C698
"Did I ask a difficult question? Your reaction is quite strong."
"Jin, how do you know that name?"
Zephyrin narrowed his eyes as Bishkel handed Orgal a handkerchief.
"I just know."
"Just knowing isn’t possible with that name."
"Let’s not delve too much into other people’s matters."
"Sir Jin, you’ve been asking us how we found out any information. Have some awareness, will you? This time, you used Princess Bianca and Prince Ranke as an excuse for protection and made them perform excessive tasks."
"What Bianca and Ranke did was excessive compared to the conditions? The operation area to rescue Elder Sister Yona was Akin. In fact, Zipple, who arrived after the operation, created considerable tension for a while. It seemed they were contemplating whether to attack us. If it weren’t for Bianca and Ranke, we might have lost."
"It’s also strange that the dispute was suppressed because of those two. Did you forget that Zipple is also our temporary ally? The betrayal of the Tower Guardian must have been very unpleasant, but they aren’t foolish enough to break the alliance before the final battle against the evil god.""Didn’t you hear Ranke and Bianca? Zipple threatened us, saying the alliance with us is no longer necessary. The situation has changed."
"I’ve said it before, but looking back, Kinzelo has always shown you favor. I’ve also helped you in ways I couldn’t avoid. Of course, there have been many times we’ve wanted to kill each other, but if you keep acting like this, we won’t be different from Zipple."
"Oh, really?"
Jin’s pupils sharpened.
"This is so frustrating… Whether it’s you or them, you all seem to take the temporary alliance lightly, it’s exasperating. If you want to break the alliance, say it now, and I’ll listen. But if it’s just an empty threat, it would be better not to do it again. In that case, I will be the one to break the alliance first."
As Jin spoke, an intense vibration spread in all directions.
Bale hesitated, considering whether to release his power, but he recalled Sandra’s order to act only when Jin gave the command.
In fact, Jin had no intention of breaking the alliance.
If Zephyrin responded, "Alright, the temporary alliance ends today," Jin would be flustered.
He was joking, why are you doing this?
He didn’t know about Zipple losing Hedo, but since even Kinzelo was acting like this, it was necessary to make it clear.
In other words, Jin was putting on a facade to prevent Kinzelo from making any petty threats using the alliance as an excuse.
Just the tension with Zipple was enough to give them a headache.
Faced with the sudden threat, Kinzelo remained silent for a moment. They didn’t know about anyone else, but Jin had never uttered an empty threat.
"What… did you say? You…"
But before Zephyrin could vent his anger, Orgal spoke up.
[Coff, Zephyrin, calm down. It’s obvious that Jin found out about the name Zito… probably through the Holy King. The Holy King must have received the revelation from Ayula. Seeing as you suddenly mention Zito, it seems something is wrong with the physical vessel guarded by the Holy Kingdom.] Ɽ𝘢ΝƟ𝐁ƐŠ
Orgal looked into Jin’s eyes. Jin was surprised every time Orgal spoke nonchalantly about the mysteries of the world.
[For now, you should calm down as well, Jin Runcandel. I have no intention of breaking the alliance, so stop putting on such a show. Is it that difficult to get along peacefully?]
Actually, Zephyrin’s words weren’t wrong, except for casually mentioning the end of the alliance. Kinzelo had always expressed a desire to get along with Jin.
However, Jin couldn’t dare view Kinzelo favorably. They were still terrorists who killed innocents and conducted experiments. In the end, they were enemies to be eliminated after dealing with Rosa.
"It’s not an easy problem. Anyway, it seems you know everything, Orgal."
[Because I’ve lived a long time. To answer your question, cpff. Zito is a figure who embodies our tribe. But to me, he is like a master.]
"Is that why you tried to devour the Holy Kingdom when I was the Provisional Flagbearer? To retrieve your master’s vessel while conducting an experiment with living golems along the way."
[Think as you wish. But that’s a separate issue from dealing with the evil god.]
"No, they are related. Because of that, the Holy Kingdom became unstable, and the healing of the major forces was delayed."
[One thing I can say for sure is that I cannot control the problems with Zito’s vessel.]
"Even if you can control it, you probably won’t."
[Even if it’s hard to believe what I’m saying, it’s a fact that it’s a tremendous burden for me when he awakens.]
"It sounds like you’re saying it would be better if he wakes up when you return to normal."
[Since the Holy Kingdom took possession of Zito’s vessel, why do you think Ayula and the saints of the past hid that fact from the world?]
Orgal smiled contentedly.
"They must have feared someone would covet that power."
Orgal nodded as he looked at Jin, who immediately responded.
[You’re almost right. Zito’s power has the ability to tempt people on its own. So my advice is that, from now on, it would be best to always be wary of your friend.]
"What?"
[It means you should expect the current Holy King, Lani Salomé, to have absolute faith that can overcome that temptation. If she falls and revives Zito, it will be a painful situation for everyone.]
When Jin was about to retort, Orgal laughed once more.
[Just kidding. If Zito’s body had such an effect, the Holy Kingdom would have collapsed long ago. Well, I gave Jin a little jab. Zephyrin, I hope you feel a bit relieved too. Cough!]
Zephyrin smiled contentedly, seeing the slight frown on Jin’s face.
"It’s been a long time since the Master did something nice for you. It’s not easy to see that expression on Sir Jin’s face, so I think I’ll feel good for a week."
[That’s a relief.]
Although Orgal said it was a joke, Jin couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
He couldn’t be entirely sure that the reason Ayula and the saints of the past had hidden Zito’s physical body from the public had nothing to do with Orgal’s joke.
"It’s been a while since I received and gave something in return. I’ll remember that joke well."
Knowing that Kinzelo deeply cared about Zito wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Jin.
[Anyway, Zito won’t awaken before the battle against the evil god. I can’t control it, but I can predict it… cough…]
Just as Orgal said those words, Margiella entered cheerfully, pushing her wheelchair inside.
"I fell asleep and came late. I’m glad to see you, Sir Jin. I’ve heard you brought Bale-nim."
Margiella respectfully bowed her head to Bale, who had remained beside Jin like a screen.
She had bright eyes, as if genuinely pleased to see Bale.
"Nice to meet you, Bale-nim. I’m Margiella Ivlianos."
"…Who are you, do you know me?"
"I know you well! You are the trace of life that came from the sun, the most noble existence itself. We’ve been searching for you for a long time."
"You’ve been searching for me?"
Sun.
Jin pondered over the word Margiella mentioned.
"Now that I think about it, Quikantel said that, in the past, Bale introduced himself as a creation of the sun…"
And suddenly, Jin glanced at the Kinzelo banner hanging prominently behind Orgal’s wall.
The banner depicted the complex shape of Kinzelo’s symbol, the “Broken Sun.”
For a few seconds, Jin couldn’t take his eyes off the banner, and he felt a chill run down his spine.
"Is she implying that Kinzelo, the entity they claim to revive for ultimate purification, is the father of life, a deity… the Sun God?"
There are numerous gods in the world, from beings treated as mere idols to those who govern vast nature.
Most of these diverse gods have become known in the world by making contracts with humans.
However, neither Jin nor most people in the world had frequently heard the word "Sun God."
That title had no significance, unless some magician posed as the sun god as an alias and caused social repercussions.
This was because there was no existence with the name "sun" among the active gods.
Looking back, it was strange in a way.
The sun is instinctively the most revered object by humans, and yet there has never been a deity symbolizing it.
Orgal silently watched Jin, smiling.
[You’re probably right, Jin Runcandel.]
The reason was that Bale had never encountered the one who formed him.
When he first appeared in the world, Bale only knew that he was created by the sun.
He had never met him directly or received any special messages from him.
Therefore, Bale had involuntarily become entangled in various incidents over the past thousand years, and in the process, he met Sarah and became a Runcandel Knight.
"Orgal, the reason I brought Bale was solely because it was said he would contribute to your recovery. So if I see any movement from you that points to something beyond that purpose, I will immediately take Bale and leave."
[Don’t worry about that part.]
"Of course, it would be a great benefit to you if you recover. One side wants the Sun God, another side is Heluram, and the other side is the demon god orb. Everyone has such diverse goals."
[You’re also making efforts to communicate with Solderet again, aren’t you?]
"That’s true, but I hope you don’t treat me the same way. I don’t think my goal will be fulfilled just because I can communicate with Solderet again. Also, I’ve always been curious about the meaning of the name Kinzelo… Is it the name of the god you’re trying to revive?"
[Yes, it’s the name of the being who created everyone here].
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