Chapter 833

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"'Barisada' is the key... This is the first time I've heard this," Murakan said, raising an eyebrow.

Jin also never heard about it.

"We only recently learned about it from the Head butler. Though we don't know exactly where the key leads, we were told that it must never fall into the hands of fake Murakans or Witch. They say a great danger will befall the world..."

Both Jin and Murakan had already experienced the sword being used as a key through the Shakan of Bale.

'If that's the case, could it be that Barisada is key to another tomb of Temar? But for some reason, I have a feeling it's something else... If it had anything to do with the tomb, then Mr. Picon should have known about it.'

Picon had been the one to inform Jin about the first tomb of Temar. He was the "messenger" who had heard the story of the tomb directly from Solderet.

So, when Solderet chose Picon as the messenger for the first tomb, there was no reason for him to omit the information about Barisada. After all, Picon was also the creator of Barisada.

'There are two assumptions that come to mind. Firstly, Mr. Picon might have known about Barisada's secret but forgot it due to history manipulation. Secondly, Solderet might have added some special device or power to Barisada even without Mr. Picon's knowledge."

Either way, it was clear that Barisada's secret had not caused any issues in the world so far.

The current Barisada was in the possession of Chiron Runcandel, the current patriarch of Runcandel. Furthermore, in the thousand-year history of the Runcandel clan after Temar's death, Barisada had never been used by anyone outside the clan.

Of course, the fact that Barisada is considered a key could also be part of the "contamination". Until they faced the truth in the painting, Jin couldn't be sure of anything.

'Perhaps my father went on the Black Sea expedition because he knew the secret of Barisada…'

Suddenly, Jin longed to see Chiron, Luna, and the expedition team.

'When I saw my father in my inner world, he still looked strong. As he said back then, I will meet him and elder sister Luna again if I keep doing what I must.'

A strange feeling came over Jin. He had never thought that he would miss his father like this. Right now, he missed him and Luna more than ever.

"A huge unidentified threat... It seems there's chaos everywhere. Yes, we must be careful, especially since Luet wouldn't have said something like that without a reason."

"What? Is there another problem somewhere?"

"Oh, there was a little commotion in Laprarosa as well. It's not as serious as it is here, so you don't need to worry about it."

Murakan shook his head, referring to the real world as Laprarosa. Frey blinked her eyes as if sensing something strange but didn't ask further.

"Do you have any idea when the fake Murakan might attack again?"

"I don't know. But since he keeps attacking different areas to provoke us, he won't rush into a full-scale battle recklessly. That's why today's encounter was surprising. He had never directly attacked the Storm castle before."

"That's why Dranax taunted me if I was extending my evil to Storm castle."

"Yeah, Murakan! He doesn't have the confidence to face us head-on. So, he's bothering weak people, trying to lure at least one of us away. Until now, I thought he got injured while fighting the patriarch, but now it makes sense because he's a fake!"

As Frey made her judgment, Dranax completely trusted Jin and Murakan's words.

"That's right! If it were really me, would I be afraid of the three of you? I would have already broken through you all confidently."

"Haha, Murakan! That's a bit hurtful! This guy underestimates us! Don't you agree, Vyollo?"

"I do. We're ten great knights, right? Murakan, don't you know what ten great knights are?"

"To be honest, it's true that I am immensely strong, isn't it? Of course, it wouldn't be easy for me to defeat all three of you and the elite knights at once. But if I know that Barisada is in the Storm castle, I'll charge in and smash everything first, then it should be easy to take care of the sword. Can you agree with that?"

"We have no choice but to agree and get even more frustrated. Right, Vyollo?"

"It's irritating that you keep saying things that hit the mark, Dranax."

"See, see, Frey. Vyollo and I get along so well. Fighting is all just fun."

"Well, well. Murakan sure boasts a lot!"

Murakan, Dranax, and Vyollo burst into laughter, while Jin and Frey inwardly sighed. Jin was embarrassed by Murakan's attitude, and Frey was embarrassed for both of them.

"Have you all had your meals?"

"Yes, we grabbed something simple on the way."

"Still, you went through the trouble, so let's prepare a meal. You probably won't have much to do while waiting. We'll also prepare the reports related to the fake Murakan, so take your time to look at them while you eat."

"Understood, Dame Frey."

"Now that we have you and Murakan here, I feel much more relieved. Murakan, I would have liked to hold a welcoming ceremony for your return and Vamel. But as you can see, it's not the right situation. I hope you don't feel too bad about it."

"Who do you think I am? A crybaby?"

"Instead, let's have a grand celebration when everyone returns to the Storm Castle, including the patriarch and the other comrades."

Murakan couldn't hide a bitter smile, feeling awkward. Although they were in a world inside a painting, it was a scene he could never see again in reality.

Frey seemed to read something from Murakan's expression, but she didn't add anything. While the two of them and the ten great knights were looking elsewhere, Jin quietly patted Murakan's back.

The Storm Castle's dining hall was not much different from the present. In fact, some parts that were worn out had been refurbished and looked new, and even the weather was unusually sunny, unlike the usual storms. The sunlight filtering through the windows was beautiful.

As they skimmed through the reports, dishes were served one by one. The news that the real Murakan was with Jin had spread throughout the Storm Castle, and the servants cried with joy as they greeted Murakan.

"We thought you, Lord Murakan, had truly become a demon... We cannot express how much we resented that. My son also died recently in Loron, killed by his breath. Please, take revenge for us."

"It's beyond words how delighted we are to have you back, Lord Murakan. We prepared dishes you used to enjoy."

Various types of pies kept coming out along with the meat dishes.

"Your appetite remains just as hearty as a thousand years ago."

"But back then, there was no one who could make strawberry pies as perfect as my Strawberry pie. Ah, I miss strawberry pie so much. I wonder how much she misses me…" 

"Really... It's terrible, terrible. Somehow, after finishing Ms. Misha's job, your strawberry pie, no. Gilly's symptoms have become even worse."

"Hmph, isn't that obvious? To a dragon, three years might be short, but not to Gilly. What would a kid like you know about giving affection to anyone with limited lifespans?"

"I was just trying to stir you up; it meant you should behave yourself in front of others."

"Are you and I the same?"

"Enough talk. Eat the pie. Have some water too."

"Well, it might not be as good as my strawberry pie's pies, but it has its own nostalgic taste. People knew how much I loved pies; there were even those who opened a pie shop using my name. Of course, they were commoners, so I didn't impose any restrictions. I did sneak in once to eat secretly and then transform into a black dragon to surprise them."

Once Jin's stomach was filled, he focused on the reports. Just by skimming through the contents, he could tell how much trouble the Storm Castle had gone through to track the fake Murakan.

"During the past month, how many cities and towns did he destroy? How many knights died during the pursuit?"

Soon, Jin noticed a pattern in the fake Murakan's actions.

"All the reports from when the fake attacked Huphester were from external sources. On the other hand, the ones from Mitel were all written directly by Storm Castle's knights... Lately, he's only been slaughtering in the Mitel Kingdom."

The fake was attacking Mitel regularly, with intervals of two to three days.

"Have you looked into it?"

"Yes, recently, the fake is only targeting Mitel, Dame Frey. And during the past ten days, he attacked Schulvie, Tulan, Kitia, and Loron, all areas not too far from the Storm Castle. It's as if he's sweeping Mitel from the outskirts and closing in on the Storm Castle... that's the feeling he's giving."

"We were already becoming aware of this. If he continues with this movement, his next target might be Lugado, and then Mitoil."

Lugado was a nearby city, and Mitoil was the village under the mountain where Jin and Murakan first went.

"So, we've issued evacuation orders and sent controlled knights to Lugado, Mitoil, and other adjacent areas."

"If Lugado, Mitoil, and the neighboring regions are taken care of, the fake will have only distant areas left to attack, which will be far from the Storm Castle."

"What do you think his intentions are, Vamel? Do you think the fake will go back to attacking those distant areas, or will he target the Storm Castle?"

Jin was lost in thought.

'The Ten Great Knights are undoubtedly incredibly strong... but the reports on Murakan's power are probably beyond that. The power he displayed with a single breath, enough to raze a city to ashes, suggests that even the three of the Ten Great Knights would find it challenging to engage him in a full-frontal battle.'

Jin remembered what one of the villagers had said.

"...I think the fake must have judged that he could conquer the Storm Castle unless Lord Temar heals with the help of Numerus' blood. So, if he confirms that Lord Temar won't come to rescue while he is attacking nearby areas, he will probably march towards the Storm Castle."

"Ha, the chances of the patriarch returning now are very slim. That means the fake will come soon..."

And that evening.

The knights who were supposed to return to the Storm Castle after issuing evacuation orders to nearby cities did not come back. From the night onwards, a furious storm raged relentlessly. As if the sunny weather from the afternoon was a lie.

And a black dragon fiercely tore through the dark clouds, flying towards the Storm Castle. It was the fake Murakan.

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