Chapter 343
Episode 106: The Record Keepers (Part 1)
Siris’s eyes gleamed with a cold, piercing light. Her sword radiated a vivid blue energy, a clear sign of the tremendous growth she had achieved.
The Endorma clan’s signature chill had long been renowned as a mysterious and formidable power.
It was precisely this power that allowed them to hold onto their tiny territory, the Sacred Bow, despite the overwhelming might of larger factions.
‘And she’s wielding a regular legendary sword, not even the Manbing.’
The sharp aura made Jin’s forehead tingle. Siris was undoubtedly one of the strongest warriors among their peers—perhaps even stronger than Dante.
But could she stand against Jin now? That question didn’t even need to be asked. Though powerful, she was nowhere near the level to defeat Jin.
The young prodigies—Siris, Dante, Veradin—were no longer rivals to Jin.
It was a given that Jin was the strongest among them. He wasn’t just competing with these young talents; he was contending with legendary figures who had built their names over centuries.
Few in the world fully grasped this truth yet, but those who did accepted it without question.
For a while, Jin and Siris locked eyes in silence. The small attendants watching bowed their heads, trembling nervously, while Thalaris smiled with quiet amusement.
‘If I beat Siris here, it won’t look good.’
Jin had come with a difficult request, putting aside pride. Even though Siris had been the one to challenge him first, defeating her felt like a burden.
But losing to her was out of the question—her pride wouldn’t allow it.
After nearly two years apart, Jin didn’t want to start their reunion with a duel. He was genuinely glad to see her and wanted to catch up, share stories.
As Jin hesitated, Siris suddenly burst out laughing.
“Ha! So you can make that expression too. I’m used to seeing you as a rock or a sly snake—it’s refreshing.”
Siris sheathed her sword, and Thalaris laughed heartily. The energy she exuded caused the ground beneath the Sacred Bow to tremble.
“Was that a joke?”
“I’m well aware that fighting you now is pointless. Sometimes, some truths don’t need to be tested.”
Siris had acknowledged Jin’s superiority since two years ago.
“I was shocked when I first heard you joined the operation.”
“I was more surprised you single-handedly turned the second floor upside down. You’ve become a monster, Jin Runkandel.”
That was their conversation during the compass theft mission.
Siris wasn’t the type to act recklessly in the face of facts.
Nor did she feel ashamed that she wasn’t stronger than Jin.
Still, she genuinely wanted to spar with him, but that was something she could do anytime—even after mastering the Manbing.
Her teasing was born from the mix of joy and slight disappointment at seeing Jin again after so long.
“Long time no see, Jin.”
Siris extended her hand. Jin smiled and clasped it warmly.
“Sorry I didn’t come sooner.”
“You don’t say ‘I couldn’t come.’ If you had, I’d have added ‘insolence’ to your charges. I bet your mother’s been scolding you.”
“Serves me right as her son-in-law. Heh. But after writing hundreds of letters, I think she’s softened a bit.”
“Hundreds?”
“Yeah, take a look. Cute, isn’t it?”
Siris furrowed her brows as she examined the letters.
“What about mine?”
“Huh?”
“Mother gets all the letters, but what about me?”
Jin smirked, then pulled out another box from his coat. Inside were about ten letters addressed to Siris.
She couldn’t help but laugh again.
“I thought you were joking, but I didn’t expect you actually had some.”
“These past few days, I’ve written more than I ever have in my life.”
“Hmm, it’s nice to see you acting playful again after so long.”
Thalaris nodded approvingly.
“Well, since you put in the effort, I’ll forgive you. So, you came to entrust those furballs to us?”
At that, Peng quickly stood up, snapped to attention, and saluted.
“Greetings! I am Peng, Number One Captain of the Golden Peng Troupe, at your service, Great and Almighty 51st Sacred Bow Lord, Thalaris Endorma!”
Soon, Suni, Doli, and Songi stood as well, heads held high.
“I’m Suni, Number Two Captain! If you save us, we’ll be your lifelong debtors!”
“I’m Doli, Number Three Captain! We’ll bring vitality to the Sacred Bow!”
“I’m Songi, Number Four Captain! We’ll make you happy!”
Late to rise, Dark Flame finally spoke.
“Flame, dark. Water tail, tribe, representative. Quiet, and, good. We. Catch, fish, well.”
“Hey! Don’t talk like that!”
“Human, speech, honorific. Don’t. Know.”
Thalaris showed no reaction, but Siris stared at the small attendants in stunned disbelief.
“I’ve heard the gist. Those guys used you to advertise cosmetics and ended up being chased by Jiple, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then Runkandel would protect the business anyway. Why entrust them to our Sacred Bow?”
Thalaris, having led the Sacred Bow for many years, grasped the situation immediately without needing detailed explanation.
“They trust the Sacred Bow more than their own family.”
“Accepted. Good. So, what’s in it for us?”
“A share of the cosmetics business profits…”
“No, no. We have plenty of money. More than enough to feed this small land.”
“I know money is always good to have more of.”
“I do plan to take a share of the profits. But that alone isn’t enough—I want something more enticing.”
Jin pondered Thalaris’s intentions for a few seconds.
He noticed she still hadn’t taken her eyes off the letters.
‘Thalaris isn’t just reading my letters for fun.’
She was focused on something special written inside.
The Tomb of Temar.
The letters contained descriptions about it. While writing, Jin had naturally included information about Jiple’s historical manipulations.
“I will share all information we uncover about Jiple with the Sacred Bow.”
“That’s a satisfactory answer. Good. With those terms, I can play the role of your guardian.”
Only then did Jin breathe a sigh of relief.
He had worried that even after receiving the letters and the ancient Manbing steel, Thalaris might still treat him coldly or even expel him.
He could have had no grounds to complain if she attacked him simply out of displeasure.
Yet, as always, Thalaris chose to help him.
Though she expected compensation, Jin felt he hadn’t paid any real price.
‘Sharing business profits is only natural, and I should have shared information about Jiple anyway.’
To fight Jiple, alliances like the Sacred Bow were absolutely essential.
The more Jin learned about them, the more he realized he couldn’t defeat them alone with Runkandel.
‘It may not be like a thousand years ago, when history was completely rewritten, but who knows? Historical manipulation is ongoing, and I might be living with false history myself.’
Since witnessing the historical distortions recorded in the device, it was hard to shake that thought.
Knowing that falsehoods could be remembered as truth, yet unable to discern the real history, was mentally exhausting.
“Today, you’ve repaid a great debt with just a few words, my son-in-law.”
Thalaris held more affection for Jin than he realized.
Not simply because he was her son-in-law, but because he was the child recognized by Siron years ago as her difficult, eccentric friend.
Siris muttered under her breath, “Who keeps calling him son-in-law?” but Thalaris completely ignored her.
“Well, now it’s just you and my daughter left. Everyone else, please leave. We have some matters to discuss privately.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Understood.”
As the small attendants hurried out of the arena, Thalaris’s expression grew serious.
“Jin.”
“Yes, Lady Thalaris?”
“The Sacred Bow has maintained neutrality for most of its history, but not always. When our first Lord of the Sacred Bow was chosen by the divine sword Manbing and Mot, a certain vow was made.”
A faint shimmering sound filled the air.
Crystals of ice gathered in Thalaris’s hand, forming a sword.
The Manbing.
“This sword holds an absolute, unbreakable power of cold. Even ancient Manbing steel is nothing but a heavy, cumbersome lump of metal before its icy might. Not even your father could shatter this blade.”
Thalaris’s sudden talk of the Manbing was to explain the ‘vow’ made by the Endorma clan.
A low roar echoed.
Mot emitted a deep cry. Thalaris mounted Mot’s back and extended her hand.
Jin and Siris climbed aboard as well, and before them, a pure white dimensional gate opened, leading to the Otherworldly Snowfield.
The breathtaking expanse of the otherworldly snowy plain stole his breath away. Mote sprinted through it with all his might.
“Where are we headed?” someone asked.
Before he could answer, Talaris’s Manbing emitted a sharp, resonant chime, glowing brightly.
The resonance grew stronger and stronger until, at its peak, Mote came to a sudden halt.
As he stepped down, before him stood another fortress—one that looked even grander than the Western Sea Secret Palace.
“It’s been a long time since anyone’s come here,” a voice said.
A palace within a palace.
Or rather, the true Secret Palace.
The place known only to those who understand its deepest secrets.
“It’s been ages since we’ve let an outsider in, too.”
They moved slowly inside, where the vast interior was desolate and pale.
At its center stood a massive pillar of ice, formed by the power of Manbing.
‘Who is that trapped inside the ice?’
The pillar encased a single person like a coffin. Though she was a woman he’d never seen before, her white hair stirred a strange sense of familiarity.
“This woman is an ancient mage of Ziphl, sealed away for a thousand years by our Secret Palace’s Manbing power.”