C764
The reason Jin told Orgal about Lokia's purpose was to see if they were cooperating.
Judging by his surprise, could it be that he had no idea of Lokia's purpose?
It doesn't seem like an act.
Although it felt like revealing too much information too easily, there wasn't much to lose if they weren't in a cooperative relationship.
If they weren't, it meant Jin was adding another pursuer to Lokia without using the power of the Vamel alliance.
A period of silence followed.
Jin watched Orgal, who was contemplating his response with his mouth closed, and became convinced.
He believed Orgal was truly surprised by this revelation.
"Hey, Orgal. Let's have an honest conversation without hiding anything. It seems this is quite a shocking revelation for you as well. I heard this story from Sir Padler.""[...the Blue Thunder King?]"
"Yes. Sir Padler said Lokia Ganesto betrayed my Family a thousand years ago and made a pact with the Witch to corrupt Temar. Sir Padler also mentioned that he was a victim of Lokia and revealed that her goal was the resurrection of the Sun God before he died."
The golden aura vanished, once again revealing the meeting room's scene.
"It was also said that Lokia was responsible for sending the ten great knights to their deaths, except for Bale, whom she spared because she needed him for her goal."
[In that case, something strange is going on... Now that I hear your words, my memories are finally returning.]
The manipulation of history applied to Lokia hadn't been entirely erased.
Only now, after hearing Jin’s story about Lokia, Orgal began piecing together fragments of memories that were slowly becoming clearer.
"Remember what?"
[A thousand years ago, only once. There was an opportunity for the Sun God to be resurrected. At that moment, when he was finally able to return to this world... just before that. The one who made me be erased from history...]
In an instant, Orgal’s eyes filled with such tremendous rage that even Jin was taken aback.
[Lokia Ganesto. That vile creature...! To think I am only remembering her now!]
Hooong!
Like an enraged dragon, gray wings unfolded from Orgal’s back.
The building shook as an enormous aura emanated from him.
'Oh, this can't be an act. It seems Sir Padler was right, and Orgal was also a victim of Lokia a thousand years ago.'
A strong intuition arose that he might be able to untangle the situation without lifting a finger.
[Hey, calm down. Why are you suddenly so angry?]
Jin stopped Bale, who was about to curse.
There was no need to speak harshly to Orgal, who could become an ally in the search for Lokia.
'Finding information about Lokia is something Orgal would be better at than the Vamel alliance.'
At this point, relying solely on Valeria's record magic to find Lokia had its limits.
Once they started acquiring information, Jin could create a situation where they could share it one-on-one.
Another possibility would be to closely examine Kinzelo, who was following Lokia. It would be much more convenient than chasing Lokia directly.
"Calm down, Orgal. This is the first time I've seen you so emotionally agitated. Anyway, to summarize, you lost the decisive chance for the Sun God's resurrection a thousand years ago because of Lokia, right?"
Indeed, Orgal's sensitivity today was partly due to remembering the "opportunity a thousand years ago to resurrect the Sun God" during the meeting.
However, he didn’t remember how that opportunity slipped away, and thanks to Jin, he now knew the reason: it was because of Lokia.
[If that repugnant creature hadn’t been there, the world could have been fully restored a thousand years ago.]
"I can’t agree with that, but Lokia Ganesto also has a debt to pay to Runcandel in her blood."
[A debt to pay? It sounds like you’re speaking as if Lokia is still alive.]
"She is alive. I met her recently. Valeria, can you show Orgal the records?"
The records related to Lokia Ganesto’s words had already become blurred from Luntia’s subspace.
Instead, Valeria informed Orgal that she had personally examined those records.
"These blurred phrases here contain the content that if my father returns from the Black Sea, something I can't handle will happen. Lokia said this to my elder sister while proposing a contract. The reason she is still alive is that she received immortality from the witch."
Orgal gradually calmed his emotions and regained composure. Once the anger passed, Jin’s actions began to seem strange to him.
Why was Jin Runcandel so easily handing over such valuable information without asking for anything in return?
Jin seemed to see through his thoughts.
"It doesn’t make sense to give away high-level information so easily, does it? But I’m only doing it because I have something to gain."
[The fact that the records about Lokia are blurred bothers me. The blurred part could contain content suggesting that you made a pact with Lokia and tried to manipulate me.]
"Is that so? Even if I made a pact with someone like Lokia... Temporary alliances can come to an end, but that’s regrettable. Orgal, who do you think killed the evil god?"
[A person can change at any moment.]
"Even if I made a pact with Lokia, what’s the problem? Investigate, and if it turns out your delusions of being a victim are true, you can attack me then. You seemed willing to face me without hesitation a moment ago."
[I see... I understand your intentions well. You want to use me to track down Lokia.]
"Now we can have a conversation, Orgal. It may not be a temporary alliance like last time, but how about cooperating temporarily?"
[It’s not cooperation, it’s manipulation. But go ahead, play with me.]
In reality, Orgal had no choice.
Even if he refused, there were many possibilities that Jin would continue tracking Kinzelo’s movements through Valeria and anonymous contacts.
Furthermore, if Lokia returned to Luntia, Kinzelo would have no way of confirming it.
If Jin wasn’t allied with Lokia, there was no reason to refuse.
From Orgal’s perspective, as long as he found clues about Lokia, he could get Valeria's help.
"Very well, it seems we’ve settled things. Shall we move on to the steel trade now?"
[Last time, the King of Tikan only said nonsense and left. This time, he wants to buy steel at a fair price.]
"I’ve added more information about Lokia to that offer."
Orgal stifled a grimace at Jin’s audacity.
[That’s not something you can put a price on. We are not beggars.]
"And I’m offering double the money from last time."
[Do you intend to buy the steel?]
"I do. Honestly, wouldn’t it be more profitable for you to take the money? I thought you were swimming in excess."
[Can you handle that kind of money? I’ve heard you’re busy rebuilding Hufester.]
"As long as you don’t demand full payment upfront, I can handle any amount."
[Unfortunately, that’s not possible. Frankly, I expected to hear something extraordinary when you came in person, but I’m disappointed. Unless you're willing to share your technological knowledge, don't even dream of a steel trade.]
From that moment, Jin acted decisively, carefully controlling his expression.
He made it clear that he wouldn’t show signs of frustration or anger.
"It’s a shame. It seems like more of a loss for your technological advance than the power upgrade we gain by producing vast battleships."
Fortunately, it seemed to work well, as Orgal responded with a soft smile.
[You trust in your power upgrade. You believe in the Goddess of Battle and Murakan. Anyway, the negotiation is over.]
"I'll be leaving. If you change your mind, feel free to contact Tikan whenever you want. But by then, you’ll have to negotiate on worse terms."
[That’s not going to happen, so stop contacting me about the steel. Let me know if there’s any news regarding Lokia.]
As Jin’s group left the headquarters, Shagal approached Orgal.
"Leader."
[Shagal.]
"Jin Runcandel knew the name Zito."
[You seemed surprised when he suddenly mentioned Zito's name. There can’t be another meaning behind him not informing you that he knows Zito. I hope you don’t have unnecessary curiosity.]
"That’s what I thought. However, Jin Runcandel asked me about the Demon World."
[Did you give him an answer?]
"Yes, but I only gave him something to think about."
[I see. He caught you off guard.]
"I’m embarrassed, but it was a valuable lesson. I simply told him that the demon world is not a singular entity. When I said that, he asked if your government and King Demon Zito’s government had different territories, and then I left."
[I see.]
"Did I make a mistake?"
[No, in any case, Jin Runcandel will soon learn that level of information. There’s no need to worry since there’s nothing we can do to counter it.]
"I understand."
[I'll write a letter now. Go to the world of the Third Demon and deliver it to your father. We need the help of malevolent spirits.]
------------------
The next destination of the Red Owl was the Wantaramo Forest.
When Jin and his companions appeared at the edge of the forest, they were greeted by members of the cat tribe, Neru, Lulu, and Miru.
Valeria had sent them a letter in advance.
They were to find Lueth Damiro, the chief butler of the former Runcandel and a forgotten friend.
"Have you been waiting long?"
[No, we’ve only waited a week.]
"That’s a long time... I apologize."
[Don’t worry! I had a great time talking with Sheila.]
The third tomb of Temar, where Lueth resided, originally existed in the Cat Tribe’s hideout.
However, it had been destroyed by the Spectres shortly after Jin’s visit.
Therefore, Valeria concluded that to re-enter the tomb, there had to be something related to Lueth, similar to Luntia’s subsape.
Bale, Silus, Padler’s sword, and Lueth’s younger sister, Sheila.
Even with all these elements, if they couldn’t reopen the entrance to the Cat Tribe's destroyed hideout, finding Lueth would become a difficult task.
[Let's check it out. I think it will work. I took some of Sheila’s energy and approached the destroyed hideout, and there was a strange reaction.]
Thinking about the terrible loneliness Lueth must have been experiencing, Jin advanced into the depths of the forest.
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