Episode 368
Chapter 111: Traces (8)
“Help me with the dyeing.”
Valeria held out the hair dye Jin had given her earlier.
“I don’t want Bimont or Ziphl to see me with this hair.”
Jin shrugged and began applying the dye to Valeria’s red hair as she sat with her back turned. Slowly, the strands darkened, gaining a glossy sheen. Jin’s fingers moved gently through her hair, spreading the dye evenly. For some reason, the Myoin tribe members watched with wide eyes and sparkling pupils, mouths slightly agape.
‘Their vibe is strange,’ Jin thought.
‘This scene actually looks pretty good.’
But unlike the Myoin tribe’s fascination, the two of them felt no particular excitement from their physical contact. Valeria was busy steadying her suddenly dizzy heart, while Jin worried if her body had truly recovered enough.
“All done.”
Jin wiped the dye off his hands with a cloth used for cleaning swords.
Valeria glanced at her newly dyed hair in a hand mirror and nodded with satisfaction. The red was neatly concealed.
[Let’s go!]
Following Luru and Miru, they stepped into the passageway.
Inside, the corridor was hazy, like a fog or underwater, the view rippling strangely. Yet, oddly, walking through it didn’t tire them. It felt more like wandering through a pleasant dream.
They emerged from the passage before even taking a hundred steps.
Normally, even a trained warrior’s sprint would take some time to cover this distance, but the Myoin tribe’s passage was essentially a makeshift teleportation gate.
[That was quick, Luru. Your abilities never cease to amaze me.]
[We had time to create the passage, so maybe we can avoid being tracked.]
Outside the passage, the forest was filled with peculiarly twisted trees. Despite their bends, the trunks were tall and thick enough to rival the central pillar of a fortress hall.
The dense leaves blocked out every sliver of moonlight, making the vast lake beneath look like black oil.
‘Is Temar’s tomb hidden in there?’
Jin recalled Olmango, who had sealed the second tomb deep beneath the sea. Shilla had also concealed a passage to a tomb beneath the lake.
La, la-la-la…
Shilla began to sing.
Her voice was incredibly beautiful, like sugar crystals vibrating pleasantly inside the ear. Even Valeria couldn’t help but smile at the sound.
From Shilla’s small mouth, particles glittering like glass dust floated out. They drifted over the lake’s surface, causing the water to ripple and shift.
A gentle whirlpool formed—small, soft spirals dancing in time with her song.
Minutes passed like this until, as if a star had risen, a brilliantly shining object surfaced on the lake.
A flask.
The King’s Brew—the very reason the rulers hadn’t ravaged this forest, the whole point of Wantaramo’s existence.
The flask slowly floated toward Shilla. As she hugged the bottle with her small frame, the shimmering particles illuminating the lake vanished all at once, and darkness reclaimed the forest.
[Take it, Jin Runkandel.]
He accepted the King’s Brew with reverence.
(King’s Brew — Shil Damiro)
The King’s Brew is named not after its maker or recipient, but after the person who intended to brew it.
That’s why when they brewed the King’s Brew related to Shurie, it bore the name Siron, not the fairies or Luna.
‘Shil Damiro…? That’s the same name pattern as Luet Damiro Yul from the third tomb’s records. Could be kin.’
Shil Damiro was a name confirmed in the third tomb’s record device.
-(March 3, 797: Runkandel records Ziphl’s historical manipulation of the fairy tribe. March 4, 797: Five fairies—Shil Damiro, Beka Tishke, Mulias Mon, Trika Tredos, and Zen Mainu—are forgotten among the fairies…)
“I saw the name Luet Damiro Yul in the third tomb’s records. It seems this brew was requested by a relative.”
[Luet Damiro Yul…?]
“Do you know the name?”
Shilla closed her eyes, as if trying to recall.
[…I don’t remember. But the name ‘Yul’ is only given to fairy kings, so that person must have been the most noble among the fairies.]
Though Mylea called herself a fairy, Shilla always distinguished between fairies and their descendants.
[Drink.]
Just as Jin was about to open the bottle, he met Shilla’s gaze.
“How long will it take?”
[Take what?]
“The third tomb—I went in without knowing anything, and two days passed in a flash. I want to know how much time will pass after drinking this King’s Brew.”
[That, I do not know.]
“The trackers will arrive soon. If too much time passes, only you, Luru, and Miru will have to handle them.”
[You worry needlessly.]
“No, it’s not needless. Luru and Miru just used all their energy creating the passage, and you said you don’t know your own combat strength.”
[This is my forest.]
“You said you lost the power to control the forest.”
[Even so, do you really think I can’t handle a few humans?]
If Jin had to judge whether Shilla was strong or not, he would have no hesitation choosing the latter.
She carried the dignity of a tribe’s queen, but lacked the dangerous aura typical of the truly powerful.
If the Myoin tribe weren’t exhausted, Jin would trust their abilities and drink the King’s Brew without worry.
[If you’re so worried, why not leave that child behind and go?]
“That’s not an option. I made a promise.”
[So you plan to wait for the trackers? If the King’s Brew gets damaged, that would be a disaster. You might have to retreat after only revealing its location to the enemy.]
“Is it impossible to take the King’s Brew outside and drink it?”
[The moment this King’s Brew leaves the forest, the story contained within the brew disappears. If it were possible, do you think I would have told you to drink it right away?]
Jin nodded.
“I thought so. Still, I feel it’s better to deal with the enemies first and then proceed. It’s just easier that way.”
[In the worst case, it might be hard for any of us to survive.]
“No, that won’t happen.”
[Why are you so confident?]
“You just said it yourself. The fight must not cause irreparable damage to the forest. This will be a battle infinitely in my favor.”
[We can hide well enough with the Myoin tribe.]
“Look at this. At first, you said you could handle a few humans easily, but now you’re talking about hiding first. Shilla, you don’t have the strength to face them.”
[…Even if they capture me, they won’t kill me immediately.]
“Then if you and the Myoin tribe are caught, I’ll be stuck in a hostage situation. Is that really a good outcome for me?”
Jin didn’t want to sacrifice the Myoin tribe or Shilla any longer.
He was determined.
Unless the enemy commander showed up, he could handle whoever came from the royal guard or special forces.
‘Even if the commander comes, I have my master. This will be a fight I can handle. No, it will be overwhelmingly in my favor.’
Shilla had nothing more to say.
[Luru, Miru. Try to persuade her.]
[Hmm…]
While Luru and Miru hesitated, a presence came from behind the lake, easing their worries.
“I guess my judgment was right.”
Ssshh…
Jin slowly drew out Bradamante.
Valeria tightened her grip on her staff, watching the far side of the lake.
[…The trackers have already arrived?]
They had expected a bit more time before the Ziphl arrived.
As Shilla predicted, Mylea wasn’t the only traitor. Bimont had come faster. After all, Wantaramo Forest was Bimont’s territory—it was only natural.
‘Better to clean this up quickly. Eliminate them all and enter the tomb before reinforcements arrive.’
If they didn’t wipe out the trackers first, they’d be too anxious inside the tomb.
“Fall back.”
[Shilla, you should listen to Jin. Now that it’s come to this, we must act so as not to be a burden.]
Shilla sighed.
[Understood.]
Jin handed the King’s Brew back to Shilla, careful not to damage it during the fight.
‘Armor release.’
As he spoke the activation phrase, spiritual energy flowed from Bradamante, enveloping Jin’s body.
He removed his cloak and gave it to Shilla and the Myoin tribe—a function Pikon had added for moments like this.
[Be careful.]
“Don’t worry.”
As Shilla and the Myoin tribe withdrew, the light that had illuminated the area vanished. The spot where they stood was swallowed by pitch-black darkness again.
Silence.
Not a single footstep, only a cold wind rustling through the bushes. Yet Jin and the enemies could faintly sense each other’s presence mixed in the shadows.
Pushing his clairvoyance to the limit, Jin soon reached one conclusion.
‘No commander here.’
The greatest worry had vanished.
A smile spread across Jin’s lips, and the spiritual energy enveloping his sword began to surge fiercely. Yet, the darkness of the forest kept his figure from standing out.
“Aria.”
Jin whispered, calling out to Valeria.
“Why?”
“Don’t step forward. Focus on refining your magic.”
He thought it best to conserve her strength for the fight against Ziphl.
Valeria nodded in agreement.
The distance between Jin and the enemies was closing rapidly.
The warriors of Biment still believed they were out of each other’s effective range.
Having learned from the fairy descendant traitor who had ventured into the forest that their opponent was ‘Jin Runkandel,’ they assumed that this Jin Runkandel couldn’t land a decisive blow from this distance.
But that was a grave mistake.
“Six left.”
Shk!
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, blood splattered among the Biment warriors.
There was no sound of the black blade cutting through neck and air, no trace of Jin’s footwork.
Only the chilling thud of a severed head hitting the cold ground.
“Five now.”
The warriors instinctively scattered, their blades glowing with aura.
But before they could react, Jin was already behind his second target, pressing Bradamante against his throat.