330
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Jin's eyes widened.
"My enemies, who would do such a thing? And how are they going to do it?"
Neru remained silent and shook his head.
[We don't know the details. We only sensed an imminent danger as if the cave would collapse soon. The reason our species has survived without being extinct until now is because of that intuition.]
The intuition of the felinoids tribe.
Simply relying on that alone did not instill much confidence that the felinoids tribe could survive until now.
However, based on the experience just crossing from the cave to the island, they seemed to have some kind of mystical power, so Jin decided to believe in it.
"Are you concluding that these attackers who destroyed this place and massacred the small beastmen are my enemies based solely on intuition?"
[No, it's just a logical deduction. Considering various causal relationships, the only reason our territory would be attacked during this period is because of your business with the Golden Snow Tribe. The reason we cannot pinpoint the exact enemy is because you have many enemies.]
Even without the unique intuition of the felinoids tribe, it was a well-known fact that Jin had many enemies. It was evident in Zipfel and could be inferred from the fights within Runcandel.
During the Holy Kingdom incident, he was involved with Kinzelo, so even to an outsider who knew nothing, it was clear that Jin was up against three massive forces in the world.
So, who could it be?
Was it someone from his clan trying to hinder his business or warn him by attacking the small beastmen?
Did Zipfel plan an ambush after seeing Jin's bold advertisement? Or could it be that Kinzelo had some ulterior motive and was intruding upon the land of the small beastmen?
All three possibilities were valid, and it was impossible to make a hasty judgment.
"If what you say, Lord Neru, is true and the cave is attacked because of me, then I will take responsibility."
[We will spread the message to the small small beastmen, so you won't be held accountable. There are already escape routes prepared.]
"That's fortunate. However, what if there's a 'what if' scenario? It would be better to go back and warn them to escape immediately."
Jin did not want to experience the horrific event of the small beastmen being massacred.
[If we inform them in advance, it might escalate the problem due to the Golden Snow Tribe and the Watertail Tribe moving. Moreover, according to our intuition, if that happens, we won't be able to fulfill our promise with Solderet.]
"It sounds like you're willing to hold the lives of the small beastmen hostage in order to fulfill your promise with Solderet."
[That's right.]
"Why would you go to such lengths? What will you do if the small beastmen are annihilated? Once they are dead, no one can take responsibility."
Instantly, anger welled up within Jin.
Of course, everything was based on the felinoids' 'intuition.' The fact that Jin's enemies were attacking, the possibility of the small beastmen being massacred, and the potential for the problem to escalate if they warned everyone about danger in advance.
However, Jin couldn't shake off the ominous feeling.
[Jin Runcandel.]
Neru lowered its eyes, seeming bitter.
[Just like we have always done, we want to protect the small beastmen. You asked what would happen if the small beastmen die, but for us, we are more concerned about failing to fulfill our promise with Solderet. It's a promise we have waited for a thousand years.]
Jin remained silent, making eye contact with Neru.
[For the sake of the promise with Solderet, how many sacrifices do you think have been made until now? Your ancestors, my comrades, and countless humans and dragons. Five hundred years ago, there were even times when my comrades were hunted down and killed by Zipfel.]
Jin let out a sigh.
As the Contractor of Solderet, fulfilling his mission.
When he first made a contract with Solderet in his past life, he never had such thoughts. He simply embraced Solderet's words, becoming an unparalleled magic swordsman, ruling the world, and seeking small revenge against his family who abandoned him.
However, after regression, Jin gradually came to understand that Solderet's power was not an unconditional gift. Given the circumstances, the regression seemed to be caused by Solderet, and everything prepared for him carried elements that could overturn the world, so he didn't think the price was excessive.
It just felt cruel. To Jin himself and to those who sacrificed themselves for Solderet's arrangements.
Swoosh, swish...
Neru was drawing something in the sand. The pattern he drew with a branch was of a strange kind, one that Jin had never seen before.
[It may be hard to believe, but we, more than anyone else, want to protect the small beastmen.]
"What was the connection between the felinoids tribe and Solderet?"
[Friends. The God of Cat and Solderet were very close. And he has saved us, including the small beastmen, from being exterminated by Javier several times. The small beastmen, all of them, owe their lives to Solderet.]
Hwaaah...
Suddenly, the pattern that Neru drew began to glow purple.
Unlike the dark magic used by Rontelgius recently, it emitted a sacred aura, something mystical.
It was the phenomenon that occurred when the seal of the third tomb was released, a power the felinoids tribe used when creating special hiding places.
[If your enemies had reached this place before you, you would have never been able to enter the third tomb of Temar.]
"Your choice is not entirely convincing, but still..."
Jin paused for a moment as he looked at the seal.
"Thank you. I don't know what else to say."
[Don't worry too much. As I said before, since we sensed the danger in advance, once you return from the tomb, we will evacuate the small beastmen to a place where they won't be discovered.]
Hummmm!
From the purple pattern, the shadow force began to emanate, forming an elliptical door.
[Finally, we can fulfill the thousand-year-old promise. Go inside, Jin Runcandel.]
"I will return as soon as possible. So that no one gets hurt."
[Yes. And I have one request.]
"Please, go ahead."
[Please convey this message to the friend inside. Neru, on behalf of the felinoids tribe, expresses gratitude for the thousand years of loneliness and hard work. No matter how hard I try to recall, I can no longer remember who they were...]
Neru spoke with a sorrowful voice.
-Olmango, do you know who is the guardian inside the second tomb?
-I cannot answer that.
-Why not?
-All memories of them have vanished. No matter how hard I try to recall, only faint images come to mind.
Similar to when Jin met Olmango and found the second tomb, Neru seemed to have forgotten who his "friend" was, the one who had guarded the tomb for a thousand years.
It was the result of Zipfel erasing them from history.
"Understood."
Jin stepped into the door of the shadow force.
***
The third tomb, unlike the first and second, had no signs of destruction or any battle traces. The entire space was not just made of dark shadow force. It resembled the central hall of a castle. There was also a familiar feeling about it, and Jin soon realized the reason.
‘It looks exactly like the interior of the Storm castle I saw in the first tomb, the central hall.’
There was no reason to be particularly surprised.
Jin had already witnessed the clone of a person through shadow force with Misha, and he had encountered guardians that perfectly replicated their appearance from a thousand years ago. So, there was no reason why the space itself couldn't be reproduced.
Although he felt the desire to examine the Storm castle's appearance from a thousand years ago closely, he quickly moved forward. He felt a sense of urgency, fearing that it might be too late for the small beastmen.
It was the first time Jin had come to Temar's tomb alone.
The first time was with Murakan, and the second was with his comrades.
Until now, whenever he found a tomb, there were formidable guardians. Sylderay Runcandel, Sarah Runcandel. Both were guardians too strong for Jin to handle.
But this time, the tomb was different.
‘Lord Olmango said there won't be such guardians in this tomb, so there should be no need for battle.’
Olmango also didn't know exactly who was inside the third tomb, just like Neru. However, Olmango had slightly more memories about it than Neru.
-Inside the third tomb, I heard that there is the former Head butler of the Runcandel clan.
The Head butler.
The person who took care of various matters for the Runcandel, a clan of Magic Swordsmen, during that time.
‘Even now, the clan’s Head butler has more information than most members. Especially the butler, Heinz, who was my father's confidant. He may know more about the clan’s secrets than Joshua.’
That was true for the Runcandel of a thousand years ago as well. In any faction, there had to be someone directly responsible for the clan’s affairs, big or small.
‘But the Head butler here may also have an incomplete state of mind or memories. Dame Sarah also suffered severe mental fatigue to endure a thousand years…’
Step, step.
As Jin reached the end of the central hall, a person bowed their head towards him.
[I have been waiting, Sir Jin Runcandel. It is an honor to meet you.]
"You know my name. Are you the former Head butler of the Runcandel?"
[That is correct. Solderet has mentioned the name of the thousand-year Contractor several times. I am Luet Damiro Yul, the Head butler of the Runcandel.]
Luet Damiro Yul.
The Head butler who introduced herself has the same vibrant red hair as Valeria. Luet resembled a young human woman, but she was not human.
Anyone could tell at a glance that she was not human. It was enough to see her shimmering eyes that resembled flowing galaxies and her pointed, erect ears, as well as the round gem embedded in her forehead.
She was a "Fairy."
‘A Fairy as the Head butler of the ancient Runcandel... I knew that the Fairies had gone extinct a thousand years ago, and only their descendants, who make 'Drink of regal hymn' for special people on special days and times, live in the world today. They are elusive beings, even though they are not easily found.’
There were few remaining records about the Fairies, and their life span was the same as the Dragons was still considered an accepted theory.
Perhaps that was why, despite enduring a thousand years alone, Luet showed no signs of losing her sanity or crumbling.
"Luet Damiro Yul. Neru, representative of the felinoids tribe, asked me to express gratitude for your efforts. I feel the same way."
Upon hearing that, Luet smiled sadly.
[I can not remmember who Neru was... I just have a strangely nostalgic feeling.]
"...I see."
[Sir Jin Runcandel, once you leave this space, you will forget my name. You won't remember how I look or what conversations we had.]
Tick...
Luet took out a small box from her embrace and opened it. Inside was shadow force marble.
[However, you will remember what you see in this recording device.]
330
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Jin's eyes widened.
"My enemies, who would do such a thing? And how are they going to do it?"
Neru remained silent and shook his head.
[We don't know the details. We only sensed an imminent danger as if the cave would collapse soon. The reason our species has survived without being extinct until now is because of that intuition.]
The intuition of the felinoids tribe.
Simply relying on that alone did not instill much confidence that the felinoids tribe could survive until now.
However, based on the experience just crossing from the cave to the island, they seemed to have some kind of mystical power, so Jin decided to believe in it.
"Are you concluding that these attackers who destroyed this place and massacred the small beastmen are my enemies based solely on intuition?"
[No, it's just a logical deduction. Considering various causal relationships, the only reason our territory would be attacked during this period is because of your business with the Golden Snow Tribe. The reason we cannot pinpoint the exact enemy is because you have many enemies.]
Even without the unique intuition of the felinoids tribe, it was a well-known fact that Jin had many enemies. It was evident in Zipfel and could be inferred from the fights within Runcandel.
During the Holy Kingdom incident, he was involved with Kinzelo, so even to an outsider who knew nothing, it was clear that Jin was up against three massive forces in the world.
So, who could it be?
Was it someone from his clan trying to hinder his business or warn him by attacking the small beastmen?
Did Zipfel plan an ambush after seeing Jin's bold advertisement? Or could it be that Kinzelo had some ulterior motive and was intruding upon the land of the small beastmen?
All three possibilities were valid, and it was impossible to make a hasty judgment.
"If what you say, Lord Neru, is true and the cave is attacked because of me, then I will take responsibility."
[We will spread the message to the small small beastmen, so you won't be held accountable. There are already escape routes prepared.]
"That's fortunate. However, what if there's a 'what if' scenario? It would be better to go back and warn them to escape immediately."
Jin did not want to experience the horrific event of the small beastmen being massacred.
[If we inform them in advance, it might escalate the problem due to the Golden Snow Tribe and the Watertail Tribe moving. Moreover, according to our intuition, if that happens, we won't be able to fulfill our promise with Solderet.]
"It sounds like you're willing to hold the lives of the small beastmen hostage in order to fulfill your promise with Solderet."
[That's right.]
"Why would you go to such lengths? What will you do if the small beastmen are annihilated? Once they are dead, no one can take responsibility."
Instantly, anger welled up within Jin.
Of course, everything was based on the felinoids' 'intuition.' The fact that Jin's enemies were attacking, the possibility of the small beastmen being massacred, and the potential for the problem to escalate if they warned everyone about danger in advance.
However, Jin couldn't shake off the ominous feeling.
[Jin Runcandel.]
Neru lowered its eyes, seeming bitter.
[Just like we have always done, we want to protect the small beastmen. You asked what would happen if the small beastmen die, but for us, we are more concerned about failing to fulfill our promise with Solderet. It's a promise we have waited for a thousand years.]
Jin remained silent, making eye contact with Neru.
[For the sake of the promise with Solderet, how many sacrifices do you think have been made until now? Your ancestors, my comrades, and countless humans and dragons. Five hundred years ago, there were even times when my comrades were hunted down and killed by Zipfel.]
Jin let out a sigh.
As the Contractor of Solderet, fulfilling his mission.
When he first made a contract with Solderet in his past life, he never had such thoughts. He simply embraced Solderet's words, becoming an unparalleled magic swordsman, ruling the world, and seeking small revenge against his family who abandoned him.
However, after regression, Jin gradually came to understand that Solderet's power was not an unconditional gift. Given the circumstances, the regression seemed to be caused by Solderet, and everything prepared for him carried elements that could overturn the world, so he didn't think the price was excessive.
It just felt cruel. To Jin himself and to those who sacrificed themselves for Solderet's arrangements.
Swoosh, swish...
Neru was drawing something in the sand. The pattern he drew with a branch was of a strange kind, one that Jin had never seen before.
[It may be hard to believe, but we, more than anyone else, want to protect the small beastmen.]
"What was the connection between the felinoids tribe and Solderet?"
[Friends. The God of Cat and Solderet were very close. And he has saved us, including the small beastmen, from being exterminated by Javier several times. The small beastmen, all of them, owe their lives to Solderet.]
Hwaaah...
Suddenly, the pattern that Neru drew began to glow purple.
Unlike the dark magic used by Rontelgius recently, it emitted a sacred aura, something mystical.
It was the phenomenon that occurred when the seal of the third tomb was released, a power the felinoids tribe used when creating special hiding places.
[If your enemies had reached this place before you, you would have never been able to enter the third tomb of Temar.]
"Your choice is not entirely convincing, but still..."
Jin paused for a moment as he looked at the seal.
"Thank you. I don't know what else to say."
[Don't worry too much. As I said before, since we sensed the danger in advance, once you return from the tomb, we will evacuate the small beastmen to a place where they won't be discovered.]
Hummmm!
From the purple pattern, the shadow force began to emanate, forming an elliptical door.
[Finally, we can fulfill the thousand-year-old promise. Go inside, Jin Runcandel.]
"I will return as soon as possible. So that no one gets hurt."
[Yes. And I have one request.]
"Please, go ahead."
[Please convey this message to the friend inside. Neru, on behalf of the felinoids tribe, expresses gratitude for the thousand years of loneliness and hard work. No matter how hard I try to recall, I can no longer remember who they were...]
Neru spoke with a sorrowful voice.
-Olmango, do you know who is the guardian inside the second tomb?
-I cannot answer that.
-Why not?
-All memories of them have vanished. No matter how hard I try to recall, only faint images come to mind.
Similar to when Jin met Olmango and found the second tomb, Neru seemed to have forgotten who his "friend" was, the one who had guarded the tomb for a thousand years.
It was the result of Zipfel erasing them from history.
"Understood."
Jin stepped into the door of the shadow force.
***
The third tomb, unlike the first and second, had no signs of destruction or any battle traces. The entire space was not just made of dark shadow force. It resembled the central hall of a castle. There was also a familiar feeling about it, and Jin soon realized the reason.
‘It looks exactly like the interior of the Storm castle I saw in the first tomb, the central hall.’
There was no reason to be particularly surprised.
Jin had already witnessed the clone of a person through shadow force with Misha, and he had encountered guardians that perfectly replicated their appearance from a thousand years ago. So, there was no reason why the space itself couldn't be reproduced.
Although he felt the desire to examine the Storm castle's appearance from a thousand years ago closely, he quickly moved forward. He felt a sense of urgency, fearing that it might be too late for the small beastmen.
It was the first time Jin had come to Temar's tomb alone.
The first time was with Murakan, and the second was with his comrades.
Until now, whenever he found a tomb, there were formidable guardians. Sylderay Runcandel, Sarah Runcandel. Both were guardians too strong for Jin to handle.
But this time, the tomb was different.
‘Lord Olmango said there won't be such guardians in this tomb, so there should be no need for battle.’
Olmango also didn't know exactly who was inside the third tomb, just like Neru. However, Olmango had slightly more memories about it than Neru.
-Inside the third tomb, I heard that there is the former Head butler of the Runcandel clan.
The Head butler.
The person who took care of various matters for the Runcandel, a clan of Magic Swordsmen, during that time.
‘Even now, the clan’s Head butler has more information than most members. Especially the butler, Heinz, who was my father's confidant. He may know more about the clan’s secrets than Joshua.’
That was true for the Runcandel of a thousand years ago as well. In any faction, there had to be someone directly responsible for the clan’s affairs, big or small.
‘But the Head butler here may also have an incomplete state of mind or memories. Dame Sarah also suffered severe mental fatigue to endure a thousand years…’
Step, step.
As Jin reached the end of the central hall, a person bowed their head towards him.
[I have been waiting, Sir Jin Runcandel. It is an honor to meet you.]
"You know my name. Are you the former Head butler of the Runcandel?"
[That is correct. Solderet has mentioned the name of the thousand-year Contractor several times. I am Luet Damiro Yul, the Head butler of the Runcandel.]
Luet Damiro Yul.
The Head butler who introduced herself has the same vibrant red hair as Valeria. Luet resembled a young human woman, but she was not human.
Anyone could tell at a glance that she was not human. It was enough to see her shimmering eyes that resembled flowing galaxies and her pointed, erect ears, as well as the round gem embedded in her forehead.
She was a "Fairy."
‘A Fairy as the Head butler of the ancient Runcandel... I knew that the Fairies had gone extinct a thousand years ago, and only their descendants, who make 'Drink of regal hymn' for special people on special days and times, live in the world today. They are elusive beings, even though they are not easily found.’
There were few remaining records about the Fairies, and their life span was the same as the Dragons was still considered an accepted theory.
Perhaps that was why, despite enduring a thousand years alone, Luet showed no signs of losing her sanity or crumbling.
"Luet Damiro Yul. Neru, representative of the felinoids tribe, asked me to express gratitude for your efforts. I feel the same way."
Upon hearing that, Luet smiled sadly.
[I can not remmember who Neru was... I just have a strangely nostalgic feeling.]
"...I see."
[Sir Jin Runcandel, once you leave this space, you will forget my name. You won't remember how I look or what conversations we had.]
Tick...
Luet took out a small box from her embrace and opened it. Inside was shadow force marble.
[However, you will remember what you see in this recording device.]
