Episode 75
Chapter 24: Twisting Two Fates (7)
“I almost died back there.”
Ratz stepped out of the log cabin, his face still expressionless despite the thought. Years of extreme emotional discipline training had shaped him into the squad leader of the special task force.
Quikantel had certainly exuded an overwhelming presence far beyond anything Ratz had imagined, yet he felt no fear.
For the Biment Special Task Force, death was just a minor accident that could happen anytime during a mission.
“But who were those other two in the house? The long-haired man might be Quikantel’s lover, and the boy hiding his face behind that strange artifact… could he be their secret child?”
He couldn’t fathom that Jin was Runkandel, or that Murakan was the black dragon who had awakened after a thousand years.
Misunderstanding the situation completely, Ratz had a gut feeling that trying to pry information about those two would not be easy.
“I’ll need to keep close surveillance for a while, especially on Quikantel. Until he makes any unusual moves, I’ll just have the team report back without engaging.”
He cared little for his own life—it was more trivial than a common cold—but when it came to the lives of his squad members, it was a different story.
Ratz decided there was no need to assign subordinates to tail Quikantel directly, knowing it would only raise tensions.
Thanks to Ratz’s judgment, the Enya family managed to board Tikan’s trading ship safely.
Biment remained unaware that Enya had disappeared—at least until Quikantel left the cabin to meet Buretta.
A week passed. Mid-July, 1795.
As Jin had predicted, there was no thorough surveillance watching the cabin all day or constantly tracking Quikantel and Enya’s whereabouts.
Jin and Murakan hadn’t left the cabin even once. Only Quikantel went into town once a day to buy supplies.
Meanwhile, they received word from Chilsaekjo that Enya had arrived safely in Tikan and was under Kashimir’s protection.
“Well, I expected as much, but it’s good to confirm Enya’s safe through a letter. Now I can meet Buretta with a lighter heart.”
Quikantel had already contacted Buretta, sending a letter to arrange a meeting—there was something he wanted to discuss about Enya.
Buretta readily accepted, and the meeting was set for tomorrow night.
“Do you think Buretta will come alone?”
“Kid, among dragons, pride is a big deal. Quikantel just asked for a simple meeting—there’s no way Buretta would bring a whole entourage of Ziphl wizards. Even if he wanted to pick a fight, a dragon shows up alone.”
“Oh, so that’s why you were so confident when you first came to the Biment waters?”
“Of course. This Murakan doesn’t hold back.”
“Good for you. But do you remember nearly dying the moment you got here? If it weren’t for Jin, you’d already be at the bottom of that cold sea.”
“That was me cutting you some slack… Quikantel.”
“Got off easy, huh?”
“What?”
As the two dragons bickered over who was stronger, Jin pondered quietly.
‘…Pride means a dragon always comes alone, no matter who calls. Yet here we are, going to meet Buretta as a trio.’
Whatever.
Jin shrugged and interrupted their squabble.
“Alright, alright. You two, cut it out. If you keep this up, you’ll be fighting before we even meet Buretta tomorrow.”
Jin was so used to their bickering it barely registered.
“Better to decide tomorrow how we’ll handle things with Buretta.”
“What’s there to decide? Just tell him the truth—that we’re here not for Enya, but to find Latri. If he denies it, beat him up. That’s the best plan.”
“I agree. Without Enya around, we can act freely.”
“Hmm. Fine, but I doubt Buretta will answer so easily. Even if a fight breaks out and we win, Ziphl will retaliate. We need to at least consider that.”
Jin’s tone grew serious.
‘I knew rescuing Latri, Yuria’s guardian dragon, would be a big deal since it involves Ziphl… but I didn’t expect it to be this complicated.’
Fighting Buretta meant making the entire Ziphl clan an enemy.
And Jin’s current forces were nowhere near strong enough for an all-out war with Ziphl—even with Kashimir’s full support.
In fact, rescuing Latri was a risky move.
They had contracts with Kashimir and Az Mil, and had gained Chilsaekjo’s support—but they risked turning the entire Ziphl clan against them.
Still, Jin had three main reasons for deciding to meet Buretta in person.
First, he had promised Kashimir he would find Latri.
Second, if Ziphl was hunting down or stealing contractors, they needed to find out now.
Third, children must always be protected.
“Hmm, the kid’s right. I’m not afraid of their retaliation, but it’s worth thinking about.”
“Not just retaliation—we should also consider the possibility of losing. Unlike you two, I think Buretta might come with Andrei Ziphl, the Ziphl sublord. Even if it means losing face.”
If Buretta came with Andrei—or worse, with other elite wizards—there was no hope. Ziphl’s elite wizards each had combat power comparable to lower-tier dragons.
Jin had a last resort plan for that, but he wanted Quikantel’s opinion.
“Don’t worry about that. If Buretta brings others to the meeting and tries to overpower me, I’ll call for support from the Biment dragons.”
“That’s a good plan. Even if we can’t reveal the kidnapping immediately, if Buretta is uncooperative about the Latri case, we’ll have a solid reason to ask for help.”
“Exactly. And even if I defeat Buretta, if other Biment dragons get involved, Ziphl won’t dare retaliate easily. The politics between Ziphl and Biment are complicated.”
Currently, Biment was the balance of power between Runkandel and Ziphl.
Whichever side Biment sided with would tip the scales. So Ziphl couldn’t act recklessly even if Buretta lost to Quikantel.
If Ziphl made Biment an enemy, Runkandel would be the ultimate beneficiary.
Jin was satisfied with this answer. No matter what happened, they wouldn’t immediately become Ziphl’s prime target.
“Good. Then tomorrow, we’ll trust Quikantel to handle things. Murakan and I will stay hidden nearby, ready to jump in.”
“Huh? Kid, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“We’re backup. If Buretta comes alone, Quikantel should fight solo. What good would it do for us to get our faces known to Ziphl?”
Quikantel smiled approvingly.
“Right, Murakan. You stay out of it unless absolutely necessary. I’ll handle the fight—just watch.”
Though teasing, Quikantel genuinely worried about Murakan. He wasn’t yet a match for Buretta.
“…Damn it. I may be past my prime, but I don’t want sympathy from my ex.”
“Who said I’m sympathizing? Cut the nonsense and be ready to help if I’m in trouble. Though that probably won’t happen.”
If Buretta had come alone, that probably wouldn’t have been necessary. Quikantel was among the strongest active dragons.
But, as Jin had predicted, Buretta brought company.
And not just anyone—Andrei Ziphl, the Ziphl sublord.
Quikantel sat in the middle of the deserted island, glaring at Buretta.
Jin and Murakan hid in the forest, watching the scene. They had cast a powerful spiritual veil to mask their presence.
“Heh heh. This old man is honored to meet the Silver Dragon of Time, Quikantel. I’m Andrei Ziphl.”
[…Buretta. I didn’t expect you to bring another human to my summons.]
[Please understand, Silver Dragon. When I received your letter, I happened to be with Andrei. Since this concerns Olta’s contractor, Andrei showed great interest and came along.]
Quikantel openly showed his displeasure, but Andrei just chuckled.
Their first meeting was off to a rocky start.
[Buretta, you were already rude when you asked to see Enya last time. I hope this never happens again.]
[Understood. Let’s get straight to the point. What is this matter regarding Olta’s contractor?]
[Before that, I have one question.]
[Speak.]
[What have you done to Az Mil’s contractor, Latri?]
His tone was laced with hostility.
Buretta chuckled softly for a moment, then suddenly grew serious.
“Well… you got me. You weren’t calling me about Olta’s contractor after all. It was about Latri. No wonder I had a bad feeling.”
Buretta shook her head and said,
“Just answer the question, Buretta. A year ago, didn’t Latri take you away, saying she’d teach you verbal magic? I saw it with my own eyes. And until now, Az Mil’s contractor still hasn’t found the guardian dragon.”
“Well, I’m not sure how to answer to satisfy you. Hmm, Latri… she’s doing well. You didn’t expect to have any connection with Az Mil’s contractor, did you? Why didn’t you ask me to find Latri for you?”
“That’s exactly right. If you understand, bring her here immediately. Az Mil’s contractor is desperately searching.”
Whoooosh! Whoooosh…!
Suddenly, whirlwinds began to rise all over the deserted island. They were tornados summoned by Buretta’s power over the wind.
“Buretta, you really must be crazy. Even if you’re not Jiple’s contractor, you’d kidnap one of your own kind? And that young dragon, no less? And now this—it feels like you’re challenging us to a fight.”
“You’re too deeply involved in Jiple’s affairs. It’s unfortunate. But let me make one thing clear: if you hand Enya over to us, I’ll spare your life.”
This time, Quikantel smiled.
“Oh? That works out perfectly. Because from now on, no matter what you bastards do, I have no intention of letting you live.”