Chapter 363
In front of the royal forge.

The mages fidgeted nervously, glancing repeatedly inside before turning their eyes toward Ian.

Unlike them, who seemed at a loss, Ian calmly stared up at the sky, as if measuring the passage of time itself.

Inside, bursts of explosions—both large and small—echoed alongside Akorella’s fiery shouts, met with the blacksmiths’ protests and worried cries. Some of the mages, just in case, began drawing protective wards on the ground.

“Ian, are you sure this is alright? The sounds coming from inside don’t sound good.”

“They used to be like this even in the lab, but this is Klipoford. I’m worried something might blow up.”

“There’s never been a case of melting a magic-sealing stone before. Should we really be doing this here? Ian, maybe you should stop Captain Akorella now.”

Ian smiled at their complaints. There was no one to stop once they’d started, and more importantly, these were his orders—he couldn’t just call it off halfway. He waved his hand lightly and shook his head.

“If you’re that worried, go to the barrier and keep an eye on Berrick. I don’t know if he’ll listen, though.”

Berrick? The mages pondered carefully. Would it be better to be near the mad dog Berrick, or the mad scientist Akorella?

“No, I’ll stay here. Not because I want to be with Akorella, but because Ian is here.”

“Oh, I agree. As long as Ian is nearby, I’m fine anywhere.”

“There hasn’t been much news from the barrier. By now, they should have clashed already.”

No urgent messages had come from the palace, and more importantly, no overwhelming power waves were felt.

If a silent battle had broken out between the synthetic monsters, magic swordsmen, and mages, even the faintest tremors would be noticeable.

Ian kept checking the time, muttering to himself.

“This legion passed through the Burgos palace, crossed the border, and occupied two villages. Thanks to Prince Noah, they split into vanguard and rear guard, so the soldiers’ stamina should be running low by now. The sun’s setting soon; they’ll likely set up camp and enter a lull.”

That was why he ordered Akorella to melt the magic-sealing stones and Idgal to forge the blades. It was impossible without this window of time.

The mages shifted nervously on their toes, flinching at each explosion from inside the forge.

“Do you think Bariel is sending reinforcements by now?”

“I wonder. I just came out here for the first time since entering the palace as an adult. I can’t imagine the palace without the magic department—it’s worrying, honestly.”

“We’re awfully bold to be out here, considering.”

“Ha ha ha, true. I hope Romandro is doing well, leading the magic department alone over there.”

They were all in similar situations—once identified as magic users, they entered the palace and spent most of their lives there. It was strange to be out in a foreign land together, and even stranger that it was due to their rebellion against the palace.

Ian muttered again.

“If the magic department disappears, the palace will shake. But it won’t fall. His Highness Jin is there, and there are capable officials. It should be fine.”

“That’s a bit disappointing, though. I wish they’d beg us to stay, like they can’t do without us. Ha ha ha!”

“Something like begging, they’re probably sending reinforcements. Don’t worry.”

Ian smiled, resting his chin on his hand, and the mages followed suit. What was there to worry about? Their leader, the greatest mage Ian, was here with them. And he said reinforcements were on the way. Nothing to fear.

“Minister Volv is a bit annoying, but His Highness will surely handle it well. Romandro’s there, and so is the prime minister.”

Ian expected Jin to have overcome Volv in every way.

But among the possibilities Ian considered, assassination using Xiaoshi was not one. More precisely, it was postponed to the very end.

He had overlooked how tall Jin stood alone—his dignity as an emperor was well known in history. Ian didn’t realize the child had cut through the vines with such a bold decision.

Boom! Bang!

“Hey! I told you to get the temperature right!”

“No, listen here! I’m speechless!”

“If you’re speechless, just shut your mouth!”

The mages fell silent at Akorella’s irritated shouts from inside.

Then, from afar, a Klipoford attendant came running, his face bright with relief as if he had found Ian.

“Ian! Ian!”

“What is it?”

“Haah, haah, a message just arrived. Prince Noah is alive, and it seems he’s circling to the rear of Burgos, breaking their formation. Also, Klipoford and Burgos soldiers have clashed, and a man named Berrick has taken the front line. You should hurry.”

At the mention of Berrick, everyone slapped their foreheads in exasperation. That damn mad dog—why was he charging headfirst into the Klipoford-Burgos fight?

But Ian immediately understood the deeper meaning.

“They must have deployed synthetic monsters.”

“Is that why?”

“Yes. I told them not to interfere in anything but monster-related issues. This fits.”

“If Ian says so, it must be true. Otherwise, Berrick would starve.”

“Wait, doesn’t that guy eat synthetic monsters too?”

“Didn’t you see? The soldiers he leads all wear masks. You can smell the rotting corpses from afar. If he ate that stuff, I wouldn’t be able to hang out with Berrick.”

“What if he gets eaten instead?”

“Berrick?”

The thought of Berrick being eaten made them all pause, then burst out laughing. Oddly, there was no worry at all. Ian, too, seemed unfazed, focusing on the documents the attendant brought.

“He can afford to get eaten once in a while. That way, the cows can settle their grudges and rest peacefully.”

“Yeah, experiencing it from the other side is part of life. Not bad, actually.”

The mages laughed boisterously, and the attendant chuckled awkwardly, until Ian asked.

“You said a minority tribe joined Burgos’ side? Is that confirmed?”

“Uh, I’m not sure. I just relayed the message. But since it came from the general, it should be accurate. Shall I guide you there?”

The general was equivalent to a minister in Bariel, meaning the information was reliable. Ian had instructed them about synthetic monsters and necromancy, and this was the result of their focused investigation. They hadn’t identified the necromancer, but this level of intelligence in wartime was commendable.

Astana.

Ian read the line about five minority tribes from the north of Gaia joining the conflict, tapping a familiar word with his fingertip.

“Why do you ask, Ian?”

“It reminded me of someone.”

Hasha.

He had rescued the Astana people from a slave trader and sent them along. Had they arrived safely? Hasha’s grandmother was said to be a chieftain in Astana, so perhaps there was an unspoken connection between the successor and Hasha.

Whether positive or negative, it was worth exploiting. Of course, finding that person among countless Burgos soldiers would be the real challenge.

Bang!

Another explosion rocked the forge, louder this time. Everyone turned anxiously. Through the slowly opening door, purple smoke curled out in soft clouds.

“Ah. Captain Akorella?”

“Heh, heh heh…”

Her hair was wild, her face smudged with soot, and she stared at the floor with a strange smile. The bizarre sight made everyone edge closer behind Ian.

“C-Captain, if you’re sane, please answer us. It’s scary. Are you okay?”

“Among those here—”

“Yes?”

“Who saw the melted magic-sealing stone!?”

“Ahhh!”

“And who touched it!? Who knows what it smells like!? The texture is all soft and squishy! I coated it on steel and heated it, but damn it, it didn’t react properly! So guess what I did! Guess!”

The blacksmiths looked just as disheveled as Akorella. Even those used to rough, tough work said they’d never seen anyone like her, standing there dazed as if her soul had left her body.

“Ah, can’t I not guess?”

“Of course you can!”

Akorella grabbed a mage by the collar and shook him with a triumphant gesture. Ian motioned for calm, and she wiped the blood trickling from her nose, smiling again.

“So, Akorella, the result?”

“Here it is, my lord.”

Playfully, Akorella knelt and presented a dagger to Ian. It looked ordinary, but one side of the blade was distinctly blackened. They had succeeded in coating it with the magic-sealing stone.

“Now that we know how, if the blacksmiths put in some effort, we can make dozens quickly. The ones made with Idgal will be amber-colored. Should we ask for more manpower? I’m eager to try this out.”

“Akorella, can we manage without you?”

“Ah, of course. Hey! Mana Stone Management Unit! Assemble!”

“A-assemble!”

At Acrella’s command, a few mages stepped forward. She sniffled, scribbling furiously on a piece of paper, then handed it over to her subordinates with instructions.

“Just follow this exactly, okay? I wrote it down precisely. Not a single mistake allowed—if you mess up, it could explode and cover you in mana-sealing stone shards, so be careful. And next time we meet, let’s be mages together, alright?”

“C-captain! Please do it with us!”

“That’s right. How can we do this without you?”

“No way! I have to go try this out!”

Acrella stomped her foot impatiently and shot Ian a look. She’d promised to let him observe the experiment, so now it was his turn to keep watch. Ian nodded and gave the order.

“Keep producing and supplying weapons. Acrella and I will head to the barrier to monitor the situation and respond as needed. There were thirty synthetic monsters before, so a similar number should be fine. Hale, I’m counting on you here.”

“Yes, Ian.”

Ziiing. Ziiing.

“Take care, everyone! I’m off to do some slicing!”

“Acrella!”

Whoosh!

Acrella grabbed a dagger and shot into the air ahead of Ian, who soon followed, activating his magic to fly up.

In the distance, they could see the mass of Clipofods and Burgos soldiers tangled together like a swarm of ants.

---

“Damn bastards!”

“Arrgh! Ugh!”

Covered in filth, Beric swung his sword wildly like a madman.

Like leaves in a storm, every swing sent three or four enemies bleeding and tumbling backward. From above, the battlefield looked bizarre—soldiers clashing in formation, but in the middle of the enemy ranks, a wild dog was running loose.

“Hey, isn’t that Ian?”

“Ian! Over here! This way!”

The two mages spotted the newcomers flying in from afar. Not only Ian and Acrella, but all the mages who had stayed behind at the barrier to watch had joined the fray.

Beric paused when he heard Ian’s voice calling out.

“Iaaaan!”

“Yeah, Beric. You look like hell.”

“These crazy bastards tried to eat me, right? So I went in through their stomach. But there was a human head in there, and damn it, I kissed it! And it turned out to be the core! Ugh, just thinking about it makes me wanna puke again.”

What the hell was he talking about? Ian tilted his head and glanced at the mages, but it was too much nonsense to explain. They just shrugged and chuckled.

“Yeah, the core inside the synthetic monsters was a human head.”

“What? So we don’t have to cut it out? Then what’s the point of my perfect, flawless dagger?”

“…W-what is that supposed to mean, Captain Acrella?”

“What else? It’s made to cut monsters, you little turd!”

“Why are you calling me that? You’re crazy! Ugh.”

Swish! Swish!

Beric barked loudly as Acrella flicked the tip of her dagger. The smell still clung to him, and even as he answered, he kept dry-heaving.

“Hey, two are coming from the left. I’ll take one down; you handle the other. Though honestly, it might be more efficient to just get eaten and tear your way out.”

“No way! Absolutely not! Ugh.”

Swish!

Acrella dove swiftly toward her target, steadying her blade, and two mages followed her in surprise.

Watching from the sky, Ian glanced at the setting sun. The crimson glow of the sunset made even the clearest water look like blood.

He let out a small sigh and turned away. It was time to move toward the rear of the battlefield—to check on the necromancers’ movements.