Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 328

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 98.
Ninety-Eight Souls (11)
Joshua nodded.
“Yes, there is.”
“And there are also coffins of other Demonic beings there?”
Joshua smiled slightly before answering.
“Our House of Arnim is a ducal family, so… our ossuary is preserved with almost excessive care.”
Juspian nodded.
“I don’t know all the materials for the original body, but the crucial material is the corpse of a dead blood relative. It doesn’t need to be freshly dead—even bone dust will suffice. However, when there’s an unusual hereditary trait that skips generations, you need the same human. For example, if the person you’re cloning has a genetic disease, you must find another human with that same genetic disease. The same applies to Demonic beings. That’s why we need to go to an ossuary where dead Demonic beings rest.”
Maximian countered.
“So? But that doesn’t guarantee this ‘original body’ is even stored inside the ossuary, does it?”
Juspian chuckled.
“That’s not how it works. The older the corpse, the more it becomes one with its coffin. If the coffin itself had been removed and relocated, that would be different. But if not, there’s a high chance it remains in the ossuary. Yet as you said, your House is a ducal family—who would remove such a heavy coffin from the ossuary without anyone noticing?”
That argument certainly held merit. Maximian turned to Joshua.
“Is your family’s ossuary located in Jade Ring Castle?”
“There is certainly one there, but…”
Joshua paused to consider before speaking.
“To my knowledge, the ossuary in Jade Ring Castle contains no Demonic coffins whatsoever.”
Everyone’s expression grew puzzled. Juspian asked.
“But you just said the ossuary was well preserved?”
“Of course it is, but the place I mentioned earlier was the ossuary in Periwinkle. Our family spent far more time in Periwinkle than in Keltika. Since Duke Icabon, our House has only dwelt in Jade Ring Castle in Keltika for roughly a hundred years. Even then, we considered Periwinkle our family’s true seat, so all the coffins were transported there for burial. The ossuary in Jade Ring Castle was established only after my great-grandfather, Duke Arthur von Arnim, returned to Keltika. But since then, not a single dead Demonic being has been added to it. Therefore, all the coffins of past Demonic beings and our ancestors should be in the ossuary in Periwinkle.”
Maximian frowned and asked.
“But where exactly is Periwinkle? Do you know how to get there?”
Joshua shook his head.
“I only know it’s an island somewhere in the South Sea south of Anomarad. I’ve never been there myself.”
“Well, that’s certainly good news.”
Though he said this, Maximian glanced back at Juspian, secretly hoping he might offer assistance. But Juspian’s expression seemed odd.
When his eyes met Joshua’s, Juspian suddenly spoke.
“Let me ask you something.”
“Yes?”
“If you’re from House Arnim and you’re a Demonic being…”
“What about it?”
Joshua suddenly felt uneasy and looked directly at the other’s face. Juspian was smiling.
“You’d know that person, wouldn’t you? From what you’ve said, it seems he’s still alive, unexpectedly? Ah, what a delightfully unforeseen turn of events.”
“Who?”
Juspian pursed his lips, considering how best to phrase it, but soon seemed unable to contain himself and blurted it out.
“Demonic Hispanie.”
5. Violin Against Argument
A melody that summoned the wind
A house at the cliff’s edge with a dark green roof
A cross-shaped weather vane spinning round and round
April, when spring came like a tempest
Standing on the white terrace
The song you sang for me
Your laughter I can never forget
Even when I was angry, I loved you
Even when you left me, I loved you
Maximian was equally startled by that name. Both of them widened their eyes and asked in return.
“How do you know that old man?”
“Are you acquainted with my Grandfather?”
Juspian began to chuckle softly. The two boys, bewildered, could only stare at each other’s faces. Once Juspian finally stopped laughing, he spoke.
“Grandfather, you say? Then he must be your grandson? Very well. Take a guess. What sort of relationship do you think I have with that fellow?”
Joshua tilted his head and answered.
“Perhaps you’re a friend? Though there is quite an age difference.”
Maximian sensed something amiss and spoke.
“I hope you’re not enemies, at least.”
“Unfortunately, you’re wrong.”
Riche sent an anxious glance urging him to resolve the situation, but it was impossible. Juspian smiled again, though this time his smile seemed far from ordinary.
“Hispanie and I have known each other for a very long time. When we first met, he was perhaps in his early teens? In any case, he was so remarkably clever that I considered taking him on as my assistant, but…”
“Wait a moment. If my Grandfather was in his early teens, then you, Juspian, wouldn’t even have been born yet, would you?”
When Joshua posed this objection, Juspian rebuked him.
“Do you presume to calculate a mage’s age by your own reckoning? When Hispanie was but a child, I was already a accomplished mage.”
“…”
To all appearances, he looked at least twenty years younger than Hispanie. But there was nothing for it but to accept it as he said.
“The trouble was that he didn’t notice that scoundrel gave an ambiguous answer. I thought he’d accepted my proposal, so I let him sleep in my study. Back then I was younger and rather careless. I left him alone in a treasure vault overflowing with all manner of rare materials and magical artifacts. And sure enough, after a few days of eating and sleeping, one morning he vanished without a trace. I hurriedly checked my most precious possessions. Ha! That fellow had extraordinarily keen eyes.”
Anxious about how the story was unfolding, Joshua didn’t even think to ask what he’d taken—he only watched Juspian’s expression. Fortunately, Juspian showed no sign of renewed indignation.
“What that scoundrel took was the Capriccio, of which only one remains in all the world. Of course, you don’t know what a Capriccio is? It’s one of three violins that Julia da Canale created when she was attempting to recreate the Rebec and Fiddle—magical instruments of Ganapoli—by experimenting with various materials. By chance, she managed to create magical strings just once, and she strung three violins with those strings. Since all three were so difficult for us non-Ganapoli folk to play, they were given the name ‘Capriccio’—meaning capricious. Two disappeared long ago, and the last one was the very instrument I possessed.”
“Capricious… a violin?”
Maximian’s expression, with furrowed brow, seemed somewhat strange.
“Yes! A violin. It looks like junk on the surface, but it’s a treasure among treasures in which the power of Ganapoli is embodied. However, it’s difficult to play, and merely playing it produces no effect whatsoever—it’s a peculiar thing. You must perform the special pieces that Ganapoli called the ‘Sacred Chant’ for it to exert its power. But regrettably, the Sacred Chant has completely vanished, and not a single piece remains.”
Riche tilted her head and interjected.
“The violin was created by accident in the first place, the violin itself has already disappeared, and even if it existed, it would be difficult to play, and even if one could manage that difficult performance, without knowing the chant or whatever it is, it would be useless, and besides, that chant has all vanished? What exactly are you trying to tell us?”
Instead of growing angry, Juspian smiled in an odd manner.
“But Julia da Canale had her reasons for abandoning everything and devoting herself to creating the magical strings. She had discovered the musical scores that the people of Ganapoli used to perform.”
“Ah, but those scores have already vanished too, haven’t they? I’m certain of it.”
“…”
Seeing that Juspian couldn’t continue, it seemed Riche had struck at the heart of the matter.
“Listen to the rest of the story! In any case, if one simply performs the Sacred Chant, the Capriccio becomes a tremendously powerful magical artifact capable of summoning winds from gentle breezes to hurricanes, or calming them! In fact, there are records that Canale herself played it and created a barrier of wind around her home, preventing all from approaching! However… at that time, I was unable to obtain the scores, so I intended to first find the scores and then track down that little thief and give him a proper thrashing.”
“A little thief?”
This time it was Joshua who asked in return. Yet he was looking at Maximian while suppressing his laughter.
“That was the case, but I’ve been so busy that I never found time to search for that musical score floating around in the hands of pirates on the Shell Peninsula. I kept putting it off and eventually forgot about it entirely. It turned out to be quite fortunate for Hispanie. But strangely, it didn’t end there—I encountered that scoundrel again later. That must have been about thirty years ago? When I exercised my exceptional memory and demanded he return the Capriccio, he claimed it was no longer in his possession. I told him if he couldn’t return the violin, he should come to my home and serve as my assistant for three years without compensation. But he said he couldn’t because something far too important had come up. He gave some explanation or other, but ah, I’ve forgotten the details. Still, his reasoning seemed plausible enough to me at the time. In any case, whether as a child or as an adult, his skill at spouting absolute nonsense and deftly muddling people’s attention is nothing short of extraordinary.”
“That somehow reminds me of someone.”
Joshua, unable to contain himself any longer, began to laugh, and Maximian spoke quietly.
“I have no idea why you’re laughing, so why don’t you stop?”
But Joshua, already chuckling, could not suppress his laughter. Juspian, absorbed in his own tale, paid no attention to either of them.
“So we made a new contract. I said that when he eventually had a child, he should send that child to me before reaching twenty years of age to serve as my assistant for three years. But Hispanie never kept that promise either. In fact, that scoundrel hardly keeps any promises at all.”
Joshua was laughing even more intensely now. At that moment, Juspian’s voice suddenly grew louder.
“But then, when I wasn’t even expecting it, Hispanie’s grandson—and a Demonic one at that—suddenly falls right into my hands! This is nothing short of divine providence, or perhaps divine retribution! We haven’t discussed the matter of the doll, but don’t think you’ll escape my grasp now. No, postpone it for three years. Time may have passed, but in the end I’ve gained myself a Demonic assistant! Ahahaha!”
Children of the Runes – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Publisher: 14 Months Publishing
The copyright of this book belongs to the author and 14 Months Publishing.
To reuse all or part of the contents of this book, written consent from both parties is required.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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