Chapter 199
Episode 64: Rumors and the Pursuers (Part 2)
Crack!
Siron sliced through the seal of the letter with his index finger.
It had been nearly seven months since the last letter arrived—truly a long time. In other words, Siron was now indulging in his “only pleasure” after seven months of waiting.
“Worth all the trouble of getting bloodied by monsters after such a long time. To see the head of the family so delighted…”
Khan smiled quietly to himself.
Lately, with Kashimir sending no letters at all, even Khan had been growing anxious. Where on earth was the youngest master, and what was that mysterious ‘Ghost Sword’ up to? No one could say.
Fortunately, this long-awaited letter seemed to fully satisfy the family head’s heart.
“The Sword of the Underworld and the Spirit Sword, huh.”
The two sword techniques described in the letter held Siron’s gaze for a long moment.
“I heard there’s a guy named Bamel active outside. Have you heard anything?”
“Yes, his name came up at the main family meeting. They say he might be a contractor of Feitel. Not sure if he’s alone or has companions, but he killed five White Wolf tribe assault captains on an island in the Bellado Principality. Definitely not an ordinary person.”
“If they knew that was the youngest master, everyone would be shocked out of their wits.”
“Huh?”
“Keep it quiet. Also, make sure the riders don’t take too much interest.”
“Understood.”
Siron continued reading the letter.
There was no mention of the compass, only details about Jin’s trip to Laprarosa and his encounters with Kinzel and Ziphl. The part about Siris of the Bow assisting was included without fail.
Siron knew Kashimir was deliberately withholding information, but it didn’t leave a bitter taste. The Ghost Sword wasn’t his own man—it belonged to the youngest master.
“Ha ha ha…”
Siron’s low laughter caused the ground around him to tremble faintly.
“You look pleased, my lord.”
“You’d laugh too if you read this part.”
The first page of the letter Siron held read:
(Dear Siron, last night at the drinking party, Lord Jin said to me, ‘I believe I can now face my father in combat.’ Ah, what a remarkable thing to say…)
Khan’s expression stiffened.
“The Ghost Sword has clearly lost his mind. Even if the youngest master said that, it should have been filtered and interpreted carefully before being reported! I should go warn him sternly right now…”
“Khan, have you ever heard of the Underworld Tribe?”
“Yes, I know they were a mysterious race that ruled the world half a millennium ago.”
“The youngest master apparently met them through a trial set by Solderet. Among them is a warrior called the ‘Fighting God.’ According to Jin, he’s definitely a strong opponent on par with me.”
Khan hesitated.
Where in the world was there a single person who could match Siron one-on-one? And a king of a tribe said to have been destroyed five hundred years ago? It sounded like nonsense.
Still, the youngest master and the Ghost Sword wouldn’t dare lie. Khan waited silently for Siron’s next words.
“The youngest master’s logic is that since he fought that man, he can do the same with me. Ha ha, it’s so cute it almost brings tears to my eyes.”
“To be honest, I think the youngest master said that out of a lack of understanding of martial arts. He’s growing rapidly, but he’s still only seventeen.”
Khan had personally witnessed the seventeenth years of all the second-generation pureblood Runkandel heirs, including Siron’s children.
Even Luna, always recognized as the strongest, couldn’t spar with Siron at seventeen. So it was natural for Khan to doubt the letter’s claim.
“Khan.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“He’s never once said he could do something I couldn’t.”
At those words, Khan quickly bowed his head.
“I misspoke.”
“I’m not scolding you. But this time, I’m curious too. Can the youngest master really back up his words? If, as you say, it’s just a lack of insight, I’ll be greatly disappointed.”
Khan immediately caught the hidden meaning behind Siron’s words.
Siron wanted to see Jin’s true strength for himself.
“Should we quietly bring the youngest master back to the Black Sea?”
Siron shook his head.
“No need.”
“You don’t mean you’ll visit Tikan yourself…?”
“That would be too harsh on him.”
If Siron went to Tikan personally, all eyes in the world would instantly turn there. Then Tikan would no longer be a safe haven for Jin. Every major power would start planting agents there.
Siron brushed his beard once and smiled broadly.
“Do you have paper?”
“Here.”
Siron began writing something, his smile never fading.
Every time Khan saw this, he felt a strange sensation. Since Luna gave up the throne, Siron had lost his smile for a long time.
When Siron finished, he handed the paper to Khan.
It was a letter. Seeing the recipient’s name at the top, Khan’s eyes widened.
‘This person…!’
There was no seal, no order not to read it, but Khan didn’t dare look. He quickly tucked the letter into his chest pocket. He wouldn’t read it until it reached the recipient.
“Khan.”
“Yes?”
“Deliver this letter, and have the steward Heinz bring me two bottles of the royal family’s finest wine with my name on them. One bottle is for Thalaris, the other is to be brought to me in ten days.”
“Understood. I’ll take my leave.”
July 21, 1797.
Two men wearing red masks and blue uniforms arrived in the free city of Tikan.
Their attire was the official uniform of the Bimant Special Task Force. The red masks were reserved only for the task force’s squad leaders.
They were Ratz, codename of the 3rd squad leader, and Chris, codename of the 4th squad leader.
As soon as they appeared at the city’s transit gate, the Tikan garrison went on high alert. Two squad leaders showing up in this peaceful, quiet city was no small matter.
It took less than ten minutes for the lowest-ranking patrolman to report their arrival to Captain Alisa.
“They’re not here tracking Quikantel or Enya.”
Quikantel and Enya were currently unofficial fugitives of Bimant. If they had come to capture them, they wouldn’t have come alone, nor openly.
“Could it be they found a lead on Lord Jin?”
Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case either.
Though their visit was sudden, they came with polite manners to Kashimir’s mansion.
Kashimir’s mansion was publicly known as the residence of the ‘Seven-Colored Flock,’ the leaders of the seven factions. Among them were some who knew Ratz and Chris from the old loyalist families of Bimant.
But knowing them didn’t mean they were close. The Seven-Colored Flock had been exiled with Kashimir, so their relationship was strained.
The flock members stationed throughout the city informed Jin’s group of the visitors.
“Seems certain they’re not here for me. Hmm, no obvious guesses either.”
“Just in case, Lord Jin, please hide in another room with Miss Enya and Lord Quikantel. I’ll meet them personally to understand their intentions and send you back as soon as possible.”
The Seven-Colored Flock and Kashimir gathered in the reception room.
Neither Kashimir’s side nor the task force leaders carried weapons, but a tense atmosphere filled the room.
It was only natural—an exiled prince and the last descendants of loyalist families meeting the emperor’s direct special task force.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Kashimir.”
Kashimir smiled.
“What brings you here, squad leaders? You must be busy, so please get straight to the point.”
His tone was polite but cold.
Ignoring this, the squad leaders pulled out a sheet of paper.
It was a check bearing the seal of the Bimant Emperor. Kashimir’s eyes darkened with fury.
“…What is this?”
“The emperor has ordered us to request the Seven-Colored Flock’s cooperation. The payment is 500,000 gold coins, and the task is to secure the person named Bamel. After the job, the emperor will reward double the amount.”
“Haha.”
Rip!
Kashimir tore the check in half.
“Lord Kashimir, this is an act of treason against the royal family, and an insult to His Majesty himself.”
“The current emperor is hardly honorable enough to be insulted, Squad Leader Chris. Seems he sent you to mock me. Please tell him he’s succeeded.”
“You misunderstand, Lord Kashimir. You know Bamel has become a hot topic recently. His Majesty only wishes to speak with him before Ziphl does. That’s why we came to ask for your cooperation…”
“Inooom!”
Suddenly, Kashimir jumped up and shouted.
“Do you think the descendants of the old loyalists of Bimant are invisible to you? I lost my status as prince, and their loyalty was betrayed. Do you really think you can toy with us?”
While Kashimir’s eyes blazed with fury, the squad leaders remained calm.
After a brief silence, Ratz spoke.
“…We will overlook your disrespectful words about His Majesty. Please forgive us for disturbing your rest. We will be on our way.”
The squad leaders gathered the torn check and stood.
They retraced their steps and left the mansion. Only after their backs disappeared did Kashimir calm his anger.
“Not a bad performance after all, after such a long time.”
Kashimir’s anger was a façade. Or rather, even if the anger was genuine, revealing it to the instigators was a calculated performance.
“I could hear your voice all the way over here, Your Grace.”
“If I come across as a fool, blinded by old grudges and clinging to past titles, the Emperor will think he can do whatever he wants with my family and this land.”
Jin still hadn’t heard the full story of why Kashimir had been stripped of his princely status. He was waiting for Kashimir to tell him in his own time.
“The Emperor didn’t just send someone to mock me. He must be genuinely curious about the Seven-Colored Bird—enough to want the special forces to collaborate with them.”
“It’s probably because of Quikantel and Enya. Latz saw me wearing the black helmet alongside those two. The Bimant side must think that if they capture me, they can find out where those two are hiding.”
“Half a million gold coins… that’s a bit extravagant. I suppose it’s an opportunity to make up for the money we lost to the Cosmos Pirates, haha.”
Just then, Zett came running up, out of breath.
“Your Grace, Lord Kashimir!”
“My ears are ringing, Zett.”
“An elderly lady of unknown identity came looking to sponsor the Seven-Colored Bird.”
“Hm? That’s something the officers or the team can handle themselves. And unknown identity? What’s that about?”
“Well… the sponsorship isn’t ordinary. Apparently, she brought a large sailing ship loaded with gold coins. The team hurried to check it out, but no one knows who she is.”
“No one? Today’s full of unusual visitors. Where is this lady now?”
“She’s on her way to the mansion.”