CHAPTER 229

Quikantel gave up on Murakan's condition for the moment.

Misha's careless reaction convinced her that Murakan wasn't in too much trouble.

"Miss Misha, it's been too long for a little 'catching up'. We last saw each other hundreds of years ago."

"Didn't we see each other in the Milla Kingdom about two hundred years ago?"

"I believe so. Either way, it's been a while. As you can see, I'm doing well. Thanks to him, Olta's contractor and I now reside here."

Quikantel nodded her head toward Jin. Misha's eyes flicked to him.

"Such a clever and strong child. I watched him go through his trials at the Great Mythra Desert. Mustering up the strength to swing your sword against Temar was especially impressive."

Misha smiled as she reminiscenced about that moment. But in her eyes, a hint of sadness glimmered.

Temar Runcandel.

'It felt like I was in his presence.'

Runcandel's first patriarch, and her first love.

After Temar passed, her life became endless missions and chores.

As Solderet's representative, she had to deal with all of his business, which meant repaying debts to others.

"I didn't know you were watching. Those weren't my best moments, so I'm a little embarrassed."

"It's fine. You were pretty cool back there. Watching you eat up that scorpion was funny, though."

"On that note, I'd like to ask a question."

"About how I got here?"

"Yes."

"Murakan. That runt can't escape the palm of my hand. I placed a tracking spell on him when he was young, and he still hasn't realized. What an idiot…"

"A tracking… spell?"

"Yeah, so I didn't even need to search for you, since I knew your location all along."

Which meant that the spell had been active for thousands of years.

Quikantel giggled.

"You haven't changed, Miss Misha. It's been a while since I've seen someone trick Jin."

"Humans are all the same. They believe any word I say."

"Haha, of course. Such a spell would never exist."

Jin awkwardly smiled and shrugged.

"Murakan can only use his spirit energy for fighting, but I can wield it in more special ways. Observe."

Misha raised her left hand over the table to cast a shadow. Then with her right hand, she brought the shadow into existence. Jin looked astonished, like a six-year-old watching a magic trick.

'How in the world?'

She pulled the left arm's shadow off the table and into reality as if she were scooping pudding. 

The shadow didn't disappear. She crumpled the shadow into a ball in her right palm.

Quikantel looked like she had seen this before.

"Wowie!"

Euria shouted and extended her arms toward the shadow ball. Misha grinned at the entertained child before giving out a small exhale.

The shadow exploded into thousands of dust particles that flew toward Jin.

'Like a galaxy in the palm of her hand.'

Jin didn't try to evade the dust. Upon reaching JIn, they disappeared.

"Indeed, just as you said, such magic doesn't exist. However, it's possible as a god-given ability. Any entity with my shadow marked upon them, I can always track their location. I did so to Murakan when he was young, which led me all the way here."

Misha lifted Euria off her lap and set her onto the floor. She then dispersed herself into spirit energy and flew around the ceiling.

[and I came into the mansion like this, so no one noticed.]

The particles gathered and scattered around the room. When they weren't concentrated in one location, he could only notice black specks around him.

Woooom…

The spirit energy gathered and solidified between Jin and Quikantel. The black figure dyed with color, and Misha appeared right before their eyes.

"So, is that enough for a demonstration?"

Jin nodded.

"Oh my, a warrior shouldn't be vulnerable this easily."

Jin heard Misha's voice from behind him. He turned and another Misha was standing there. In addition, there was another one at the original seat of the table, holding Euria in her arms.

Quikantel seemed pretty used to this, but the others were not. 

In fact, Lathry looked as if he was about to pass out since his childhood nightmare was standing before him.

"Your guardian dragon is a coward, Euria."

"But he's nice and cute."

"So it seems. Makes good cookies, too."

Crunch crunch…

All three Mishas bit into a cookie. None of them were illusions.

'Her ways of using spirit energy are completely different from Murakan. Can I do that too?'

However, she wasn't finished.

"Huh!?"

"My goodness! Lord Jin?!"

"Young Master?!"

Julien, Kashimir, and Gilly gasped. Jin turned around once again, and for a moment, his breath halted.

Jin Runcandel stood behind him.

The same face and outfit. It seemed even Quikantel hadn't seen this one before.

This new Jin took a plate and approached Jin.

"Why don't you try one?"

Even the tone and accent of speech were identical. No one knew which one was which.

"Such an uncommon experience. To see yourself without a mirror."

Misha bragged as if it were nothing. 

'That's crazy… This doesn't feel like a contractor's dragon, but more like the gods themselves.'

And if Misha were an enemy…

From that hypothetical scenario, Jin began to sweat.

The Misha at the table remained and the others disappeared.

'Does Joshua have… someone like this?'

He remembered Joshua's replica that he killed.

"I'm sure he didn't tell you that this is even possible."

"Indeed."

Misha sighed.

"Thank goodness. If he did, then I'd bash his head in and torture you until you forgot."

"I beg your pardon?"

"What did you think of what I just did?"

Jin eyed Misha for a bit before answering.

"…Alarming. If that Jin Runcandel appeared somewhere, my existence could become nothing. And to convince people that I'm the real one, it's a very frightening thought."

No one wanted to have a doppelganger.

Jin didn't particularly calculate his answer, but answered with raw emotion.

Misha smiled, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

She intentionally displayed her abilities to shock Jin. She wanted him to understand the power of the shadows and darkness.

In her opinion, Jin wielded a dangerous ability that could not only harm people and beasts, but gods as well.

The thousand-year contractor, and the last hope for the shadows.

'I will never let you face the same fate as Temar. Thankfully, Murakan led you in the right direction…'

'Do not be tempted by such power. I will always be watching you…'

Misha wanted to project this thought, but Euria tugged at her sleeve.

"That old man's not like that."

No one understood why she said that.

Jin burst into laughter at Euria's serious face.

"It's been a while since you called me that. What are you even talking about?"

"He would never do that."

Misha looked rather surprised.

'Old man…? And she read my mind. I knew this would happen, but… it seems that she isn't with Jin by coincidence.'

All sorts of questions zipped through her head.

Solderet, the god neglecting his children. Not a single message or signal.

'Jin could be Temar's reincarnation! Euria could've seen Temar… no, or maybe…'

She saw Solderet within Jin.

Az Mil, the god of sight. It could be possible with such a talented contractor like Euria.

Misha, of course, didn't know the emotions of the little girl. She patted Euria on the head.

"Anyway, talking with real humans isn't too bad. So, you… Gilly, right?"

"Yes, Miss Misha."

"I need a few days to fix my brother, so get me a room to use."

"I shall select the best one. Please let me know of any supplies you need."

"Thanks. I'd like to have a drink with Quikantel, so some drinks would be nice. It'd be nice if they're from Mount Milla and fermented for around a hundred years."

"Understood."

"Jin, we'll speak more tomorrow."

Remembering something, Misha turned to Gilly once again.

"And… you should be careful."

"Huh?"

"You perfectly match his type. If he goes too far, cut him off."

Gilly let out a cough.