Episode 566
Chapter 147: King of the Black Sea, Gliek (10)
“The moment he awakened, that place became his territory. The only reason you’re standing here before me after leaving Geomhwang Fortress is because he allowed it… Not because your power is that great.”
A trap.
Zephyrin was certain that Gliek had merely ensnared them in a trap.
‘If he’d been given just a little more time, he could have wiped them all out or ignored them entirely and fully awakened. So why bother setting a trap? There can only be two reasons.’
First, the existence of Siron Runkandel.
Second, to swallow Jin more efficiently.
‘But Siron Runkandel has already entered the domain of the Five Kings of the Black Sea, so he can’t intervene. That means you won’t be able to stop Jin Runkandel from being absorbed by the Fifth King of Chaos.’
If that happened, Kinzello wouldn’t escape unscathed either.
They were still producing demon stones and corresponding artifacts, and like Ziphl, the core of their power depended on Jin.
However, unlike Ziphl, Kinzello had a way to retrieve Jin before he was fully absorbed by Gliek, even if Jin was swallowed by Chaos.
Stam and Octavia couldn’t read her thoughts.
They simply didn’t have as much information about the King of the Black Sea as Zephyrin did.
“Are you saying we’ve been deceived by him?” Octavia said, her voice sharp with anger.
Octavia had every reason to be furious—Zephyrin had acted as Ziphl’s spy and caused trouble in the Sota Desert. She could have torn her apart on the spot.
“That’s exactly right, Octavia Ziphl.”
“You’re confident. Your leader hasn’t recovered yet, and the Black Knight commanders of Runkandel and I have orders to attack immediately if negotiations fail.”
“If you were truly afraid, you would have met somewhere else, not here with us and the council. It’s true my frail master isn’t in the best condition, but I can handle people like you on my own. If you wanted to threaten us, your leaders should have come themselves… all of them. Oh, but that would have been impossible, wouldn’t it?”
“You think you can handle me and Octavia Ziphl? I don’t sense that kind of power in you.”
When Stam spoke, Zephyrin turned her gaze to him.
“Then let’s drop the pointless provocations and get to the point. The fact that Kinzello agreed to hear our proposal means they have some expectations, right? Otherwise, they could have just closed all channels and waited for the battle to end.”
“Well, it’s good to find someone who speaks sense. Fine, Kinzello’s condition for joining this war is very simple.”
“And what is that?”
“Jin Runkandel. That demon… ahem, if he swears loyalty to Kinzello, then we will join the fight.”
Stam’s eyes narrowed behind his black helmet.
“Don’t you know the Twelve Knights?”
“I know them well. I know he’s the kind of man who would swear loyalty only to stab you in the back once the incident is over. But we have measures to prevent that. All you have to do is hand him over to us.”
“You plan to force Jin Runkandel’s loyalty through a demon contract, then.”
Octavia’s words drew a nod from Zephyrin.
“That’s right. It can only be done with his genuine consent and willingness. In other words, if that wretched… no, if he truly wants to save everyone, he must be ready to swear sincere loyalty to Kinzello. I’m curious which he’ll choose—the life of one or the lives of all, as the next head of Runkandel.”
Stam shook his head as if there was no question.
“Then the negotiations are over.”
“That’s unfortunate. So, will you attack us now as planned?”
“We will return.”
“Then we won’t stop you. Even if you come back with your entire army, we’ll welcome you.”
Octavia didn’t protest Stam’s unilateral decision. It was frustrating, but the situation clearly favored Kinzello.
“Still, when you return, please tell them this: if they just make a contract with us, they can save not only their family but the entire world.”
Stam and Octavia turned and left the conference room.
Zephyrin shrugged as she watched their backs, and the nearby officers hurried over to her.
“Oh, as expected of the Grand Duke! Defeating those powerful foes with just a few words! Did you see that, Bubar? This is the true dignity of the only Grand Duke in the demon realm!”
“I saw it! I’m inspired! Today’s a good day for some creative work!”
“Grand Duke… you worked hard. Our Cookie… really cheered us up, didn’t she?”
Zephyrin nodded awkwardly, and the three of them bounced around in joy.
“Hmm, this is more unexpected than I thought.”
Jo said, glancing around cautiously.
He wanted to voice his opinion on the situation but worried Berakt might humiliate him again.
“I thought they’d prioritize negotiations with us, or that Runkandel’s prophet or Ziphl would reveal some hidden trump card. Isn’t that right?”
Surprisingly, Berakt nodded in agreement with Jo.
This negotiation proposal was unexpected even for them. Kinzello had expected that while Runkandel and Ziphl might not be able to kill Gliek, they could at least reseal him, even if imperfectly.
That was why Zephyrin hoped for a ‘rational negotiation’ with Kinzello over the rewards Jin had earned in the Sota Desert, even knowing Gliek would awaken.
“They might not be as formidable as we thought.”
“Maybe. But Deputy Commander, it’s perhaps natural they can’t handle the Five Kings of the Black Sea. Even when my master was in good shape, he avoided conflict with them. Margiela, though, if Jin Runkandel refuses to negotiate, that must be disappointing for you.”
Margiela rolled her wheelchair closer to Zephyrin.
“That’s right, Lady Zephyrin. But you yourself admitted that Jin is a demon you’d gladly tear apart. Aren’t you really not bothered if he’s devoured by Chaos?”
Margiela hoped Kinzello would help Jin unconditionally. That way, a ‘whole’ Jin Runkandel might become Kinzello’s man.
“Anyway… even if he’s swallowed by Gliek, we can pull him out with my master’s power. He won’t be the demon we knew anymore—he’ll be a fool—but the fundamental fact that he’s Solderet’s contractor won’t change.”
Mott returned to the battlefield eleven hours after leaving for Kinzello.
The absolute seal of the White Bow, the Great Ice Garden, remained intact.
Ron had not stopped for a single moment, swinging his sword over the white stone barrier.
The white stone still gleamed darkly inside the barrier, without a single scratch.
No one had been able to stop Ron.
There was no longer any trace of sorrow from someone who had lost everything. Only unfathomable madness filled him.
He couldn’t fight while burdened by such deep grief, so he was driving himself into madness.
His sword became increasingly destructive, but that didn’t mean he was growing stronger.
On the contrary, losing his composure, his sword was recklessly releasing power.
Still, Ron’s body, wielding the Tyrant Sword, radiated the same immense energy as before, showing no sign of fatigue.
“…That’s all.”
Stam and Octavia finished their report.
Kelliak and Rosa had refused Kinzello’s condition to hand over Jin, but one phrase from Zephyrin gave them a bad feeling.
‘The reason the White Bow’s toad escaped was because the King of the Black Sea allowed it…’
‘If that’s true, we need to rethink our countermeasures.’
They thought the same thing simultaneously.
They just needed to confirm it.
“Runkandel will now invade the land of the beastmen.”
“Ziphl, form ranks. I will open the way.”
They excluded Talaris and Ron from the attack on Kinzello.
Neither was under their control, and they needed personnel to at least hold back Gliek while they struck Kinzello.
Faced with Runkandel and Ziphl’s firm decision, Talaris had no choice but to accept.
‘The moment Runkandel and Ziphl leave the battlefield, the world is finished.’
Elona Ziphl.
Talaris decided to lift the seal binding her.
Better to be ruled by ‘humans’ like Ziphl than to have the world swallowed by the King of the Black Sea.
“Kelliak Ziphl.”
As Kelliak and Rosa unleashed their power against the frozen wall of chaos, Talaris spoke.
“This is a choice we cannot avoid, Talaris Endorma.”
“It’s not that…”
Talaris took a deep breath.
Though she could barely say it, like Kelliak, she had no choice.
“There is a sealed ancient Ziphl mage within the White Bow.”
Just as she was about to continue, Talaris suddenly opened her eyes wide.
It wasn’t hesitation.
She sensed the Great Ice Garden’s demonic sealing ritual was rapidly breaking.
Not even a day had passed since she predicted the minimum duration, and the seal, which had been solid until moments ago, was suddenly collapsing.
“Ugh…!”
As Talaris coughed up a dark red lump of blood, the aura of the Great Ice Garden that had covered the battlefield vanished.
At that moment, both Keliak and Rosa instinctively realized that Zephyrin’s words were true.
Glyek had been watching and listening to every move and word of the humans—both before being sealed and even after enduring the seal.
He knew everything: that they had tried to negotiate with the Kinzello organization to find a way out, and that their offer had been rejected…
He even had a sense of how Kinzello might try to extract him after he absorbed Solderet’s contractor.
[“Jin Runkandel.”]
Glyek’s eye, etched into the white stone, fixed on Jin.
[“With this, all chances given to you and Solderet have vanished…”]
No sooner had Glyek finished speaking than Jin’s vision was swallowed by darkness in an instant.