Episode 489
Chapter 136: The Situation at Tower Two
“Eek! He just looked at me—he actually looked at me! Heehee, hahaha!”
“…Until just now, you were quietly smiling and maintaining a semblance of dignity, young lady. Must you always laugh like a madwoman every single time?”
“But our Jin actually turned back to look at me!”
“It’s only natural to thoroughly check your surroundings during a covert operation. He wasn’t looking at you.”
“And it’s been so long since I last saw him!”
“You haven’t even been apart for a full month since your first and last meeting with Jin Runcandel. That could be considered a long time, I suppose.”
“Jin must be happy to see me too, right?”
“Strictly speaking, you didn’t meet him. You were just spying on him alone. Jin Runcandel has no idea you’re pressing your flushed face against the crystal ball like that.”
“How badly must he have missed me to come all the way here?”
“Miss, Jin Runcandel didn’t come to see you. He came to bring harm to your family.”
“Oh! Our Jin just left Sector Six! Is this the next sector’s crystal ball? No, that one? That handsome face—I don’t want to miss a single second of it. Hehe, hehe!”
“That’s the crystal ball for the next sector behind you. And what face are you seeing? All I see is a black mask. Without hearing his voice, it’s nearly impossible to tell who Jin Runcandel is.”
“Heh heh, I can see everything with my own eyes.”
“Please, get a grip, young lady…”
Hedo’s gaze landed on Sandra’s right arm.
More precisely, it was a prosthetic. She was still wearing the golden prosthetic arm forged in place of the one Jin had cut off—without having healed the original wound.
Inside the forearm was even engraved with Jin’s face, and Sandra’s room was plastered from floor to ceiling with everything related to Jin—flyers, clipped news articles, and the like.
As the second-ranking butler and Sandra’s personal attendant, how could Hedo not sigh at such a sight?
“Sigh.”
Once again, Hedo smoked ten cigarettes one puff at a time without leaving his seat.
This had been the pattern ever since that day. Sandra had been neglecting all family affairs, spending every waking moment talking nonstop about Jin.
The stress was so intense it felt like his hair might fall out.
“Miss.”
“Shh, be quiet. Jin’s moving too fast—I have to focus.”
“Sandra, miss.”
“Ah, what now?”
“I must report something.”
“What report?”
“That Jin Runcandel has come to the drying facility. You need to inform the family head. You’re on duty, after all.”
Sandra’s eyes widened as she finally looked at Hedo.
Then she said, “Hedo, if I do that, my husband will die. Or he’ll stop being Jin altogether.”
“Probably so. But considering the survival skills the Twelve have shown so far, you never know.”
“Don’t ever say such nonsense again.”
Hedo hadn’t expected any different reaction. He knew well how she’d respond.
He was just grasping at straws.
“If you say that again, even I’ll tear your mouth open—not just a straight cut, but a cross. Don’t ruin my happiness, got it?”
“Y-yes, of course.”
“This just won’t do.”
“Better if it doesn’t. If you won’t report it, then just stay put. This time, I have no excuse to give the family head.”
“I’m going to meet Jin!”
The two were in the Tower Master’s office at Tower Two.
Jiple had deliberately chosen the Sota Desert near Tower Two to build the secret drying facility, so they could monitor it through the crystal balls. To perfectly oversee everything—including preventing technology leaks—the area near the Magic Tower was ideal.
As Jin had predicted, Jiple was using the drying facility as bait to gauge the strength and abilities of outside forces. But that wasn’t its original purpose.
If Kinzelro hadn’t kept a low profile and if there hadn’t been suspicions about Joshua’s mysterious powers, the drying facility wouldn’t have been wasted like this.
While Sandra rummaged through the office closet, Hedo pressed his forehead and carefully examined the rows of crystal balls.
Almost every sector was under simultaneous attack. Kinzelro’s beastmen and his followers were running wild, and Joshua’s group was also visible.
Hedo paid particular attention to Jin’s group’s movements.
‘…They don’t seem to be searching the four sectors that were deliberately leaked.’
Their path was overly complicated.
If their goal was to destroy the drying facility and check only the critical sectors, Kinzelro’s team should have taken the shortest route from the moment the terror began.
‘But Jin Runcandel seems to be planning a route that covers the entire internal situation. It’s as if he doesn’t know about sectors 4, 11, 17, and 19. Could it be that the Second Unit didn’t share that false information…? No, wait.’
Something was off.
This time, Hedo’s suspicion was about Kinzelro, not Jin.
‘Among those destroying the drying facility, none of Kinzelro’s top executives are present.’
Even after checking all the crystal balls, no one who looked like a top executive appeared. No Berakt or Vishkel—mostly just assault squad leaders and beastmen.
At that moment, Hedo fully grasped the situation.
‘Kinzelro didn’t come just to destroy the drying facility. The facility’s destruction is a distraction; the real players are targeting something else. The place with the real information.’
Right here—the Tower of the White Night.
No sane person would target Drakka.
Having confirmed Kinzelro’s intent, Hedo understood Jin’s route as well.
‘Jin Runcandel is aiming for this place too. And he’s calculating the best timing to enter Tower Two to make the most of Kinzelro’s actions!’
Now that he understood the intruders’ goals and numbers, it was time to respond.
“How do you like this shirt and coat? I specially ordered them from the Golden Fish Guild. Their people said this is exactly your style. They even went on and on about how close they are with him. I almost got jealous enough to kill someone.”
“Miss, how many reinforcements did you send earlier?”
“I’m asking how the clothes look!”
“You look beautiful, but please tell me how many Magic Tower mages you sent to the drying facility.”
“I sent them all.”
“…I must have misheard. Could you say that again?”
“I told them all to get lost because if the mages came up here to the office chattering and fussing, it’d disturb my husband’s appreciation.”
“Even the emergency standby personnel?”
“Yes!”
“What about the spacetime device…?”
“That bastard from the Gaipa Archipelago broke it.”
“Oh, right.”
“You idiot!”
Ping! Hedo’s muscles bulged even more, popping the buttons off his shirt. When under extreme stress or anger, his muscles tended to swell.
But his anger wasn’t because of Sandra’s carefree answer. The first reason was the broken spacetime device; the second was the Phantom Corps’ behavior.
‘No matter the miss’s orders, those Phantom Corps idiots… is their judgment really that poor?’
It couldn’t be.
The Phantom Corps had underestimated Sandra. Her orders were obviously irrational and strange to anyone, so at the very least, they should have come to him for confirmation.
‘Octavia Jiple must have looked down on her, so even the subordinates treat the miss like a pushover.’
Crack, snap! Swish!
His shirt tore completely, revealing his ‘immense’ physique.
A body no one could forget after one glance—muscles that had broken through every limit, undeniably the strongest on earth, embodying both incredible strength and beauty.
‘I guess I’ll have to issue a warning.’
Gritting his teeth, Hedo prepared himself as Sandra hummed happily.
“Anyway, the clothes are beautiful, right? It’s the first time since I was five that Hedo’s praised me like this. So, shall I pick this one? What if Jin falls head over heels for me!? Here I go, Jin! Just wait a little—ugh!”
Hedo grabbed the back of Sandra’s neck just as she tried to dash out.
“What? Want to die?”
“…Miss, the clothes are well chosen, but they’re too wrinkled. And your hair’s a mess.”
“Oh, really?”
“You should always aim for a proper appearance, especially when meeting someone you admire. Take a bath; I’ll iron your clothes and lay out some matching accessories.”
Carefully brushing dust off Sandra’s shoulder, Hedo said,
“What if you miss meeting your husband? Jin will have to run soon. Reinforcements will swarm in like cockroaches even in Drakka.”
“Don’t worry, miss. Jin Runcandel will come here.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“If my guess is wrong, I’ll personally capture and bring him here.”
Hedo had never once let her down, so Sandra immediately nodded.
“Good! I’m glad I sent all the subordinates away. A second reunion in an empty tower—how romantic! When Jin arrives, Hedo, you leave, okay? I want to spend time alone with him.”
Not wanting to lie (since Kinzelro and Joshua would also come), Hedo smiled and changed the subject.
“Also, miss, please give me the key before you go take a bath.”
What Hedo had mentioned was the key to the safe that held the most important items of the Second Mast Tower, including the ship’s blueprints.
Given the circumstances, it seemed far safer to keep the key on his person than to leave it inside the safe.
“Here,” Sandra said, holding out the key that hung around her neck.
Just as she was about to turn away, she seemed to remember something and called out to Hedo.
“By the way, Hedo, before you tell me to mind my manners, you should fix your clothes first. What’s with that? They’re all torn up, barely hanging on by a few threads and scraps of fabric. And your glasses are crooked, too.”
Sandra hopped over and straightened Hedo’s glasses for him. Though she barely touched them, they were still a bit askew, but Hedo let out a small chuckle.
“I never thought I’d end up serving someone as shameless and crazy as you, miss.”
“Well, that’s how it goes. Just like I never thought I’d fall for Mr. Jin.”
The two of them left the room together—Sandra heading to the bathroom, Hedo to the safe.
‘Still, whether it’s Runkandel or Kinzell, they really do have some serious resources. I thought they’d only care about the shipyard, but to be this meticulous even here…’
As Hedo inserted the key into the safe, he paused, tilting his head in confusion.
The feel of the key turning was off—too smooth, as if someone else had already opened the safe earlier today. There was an unsettling sense of foreignness to it.
With a quick motion, he swung the safe door open.
Inside, it was completely empty.
Hedo couldn’t help but press his palm to his forehead once again.