CHAPTER 760

[T.L: punisher87]

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The Kaldran Snowfield.

As Jin arrived here riding the red owl, he felt a sense of unease. Even if he were to encounter Luntia again, unlike with Vailam, the current purification process wouldn't be able to heal her.

His second sister remained engulfed in the madness of chaos, enduring lonely times as a monstrous being.

The chaos subsided, revealing the endless expanse of the pristine snowfield, with a cave leading to Luntia's subspace.

[Myaaah....]

Upon reaching the cave, as if urging him to muster his strength, Shuri licked Jin's back.

"Shuri, thank you."

"Aren't you thankful to me too?"

"Oh, right. I'm grateful to you too. Bale, let's gradually unleash your power."

As Bale transformed, the cave quickly overflowed with a golden aura.

The first time Jin came to find Luntia, he accidentally opened the portal to the subspace through Shakan and shadow force. However, this time the portal formed in the center without consuming any energy.

Even from the entrance of the portal, a dense chaos could be felt. The evil god and the prophet had met their complete demise, but the chaos used on Luntia hadn't disappeared.

[It seems quite eerie... Do we really have to go in? After all, you currently have no means to bring back your sister.]

"Hurry up and come along."

Sending Shuri back to the ruby, Jin stepped forward into the realm beyond the portal.

A vast subspace unfolded before him. The flow of time in the subspace differed from that of the human world, so he had to quickly examine Luntia and leave.

However, even as he tried to recall the path he had taken last time, he couldn't find it. There were no markers left by Valeria as before, so the subspace was nothing but a hollow darkness.

"Bale, you go that way, and I'll explore this side..."

Just as he said that.

Suddenly, Jin felt the approach of a chaos energy from a distance. It was an incredibly fast pace, as if rushing forward.

'Is that Elder sister Luntia's energy?'

The aura is dense. It likely means that there's a high chance Luntia has lost her sanity.

Once again, his chest felt tight, but Luntia, who appeared shortly after, dispelled Jin's ominous premonition in an instant.

[Jin, the youngest!]

"Elder sister?!"

Surprisingly, Luntia retained her sanity from when she was human.

-[If I connect to that, I'll go mad again.]

Her words from last time.

The "connection points" that linked her and the subspace still existed, and her appearance had horns on her forehead, just like before.

[Am I looking much better than you expected?]

"It sounds like lines from a villain, to be honest. It's surprising, but I am very happy."

[Hehe, little by little, my sanity has been returning. Now it's completely back to how it used to be. I think it's thanks to you defeating the evil god.]

Indeed, Luntia's regained sanity was a result of the evil god's death. The chaos that had lost its master could no longer erode Luntia's mind. Although it could be said that Luntia's will was remarkable for such a thing to be possible.

"I'm truly relieved, Elder sister."

[And who's this?]

"This is Bale, a former ten great knight of ancient Runcandel."

[What? I greet the esteemed ancestor!]

As Luntia knelt down and paid her respects, Bale grinned with satisfaction.

[Yes, yes. Finally, I met a descendant who knows etiquette. This brat always tries to get the better of me. Doesn't seem to understand the concept of how ancestors should be treated! Give him a good scolding for me as elder sister!]

"He's a bit reckless, but still an interesting companion. Please understand, Elder sister."

Jin spoke as he helped Luntia to her feet.

[Look at this, again, again!]

[If he's a former ten great knight, shouldn't you be showing the utmost respect to the revered ancestors?]

"That may be true, but he's not an ancestor who sacrificed everything solely for the clan. Me and my comrades almost died because of him. Now, little by little, he is becoming more like ten great knights."

Jin continued, summarizing the events that had taken place during their time apart, explaining them to Luntia.

While Luntia listened to the story, she didn't show much emotion, but occasionally her eyes took on a bitter gaze.

When the story of Diphus' death came up, she even shed tears. Unlike the Myu, Anne, Ran, and Vigo, Diphus' death held a different weight for Luntia as well.

[...Yes, you became the young patriarch,] she said.

After the story concluded, Luntia now showed courtesy towards Jin. She wanted to congratulate her younger brother, even if she couldn't attend the appointment ceremony.

[You've worked hard, Jin. While you and the others fought so desperately, I couldn't do anything. It must have been a heavy burden for you.]

"Please don't say that. Merely regaining your consciousness is a great source of strength for me. Once you return, you will have plenty of tasks for the clan."

Since their last meeting, Jin had felt a deep bond with Luntia. The remaining flagbearers were now his true family.

"To heal you, we'll need the help of the sister battle god. Please wait a little longer until then."

[You'll do well on your own, but don't spend too much time on the task of rescuing me. Now that my consciousness has returned, I'll focus on my personal training as if I were in closed door training. Even if you can't save me from here, I won't hold any resentment. Don't come to me too often; it's pointless.]

"I will definitely bring you out."

[But, Jin.]

"Yes, Elder sister."

[Before you came, someone had already visited this place. I wanted to tell you when you arrived.]

"Such an incident occurred? Please tell me in detail."

[At the time, I had regained about half of my sanity, so the memory is vague. They were wearing a robe that covered their whole body, so I couldn't see their face, but the voice was that of a woman. I couldn't possibly guess who she was, but listening to the things you mentioned... perhaps she was Lokia Ganesto, the traitor from a thousand years ago.]

As soon as Jin heard Luntia's words, he had a strong intuition.

Originally, this subspace was the fifth tomb of Temar. It was a space that couldn't be accessed without having a connection to a Solderet like Jin or a deep association with Runcandel from a thousand years ago.

Even the Prophet had likely consumed something from a thousand years ago to open this place, and Valeria had used Bale's handkerchief she acquired during her investigation to gain entry. Jin and Heddo had also entered through the shadow force and Shakan.

Therefore, it was highly likely that the person Luntia met was Lokia. If not, there were no other former ten great knights.

[Wait, how was her voice? Was it clear or somewhat muffled?]

[It was closer to clear, Sir Bale.]

[Lokia's voice was a bit hoarse.]

"You can easily change your voice. What did she say to you?"

[She proposed a contract to me. If I were to make a contract with her, she would immediately free me from this place and make me the matriarch of Runcandel.]

Even in her partially restored sanity, Luntia outright rejected the proposal.

[After I declined, she said some other things... but I can't remember the details. From then on, her voice was barely audible as I struggled to suppress my madness. Damn it, if that person had come a little later, I could have heard everything and told you. It's frustrating.]

"There might be a way to identify the parts you don't remember through record magic."

[The Hister mage whom I wounded?]

"Yes, as soon as Valeria finishes her task in the Imperial Square, we will come back and examine the records. Even if you couldn't hear it, the words that person spoke will surely be preserved in this space."

Valeria was currently maintaining the record window regarding the evil god war in the Imperial Square and couldn't move. Jin decided that as soon as that task was finished, he would bring Valeria back to examine the records of Luntia again.

[Oh, I didn't think of that. I told you not to come too often, but I guess I'll be seeing you again soon after today.]

While it was good to unexpectedly find clues about Lokia or the person suspected to be her subordinate, it also worried Jin. If Lokia acted so swiftly as soon as the evil god disappeared, it meant that she was preparing something else.

'If what Sir Padler said is true, Lokia Ganesto is a person who carried out her plans so perfectly that not even Rosa could detect her involvement."

Even Rosa, who was undoubtedly a flawless human that Jin himself had to acknowledge, couldn't perceive Lokia's intervention until she perished as a evil god. This meant that Jin had to scrutinize every detail and activate all his senses.

[Thus, you should return for now, the youngest. I've heard that time in this subspace passes much faster compared to the human world.]

Even though Luntia emphasized it several times, Jin couldn't help but feel uneasy about nodding his head. There was still one piece of news that he hadn't conveyed to Luntia.

"Elder sister."

[Are you going to talk about the story regarding my nanny, Lisham? Your expression looks heavy.]

Lisham, the nanny of Luntia.

She was the person who strongly insisted that Luntia replace Padler and become the owner of this subspace, but once upon a time...

No, she was still the most precious mother to Luntia.

Since the day Jin first met Luntia in the subspace until now, he had someone investigate the whereabouts of Lisham and her daughter.

[...Nanny Lisham is no longer in this world, right?]

"Yes."

Lisham had passed away.

It was revealed that the evil god was directly responsible for her harm.

[The youngest, I hope you don't resent Nanny Lisham too much. She has already departed... She was someone more precious to me than my own life. Even if Nanny Lisham hadn't asked me, I would have ended up being forcefully bound to this place anyway.]

Back then and even now, Jin understood Luntia's feelings. Even if he and Gilly were in the same situation, Jin would never be able to resent her.

[What happened to the nanny's daughter and grandchildren?]

"I received news about them just the day before yesterday. They became refugees during the war but fortunately survived. They are currently living in the southern part of the empire."

[Until I can leave, can you take care of them a little?]

Without a moment's hesitation, Luntia spoke.

Jin gazed into her eyes silently before answering that he would do as she asked.

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