Chapter 74: The Power of the Black Dragon (2)
Quinkantel decided to stop talking about Murakhan.
Seeing how indifferent Misha was towards him, she thought that Murakhan might not be is as serious danger as they had thought.
“It feels like a long time since we last saw each other, Misha. It must have been over five hundred years.”
“Didn’t we see each other in Mila Kingdom two hundred years ago?”
“That seems likely. Anyway, it has been a long time. As you can see, I've been doing well. Thanks to that guy, I'm now living here with Olta’s contractor."
Quinkantel gestured to Jin with a nod. Misha’s gaze also fell on Jin.
“He's a smart and strong kid. I watched him go through the trial in the Mithra Desert. It was quite surprising when he finally reached Temar and swung his sword.”
Everyone in Tikan knew this story.
Misha smiled as she recalled that time. But hidden within that seemingly meaningless smile was a long-held sorrow.
Temar Runkandel.
‘I felt it before, but there’s something about him that reminds me of Temar.’
The original head of the Runkandels and the only man she had ever loved.
After losing Temar, nothing remained in Misha's life but duty and obligation.
As Soldret's representative, she had to take care of things and prevent others from doing things. It was Misha's role to look after those whom Soldret had left behind.
“I didn’t know you were watching me then. The trial was tough, so I had many moments that were less than graceful. It’s a bit embarrassing.”
“It’s okay, you were impressive. Especially the image of you gnawing at a living creature.”
“I wanted to ask you something.”
“How did I find this place?”
“Yes.”
“Murakhan. That fool couldn't escape my grasp. I cast a tracking spell on him when he was young, and he still doesn't know about it. He's so stupid……”
“A tracking… spell?”
“So, I didn't need to trace your path every day, I already knew your route.”
A tracking spell that had lasted for thousands of years since Murakhan's childhood.
As the goosebumps started to rise, Quinkantel burst into a soft laugh.
“You’re still the same, Misha. It's been a while since I've seen someone fooled by you.”
"Anyway, everyone believes whatever I say, even if it sounds like nonsense."
“Haha, indeed, there’s no way such an absurd tracking spell exists.”
Jin laughed awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders.
“Murakhan can only fight with his aura, but I can do a little more. For example, like this.”
Misha scooped up the shadow of her left hand on the table with her right hand. The next moment, Jin could only widen his eyes, as if he were a child seeing magic for the first time.
‘What in the world?’
She was ‘scooping up’ her left hand’s shadow with her right hand. Like scooping pudding with a spoon.
The shadow didn’t disappear as much as she scooped. All eyes were focused on the shadow gathered in Misha's right hand.
Only Quinkantel seemed familiar with this.
“Wow!”
Yuria exclaimed. Like a child, she reached out to touch it, and Misha watched her for a moment before blowing on the shadow in her hand.
The shadow dispersed with her breath and flew towards Jin in thousands of particles.
‘It looks like a galaxy flowing in the palm of my hand.’
Jin didn't avoid the shadow flying towards him. The moment the shadow touched him, it seeped in and disappeared.
There was no change in Jin when the shadow seeped into his body. The only difference was that Misha's left arm shadow seemed to have faded a bit.
“That's right, there's no such magic. But it's possible with a power. The existence that my shadow touches, I can always locate. I put my shadow on that Murakan idiot when he was young. That's why I followed him and found you."
Then Misha naturally put down Yuria. She then began to float above the heads of the group, scattering her body into aura.
[And that's how I got into the mansion without anyone noticing.]
It was a mysterious sight. The particles that made up Misha could condense or scatter at will, and when completely scattered, it just felt like there was a little black powder floating around.
Hooong……
The aura floating in the air gathered and settled between Jin and Quikantel. In an instant, it took the shape of a person and the color returned, revealing Misha again.
“Is that explanation enough?”
Just as Jin was about to nod his head.
“Oh no, it's not good to show your back so easily.”
Another voice identical to Misha's came from directly behind them.
When they hurriedly turned around, there was Misha standing there. To the side, to the back, Misha was everywhere. Even in her original spot, another Misha was sitting, holding Yuria again.
Quinkantel was familiar with Misha's ability, but the rest of the group couldn't open their mouths for a while. They all had expressions of, 'What are we even looking at?'
Especially Lathry, who seemed ready to faint at any moment, having come face to face with a vague fear from his childhood, and seeing these abilities.
“Your guardian dragon is a coward, Yuria.”
“But he's kind and cute.”
“He seems to be. He also makes good cookies.”
Crunch, crunch……
Three Mishas simultaneously bit into a cookie. Each one was real, not an illusion.
'Indeed, the way Misha and Murakhan manipulate Shadow Qi is different from me. I wonder if I can do it too.'
However, something more astonishing happened.
"Ah!?"
"Oh my God... Jin?"
"Young Master!?"
Yurien, Kashimir, and Gilly all looked at one place and gasped. Following their gaze, Jin was left momentarily speechless.
There stood another 'Jin Runkandel'.
With the same face, clothes, and eyes as Jin. Even Quinkantel, who had seen much, kept glancing between Misha and the new Jin.
Grinning.
The newly appeared Jin approached the real Jin with a plate.
"Why don't you try one?"
His tone and speech were identical to the real Jin, causing confusion among the colleagues who were just watching. They couldn't tell who the real Jin was.
"It must be an unusual experience. Encountering yourself when there's no mirror."
Misha, who created the new Jin, acted as if it was nothing. Which made it even more chilling.
'Crazy, this isn’t... a dragon born from a contractor, but a god itself.'
What if Misha wasn't an ally, but an enemy...
A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.
Whoosh...
Only Misha holding Yuria remained, while the other Mishas and the Jin holding the plate dissolved into Shadow Qi.
Jin and his comrades were still in shock.
'Does Joshua also... have a being with such abilities attached to him?'
He was reminded of how terrifying the 'body duplication' was.
"He probably never told you that this sort of thing was possible with Shadow Qi."
"That's correct."
At that, Misha let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad. If he had told you, I would have smashed his head. And you would have been tortured by me until you forgot everything."
"Pardon?"
"How does it feel to witness phenomena far removed from providence?"
Jin looked into Misha's serious eyes and answered,
"...It was terrifying. If the Jin Runkandel who gave me the cookie earlier could function somewhere else, wouldn't I become insignificant? Besides, I can't even begin to imagine how many past events there would be to prove that I'm the real one."
No one in the world wants to exceed 'one' of themselves. Especially another 'me' that doesn't follow the control of the 'real me'.
It wasn't calculated, but a genuine sentiment.
However, Misha smiled, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
She purposely displayed this power to protect him from temptation in the many battles he would face in the future.
In Misha's view, 'Shadow Qi' was a dangerous power for mortals to handle, including humans, dragons, beastmen, devils, and even gods.
The contractor of a thousand years. And undoubtedly, the hope of the shadows.
'I won't make you meet the same end as Temar. Fortunately, Murakhan seems to be leading well so far...'
I will always be watching over you...
Just as Misha was about to finish her sentence, Yuria grabbed her sleeve.
"Ajusshi isn't like that."
Neither Jin nor the other companions knew why Yuria said that.
So, Jin chuckled at Yuria's serious face.
"It's been a while since you called me Ajusshi, Yuria. What suddenly isn't like what?"
"Just, it's not."
The only one who became thoughtful at that conversation was Misha.
'Ajusshi...? Moreover, she insightfully perceived my inner thoughts. I expected it, but this child is definitely not by Jin's side by coincidence.'
Ajusshi.
That one word triggered countless questions in Misha's mind.
Solderet, their god, why hasn't he said anything so far, why hasn't he communicated with the contractors, why hasn't he even voiced a word to them.
'Maybe Jin is the reincarnation of Temar! Therefore, it is highly likely that Yuria saw Temar's image for a moment... No, maybe.'
She might have seen Solderet in Jin.
Azmil, the contract holder of the pupil. Even for a superior contractor like Yuria, it was entirely possible.
For now, it was an issue she couldn't conclude on.
Misha hid her expression and stroked Yuria's head.
"Anyway, it's not bad to occasionally come out and talk with people like this. Hmm, you. Gilly, was it?"
"Yes, Lady Misha."
"I'll need a few days to fix that idiot brother of mine, so during that time, choose a room for me to use."
"I'll choose the best room. Please list any necessary items."
"Thank you. I want to have a drink with Quinkantel in my room, so please prepare a few bottles of good alcohol. Preferably, something aged over 100 years from Mila Mountain."
"Understood."
"Jin, we'll talk more tomorrow."
As Misha turned around, she seemed to remember something and looked at Gilly again.
"And you... should be careful."
"Pardon?"
"You're too much his type. If he tries anything funny, cut him off in one stroke."
All Gilly could do was cough awkwardly.