Chapter 328
“Ugh…”
“Romandro, are you alright?”
“Alr— I’m fine, you idiot. What kind of question is that…”
Leaning against the wall, Romandro kept dry-heaving, while Tommy patted his back in support.
Nakina, cigarette in mouth, glanced around. For a densely packed residential area, there were surprisingly few people around. Facing a small building straight ahead, she exhaled a plume of smoke.
“Well, at least we didn’t take the carriage, so we got here before sunset. Romandro, you’ll get used to it. Efficiency is key for our work.”
“Efficiency? I’m about to die here, what are you talking about!”
“How many floors did you say it was, Tommy?”
“Fifth floor.”
Things had gone smoother than expected. Thanks to Fillic’s unusual status as a mage, the landlord remembered him clearly. That led to an introduction to the carriage driver who had helped with the move, and from there, they tracked down the exact address.
Fillic didn’t seem to mind being found either. Otherwise, even the neighborhood kids wouldn’t have known a mage lived here.
“Are mages usually this sickly?”
“I’m not a mage. I’m just a normal person.”
“Huh. I see.”
The kid crouched beside Romandro tilted his head in curiosity. Hale pulled a coin from his pocket and handed it to the child.
“Here’s a tip for the introduction. Now run along.”
“Ew, that’s stingy!”
“…”
“Just kidding! You’re such a dummy, mister! Ha ha ha!”
Teasing the flustered Hale, the kid snatched the coin and ran off. It was a small but telling detail about the neighborhood’s atmosphere—worn down, shabby, and filled with people barely scraping by, weighed down by a sense of helplessness.
“Damn it, does Fillic just blow all his money? Why would he settle in a place like this?”
It was an objective fact that mages earned a hefty salary. A large portion of the royal budget was allocated to the Mage Department, and only a few got to share it. Even if Fillic started with nothing, it shouldn’t have been hard to get a decent place.
“Maybe he’s just using this as a storage spot since he can’t move in yet.”
“Let’s just get going. Romandro, you okay?”
“Ugh. I’m all puked out. My head hurts.”
“Should we call the guards to control the area?”
“There’s no one here. If the guards show up, it’ll just draw more attention. Let’s move quickly.”
“Agreed. It’s quiet—perfect for the job.”
Romandro wiped his mouth with a handkerchief as the three mages slipped on their gloves and approached the building. One household per floor. The moldy wooden door was firmly shut, and the stairs creaked with every step.
Click.
“It’s locked, but I can faintly sense magic. What should we do?”
“Step aside.”
Nakina pulled Tommy aside and examined the door. As expected, a protective spell was in place. She began carefully infusing her magic to gauge the nature of the barrier.
“Hope it’s not something complicated.”
“Why? What happens if it is?”
“If the security is top priority, the shield might explode and take the whole building with it. That’s rare, though. There’s also a way to kill intruders…”
“That’d leave a corpse while the owner’s away. That kind of thing’s usually avoided because it complicates cleanup.”
Romandro pressed himself against the wall, clutching his cheeks. What kind of grim talk was this? The building might blow up? Corpses? Just as he tried to protest, a low hum filled the air.
Ziiing… ziiing…
“Romandro, step back.”
“Waaah! Wait! I’ll stay outside!”
“Moving in!”
“Eeeek!”
Bang!
Nakina, having finished her assessment, wrapped magic around her fist and struck the door with all her might. One solid hit. The wood splintered and fell away, and simultaneously, a transparent barrier shattered with a crack.
While Romandro recoiled in shock, Hale and Tommy waved their hands as if brushing away dust.
“Excuse us.”
“Yeah, pardon us.”
“Come on, come on!”
Romandro quickly followed the mages inside, checking the lower floor.
A wave of dust hit their noses. The space was open, with no walls dividing it. Aside from a lone desk, chair, and bed, the room was packed floor to ceiling with wooden crates.
“Wow, the state of this place is something else.”
“Any protective spells inside, Nakina?”
“Probably not. It would’ve been too costly to shield the entire interior. Just the front alone was expensive enough. Damn it.”
Nakina tapped the crates with her toes, muttering. The thought of having to sift through all this made her chest tighten. Or maybe it was just the dust.
Hale gestured toward the desk and asked Romandro, “Romandro, can you handle the paperwork? You’re probably the fastest reader among us.”
“Ah, sure.”
“If anything comes up, let us know immediately. Tommy, start inside. Nakina, you take that side.”
“Got it.”
The two took their positions. The crates were stacked so tightly and high they nearly touched the ceiling. Romandro cautiously approached the desk and began examining the papers.
Rustle.
Since Fillic often brought Mage Department work here, most of the documents were familiar to Romandro. There had to be some clue somewhere…
“Hmm.”
While Romandro rummaged through drawers, the mages pried open crates and inspected their contents. It looked like the move hadn’t even been unpacked. Maybe it was like this at the previous place too.
“Nothing here. Tommy, how about your side?”
“Uh, wait! Captain!”
“What is it?”
Tommy called Hale over. There was a pile of some unknown powder. When Tommy tried to sniff it, Hale stopped him.
“Don’t smell it. Seal it back up. We’ll call someone and move it to the Mage Department.”
“Captain! I found something weird here too! Seeds, maybe?”
They were diamond-shaped red seeds. Hale had no idea what Fillic was up to. He sorted through the items to decide what to take to the Mage Department and continued the search.
Time passed. Outside the unopenable window, the sun began to set.
“Haah. Fillic, that bastard. This is exhausting.”
“Captain, the inside is all cleared. Nothing special besides the powder.”
“Same here. Let’s move everything to the Mage Department first, then request backup tomorrow and come back. Sound good, Captain?”
“Sounds like a plan. Ian might have returned by now. Romandro?”
Hale looked toward Romandro, who sat with his back turned, head bowed deeply, absorbed in reading.
“Romandro?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
“Did you find anything?”
Hale asked curiously. Romandro quickly lifted his head. After a brief silence, he gave an embarrassed smile and waved the papers.
“Sorry, I was too focused to hear you. Most of this is related to Mage Department work. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“I see. Then let’s call it a day.”
“…Are we flying back too?”
“No way. We have luggage, so we’ll call a carriage.”
“Ah, thank goodness.”
As Hale turned away, Romandro resumed reading the papers. Among the scattered unfamiliar characters, some sentences were clearly identifiable.
Why…
Why was Ian’s name mentioned here? It was a common name, so maybe coincidence—but the context made it clear it was that Ian. The one who grew up on the frontier and knew magic.
“Haah.”
Romandro rubbed his throbbing temples and closed his eyes. He wanted to understand, but the information was limited. From what he knew…
Ian sent Melania away to track the Rutherford Guild, the base of Idgal. But why does it say they’ll meet soon? Why? Did I read this right? Damn it, I did.
Romandro’s eyes darted back and forth as he reread the text. He hoped he’d misread it, but the ink only seemed clearer.
At that moment, Nakina grabbed Romandro’s shoulder.
“Romandro.”
“Ugh!”
“Geez, you’re about to pass out. What’s wrong?”
Narrowing her eyes, Nakina made Romandro instinctively hide the note in his back pocket. His heart pounded wildly, cold sweat breaking out, and his face looked pale as a ghost.
Nakina clicked her tongue and patted his shoulder.
“Still feeling queasy? You really need to take better care of yourself.”
“Yeah? Well, you try getting my age.”
“Go ahead and wait outside first. The smell’s probably making it worse.”
“Right. I’ve seen enough here. Hey, just in case, bring this with you when you move the stuff. Don’t damage it.”
Romandro backed out slowly and left the room.
Nakina watched him go with a hint of pity. She glanced briefly at the desk but, since Romandro had already checked it, there was no need to linger. Without hesitation, she turned away.
Tap, tap.
Ian drummed his fingers on the table, lost in thought. The longer the silence stretched, the more tense Prince Noah became.
Taking a large quantity of Idgal was a clear move to keep the mages in check. It meant they intended to strengthen their own nation’s power against Bariel, making any alliance impossible.
Noah shook his head to clear the tangled thoughts and looked down at Fillic lying there. If only the author had handled things smoothly! They could have taken the Idgal without suspicion and returned home without a hitch. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered how things could have gotten so hopelessly tangled.
“Tell me exactly what the deal was. Did they use any contract magic?”
“No. They suggested it, but I didn’t trust them and refused. Instead, they gave me a letter to ease entry into the kingdom. In return, we agreed to supply them with a hundred times that amount over five years.”
“And the payment?”
“I already told you.”
Noah shook his head.
“They gave us golden diamonds.”
“…Is that all?”
“You could say it was half the price upfront.”
Though the gems were a gift from the prince, just one of them could be exchanged for a batch of magic-sealing stones on par with the power of a magic seal.
The gems were to be returned ten years later, when the true crown prince came of age. Ten years was no short time. Marib and Gale, once strong contenders for the throne, had fallen in just a single day.
If only they hadn’t been caught—if that brief commotion hadn’t reached the guards—there would have been no problem at all.
“No payment?”
Ian pondered deeply, then summoned the mages outside. This was serious. It was clear the political situation among the three nations was sharpening far more than expected.
“We’ll return to the palace immediately.”
“Now? Right away?”
“Yes. At once.”
If they had handed over Idgal to Clifford under the guise of a dramatic settlement after the attack—if Rutherford was practically giving away Idgal to the three nations for free—
“Only two people should stay behind to handle the Clifford carriage. We’ll return to the palace and come back.”
“Ah, but Ian, there’s a problem.”
A problem? Ian frowned as the mage approached with a distressed expression, then whispered quietly.
Because of stopping the carriage, restraining Fillic, and managing the carriage—
“We’ve used up all our magic power and can’t open a portal right now. I’m sorry. Really, I am.” The mage’s voice cracked with guilt.