Chapter 967,
Chapter 239. Kelliac and Octavia
Zipline Draka.
Kelliac was indeed looking down on his territory he had regained after a long time. The entire garden was covered with corpses and bloody flames.
The corpses were all of the enemy. The wizards shuddered at the thought of the inaction of Keliac and Elona, who burned them all in an instant.
“Even after securing Elona, he was struggling because he couldn’t deal with just one of these guys properly… Beladin When I think of the expectations we placed on him, I can’t help but lament.”
Kelliac said in a dry voice.
Octavia and Ronil Satrin stood beside him. Octavia’s face was still confused about Keliac’s return, but not Satrin and Ronil.
They naturally assisted him, as if Kelliac had been ruling Ziffle all along.
“Ronil.”
“Tell me, my lord.”
“I have read all of Veradin’s actions that you recorded. Even in that part, there were not one or two disappointing parts.”
“It is because I did not assist properly.”
“It’s not a problem because you and Satrin’s roles weren’t that in the first place. Rather, it was that Beradin was not using you properly.”
Ronil and Satrin.
Kelliac raised them as tools that were thoroughly subordinate to the ‘family’. No matter who the head of Zipline is, Ronil and Satrin have always been a role that exists as a loyal secret weapon.
That’s why, now that Kelliac has returned, they are giving their allegiance to Kelliac, whom they called a traitor, with a nonchalant face.
It didn’t matter who the head of the household was to them. Even if out of nowhere the illegitimate child of a collateral family abandoned at an orphanage became the head of the household, the two would have acted the same.
Only Kelliac himself knew that fact. He originally tried to take the body of Beradin and continue his eternal life, and in the same way, he tried to use his children to reign forever as the family head of Ziple.
That’s why people like Ronil and Satrin were needed. Thoughtless monsters who only give blind allegiance to the family and the head of the family.
That was also the reason the two took different attitudes from Octavia during the Tower of the Past runaway.
At the time, Octavia shouted that she should save Veradin even if the family suffered a serious blow, and Ronil and Satrin insisted that they give up Veradin. It was because it was enough to change the family head, but the family could not be changed.
“By now, Beradin must have passed on all the secrets that only the householder could know to Runcandel. So, first of all, let’s make the critical information meaningless.”
“What can we do?”
“I will move the holy place. Starting today, the two of you must eliminate all managers below level 2. Also, all level 1 and higher managers are individually isolated.”
“All right.”
“What should I do with the living golems currently remaining in the Holy Land?”
“These are weapons that are a pity to kill. All memories will be manipulated and recycled as soon as Elona can afford it, so until then, provide enough nutrients to keep it from losing its function.”
“I will execute.”
Octavia was unable to properly hide the complex state of mind that was difficult to describe.
It was not easy for her to understand the attitude of Ronil and Satrin, who were accustomed to following Kelliac’s orders, and Kelliac’s bold move after returning.
So, Octavia had been unable to organize her thoughts for a month already. Kelliac hadn’t given Octavia any special orders yet.
“Octavia.”
“yes.”
“It seems that it is still difficult to call me the head of household. Aren’t you glad I’m back?”
“…that’s not it. It’s just that it’s confusing. Didn’t the patriarch always look forward to the child of Beradin taking his place as the successor?”
“That was until they hit me in the back of the head.”
“Of course, it is true that Beradin betrayed the family head. But that’s why I don’t understand it any more. It seems that Ronil and Satrin were thoroughly trained by the head of household in the first place, but I am not?”
Kellyak smiled softly.
“What do you want to say?”
“I mean, I don’t know why you don’t punish me. Whatever the situation, I have always been loyal to Beradin, who pushed the family head out.”
“It’s funny… In a way, Beradin was just a test subject for you. It was a valuable test subject for all of us. It is as if the experimenter had sworn allegiance to the subject.”
“Please tell me why you are not punished. If it was the family head I knew, of course you should have purged me…or manipulated my mind like I did with Sir Elona and the demon commanders.”
“You’re overestimating you, Octavia.”
Octavia’s eyes widened.
“Since I came back, you haven’t once rebelled against me properly. Even when some foolish and weak guys who followed Veradin risked their lives against me, you stood by and did not organize your position. That is why I am letting you live.”
“…yes?”
“It could mean that you aren’t worth killing for, and it could also mean that you may still have something to devote to your family. Or it could be to take credit. After all, you’ve been building a family with me for a long time.”
“More incomprehensible. What do you want me to do?”
“Octavia. Until a few years ago, you were a second-in-command that was not revealed to the outside world. At the time, Andrei was the vice-captain, but those in the know recognized you as the actual second-in-command. But have you ever thought about why? Why would I bother to bring up Andrei and hide you?”
“I think it was… because Andrei is a better player to use and discard than I am.”
“Accurate. But there is one blind spot. That doesn’t mean you were more valuable to me than Andrei. Rather, you were a hidden second-in-command because you couldn’t do like Andrei.”
Kelliac turned and met Octavia’s eyes.
“Andrei was a shallow, untalented fellow. But he was also an incorrigible conspirator. No matter how dirty I was, no matter how dirty I was, I didn’t have to explain to Andrei. Because he always understood me.”
“Ah…”
“On the other hand, how was you? When we conducted all kinds of experiments, including Sandra and Beradin, you participated in all the evil. However, he always showed an ambiguous attitude with a face that seemed to be uncomfortable somewhere. I made no effort to cross the line, nor did I try not to cross it. I was standing in a gray area, rationalizing that it was all for the family.”
Octavia couldn’t help but be shocked.
Kelliac wasn’t saying anything wrong.
“What was it like when Beradin betrayed me? After stopping Beradin’s rampage several times, you finally started to follow the child’s orders. It’s the same now that I’m back from hell. You’re still standing in the gray area, stunned. That’s why you didn’t become an assistant stockholder like Andrei.”
Octavia’s whole body was shaking.
She has been involved in more experiments and evil deeds than anyone else as the head of Ziple, but has never been treated as a reliable accomplice by Kelliac.
“Nevertheless, you had a magical talent that far surpassed Andrei’s, and you were ready to give your life at any time for Ziple. In other words, strength and loyalty are excellent, but I must say that determination is lacking.”
“Then, the reason why the householder kept me alive… must be because he wants me to cross the line from now on. Like Andrei, who died like a householder…”
“Well, you can’t be that kind of person by nature. So don’t overdo it. However, I am only in the position that at least one person in my family needs a talented person like you.”
Vomiting was intensified by the boiling sense of shame. The inside that had been believed to be hard and ruthless was shaking like rotten porridge.
As Kelliac said, Octavia always had a negative attitude towards the ‘experiment’.
All those ugly things have been covered up for the sake of Zipple. The truth that had been neglected for a long time was strangling Octavia.
“So, in the future, you just have to do what you have been doing in the gray zone. All decisions and decisions will be made by me… As long as you don’t betray me like Beradin, you can live as the leader of the wraith of Ziple forever.”
Octavia couldn’t choose an answer.
At the moment when he thought that maybe he’d rather die, Keliac saw it clearly.
“Ah, if you are thinking of giving up on life, I won’t stop you. Even if the performance is somewhat inferior, it is enough to make it into a living golem and use it.”
Kelliac walked over to Octavia and put his hand on her shoulder.
“It would be nice if I could never do such cruel things to my brother again. Your head will be complicated, so go back and rest for today. If you wish, you can join Ronil Satrin in clearing out those involved in the Holy Land. Or maybe you can help Elona.”
“…I will cancel the words that I am happy that the head of household has returned. It is not easy to face my true face, which I have not known until my age.”
“I didn’t know that I would have to come back after falling to the bottom at the age that is often called late years, younger brother. It’s a shameful thing.”
“Clearing the Holy Land doesn’t seem like Ronil and Satrin will give me a job to do. I’d rather calm down and support Sir Elona.”
“Oh yeah. Among the enemies, there are those who must decide against you. Elona should have almost found their base by now, so you can look forward to it.”
Octavia lowered her head and turned around.
As her back disappeared beyond the door, Ragal came looking for Kelliac.
“My friend Kelliac, he looks a bit unwell.”
“No matter what, it is blood. Even Octavia resembles me as a child… There was a time when I was like Octavia. In the end, they will follow me.”
“Well, if it were a friend, that would be it, but… I’m a little anxious. Kids like that always have accidents. I’ve seen a lot of guys like that in Jinma World. So did Paellito.”
“For now, just focus on injecting poison into Elona. Even if Octavia goes beyond my expectations, controlling it isn’t that difficult.”
