C220 - News Heard, News to Find (1)
"Well, I suppose I should go and meet that thing," Murakan said.
"That thing?" Jin asked.
"My sister," Murakan replied.
"Ah, you mean the Dark Dragon named Misha?"
Murakan nodded in response to Jin's question.
Not only did Murakan refer to his own sister as "that thing," but he also frowned as if he detested the mere thought of her.
Quikantel shook her head at the sight.
"You must have realized that you're a terrible Dragon Guardian. It's true, Jin would have died if it weren't for the special move of the Shadow Blade. You need to pull yourself together. I thought you were stubbornly refusing to meet her when I suggested it last time."
Something made Murakan want to meet Misha. He wanted to regain his former powers, and he figured Misha might know something about it.
"Hey, Quikantel. Why do you keep belittling me?"
"I admit that you were magnificent a thousand years ago. Not only were you magnificent, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that you were the strongest among the Dragons. But now, let's be frank. You're nothing more than a handful of that. Your prime has passed. Please come to terms with the reality of things."
"I can still use half of my former strength, you know? The boy saw it with his own eyes this time."
"Ah, yes? Are you referring to that method that requires you to suck the Shadow Energy from Jin for at least ten minutes in the middle of a battle? Plus, after fighting with the Shadow Energy you obtained from Jin, you were unconscious for days. I thought you had died from pushing yourself too far," Quikantel said.
"Well, can you forcefully release the manifestation of a God after taking ten minutes of energy from Enya?"
"I know I can beat everyone up before those ten minutes are up."
"Hmph! I still remember how frightened you were by the Demon God Stone on the deserted island..."
"Yes, keep talking. I'm going to crush your head." Quikantel glared at him.
"Quikantel, please don't."
"You know, that Dragon Guardian of yours really needs to come to his senses. Someday he'll get into trouble if he keeps dwelling on the past. He doesn't understand, no matter how many times I tell him."
Quikantel was genuinely concerned about Murakan.
Since they reunited in Vermont, she saw Murakan as someone so weak that he could die at any moment.
Murakan knew it too. However, he couldn't accept himself as someone who needed her protection. In fact, he felt the dangers that Quikantel kept reminding him of. The enemies threatening Jin were becoming more powerful, but the things he could do for Jin were diminishing day by day.
The fact that he was unconscious throughout Jin's fight with Joshua was especially shocking to him, especially since it happened right after he briefly regained his strength by taking Jin's Shadow Energy.
"That's why I said I'm going to find Misha. Why do you try to pick a fight over that? Although I am worried. I wouldn't know what to do if that thing tells me she doesn't know how to fix my heart after I find her."
For Murakan, the act of seeking out Misha went against his ego.
She was a nightmare. When he was a young dragon, Misha was the very embodiment of the great demon from hell or the demon god.
The only being Murakan feared in his life was his own sister. Although he never had to distrust his sister after reaching the prime of his life, he never had a good relationship with her like Jin did with Luna.
"Do you know where your sister is supposed to be?" Quikantel asked.
"No, I don't know."
"Then how do you plan to meet her?"
"There are a few places she's likely to be. The only problem is that there are too many of them. Maybe somewhere in the Krashi Mountain Range or in the forests of the northern continent. If not, then some ancient temples, the land of the Half Men, all sorts of dark and damp places, luxurious bars serving wines from Mila that have been aged for over three hundred years."
"What? It sounds like she could be anywhere in the world." Quikantel shrugged.
"More or less. Misha was always like that. She would always hide in the most secluded places until she suddenly appeared. But somehow, I always knew where to find her when I needed her. I guess we're siblings after all."
"Siblings?" Jin asked.
"I will be gone for about a month."
"Why don't we go together?"
"You have a lot to do here. Yulian might also regain consciousness."
It had been a week since they returned to Tikan, but Yulian still hadn't woken up. He was still unable to overcome the effects of being forced out of the Manifestation.
There was also no movement from Joshua's camp. No one visited Tikan, perhaps due to Cyron's strict orders, and there were no search notices for Kuzan and Beris either.
"Well, that's true, but..."
"More than anything, Misha will never see me if I bring you along. She'll get furious, claiming that I'm plotting to get something out of her with the Millennium Contractor as a hostage."
Quikantel also nodded.
"She's right. You might also consider the fact that the first thing he did upon reaching full maturity was to exact revenge on all kinds of his sister."
"Wouldn't that make it even more dangerous for him to go alone? He won't have anyone to help him if his sister attacks him."
"Don't worry about that. I'll be gone for about two months. If I don't return by December, you can start looking for me because that would mean I've been attacked or captured by Misha. I'll plan the routes today and mark the places where I'll leave traces."
"Come on! But what about your responsibilities?" Jin wanted to complain, but he had never seen Murakan so serious in his life. And it seemed that Quikantel was also pleased. She had always wanted Murakan to visit Misha.
"It would contribute a lot to our strength if he could find Misha and regain his former strength, but I'm quite worried about him going alone."
Murakan silently left Tikan that night. He hadn't forgotten to leave a note for Gilly behind Jin's back.
My dearest Strawberry Tart,
I am embarking on a brief, daring journey far, far away. I intended to discuss it with you, but the decision must be mine alone.
If I am slain by Misha, please tell the boy he must avenge me. Also, in case of my death, take my babies (girls) from the secret drawer under my bed, burn them, and scatter their ashes into the river.
I pray that you do not suffer too much while I am away.
I suddenly realized that the fact that I found you and the boy after my wearisome slumber was a miracle. If I return, let's take a trip together, just the two of us, as we promised.
Gilly giggled as she showed Jin Murakan's solemn letter.
"Young master, is Murakan going somewhere? He almost looks like a teenager."
"He said he's going to look for his sister, but I didn't know he would leave without a word in the middle of the night. Isn't he in his room?"
"No. Euria just told me she saw him flying away."
"By the way, did you promise to go on a trip together? There was something about it in the letter." For some reason, Jin felt strange asking that.
Gilly read the line over and over again, completely unable to contain her laughter.
"No! I had to think about it too! It almost made me feel like I made that promise with Murakan."
Gilly had never made that promise with him. Murakan had made it up.
"Oh, this is hilarious. I'm sorry, young master. You must be worried, but here I was, laughing my head off."
"Oh. No, it's fine." Jin smiled awkwardly, and Gilly burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, now that Murakan had finally listened to her advice, Quikantel looked for liquor to drink with a rather anxious expression on her face.
The news of Kuzan and Beris came before Yulian could wake up in the underground cell beneath the mansion.
"You were right once again, Lord Jin. A man presumed to be Kuzan Marius appeared in the kingdom of Delki," Kashimir said.
"Please tell me more about it," Jin responded, immediately getting up.
"It was said that deadly toxins were circulating among the mercenaries of Delki at ridiculously low prices immediately after the knight appointment ceremony. I had the agents investigate it after we saw a small article about it recently, and they said those toxins weren't registered in academic journals."
Kashimir suspected that Kuzan was sending a signal to Jin.
"Of course, it might not be Kuzan at all. Maybe an unidentified poison master is just carrying out his trade. But in Delki, of all places? It's the home of the Marius, the survivors of the Sacrifice of the Moon. That's where you encountered them for the first time."
Jin and his companions hadn't reached a conclusion about Joshua yet after the incident on Blue Bird Island.
The main theory was that he was a copy of himself, but since they had nothing to confirm it, they lived with a constant and mysterious sense of anxiety.
Any information from Kuzan and Veris could offer them a welcome respite from their worries.
"We must leave immediately. Please prepare the portal."
There was no reason to wait. If it turned out to be another poison master, he could simply return. But for now, Jin had to move as fast as he could.
"We must ensure his safety before Joshua reaches him!"
Jin needed to keep Kuzan and Beris alive because they could provide him with information, while Joshua needed to kill them for the same reason. He would surely be aware that Kuzan and Beris had met Jin on Blue Bird Island and had uncovered the truth behind his lie.
'Joshua. That fool would have received this information too. He will try to eliminate the hounds that don't return with him.'
Jin, Kashimir, Alisa, and Quikantel headed to Delki together. The group gathered in anticipation of confrontations with Joshua's forces.
Fortunately, the weather was clear enough for teleportation. The group arrived in Delki's capital in less than an hour.
"We have agents everywhere, but it will take several hours before we can locate the poison merchant. We must hurry on foot as well."
Kashimir spoke as she spread out a map.
The agents of the Seven-Colored Peacock had marked the locations of each mercenary group and all important figures.
Despite the astonishing capabilities of the Peacocks, gathering the necessary information in real-time was impossible. It would take at least a day or several hours at best.
Jin pondered for a moment and shook his head.
"By then, it will be too late. Joshua must already be on the move since Delki is practically under Runcandel's control."
He thought for a while and continued when something came to mind.
"Prince Laika. I must meet with him."
Laika was the third prince of Delki, a cunning man who proved his worth in Jin's first battle against Kuzan. Jin had promised him that in return, he would return to his kingdom all the shares of Delki's gold mines.
Jin planned to meet with him to search for the poison merchant. Since all mercenary groups must have a license to operate issued by the kingdom, getting the prince's help should be the fastest way.
'As long as Joshua doesn't beat me to meeting Prince Laika or the king of Delki, we can find them first.'