Episode 80
Chapter 27: Each Their Own Circumstances
The uninhabited island where they had fought had vanished completely from the map.
Between the meteor shower, the shattering of the Simgeom Jeokwol, and the explosion caused by the Ma-shin Stone breaking—it was a force more than enough to erase an entire small island.
As soon as Biment detected the incident, they dispatched an investigation team. Fortunately, the maritime patrol stationed nearby had immediately reported the situation to their superiors.
The team sent out consisted of imperial mages and the third squad of Biment’s special task force.
The moment they arrived at the scene, they were struck with horror.
Setting aside the fact that the island had disappeared, the strange magical energy still swirling relentlessly in the area was terrifying.
The whirlpool was so intense that even large sailing ships couldn’t approach safely.
“What on earth happened here?”
Meanwhile, the special task force members who had been searching for Quikantel and Enya until just moments before felt a sinking chill in their chests.
They instinctively knew this incident was connected to the whereabouts of those two.
Sure enough, one of the imperial mages watching the scene approached the task force.
“Squad Leader Latz, it appears the Silver Dragon Quikantel fought here. We’re detecting both silver dragon and wind dragon magic signatures.”
“Wind dragon? Are you certain?”
“Yes. I believe it’s Burettaile from Ziphl. The only wind dragon recently spotted in this area was a Burettaile. There’s also human magic present, but we can’t identify whose it is.”
Latz pressed his fingers to his forehead.
Why on earth had they fought? No obvious reason came to mind.
“The human magic is likely Enya’s, Oltar’s contractor. Could this be related to the artifact Ziphl is creating? Damn it, I should’ve put proper surveillance on that log cabin…”
That artifact—the Ma-shin Stone.
Only a handful of people in Biment knew of its existence: the emperor, the special task force leaders, and a few ministers.
But none of them truly understood its exact function—or even the full meaning behind the name.
All they knew was that Ziphl was working on an artifact connected somehow to the “Contractor of the Gods.”
“Leader! The navy has found what appears to be parts of dragon corpses on the opposite side of the whirlpool!”
The navy had discovered flesh and scales clinging to debris floating on the sea.
“…It’s confirmed. These belong to the silver and wind dragons. Judging by the wings and tails.”
The imperial mage watching the wreckage reported.
“Collect all the debris floating in the water. Be careful not to get caught in the whirlpool!”
The investigation team later recovered numerous pieces of flesh, bones, and scales.
The imperial mages concluded that both dragons had died in the fierce battle, and it was Latz’s responsibility to report directly to the emperor.
“Yes, as you suggested, this may be directly related to the artifact they’re creating. So the cause of the whirlpool where the island once was remains unknown?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You’ve been reporting a lot of uncertainties lately. We still haven’t identified Quikantel’s guests either.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s intentional. If you can’t find them, then they’re no ordinary people. But I trust you’ll find them eventually.”
Latz bowed his head.
“In any case… from our perspective, it’s better if both dragons are dead. Otherwise, it only gives them an excuse. Let’s wait for Ziphl’s official statement.”
“What should we tell our informants?”
“Keep it under wraps. If Enya isn’t found by tonight, declare her missing. She probably died alongside Quikantel. Only the academy’s nobles will be happy about this.”
After Latz left, the emperor sat alone in his dim office, lost in thought.
“I’ll have to send more special forces to Ziphl. Too much is happening without my knowledge.”
At the top floor of Ziphl’s magic tower.
“Andrei… is dead.”
A man stared at a crystal orb and spoke calmly.
Kelliak Ziphl, the absolute ruler of Ziphl.
Despite just learning that his younger brother and vice governor had died, his expression remained composed.
Unlike the public image, he looked like a young man. Anyone unfamiliar with his youth wouldn’t recognize him if he walked down the street.
[What? Your brother’s dead? What nonsense is this? That crystal orb is just a useless ornament. Are you joking, Kelliak?]
Only one being spoke to Kelliak so casually.
Kadun, the Flame Dragon, guardian of Kelliak and the fire god Shinru’s emissary. He was slowly roasting a five-meter-long skewer with a gentle breath.
“You can’t see it with the orb, but you can feel it. My brother just died. I’m not joking.”
The skewer spinning between Kadun’s fingers came to a halt.
[Hmm, so it’s true. Could Quikantel have done it? He took the Ma-shin Stone, didn’t he? And Burettaile was with him. If Andrei’s dead, then Burettaile probably is too. Still, with the Ma-shin Stone’s power, Quikantel should’ve been nothing.]
“Well, maybe the silver dragon was stronger than we expected, or someone else intervened.”
[Quikantel? He’s strong, but not enough to take on both of them. Especially not with the Ma-shin Stone’s power!]
Kadun took a big bite of the skewer. Kelliak smiled faintly.
“Then that means a third party is involved. Who do you think it is?”
[How should I know, you idiot.]
Kelliak’s expression suddenly soured.
[…Probably a dragon! Kinzello said the ‘Shadow Dragon’ killed the Graveyard Giants, right? That could be Misha. Very likely.]
“Misha? The sister of the Black Dragon Murakan?”
[Yes, Murakan’s sister, Misha. She wouldn’t fear the Ma-shin Stone’s power. Not as strong as Murakan at his peak, but still incredibly powerful.]
“Kadun, you know what you have to do.”
[Find Misha? Ugh, all the annoying stuff falls to me. I’ll look, but don’t expect much. If the Black Dragon wants to hide, even the god of search would struggle.]
“I’m counting on you, Kadun. Losing the Ma-shin Stone is a serious blow.”
[You don’t even care that your brother died?]
“I expected it would happen someday. When he recklessly showed up at Siron’s banquet, my heart sank. I just didn’t expect it to happen while he had the Ma-shin Stone.”
[We’ll have to call the sculptor to remake it. Without it, we can’t challenge Runkandel before Siron dies. And the kings of the Black Sea…]
“I know, I know. Ugh, this is such a mess. First, I’ll have to erase all traces related to the Ma-shin Stone, just in case. I have more annoying tasks than you, Kadun.”
[That’s the price to pay to become the only god in this world.]
Bubar Gaston’s sculpture workshop, Duchy of Kurano.
“Oh! Vishkel! I was just craving the sweet potato croquettes you brought last time. Perfect timing, haha.”
Vishkel suppressed his disgust and sat down.
“Croquettes…? Not today?”
“Listen, Bubar. I just heard from Biment’s spies. It seems Ziphl used the Ma-shin Stone without telling us.”
“What? They used the Ma-shin Stone?”
“Yes. A huge battle broke out between the silver and wind dragons in Biment’s waters, and an island disappeared. The whirlpool remains because of residual magic… the Ma-shin Stone must have shattered.”
Bubar jumped up, shouting.
“No! The Ma-shin Stone is my work! I warned them not to use it until it was complete! If this is true, it’s unforgivable!”
While Bubar raged, Vishkel wore a frustrated expression.
‘The day I can kill this stupid pig keeps getting further away. We’ll have to remake the Ma-shin Stone.’
Though the idea was Ziphl’s, Bubar had crafted the Ma-shin Stone himself.
Ownership was split evenly between Ziphl and Kinzello.
“The leader is furious about this. Our alliance with Ziphl might break. For now, do not accept any communications from Ziphl.”
Two days later, the grand estate of Tikan Kashimir.
“Prince Jin, you’ve returned!”
Kashimir and the leaders of the Seven-Colored Birds came out to greet him in the garden. Gili and Enya, who had been waiting for the group, hurried out as well.
“Master! Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Strawberry pie. Haha, I’m fine.”
Gili, who had been worried sick about Jin without sleep, listened as Enya gave a rough account of the situation.
After a moment, Gili saw Luna and quickly bowed.
“Miss Luna, my apologies for the late greeting.”
“It’s alright, Gili. I heard on the way here that the youngest cherishes you dearly. Continue to serve him well.”
“Luna…? Could it be—Lady Luna Runkandel?”
“Ah, you must be Lord Kashimir. A pleasure to meet you. I am Luna Runkandel.”
“To have Lady Luna serve in my estate—what an honor. Everyone, please come inside. You must be tired after everything.”
Just as Jin stepped into the mansion, about to explain all that had happened, Kashimir spoke first.
“Prince Jin, there’s something I need to tell you. About three hours ago, my daughter’s guardian dragon returned.”
Jin’s eyes widened.
“Latri has come back?”
“Yes, but there’s something strange. It seems she has no memory of the time she was missing. She’s staying close to my daughter now, but even she seems confused. Could it be that she wasn’t kidnapped after all?”
“That’s not the case. Lord Quikantel personally extracted a confession from Buretta.”
A sudden thought flashed through Jin’s mind.
‘Are they erasing any evidence to keep the existence of the Demon God Stone a secret? If so, it’s likely Latri’s memories were deliberately wiped.’
As Jin shared this theory along with the events on the deserted island, Kashimir nodded.
“You’ve been through unimaginable ordeals… I’m ashamed of my own incompetence for letting only you bear such burdens. An artifact that devours God’s contractors—what on earth has Ziphl been up to…”
“There’s only one reason to create a counterfeit Origin Stone, you fool.”
Murakan spoke up, and Jin, Quikantel, and Luna all nodded in understanding.
They had already been briefed on what the ‘Origin Stone’ was during their journey.
“To become a god. To rule over this world… Whether things will truly go according to their plans remains to be seen.”