Chapter 649
Episode 165: After the Shock (3)
A small sailboat was heading toward Tikan. Behind it, a fleet of about fifty ships, which had been submerged, suddenly burst through the surface, leaving a trail of white foam.
It was a sight Jin had seen once before, just before leaving for the Sota Desert.
“Mary…!”
Perhaps Cosmos, now one of her subordinates, had come to deliver bad news.
Or maybe she had already been tainted by Rosa’s chaos and was coming to strike Tikan.
But fortunately, as Mary’s boat drew near, she appeared on deck, and Jin breathed a sigh of relief as he welcomed her.
“Little brother!”
“Sis!”
Their booming voices echoed across the endless blue sea.
The knights of Runcandel, who were undergoing purification treatment, all rushed outside and saluted Mary.
When Mary arrived at the mansion, she was not defeated or despondent—though sorrowful, her spirit was sharp and fierce.
Jin’s heart ached at the sight.
Mary had been affected by the chaos, but not to a severe degree.
Jin recognized this as the result of her steadfast resistance against the chaos all this time.
“…So it was you who struck the Sword Garden recently. Ziphl and Kinzello were waiting for the right moment, matching your moves.”
As Jin recounted recent events, Mary nodded knowingly.
She clearly recognized Jin’s achievements at a glance.
“First, I must pay my respects to Uncle Jorden.”
“I’ll accompany you.”
Mary stood silently before Jorden’s coffin for a long moment.
Though she hadn’t been close to Jorden originally, they had bonded through their shared rebellion against Rosa, forming a sense of camaraderie and brotherhood.
Mary especially respected how he had ultimately sacrificed his life to save the remaining knights.
“People are unpredictable. Rosa Runcandel, who seemed unshakable in her loyalty to the family, became a monster of chaos. Meanwhile, Uncle Jorden, who fought desperately to swallow the family whole, ended up becoming its protector. After reclaiming the family, his body must be enshrined in the family mausoleum.”
“Of course. By the way, how have you been holding up, Sis? And what about Brother Dipus?”
“Dipus is imprisoned beneath the Sword Garden. The day you struck the Sword Garden, Rosa released all the knights except for Dipus.”
“You saw him imprisoned yourself?”
Mary’s eyes narrowed.
“No, I didn’t see it firsthand, but I heard the story.”
“Please, tell me everything.”
“That day, even after most of the rebels were suppressed, Dipus and I kept fighting. We got too deep into the chaos of the battle—right into the main residence where Rosa was waiting.”
The siblings had fought Rosa directly.
More precisely, only Dipus had faced Rosa’s blade head-on. The moment he took her strike, he felt the chaos seeping into his body and ordered Mary to stay out of the fight.
He judged that even a few direct clashes with Rosa’s sword would be fatal.
“Rosa had grown almost as strong as our father. And she could infect others with chaos. There was nothing we could do. We planned to escape immediately, but soon after, Dipus lost consciousness—struck by Rosa’s blade.”
Mary’s body trembled as she recalled that moment.
It was through Dipus’s sacrifice that she managed to escape Rosa’s grasp.
The only reason she fled without him was to ensure his sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.
“There was a mad impulse to die there with him, but if I did, I couldn’t avenge him… Even after escaping the main residence, it wasn’t over. Though I got out of the Sword Garden safely, before leaving Karon, a pursuit squad surrounded me.”
The pursuers were about a hundred knights corrupted by chaos, mostly from the Black Sword Society.
Mary had no strength left to fight them—she had already suffered terrible injuries escaping the Sword Garden.
“It was Lin Milkano. The head of the Defense Council, Lin Milkano, had apparently replaced Uncle Jorden as the new Black Sword leader. And Lin Milkano just let me go.”
“If she just let you go…”
“Lin Milkano was also opposing Rosa. Whether Rosa knew this or Lin lied to me, I don’t know. But it’s clear she spared my life.”
“I’ll give you painkillers, Seventh Squadron. Leave now. I’ll report to Rosa that you escaped.”
“What’s your game?”
“Don’t think you’re the only ones wanting to reclaim the Sword Garden.”
“Yet you’re using chaos powers yourselves.”
“I, too, made a pact with the Prophet, like Rosa. Just a different method. We don’t think Rosa’s decision is wrong.”
“A pact? Damn it, what are you thinking?”
“And what were you thinking attacking the Sword Garden? Did you really believe you could win with such a small force? You knew Rosa and the Prophet’s power well enough. It was a meaningless suicide mission!”
“What will happen to Dipus and the knights now?”
“They’ll all be locked in the underground prison. The Fourth Squadron… Rosa has long coveted them. They’re likely to become her pawns, corrupted by chaos.”
“Damn it, that filthy…”
“Go now. Find the head of the family or bring the Twelfth Squadron. I don’t know how long I can hold out.”
Mary explained the conversation she had with Lin that day.
Thanks to Lin, she barely escaped Karon and fled to the Cosmos pirate crew.
But her injuries and the chaos within her deepened day by day, leaving her no choice but to focus solely on recovery.
And as soon as she healed, she came to Tikan.
Jin couldn’t imagine the torment she had endured.
“If you hadn’t been in Tikan, I was ready to leave for the Black Sea immediately. Like Uncle Jed.”
She no longer believed Siron was alive. It was just the only option left.
But Jin had returned, and change was already underway.
When Jin entered the Sword Garden, all factions united to attack Runcandel.
Though Kinzello and Ziphl were enemies, forming a temporary alliance was far better than relying on Siron, whose fate was uncertain.
Jin gathered his thoughts and met Mary’s gaze.
“First, it’s highly likely Lin Milkano betrayed Rosa. I didn’t see Lin in the recent battle.”
“Then she’s probably been purged. If she truly opposed Rosa, Rosa wouldn’t have been unaware until now.”
“I agree. Even if she hasn’t been purged, the Defense Council head has already made a pact with the Prophet. That alone means she can’t be a perfect ally. She’ll eventually fall to chaos.”
Therefore, it was best to exclude their support in the upcoming decisive battle with Rosa.
“As for Brother Dipus… I can only hope he’s still treatable with the chaos purifier I have. If he hasn’t undergone physical mutation or complete possession, he can be saved.”
“Brother is strong.”
Mary gritted her teeth and added quietly,
“No matter what Rosa does, Brother will never break easily.”
“Yes, I believe that.”
“What will you do now?”
“First, I’ll hold talks with the two major factions. We’re meeting in Tikan tomorrow afternoon to exchange information—about Rosa Runcandel’s forces and why they’re not moving. Then we’ll decide when to strike the Sword Garden.”
“Ziphl and Kinzello must have taken heavy losses this time, so they won’t be able to launch a quick counterattack.”
“That depends on how many hidden cards the two factions reveal. Also, if the Sword Garden is immobilized for some reason, it’s better to take time and prepare thoroughly.”
When Jin escaped the Sword Garden, he had accidentally connected with Lafra Rosa through Lingling, and Quaul was currently researching that connection.
“If my brothers come out before the final battle with Rosa…”
Even if that was unlikely, if they could at least perform the ‘Twin Spirit Unification’ without such a coincidence—
It would be an immense advantage in the final showdown.
To destroy the Sword Garden, Rosa had to be killed, but anyone fighting her besides Jin would be consumed by chaos.
That meant they could turn into Rosa’s minions mid-battle.
So Jin would have to face Rosa almost alone, making the Twin Spirit Unification absolutely essential.
“And Murakan’s return, too…”
Murakan.
He hadn’t appeared since his last manifestation.
While Talaris was injured, Misha had been fully responsible for Elona’s seal, so Murakan’s period acting as Misha’s proxy had inevitably lengthened.
The Twin Spirit Unification, Murakan’s return, and the Golden Fleet—
When Jin revealed his best cards, a faint smile spread across Mary’s lips.
“You’ve really grown up, little brother. Having you here makes me feel so reassured.”
“We have to prepare all three before we fight. We need to understand exactly why the Sword Garden isn’t moving to prepare properly. And I’m glad you’re here, too. So please, don’t cry.”
Mary leaned into Jin’s embrace and finally broke down in tears.
The guilt of leaving Dipus behind, the pain of failing to protect their family—she was releasing it all for the first time in half a year, to her grown youngest brother.
“Our Runcandel family isn’t lost or broken yet. We’ll take it back together, Sis. Our home.”
“This will be the last time you see me like this—weak and vulnerable.”
“You don’t look weak at all. But if it ever gets too much, you can always lean on us like this again. After all, we’re family.”
Suddenly, footsteps approached from behind them. The Tona brothers were quietly making their way over, eyes flickering with concern.
Seeing Mary crying, the Tona brothers were startled and about to turn away, but Jin silently beckoned them closer with a gesture.
Then, the brothers pulled Mary into a tight embrace, tears streaming down their faces, and Jin gathered them all together, gently patting their backs in comfort.