Chapter 178
“Lady Philia, shall I bring you some tea? Are your hands feeling cold?”
At the servant’s call, Philia looked up from her crouched position. Her loosely tied hair and fair skin were smudged with dirt and dust. Though disheveled, her radiant smile remained unchanged.
“I’m fine. The soil is cold, but the air is warm, so my whole body feels cozy. Lemon tea would be lovely, thank you.”
Behind the Hielo estate stood a greenhouse. It was a space Nertharn had personally built for his beloved, who tirelessly tended to the gular plants through endless rain and wind. The servant squatted beside her, examining the thick gular stalks.
“Wow, they’ve grown this much already? You planted these just recently, didn’t you?”
“Amazing, isn’t it? About three or four days ago, I stripped all the leaves off, and they’ve grown so robustly since. It seems the nutrients that would have gone to the leaves are now concentrated in the roots.”
Philia scribbled something clumsily in her notebook—a journal where she recorded observations and care notes for every plant in the estate. Though mostly sketches rather than words, the detailed information was surprisingly useful, and sometimes even the villagers came seeking her advice.
“I’ll bring you a warm towel too. Warm your hands. Nertharn worries if you catch a chill.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
Nertharn fretted every night over the delicate skin of her hands, afraid they might get scratched. Philia smiled shyly and brushed the dirt off. Outside, the warriors of Cheonryeo passed by, bowing respectfully.
“Lady Philia! Good morning!”
“Good morning.”
Philia smiled faintly, clutching her apron tightly. The warriors who had formed an alliance and ventured into the desert had returned to Hielo because of a single letter from her son.
—When the ice here thaws, the thin ice will break. When that happens, will you help me?
What did it mean for the thin ice to break? Since he asked for help, it was surely something difficult. Nertharn seemed to suspect something but didn’t share it with Philia.
—In the name of the alliance, and in the name of your father.
Philia blushed as she recalled the last line Ian had added. Embarrassed and flustered, she poked at the soil with a small trowel.
“Did you call the warriors back to Hielo?”
“We don’t know when Sir Ian’s request will come, so we need to act quickly.”
“But what if it’s all for nothing? I’d feel so sorry.”
“Philia, then shall we hold a wedding? So the warriors’ footsteps won’t be in vain.”
Blushing again, Philia felt dizzy recalling her conversation with Nertharn. She never imagined such happiness would come her way. Above all, this was a love blessed under Ian’s approval, and for the first time, Philia felt as if she owned the whole world.
“Lady Philia! Lady Philia!”
Just then, the servant who had gone to fetch tea called out urgently. Philia stood up, worried that a teacup might have been broken. The warriors were also moving restlessly across the garden.
Tap, tap, tap!
“Is that a signal?”
“Quick, bring Nertharn here!”
“Everyone, gather plenty of gular leaves just in case!”
Philia opened the greenhouse door and stepped outside.
Above the blue sky hung a black crescent moon. It was such an unreal sight that she wondered if she was dreaming with her eyes open.
“Nertharn!”
At the call of his men, Nertharn came out and looked up at the sky. The black moon was ominous. He wrapped an arm around Philia’s shoulder and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Philia, stop your gardening for today and stay inside the estate. It might be dangerous.”
“Nertharn, what exactly is that?”
“I’m not sure, but usually only mages from Bariel create such things.”
Mages. That likely meant Ian. Philia, pale-faced, clutched Nertharn’s collar.
“I want to stay here too. If something’s happened to Ian, I want to be there…”
“Stay calm, Philia. Sir Ian is your son and strong. For now, we should figure out what that black moon means.”
But what could those on the ground do about something hanging in the sky? The warriors released hawks to circle around it. Dozens of huge hawks painted the sky, drawing the attention of the villagers, who stopped their work to watch.
Whoosh!
“Doesn’t seem to smell of anything living.”
“Either something will fall from there, or we’ll have to go in. One of the two.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. Let’s keep watching.”
The warriors of Cheonryeo, the estate’s people, and all under Hielo’s protection waited silently for the moon’s change. How long passed, no one knew.
“There!”
At Hana’s shout, the warriors lying on the grass sat up. The moon was growing fuller, slowly forming a perfect circle, and very slowly descending toward the ground.
Philia took off her apron and ran toward it.
Maybe Ian would come.
“Ian!”
“Philia, move aside! Warriors, hold me!”
“I’ll do it!”
“Quiet. It’s the leader’s duty to step into the frontier first.”
Nertharn pushed Philia back and approached the vast darkness. He cautiously reached inside and felt a cool sensation. It didn’t seem particularly dangerous. Taking a deep breath, he stepped in.
“Hold Nertharn tight!”
“Don’t let go!”
Philia added her weak strength, gripping his left hand firmly. Moments later, Nertharn emerged from the darkness and told the warriors.
“It seems connected to the imperial palace.”
“What? Where? The central palace?”
“Far away, I see a faint light. Not certain, but it looks like the dome of Bariel’s palace. Warriors, arm yourselves and follow me.”
“Demosha!”
At that moment, Philia grabbed Nertharn’s arm, pleading.
“Me too! Please take me!”
“Philia.”
“Please, take me with you. I miss Ian so much. And if you go to the palace, we won’t see each other for at least a month. That month will feel like decades to me.”
A beautiful confession of love. The warriors covered their ears and prepared for departure, while Nertharn smiled awkwardly. Then Hana draped a thick cloak over Philia’s shoulders and persuaded him.
“Nertharn, wouldn’t it be awkward if you meet Ian without her? And we don’t know what’s happening at the palace, but if border tribes suddenly attack, it’ll be chaotic. We need at least one imperial citizen there. Philia is Ian’s mother, so her identity is certain.”
Philia buttoned her coat, nodding repeatedly. Nertharn laughed, unable to refuse, and lifted her up.
“Very well. Stay close to me.”
“Yes, yes! Absolutely! Hana!”
“Take your time. I want to see Ian too, but who will manage the estate if I go? Please send my regards and a letter! Stay safe.”
Philia kissed Hana’s cheek and clutched Nertharn’s neck tightly. To soothe her fears, Nertharn gently patted her back.
“I’m here.”
“I’m not scared. Just a little nervous.”
Leading the way, Nertharn and Philia plunged into the darkness, followed by the warriors.
“Let’s go!”
“The true warrior is the one who takes the first step!”
“Let’s go! Warriors always survive!”
“Finally, I’ll get a whiff of blood again.”
“Returning soon, my friends!”
Hana waved them off.
Once they all disappeared into the darkness, an astonishing silence fell. Hana and the estate’s people clasped their hands in prayer.
Please, may our precious ones return safely.
“Demosha!”
The sudden arrival of the warriors startled the palace guards, who stepped back. The mages were equally taken aback, unconsciously releasing their magic and looking up in confusion. The spectacle was so strange it made them forget they were in battle.
“Iaan!”
At that moment, Iaan immediately recognized the woman with flowing golden hair.
He reached out in surprise.
Philia reached out too.
The radiant mother and son, bathed in golden light, touched each other like a painting come to life.
Thud!
It felt as if gravity had been defied, but when they embraced, it was just a beautiful illusion. No one had expected to see Philia and the warriors here in the palace.
Philia clung to Iaan’s neck, whispering with a broken heart.
“My son, I’ve missed you so much.”
“Mother. It’s been a long time.”
“…M-Mother!?”
“You said ‘mother,’ didn’t you?”
Iaan’s words left the mages speechless, frozen in place.
“Damn, blood ties really exist. You can’t fake it.”
“I thought an angel had descended. Truly.”
“Iaan’s mother? Damn, what do I do? I think I just fell for her.”
Whatever they were thinking, Iaan smiled faintly and gently pulled her away. The crown prince’s eyes widened in astonishment as he looked back and forth between them.
“Wow…”
A short exclamation. That was when Iaan realized the gravity of the situation. They were in a rush to evacuate the crown prince.
Whoosh.
“The portal is closing!”
“Ah, no.”
The portal vanished as if it had fulfilled its purpose. The soldiers snapped back to attention, gripping their swords and spears.
“Hey, hey, barbarians? What’s with those clothes?”
“Hielo! Did you summon barbarians with magic?”
“This is an insult to the great empire of Bariel and a disgrace to the royal palace!”
As soon as the warriors realized the weapons were aimed at Ian and the mages, they dropped into battle stances. Each wore a cold, sharp smile—clearly savoring the moment.
When else would they get the chance to crush these arrogant imperial soldiers? Though allied with Hielo, the warriors still carried the sting of the empire’s oppression, passed down from their ancestors.
“This is ridiculous.”
Marib let out a bitter laugh and nocked an arrow. As the mages screamed and retreated, the warriors drew their swords.
“Watch out—if you get hit by an arrow—!”
Fiiing!
An arrow struck the forearm of the front warrior. He barely flinched, yanking it out carelessly and snapping the shaft in two. Since they weren’t magic users, the amber stones were useless against them.
“Sir Ian, long time no see! What’s the plan?”
“Should we just chop off their heads?”
“That one who called us barbarians—I’ve got my eye on you. You look more like a beast yourself, you bastard.”
This wasn’t some back-alley brawl. This was a battle to be recorded in history, fought under strict principles and justice. The warriors seemed barely able to contain their boiling blood, eager to charge. Ian was about to call for patience when—
“Everyone, hold yourselves.”
It was Nersarn. He wrapped a hand around Filia’s shoulder and gave Ian a meaningful look. Whatever the situation, it was clear he wanted Ian to give the right orders quickly.
Ian stepped forward and kissed the back of Filia’s hand.
“This is my mother, Filia. And this—”
First, he needed to make it clear to everyone that there would be no trouble even if they entered the palace.
“This is my stepfather, Nersarn. The warriors are his family—they are not enemies of the palace.”
“F-F-Father?!”
The mages recoiled in shock, as if the news had knocked the wind out of them. Their mother was an angel, but their father was a frontier tribesman? What kind of combination was this?
“What a damn family tree.”
Marib sneered, drawing his sword, and the soldiers regrouped, shouting their battle cries. Ian did the same, shouting with all his might as he unleashed his magic.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
“Drive back anyone who harms the mages!”
“Demosha!”
“Demosha!”
Crash! Boom!
The warriors charged into the enemy ranks, swinging their weapons wildly. The soldiers’ necks snapped like twigs in the grip of the warriors, limbs twisting and breaking like discarded dolls.
Swords and spears tried to hold them back, but to those who had battled nature their whole lives, such attacks were no more than thorns on a vine.
“Aaah! Aaah!”
“W-What are these guys?!”
“Wait! Spare me, spare me—!”
“Ahhh! Damn it!”
Boom! Boom!
The soldiers who had pushed forward began to fall back. Seizing the moment, the mages used the warriors as shields to regenerate their protective barriers, then poured their power into them.
Ziiing. Ziiing.
“Push forward!”
“Execute Marib!”
“Kill them! Kill every last one of those bastards!”
“You fools! The mages—what?! How long have we—”
“If we don’t kill them, we die! Open your power to the max!”
Crash! Bang!
The tangled, chaotic battle erupted again. Ian released Filia’s hand, grinding his teeth. His gaze locked onto Marib.
“Mother, please watch over the Crown Prince for a moment.”
“Ian!”
Ta-at!
A fierce surge of magical energy swept through the battlefield.
With eyes like a lion’s golden gaze, Ian charged straight at him.