C292 - Power and Reverence for Power (3)
It was March 8, 1799.
The Runcandel swordsmen gathered to kill Barton Vichena arrived in the disputed territory of Bentica, where it was still winter. The sky lacked moisture. The winds from below blew fiercely and sliced through the ground's surface.
It was a vast expanse of land and rocky mountains. But despite the harsh land conditions, it had been constantly disputed through skirmishes and confrontations for centuries due to its resources.
There were large holes all over the land. They looked like hollows, but as one approached them, it could be seen that most of them could fit entire ships.
They were the traces of mining. The area was mysteriously abundant in underground resources and provided its conquerors with lucrative income.
But this was the first time ancient eversteel was discovered in the area. The discovery of the mystical resource had always sparked conflicts between factions.
That was why the Runcandel knights and the Zipple Magicians were gathered here today.
In the distance, there was something that shone its light like the sun.
The gigantic Zipple battleship, Kozec, unleashed its full power.
The White Night. I'll have to face the power of that annoying battleship once again.
They could also see five red dragons flying at a short distance from the White Night, like a fleet's convoy. The enormous ship and the five dragons made the vast sky seem to have no space for anything else.
Meanwhile, Jin saw the back of a solitary knight standing up against their full might.
Is that Barton Vichena?
A cape fluttering in the wind, a sword partially visible behind the cape, and a black helmet.
Barton looked imposing as he stood alone against the Kozec and the five dragons.
They were several hundred meters apart, but they were already within reach. It almost seemed like he could bring down the red dragons and destroy the Kozec at any moment.
A black knight of Runcandel.
Only ten individuals in the entire clan were granted the privilege of wearing the black helmet and being called a black knight.
The energy emanating from him convinced Jin that Barton was undoubtedly worthy of wearing the black helmet. The only issue was that he had become a traitor.
If only Rosa had asserted that he was a spy, Jin would have privately investigated to confirm it. But since Cyron didn't deny his condition, it was clear that he had to be a traitor.
The fact that they had to kill him made Jin uncomfortable. What he had read in the dossier was reason enough for Barton to resent the Runcandels.
There was no room for doubt. But Jin hoped to have the chance to talk to him before finishing him off.
"You've arrived, fourth flagbearer."
Barton was the first to speak as Jin, Dyfus, and the guardian knights approached. The voice escaping from the helmet was somber and coercive.
His words were courteous, but he didn't bother to turn his head. Flagbearers were not exactly above black knights in the chain of command.
Dyfus positioned himself beside the black knight. "Sir Barton."
"I didn't think the twelfth flagbearer would participate in this mission. Was it Lady Rosa's decision?"
Barton eventually turned around and spoke while inspecting Jin. Jin immediately read his feelings through the straightforwardly spoken words.
Disappointment.
He seemed offended by the fact that he, a black knight, had to carry out a mission with Jin, who had just been appointed as a flagbearer.
Dyfus nodded. "Yes, it was Lady Rosa, Sir Barton."
"This is going to be a quite dangerous battle. Please keep the twelfth flagbearer safe, fourth flagbearer."
"Well, you'll see that he won't need such protection."
"I can't disagree if you say so, fourth flagbearer. But keep in mind that I also have little room for maneuver against those things."
"I'll keep those words in mind."
Barton's tone was imposing, but Dyfus didn't seem offended at all. In fact, he followed the black knight's words as if it were standard operating procedure.
And Dyfus was right to do so, aside from the fact that Barton was a spy.
Many more flagbearers didn't make it to the crypt after their death, but black knights almost always ended up consecrated there as long as they didn't commit high treason or the like.
In that sense, Barton wouldn't end up in the crypt.
"Fourth flagbearer, take the center of the battle line with me. The three top guardian knights will form the infiltration group. The rest of you seven, eliminate those who leave the battlefield."
"Loyalty to the Clan!"
"Loyalty to the Clan!"
"Never head toward the center of the battle line even if you find yourself in unexpected or emergency situations. You're more likely to get swept away and die there."
"We will remember, sir."
Barton didn't give any orders to Jin. He acted as if Jin didn't exist after his initial mention.
Setting aside the betrayal, Barton might consider it quite offensive to carry out a mission with me. Not only am I young, but I also challenge the authenticity of the clan.
Jin didn't react to Barton's treatment. Shouting and accusing him of leaving him out would only make him look pitiful, and Jin didn't truly feel offended.
It didn't even make Jin feel bad for Barton. In fact, he felt that they cared for him, despite Barton's original intention.
You can die, flee, or fight. It sounded like Barton was telling him to do as he pleased.
"That's all. Take your positions."
The guardian knights immediately dispersed at Barton's command. The three assigned for infiltration stayed behind to put fabric masks on their faces to avoid being identified.
Kozec and the red dragons approached swiftly. They were still at a distance, but the red dragons unleashed shield barriers simultaneously, creating a large sphere in the sky.
Barton, Dyfus, and the infiltrating guardian knights unsheathed their swords in response.
The battle began. The reason the red dragons unleashed shield barriers was to buy time for Kozec to activate its weapons.
"Good luck in the battle, fourth flagbearer."
Barton flashed his eyes and lunged forward. Each step he took sent rock fragments flying, and a gigantic sail-shaped blade wave was already forming above his aura-infused sword.
Dyfus charged after him as the infiltrating guardian knights advanced, trying to predict where the remnants of blade waves and cannon blasts would fall.
Dyfus and Barton were the only ones who could continue the battle amidst all the falling debris. Or at least, that's what Barton thought.
"Perhaps I should stay back for now."
Jin decided to withdraw from the battle for the time being. The first reason was that there was no reason to waste his energy, especially since he wasn't in perfect condition.
The second reason was to keep his powers hidden from Barton until the last moment, if possible.
It will be troublesome if Barton learns about my powers too soon. It could raise suspicions, prompting him to try and confirm various things.
Securing Bentica was Barton's mission and Barton's alone. He still had no idea that the flagbearers and guardian knights were here to eliminate him. If he had known, he wouldn't have targeted Jin.
Therefore, Jin had to conceal his abilities for as long as he could.
The best scenario would be to repel the Zipple with only Dyfus, Barton, and the guardian knights, without his own involvement. All he needed to do then was to kill Barton in his exhaustion before the enemies realized the plan or led him to his demise at the enemy's hands.
But it was likely that at some point he would have to intervene, whether to secure victory, change the course of the battle, rescue the knights, or something of the sort.
The second-best option was to be defeated by the Zipple and assassinate Barton while they retreated. In that case, they would have to surrender Bentica to the enemy, but it would probably be Dyfus who would bear the responsibility for it, not Jin.
"Either way, I have nothing to lose in this mission. Likewise, I have nothing to gain. Whether it succeeds or fails, all the credit and blame will fall on Dyfus. Mother assigned me this mission to use me as efficiently as possible, quite literally."
Jin only had to secure what was beneficial to him, as always.
In that sense, thanks to Barton dismissing Jin without paying much attention to him, Jin had the opportunity to formulate a convincing plan.
No matter who wins, whether it's the Runcandels or the Zipple, Dyfus and Barton will be weakened. If I then have the chance, maybe I can even eliminate Dyfus as well.
Eliminate... that didn't necessarily mean killing him. Jin wanted to instill fear in Dyfus so that he wouldn't dare challenge him again.
There was no need to kill Dyfus just yet. It would be foolish to eliminate someone who could put pressure on Joshua.
"You can still do a lot for me, Dyfus."
Jin smiled and shifted his gaze to the combat.
It was time to enjoy the battle.
Kroooor!
Kozec spewed a concentrated golden fire from its mana cannon. Jin had experienced its blast in Kollon. If allowed to hit the ground unobstructed, it could easily bring down the foundations of the entire area.
Fortunately, it wasn't as powerful as in Kollon. The Zipple certainly didn't value ancient eversteel as much as they did the mirror. Therefore, the Magicians on board the ship weren't as skilled as the Magicians in Kollon.
Shockwaves from Dyfus and Barton's swords shot up into the sky.
The two powers collided, creating a deafening noise and shockwaves, instantly painting the empty sky in vibrant colors.
Fragments and debris began to fall. Each debris particle that fell was as powerful as a strike from a six-star martial artist. Such particles fell and covered the entire battlefield.
From a distance, it looked quite similar to what had happened in Kollon.
But at that time, Talaris couldn't unleash her full strength against the Zipple because she had to protect the natives of Kollon.
Now, the Runcandel knights had no reason to hold back. It didn't have to be a battle of blade waves and cannon blasts like in Kollon.
After Barton fired his blade wave, he didn't care if the second cannon blast hit the ground.
The same went for the Zipple. Some of the Night White Magicians aboard Kozec mounted the red dragons and positioned themselves in the sky.
The Magicians began casting high-level destructive spells like hell winds and ice-cutting blades, while Barton and Dyfus continuously leaped toward them.
"Barton Vichena. Truly a beast."
Jumping. Propelling the body into the air.
Obviously, it limited movements compared to moving on the ground. But Barton moved freely in the air as if he were flying, unleashing blade waves in mid-air.
He used the recoil after firing the waves as a means of propulsion. To everyone's surprise, none of his waves went to waste. They flew toward the enemy shield barriers and crushed them.
Dyfus was doing something similar. However, it was clear that he was trying to use his aura more efficiently since he didn't possess the aura of a ten-star knight like Barton.
The two of them constantly leaped from the ground to the sky, reaching all sides of the battlefield until... Boom!
An unexpected explosion erupted. Fortunately, both Barton and Dyfus managed to avoid any damage, but they couldn't avoid losing momentum and falling to the ground.
At that moment, Jin's eyes lit up with understanding.
Dyfus and Barton also recognized the spell that had targeted them. Immediately, they started scrutinizing the dragons.
They had to find the sorcerer who was casting the spatial explosion. In their understanding, the only sorcerer capable of casting the spatial explosion in the whole world was supposedly Keliac Zipple.
Jin, on the other hand, was able to guess who had cast the spatial explosion.
"Midor Elnor. It's him!"
Jin remembered the troubles caused by the spatial explosion in Kollon. Jin immediately started looking for him.
But a few seconds later, Jin realized that it wasn't Midor who had cast the spatial explosion.
His white hair was highly recognizable, even from a distance.
"Beradin?"
He was riding a red dragon, gazing at the Runcandel knights with red eyes that gleamed like embers.
Tags:
SYS (Novel)