Two men were frowning as they sat in a cramped room.
They had been talking with Jet for the past few hours.
"So let me get this straight, Mr. Jet. You… filled out this anonymous note for the prosperity of the citizens and the downfall of Akin.
"And you, who were mostly a lowly accountant, decided to betray your organization because you accidentally walked into the slave storage and was shocked by the atrocity?
"Moreover, among the documents you risked your life to take, there was also an accounting record of the magic tome auctions. And you thought it would be a way to collapse the Tesing Clan from the inside, so you handed it over to the Zipfel Clan.
"And out of all of the different press media throughout Akin, you specifically chose the one that is against the Tesings' atrocities because you were interested in Akin's politics…
"Lastly, since you are a mere harmless reporter, you want us to protect you in order to stay safe from Tesing's surviving forces… Is that what you mean?"
Jet frantically nodded.
"Precisely! Man, I tried to do some good deeds in order to live out my life. I don't know why I'm being treated like this. Please let me go. I'm worried about my son."
The two men let out a deep sigh.
They were part of the Vermont Criminal Investigation Team. After receiving the letter about the Tesing Clan's misdeeds, they caught Jet at the port and began an investigation.
As Jin expected, Jet had a strong survival instinct.
He listened to each word uttered by the investigators and responded with the most advantageous reply possible.
Talking about the Beradin impersonator wouldn't help him in this situation. He had to sugarcoat everything as an "act of goodness" to gain witness protection.
The investigators were baffled.
'No matter how I look at it, there's no way this bastard acted upon moral values. He just wrote his name on the letter. He didn't draft the entire thing.'
'It's probably the shady people who destroyed the Tesings. However, we don't need to chase the culprits around.'
Instead of finding the true author of the letter, declaring the bastard in front of them as the righteous hero would be much more convenient.
On top of that, apart from the initial letter, the handwriting from the slave records matched Jet's signature. At least he wrote the slave records himself to save the Vermont citizens.
The investigators shrugged.
"Alright, Mr. Jet. Honestly, you kinda look like some lowly scum, but we'll turn a blind eye on your lies since you are saving dozens of Akin citizens."
"However, the Zipfels have already requested your testimony, so you have to cooperate with us."
"The Zipfels are searching for me…? No, no, no way. If I go there, I'll die."
"Nothing will happen if you tell them what you told us. As long as your story stays consistent, the Vermont Criminal Investigation Team will keep you safe. Just go and tell them the story."
"If they hear something different from us, then it gets really annoying. You have some time before you go to the Zipfels' investigation room, so go see your son and eat some food."
An hour later, Jet followed the investigators to the investigation room.
Ultimately, he didn't say a single thing about the Beradin impersonator, and the Zipfel investigators couldn't kill him even though they knew that he was lying.
"Still, we can't make you a hero. The Zipfel Clan will take the credit for the downfall of the Tesings."
"I don't care, as long as you promise to keep me alive and protect me."
"I will hear the truth once I beat the crap out of the surviving Tesing agents. Leave. Also, don't think that the Vermont witness protection is perfect."
The Tesing Clan was demolished.
Despite causing a ruckus, the three companions didn't even get a bounty on their heads.
This wasn't the Zipfels' business. The destruction was unfortunate for those who lived off of Tesing's dirty money. However, if the Zipfels announced that they destroyed the Tesings, then they would gain more trust from the citizens of Akin.
Either way, for the Zipfels, the support gained from the people of a miniscule kingdom was equivalent to that of an ant.
"So the Zipfel Clan and Vermont Imperial Family would share the fame while you would rake in the true benefits."
"Indeed. Myulta's Rune, Tzenmi's magic tome, and Schugiel Hister's magic tome are now in our hands. Also, I got to fight a 7-star knight."
"Not all 7-stars are the same, Young Master. Please be more cautious in the future. A magic helm, magic, spirit energy, and swordsmanship… You're a great fighter. However, we can't always walk on a tightrope like this."
"Of course. No matter how hard I try, I can't stand against actual opponents like you can, Gilly. I already know that. Still, I'll be more careful."
For a few days, the three spent their time in a remote village near Akin and observed the flow of events. With everything going as Jin predicted, Murakan and Gilly were astonished.
"Well, it looks like the Zipfels wouldn't be searching for us. We can travel to our next destination without too much pressure."
"Where's our next stop?"
Jin already had a place in mind.
"The Free City of Tikan."
"Tikan?"
After experiencing their journey through Akin, the three felt the importance of having an information broker like Jet. They needed someone to give them valuable information about the area as they continued on their journey based on Gilly's and Murakan's memories.
Additionally, information about Vishukel Yvliano's, Kinzelo's, and Alu's true names; the prohibited magic in the Kollon Ruins; as well as other things.
There were many things they wanted to know. Moreover, territories weren't some places one would just casually visit.
Tikan, the Free City, wasn't an exception.
'Once we get there, I should form relations with Ghostblade Kashimir.'
Even in the present world, there weren't many who knew of Ghost Blade Kashimir. Many young Runcandel swordsmen begged him to be their teacher, but he always refused.
The reason being that he had a valuable intelligence agency known as 'Seven-Colored Peacock'.
Excluding the intelligence agencies of the Runcandels, Zipfiels, and Vermont Imperial Family, the Seven-Colored Peacock was the next best information source. It would be the most useful source during a time before the Runcandels rose to power.
The agency was an incredible group of information brokers, but none knew that its leader was Kashimir.
He was also known as 'the Fallen Prince of Vermont' in the present world. To a regressor like Jin, it wasn't anything special, but the world was turned upside down when his status and identity were revealed.
'The seven information brokers that form the Seven-Colored Peacock were all loyal Vermont higher-ups. Along with Kashimir, they are a gathering of abandoned Vermont nobles.'
Jin didn't know the entire story, but he knew that the Seven-Colored Peacock consisted of many useful people.
Ten years later, the Fallen Prince Kashimir would become the first ruler of The Free City of Tikan.
Using the information that they gathered for decades, they would compromise sovereignty and the right to rule the land. They were beyond talented.
'Going to Tikan is easy. The problem is getting close to Kashimir.'
Deeply in thought, Jin smirked.
'A small country needs power. I'll lure Kashimir to me with the thing he wants most.'
The most stable way to strengthen a country is to enlarge its military force. This way, it can fight against invasions and build its infrastructure.
However, after earning its independence, Tikan remained as a mere small country.
Due to its small population, the military force is small. There wasn't a great abundance in resources, so it couldn't even advance its technologies. It was a country reliant on 'information'.
'If he seems reasonable, I'll ask him about the mirror artifact at the Kollon Ruins.'
Of course, Jin couldn't show Kashimir an artifact that he doesn't have, nor could he explain its abilities.
Moreover, it all depended on Kashimir's aspirations for the army he had. Humans would naturally believe things they want to believe.
'Even if I obtain the mirror artifact, I don't intend to hand it to Kashimir. Though, I can share its healing effects. I'll show him Myulta's Rune and teach him the existence of these masterpieces. After that, I will slowly convince him to support me.'
Not only that, Jin also planned to break the rule of not using the clan's name as a provisional flag-bearer. He had to introduce himself as a Runcandel to at least make Kashimir bat an eye.
"Why are you laughing, kiddo? What kind of place is Tikan? Never heard of it in my generation."
"It's probably because of the information brokers, Lord Murakan. There is a massive intelligence agency called the Seven-Colored Peacock…"
As Gilly continued to explain, Murakan shook his head.
"You're choosing abusable scapegoats, just like we used Jet. Not bad. Is that why you were so excited?"
"I was laughing because of the magic tome. By this time tomorrow, wouldn't the deciphering of Tezmi's magic tome be finished? I'm looking forward to it."
"Yeah, wondering about that Tzenmi guy's magic got my stomach in knots. Seems to be light-type magic…"
"What?"
"I said it's light-type magic."
"I remember that all light-type magic was forgotten after ancient times… Wait…"
Jin shook his head. He already heard a few times that Tzenmi was a magician of Murakan's era.
Light magic.
It was the dream of all magicians of the present.
"What the fuck happened? To think that Tzenmi's tome was being tossed around in a sketchy, run-down underground auction house. If I were Tzenmi, I would've crawled out of my grave."
"What kind of person was Tzenmi?"
Murakan smirked at Jin for a few seconds.
"Fifteen hundred years ago, around five hundred renowned Zipfel magicians plotted to assassinate Tzenmi. But they all failed. Which is probably why no one—including you—knows of Tzenmi."
It was similar to how they wiped any records of the Runcandels' magic swordsmanship to a clean slate.
The Zipfel Clan completely erased Tzenmi's existence from the history books.
"It's their specialty. They erase any threat to them from the history books. If you hadn't awakened your spiritual energy, you would have ended up the same as Tzenmi. Forgotten."
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