Chapter 331

A comfortably cool temperature, a faintly sweet scent, soft fabric beneath them, and music drifting in from somewhere nearby. The wizards who had been guided here leaned back against the sofa cushions, trying to soothe their exhaustion.

When Beric finally gathered his senses, he realized they had crossed the border and entered the Clifford royal palace. It was a situation he hadn’t expected at all. Meanwhile, the wizards glared at Felik, who was still tied up and lying face down, muttering under their breath.

“Isn’t all this trouble because of that bastard? Otric, tell me—what the hell did Felik do?”

“I don’t know the details either.”

“Don’t talk to Otric. He’ll start crying again.”

“I’m not crying! I just got startled earlier!”

As the wizards bickered, Beric was too busy stuffing grapes into his mouth. True to the kingdom’s reputation as the land of grapes, each one was perfectly sweet and tangy, like honey.

“If you’ve got time to argue, why not fill your stomach first? Aren’t you going home?”

“Eating a few grapes won’t restore our magic.”

“Oh yeah? Then I’ll eat them all. Man, this place really knows how to do grapes right.”

Just as Beric was about to shove an entire bunch into his mouth, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

Then, without a sound, the doors swung open to the sides. A palace attendant, drenched in sweat and blood, gasped for breath with a terrified expression.

“Your Highness, there’s been a serious problem.”

“What’s happened?”

“Minister Ian Hielo has—”

The moment the name Ian was mentioned, Beric dropped what he was eating and grabbed his sword, ready to charge at the attendant.

Clang!

Barsabe blocked his path with her blade. The frightened attendant staggered and collapsed to the floor.

“Beric, calm down.”

“Ian? What happened to him?”

“W-well…”

“Don’t stammer, damn it!”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the wizards hurriedly gathered their robes. No matter how powerful they were, this was Clifford, not Bariel. And Prince Noah had been keeping a close watch on them.

“Ian has collapsed!!”

The atmosphere turned grim as the attendant covered his face with his arm, as if this was his last desperate act.

Beric lowered his sword, his expression softening. Ian had collapsed before, but he seemed fine just a little while ago.

“What? Why?”

“We don’t know either. His Highness ordered us to bring the wizards here immediately…”

“You should’ve said that sooner!”

“Wait! I can walk!”

“Shut up! Everyone, move quickly! Where to?!”

“To the right! Turn right! Ahhh!”

Beric hoisted the attendant onto his shoulder and dashed off, followed by the wizards. Outside, they saw the royal guards and their aides marching in a line, their hurried and chaotic movements signaling that something serious had happened.

Tap tap tap!

The reception room’s doors were wide open.

Beric froze in shock as he reached the doorway. The floor was soaked in blood, forming a crimson pool. Ian lay collapsed to the side, his face so pale it looked like a corpse.

Beric gently set the attendant down and approached Ian, his throat tightening. Was this really the Ian he knew? Ian wouldn’t be like this.

“Ian… what’s wrong? Why are you like this?”

“Ah…”

“Ian, snap out of it.”

Ian’s eyes were wet with what could have been cold sweat or tears. His mind seemed clouded as he groaned and flailed his hands weakly. Beric held him firmly, but Ian seemed too overwhelmed by pain to feel it.

“Good heavens, Minister Ian!”

“What on earth happened?”

“The blood… where is it coming from?”

“Stop the bleeding! Stop it!”

While the wizards rushed to Ian’s side, Barsabe’s attention shifted to Prince Noah, who looked equally distressed. Barsabe gripped her sword’s hilt tightly and spoke.

“Your Highness, I apologize for the rudeness, but given the circumstances, we need an explanation.”

This was separate from the palace guard’s usual oversight of the magic department. Ian was a Bariel wizard and minister, and Barsabe was here as part of the investigation team to monitor and protect him.

Noah raised his hands in innocence.

“I honestly don’t know what happened. We were about to form a contract magic, but he suddenly collapsed like that.”

“Contract magic?”

“Yes. A pact to establish a friendly alliance between Bariel and Clifford. I swear, we’re not responsible.”

Barsabe narrowed her eyes, and the palace guards instinctively rested their hands on their swords. Tension thickened between the two sides. The Clifford king looked helpless, glancing over Barsabe’s shoulder at Ian’s condition.

If Ian died here, it would be a disaster. There had already been a one-sided skirmish over the carriage, and now the magic minister had collapsed in the Clifford palace?

It would be impossible to avoid suspicion. They’d be accused of killing the wizard to keep Bariel in check. Coupled with Idgal’s involvement, the allegations would gain even more credibility.

“What do we do? There’s no one here who can heal him.”

“Let’s try to infuse some magic. Your Highness, are there no wizards in the palace?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

With every breath Ian took, blood spilled out. The robes of the kneeling wizards were stained red. They cursed silently as they gripped Ian’s arms and hands.

Ziiing… ziiing…

“Everyone, squeeze out every last bit of your magic.”

“Ian, please stay with us.”

“Yes, you can’t collapse like this.”

“Damn it, focus!”

The flow of magic shimmered.

The king, prince, and attendants all paused, watching in awe. The wizards’ eyes glowed golden, their hair gently swaying in the enclosed room, and a warm energy seemed to wrap around them like a living thing.

“Keep going! Don’t stop!”

“Ugh…”

One wizard’s nose began to bleed. They were clearly reaching their limits. They had no magic left to open a portal, and pushing themselves this hard was taking its toll.

The wizard casually wiped the blood away with the back of his hand but didn’t stop channeling magic.

“What are you all doing? Move!”

“Yes, yes! Bring warm water and fresh cloths!”

Barsabe’s shout spurred the doctors into action.

The Clifford king watched the scene with genuine amazement. He knew magic was powerful, but seeing it performed by so many at once felt like witnessing a miracle.

Noah whispered to his father, gripping his arm.

“Father, perhaps you should leave for now.”

If Ian died here, the king’s presence alone could cause problems. More importantly, if the wizards and magic swordsmen lost control and violence broke out, the king’s safety couldn’t be guaranteed.

But the Clifford king patted his son’s hand and shook his head.

“Noah, I understand your concern, but I cannot leave.”

“Father, please—”

“What happens in the Clifford palace is my responsibility. Don’t worry and go be with your siblings. They’ll be anxious from all this commotion.”

Reluctantly, Noah stepped away.

The reception room doors slowly closed behind him. The last sight was of the wizards coughing up blood, Ian lying as if in eternal sleep, and Beric kneeling nearby, his face drawn with worry.

Creak.

Bang!

Once the doors shut, Noah pressed his forehead, deep in thought. Should he inform Bariel? Ian had already sent a messenger from the border, hadn’t he?

But without knowing the full details, he couldn’t predict how Bariel would react to Ian’s condition.

“This is maddening.”

Noah muttered, slamming his hand against the wall. Trying to keep Idgal in check had only made things worse. He turned sharply and asked the attendants.

“Where is that wizard who came tied up—Felik?”

“He should be in the reception room where the guests were.”

“Follow me. We’re going there.”

Ignoring the palace servants gathering at the king’s command, Noah headed toward the neglected Felik.

---

Jin rested his chin on his hand, staring out the window. The emergency meeting had been called at dawn, canceling all his morning and afternoon plans.

Filia’s engagement ceremony had been just last night, but it already felt like a distant memory.

What were they doing now? He’d heard the Chenryo tribe’s celebrations lasted more than a day or two. They were probably still enjoying food and drink tonight. Maybe the village children had gone too.

Knock knock.

“Your Highness.”

Startled from his thoughts, Jin turned sharply toward the door. The bookshelf beside him remained untouched. He quickly flipped through some papers and responded.

“What is it?”

“A messenger has arrived from the border. It seems to be from Lord Ian. Perhaps you should verify it. The governor just heard and has just arrived as well.”

Outside, dusk had settled. He’d expected a delay, but a message from the border meant something serious had happened. Jin closed his book and nodded for them to enter.

Creak.

“Your Highness, I apologize for the sudden visit.”

“What is it? Lord Ian sent a messenger?”

“Yes, here it is.”

At the prime minister’s subtle nod, a servant stepped forward and handed over a note on a silver tray. The paper was crumpled and worn, hinting at the difficult circumstances under which it had been written.

— We made contact with Clifford’s carriage. There was no bandit attack, but the carriage did encounter some trouble. During the incident, some jewels were lost. To resolve this, I intend to cross the border and request an audience with King Clifford. Please retrieve the documents I entrusted to Romandro and review them. They concern the terms of our alliance—revise them to favor Bariel and prepare accordingly.

The mention of jewels referred to the golden diamond presented by Burgos.

“So, it’s Burgos after all?”

“No, Your Majesty. If that were the case, Sir Ian would have pointed it out clearly. There’s a second page—please take a look.”

— An investigation into the merchant guild producing Idgal is imperative. While their intentions remain unclear, they attempted to supply Idgal to Clifford at nearly no cost. Both Burgos and Luswena should be approached with caution.

Jin had witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of Idgal during the civil war—the mages rendered powerless by Marib’s arrows. If Idgal were to be supplied to neighboring countries, it would be as if Bariel’s greatest strength had vanished.

“Idgal… I heard the Magic Department is researching it, but it seems the guild’s reach is broader than expected.”

“We should summon Romandro. Is anyone outside? Sia!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As Jin gave the order to Siaoshi, the prime minister’s gaze remained fixed on the note, his deeply etched wrinkles shifting with his expression.

“Your Majesty.”

Noticing the gravity in his eyes, Jin tilted his head. The prime minister spoke cautiously.

“Instead of leaving the Idgal investigation to the Magic Department, how about forming a special task force under your direct command?”

“What do you mean?”

“The Magic Department will naturally seek to eliminate the Idgal producers. It’s only logical. Idgal functions like a magical seal stone, and the more of them there are, the greater the burden on mages.”

Whoever controls Idgal holds the lifeline of the mages.

This was common knowledge to anyone residing in the palace.

“Supplying it to foreign nations must never happen. But if the palace manages it directly, wouldn’t that change the situation?”

“…Prime Minister.”

“You must take control. It would be an excellent way to keep the Magic Department in check.”