Swordmaster's Youngest Son Chapter 808

Chapter 808

Zipple shuttered every Magic Tower except for the First Magic Tower prior to the outbreak of the evil god war.

Following that, they redistributed fleets and battalions across every federal territory while establishing a network of new Magic Towers of varying classifications.

The specific second-class Magic Tower recently besieged by the Red Legend Tribe fell into the mid-tier category of these installations.

It was garrisoned by approximately one thousand Magicians and supported by a fleet of fifty vessels.

The flagship was an Arcadia-class cruiser from the Zipple headquarters' fifth fleet, overseen by a Tower Master who was an 8-star Magician of external origin.

Furthermore, the defense was bolstered by two squads each from the Spectre Corps and the Phantom Corps—the intelligence branch—whose individual combat prowess actually eclipsed that of the Tower Master.

While not the absolute pinnacle of their forces, they were a formidable group by any standard.

Yet, it required a mere 30 minutes for the Red Legend Tribe to turn that second-class Magic Tower into a pile of debris.

The terrain where the majestic Magic Tower once stood was now nothing more than a desolate wasteland.

Scattered fragments of charred black bone among the wreckage served as a grim testament to the sheer brutality of the Red Legend Tribe’s assault.

Only two survivors remained from the devastation, both members of Sartin’s Phantom Corps.

“It is as you say, Patriarch-nim. Without warning, a massive dimensional portal manifested in the heavens. Over a hundred Red Legend Tribe warships emerged, possessing capabilities that far outstripped our own vessels. Most of our fleet was trapped before they could even deploy. Even if we had been fully prepared for a confrontation, it would have only delayed the inevitable; the final result would have remained the same.”

With heads bowed low, the surviving Phantom Corps operatives recounted the disaster to Beradin.

“Did the enemy fleet appear more powerful than the one Jin encountered?”

“Yes. Though the Red Legend Tribe stayed largely hidden, the commanding presence did not seem to be Rakiman Hog, but someone else entirely.”

“What makes you reach that conclusion?”

“The emblems displayed on their ships were different.”

“Is that the extent of it? Did they offer no ultimatum, no declaration of war, or any statement regarding their motives?”

“Not a single word was uttered. The moment the dimensional portal stabilized, they commenced their bombardment. The apex of the Magic Tower was obliterated in the opening volley, killing the Tower Master instantly. I assumed command and tried to organize a counterattack immediately, but there was nothing I could do.”

The Red Legend Tribe had essentially executed a one-sided slaughter in total silence before vanishing, reminiscent of how Dyfus and Joshua operated after being tainted by chaos before the war.

Such a lightning strike was only achievable through high-level, large-scale teleportation.

However, a key difference remained: the Red Legend Tribe avoided harming civilians.

Their destruction was surgical, targeting only the Magic Towers before they retreated.

“I had hoped to eventually sit down and speak with them, but since they have drawn first blood, we have no choice but to retaliate. It seems they have already allied with someone else. They must be lunatics. What could they possibly gain by attacking us? It can’t simply be a display of dominance.”

“Once the Magic Tower fell, warriors descended from the vessels. I witnessed them seizing powerful Magicians who had survived the shelling. We were nearly taken ourselves.”

“It’s unlikely they want them as traditional prisoners. If that were the case, they would have targeted the Tower Master or other key figures specifically to issue demands before leaving,” Beradin noted, recalling a recent conversation with Sanna.

“Furthermore, the Priestess mentioned that among the ancient underworld races, some sustain themselves on the blood of others. This describes the Red Legend Tribe. I heard that in the Kinzelo territories they razed, almost no corpses were recovered. They likely harvested the bodies to drain their blood.”

Sigh…

Beradin let out a heavy breath, his gaze dropping.

“This is a disgrace.”

The Phantom Corps members lowered their heads further in shame.

“The fault does not lie with you. In fact, you have provided vital intelligence regarding the enemy's numbers and strength. If you have any requests, take them to the Magistrate.”

After dismissing the survivors, Beradin addressed his inner circle.

“…I never anticipated an assault of this magnitude from anyone other than Runcandel or Kinzelo. You have only just ascended as patriarch, yet such a crisis strikes now. This event could seriously undermine our authority.”

“That is irrelevant, as Jin already dragged the clan’s reputation through the mud long ago. The concern isn't the momentary loss of prestige, Spectre Captain, but our total inability to counter their movements. Because they achieved their goals without taking any damage, they will undoubtedly continue these raids across the Federation.”

“Every region must remain under a permanent state of emergency for the time being. Though, given the gap in our naval technology, I am deeply concerned.”

“Our goal is simply to survive long enough to identify an attack and dispatch reinforcements. If a defenseless outpost held for 30 minutes, a fully alerted one should be able to last at least two hours.”

“It appears there are no limits to the Red Legend Tribe’s dimensional travel, Sir Patriarch. However, they might be unable to deploy fleets larger than a hundred ships at once. If they strike with smaller detachments, we can buy even more time.”

“I concur, Elder Brother Ronil. We must prioritize the distribution of our high-speed experimental scout ships to every territory. That way, any assault can be reported the moment it begins.”

Because of the lingering chaos from Gliek, all land-based portals remained non-functional.

Aside from the few individuals capable of long-distance teleportation or communication, Zipple’s fast-response ships were currently the quickest way to move across the world.

“The war against the Red Legend Tribe starts now. With such scarce intelligence, we will be fighting an uphill battle for a while. Our top priority is locating their base of operations.”

“I will give the order to take at least one member of the Red Legend Tribe alive during our next engagement, regardless of the cost.”

“Please see to it, Elder Brother Ronil. Capturing a single one of them is worth more than losing another Magic Tower. Also, do not suppress the news of today’s events. The destruction was too massive to hide anyway.”

If the Demon God Orb were fully functional, they could have erased this tragedy through history manipulation, but that was no longer an option.

“What is our next move?”

“Jin, start circulating reports about the suspicious connections between the Vamel Alliance and the Red Legend Tribe.”

“Understood.”

“It’s a blatant fabrication, but we must convince the public that this new threat from the underworld was brought to the surface by Jin. Move quickly. These articles need to be in circulation before the Red Legend Tribe decides to strike Runcandel or the Vamel Alliance.”

“Yes, Patriarch-nim. Since the Red Legend Tribe purposefully avoided civilian blood, we can draw parallels to the Vamel Alliance’s own tactics. We will emphasize that in our reports.”

“There is something strange, however, Patriarch. If the Red Legend Tribe truly holds a grudge against Jin as the Phantom Corps suggested, why attack us so aggressively? The Garden of Swords or Tikan might be hard targets, but Hufester or the Empire’s strongholds would have been far more logical targets for revenge.”

Ronil nodded, agreeing with Octavia’s observation. Beradin’s eyes narrowed.

“Fear.”

“…Patriarch?”

“I suspect they are terrified of Jin. It wasn't long ago that a high-ranking Red Legend commander and his fleet were nearly wiped out at Kinzelo’s third branch. They likely attacked us while sparing civilians because they aren't ready to provoke Jin just yet.”

Beradin turned, heading toward the Kozec.

“So, let us make it very clear to them who the most frightening enemy truly is.”

***

“Beradin is undoubtedly going to claim that we are the ones who summoned the Red Legend Tribe. He’ll say Runcandel not only birthed an evil god but is now endangering the world by partnering with underworld invaders. Given his recent focus on propaganda, it’s a certainty.”

Jin had read Beradin’s strategy perfectly.

“Slandering your reputation is his specialty, but Zipple is leaning into the media war even harder than usual. I thought we were going to ignore their games? It feels like there’s a deeper motive than just finding an excuse for war.”

“You're right, Miss Quikantel. It just occurred to me—this relentless campaign to frame me as the source of every threat might be groundwork for future history manipulation. If the masses already believe the lie, it becomes much easier to rewrite the past.”

“That’s chilling, Young Master Jin. It’s certainly a possibility. But with Valeria on our side, we’ll be prepared!”

“It’s just a theory for now, Enya. Regardless, our immediate problem is the movement of Zipple and the Red Legend Tribe. They hit Zipple this time, but we or the Empire could be next. We have Mort, our communication tools, and the Red Owl, which lets us react faster than Zipple, but we lack a proper fleet. We can't station defensive armadas in every region like they do.”

The secret shipyard in the Sword Emperor’s lands was still under construction.

“Mass production of the Iello units is behind schedule, and our magic knights aren't stationed everywhere yet. For the moment, we must accelerate the production of communication devices and get them to every major fort. If the Red Legend Tribe strikes, myself and the other powerhouses must be ready to deploy the moment we are called.”

Time was the one resource Runcandel and the Vamel Alliance needed most.

[Jin, their speed is alarming. Whether it’s the remnants of the old imperial family or some other ally, they are being guided by someone who understands the Red Legend Tribe well. They are being fed exactly what they need to recover: the blood of the strong and intelligence on our world.]

“Ameris-nim, didn't you mention before that the Red Legend Tribe possesses the power to resurrect their dead to fight once more?”

[Yes. They create living weapons known as the Immortal Arm by using the glowing hearts of their fallen. Why bring that up now?]

A dark realization dawned on Jin.

“If they have indeed made a pact with the imperial remnants… the greatest reward they could offer the Red Legend Tribe is the method to transform Temar’s remains into a weapon.”

Jin kept the grim thought to himself and shook his head.

“It’s nothing, just a passing thought. I’m heading back to the Family to oversee our defenses. Alert me immediately if anything urgent happens.”

“We understand, Young Master.”

As Jin took to the skies on the Red Owl, heading for the Garden of Swords, the Red Legend Tribe was already tearing open the fabric of space.

The dimensional portals were opening over the Empire—the land protected by Dante.