Chapter 350
Episode 107: Kinzello’s Visit (Part 2)
For a moment, Jin couldn’t believe his own eyes.
“Are you kidding me…? She’s mouthing words here?”
He was so stunned that he was momentarily speechless. But moments later, an even more shocking realization hit him.
None of the people in the reception room had seen Margiela move her lips.
This was a scene that even a five-star knight—or any ordinary person with sharp eyes—would have easily noticed. Yet, the warriors present, at the peak of their alertness, had completely missed it.
Something was off.
“This woman’s strange, too.”
Could it just be a coincidence?
There were simply too many warriors in the room. Rosa was even there. The odds that every single one of them “accidentally” missed Margiela’s lip movements were lower than winning the lottery.
“Is it alright if I listen in here?”
Since no one had seen Margiela’s lips move, no one found it odd when Berakt responded to Jin’s question.
But the execution knights’ nerves immediately tensed again at Berakt’s words.
Berakt kept speaking as if he wanted to talk privately with Jin, even with Rosa right there.
“There’s nothing here I can’t hear.”
As the 12th Rider, Jin had no choice but to answer honestly.
“Good to hear.”
Berakt paused briefly before continuing.
“This information is priceless—something money can’t buy. First, I want you to know that our commander thinks highly of you.”
“I’ve suspected for a while now that Kinzello lacks talent.”
“It’s a world with very few capable people. Here’s what I want to tell you: you’re not the only one searching for the tomb.”
Jin nearly gasped, eyes widening.
“There’s only one tomb I’m after.”
“The Tomb of Temar…? There are others looking for it besides me?”
He barely kept his composure, but Berakt smiled knowingly, clearly seeing through Jin’s surprise.
“You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
“Interesting.”
Jin replied coolly, though his mind was racing.
“Kinzello themselves? Jiple? Whoever it is, what exactly do they want with Temar’s tomb? And how did Kinzello find out I’m searching for it? Nothing adds up.”
The most likely explanation was recent events.
The day Berakt and Margiela came to the small beastmen cave to help Jin.
“During the process of breaking the Myoin tribe’s barrier, the Phantom Corps discovered information about Temar’s tomb. Berakt must have interrogated them before killing them…”
But that seemed unlikely.
No matter how strong Berakt was, the Phantom Corps—elite fighters—wouldn’t have confessed out of fear of death.
“Maybe Kinzello has known about Temar’s tomb for a while. Their commander is someone who existed even in Temar’s era. Perhaps they witnessed Jiple’s pursuit of the tomb firsthand.”
Jin reached this conclusion and met Berakt’s gaze.
“Then tell me—what do you want from me?”
“Give me back the compass you stole.”
Jin expected that demand, but Berakt said something else.
“Cosmetics.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I want a sample of the cosmetics your beastmen sell. What’s it called… Moksul?”
“Oksul, Sir Berakt.”
“Ah, right. Oksul. Could you spare some, Jin Runkandel?”
It was obvious why Kinzello made such a ridiculous request.
“Bubar must be jealous. Looks like business has been slow lately.”
Jin’s weekly business report from the Geunsul tribe included sales figures and details about customers using the secret product, Oksul.
Users of Oksul were rapidly increasing. As far as Jin knew, Bubar was the only one running a “disguise business,” so it was natural he’d feel threatened.
Without hesitation, Jin nodded.
“Give me the address, and I’ll send it.”
“Good. Seems we’ve covered everything. Now then… Rosa.”
“Speak.”
“How about we have tea, just the two of us? Get rid of the small fry. I’d prefer alcohol, but I doubt it would taste the same as back then.”
Rosa agreed without hesitation.
“Everyone else, leave.”
The execution knights exited the reception room with precise steps. No one asked if it was alright to leave Berakt alone with Jin.
“You all wait outside. The warriors should stay beyond the Garden of Swords.”
Thanks to Rosa’s approval, Jin naturally had a chance to talk privately with Vishkel and Margiela.
“Mother wants me to get more information from them, so she made this opportunity.”
“You’re not the only one searching for the tomb.” That alone was new information for Rosa—about what her youngest son was involved in.
“Tea for me, too!”
Margiela spoke as they left the reception room.
“Let’s do that.”
Bang!
Suddenly, Murakan transformed back into human form, furrowing his brows. Margiela responded with exaggerated awe.
“Kid.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m going to listen in over there.”
Murakan looked somewhat annoyed.
After all, the youngest must keep causing incidents. Otherwise, he won’t be recognized in Runkandel, even as a Rider. Does that explain it?
Alright, one last question.
Go ahead.
Where is Temar’s tomb?
I don’t know. May I leave now?
This was because of a conversation Jin had with Rosa right after becoming a Rider.
Though Murakan was now Jin’s guardian dragon, he was originally the protector of all Runkandel.
If talk of Temar’s tomb came up, Murakan thought Rosa should have invited him to listen before he searched on his own.
“Mother and Sir Berakt?”
“Yes. Even if I go back in, she won’t have grounds to kick me out.”
“Fine, go ahead. But if they tell you to leave, don’t throw a fit—just return to your room.”
“Understood.”
Murakan returned to the reception room, while Jin, Vishkel, and Margiela headed to Jin’s room.
“Please bring some tea, Gili.”
Margiela was incredibly personable. She praised the tea endlessly, and Gili couldn’t help but smile, sensing her sincerity.
Still, Gili tried to stay cautious. Kinzello had been Jin’s enemy since their cadet days.
“What’s my rank in Kinzello, Sir Vishkel?”
“Vice Commander.”
Vishkel revealed his rank without hesitation.
“That’s disappointing. When I first heard the commander was in Kinzello, I thought it was to restore the family’s glory with their power. But it seems your goals are entirely different.”
“Jin may only feel that way, but I was truly deceived. On the day I visited the Kurano Duchy as a prospective Rider, I don’t know what you did, but you got information about the compass.”
There was no proof, so no need to admit it.
“Besides trying to kill Bubar that day, I don’t think I made any mistakes. Do you want the compass back?”
“No. It’s ridiculous to ask for something lost in battle. It’s yours now.”
“Not too upset, huh? As long as Bubar exists, you can always make another.”
“Not exactly. I just trust that when Jin uses the compass, he won’t do anything that benefits Jiple.”
Jin shrugged, and Margiela spoke up.
“Jin probably doesn’t realize how much trouble we had trying to appease Bubar because of the compass.”
“Bubar Gaston seems essential to making your king the world’s king. Even Sir Berakt, who can swallow the Phantom Corps whole, is wary of Bubar?”
Jin directly mentioned Kinzello’s “grand plan,” but Vishkel’s expression didn’t change.
Still, like Jin, he was suppressing his surprise.
“Our grand plan hasn’t been publicized yet. How do you know? Has information leaked?”
There had been no leaks.
That was knowledge from before the regression. But Vishkel had no way of knowing that.
“Think what you want.”
“The power of chaos is truly something. Both Bubar Gaston and Miss Margiela.”
Margiela’s connection to the “power of chaos” was only speculation.
Vishkel’s eyes narrowed.
“…It’s unwise to speak recklessly about things you don’t fully understand, Jin.”
“Not worse than Kinzello barging into Runkandel and blabbing about the tomb.”
Jin had been annoyed by that fact all along.
If they really wanted to recruit him or propose an alliance, they could have said it anywhere—even where no one would listen.
“The only reason they brought up the tomb with Mother and the execution knights present is because it benefits Kinzello. Aside from me, no one in Runkandel seemed to know about it.”
Jin was certain that from now on, Runkandel would throw all their efforts into finding Temar’s tomb.
It was only natural that Jin’s solo search would face restrictions.
“They say you just need to move stealthily, but in the end, you’re bound to run into members of the family while searching for the tomb.”
After all, Solderet’s contract belonged to only one person—himself—so there was no need to share whatever was found in the tomb. Still, the situation was undeniably awkward.
“I have to make sure the family’s search for the tomb works to my advantage.”
The Tomb of Temar.
Runkandel was about to get involved in the search, and someone else was already on the trail.
That made Jin’s potential gain clear.
“Use the family as a shield. Either to hinder other forces from finding the tomb or to keep them from getting close once it’s found.”
Kinzel had shared that information, hoping Jin would use Runkandel in exactly that way.
“Who are the other forces searching for Temar’s tomb?” Jin asked, looking at Margiela.
That was the real information Kinzel wanted to give him.
“Who do you think it is?”
“Ziphl.”
“Correct! But that’s not all.”
Click… Margiela quietly set down her teacup.
“The Bimont royal family is also searching for the tomb of Runkandel’s first head of house. Your movements have already been noticed by them once.”