CH 188

C188 - Leaving Lafrarosa (1)

After becoming a brother of the Legends, the time left for Jin was only two weeks.

For four of those days, he was trained by the Legends and fought against common warriors. Every day, for four days, he competed in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts against 64 common warriors.

The closer it got to the time to leave Lafrarosa, the closer it got to the time to join his colleagues outside in Operation Compass Takeover.

His impatience was growing.

The odds of Operation Compass Takeover were stacked against him, and it would be more dangerous than any combat he had fought with his comrades.

They would have to deal with Zipple/Zipfel and Kinzelo at the same time. The compass recovery would undoubtedly be attended by extraordinary individuals from each faction, and Jin's group was determined to 'face them fearlessly' and get their hands on the goods.

"Since it is a secret recovery, neither the owner nor the general manager will be present in person, but I will never send careless bastards."

Of course, Jin's group was formidable. Jin, Murakan, Quikantel, Kashimir and Alisa. The five of them alone would be a force to be reckoned with.

But what if the Bellard Empire faced the arrival of Zipple's White Nights or a host of Magic Tower Masters?

Kinzelo's side was also a problem. There were only three nine-star mages he had identified, and who knows how many warriors above Goltep.

'On the day of the operation, we agreed to retreat quietly if we felt Zipple and Kinzelo were too much for us, but if not this time... we don't know when we'll be able to take the compass.'

It was a stroke of luck that Jin received that information from Bubar's carving workshop.

He had to make it work, that was why he had come through the hell of the Mythra desert to train here.

"You seem unusually anxious, Brother Jin."

He was about to head to the training ground to meet up with the Legends when he heard a familiar voice.

"Brother Vahn."

"Can you tell me what's going on?"

"It's because of something outside. I have to go to an operation with my teammates and I doubt my strength is sufficient."

"How ridiculous."

"Why?"

"Brother walked out of the main room of the Temple and faced the aura of the Legend brothers head-on, and showed no sign of fear. The enemies the Brother has to deal with outside can't be stronger than us."

The Legends were somewhat flimsy and foolish.

If only they could get out of Lafrarosa, the face of the world would change in an instant. But already decimated, there were only 77 of them left.

After becoming brothers, he felt this even more urgently.

Between them, the Battle Goddess and the 12 Legends were different beings. He didn't think they could kill them even if all of Zipple came down on them.

"I'm not afraid of getting hurt, but what if something happens to my companions? Some of them are weaker than me."

Vahn blinked, looking at Jin. Something stirred in those dark, blue, deep-set eyes.

It was the past. All those years before she became the Goddess of Battle, when she had asked herself the same questions Jin had.

The same nagging questions that had plagued her since her destruction by the Gods.

"I'd say it's too soon."

"Are you worried about this?"

"Yes. Brother Jin, unlike the others, you are not simple or foolish; you must be trying to fight these enemies because they are worth fighting, and it's never too late to start when you must fight enemies you can't afford. For now, it's just more trouble."

"But it's true that those two, Zipple and Kinzelo, are not easy to deal with."

Then Vann smiled.

"You still don't know your brothers very well."

Jean thought instead of answering.

'You guys don't know me either.

What does that mean, that they're stronger than I think they are, that they don't think Zipple and Kinzelo are anything to worry about?

Vahn, she didn't know Zipple or Kinzelo. Even if she did know them, they couldn't be as threatening to her as they were to Jin.

As these thoughts roamed through Jin's mind, Vahn spoke again.

"Maybe you should spend some time with me from today until we leave."

"You mean Sister Goddess of Battle will teach me? I haven't finished my training with the Legend Brothers yet."

"Brother (Jin Runcandel) is the only one who can save us, so if he fails, the entire Illustrious Legend Tribe will fail."

"As you wish."

"I will hold him, soothe him, and polish your heart, so you can see yourself better."

Vahn extended a sword.

"Sigmund, the Sword of Balmung. This is my sword. Boras hammered it for the brother to use."

* * *

Boom!

Jin and Vahn's swords clashed.

It was the first time Jin had seen Sigmund's sword more clearly since he received it about 9 days ago.

Pale and blue, as if forged from molten lapis lazuli, the blade was exactly the same size as the Bradamante.

Just so...

Vahn had killed Jin a number of times.

In all that time, Vann had only asked one thing of Jin.

If he unsheathed his sword in front of him, and it didn't look like he was going to die right then and there, then she should believe it, for that would be when Jin would be dead.

She only unsheathed it for the first time now because she knew he would die instantly.

"Whoa..!"

Drawing a sword against Vahn standing up is something anyone can do.

But mixing it with a half and whole wasn't something just anyone could do.

"Nice hit."

Vahn let out a black laugh.

"How does it feel to die ninety thousand deaths for nothing, Brother Jin, do you want to go on?"

Ninety thousand useless deaths.

That was how Vahn described the last nine days Jin had spent sweating in front of her and accomplishing nothing.

"It's not enough..."

"Even before our time stopped, there weren't many who could cross swords with me twice."

In nine days, she hadn't really improved her swordplay at all. No wonder, since all he did was die.

"Brother Jin already had the ability to mix with me before the nine days. You have enough faith and ability, but you have been defeated ninety thousand times because you don't know your place (don't know what you are doing)."

Van waited nine days to confirm this fact to Jin.

"Now that you have a clear head, you can see, Brother Jin, that this is the level of martial skill you possess, and you can share it with me."

Jin wiped his forehead and couldn't help but think.

'Of all the martial artists I know, how many can share a match on the same level as Sister Vahn?'

None, except for a few that came to his mind immediately. Just like she couldn't think of any people who could share a full spar with Cyron.

"At the end of the day, if you didn't know yourself and didn't pick Sigmund, I was going to get him back."

"Now, no matter how many times I try, I think I'm going to be able to join Sister Vahn."

"Now that we've seen what's possible in the first place, it's a no-brainer."

Jin smiled awkwardly.

Knowing exactly what your powers are sometimes is more mysterious than growing up. Jin was no longer worried about the upcoming June 1.

"You can say goodbye to your Brothers in peace now. Next time we meet, I hope you can have a better spar with me. Say goodbye to them and you can come back in the morning."

When Jin tried to bow his head, Vahn gently grabbed his chin.

"Brothers don't do that with each other."

That night, all the Legends gathered for a farewell feast. They drank until the wine ran out, and Jin wished he could one day give this strong and innocent race a great gift.

A gift is something you can give that doesn't have to be a return of favor.

"Farewell, brother. We will always remember your accomplishments here."

* * *

May 17, 1797.

Once out of Lafrarosa, he returned to the endless mytra desert. The desert sun was harsh, as if the heat of Lafrarosa had been a dream.

Dressed in the new clothes and robes that Boras had woven for him, Jin set out again across the desert.

After walking for two days, he came to an oasis and, after walking another day, he saw a forest road. It was the same forest road he had been looking for together with the tribe's guide to reach the Great Desert.

He thought, "It seems I have not crossed the Great Desert, but have returned."

He was relieved. If word got out that he had crossed, it could be said that he had been born a great adventurer, for there were many beastmen who had seen him in the land of the beastmen.

"Oh, it's the human! Gone! To the Great Desert!"

"Really! Alive!"

He had barely made it through the forest when he encountered the Water Tailed Beastmen, who were returning to the marketplace after trading with the Western Fangs/Gold Seekers (Golden Snow Tribe).

"You're not dead, human. Thank God."

"We worried, yes, all of us."

"Heartbroken, yes. We are fine now."

It was May 25, and I still had five days to spare. It wouldn't be a bad idea to spend three or four hours chatting with them.

"Human, but no, you can't go to the market."

"Why?"

"A few days ago, the Red Tigers, they came."

"Damn, bastards, they're, all of them, rioting!"

"Turn, around, a, bit, and, use, the, road, to, the, other, Market, Mekameka."

It would be another three or four days before he could get back to Mekameka Market, and he would be too late.

"No, I will be too late. There's a place I must go before the end of May. Don't they have their own secret passage around here?"

"No, this way."

"Then let's go."

"No, them, they, they will catch us, they will kill us, you know nothing, human."

All the way to the Yukayuka market, the Water Tail Tribe talked about their worries. They even pulled Jin with their little hands, begging him to come back, but even being Jin, he could not give up.

Therefore, it could be said that the encounter between Jin and the two Red Tiger Tribe guards at the beginning of the Yukayuka market right now was an expected outcome.

"Phew, trouble, trouble."

"Well, how do we get through?"

"We can, if we pay. You guys can't. Maybe."

"Pretend you don't know me and go on your way, okay?"

The Water Tails passed Jin first, but looked back nervously. The Red Tiger Tribe men took their money and patted each of them on the back of the head before letting them pass.

'If they pay you, let them pass, what's the point of beating them, you little bastards.'

If the White Wolves were bad-tempered warriors, the Red Tigers were bastards as tough as they were warriors.

The two Red Tigers who had been glaring hatefully at Jin since before were now openly arguing.

"Hey, hey, human, come here. Stand in front of me, give me everything you have, take off your clothes and show me your body."

"Oh, he's quite a beau, shall we capture him and sell him to a pleasure house?"

"Kikiki, they would love to..."

But as Jin got closer....

The Red Tiger Tribe members couldn't speak.

'What, what... this human. what kind of energy is this!'

Not only were they speechless, but their legs were shaking involuntarily.

The hairs on their bodies stood on end and their stomach felt as if it would melt.

Such is the power of instinctive fear.

The aura of a great race tearing them apart and trampling them underfoot hovered over Jin.

Half a year had passed since his disappearance, and these two young Red Tigers, trembling with fear, had not even heard his name.

A beast did not need anyone to teach it to fear its natural enemies, for it was something it learned innately.

"Woo, woo, ki, kihaaak......!"

"Kihaaaaak! kyaaaaak!"

Red Tigers shouted, reflexively raising their fingernails.

"Scram!"

And when Jin said that, instead of attacking, the Red Tigers crouched down and peed until they wet the ground.

"F-Forgive us, forgive us... please."

They didn't dare to look at Jin.