Chapter 329
Episode 102: Temar’s Third Tomb (Part 1)
June 5th, 1799.
Jin, dressed in a simple brown robe to blend in as an ordinary traveler, was walking along a forest path near the southern border of the Zan Kingdom.
‘I think I’ve memorized every inch of this path by now.’
Though summer had just begun, the forest trail remained cool and refreshing. The thought of meeting his cute, innocent friends after such a long time lifted his spirits.
As Jin strolled leisurely, he suddenly stopped and grinned.
Once again, he caught the scent of grilled fish. The unexpected aroma of fish roasting in the southern Zan Kingdom’s forest meant one thing: the Watertail tribe was nearby, preparing a meal.
Step by step, the murmurs of the Watertail tribe grew louder. As always, they were so engrossed in their own lively dance around the grilled fish that they didn’t even notice Jin approaching.
There were three Watertail tribe members, all familiar faces to Jin.
“Darkflame.”
“Hey, that voice… is that—”
The dancing Watertail tribe members abruptly turned to face Jin.
“You’re Wangko and Wangnuni.”
“Jin Runkandel. Well, well. Always… looking for us, huh?”
“Of course, you’ve helped me so many times. This time, I even brought a gift. I’m not a fugitive anymore.”
Jin pulled out a premium dried eel jerky he had prepared earlier. Instantly, the three Watertail tribe members’ eyes sparkled with delight.
“This is eel. Dried. A rare fish.”
“You’re giving this to us?”
“Really.”
Their mouths watering, the Watertail tribe members were too distracted by the jerky to respond properly. When Jin offered it, they practically lunged at it, devouring the eel jerky like they hadn’t eaten in days.
Crunch, crunch, munch!
Jin waited patiently as they ate, then thought to himself that he’d need to have a word with the Goldscale tribe later.
“Ah, sorry, it’s just so good, I couldn’t help it.”
The Watertail tribe finished the jerky in no time and gave a thumbs-up.
“No problem.”
“You heading to the cave?”
“Yeah.”
Following the Watertail tribe, Jin made his way toward their secret cave.
‘Every time I come here, I’m reminded—this cave is nothing short of a labyrinth.’
No matter how sharp one’s memory, the layout was confusing beyond belief.
Even the area at the far end of the cave where the Goldscale and Watertail tribes lived was nearly impossible to find without a guide. As for the Myoin tribe’s quarters, they were completely untraceable. Not a single guide in the world knew their location.
If anyone ever discovered that the Myoin tribe lived in this cave and tried to find them, there was only one way: to collapse the entire cave.
Even then, they wouldn’t find the Myoin tribe themselves—only traces of where they had been. The Myoin would have retreated even deeper.
As they neared the Goldscale tribe’s area, a soft yellow glow emanated from within.
“Oh, you’re here! Our strong and mighty partner!”
“Do you know how many letters have come to you from our branches lately? People of all ages sending love letters—humans are strange creatures. I can’t make sense of it.”
“But they’re all lovely customers, right? Get ready, Jin Runkandel. Ever since we started advertising with your face, sales have exploded. Nobles are lining up to buy the finest Goldscale products at ten times the price because production can’t keep up!”
Sooni, Dori, and Songi greeted Jin warmly, chattering nonstop.
“…What’s all this? Gold? Did you decorate the entire cave with gold?”
The cave where the Goldscale tribe sat was bathed in golden light—the source of the soft yellow glow from afar.
“Of course! We wallpapered it with pure gold. What do you think? Isn’t it amazing?”
Paeng, perched atop a gold ingot, smiled at Jin. The light reflecting off the pure gold made his front teeth gleam.
With a rustle, Paeng hopped down and extended his hand.
“Thanks to the publicity using you, our Goldpaengi guild is sailing smoothly, Jin Runkandel. Time for a business report. There are some things to discuss.”
“Discuss?”
“Our researchers recently developed an incredible new cosmetic product. But the ingredients are unusual, and sourcing them is tricky.”
“How unusual are we talking?”
“There’s a flower that only grows in Bigung. Its components have an amazing whitening effect. This product is bound to be a hit. We’re thinking of striking a deal with Bigung… but rumor has it you’re somehow connected to Bigung? Like, maybe their son-in-law?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“We meet a lot of people in business. Is it true?”
“Just a rumor.”
“Hmm, but there’s usually some truth to rumors. Is a deal with Bigung possible?”
The word ‘deal’ made Jin think of the hotline between Bigung’s leader and Lucas, and he chuckled dryly.
“I can’t promise anything. I’m a man of some pride.”
“Pride?”
“I owe Bigung a lot, so I don’t want to impose further. For now, send me a report on the business, and I’ll forward it to Tikan.”
“Only Runkandel riders love reports this much.”
“But Paeng, you have enough money to pile up pure gold inside this cave, yet you didn’t buy eel jerky for the Watertail tribe?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I gave them eel jerky as a gift, and they ate it like they hadn’t eaten in days. Did you not share the profits from selling Bradamante with them?”
Jin asked quietly, and the Goldscale tribe shook their heads.
“No, we did share. Definitely.”
“Then why are those guys still living in poverty?”
“How would we know? We gave them the money, but they didn’t know how to use it. They just piled it up in a corner of the cave. We got frustrated and put it in the bank for them. We told them they could buy eel jerky every day if they wanted. But they say they’re happy enough as is. What can you do?”
Jin glanced at the Watertail tribe, who were chatting awkwardly among themselves and dancing again.
“And all this gold is just plating. We didn’t actually put real gold ingots here. Now’s the time for aggressive investment; we can’t waste money. Do you think we’d cheat those simple-minded guys? We care about them.”
“So there was a misunderstanding. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. You’re the one who got us here. We might seem like snobs at first glance—well, we are—but we’re more precise with our calculations than anyone.”
Paeng looked fondly at the Watertail tribe.
“Anyway, what brings you here today without any notice? Doesn’t seem like a business matter.”
“I came to see the Myoin tribe.”
At Jin’s words, the leaders of the Goldpaengi guild and all the small beastfolk in the cave perked up their ears.
“The Myoin tribe? You really have to meet them?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, that’s tricky. I remember the Myoin saw you as someone who would protect our little beastfolk, but that aside, they’re not the kind of beings you can just meet whenever you want.”
“Right. We’re lucky if we even catch a glimpse of them… Wait, no need to say it again.”
Songi pointed behind Jin.
“Huh? What? Oh—”
“Wow, this is amazing. Haven’t we seen something like this before?”
“Yeah, back when Jin Runkandel was a wanted man on the run, it was just like this.”
A mysterious tribe with snow-white fur and striking violet eyes.
The Myoin tribe stood about twenty steps away from Jin and the small beastfolk, watching them silently.
“…You really are special, huh? Did you make some kind of arrangement before coming?”
Paeng glanced back and forth between Jin and the Myoin tribe.
Truthfully, Jin was also surprised by the Myoin’s appearance.
-But, Olmango.
-[Yes?]
-Do you know who holds the key to the third tomb?
Jin recalled the conversation with Olmango when they left the second tomb.
At that time, Olmango had said the Myoin tribe held the key to the third tomb.
‘I asked what to do if the Myoin tribe refused to meet, and Olmango said even he didn’t know… but this is too easy.’
Jin briefly worried the Myoin might vanish like before, when he fled to Laprarosa during his trainee days.
But then he saw the Myoin subtly beckoning him to follow.
“Hurry up! The Myoin are fickle; if you hesitate even a moment, they might just disappear.”
Cautiously, Jin approached the Myoin.
Just before they turned to walk away, Jin was certain this was the same Myoin he had seen before.
He also sensed a strange darkness in their expression.
‘What’s going on? They feel completely different from last time.’
The Myoin kept a certain distance as they walked.
Just following behind made Jin’s head feel dizzy. He couldn’t tell if it was some device or magic at work.
It felt as if I were wandering through a dream, the sense of reality gradually fading away. Yet, strangely, it wasn’t unpleasant or threatening.
I had no idea how long I’d been walking when suddenly, my vision cleared, revealing a beach bathed in purple starlight.
“A beach? And under violet stars, no less.”
The nearest sea from the southern borderlands of the Zhan Kingdom was definitely not within walking distance.
“I feel like I’ve only been walking for about five minutes. This is the same sensation I had the first time I crossed the otherworldly snowfields on the Eye Toad Mount.”
Looking around, I spotted a Myoin—a member of the Myoin tribe—off in the distance, tracing something in the sand with a branch.
[My name is Neruya. The thousand-year contract holder, Jin Runkandel. We’ve met before, haven’t we?]
“Yes, thank you for your help back then. I’m only just now properly greeting you.”
[This is our private space, connected to the caves. You’re the first human to ever enter.]
“Thank you for inviting me.”
[You won’t get another chance to see this beautiful sight with your own eyes. Take it all in. It’ll be a while before the Tomb of Temar can be opened.]
Of course, I understood that meant the Myoin tribe wouldn’t invite me here again.
But then Neruya added something else.
[Soon, your enemies will come here, destroy this place, and slaughter the small beastfolk.]