CHAPTER 676

[T.L: punisher87]

[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]

"To think that I ate a dish cooked by Jin... Ah! I just want to live here in Tikan forever. Don't you, Hedo?"

"Not at all, my lady."

"Why are you always so negative? I'm starting to dislike what you're doing lately."

"If you keep it up, there's a chance that news of the young lady's exploits may reach the clan. If that happens, you may not be able to meet the 12th flagbearer even if you have the opportunity, like today."

"Wow, there's no shortage of trash here, huh? Do you think a brute like you fits in with that size?"

"It seems like a good combination. No one would think I'm a brute just by looking at my appearance, so there's some unexpected charm."

A day has passed since Hedo and Sandra came to Tikan.

And the others who watched the two of them, like Jin, felt that the two of them were just like a father and a daughter who were on good terms (but the daughter is quite a troublemaker).

"Hmm, no matter how much I think about it, this Jet can't figure it out. What's the reason that this amazing guy can't even move against Sandra Zipfel? It doesn't seem like he has any weaknesses."

"It's a strange relationship indeed."

"In the first place, the existence of this person named Hedo is strange, Sir Valkas. We don't have any information about him in our Ghost mercenaries, and it's the same for the Black King mercenaries, isn't it? Our lord also only found out about his existence after meeting him in the Sota Desert. Does it make sense that we know so little about someone of that caliber?"

"I think Sir Chiron, Runcandel, as well as Zipfel's top brass, seem to know about him, but... He is definitely a person shrouded in mystery."

Tikan still knows very little about Hedo. He is Sandra Zipfel's exclusive butler and second-in-command, yet he receives the highest treatment within the clan.

Hedo has the position to request a vacation based on the vague reason of "personal matters" in these times.

"The words written on the sword that Miss Valeria is examining are also mysterious."

Since yesterday, Valeria has been staying up all night looking at the records of Hedo's sword, the 'Bale'.

Since the Bale is related to the old Runcandel, its history has been manipulated as expected.

"Sir Hedo."

Valkas called Hedo on behalf of everyone.

"You can just call me Tower Keeper, leader of the Black kings."

"It's more convenient to refer to you as sir. I called you because I had a question."

"What is it?"

"I'm curious about the relationship between Sir and Sandra Zipfel."

"What's there to be curious about a butler serving his master?"

"Because it doesn't look like an ordinary butler and master. According to what I heard from Lord Jin, sir, you are loyal to Sandra Zipfel, not Zipfel. If you have any special stories, I'll prepare good drinks and cigarettes."

Valkas was subtly good at socializing. Hedo also showed no signs of being awkward with Valkas' sudden approach.

"Good wine and cigarettes are always welcome, but there is no particular story."

"Don't do that, tell me. Curiosity about Sir and Sandra Zipfel is paralyzing Tikan."

Valkas pulled out the Mila Mountain top-grade pine smoke from his pocket and offered it to Hedo. Hedo smiled satisfactorily after enjoying the aroma once.

"This quality is so good that it might be the only box to come out of the Mila tobacco farm in one year. I'll tell you then."

The group pricked up their ears, but Hedo gave a very disappointing answer the next moment.

"There are often people who care more about their dog or cat than their own body. The reason why I attend the lady is no different from that. I have been by my lady's side since she was little, so it is only natural now."

"Compared to a pet?"

"To put it bluntly, it's the lady. Anyway, compared to the cigarettes I received, it's a trivial matter. I hope you're not disappointed."

"Then...! How did you come to Zipfel's side?"

Jet glanced over and intervened. He also took out the finest pine from Mila, a different kind from Valkas, and held it out to Hedo.

It was stolen from Qwaul's drawer.

"You don't have to be so scared, Jet. I happened to belong to Zipfel while wandering as a young man. Um, this is also a very refined scent."

"It looks like you're having a lot of fun taking the Tikan people's stocks, Tower Keeper."

Jin shrugged and spoke.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me if you have anything that can pique my interest."

"There's no need to do that, we will naturally know everything when you become one of us."

If Jin asks Sandra, he will be able to find out about Hedo's past.

But Jin didn't do that.

There was no need to make the giant uncomfortable by uncovering his hidden past, which was not that important anyway.

The important thing was entering the sixth tomb through Bale.

"More than your past, I'm more curious about the history of your sword. The word 'Bale' written on the sword is believed to be the name of a person of one of ten great knights of old Runcandel."

"Like the guy we saw in the snowfield? I can guess to some extent."

"It's a very bitter story for me that the sword of a ten great knight is possessed by Zipfel's servant. Well, Tower Keeper, you are qualified enough to own a sword that is just as good if we exclude the fact that you are from Zipfel."

"I thought you would be scared."

"I'm just stating the facts. When I first met you, I thought, 'are there really monsters like this in the world?'"

"That won't change my mind."

"One of the reasons I have to show myself well to you is also related to elder sister Yona's matter."

Jin had asked for help in finding Yona as soon as Sandra and Hedo arrived.

"If that's the case, didn't the lady agree yesterday?"

"Hoho, don't worry. Honey, I'll save my sister-in-law somehow."

"I believe in Sandra. But I have a feeling you might report to higher ups."

"You're treating me like a snake in the grass twice. You can bring the Contractor of Truth and confirm it."

"I'll trust you."

"It's not that you trust me, but you'll think I won't report it even if Yona Runcandel goes wrong because lady Sandra will persuade me."

"I'm not that devious. But if the other side acts deviously first, then there's nothing we can do."

"I don't mind being kidnapped."

As the conversation continued, Valeria came out of the lab. She had the same dazed expression as always during such times, but there was one thing different.

'Her eyes are sparkling quite a bit...?'

It was a gaze that Valeria only showed when she made a particularly significant discovery. Jin smiled inwardly, thinking of his past life, as he saw her like that.

"Jin."

"Have you finished analyzing the records?"

"Yes, come with me. I'll explain it to you."

As Jin left, Sandra glared at Valeria's back as if she wanted to kill her, and Hedo let out a sigh and calmed her down.

"You seem excited. The harvest seems to be bigger than expected, right?"

"Of all the items we have found related to the old Runcandel, this one holds the most intact record."

"Didn't you say that the history of this sword was heavily manipulated?"

"Yes, I did. At first, it was actually like that. But this is the first time I've encountered something like this. As soon as my magic touched the sword, its history began to recover on its own."

"Recover its own history?"

Just like a dry forest drinking rainwater, Valeria's record magic slowly revived the records contained within the sword as soon as it touched it.

Valeria only maintained that state overnight without taking any special measures to restore the records.

"Yes. It's safe to say that this sword perfectly contains a fragment of Runcandel from a thousand years ago. It is in incomparably better condition than the records we saw in Wantaramo Forest."

Jin had never seen an 'intact record' of old Runcandel before. The records Jin had seen were always partially or mostly damaged.

"Then it'll show us more than the recording devices left by Solderet."

"Of course. And maybe...,"

Valeria paused and met Jin's gaze.

"We might even meet a living old Runcandel. Inside this sword's tomb."

"What...did you say?"

Jin's pupils dilated.

"I thought about why the manipulated history was so easily recovered. It might have weakened naturally over time, but that alone wasn't enough of an explanation. And it wasn't because my record magic was exceptional."

As Valeria casted record magic on Hedo's sword, she clearly felt that a certain living force within it began to resist the history manipulation.

"So you mean that a living ten great knight is resisting the history manipulation and reacting to your record magic inside the sword?"

"There's no guarantee that it's a one of the ten great knights, but it's highly likely that someone is still surviving inside the sword. Not as a guardian, but as a true living entity. And if their mind is intact and if they show favor to you, you can also hear stories from that time directly from them."

Jin's heartbeat quickened. The many doubts that he had harbored could have been resolved if only he could directly hear the story of the mysterious old Runcandel.

The background of Sylderay calling Solderet a traitor in the first tomb, the reality of manipulated history, the death of Temar, and the end of Runcandel at that time. And the reason why Solderet hid the fact that he had already foreseen himself as the contractor a thousand years ago.

"It is an amazing story. I didn't expect to find such a clue in the sword of Zipfel's Tower Keeper. Without that sword, we couldn't have entered the fifth tomb."

"Are you going to inform the Tower Keeper about this?"

"It might be a good idea to let him know. He's a thorough person, and he'll probably ask us to verify it through Euria when we finish the story. We've already mentioned Euria before, so if we're caught in a lie, he won't cooperate with us."

It wasn't a matter of refusal. Hedo is the master of the sword, so it would be better to be honest unless Jin is going to take it by force.

Of course, Hedo is a person of Zipfel. It was a difficult matter to inform him about the existence of 'an old Runcandel that might be alive', but there was no other way.

"Right now killing the tower keeper or taking the sword from him would be crazy, so that would be better. When are you going to enter the Tomb?"

"We should prepare now and try it outside, since we don't know what might happen during the opening process."

[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]