CHAPTER 667

[T.L: punisher87]

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

As the mana of the ice seal disappeared, the speed at which the residual energy penetrated into Valeria accelerated.

Valeria was immediately engulfed in a bright, shimmering bubble, and her recovery was so rapid that it could be seen with the naked eye.

Even after seeing Valeria twitch and slowly breathe out, Jin couldn't let go of his anxiety.

What if her sudden recovery were to suddenly stop? It felt as though a stone was weighing down on his chest.

Veradin, on the other hand, found Jin's reaction interesting.

'It seems that I was indeed very close to Jin Runcandel in the past. Seeing that I keep wanting to say useless things.'

Since regaining his senses, Veradin had become a cold person unlike before.

He didn't develop a cruel or horrific personality, but he lost any emotional response to most things in the world.

He no longer had feelings of affection for friendship, family, or loved ones.

The only thing left for Veradin now was a blind sense of purpose: the revival of Zipfel.

Strangely, Veradin didn't mind conversing with Jin. In fact, he found it enjoyable.

"Jin Runcandel, I heard that you have almost no weaknesses in any situation."

"What do you mean?"

"I can see the worry and anxiety on your face that Hister might not recover. Could she be your lover?"

"That could be the case."

"That's a strange answer. Have you broken up?"

Jin didn't hear Veradin's next question as he was too focused on watching Valeria. Fortunately, her recovery was accelerating.

Veradin didn't mind, and pulled out a glass bottle from his pocket and filled it with iridescent bubbles.

The bubbles in the bottle shimmered with beautiful colors like opals. It was unclear what kind of reward this mana trace would bring to Zipfel, but whatever the cost, it was not more important than Valeria's life to Jin and Vamel alliance.

"Ah...!"

Finally, Valeria opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Jin hugged her without realizing it.

He almost screamed her name.

"Jin... Jin Runcandel?"

"Yes, it's me."

"How... ugh."

"You're not fully healed yet. It's okay to wait and talk slowly."

Valeria looked down at her chest. She briefly felt the pain of the moment she was stabbed with Luntia's sword when the memories rushed in like a flood.

Memories.

With the feeling that her head was about to split, memories of the moment she fell came rushing back.

"Neru... is Neru okay!?"

"He's fine. Neru was protecting you."

"Thank goodness...."

Valeria's gaze fell on Veradin, who was holding a glass bottle with the trace of her mana.

She regained her usual cold demeanor, which was unaffected by her recent awakening.

"Jin, I've recovered. We should leave here as soon as possible."

Valeria knew that the power of this land, the Holy Land of Zipfel, had healed her. She had seen the record about the Holy Land from the most recently found Hister's succession temple.

The records were not detailed, but they stated the Holy Land could heal a complete mana body. Ever since Valeria sealed herself, she had hoped that Jin and his companions would rescue her and bring her here.

While others may not have been able to, she had a feeling that Jin could accomplish it, and that intuition turned out to be correct.

'Demon King Orgal, Jin probably obtained information about this place from him. He was the one who informed my ancestors about this place.'

Valeria was unaware of the situation thus far.

She did not know about the major battle that took place in the Garden of Swords, nor did she know that the three major forces had formed a temporary alliance because of it, or that Jin was the only opponent of Rosa.

'It seems that all three forces have learned the power of the garden of swords. That's why they formed a temporary alliance, and Zipfel opened up the Holy Land...….'

Nevertheless, Valeria quickly deduced all of these situations.

"Yes."

There was much to hear outside. Jin, too, did not want to stay in the Holy Land for even a second longer now that Valeria had recovered.

 Above all, the only thing that the residual energy of the Holy Land had completely healed was Valeria's wound.

The energy of chaos remaining in the healed wound was not cleansed, so they had to return to Tikan and use the purification device.

"Before we head out, I have one more condition, Jin Runcandel."

At the sudden request, Jin calmly met Veradin's gaze with an unflinching eye.

"I didn't know you were so good at quickly losing trust, Veradin Zipfel. Are you going to threaten me after the deal is done?"

"You know what I'm going to ask, but you're sharpening your edge."

"If it's the Fire Dragon Kadun's treatment, then I will accept."

Fire Dragon Kadun. He has been exposed to enormous chaos due to the first all-out attack on Garden of swords and the battle in Kaldran Snowfield.

Since the Holy Land opening negotiations, Jin had expected Zipfel to demand his cure.

"Yes. I think you can take Lord Kadun with you when you go to Tikan."

"Understood."

The way out of the Holy Land was the same as the first.

If you go back the way you came, the scenery of the human world gradually becomes darker after crossing the border from a certain moment.

The door appeared after passing through the corridor, which is the entrance to the Holy Land.

And beyond the door, unlike before when they entered the Holy Land, there were numerous people waiting. They were mages wearing white robes and holding swords

'Living Golem...!'

Or perhaps modified humans who could be a form of magic swordsman.

The number of people was endless, and no matter how far they looked, they could not see the end.

"You are openly advertising to me that you are fostering the Magic swordsman living golem. Are they trying to intimidate us now?"

Each of them had a significant amount of mana and aura, unlike Veradin and everyone else they had encountered so far. If their combat skills were at the same level, even Jin would not be able to handle all of them, especially if he had to protect Valeria in the situation.

'They're not just dolls with energy. They are completely different from those who are not trained, even in breathing.'

Another strange thing was that their physique was entirely the same, as if the prophet had cloned Joshua.

As Jin approached the nearest living golem and tried to remove his hood, Veradin blocked his hand.

"Just look at what we promised to show you, Jin Runcandel."

"I have a feeling that the face under that hood will be just like yours."

"Am I such a common-looking face? My diary, which is not much left, is full of compliments on my good looks."

"I don't know what your intention is. It was strange from the beginning that you didn't hide the fact that you were reaching the level of a magic swordsman."

"Think of it as sharing power in the position of having a common enemy."

If there were so many magic swordsman living golems, they would surely have been able to play an active part in the first all-out attack on the Garden of Swords.

However, the living golems sent out by Zipfel's fleet at that time were incomparably inferior to them, and were reinforced through 'chaos control'.

The same goes for the living golems that died in the Kaldran snowfield.

Jin was able to figure out the reason intuitively.

"... These living golems seem to be able to exert their strength only near the Holy Land."

That was the only reason why there were no magic swordsman living golem at the time of the all-out attack.

Even Kadun and Octavia participated directly, so at the time, Zipfel had put in almost all of its 'exportable' power.

Veradin nodded as if there was no need to hide.

"Yes. We are looking for a way to get them out of the Holy Land. Right now, the moment they leave the vicinity of the Holy Land, they stop working like dolls with cut strings. It means death. But why do you feel uncomfortable? Do you think being a magic swordsman is a privilege only for your family?"

Jin shook her head.

"No, it's because I'm friends with you."

Jin said as if he had nothing to hide.

"I see."

Veradin said as he walked.

"But you should have said that in the past tense. You and I won't be getting close again."

Jin and Valeria followed behind, and all the living golems' gazes followed them like machines.

The number of living golems didn't decrease even as they walked outside the holy land for a long time.

Eventually, they reached the area where Jin first arrived, and Ronil was waiting for them with Kozec on standby, just like when he arrived.

The living golems disappeared by then.

Ronil looked surprised when he saw Jin return and checked the hourglass.

"How much time has passed? Brother Ronil."

"... A day. It's only been a day."

"The Holy Land has been very welcoming to Hister. Maybe... It was welcoming to Jin Runcandel."

"Father is looking for you."

"I was planning to see him as well. He might be curious about this."

While showing the glass bottle to Ronil, Veradin turned around and held out his hand to Jin.

After staring at his hand for a few seconds, Jin shook it.

"Goodbye, Jin Runcandel. With this, I kept the promise I made before I lost my memory."

Wait for me, Veradin.

Jin didn't say those words out loud and released the handshake.

"I'll take you to Tikan, Sir Jin."

"Okay, Ronil Zipfel."

* * *

In the windowless cabin again, Jin and Valeria sat face to face and talked about the past.

Valeria thanked him several times, and for Jin, seeing her like that in the present life was both unfamiliar and enjoyable.

"... As expected, a temporary alliance was formed. It must have been an inevitable choice to deal with the Garden of Swords. Then there's one thing we need to let them know before we leave the ship."

"Let them know? To Zipfel?"

"The imperial family betrayed Zipfel. And maybe, your friend. The Lord of Sword emperor castle might be in danger."

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