C649
A small sailboat was heading towards Tikan.
Behind the boat, fifty or so ships emerged from under the water, with white foam bubbling behind them, rising to the surface.
It was a sight Jin had seen once before when heading to the Sota Desert in the past.
"Elder Sister Mary...!"
It could be Cosmos, who had become his subordinate, coming to bring him sad news. Or maybe they had already been involved in Rosa's Chaos and were coming to attack Tikan.
But fortunately, as Mary approached Tikan, she appeared on deck, and Jin was able to greet her, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Younger one!"
"Elder sister!"
Their voices echoed over the blue sea. Even the Knights of Runcandel, who were undergoing purification treatment, hurried out to greet Mary.Entering the mansion, Mary felt defeated, powerless, and sad.
Jin's heart ached as he watched her.
Mary also had Chaos, but not at a severe level.
Jin realized it was the result of Mary's resistance against Chaos.
"...As suspected, it was you who attacked the Garden of Swords not long ago. Zipple and Kinzelo followed your movements and seized the opportunity."
As Jin recounted what had happened, Mary nodded as if she had expected it.
She acknowledged Jin's growth at a glance.
"First of all, I must pay my respects to Uncle Jorden."
"Agreed."
Mary fell silent for a moment at Jorden's coffin.
Although Jorden and she were not on good terms at first, they had formed a bond of camaraderie and companionship while resisting Rosa.
In particular, Mary admired him for sacrificing his life to save the remaining Knights.
"You never know about people. Rosa Runcandel, who seemed like she wouldn't betray the Family no matter what, became a Chaos monster, while uncle, who seemed determined to swallow the Family by any means, ended up becoming its protector. Uncle's body must be enshrined in the mausoleum after we recover the Family."
"No need to say it. By the way, how have you been all this time, elder sister? And what about elder brother Dyfus..."
"Elder Brother Dyfus is imprisoned in the basement of the Garden of Swords. The day you attacked the Garden of Swords, Rosa Runcandel must have released everyone except Elder Brother Dyfus."
"Did you see it yourself? Elder Brother Dyfus being imprisoned."
Mary's eyes narrowed.
"No, I didn't see it myself, but I heard about it."
"Please tell me in detail."
"That day, even after most of the rebels had been suppressed, Elder Brother Dyfus and I continued to fight. We were the only ones who had ventured into battle to the main house, where Rosa awaited us."
Then the siblings engaged in combat with Rosa.
More precisely, it was only Dyfus who directly stopped Rosa's sword.
Upon receiving the blow from the sword, he confirmed the Chaos penetrating his body and then excluded Mary from the fight.
It was a decision made after determining that facing Rosa directly with the sword would lead to certain defeat.
"Rosa had become almost as strong as our father. And not only that, she could infect others with Chaos, leaving us with no choice. We immediately planned to escape, but not long after, Elder Brother Dyfus lost consciousness. Because of Rosa's sword."
Mary's body trembled at the memory of that moment. Mary was able to escape Rosa's clutches thanks to Dyfus's sacrifice.
The reason she left Dyfus behind and escaped was solely to ensure that his sacrifice would not be in vain.
"At that moment, I felt an uncontrollable urge to die there too. But if I did, I wouldn't be able to fulfill Elder Brother Dyfus's revenge... But it wasn't over after leaving the main house. I escaped safely from the Garden of Swords, but the pursuers surrounded me before I could leave Kalon."
The pursuers were about a hundred knights in total, and among them were members of the Black Sword Association, who were tainted by Chaos.
At that moment, Mary had no strength left to confront them.
She had already suffered serious injuries during her escape from the Garden of Swords.
"It was Lynn Milcano. It seems that Lynn Milcano, the Chief of the Guardians of the Law, had replaced uncle as the new Chief of the Black Sword Association. And Lynn Milcano, she just let me go."
"If she just let you go..."
"Lynn Milcano was also resisting against Rosa. I don't know if Rosa knows it, or if Lynn Milcano lied to me... But at least it's clear that she let me live."
-I'll give you painkillers, Seventh Flagbearer. You should leave now. We'll report that you escaped.
-What kind of plan is this?
-Don't think you're the only ones who want to reclaim the Garden of Swords.
-You're also using Chaos power even if you say that.
-I also made a separate contract with the Prophet like Rosa. There's only one difference in the method. We also don't believe Rosa's decision was right.
-You made a contract? Damn it, what the hell were you thinking?
-And what were you thinking when you attacked the Garden of Swords? Did you think you could win with just that level of firepower? To some extent, you must have known Rosa and the Prophet's power. It was just a meaningless suicide mission!
-Sigh. What will happen now to Elder Brother Dyfus and the knights?
-They will all be imprisoned in the dungeon. To the Fourth Flagbearer... Rosa has had her eye on him from the beginning. He's likely to become one of Rosa's subordinates. Through Chaos.
-Damn it, that twisted woman...
-Hurry. Either you go find the patriarch or bring the Twelfth Flagbearer. I don't know how long I can hold out.
Mary explained the conversation she had with Lynn that day.
Thanks to Lynn, she barely managed to escape Kalon and took refuge with Cosmos Pirates.
However, as time passed, her wounds and chaos only worsened, leaving her unable to do anything but focus on her recovery.
And as soon as she recovered, she sought refuge in Tikan.
Jin couldn't even imagine how much she must have suffered during that time.
"If you hadn't been in Tikan, I would have left for the Black Sea immediately. Like Uncle Zed."
She no longer believed Cyron was alive.
It was just that there seemed to be no other option.
But now Jin had returned, and changes were already beginning.
After Jin entered the Garden of Swords, all factions joined forces to attack Runcandel.
Although Kinzelo and Zipple were enemies, it was still better to form a temporary alliance than to rely on Cyron, whose life or death was unknown.
Jin paused to gather his thoughts and made eye contact with Mary.
"Firstly, there's a high chance that Lynn Milcano has betrayed Rosa. I haven't seen Lynn Milcano in this battle."
"If that's the case, she's probably already been purged. If she really rebelled like us, Rosa probably wouldn't have been caught off guard."
"I think so too. Plus, even if she hasn't been purged, she's already made a contract with the Prophet. She won't be a perfect ally on her own. She'll eventually succumb to the Chaos."
Therefore, it was better to exclude her support in the future battle against Rosa.
"And as for Elder Brother Dyfus... I can only hope that he's in a state that can be cured with the Chaos purification device I possess. As long as he doesn't undergo a complete transformation or total assimilation, it's reversible."
"Elder Brother Dyfus is a strong person."
Mary clenched her teeth and continued her words.
"No matter what Rosa does, he will never easily yield."
"Yes."
"What are you going to do now?"
"Firstly, I'll meet with the two main factions and exchange information with them. We've decided to meet in Tikan tomorrow afternoon to discuss the forces Runcandel of Rosa possesses, and why they're not moving. And we need to determine the timing to attack the Garden of Swords."
"Zipple and Kinzelo must have suffered considerable damage this time, so we won't be able to launch a counterattack quickly."
"Everything depends on how much influence the main factions can bring to bear. Also, if the Garden of Swords is unable to move for some reason, it would be better to wait for our moment and prepare thoroughly."
Upon escaping from the Garden of Swords, Jin accidentally connected with Lafrarosa through Lingling, and Qwaul was investigating it.
'If the brothers come out before the final battle with Rosa.'
Although it was difficult to achieve, at least if he could perform the "God of Battle Fusion" without relying on that coincidence, it would be of great help in the final battle against Rosa.
To destroy the Garden of Swords, Rosa must be killed, but anyone other than Jin who enters into combat with her will be consumed by chaos.
Therefore, it's almost certain that Jin will have to face Rosa alone in the fight, so the God of Battle Fusion is essential.
'Besides, there's also the matter of Murakan's return...'
Murakan.
He hasn't appeared since the last manifestation.
While Talaris was injured, Misha took full responsibility for Elona's seal, so the time period for doing the work in place of Misha had to be extended.
The God of Battle Fusion, Murakan's return, and the Golden Fleet.
As Jin told Mary his trump cards, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"As expected, you've grown. The youngest. Having you here makes me feel safer."
"I'll do my best to fight with all three prepared. We need to know why the Garden of Swords isn't moving so we can prepare properly. And having you here also makes me feel safe. So, please don't cry, elder sister."
Mary leaned on Jin's chest, crying inconsolably.
She was releasing the guilt of leaving Dyfus behind, the pain of not being able to protect the Family, all for the first time in six months.
To her younger brother, who had become a strong man.
"Our Runcandel isn't lost yet. We just have to reclaim it, elder sister. Our home."
"Today will be the last time you see my weakness."
"You don't seem weak at all. But if it gets tough, you can lean on me like this anytime. We're family, right?"
Suddenly, they felt someone behind them.
The Tona brothers were approaching, looking around cautiously.
When the Tona brothers saw Mary crying, they startled and tried to step back.
But Jin made a silent gesture for them to come closer.
Then the Tona brothers also hugged Mary and cried, and Jin comforted them by patting their backs.
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