elsewhere.
'Zipfels are impressive.'
Despite the destruction and the fire, seeing the underground shipyard for himself, Jin couldn't help but be amazed. The 6th section alone was filled with countless components and mechanical devices.
At first glance, it seemed like there were dozens of identical components. That means that at least that number of mass-produced battleships were being made.
"I was deeply shocked when I first saw it in person. Even if these are the battleships with half the power of Kozec, if they are mass-produced like this, the world will soon be completely under Zipfel's control."
Diphus whispered as he read Jin's thoughts.
"There's nothing to be so scared of, Diphus Runcandel. I destroyed that finished product in one breath."
Unlike Murakan, who snorted, Jin felt somewhat distraught.
'I need to analyze the spatial-time device as soon as possible when I return. I don't know about Kozec, but the clan must acquire mobile summoning device technologies, or any means that can counter them.'
One of the reasons Murakan was able to destroy Kozec-2 in a single breath in the Gaifa Archipelago was that his strength had recovered to 50 percent.
The level of the mages on the battleship was relatively low. The engine of the battleship was influenced by the mana and magic of its passengers.
If the mages on board that mass-produced battleship were at the level of Spectres or the elite mages of Zipfel, the outcome might have been different.
A heavy weight pressed on his chest, as if a boulder was crushing it.
'...There's no need to be impatient. We'll catch up. We must.'
If he could recover all of Temar's legacy, and if he could lift the curse engraved in the clan's blood. If he could restore the former glory of the Runcandel.
"By the way, it is strange that Joshua and the Black Knights had no idea that the information was leaked."
"You mean operation time? I don't think it's a coincidence that Kinzelo started the terror attack right now. That said, I don't think there's a spy among the Black Knights Joshua brought. He would be extremely cautious about potential information leaks."
"Could there have been a spy among the enforcement knights?"
"No, impossible. Even if there was one, nobody among the enforcement knights knew the exact timing of the operation. The control was carried out perfectly."
"Joshua couldn't have leaked it directly, so it means that someone stole the information at the barracks while avoiding the guard of Joshua, your, and the two Black Knights."
"Joshua always kept the operation plan with him. It's almost impossible. Moreover, he never spends time alone, and even when he sleeps, at least one Black Knight is always with him. It seems as if he was haunted by some kind of ghost...."
Diphus suddenly stopped talking, as if something had just crossed his mind.
At that moment, Jin and Diphus were both thinking of the same name.
"Could it be?"
"Yona...?"
Yona Runcandel.
There were only a handful of people in this world who could do such a thing, the greatest without question was Yona.
The two of them thought of their youngest sister at the same time and felt an inexplicable chill.
"No, hold on. It can't be Yona. If Yona were involved in this matter, it would only be if Mother personally entrusted the request to the Nameless. But does Mother have a reason to keep that fact hidden from Joshua?"
Due to time constraints, it was not impossible for Jonah to come here as well.
But Jin believed that if his youngest sister had known the information about the shipyard, she would have given a warning when she came to see Tikan.
"No, she wouldn't."
"...In that case, is it Sir Owal, Nameless King?"
"I think if anyone from the Nameless is involved, it would be the Nameless King rather than elder sister Yona. I believe Mother wouldn't have commissioned this, but Kinzelo would have asked the Nameless for help."
"Right, whether it's a commission or something else, it wouldn't make sense for Yona to be used by the Nameless to steal information from Runcandel. If Sir Owal and the top assassins from the Nameless are involved, that would explain it roughly."
Of course, this was not a definitive conclusion. It would make sense as long as they left no traces, but even so, the Nameless, who had been maintaining neutrality, had few reasons to intervene in such a sensitive matter.
"Hmm. Even if the Nameless was involved, it's unlikely they'd get more involved in this matter. In the end, it's not a bad situation for us, so we don't need to worry too much about it."
"That's correct. They probably only handed over the operation information to Kinzelo and then withdrew. Let's head to the 17th section and the 2nd Magic tower for now. We should assess the situation in other sections as we go."
The group began to move, leaving behind the sight of the Red Tigers massacring the managers in the 6th section of the shipyard.
'But it seems a bit strange. Could it really be her...? No, it can't be, right? It's probably a trick. Even if she came, as elder brother Diphus said, she has probably already returned to Samil. She would have just passed on information to Kinzelo.'
Despite his unease, Jin opened his senses and observed his surroundings more carefully. However, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Jin could not even think in his dreams that a woman was smiling and watching him.
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***
"Kyaa! He just saw me, he saw me! Uhuhu, kahaha!"
"...Until just now, you were quietly smiling and maintaining some dignity in your own way, young lady. Do you really have to laugh like a crazy person every time?"
"But Jin looked at me!"
"It is natural to thoroughly check all directions during infiltration. He didn't look at you."
"Moreover, it's been so long since I saw him like this."
"Young lady, it hasn't been more than a month since your first and last meeting with Jin Runcandel. That can be considered a long time."
"Jin must be happy to see me, right?"
"Strictly speaking, you haven't really met him, except for the fact that you're secretly peeping at him. Jin Runcandel doesn't know that you're pressing your flushed face into the crystal ball, young lady."
"How much did he want to see me to come all the way here?"
"Young lady, Jin Runcandel came not to see you, but to harm your clan."
"Oh, my Jin has left the 6th section! Does this crystal ball show the next section? No, is that it!? I don't want to miss that handsome face for even a second. Hedo, Hedo!"
"The one behind is the crystal ball of the next section. And what face are you talking about exactly? All I can see is a black mask. Since we can't hear a voice, it's difficult to even identify who Jin Runcandel is."
"Hehe, but I can see it all with my eyes."
"Please, get yourself together, young lady..."
Hedo's gaze landed on Sandra's right arm.
To be exact, it was a prosthetic arm. She was wearing a golden prosthetic arm, never having truly recovered her maimed right arm from Jin.
Moreover, she had even engraved Jin's face on the inner side of her forearm, and the walls of Sandra's room were entirely filled with things related to Jin, such as advertising brochures and carefully cut-out newspaper articles.
As the 2nd-class butler and Sandra's personal butler, how could Hedo not sigh when seeing her like this?
"Huu."
In the end, Hedo once again smoked ten cigarettes in one go.
It had been like this ever since that day. Sandra had been constantly talking about Jin, completely setting aside all the affairs of the clan. It seemed like the stress was making his hair fall out.
"Young lady."
"Hush, be quiet. I need to concentrate because Jin is moving too fast."
"Young lady Sandra."
"Oh, what!"
"You need to report."
"What report?"
"Jin Runcandel has arrived at the shipyard, which means you need to report to the Patriarch. You're currently on duty."
Sandra widened her eyes and looked at Hedo for the first time.
Then she said.
"Hedo, then my husband will die. Or he will no longer be Jin."
"Well, that's probably true. But considering the survival skills 12th flagbearer have shown so far, you never know."
"So don't spew that nonsense again."
Hedo hadn't originally brought up this topic with any expectations. He knew that his young lady would naturally react this way.
He had simply mentioned it with a feeling of grasping at straws.
"And if you mention it again, even if you're Hedo, I'll tear your mouth apart. Not horizontally, but crosswise. Don't ruin my happiness. Got it?"
"Yes, yes. Do you want to try?"
"It probably won't work."
"Just don't let it happen. If you're not going to report, at least stay quiet. This time, I have nothing to say to the Patriarch either."
"I have to go meet Jin!"
The two of them were in the office of the 2nd Magic tower's tower master.
When Zipfels built the secret shipyard, they deliberately chose the Sota Desert near the 2nd Magic tower. This was to inspect the shipyard through the use of crystal balls. If they want to thoroughly monitor everything, including technology leakage, the vicinity of the tower was ideal.
Currently, as Jin had predicted, Zipfel had presented the shipyard as bait to external forces in order to assess their power and abilities. However, that was not its original purpose.
If Kinzelo hadn't revealed itself and if Joshua hadn't used his mysterious abilities, the shipyard wouldn't have been wasted in this way.
While Sandra was rummaging through the office closet, Hedo touched his forehead and carefully examined the scattered crystal balls.
Almost all sections were under attack at the same time. Kinzelo's beastmen and members were wreaking havoc, and Joshua and his group were also seen.
Hedo especially watched the movements of Jin and his group.
'... It doesn't seem like they are trying to search the four sections they deliberately let slip.'
The movements were excessively complex.
If their intention was to destroy the shipyard and only check the important section, they should have taken the shortest path from the moment Kinzelo initiated the attack.
'But Jin Runcandel seems to be moving as if he's trying to oversee the entire internal situation, like someone who doesn't know about the 4th, 11th, 17th, and 19th sections. Perhaps the 2nd flagbearer didn't share those fake pieces of information... No, wait.'
Something was strange.
This time, he was not thinking about Jin but Kinzelo.
'Not a single one of Kinzelo's top executives is visible among the people destroying the shipyard.'
Even after looking through the crystal balls of all sections, not a single top executive was visible. There were no figures like Berakt or Bishkel, and most of them were assault team leader level beastmen.
At that moment, Hedo fully understood the situation.
'Kinzelo didn't come to destroy the shipyard alone. They used the shipyard attack to divert attention, and the top executives are targeting other places. Somewhere with the real information.'
Right here, the Tower of the White Night.
As long as Kinzelo isn't insane, they won't target Drakka.
After being convinced of Kinzelo's intentions, he once again watched Jin and understood his movements.
'Jin Runcandel is aiming for here too. And he's calculating when to enter the 2nd Magic tower to make the best use of Kinzelo!'
Having read the intruders' objectives and moves, it was now time to respond.
"Hedo, how about this shirt and coat? I specially ordered them for the Golden Pengi's upper echelons, and they say that this is exactly his taste. They even went into great detail explaining how close they are to him. I was even jealous, and I almost killed them."
"Young lady, how many reinforcements did you send earlier?"
"How do you like the clothes!"
"They're beautiful. But could you please let me know how many Magic tower mages you dispatched to the shipyard?"
"I sent them all."
"....I must have misheard. Could you please tell me again?"
"I thought the Magic Tower mages would make a fuss and disturb my enjoyment with my husband, so I just told them to go away."
"The emergency standby personnel?"
"Yes!"
"And the spatial-time device..."
"The bastard used it in the Gaifa Archipelago and broke it to pieces."
"Oh, I see."
"What a fool!"
Ping! Hedo's muscles bulged further, popping the buttons on his shirt. When he felt intense stress or anger, his muscles tended to swell.
However, what made him so angry was not Sandra's cheerful response. The first reason was the broken spatial-time device, and the second reason was the actions of the Spectre corps.
'Are those spectres fools? Even if young lady ordered them, how can they just leave?'
It was highly unlikely.
The Spectre corps had shown contempt for Sandra. Sandra's orders would have been irrational and bizarre to anyone who heard them, so at the very least, they should have come to receive confirmation from him.
"Octavia Zipfel looked down on the young lady, so her subordinates will regard her as a brat and treat her like this.'
Trrddung, thud! Tshak!
His shirt completely tore apart, revealing his "enormous" physique.
The incredibly powerful muscles, which no one could forget once they saw them, had repeatedly surpassed their limits. They combined remarkable strength with an indescribable beauty.
'I guess I should give them a warning.'
Hedo ground his teeth, and Sandra hummed.
"Anyway, isn't this outfit beautiful? Hedo praising it is a first since I was five, isn't it? Shall I pick this one? Haha, what if Jin falls head over heels for me!? Here I come, Jin! Just a little while longer... Ah!"
As Sandra was about to rush out, Hedo grabbed her by the back of her neck.
"What are you trying to do?"
"....young lady, your outfit looks great, but it has too many wrinkles. And your hair is all over the place."
"Really?"
"It's better to have a well-dressed appearance, especially when you're about to meet someone you admire. You should take a bath; I'll lay out your clothes in the meantime. I'll also select some appropriate jewelry for you."
Hedo carefully dusted off the dirt from Sandra's shoulders.
"What if I can't meet my husband? Jin has to escape soon. Reinforcements will swarm from Drakka like cockroaches."
"Don't worry, young lady. Jin Runcandel will come here."
"What did you say? Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"And if he doesn't come?"
"If by any chance my assumptions are wrong, I will personally capture him and bring him here."
Hedo had never disappointed her before, so Sandra nodded immediately.
"Alright! It's a good thing I sent everyone out. A second meeting in this empty tower is so romantic. Hedo, you will also leave when Jin comes, understood? I want to spend some time alone with him."
To avoid lying (since Kinzelo and Joshua would arrive too), Hedo changed the topic with a smile.
"And, young lady, before you go for a bath, please give me the key."
He was referring to the key to the vault that stored the most important items of the Second Magic Tower, including the ship blueprints.
In such a situation, it was safer to keep them in his possession than leaving them in the vault.
"Here, take it."
Sandra handed over the key she was wearing around her neck.
Then as she was about to turn around, she remembered something and said to Hedo.
"Oh, Hedo, before you tell me to dress properly, you should put on some clothes yourself. What's with that? Everything is torn to shreds, and you're barely wearing bits of cloth and fabric. Even your glasses are crooked."
Sandra jumped up and adjusted Hedo's glasses. They were still crooked, but Hedo chuckled.
"I never thought I would be serving someone as shameless and crazy as you."
"I also didn't know I would fall in love with Jin."
The two of them left the room together. Sandra went to the bathroom, and Hedo headed to the vault.
'By the way, Runcandel and Kinzelo really have potential. I thought they would only focus on the shipyard, but it seems they're conscious of this place as well.'
As Hedo was putting the key into the vault, he paused and raised an eyebrow.
This was because the sensation of the key entering the lock felt strange. It was as if someone else had already opened the vault today. An unsettling feeling, like the key entering too smoothly.
Click!
He quickly opened the vault.
The inside was empty, and Hedo could only touch his forehead once again.
490
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Suaak-!
Joshua swung his sword once, and the bodies of five mages were split in two. Other mages nearby tried to escape and were killed by the sword of Jane, the black knight next to them, without even being able to utter a final scream.
Thirty minutes had passed since their infiltration.
During that time, they had killed more than two hundred managers and mages, and also cut down more than thirty of Kinzelo's members and beastmen who misfortunately witnessed the scene.
Reinforcements from Drakka and the 2nd Magic tower had already entered the underground shipyard.
They had managed to suppress Kinzelo, but they had not encountered Joshua and his group yet because the shipyard was vast, coupled with the exceptional stealth capabilities of Joshua and his group, but it was only a matter of time before they would be discovered.
Rather than continuing to move, Joshua and Jane waited for another Black Knight while purging the evidence.
"Mon is here, 2nd flagbearer."
Joshua turned his head in response to Jane's words. The Black Knight named Mon, had been observing Jin's movements for the past 20 minutes instead of moving with them.
The reason Joshua had instructed Mon to stay behind Jin was simple: he was uncertain whether Jin had figured out that the blueprints were in the 2nd Magic tower.
"What did it seem like?"
"He didn't take the shortest path to the 17th and 19th sections. It looked as if he was carefully monitoring Kinzelo's members' actions."
"Did you personally hear what my brothers were discussing?"
"The 12th flagbearer was on high alert, and Zipfel's reinforcements were continuously being added. Above all, Murakan's senses were sharp. If I had gotten even a little closer, it would have become a problem."
Not everything is possible even for Black Knight.
It was difficult for the Black Knight to get close enough to hear Jin, Murakan, and Diphus without being detected. The only reason he could get even a glimpse of their path was because Mon was a Black Knight.
They aren't using the shortest path.
Joshua reflected on that fact and shook his head.
"I think it would be best to move on the assumption that Jin is clearly aware of the battleship blueprints being in the 2nd Magic Tower. My ominous feeling seems to have been correct."
"I share the same opinion. Even if he hadn't been aware of the 2nd Magic tower at all, he would have realized it after seeing Kinzelo's terror. The 12th flagbearer is sharp and has insight, so there's no way he would have missed it."
"We should actively use Jin and his group from now on. Kinzelo will also send real powerhouses, who are not participating in terrorism, to the 2nd Magic Tower."
"It's a bit bothersome that we didn't share information about the 2nd Magic tower with the 4th and 12th flagbearers from the beginning."
"That's not a problem, Sir Mon. Dame Jane. I didn't withhold information about the 2nd Magic tower from my brothers because I wanted to monopolize it."
Joshua genuinely believed that Jin and Diphus would divert the attention of Zipfels within the shipyard and he could easily obtain the blueprints.
If only Kinzelo hadn't acted like this.
"That's right. The real problem is that our information was leaked to Kinzelo. The only individuals who could break through the guards of the three of us and extract information are primarily Yona Runcandel and Nameless King. But it seems unlikely that Nameless personnel were involved in this incident."
"Kinzelo's leader may have used a special power, or there might have been some demons involved. At the moment, even the Prophet was not able to find the location of the battleship blueprints without leaving any trace and anyone knowing."
Mon and Jane replied like that, but in fact, there were traces that numerous humans were used to help the Prophet find out the location of the battleship blueprint. Her prophecies and magic always required a living human as a catalyst.
However, the two Black Knights were not aware of that.
"We will confirm the leakage of information through the Prophet at a later time."
Joshua fell into thought for a moment.
'No matter how the information was leaked, it's certain that I have to compete with Kinzelo. And Jin... will likely be thinking of taking advantage of the opportunity created by my involvement with Kinzelo to rob the 2nd Magic tower.'
For now, let's go along with Jin's plans.
That's the conclusion Joshua reached.
'Perhaps it's for the best. After all, my original plan was to infiltrate the 2nd Magic tower on my own without Kinzelo. The cooperation of Jin, Murakan, and Diphus might actually be helpful. Besides, both Jin and Kinzelo won't be holding onto this.'
Joshua reached into the pocket of his infiltration suit and touched an item.
It was a key, the key to the 2nd Magic tower's vault that Sandra Zipfel had been wearing around her neck.
Before infiltrating the Sota Desert, the Prophet had thoroughly copied the vault's location and its contents, even replicating this key.
-It's impossible to access the vault in the 2nd Magic tower quickly without this key. There are hundreds of illusion and defensive spells in place. They don't activate if you have the key.
-Are you sure?
-When have I ever lied?
-Well, wouldn't it have been better to just copy the blueprints itself?
-You're spouting nonsense again. That wouldn't have been impossible with more materials. I managed to create the infiltration tunnel, locate the vault and even replicated the key for you with the limited resources I had. You should be grateful for that. Did you think a dead demon like Rontelgius Lampen could accomplish something like this?
-... What do you mean?
-Did you think I wouldn't know that you were relying on that demon bastard? I just turned a blind eye to your pitiful and comical acts. Now make sure to succeed this time, and bring back the battleship blueprints and the item.
Joshua recalled the conversation he had with the Prophet before their departure.
'I didn't know that the Prophet had information about Lampen, but it doesn't matter now. Jin will find the true nature of the shadow force marble, and if it's as significant as my intuition suggests, I can take it back at that time.'
From some point on, the Prophet had been needling Joshua, poking at his pride and showing signs of betrayal, but the Prophet was undoubtedly Joshua's most crucial asset.
'Furthermore, if the leader and other special individuals from Kinzelo had abilities greater than or equal to the Prophet's, they would have taken not only the plans of our operation but this key as well.'
Joshua was still the most likely candidate to plunder the items from the 2nd Magic tower.
As his thoughts came together, he felt reassured that the situation would once again unfold according to his calculations.
"Sir Mon."
Joshua said with a determined tone.
"Please speak, 2nd flagbearer."
"We will stop being in the shadows and move quickly. Sir Mon, you need to divert Zipfel's attention from now on."
Although they had already slain over two hundred managers and mages, as well as more than thirty Kinzelo members, Joshua and his group were still in the middle of their infiltration mission. Zipfels had only suffered casualties due to the acts of terror.
Joshua's words meant that they should stop the infiltration and start causing destruction.
If the Kinzelo's members at the level of assault team commander or lower, who were running rampant in the shipyard, were small fish, the Black Knight was a whale. The miscellaneous fish could not overcome its presence.
"I and Dame Jane will head straight for the 2nd Magic tower. If possible, join us after the destruction, but prioritize your survival and escape."
"Understood."
"And, Sir Mon, please tell me the path Jin and his group took. It's time to team up with him once again."
***
A sudden pause.
Jin and his group, who were running, stopped at the same time. This was because they sensed a strong energy and explosion out of nowhere, as if an awl had popped out.
While the acts of terror were ongoing, this level of change was something that even those who had reached this level could feel.
"Hey, what's going on? Were there Kinzelo guys with this much energy? With this kind of vibration, a couple of entire sections over there seem to have vanished."
"It's towards the 4th and 11th sections, Lord Murakan. That's where Joshua and the black knights were, so it could be that a battle broke out between them and spectres who came for support."
"...No, I don't sense any magic at all, elder brother Diphus. If an explosion of this magnitude were caused by magic, it should have altered the flow of mana within the facility."
"In that case, Joshua might have genuinely attacked the 4th and 11th sections."
"As I anticipated, Joshua may have left one black knight behind in the shipyard to act as a diversion."
"Is the black knight pretending to have genuinely attacked the 4th and 11th sections, and Joshua is seizing the opportunity to head to the 2nd Magic tower?"
Normally, he would have questioned whether his guess was going too far, but Diphus had decided to trust Jin after seeing Joshua's decision to continue the mission. At least for this mission.
"In any case, now the Zipfel supporting forces are likely to converge over there. This means that the optimal moment for us to enter the 2nd Magic tower is imminent. Let's wait for a moment to see if the vibrations are moving closer or further away."
The vibrations were rapidly moving further away.
"It seems that the black knight..."
Jin, who had been talking up to that point, suddenly held his breath and put his index finger to his lips. Seeing that, Murakan and Diphus also quickly killed their presence.
A distant scream could be heard.
Jin and his group were currently near the 17th section, and like Joshua and his group, they had come here and killed most of Zipfels and members of Kinzelo. Particularly, they did not leave a single mages alive who came to support from the 2nd Magic tower.
In other words, there weren't many survivors left near the 17th section. Therefore, unless there were newly arrived reinforcements, there shouldn't have been any sound of rapid footsteps.
'The sound of footsteps is too scarce to be reinforcements. And the footsteps are too fast. It's like highly trained warriors running at full speed.'
Someone was coming towards Jin and his group after slaughtering the remnants near the 17th section.
Diphus and Murakan could also feel the sound of those footsteps rushing carelessly as if there were no need to be cautious.
And shortly after that, Jin and his group, who were hiding in the pipes near the entrance of the 17th section, could witness two figures disappearing as fast as light.
"Joshua and the black knight...!"
Diphus was the first to speak.
There was only one black knight. He got goosebumps all over his body at the fact that the prediction made by Jin was accurate once again.
"Oh, kid. You were right."
Murakan also whistled in amazement, but Jin had a rather stern expression.
"That may not be a good thing, elder brother Diphus."
Diphus raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Why?"
"It was perfect to leave one black knight to attract attention and enter the 2nd Magic tower in the meantime. But doesn't it look like he is heading for the 2nd Magic tower if he wants us to see it?"
"Hmm."
"If they're running at full speed, it means they must want to go there as fast as they can. Even though we're on a path that's relatively close to the 2nd Magic tower, there's a separate shortcut. In other words, Joshua should have taken a different path, not this one."
Listening to Jin, they realized that it was indeed the case.
"If that's the case, Joshua might have been trailing us to figure out our path."
"Kid, maybe they were just running in a hurry without much thought?"
"Murakan, didn't you say earlier that it felt like someone was following us from behind?"
"Well, I did mention that. I had a feeling, but I was uncertain."
"And elder brother Diphus and I also felt that way, right?"
There was a moment of silence.
"..... Phew, fine. I don't know about Joshua, but a black knight would have been able to confirm our path from a distance. So why? If they checked our path, it should be for the purpose of secretly infiltrating the 2nd Magic tower, shouldn't it? There's no reason for him to intentionally let us know, right?"
Diphus spoke, sounding frustrated, and Jin pondered for a moment.
"Well, maybe it's because he's confident about something. What that something is... honestly, I can't think of it right away. I guess it's our turn to be dragged by Joshua."