C509
Crack!
Mon knelt down and vomited a handful of blood.
If they had exchanged a few more blows, Mon would have met his death facing the sword of the monstrous demon.
'...I've heard that there are formidable demons among the currently active ones, but I didn't expect someone like this to be affiliated with Kinzelo. Was the demon that the First Flagbearer cut down in the past also like this?'
It had been a long time since he suffered such a powerless defeat and was so blatantly ignored.
Mon managed to recover his amputated left arm...
But it would be difficult for him to continue his duties as a Black Knight if he didn't immediately receive treatment at the level of the Holy Queen.
But now was not the time to succumb to despair.
'The demon is heading towards the signal from the Romin Forest. The battleship Grenille is also flying towards the Romin Forest, and seeing that Kozec is following, there's a possibility that Jane and the others are also there.'
Mon didn't know the exact situation in the Romin Forest.
However, the fact that the forces of Zipple and Kinzelo were converging must have a good reason, and the most crucial thing in this situation was the contents of the vault of the Second Magic Tower.
Did the Second Flagbearer succeed in looting, or did Kinzelo obtain something and escalate the battle?
'Either way, what I need to do now is request support.'
It made no sense to detain Bianca.
Mon survived thanks to the enemy's mercy, but he needed to move somehow to ensure the success of the mission.
After performing first aid and healing the wound, Mon took a step forward.
But border security was very strict.
Every high watchtower along the border emitted light.
The border troops of the five autonomous districts and the eight autonomous countries alternately watched their assigned zones, the battlefield of the Romin Forest, and the Sota Desert, with the highest alert status ever.
The battleship Grenille and Octavia's forces were quickly approaching the Romin Forest as if possessed.
As the battle intensified, the border troops began to worry that the Romin Forest might completely disappear from the map.
The border commanders decided to divert search teams towards the direction where Mon and Bianca were fighting.
Since it was an individual battle, it was nothing compared to the turmoil of the Romin Forest and the Sota Desert, but it was enough for the guards not to overlook it.
Mon advanced, seeking a loophole in the border without being discovered by them.
'Damn, my body is starting to stiffen up.'
The bleeding was severe.
Like Jane before, Mon had suffered significant injuries, enough to lose consciousness if not for the mental strength and willpower of a Black Knight.
Ha, ha....
Mon leaned against a tree for a moment, catching his breath.
The surroundings seemed foggy due to the fever, and with each shiver, it felt like his bones were about to break.
As his senses faded from the pain...
Mon suddenly changed his posture and aimed his sword beyond the bushes.
He felt someone approaching.
It's a guard...!
They were probably border troops.
If there were only a few below 7 stars, Mon could handle them calmly.
However, if there were more, it was impossible to kill them all before the signal flare was shot.
A moment later, when the owners of the approaching steps revealed themselves, Mon could finally exhale in relief.
"Mon-nim!"
It was Jin and his group.
They had limited routes to avoid border surveillance.
Jin and his group had followed the same path as Mon, and in the process, they had noticed the trail of his blood.
Therefore, their encounter was more destined than coincidental.
"Twelfth Flagbearer."
"What happened... Sir, your arm."
"How did the mission go? Why are you the only ones here? And Jane and the Second Flagbearer?"
Mon, who had been speaking, stopped upon encountering Jin and the others' dark and heavy gazes.
"...We escaped from the Romin Forest with Jane-nim's sacrifice."
Mon remained silent for a moment and then looked back in the direction of the Romin Forest where his lover had faced death.
After becoming a Black Knight, they completely gave up their personal lives, but Mon and Jane always believed that their hearts were connected.
They had planned that if they ever retired safe and sound, they would spend the rest of their lives together.
That hope had come to an end.
"I see..."
Mon responded with a calm voice.
Just like Jane had prioritized the Family and disappearance over choosing words to leave to her lover until the end, Mon did the same.
Personal pain doesn't help the Family.
That's what Black Knights believed.
That's a Black Knight of Runcandel.
"Did the Second Flagbearer also stay behind?"
"Yes."
Mon didn't ask why the next patriarch stayed instead of another flagbearer.
Is it intentional or not?
Why does Jin have the Black Sword Kainer?
If not, what does the Second Flagbearer fight with?
Mon didn't ask because he somehow knew why Joshua stayed behind.
"Did the mission succeed?"
Jin took out the objects from his pocket and showed them.
"As long as we come out unscathed, the mission is a success. Let's save detailed stories about my wounds, Yona Runcandel, and Sandra Zipple for after the escape. Let's get moving before I collapse."
Mon's gaze landed on Sandra.
She was once again rummaging in the pocket of her coat, searching for painkillers.
"Oh, luckily, I still have some. Swallow this. The other unnie felt great after taking it. It's hard to run when something hurts, right?"
"...Unnie? Could it be that you're talking about Jane, Sandra Zipple?"
"Yes, that's right. She thanked me."
Mon took the painkillers without saying a word and swallowed them.
Then, Mon lightly touched Sandra's shoulder.
Mon hadn't explicitly revealed their romantic relationship, but the group somehow seemed to understand the sentiment behind Mon's gesture towards Sandra.
They resumed their journey.
Passing without an armed conflict would be difficult.
It was natural, as it was the center of the Lutero Magical Federation, and the surveillance network was several times tighter than usual.
While Jin contemplated the most efficient route to break through, Sandra spoke up.
"Ha, it seems like it's time to end our first date."
The group's attention shifted to Sandra.
She was biting her lower lip, trying to console herself.
"I guess I have to step forward now so that you can escape, Jin-nim. From now on, even if you want to see me, you can't come looking for me like this. Jin-nim, today is the last time, okay?"
Jin and Sandra's eyes met.
"I'll divert the attention of the border guards for you. Escape without getting caught. However, do you remember what I said?"
-However, thanks to you, my brothers and the Black Knight could save their lives. If there's anything you need, ask for it. If it's in my power, I'll do it after the escape.
Both Jin and Sandra remembered those words at the same time.
"What do you need?"
Sandra extended her golden prosthetic hand towards Jin, making sure that her face engraved on the forearm was clearly visible.
"I would like you to engrave your name below this drawing."
"Wow... You're really amazing. I thought only Enya, the brat's fan club president, was crazy, but even she's nothing compared to you. I might not see another human like you even if I live another three thousand years."
"Fan club? After the announcement of the Golden Peng, all sorts of unofficial fan clubs emerged. I even created and approved a bill related to fan activities and registered it officially. There have been several articles about it, even on the Hufester side."
"I think I've seen something like that. It was someone named Nodav Sarsaeng, probably."
"That's my alias. So, what Enya does is just a personal fan activity, while mine is an official fan activity. There's a big difference."
Jin silently unsheathed his dagger and, as requested, signed below the drawing of the prosthetic hand.
Sandra was about to scream, but she covered her mouth.
"Wow! I'll treasure this more than my life!"
The feeling of her arm turning into a golden prosthetic hand, with her face engraved on it, and even Jin's signature below, the feeling of hearing her say she would treasure it more than her life...
There were no words to express it.
However, at the moment the signature was completed.
Kururur...!
Suddenly, a tremendous explosion occurred in the Romin Forest.
It was a massive explosion, felt even in the central border, causing an earthquake.
And this explosion wasn't caused by Kinzelo or Zipple.
It was an explosion caused by Runcandel's decisive killing move.
Everyone in the group was recognizable at a glance.
The Family's only self-destructive sword move, a sword created with the ultimate purpose in mind.
The Seventh Final Movement, Volcano.
It was the same one Joshua used when facing Jin and Garmund in the Archipelago of the Blue Birds.
Joshua's clone had chosen the volcano as a desperate final act.
At that time, Joshua's volcano had demonstrated the power to ravage the entire Island 32 of the Archipelago of the Blue Birds.
The volcano unleashed by the current Joshua, enhanced with murky energy, far surpassed that power.
The aura mixed with murky energy rose to the sky and fell to the ground, destroying the Romin Forest.
It literally looked like a massive erupting volcano.
Even from where the group was, the shockwave distorted and shattered the space and sky across the entire region of the Romin Forest.
The battleships urgently deployed their shields to the maximum, and the strongest ones did their best to save allies who couldn't withstand the explosion.
"They're also launching congratulatory fireworks there to celebrate the birth of my treasure!"
Sandra seemed joyful, as if the fact that the volcano was destroying her clan's territory wasn't particularly important.
"Now, Jin-nim. Thanks to that explosion, the border guards seem a bit disoriented. If I cause a little more confusion, there should be a gap in their surveillance."
"Sandra Zipple."
"Yes!"
-But, Jin, I have a responsibility to fulfill on my own. If my clan is going astray, shouldn't I correct it? I'll make everything normal. I'll return Zipple to the proud clan that I know.
-That's a story lacking in reality.
-I don't think there's anything I can't do if you help me.
-Regardless of us being friends, there are things that can't be done. It's impossible for Runcandel to help Zipple.
Suddenly, Jin saw in her his friend.
He remembered their conversation at Beradin's mansion.
Leave the clan, discard the name Zipple.
That moment flashed in his mind.
"I would like you to convey my greetings to Beradin."
"Oh, I never thought I would at least shake hands with you again... I already had plans to meet with Radin and talk about Jin-nim."
When Jin extended his hand, Sandra's eyes widened.
Of course, it wasn't to fulfill Sandra's request but rather a handshake request from someone who had received significant help in this situation.
"Then, until we meet again, Jin-nim."
"Goodbye, Sandra."
Sandra didn't waste time turning around and running out from among the bushes, and as soon as she encountered the guards, she shouted:
"I'm Sandra Zipple, the acting master of the White Night Tower. Intruders are fleeing towards checkpoint 16. Track them quickly."
While the border guards moved in response to Sandra's order.
The Runcandels were finally able to cross the border and escape from the center of the Lutero Magical Federation through the Western Sea.
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