C760
Kaldran’s Snowfield.
When Jin arrived here, riding the red owl, he felt a sense of unease.
Even though he would meet Luntia again, unlike with Vailam, the current purification process wouldn’t be able to heal her.
His second Elder Sister remained engulfed in the madness of chaos, enduring lonely times as a monstrous being.
The chaos receded, revealing the endless expanse of the pristine snowfield, with a cave leading to Luntia’s subspace.
[Myaaah….]
As they arrived at the cave, as if urging him to gather strength, Shuri licked Jin’s back.
“Shuri, thank you.”
“Aren’t you going to thank me too?”“Of course. I’m also grateful to you. Bale, let’s gradually unleash your power.”
When Bale transformed, the cave quickly filled with a golden aura.
The first time Jin came to find Luntia, he had accidentally opened the portal to the subspace through Shakan and Shadow Energy.
However, this time, the portal formed in the center without consuming any energy.
Even from the portal's entrance, dense chaos could be felt.
The evil god and the prophet had completely perished, but the chaos used on Luntia hadn’t disappeared.
[It seems quite unsettling… Do we really have to go in? After all, you currently have no means to bring back your Elder Sister.]
“Hurry up and come.”
Sending Shuri back into the ruby, Jin stepped into the realm beyond the portal.
A vast subspace unfolded before him.
The flow of time in the subspace differed from that of the human world, so he had to quickly examine Luntia and leave.
However, even though he tried to recall the path he took last time, he couldn’t find it. There were no marks left by Valeria as before, so the subspace was nothing more than hollow darkness.
“Bale, you go over there, and I’ll explore this side…”
No sooner had he said that.
Suddenly, Jin sensed the approach of chaos energy from afar. It was incredibly fast, as if rushing forward.
‘Is it Elder Sister Luntia’s energy?’
The aura was dense. It probably meant that there was a high likelihood that Luntia had lost her sanity.
Once again, he felt a tightness in his chest, but Luntia, who appeared shortly after, instantly dispelled Jin’s ominous premonition.
[Jin!]
“Elder Sister?!”
Surprisingly, Luntia retained the sanity she had as a human.
-[If I connect to that, I’ll go mad again.]
The words from last time.
The “connection points” that tied her to the subspace still existed, and her appearance had horns on her forehead, just like before.
[Do I look much better than you expected?]
“You sound like a villain, to be honest. It’s surprising, but I’m very happy.”
[Hehe, little by little, my sanity has returned. Now it’s fully back to how it used to be. I think it’s thanks to you defeating the evil god.]
Indeed, Luntia’s regained sanity was a result of the death of the evil god.
The chaos that had lost its master could no longer erode Luntia’s mind.
Although one could say that Luntia’s willpower was remarkable to make such a thing possible.
“I’m really relieved, Elder Sister.”
[And who is this?]
“This is Bale, one of the ancient Ten Great Knights of the former Runcandel.”
[What? Greetings to the esteemed ancestor!]
As Luntia kneeled and paid her respects, Bale smiled with satisfaction.
[Yes, yes. I finally met a descendant who knows etiquette. This brat always tries to get the better of me. He doesn’t seem to understand the concept of how ancestors should be treated. Give him a good scolding from me as the Elder Sister!]
“He’s a bit reckless, but he’s still an interesting companion. Please understand, Elder Sister.”
Jin spoke as he helped Luntia to her feet.
[Look at this, again, again!]
[If he’s one of the ancient Ten Great Knights, shouldn’t you show the utmost respect to the revered ancestors?]
“That might be true, but he’s not an ancestor who sacrificed everything solely for the Family. My comrades and I almost died because of him. Now, little by little, he’s becoming more like the Ten Great Knights.”
Jin continued, summarizing the events that had taken place during their separation, explaining them to Luntia.
While Luntia listened to the story, she didn’t show much emotion, but occasionally her eyes took on a bitter look.
When the story of Dyfus’s death came up, she even shed tears.
Unlike Myu, Anne, Ran, and Vigo, Dyfus’s death also carried a different weight for Luntia.
[…Yes, you became the young patriarch], she said.
Once the story concluded, Luntia was courteous to Jin.
She wanted to congratulate her younger brother, even though she couldn’t attend the appointment ceremony.
[You’ve worked hard, Jin. While you and the others fought desperately, I couldn’t do anything. It must have been a heavy burden for you.]
“Please don’t say that. The mere fact that you’ve regained your consciousness is a great source of strength for me. When you return, you’ll have many tasks for the clan.”
Since their last meeting, Jin had felt a deep bond with Luntia.
The remaining flagbearers were now his true family.
“To cure you, we’ll need the help of Elder Sister Goddess of Battle. Please wait a little longer until then.”
[You’ll do well on your own, but don’t spend too much time on the task of rescuing me. Now that my consciousness has returned, I’ll focus on my personal training as if I were in a closed-door training. Even if you can’t save me from here, I won’t hold any resentment. Don’t come to me too often; it’s pointless.]
“I will definitely get you out.”
[But, Jin.]
“Yes, Elder Sister.”
[Before you came, someone had already visited this place. I wanted to tell you when you arrived.]
“Did such an incident occur? Please tell me in detail.”
[At that time, I had regained almost half of my sanity, so the memory is vague. They wore a robe that covered their entire body, so I couldn’t see their face, but the voice was that of a woman. I couldn’t guess who it was, but listening to the things you’ve mentioned… it might have been Lokia Ganesto, the traitor from a thousand years ago.]
As soon as Jin heard Luntia’s words, he had a strong intuition.
Originally, this subspace was Temar’s fifth tomb.
It was a space that couldn’t be accessed without having a connection to Solderet like Jin or a deep association with the Runcandel from a thousand years ago.
Even the Prophet probably consumed something from a thousand years ago to open this place, and Valeria had used Bale’s handkerchief, which she acquired during the investigation, to enter.
Jin and Hedo also entered through Shadow Energy and Shakan.
Therefore, it was highly likely that the person Luntia encountered was Lokia.
If not, there were no other ancient Ten Great Knights.
[Wait, what was her voice like? Was it clear or somewhat muffled?]
[It was closer to being clear, Sir Bale.]
[Lokia’s voice was a bit hoarse.]
“Changing one’s voice is easy. What did she say to you?”
[She proposed a contract to me. If I made a contract with her, she would immediately free me from this place and make me the matriarch of Runcandel.]
Even in her partially restored sanity, Luntia flatly rejected the proposal.
[After I refused, she said other things… but I don’t remember the details. From then on, her voice was barely audible as I struggled to suppress my madness. Damn it, if that person had come a little later, I might have heard it all and told you. It’s frustrating.]
“There might be a way to identify the parts you don’t remember through Record Magic.”
[The Histor Magician whom I injured?]
“Yes, as soon as Valeria finishes her task in the Imperial Plaza, we’ll return and examine the records. Even if you couldn’t hear it, the words that person uttered will surely be preserved in this space.”
Valeria was currently maintaining the records related to the war of the evil god in the Imperial Plaza and couldn’t move.
Jin decided that once she finished that task, he would bring Valeria back to re-examine Luntia’s records.
[Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. I told you not to come too often, but I guess I’ll see you again shortly after today.]
While it was good to unexpectedly find clues about Lokia or the person suspected to be her subordinate, it also worried Jin.
If Lokia was acting so quickly as soon as the evil god disappeared, it meant she was preparing something else.
If what Sir Padler said is true, Lokia Ganesto is someone who carried out her plans so perfectly that even Rosa couldn’t detect her involvement.
Not even Rosa, who was undoubtedly a flawless human that Jin himself had to acknowledge, could perceive Lokia’s intervention until she perished as the evil god.
This meant that Jin had to scrutinize every detail and activate all his senses.
[So, you should return for now, youngest. I’ve heard that time in this subspace passes much faster compared to the human world.]
Although Luntia emphasized it several times, Jin couldn’t help but feel uneasy as he nodded.
There was still one piece of news he hadn’t conveyed to Luntia.
“Elder Sister.”
[Are you going to talk about the story of my nanny, Lisham? Your expression seems heavy.]
Lisham, Luntia’s nanny.
She was the one who strongly insisted that Luntia replace Padler and become the owner of this subspace, but once…
No, she still was the most precious mother to Luntia.
From the day Jin met Luntia in the subspace until now, he had assigned someone to investigate Lisham and her daughter’s whereabouts.
[…The nanny Lisham is no longer in this world, is she?]
“Yes.”
Lisham had passed away.
It was revealed that the evil god was directly responsible for the harm to her.
[Youngest, I hope you don’t resent Nanny Lisham too much. She has already departed… She was someone more precious to me than my own life. Even if Nanny Lisham hadn’t asked me, I would have ended up being forcibly bound to this place anyway.]
Back then, and even now, Jin understood Luntia’s feelings.
Even if he and Gilly were in the same situation, Jin would never be able to resent her.
[What happened to Nanny’s daughter and grandchildren?]
“I received news about them the day before yesterday. They became refugees during the war, but fortunately, they survived. They currently live in the southern part of the empire.”
[Until I can leave, can you look after them for a while?]
Without a moment’s hesitation, Luntia spoke.
Jin looked into her eyes silently before responding that he would do as she asked.
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