CHAPTER 227

"You make some funny jokes."

"This way, quickly!"

Rani pointed to a corner. The path she took to find Jin's crew. 

Jin, Quikantel, and Kuzan bolted ahead of her. The moment Kuzan disappeared, around twenty paladins arrived at the scene.

"Rani Salome?! Where are they?!"

The leader growled as he glared at the paladins sprawled on the ground.

Rani hadn't drawn her sword, and the leader didn't look too happy. The other paladins sighed in disappointment.

They already knew that Rani never attacked anyone who wasn't a 'heretic'.

And in her standards, that only included people who labeled themselves as such, or those decreed by the Holy King McLan.

"I am gravely sorry, I lost them. I saw them heading for zone one, so we should chase them there…"

"Hmph! They're cornered rats in these boundaries anyway. They'll be caught sooner or later. However, Rani Salome, it seems that you haven't drawn your sword despite your comrades falling. You call yourself a prestigious paladin in spite of this?"

Her eyes did not leave the ground, yet she gritted her teeth.

"I will receive any punishment. But I believe we should pursue the intruders first."

"All you do is disappoint. How long do you think they can keep you on this job? Letting heretics go free, tch!"

"Then go find them! How would the fifth chief know who is a heretic or not? Are they not simply intruders?"

Rani shouted back.

The chief glared at her but only shook his head.

"Crusade three, take the unconscious soldiers to a priest and regroup near zone one. Paladin Rani Salome, return to base camp and hand in your weapon and armor. If you disobey this as well, I don't know what would happen to you. Understood?"

The paladins went their separate ways. Some passed by Rani to assist the paladins on the ground and some of them grunted.

"I wish I had a father like yours. Such small consequences for disobeying orders."

"Did you know that you're more of a heretic than a heretic? Please register for a relocation and stop tainting our division."

Thus, she was alone. 

Jin's crew had been listening all along.

'Rani Salome… I knew I heard that somewhere. It's the name of the holy king's adopted daughter.'

Jin remembered reading about her in an article in his past life.

A story about how she always drank alcohol and made a fool of herself as the daughter of the holy king. It was somewhere deep in his memory, but he only remembered it because it involved the king's daughter.

Rani scanned the area before heading deeper into the alleyway to find Jin.

"Well, that's finished now. Let's relocate to a safer location."

"Before that, it seems like you're going to help us, but why? How did you know that we are affiliated with the black dragon?"

Rani didn't answer.

Jin watched her blank face attempt to formulate an answer. 

"…I am part of the Protectors of the Doctrine, the Judgement Division…"

"You said that already."

"However, prior to being a paladin, I was a citizen of Vankella. I deliver the message of our generous and forgiving Father."

She uttered an unsuiting self-introduction.

But, it seemed that she wanted to make her values clear. 

"However, my job consists of blinding the people, spreading lies, disguising the bad as the good, and corrupting the world with the power that I wield. The true villain we must pursue is the fire dragon, Kadun. The black dragon was trying to prevent the city from burning."

Rani trembled in anger.

"Is it clear why I'm trying to assist you?"

"So he was trying to save the city? Go on, paladin. Where is he now?"

Quikantel put her hands on Rani's shoulders and asked.

"…Please follow me. There isn't much time."

Rani led the crew to the main streets. 

Most of the buildings had 'melted'. Kadun's flames emitted toxic gasses that made it impossible to repair. 

The priests and magicians gave up on restoration, and didn't even care to cordon the area off.

"Allow me to cast a divine protective…"

"My friend and I don't need it, so just her."

"The toxins are potent."

"Don't worry about it. Let's get on with it."

"Understood."

Rani cast a divine protective barrier around herself and Quikantel.

"The others won't find us here for at least thirty minutes."

"Where is the black dragon?"

"Over here."

"That guy can't handle this much smoke."

"I've already given him some protection, so please do not worry. However, before we go see him, I'd like to ask one thing. Are you Jin Runcandel?"

Kuzan and Quikantel were startled by those words.

Jin nodded calmly.

"Looks like he couldn't keep his mouth shut."

"Indeed. Sir Murakan requested it. To protect him since Jin Runcandel would arrive promptly. Please offer me proof that you are indeed him. From my perspective, couldn't you also be Kadun's underlings?"

He didn't have anything in particular to prove himself. He had Bradamante, but only warriors of Runcandel and Huphester would acknowledge such weapons.

"Anything?"

"Hey, stop testing him. If we truly were with the fire dragon, why would we make such a complicated intrusion?"

Kuzan spoke with a dagger to Rani's throat.

"Do you think I'd be scared of a threat? If I had reasonable doubt, I would've never brought you here. Also, please know that if I die, Sir Murakan dies with me."

"Put the dagger away, Kuzan."

Kuzan backed away.

Rani looked determined despite standing against three opponents. She definitely wouldn't reveal Murakan's location if Jin didn't prove his identity. 

"I don't have anything tangible, but instead… I can reveal that he is my guardian dragon."

whooooom…

Jin gathered spiritual energy on his palm.

"It's Solderet's energy. Whether you think I am Jin Runcandel or not, I am the contractor of shadows. Need I say more?"

Now wasn't the time to hide his identity as a contractor. 

"No, this is enough."

"Is he safe?"

"Honestly, not really. He's injured badly, and—"

"Then let's move. Hurry!"

Jin's heart threatened to burst from his chest, but he didn't show it.

Like a pot of molten metal bubbling inside him, all manner of emotions mixed and boiled together, causing him great anxiety.

'Fire dragon Kadun. I will make sure you face the same fate, if not worse."

Rani ripped a plank from the floor.

Ash flew from the torn plank, and an orange light was visible from inside.

The same color as Rani's barrier. Divine magic.

Encased inside was a small black cat, curled up into a little ball.

"Murakan…!"

Solderet's right-hand man and best friend, the firstborn of the shadows. Jin's only guardian dragon.

It was him.

Rani hid him in this poisonous building so any search would be fruitless. If it weren't for her spells, he wouldn't be alive.

Jin held Murakan in his arms while Quikantel shed a tear, and Kuzan sighed in relief.

"I shall explain what happened."

Rani proceeded to describe the events leading up to the fight.

Her objective was to help Kadun capture the 'monster,' and to 'cleanse' the city of heretics.

However, Rani clearly knew this wasn't true…

Civilians dropping like flies from the fire dragon's careless attacks, and the black dragon preventing the village from falling.

Among the dispatched paladins, only she felt guilty.

Plus, manipulating the civilians under the guise of 'cleansing'.

"It didn't even take two hours for everyone to believe that it was the black dragon's fault. Even though it was clear Kadun had slaughtered far more."

She arrived when the battle was slowly coming to a close.

Kadun burned down the village so Murakan could not escape. On the other hand, Murakan had been exerting all his strength to lower the amount of casualties.

Murakan ultimately succeeded in escaping, or so it seemed. Kadun flew away, assuming that Murakan was gone.

"It seemed Murakan didn't have enough energy to go far. Kadun immediately pursued him, and Murakan won the gamble. The moment Kadun left the village, Murakan entered it once again."

He transformed back into a human and fell into Santel, back into the burning village. 

Kadun was too busy chasing 'shadows' of him, so he didn't see Murakan fall back down.

And Rani saw all of this. A miracle. 

Rani could save him, but the next problem was the dispatched paladins. 

"If I didn't treat him immediately, he would've been in worse condition. However, I couldn't send him to a priest. His transformation was rather rushed, so he had scales here and there."

Rani had frantically cast her divine spells, but it wasn't enough.

Before he fully lost consciousness, Murakan left some words for the one treating him. He promised that Jin Runcandel would come.

"Then he transformed into a cat and fainted. I hid him here ever since."

"Jin, this isn't a willful transformation. It was forced. We'll discuss this later."

"I'll show you the way out."

"…Rani Salome. With the solemn oath from Solderet and Runcandel, I will repay this debt. I will seek you out once you've returned to the holy kingdom."