CHAPTER 649

[T.L: punisher87]

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A small sailboat was heading towards Tikan. Behind the boat, fifty or so ships emerged from underwater, with white foam bubbling behind them, rising to the surface.

It was a sight that Jin saw once before leaving for the Sota Desert in the past.

'Elder Sister Mary...!'

It could be Cosmos, who had become her subordinate, coming to deliver bad news.

Or perhaps they had already been engulfed in Rosa's chaos and came to attack Tikan.

But fortunately, as Mary approached Tikan, she appeared on the deck, and Jin was able to greet her, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"The youngest!"

"Elder Sister!"

Their voices echoed over the blue sea.

Even the knights of Runcandel, who were undergoing purification treatment, rushed outside to greet Mary.

As she entered the mansion, Mary was filled with a sense of defeat, powerlessness, and sadness.

Jin's heart ached as he watched her.

Mary also had chaos, but it was not at a serious level.

Jin realized that it was the result of Mary's resistance against the chaos.

"... As I suspected, it was you who attacked the Garden of Swords not long ago. Zipfel and Kinzelo followed your movements and took advantage of the opportunity."

As Jin recounted what had happened, Mary nodded as if she had expected as much. 

She recognized Jin's growth at a glance.

"First of all, I must pay my respects to uncle Jorden."

"Okay."

Mary paid a moment of silence to Jorden's coffin. 

Although she and Jordan were not originally on good terms, they had formed a bond of camaraderie and companionship while resisting against Rosa.

In particular, Mary admired him for sacrificing his life to save the remaining knights.

"If you look at this, you never know about people. Rosa Runcandel, who seemed unlikely to betray the clan no matter what, became a monster of chaos, while uncle, who seemed determined to swallow the clan by any means necessary, ultimately became its protector. The body of uncle must be enshrined in the mausoleum after we reclaim the clan."

"That goes without saying. By the way, how have you been all this time, Elder sister? And what about elder brother Diphus...…."

"Diphus Oraboni is imprisoned in the basement of the Garden of Swords. On the day you attacked the Garden of Swords, Rosa Runcandel must have released everyone except for Diphus Oraboni."

"Did you see it yourself? Elder Brother Diphus being imprisoned."

Mary's eyes narrowed.

"No, I didn't see it myself, but I heard about it."

"Please tell me in detail."

"That day, even after most of the rebels had been suppressed, Diphus Oraboni and I continued to fight. We were the only ones who had ventured so deep into the battle to the main house where Rosa was waiting."

Then the siblings engaged in combat with Rosa. 

More precisely, it was only Diphus who directly parried Rosa's sword. Upon receiving the sword strike, he confirmed the chaos penetrating his body and then excluded Mary from the fight. 

It was a decision made after determining that engaging Rosa directly with the sword would lead to certain defeat.

"Rosa had become almost as strong as our father. And not only that, she could infect others with chaos, leaving us no choice. We immediately planned to escape, but not long after, Oraboni lost consciousness. To Rosa's sword."

Mary's body was shaking when she remembered that moment. 

Mary could escape Rosa's clutches thanks to Diphus's sacrifice.

The reason she left Diphus behind and escaped was solely to ensure his sacrifice wouldn't be in vain.

"At that moment, I felt an overwhelming urge to die there as well. But if I did, I wouldn't be able to exact Oraboni's revenge... But it wasn't over after leaving the main house. I safely escaped the Garden of Swords, but the pursuers surrounded me before I left the Kalon."

The pursuers were about a hundred knights in total, and among them were members of the Black Sword association, who were stained with chaos.

At that time, Mary had no strength left to deal with them. She had already suffered severe injuries during her escape from the Garden of Swords.

"It was Lynn Milcano. It seems that Guardian of Law chief Lynn Milcano has replaced uncle as the new Black Sword Association chief. And Lynn Milcano, just let me go."

"If she just let you go..."

"Lynn Milcano was also resisting Rosa. I don't know if Rosa knows that, or if Lynn Milcano lied to me...… But at least it's clear that she allowed me to live."

-I'll give you some painkillers, 7th flagbearer. You should leave now. We'll report that you escaped.

-What kind of scheme is this?

-Don't think that you're the only ones who want to reclaim the Garden of Swords.

-You're also using the power of chaos even though you say that.

-I also made a separate contract with the Prophet like Rosa. There is only a difference in the method. We don't think Rosa's decision was right either.

-You made a contract? Damn, what the hell are you thinking?

-And what were you thinking when you attacked the Garden of Swords? Did you think you could win with just that level of firepower? You must have known about Rosa and the prophet's power to some extent. It was just a meaningless suicide mission!

-Hah. What about Diphus Oraboni and the knights now?

-Everyone will be imprisoned in the dungeon. 4th flagbearer...… Rosa had an eye on him from the beginning. He is likely to become one of Rosa's subordinates. Through chaos.

-Damn it, that filthy...….

- Hurry up. Either go find the patriarch or bring the 12th flagbearer. I don't know how long I can hold out.

Mary explained the conversation she had with Lynn that day. 

Thanks to Lynn, she was able to barely escape from Kalon and take refuge with the Cosmos Pirates. 

However, as time passed, her injuries and chaos only deepened, leaving her unable to do anything except focus on her recovery. 

And as soon as she recovered, she sought out Tikan. 

Jin couldn't even imagine how much she must have suffered during that time.

"If you hadn't been in Tikan, I would have left for the Black Sea immediately. Like Uncle Zed."

She no longer believed that Chiron was alive. It was just that there seemed to be no other option.

But now Jin had returned, and changes were already beginning. 

After Jin entered the Garden of Swords, all factions joined forces to attack Runcandel.

Although Kinzelo and Zipfel were enemies, it was still better to form a temporary alliance than rely on Chiron, who's life or death is unknown.

Jin paused to gather his thoughts and made eye contact with Mary.

"First of all, there's a high possibility that Lynn Milcano betrayed Rosa. I haven't seen Lynn Milcano in this fight."

"If that's the case, she's probably already been purged. If she really rebelled like us, Rosa probably wouldn't have been unaware."

"I think so too. Also, even if she hasn't been purged, the Guardian of law chief has already made a contract with the Prophet. She is not going to be a perfect ally on her own. She will eventually succumb to Chaos."

Therefore, it was best to exclude their support in the future battle against Rosa.

"And as for elder brother Diphus...… I can only hope that he is in a state that can be healed with the chaos purification device I possess. As long as he doesn't undergo complete transformation or total assimilation, it's reversible."

"Oraboni is a strong person."

Mary gritted her teeth and continued her words.

"No matter what Rosa does, Oraboni will never be easily broken."

"Yes."

"What are you going to do now?"

"First, I will meet with the two major factions and exchange information with them. We've decided to meet in Tikan tomorrow afternoon to discuss the forces Rosa's Runcandel possesses, and why they're not moving. And we need to determine the timing for attacking the Garden of the Swords."

"Zipfel and Kinzelo must have suffered considerable damage this time, so we won't be able to launch a counterattack quickly."

"It all depends on how much leverage the major factions can bring to the table. Also, if the Garden of Swords is unable to move for some reason, it might be better to bide our time and prepare thoroughly."

When escaping the Garden of Swords, Jin accidentally connected with Laprarosa through Lingling, and Qwaul is currently conducting research on it.

'If brethren come outside before the final battle with Rosa.'

Even if it was difficult to achieve, at least if he could perform "battle god fusion" without relying on such coincidence, it would be of great help in the final battle with Rosa.

To destroy the Garden of Swords, Rosa must be killed, but anyone other than Jin who engages in combat with her will be consumed by chaos.

Therefore, Jin will almost certainly have to face Rosa alone in the fight, so battle god fusion is essential.

'In addition, there's also the matter of Murakan's return...'

Murakan. He hasn't shown himself since the last manifestation.

While Talaris was injured, Misha took full responsibility for Elona's seal, so the time period for doing work instead of Misha had to be extended.

The battle god fusion, the return of Murakan, and the Golden Armada.

As Jin told Mary about his best cards, a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"As expected, you've grown up. The youngest. Having you here makes me feel more secure."

"I'll do my best to fight with all three prepared. We need to know why the Garden of Swords isn't moving so we can prepare properly. And having you here makes me feel secure too. So, please don't cry, elder sister."

Mary was leaning against Jin's chest, crying her heart out. She was releasing the guilt of leaving Diphus behind, the pain of not being able to protect the clan, all for the first time in six months. To her youngest brother who had grown into a strong man.

"Our Runcandel is not lost yet. We just need to reclaim it, elder sister. Our home."

"Today will be the last time you see my weakness."

"You don't look weak at all. But if it gets tough, you can lean on me like this anytime. We're family, aren't we?"

Suddenly, they sensed someone behind them. The Tona brothers were approaching, glancing around cautiously.

When the Tona brothers saw Mary crying, they were startled and tried to go back. But Jin silently gestured for them to come closer. Then the Tona brothers also hugged Mary and cried, and Jin comforted them by patting their backs.

[T/L: I'm not crying, you're crying.]

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