Chapter 341
The grand conference room was bathed in colorful light streaming through stained glass windows. Despite the warm glow, the atmosphere was icy and tense.
King Clifford, his courtiers, and Prince Noah sat around a massive circular table, each watching the others warily. The king insisted on keeping the mages detained, while the ministers argued fiercely that they should be sent away immediately.
The king sighed, pressing his chubby cheeks with his hands.
“Do you think Vargas and Luswena are unaware of the situation? If we send the mages away and something goes wrong, the people will bear the full brunt of it. The farming season is just around the corner, and we can’t afford any trouble.”
“Your Majesty, with all due respect, keeping the mages here poses an even greater risk. It’s best to send them off quickly and inform Vargas that Clifford no longer harbors any mages and that our alliance with Bariel remains intact.”
“But Minister Ian has only just awakened, hasn’t he? The magical courier who was dispatched is delayed due to his adverse reaction to magic. Are we really going to expel the mages without proper communication?”
“From a humanitarian standpoint, it’s improper and disrespectful between nations. We should wait until Sir Ian recovers before sending them off.”
“No, the very fact that they’re still in the palace is the problem. Why not announce their departure publicly, but secretly keep them under our protection?”
“And what if that causes a communication breakdown with Bariel?”
“We’d only inform Vargas. How would that affect Bariel?”
“If we argue like that, there’s no point in this debate. Vargas wouldn’t act without knowing what’s happening between Clifford and Bariel.”
“Enough, enough!”
The king slammed his fist on the table, demanding calm.
He acknowledged the opposition’s points but believed that preparing for the worst was the only way to protect the people’s peace of mind. So, he had no choice but to propose a solution assuming conflict might erupt.
One minister turned to Prince Noah, pleading earnestly. If the prince could persuade the king, perhaps his mind could be changed.
“Your Highness, what is your opinion?”
The opposing ministers clenched their fists, eyes fixed on Noah. He sat second to the left of the king, officially ranking just below the prime minister and other senior officials, but unofficially second only to the king himself.
“We have yet to receive any reports on Vargas’s movements, so we cannot jump to conclusions.”
Noah glanced at the minister in charge. In intelligence matters, speed and accuracy were paramount, yet their informants in Vargas had not responded.
“Have you discussed this with Sir Ian, Father?”
“Sir Ian?”
“Yes. Bariel also desires an alliance with Clifford. If Clifford clashes with Vargas, it will be Bariel who suffers next. Most importantly, the mages’ own intentions matter. Only then can we decide what to tell Bariel—whether to send them out or otherwise.”
“Hmm. Not wrong. But—”
Even if Clifford accused Bariel of the mages’ unauthorized palace intrusion and Ian’s humanitarian care, Bariel would counter with claims of lost jewels and the risk of Idgal.
Forming an alliance would require painstaking negotiations amid tangled interests. At such a time, inviting Bariel’s representatives to a meeting deciding their nation’s fate felt unsettling.
The king sighed deeply, popping dried grapes into his mouth.
“Best to clear all debts and form the alliance cleanly. Including the ruined vineyards. Hmph.”
Lost in thought, the king munched on grapes as the ministers spoke cautiously.
“Your Majesty.”
“Yes?”
“You’ve already hinted to your subordinate, Hale. What was his response?”
“He said he would inform Sir Ian. I came here for this meeting.”
The opposing ministers exchanged glances. The king seemed unwilling to back down and intended to meet the mages himself to send them off. Noah caught on quickly and cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Since Father wishes the mages to stay longer, we should take measures accordingly, then assess Vargas’s situation and discuss again. Instruct the doctors to double the treatment period for a thorough diagnosis—”
creak!
tap tap!
Urgent footsteps cut off Noah’s words. Everyone turned toward the entrance as a soldier burst in, panting.
“Your Majesty!”
“What is it? You’re about to fall over.”
“A envoy from Vargas has arrived.”
The room erupted in surprise. Already? So soon? The palace was still in chaos—how did Vargas find out?
The king sighed, swallowing the grapes he was eating. He clicked his tongue, looking around at his ministers as if to say, “I told you so.”
“See? I told you. Tch!”
“Your Majesty, what shall we do?”
“What else? Shall we turn the envoy away? Vargas’s new king is nothing like my father. If the old king was a snake, King Damon is a small viper. Come on, get up.”
“Everyone, prepare! Escort the Vargas envoy to the audience chamber!”
Noah supported his father and gave the order. The ministers looked between the king and prince, unsure what to do, then hurried off. At this point, it seemed better to admit that the mages were still in Clifford, as the king had said. One minister, running, stopped and called back.
“What about the mages? Should we ask them to attend the meeting? And if they refuse…?”
“The mages—”
The king patted his son’s shoulder and gently nudged him forward. Noah stepped ahead, glancing back at his father.
“Noah, you go meet them. Listen in from beside the audience chamber, and if you need to reveal the mages’ presence, do so then.”
“Yes, Father.”
“And Noah.”
The king caught his son’s eye and smiled kindly, the corners of his eyes crinkling deeply. Father and son looked so alike it was like two clever foxes sizing each other up—calm and deliberate amid the chaos.
“Remember always that you returned successfully from your mission to Bariel. Be proud of that. Understood?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Now go. Get along well with the mages.”
Noah hugged his father briefly, feeling frustrated and helpless.
Honestly, what had he accomplished? The three-nation alliance hadn’t been formed, the royal curse had been leaked, and greed over Idgal had led to Bariel capturing him.
Yet his father, the king, gave him another chance instead of scolding him.
The three-nation alliance depended on the political climate; the royal curse wasn’t Noah’s fault but a legacy from ancestors; and the dealings over Idgal had been done out of patriotism.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Good.”
Noah bowed firmly and ran toward the mages’ separate palace. Scores of ministers split left and right, hurrying after him.
The king watched his son’s retreating figure and slowly walked toward the audience chamber. Savoring the lingering sweetness on his lips, he said,
“Let’s serve warm spiced wine to our guests who have traveled far.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I wonder why they came at sunset.”
In Clifford, where vineyards were abundant, sunset was sacred—the time to end a hard day’s work and return home.
Evenings were for forgetting hardships with music and drink, preparing for the next day. Yet here they were, summoned for business. The king handed dried grapes to his attendant trailing him.
“Don’t be nervous. Have a bite to wet your mouth.”
“Th-thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Yes. Everything will be fine. As the gods will it.”
Bang! Bang!
Crash!
“Ah! You scared me! What’s going on?”
“Oh, it’s the prince! Hello!”
“Don’t run like that in the palace! Didn’t Ian tell you?”
The mages were nowhere to be seen in the separate palace. Noah panted as he flung open Ian’s bedroom door and found the mages sprawled on the floor, tangled together.
Why were they all like this? The ones who had been rampaging were now passed out cold, as if knocked out. The bed was empty.
“…What happened to everyone?”
“Why? We all drained our energy supporting Ian. Haaah.”
“Where’s Sir Ian?”
“Ian? Maybe he went to the bathroom?”
“No, earlier Hale and Akorella left together. They seemed to have urgent matters.”
“That’s right. Prince, is your younger brother alright?”
“Everyone, try to get up!”
“Why? You don’t look well…”
Those conscious tried to prop themselves up but barely managed before collapsing back, utterly exhausted. How could they prove they were mages in front of the Vargas envoy like this?
“Okay, okay, I’m up! Ta-da!”
Beric sprang to his feet, flexing his muscles.
Noah watched him with irritation, then quickly turned his back and ordered his men to find Ian.
“He should be nearby. Search for him.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Why are you looking for Ian? I’m the expert at finding him! Want me to help? Huh?”
“Quiet! This is serious right now—!”
“This way, this way. I smell something.”
No matter how much Noah fussed, Beric just sniffed the air and strode past him. Noah stared after him in disbelief, grinding his teeth as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“If you waste any more time, I won’t let it slide.”
“Oh? A challenge? I’m all for it.”
“You bastard!”
“This way, this way!”
Though he probably didn’t know the layout of the secondary palace well, Beric’s confident strides made it seem plausible.
Noah kept his hand on his sword’s hilt, glaring at Beric’s back as he followed. After turning a couple of corners, Beric suddenly jumped up, waving his hand.
“Iaaan!”
“Beric. Are you awake?”
“Don’t know. The prince slammed the door suddenly! The mages all woke up because of it.”
“It’s about time for a meal, isn’t it? They were bound to wake up eventually.”
“Oh, is that so? Well then, let’s eat!”
Beric stretched and shouted, and Ian turned his head toward Noah. He gave a slight nod of greeting, smiling as if he already knew why Prince Noah had come looking for him.
“I think there’s a guest at the main gate.”
“Ian, let’s move with us.”
Time was pressing, but Ian showed no sign of moving. Hale and Akorella, standing firmly by his side, were the same. Beric, curious, quietly slipped over to Ian’s side.
“The king has foresight. Even I didn’t expect Burgos to move this fast.”
“Doesn’t Bariel want an alliance with Clifford?”
“He does. And Clifford wants to avoid being outmatched by Burgos. But here’s the thing.”
Ian gave a puzzled look.
“Are you thinking of letting the Burgos envoy into the palace?”
“What?”
You mean they’d turn away a foreign envoy without even hosting them? That’s absurd! Noah, not understanding, asked again, and Ian gave a rueful smile.
“Burgos will be desperate to find a pretext. They’re no different from attackers. If you let them in, it will only make things harder.”
“What on earth—”
Tap, tap, tap!
At that moment, soldiers burst in from the corridor Noah had come through, all pale-faced and shouting for the prince.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
“There’s a serious problem!”
“What’s going on?”
I was running around even worse than this earlier, Beric muttered, pouting. Ian shot him a warning glance to keep quiet. From now on, this place would be like walking on needles, or thin ice.
“O-one of the Burgos envoys collapsed right after drinking the welcome wine!”