"You're leaving already?"
"Unlike this bastard, I'm a busy woman. This took longer than I expected, so I can't waste anymore time."
Misha shrugged as she stepped on Murakan's head.
The moment he felt her foot on him, he used all his might in an attempt to raise his head, but he still failed.
Even the empowered Murakan didn't stand a chance against Misha. No one could fathom how strong she was.
While Murakan tried to lift his head just a single inch off the ground, Misha continued.
"Don't be too sad. My business is all for your sake."
Everyone looked a bit surprised. However, Quikantel seemed to have expected this.
"I just feel sorry. We received your help and couldn't even compensate you for it…"
"No need. And now that my shadows are on you, I can find you whenever I want to."
Misha had other things to do besides guarding the contractor.
Especially now, since Solderet had been off the grid for so many years. She inherited all of his affairs.
Due to this, she had no time for herself. She never wasted a single second in her life.
"Is there anything I can help with?"
Misha's gaze met with Jin's.
"Not now. Maybe just grow and develop. When do you plan to return?"
"In a year or two."
"Any thoughts on returning sooner?"
"I initially promised my father that I'd return a little later than that. Returning a year earlier is already breaking this promise, so it'll be hard to push it further."
"How unfortunate. There's something you can obtain pretty easily with a few guardian knights."
"From where?"
"The Ancient Otherium."
The old capital of the holy kingdom, and the current main base of Kinzelo. 'Ring of Erupting Flames Massacre Final Form', the tome containing it was stored there by Liol Zipfel.
"There's one more magic tome over there. The contractor before you, your predecessor, Liol Zipfel."
In his previous life, Jin had heard of this directly from Solderet.
"That location is currently under Kinzelo's control."
"I know that. I'm saying that you can head over after you become a flag bearer. But at this rate, that'll be too late. Well, maybe you can go now with this fucker."
Misha pointed at Murakan.
"It seems you're well informed concerning Kinzelo."
"They allied with Zipfel to use the Demon God's Orb and absorb all of the contractors. And the fact that they split because of you."
Because she always knew Murakan's location, she could infer what happened during Jin's adventures.
Kinzelo and Zipfel had been on her radar for a while, as well. She hypothesized that they were somehow related to Solderet's disappearance.
"If I get enough information out of them, I'll send a letter here. Anyway, obtaining Liol's tome would be optimal."
"Is there someone else going for it?"
Misha nodded.
"Indeed. There's one magician that I've been tracking for a while. Aria Owlheart, a human girl. She's quite the talent, just like you."
Everyone else thought that Misha would give the name of some famous grand magician.
However, among those listening, there was only one person who recognized this name, Jin Runcandel.
'So she was already doing that from a young age?'
One of the names Valeria used, and her most cherished alias since it reminded her of the Grey Owl Clan.
In Jin's past life, she failed to properly obtain the tome. Instead, she got the second form and showed it to Jin.
"A special fate?"
"Just like you are the one chosen by the shadows, she is also chosen. I just don't know by what. If you do meet her, try to make her your ally."
She didn't want to speak on the topic any further.
Since Aria was not with the shadows, Misha didn't want to interfere too much.
If Misha leaked too much information, then she'd have an effect on Valeria's fate. That was something she didn't want.
'I remember that her life's goal was to recover the magic of the Hister Clan. Is this related to how she's chosen?'
As Jin grew more and more curious, Misha removed her foot from Murakan's head.
"My goodness, look at the time. I should be leaving. Hey, Murakan."
"Whaddya want?!"
Murakan looked furious, but he couldn't do anything. He was getting traumatic flashbacks from when they were young.
"Know that you were born privileged and protect Jin at all costs. Understood?"
It was true. Murakan didn't have to handle as much as Misha did, so he indeed lived in luxury.
"Hmph! I don't need your orders to do a good job."
"For pete's sake, so pathetic… Gilly."
"Yes, Miss Misha?"
"Don't make strawberry pies for the next month. Understood?"
"Hehehe, you think she'll actually…"
"Affirmative, Miss Misha."
Murakan lost all hope.
"Anyway, I'll catch you all later."
* * *
A week passed.
Despite having some of his power back, Murakan looked weak every day.
Because of his diet. With no strawberry pies for a month, he looked as though he'd lost everything. On top of that, it was all because of his sister.
"Oh, poor you! You look so pathetic. How can you call yourself a dragon?"
Jin spoke as he brought over a strawberry pie.
"Oh! Woah! WOOOOOAH!"
The spark of life within him was restored. No one would think he was a legendary dragon.
Murakan snatched the basket and embraced Jin.
"I knew you were my only hope. Thank goodness I raised you well."
Murakan offered a slice to Jin. He didn't actually want to share, but he wanted to at least look considerate.
"I'm fine. It's all yours."
Murakan began to demolish the pie.
Jin just watched him eat.
"Sir Kashimir brought some information back about Rani. She was detained but got released after just a few days."
"Oh yeah? That's good. I don't want to admit it, but if it weren't for her, I'd be toast. Kadun would've dragged me into some Zipfel lab. That bastard, it still pisses me off."
After Misha had left, Murakan said something like this…
—I must repay my debt to that paladin.
Jin had thought about it as well, but he was still pretty surprised when Murakan mentioned it.
"Why not feel that sort of gratitude toward the sibling that fixed you?"
"If I told you our history, you would never tell me that again. She's not a dragon, but a devil."
"Regardless, I don't think Rani is in a good position."
"Why's that?"
"Apparently she completely changed after the punishment. She's always drinking, and then she goes around committing crimes while drunk. Now she's waiting in court again."
In his past life, Jin remembered that Rani became the wasted daughter of the holy kingdom. According to Kashimir, she was in the process of doing that right now.
"What? Was she like that before?"
Murakan didn't know her since he'd been unconscious after barely speaking to her in their first meeting.
"Not that I know of. Order is the most important thing in the Protectors of the Doctrine. So one violation would usually revoke the status of any paladin, but that doesn't seem to be the case for her."
"She's the daughter of the holy king. They probably overlooked it because of that."
"Probably so. But she also interferes with the blessing ceremonies in the temple, which is basically going against the king."
To his knowledge, Rani obeyed her father as much as King McLan loved his daughter.
However, after the events at Santel, things began to change.
"Maybe it's puberty, or…?"
"I think she realized a little too late that the holy king allied with Zipfel. She must've lost her identity from that sense of betrayal."
—My duty is not to blind people, to spread lies, to disguise the evil as the good, nor to abuse my power.
Definitely a valid theory based on her devout values.
Murakan thought for a bit, then glanced at Jin.
"Whatever it is, we should go see her. Help her as much as we can. Isn't that how much my life is worth?"