C780
Three days ago, at the Tower of Stories.
On that day, a meeting of Zipple's leaders was being held at the Tower.
Zipple had been busy every day, trying to gather information about the movements of Runcandel and Kinzelo.
However, there was an unusually tense atmosphere in the meeting room.
This was because Beradin had excluded Kadun from the meeting.
"So, Young Patriarch-nim, do you really have no intention of calling Kadun-nim?" asked Octavia.
"Young Patriarch-nim, wouldn't it be better to call Kadun-nim even now? He must be feeling very disappointed," even Ronil, who had never before questioned Beradin's judgment, thought his actions were excessive this time.
During Kelliark's reign, Kadun was not only the guardian dragon of all of Zipple, but also had a higher rank than Andrei or Octavia.
Kadun had done nothing wrong to be excluded from the leaders' meeting.Surprisingly, Kadun had never shown any rage in the meetings since Beradin insulted him during the last meeting.
Even when unpleasant discussions about Runcandel arose, he remained calm and pretended to sleep.
"Is there any problem in the progress of the meeting because Kadun-nim is not here?" Beradin had no intention of complying with the leaders' requests.
"Young Patriarch, it's not about that, but... why do you keep provoking Kadun-nim?"
"I didn't call him because I didn't want to see him sitting there with a gloomy face, sulking like a child, in every meeting. It seems that it's Kadun-nim who is provoking, not me. Is it okay for Kadun-nim to express his discomfort in front of me without any consequence?"
"Young Patriarch! The First Magic Tower, the Tower of Stories, is originally the domain of both the Patriarch and Kadun-nim. If we exclude him even from the meetings held here for such trivial reasons, how do you think he would feel?"
"Now is the time to focus on our enemies, not to worry about individual sensitivities."
"Unity is important, as Young Patriarch-nim said! Our enemies are gathering around Runcandel and Orgal, and here we are, having such petty fights. What resentment could Kadun-nim have?"
"Fine, then let's move the meeting to another place immediately. Should we carry it out in Drakka instead of the Tower of Stories?"
"If this continues like this... I find it difficult to trust the Young Patriarch's judgment. If there is no reason to exclude Kadun-nim not only from the meetings, but also from any important matters."
"What if there isn't?"
When Beradin asked with a cold look, Octavia stopped talking.
"If my father had done this, would things have turned out like this? Captain Spectre. What if there is no reason to exclude Kadun-nim from the meetings? Are you going to disobey my orders? Would you consider it an act of treason? Or will you refuse to attend the meetings following Kadun-nim? That would also be an act of disobedience, and it could be considered treason."
"What, treason...!"
"The Patriarch's orders are absolute. Even the ghosts, who were the former Patriarchs of Runcandel, followed the orders well. If you are doing this because you think my abilities are inferior to Jin's, then I have nothing to say. But I think many members of the clan are currently unable to regain their senses."
Octavia gritted her teeth and avoided Beradin's gaze.
‘Why has he changed so much...!’
When Beradin first awoke, having lost all his memories and being in a state similar to that of a newborn, it was an extremely joyous event for the Zipple.
Moreover, the returning Beradin quickly took control of the clan, gaining powers similar to Record Magic.
Thanks to that, they were able to end the war of the evil gods with minimal damage, and Beradin partially filled the void left by Kelliark.
But in Octavia's eyes, the current Beradin seemed to be going crazy.
‘Could it be a side effect of the mind manipulation we performed? No, it feels more like... retaliation for the mind manipulation. And no one was more deeply involved in Beradin's mind manipulation than Sir Kadun.’
As she thought about this, another name flashed in Octavia's mind, a name that played a more important role in manipulating Beradin's mind than Kadun.
‘Patriarch...! If Beradin is retaliating against Kadun-nim, it could also extend to the Patriarch!"
Kelliark Zipple.
He had been trapped for several years in the life support device on the top floor of the Tower of Stories.
And there were only two individuals who could freely enter and exit the top floor of the Tower of Stories: the fire dragon Kadun and Beradin Zipple.
If Beradin were to attack only Kelliark's life support device...
Naturally, the current Kelliark would be unable to retaliate.
The thought sent chills down Octavia's spine.
Until now, it was something she had never considered, not even before Beradin became more aggressive.
‘If what he is doing is really retaliation, and if he has no intention of stopping…’
She had to stop Beradin now.
No matter how dangerous and chaotic the situation was, she had to eliminate the possibility of Beradin 'killing' Kelliark.
"You are also one of those people, Captain Spectre. To dare to raise your voice so high just because you are uncomfortable with the way I treat Kadun-nim. It seems I must have looked quite ridiculous to you."
"I will be more cautious, Young Patriarch. It seems I have underestimated you."
"I sincerely hope so. May you never make a mistake driven by a different mentality."
Octavia shuddered as she felt Beradin's gaze on her soul.
Perhaps Beradin had become strong enough that neither she nor Kadun could contain him.
"Well, let's proceed with the meeting then. We need to find a way to cut off the influx of warriors and engineers who are gathering in Runcandel. Since the existence of Valeria Histor has become public, too many talents are flowing into Runcandel."
"Most of the individuals who submitted applications to the Vamel alliance of the Federation have already been investigated. There were over two thousand Magicians and engineers. How should we handle them?"
"It seems preferable to kill some as examples and absorb the rest."
"I think it's better to kill them all. After all, the few outstanding individuals among those two thousand have already joined the Vamel alliance, so the rest are practically useless labor. It's better to kill them and instill fear in the others."
"Both options are not bad. However, considering the current situation, we will temporarily refrain from punishing those who have desertion charges. Bring all those who could not join the Vamel alliance to our research institute. Let's use them for simple tasks for now, and once the situation stabilizes, we can reconsider their elimination."
"I will proceed in that manner."
"And..."
When they were about to discuss the next item on the agenda, Beradin's expression suddenly sharpened.
Simultaneously, Ronil and Octavia were startled and heightened their senses.
It was because they felt a very familiar, immense, and ferocious energy rapidly approaching the Tower of Stories.
"It seems Kadun-NIM is about to cross the line..."
It was Kadun's energy.
If he were just flying, his energy couldn't be so turbulent.
Clear aggression and rage were already coloring the entire sky outside.
"Elder Brother Ronil."
"Yes, Young Patriarch-nim."
"Instruct the troops stationed in the tower to immediately prepare for combat."
"Young Patriarch!
Octavia was about to shout, but she barely managed to close her mouth.
‘Kadun-nim, why now of all times...!’
Even for her, it was completely unexpected that Kadun would arrive at the Tower of Stories with the intention of killing Beradin.
Octavia knows Kadun well.
In fact, it was almost a miracle that he had endured all of Beradin's insults until now. If it were the Kadun she knew, he would have settled things with Beradin a long time ago.
‘First, I have to stop Kadun-nim somehow. Kadun-nim and Beradin must not fight at all!’
She could stop Kadun somehow.
Kadun would eventually stop if she desperately appealed that it was not the right time for Kadun and Beradin to fight for the sake of Zipple.
On the contrary, the problem lies with Beradin.
Octavia doubted that Beradin could simply ignore Kadun showing his fangs.
It seemed unlikely.
‘If Beradin finally decides to abandon Sir Kadun and launches a preemptive strike, what should I do...!’
The outcome of their fight was uncertain.
What mattered was that, no matter who won, Zipple would suffer irreparable damage.
As they went outside, Kadun's descent could be seen through the clouds.
The Magicians of the tower had already assumed a state of readiness, pointing their staffs at Kadun.
Amidst them, Beradin stood and stared intently at Kadun.
[Beradin...! Why are you doing this? Do you really think it's acceptable to act this way towards me, who is both a pillar of the clan and your father's guardian dragon?]
"This is your final warning, Kadun-nim. Immediately withdraw your energy and accept the clan's suppression. Your current actions are treason."
[Treason, you say! Then, this little brat finally lost his mind. Magicians who are pointing their staffs at me, I will give you a chance. Whose orders will you follow? That crazy young patriarch has no future. Today, I will turn that bastard into a handful of ashes.]
"Ha, it has come to this in the end. Fine. From now on, the Fire Dragon Kadun is a first-class traitor of the clan. The Magicians of the Magic Tower will cover me."
"Young Patriarch, wait a moment. Please give me a moment to talk to Kadun-nim. I will try to stop him! I stake my name and honor on it, without fail."
"There is no need for that, Captain Spectre. What do you think is the reason why I treat Kadun-nim in such a harsh manner?"
"Yes, please tell me. Why are you doing this? Even Kadun-nim asked."
Octavia spoke almost as if she were defending her case.
She had to prevent the situation from escalating into a confrontation between the two sides of the clan.
In response, Beradin turned around and pointed a finger towards the top of the tower.
"From now on, pay close attention to where Father is. See what happens."
With those words, Beradin extended the Patriarch's staff, "Hroti", towards Kadun.