Chapter 38

Chapter 14. Mamit Outlaw Zone (3)

"It seems one of the Moonlight Well's guests has incurred the wrath of a high-ranking mage, miss."

"I will locate the mage. You protect the miss."

The two men standing beside the girl said.

The girl then snorted in disbelief.

"Do you think I'm a fool who can't even protect myself? We have six of our members in the inn. It could mean that this is a terrorist attack targeting the Inner Palace. Ryu, find the mage. Hiten, you and I will check on the members."

Ryu and Hiten bowed in unison.

The girl who gave them orders was Siris Endorma, the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord Talaris Endorma.

"Alcaro can be killed anytime. We must prioritize the safety of our members over dealing with him."

"Understood, miss."

Ryu ran off to find the mage. Just as Siris and Hiten were about to enter the inn,

Rumble!

The third lightning bolt struck the Moonlight Well. This time, an entire floor was obliterated, and the kings of Mamit were screeching in rage.

Siris and Hiten, who were about to enter the inn, had to pause. Upon closer inspection, the power of the lightning was even stronger than expected.

"Damn it! Who the hell is this!"

"Manka, you! Didn't you say you killed the mages of Zep last time? Could they be here for revenge?"

"That was just a boast!"

Guests were fleeing the inn in a panic.

However, not all guests were like that. Some, being called the strongest in Mamit, were preparing for battle and trying to track the source of the magical energy.

Then, the final lightning bolt struck the inn.

The fourth bolt was far more powerful than the previous ones, as Jin had poured all his spiritual energy into it.

Crack!

When the lightning struck the center of the inn, the building split in two. The halves of the inn looked like they could topple over at any moment.

"Ugh!"

"Argh!"

Guests covered in ash rushed down to the lobby.

The chaos unfolded in less than 30 seconds. The guests had no idea who had attacked the Moonlight Well with magic.

"…Is the attack over now?"

"Yes, miss."

As Siris and Hiten entered the building, Jin, who had been on the second floor, fell to the ground.

Thud!

"Ugh…!"

Falling from the second floor wasn't that shocking, but Jin had directed the last lightning bolt near his room.

'The last one was so powerful because it contained all my spiritual energy. It felt like the power of a 7-star mage.'

If not for Orgeal's pendant, he would have suffered fatal injuries. Jin's robe was burned, and some of his veins had burst, but he managed to avoid serious harm.

Jin naturally looked around.

He wanted to confirm if Alcaro was dead. Alcaro wasn't in sight, but Jin could see the Inner Palace members who had been guarding him running around.

The area was still filled with thick smoke. If Alcaro had somehow survived the magic, Jin needed to find and kill him now.

However, as Jin was about to draw his dagger, he suddenly looked up. A girl and a man were looking down at him.

"What? This is Mamit, and there's a kid my age? Hey, are you okay? It's best to get out of here first."

"Miss, there are members over there. Six in total, and they all seem to be fine."

"That's a relief. Gather them. If they're still guarding Alcaro, just tell them to kill him."

"Understood."

"And if Ryu finds the mage, immediately capture him with the members. The magic looked similar, so it's definitely the same person."

"Understood."

Jin, who had been lying on the ground, realized something as he heard their conversation.

'She's the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord! From what she's saying, it seems she came here to deal with Alcaro.'

It was an unexpected encounter.

However, Jin immediately judged that this meeting could only be fortunate.

'From the conversation, even if Alcaro is alive, he's going to die anyway. I don't need to confirm it myself. Moreover, the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord is convinced it was the mage's doing.'

This meant that the control of the inn would now be in the hands of the Inner Palace Lord's daughter.

Even the so-called kings of Mamit, who were revered in this city, had to yield to the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord.

'From her perspective, it's likely she thinks this is a terrorist attack targeting the Inner Palace. I'll pretend to be scared and leave this place.'

In any case, not only the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord but also the other guests would only think it was a mage's terrorist attack.

Therefore, the possibility of Jin being identified as the culprit was extremely low.

However, there was one problem.

'If my face is known to the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord, it could cause trouble later.'

It didn't matter if his face was exposed to the leaders of the outlaw city gathered at the Moonlight Well or to the other riffraff. He would never meet them again, and if any problems arose, he could just deal with them.

However, the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord was different.

She was someone Jin would inevitably encounter during his stay in the Garden of Swords.

"Miss!"

"Are everyone okay? What about Alcaro?"

"Ah, well… I'm ashamed to say, but Alcaro was killed by the magic that just fell. We failed to protect him."

"Is that so? It's for the best. There's no need to be ashamed. It must have been tough dealing with that idiot. I was actually here to relieve you of that burden."

While she was talking to the members, Jin smeared ash on his face to hide it.

Swish!

Siris drew a white sword and raised it.

"From now on, this inn will be controlled by the Inner Palace! I am Siris Endorma, daughter of the Inner Palace Lord Talaris and the leader of the Seven Swords of the Inner Palace. Those who oppose this will be considered enemies of the Inner Palace."

"Hiten, first, have the members control the area within 500 meters. No one should move until Ryu finds the mage. Understood?"

"Yes, miss."

"Hey, the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord? This is still Mamit. It's annoying to have you try to control the situation with the kings of this city right here. Frankly, we might have been attacked because of the Inner Palace."

It was one of the kings of Mamit who had talked about 'etiquette' with Jin earlier. As he spoke, the other kings nodded in agreement.

"Hiten."

"Yes."

"Bring me his head."

As soon as he spoke, Hiten vanished, leaving a trail.

Swish!

Hiten's blade flashed, and he placed the head of the man, who had died with his eyes open, in front of Siris with extreme politeness.

"I clearly said that those who oppose me will be considered enemies. Kings of Mamit? Have you become so used to being kings in this trash heap that you think the Inner Palace is a joke?"

The kings of Mamit coughed and averted their eyes.

They weren't weak. If all the kings of Mamit united, they could fight against Siris's subordinates. However, none of them wanted to make the Inner Palace their enemy.

"Hmm. We don't want to make you our enemies either. But at least show some respect. The guy who just died wasn't entirely wrong, you know?"

"If it turns out this was a terrorist attack targeting the Inner Palace, I'll provide ample compensation. But what if it's the opposite? If the mage's target was one of you, and we were attacked as a result?"

Siris spoke fiercely, and the kings of Mamit had no choice but to back down.

"Fine, do as you please. I didn't know the guy we were guarding was part of the Inner Palace. You can take control. We also agree to find and kill the mage."

"That's what I wanted to hear. First, all survivors should come down here. One of the Seven Swords of the Inner Palace is looking for the mage who attacked the inn. But the culprit could be among you as well."

"There's no one like that among us. We don't have any mages."

"There might not be any mages, but there could be someone who recently offended a mage. You people cause trouble all the time. Anyway, gather here."

As the kings of Mamit sighed and came down the stairs, Siris looked down.

"Why are you so slow? I told you to get out a few minutes ago."

Unlike when she spoke to the kings of Mamit, Siris used a softer tone with Jin. Jin crouched to avoid showing his face and said,

"W-well, I was a bit scared. I also hurt my leg a little, I'm sorry…"

"Ha, a guy who's scared. You're cute, but get lost. And forget everything you saw today. Apply this to your leg before you leave."

"Thank you."

Siris took out a salve made with healing magic from her pocket and offered it to Jin. As Jin was about to take it with his dirty hand, Siris shook her head with a smile.

"Your hands are dirty. Just let me apply it. Pull up your pants. Anyway, you're quite lucky, aren't you? You survived the terrorist attack, and I, Siris, personally applied the medicine. Consider it a great honor."

Jin hesitated and pulled up his pants. Siris crouched and started applying the salve to Jin's shin. There was a deep and long cut in the middle of his shin.

'Why is she being so kind? In my previous life, the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord was known for her terrible temper. Was it just a rumor?'

After applying the medicine, Siris met Jin's eyes.

She didn't suspect him at all. In fact, meeting someone her age in such a harsh place made her feel a bit happy and protective.

"Done. Hiten! Why is Ryu taking so long? Could he not find the mage? That Ryu?"

"He is a bit late. Should I help look?"

"Hmm, no need. He must be good at hiding. But since he's still in the city, it's just a matter of time. Ryu will find him. After all, he's just a mage."

"You're right."

Jin, who had put on his pants, stood up and bowed.

"Miss, how can I repay this kindness?"

While asking, Jin barely suppressed a smile. He had been worried about being harassed by the kings of Mamit after the attack, but everything had gone smoothly.

Moreover, Siris hadn't even properly seen his face. She was just being kind and letting him go.

"You can't repay me, a great person like me. Just consider it a good memory. If you think of me, drop by the Inner Palace sometime. Goodbye!"

Jin left the inn and immediately left Mamit.

Although it looked like he had received help from Siris, Alcaro had already been killed by his magic, so he had no qualms about reporting the mission's success.