Swordmaster's Youngest Son Novel - Chapter 833
Chapter 833
“‘Barisada’ is the key… It’s the first time I’ve heard this,” Murakan said, raising an eyebrow.
Jin had never heard of it either.
“We’ve recently learned it from the Chief Butler. While we don’t know exactly where the key leads, we were told it should never fall into the hands of fake Murakans or the Witch. They say that a great danger will befall the world…”
Both Jin and Murakan had already experienced the sword being used as a key through Bale’s Shakan.
‘If that’s the case, could it be that Barisada is the key to another tomb of Temar? But for some reason, I have a feeling it’s something more… If it had anything to do with the tomb, then Picon-nim should have known.’
Picon had been the one who had informed Jin about Temar’s first tomb.
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. First, Sir Picon could have known the secret of Barisada, but he forgot due to the manipulation of history. Second, Solderet could have added some special device or power to Barisada even without Picon-nim’s knowledge.’
Either way, it was clear that the secret of Barisada hadn’t caused any problems in the world so far.
The current Barisada Sword was in the possession of Cyron Runcandel, the current patriarch of Runcandel.
Moreover, in the thousand-year history of the Runcandel Family 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.
‘Maybe my father went on the expedition to the Black Sea because he knew the secret of Barisada…’
Suddenly, Jin longed to see Cyron, Luna, and the expedition team.
‘When I saw my father in my inner world, he still looked strong. As he said back then, I’ll reunite with him and my Elder Sister Luna again if I keep doing what I should.’
A strange feeling washed over Jin.
He had never thought he would miss his father so much.
At this moment, he missed him and Luna more than ever.
“An unidentified great threat… It seems there’s chaos everywhere. Yes, we must be careful, especially since Lueth wouldn’t have said something like that without a reason.”
“What? Is there another problem somewhere?”
“Oh, there was also a little commotion in Lafrarosa. It’s not as serious as here, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
Murakan shook his head, referring to the real world as Lafrarosa.
Frey blinked as if she felt something strange, but she 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 recklessly rush into a large-scale battle. That’s why today’s encounter was surprising. He had never directly attacked the Storm Castle before.”
“That’s why Dranax mocked me if I was spreading my wickedness to the Storm Castle.”
“Yes, Murakan! He doesn’t have the confidence to face us head-on. So, he’s bothering the weak people, trying to lure at least one of us. Until now, I thought he had been injured while fighting the patriarch, but now it makes sense because he’s a fake!”
When 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 stormed into you with confidence.”
“Ha, ha, Murakan! That’s a bit hurtful! This guy underestimates us! Don’t you agree, Vyollo?”
“I do. We are the Ten Great Knights, right? Murakan, don’t you know what the Ten Great Knights are?”
“To be honest, it’s true that I’m immensely strong, isn’t it? Of course, it wouldn’t be easy for me to defeat the three of you and the elite knights at once. But if I knew that Barisada is in the Storm Castle, I would charge and destroy everything first, then it would be easy to get the sword. Do you agree with that?”
“We have no choice but to agree and be even more frustrated. Right, Vyollo?”
“It’s irritating that you keep saying things that hit the nail on the head, Dranax.”
“See, see, Frey. Vyollo and I get along so well. Fighting is just fun.”
“Well, well. Murakan sure does boast a lot!”
Murakan, Dranax, and Vyollo burst into laughter, while Jin and Frey sighed inwardly.
Jin was embarrassed by Murakan’s attitude, and Frey was embarrassed by both of them.
“Have you all eaten?”
“Yes, we grabbed something simple on the way.”
“Still, you went through the trouble, so let’s prepare a meal. You probably don’t have much to do while you wait. We’ll also prepare the reports related to the fake Murakan, so take your time to look at them while you eat.”
“Understood, Lady Frey.”
“Now that we have you and Murakan here, I feel much more relieved. Murakan, I would have liked to organize a welcome ceremony for your return and for Vamel. But as you can see, it’s not the right situation. I hope you don’t feel 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 uncomfortable.
Although they were in a world inside a painting, it was a scene he would never be able to see again in reality.
Frey seemed to read something in Murakan’s expression, but she didn’t add anything.
While the two and the Ten Great Knights looked away, Jin patted Murakan on the back silently.
The Storm Castle’s dining room wasn’t much different from the present.
In fact, some parts that were worn out had been renovated and looked new, and even the weather was unusually sunny, unlike the usual storms.
The sunlight filtering through the windows was beautiful.
As they flipped through the reports, dishes were served one after another. 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, Murakan-nim, had really turned into a demon… We can’t express how much we resented it. My son also died recently in Loron, killed by his breath. Please, come and avenge us.”
“It’s indescribable how delighted we are to have you back, Sir Murakan. We prepared dishes you used to enjoy.”
Various kinds of pastries kept coming out along with the meat dishes.
“Your appetite is still as hearty as it was 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 Miss Misha’s work, your Strawberry Pie, no. Gilly’s symptoms have become even worse.”
“Hmph, isn’t that obvious? For a dragon, three years might be short, but not for Gilly. What would a kid like you know about giving affection to someone with a limited lifespan?”
“I was just trying to provoke you; I meant you should behave in front of others.”
“Are you and I the same?”
“Enough talk. Eat the pie. Have some water too.”
“Well, it may not be as good as my Strawberry Pie’s pastries, but it has its own nostalgic flavor. People knew how much I loved pastries; there were even those who opened a pastry shop using my name. Of course, they were commoners, so I didn’t impose any restrictions on them. Once I snuck in to eat secretly and then transformed into a black dragon to surprise them.”
Once Jin’s stomach was full, he focused on the reports.
Just by skimming the contents, he could realize how much trouble the Storm Castle had gone through to track down the fake Murakan.
“Over 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 Hufester were from external sources. On the other hand, the ones from Mitel were all written directly by the knights of the Storm Castle… Lately, he’s only been massacring in the Kingdom of Mitel.”
The fake was attacking Mitel regularly, with intervals of two to three days.
“Have you investigated that?”
“Yes, recently, the fake is only targeting Mitel, Lady Frey. And for the past ten days, he attacked Schulvie, Tulan, Kitia, and Loron, all areas not far from the Storm Castle. It’s as if he’s sweeping Mitel from the outskirts and approaching the Storm Castle… that’s the feeling it gives.”
“We were already noticing this. If he continues this movement, his next target could 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 only have distant areas to attack, which will be far from the Storm Castle.”
“What do you think his intentions are, Vamel? Do you think the fake will attack those distant areas again, or will he target the Storm Castle?”
Jin was lost in thought.
‘The Ten Great Knights are undoubtedly incredibly strong… but the reports about Murakan’s power are probably beyond that. The power he showed with a single breath, enough to reduce a city to ashes, suggests that even the three of the Ten Great Knights would find it challenging to face him in a head-on 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 Temar-nim is healed with the help of Numerus’s blood. So, if he confirms that Temar-nim won’t come to rescue him while he’s 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 night.
The knights who were supposed to return to the Storm Castle after issuing evacuation orders to nearby cities didn’t come back.
From nightfall onwards, a furious storm raged relentlessly.
As if the sunny afternoon weather was a lie.
And a black dragon fiercely tore through the dark clouds, flying towards the Storm Castle.
It was the fake Murakan.