Chapter 221
Episode 72: The News That Came Through, The News We Must Find (Part 2)
Meeting Prince Laika wasn’t difficult. The villa where he had once treated Jin was a private place, known only to those verified or close to Laika.
The gatekeepers opened the main gate without a word.
By chance, Prince Laika was resting at the villa. Jin had expected to wait at least a few hours, so this was a fortunate stroke of luck.
“Oh? Who do we have here? Welcome, Your Highness,” Laika greeted as soon as he saw Jin and his group, dismissing his guards immediately. This was the kind of trust he showed to someone named ‘Runkandel’ in Hupester.
“Prince Laika, it’s been a while.”
“And these must be the ones who were searching for you in eastern Delki last time.”
“Sorry for the trouble we caused then.”
Kashimir bowed slightly, but Laika waved it off.
“No harm done. No common folk were seriously affected. But since you came without any prior notice… it seems you’re dealing with something urgent, Your Highness.”
“Yes. I need to find someone. It’s very urgent.”
“Please, tell me.”
“There’s someone distributing a deadly poison among the mercenaries in Delki. We need to secure this person’s whereabouts.”
Laika’s eyes gleamed.
Jin immediately expected Laika to propose a deal—just like before, when he saved Jin’s life and secured the rights to the gold mine and the assignment of guardian knights.
Laika seemed willing to help. Finding Kuzan before Joshua was worth that much.
‘A few more guardian knights wouldn’t be too much to ask…’
Just as Jin thought that, Laika smiled faintly.
“That won’t be difficult. I’ve been keeping an eye on him myself and have already located his hideout.”
Surprisingly, Laika didn’t ask for anything in return. He even drew a map on the spot.
Laika was someone who knew how to hold tightly to a golden opportunity like Jin.
“I won’t ask what this is about, Your Highness. If you need anything, I’m always here to help. Oh, and take this… just in case.”
Laika handed over a token symbolizing the Delki royal family.
It wasn’t quite comparable to the black sword emblem of ‘Runkandel,’ but Laika hadn’t forgotten that Jin was still a prospective knight.
This token was meant to be shown if Jin ever ran into trouble within Delki, to smooth things over. It was a very thoughtful gesture.
“I will repay your kindness.”
After a brief exchange of greetings, they left the villa immediately.
‘Delki always feels like a race against time whenever I come here.’
It had been the same when Jin came looking for the Marius brothers—he had run himself ragged trying to save another Marius who was being killed in real time by Kuzan and Beris.
The map pointed to a small town in southern Delki. The group boarded the southern transit gate, quickly found horses, and rode toward the town.
At the very moment Jin’s group arrived in the south and secured horses, another group arrived at Prince Laika’s villa—the execution knights of Runkandel.
“Prince Laika, there’s someone we must find urgently.”
“Who do you mean?”
“There’s been a recent outbreak of poison among the mercenaries. The second Runkandel knight has ordered us to bring the culprits in.”
“Ah, that one. I’ve also issued a warrant for him recently. His location should be confirmed within a day or two. Just wait a little longer.”
If Kuzan was the poison dealer, then this was definitely an emergency.
Jin thought this all the way there. For someone trained as a hunting dog, Kuzan was exposing himself far too carelessly.
It was almost as if he was begging to be found.
‘The scent of blood?’
The house they arrived at reeked of blood from the entrance.
“…Kuzan Marius?”
As soon as they opened the door, they found Kuzan.
His hair was disheveled, his face gaunt, and his beard thick. Though he hadn’t disguised himself, he was hard to recognize at first glance.
He seemed unsurprised, as if he had expected Jin to come.
“You look pretty rough. Selling poison to make some money, huh? Never thought I’d see the day you’d be glad to see me.”
Kuzan didn’t answer, just stared at Jin for a long moment. But beneath that calm gaze, Jin sensed a strange desperation.
“Exposing your location so carelessly must mean you had a desperate reason. Let’s move somewhere safe and talk. Looks like you wanted me to find you before Joshua, right?”
“…That’s right.”
“Where’s Beris?”
“In the back room.”
As they entered the room, the source of the blood smell became clear.
It was Beris’s blood. She was tied to the bed, convulsing repeatedly, with Kuzan doing what he could to manage her condition.
Beris was unconscious, intermittently coughing up blood. Jin knew well that this was the final symptom of magical reflux.
If not treated immediately, Beris would die.
“I see. You exposed your location because there was no way to save Beris.”
This wasn’t a disease money could cure.
Especially in the Hupester Union, there were fewer than five healers capable of treating the final stages of magical reflux. Kuzan, essentially a wanted man, had no way to meet them.
He couldn’t leave Hupester for the Lutero Magic Federation either. Though Kuzan and Beris had dozens of travel permits, all were made by Joshua.
Using those to access Hupester’s transit gates was impossible. And the Smuggling Nation was no option without reliable allies.
And Beris was dying.
Kuzan had no choice. He exposed his location and waited for one of the two people who might find him—hoping Jin would come first.
If Beris hadn’t been in this state, Kuzan would have hidden for years, waiting for the right moment to meet Jin.
Thud!
Instead of answering, Kuzan dropped to his knees.
“…Please save her. No, just save her. I’ll do anything for you. I’ll spend my life atoning for my past mistakes.”
Kashimir and Alisa exchanged surprised looks. They had thought Kuzan and Beris were nothing but ruthless villains with no loyalty.
Quikantel, however, remained cold and expressionless.
“I’ll decide whether to take you in after your worth is proven. For now, let’s focus on saving your friend.”
Jin said this as he examined Beris.
‘She’s worse than I thought. Without the saints of Vankela, this will be difficult.’
Beris’s condition was like shattered glass. The window for emergency treatment had long passed, and there was nothing they could do immediately.
The problem was that moving Beris wouldn’t be easy either.
“You’re not a mage, so you might not know, but even a carriage ride would shatter her body. Any shock could worsen her broken bones and organs. It’s already too late.”
Kuzan lowered his head, unable to respond. Jin felt a pang of sympathy.
When they first met, Kuzan and Beris had nearly been killed by people from Delki.
But thinking back, Kuzan and Beris had been used and hurt by those connected to Runkandel from beginning to end.
They were sacrificed to the moon before they could even take their first steps.
They regarded Taimun Marius as more than a mother and obeyed her every command.
After her death, unaware that Joshua was the true enemy, they became his hunting dogs—until meeting Jin and learning the truth.
Taimun Marius hadn’t even left them a final message. The only one she loved and worried for until the end was Luna Runkandel, Jin’s sister.
What was the result?
Beris was on the brink of death, and Kuzan was begging for his life from the very enemy he once considered his nemesis. If Jin turned his back, their only future was being ‘disposed of’ by Joshua.
“I’ll try to move her. But if we get into a fight with Joshua’s minions along the way, we might have to abandon Beris. Understand?”
Kuzan nodded, his eyes bloodshot and red as if tears of blood might spill at any moment.
“Thank you.”
As soon as Jin made the decision, Alisa took off her robe.
She wrapped Beris tightly in it and tied her down with ropes to keep her from moving. Some of her limbs’ bones broke in the process, but Jin thought this was the best option for now.
“I’ve been on missions with the magic squad during the special forces days. The squad leader taught me this method. It’s better to tie her up like this for transport.”
Jin and Quikantel knew this too. Though the pressure from the ropes would break bones, it was better than letting her writhe and damage her organs further.
Covered in the robe, Beris looked like a corpse awaiting cremation. Even if she miraculously recovered, she wouldn’t be the same as before.
Jin planned to take Beris to Tikan first. There, they would summon a healer for initial treatment, then bring her to Vankela to negotiate with the saints. That was the only way Beris could survive.
“We just need to get to the southern transit gate. Hopefully your friend can hold on until then.”
“Our travel permits for Beris and me have been canceled.”
“The Delki royal token will cover you. Your movements will be recorded, but Joshua can’t set foot on Tikan soil anyway.”
Given her condition, Beris couldn’t ride a horse. They had to carry her carefully on foot to the transit gate.
“At a brisk pace, it should take about three hours. Your Highness, but there are too many eyes watching along the way.”
Transit gates were usually located in the center of a region’s main institutions, naturally connected to the largest roads.
It was broad daylight, and the streets were crowded with people.
It wasn’t the kind of time to be wandering around wearing a blood-soaked robe dripping with fresh blood.
“The guards or the peacekeepers might be convinced by the insignia, but I’m worried word might still get to Joshua’s men. This situation is too unusual.”
Even if they ran into Joshua’s henchmen, as long as they weren’t at the level of the Paladins or the Templars, the party wouldn’t be in any real danger.
But during the battle, Beris was almost certain to die.
The moment they stepped out onto the street, all eyes were on them. Many civilians screamed or covered their mouths in shock at the sight of the bloodied robe clearly worn by a living person.
They soon encountered the guards and peacekeepers as well. Fortunately, upon seeing the insignia, they either saluted and moved on or even offered to escort them. Though all offers were politely declined.
“As expected, it won’t be that easy. Sir Kashimir, we’ve got tail.”