C198 - Rumors and Pursuers (1)
Unexpectedly, Jin and Murakan were expelled as soon as they returned home. They also used the transfer gateway to go to Manji Island in the Western Sea.
"What madness is this, expelling people all of a sudden? What's going on?"
Murakan grumbled, and Quikantel looked up.
"There are no changes in the compass. Hmm, Enya, this time you have to go out."
"Eh? Me too?"
Enya was sent away. Equally to Manji Island in the Hidden Palace.
Then there was a change in the compass. As soon as Enya arrived on Manji Island, a red dot appeared on the compass map.
"Well... I understand more or less. It seems that this compass cannot detect Solderet contractors. But if they are close to Jin, shouldn't the other contractors also be tracked?"
A red dot appeared when Enya traveled to Manji Island, but it disappeared when she returned to Tikan.
"I will take Enya and Euria out."
When Jin took them out, red dots appeared on the compass map on Manji Island. The two red dots belonged to Euria and Enya.
Jin left Tikan alone again. The compass did not generate red dots in Tikan or on Manji Island.
"...It's strange. It's true that the compass cannot track Jin, but it's not that Enya and Euria are unaffected and not exposed to tracking, right?"
Since then, Enya and Euria have traveled to other areas besides Manji Island a few times. Every time, the results were the same, with or without Jin. That is, when they traveled alone, red dots would eventually appear on the map.
"There must be something in Tikan."
Quikantel concluded.
"A mirror...?"
It was the only thing Jin could think of.
Then, the same experiment was conducted with a mirror. Before an hour passed, the companions were able to realize that the mirror had the effect of concealing the contractor from the compass.
"So, to summarize, Jin is not exposed to detection without the mirror, Euria and Enya neither, and as long as the mirror is in Tikan, this is a safe zone from detection for the contractors."
The compass couldn't search for a god with more than a certain amount of power, or their contractor. Since the mirror had the sealing properties of both Kullam, the Ancient God, and Solderet, it further hindered the compass's functioning.
"Hmm, so if we had stayed still, there would have been a low chance of the girl, the fan, and the ice cream cone being exposed by the compass. Even if they were exposed when they left Tikan, it wasn't something that could be immediately found."
"The fact that Andrei Zipple was unable to locate Euria in the past was probably due to the limitations of his abilities."
Still, it wasn't all in vain.
From now on, Jin and company would know the approximate locations of contractors around the world, and from there, they could deduce whether Zipple had kidnapped them or not. If the red dots suddenly started converging in the Magic Federation of Lutero, it would be an unequivocal sign of a kidnapping.
That wasn't all.
"If a new contractor appears, someone we need, we can search for them before or at the same time as Zipple."
They also confirmed once again that Tikan was a safe zone, so their six months of hard work were not in vain.
"We should create a task force to check the compass daily. Lord Kashimir, I'm counting on you."
"Understood, Young Master. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief now that I know my daughter is not being pursued."
"Young Master, I will tell you about the other reports."
"Yes, please."
"First, you might want to take a look at this..."
Gilli spread a newspaper on the table and spoke.
-Pirate Island, Bellard Empire. A skilled unknown individual with a magical black helmet has appeared... Is he a hero or a villain?"
"Pft. Haha, haha. Hero, villain, ah, this is madness, kid!"
Murakan nudged Jin with his elbow and laughed, and Siris also chuckled.
The article said something like this:
(A mysterious strong man called 'Barmal,' who uses the "power of lightning," could be the new contractor of the Storm God "Faytel," marking the appearance of a Storm Contractor after 288 years.
He doesn't seem to belong to any major force, as both the Zipple Family and the Vermont Empire have expressed their desire to make contact with him.
The appearance of such a powerful figure that both empires desire to capture is extremely rare. Runcandel has not taken a stance yet, and his future moves are highly anticipated.
According to eyewitnesses, he was described as a blond man with a handsome face and a libertine appearance. However, he might have been in disguise.
It's unclear why he came to the island. Some say his objective was to clean up the pirate zone, while others believe he was seeking wealth in the casinos. The island's inhabitants only hope that this new comet shaking the continent is a good omen...)
At this point, Jin couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Hundreds of media outlets had already published news like this.
"I hoped that my name would spread widely at some point, but this is embarrassing."
While Murakan laughed, Jin thought about the information that had been "hidden" in the articles.
"Nowhere does it mention Kinzelo and the compass. There's no mention of Chukon Tolderer or Karl Zipple being there, no mention of the Runcandel Guardian Knights, not a single line about the Special Forces and the Imperial Guard. The focus is on me, the pirates, and the gambling house."
In other words, Runcandel, Zipple, Vermont, and Kinzelo, these four major forces had already controlled the media.
"The fact that Zipple and Vermont publicly express their desire to meet with me means that they have no idea who I am, and they don't expect to find out anytime soon."
Otherwise, there would be no reason to make such a statement. Without the rest of the world knowing, it was Zipple and Vermont's way of setting a trap for Jin, and if caught, they would capture or kill him by force.
"And with these articles as a motive, those who had doubts or resentments towards me have obtained many clues."
Those who had encountered Jin, wearing a 'magical black helmet,' so to speak.
Among them, Kuzan and Beris, who fought in the Kingdom of Delki, and Ratz, the assassin who met them at Quikantel's cabin.
Now they had a solid lead to locate Jin. If he used the Myulta Rune anywhere in the future and left a witness, they would close in on Jin.
They were not the only ones; the Four Great Powers and other powerful families and organizations would not remain idle.
Jin quickly became a celebrity. Not as Jin Runcandel or Jinn Grey, but as Barmal.
"Those who have seen the Myulta Rune will search more diligently. Kuzan and Beris, I suspect they and that assassin Ratz will be the most persistent."
"Kids, do you think they will become your opponents now?"
"They probably will."
"It seems you have acquired a new power thanks to your stay in the Land of Legends, Young Master. I haven't seen it, but judging by Zipple and Vermont's actions, I assume it's a great power."
"You'll be surprised when you see it, Strawberry Tart. We took a glimpse when we were coming here, and it was mind-blowing. Kid, show Strawberry Tart later. With the Shadow Sword."
"Of course."
Jin felt a little embarrassed. But on the other hand, Gilly was very happy.
"Now let's order and drink together after such a long time, everyone. Seeing everyone gathered here in Tikan again makes me nostalgic," Gilly said.
That day, Siris also enjoyed the party with his colleagues instead of returning to the Hidden Palace. While most of his colleagues laughed and talked, Siris didn't speak much but hid his inner joy.
While Jin and his companions enjoyed the party all night in Tikan.
In a secret villa in Hufester, a few gathered. They were Joshua and his followers.
"The power of the black helmet and the power of lightning... what do you think?"
Joshua looked at Kuzan and Beris, who stood behind him. On the table was a newspaper with the same news Jin had read.
Some time ago, after sorting out their thoughts, both of them swore loyalty to Joshua. If it weren't for him, who would become the next ruler of Runcandel, they wouldn't be able to exact revenge on the contractor of Solderet and the Black Dragon.
"I suspect it could be him," Kuzan replied. Beris looked at the young man sitting next to Joshua, with a wide smile on his face.
"Is it because of the black helmet?" he asked.
"Yes. After that day, we searched everywhere, but we've never seen anyone wearing a helmet like that. Since he's a Magic Swordsman, he could have infused lightning magic into his sword," Joshua explained, exhaling smoke from his cigarette.
"...Yes, that's what I thought too."
"Don't you think Barmal might be the Solderet contractor we were looking for?"
Joshua nodded at Kuzan's question.
"Well, I'm not sure, and if it weren't for the new information, I would probably have come to the same conclusion as you. That he was putting on a show to hide that he's a Solderet contractor."
"What new information do we have?" Kuzan asked.
"It wasn't a trick. The lightning technique used by this Barmal character wasn't revealed in the media, but he instantly killed five powerful White Wolf warriors with that lightning technique," Joshua said, causing both Kuzan and Beris to tighten their lips.
They hadn't received any information about the Solderet contractor since Taimyun Marius's death.
Then, a powerful person appeared wearing a Black Helmet, and they knew it had to be him, but what he used wasn't a shadow technique—it was a lightning technique!
Kuzan and Beris couldn't understand it at all. What surprised them more than learning about the five powerful White Wolf warriors being killed was the possibility that Barmal might not be their enemy.
"Damn it! Five powerful White Wolf warriors? Obviously, they're different people. If his magical achievements were that great, either Kuzan or I would have been roasted alive when we encountered him. Who the hell is Barmal? He doesn't seem to be a mage."
Beris spoke with a defiant look, licking her lips as she sat next to Joshua, observing the young man's expressionless face.
"Hey, you. Are you really the Faytel Contractor? I thought Barmal was."
The young man's eyes turned fierce. Soon, his body began to tremble with the electricity emanating from him.
"Stop."
Upon Joshua's words, the young man's face returned to its emotionless state.
"Five high-ranking White Wolves with a single strike... What do you think, Julian? Can you do the same?"
"I cannot."
The young man calmly replied, and Joshua shook his head.
"Then it seems it's time for you to strengthen your power."
Beris was satisfied. Ever since she encountered Julian after getting close to Joshua, she had been tormenting him for her own amusement.
Under the table, Julian's hands trembled, not out of anger towards Beris, but out of fear towards Joshua.