Chapter 785
Episode 193: The Shrine Maiden (3)
Valeria tried to hide her surprise as she looked at Sanna. From how she had influenced the record magic and read Yona’s movements, it was clear she possessed divine power.
“I am Jin Runkandel.”
“Yes, and you must be the Nameless King, Yona, and Valeria.”
“You know us well.”
“That’s only natural.”
“You just introduced yourself as the Sun’s Shrine Maiden. Does that mean you serve Kinzello?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Not the terrorist group Kinzello, but the sun god Kinzello, I assume.”
“That’s how I understood it as well. Judging by your knowledge of that name, I suppose Orgal must have told you.”
Jin said nothing, scanning the surroundings for a moment. The monsters shaped like Keliak Ziphl still knelt before Sanna, but their numbers had decreased since earlier.
Some had completely vanished after Sanna’s prayer. This was different from the monsters they had killed on the way here, which had reformed and revived through spiritual energy.
‘I doubt Veil, who also wields the sun god’s power, could completely erase monsters like this.’
That meant Sanna’s divine power was of a higher order than Veil’s. Though she had kept it hidden, her combat ability might surpass even that.
“You must have many questions—about these spiritual remnants shaped like Keliak Ziphl, and about me.”
“Are you willing to answer if I ask?”
“As long as you don’t act threateningly, I will.”
“Then first, I want to hear about this whole situation. What caused the Tower of Stories to fall into this state?”
“The Accursed God. Keliak Ziphl, the head of the Ziphl family, sought to gain power like the Accursed God, with the help of the fire dragon Kadun. That’s why Lord Veradin and the family’s mages had no choice but to suppress them.”
Sanna spoke casually about the massive betrayal within the Ziphl family.
“…Keliak Ziphl, who couldn’t even move inside the containment device?”
“As you know, the power of chaos drives people mad. Especially Keliak, who was on the verge of ascension, was even more vulnerable to corruption. In other words, Keliak succumbed to the temptation of chaos, just like the former master of Runkandel.”
“The Accursed God’s creation wasn’t just due to corruption, but also heavily influenced by a figure called the Prophet. If Keliak wanted to become the Accursed God, there must have been similar interference.”
Jin stared intently at Sanna, as if accusing her of being that Prophet.
“You suspect me.”
“Why wouldn’t I suspect a mysterious stranger who suddenly appears? To me, you look remarkably similar to the Prophet who was in Runkandel.”
“I understand. But I am a shrine maiden serving the sun god Kinzello. My only wish is for his return to this world. If a new Accursed God destroys everything, I cannot fulfill that mission. That’s why the Beast King Orgal joined forces with Lord Veradin to stop the Accursed God.”
Without Yuria, none of Sanna’s words could be fully trusted. Even if Yuria were here, it felt like Az Mil’s power wouldn’t affect Sanna—just like Orgal.
“Sanna, as far as I know, the Ziphl family’s goal didn’t include the sun god’s resurrection. Why are you working with Ziphl instead of your fellow believers? They’re obsessed only with the sun god’s return.”
“Let’s just say we belong to different sects. Besides, from what I’ve observed from afar, they seem somewhat lacking in intelligence. It’s hard to cooperate with them…”
“Different sects, huh? That means there could be others who worship the sun god besides you and Orgal.”
“Of course.”
“Also, it could mean you and Orgal’s sects have different methods for resurrecting the sun god. So your words are especially hard to believe. Your sect might even advocate destroying the world first, then resurrecting the sun god—using beings like the Accursed God.”
Sanna stared at Jin silently for a moment. Then she pulled back her hood, revealing her face. Her golden hair and eyes shone more intensely than Veil’s.
“Seems your sect has given you a very bad impression of the sun god’s followers. Though we belong to different sects, I apologize on their behalf. We’re not crazy people.”
“You should coordinate more closely between sects and manage your religious image. By the way, is Lokia Ganesto part of your sect?”
“That’s the first I’ve heard of that name.”
“If he is, tell him this: no matter why he betrayed his family, he will soon pay the price. If he needs to explain himself, he should come find me.”
Despite the one-sided conversation, Sanna showed no sign of offense.
She seemed unwilling to reveal any more about herself. Jin shifted his focus back to the Keliak spiritual remnants.
“I’ve been bothered by how these remnants seem to worship you.”
“Oh, that’s because I purified their inner selves through prayer.”
“Purified?”
“These remnants are byproducts of Keliak’s survival instinct and grudge. Their very existence traps them in unbearable pain they can never resolve.”
“You removed that pain through prayer?”
“Yes. It’s like healing wounded beasts—they open their hearts when cared for. Once the pain is cleansed, the remnants naturally disperse and vanish. Their survival instinct and grudge—the foundation of their form—cease to exist.”
“Calming restless spirits, huh? Sounds like something cultists say. Don’t you charge for that? It seems effective enough to warrant a fee.”
“I’m not a cultist.”
“Where is Keliak Ziphl now?”
At that, Sanna’s expression darkened as she shook her head.
“Actually, that’s the problem. That’s why I allowed Lord Jin to come. We know he’s alive, but we have no idea how he escaped the battlefield or where he’s hiding.”
Sanna explained the battle situation for a while.
According to her, Keliak couldn’t have left the battlefield alive without someone’s help.
“…Fortunately, when Lord Veradin began the suppression, Keliak was in the most unstable state, just before becoming the Accursed God. That’s why they could subdue him without outside help. But just as they were about to finish him off, he unleashed the legacy of the demon king’s magic. After the aftershock, he disappeared.”
“Wasn’t there a force surrounding him?”
“There was. All the mages nearby had surrounded the area as the battle dragged on. But no one saw the moment Keliak slipped away. He vanished without a trace—along with the fire dragon Kadun.”
“Then it must have been spatial teleportation.”
“That’s our assumption, but Keliak couldn’t properly control spiritual energy. Spatial teleportation through spiritual energy is only possible for the Accursed God or someone close to that level. Keliak, subdued before gaining full power, wouldn’t have had that option.”
“So you want Hister to investigate with record magic?”
“Yes.”
Jin gestured, and Valeria stepped forward.
The record window she summoned detailed the battle scene throughout their conversation.
But it was a record altered by Sanna. Valeria didn’t tell Jin this and continued analyzing the record as if it were genuine.
<“This can’t end here, Keliak Ziphl. You must become whole and face Siron.”>
Just like when they examined Runtia’s pocket dimension, Lokia’s name appeared again. The group stared wide-eyed at the record window.
‘Face your father…?’
-<“If Siron Runkandel returns like this, your younger sibling won’t be able to handle him. Not without my help, at least.”>
This record, found in Runtia’s pocket dimension, also showed Lokia was aware of Siron—as if he couldn’t complete his plan while Siron lived.
“…Lokia Ganesto? I didn’t expect to hear that name from Lord Jin. Who exactly is he?”
While the group hesitated, Valeria noticed something different from the Runtia pocket dimension—the sentences in the record window remained ‘clearly intact.’
“Lokia Ganesto was one of Runkandel’s former ten knights. He’s a figure erased from Ziphl’s history.”
“So that means he might have held a grudge against Ziphl and saved Keliak.”
“Honestly, it’s stranger that you don’t know him.”
“You’re free to suspect me, Lord Jin. But I can only think that Lord Veradin’s judgment was right. We found clues this quickly. I must report to Lord Veradin immediately.”
“Will Ziphl now search for Lokia Ganesto?”
“They will have to. Thanks to you, Lord Jin. But I assume you expect no reward? You’ve already been allowed to inspect the Tower of Stories firsthand.”
Jin nodded as he watched Sanna prepare to leave.
“Very well. Seems we both gained something. I’ll take my leave.”
There was no more information to gain from Sanna.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord Jin. Please take care on your way.”
Siris summoned a mote.
Sanna watched the white dimensional gate containing the mote for a while.
“You really are sharp, Lord Jin Runkandel. You almost caught me off guard.”
Later, as they raced across the otherworldly snowfields, Valeria spoke to her companions with newfound certainty.
“The records claiming that Lokia Ganesto saved Keliak are fabricated. That man, Sannara, deliberately altered the documents.”