Episode 353

Leaving the royal palace required only a simple report and a brief inspection. Once through that process, one could follow the branching corridors leading outside.

Beric and Barsabe were stationed just outside the left door, watching carefully for anyone who might emerge, just as Ian had instructed. Along the roadside, crowds gathered, singing, dancing, and indulging in drinks and cigarettes without a care.

Beric crouched low, eyeing the scene hungrily.

“No one’s coming out. Want to grab a drink?”

“Go ahead if you want Ian to scold you.”

“We’ve been waiting for hours already. Isn’t this just how people make a living? Or should I go buy some quickly?”

“It’s only been an hour. And if you say stuff like that, it’s a problem. Every time I see you, you’re eating. By the way, do you even have money?”

Beric narrowed his eyes and glared at Barsabe. Ian had entrusted her with some mysterious papers and emergency funds. She unfolded the papers again, muttering under her breath.

“Don’t get distracted. Keep watching closely. They’ll try to slip out quietly, so we can’t afford to lose sight of them. Especially with so many people around.”

“You’re really good at nagging. Nonstop chatter.”

“Maybe you should try nonstop eating instead.”

Their back-and-forth was infuriating. If only Beric could read, Ian would have given the papers to him instead! Determined to learn to read once back at the palace, Beric fixed his gaze on the door.

Then, someone appeared.

“Isn’t that them?”

“Stay here. Keep watching.”

Barsabe pushed through the crowd, alert. Was there anyone else tailing the author? If so, it was likely a shadow assigned by Prince Noah—a possible traitor.

But the figure showed no unusual signs and walked toward the market center. Judging by their appearance, it seemed like another errand for Akorella.

‘Or maybe not?’

Then another person emerged. Just then, someone caught Barsabe’s hand, spinning her around in a dance. She twirled but kept her head steady, trying to mask her presence as she melted into the crowd.

Suddenly, a strange movement rippled through the throng. The crowd split into three streams, all circling around the newcomer. Barsabe shook off the dancer’s hand and signaled to Beric.

“Beric!”

“Whoa, you dance well.”

“Cut the crap and hurry!”

“Oh, you’re here?”

That wasn’t a greeting—it was a signal. Beric sprang to his feet and dashed toward Barsabe. Pushing through the dense crowd was no easy feat.

Beric spotted some old men smoking water pipes on a rooftop and nodded toward Barsabe.

“Let’s get up there.”

“We can’t stand out.”

“Then we lose them. It’s an emergency inside the palace; hardly anyone’s coming out. If a shadow’s tailing them, Prince Noah must be seriously suspicious. They might not even be on his list.”

Noah’s list of traitors given to Ian. But whether it was genuine or not, no one could confirm, and Ian didn’t even know all the palace insiders. That’s probably why he sent two swordmasters outside.

Wait, why is this guy suddenly so smart? Barsabe bit her lip and leapt up, stepping on crates in one swift motion.

“That’s it!”

Clack!

Cutting through the old men’s smoke, the two sprinted across the rooftop. The old men glanced at them in confusion but said nothing. On a night drunk on both alcohol and moonlight, a couple of lunatics were nothing unusual.

Tap tap tap!

“Can you see?”

“Wait, a woman in a black hood, like us.”

“Great, that’s helpful.”

“There! Over there! The alley next to the green roof and the sign!”

“I’m going this way first! You circle around!”

“Beric! You idiot, don’t jump there—!”

The gap between buildings was several meters wide. But Beric ignored the risk and leapt, grabbing the tavern sign to climb up. A middle-aged man enjoying a drink locked eyes with him.

“What the—?”

“Enjoy your drink!”

Beric winked, and the man reflexively winked back in greeting. Barsabe, rubbing her temples, muttered.

“Molars! I’m going first! Ehehe.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! If you do it, so do I!”

Damn it, damn it, damn it. There’s a difference between human and beast physical abilities. Wiping sweat from her hands, Barsabe launched herself after Beric.

Bang! Thud!

Creak!

It was close, but she managed to grab the sign and hang on alongside him. It was strange enough to see one person swaying at a window, let alone two. When a customer winked at Beric, Barsabe raised her middle finger in response.

Tap tap tap!

“Run! Waho!”

“Quietly!”

The traitor slipped into a back alley, followed by three shadows. Beric and Barsabe, the two swordmasters, sprinted, climbed, and rolled between buildings, keeping their eyes locked on the target.

Then, suddenly—

“They stopped.”

The shadows sensed something and slowed, then came to a complete halt. The traitor was meeting someone.

It was too dark and too high up to see clearly. Beric leaned over the railing, sniffing.

“What’s going on? Duck your head.”

“Smell. Trying to see if it’s Timothy. But I can’t tell.”

Before Beric could stop his nonsense and pull Barsabe along,—

Creak.

“Huh?”

His neck got stuck in the railing. Beric twisted and turned in panic, but it was no use. The rusted metal looked like it would break any second, but it was surprisingly sturdy. Struggling, he looked at Barsabe.

“Um…senpai?”

Snap! Crack!

Barsabe took the chance to smack the back of his head repeatedly. Beric bit his lip to keep quiet.

“You always cause trouble, don’t you?”

“Senpai? Sorry. So, can you help me get unstuck? If we do it together, it should work.”

“Just one more hit. I’m about to lose it—”

Then, from deep inside the dark alley, the traitor entered a building, and the shadows moved as well.

Barsabe glanced between the stuck Beric and the scene, then reluctantly moved first.

“I’m going ahead. Follow on your own.”

“Hey! Molars, you idiot! If you hit me, you owe me! Help me get out before you go!”

“Shut up. You deserve it for your reckless behavior.”

“Ugh. You’re dead meat.”

“Hurry up and follow.”

Clack!

Barsabe jumped down from the building and plunged deeper into the muddy, splattered alley. Faint voices drifted nearby. She held her breath, knowing the shadows were probably watching silently as well.

“…so it looks like the palace gates won’t open for a while.”

“Any other news? Rumor has it the envoys are dead. Some say three, some say two. Do you know anything?”

“No word from below, but it’s certain they’re dead.”

“Don’t know the exact number?”

“I swear it’s true.”

“What about the mages? Surely you know something about them?”

“They’re still inside the palace…”

Swish!

Suddenly, shadows darted in. The matter of the mages was critical enough to sway the situation, so the shadows aimed to cut down the traitor before any secrets leaked.

The sudden attack turned the area into chaos. Guards from both sides clashed swords, sparks flying.

‘Is Timothy among them?’

Whether the traitor fell or someone from Burgos bled didn’t matter. Barsabe’s orders were clear: ensure Timothy’s safety and capture him alive.

Though their eyes had adjusted to the dark, everyone wore robes that made identification difficult.

‘This is maddening.’

They couldn’t risk getting too close. If Noah’s side discovered Beric and Barsabe, suspicion would fall on Ian. Even Barsabe herself didn’t understand why she had to go this far for Timothy.

Clang! Clang!

“Ti—mothy!”

A voice called from above. Beric, finally free from the railing, shouted. The fighters paused, looking up, but the angle made it impossible to see above.

“Timothy! If you’re there, answer me!”

“Who’s that?”

The palace guards mistook them for Burgos reinforcements, while Burgos forces realized a third party had come searching for Timothy. As everyone looked up, moonlight revealed their faces. Barsabe confirmed Timothy was not there.

“Timothy’s not here!”

“Not here? Oh, really?”

Barsabe shouted for them not to come down. As Beric hesitated, she climbed back up the building to hide.

The confused crowd was the first to recover their wits—the Burgos side.

Thunk!

Swish!

They plunged their swords into the palace shadows and began retreating, prioritizing escape.

Tap, tap, tap!

“After them! Chase them down!”

“Request backup!”

Panting heavily, the traitor from Burgos sprinted forward. He relayed urgent information to the Burgos agent he had just met.

“What’s going on? Why is Timothy’s name coming up here?”

“That’s what I need to find out. And the mages?”

“The mages… they’re all down, completely incapacitated. They can’t even move properly, let alone fight back.”

Swish!

At that moment, the shadow from the palace lunged, piercing the traitor’s neck with a sword. The man collapsed, spilling all the information he had.

Gritting his teeth, the Burgos agent ran without looking back. At the end of the alley, bright lights flickered. Naturally, to hide among the trees, one must head into the forest. He crouched low and melted into the crowd, while the palace shadows lost his trail and came to a halt.

“Damn it!”

“They couldn’t have gotten far. Search the area!”

“Send reinforcements immediately! Tighten border security!”

Clutching his pounding heart, the Burgos agent shook off his pursuers.

The time to regroup was fast approaching. Amid the chaos, he walked toward the meeting point, deep in thought. The palace people didn’t seem involved—so why did Timothy’s name come up?

It seemed the traitor had been followed. The information must have leaked somehow. But how? And through whom?

Tap, tap.

“Hey.”

A hand grabbed the shoulder of the aimless wanderer. It was Timothy. He looked the dazed subordinate up and down, noticing the bloodstains.

“What happened?”

“Ah, Lord Timothy.”

“Any news?”

“Well…”

“Let’s move somewhere else first. There’s unusual activity near the border. We should act quickly.”

“Yes, understood.”

Following Timothy, the Burgos agent pieced together his own theory amid the confusion. Whatever it was, Timothy seemed to have some kind of connection with someone inside Clifford.

This needs to be reported directly to King Damon.

“Lord Timothy, it’s true that mages are stationed at the palace. But they’re incapacitated—no different from ordinary people. Their condition is so severe they can’t even return to Bariel. I think now is the perfect opportunity. It’s also true that one of the envoys has died. Though rumors say there were only two or three.”

“The number of dead envoys no longer matters. We’ve confirmed the mages’ presence and their condition.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Let’s go. We must hurry and inform the king of this good news.”

“Understood.”

Unaware that the mages possessed magical amplifiers, Timothy quickened his pace, excited to report their incapacitation.

Behind him, the Burgos agent glanced at Timothy’s back with suspicion. He pondered how best to warn the king that there was something off about Timothy as he followed closely behind.