Chapter 196
Beneath Barsabe’s palm, a dagger shimmered with a blue glow.
A weapon forged from magic. As she pulled Beric toward her, she summoned all her strength and drove the dagger down onto his armor.
Ching!
Whoosh!
The strike landed precisely over his collarbone. For an ordinary person, it would have been a fatal blow—powerful and precise, without a trace of hesitation.
But Barsabe’s magic blade shattered like sand against the armor. The fading glow startled her so much that she instinctively lowered her stance.
“…What are those things?”
The strike only left a scratch. Armor capable of withstanding a magic swordsman’s attack? Was it made from mana stones? She felt like she’d seen something like this before.
“Heyman, ugh, damn bastards. That really hurts.”
Beric rubbed his side, wincing as if struggling to breathe. Barsabe frowned at his muttering.
Yeah, the armor design was similar to the guards who protect the bank. But why were they acting like this? And why were they threatening Beric—more specifically, Meilidaily?
“Eyetooth, where did you come from?”
“I’ve been following you since you left the castle gates.”
“Got a thing for tailing people, huh? Pathetic.”
“Hmph.”
Who was this idiot calling pathetic? Barsabe gritted her teeth and grabbed Beric by the collar. The armored group facing them had long since ceased to be a concern.
“You crazy bastard. I saved your ass while you were getting your teeth kicked in, and this is how you talk?”
“Ah, thanks for that. But you’ve got a history, you know. Last time, you and Ian were tailing me, and you lost a tooth.”
“Shut up! I was on Lord Jaret’s orders, standing by. And it just so happened you came out, so I followed.”
When the castle gates opened earlier, Jaret had given orders to some of his men: to wait outside, maintain order, assess the situation, and regroup if contact was lost.
“Why did you come out? How?”
“Ian sent me on an errand.”
“Are they all safe?”
“Your friends? Hard to say. Probably. Oh, and Riama—same faction, right? She’s dead. I believe those bastards killed her.”
Beric nodded, and Barsabe blinked, as if she’d misheard.
What was he saying? Riama was dead? One of the three commanders, Riama, taken down by those armored fiends?
“They made a mess in the palace. Ian’s scrambling to clean it up, really losing his mind. Ugh!”
The clues were fragmented but clear. Beric steadied his black sword and deflected an incoming punch as he charged forward. Barsabe just stared blankly at his back.
‘Riama’s been taken down.’
“No!”
“Ugh!”
Shhhhk!
A chill flashed through the air as Barsabe quickly grabbed Beric by the nape. Off balance, he staggered like a drunk, kicking his legs wildly.
“What the hell?! Don’t get in my way!”
“Idiot, you said Riama’s down, right? Even if we all attacked at once, we wouldn’t win.”
The title of one of the three commanders wasn’t given lightly. It was an honor reserved for the strongest knights who served and protected the emperor himself.
If one of them had fallen, there was no chance for these two.
“No chance? Who decides that?”
“It’s already decided.”
“Talking big with a missing tooth.”
“Hey!”
“I’m going to win!”
“You’re going to die!”
“If I don’t protect Viviana, Ian’s going to kill me!”
Clack clack! Bang!
Shhhhk!
Beric’s mind seemed to know no concept of strength or weakness. All he saw was win, kill, break. His eyes blazed as he charged.
He slipped through the barrage of attacks, weaving into their ranks.
“Idiot!”
Grinding her teeth, Barsabe leapt in after him. She barely managed to block a fist aimed at Beric’s neck.
Ching!
“I’m going to win!”
“Ah, seriously!”
“Damn it, all I know is winning!”
Bam! Crash!
Boom!
As Beric flew through the air, smashing an opponent’s helmet, his black sword flared violet, unleashing a tremendous shockwave.
Nearby windows shattered one after another, and cracks spiderwebbed across the ground. The one struck staggered but barely held their stance.
‘Dangerous.’
Crack.
A fissure appeared in the helmet. Through the gap, the armored soldier locked eyes with Beric’s flashing gaze.
Is that even human eyes?
They burned red-hot, like captured flames.
“There’s a person inside after all. Heh.”
“W-what the hell…”
“I’ve changed my mind. I’m taking down just one of them.”
Bang! Crash!
Boom!
Every time he landed, a flurry of attacks rained down. Beric laughed loudly, focusing on a single spot—the cracked helmet where he could see his opponent.
“If I kill this one, I’ll be stronger than Riama, right? Huh?”
“Even a mad dog wouldn’t act this reckless.”
Shhhhk!
Thud!
Someone grabbed Beric’s head and slammed him into a wall. He flew several meters before crashing into the stone, realizing his neck wouldn’t move.
“Ah. Ahh. Damn it, I’m gonna die, ugh.”
“The noise is too much. Let’s finish this before the guards arrive.”
“Doubt they’re coming. It’s been a while since we saw any guards after the palace was sealed.”
Crack. Dizzy.
Beric tilted his head, testing if any bones were broken. Luckily, he could move a little.
As he wiped the spinning blur from his vision, Barsabe stepped between him and the armored soldiers, sword raised.
Slash!
“Do you know who your master is?”
“Step aside. If you want to die first, so be it.”
“My master doesn’t know I’m here. I doubt yours does either.”
Barsabe’s sharp words made the approaching soldiers hesitate.
Her mind was a whirlwind—thoughts and judgments spilling out without filter. Every second was urgent. She just hoped her guess was right.
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
Since the palace was sealed, they likely hadn’t received direct orders from Heyman. They probably knew their master’s plan and came to stop anything that opposed it.
“Beric, tell me now! Whose orders are you following?”
“I’m with Ian, I told you.”
Why ask all of a sudden? Beric brushed off the dust and stood, noticing Barsabe signaling with hand signs.
Right? Left?
One? Fist? Ground?
What was that about?
“I’m carrying out orders from Ian Hiel, Minister of Magic. If you keep interfering, I’ll report this to the palace and officially raise the issue with your master.”
“…The dead don’t speak.”
“But I’m alive. Did you know the Ministry uses truth serum during investigations? Even if it was unintentional, your master won’t escape responsibility. Ah, pardon my rudeness. Should I say ‘Duke Heyman’?”
Snap!
Barsabe deliberately scattered her magic to cloud their vision.
In that brief moment, their forms blurred. Though there was only one Barsabe, two shadows split left and right and vanished.
“Chase them! They’re definitely heading to the palace.”
“Typical magic swordsman trick.”
“Two on the right, two on the left! Catch and kill them.”
“Stop them before they contact the outside.”
“One stays here to clean up!”
Of the five armored soldiers, four split left and right, pursuing Barsabe’s trail. Meilidaily clung to a corner, and Barsabe darted through the web of alleys, so it was natural the pursuers multiplied.
Clack clack!
Thud! Thud!
Watching the armored figures disappear, Beric laughed as if he finally understood.
“Right, left, one, fist, ground.”
They’ll split right and left to lure us out. You take one and fight. Either that or die.
“Ahaha! Crazy. Eyetooth’s gonna lose his front teeth too.”
“Laughing when you’re about to die?”
“Of course I’m laughing, idiot. Right now, I’m handling four of them, and you’re on one. Ha, who’s dying first? Heh.”
Spit!
Beric spat blood-tinged saliva and gripped his black sword. His grin revealed teeth stained bright red.
The opponent swallowed nervously, clenching their fist.
Through the armor, the madman’s spirit was palpable. Though they knew they had the upper hand, the opponent’s energy burned so fiercely it almost felt unreal.
“Ian’s a damn pig—”
“Shut up!”
“I said I’d buy you off!”
Bang! Crash!
The clash roared.
Viviana gripped her dagger tightly with both hands, shoulders shaking. Inside the building, only sounds could be heard—no figures visible.
Click clack, whirr.
Thud! Clack! Sizzle!
As the printing press churned away, the staff of
Bang! Boom!
Clack-clack! Tap-tap!
“Ahhh! Damn it!”
“Flip the paper over!”
“We’re running out of ink! Get more from the inner storage!”
“Keep printing! Keep printing! Ahhh!”
“While the copier’s running, stamp them out by hand too! Don’t stop!”
The steady, monotonous clatter inside the office blended oddly with the violent, intermittent crashes from outside, creating a strange, discordant symphony. Vivianne kept praying silently to the gods.
How much time had passed like that?
Someone grabbed her shoulder.
“Ma’am!”
“Ah!”
Everyone’s faces were flushed, tense, and sweating from the excitement and pressure. One of the staff pointed at the clock and shouted. It was almost five o’clock.
“It’s done. Let’s move out!”
“P-please! Let me help!”
“There’s a wagon waiting at the back door. Load the extras there, then head out to the main road! Let’s get as close to the palace as possible and start handing them out!”
“Let’s go! Lock this door behind you! It’s dangerous!”
“Come on, hurry!”
After an hour, they had printed ten boxes full of papers. Vivianne rolled up her sleeves and helped load them onto the wagon, then took a seat beside the driver.
“Those who can’t ride, find somewhere safe to hide! The palace gates open at five! We’ll meet again once it’s safe!”
“Please, please…”
“Yes. Please.”
They didn’t exchange many words, but their eyes said goodbye. Mini and another staff member climbed onto the back of the wagon, clutching the boxes tightly.
Neigh!
Clop!
“Let’s go!”
The horses, unsettled by the noise, suddenly bolted forward with renewed energy.
As Vivianne rounded the building, she gasped and covered her mouth in horror. There was Berrick, soaked in blood and looking utterly broken, clutching the doorway frame with both hands, bent over.
“Berrick!”
“Ah, damn…”
“Berrick!”
“Damn it!”
One armored man tried to follow the wagon but found his feet frozen in place, held back by Berrick, who was wrapped tightly around him.
“…Where do you think you’re going?”
“Move aside!”
“…Please, don’t.”
Clack-clack!
Vivianne turned her head to look at Berrick. His entire face, except for his pupils, was stained red—she couldn’t even recognize him. She bit her lip hard and shouted,
“I’ll be back soon!”
“Ian, bring her back.”
“Stay alive! Stay alive!”
The wagon slipped out of the alley and onto the main road with practiced ease.
In the past three days, hardly anyone had been out on the streets. When Mini spotted people in the distance, she began crying as she scattered the papers.
“Extra! Extra!”
“Extra! The palace has seen a clash between Marib and Gale!”
“The Ministry of Magic has intervened and settled the dispute!”
“Extra! Extra!”
Clack-clack!
The papers fluttered in the wake of the wagon. Passersby picked them up one by one, reading eagerly before turning their gaze toward the palace.
“Extras! Finally, some news is coming through!”
“Give me one too!”
“His Highness Marib and His Highness Gale?”
“What about the king? What the hell is going on with the princes?”
“Extra! Extra!”
Ding—! Dong!
The distant ringing of bells.
It was five o’clock.
Vivianne gathered her loose hair into a single tie and shouted,
“Extra! The palace gates will open soon!”
Ding! Dong!
At that moment, the firmly locked castle gates began to slowly swing open. The crowd waiting outside stirred and edged forward.
“Extra!”
A sharp gust of wind cut through the opening like a blade. It headed straight for the wagon Vivianne was riding in, without a hint of deviation.
“The Ministry of Magic is taking control of the palace!”
“Huh? Uh—?”
The man holding the reins faltered, startled by the sudden chill.
It was the wind.
A sharp, overwhelming wind that seemed almost tangible.
“Extra!”
Flap-flap-flap!
Whoosh!
The wind tore through the wagon.
The neatly stacked papers were swept into the air, riding the currents as they scattered in all directions.
Like the magical pollen the Ministry had released before the New Year’s festival, the extras blanketed all of Bariel.