"Damn, I should've sent some agents beforehand."
Disappointed, Kashimir shook his head.
They didn't send anyone before due to the chances of their plan getting foiled.
Also, because the Kollon Ruins was such an open tourist area, they didn't think that they needed to scout the situation.
"Even if you sent your goons, there would be no difference."
"That's true, but…"
While everyone stood in despair, Jin remembered that this didn't happen in his past life.
'The Kollon Ruins were always open before my regression. That's why the brave journalist incident occurred in the first place… Maybe my cadet mission here changed something.'
After dealing with the living golems and committing arson, he had returned to his clan.
And the Zipfels announced it as an accident instead of an act of terrorism or invasion.
Responsibility.
That word shot through Jin's mind.
'In my past life, eleven years later, the world found out about the Zipfels' plan through the journalist. And since the fate of the world changed because of me, the plan should be exposed earlier.'
He didn't really care about the Kollon natives who he had never seen even a single time. However, he didn't want to make their lives more miserable because of his regression.
'I can't save them as Laosa wished. Well, there's no need to anyway. However, I don't need to become like the Zipfel scum who contribute to their suffering.'
Jin looked at the 'Restricted Area' sign with the Zipfel Clan's dragon coat of arms.
"What're you gonna do, kiddo? I think trespassing is dangerous since we don't know their inner workings and troop count."
"That's correct. And you mentioned that Zipfels used this area for forbidden magic? I don't think there'll only be a few stationed troops, Young Master Jin."
"Hmm… There's a very high chance that they got rid of the evidence for that stuff since I got exposed to it. But this sign… Isn't it a little strange?"
Kashimir and Murakan looked where Jin pointed.
"What is?"
"They only installed a steel fence, and there's no security or barrier magic. Just a sign. The Zipfel Clan wouldn't manage an important restricted area like this."
The barrier was very crude for a world-class clan like the Zipfels.
"Now that you mention it, you're right, Young Master Jin. Of course, even though there's no security, nobody would be crazy enough to enter when the Zipfels' insignia is glaring right at them. But indeed, it's very poorly done."
"When I first came here for a mission, there were many security spells even on the low-tier relic storages. I think the Zipfel Clan is neglecting this area."
"Didn't Lady Laosa say that the Zipfels were searching for the Kollon natives' sacred object? Because of this, many natives were massacred to obtain it. But since they're neglecting it, doesn't that mean they already found it?"
"No idea. They've been oppressing them for centuries, and their forbidden magic experiments were already exposed to an outsider. For all we know, they could be just leaving the natives alone."
Jin didn't think that the Zipfels had found the mirror that quickly. If so, they would have already been mass producing 7-star magicians in the magic academy.
"In fact, this sign looks too crude. It's made of wood, not even steel. It looks like a magician just slapped it on there."
"That could also be the case. They could just be tired of tourists, so someone could've asked the Zipfels for permission to close the area for a while. Every organization is bound to have a lazy manager."
The three just walked past the sign, and the more they walked, the more they were certain with their deductions.
'Seeing as there are weeds here and there, it means they're not tending to it. But still, there's not a single animal, which means that there are still people in here.'
The museum, warehouse, and magicians' lodgings were just as he remembered it.
In fact, Jin could see the traces of arson that he committed. Seeing that they greatly neglected the land, he knew that the Zipfels disposed of the area.
"Oh, I see some people over there. Crimson-people like Laosa."
They saw some figures at the end of the road. The three hid in the trees to observe them. The crimson-people looked pretty depressed.
'The natives' presence means that the mirror is still here. Then why did the Zipfels clear out this place…? Did they just give up after trying for centuries, just like Kashimir said?'
Right as Jin thought about it, a man emerged from within the crowd.
A man with messy silver hair. He shouted at the crimson-people, but it looked like he was drunk.
'His hair color is the same as Beradin's… And that looks like a wine bottle in his hand. Maybe…?'
A name popped into mind.
The man deemed as the 'Hysteric of the Tower' in Jin's past life.
'Myuron Zipfel?'
Kelliark Zipfel's sixth son.
As his nickname suggested, Myuron was very hysterical and hot-headed. He would become a celebrity in the future due to his strange demeanor. Mostly because his behavior contradicted the Zipfels' dignified image.
"Young Master, that seems to be Myuron Zipfel. The silver hair is the symbol of their clan. And amongst the pureblood Zipfels, he is the only one known to wield a wine bottle in broad daylight."
Kashimir also knew about him.
"What? A pureblood Zipfel? Why's that guy in this uninhabited land?"
"Sir Murakan, Myuron's behavior is known to be rowdy, so he doesn't get a lot of respect within the Zipfel Clan. Last I heard was that he's the Pillar of the Zipfels' Seventh Tower of Magicians, but it seems he was demoted? Or maybe he's on vacation."
"Hmmm, if he's a pureblood, he must have many guardian magicians. Let's decide on our next move after we see how many bodyguards he has."
"When Myuron goes back into the building, let's talk to the crimson-people. I think that hearing some insight about the situation is the best way to approach this."
The three waited in the trees until Myuron returned to the building.