511
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***
Luna gave up the throne, Jin's patriarchy declaration, and the fall of Joshua. Among the significant events of the current generation, this incident undoubtedly had the greatest impact on the clan.
No one expected Joshua to fall like this.
He had always been the next patriarch after Luna gave up the throne, and there was Rosa's strong support and favoritism behind it.
However, it was Rosa herself who brought down Joshua. Moreover, she did it in a cruel manner, trampling on his dignity and tarnished his honor, all in front of everyone.
"Ha, it's refreshing. But it does feel a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't someone who would go down so easily... Well, regardless of his intentions, he obstructed an important mission and lost two Black Knights. It's not unreasonable."
Pong, clink...
Diphus' eyes were blank as he spoke while filling the glass. He had been looking forward to the day when Joshua fell since his childhood, but seeing it come to an end in this way made him feel an unpleasant sense of futility instead of excitement.
Even after pouring down hard liquor that an ordinary person could not even drink in one sip, the bitterness in his throat wasn't soothing.
In truth, Diphus harbored not only resentment but also affection for Joshua. It wasn't a lukewarm sentiment; it was a mix of regret for not being able to deal with his old enemy with his own hands, and the feeling of helplessness over the fact that his mother's words weighed incomparably more than the authority and fighting spirit he still maintained as a high-ranking flagbearer.
These things tormented Diphus.
"By the way, youngest, you went too far. If you knew he was a clone, couldn't you at least have given him a warning? No, wait... I must have been stupid for not knowing until now. Ever since you told me with your wicked tongue and ridiculed him, suggesting to kill Joshua together in the Sota Desert, I felt there might be something."
"You've been talking to yourself and answering on your own from earlier. Looks like there's no need for a drinking buddy, elder brother. If my elder sister Mary were here, you would have heard quite a bit."
"That girl would have understood me. If you see the prey you have been targeting for decades being taken away, it will turn your insides upside down or not."
At those words, Jin quietly smiled coldly.
A total of 48 years, 28 in the past life and 20 in the current one. During nearly half a century, Jin's greatest enemy changed twice.
In the past life, his own clan, the Runcandel, was his greatest enemy, while in the current life, he faced Zipfel as Runcandel through various events.
However, foes and enemies are different concepts. The one Jin personally held the greatest grudge against remained unchanged since discovering the details of his curse.
'Joshua Runcandel....'
So, Jin also lost his prey, and there was no way he wouldn't feel bad. In fact, he was barely suppressing a feeling of emptiness even more than that of Diphus.
The reason was none other.
"I don't think it will end like this."
"It would feel less dirty that way, but this time it was definitely over. There's no way Mother will forgive him, and even if she did, who would follow Joshua after seeing him shutter and shake like that? It's an unthinkable thing in other knight clans, but this is Runcandel."
Jin took the drink offered by Diphus and downed five or six glasses in a row.
"Come to think of it, isn't it a bit strange?"
"What is?"
"If Mother had officially referred Joshua to the clan trial and ordered an investigation to uncover the truth of the mission, he might not have fallen so miserably. To put it bluntly, even if he shared information from the beginning, it might have been impossible to save both Black Knights as long as there was a variable like Hedo."
Hedo, the tower keeper of the White Night.
After reporting the mission, Jin and Diphus still hadn't heard any information about him from Rosa and the elder council.
Whether Rosa and the elder council didn't know him or there was another reason could not be determined. They only speculated that the latter was much more likely.
"If Mother had done that, she could have caused both you and me to fall in reverse. Joshua is the ultimate responsible as a decision maker, but we also have responsibilities as flagbearers. Even if he's a clone, didn't he use the volcano for the sake of the clan in the end?"
"If that assumption holds, Joshua could even strangely twist things to make us traitors by involving Sondra Zipfel's help. Also, your relationship with Veradin Zipfel is a factor."
"It doesn't seem like Mother would not have known what we could think. No, she must have known. And Mother's goal has always been to make Joshua the next patriarch, but now she has made a decision completely opposite to that."
"In the end, Mother must have acknowledged that he is not fit to be the next patriarch. I don't know why she realized it only now. Damn it, he was so scared that he even dragged the knights and looked like such a fool... If it were me, I would have slit his throat right there."
As Diphus continued to nervously empty his glass, Jin pondered why Rosa attacked Joshua instead of them.
The end.
Diphus's words were not wrong. Those who witnessed Joshua's pathetic state yesterday would never acknowledge and follow him again.
Suddenly.
A new assumption popped into Jin's mind.
"The Prophet."
"What?"
"If Joshua's mind was manipulated by the divine power of the Prophet and dark magic..."
"How could that be? The Joshua who stuttered yesterday was the very image of him being trampled by Father and eldest sister in his childhood. It was Joshua's essence."
"I also know. I don't truly think that the Prophet manipulated Joshua's mind. However, if Mother later claims that and pardons Joshua again... what do you think?"
Thak, Diphus set down his glass.
The Prophet, she has provided critical assistance in this mission using unknown powers, and has also been assisting Joshua and his clan's missions until now.
She had also created Joshua's clone. Although the true identity of the Prophet had not been fully revealed, everyone in Runcandel now knew about her actions and existence.
Some would argue that the Prophet had deviated from the law and should be expelled, some would say she was necessary for confronting enemies, and some would maintain neutrality and stay silent.
But all of them had to admit one thing: Joshua's Prophet possessed truly divine abilities.
-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?
-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.
A conversation between Jin and Diphus in the Sota Desert.
Not only Rosa but also Diphus believed that the power of the Prophet should be used for the clan. To find the legacy of the first patriarch, to slaughter enemies.
This thought became even more solid through the experiences of this mission.
A fleet of over a hundred battleships, Hedo, and even an unknown demon who turned the Black Knight Mon into a cripple. Even though only a part of the enemies' hidden powers had been revealed, they far exceeded the expectations of the flagbearers.
"Mother will never give up the power of the Prophet. The reason she brought down Joshua this time... might be a warning to the Prophet. It is quite possible if the relationship between the mother and the prophet is not as close as that of Joshua."
"So what you're saying is, Mother plans to bind the Prophet, and later blame everything on her and reinstate Joshua?"
"Not only that, Mother re-established her authority by bringing Joshua down. This will erase the blemishes caused by the exile incident. She showed a strong determination by personally destroying the second flagbearer, whom she had supported so much. Regardless of the details, the clan members can't help but fear Mother even more from now on."
"After elevating her power to its limits, bringing Joshua back to the surface, and transferring all authority again... and both guilt and justification are all borne by the Prophet."
There was a moment of silence.
Neither of them refilled their glasses.
"...That's not entirely impossible. No, it is quite likely. If Joshua at the moment of his reinstatement can show a strengthened appearance, convincing enough for anyone to think that his previous shortcomings were due to the Prophet's mind manipulation."
If Rosa takes over the power to mercilessly purge all those who doubt Joshua at that time, and if his own battle prowess becomes the strongest in name and reality.
Joshua's reinstatement was very possible.
"There's one more thing."
"More?"
"Do you know how the Prophet creates Joshua's clones?"
-Do you also know how that woman creates Joshua's clones?
-I only know that a lot of humans are needed.
-...What?
-It seems like they use the death row inmates of Huphester. If Sir Joshua sends them to the Prophet, new bodies are created... He mainly used those bodies to handle tasks like dealing with people like me. To strengthen the prospective contractors and directly suppress them when they run out of control.
After killing Joshua's clone for the first time in Bluebirds islands, Jin heard from Yulian that the Prophet used humans as materials.
Later, he happened to hear about the strange execution of death row inmates at 'Rikalton' from Emma and was trying to track down the related details. After the Black King's incident, he sent the Black Knight Dox there.
"Human beings are used as materials. A large number of them. This is information I obtained by capturing his direct hunting dog when I was a reserve flagbearer."
"Ha. If that's true, he has to face an even greater punishment..."
"But Joshua is already in the dungeon. There's no way to dig deeper. At least not officially. Who would dare to claim that Joshua, whom Mother personally brought down, should be further trampled? I have one witness, but there's still no concrete evidence. I can't make such claims lightly."
Diphus felt as if a cool breeze passed over his back.
His senses dulled by the alcohol suddenly sharpened, and a shiver ran down his spine.
'If what the youngest says is true... then Joshua's fall is just a successful ploy of Mother...!'
Of course, all of this was just speculation.
However, two people who knew the human named Rosa Runcandel as her sons….. they had an intuition that this speculation was very close to the truth.
"So, it's not the time to soothe our bitterness with alcohol. The fight is just beginning."
512
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***
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...
Anne was constantly tapping her index finger on the table. She sometimes bites her nails, unable to hide her anxiety.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it...!"
On the opposite side, Myu also couldn't conceal her troubled expression.
It is no exaggeration to say that the sisters were surviving in the clan by focusing solely on Joshua.
They never stood out in any period. Not when they were reserve flagbearers, not when they became flagbearers, and not even now.
In particular, things have been going downhill ever since they lost a ranking war with Jin, who was a 15-year-old intermediate cadet.
Chiron and Rosa never showed any interest in them.
They were not praised even when they achieved something that could be considered an achievement. And they were not severely reprimanded when they made mistakes.
Myu and Anne were like air. Just like other pure-bloods who did not show an 'exceptional' appearance.
"Even air is necessary... tsk. We are just useless decorations to highlight the outstanding siblings. Looking back, we've always been in such a position."
"What are you suddenly talking about, unnie? Is this the time to get lost in such thoughts? Our Oldest brother is finished now!"
"It didn't happen, it's already over. So, we're done too. Now, we're no different from chickens about to have their necks twisted."
"Ha! Mother would never give up oldest brother so easily. She must have some thoughts. Something, definitely, in her mind...."
Unfortunately, Myu and Anne had no way of seeing what Jin had insight into.
The sisters were silent, with dark faces, recalling the day they had been slapped by Luna a long time ago.
-From what I've observed, the youngest is not a very merciful child. You two better be careful from now on.
-...Is there still something left to ridicule? Unnie.
-No, I'm saying this because I'm genuinely worried about you. It has felt like things have been going astray for a while, but you two are still my sisters.
The youngest is not a very merciful child.
When Myu and Anne heard these words from Luna, they were confident that Jin would never be able to defeat Joshua.
However, it would have been better if they had been a bit more cautious. The sisters always showed more hostility towards Jin than necessary, and the results were never good, especially now, which was the worst.
"...Should we go to the youngest and plead?"
"Anne."
"You never know. Just like what we did to our oldest brother, we can offer to be his right hand if he asks."
"We were never his right hand. What benefit did we provide to our oldest brother? If we caused trouble, the oldest brother would just cover it up. He took us in because we looked pitiful. Maybe he saw himself in us, who were trampled on every time."
"Damn it, then, are you suggesting that we just sit still and wait to die, unnie?"
There weren't many siblings who could take the vacant position of the next patriarch. There were only four: Luntia, Diphus, Mary, and Jin. Among them, the sisters considered Jin to have the highest possibility.
Anyone who saw his patriarchy declaration would think the same. And if Jin became the patriarch, they were destined to be purged.
The same would happen even if another sibling, rather than Jin, ascended the throne. It occurred to them that there was no way to avoid the purge, as Jin would not be eliminated and would hold important positions due to his ability and the legacy of the first patriarch.
"...No, we need to find a new umbrella."
"Yes! Unnie, that's right! We can't die like this."
"First, we need to find out why Mother abandoned oldest brother. Maybe... it could be because of our eldest sister?"
Anne's eyes widened.
"Eldest sister?"
"Why would Father take the eldest sister to the Black Sea Expedition for no reason? Maybe he wanted to show her something there and try to change eldest sister's mind. Mother knew that, so she abandoned oldest brother Joshua. It's frustrating, but eldest sister is still the best flagbearer."
"If the eldest sister just expresses her intention to become the patriarch like you said, then there is no one who can object to her. I think we can survive if our eldest sister ascends to the throne…"
Despair sometimes leads people into a dim world of imagination. The sisters were saying nonsense, pushing away the reality that there was no way for that to happen.
"Or, isn't Luntia Unnie looking for the legacy of the first patriarch? If she achieves good results, Mother might push Luntia Unnie instead of oldest brother Joshua. The possibility is higher for Luntia Unnie than eldest sister."
"After a few days, I might as well go visit Mother...."
The moment she said that, laughter suddenly came from behind the table.
"Ahahaha...."
Srrk!
The sisters drew their swords at the same time, assuming a defensive stance.
The place where the sisters were was Myu's room. Despite being in a state of despair, they were still flagbearers of Runcandel. It gave them goosebumps that they didn't notice at all until someone got this close.
'There was no sign at all?'
'This voice...!'
Surprisingly, the laughter belonged to someone the sisters knew well.
"I can't listen anymore! Young ladies. Do you really think Joshua is finished?"
Mischievously bright eyes, black hair, and delicate body.
"Ilina...?"
Ilina Runcandel.
It was shocking enough that someone had infiltrated without any sign, but the fact that it was Ilina made it even more surprising.
She is Joshua's wife.
"Since when have you been there?"
"How can someone so foolish and incompetent wear the coat of a flagbearer? The Runcandel I knew wasn't like this."
Ilina had never been so impolite and hostile to the sisters before.
The flagbearers of the Runcandel rarely married until the patriarch of the generation was determined and the battle of hegemony came to an end.
This was because the risk of their spouses and children being purged and assassinated was too high.
Furthermore, when a new patriarch was selected, the surviving siblings usually have strategic marriages according to the clan's orders.
However, since Joshua had already been the next patriarch for a long time, he married Ilina.
Everyone thought that the reason Joshua married Ilina, who was not the daughter of a famous knight clan, had an unknown origin, and had no special abilities, was just an impulse or a passing passion.
As if to prove that point, the wedding was very modest, and the marriage was not publicly disclosed.
Ilina lived quietly like a shadow after marriage, never interfering in power struggles or expressing greed. Joshua also rarely visited her after their honeymoon.
Therefore, the clan members believed that once Joshua found a new bride after becoming the patriarch, Ilina would naturally disappear.
Even the sisters, who were now unexpectedly facing her, thought the same.
She had no personal power, just Joshua's wife, a powerless figure. Yet, such a powerless figure was mocking them.
It wouldn't be a problem to kill her with a single blow. Since Joshua was imprisoned in the dungeon, Ilina would also undergo a process of downfall or expulsion. However, for some reason,
Their hands holding the swords did not move. The sisters intuitively realized something. Ilina was not the inconspicuous person they thought she was.
Moreover, if they drew their swords now, the one who would fall wouldn't be Ilina, who was just a nobody until yesterday, but rather themselves.
"You... what is this?"
"What is it, young ladies? Just your sister-in-law."
"I am not asking that because I don't know!"
"Anyway, you have no talent other than barking loudly, right? The reason my orphan cherishes you is precisely because of that incompetence."
Thump, thump, Ilina slowly approached step by step.
"Back off."
"Go away...!"
Myu and Anne unconsciously took a step back as they saw her shadow growing larger.
The shadow beneath Ilina's feet depicted something entirely different from her delicate body—something like a demon, a monster, or something even more horrifying. The sisters' breathing suddenly became heavier as they observed the change in the shadow.
It felt like an irresistible darkness was closing in.
In the end, the sisters couldn't swing their swords until Ilina was right in front of them. They were just shaking and sweating.
"P-please spare... spare us..."
The flagbearers of Runcandel are begging for life in a daze. They completely surrendered just facing Ilina.
Even if they were deemed incompetent, it was only insufficient when discussing the next patriarch of Runcandel.
The sisters had traversed countless battlefields as flagbearers of the Runcandel, facing numerous formidable opponents and overcoming them.
The sisters had never shown signs of fear even when facing opponents stronger than themselves.
Whether it was Luna slapping them, Mary beating them, or challenging Jin whenever the opportunity arose.
However, as they had never experienced the wrath of Chiron, the sisters could only be sure that there was no greater terror in the world than this.
Ilina looked at the sisters and gently smiled.
"You don't have to be afraid, young ladies. I won't harm you."
Whoosh...!
Ilina's massive shadow surged upward, enveloping her.
The sisters, looking up at that figure, were laughing and shedding tears.
In a moment of despair, it felt like they had grasped the helping hand offered by fate.
"Haha...!"
[I am the Prophet of Calamity.]
Ilina, emerging from the shadow, had a completely different appearance from before.
The darkness that could be described as her body filled the spacious room, and her button-like face in the middle of it all had a grotesque shape, swollen as if it would burst at any moment.
[Orphans, take my hand.]
Myu and Anne knelt down, extending trembling hands toward Ilina. Something indescribable, cold yet warm, seemed to grasp their hands.
[I will become your parent. Say you want it.]
"We want it..."
Then, the shadow of the sisters shattered like broken glass.
One of the largest pieces was absorbed into Ilina's arms.
[The despair you have embraced as sorrowful orphans will make you even more valuable...]
Soon, Ilina's body became smaller again.
There was an ordinary-looking shadow beneath her feet, which had returned to the way the sisters remembered. The sisters remained kneeling.
"Your role is to save our orphan, Joshua. Young ladies, you are taking that responsibility. You can handle it, right?"
The sisters nodded their heads with newfound faith.
513
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***
Dungeon, the lowest level.
It had been two days since Joshua was confined here.
His limbs were bound to the wall, his eyes devoid of focus.
The gag in his mouth, fastened tightly, rendered him unable to even bite his own tongue.
'It can't end like this...….'
But what could I do?
His bound limbs were pierced with iron spikes like nannies of reserve flagbearers, and the knights he trusted turned out to be servants of his mother.
The siblings, once regarded as close as Myu and Anne, had no power to rescue him, and the elder council was no different.
He couldn't pin his hopes on the hunting dogs raised outside the clan.
They couldn't possibly break through this dungeon, and, from the start, his hunting dogs were not as blindly devoted as Taimyun's offspring.
The hunting dogs would lose their focus and collapse.
Now that he has fallen, the other flagbearers closest to the throne.
Luntia, Diphus, Mary, and Jin. There was only a slim chance if they personally petitioned, but that is absolutely impossible.
Even if his father in the Black Sea knew of this fact, there was no chance of him revoking his mother's order.
Even ending his own life was impossible.
The dungeon of Runcandel was not a place to kill prisoners.
Whether the subject was human, dragon, demon, or anything else, the goal was to isolate the prisoner in complete solitude until the end of their lives.
If a person refuses to eat, he or she is forced to eat, and suicide attempts were futile.
Not even the prophet could get him out of this place.
'I can't do anything. I can't rely on anything.'
If there was at least one thing, a sliver of hope to bet on.
'Mother.'
The cruel mother who had pushed him into this very hell, personally coming forward to offer a way back up to the surface.
That was the only means to ascend again.
Kiiing...
The sound of the entrance to the lowest level opening echoed from afar.
Joshua, fixing his blurry gaze, looked towards the closed door.
If that door opened, his mother would come in, or so he hoped.
It was quite a while after that the door of Joshua's prison cell finally opened.
"What a sight, 2nd flagbearer... Ah, no, you're not a flagbearer anymore."
An old, serpent-like voice.
It was Jorden Runcandel.
He pulled out Joshua's gag and clicked his tongue.
"How does it feel to fall?"
"Chief of Black Sword Association...!"
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't come to mock you."
Jorden then freed Joshua's limbs that were tied to the wall.
"I may not have been imprisoned, but my situation is not much different from yours."
"What are you talking about?"
"I may not have lost my limbs, but I've lost everything else. Though I haven't suffered public disgrace like you, my pride has been trampled to the ground by the acting matriarch of the clan."
Black Sword Association, clan's punishment unit composed of particularly powerful elders.
Jorden was no longer their leader.
Although he still held the position of Chief of Black Sword Association, the command had completely passed to Rosa.
Of course, all the forces of the clan were in the hands of the patriarch and the acting matriarch. Still, Jorden could no longer personally maneuver the Black Sword Association under any circumstances.
It was because of the Exile Incident.
"Both you and I. We fell at the hands of the 12th flagbearer."
"I..."
"Are you trying to say that you are here not as a result of being defeated by the 12th flagbearer, but because of the acting matriarch?"
Joshua couldn't answer.
"Stop denying it. We lost. Perfectly."
"..... What are your plans, Chief of Black Sword Association?"
"Fortunately, my head is still attached, so I have to plan for the next step. You're asking the obvious. And... aren't you in the same situation?"
"In the same situation... As far as I know, you have never experienced such a fall. Didn't you survive after being treated like a bug by my father? Did you gnaw away yourself with the futile desire to become the patriarch? Did you lose the Black Sword Association? Not a single one of these can be compared to the cold floor of this dungeon."
Snickering, Jorden let out a laugh.
"Kids like you might think so."
"Huh, you said you didn't come to mock. In the end, you came to gloat at a loser who is even lower than you."
"No, I came because I envy you."
"What?"
"Soon, the acting matriarch will come visit you."
Joshua's eyes widened.
Only now did it seem like he understood the meaning behind Jorden's words.
"If you show your mother the same degrading behavior as you are doing to me now, then it may really be the end. I came early because I was worried that such a thing might happen."
"Mother... Did Mother say she's coming to visit me?"
"Mother, Mother, Mother. You really are fundamentally a child. It's almost humiliating to have the same last name as you. I never had a mother like you. Besides, my rival was not the 12th flagbearer, but flagbearer Chiron Runcandel. Once I fell, I had to spend an eternity unable to rise back to the surface."
A bitter smile crept onto Jorden's lips.
"Now it's time for you to bear that weight. When you finish your seclusion training and return to the world... I wish I could see you shed your fragile shell."
"Seclusion training? Do you believe that I can turn things around now with something like that?"
"In the end, what rules the martial arts clan is the overwhelming martial arts that everyone has no choice but to follow. I, too, have ignored that fact for too long, using your father's shadow as an excuse."
Jorden turns around.
"It is up to you to change hell into paradise. This is not a statement made as the Chief of Black Sword Association but as a companion."
Jorden left the dungeon.
And on the stairs, he encountered Rosa, who was descending into the dungeon.
"Acting matriarch."
"I suppose you didn't come down to look at the ghosts of the dungeon. Did you meet Joshua?"
"That's correct."
"You've done something unnecessary."
"If parents are cruel, someone in the family should treat them warmly, shouldn't they?"
"Have you regained confidence after losing everything? You speak so arrogantly."
"I just recalled the essence of the clan that I had forgotten."
"If many people had not forgotten from the beginning, today's Runcandel wouldn't have been so precarious."
"But the acting matriarch hasn't become dull either."
Rosa smiled, as if it was ridiculous.
"The words of the powerless are nothing more than complaints. If you want to foil my mood, let alone my sword and body. Prove it. Finish perfecting that lowly sword of yours, as I suggested. That's what I left your neck for."
During the brief time Rosa passed by Jorden and entered the lowest level,
Joshua was thinking about what Jorden had just said and what Black Knight Jane showed him before she died.
-I hope my current state becomes a lesson to you.
Jane's parting words and the visit from the Chief of Black Sword Association.
They could not change the essence of Joshua Runcandel in an instant.
It remained just points of discussion.
As Rosa entered, Joshua straightened his posture.
"You've come, acting matriarch."
Thunk!
Rosa suddenly thrust the blade of Frenzy into his right shoulder.
"Ugh...!"
Flesh tore, and blood spurted.
Then, with a light and swift swing, the sword left a gash on Joshua's left shoulder.
Fear struck again.
A fear he had never overcome, the fear of his parents.
A new fear created by the indiscriminate attacks of his mother, who seemed determined never to let him go.
"You will say you have exhausted your strength, but does that mean you can't even react to a sword like this? It was a speed that even advanced cadets could avoid."
"Acting matriarch...!"
"Well, now you don't dare to call me mother anymore. But is that all? If it were those exceptional children, your sisters and brothers, they would have avoided it."
The frenzy swung again, this time it slashed Joshua's chest.
The depth of the blade was not shallow at all.
"Guh!"
"No, did you barely manage to dodge? Luntia, Diphus, Mary, Jin wouldn't be screaming like you! They would be looking straight into my eyes and attempting to counterattack. Regardless of the reason or who was wrong, once the blade strikes!"
Squeak!
"And if it were Luna, she would have taken the frenzy and aimed it at my neck. Wouldn't that child be able to do that even after losing her strength? So, why wouldn't Chiron and I regret it so much?"
What Joshua was enduring, the stabbing and slashing of the blade, was truly nothing compared to the excruciating pain inflicted by comparisons and feelings of inferiority.
"Kraaaah! What do you expect me to do!"
Joshua's jaw was turned and his sternum was shattered as he rushed at her recklessly.
It was not a counterattack but an outburst.
"Kuk, cough."
"Why can't you do something like that? Why couldn't you, the child of prophecy, do that?"
At those words, Joshua blamed his mother for the first time in his life.
"You... raised me like this."
"I don't have memories of raising you like that."
"No, you're right. You raised me like this!"
"No, I didn't raise you like that."
"And didn't you give birth to me like this? Luna, Luntia, Diphus, Mary, Jin! Why didn't you pass on to me talents like theirs? They are all your creations...!"
"Talent? Fine, I admit about Luna. But do you really think the other kids are more talented than you and that's why I put you here? You simply didn't struggle as much as they did. Despite giving you so many chances... Ah, if I say this, now you'll say those opportunities were poison, right?"
Rosa let out a bitter laugh.
Joshua fell forward and was shaking.
He wanted to get up again, but his body, slashed and stabbed mercilessly by Frenzy, refused to respond.
"I'll admit that too. Now that I think about it, the opportunities I gave you over the past few decades seem to be poison. I didn't expect just spoon-feeding wouldn't be enough. If I had known I had to chew it for you in advance, you might not be here right now."
"What... kind of... nonsense is this?"
"Did you really think I would send only you flagbearers and the two Black Knights in Sota Desert, on that important mission... ?"
514
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Sota Desert.
The flagbearers and the black knights were not the only ones who performed their mission there.
'Other members... there were more?'
Joshua barely raised his head and looked at Rosa. Her expression was not visible due to the darkness of the dungeon.
"Four Black Knights, the 1st division of the Black Sword Association, and others I personally hired... I was also there in the desert."
"What...!"
Certainly, not just Joshua.
Jin, Diphus, Mon and even Jane had no idea that Rosa and her knights were in the Sota Desert.
They didn't start together. Rosa and her knights entered the desert after the group initiated the operation. And their goal was not only to succeed in the mission to steal the blueprints.
"I watched you."
What choices do the flagbearers make and how do they succeed in their mission?
In particular, what kind of judgment does Joshua make?
Rosa had carefully observed the overall flow of the mission in the desert with the troops she personally led.
-Acting Patriarch, only Mon is left in the underground shipyard. The 2nd flagbearer seems to have decided to monopolize the information. However, since Kinzelo also moved at the same time, it will be revealed soon.
-We confirmed that the 4th flagbearer, 12th flagbearer, Murakan start moving. We decided to withdraw as tracking them further would likely expose us to detection by the crystal balls.
-If it's the youngest, he probably already knows that it's not the shipyard but the 2nd magic tower. Wait near the 2nd magic tower and report back when the youngest and his group overcomes the barrier.
-Reporting!
Even when the barrier of the 2nd magic tower collapsed due to the Shadow sword, and more than a hundred battleships were revealed, Rosa was not shaken at all, unlike Jin and his group.
She already figured out that much a long time ago. The flagbearers who went to the Sota Desert didn't know, but it wasn't the first time in the long history of the cold war that Zipfel attempted to build a flying fleet centered around Kozec.
-How many spies does Zipfel currently have in the Garden of Swords?
-Exactly confirmed: 97 servants, 20 low-level guardian knights, 12 intermediate-level guardian knights, 5 high-level guardian knights, 15 butlers, 2nd-class or higher butlers and scribes, 2 flagbearers, 5 enforcement knights, 7 elders, and one Black Knight. In addition, it is estimated that there are at least twenty more spies capable of fatal-level intelligence.
-Our Spies in Zipfel?
-At Zipfel's main house, there are 40 servants, 10 low-level mages, 5 intermediate-level mages, one elder, and one tower master. That's all.
It was the last meeting of the flagbearers that was personally convened by Chiron just before leaving for the Black Sea.
On that day, the conversation between Chiron and Luntia had a nuance that Runcandel was far behind in information warfare compared to Zipfel.
However, in reality, it was Runcandel who extracted more critical internal information. Barton Vicenna, the Black Knight who was the worst spy, was killed by Jin and Diphus.
-It was Yona who informed Kinzelo of the flagbearers' operation time.
-It seems so. I didn't expect her to take on such a double request, Madame Rosa.
It is no different from the fact that Rosa was able to hide in the desert throughout the Sota Desert mission, avoiding the eyes of Jin, Yona, Zipfel, and Kinzelo.
There is only one person who rules the City of Samil, the nameless king Owal.
It was thanks to hiring him and the best nameless assassins.
-I'll take on this mission.
-No.
-Even if you stop me, I'll go, hehe.
-If you really have to go. There are some conditions.
Rosa found Owal shortly after Yona left.
-I know that when the youngest was a reserve flagbearer, you delayed Yona's return to the clan under the pretext of Thousand-poison antidote, Sir Owal. However, that doesn't mean you can use Yona to betray Runcandel...
-Betrayal? I simply received a request. Madame Rosa, your words seem a bit excessive.
-It ends as just a bit excessive, given that Chiron is absent and I am here in his place.
-Shouldn't Runcandel be grateful to me for sending Yona to the Sota Desert?
-In this turbulent world, if you did it purely out of your will to stand on Runcandel's side, it would be something to be grateful for, sir.
-That's not entirely wrong either.
-You would have let Yona go on one condition. Bring the original or a copy of the blueprint to Samil. You intended to weigh the balance between the great factions, holding that as a negotiation chip. That, too, is not completely wrong, right?
-Hmm.
-Even if Chiron is here, the price of deceiving Runcandel is heavy. But I don't want to turn an ally like Nameless into an enemy over this, sir. Please join me in the Sota Desert.
-That's a story of my generation's Nameless being an ally with Zipfel, Madame Rosa.
-I won't make it too difficult for you. I am not asking you to participate in combat and vault theft. You just need to help with hiding. Can't you conceal others better than Yona can?
Owal did exactly that, only assisting with hiding and observation. He, and the top assassins who came to Sota Desert with him, never drew their swords even once until the incident was over.
-Acting matriarch, the only remaining individuals confirmed inside the 2nd Tower are Sandra Zipfel and 4 members of the Spectre corps. Since the 12th and 4th Flagbearers have also entered the Tower, the battle should be over by now.
-Phenomena of a 1st-level superhuman using force have been detected.
-This vibration is the height of the sword wave. Could it be that he's here...?
-The phenomenon is intensifying. acting matriarch. There's a high probability that the flagbearers and Black Knight Jane will die soon at this rate. Rescue operation, preparations are complete.
-Stand by.
-...Just now, there was a time distortion in the 2nd Tower. The Silver Dragon Claw was used. Yona also participated in the battle. Madame Rosa, are you really okay with this?
-You seem worried about Jonah, Sir Owal.
-2nd Tower is starting to collapse, Drakka's main force will arrive soon. Acting matriarch, now is the last chance to approach.
-Continue to stand by.
If the sole purpose was the success of the mission and the survival of the flagbearers...
Rosa should have entered at that moment.
But Rosa Runcandel wanted to confirm something else.
She was anticipating the moment when Joshua Runcandel would awaken and bloom. If that wasn't possible, she at least wanted to see him make better judgments than Jin.
She believed he would accomplish at least that much.
-1st-level superhuman combat stopped, it is presumed to be influenced by Sandra Zipfel. The battleship Grenil is en route.
-The battle of the 2nd Tower ended. The flagbearers are escaping. Black Knight Jane is confirmed to be critically injured, and Sandra Zipfel has joined them.
Afterwards, the flagbearers met with the Zephyrin, requested an escort, Jin used his wisdom to break through the Romin Forest, and the moment Jane sacrificed herself at the central border.
In the end, Rosa didn't see what she expected. Once again, it was not Joshua but Jin who led the mission to success.
"You made poor judgment throughout the mission, showed that you were trying to save the clone at all costs, and lost the Black Knight of clan in the process."
"Hah... You watched all of that happening."
"Your youngest brother risked his life every moment and successfully completed the mission without my help or the clan's."
"Why didn't you help! If you had stepped in, couldn't you have saved Dame Jane!"
"Oh? That's actually the question I want to ask. Why didn't you use the power the Prophet planted in your clan when fighting with Hedo?"
Joshua only used that power when Jane sacrificed herself.
"Did you want to save the clone? Perhaps it's not just that. You had expectations that you would achieve better results without using the clone if the youngest, Diphus, Murakan and the clan's Black Knight were there! Such disgusting expectations."
"No, I... in the end, the volcano."
"That was because at that time, there was no other choice for you. Weak people like you end up thinking that a forced choice is their own will."
"I did it... for the clan."
"If you had used that power when facing Hedo, Jane wouldn't have died. I was in the desert. Although everyone was constantly preparing for their one and only death, you saved your clone until the end. That was your real choice and will."
Joshua couldn't say anything.
It felt like even if he were stripped bare, exposing his internal organs, he wouldn't feel more pierced than this.
"After that, you led the knights when you returned to the clan,stuttering at my few questions, trembling and apologizing... You couldn't even let out a scream or retaliate when my sword fell just now."
A will beyond right and wrong, a transcendental struggle.
Until the very end, Joshua had only brought disappointment to Rosa.
What made it even more bitterly ironic for her was the fact that she, too, had harbored expectations from Jin. From a certain point on, just like Joshua had focused on how far Jin could go, Rosa had also shifted her focus to what Jin could achieve.
Jin Runcandel, her youngest son.
He always had the power to make everyone expect more. Just like Luna once did.
"It's not just the Sota Desert, Joshua. I have kept my eyes on you throughout the numerous missions you have participated in. And I was never satisfied."
"Kill me... I am not worthy of living. Neither my mother nor the clan members. No one left to expect something from me."
"This is a place where you can't die even if you want to. Your sins are not light enough to be resolved by death. And, as you said, there's nothing left to expect from you. However, you have the prophecy."
...
Chiron Runcandel would once again call the shadows and possess...
...
...
Joshua Runcandel.
Joshua Runcandel would once again invoke the shadows and possess. The shadow would not leave the world again in the glory of Joshua Runcandel.
Finally, your war will end in victory, and eternal blessings will descend upon the land.
Hail the one who called the shadows.
"I think it's still worth looking forward to the absolute language of God."
Joshua involuntarily burst into laughter at that passage.
"Haha... Prophecy? Until just now, you were praising my outstanding siblings and the clan's values, telling me that my place should be in the abyss…. Are you saying that you are looking forward to the prophecy that has not yet come true?"
"You are not dead yet. And I, not only expect the realization of the prophecy but also anticipate the struggle to shatter it. Your youngest brother, Jin. It doesn't seem like his struggle will fail to shatter the prophecy. No matter how absolute it may be."
"Hah."
"Prophecy and struggle. Which one do you think I put more expectations on?"
Rosa turns around.
She added with a hint of bitterness,
"If by any chance, the day comes when your prophecy leads you from this dungeon to the real world of struggle, and if you endure that world. I will bring you back to the surface. Of course... As always, your prophecy will likely disappoint me that time as well. Just as you always have."
515
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The Tower of White Night.
The Tower of the White Night, which always gave off a soft light even in the middle of the bleak desert, lost its mana and looked miserable due to the catastrophe in the Sota Desert.
Three elderly figures and a dragon who had turned into a human were standing on a rooftop with a huge hole in it.
Kelliark, Octavia, Hedo and Kadun sat on the chairs created by Kelliark's mana, gazing at the Sota Desert.
The desert was still full of traces of battle.
The underground shipyard had exploded, causing the entire center of the desert to collapse, forming a gruesome and gigantic pit. The blowing sand carried sparks and heat, permeating the air.
The fire and lightning bolts that were rising like tumors all over the desert showed no sign of ending even though they had been suppressed for several days. The remains of dead dragons and the wreckage of destroyed battleships filled the surroundings.
Twelve dragons were killed, 43 battleships were destroyed, and eight Spectres and more than 250 mages were killed.
Moreover, some battleship's blueprints and parts of the 'machinery' were stolen.
"It's the first time our clan has suffered such a blow since the Holy Kingdom Protection War 500 years ago."
Kelliark spoke calmly, prompting a snort from Kadun.
"I couldn't even compare this to that time."
Though he spoke as if it were a trivial matter, Kadun was the most disturbed among them.
The duke family of the Demon World has reappeared, and Murakan seems to have regained a considerable amount of his old strength. These two factors unsettled Kadun.
He felt like nightmares from the past were coming back to life.
Of course, Murakan had only recovered about half of the power he had during his prime, but those who heard Hedo's report were under the misconception that he had fully regained it.
The misunderstanding about Murakan's battle prowess, starting from the Black Kings incident, continued to grow.
"The Runcandels successfully escaped even when you were present, Sir Hedo. It seems Kadun isn't afraid of Murakan for no reason."
"No, I never said I was afraid."
"You said that with your own mouth last time. It was right after the Black Kings incident."
"Do you have to talk about that in front of others?"
"...It wasn't just the Runcandels and Murakan, but also Kinzelo and its demons were a problem too. Based on the circumstances, it appears that a demon named Bianca Kaligo wounded Sir Hedo."
Kelliark and Kadun nodded at Octavia's additional explanation.
"Unlike Ainas Kaligo, Bianca Kaligo showed battle prowess at the level of a 1st-level superhuman. The damage was limited to this extent thanks to Sir Hedo."
"That's right. If Hedo hadn't been there, this tower would have vanished without a trace, Kelliark. And your daughter would either be dead or captured for experiments or a prisoner."
"Her judgment to evacuate all the forces of the Magic tower in advance was excellent. It would have been a massacre if everyone had been there. Because of that, my subordinates seem to have incurred Sir Hedo's hatred a little...…."
"Your daughter sometimes makes exceptional judgments with a strange intuition. That's the only thing Sandra has in common with you."
Hedo remained silent, once again fixing his gaze on the distant desert.
He had started telling lies that he never told in his life since he began serving Sandra, but this was the first time it was as serious as this.
"If there is anything you wish for, please tell me, Sir Hedo."
"Just not holding me responsible for failing to protect the vault is enough."
"That is not your fault, Sir Hedo. Stop avoiding it and speak."
"...If you could grant me a few days off, I would appreciate it. Including the young lady."
Kelliark smiled. Hedo felt uncomfortable under his penetrating gaze that seemed to see through everything.
"Very well, take a break for ten days. You can leave immediately."
"Then I'll see you when I return, patriarch."
Hedo immediately left the place when Kelliark finished speaking.
It was mainly because constantly telling lies was becoming unbearable, but the rest of the group admired his dignified departure.
"I like Sir Hedo's confident demeanor."
"That human is undoubtedly Zipfel's treasure, Kelliark. You must hold onto him well, so he doesn't change his mind."
"Yes, that's true. By the way..."
Kelliark's gaze shifted between the Romin Forest and the central border.
In the aftermath of the battle, the place where Joshua executed the volcano still remained inaccessible to recovery personnel.
"That power, it was undoubtedly chaos, right? Octavia."
"Yes, patriarch."
"Runcandel and chaos... both the infiltration tunnel and the power he showed at the end makes it clear. The Prophet of Calamity is with Runcandel."
The Prophet of Calamity.
Ever since Solderet disappeared, Zipfel had been constantly tracking her.
As far as Zipfel knew, the last time Solderet communicated with humans was with their former patriarch, Riol Zipfel.
After that, there had been contractors of his, but there was no recorded instance of Solderet communicating with them.
So, Zipfel had assumed that Solderet either lost his power or sealed himself to avoid keeping the oath.
That was until Jin appeared, and until the evidence of the Prophet of Calamity being with Runcandel emerged.
"And the fact that Joshua Runcandel openly used the power of the prophet indicates that Chiron reached the territory of the five kings."
"Yes, patriarch. Chiron Runcandel would never have allowed the use of that unstable power. Still, it's surprising. He must have known about the existence of the prophet, yet he tolerated it until now. I wonder if he thought there was no other way?"
"No, that's not it. That monster is not such a weak human as to rely on something other than himself."
"Then why...?"
"Well, maybe he was looking forward to seeing his children and kins overcome even the prophecy of calamity through Runcandel's values and struggle."
"He probably didn't know when his time would run out, and once we regain our ancient power, Runcandel is bound to perish. Why would he make such a choice? I'm sure he had some expectations from the prophecy."
"He's different from us. He's old-fashioned."
Suddenly, Kelliark's appearance began to rejuvenate.
Wrinkled face and rough hands became smooth, and disheveled hair regained its luster. No one will be able to recognize that he is Kelliark Zipfel, who has instantly taken on the face of a playful boy.
"Anyway, we cannot start an all-out war just based on the suspicion that Chiron has entered the territory of the Five Kings of the Black Sea. Moreover, the enemy's capabilities exceed our expectations considering what has been newly confirmed in this incident."
Runcandel and Kinzelo.
Through this incident, Zipfel was able to reaffirm their strength. The Prophet of Calamity, Demon Dragon, the power of the Duke family of Demon World, and more.
Even that might not be everything.
"It seems the price of the arrogance gained from dominating the world for a thousand years is a bit painful. We intentionally lured them to confirm their power, yet we suffered the most significant damage."
"Hmph, see that? I told you over and over again that this was not the time to be leisurely looking at crystal balls that show nothing. They got their hands on the blueprints and machine, so those guys will become even stronger."
"So, I need to be a bit more cautious from now on. I have to speed up all my plans."
Completion of the Demon God's Orb, confirmation of Chiron's entry into the Black Sea's Five Kings territory, efforts to confirm and reinterpret the accurate content of Runcandel's prophecy, restoration of the ancient civilization, understanding Solderet's true intentions, tracing Temar's tomb, and more.
To accelerate and realize all these tasks, one person was indispensable.
"I will allocate more manpower and resources to finding the last survivor of Hister."
"Do we have such manpower available right now? When are you going to recover all that?"
"You better work harder on finding it yourself, Kadun."
"Ah, this is so frustrating!"
"I need to move a bit too..."
"Really!? Aren't you going to waste your time looking at crystal balls now?"
"Yeah."
Valeria Hister.
She was the key to all the major factions. The key to victory, the key to delaying defeat, the key to gaining new opportunities.
"Perhaps I might have to sit down again at the negotiating table with Rosa Runcandel. If we meet again because of Hister, the deal will be much more disadvantageous than the last time."
***
Kinzelo Headquarters.
Most high-ranking executives, including Bishkel and Berakt, alternately gazed at the firmly closed door of the leader's room and the anchored battleship Grenil at the back.
Since the incident at the Sword Emperor Castle, the leader had never fully awakened. However, this time, Zephyrin and battleship Grenil used his power again, and the leader's condition continued to deteriorate.
Creak, thud! boom...
The part of the half-destroyed Grenil dropped even when it was standing still and seemed to scream in agony. This further complicated the feelings of the executives.
"So, vice-leader! You used me as bait quite appropriately. I've never seen such a cunning human before."
"Hahaha, even though Lord Bishkel looks ruthless, he's actually a pretty good person. He even treats me to sweet potato croquettes every time."
"Wow, this tastes good. I should ask for this every day too. Anyway, if the vice-leader hadn't devised a plan to use me as bait there, I probably would have been captured. Those humans are stronger than you think... ugh. Still, they're nothing but short-lived bugs compared to my unnie."
"Let's toast to Lord Bishkel!"
"Alright, Bubare! Cheers to the sweet potato croquettes!"
Only two people, Bubare and Ainas, were talking excitedly.
Ainas was unaware that she had never been used as bait, and Bishkel had merely refrained from using the power of the battleship for fear of wasting it on saving her.
It was true that it saved Ainas in the end.
The battleship Grenil and Bianca followed the signal from the Zephyrin, and while Zipfel was pursuing them, Joshua executed the volcano, and Ainas was quickly forgotten by everyone on the battlefield.
Bishkel was truly losing his hair as he heard Bubare and Ainas laughing loudly.
Seeing a handful of hair in his palm, it was difficult to suppress the impulse to immediately slit their throats.
"Stop tormenting the poor vice-leader, you devils."
Zephelin grabbed Bubare and Ainas by the hair.
"That's right, no matter how good my orabeoni is, everything has to be in moderation. Besides, the leader is lying there, not only from this incident but also from healing mister Bubare. Shouldn't we be a bit quiet today?"
Even Margiella stood beside Zephyrin and spoke.
"I think both of you should go over there and sit in the corner. It was infuriating enough to be toyed with by Jin Runcandel, and on top of that, Joshua Runcandel, whom I was supposed to take as a hostage, blew himself... Do you understand? My mood is really, really bad."
Upon Zephyrin's words, Bubare and Ainas appeared to be breaking into a cold sweat and disappearing with hesitant steps.
"Uh... Sorry, Grand Duke. My younger sister... is still kind."
"I understand, I understand, Princess Bianca."
"Sorry, sorry."
Bianca bowed her head repeatedly in place of Ainas and disappeared, following her younger sister.
Zephyrin sighed deeply, pondering whether they were truly the ones who would bear the future of the demons.
"What are you going to do now, Ms. Zephyrin?" Margiella asked and Zephyrin gritted her teeth.
"I guess I have to negotiate with Jin Runcandel. If he tries to play with me again this time, I'll do whatever it takes to kill him..."