Episode 114
Chapter 36: Allies on Both Sides (4)
“The author is…!”
“B-Bikungju! Bikungju Talalis Endorma!?”
Among the elite magicians of the Seven Towers, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t recognize the Bikungju’s face.
The mages who had been relentlessly casting spells at Murakan suddenly froze in place. Midor, too, couldn’t take his eyes off the white toad that Talalis was riding.
“You did it, Lord Kashimir!”
The moment Jin saw Talalis, he nearly lost his composure and collapsed. His body was already pushed to its limits from the reflux; barely standing was all he could manage.
As the mages ceased their barrage, Murakan swiftly approached Jin’s side.
“If that toad had arrived even two seconds later, you’d never see the light of day again. Heh heh, kid. Amphibians have never looked this good to me before. The eye toad, Mote—there are still people in this era who can command such a beast.”
The spirit beast, the eye toad Mote.
It was even larger than the red dragons the mages had ridden, its chin adorned with a thick, white beard that spoke of its ancient existence.
Only those chosen by the ‘Ten Thousand Ice’ could command this mysterious beast. As Mote let out a deep, resonant croak, Talalis nodded.
“Yeah, it was quite a distance to come all at once. Go inside and rest until I come back, little darling.”
With a sudden whoosh, Mote’s massive form was sucked into the pure white dimensional gate as soon as Talalis finished speaking.
The gate closed behind them, and Talalis and Siris landed lightly on the ground, scanning their surroundings.
“Let’s see… the one who received the Bikung legend from my daughter. Ah, there you are.”
Talalis chuckled softly and strode toward Jin.
The thirty elite mages and six red dragons remained tense, unable to look away. Even the dragons, unaware of Talalis’s notorious reputation, refrained from attacking instinctively.
The atmosphere on the battlefield shifted instantly.
The only constant before and after Talalis’s arrival were the natives performing their rituals.
Step by step.
With a leisurely gait, Talalis passed Midor without a glance and approached Jin. As she passed, Midor felt an indescribable humiliation but dared not make a move against her back.
One wrong move, and his head would have been severed before he even realized it.
“Oh my, you’re in terrible shape. Can you hear my voice?”
“Yes, Lady Talalis.”
“Good. Before I help you, let me ask one thing first. Are you really the one who killed my 307th boyfriend?”
“Huh?”
“Alcaro Chendler, that is.”
The name of the count’s drug-addicted son whom Jin had killed during a mission in his cadet days.
Caught off guard, Jin forgot his pain and could only cough awkwardly. Siris shook her head in embarrassment but furrowed her brows in concern for Jin.
“Ah, well…”
“I’m not blaming you. That junkie was going to be dealt with anyway. But next time, if you find someone better, introduce them to me. Maybe that handsome guy beside you.”
While Jin and Siris struggled to suppress their surprise, Murakan shrugged.
“Hah, handsome guy, huh? You’ve got good taste. And the timing of your appearance is pretty perfect, too.”
“In that case, you and I should have a drink soon—tea or something. Anyway, daughter, you just take care of your boyfriend and relax. I’ll go deal with these guys.”
“He’s not my boyfriend… Hah, fine. Please be careful, Mother.”
“Alright, alright. Oh, and one more thing. You should be grateful to my daughter. If it weren’t for Siris, I wouldn’t have come here at all.”
With a swoosh, as Talalis turned around, an ice wall suddenly shot up from the ground, encasing Jin and his group.
She had used her ‘Ten Thousand Ice’ power to cast a protective barrier around them.
Though it was conjured with a mere gesture, even Murakan couldn’t help but admire its strength. Talalis also cast the same barrier around the natives.
“I’m saved.”
Only then did Jin’s legs give way, and Siris instinctively caught him by the shoulders.
“…It’s been a while, Jin Runkandel. I thought when we met again, it would be with swords drawn, but I never expected it to be like this.”
“Thank you, Lady Siris. I owe you a great debt.”
“There’s no need to thank me. I just didn’t want to see you get hurt by someone else before I could take you down.”
“Ugh…”
As Jin groaned and released Multa’s rune, the blood pooled inside his helmet spilled heavily onto the ground.
“My goodness, you stood like that until just now? I’ve never seen blood this dark before!”
His blood was a swirling mix of spiritual energy, magic, and aura, glowing with a pitch-black light. Siris quickly pulled out a vial and laid Jin’s head on her lap.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t say another word.”
As Siris calmly poured the elixir into Jin’s mouth, Murakan smiled contentedly.
“Looking good. I hope I’m not interrupting your private time. Should I step aside for a bit?”
Murakan was in an unusually good mood.
He had been prepared to say goodbye to Jin just moments ago, so this sudden turn of events was a relief.
“Hmph, you’re the most boisterous dragon I’ve ever seen.”
“Oh? How did you know I’m a dragon?”
“My mother never calls a man ‘brother’ unless he’s a dragon. And I’m not in the mood for your antics right now.”
“Heh heh, got it. I should rest too, so take good care of the kid.”
With a pop, Murakan transformed into a cat and curled up beside Jin. Siris swallowed hard.
“No way… that cat I saw at the Runkandel banquet was this dragon!?”
Memories of the banquet, where she had fought Jin and then spent time petting and doting on the ‘Butterfly Runkandel’ cat, sent chills down her spine.
“Jin Runkandel. You really get on my nerves.”
Still, Siris didn’t mind the wet strands of Jin’s hair brushing against her knees.
Meanwhile, outside the barrier, the mages waited for Midor’s command.
With the Bikungju’s sudden intrusion, should they retreat or fight to defend Ziphl’s honor?
Logically, retreating was the wiser choice. Fighting meant almost certain defeat.
But Midor chose to stand his ground.
“Even if the opponent is the Bikungju, I won’t let my brother’s enemies escape right before my eyes.”
Midor also had a ‘trump card.’
“Seven Towers alone can’t handle the Bikungju… but if we hold out a little longer, reinforcements from other towers will arrive!”
Before coming to Colon, Midor had sent word to the other towers about the trouble with Myuron.
-Effective immediately, all mages of the Seven Towers are to assemble and head to Colon. Elders, please contact the main house and other towers promptly.
-Do we really need to involve other towers? Isn’t this making a big deal out of it?
-I have a bad feeling. A sudden call at this hour…
Midor’s intuition was spot on. Not only was Myuron dead, but the Bikungju was involved.
If proper reinforcements arrived from the main house and other towers, they had a chance. After all, their opponent wasn’t Siron Runkandel, but Talalis Endorma.
“Besides, I have the authority granted by the clan head. Perhaps even a spatial explosion could deal a blow to the Bikungju. At the very least, it will buy us time until help arrives.”
Having made his decision, Midor stepped forward and locked eyes with Talalis.
“Bikungju, I am Midor Elner, deputy tower master of the Seven Towers. I wish to ask why the victor of the Western Sea is interfering with Ziphl’s affairs.”
As Midor finished speaking, the mages formed their battle lines. The six red dragons gathered their breath, ready to unleash their flames at any moment.
Talalis scoffed dismissively.
“Work? I’m working for the first time in a while. In that sense, you’re the ones interrupting. Know your place and quietly step aside, and I might just let you off.”
“Everyone knows the Bikungju’s power is immense, but you cannot threaten Ziphl. They are the sixth son of the clan head and the ones who murdered the tower master of the Seven Towers. So step back, Bikungju.”
“Oh? You’re quite bold for a little pup.”
“Ziphl as a whole clearly defines the Bikungju as an enemy. I doubt that’s something you want.”
“Besides, this is the Lutero Magic Federation. Our land.”
“But there’s no charm in that. Just like all those yapping dogs who brag about how great their family is and how they’re the top dog in their own neighborhood. Well, even a mutt acts like a tiger in its own territory.”
At that, the elders behind Midor narrowed their eyes.
“Bikungju! Your words are out of line—!”
“Shut your mouth.”
Talalis simply stared down the elder who had shouted in anger.
“Ugh!”
That alone was enough to make the elder suddenly collapse to the ground, clutching his throat as if suffocating.
Murderous intent.
The elder fell because he had directly absorbed Talalis’s killing intent. The ‘will’ of a ten-star knight was a weapon in itself.
“Third Elder!”
“Cast the barrier!”
The wizards hastily combined their magic to form a barrier, and at the same moment, the enemy dragons all unleashed their crimson breath in unison.
Fwoooosh!
But moments when a dragon’s breath feels this insignificant are rare indeed.
With just a flick of her hand, Talaris deflected the fiery breaths of all six enemy dragons in one spectacular feat. Crack! The flames turned into massive chunks of ice the instant they touched her hand, shattering into fragments. The wizards instinctively took a step back.
“Let me make this clear—if you dare breathe fire one more time, those ugly lizards over there will become Mot’s next meal. I think I’ve made the gap between us obvious enough. Are you going to keep this up?”
For the wizards of Ziphl, this was their last chance. Their final opportunity to leave quietly, without a single casualty.
But Midor had no intention of seizing it.
“Even if it costs us our lives to stand against you! In the end, it won’t be us who vanish from this world first, but your name and the legend of the Bowmaster, mark my words!”
Bang!
With resolve burning in his eyes, Midor aimed for Talaris’s neck and unleashed a spatial explosion.
There was a flicker of surprise in Talaris’s gaze.
Though she reacted instantly, blocking the blast with a shield of ice crystals at the very moment the explosion began, she looked slightly taken aback.
“Hah, so this is the power of Keliak Ziphl… What are you?”