C667
When the mana of the ice seal disappeared, the speed at which the residual energy penetrated Valeria accelerated.
Valeria was immediately enveloped in a bright, shimmering bubble, and her recovery was so rapid that it could be observed with the naked eye.
Even after seeing Valeria writhing and exhaling slowly, Jin couldn't help but feel anxious.
What if her sudden recovery suddenly stopped? He felt as if a stone was weighing on his chest.
Beradin, on the other hand, found Jin's reaction interesting.
"It seems that in the past I was very close to Jin Runcandel. Seeing that I still want to say useless things."
Since he regained consciousness, Beradin had become a cold person, unlike before.
He didn't develop a cruel or horrifying personality, but he lost all emotional response to most things in the world.
He no longer had feelings of affection for friendship, family, or loved ones.The only thing Beradin had left now was a blind sense of purpose: the rebirth of Zipple.
Strangely, Beradin didn't mind talking with Jin. In fact, he found it pleasant.
"Jin Runcandel, I've heard that you hardly have any weaknesses in any situation."
"What do you mean?"
"I can see the worry and anxiety on your face at the possibility that Histor won't recover. Could she be your lover?"
"Could be."
"That's a strange answer. Have you broken up?"
Jin didn't hear Beradin's next question, as he was too focused on watching Valeria.
Fortunately, her recovery was accelerating.
Beradin didn't care and took a crystal bottle out of his pocket and filled it with iridescent bubbles.
The bubbles in the bottle shone with beautiful colors like opals.
It wasn't clear what kind of reward this trace of mana would bring to Zipple, but no matter the cost, it wasn't more important than Valeria's life for the Jin and Vamel alliance. �
"Ah...!"
Finally, Valeria opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Jin hugged her without realizing it.
He almost shouted her name.
"Jin... Jin Runcandel?"
"Yes, it's me."
"How... ugh."
"You're not fully healed yet. It's okay to wait and talk slowly."
Valeria looked at her chest.
She briefly felt the pain of the moment when she was stabbed with Luntia's sword, as memories flooded in like a torrent.
Memories.
With the feeling that her head was about to split, the memories of the moment she fell came rushing back.
"Neru... is Neru okay?"
"He's fine. Neru was protecting you."
"Thank God...."
Valeria's gaze fell on Beradin, who was holding a crystal bottle with the trace of her mana.
She regained her usual cold demeanor, which hadn't been affected by her recent awakening.
"Jin, I've recovered. We should leave here as soon as possible."
Valeria knew that the power of this land, the Holy Land of Zipple, had healed her.
She had seen the record about the Holy Land in the recently found Histor succession temple.
The records weren't detailed, but they stated that the Holy Land could heal a fully mana-imbued body.
Since Valeria sealed herself, she had hoped that Jin and his companions would rescue her and bring her here.
Although others might not have been able to, she had a feeling that Jin could achieve it, and that intuition turned out to be correct.
Demon King Orgal, Jin probably obtained information about this place from him.
'He was the one who informed my ancestors about this place.'
Valeria was unaware of the current situation.
She knew nothing of the great battle that took place in the Garden of Swords, nor that the three main forces had formed a temporary alliance because of it, nor that Jin was the only opponent of Rosa.
It seems the three forces have learned the power of the Garden of Swords. That's why they formed a temporary alliance, and Zipple opened the Holy Land...
However, Valeria quickly deduced all these situations.
"Yes."
There was much to hear outside. Jin also didn't want to stay in the Holy Land a second longer now that Valeria had recovered.
Most importantly, the only thing the residual energy of the Holy Land had fully healed was Valeria's wound.
The chaos energy remaining in the healed wound hadn't been cleansed, so they had to return to Tikan and use the purification device.
"Before leaving, I have one more condition, Jin Runcandel."
At the sudden request, Jin calmly met Beradin's gaze.
"I didn't know you were so good at quickly losing trust, Beradin Zipple. Are you going to threaten me after closing the deal?"
"You know what I'm going to ask, but you're sharpening your blade."
"If it's the deal with Fire Dragon Kadun, then I'll accept."
Fire Dragon Kadun. He has been exposed to enormous chaos due to the first total attack on the Garden of Swords and the battle in the Kaldran Snowfield.
Since the opening negotiations of the Holy Land, Jin expected Zipple to demand his healing.
"Yes. I believe you can take Kadun-nim with you when you go to Tikan."
"Understood."
The exit from the Holy Land was the same as the first.
If you go back the way you came, the landscape of the human world gradually darkens after crossing the border at a certain point.
After passing through the corridor, the door appeared, which is the entrance to the Holy Land.
And beyond the door, unlike before when they entered the Holy Land, there were numerous people waiting. They were magicians dressed in white robes and holding swords.
"Living golem...!"
Or perhaps modified humans who could be a form of magical swordsmen.
The number of people was endless, and no matter how far they looked, they couldn't see the end.
"They are openly announcing that they are fostering the living golem magical swordsman. Are they trying to intimidate us now?"
Each of them had a significant amount of mana and aura, unlike Beradin and everyone else they had encountered so far.
If their combat skills were at the same level, even Jin wouldn't be able to handle them all, especially if he had to protect Valeria in that situation.
'They are not just dolls with energy. They are completely different from those who are not trained, even in breathing.'
Another strange thing was that their physique was completely the same, as if the Prophet had cloned Joshua.
When Jin approached the nearest living golem and tried to remove its hood, Beradin blocked his hand.
"Look at what we promised to show you, Jin Runcandel."
"I have a feeling that the face under that hood will be the same as yours."
"Do I have such a common face? My diary, which no longer exists, is full of compliments about my good looks."
"I don't know what your intention is. It was strange from the beginning that you didn't hide the fact that you were reaching the level of a magical swordsman."
"Think of it as sharing power in the position of having a common enemy."
If there were so many living golem magical swordsmen, they surely could have actively participated in the first total attack on the Garden of Swords.
However, the living golems sent by Zipple's fleet at that time were incomparably inferior to them and were reinforced through "chaos control."
The same happened with the living golems that died in the Kaldran Snowfield.
Jin was able to figure out the reason intuitively.
"...These living golems seem to be able to exert their strength only near the Holy Land."
That was the only reason there were no living golem magical swordsmen during the total attack.
Even Kadun and Octavia participated directly, so at that time, Zipple had put almost all of its "exportable" power.
Beradin nodded as if there was no need to hide.
"Yes. We are looking for a way to take them out of the Holy Land. Right now, the moment they leave the vicinity of the Holy Land, they stop functioning like puppets with cut strings. It means death. But why do you feel uncomfortable? Do you think being a magical swordsman is a privilege only for your family?"
Jin shook his head.
"No, it's because I'm your friend," said Jin as if he had nothing to hide.
"I see," said Beradin as he walked.
"But you should have said it in the past tense. You and I will not come close again."
Jin and Valeria followed them from behind, and all the living golems' gazes followed them like machines.
The number of living golems didn't decrease even as they walked outside the Holy Land for a long time.
Finally, they reached the area where Jin first arrived, and Ronil was waiting with Kozec just like when he arrived.
By then, the living golems had disappeared.
Ronil was surprised to see Jin return and looked at the hourglass.
"How much time has passed? Brother Ronil."
"...One day. Only one day has passed."
"The Holy Land has been very welcoming to Histor. Maybe... It was welcoming to Jin Runcandel."
"Father is looking for you."
"I also thought of seeing him. He may be curious about this."
While showing the crystal bottle to Ronil, Beradin turned around and extended his hand to Jin.
After looking at his hand for a few seconds, Jin shook it.
"Goodbye, Jin Runcandel. With this, I have fulfilled the promise I made before losing my memory."
Wait for me, Beradin.
Jin didn't say those words out loud and let go of the handshake.
"I will take you to Tikan, Sir Jin."
"Alright, Ronil Zipple."
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Back in the windowless cabin, Jin and Valeria sat across from each other and talked about the past.
Valeria thanked him several times, and for Jin, seeing her like this in the present life was both unfamiliar and pleasant.
"...As expected, a temporary alliance was formed. It must have been an inevitable choice to face the Garden of Swords. Then there's one thing we must let them know before leaving the ship."
"Let them know? To Zipple?"
"The Imperial Family betrayed Zipple. And perhaps, your friend. The Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle might be in danger."
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