Chapter 166: Chapter 325
[T.L: punisher87]
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Tikan.
Jin's companions were huddled together, gazing at the newly acquired shadow force marble.
"So, you got this by raiding that bastard's mansion, huh?"
Murakan scratched his chin and spoke.
It was difficult for him to understand, just like the rest of them, how Joshua ended up with Solderet's recording device.
"How the hell did that happen? Why does that guy have Solderet's recording device? And you even killed a demon and it turned out to be Rontelgius?"
Next to the shadow force marble lay Rontelgius' magic tome. Also, there was a bundle of papers dropped by the slain demon.
"Do you know the name? No, do you even know the family?"
"I know the name. Listen carefully, kid. You guys were incredibly lucky. Because surviving an encounter with Rontelgius' demon is no small feat."
"Just stabbing him in the throat killed him instantly. He seemed quite weak."
"That's why I said you were lucky. Rontelgius is a noble family of the demon race. They are one of the four grand ducal families with the greatest power just below the Demon King."
The Demon King, the four grand dukes of the Demon World.
Jin couldn't comprehend how significant that position was, how great the power and influence they held. He and others couldn't understand it quickly.
They had never experienced demons before.
"Nowadays, with the decline of the demon race, it's natural that you guys don't know their name. But there was a time when even formidable dragons avoided conflicts with Rontelgius. It wasn't just about dying or getting injured."
As seen from the curse hanging on Lampen Rontelgius's magic tome, the Rontelgius family was known for their mastery of curses among the demons.
"Curses are curses, but Rontelgius was a family close to the Demon Beast King, Orgal. Murakan may not have known because he was asleep, but Orgal had a notorious reputation even during the Holy Kingdom Protection War."
However, after the Holy Kingdom Protection War resulted in the victory of the Human alliance, Orgal withdrew from the human world. Orgal had never been particularly visible in the human world, but he completely disappeared after the war.
"Cuicantelle, it seems the demons have been quite weakened since then, right? To the point of being taken down by his single blow."
"The demon was in a weakened state, as Jin said. And if Jin wasn't Solderet's contractor, he would have been cursed without any chance to resist."
Cuicantelle spoke with a hidden meaning while looking at Jin.
"Your brother, Runcandel's Second Flagbearer. We need to find out how he managed to get involved with Rontelgius and if he knows the purpose of the shadow force marble. We should investigate."
How Joshua obtained the shadow force marble and his relationship with the demons were currently a mystery.
"Does that guy even know that the shadow force marble is a recording device?"
"Well, once I return to the clan, Joshua will approach me first."
"Young Master, Joshua has no reason to do that. When we escaped from the Ekan Kingdom, I made sure to erase all traces."
Jin smiled at Kuzan's words.
"Yes, you erased all the evidence. But even without evidence, that guy will be convinced based on intuition alone. That won't be a problem. It's just part of the power struggle, and the dragons haven't intervened."
"So, are you going to ask Joshua directly about it? What it is?"
"I'll decide based on the atmosphere. I still can't predict how he will react."
"Then, when you return, we'll look into Rontelgius. It's hard to believe that the demon died so easily. Maybe it was a discarded demon from Rontelgius, or perhaps Rontelgius itself has fallen."
"We should also find someone who can decipher the magic tomb and the bundle of papers. They seem to be important clues. And..."
Jin looked at Yulian, who was sitting quietly in one corner of the office.
"We should discuss how we can awaken Yulian's guardian dragon."
The Thunder Dragon, Caltor.
He had fallen into a state of "sleep" after enduring prolonged and brutal torture. As a result, even after his rescue, Yulian couldn't exchange a single word with the guardian dragon he longed for.
"I mentioned it earlier, kid. The dragon called Caltor has a broken heart and needs at least five hundred years to recover."
Gilly instinctively covered Murakan's mouth.
"There must be some way, Yulian. So don't be too disheartened and wait patiently."
Yulian looked at his comrades with red eyes.
"Thank you all..."
As he said that, everyone blinked their eyes.
It was because Yulian had used a respectful tone for the first time.
"The cheeky brat is using formal language. That's surprising. Gak-gak! It feels good. Well, this Murakan will somehow awaken your guardian dragon, so just wait quietly until then. Come to think of it, since he is not even a thousand years old, his heart should recover easily."
"It seems like things are roughly settled. Then Gilly, Murakan, and I will return to the clan in a couple of days. Since I have been emptying the Garden of Swords too often lately, it'll be difficult to visit the Tikan for a while, unless there's something special happening."
***
"Then, I'll see you next time."
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for always taking care of us, Arya..."
Valeria lightly bowed her head and turned around.
The elderly people of Donkey Village waved their hands, revealing their few remaining teeths, until she disappeared from their sight.
As soon as she was completely out of their sight, Valeria clenched her teeth and touched her forehead.
For the past few years, no pursuers from any faction had come close to her. They either circled around her long-abandoned hiding places or wasted their efforts by targeting completely different locations.
But this time was different.
'Donkey Village's hiding place has been exposed... and the movements of the pursuers have become more sophisticated.'
Zzing-!
As Arya infused mana into the staff, a blue mana radiated from it.
The mana soon formed a translucent, rectangular shape "window," and surprisingly, words began to appear on it.
Clever and McRolan. Surnames of the prestigious Huphester's Knight Clans.
-I have more than just that alias. And I've been erasing my tracks well.
A conversation she had with Jin in Mamit came to mind.
'...It seems I underestimated the major clans too much. The movements of the pursuers have changed.'
Valeria released the record magic and looked back towards Donkey Village.
'The elderly will contact Runcandel soon.'
Valeria never expected loyalty from those elderly people.
No, Valeria didn't expect loyalty from anyone.
She traveled diligently until nightfall.
In the middle of the entrance to the checkpoint, she saw Jin Runcandel's face.
(Jin Runcandel guarantees your beauty. Golden Peng cosmetics.)
Unknowingly, Valeria swallowed a gasp and looked up at the advertisement.
'A cosmetics advertisement...? What on earth is this guy thinking?'
Valeria raised her head as she examined the goods.
'He obtained another Shadow force marble!?'
Ha! With a burst of energy, Valeria let out a sigh.
Even for the sake of research, Valeria thought it was necessary to meet Jin Runcandel once again.
'Anyway, it's a gain for me. Jin Runcandel, I will make good use of you.'
As soon as he returned to Huphester, Jin's butler, Petro, urgently sought him out.
"Something big has happened. The Council of Elders has issued a disciplinary action against you!"
Although he asked, to some extent, Jin had anticipated this.