C696 The flagship Kozec, along with the First Fleet, surrounded the group in the airspace with an overwhelming presence.
Jin raised his head and looked at the fleet only after Owal used the remaining thread to tie Yona.
Zipple didn’t seem to be attacking but appeared to have come to eradicate the enemy, not as an allied force.
It was natural.
In the letter Jin sent to Zipple before coming to Akin, without obtaining permission, he expressed his intention to rescue Yona, as well as Hedo and Sandra’s defection.
In other words, they had carried out the operation within Zipple’s territory without permission and even extracted key personnel, making it an extremely uncomfortable situation for Zipple.
Jin turned his head to look at Hedo. His expression seemed unperturbed, as if the situation did not bother him.
A long silence followed. The fleet continued to hover without descending.
"I don’t know how to greet someone aboard a flagship when I don’t know who is inside. Let’s skip the formalities for now. However, an apology is necessary. Rescuing my sister was such an urgent matter that we proceeded with the operation before receiving a response. We will compensate for any damages incurred."
Jin’s deep and energetic voice resonated powerfully, making the sky tremble.There was no response for a long time. Jin’s voice was heard by everyone, but the conversations happening on the battleship were unknown to those on the ground.
"It seems Kadun is still in treatment."
If that disgusting dragon had arrived, they would have already heard complaints at least ten times.
"Then it must be Octavia or Ronil Zipple. Why are they stalling? I’m sure they’ve finished discussing how to deal with Hedo before coming here."
The standoff continued for a few more minutes, and finally, a voice amplified by magic was heard from the fleet.
[Sir Hedo... I sincerely didn’t believe the Twelfth Flagbearer’s words until I saw you standing there. But now that I see you with the Twelfth Flagbearer... You truly have abandoned the clan.]
As expected, it was Octavia.
She didn’t hide her frustration.
"Spectre Captain. It always bothered me that I left without saying goodbye. I apologize."
[Is that all? We spent years together, went through life-and-death situations together. If something was troubling you in the clan, you should have told me. How could you betray us so suddenly? Even Sandra...!]
"The word betrayal isn’t appropriate, Spectre Captain. I never swore loyalty to the clan in the first place."
[The clan always considered you as one of its own, sir.]
"I know. But my loyalty has always been solely towards Lady Sandra. The clan must have been aware of that fact to some extent."
[Yes, I know. That’s why Sandra, originally an experimental subject, gained her freedom thanks to you. No, it’s more than that. Sandra received privileges in every aspect.]
"I am aware of that too."
[But why are you turning your back on the clan? What has captivated you? Or were you afraid of the consequences for helping the Twelfth Flagbearer during your last leave?]
"That’s right. That is also included among the reasons."
[Idiot...! Sir, even if you had returned as things were, we wouldn’t have investigated Sandra or interrogated her. Why? Because we believed in you, sir! We thought it was just a scheme by the Twelfth Flagbearer... We did our best for you. So you have to tell me any reason that is convincing.]
Hedo looked at the fleet for a few seconds.
He was reflecting on the days he spent in Zipple, as Octavia had mentioned.
As she said, Zipple lacked nothing in its treatment of him.
However, the clan never truly saw Sandra as a person.
"Lady Sandra" had other paths to happiness.
Now that I think about it, the time I spent in the Black Sea was longer than the time I spent in the human world.
The clan never considered Lady more than an unnecessary attachment for me.
It’s a matter of sincerity, not attitude or treatment.
If the clan had understood that, I would never have left.
Octavia remained silent.
It wasn’t because she fully understood and accepted Hedo’s perspective.
She knew that no matter what she said, he wouldn’t return.
[Regardless of the reasons, in the end, it’s the clan’s responsibility for not understanding human emotions. I will respect your decision, Hedo-nim.]
A new voice was heard, causing Jin’s pupils to widen.
It was Beradin’s voice.
Unlike Octavia, who barely suppressed her intense emotions, his tone was calm.
"Young Patriarch."
[In exchange, I must tell you one thing. Sandra Zipple will undoubtedly suffer because of your choice today.]
Hedo did not answer.
[Jin, you probably told Sir Hedo he could leave whenever he wanted.]
"It’s so accurate it gives me goosebumps, Beradin. Have you been spying on our conversation?"
[It’s obvious. You also know we will inevitably overcome Sir Hedo’s betrayal since we face a massive public enemy.]
"I admit it."
[That’s why I had to take measures. Jin Runcandel, when we face Rosa, if Sir Hedo is not on the battlefield, we will immediately dissolve our temporary alliance. And the same goes for Yona Runcandel, whom you saved today while displaying this behavior.]
"Zipple" also formed an alliance because they couldn’t face Rosa alone, right? It seems like you’re implying we are the only ones who regret it."
[The situation has changed here because you brought Hister to recover. Of course, an alliance is not entirely unnecessary, but it is no longer essential.]
-...It seems these living golems can only exert their power near the Holy Land.
-That’s right. We are looking for a way to send them outside the Holy Land. For now, once they leave the vicinity of the Holy Land, they stop functioning like cut marionettes. It means death. But most importantly, I don’t understand why you emit such an unpleasant vibration. Do you think being a magic swordsman is an exclusive privilege of your clan?
At Beradin’s words, Jin recalled the living magic swordsman golems he had seen in Zipple’s Holy Land.
Additionally, he remembered the amount of secrets mentioned by Ronil Zipple during their first meeting, as well as the manipulation of history.
It didn’t seem like everything was fully prepared. If it were, there would be no need for such threats.
"You gave me quite a severe warning. It doesn’t seem like they’re just empty words, so I’ll remember them. Well, now that we’ve clarified our positions, can I ask one more question before I leave?"
[Speak.]
"As you can see, the subspace of chaos just exploded. We made efforts to contain it, but were there any civilian casualties? I suppose you checked the extent on your way here."
[There were none.]
"That’s a relief. Well then, I’ll be going. Make sure to handle the damage compensation and send it to Tikan."
As Jin turned around, Zipple’s fleet slowly began its retreat.
Soon, those heading in their respective directions quickly separated.
Jin couldn’t find any trace of the Beradin he knew, both when they met in the Holy Land and now.
He felt that he had regained his family but lost a friend.
‘I have to recover that guy someday, like Elder Sister Yona... But it won’t be easy.’
He wanted to return and start the purification, and he wanted to have a conversation with his younger sister who had returned.
That was the only comfort he could find for the moment.
-------------------
The Garden of Swords.
Rosa looked at her eldest son with an expressionless face.
[Joshua... Once again, you wasted my power and ran away like a dog.]
Joshua had lost his physical body five times during the battle with Bale.
Each time, Rosa’s energy was depleted, but Joshua exceeded his permission and used powers beyond what she allowed.
Kneeling on one knee, Joshua couldn’t even lift his head.
Since he was brought out of the underground prison, Joshua was trapped in the conviction that he could achieve anything.
He thought he would never disappoint his mother like before.
He had become the Second Flagbearer again, and the power of the evil god granted by his mother was immeasurable.
Moreover, his mother showed considerable expectations, unlike when she had set him aside.
It was as if she were saying: "I will help you, so go and defeat the youngest."
[Mother, I...]
[I have never had a son like you. Address me properly.]
However, nothing had changed.
He still failed to fulfill his role and continued to shatter his mother’s expectations.
The brief moment of satisfaction upon his return had already turned into disappointment.
[I apologize, Patriarch-nim.]
[Yes, you had something to say on the matter, didn’t you? Go ahead, present your excuses. What made you fail this time?]
He had no words to respond.
If the plan wasn’t meticulous enough, the power granted was insufficient, or there were other variables.
None of them could convince his mother.
Self-hatred surged within him, indescribable and boiling.
Joshua truly felt that he had become nothing more than a despicable being in the alleys.
[I have nothing to say.]
[When I took you out of the underground prison, I thought you had changed somehow. That’s why I gave you power and entrusted you with a task. It wasn’t even that difficult. It was to use Yona’s clones to kill Dante and torment the youngest.]
Even though he was her son, Joshua felt like he was witnessing a nightmare of descent when his mother referred to Jin as the "youngest."
[Just one more... Please give me another chance.]
[Why should I? Even with my power, the fact is that the youngest is an insurmountable wall for you.]
[Well...]
He couldn’t answer any question.
It was difficult to breathe.
And so, without realizing it, Joshua exhaled shallow breaths, like someone suffocating.
In response, Rosa coldly lowered her head.
[Until I call you again, return to the underground prison. From now on, Dyfus will take your place.]
As Joshua turned away with a vacant expression, Ilina followed him.
Ilina consoled Joshua, assuring him that she would somehow postpone his removal and asked him to calm down and wait a bit longer.
After sending Joshua off like that, Ilina returned to Rosa and let out a long sigh.
"Even when I worked with Joshua, his incompetence frustrated me to the point of madness. But in the end, he turned out to be useful to you, Patriarch-nim. Fate... It’s quite amusing."
[If he were the youngest, he would have recognized and resisted my intentions long ago. That this farce is just a play.]
There was only one reason why Rosa had brought Joshua out of the underground prison.
"Yes, that fool will remain clueless until he fulfills his role and disappears."
The despair Joshua had accumulated so far and continued to nurture diligently, to a chilling degree of purity.
What Rosa needed from Joshua was solely that.
That’s why, for the first time, Joshua seemed useful to Rosa.
No matter how deep he fell, she would never give up or continue despairing.
With the hope of the "prophecy," so to speak.
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