CHAPTER 780

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

Three days ago, in the Tower of Stories.

On that day, a meeting of the Zipfel's leaders was taking place in the Tower. Zipfel had been busy every day, trying to gather information about the movements of Runcandel and Kinzelo. However, there was an unusually tense atmosphere in the meeting room.

It was because Veradin had excluded Kadun from the meeting.

"So, Lord Young Patriarch, do you really have no intention of calling Lord Kadun?" Octavia asked.

"Lord Young Patriarch, wouldn't it be better to call Lord Kadun even now? He must be feeling very disappointed," even Ronil, who had never questioned Veradin's judgment before, thought that this time his actions were excessive.

During Kelliark's reign, Kadun was not only the guardian dragon of the entire Zipfel but also held a higher rank than Andrei or Octavia.

Kadun had not done anything wrong to be excluded from the leaders meeting.

Surprisingly, Kadun had never shown any anger in the meetings since he was insulted by Veradin during the last meeting. Even when unpleasant discussions about Runcandel arose, he remained calm and pretended to sleep.

"Is there any issue in the progress of the meeting because Lord Kadun is not here?" Veradin had no intention of complying with the requests of the leaders.

"Young Patriarch, that's not it, but... why do you keep provoking Lord Kadun?"

"I didn't call him because I didn't want to see him sitting there with a sullen face, sulking like a child, at every meeting. It seems like it's Lord Kadun who is the one provoking, not me. Is it okay for Lord Kadun to express discomfort in front of me without any consequences?" 

"Young Patriarch! This 1st Magic Tower, the Tower of Stories, is originally the domain of both the Patriarch and Lord Kadun. If we exclude Lord Kadun even from the meetings held here for such trivial reasons, how do you think he would feel?"

"Now is the time for us to focus on our enemies, not to worry about individual's sensitivities."

"Unity is important, as Lord Young Patriarch said! Our enemies are gathering around Runcandel and Orgal, and here we are, having such petty fights. What resentment could Lord Kadun possibly have?"

"Fine, then let's move the meeting to a different location right away. Should we conduct it in Drakka instead of the Tower of Stories?"

"If it continues like this... I find it difficult to trust the Young Patriarch's judgment. If there is no reason to exclude Lord Kadun from not only the meetings but also any important matters."

"What if there isn't?"

When Veradin asked with a cold gaze, Octavia stopped speaking.

"If my father had done this, would things have turned out like this? Spectre Captain. What if there isn't a reason for excluding Lord Kadun from the meetings? Are you going to disobey my orders? Would I consider it an act of treason? Or will you refuse to attend the meetings following Lord Kadun? That would also be an act of disobedience, and it could be seen as treason."

"What, treason...!"

"The patriarch's orders are absolute. Even the ghosts, who were the former patriarchs, of Runcandel followed the commands well. If you are doing this because you think my abilities are inferior to Jin's, then I have nothing to say. But I believe that many members of the clan are currently unable to regain their senses."

Octavia gritted her teeth and avoided Veradin's gaze.

'Why has he changed like this...!'

When Veradin woke up for the first time, having lost all his memories and being in a state akin to a newborn, it was an extremely joyful occasion for the Zipfel.

Furthermore, the returned Veradin quickly took control of the clan, gaining powers similar to record magic. Thanks to that, they were able to end the evil god war with minimal damage and Veradin partially filled the void left by Kelliark.

But in Octavia's eyes, the current Veradin seemed to be going mad.

'Could it be a side effect of the mind manipulation we performed? No, it feels more like... retaliation for the mind manipulation. And no one was more deeply involved in Veradin's mind manipulation than Lord Kadun.'

As she pondered this, another name flashed in Octavia's mind, a name that played a greater role in manipulating Veradin's mind than Kadun.

'Patriarch...! If Veradin is retaliating against Lord Kadun, it could also extend to the Patriarch!"

Kelliark Zipfel.

He had been trapped in the life support device on the top floor of the Tower of Stories for several years now.

And there were only two individuals who could freely enter and exit the top floor of the Tower of Stories: the fire dragon Kadun and Veradin Zipfel.

If Veradin were to attack Kelliark's life supporting device alone...

Naturally, the current Kelliark would be unable to retaliate.

The thought sent shivers down Octavia's spine. Until now, it was something she had never considered, even before Veradin became more aggressive.

'If what he's doing is truly retaliation, and if he has no intention of stopping…'

She had to stop Veradin now. No matter how dangerous and chaotic the situation was, she had to eliminate the possibility of Veradin 'killing' Kelliark.

"You are also one of those people, Spectre Captain. To dare raise your voice so loudly just because you are uncomfortable with the way I treat Lord Kadun. It seems that I must have appeared quite ridiculous to you."

"I will be more cautious, young patriarch. It seems I have underestimated you."

"I sincerely hope so. May you never make a mistake driven by a different mindset."

Octavia shivered as she felt Veradin peering into her soul. Perhaps Veradin had become strong enough that neither she nor Kadun could restrain him.

"Well, let's proceed with the meeting then. We need to find a way to cut off the influx of martial artists and engineers gathering in Runcandel. Since the existence of Valeria Hister has become known to the public, too many talents are flowing into Runcandel."

"Most of the individuals who submitted applications to Vamel alliance from the Federation have already been investigated. There were over two thousand mages and engineers. How should we handle them?"

"It seems preferable to kill some as examples and absorb the rest."

"I think it's better to kill them all. After all, the few outstanding individuals among those two thousand have already joined the Vamel alliance, so the rest are practically useless manpower. It's better to kill them and instill fear in others."

"Both options are not bad. However, considering the current situation, we will temporarily hold off on punishing those who have charges of defection. Bring all those who couldn't join the Vamel alliance to our research institute. Let's utilize them for simple tasks for now, and once the situation stabilizes, we can reconsider their disposal."

"I will proceed that way."

"And..."

As they were about to discuss the next agenda, Veradin's expression suddenly sharpened.

Simultaneously, Ronil and Octavia were startled and heightened their senses. It was because they felt a very familiar, immense, and ferocious energy approaching rapidly towards the Tower of Stories.

"It seems that Lord Kadun is about to cross the line..."

It was Kadun's energy. If it were just flying, his energy couldn't be this turbulent. Clear aggression and anger were already coloring the entire sky outside.

"Elder Brother Ronil."

"Yes, Lord Young Patriarch."

"Instruct the troops stationed in the tower to immediately prepare for combat."

Young Patriarch!

Octavia was about to shout out, but she barely managed to close her mouth.

'Lord Kadun, why now of all times...!'

Even for her, it was completely unexpected that Kadun would come to the Tower of Stories with the intention of killing Veradin.

Octavia knows Kadun well.

In fact, it was almost a miracle that he had endured all the insults from Veradin until now. If it were the Kadun she knew, he would have settled matters with Veradin long ago.

'First, I have to somehow stop Lord Kadun. It must not happen that Lord Kadun and Veradin fight now!'

She can stop Kadun somehow. Kadun would eventually stop if she desperately appealed that it was not the right time for Kadun and Veradin to fight for the sake of Zipfel.

On the contrary, the problem lies with Veradin. Octavia doubted whether Veradin could simply overlook Kadun baring his fangs. It seemed unlikely.

'If Veradin ultimately decides to abandon Lord Kadun and initiates a preemptive strike, what should I do...!'

The outcome of their fight was uncertain. What mattered was that no matter who won, Zipfel would suffer irreparable damage.

As they stepped outside, Kadun's descent through the clouds could be seen.

The tower's mages had already assumed a state of readiness, aiming their staffs at Kadun. In the midst of them, Veradin stood and glared at Kadun.

[Veradin...! Why are you doing this? Do you really think it's acceptable to act this way towards me, who is both a pillar of the clan and the guardian dragon of your father?]

"This is your final warning, Lord Kadun. Immediately retract your energy and accept the suppression of the clan. Your current actions are treason."

[Treason, you say! So, this little brat finally lost his mind. Mages who are aiming their staff at me, I'll give you a chance. Whose orders will you follow? That mad Young Patriarch has no future. Today, I will turn that bastard into a handful of ashes.]

"Ha, it has come to this in the end. Fine. From now on, the Fire Dragon Kadun is a first-class traitor of the clan. The mages of the Magic tower shall cover me."

"Young Patriarch, wait a moment. Please, give me a moment to speak with Lord Kadun. I will try to stop him! I stake my name and honor on it, without fail."

"There's no need for that, Spectre Captain. What do you think is the reason for me treating Lord Kadun in such a harsh manner?"

"Yes, please, tell me. Why are you doing this? Even Lord Kadun asked."

Octavia spoke almost as if pleading her case. She had to prevent the situation from escalating into a clash between the two sides of the clan.

In response, Veradin turned around and pointed his finger towards the top of the tower.

"From now on, pay close attention to where Father is. See what unfolds."

With those words, Veradin extended the staff of the patriarch, "Hroti," towards Kadun.

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

[T/L: Join $29 membership on my "buymeacoffee" page and read 55 chapters ahead and daily 1 new chapter update. I have introduced new memberships, and you can read upto 75 or 85 chapters ahead.]