C488
Jin, Murakan, Dyfus, and Joshua lifted the masks hanging from their necks.
Boom!
Bang!
Barely a minute had passed, but the noise and vibration of battle had already significantly increased.
Now that the decision was made, they had to enter as soon as possible, even if it was for a second.
Drakka and the Second Magic Tower would provide immediate support.
"However, since the situation has changed, we'll skip regrouping after gathering internal information and disperse immediately upon entry to confirm sections Four, Eleven, Seventeen, and Nineteen. The Black Knights and I will handle sections Four and Eleven, while the Fourth and Twelfth Flagbearers will take care of sections Seventeen and Nineteen."
Sections Four and Eleven were relatively farther from the Second Magic Tower than sections Seventeen and Nineteen. Joshua was also extremely cautious.
Even in such a situation, he wanted to make sure that Jin and Dyfus were as unaware of the Second Magic Tower as possible.
"Secure battleship plans or destroy the most important resources, and return safely to the main house. Also, prioritize escape if there's a chance of being captured or killed by the enemy. All other decisions are at your discretion."
"Understood."
Joshua extended his fist toward Jin and Dyfus.
The two briefly looked at his fist and lightly bumped it.
"I wish you good luck, younger brothers."
"As we live, the day has finally come when my elder brother wishes me good luck. Well, let's have a celebratory drink that you decided to give to Jin when we all return safe and sound."
"Good luck, Second Flagbearer."
First, Joshua and the Black Knights entered the shipyard beyond the tunnel.
Jin, Murakan, and Dyfus watched their backs for a moment.
"Ha! Kid, if you hadn't stabbed me in the side, I would have turned his jaw without hesitation. Did he talk to me informally just because I make him uncomfortable by making decisions quickly? Someone like a Second Flagbearer? Many people died at the hands of this Murakan, indeed. I think about that every time something like this happens. He didn't even wish me luck."
"Oh well, I appreciate your patience."
"Murakan-nim, that guy's head will fall off his body before dawn anyway."
"Right, it's like he's already dead."
"Jin, I take back what I said about being disappointed yesterday. You were right all along. Kinzelo went beyond our expectations, but still."
There was no need to monitor Joshua anymore, but they still had to properly assess the situation after entering.
'I need to calculate when Kinzelo will make their move in the Second Magic Tower. It's a problem if I go too fast or too slow compared to them. However, I must enter later than Joshua.'
The key was to capitalize on the competition between Kinzelo and Joshua in the Second Magic Tower.
Now, it was time to think fast and adapt.
"Reinforcements will arrive in 30 minutes at the latest. They may have already arrived."
Even if dragons flew to the location, it would still take a minimum of 30 minutes to reach the Sota Desert.
"If that cubic thing you mentioned is also here, it's possible."
A space-time device.
The unidentified cubic object that Midor Elnor used in Gaifa.
Jin had shared information about it with Dyfus beforehand.
Since the survivors of Gaifa had witnessed the space-time device, there was no point in keeping it a secret.
"I think it's very likely that it's also in the shipyard. While Joshua was here, he might have received information related to it from elder brother Vigo or our mother, so it's best to assume that he's aware and taking measures."
Zipple was also aware that the other three major factions knew about the space-time device, so there was no need to hide it.
The reason Sandra Zipple got so angry when Midor Elnor used the device for revenge in Gaifa was that it should have been revealed at a more critical moment, such as directly attacking the Runcandel main house or forcing one of the major factions to surrender.
Midor believed he could kill Jin and his enemies and leave no evidence.
"Anyway, we'll have to join forces with Kinzelo for a while."
After entering, Jin decided to massacre the Zipples with Kinzelo first, rather than going to the sections assigned by Joshua.
"We need to take care of as many as possible, especially those from the Second Magic Tower."
"I suppose that way we can reduce the number of troops returning after entering the Second Magic Tower, right? If there's a cube in the Second Magic Tower."
As Dyfus responded, it was necessary to reduce Zipple's forces as much as possible due to the cube.
Kinzelo was well aware of this fact, which is why they were carrying out such a large-scale terror operation.
It wasn't just about ensuring easy entry into the Second Magic Tower.
"That's right."
"Oh, my head hurts! So, kid, in short, are you saying we should go in and kill all the Zipples?"
"That's right, but don't reveal your true form and conserve your strength. If they find out that you and I are here, the level of reinforcements may change. Anyway, let's start making our way through."
The tunnel led to the sixth section of the shipyard.
Upon entering, the first thing they saw was the dilapidated facilities, flames ravaging various places, and red tigers massacring executives with a sinister and mocking laugh, as if they were third-rate villains.
"Die, you miserable humans!"
"From today, this place is under Kinzelo's control!"
"Please, forgive us!"
Jin and his group hid among devices, pillars, and pipes, observing them for a moment.
It seemed that Joshua and his group had already gone elsewhere.
'The Zipples are impressive.'
Despite the destruction and fire, seeing the underground shipyard for himself, Jin couldn't help but be amazed.
Only the sixth section was filled with countless mechanical components and devices.
At first glance, there seemed to be dozens of identical components.
That meant at least that many battleships were being mass-produced in series.
"I was deeply shocked when I saw it in person for the first time. Even if they are battleships with half the power of those in Kozec, if they are mass-produced like this, the world will soon be completely under Zipple's control," Dyfus whispered, reading Jin's thoughts.
"There's nothing to fear, Dyfus Runcandel. I destroyed that finished product in a breath."
Unlike Murakan, who snorted, Jin felt somewhat troubled.
I have to analyze the space-time device as soon as I get back.
I don't know about Kozec, but the Family must acquire mobile summoning device technologies or any means that can counteract them.
One reason Murakan could destroy Kozec-2 in Gaifa with a single breath was that his strength had recovered to 50%.
The level of the mages on the battleship was relatively low.
The battleship's engine was influenced by the mana and magic of its passengers.
If the mages aboard that mass-produced battleship were at the level of Specters or Zipple's elite mages, the outcome could have been different.
A heavy weight pressed on his chest, as if a rock were crushing him.
'...There's no need to be impatient. We'll catch up. We must.'
If he could reclaim all of Temar's legacy, and if he could lift the curse engraved in the Runcandel blood.
If he could restore the ancient glory of the Runcandels.
"By the way, it's strange that Joshua and the Black Knights had no idea that the information had leaked."
"Are you referring to the operation time? I don't think it's a coincidence that Kinzelo initiated the terrorist attack right now. That said, I don't think there's a spy among the Black Knights Joshua brought. He would be extremely cautious about potential information leaks."
"Could there be a spy among the Execution Knights?"
"No, impossible. Even if there were, no one among the Execution Knights knew the exact timing of the operation. The control was executed perfectly."
"Joshua couldn't have leaked it directly, so it means someone stole the information in the headquarters while avoiding Joshua's, yours, and the two Black Knights' guard."
"Joshua always carried the operation plan with him. It's almost impossible. Besides, he never spends time alone, and even when he sleeps, at least one Black Knight is always with him. It's as if some kind of ghost is haunting him..."
Suddenly, Dyfus stopped speaking, as if something had crossed his mind.
At that moment, Jin and Dyfus thought of the same name.
"Could it be?"
"Yona...?"
Yona Runcandel.
There were only a handful of people in this world who could do such a thing, and the biggest one was undoubtedly Yona.
Both thought of their younger sister at the same time and felt an inexplicable chill.
"No, wait. It can't be Yona. If Yona were involved in this matter, it would only be if Mother personally entrusted the request to No Name. But does Mother have any reason to hide that fact from Joshua?"
Due to a lack of time, it was not impossible for Jonas to come as well.
But Jin believed that if his younger sister had known about the shipyard information, she would have warned when she came to see Tikan.
"No, she wouldn't have."
"...In that case, is it Owal-nim, the Nameless King?"
"I think if anyone from the Nameless is involved, it would be the Nameless King rather than the older sister Yona. I don't think Mother would have entrusted this, but Kinzelo would have sought help from the Nameless."
"Right, whether it's a commission or something else, it wouldn't make sense for Yona to be used by the Nameless to steal information from Runcandel. If Owal-nim and the main assassins of the Nameless are involved, that would roughly explain it."
Of course, it wasn't a definitive conclusion.
It would make sense as long as they left no traces, but still, the Nameless, who had been maintaining neutrality, had little reason to intervene in such a delicate matter.
"Hmm. Even if the Nameless were involved, it's unlikely that they would get more involved in this matter. In the end, it's not a bad situation for us, so we don't need to worry too much about it."
"That's correct. They probably just handed over the operation information to Kinzelo and then withdrew. Let's head to section Seventeen and the Second Magic Tower for now. We should assess the situation in other sections as we go."
The group began to move, leaving behind the sight of the Red Tigers massacring the managers of the shipyard's Section Six.
But it seems a bit strange.
Could it really be her...?
No, it can't be, right?
It's probably a trick. Even if she came, as Brother Dyfus said, she has probably already returned to Samil.
She would have only passed on information to Kinzelo.
Despite his unease, Jin opened his senses and observed his surroundings more carefully.
However, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Jin couldn't fathom that a woman was smiling and watching him, even in his dreams.
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