Chapter 218

Gale sat alone at the edge of the bed, listening only to the ticking of the clock. The cigarette between his fingers slowly burned down, but he seemed barely to notice. A pile of spent butts lay untouched at his feet. Leaning forward, he stared at the curling smoke rising before him.

“Malib is dead.”

And he died while Gale was asleep, hanging in the sky.

At first, he couldn’t believe it. Malib—the very same Malib. The one who had loomed over him his whole life, a constant source of scorn and contempt. Yet even Malib was human, and capable of death. That thought unsettled him. Malib, who had always been one step ahead—dead.

“Hah, ha.”

It was a laugh tinged with relief, frustration, and a deep sense of futility all at once. And with it came a crushing feeling of defeat. Just as Ian had said, neither of them would be remembered by history—a clear, undeniable loss.

Knock, knock.

“Your Highness Gale, the doctor is here.”

“Excuse me.”

Though he hadn’t given permission, the door opened. The doctor had rushed over upon hearing Gale had awakened. His hair was flattened on one side, as if he’d been roused abruptly. Frowning at the thick smoke filling the room, the doctor spoke.

“Your Highness, you injured your neck. Why do you keep smoking cigarettes…?”

“Why? Should I be strictly forbidden from testifying at the trial? I might as well smoke myself to death since I’m going to die anyway.”

A life trampled on once it lost its use. Neither Jin nor Arsen had any reason to leave him be. Gale took a long drag from the cigarette he’d been holding, raising an eyebrow as if daring the doctor to stop him. The doctor hesitated but didn’t take it away, instead unpacking his bag to check his pulse.

“So, what is Ian doing now? With Malib dead, is he celebrating with a toast or something?”

“The entire palace is somber.”

“Hmm. Is that so? Well, the time has come for the twins to face off in earnest. You’d better pick your side carefully. It might get even more intense than when Malib and I were around.”

The doctor rolled up Gale’s sleeve and prepared a syringe, tapping the needle tip as he muttered.

“Well, the outcome seems already decided.”

“Malib’s dead. No one knows.”

“Arsen is the magic user, isn’t he? Then it’s only a matter of time before he absorbs the Magic Department, and his position will inevitably rise above yours. Oh, and a new prophecy has come down from Carbo.”

“A prophecy?”

“‘Cursed one, you cannot defy fate. Die for Bariel, and glory shall be yours.’ Something along those lines. It’s a final warning. They’re telling Jin to step down…”

The doctor’s voice trailed off. Everyone in the palace was focused on the twins. Yet the truly cursed one was here—Gale himself! Cursed by a mage’s forbidden and eternal spell, one that burned his very soul.

Gale let out a bitter laugh.

“Sounds like something the gods said to me.”

“I… I don’t know much about that.”

The doctor hurriedly packed up and left. Left alone again, Gale lay back down, turning the prophecy over in his mind. Die on your own, and the world will be glorified?

‘…Glory worthy of history?’

Even Malib, the first prince, had vanished without a trace. It was clear Gale would meet the same fate. If he was going to die anyway, wouldn’t it be better if his death carried some kind of glory?

It felt like the gods had given him one last chance. He had let everything go once before. He had been lucky to survive, but hadn’t he already crossed the line? The second time would be easier.

“…Is anyone there?”

Gale whispered softly, very softly. The mages must have set some kind of ward in the bedroom. That was why he was left alone without guards. As if to prove it, the door on the left wall suddenly swung open.

“Your Highness Gale, is something the matter?”

It was Philia, Ian’s mother. Nerzarn followed closely behind. Since the Arsen incident, the two had been inseparable. When Philia started to call for the servants in a fuss, Gale motioned for her to stop.

“It’s fine. No problem.”

“Oh, I see.”

Philia hurriedly let go of the door handle but didn’t move further. Gale looked at her, silently giving permission to speak if she wished.

“Your Highness, thank you for what you did back then. I was so overwhelmed I never properly thanked you, and it’s been weighing on me.”

Philia bowed deeply in gratitude. She had been drawn by some unknown force, nearly injuring Arsen’s face. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how much of a weakness that would be for Ian. Had Gale not been lucky enough to get up, she would have been utterly despondent. He was, in a way, her savior.

With a smooth motion, Nerzarn also knelt. Though a warrior through and through, his posture somehow still conveyed strength. Gale waved his hand dismissively.

“This is a bother. Leave.”

He hadn’t helped Philia out of any particular kindness. Just recently awakened and still dazed, he had only intervened because Arsen’s presence felt ominous.

“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

As Philia and Nerzarn left the room, Gale rummaged through the table again. The cigarette was back in his hand. White smoke drifted through the room like a fog as he mulled over the prophecy and drifted off to sleep.

---

Thud!

“Huff, huff, ugh…”

Romandro propped himself up on the desk with both arms and sat up abruptly. But then a wave of nausea hit him. He had promised to send the indictment at sunrise, but Ian’s revisions and Akorella’s report had just come in. Rubbing his bloodshot eyes, he whimpered.

“It’s done. Oh, thank goodness.”

“Uh, are you finished?”

“Akorella, you shouldn’t be sleeping here. Go downstairs. I need to rest a bit before submitting the indictment.”

Akorella, curled up on the corner sofa in the office, barely opened her eyes. She had been on standby in case Romandro had questions while compiling and reviewing the reports. Outside, the morning sun was already high.

“Alright, I’ll head down. Let me know if there’s any problem.”

“Thanks.”

“Good work.”

As Akorella waved goodbye and left, Romandro busied himself with organizing the papers. He had done it—he really had! It seemed impossible, but it was happening. People can do anything if they try. Even a palace this grand was built by people, so an indictment was nothing!

Creak.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

“Bibi, you’re up early. How are you feeling?”

“I’m always fine. How about you, Romandro?”

Just then, Vivianna entered carrying breakfast on a tray. Romandro, who never tired even in disaster zones, looked visibly worn down by the ongoing chaos in the palace. Still, compared to ordinary people, he was in decent shape.

“Just the soup, please. If I eat anything else, I think I’ll throw up. Is there a mage free outside?!”

At Romandro’s call, two mages peeked in. They were on duty and looked exhausted. Romandro clicked his tongue sympathetically and gave instructions.

“Get ready. We’re going to submit the indictment, so I’ll need an escort. You’ll get the afternoon off when we return.”

The two mages nodded, glancing at the thick stack of papers on the desk.

“Do you need extra hands?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s heavy, but we’ll take the carriage.”

“Understood. We’ll be ready to depart in two hours.”

“Good, good.”

Feeling accomplished, Romandro smiled happily as he spooned the soup. The submission was just the beginning, but even this small moment of peace was something to cherish. Until the tournament schedule was announced, he might even stay with Vivianna.

“The indictment goes to the judiciary, right? It’s the farthest place from the Magic Department.”

“We’ll just file it and go through the formal review. I expect to be back by around three in the afternoon.”

“I’ll have lunch ready by then.”

“Thanks.”

Romandro pressed a kiss to Vivianna’s cheek and changed into his going-out clothes. When the mages informed him the carriage was ready, he hurriedly finished the soup and dashed out.

Whoosh!

“Please, get in.”

“Thank you. Ugh.”

Clutching the indictment tightly to his chest, Romandro climbed into the carriage. The seated mage tapped the window, signaling to depart, but the driver looked troubled.

“Apologies, but there’s a slight problem with the reins.”

“Take your time!”

Romandro was in good spirits—what did it matter? He waved and smiled at Vivianna standing on the steps. The mages exchanged a knowing glance behind him. Just as the driver was about to fix the issue and set off—

Tap, tap.

Siaoshi knocked on the window.

“Romandro, are you going to submit the indictment?”

“Siaoshi, what is it?”

“Ian said you’re to accompany me.”

“You’re awake? But there are two mages going together.”

“…Ian said you’re to accompany me.”

“Right, right. If the master says so, then we must. Get in!”

Romandro opened the door and made room for them to sit. Thanks to that, the two mages ended up squeezed awkwardly toward the back.

“Let’s keep each other company on the way. Keep talking so I don’t fall asleep. Actually, no, maybe I should be the one doing the talking. I wasn’t sure if I could pull this off yesterday, but—ha! I did it.”

“……”

Out of the four of them, only Romandro was talking. Xiaosi just kept a watchful eye on the two mages, nodding occasionally. The atmosphere was strange, but the drowsy Romandro didn’t notice.

Tap tap!

Neigh!

The carriage sped along smoothly without stopping. Romandro hummed a tune as he spotted the judiciary building in the distance. It was the central court, handling all major trials, and its grandeur was impressive.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Good work. Please wait here.”

Creak!

It was still early morning, so the place was quiet. Maybe because only a few people were going up and down the massive stairs? Every step echoed sharply against the marble floor. Romandro, familiar with the route, made his way inside.

“Huh?”

But why were there so many people here at the complaint reception desk? And…

‘Did everyone just stop talking the moment I showed up?’

Romandro’s puzzled expression caught the attention of the attendant, who approached him.

“What business do you have here?”

“I- I’m from the Mage Department. I’m here to file a complaint.”

“Oh, I see. Please wait a moment. As you can see, there are many people waiting right now. Please be patient.”

“Alright, alright.”

Clutching the complaint tightly to his chest, Romandro slumped into a corner of the sofa. Xiaosi stood firmly by his side. Quiet murmurs drifted through the air. Romandro gave Xiaosi a sideways glance and whispered.

“Something feels… off, doesn’t it?”

“……”

“Tch.”

The two mages sat down next to Xiaosi and Romandro. Tick-tock, tick-tock—Romandro pulled out his pocket watch, checking the time repeatedly. But strangely, none of the waiting people moved. No one seemed to be getting any work done, and the staff appeared just as idle.

Swish.

Unable to hold back, Romandro stood up to complain. At that moment, a new attendant approached from inside, smiling.

“You’re from the Mage Department?”

“Yes.”

“Please hand over the complaint.”

The attendant held out both hands expectantly. Romandro hesitated, then pulled the complaint back.

“Before that, may I see your ID? And isn’t Ericse the person in charge here? I want to give it to him directly.”

“Ericse hasn’t come out yet.”

“Why not?”

The attendant smiled politely and urged him again. Romandro took a step back.