Chapter 831
Episode 209: The Seventh Tomb of Temar – The Painting of Kaitam (4)
A simultaneous strike of sword energy surged from two teenage knights and five hundred elite warriors. Murakan twisted his body midair, dodging the relentless assault.
[This is maddening, Frey! You weren’t like this before. You were always the gentlest and most rational among the teenage knights! Why is the Merciful Saint of Hamalen acting like this?]
The Merciful Saint of Hamalen.
Even a thousand years ago, before Frey joined Runcandel, people called her that. Though born with immense power, she never wielded it recklessly. She lived as a seeker, always striving to ease the world’s suffering.
“You harmed the clan leader, but it’s not just the family that’s been hurt. Because of you, the entire world is now at risk. Ziphl will manipulate history as he pleases, and if we can’t stop him with our limited strength without the clan leader… the world will be transformed into a nightmare…”
[That’s not my doing! Oh, right. Biolo, you’re here too. Can you at least listen to me? Huh?]
“Murakan, why don’t you just hide that witch’s familiar cat on your back and stop babbling? Now I understand… why you suddenly embraced evil, betrayed the clan, and slaughtered so many. You’ve become like Lokia—attached to a witch!”
Biolo shouted, pointing his sword at Shuri. Once famed as the Empire’s finest swordsman, Biolo had been inspired by Temar, changed his name to Runcandel, and became one of the teenage knights.
[Meow!?]
“What promises did the witch make to drive you to this? To prevent the extinction of Solderet, perhaps? If so, not only you but even Solderet might have betrayed us. That would make sense. After all, a guardian dragon would never harm its contractor to the point of death!”
[Meow, meow meow meow, meowaaak!]
Shuri shook her head in protest, speaking in the language of the Crimson Jade Cat, trying to say she was abandoned by her previous owner.
‘Ah… I should have brought Shuri into the Crimson Jade Cat’s realm. I forgot she was Heluram’s familiar.’
Jin pinched his forehead and offered the Crimson Jade Cat to Shuri.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Go inside and wait, Shuri. Once this misunderstanding is cleared up, I’ll explain everything.”
[Meow!]
“So you really are hiding the witch’s familiar in there. Murakan, I don’t know how little respect you have for us to pull such a stunt.”
Swish—! The sword energies crashed against the protective barrier like a tidal wave. Frey and Biolo soared on the wind of the knights’ sword strikes, closing in on Murakan with barbed spears and longswords.
“What’s with the person wearing the clan’s robes? Are you all puppets of the witch, here to kill us and replace the clan leader?”
The spiritual barrier tore and mended repeatedly, and Murakan cursed in frustration.
[Please, I beg you, stop! You’re too much for me to handle. Just stop!]
Murakan shouted almost pleadingly. Though the teenage knights and warriors were mere images, they were guardians modeled after the personalities of those who had once guarded the tombs—like Silderei and Sara.
Murakan didn’t want to harm them. This wasn’t a trial set by a thousand-year contract like with Silderei.
[Calm down and look at me! If I were the fake, wouldn’t I have counterattacked by now instead of just dodging and blocking? I’d have already turned this place into a wasteland. Most of the knights would be dead the moment they saw me!]
For the first time, the teenage knights’ eyes flickered with doubt. Though the attacks continued, a brief hesitation revealed a gap. The knights quickly noticed and raised their defenses, but Jin and Murakan didn’t exploit the opening.
Frey and Biolo’s momentary lapse wasn’t due to lack of skill.
It was because they trusted Murakan. Before the fake Murakan’s betrayal, he was the one the teenage knights relied on most.
“Apologies for the delay in greetings, teenage knights. I am not the witch Heluram’s puppet, but Barmer. May I show you my sword?”
Jin deliberately concealed the name Runcandel.
‘It’s better if Murakan and I pretend to be agents of Solderet.’
That was the best explanation for the situation they had agreed upon on the way here.
In truth, this was a world inside a painting, and the knights were guardians living within Kaitam’s artwork. Jin and Murakan had come to cleanse the corrupted painting and investigate the history from a thousand years ago.
Saying that outright wouldn’t make sense, so claiming to be sent by Solderet was the most plausible story. In some ways, it wasn’t entirely false.
“That’s… Bradamante!?”
“Yes, Bradamante, the brother sword of Barisada. You might ask if this too is part of a scheme. Please examine it yourself—I believe you know well that no one can replicate the work of Picon Minche.”
Jin drew Bradamante from his waist and tossed it to the teenage knights. They caught it and inspected it, finding no doubt it was genuine.
“Bradamante was taken by Picon Minche because he couldn’t leave it unfinished. Surely you didn’t harm him to get it?”
“Of course not. Please calm down and give me a moment to explain. I will also clear up the misunderstanding about the Crimson Jade Cat, Shuri. Murakan, descend and take your place on the ground. You must be tired of flying while fending off sword winds.”
The teenage knights hesitated briefly, then raised their hands to halt the warriors’ attacks.
“…Very well, we’ll listen. If you intended to harm us, you wouldn’t have missed the opening when both of you showed it simultaneously. You seem capable enough.”
Standing just one step away from the transcendent power of Changseong, the teenage knights immediately recognized Jin’s skill.
“Thank you.”
[Ah! Thanks, you bastards. Only now that the kid’s talking are you listening. I was seriously considering beating you all into submission.]
Everyone descended to the ground.
“Where did you get those clothes? They resemble ours but are slightly different.”
“The clothes…”
“Graaah! As long as I, Dranax, stand, Storm Castle will never fall!”
Zheeeeng!
Before the voice could finish, Dranax’s strike landed behind Jin and Murakan. Murakan turned and blocked the blow with his tail.
[Ah, that bastard again! Damn, that hurts! Come on, try following up. Even you could end up with your jaw shattered, Dranax.]
“Stop, Dranax.”
“Cease, Dranax!”
Three voices simultaneously commanded Dranax. He paused mid-swing, tilting his head in confusion.
“Huh? Frey, what’s going on? You were fighting fiercely in the air just moments ago. Didn’t you manage to bring Murakan down here for a ground battle?”
“No, it’s just that Barmer and Murakan’s words seemed serious, so we wanted to talk it over…”
“Be quiet, Biolo. I asked Frey, didn’t I?”
“Phew, fine. Listen to Frey.”
“We wanted to talk. Their words seemed serious.”
“Oh, I see. If Frey says so, then that’s that.”
“No, Frey and I said the same thing.”
“Quiet, Biolo. Want a hit? What don’t you like about this?”
At that moment, only four people in the world could control Dranax: Temar, Frey, steward Leut, and the black dragon Misha.
“Hah…”
“Frey, that guy just told me he’s the real one, not a fake. Or was it the other way around? Anyway, he said some strange things. Is that what this is about?”
“Yes.”
The teenage knights stared at Jin and Murakan for a long moment.
“…I am the person Solderet left behind for a day like this. Everything we’ve said so far is true. The Murakan who attacked Temar is a fake, and the Murakan here is the real one.”
Jin summoned spiritual energy in his palm and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a glowing heart armor.
“You may have heard of Laprarosa from Temar. I trained with the Nether King’s clan there, and one day Solderet brought the unconscious Murakan to Laprarosa. Solderet said the enemies had cloned Murakan.”
Jin gauged the knights’ reactions and continued.
“Solderet didn’t know how the cloning was done. But it’s certain that the real Murakan was attacked by the fake without anyone knowing, and the fake has been living among Runcandel, pretending to be the real one.”
“…So the fake stabbed Temar in the back the moment the opportunity arose?”
“That’s what Solderet told me. I don’t know the full details. I’m just someone prepared by Solderet’s arrangement, and Murakan was unconscious until we left Laprarosa together.”
[Yeah, I lost some memories because of that fake bastard. I’ve mostly regained my strength, but my head’s still a bit off. Hmm.]
“Huh? So that’s why you acted like it was the first time seeing me in ages? How could you have forgotten me? You definitely said that to me.”
[That’s right, Dranax.]
“But we’ve never heard the head of the family mention you, Barmal. And if Solderet knew Murakan was a fake, why didn’t he tell the head or any of us?”
“Probably because he was too busy trying to save the dying Murakan. I was just training in Lafrarosa and only received orders—I don’t know the full details. Besides, Solderet has kept my existence a secret all this time. I think he sees me as some kind of… well… secret weapon.”
“…Secret weapon?”
[Exactly—a secret weapon! This is the perfect moment to use this kid, so Solderet sent support. You must have noticed already, but this guy is incredibly strong.]
“This is all very hard to believe, Barmal.”
“Yes, I agree. But I think actions speak louder than words. And what I intend to show you through my actions is that I will eliminate the fake Murakan who harmed Temar.”
Jin met the eyes of the young knights and added quietly,
“So please, allow Murakan and me to fight together. You won’t be disappointed.”