Chapter 988
Episode 245: Kinzello’s Masterstroke (Part 1)
May 6, 1804.
It had been ten days since the Balmel Alliance acquired the components from Pivil. Yet neither the Balmel Alliance nor the Jeokmyeong tribe had released any news about it. People were still talking only about Jiple and the Jeokmyeong tribe.
Jiple had yet to begin their revenge against the Jeokmyeong.
Aside from a single raid on Bakel by the Alliance, the Jeokmyeong had not been attacked by any force. It seemed they had already stabilized all their occupied territories and were taking a moment to catch their breath.
The continent, which had belonged mostly to the Lutero Federation just ten days ago, was now over 80% under Jeokmyeong control.
“Sigh.”
Pirop let out a heavy breath and set down the newsletter.
“Pirops, sir?”
“Dad, what’s wrong?”
Bubar and Ainas, sitting beside him, looked at Pirop with concern.
“The captain said the other day that those bastards would definitely try to take us out first.”
“The Jeokmyeong?”
“Us.”
“Yeah.”
The ultimate goals of the Jeokmyeong and Kinzello were strikingly similar.
Both sought to resurrect the Sun God. But the world they aimed to create through that resurrection was completely different.
Among the three factions desiring the Sun God’s revival—Kinzello, the Jeokmyeong, and the Sun God’s cult—these differences were clear.
“We have the most information about the Sun God Kinzello among the existing human factions. And right now, our war capabilities are the lowest.”
“Are you saying we’re even weaker than the ruined Jiple just recently!?”
“Bubar, Jiple isn’t ruined. That’s just what the uninformed masses think.”
“What? Really?”
“They’re not gone! The heart of Jiple is the Tower of Stories. Though they lost most of their fleet and troops, as long as they have the Demon Stone and the Sacred Grounds, they’ll recover quickly. Plus, all their key superhuman-level figures are still intact. So from the Jeokmyeong’s perspective, it’s better to crush us first than to finish off Jiple.”
“Besides, Jiple also serves as a check against the Jeokmyeong for the Balmel Alliance…”
“Is that so? Vishkel.”
“Vishkel’s here?”
Vishkel appeared more haggard than usual.
As vice-captain, he understood better than anyone the desperate crisis Kinzello was facing. Even after the Jito suppression, Kinzello had been cautious, never expecting the Jeokmyeong to rise so suddenly.
“And Margiela?”
“…The same. Whenever she seems stable, she shows signs of going berserk, and Zephyrin barely manages to calm her down.”
Vishkel ran his hand through his hair, dozens of strands clinging to his palm. Pirop looked at him with sympathy.
“It must be the weight of the great mission she’s been burdened with. You’re doing well, my friend.”
“The situation is really bad, Pirops. The captain is trying to make contact with the Ganesto faction, but they don’t seem willing to meet yet.”
Even if they did meet Ganesto, there was no guarantee of a favorable outcome. It was just a desperate attempt to grasp at straws.
“Then the only remaining negotiation target is Jiple… Since the royal family has fallen, using Temar Runkandel’s left hand to negotiate with the Balmel Alliance is out of the question.”
“But the chances of negotiating with Jiple aren’t high either. The fact they haven’t reached out to us after losing Drakka means they’ve read the situation clearly.”
“Then we must make the first move and offer a proposal so attractive they can’t refuse.”
“If they join us, it must be something that can definitely harm the Jeokmyeong or the Balmel Alliance, or help complete the Demon Stone. The former would be ideal, but the latter could cause bigger problems once our temporary cooperation with Jiple ends.”
“The latter could be possible just by deploying this Bubar here. Surprisingly… But as you said, that’s just a stopgap. Hmm, a way to hurt both the Jeokmyeong and the Balmel Alliance at once.”
It sounded like a dream.
The Balmel Alliance and the Jeokmyeong had no intention of attacking each other immediately. That was why Simat spared Luna and Eltiot instead of killing them, and Jin didn’t start a full-scale war even though Luna returned injured.
“The captain said the Jeokmyeong’s power is definitely the strongest right now. If the Balmel Alliance and the Jeokmyeong went to war immediately, he was certain the Jeokmyeong would win.”
“Even though the Balmel Alliance’s forces have improved that much recently…?”
“Yes, and he said it wouldn’t even be a close victory. The difference in fleet strength, including the aerial fortress, is just too great.”
“The lack of time is the biggest regret. If only Margiela could control that power, we wouldn’t be so anxious.”
When Pirop spoke of Margiela, he cautiously glanced at Vishkel. Vishkel showed no sign of displeasure, but it wasn’t something he could hear happily.
The two sighed repeatedly.
“Dad, what if I use my dream ability to read the Jeokmyeong’s thoughts properly for once?”
“There’s no need to risk it now. We already know what they’ll do.”
“Then how about reading the Balmel Alliance’s dreams?”
“That’s dangerous too. They surely know about our dream abilities. If we’re careless, the Balmel Alliance could catch us as well as the Jeokmyeong. That would be the end for us—no escape routes left.”
“Wow, we’re like punching bags. Then what about just running away?”
“That’s possible, but the great mission won’t allow it. If we give up everything and hide, the Jeokmyeong will definitely resurrect the Sun God before us. It’s better to try something, even if it means destruction.”
At that moment, Bubar suddenly seemed to have an idea. He swung his croquette like a sword, scattering crumbs into the air that landed on Vishkel and Pirop’s faces. Pirop nearly lost his temper.
“Uh, Pirops, sir. And Sir Vishkel! I just thought of a good idea.”
“I’m not expecting much, but go ahead. That’s what your mouth’s for.”
“The captain once said that Jin Runkandel wants to bring the Meongwang tribe out of Inse from a place called Laprarosa, right?”
“He did.”
“So we’ve identified what we think is the entrance to Laprarosa.”
“…The Mitra Great Desert?”
Vishkel’s murderous glare softened.
“Yes! The Mitra Great Desert. How about we try using that?”
“So you’re saying we leak that information to the Jeokmyeong? That Jin Runkandel will extract the Meongwang tribe from the Mitra Great Desert? Then naturally, the Jeokmyeong will focus on checking the Balmel Alliance’s rise, not ours?”
Bubar frowned in disappointment at Vishkel’s response.
“I thought you were smart, Sir Vishkel. What happened?”
Vishkel was nearly overwhelmed by anger but held his tongue, waiting for Bubar’s next words.
“They wouldn’t just swallow that bait so easily. Do you think they’d believe us that simply?”
“Right, Vishkel was really dumb just now.”
“…Then what do you suggest, Bubar?”
“We act obsessed with something amazing in the Mitra Great Desert!”
“What?”
“Half of it’s actually true. Lanke once tried to summon the old demon dukes there, but Jin Runkandel beat him and it ended in failure. Anyway, if we do that, the Jeokmyeong will wonder what the hell we’re doing in that desert trash heap, and the Balmel Alliance will be annoyed with us too.”
“Oh, Bubar.”
“That sounds like the perfect way to get both factions to come after us.”
The moment Pirop said that, Vishkel shook his head in surprise.
“No, Pirops… It’s frustrating, but it’s not without merit.”
“Are you serious, Vishkel?”
“Yes. If we follow Bubar’s plan, we can naturally lure both the Jeokmyeong and the Balmel Alliance to the Mitra Great Desert. That will create tension between them, possibly leading to battle.”
“Hmm…”
“Above all, if Laprarosa is truly hidden in the Mitra Great Desert, Jin Runkandel can’t just let it go. He’ll be certain the Jeokmyeong noticed something about Laprarosa, not us.”
“Vishkel’s smart again!”
“Let’s just say it’s thanks to Bubar guiding him well.”
Ainas and Bubar chuckled and clapped, but Vishkel didn’t get angrier. It really felt like an unexpected solution had appeared.
“In the process, the Jeokmyeong will definitely find out that Jin Runkandel is obsessed with the Mitra Great Desert. So they’ll have to invest troops there as well.”
“If we’re lucky, the Jeokmyeong and the Balmel Alliance might even fight a full-scale battle in the Mitra Great Desert…?”
“Yes, Pirops. Of course, it’s an extremely risky gamble. But if it succeeds, we’ll gain what we need most: time. And we might even weaken both the Balmel Alliance and the Jeokmyeong simultaneously.”
Pirop fell into deep thought for a while.
“It seems this isn’t something you or I can decide on our own. It would be best to ask the commander’s opinion when he returns tonight.”
“Agreed, Pirops.”
When night fell and Orgal returned to the headquarters, he nodded as soon as he heard Bubar’s plan, a look of relief washing over his face as if a heavy weight had been lifted.
[That’s the way to go. It’s definitely a risky gamble, but there’s no better option anyway. From what I hear… it’s a method that’s almost guaranteed to succeed. Jin Runkandel is fixated on the brothers of Laprarosa, and the Jeokmyeong tribe is most wary of him.]
“I honestly don’t understand how we missed this move until now. Even a disgusting fool like Bubar came up with it… When should we put it into action?”
[If we wait until the Jeokmyeong tribe makes their move against us, it’ll be too late. We have to start immediately.]
For the first time in a long while, the members of Kinzel looked at Bubar with genuine admiration. But Bubar, busy playing rock-paper-scissors with Ainas in the corner of the meeting room, didn’t notice their expressions.