Chapter 803
Episode 198: A Losing Deal (3)
Drakka, the Gipl family headquarters.
Veradin sat silently for a moment, gazing at the assembled executives. Except for Ronil, Octavia, and the new pureblood Gipl members he had brought in, the rest of the executives were gripped by fear.
The hallway outside the meeting room was lined with corpses.
Since the Tower of Stories incident, the entire Gipl family had been in turmoil. No official statements had been made, only rumors swirling in every corner.
And now, Veradin had called the first family meeting. This gathering, composed solely of pureblood Gipl and elders, was about to begin. But just before it started, Veradin had carried out a swift and brutal purge.
Those who questioned the Tower of Stories incident were wiped out in an instant. The victims had no chance to resist the sudden assault.
Even if they had fought back, the outcome would have been the same. Veradin’s power at the sacred grounds and Drakka’s main base was absolute—he was nothing less than a sovereign.
“There was a brief disturbance,” Veradin said. “As the new head of the family, I made a choice to lead efficiently. I ask for your understanding, even if it was unpleasant to witness.”
The executives exchanged uneasy glances. Over thirty of their comrades had been killed in a flash, yet Veradin called it a mere ‘disturbance.’
Moreover, he referred to himself as the family head. With that declaration, Kelliak’s fate no longer mattered.
Whether Kelliak lived or died, Veradin had already taken the position from him.
“I’m sure you have many questions—what happened to the former head and Kadun, how the Gipl family will be run going forward. My sister, Satrin Gipl, newly appointed as regent, will assist in clarifying these matters. We will soon make an official announcement.”
Satrin gave a slight nod to the executives.
Not only her, but all the purebloods Veradin had brought in were appointed to the highest positions. From the perspective of the old executives, it was nothing short of tyranny following betrayal—but no one dared resist.
Veradin felt a wave of disgust at their submission.
Of course, if anyone tried to oppose him, he would crush them without mercy. But this very weakness revealed the true state of the Gipl family—softened and vulnerable.
They had ruled as the world’s foremost family for too long.
It was time to reclaim the family’s founding creed—not that the Gipl were strong because of their name, but that they must be called Gipl because they were strong. The entire foundation needed to be rebuilt from the roots up.
“But enough about that. Let’s move on to recent matters. While we were reorganizing the family, our enemies have begun to make suspicious moves.”
“…Understood.”
“First, Kinzel suddenly and unilaterally stopped trading steel with us. Behind this, of course, is the Balmel Union and Jin Runkandel.”
“That’s strange, Head of Family. Kinzel should also be wary of the Balmel Union. There’s no reason for them to suddenly supply steel to them. We weren’t even buying at a low price.”
One executive spoke up, and Veradin nodded. While some resist change, others adapt quickly.
“Furthermore, our spies recently reported that Kinzel’s most important branch—the territory of the beastmen—has collapsed. It’s possible the Balmel Union attacked Kinzel in retaliation for the steel trade, and under pressure, Kinzel yielded.”
“An interesting theory. But Kinzel isn’t the type to bow so easily. If the Balmel Union had attacked, a full-scale war would likely have broken out immediately.”
“So, Head of Family, when you say Jin Runkandel is behind this…”
“I believe there was some kind of deal between Jin and Kinzel. And that deal is probably connected to the destruction of the branch that Elder Ritan just mentioned.”
“A deal? You mean Kinzel asked Jin Runkandel for support?”
“That’s how I see it. One faction outside of us, the Balmel Union, Runkandel, and the Empire must have struck Kinzel. Kinzel then turned to Jin for help.”
“But aside from those factions, there’s no group strong enough to attack Kinzel. The remnants of the Biment royal family have some strength, but they’re unlikely to make such a reckless move.”
The Biment royal remnants had cut ties with the Gipl after the Beast God War and disappeared.
“It’s not the royal remnants. I think a new power has emerged.”
“A new power…!?”
“If it’s a new power, it would have to be a coalition of neutrals. But aside from the heads of the major factions, there’s no one capable of uniting the neutrals.”
“No leader, but if Joshua Runkandel—whose status has been uncertain since the Beast God War—has appeared, it’s not impossible. But if it were Joshua, Runkandel wouldn’t stay idle.”
The executives murmured among themselves for a while. Watching them, Veradin shared some recent intelligence.
“It’s not Joshua Runkandel either. If he had begun using the power of chaos, I would detect it with my abilities. So, I believe this is the work of the Underworld.”
“The Underworld…?”
“There’s a classified document only accessible to the Head of Family. It contains information about the Underworld.”
Normally, this archive was off-limits without Shinu’s permission, but Veradin had broken the seal using Sanna’s power.
“The realm we call the Demon World lies beneath this world. At the boundary between the surface and the Underworld are a great serpent and some ancient races sealed away.”
The sudden revelation left the executives, except for Veradin’s closest aides, at a loss for how to react. They wondered if he had lost his mind.
But then Veradin pulled out a scroll from his robes and unfurled it before them. It depicted the boundary between the surface and the Underworld, as well as Ameris. At the bottom burned a fiery seal.
That seal symbolized absolute faith. The executives, no longer doubting, listened intently.
“That’s why I concluded that the ones who struck Kinzel are demons or other ancient races. But since most demons belong to Kinzel, it’s more likely the ancient races.”
“So, Head of Family, you’re saying that the ancient races from the Underworld were somehow released from their seal, attacked Kinzel, and Kinzel then requested support from the Balmel Union?”
“Exactly. Our task now is to identify who attacked Kinzel, why they targeted Kinzel first, why Kinzel sought help from Jin instead of us, and what Orgal and Zephyrin are doing.”
As Veradin summarized, the executives nodded.
“Immediately order your subordinates to release a fabricated news report treating today’s meeting details as fact. Also, coordinate with the regent to send the Phantom Corps and the regent’s mages to Kinzel’s branches.”
“Understood.”
“We’re behind the Balmel Union and Kinzel in intelligence. We must close that gap by any means and find effective ways to counter the Underworld forces. Those who achieve results will be granted the opportunity to learn the family’s arcane magic.”
Arcane magic, like the Runkandel family’s ultimate techniques, was not something anyone could master. Only those with pureblood Gipl-level mana affinity could learn it.
“It requires tremendous resources, but the research department has developed a stable method to enhance mana affinity. I expect everyone to work hard.”
October 1, 1803.
Jin sat in a barracks outside Kinzel’s Third Branch, sipping tea.
“You’re here?”
He looked up as Vishkel entered. Since the deal was made, Vishkel had been staying up nights, monitoring Kinzel’s branches.
Jin hadn’t helped with that. The Balmel Union was only on standby, with Jin and Siris stationed at two expected ambush points.
“…They still haven’t shown up here.”
“No. It’s a shame that either Nana or Lady Siris wasn’t at the Seventh Branch during the last attack.”
Two days ago, while Jin and Siris waited at the Third and Fifth Branches, the enemy tribe struck Kinzel’s Seventh Branch. The result was total annihilation; the beastmen there showed no signs of resistance.
Despite the costly deal with Jin, Kinzel had lost another branch. It was maddening. And Orgal and Zephyrin still hadn’t awakened.
‘Zephyrin might have been one of Ameris’s heads…’
Jin shrugged, recalling Ameris’s words. If Zephyrin had lost consciousness because of him, that would be the only explanation. Orgal’s fainting was likely linked mentally to Zephyrin.
“While checking the news during my rounds, I saw an article announcing Veradin Gipl as the new head of the Gipl family.”
“…Veradin?”
“Yes. And look at this. The first thing Veradin did upon becoming head was to reveal the Underworld and express suspicion about Kinzel’s relationship with the Balmel Union. This just came out in the news.”
Jin’s eyes widened.
“The announcement that Veradin has become the new head of the family was shocking enough, but now there’s sudden suspicion about our dealings with the underworld?”
“Because of this, there’s been all sorts of talk among my demons in Kinzello. But I have no idea what’s really going on…”
“Wait.”
Jin’s eyes sharpened as he scanned the bulletin.
“They’re here. Right on time, Vishkel.”
He stood up and stretched lightly.
“The Red-Eyed Clan?”
Vishkel tried to heighten his senses, but felt nothing unusual. His skills were far inferior to Jin’s, and he lacked the ‘light heart’ ability. What Jin had detected was the explosive psychic energy unique to the Red-Eyed Clan, suddenly flaring near the Third Branch.
“That’s right. Looks like we’ll have to deal with them before checking the bulletin. I’ll go ahead—follow me.”