C199 - Rumors and Pursuers (2)
Jiik!
Cyron broke the seal of the letter with his index finger.
It had been a long time since he received his last letter, almost seven months ago. In other words, seven months had passed since Cyron's last "unique entertainment."
"It's been a long time since I covered myself in demon blood. But my lord's enjoyment is worth it..."
Khan smiled inwardly.
The lack of correspondence from Kashimir lately had unsettled his stomach, as he had no idea where the young master was at the moment.
Fortunately, the long-awaited letter seemed to be filled with phrases that satisfied his Lord's heart.
"The Sword of Legends and the Sword of Shadows."
The description of the two swords caught Cyron's attention for a moment.
"I heard there's a man named Barmal out there. Have you heard anything?"
"Yes, his name came up in a family meeting. They said he might be a contractor of Faytel. I don't know if he was alone or had associates, but he killed five General White Wolves on an island in the Bellard Empire, so he doesn't seem like an ordinary man."
"They'll be shocked when they find out he was the youngest."
"Really?"
"Do something about it. And make sure the standard-bearers don't pay too much attention to him."
"Understood."
Cyron continued reading the letter.
There was nothing about the Compass, only details about his visit to Lafrarosa and his fight against Kinzelo and Zipple. The assistance of Siris from the Hidden Palace was also mentioned without fail.
Cyron didn't feel bad knowing that Kashimir had deliberately hidden information. After all, this was not his calculation, but the calculation of his youngest son.
"Hahahaha..."
The ground around him faintly vibrated at Cyron's boisterous laughter.
"It seems he's having fun, my Lord."
"You'd laugh too if you read this."
The first page of Cyron's letter said:
(Dear Lord Cyron, last night at a drinking gathering, Young Master Jin told me something surprising. "I think I can now compete with my father." Oh, what an incredible story...!)
Khan's expression hardened.
“The Ghost Sword seems to have gone crazy. Even if the youngest son said it, it must be properly interpreted and reported! I will go right now and give him a stern warning…”
"Khan, have you ever heard of a beast race called The Legends?"
"Yes, I know they were an unknown species that was defeated 5000 years ago, leading to their extinction."
"It seems the youngest has encountered some of the Legends, through some kind of trial imposed by Solderet, and there is one of them, a person named Tushin (Battle Goddess), who, according to Jin, is a force to be reckoned with."
Khan was speechless.
There was no human in the world who could rival Cyron in terms of skill. Moreover, it was said that the Legends Race had been destroyed 5000 years ago. To Khan, it was an absurd story.
However, the youngest and the Ghost Sword wouldn't lie about it. Khan patiently waited for Cyron to speak again.
"The young one's logic is that, since he has competed with Tushin (Battle Goddess), he can do the same with me. Haha, it's so cute it almost makes me cry."
"Honestly, I think it's just a comment from a young person who doesn't have enough experience in battles yet. Although he's growing quickly, he's still just a seventeen-year-old, isn't he?"
Khan was someone who had seen all of Cyron's children, as well as all the other pure-blood descendants of the second generation of Runcandel, when they were seventeen.
Even Luna, who had always been recognized as the strongest among them, had been unable to compete with Cyron at seventeen, so it was natural for Khan not to believe the contents of the letter.
"Khan."
"Yes, my Lord."
"He never told me he could do something that I couldn't."
Upon hearing that, Khan tilted his head in disbelief.
"I misspoke."
"I didn't mean to be critical. But I'm also curious this time. Will the young one be able to take responsibility for his words? If, as you say, he only said it because he is still ignorant of the world, I would be very disappointed."
Khan immediately recognized the meaning behind Cyron's words.
Cyron wanted to see for himself what Jin was capable of.
"Should we quietly take the young one to the Black Sea?"
Cyron shook his head.
"No, that's not necessary."
"You don't mean to tell me that the Family Head will personally visit Tikan...?"
"That would be too harsh for him."
If Cyron personally visited Tikan, the world's attention would immediately focus on him. For Jin, Tikan would no longer be a safe haven. All kinds of major powers would start sending people there.
Cyron stroked his chin and smiled meaningfully.
"Do you have the paper?"
"Here it is."
Cyron moved the quill and began writing. The smile didn't leave his face as he wrote.
In moments like this, Khan felt amazed. Ever since Luna had abdicated her throne, their Family Head had been completely devoid of laughter.
When he finished, Cyron handed the paper to Khan.
Khan's eyes widened when he saw the recipient's name at the top of the letter.
"This person is...!"
The letter was unsealed and unmarked, and its contents were illegible. Khan put it in his pocket without checking its contents. He wouldn't look at it until it was in the hands of the recipient.
"Khan."
"Yes."
"Deliver the letter and have your butler, Heinz, bring two bottles of Royal Melodic Wine in my name. Give one bottle to Talaris and bring me the other one within ten days."
"Very well, then, I bid you farewell."
July 21, 1797.
Two men in blue uniforms and red hoods arrived at the Free City of Tikan.
This attire was worn by the Vermont Special Division/Force only for "official" activities, and the red masks were allowed only for the Special Division Leaders.
The codename of the Third Team Leader of the Special Division was Lars, and the leader of the fourth team was Chris.
As soon as they appeared at the portal, the security forces of Tikan immediately went on high alert. It was understandable since two Special Division Leaders had suddenly appeared in a peaceful city like that.
The patrols on the outskirts took less than ten minutes to report their arrival to the patrol captain, Alisa.
"They are not chasing after Quikantel and Enya."
Quikantel and Enya were being unofficially sought by Vermont. If they were here to capture them, they wouldn't have come alone or at least would have come in a covert operation.
"Have they found any clues about Young Master Jin?"
Fortunately, it didn't seem to be the case.
The visit was unexpected, but they were polite enough to request to see Kashimir's mansion.
Kashimir's mansion was the home of the leader of the "Seven-Colored Peacocks." Among them, those who had once belonged to the former royal families of Vermont were the ones who knew Ratz and Chris.
Of course, being known didn't mean they were close. The "Seven-Colored Peacocks" consisted of those who had been exiled along with Kashimir, so they had an uneasy relationship.
The members of the Seven-Colored Peacocks who were waiting in the city informed Jin's group about their visit.
"It doesn't seem like they've come for us. Hmm, I can't think of any reason."
"Just in case, Young Master, hide in another room with Miss Enya and Lady Quikantel. I'll meet with them, find out what they're up to, and send them back as soon as possible."
The Seven-Colored Peacocks, along with Kashimir, were urgently summoned and gathered in the reception hall.
Kashimir and the Special Division Leaders were unarmed, but there was a palpable tension between them.
It was a natural flow because it was a meeting between an exiled royal descendant of the royal family and the special division directly commanded by the Emperor.
"Thank you for receiving us, Lord Kashimir," said a Special Division Leader in a courteous yet cold tone.
Kashimir smiled in response, "What is the purpose of your visit? I know you must be busy with important matters, so please tell me what it's about."
Chris, the leader of the Fourth Team of the Special Division, took out a paper from his pocket. It was a check with the seal of the Vermont Emperor, and Kashimir couldn't help but have his eyes light up upon seeing it.
"What is this...?"
"His Majesty requests the cooperation of the Order of the Seven Colors. The payment is fifty thousand gold coins, and it is to ensure the safety of a person named Barmal. Once the job is completed, His Majesty will grant double the amount in gold."
"Haha."
Chak! Kashimir tore up the check.
"Lord Kashimir, this is an act of treason against the Imperial Family and a direct disrespect to the Emperor."
"I don't believe the current Emperor is honorable enough to speak of such matters, Captain Chris. Go back, tell the Emperor that I will not accept any deals with him."
"You don't understand, Lord Kashimir. Don't you know that Barmal has recently become a major topic of conversation in society? His Majesty only wishes to speak with him before Zipple does. So if you cooperate with us.."
"Nonsense!"
Kashimir suddenly stood up and shouted.
"You mean to say you don't see in your eyes the descendants of the ancient royalists of Great Vermont. I lost my position as a prince, and we were betrayed. Do you dare to think that you can play with us in this manner?"
As Kashimir fiercely glared with bloodshot eyes, the Special Division Leaders maintained their calm demeanor.
After a moment of silence, Ratz spoke.
"...We will ignore the disrespectful remarks about His Majesty. Instead, I hope you forgive us for interrupting your rest. We will leave now."
The Special Division Leaders picked up the torn check and stood up from their seats.
They immediately retraced their steps, and Kashimir finally calmed his anger after confirming they had disappeared.
"I gave a good performance after a long time."
Kashimir's anger was false. In fact, even if his anger were genuine, revealing it to the leaders was nothing more than an intentional act.
"Yes, it was good."
"I had to appear as a fool dragged by ancient emotions, unable to forget my former position, so that the Emperor thinks he can do whatever he wants with my family and this land at any time."
Jin had not yet heard why Kashimir became an "exiled prince." He was waiting for Kashimir to tell him himself one day.
"I don't believe the Emperor sent people just to mock me. He must be curious, even wanted the Seven-Colored Peacocks to collaborate with the Special Division."
"It's probably because of the incident with Quikantel and Enya. Ratz saw me with them wearing the black helmet, so Vermont's side would have likely assumed that if they captured me, they would know the whereabouts of the two."
"Fifty thousand gold coins, what a waste. It could have been an opportunity to reimburse the money I gave to Cosmos, haha."
At that moment, Jet ran towards them breathlessly.
"My Lord, Lord Kashimir!"
"My eardrums are going to burst, Jet."
"An unidentified person has come to see you, saying they wanted to support the Seven-Colored Peacocks with a special donation."
"Hmm? That's something the officers and staff should handle. Besides, what do you mean by unidentified?"
"Well... given that the amount of the donation is not normal, it seems they brought a large ship filled with gold coins. So the members rushed to check it, but no one seems to know who that person is."
"No one? Today is a day with many unusual visitors. Where is that person now?"
"They are on their way to the mansion."