Chapter 251
Episode 77: The Villain (8)
Jiple was now utterly fixated on killing Bamel to restore his family’s honor.
He no longer cared about his image, no matter how far it had fallen.
Bamel’s countless misdeeds had become public knowledge. If Bamel wasn’t eliminated, the prestige of the World’s Greatest Family would inevitably be shattered.
Of course, if Jin didn’t reveal his identity, they could use Kal’s death as an excuse to let things slide—at least for now.
“Anyway, I’ll officially become a full-fledged knight soon. If I just stay hidden until then, there won’t be any problems. I even have a perfect place to hide,” Jin said, shrugging as he looked at Kashmir.
“By the way, that family head Jiple—doesn’t he go too far with his own child? Not only did he send you off to die under false charges, but now he’s even trying to assassinate you to uncover your identity? That’s beyond cruel. It’s downright unfilial.”
“I’m starting to think he might even be a fake, transformed by Bubar Gaston,” Jin mused.
“No, I’m pretty sure he’s the real Kal, Lord Kashmir. If he were a fake, the moment that was revealed during interrogation, Kinzello’s side would be in trouble. And now that Jiple has turned hostile, there’s no reason for them to go that far.”
Jin defined Kelliac Jiple as the pinnacle of ruthless, dirty magic.
Despite all the negative descriptions, he was still the apex—someone Jin could never handle, and even Sir Shiron dared not confront lightly.
The thought that Jiple would soon discover his true identity sent a chill down Jin’s spine.
If the land Jiple had touched wasn’t the Kingdom of Vankela, Jin wouldn’t have revealed himself.
Otherwise, before even finding a safe place to hide, Kelliac would have caught him and ended his life.
On the other hand, Jin felt a flicker of excitement.
If the prospective knight of Runcandel could claim a clear victory in his first confrontation with Kelliac Jiple, imagine how much the world would tremble.
Since Kal’s death, Jiple had offered no explanation to the kingdom.
Rani, her loyalists, and the citizens knew that the true villain who ruined the kingdom was Jiple, but they lacked the power to punish him.
As the investigation dragged on, the once fervent curiosity of the international press began to wane.
Meanwhile, the pens of the Lutero Magic Federation churned out articles favorable to Jiple day after day.
Of course, the Hupester journalists countered with pieces that disparaged Jiple, but it made little difference.
After all, even without the kingdom, these factions had been waging daily battles on the pages, and their families had long been mortal enemies.
The fiery interest of outsiders was quickly dying down.
Especially the nobles of various countries no longer appeared in the square where Rani and the citizens gathered.
They judged it unwise to draw Jiple’s attention unnecessarily.
Jiple’s killing of Kal and the formal payment of the price was, of course, an absurd act.
But the great powers had the ability to make absurd situations even more absurd.
If they truly wished, they could erase the voices of weak victims and quietly punish any third parties who sympathized.
Neutral public opinion and factions knew this well, so they now tread carefully around Jiple.
The neutrals also factored in this calculation:
This kingdom incident would become a major black mark on Jiple’s record, but no power was without flaws.
Once things settled, Jiple would unleash money and manpower to sweeten the pockets and tongues of the neutral factions.
Just ignore it, and we’ll take care of you.
Whenever problems arose, Jiple always pacified the neutrals in this way.
In contrast, Runcandel ruled through fear politics.
Because the two families had different temperaments, their methods of controlling the world differed greatly, and in this kingdom incident, Jiple’s approach was clearly more effective.
Jiple’s treasure-laden galleons were entering the kingdom’s territorial waters.
This was compensation for the internal interference by those who had followed Kal Jiple, separate from Kal’s death.
The amount was beyond imagination.
If accepted, the kingdom could secure its budget for thirty years without worry.
But Rani naturally refused the compensation, and the loyalists ground their teeth in bitter tears.
“What do those bastards think this kingdom is… no, what do they think humanity is…!”
The citizens shouted in anger, veins bulging.
Jiple paid no mind to their reactions and silently unloaded the gold at the kingdom’s harbor.
As if it didn’t matter who took it, as if daring anyone to go mad at the sight of it, as if inviting someone to steal it.
To prove this, Jiple didn’t assign a single guard to watch over the gold bars left alone.
The gold, piled like a fortress in the harbor’s center, gleamed brilliantly.
Such an enormous hoard of gold—something even a king of a nation might never see in a lifetime—evoked not desire, but intimidation.
Even if the kingdom refused the gold, Jiple would never take it back.
“Now that’s what I call throwing money around,” Jin said, arms crossed as he examined the gold bars.
He could see what would happen if the kingdom refused the gold.
“You’d be hard-pressed to find that much gold even in the lairs of the Golden Dragons. Wow, how many limited-edition erotic art books could that buy?”
“What? Erotic art books? How can you even think that?”
“Just… a thought,” Jin said, shaking his head.
“Roughly, that’s enough gold to cover the kingdom’s budget for thirty years, maybe even fifty if managed well.”
“Sounds about right.”
“That means if they don’t accept it, Jiple intends to make them struggle with money for the next fifty years.”
If they took the gold and quietly covered up the incident, they’d turn a blind eye to uncomfortable truths and become wealthy.
If not, Jiple would cut off the kingdom’s financial lifeline completely.
As Jin said, the gold bars at the harbor carried that meaning.
“Give up pride and revenge, and you’ll live in wealth. But if you keep resisting, that gold will go to the neutral factions. Jiple will make the kingdom regret not accepting the money by disrupting their trade.”
Right now, the citizens’ sentiment toward Jiple was rock bottom.
But how long could that last?
Most ordinary people didn’t have the strong convictions of Rani or the loyalists.
An ordinary life was a continuous pursuit of survival and small happiness through labor and its fruits.
When the country grows poor, individuals grow poor too.
If the harder you work, the less you earn, and the more grueling the labor becomes without any sign of a better life…
Could the citizens still support Rani’s and the loyalists’ choices then?
No, they couldn’t.
The responsibility for the citizens’ harsh lives would ultimately fall not on Jiple, who imposed brutal economic sanctions, but on the kingdom’s leadership.
And political turmoil would surely accelerate to bring that moment closer.
Rani and the loyalists would find it difficult to find a sharp solution and would eventually be remembered as tyrants or incompetent rulers.
“I thought of erotic art books just to avoid dwelling on such annoying thoughts,” Jin said.
“Of course you would,” Kashmir replied.
Of course, there was Runcandel.
While the kingdom deteriorated, Runcandel wouldn’t just sit idly by.
But would they spend as much money as Jiple to stabilize the kingdom?
They lacked justification. There were many poor lands within Hupester itself, so prioritizing the kingdom over them was unthinkable. It could even lead to internal division.
In a financial battle, Runcandel would be the one to suffer more.
“Let’s go stop this nonsense.”
December 24, 1797.
Rani decided to hold a requiem for the late king and the victims of the living golems.
Though the trial was not yet over, the requiem could no longer be delayed.
The corpse of the fake king, maintained by the sacred power of the saints, had begun to decay, and the body of the sacrificed Bitura had completely rotted away.
Also, the requiem had to be completed before the neutral press left entirely.
The unfinished trial was, in fact, a minimal safety measure for Jin.
The requiem was scheduled to last three hours.
Naturally, Rani would personally recite the prayers.
“Please, everyone, take your seats,” Rani said as she stepped onto the podium.
Her voice was low, but everyone in the square knelt down and closed their eyes simultaneously.
“Ayurashi, your most devoted daughter, Rani Salome, stands here for the unjustly slain King Miklan and the citizens. Please answer my prayers, so that through your voice, we may remember their final moments…”
The kingdom’s requiem was often called the “Milky Way Prayer” by enthusiasts.
This was because the sacred power of those gathered for the requiem merged into a single shining light.
At this moment, even those with low sacred power emitted a distinctive yellow glow.
The brightness of the yellow light illuminating the crowd was determined by the sacred power of the one leading the prayer.
That was why Jin and Murakan couldn’t help but marvel anew.
“Rani Salome, who protected Murakan in that toxic land, has always had tremendous sacred power…”
The entire square glowed a vivid yellow.
Rani trembled as she recited the prayer, infusing thousands of citizens with sacred power.
As the enthusiasts said, it was as if the Milky Way itself flowed across the earth.
Reporters believed this would be the last major scoop they could get from the kingdom.
Such a magnificent requiem had not been seen in the kingdom for a long time.
“…And so, today, may the children of Ayula safely find their way into your embrace. May this light reach you, and may their souls be blessed with eternal life.”
As the prayer concluded, Lani swayed precariously, clutching the dais for support.
It was, without a doubt, a flawless requiem.
Yet no one knew that Lani’s ritual had done more than just honor the dead—it had worked a miracle.
The corpse of Bitura, long decayed and buried beneath the earth, had been restored to its original form.
A secret known only to Ayula and the spirit of the deceased Bitura, one even Lani herself was unaware of.
Huff, huff…
After catching her breath, Lani looked out over the crowd.
“The requiem has ended. And today, I, Lani Salome, wish to introduce to you all a foreigner who has sacrificed much for our sacred kingdom.”
The citizens looked up at her, puzzled.
Usually, after the requiem, the speaker would simply thank the gathered crowd and step down from the dais.
But the reporters sensed something different in the air.
They caught the scent of an unexpected arrival.
“Friend, please step forward.”
As the crowd glanced around, Jin slowly stepped forward.
He pulled back his hood, revealing hair dyed a shimmering gold. Without hesitation, he declared,
“I am Jin Runcandel.”