C669
"Is the subspace that exists within the sword...?"
"To explain that, first, I need to tell you why Neru and I were able to enter the fifth tomb."
Valeria is neither a contractor of Solderet nor adept at handling chaos like the daughter of Helluram.
Nor did she receive guidance from anyone as in the Wantaramo Forest.
However, she did not force her entry as Zipple or other factions might have done.
Originally, she shouldn't have been able to enter the tomb.
"You must be tired because of the chaos energy, Valeria. You mentioned it before. You obtained an item related to the ancient Runcandel in the Cat God Temple with the help of the Cat Tribe."
"I've already told you about it. Did I mention what the item was?"
"You said it was a handkerchief."A handkerchief.
It might seem like a trivial item, but that handkerchief held countless stories from a thousand years ago.
"Yes, it was the handkerchief that belonged to one of the ten great knights of old Runcandel. That's why the tomb responded to the handkerchief and opened the door even without shadow force or guidance. The record and history left in the handkerchief became the key."
However, it was a one-time measure. Since the stories in the handkerchief were too distant and faint, Valeria planned to keep it safe and analyze it after advancing her achievements in Record Magic.
But as soon as the door opened, the handkerchief disappeared, and Valeria still regrets that fact.
"In that case... the Prophet might have opened the door using a method similar to yours."
"That's possible. She must have opened it at least twice. Padler Runcandel's fate, the original Guardian of the Tomb, fell upon your second sister. Anyway, I figured out how to enter the next tomb inside it before your sister replaced Padler."
Unlike the other tombs Jin had found so far, the fifth one had a clue leading directly to the next one.
"In the fifth tomb, not only was Padler Runcandel there, but also a record of a person named Bale, the owner of the handkerchief. That was the reason the tomb reacted to the handkerchief."
"Bale...?"
"However, Bale's records are too vague, so I only confirmed that the sixth tomb was hidden in his sword and the approximate location where the sword was originally hidden. It's in the Black Sea, but the possibility that it is still there is not very high..."
At that moment, Jin felt a strong hit on the back of his neck.
"Wait, Valeria."
"What?"
"The handkerchief you got reacted to the fifth tomb, which belonged to Bale... and the sixth tomb is a subspace within Bale's sword, and the place where the sword is hidden is in the Black Sea... That's what it means, right? You definitely said Bale, right?" ŗ
"Yes."
Jin blinked for a few seconds, and Valeria looked around, shrugging. The other companions didn't seem to understand it either.
"I think I've already found that sword."
"What?"
-Hedo! Your sword! The sword is shining and doing something, the sky has responded to our prayers!
-I am also looking, milady. What on earth is this...
-That sword seems to be the key to opening the tombs. Where did you get that sword?
-When I was young, I got it by killing a monster in the Black Sea.
A conversation between Sandara, Hedo, and Jin in the Kaldran Snowfield.
At that moment, Jin infused Shadow Energy into Hedo's sword and naturally confirmed the word "Bale" written on the sword's body.
The current owner of the sword, Hedo, also thought it was the name of the sword, so only Jin knew.
But that was the name of one of the ten great knights of the ancient Runcandel.
Jin now seemed to understand the reason why Murakan suffered as soon as he saw Bale in the Sota Desert, and the reason why Bale could serve as the key to the fifth tomb.
"I don't think I've told you how I entered the tomb because I didn't have much time either. That sword currently belongs to Hedo, the Guardian of the White Night Tower."
"I didn't know it was a stroke of luck, but the rescue process was more reckless than I expected."
"When it comes to things related to you, luck seems to follow you strangely. And didn't you say yourself before? That there aren't many people as lucky as you?"
Oh...!
For some reason, such admiration burst out simultaneously among his companions.
Jin and Valeria didn't give it much importance and continued the conversation.
"I was thinking of taking a few hours off and heading straight to the Black Sea, but it saved me a lot of trouble. Sandra Zipple and Hedo seem to be very good friends of yours."
"Probably only Sandra Zipple, Miss Valeria. But that muscular butler absolutely obeys Sandra Zipple's words, so I think we can call Sandra and examine the sword."
"Somehow it feels like Jet is referring to you as a piece of trash taking advantage of someone's love interest."
"What? Miss Valeria, you shouldn't misunderstand my words like that! My Lord seems to be quite friendly with you."
"I can't call Hedo and Sandra immediately. Our side has asked a lot of Zipple recently, so we'll contact them in a few days. In the meantime, I think it would be perfect to go to the Sword Emperor Castle."
"Oh, my lord, if you say that, I feel a bit embarrassed..."
"Even the bad side of our Lord Jin is cool..."
"Jet, Enya. I'm not just asking for the sword. I think it's better to make those two our people. If possible."
Jin saw what happened to Beradin.
Jin was convinced that if Sandra Zipple stayed with Zipple, it would inevitably happen in the not-too-distant future.
He wanted to erase the surname Zipple from her.
Valeria felt uncomfortable hearing Jin's proposal to make "Zipple" his ally, and she expressed her opinion in a calm tone.
"Do what you want. Do as you please. Just don't forget that someday, all the Zipples in the world will surely die by my hands."
Valeria stood up from her seat.
"I need to go inside and rest for a while. Mr. Qwaul, let's resume our research in the afternoon. Jin brought a lot of data from Lafrarosa, and since there was a singularity that the red owl was connected to that world, we will be busy again."
"Hmm, doesn't Miss Valeria get tired? She said she had less work to do because there was no need to go to the Black Sea, but now she's going to work again right away."
It's not that she doesn't get tired, but that she can't afford to be tired. The resentment for the ruined clan and the murdered relatives is embedded in her.
Jin didn't say those words out loud.
"Then, I must also prepare to go to the Sword Emperor Castle."
As soon as Jin left the meeting room, his companions naturally looked toward the door he had disappeared through.
"They look a bit alike, don't they?"
"I think so too, old Valkas."
"The Lord exudes a more human feeling. They seem like people who learned from the same master or father for a long time."
"Then, I'm thinking of creating a Valeria fan club. Something like an extra job?"
"Sometimes you are scary, Enya."
"How can I hear that from Faye?"
"Let's get to work. From now on, Jet will investigate Airan Vermont, and Lady Mary, Sir Heytona, and Daytona..."
"You can speak comfortably, King Kashimir."
"Yes, speak freely!"
"What kind of language is that to use with the king, you all? Are you willing to throw away your dignity as Flagbearer just because we lost the Garden of Swords? Can I take on the role of Myu and Anne?"
"No, Elder Sister. We will correct ourselves."
"We decided to become new people, Elder Sister."
"I will be watching you. Go and tell Cosmos to fix the ship. We will leave in a few days. And bring me a list of the recovered knights."
"Yes, Elder Sister!"
----------------
April 1, 1803.
"Wow!"
"Whoohoo!"
Two children, whose hair and eyes were dyed black with cosmetics and disguise tools from the Golden Snow Tribe, shouted in excitement.
In fact, one of them was a dragon who had lived for hundreds of years, but outwardly looked like an ordinary child, caught in the excitement of the journey.
Latrie and Euria.
Jin decided to take the two on this trip to the Sword Emperor Castle.
In case of emergency, Quikantel also accompanied them as a protector.
It's not just the children (one by dragon standards), everyone had disguised themselves for the first time in a long while.
Jin and Quikantel had dark blue hair and played the roles of dragon siblings.
"Jin oppa, Miss Quikantel! The red owl is amazing. We arrived at the Empire simultaneously like a transfer gate, right?"
"It's good that there's something that seems amazing to Az Mil's contractor."
"It seems more surprising to me that Miss Quikantel chose this place as our destination. This log cabin... It brings back so many memories."
A serene log cabin nestled in the middle of a forest outside Vermont's capital.
This was the starting point where Jin changed the fate of Euria and Enya during his early days as a Provisional Flagbearer.
It was a house with the same structure as the one where Murakan and Quikantel lived a long time ago.
Euria had only heard about this place through words.
She didn't go out much from Tikan, of course when she met Jin, and even now, as Az Mil's contractor, her special nature made her very cautious in all aspects of her life.
"Memories? Well... I can see some solid emotions, like regret or nostalgia, in every corner of this log cabin."
"Euria, let's set that aside for now. It would be better to go and eat your favorite seafood stew before going to the Sword Emperor Castle."
"Okay, Miss Quikantel! Jin oppa, do you want to eat only seafood stew? Can't we eat and play until nightfall?"
Euria's innocence was cute and pitiful.
"Euria, you are the only princess of the Vamel Alliance and the free state of Tikan."
"All of a sudden?"
"It means if you want to have fun, the leader of the Empire will come to see you."
From then on, the party truly stirred the center of Vermont and spent money joyfully.
Although the world was gloomy due to the remnants of Gliek and Rosa, the capital of Vermont still had vitality, just like before the era changed.
It was proof that Dante was doing a good job ruling.
Jin contemplated the peace of the land his friend had protected and nurtured with a proud heart.
By nightfall, when the second seafood stew was served in a new seafood restaurant, no one was left in the restaurant except them.
Even the waiters and the owner had left.
"It's really like Jin oppa said, Sir Dante is here, right?" said Euria looking at Dante, who had just opened the door.
Jin and Dante smiled at each other without saying a word for a while.
It was a reunion after about three years.
"How did you find out about this place, Dante?"
"I heard a report that a craftsman named Paul Gray Mick and his group were making checks all over the center of the capital, so I hurried to see them."
Jin smiled.
"Sit down, Dante. The food just came out."
-