Chapter 177

The amber arrowhead soon fell limply to the ground. It barely even seemed to scratch the magical barrier—just a faint tap.

The mages felt cold sweat trickle down their backs as they instinctively stepped back. Draining mana? They had never heard of such a thing.

“Did anyone else just feel that?”

“…It was like it was sucking us in.”

“What is this? Some kind of sealing stone? But it feels different from the sealing stones we know.”

“Is everyone okay? Check your mana levels!”

At the shout, the mages simultaneously activated their magic. Fortunately, they realized their inner power was intact and managed to stay calm.

Hail spat on the amber arrowhead and pressed his sword against it.

“This isn’t quite like a mana sealing stone.”

“Hail! Don’t touch it!”

“It’s turned into a lump of raw crystal. It’s not glowing. If Akorella saw this, she’d probably faint. She said she’d never seen anything like it before.”

Ian knelt on one knee, staring down at the arrowhead. No matter how closely he examined it, it was the same kind of crystal as the necklace he wore. When it first flew in and blocked his path, it had looked like an ordinary chunk of metal.

“Marib, Your Highness. What exactly is this?”

What could it be that, despite not being a mana sealing stone, it scattered mana—and was found in the flowerpot of bastard Ian? Lady Lien had it too. She called it a failed alchemist’s experiment. Surely.

“Like Wesley and you, it’s a human creation meant to suppress mages who disrupt the imperial palace and the great empire of Bariel. Do you like it?”

Marib answered as he drew another arrow. Looking closely, the feathers were clearly different from those used by the royal family. It seemed Marib had trimmed the feathers to distinguish them. As the bowstring was drawn taut, Ian shouted:

“Maintain your mana levels!”

Ziiing. Ziiing.

At his command, the mages reflexively poured their power into the barrier. It was already cracked; if that strange attack hit twice in a row, it would shatter completely. Gritting their teeth, the mages pushed their mana to the limit.

“Hold on! Keep pouring in the mana!”

“Is this really going to be okay!? Ian!”

“Shut up! How would Ian know? Keep pouring mana!”

“Ugh! Aaah!”

Marib released the bowstring in a graceful arc. This time, the attack targeted the unfilled gaps in the barrier.

Crackling! Crack!

Sparks flew like lightning. Ian’s golden eyes glowed even brighter. The fierce clash between the mages trying to maintain the barrier and the arrow stealing their power whipped up a violent gust.

At that moment, Ian realized something.

“So this is it. The reason Gale’s rebellion failed, as recorded in history!”

It felt like the missing puzzle piece had finally fallen into place.

In the original history, Gale conspired with Wesley and the magic department to rebel. Though the full political situation was unclear, it should have been suspicious that most mages were subdued. The royal mana sealing stones alone couldn’t handle them all.

“Marib must have researched this to keep Gale in check.”

To keep Gale in check was to keep the magic department in check. That’s why, when things went wrong, they could suppress the mages.

Even now, the situation wasn’t much different. The only difference was whether it was Gale’s magic department or Ian’s.

Crackling! Bang!

The arrows began draining mana again. Marib wasted no time and nocked a third arrow.

“Damn it!”

It felt like his blood was boiling—not from anger, but from releasing mana uncontrollably.

The amber crystal came from the troupe that housed the alchemist, so they must have researched and distributed it. But what puzzled Ian was why the amber crystal hadn’t been passed down through the generations.

“The royal family’s only means of controlling mages was the mana sealing stone. It was unique; there was nothing else. If there had been, I would have known.”

He was the emperor. And a mage.

Ian coughed up blood and shouted. He didn’t know how many arrows there were, but if they just kept blocking like this, it would be like pouring water into a bottomless pit.

“Hail! Nakina!”

“Yes, sir!”

Ian glared at Marib with his golden eyes blazing. Then he called out to the mages skilled in offensive magic.

“Rope, Ation, Kanna, Salvera!”

“Yes, Ian!”

“Attack!”

Marib calmly continued firing arrows. Like stones thrown into a deep well, the arrows kept cracking the barrier.

Crackling!

‘What a shame.’

The mages were flustered, but Marib was disappointed. If only he had a little more time, he could have ended the authors’ lives with a more perfected weapon. Marib’s aide, Paarl, raised his hand, signaling to prepare for an attack.

“-By the authority of Ian Hiel, Minister of the Magic Department, I command—”

Kraang! Bang!

“Execute Marib, Your Highness.”

“Execute him!”

The named mages leapt into the sky in unison. The barrier, drained of their power, couldn’t withstand the arrows and shattered, but Ian calmly gave orders.

“It’s fine if it breaks! Just keep rebuilding it! Don’t leave your positions and stay focused!”

“Kill the mages! Treacherous traitors!”

“Demons wearing the mask of gods!”

“Kill them! Kill!”

“Bring down the true crown prince!”

The soldiers charged up the stairs, shouting as if to completely destroy the barrier. From above, they looked like a swarm of ants. As the mages flinched and retreated, Nakina stepped in front of the soldiers.

Sshhh!

“Gale Force”

The wind, wrapped in mana, narrowed and surged fiercely between the soldiers. It sliced through exposed necks, wrists, and Achilles tendons, carrying the scent of blood.

Swish!

“Ahhh!”

“Push forward! More! Keep going!”

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Cover your mouths! Your tongues will be cut!”

“It’s a blade wind! Run with your eyes closed!”

But the sheer number of soldiers was overwhelming. Using their comrades’ bodies as shields, they advanced, swinging swords at the barrier one by one.

Thud! Thud!

Kraaaang!

At that moment, Hail leapt down swiftly, grabbed a soldier by the hair, and slammed him to the ground. His fists, hardened like forged iron, were glowing red-hot. The soldier’s head was crushed to pieces before he could scream.

Sshh!

An arrow whizzed past him—it was Marib. Hail threw the soldier’s hair down the stairs and stood up.

“Do you understand what you’re doing right now?”

“You don’t need to. Ian knows.”

“Foolish. Who would call you products of wisdom?”

Peeeng! Sshh!

Not only Marib but his aides and those nearby all seemed to possess amber crystals. Arrows rained down like a storm from a clear sky.

Sshh! Thud! Puff!

Chaaang!

“Ian!”

“W-What do we do?!”

“Ahh!”

The barrier’s destruction outpaced the mages’ ability to rebuild it. The mages ordered to attack cut through the soldiers and charged at Marib, but…

Pook!

An overwhelming number of arrows shattered their individual barriers. Nakina’s left arm was pierced by a blind attacker’s strike.

“Ahh!”

Cursing in pain, Nakina yanked out the arrowhead roughly. As she reflexively prepared to cast an angry offensive spell—

“…?!”

Her breath caught; her mana was blocked. As Nakina faltered, a soldier swung his sword to stab her heart.

“Dieee!”

“Nakina!”

Bang!

“Snap out of it, you brat!”

“H-Hail, I can’t produce mana.”

“What?”

Nakina stood dazed, as if dropped into a foreign world. Hail crushed soldiers’ heads and shouted sharply.

“Nakina! Focus!”

“Ah, I-Ian!”

Nakina trembled, tears falling. She was so shocked it came out reflexively. Torn between reason and emotion, she shouted:

“You can’t get hit by arrows! I can’t produce mana!”

“What? Nakina, what did you say?”

“S-She said she can’t produce mana.”

“Nakina! Nakina!”

It was more important to inform her comrades than to be stunned. Winning and surviving came first. Nakina shouted again, loud and clear.

“If you get hit by an arrow, you can’t produce mana! Everyone!”

“Damn it! Ian!”

Kraaaang!

The mages building the barrier turned pale and looked at Ian. He bit his lip hard and stepped back.

“…Everyone, gather.”

“Retreat! This way!”

“Activate the portal.”

This was worse than the mana sealing stones. Those only lost effect if you physically moved away, but this one stole mana by wounding you.

‘I hoped we wouldn’t have to use this.’

“Ian!”

“I’m activating the portal! The location is the one I mentioned before! I’ll bring in the true crown prince.”

The place I mentioned before—Hielo Territory. The only land of Bariel where Ian could truly trust and hide.

Tap, tap, tap!

Ian flung open the infirmary door, but there was no sign of life inside. Breathing heavily, he called out softly.

“Your Highness Jin, it’s Ian. We need to leave immediately—please come out.”

Swish.

From beneath the bed, Jin peeked out, hiding alongside the doctor. Unlike the trembling physician, Jin’s expression was resolute as he slipped out from under the bed.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain later. We’re heading to Hielo Territory. It’s the safest place right now.”

Ian reached out his hand. Jin hesitated for a moment. Hielo was the farthest frontier—why go there? Alone?

“…Are you coming with me?”

“Of course.”

“Doctor, you’re coming too.”

“…Y-Yes, yes!”

Jin quickly grabbed Ian’s hand.

Outside, the tide of battle was turning rapidly. Countless amber arrows littered the ground, and a transparent barrier blocked the soldiers’ advance. It meant the mages’ magic was nearly spent.

“I’m opening a portal!”

“We’ll support you!”

“Support—agh! Aaaah!”

Jin lifted his head sharply, staring at the black crescent moon. As the mages chanted spells in an unfamiliar language, dozens of concentric circles appeared at Ian’s feet, as if he were standing on water.

Wow.

The circles glowed beautifully—brighter even than Ian’s golden hair—and Jin couldn’t help but marvel. Ian reached out his hand. Though he couldn’t block the sky with his palm, at least he could obscure the black crescent moon.

Shhh.

“Grow, grow,” the spell seemed to command. With each graceful gesture from Ian, the moon swelled, soon becoming a full, radiant orb. It hung heavy and large, as if it might fall straight into the palace at any moment.

“Your Highness, if you’re afraid, please hold my hand tightly.”

Though he told himself he wasn’t scared, Jin’s grip tightened. Just as Ian lifted him to step through the portal—

Flash!

“Wait, Ian! Hold on!”

“Something’s falling from inside!”

A meteor shower poured down through the black void. Ian frowned, looking up at the spectacle.

What on earth was that?

“Are you sure this is connected to Hielo?”

“Y-Yes, absolutely.”

The meteors grew larger, streaking past the black moon and painting the palace sky as they plummeted downward. Ian’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“Iaaaan!”

“Is that rude Beric here too?!”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

The laughter was rough, coarse, and carried the heat of the desert itself. Warriors rained down from the sky.

Boom! Bang!

“Demosha!”