Chapter 418
Episode 121: Betrayal (Part 1)
What on earth was happening…?
No one could help but think that.
Who could have predicted that the very foundation of Bimant’s greatest martial family—once thought unbreakable unless a world war erupted—would shatter so brutally and without warning?
The seeds that toppled Geomhwang Fortress had already vanished, harnessing some unknown power.
By the time the battle was ending, even the Dragon Knights had joined the fray, yet the terrorists showed no signs of suffering fatal damage or retreating.
It was a complete and utter defeat.
Only black smoke rose indifferently from the ruins scattered across the Geomhwang Fortress area.
“…Little one.”
“Brother Jin.”
Murakan and Linpa approached Jin’s side. Murakan’s face was worn from the battle, while Linpa remained as serene as when she was first summoned.
Murakan, alongside Ron, had desperately held off the attacks from the warships and the commander, but Linpa hadn’t had the chance to unleash her full power.
As Jin staggered forward, Linpa caught him.
Just like when she had summoned Garmund in the past, Jin felt a pang of guilt toward Linpa again—knowing that when she returned to Laprarosa, she wouldn’t remember any of this.
Linpa nodded as if to say she understood without words.
“The outside world… has changed so much. It’s the first time I’ve seen a toy put up such a fight.”
“To call Beract Sidriker a toy? Only the brothers could say that.”
“I… must return. There’s much to be done.”
“Thank you, Brother Linpa.”
Linpa tousled Jin’s hair with a sly smile.
Then, her expression grew heavy as she said, “That demon… looks familiar.”
“Are you talking about Commander Kinzero?”
Linpa nodded.
“I’m certain… we’ve met before. With our… brothers.”
Jin flinched and met Linpa’s gaze.
“What do you mean? You’ve fought with the Meiwang clan brothers before?”
“I’m not sure about that. But I’m certain we’ve crossed paths… with that commander.”
Linpa tried to recall details about the commander but only had a strong sense that they had met—nothing more.
Kinzero, the commander… I actually met that guy a thousand years ago? I thought he was just some demon I’d heard rumors about. Seems he’s connected to me somehow.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced from when they left Temar’s second tomb—Murakan and Jin had talked about the commander.
It was right after Murakan and the other ten knights found the Tower of the Black Sea in the records guarded by the protector Sara, and glimpsed Temar and Commander Kinzero.
Back then, I thought Murakan simply had memory issues and couldn’t recall the commander… but maybe…
Maybe the records about the commander had been tampered with.
Murakan had seemed quite familiar with the commander from a thousand years ago, and Linpa was sure she knew him but couldn’t remember.
If the history and records about the commander were manipulated, it must have been by Jiple. But why?
The reason wasn’t clear yet, but the simplest explanation was:
Because he’s a threat.
The power and authority the commander displayed would have been threatening even to Jiple a thousand years ago.
Despite seeming unstable, he single-handedly pressured the entire Geomhwang Fortress, held off Ron and Murakan, and continuously restored allied forces in real time—everyone had witnessed it.
Everyone instinctively knew that if Kinzero’s commander had been at his ‘perfect’ state, the battle wouldn’t have ended so soon.
“Be careful… Brother Jin. He’s dangerous…”
“I understand.”
“Until next time…”
Fssssss…
Linpa’s form began to dissolve into spiritual particles, fading away. Jin watched her disappear, letting out a bitter sigh.
He surveyed the battlefield.
The Dragon Knights and the swords of Hailan lay scattered among the debris, tending to the wounded. The allied forces were gathering their troops.
Veradin was still being carried by Enya, and Shuri, who had quietly approached, informed that Dante had been safely evacuated.
Just knowing they’re alive means we’ve avoided the worst.
Jin had been the first to move to rescue those two during the chaos. Now, the cleanup and counterattack were no longer his responsibility.
“Master!”
The Dragon Knight Captain descended beside Ron.
Ron’s lips bled dark red as he scanned the surroundings. It all felt surreal.
Huff, huff…
Even from a distance, Ron’s ragged breathing was palpable. His disheveled hair and battered body bore countless wounds, yet he still radiated a strange dignity.
Ron strode toward Jin.
At that moment, all the warriors watching flinched and blinked in surprise. It was unusual to see Ron seek out the Rune Kandel’s rider before his own Hailan followers right after the battle.
Their eyes followed the two. Ron, now close to Jin, wiped the blood from his mouth and suddenly grabbed Jin’s right arm.
Click!
Then, Ron raised Jin’s arm high into the air, as if honoring the victor of a contest.
For the warriors, this was as shocking as the terror attack itself. Some instinctively covered their mouths, swallowing hard.
For the Sword Emperor, the head of Hailan, to commend the twelve riders of Rune Kandel immediately after the terror attack was utterly surreal.
Jin was inwardly stunned—actually, just as shocked as those warriors covering their mouths—but he kept his face as expressionless as possible.
Of course, aside from the surprise, he quickly understood why Ron was the first to raise him up.
It’s to keep Rune Kandel in check.
With Geomhwang Fortress destroyed by the terror attack and Ron Hailan seriously wounded, the best time for a predator to strike another predator is when the latter is injured.
External forces seeking to restrain Hailan would now have their prime opportunity.
Rune Kandel was, without question, the most troublesome among them. If they realized the situation and decided to strike, Hailan wouldn’t have the strength to stop them.
The only support would be the royal family and Jiple—but the former had always been wary enough to keep the Dragon Knights in check, and the latter was even more dangerous to meddle with than the royal family.
In that context, if Jin—the de facto representative of Rune Kandel at the banquet—was the first to be acknowledged and protected?
No matter how ruthless Rune Kandel was, they couldn’t attack Hailan right after such a warm moment (especially with all the factions at the banquet watching).
Even if Lord Ron hadn’t done this, the chance of Rune Kandel striking Hailan was low… but this is the most efficient and safest move Hailan could make.
It was chilling in a way—the fact that such a sharp judgment was made immediately after the chaos, by the world’s greatest knight in the perfect position to be arrogant.
“Jin Rune Kandel, Geomhwang Lord Ron Hailan will never forget your efforts and courage in this matter.”
But there was one thing Jin hadn’t expected.
Ron’s words weren’t just seasoned political rhetoric—they were sincere. Ron truly valued Jin’s role in this crisis.
Jin bowed silently in response.
“Also, the Hailan family expresses deep gratitude and condolences to those who fought alongside us in the terror attack. Too many lives were lost. I promise we will take responsibility in some form.”
As Ron bowed, the other warriors lowered themselves even further.
When they raised their heads again, their gazes naturally turned to Jin.
It was uncomfortable to keep looking at Ron, and it was only natural to be fascinated by the twelve riders of Rune Kandel, who had shaken the Sword Garden and made their mark on Geomhwang Fortress.
Jin averted his eyes from the particularly bright gaze of Lata Prochi and looked instead at Zephyrin, who was being scolded by Murka in the corner.
Demon Dragon, huh.
Though there was no confirmation yet that Zephyrin was a demon dragon, Jin thought he should meet with the Black King Commander soon once things settled.
For now, no one here would be allowed to leave Hailan until the investigation was complete.
November 10, 1799—about two weeks after the ‘Geomhwang Fortress Terror’ incident.
Neither Hailan nor the entire Bimant had yet recovered from the shock of that day. Even those in distant lands who only heard the news through reports felt the same.
Geomhwang Fortress still stood half-ruined.
Restoration hadn’t even begun. Most of the followers camped in tents near the fortress, making it seem as if only Geomhwang Fortress was still at war within Bimant’s territory.
And in truth, Geomhwang Fortress was still at war.
Against those they had once trusted.
The Bimant royal family did not aid Hailan.
More than that—they oddly sided with Kinzero.
Despite clear evidence of Kinzero’s responsibility for the terror and the damage inflicted on Hailan, the royal scribes still refused to call Kinzero a terrorist.
They kept using the vague phrase “an unfortunate accident.” What’s worse, the royal court even hinted that they couldn’t be certain the massive monsters and living golems used in the attack belonged to Kinzel.
Few had expected the royal family to respond so half-heartedly. But everyone observing the current stance could draw the same conclusion.
There had been some kind of deal struck between the royal court, Kinzel, and Ziphl after the incident.
Not only Kinzel but Ziphl also insisted they had nothing to do with the attack after taking Veradin away, and the royal court tacitly accepted that.
Under normal circumstances, since Kinzel had clear motives targeting Veradin, Ziphl should have paid a price to Hailan.
Taming—or killing. That was how the royal court dealt with Hailan.
In other words, Hailan had effectively been betrayed by the royal family.
“Huff…”
In the underground chamber of the Sword Emperor’s Castle, Dante let out a weary sigh, his face etched with exhaustion. Compared to the surface, the subterranean halls of the castle remained mostly intact.
Jin placed a hand on Dante’s shoulder.
“You nervous about meeting him, Dante?”
“It would be a lie to say I’m not.”
“Let’s just hope his diary remains off-limits.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps echoed from the darkness. Soon, a figure cloaked in a robe appeared, accompanied by knights guiding him.
It was Veradin.
At Dante’s gesture, the knights stepped back, and Veradin pulled back his hood, revealing his face. In the dim underground chamber, the shadows of the three men flickered heavily.
Dante didn’t greet him with the bright yet formal welcome reserved for old friends, and Veradin kept his lips tightly sealed.
A heavy silence hung between them for a moment before Veradin finally spoke first.