C230 - The Power of the Dark Dragon (3)
Once Misha and Quikantel entered their room, the duo with the dislocated jaw, Kuzan and Beris, returned to the reception hall.
They looked surprised and dazed.
"Are you both feeling better?" Jin asked.
"I apologize, sir. I got carried away when I heard that I had hit Beris. I keep revealing my uncultured behavior before you, Lord Jin."
Kuzan lowered his head, but Jin gestured for him to stop. "Well, I like your human side. It suits me. If they had hit Gilly, I would have exploded too."
"I only asked if she was a thief. And the situation called for it too. Damn, this is a mess."
Beris touched her chin with a frown. Despite the healers' treatment, she could still feel the pain in her gums.
She felt mistreated.
A month had passed since she arrived in Tikan after the incident at the Bluebird Islands.
She wasted her first week due to the trauma she experienced upon discovering that she had actually been serving her true enemy, Joshua, and the fact that she had lost her mana. At that time, the strong aftermath of the reflux from the final stage also prevented her from engaging in any activities.
But by the second week, Beris decided to follow Kuzan's example and give this new place a chance.
Her treatment was not yet complete, and her mana had not returned, but she did everything she could to help, from cleaning to doing laundry. Everyone around her told her it wasn't necessary, but no one could convince her otherwise.
Beris thought that she would be considered useless if she didn't do anything.
Yesterday, she was helping Latrie set up a tea table when she got into this mess. All because she asked a stranger if she was a thief.
"Teacher, should I bring you some ice?" Enya asked Beris.
"You're going on about that 'Teacher' nonsense again. Are you crazy? Who are you calling Teacher?"
"You taught me the theory and principles of Wind-based Spells. You even taught me Five-Star Spells. That's why you're my Teacher."
"With that logic, everyone at Vermont Academy would be your teachers. Stop talking nonsense and go..."
Of course, losing her mana didn't mean she lost her temper as well.
"But they didn't teach me anything there."
"Do you think I'm unaware of the curriculum at the Academy? Even their basic classes include theory. Don't lie to me."
"But they really didn't teach me anything. I was discriminated against there. Anyway, I'll bring some ice. In return, teach me other types of magic too."
Surprisingly, Enya saw something of herself in Beris.
There wasn't a single similarity between the two, neither in appearance nor in character. But something made Enya feel a common bond with her.
That perhaps both of them could end up being dead weight for the rest of the group.
Enya had been studying and training desperately since the mission to the Dark Magic Guild's cave.
That's why she clung to Beris to learn spells from her while also helping her adapt to Tikan.
Enya rushed off to get ice. Beris shook her head in defeat.
"Now that I have no mana, all sorts of scumbags think I'm an easy target."
Despite her words, Beris took the bag of ice that Enya brought and massaged her jaw with it.
"Fine, you've got it, so now you've made a promise. You're going to teach me a new spell."
"When did I do that?"
"I'll wait for you at the basement training area this afternoon! Lord Jin, I'm leaving now!"
Enya dashed out of the reception hall before Beris could shout at her.
"Oh, what a headache. Kuzan, what's wrong with that girl? I already feel terrible."
Jin chuckled and turned to Beris.
"Let me give you a piece of advice. Be careful what you say about Enya when Quikantel is around. She won't care what you mean. She'll just hit you regardless. I can't stop her, and if she hits you, Kuzan will lose his mind again. Then he'll go against Quikantel and let himself be hit too. It's a vicious cycle."
Beris wasn't always a murderous maniac. Although she was a horrible communicator of her own emotions, she actually felt a lot of gratitude toward Jin and the people of Tikan.
That's why she taught Enya magic spells despite all her grumbling and swearing. Jin let Beris act tough because he understood this fact.
"Hmph!" Beris turned around and left.
Kuzan stayed behind to apologize.
"I apologize, Lord Jin. I will talk to her and make sure she understands."
"Leave her be. She may talk that way, but she has been good to Enya. Gilly praised Beris quite a few times too. She said Beris has been more helpful than expected."
Tikan was such a happy place that Kuzan and Beris could hardly adapt to it.
Since the beginning of their memories, they were raised to be hounds in the Moon Sacrifice. They were used, Taimyun was taken from them, and they were forced to submit to Joshua's control.
Life as they knew it was a series of indescribably dark and damp memories. But now, they were gradually starting to realize what it meant to live as a human.
The same went for Yulian.
"Have you encountered any troubles lately?"
"No."
"I see."
Jin didn't attempt to ask more than that. Yulian still hadn't overcome his fear of Joshua and the capture of his Guardian Dragon.
Moreover, he was always introverted and silent. It was almost a mystery how he managed to survive under Joshua and his ruthless knights.
"The power of Gramm, the God of Storms. If there's a way to capture that energy permanently in Sigmund, then we'll visit the Bluebird Islands with him once again."
Strengthening Yulian's powers wouldn't be such a bad idea, as Joshua used to do. But only if Yulian swore complete loyalty. In Jin's mind, Yulian was not a subordinate. He was nothing more than another mouth to feed. Kuzan and Beris were not his companions either, but subordinates.
"Lord Kashimir?"
"Yes, Lord Jin?"
"Did we find anything about the Holy Kingdom while I was away?"
"I met with the priests with Bran after you left, but they didn't seem willing to talk about it. Of course, I presented it as a concern for Tikan's trade, so they didn't suspect anything. Fortunately, some merchant ships were passing through the Santelle area."
"Thank you for the hard work. Something smells fishy, doesn't it, Sir Kashimir?"
"Yes, I don't think we can continue to consider the Holy Kingdom of Vankela as a neutral nation. In this incident, they clearly aided the Zipple. Moreover, not a word has been published about it yet."
"It was the Holy Knights, hunters of the Society of Guardians of the Creed, who were blocking the gates of Santelle. Inside the city, they even brainwashed the locals with persuasion techniques," Jin said.
"It seems that their need to cover up the incident was more important than Miklan's decree, the Holy King. Either that, or Miklan is with the Zipple."
That was the worst-case scenario.
If the Holy Kingdom was already on Zipple's side, it would pose a problem when Jin started the succession war in his clan.
Dozens of Guardian Knights would die or be injured in the process, and Jin would be left without the top-notch Healers of the Holy Kingdom. Or if he managed to get any, he would have to pay a very high price, much higher than his usual rates.
It wasn't just for Jin. Its impact would go beyond the Runcandel Clan and reach all the martial arts clans of Hufester. That's how superior the Healers and medical products of the Holy Kingdom were.
"It's not entirely impossible, but I hope it's not true. In Santelle, I also met Lani Salome, the adopted daughter of the Holy King."
"Miklan is well-known for his love for his girl. The Holy Kingdom even calls him a fool for his girl. I've heard some stories about it myself. But to think he sent his own daughter to help the Zipple. I guess that just means the Holy Kingdom is..."
"No, Lani was very different from the Holy Knights and Healers there. If it weren't for her, Murakan would have died or been captured by the Zipple," Jin said.
He described in detail what happened, how they encountered Lani to rescue Murakan, and how the battle between Kadun and Murakan unfolded.
"Lani had a sense that the Holy Kingdom had become corrupted, colluding with the powers-that-be and hiding the truth. That's why she decided to help us. Because it wasn't Murakan who massacred the people. It was Kadun."
"I had no idea. She has shown you great grace, Lord Jin."
"Yes, indeed. I've been thinking about it. What if the Holy King placed Lani in the Society of Guardians of the Creed to investigate?"
"Because it's not the entire Holy Kingdom that's on Zipple's side, but only a part of its factions, including the Guardians of the Creed, is what you mean?"
"Yes."
"I would say that's more likely too. Considering the policies issued by the Holy Kingdom in recent years, most of them went against the interests of the people who wield power within the kingdom. The abolition of persuasion techniques is a good example."
Miklan had banned the use of persuasion techniques twenty years ago. Jin, both in his past life and the present one, wasn't old enough to know the fierce opposition the decree faced at that time.
Kashimir, on the other hand, was part of the imperial family, so he remembered the daily meetings held in Vermont's circles and the articles written about the topic.
The outcry wasn't a big surprise, given that the technique was the easiest and strongest means of propagation and conversion.
"But to say that the authorities of the Holy Kingdom would side with the Zipple just to protest isn't too convincing, as they could end up being pawns of major factions if they're not careful enough."
"You're right, Lord Jin. If that were the case, it would have been easier to incite a riot to overthrow the Holy King instead. Hmm, it seems we'll have to investigate more thoroughly. I have a feeling we might uncover a much more complex political agenda."
"First, please investigate Lani Salome for me. I heard the fifth captain of the Guardians of the Creed talking about a possible probation. If Miklan didn't intervene, she's probably on probation right now."
"Understood. Since she has provided a lot of help to Murakan, I'll also find a way to reward her in a way that doesn't make her uncomfortable."
"The power of Gramm, the God of Storms. If there's a way to capture that energy permanently in Sigmund, then we'll visit the Bluebird Islands with him once again."
Strengthening Yulian's powers wouldn't be such a bad idea, as Joshua used to do. But only if Yulian swore complete loyalty. In Jin's mind, Yulian was not a subordinate. He was nothing more than another mouth to feed. Kuzan and Beris were not his companions either, but subordinates.
"Lord Kashimir?"
"Yes, Lord Jin?"
"Did we find anything about the Holy Kingdom while I was away?"
"I met with the priests with Bran after you left, but they didn't seem willing to talk about it. Of course, I presented it as a concern for Tikan's trade, so they didn't suspect anything. Fortunately, some merchant ships were passing through the Santelle area."
"Thank you for the hard work. Something smells fishy, doesn't it, Sir Kashimir?"
"Yes, I don't think we can continue to consider the Holy Kingdom of Vankela as a neutral nation. In this incident, they clearly aided the Zipple. Moreover, not a word has been published about it yet."
"It was the Holy Knights, hunters of the Society of Guardians of the Creed, who were blocking the gates of Santelle. Inside the city, they even brainwashed the locals with persuasion techniques," Jin said.
"It seems that their need to cover up the incident was more important than Miklan's decree, the Holy King. Either that, or Miklan is with the Zipple."
That was the worst-case scenario.
If the Holy Kingdom was already on Zipple's side, it would pose a problem when Jin started the succession war in his clan.
Dozens of Guardian Knights would die or be injured in the process, and Jin would be left without the top-notch Healers of the Holy Kingdom. Or if he managed to get any, he would have to pay a very high price, much higher than his usual rates.
It wasn't just for Jin. Its impact would go beyond the Runcandel Clan and reach all the martial arts clans of Hufester. That's how superior the Healers and medical products of the Holy Kingdom were.
"It's not entirely impossible, but I hope it's not true. In Santelle, I also met Lani Salome, the adopted daughter of the Holy King."
"Miklan is well-known for his love for his girl. The Holy Kingdom even calls him a fool for his girl. I've heard some stories about it myself. But to think he sent his own daughter to help the Zipple. I guess that just means the Holy Kingdom is..."
"No, Lani was very different from the Holy Knights and Healers there. If it weren't for her, Murakan would have died or been captured by the Zipple," Jin said.
He described in detail what happened, how they encountered Lani to rescue Murakan, and how the battle between Kadun and Murakan unfolded.
"Lani had a sense that the Holy Kingdom had become corrupted, colluding with the powers-that-be and hiding the truth. That's why she decided to help us. Because it wasn't Murakan who massacred the people. It was Kadun."
"I had no idea. She has shown you great grace, Lord Jin."
"Yes, indeed. I've been thinking about it. What if the Holy King placed Lani in the Society of Guardians of the Creed to investigate?"
"Because it's not the entire Holy Kingdom that's on Zipple's side, but only a part of its factions, including the Guardians of the Creed, is what you mean?"
"Yes."
"I would say that's more likely too. Considering the policies issued by the Holy Kingdom in recent years, most of them went against the interests of the people who wield power within the kingdom. The abolition of persuasion techniques is a good example."
Miklan had banned the use of persuasion techniques twenty years ago. Jin, both in his past life and the present one, wasn't old enough to know the fierce opposition the decree faced at that time.
Kashimir, on the other hand, was part of the imperial family, so he remembered the daily meetings held in Vermont's circles and the articles written about the topic.
The outcry wasn't a big surprise, given that the technique was the easiest and strongest means of propagation and conversion.
"But to say that the authorities of the Holy Kingdom would side with the Zipple just to protest isn't too convincing, as they could end up being pawns of major factions if they're not careful enough."
"You're right, Lord Jin. If that were the case, it would have been easier to incite a riot to overthrow the Holy King instead. Hmm, it seems we'll have to investigate more thoroughly. I have a feeling we might uncover a much more complex political agenda."
"First, please investigate Lani Salome for me. I heard the fifth captain of the Guardians of the Creed talking about a possible probation. If Miklan didn't intervene, she's probably on probation right now."
"Understood. Since she has provided a lot of help to Murakan, I'll also find a way to reward her in a way that doesn't make her uncomfortable."
Tags:
SYS (Novel)