Chapter 653
Episode 165: After the Shock (7)
As Ronil hesitated, trying to choose his words, Octavia stepped forward with a confident expression, as if she had nothing to hide.
“The transfer of the clan headship is impossible, Jin Runkandel.”
“I’m curious—why is that?”
Jin glared at Octavia. She sighed deeply and shook her head.
“That child is no longer the Veradin Ziphl you once knew. Right now… they’re almost like a newborn.”
“A new… born? Could you explain that more clearly, Wraith Commander?”
“Literally. Veradin has lost everything—language, accumulated knowledge, magic, habits… even memories.”
According to Octavia, Veradin is currently a blank slate.
Hearing this, Jin felt his mind go momentarily blank.
Ronil frowned slightly, clearly uncomfortable.
Jin wanted nothing more than to seize Octavia, hold a knife to her throat, and demand she explain everything about Veradin clearly—or else.
But he forced himself to stay calm, and his gaze landed on Yuria.
Soon, the power of truth manifested, and a blue thread appeared.
Until yesterday, I was trapped in a maintenance device, unable to move. Well, thanks to that, my family can’t manipulate my mind for now.
So it seems you’ve lost all your magic.
Not just magic—my memories are affected too. I barely remember my siblings’ names, and I’ve forgotten a lot of spells. It’s a side effect of the overload. The magic will definitely come back, but the memories… I can’t be sure. As for the spells, I can just relearn them.
This was a conversation Jin had with Veradin before leaving Laprarosa.
At that time, even as Veradin’s memories began to vanish, they hadn’t forgotten a single thing about Jin or Dante.
After returning to Inse, Jin heard from Kashimir that Veradin hadn’t left the house even once, which only deepened his unease.
That unease soon became a heavy weight on his heart.
Unconsciously, Jin looked at Sandra. Her unusual behavior must also be the result of experiments, like Veradin’s.
“Are you saying Veradin really can’t remember anything at all?”
“…I know Veradin was close to you and the Sword Sovereign. That’s why I asked so many questions about you, hoping it might help. But they couldn’t recall a thing.”
Jin trembled with rage, unable to speak for a long moment.
This was a council chamber.
It wasn’t a place to settle personal grudges or vent anger.
Besides, Jin was the host of this meeting, the representative of the Bamel Alliance and its allies.
Octavia didn’t underestimate him.
She just thought that despite his near-godlike power, he still had a certain childishness.
And she was determined to end that before it could cause any more trouble.
“Veradin was our clan’s heir and, without question, the most talented of the next generation. It’s more painful and heartbreaking for us than for you that they’ve been broken.”
Jin had no idea what to do with Veradin right now.
The thought that Valeria’s record magic might help flickered briefly, but it was only a hope.
“You speak so boldly. You’re the ones who made Veradin like this. Probably a side effect of the bio-golem experiments. You experimented on them until they ended up like this.”
“I won’t deny it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not painful for us too.”
“So, what do you plan to do with Veradin?”
“We’ll find a way to bring them back to normal.”
Again, the blue thread appeared.
Jin stared at it for a moment, then closed his eyes.
“Even with your precious demon stones, that seems difficult.”
“Veradin’s fate isn’t your concern. Anyway, for that reason, we can’t allow the transfer. Instead, Lord Hedo here will take care of it.”
“Since Ziphl has the strongest tower keeper, we’ll send Zephyrin. That way, even if Rosa Runkandel suddenly appears in the Eastern Five Regions, you won’t die so easily. I think that settles this matter.”
What remained were the timing and strategy for the temporary alliance’s full-scale assault on the Sword Garden, and contingency plans for unexpected events.
Opinions began to flow, and from then on, Orgal took the lead in guiding the meeting.
He possessed the deepest and most extensive knowledge about Chaos, the recently revealed nature of that power, the Dread God, and the Prophets.
“So, Kinzello has been monitoring the formation of that ship, Ram, ever since that day?”
Jin asked, and Orgal nodded.
“Yes. If my prediction is correct, it’s less than fifty percent complete. Maybe even less than thirty.”
“Then we have to strike before it’s finished.”
“Let’s hope so. At this rate, it might be tough.”
“Ram… is that named after the last letter of its own name? The Prophet must be quite narcissistic… or rather, Hellram.”
Jin said this, and Orgal chuckled softly.
“It seems they mistook the Prophet for Hellram all this time.”
“I suspected as much.”
“If that’s true, wouldn’t your red jade cat have reacted to something in the Sword Garden? The Prophet isn’t Hellram, but one of her daughters. Just one among many daughters…”
“Many daughters? Does that mean there could be more beings like the Prophet in the world?”
“At least not in Inse. If Hellram has prepared a space, they might remain there. But it’s meaningless. They can never come to Inse before Hellram awakens. Anyway, her daughters’ only wish is one thing: the rebirth of my old lover, Hellram.”
“So that’s why they use humans as sacrifices?”
“Not exactly humans themselves. Flesh and bones are needed, of course, but they’re not very efficient. What really matters is despair. Only pure, massive despair can awaken Hellram.”
“You know Hellram very well. I get the feeling you want to awaken her.”
“That’s something only people who’ve never been in love would say. Hellram awakening would be nothing but trouble for me. I don’t want that.”
Yuria’s power continued to weave the blue thread, but Jin felt uneasy relying so heavily on Orgal’s knowledge and experience.
‘I need to find Valeria and learn more about Hellram and the Prophets. Lord Kwaul said the master mentioned a jewel he got at Joshua’s villa before leaving Tikan.’
The Spellbook of Suziel Hister.
Before leaving Laprarosa, Jin had entrusted half of Suziel Hister’s spellbook to Gilly.
Valeria only found it about a year ago, and through it, she discovered clues about record magic.
Thanks to that, she was able to accelerate the restoration of Joshua’s jewel and Solderet’s recording device. Though now, they’re missing.
“Anyway, since there’s no way to stop Ram’s formation right now, we have to assume the final battle will happen after it’s completed. Our job is to confront Ram and send the twelve riders down to where Rosa is, right?”
Ronil asked, and Orgal nodded.
“Exactly. Until then, we hope Keliak Ziphl recovers and the demon stones reach completion.”
“Twelve riders… I have a question.”
“Speak, Ronil Ziphl.”
“Do you have a way to purify Chaos?”
On the way to the council, Jin had deliberately stationed some family knights undergoing purification.
Unlike other factions who use Chaos by controlling it, Jin wanted to show he had a perfect purification method.
“Yes, I do.”
As the blue thread appeared, Ronil and Octavia’s eyes widened.
“If so… please use that purification on my father.”
“You said earlier you couldn’t tell me Keliak Ziphl’s exact condition?”
“I had to be cautious.”
“My purification method isn’t perfect. If the body has been deformed by Chaos or fully consumed, purification is impossible.”
Again, the blue thread appeared, and Ronil showed the first sign of agitation.
“Judging by the reaction, it seems he’s already in that state.”
“This isn’t just about the family’s survival—it’s about the fate of the world. Whether your father can fight in the final battle intact or not.”
“I’ll need Keliak’s power in the final battle too. It’s unpleasant, but if the purifier is improved before then, and if Keliak Ziphl’s strength is absolutely necessary, I’ll allow the purifier to be used on him.”
“…Understood.”
The meeting continued for over two days, and from that day, the temporary alliance of the three factions began to shake the world.
March 7, 1803.
As planned in the meeting, Jin was entering the Caldaran snowfields.
This time, he wasn’t using the Red Owl. Zephyrin, Hedo, and Sandra Ziphl were accompanying him.
Fortunately, Sandra was showing the side Jin knew, unlike during the meeting.
“Ahahaha, Jin! Wasn’t my acting flawless? You have no idea how much I wanted to show you my great love during the meeting. But no, no, Sandra! Get a grip! Otherwise, you won’t get another chance to meet him alone! That’s why I gritted my teeth and held back!”
“…I never planned to ask Ziphl and Kinzello to assign people, you know?”
“Opportunities only come to those who are always ready. That day, I had nothing set in stone, but I went all in like a madwoman. So the moment the chance came, I was able to be by his side just like this.”
Sandra said that with a bright smile, linking her arm with Jin’s prosthetic.
Jin didn’t pull away.
Because, deep down, he felt grateful.