C247 - Villain (4)
Given the usual circumstances, Jin would have never been able to win against the Zipple in a media coverage battle.
Even if he hit them where it hurt the most, there was a huge difference in the control they had over the media. The Zipple always portrayed themselves as the good guys, and their control over the press was an impregnable fortress.
But at this moment, Jin wielded so much power.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the entire world's press was gathered in the Holy Kingdom right now.
Several renowned journalists had also come, including Deano. Most of them belonged to major factions like the Runcandels, Zipple, and Vermont. But some belonged to neutral news agencies.
It almost feels like I'm looking at a barrel full of oil, Jin thought as he observed the journalists gathered in the city square.
The oil barrel called the press would soon burst into flames when it encountered Deano's sparks, to the point where even the Zipple wouldn't be able to control it.
'Both the Zipple and the Kinzelo, come to think of it, have always been my enemies, ever since I left Storm Castle.'
He suddenly remembered how he was attacked by Zipple extremists with the assistance of the Kinzelo when he left Storm Castle.
Perhaps the fight against them was destined from then on. Besides, he had to defeat them anyway once he reached the top of his clan.
It was three in the afternoon.
"What's that?"
The question made the enraged crowd look into the distance in the sky.
The gigantic Zipple clan's frigate, the Kozec, flew in the sky above the capital. Jin unconsciously clenched his fists tightly as he saw it.
The Zipple elite Mage squadron, the White Night*, and Karl Zipple were aboard the ship. (*Formerly known as Twilight Mages)
"Kozec? Damn, what is that thing doing here again?" Murakan glared as soon as he spotted the frigate.
"The Flagbearers of the Runcandel clan are staying in the Holy Kingdom, so the Zipple probably wanted to show off their power too. In fact, they're sending a message to the Runcandels to forget about assassinating Karl Zipple. They're here for an apology, but here they are, flaunting their power."
"Arrogant bastards. This reminds me of all the suffering I went through in Kollon. I feel angry. If only I could crush that thing here and now."
"Lord Jin, I'll go prepare things now," Deano interrupted.
"Sure. I wish you luck."
Deano left. The shadow of the Kozec fell over the city square. The holy kingdom subjects gazed at the gigantic frigate that obscured the sun with anxiety and rage in their eyes.
Soon, a wide beam of light sprouted from the bottom of the Kozec, creating a staircase that extended to the ground. The people on board started descending the steps. They could see Karl Zipple with his entire body bound.
Karl looked extremely distressed and wore a gray fabric that only low-born prisoners could wear. He approached the ground. The angry people shouted at him.
"Boo!"
"What have you done to our brothers and sisters?"
"How dare you experiment on humans! Are you not afraid of the gods?"
"You're a mad sorcerer! Bastard!"
People hurled all sorts of insults at a tower master of the Zipple clan, a pure-blooded Zipple at that.
Nothing like this had happened in the past few decades. It didn't matter if the problem came from the clan or an individual. The Zipple had always designated representatives to handle any incidents, not the pure-blooded Zipple themselves.
The anger in the voices of the people was contagious.
The crowd that had been intimidated by the sight of the Kozec was now shouting, ready to tear Karl apart at any moment. Karl bowed his head and said nothing. The White Night Mages behind him showed no emotion.
Lani had instructions from Jin, so she didn't attempt to calm the people.
A person in the crowd observed Lani's response and threw a fist-sized stone at Karl. It hit him on the forehead and splattered blood. The voices of the crowd suddenly fell silent.
Karl remained with his head lowered. Blood dripped down his forehead, but the White Night Mages behind him did not react.
Their silence was a tacit permission that the Zipple clan would not intervene, no matter what was done to Karl Zipple. As Jin expected, the Zipple were going to start making their moves after Karl was killed or severely injured.
"Say something!"
Thud, thud! Thud!
Stones started flying as Karl completely stepped off the staircase of light formed by the Kozec.
The stones knocked him down, but he got back up. The sequence repeated five more times.
Reporters were busy writing this rare scene of retribution in articles.
"Dear people of the Holy Kingdom, please stop for a moment!" Lani shouted as she slowly stood up. The stoning abruptly stopped, and Karl hesitated as he got up again.
"Karl Zipple. Before you confess your deeds, there is something I must ask you."
"What is it?"
"Were the biological golem experiments truly carried out under your leadership?"
Karl could only hear the question as, are you the only one behind it, not the entire Zipple clan?
Therefore, he could only respond in the way his father, Keliac Zipple, had ordered him.
"Yes, that's correct."
"Can you swear to it?"
"You sound like you want to blame the sins on the entire clan, but that wouldn't be right. Sure, I understand that you might think the Zipple are scapegoating me. But I am the fourth tower master and a pure-blooded Zipple. There are many others who could have served as scapegoats."
"Then why did you come down here yourself? You could have easily assigned others as scapegoats."
"Because my death is the only way to regain the honor of my clan that I tarnished with my actions. Even if you choose to show mercy, my clan will never have me back, so kill me in their place."
"You ask for a comfortable death that you don't deserve. The number of our Holy subjects who unjustly died due to your experiments amounts to three thousand. Karl Zipple, you will never enjoy death until you testify with clear details about your actions."
Lani performed healing magic on Karl's wounds. The scars healed immediately.
"But Karl, doesn't it seem strange to you?"
"What's strange?"
"The number of ours who were captured is not three thousand. It was eight hundred and twenty-three."
Karl clearly deserved to be the fourth tower master.
He fell for Lani's trick and didn't demonstrate it at all.
"Did Vitura Veltor send that many people? I had no idea."
"Sir Karl Zipple!" Someone shouted Karl's name and stepped forward.
It was Deano Jaglun. "You were not behind those horrific experiments, Sir Karl! Why are you lying? Why are you volunteering to be incriminated?"
All eyes in the city square instantly focused on Deano.
"Who is this supposed to be?"
"Are you a pawn of the Zipple? Cut the nonsense and get lost!"
"Dear people of the Holy Kingdom, please excuse my manners. I am a journalist! My name is Deano Jaglun. Some of you may know me, and I'm not some pawn writing for the Zipple. I was the first journalist to expose the biological golem experiments carried out by Miuron Zipple in Kollon."
Murmurs followed.
"I, Deano Jaglun, can swear on my honor as a journalist and on the honor of the Kollonites. Whether the rest of the Zipple leaders are involved or not is another matter. But I can firmly state that Sir Karl Zipple has no connection whatsoever to these biological golem experiments."
Deano pulled out a handful of bulletins from his bag and scattered them around.
Some of the journalists hurried to grab the bulletins to read them. Their eyes widened in astonishment, even before they finished reading a few lines. Their gazes shifted from Deano to Karl.
The fire has spread. Jin smiled inwardly.
Until now, only Karl Zipple had to bite the dust. But now, the entire Zipple clan was going to be involved in this mud fight.
"Dark Magic Guild, under the Kinzelo?"
"The survivors were rescued at the Dark Magic Guild Castle in Old Oterium, not the fourth magic tower?"
The Kinzelo were known as a third-category terrorist group, and it was said that the Dark Magic Guild had been annihilated by Riol Zipple, leaving only low-category remnants of their former glory.
The bulletins Deano tossed around carried the names of irrelevant organizations that massively lacked importance compared to the Zipple.
But it included the fact that an unidentified swordsman known as Vamel had intervened in the meeting between the Zipple and the Kinzelo six months ago, and Karl had been taken hostage by the Kinzelo in the process.
"Look, Deano Jaglun! What's all this nonsense?" one of them yelled at Deano.
Not many could understand what was going on, even after a quick glance at the bulletin. Few looked kindly upon this young journalist who suddenly intervened in the interrogation.
"Lady Lani refrained from mentioning the name of the hero who saved the survivors, but let me tell you his name instead. It's Sir Bamel. Yes, it's the supernova that you all know. It was Sir Bamel."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I became a well-known journalist after covering the Kollonite massacre. At that time, I wrote that the hero who saved the natives were ordinary passersby. The passerby I mentioned was actually Sir Bamel. I became very close to Sir Bamel following the incident and have been writing about his heroic deeds in my articles."
At that moment, Jin was too embarrassed to raise his face, and Murakan had to struggle not to burst into laughter.
Deano put on an unabashed yet determined expression. He looked at the people gathered in the square and continued his explanation.
"And he has been tracking the atrocities committed by the Zipple clan all this time. The Zipple already have a track record of conducting biological experiments against the Kollonites. During his pursuit, Sir Bamel came to witness how the Zipple and the Kinzelo were conducting a mysterious trade on an abandoned island in the waters of the Feudal States of Bellard."
"Does that have anything to do with the current situation?"
"Please read the upper paragraph of the second page of the bulletin I gave you. The Kinzelo are not the third-category terrorist organization you think they are. They are a giant faction that used to be the Zipple clan's biggest ally. Sir Bamel intentionally lied to Lady Lani by saying that he rescued the survivors from the fourth magic tower. The reason for that was..."
Because Sir Bamel was convinced that not only the Zipple had swallowed up the entire Holy Kingdom and conducted experiments on their people, which is why he wanted to use Karl Zipple's capture in the Kinzelo to bring them both to the surface.
But Deano couldn't finish everything he wanted to say.
"We can't have any more of this."
One of the White Night Mages behind Karl shot a mana bolt at Deano. The bolt precisely aimed for Deano's head, and it was so fast that most didn't even realize it.
Swish!
But someone from the crowd rushed out in an instant and cut off the mana bolt.
"Whoa!"
Deano took a step back a moment later, surprised by the figure that cast a shadow over him.
"And here I thought it was a Hufester tradition to bury the truth with a death. The truth is, this story seems quite entertaining to me. How about we all listen to how it goes, Zipple Magicians?" It was Joshua Runcandel who saved Deano.
But the crowd barely had time to react to the appearance of this well-known figure.
"The Runcandels haven't suffered any direct threats. There's no need to draw your sword so carelessly. Sheathe your sword, Second Flagbearer."
Luna stood in front of Deano as she shook her head.
In fact, she was already in front of Deano before Joshua cut off the mana bolt from the White Night Mage. She had already cut off another mana bolt that flew from another direction with her own hands.