Episode 64
Chapter 22: Chenmi’s Magic (Part 1)
In a cramped room sat two men with stern expressions.
They had been questioning Jet for hours.
“Let me get this straight, Mr. Jet. So, you wrote this report purely out of concern for Akin’s welfare and the peace of its innocent people.”
“And you decided to betray Tesing—who you were just a low-level informant for—after accidentally witnessing the slave quarters at their auction house, which shocked you deeply?”
“Not only that, but among the documents you risked your life to steal was a ledger detailing transactions of magical tomes. You handed that over to Zipl, seeing it as a chance to completely dismantle Tesing.”
“And out of all the Akin newsletters, you singled out the one resisting Tesing because you’ve always been interested in Akin’s politics…”
“Finally, you’re just a good-hearted whistleblower. So you’re asking us to protect you from any threats by Tesing’s remnants or other outside forces?”
Jet nodded vigorously.
“That’s exactly right! Honestly, I did this all with good intentions, hoping we could all live better lives. I don’t understand why I’m being treated so harshly. Please, just let me go. I’m worried about my son.”
The two men exchanged a long sigh.
They were investigators from Biment, acting on orders from their superiors after verifying the report. They had apprehended Jet at the dock for questioning.
Jet was, as Jin had predicted, a man with a strong survival instinct.
Listening carefully to the investigators, he quickly figured out which version of events would benefit him most.
Claiming he’d been duped by an impersonator of Veradin wouldn’t help. He had to frame his actions as purely well-intentioned to qualify for witness protection.
The investigators were at a loss.
“No matter how you look at it, this punk is far from a hero for the public good. The report only bears the name ‘Jet,’ but there’s no way he wrote it.”
“The real author must be some unknown group that destroyed Tesing. But the good news is, we don’t have to waste time hunting them down.”
It was easier and more convenient to present this thug as a righteous whistleblower.
Besides, the handwriting on the slave ledger matched Jet’s. At least it was certain he had personally compiled that list, giving Biment a lead to rescue their own people.
The investigators shrugged.
“Alright, Mr. Jet. Honestly, you’re just a lowlife in my eyes. But since you helped save many innocent Biment citizens, we’ll overlook a few minor lies.”
“However, Zipl has already requested your custody, so we have no choice but to cooperate.”
“Zipl wants me? No, no, I can’t go there. I’ll be killed.”
“As long as you stick to your story like you did with us, nothing will happen. Biment’s investigative team will protect you as a witness. Just keep your testimony consistent.”
“I don’t want to get caught up in conflicting stories and unnecessary trouble. Before you head to Zipl’s interrogation room, go see your young son for a bit and have a meal. There’s still some time.”
An hour later, Jet was transferred to Zipl’s interrogation room, where he faithfully followed the investigators’ advice.
He never revealed the existence of the ‘Veradin impersonator,’ and though Zipl’s interrogators knew he was lying, they couldn’t bring themselves to kill him.
“We can’t make you a hero, though. The destruction of Tesing will be officially announced as an operation under Zipl’s authority.”
“As long as you spare my life, I don’t care.”
“If you withhold information, we’ll just squeeze it out of the surviving Tesing members. Now go. And don’t expect Biment’s witness protection to be foolproof.”
Tesing was destroyed.
Despite causing such a major upheaval, no arrest warrants were issued for the three of them.
Zipl simply didn’t need that.
Though it was unfortunate for the low-level officials who took bribes from Tesing, publicly declaring Tesing’s dismantling naturally boosted Zipl’s support among Akin’s common folk.
Even if the backing of this small country’s civilians was just a tiny contribution, it was still valuable to Zipl.
“So, in other words, Zipl and Biment split the credit, and you got the spoils.”
“Exactly. I got Multa’s rune, Chenmi’s spellbook, and Shuziel Hister’s magic tome. I even fought a seven-star knight in actual combat.”
“Not all seven-star knights are the same, young master. You’ll need to be more cautious going forward. Magic helmets, spells, spiritual energy, swordsmanship… You’re impressive, but you can’t keep walking this tightrope forever.”
“Of course. No matter how skilled I get, I’m no match for the real deal like Gilly. I know that well. I’ll be more careful.”
The three had been observing the situation unfold from a rural village in Akin for several days. Seeing everything go according to Jin’s predictions left Murakan and Gilly feeling somewhat amazed.
“Anyway, it looks like Zipl won’t be coming after us anytime soon. We can move on to our next destination without worry.”
“Where to next?”
Jin already had a place in mind.
“The Free City of Tikan.”
“Tikan?”
Having experienced Akin firsthand, they all felt the urgent need for better intelligence. When acting on memories from before the time loop, Jin needed a group to provide legitimacy.
Not to mention the many mysteries they wanted to investigate: Vishkel Ibliano and Bubar, Kinzel, Alu’s real name, the forbidden magic of the Colon ruins…
There was no way they could uncover all that just by traveling together.
In that sense, the Free City of Tikan was perfect.
“I’ll have to build a connection with Kashimir, the Ghost Sword.”
Kashimir the Ghost Sword was a legendary swordsman, famous enough that few in the current era didn’t know his name. Runeandel had invited him multiple times to become a junior swordsmanship instructor, but he always refused.
The reason he declined the coveted position was his massive intelligence network, the ‘Seven-Colored Bird.’
Aside from Runeandel, Zipl, and Biment’s intelligence agencies, the Seven-Colored Bird was considered the top network. It was the most useful group until one became a Runeandel knight.
Though an exceptional intelligence agency, very few knew that Kashimir was its leader.
Likewise, Kashimir’s identity as Biment’s ‘Deposed Crown Prince’ was a closely guarded secret. For someone like Jin, who had lived through the time loop, it was no big deal, but when the truth first came out, it shook the world.
“All seven intelligence agencies that make up the Seven-Colored Bird come from old loyalist families of Biment. Including Kashimir, they’re basically a group of outcasts abandoned by the Biment royal family.”
Jin didn’t know all the details, but he was certain the Seven-Colored Bird was made up of highly capable individuals.
About ten years from now, they would even crown the Deposed Crown Prince Kashimir as the first king of the Free Nation of Tikan.
Thanks to decades of negotiations using the intelligence the Seven-Colored Bird had gathered, they secured recognition of their sovereignty from Biment, Runeandel, and Zipl. They were no ordinary people.
“Going to Tikan is easy enough, but the real challenge is how to get close to Kashimir.”
Jin paused, then smiled slyly.
“A small nation needs national power. I’ll approach him with something he desperately wants as bait.”
The fastest, most reliable way to build national power was to strengthen the military. That way, they could resist foreign invasions and build a solid foundation.
But even after becoming a city-state, Tikan remained a tiny country for a long time.
With a small population came few soldiers and few talented people. It lacked abundant resources, so its capacity for development was weak. It was a nation that relied solely on ‘intelligence.’
“If he seems like a decent person, I might try bringing up the mirror artifact from the Colon ruins.”
Of course, Jin couldn’t just show Kashimir the mirror artifact or prove its power yet.
So the key was how strong Kashimir’s desire for military strength was. The stronger the desire, the more likely he’d believe what he wanted to believe.
“I don’t plan to hand over the mirror artifact itself, but I can share some of its benefits. Maybe I’ll sweet-talk him a bit, showing him Multa’s rune as a masterpiece. Let him know such artifacts exist.”
Not only that, Jin planned to break the unspoken rules of a prospective knight when meeting Kashimir. Revealing his Runeandel identity might at least get Kashimir to listen.
For some reason, Jin found it oddly enjoyable to break Runeandel’s rules one by one.
“What’s so funny, kid? What kind of place is Tikan? I’ve never heard of it in my day.”
“Probably because of the intelligence agency, Murakan. Tikan has a massive network called the Seven-Colored Bird…”
Gilly explained, and Murakan nodded.
“So they pick off the bad guys like they did with Jet. Not a bad strategy, but why are you so excited about it?”
“I was smiling because of the spellbook. By tomorrow, I’ll probably have decoded all of Chenmi’s magic. I’m just excited to start learning.”
“Alright, I’m starting to get a clear picture of the magic Chenmi left behind. It seems to be a type of light magic…”
“What?”
“Light magic.”
“I thought all light magic had been lost since ancient times… Ah.”
Jin shook his head reflexively. He’d heard the story before—that Chenmi was a mage from the Murakan era.
Light magic.
It was the stuff of legends, the dream of every mage alive today.
“What kind of messed-up world is this? Chenmi’s spellbook ended up in some underground auction run by lowlifes… If I were Chenmi, I’d be clawing my way out of my grave.”
“So, what kind of person was this Chenmi anyway?”
Murakan smiled and fixed his gaze on Jin.
“About fifteen hundred years ago, the mages of Ziphl formed an expedition to kill Chenmi. Five hundred elite mages. And they failed. That’s probably why no one in the world, including you, knows who Chenmi really was.”
Just like how the records of Runkandel being a magic swordsman were completely erased.
Ziphl had wiped the existence of the great mage Chenmi entirely from history.
“That’s their specialty—erasing anyone who threatens them from the annals of time. If you don’t master the pinnacle of spiritual energy, it won’t be long before Runkandel meets the same fate.”