Chapter 195
Bang! Bang!

“Mail Daily! Open the door, please!”

Though heavily pregnant, Viviana was unstoppable.

She stationed Barrick and Mal at the entrance, then climbed the stairs two at a time, shaking the iron gate fiercely. Mini paced anxiously around her, worried she might get hurt.

Creak.

“Who’s there?”

A voice came from behind the double-locked door. Since this was a place where breaking news was life itself, they were extremely wary of outsiders, suspicious of any unexpected visitors.

From inside, the faint clatter of a typewriter could be heard—likely the paper was still being printed. Viviana quickly slid her ID through the bars and responded without hesitation.

“I’m Viviana, from Westground Second Street. Former advisor for the Imperial Palace reconstruction, currently on leave. My husband serves as the assistant to the Minister of Magic.”

Westground was an upscale neighborhood where palace officials mostly lived. The man checked her face against the ID, then nodded and handed it back.

“What’s the matter?”

“I have a tip about the palace.”

“You said your husband is the Minister’s assistant? What’s his name?”

The man narrowed his eyes, testing her. Checking IDs was routine, but necessary.

“Romandro.”

This was exactly why Ian had asked Viviana to come. Not only to ensure Romandro’s safety, but also because her identity was solid—making it unlikely her tip would be dismissed outright.

The man glanced at her swollen belly and flicked his cigarette behind him.

“Since Prince Gale was last attacked in the dead of night, all contact with the palace was cut off. We just received word from inside.”

“What kind of word?”

“Prince Marib has seized the Emperor’s seal and incited a rebellion. Prince Gale got involved in the power struggle but was subdued under the Ministry of Magic’s authority, along with Marib.”

The man dropped his cigarette in shock, mouth agape.

After a few seconds of silence, he hurriedly unlocked the door and swung it open. A wave of stale coffee and cigarette smoke hit them—the unmistakable scent of souls burning away as the typewriters clattered relentlessly.

“Is that… really true, ma’am?”

“The Emperor is safe. At five this afternoon, after the situation is contained, the palace gates will open. Please issue an extra edition before then.”

Viviana clicked her pocket watch, checking the time. There was no time to waste if they were to write, print, and distribute the bulletin. She looked up at the man and spoke quietly.

“Mail Daily is the only one who knows this right now. I’m heading straight to Pira Surf to inform them as well. Who breaks the news first is up to you. And please, make sure to include this phrase in the extra edition.”

“W-wait! Wait!”

As Viviana showed Ian’s note and turned to leave, the man grabbed her shoulder urgently. Mini hissed and slapped his hand away fiercely.

“Don’t touch me without permission!”

“Sorry, sorry! I was just startled. But what you said—is it really true? If not, our heads are on the line. Seriously.”

“This is a handwritten letter from Ian Hiel, the Minister of Magic himself. The gates will open at five, and after that, everyone will know. So the value of this scoop will be gone.”

She was basically telling them to stop wasting time and get printing. The man turned to his colleagues and shouted.

“Stop writing, everyone!”

“What? We’re almost done.”

“We got another tip. The ringleaders are Prince Marib and Prince Gale.”

Viviana frowned in confusion. What were they talking about now? The man awkwardly lit a new cigarette and reread Viviana’s letter.

“Two days ago, wasn’t there a black hole in the sky? Rumors say the Ministry shut down the palace and schemed inside. Our informants said something similar.”

“Informants? Which ones?”

“That I can’t say.”

“Is that to protect the source, or because their identity isn’t exactly… clean?”

The man chewed on the cigarette’s end. It was the latter—he didn’t say it outright, but it was clear.

“You are the ones who bring the truth.”

“Ma’am, it’s been three whole days. We print dozens of bulletins a day, but we’ve waited three days with no news from the palace. We have to write something, even if it’s just about the rumors. Especially if it’s true. Of course, we weren’t planning a full print run—just leaflets.”

In times of chaos, those who spread falsehoods run rampant.

Viviana read the unspoken message Ian had sent her. The man and his colleagues whispered among themselves, glancing at the paper in the typewriter. Mini, unsure what to do, called out to her mistress. Without hesitation, Viviana tore the paper from the typewriter.

Rip!

“Ma’am!”

“Madam!”

She dropped the torn sheets on the floor. If Mail Daily was already printing such an article, it was likely others were too.

Then it’s better to print the extra edition here first, rather than waste time running around.

It was a subtle game of nerves.

Other media outlets would be writing uncertain stories, watching the palace’s moves closely. If Mail Daily reported the truth first, the fabricated stories would naturally be discarded.

“You’re lucky.”

“Ma’am, what do you mean?”

“Because you’re the first to approach the truth. Two grown princes clashed and were subdued. You know who really holds power in the palace now.”

Of course, it was the Ministry of Magic, led by Ian Hiel. They instinctively sensed they were caught up in something extraordinary—and that this also presented an opportunity.

“I won’t let false scraps of paper throw Bariel into chaos. Mail Daily must print the extra edition first. When the gates open at five, I will personally inform Minister Ian of your contribution.”

“How exactly…?”

“I will request exclusive priority to publish everything that happened in the palace over the past three days.”

“Is that even possible?”

Viviana nodded firmly. The office buzzed again. Since her husband was the Minister’s assistant, it wasn’t impossible. They were just scheming among themselves.

“Ma’am.”

“Shh.”

Mini grabbed her arm worriedly, but Viviana showed no hesitation. Ian would understand this kind of overreach. First and foremost, the truth had to be told.

“But what if they refuse—”

Bang!

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed outside. The reporters flinched, glancing repeatedly between Viviana and the window, wondering if it was related to her.

“I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“I showed my ID, Ian sent a handwritten letter, and I brought a magic swordsman with me. Everything proves and guarantees this! If you refuse, it means you intend to spread false information to throw Bariel into chaos. I will report that to Ian.”

Viviana deliberately emphasized the words “magic swordsman,” subtly warning that she was prepared to use force if necessary.

The man and his colleagues exchanged glances and brought over a sheet of paper.

“Write us a certificate. Exclusive publishing rights.”

“For the events of the past three days.”

“Yes. If you write it, we’ll cooperate.”

Viviana signed without hesitation. The man ruffled his hair and rolled up his sleeves. The others did the same, discarding their previous drafts and loading fresh paper into the typewriters.

Click. Tap tap! Tap!

“Print it in one-page size! We’ll print a hundred copies at a time.”

“You said there was a phrase that must be included, ma’am?”

“Ah, here it is. It’s written below the letter.”

“Let me read it out loud! Everyone, write this down! ‘Princes Marib and Gale caused turmoil in the palace, but under the Ministry of Magic’s mediation, the new troops were safely secured.’ Keep reading!”

“Wait, slow down! One more time!”

Bang!

Clatter!

At first, Viviana thought the noise was accidental, but it wasn’t. She opened the window in surprise and locked eyes with Barrick. He was smiling brightly—hard to believe he was in a standoff with those clad in black armor.

“Barrick!”

The guard who had accompanied them lay bleeding on the floor. The noise was the sound of his death.

“Ah, I’m fine, fine. When will this be over?!”

“How long will it take?”

Viviana’s heart dropped. She didn’t know who these people were, but their intent was clear: to stop Ian by spreading fabricated rumors.

The man beside her peeked out again and dropped his cigarette in shock.

“Uh, one of the printers broke down, so printing a hundred copies takes about ten minutes. Usually, extras are distributed along the main road from the palace outskirts, so that should be enough…”

“Just the result!”

“One hour!”

“It’ll take an hour! Barrick!”

At Viviana’s shout, Barrick laughed and spat.

They had already seen the power of those armored men at the palace. They were like a hundred men in one—though only half had come, they had temporarily revived the dying Gale faction.

Barrick couldn’t hide his excitement and chuckled.

“I know who you are~?”

“…”

“Haiman, right? Haiman? Huh? Caught, huh?”

“…You’re rushing things.”

Ssshhk!

The armored figure slammed down a heavy fist. Since they’d been careless enough to reveal they knew who these people were, there was no way they could be let go alive. It seemed Ian’s side was trying to make the first move…

‘This clearly goes against the Duke’s plan. Time to clean this up.’

The enemies exchanged glances and nodded. They would kill this tiny red rat, the woman who had received Ian’s letter, and anyone inside foolish enough to write nonsense.

KRAAANG!

“Ugh! Shit!”

Berrick barely managed to block the blow, staggering under the sheer weight of it. The fist was no joke—so heavy and solid that, under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to swing it accurately.

“So that’s why they keep talking about magic stones, huh?! Money really does make a difference! Damn it, without that shell, you’re nothing! Huh?!”

“Cut the whining!”

“No way! Huh?!”

KRAAANG! BANG!

Clang!

Berrick focused every nerve on each strike. His instincts were razor-sharp. If he showed even the slightest opening, his skull would be crushed for sure. He shouted a battle cry and swung his sword, but only managed to leave meaningless scratches.

KRAAAANG! THUD!

Five hits landed on the armor. Vivianne bit her lip as she quickly realized Berrick was struggling. She reached out to Mini.

“For protection.”

“Milady!”

“Hurry, everyone! Bariel’s future depends on this!”

Vivianne gripped a dagger tightly, standing guard by the door. If Berrick fell, she’d be next. Her hands trembled, her heart pounding—probably a mix of fear and the baby’s heartbeat inside her.

“Please, please…”

Please let him live. Please let him survive so he can see his wife and child again. Mini wept quietly beside Vivianne, while the remaining scribes grabbed chairs and rushed into the hallway.

KRAAANG! BANG!

Then it happened. Amid the crashing sounds that had only been breaking walls, a different noise rang out. Berrick, who had been dodging skillfully, was suddenly struck from behind. A single blow shattered his ribs in agony.

“AAARGH!”

At Berrick’s scream, Vivianne almost bolted down the stairs—if Mini hadn’t grabbed her, she would have.

“Damn it! Seriously! Vivianne!”

“B-Berrick!”

“How much longer?”

“Just… just five minutes have passed!”

“We’re screwed.”

Berrick muttered irritably as he crawled on the floor. There was no choice. Ian hadn’t given permission, but there really was no other way.

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Berrick unleashed his magic. Planting his black sword on the ground, he rose just as another fist came flying at him. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to block—

Clang!

Someone suddenly appeared from the left, stepping in front of Berrick and taking the punch for him. Blue short hair whipped around.

“Molars!”

“Barsabeda, you idiot!”

KRAAAANG!

Ziiing, ziiing!

Barsabeda had appeared out of nowhere. Without hesitation, she unleashed her magic.