Chapter 702
Episode 179: The Inescapable Trap (Part 1)
Alongside Petro, the top-ranking butler, the butlers and scribes of Runcandel, about thirty native Colon inhabitants, and even Vin Blanche, the contractor of the Picon Minche, the knights led by Mary successfully infiltrated Huepester and rescued roughly a hundred survivors.
“…At first, we thought the allies were still within the eldest sister’s territory, but we confirmed they had fled all the way to western Delki. Until we managed to infiltrate there again, everything went smoothly.”
“Though knights corrupted by chaos and monsters kept attacking us, we were strangely lucky. Before we even began a full search, the butlers left behind in the territory relayed the situation. Neither Mother—no, Rosa—nor the formidable knights of the Sacred Shrine appeared.”
Daytona and Heitona spoke, sitting with Jin in front of the recovery room where Yona and Mary rested, their faces heavy with concern.
“Even after arriving in Delki, things went well. Prince Laika, someone we never expected, was hiding the survivors safely. But as we handed over the rescued and made our way to the sea where Cosmos’s ships waited, we saw him…”
Difus Runcandel.
The one who attacked Mary and the knights at the end, now completely consumed by chaos. Like Rosa, horns had sprouted from his head.
—Ha. What’s going to happen to Difus and the knights now?
—They’ll all be locked in the underground prison. As for the Fourth Order… Rosa had her eyes on them for some time. They’re likely to fall under her control, corrupted by chaos.
What Mary had heard from Lin Milcano turned out to be true.
“The moment our second brother appeared, we knew the mission was doomed. Just his presence alone was enough to shake Cosmos’s fleet. Even if all of us fought together, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Mary approached Difus as if in a trance.
—Brother… right? Difus, it’s me, Mary. Don’t you recognize me?
—Mary, please don’t come any closer! Stop!
Despite facing the changed Difus, Mary showed no intention of fighting him.
Difus didn’t swing his sword at her either.
Instead, he smiled faintly, almost pleased, and waited patiently as Mary slowly approached.
—That’s right, Mary. Your place isn’t with Tikan, but by my side. Come, I’ll help you. Just like always.
He even welcomed her with those words.
But thankfully,
Mary hadn’t lost her mind upon seeing Difus.
“The eldest sister immediately realized there was no point in confronting him head-on and used her wits. If she hadn’t pretended to collapse then, none of us would have made it back…”
Difus hadn’t forgotten his past relationship with Mary.
So, in his eyes, her behavior made sense.
In other words, he let his guard down.
As soon as Mary got close, she calmly unleashed a lightning-fast thrust and opened the volcano technique, launching into battle.
Difus lost half his body at the start.
Mary wielded her sword more ruthlessly than ever, and only then did the Tona brothers and the knights understand her plan and hurriedly prepare to escape.
The fight didn’t last long.
Honki rapidly regenerated Difus’s mutilated body. Instinctively, Mary was certain that if he fully recovered even once, there would be no next time.
So, while he was healing, she gave everything she had to flee to the fleet, though she couldn’t avoid taking a few hits from Difus’s attacks just before reaching it.
That’s why Mary was now in the recovery room.
“…Youngest, I’m worried about our sister.”
Not about her physical wounds.
Her heart.
Mary’s clever ruse to push Difus back was clear, but the painful emotions behind it were no act.
‘Was Yuria’s poor condition because of Brother Difus? Since Mary’s belongings have increased in Tikan, perhaps the power of truth sensed this grim future. I don’t even know what to say to Mary.’
As Jin silently patted his brothers’ shoulders, a sound came from deeper inside the recovery room.
“Worried? I’m more worried about you idiots sitting there getting comforted by Jin, Tona boys.”
“Mary!”
“Sister, you’re awake…!”
The Tona brothers jumped up, their eyes red as they checked on Mary.
She clicked her tongue at their display.
“I’ve been awake for a while. I was just too tired and wanted to rest holding Yona, but I kept hearing your chatter. If you two idiots start scheming like fools, it’s my duty to beat you up, so I came out.”
“We’re sorry, sister.”
“But we didn’t cry. Of course, if you hit us, we’ll take it.”
“Pathetic fools, that’s something to be proud of. Jin is your little brother. I understand if your strength or skill is lower than his, but at least try to act like big brothers. How long are you going to keep relying on Jin? You need to have some solid support of your own.”
After scolding the Tona brothers, Mary met Jin’s eyes.
“And you, don’t make that sour face. When the boss shows worry and anxiety, it only makes those below more frustrated.”
“Yes, sister. I’ll remember that.”
“It’s not like we failed to rescue people, and Difus becoming like that… sucks, but it’s not something we didn’t expect.”
Anyone who knew the relationship between Difus and Mary would understand.
Mary was pushing herself to appear fine despite everything.
Jin felt respect for her.
She vowed never to show weakness again, and no matter when she faced Difus consumed by chaos, she would never lose her composure.
Since arriving in Tikan, she had kept every promise she made.
Offering her clumsy comfort would only insult her.
“So what we need to worry about now is the safety of the remaining survivors and Difus’s intentions.”
“Sister, Difus’s intentions…?”
“No matter how I think about it, Difus deliberately let us go. Cosmos’s ships are powerful, but if he had truly wanted to chase us down, he could have easily caught us.”
“Wait, sister. Could it be that Difus briefly regained his senses then?”
“Do you think so? Heitona, we have to rule out that possibility entirely. He’s no longer the person we knew. He’s crossed a point of no return.”
Mary’s complete dismissal of any hope for Difus was deliberate.
She was certain that the moment she held onto hope for him, Rosa would exploit it somehow.
Or the corrupted Difus himself would.
The best choice Mary could make for Difus was to end Rosa and the Garden of Swords as soon as possible.
Even if it meant having to strike down Difus herself.
“Anyway, I kept wondering why brother let us go, even while lying here. Somehow… I feel it’s because of despair.”
Valeria had recorded the information their comrades uncovered while Mary was away and left it in her recovery room. Mary reviewed it all.
“They say Rosa uses Joshua to generate despair, right? Maybe Difus is the same. But unlike Joshua, Difus doesn’t fall into despair himself—he amplifies the despair of others.”
“Brother Difus judged that letting us go once and then capturing us again would create more despair than wiping us out in Delki. Is that what you mean?”
“Exactly. Failure after success always hurts more. Or maybe the despair gained from killing us in Delki wasn’t enough. As I said, brother didn’t regain his senses because of me. And he didn’t let us go on a whim. There’s a reason, and it’s definitely connected to Rosa’s completion.”
Only time and despair can complete Rosa.
Jin thought Mary’s intuition was probably right.
“Then brother Difus will lure us again.”
A hunter only lets go of prey to use it as bait for a bigger catch.
“Yeah, probably. We need to prepare well or strike first… but it’s hard to decide. There are too many ways brother could choose, and moving first is way too risky.”
“I’ll inform Kinzelo and Zipple about brother Difus as well. Orgal is currently searching for Joshua, so we should confirm brother’s location during that.”
Difus was like Joshua.
Unless they found and eliminated him completely, Rosa would keep generating despair through them.
But unlike Joshua, Difus’s death would inevitably lead to despair for Jin and Mary.
Mary believed that eliminating Difus was the best thing for him, but Jin wanted to find another way.
‘Maybe Rosa wants us to kill brother Difus. Besides, with his physical mutations, current purification methods won’t work.’
The best plan was to subdue Difus and seal him until they could find a way to purify him—like how they left Runtia in the pocket dimension.
Just as Jin was thinking this, he saw Kashimir and Jet approaching.
Kashimir had come straight to Jin after receiving a report from Jet.
“Sir Kashimir.”
“Lord Jin, I just received bad news from Zipple’s side.”
“Don’t tell me they’re talking about breaking the temporary alliance?”
“No, on the contrary, they asked for support as a temporary alliance. I heard that the Lutero Magic Federation was attacked, and the assailant… was Lord Dipus.”
Jin, Mary, and the Tona brothers all clenched their teeth instinctively.
Dipus had already begun to make his move.