Chapter 830
Episode 209: The Seventh Tomb of Temar – The Painting of Kaitam (3)
[What? Ugh, my head… What nonsense is this? And just now you asked if I’m some other Murakan? From now on, anyone who massacres innocent civilians and sends them to Temar’s bed is a fake Murakan. That bastard sure picked the worst things to do.]
“Th-then, does that mean the Murakan standing before us has no intention of wiping us out…?”
[Exactly! That guy’s the fake, and I’m the real one. That bastard is nothing but a painting drawn by Kaitam… No, scratch that. Anyway, stop begging me to spare you just because that trash is sullying my name. It makes me look like the bad guy.]
“I vouch for this friend’s words.”
Jin leapt down from Murakan’s back and spoke. Until then, no one had realized that Jin and Shuri had been riding on Murakan’s back, so the villagers gasped in surprise and stared at him.
Jin wore a Sogaju coat embroidered with ten black swords. Since the clothing style of Runkandel hadn’t changed much in a thousand years, the villagers assumed Jin was a knight of Runkandel.
“A k-knight of Runkandel?”
“Yes. I was on a long external mission with Murakan and was returning to Stormhold. So rest assured and tell me—what happened to the lord?”
“Well, to Murakan…”
[Fake!]
“Sorry. I mean, you were attacked by the fake Murakan. We lowly folk don’t know all the details, but there was a huge battle in the Black Sea. Thanks to the sudden support of the Ten Knights, he was able to return alive… but many have seen Lord Temar wounded.”
According to the villagers, after the Ten Knights rescued Temar, they engaged in a prolonged chase with the fake Murakan.
The pursuit stretched from the Black Sea all the way to Mittel, during which the Ten Knights suffered various injuries. The fake Murakan only ceased his attacks after they barely reached Mittel.
“…The consensus is that he hesitated to face the full force of the remaining Ten Knights and all of Runkandel head-on, waiting in Mittel. But the fake hasn’t stopped raiding places like the Mittel Kingdom and the Huepester Alliance since then.”
“So he’s trying to kill him by attrition.”
“Yes… It’s also why they haven’t been able to pinpoint Temar’s exact location. They probably expect Temar to recover with the sacred relic of Numerus and return. That’s all we know.”
“I see. Thanks for telling me. We should head to Stormhold immediately.”
As Jin climbed back onto Murakan’s back, the villagers exchanged relieved glances and sighed in relief. They could hardly believe anyone had survived after seeing Murakan.
[That damn fake bastard and that kid—I’ll make sure to deal with them properly. Everyone else, stay safe.]
[Meow! Meow!]
Shuri raised a front paw, fired up with fighting spirit.
“Thank you, thank you!”
“Of course, the true Murakan, the guardian dragon of Runkandel, wouldn’t do such a thing. This is the real Murakan…!”
“Please, make sure to punish that bastard!”
With the villagers’ earnest support, the group left the village.
[Kid, forget about sightseeing. We’re going full speed ahead. Hmm, one of the guardians Kaitam painted must have been me in this era, and because someone corrupted the painting, it’s gone mad, right?]
“Probably.”
[Ugh, it’s unsettling. It pisses me off. Even if it’s just in a painting, someone using my name, my form, and my power to do this… I’ll find that fake bastard and the one who corrupted the painting and tear them apart.]
As Murakan cursed while slicing through the sky, Jin recalled the records he’d seen in the second tomb from the past.
—There really is a tower… So the lord is inside it. Hah… Murakan, is this really the only way? Honestly, I’m not confident.
—Temar has weakened. I can handle him alone. The reason I called you all is just…
—No, what I mean is, I don’t know if this is the right thing to do. Killing the lord with our own hands… isn’t that too cruel? For him and for us.
—Don’t hesitate now, Paddler. Do you think I want to kill him? No words can express how painful this is. I’m suffering too.
That was the conversation between Murakan and Paddler in the records.
According to the records, there really was a tower in the Black Sea… and Temar seemed to have fallen under some kind of corruption. Just as Murakan, Paddler, and Lady Sarah were about to end Temar, Orgal appeared. Orgal proposed a way to save Temar.
The records cut off before revealing what that proposal was.
‘It’s true that Murakan and Temar fought in the tower in the Black Sea. Though it was more like Murakan overpowering a weakened Temar. Could the current corruption and chaos in the painting be connected to that incident?’
Whatever happened a thousand years ago that Kaitam recorded, they’ll have to resolve the corruption before they can understand it fully.
“Murakan.”
[Yes?]
“But if we head straight to Stormhold like this, won’t we be attacked? You and the fake look identical. I’m sure the people in Stormhold will misunderstand.”
[We can’t afford to take it slow. Right now, only someone at least as strong as the Ten Knights can harm me. So we’ll ignore everyone else and go straight through. We can explain everything carefully once we get to Stormhold.]
“Hmm, I wish misunderstandings could be cleared up so easily with words. Let’s prepare a few scenarios just in case. We’ll need to explain who we are.”
After two hours of flight, the Murakan Mountains came into view.
Along the way, Jin’s group saw signal fires and flares lit across the territories.
Naturally, all nearby cities, including Stormhold, were fully prepared for battle.
“I see a line of refugees. They must have issued an evacuation order, which means they’re planning to fight while destroying the entire city.”
No sooner had Jin finished speaking than a barrage of sword energy and cannon fire rained down from somewhere on the ground. About three thousand knights had formed an anti-air sword barrier.
But none of the countless sword energies even left a scratch on Murakan. He soared straight toward Stormhold, gaining altitude in an instant. From then on, the sword energies from the foot soldiers couldn’t even reach them.
Facing a dragon—especially one as powerful as Murakan—ordinary knights were practically useless. Mages could unleash chain spells or long-range magic, but knights were at a disadvantage without ground combat.
Only the elite Ten Knights were a different story.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a threatening strike came from halfway up the mountain. Sword energy sliced through a chunk of Murakan’s shield. There was no need to see who wielded it.
“A Ten Knight.”
[Right. Only they can pierce my shield like that. I wonder which one it is? Whoever it is, it’ll be a familiar face.]
Sword energies streaked across the sky one after another. Murakan quickly changed direction, dodging some and reinforcing his shield against others.
“Murakan…! So you’re daring to extend your claws all the way to Stormhold! I’ve been itching to find you and avenge the lord. Come down! I’ll kill you myself!”
[Ah, that voice… I think I remember who it is.]
Jin had never heard the voice before.
So far, Jin had confirmed six of the Ten Knights through records and reality: Silderei, Diana, Sarah, Paddler, Lokia, and Veil.
The furious knight firing sword energy into the sky was one of the remaining four.
[I’ll go down and get a good look at you.]
“Are you sure it’s safe? That guy’s pretty fierce.”
[Do you think this Murakan would be unsafe? You’re joking, right?]
“Yeah, just kidding.”
Murakan dived sharply toward the source of the sword energy. In that brief moment, dozens of sword energies flew at him, some grazing his body but causing no damage.
Crack! The trees crushed beneath Murakan’s wings and body revealed the Ten Knight’s form. A man wielding a chain sword, with long hair and a striking scar across his face.
“Are you mocking me? Coming down on your own?”
[Ah! Dranax, it’s you!]
Murakan immediately recalled him. Dranax Runkandel, the lord of the Kamal family, famed as the conqueror of southern Huepester a thousand years ago. Like most of the Ten Knights, he had followed Temar and changed castles.
“Don’t say my name with that filthy mouth. It makes me want to vomit.”
[Wow, how could I forget you? We made a great team back then.]
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
[You’re the type who prefers to solve things with fists, just like me, right? So it’s better to talk to someone else. I’ll be at Stormhold. See you later?]
“What? Hey, stop right there! You bastard, stop…!”
Murakan blocked and dodged Dranax’s sword strikes, then climbed higher once again. No matter how formidable a Tenth Order Knight was, catching someone who was determined to flee like Murakan was impossible. Unlike ordinary dragons, he couldn’t be hindered by energy bursts that disrupted flight.
[By the way, I’m the real one. Damn it, I misspoke earlier. I’m the genuine Murakan, and the one who ruined Temar is the fake! If you come back to Stormhold, someone will explain everything to you!]
“Graaah! I’ll kill you! Come here, I said! Come here! I’m going to kill you!”
Dranax’s furious roar quickly faded into the distance. In his rage, he fired sword energy behind his group and unleashed bursts of power.
“Wouldn’t it have been better to just calmly explain things? Seems like you only made him angrier.”
[You don’t know that idiot well enough. If it’s not a comrade he believes is smarter than him explaining, he won’t listen to a word.]
“So you weren’t that kind of comrade?”
[As you know, I’m not just strong in body but sharp in mind too. But that guy? He never got it. He’s completely stubborn, utterly reckless.]
Soon, Murakan reached the outskirts of Stormhold.
There, two Tenth Order Knights and a select group of elite warriors stood with their backs to the fortress walls, waiting for the group.
“Murakan… it seems you’ve come to Stormhold to settle this once and for all. It pains me to see what you’ve become. We will cleanse your vile sins with death. Before you vanish, I hope you find even a shred of remorse.”
[Wait! I didn’t come to fight. I came to reveal the truth. Looks like someone willing to listen is here. Hey, Frey! That’s right, you’re Frey Runkandel, aren’t you? I’m not the one who destroyed Temar—it was the real Mura… Ah, damn it, here we go again! That one’s the fake, I’m the real deal. I’ll explain everything if you just lower your sword.]
“How dare you insult us to the very end. Not even hell can contain your sins. This ends here. I won’t wish you luck as I once did when you were a comrade. Instead, I curse you. Everyone! Attack!”
[No, wait! Just listen for a moment!]
Murakan shouted desperately, but the knights didn’t hesitate for even a second and unleashed their sword energy.