Chapter 220
Episode 72: News Heard, News to Find (Part 1)
“Sigh… I really think I need to meet that guy.”
“That guy?”
“My sister.”
“Oh, you mean Misha, the Black Dragon?”
When Jin asked, Murakan nodded.
Murakan referred to his sister as “that guy,” his face twisted in disgust as if even thinking about her was unbearable. Seeing this, Quikantel shook her head.
“Looks like you’re starting to realize you’re failing as a guardian dragon. Honestly, if it weren’t for the special spirit sword technique, Jin would’ve been dead already. You really need to get your head straight. Last time I told you to go see her, you stubbornly refused.”
The reason Murakan wanted to meet Misha was simple.
He wanted to regain even a fraction of his old power, and he thought Misha might know a way.
“Hey, Quikantel. Haven’t you been looking down on me for a while now?”
“I’ll admit, you were incredible a thousand years ago. Not just incredible—you were arguably the strongest among the dragons. But now? Honestly, you’re just a patient. Your glory days are long gone. Please, face reality.”
“I can still summon about half of my old strength. The kid saw it with his own eyes.”
“Oh really? The method where you have to drain Jin’s spirit energy for at least ten minutes during a fight? And then you pass out for days afterward? I thought you’d overexerted yourself and died.”
“Can you, Enya, take ten minutes of power and forcibly break the incarnation of a god!?”
“I’m confident I could kill you before those ten minutes are up.”
“Hmph! I still vividly remember you trembling in front of the demon stone on that deserted island…”
“Yeah, keep talking. I’ll just smash your head in.”
Quikantel’s eyes sharpened like blades.
“Hold it, Quikantel.”
“Your guardian dragon really needs to get a grip. If you keep living in the past like this, you’re going to drop dead. How many times do I have to say it before you get it?”
Quikantel genuinely worried about Murakan.
Since their reunion in Bimant, Murakan had always seemed so weak that it wouldn’t be surprising if he died at any moment.
Murakan knew this too. But he couldn’t accept being seen as someone who needed protecting.
At the same time, as Quikantel said, he felt the pressure.
Stronger enemies were threatening Jin more and more, while his own abilities seemed to be dwindling.
The fact that Murakan had passed out during Jin’s fight with Joshua was especially shocking—this was right after he’d briefly regained some of his old power by absorbing Jin’s spirit energy.
“…Anyway, like I said, I’m going to find Misha. Don’t start with the arguments. I’m worried too. If I meet her and she doesn’t know how to fix my heart, then I’m screwed.”
For Murakan, meeting Misha was a blow to his pride.
It was like reliving a nightmare. When he was a young dragon, Misha was like a great demon or devil from hell.
The only person Murakan had ever feared since birth was his own sister.
Though he hadn’t had to watch his back around her since his prime, they had never had a healthy relationship like Jin and Luna.
“Do you even know where your sister is?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then how do you plan to meet her?”
“There are plenty of places I can guess. Too many, actually. The Krasi mountain range, the northern continent’s jungles, old temples, the lands of the beastmen, all sorts of damp, dark places, or even the finest taverns that serve Mila Mountain wine aged over 300 years…”
“So basically, she could be anywhere in the world.”
Quikantel shrugged.
“That’s true. Misha has always been like that—hiding her identity, living in places no one would expect, then suddenly showing up out of nowhere. Still, she’s strangely good at finding what she needs when she needs it. Siblings are siblings, after all.”
“Kid.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m going to be gone for about a month.”
“Why not take me with you?”
“You’ve got too much to do. Julian might wake up any time.”
It had been over a week since they returned to Tikan, but Julian still hadn’t woken up. He was still reeling from the shock of forcibly losing his incarnation.
Also, Joshua’s side hadn’t made any moves yet. Maybe because of Siron’s orders, no one had come to Tikan, and no warrants had been issued for Julian, Kuzan, or Beris.
“That’s true.”
“Besides, if I took you, Misha would never agree to meet me. She’d throw a fit, accusing me of trying to use the thousand-year contract as leverage.”
Quikantel nodded.
“That’s true. After finishing her growth, the first thing she did was take various revenge on her own brother.”
“Then isn’t it more dangerous to go alone? If your sister attacks you, there’s no one to stop her.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll probably be gone for about two months. If I don’t come back before December ends, then come find me. That means I’ve been caught or beaten by Misha. I’ll plan the route and leave marks along the way.”
What kind of irresponsible talk is that?
Jin wanted to argue, but to be honest, this was the first time he’d ever seen Murakan with such a serious look in his eyes.
And from what he could tell, Quikantel seemed quite pleased. She’d been hoping Murakan would go find Misha for some time.
“If he can just meet Misha and regain his old power, that’d be a huge boost… but sending him alone still feels risky.”
That night, Murakan quietly left Tikan, leaving a single note for Gilly without telling Jin.
(Dear Strawberry Pie,
I’ve decided to embark on a long and difficult journey. I wanted to discuss this with you, but this is a choice I must bear alone…
If Misha kills me, please ask the kid to take revenge. And burn the children I’ve left in the secret drawer under my bed, then scatter their ashes in the river.
I hope you don’t suffer too much while I’m gone.
Waking from a dull sleep and meeting you and the kid feels like a miracle. When I return, let’s go on that trip we promised—just the two of us…)
Gilly showed the solemn letter to Jin, chuckling softly.
“Master, where do you think Murakan went? He’s got the mood swings of a teenager.”
“He said he was going to meet his sister, but I didn’t expect him to leave without a word at night. Is he not in his room?”
“No, Yuria saw him flying off just a little while ago.”
“Hmm, and they were planning a trip together? That’s in the letter too.”
For some reason, Jin felt a strange sensation when he asked that.
Gilly couldn’t hold back her laughter, reading that part over and over.
“No! I really thought about it too! I was confused, wondering if I’d made such a promise with Murakan.”
Gilly had never made such a promise with Murakan. In other words, Murakan had made it up.
“Ah, that’s hilarious… Sorry, Master. You might be upset, but I just couldn’t stop laughing.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Jin gave an awkward smile, and Gilly burst into laughter again.
Meanwhile, Quikantel, clearly worried about Murakan, wore a troubled expression as she reached for a drink.
Before Julian, locked in the mansion’s underground prison, could wake up, news of Kuzan and Beris arrived first.
“Once again, the Duke’s words were correct. Someone presumed to be Kuzan Marius has appeared in the Delki Kingdom.”
“Tell me the details.”
Jin jumped up.
“Right after the inauguration ceremony in Shucheron, mercenaries in the Delki Kingdom suddenly started distributing a highly toxic poison at a ridiculously low price. We confirmed a small article in the news and quickly sent out our team to investigate. It’s a deadly poison not registered in any academic records.”
Kashimir believed this was a signal from Kuzan to Jin.
“Of course, it might not be Kuzan. It could be an unknown poison master just doing business. But of all places, the Delki Kingdom—the homeland of the survivors of the Moon Sacrifice, the Marius family. It’s where the Duke first met them.”
Since the Qingse Archipelago incident, the group still hadn’t made a clear judgment about Joshua.
They leaned toward the theory that he was a clone, but without certainty, an uneasy feeling lingered.
In this situation, any information about Kuzan and Beris was like a blessing to the team.
“We have to go immediately. Prepare the teleportation gate.”
There was no need to hesitate. If it turned out to be another poison master, they could just return.
But they had to move as fast as possible.
“We must secure their safety before Joshua does!”
For Jin, Kuzan and Beris were people who had to be saved and questioned. For Joshua, it was the exact opposite.
Joshua surely knew that Kuzan and Beris had met Jin in the Qingse Archipelago, and that his lies had been exposed.
“Joshua must have asked about this information too. And he’ll try to eliminate the stray dogs who didn’t return.”
Jin, Kashimir, Alisa, and Quikantel—all four decided to head to Delki. They formed a party prepared for a possible clash with Joshua’s forces.
Fortunately, the weather was clear enough to use the teleportation gate, and within less than an hour, they arrived at the capital of Delki.
“We’ve scattered the team, but it’ll still take at least a few hours to track down the poison dealer. We’ll have to hit the streets ourselves,” Kashimir said, spreading out a map. It marked the locations and key figures of each mercenary group.
No matter how skilled the Chilsaekjo operatives were, there were limits to how quickly they could gather on-the-ground intel. Even in the best case, it would take several hours.
Jin hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
“That’ll be too late. Joshua is probably already on the move. Delki is practically under Runkandel’s control…”
He paused, then seemed to have an idea.
“Prince Laika. We need to go see him.”
Laika, the third prince of Delki.
He had been perceptive when Jin first fought Kuzan and had promised Jin he’d return all shares of the Delki gold mine to him.
Jin planned to find him and immediately start searching for the poison dealer. No mercenary group could operate without the kingdom’s official permit, so getting Laika’s support was the fastest and most reliable way.
“If Joshua hasn’t already met with Prince Laika or the king of Delki, then we still have a chance to find the dealer first.”