Chapter 493
Episode 137: Everyone Had Good Plans (4)
It wasn’t just the aura. A vast, pure magical energy was also being felt.
“Battle!”
The moment Dipus shouted, the tremors intensified. An explosion erupted near the middle floors of the White Night Tower, flashing brightly.
It was a type of explosion the group had seen countless times before.
But this wasn’t the kind of dazzling light that came from a fight between knights or even between mages. The entire area around the White Night Tower was illuminated in a way that was different—more intense, more overwhelming.
“This isn’t a fight between Kinzelro and Ziphl,” Jin said.
Though there was no real brotherly affection, the three RunKandel brothers who had come here all wielded the same sword style.
“It’s Joshua. He and the Black Knight have started fighting Ziphl’s mages.”
Even without seeing it directly, Jin and Dipus could clearly recognize the uniquely destructive aura—it was the RunKandel sword style.
They also identified the owners of the magical power.
“The Phantom Corps.”
Both had faced them before—the strongest magic unit in Ziphl. It was definitely them fighting Joshua.
“Not sure if they were discovered during infiltration or if this was a trap from the start and he fell into it. I’m leaning toward the latter.”
Either way, it was a tough situation for their group.
“Judging by the scale, there don’t seem to be many other mages in the Second Magic Tower, but now that Joshua and the Black Knight are here, reinforcements will come—probably from Drakka!”
This was Ziphl’s stronghold.
There was no way they lacked the troops to send support beyond just the underground shipyard in the Sota Desert.
And the Second Magic Tower was far more dangerous than the shipyard.
The shipyard was just bait, a resource thrown out to gauge outside forces. But the Second Magic Tower held the real prize—the ship design plans.
“But… something’s off. The magic power I sense is only from two or three Phantom Corps members. At most four. Why would they only station so few?”
If Ziphl had anticipated an infiltration of the Second Magic Tower and set a trap to catch the biggest external threats, they would have thrown everything into wiping them out—even if it meant risking all-out war.
This should have been the perfect opportunity.
There should have been not just two to four Phantom Corps members, but a much larger force waiting inside the White Night Tower.
It wouldn’t have been strange at all if Keliyak Ziphl himself or someone like Octavia appeared.
Yet, only a handful of Phantom Corps members were present.
“Could it be… not a trap?”
It was hard to quickly grasp the situation.
But a decision had to be made.
“If it’s clearly a trap, then even if it means giving up the design plans, retreating is the right choice. In that case, Ziphl wouldn’t have left the plans in the Second Magic Tower. And even with me, Murakan, and Dipus combined, we can’t escape if Ziphl focuses all his power against us.”
But if it’s not a trap?
If the reason only a few Phantom Corps members guard the White Night Tower is due to some twisted chain of cause and effect—Ziphl’s carelessness or mistake—then…
If Joshua already secured the plans and the battle is just happening during his escape…
Since arriving in the Sota Desert, things had been like this, but this time Jin’s head really felt like it was about to explode.
There were too many variables they’d faced so far, and too many unpredictable events still to come.
But one thing was certain.
“If not today, the chance to get Ziphl’s ship design plans will never come again.”
Just the fact that RunKandel had attacked not only the shipyard but also the Second Magic Tower meant Ziphl would drastically tighten security, regardless of the outcome.
This wasn’t just any family—it was the world’s top family. They wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Jin quickly reached a conclusion.
“…It doesn’t seem like a trap, Second Brother. If they had intended to lure us in, there would be more troops.”
“That may be so… Damn it. If it’s not a trap, then why the hell did that idiot Joshua get caught and make things so complicated for us?”
Boom!
Another explosion rocked the middle floors of the Second Magic Tower, sending debris raining down. The battle raged on fiercely.
“This is the moment for a gamble,” Jin said, steadying his breath.
“Even if it’s not a trap, reinforcements will arrive soon, so retreating would be the rational choice. But we can’t rule out the possibility that Joshua has the plans.”
Dipus nodded.
“I understand what you mean.”
“You can return now if you want, Brother.”
“What are you talking about, youngest? Deciding to kill Joshua in the first place was already a gamble. Do you think I’m going to back out now?”
“Just saying, in case.”
“Besides, this might be our chance. If he has the plans, we can kill him after the battle and take them. Joshua will definitely be injured fighting the Phantom Corps, so it might be easier to accomplish both goals. And if not today, we’ll never get the plans. Absolutely never.”
Dipus was thinking the same as Jin.
That was clearly the best possible outcome.
If they had known the plans weren’t in the Second Magic Tower’s vault, neither would have made this decision.
“Let’s go, youngest, Murakan. We’ll save him and kill him ourselves before Ziphl’s reinforcements arrive.”
Of course, Ziphl’s reinforcements weren’t the only concern.
“Kinzelro hasn’t made any significant moves since the shipyard attack. That worries me.”
Jin wondered if they were stuck behind a barrier on the other side, or if they were still waiting for the right moment despite how things had unfolded.
He glanced back briefly. The Sota Desert was now a battlefield not only underground at the shipyard but also above ground, between Kinzelro and Ziphl.
“They’re probably waiting for their chance. But Kinzelro hasn’t achieved his goal yet. If he had, his attack team would have started retreating.”
The three quickly reached the tower entrance.
The area around the middle floors where Joshua and the Phantom Corps fought was littered with debris and rubble, but there were no other mages or guards in sight.
Inside, a vast space opened up. Whether due to magical soundproofing or some other reason, surprisingly little noise or vibration from the battle could be felt inside.
That meant the tower was incredibly sturdy.
Any ordinary building, no matter how large, would have crumbled the moment Joshua and the Phantom Corps started fighting.
“No sign of a single bug. It’s almost like they abandoned this place,” Murakan said, tilting his head. Jin and Dipus felt the same—curious and uneasy.
They couldn’t imagine that the absence of people in the Magic Tower was simply due to Sandra Ziphl’s whims and madness.
A massive spiral staircase stood in the center, with an elevator that wasn’t working.
They ran up the stairs.
The tower was much taller than it looked from outside. Even running at full speed, the middle floors where Joshua and the Phantom Corps fought didn’t seem to get any closer.
That just meant Jin and Dipus were growing more impatient—worried the plans might be lost during the battle.
Fortunately, they soon felt the tremors of the fight again. They had reached the middle floors.
They opened the grand iron door firmly shut.
Ssshh!
The Phantom Corps were exactly as expected. Even amid the fierce battle, the moment the door opened, they immediately fired magical beams at Jin’s group.
Krak!
Dipus deflected the beams with the blade of his greatsword, Volgar.
The Phantom Corps mages didn’t falter, quickly adjusting their formation to face the new enemies.
Seeing the situation, Jin and Dipus gritted their teeth.
“Damn, there are four of them.”
They had guessed two to four, but it was the worst case—four. Before Jin’s group arrived, Joshua and Jane had been fighting four Phantom Corps members.
Jin’s group approached Joshua. He was breathing heavily but wasn’t seriously injured.
The problem was the Black Knight, Jane.
Though not critically wounded, she was bleeding heavily from numerous large and small wounds all over her body. Some were deep enough to become fatal at any moment.
If it had been two against two, maybe it would have been manageable, but facing four Phantom Corps members, the Black Knight was risking her life.
Above all, this was Ziphl’s territory—inside the Magic Tower.
It was entirely possible the Phantom Corps were using special devices or energies within the tower to amplify their magic beyond normal limits.
Jane’s wounds were obviously from protecting Joshua.
Of course, as the Black Knight, it was natural to protect the family’s next head, but this Joshua wasn’t the original.
“Does the Black Knight not know this Joshua is a clone? Damn it. The family’s top talent is being sacrificed just to protect a copy.”
Jin’s anger boiled over, wanting to cut off the head of the real Joshua, not the clone.
But even amid this, Jin noticed one thing.
“Joshua still hasn’t gotten the plans. No matter how cowardly he is, my Second Brother’s assessment isn’t completely wrong. If he had them, he’d be doing everything to block us and telling the Black Knight to escape with the plans.”
Though his face was hidden behind a mask, Joshua must have been both flustered and relieved.
He had just confirmed the exclusive information about the Second Magic Tower, and Jin’s group had arrived sooner than expected, turning the tide.
“Four riders, twelve riders.”
“No way, this bastard still won’t even greet me? Hey, am I invisible to you? Huh? Want me to gouge your eyes out?”
“…And Murakan-sama, I’ll explain the situation later…”
“No need, Second Lieutenant.”
Jin cut Joshua off and drew his sword.
“Instead, tell me where the blueprints are right now. If you refuse, know that obstructing the mission will be met with immediate execution. I’m just letting you know in advance. You know full well I don’t make empty threats.”