C334 - Debt, Debts, and More Debts (1)
I will definitely come back...
Those words ceased to have meaning the moment Jin exited the subspace.
He forgot everything he had shared with Lueth Damiro Yul alive.
Her appearance, the clothes she wore, her red hair, her voice, and everything else.
He even forgot the fact that two days had already passed inside the subspace.
This was because Lueth had told him.
Outside, the beach remained the same, with mysterious and solitary purple stars twinkling.
Jin stared at the stars for a moment, lost in thought.
Entering the Third Tomb...
I have the feeling I met someone.
Or did I just confirm the appearance of the old Storm Castle?
Jin felt an odd sense of emptiness.
'And I haven't even fought in any battles, why this nausea? Or is it that I participated in such a massive battle that my memories and body have been affected?'
It seemed unlikely, but a feeling of nausea welled up from within him, as if he had pushed his body to the limit.
A chilling sensation, as if insects were crawling all over his body, spread, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
Phew.
Taking a deep breath, Jin recalled what he had experienced in the subspace.
The subspace appeared to be a recreation of the old Storm Castle, and as always, he checked the recording device.
However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't remember how he had checked the recording device.
It was as if someone had handed it to him, or perhaps he had found it by opening a little box, or maybe it had started working automatically upon entering the tomb.
'Mr. Neru said there was definitely someone inside. So he asked me to convey his gratitude for the hardships of the last thousand years.'
Who were they? Weren't they inside?
As doubts gnawed at him, the faces of the old Runcandel he "confirmed with the recording device" came to mind.
Temar, Chief Steward Lueth Damiro Yul, the Ten Great Knights, the stewards and scholars recording the history of the forgotten Fairy Tribe...
Among them, strangely.
When he thought of Lueth Damiro Yul, a member of the Fairy Tribe, a strange feeling of oppression welled up on one side of his chest.
Despite not having seen her even once, a longing and bittersweet emotion surged within Jin.
Jin only remembered Lueth from the records.
"Ah!"
While thinking about the ancient Runcandel from the recording device, Jin remembered the problem he had forgotten.
'The small beastmen, I must hurry to rescue them!'
A faint burnt smell reached Jin's nostrils.
It was definitely a smell he couldn't detect when he first entered this beautiful Cat Tribe's Realm.
It wasn't the smell of fire used for cooking or heating the body. Quickly, Jin turned his head and held his breath.
The forest behind the beach was on fire.
Except for Jin, no human had ever set foot on that mystical beach, and now it was being consumed by flames.
His heart filled with anguish.
Now that he thought about it, even after exiting the subspace, he hadn't seen the Cat Tribe member named Neru.
"Mr. Neru!"
While shouting and getting ready to run, Jin glimpsed Neru in the distance.
"Mr. Neru, are you alright?"
[Ugh... Jin, Runcandel]
Neru panted, his body covered in sweat. Neru had no visible injuries.
"Have you already been attacked?"
...Shortly after entering Temar's Tomb, this place was exposed.
It hadn't been more than five hours since Jin entered the tomb.
The secret hideout had started being attacked, and the members of the Cat Tribe, including Neru, were desperately defending, using all the powers they had.
Under normal circumstances, they should have sensed danger and escaped when it was exposed.
In fact, the Cat Tribe members had been feeling intense danger three hours before the enemy invasion began.
But the Cat Tribe members couldn't escape.
If they fled, not only would Temar's Tomb be exposed, but their thousand-year promise with the Solderet would also be in jeopardy.
Especially with Jin inside, if Temar's Tomb collapsed under an attack, Jin would be trapped in it forever.
The Cat Tribe members had used most of the sacred relics granted to them by the ancient Cat God to repel the attacks.
To buy time, they had erected barriers with relics that had been safeguarded for thousands of years.
Neru didn't inform Jin of this fact.
Neru believed that even if Jin knew, it would only create a sense of helplessness in him.
"Who the hell are they?" Jin muttered quietly.
[The Zipple]
It wasn't entirely unexpected.
It could be Joshua's Runcandel Family, Zipple, or Kinzelo. Jin had anticipated one of the three.
But he couldn't consider himself lucky.
[Listen closely, Jin Runcandel. From now on, run relentlessly to the other side of the beach. Until you encounter a Cat Tribe Member named Lulu. Then Lulu will guide you to a safe place.]
"Are you telling me to run alone?"
[That's the best option.]
"What will become of you, Mr. Neru, the Cat Tribe Members, and the small beastmen? If I escape, can they get away?"
Neru couldn't answer.
"I'd rather buy time so the Cat Tribe Members can escape with the small beastmen."
[Like the Black Knights, Zipple has a group of elite Magicians called the Specter Corps. There were five of them who attacked us. I know you're strong, but against them, you can't afford to buy time.]
Specter Corps.
As soon as he heard the name, Jin's face hardened.
During his time as a Provisional Flagbearer, Jin had experienced the formidable skills of the Specter Corps.
'They sent that secret elite unit, the Specter Corps, to capture the Cat Tribe Members and the small beastmen and attack my business, are you serious?'
According to Neru, the reason Zipple targeted the small beastmen was Jin's cosmetics business.
It was a passage he couldn't quite grasp but at the same time made him think that Zipple had individuals with a good head on their shoulders.
'Someone who saw how my cosmetics business would elevate the Runcandels' influence among the public. Or...'
They discovered the existence of the Third Tomb of Temar in this place.
Either way, the horrifying fact remained that the Specter Corps had arrived.
[In addition, our barrier has reached its limit. It has already been two days since they entered the tomb.]
"What, two days?"
Jin's eyes widened.
He never thought so much time had passed.
He couldn't quite remember what had happened inside the Third Tomb, and his mind grew confused once more upon realizing that two days had passed.
[Yes, within an hour. We can't hold out any longer. So please, run quickly.]
Crack!
Jin clenched his teeth.
"I can't do that."
[If it's because of the guilt that the small beastmen might die because of you, we will do our best to keep them alive. They are still inside the barrier, so they are safe for at least an hour.]
"I need you to tell me their location."
[We have several entrances to our secret space besides the cave. They are currently breaking the barriers of each entrance, but we don't know the exact direction. However, what's certain is that all the cave entrances are connected, so eventually, they will converge there.]
Jin could instinctively understand.
Neru and the Cat Tribe Members had a plan to protect the small beastmen by sacrificing themselves.
It was true.
In fact, the Cat Tribe Members had used the last sacred relic they had to evacuate the small beastmen and had prepared to die in that place.
As long as Jin was inside the tomb, it would be impossible to achieve.
Even the slightest opening in the barrier made of sacred relics would increase the chances of the enemies entering the cave through this place.
The small beastmen in the cave were aware that they were under attack.
They trembled in fear within the confines of the activated barrier, fearing suffocation.
"Is it possible to save them all?"
[Honestly, I can't guarantee that we can save everyone.]
From the start, it was a remarkable feat to have resisted the Specters for two days and be able to save some of the small beastmen.
However, Jin couldn't retreat unless he was certain that everyone would survive even if he fled.
At this moment, he didn't grow stronger by using someone as a shield to escape.
Of course, he couldn't rely solely on a sense of righteousness or naive justice.
He had no intention of finding death so easily.
"I have experience in buying time against a large number of the Specters."
[If something happens to you, then my thousand-year promise will be in vain.]
"I'm not saying I'll fight just because I don't want the small beastmen to die. If I engage in battle with them, someone from my Family or from Kinzelo will definitely come."
[How would the Runcandels and Kinzelo know that you're fighting?]
"There's only one Magic Swordsman in the world who uses Shadow Energy and Lightning. And I am the Flagbearer of Runcandel, and the Zhan Kingdom is the domain of Hufester. Moreover, the land of the beastmen is within Kinzelo's territory, so they have more than enough justification to get involved."
If Jin were to engage in combat with the Specters near the cave, there was no reason for Runcandel and Kinzelo to stand idly by.
Jin planned to orchestrate a battle with the Specters as grandly as possible to provoke the participation of both forces.
'The key is whether I can hold out against the five members of the Specter Corps until reinforcements from my Family and Kinzelo arrive. And I must do it while protecting the small beastmen.'
But as long as he could hold out, he could save everyone.
No matter how powerful Zipple was, they couldn't afford to cause a commotion in the territories of other major powers.
'If the knights from my Family come, it would distort the purpose of disguising Bellop. It would be seen as an accident of my own doing, and the disciplinary case that the Chief of Civil Guards is trying to suppress would resurface.'
But that was still better than having all the small beastmen dead. If luck was on his side, it might be a problem that could be overlooked.
[But what if the Runcandels and Kinzelo don't come to the battlefield?]
"I will find a way to escape and survive. The thousand years that so many people sacrificed for me will not be in vain."
[What is your reason for being so loyal to the small beastmen?]
"A long time ago, Peng told me that. Among the small beastmen, the principle is that those who gain the sympathy of the Cat Tribe will be welcomed regardless of reason or race."
[That's something the small beastmen created among themselves...]
"But even before I met Mr. Neru, I was always well-received by the small beastmen. I even owed them my life. That's why I'm loyal to them. I can't bear to see my newly started business fail."
Neru looked at Jin.
"And as I mentioned before, the Zhan Kingdom is Runcandel's land. That means it's my land, and fleeing from here would mean I'm not qualified to be Runcandel's Flagbearer."
Tags:
SYS (Novel)