Chapter 292

March 8, 1799.

The knights of Runcandel, gathered to kill Barton Vicenna, arrived in the disputed region of Ventica, which was in the midst of winter. The sky had not a hint of moisture, appearing as parched as the earth, while the biting cold wind scraped across the surface.

It was truly a wasteland with nothing but dirt and rocks. However, for centuries, this place had been a constant source of both large and small battles, all because of its resources.

There were massive holes all over the wasteland. They may have appeared hollow from a distance, but upon closer inspection, most were large enough to swallow entire ships.

These were all traces of resource mining. This place was inexplicably rich with underground resources, and had always been a profitable target for conquerors.

But it was the first time ancient everlasting steel was found here. Each time this mysterious mineral was found, it sparked intense conflicts among major factions.

Right now, the knights of Runcandel and the mages of Zipfel had gathered here for that very reason.

'White night, I'll have to face the power of that annoying battleship once again.'

In the distance, something was emitting a radiant light like the sun.

It was the Kozec, Zipfel's giant battleship, displaying its magnificence.

Five red dragons flew around it as if serving as its escorts. With the enormous battleship and the five dragons in tow, the vast sky felt confined.

And Jin saw the back of the lone knight facing them all.

'Is he Barton Vicenna...?'

A fluttering cloak, a sword occasionally revealed itself behind the cape, and a black helmet.

In the presence of Kozec and the five red dragons, Barton's presence felt even more imposing.

Despite the hundreds of meters separating them, they were already within each other's attacking range.

He felt that if Barton decided, he could easily wipe out the red dragons and destroy Kozec.

The Black Knight of Runcandel.

Only ten knights in the entire clan were given the privilege of wearing a black helmet and holding the title of the Black Knight.

Jin was certain just from the aura Barton exuded that he was more than worthy of wearing the black helmet.

The problem was the fact that he had become a traitor.

If Rosa had been the only one to claim that Barton was a spy, Jin might have had his doubts.

However, Chiron himself confirmed that Barton was a spy, so it was clear that he was an undeniable traitor.

It wasn't easy to accept that they had to kill him. According to the documents, Barton had undoubtedly suffered because of Runcandel, which could justify some of his resentment.

However, there was no room for hesitation. Jin only wished that there could be a moment to talk before they kill him.

"Have you arrived, Fourth Flagbearer?"

Barton was the first to speak when Jin, Diphus, and the guardian knights approached. His voice, coming through the helmet, was eerie yet intimidating.

Despite using formal language, Barton didn't bother to turn around. Even though Diphus was a flagbearer, he couldn't be considered higher in rank than the Black Knight.

Diphus took his place beside Barton.

"Sir Barton."

"I didn't expect the 12th flagbearer to be part of this mission. Is it Madame Rosa's decision?"

Barton, who turned around belatedly, glanced at Jin as he spoke.

Jin could read the underlying emotions concealed within his composed tone.

Disappointment.

He seemed uncomfortable by the fact that he, as a Black Knight, now had to undertake the mission alongside Jin, who had just become a flagbearer.

Diphus nodded. "Yes, Sir Barton."

"It's going to be quite a dangerous battle. Please make sure to protect the 12th flagbearer."

"Well, I don't think he needs our protection."

"If the 4th flagbearer thinks so, then there's nothing more I have to say. However, please keep in mind that I also won't have much leeway against those opponents."

"Understood."

Even in Barton's somewhat commanding tone, Diphus didn't show any sign of discomfort. Instead, he obediently followed, as if it were only natural.

Excluding the fact that Barton was a spy, Diphus was displaying the right attitude. Many flagbearers couldn't enshrined in the "mausoleum" after they died, but unless a Black Knight committed treason or its equal offense, they would definitely be enshrined in the "mausoleum."

In that sense, Barton couldn't go to the "mausoleum."

"4th flagbearer will take charge of the central front with me. The top three guardian knights will handle the infiltration, and the remaining seven will deal with the enemies who have left the battlefield."

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Do not designate a path towards the central front even if you find yourself in an unexpected or an emergency situation. You are more likely to be swept away and face a higher risk of death."

"We will keep that in mind."

Barton didn't issue any orders to Jin. He treated Jin as if he didn't exist after mentioning it only once at the beginning.

'Betrayal aside, from Barton's perspective, it might have wounded his pride that he's carrying out the mission with me, who is not only young but also undermines the clan's legitimacy.'

Jin didn't react differently to Barton's attitude. Shouting like, "Are you ignoring me?" would only make himself seem petty, and in reality, he wasn't that bothered by it.

Jin didn't even feel any ill will towards Barton. Instead, he felt somewhat considerate, despite Barton's intentions being different.

Whether you died, escaped, or fought, it seemed like Barton was saying do as you wish.

"That's all, everyone, to your positions."

Upon Barton's command, the guardian knights quickly dispersed.

The three designated for the infiltration remained behind and wore masks to make it difficult for them to be identified.

Kozec and the red dragons were approaching rapidly. They were still quite far away, but the red dragons collectively extended their protective shields, forming a massive sphere in the sky.

Swish...

Barton, Diphus, and the infiltration team of guardian knights drew their swords in response.

The battle had begun. The red dragons extended their shields to give Kozec time to activate its cannons.

"I wish you good luck, 4th flagbearer."

Whoosh!

Barton's eyes gleamed and he dashed forward. The rock fragments flew with each step he took, and his sword, engulfed in an aura, was already forming a giant sail-like blade.

Diphus followed closely behind him, and the guardian knights of the infiltration team advanced while trying to predict the positions where the fragments would fall as a result of the collision between sword energy and cannons.

Only Barton and Diphus could fight freely even as the fragments began to fall. Or that's what Barton thought.

'Maybe I should retreat for now.'

Jin decided to withdraw. First, his physical condition wasn't perfect, and there was no point in wasting his strength from the beginning.

Second, he intended to expose his full power to Barton as late as possible.

'It would be problematic if Barton found out my true abilities too early. He might sense something strange and will try to confirm various things.'

From Barton's perspective, this mission was merely about securing Ventica. He still didn't know that the flagbearers and guardian knights had come here to kill him. If he knew, he wouldn't have ignored Jin like this.

So Jin had to hide his full power as much as possible.

The best outcome would be if Barton, Diphus, and the guardian knights defeat the Zipfel forces without his intervention. After that, Jin could step in, either to kill the tired Barton or to ensure Barton met his end in the enemy's hands.

'But ultimately, it's more likely that I'll have to step in. Whether it's to secure our victory, turn the tide of battle, or rescue the knights, or whatever else.'

The next best option was if Runcandel lost and assassinate Barton during the escape.

In this case, Ventica would fall in the hands of the enemy, but it was more likely that Difus would take responsibility for it, not Jin.

'In the end, I don't lose anything from this mission. I won't gain anything from it either. Whether it succeeds or fails, it's all on elder brother Diphus anyway. Mother really issued this mission just to use me as efficiently as possible.'

So, as always, Jin could simply look out for his own gain.

From that perspective, Jin had already devised a decent plan thanks to Barton treating him as inconsequential as air.

'No matter which side wins, both elder brother Diphus and Barton will be in a vulnerable position. At that time, if the opportunity arises... it wouldn't be a bad idea to take care of elder brother Diphus as well.'

That didn't necessarily mean killing them. Jin wanted to instill fear in Diphus's heart so he would never treat Jin lightly again. There was no need to kill Diphus just yet. Removing someone who could restrain Joshua was a foolish move.

'Elder brother Diphus has a lot to do while he's alive.'

Jin smiled as he observed the fighting.

It was time to enjoy the fight.

Kwaaaah!

Kozec unleashed a concentrated golden colored fire from its mana cannon.

The cannon fire Jin had encountered on Colon had the power to obliterate an entire ground if allowed to land. Fortunately, it wasn't as potent as what he had faced in Colon.

Since Zipfel doesn't value ancient everlasting steel more than mirror, the battleship passengers weren't likely to be superior back then.

Bang!

Barton and Diphus also shot their sword energies into the sky.

When the two forces collided, a thunderous roar and shockwave followed, creating a blinding spectacle as the sky lit up.

Then the debris fell like rain. Piece by piece, fragments, equivalent to the power of a strike from a 6-star martial artist, rained down towards the ground, threatening to cover everything.

Outwardly, it looked almost identical to what had happened on Colon. However, back then, Talaris couldn't fully attack Zipfel, and she had to protect the natives.

On the other hand, Runcandel's knights had no trouble at all. Unlike what had happened on Colon, this battle didn't have to rely solely on the power struggle between sword energies and cannon fire.

After Barton fired his sword energy, he didn't pay much attention to the second cannon fire hitting the ground.

Zipfel was also in a similar position. The mages of the White Night aboard Kozec were also mounted on dragons and took positions in the air.

The mages began to unleash all sorts of high-level destructive magic from the sky, including wind of hell and sword of ice, and Barton and Diphus continued to leap toward them.

'Barton Vicenna, he is truly a monster.'

Leaping meant that their bodies were floating in the air. In this state, their movement was naturally limited compared to being on the ground. However, Barton was freely moving through the air, dispersing his sword energy as if he were flying. He even managed to break through the enemy's protective shields without wasting any of his sword energy.

Diphus was doing the same, but since he had not yet reached the 10-star, he had to use aura more efficiently than Barton.

While the two of them were busy traversing between the sky and the ground, amidst the battlefield, suddenly, BOOM!

Suddenly, an "unexpected explosion" occurred along the paths of the two.

Fortunately, both Barton and Diphus managed to evade the direct impact, but they couldn't avoid the fall.

At that moment, a glint appeared in Jin's eyes.

Diphus and Barton also recognized the magic spell that had just attacked them and looked around among the dragons.

They needed to find the mage who was using 'spatial explosion'. As far as they knew, there was only one person in the world who used spatial explosion magic, Kelliark Zepfil.

Jin immediately grasped who had used the Spatial Explosion.

'It's Midor Elner!'

Jin remembered how much he had struggled with the spatial explosion in Colon.

Jin quickly scanned the area to find Midor.

However, after a few seconds, Jin realized that the mage who had used the Spatial Explosion was not Midor.

He spotted a figure with pure white hair in the distance.

'Veradin...!?'

Perched on a red dragon, he looked down at the Runcandel knights with eyes that glowed as if soaked in red flames.