Episode 367
“Us?”

Beric tilted his head in confusion.

You and me? And the mages here?

Akorella quietly bit down on her brooch with her front teeth and muttered,

“There hasn’t been any research on the rift even in Bariel. If you say everything that uses and contains magic power, does that mean our very existence could be a problem?”

“Hmm, I don’t think that’s the case. Didn’t Clifford have mages in previous generations? Then it would make more sense for the incident to have happened before now, rather than just recently.”

“So, you’re saying that using magic—activating it to stimulate the power beneath the crust—triggers the earthquakes? Is that right, Ian?”

“That sounds plausible. That’s probably why Burgos deliberately deployed monsters in the war. Of course, they wanted to use their strength, but monsters inherently contain magic power, unlike us who have to activate it. So they brought monsters to continuously stimulate the crust beneath Clifford! Ah, I think that’s the answer.”

“I’m with you on that. And if mages get involved and activate magic, it’s like adding fuel to the fire. They’re trying to draw out the Gaia power lurking beneath Clifford as much as possible.”

“So, does that mean Burgos knew we’d come over here?”

“No, no. That’s what you call killing two birds with one stone. Even if we hadn’t come, they would have used monsters anyway. The alliances are complicated, and now that we’re here too, it just works out in their favor.”

“Wow, killing two birds with one stone? If mages use their power, great. If not, they just devour everything and push into Bariel. Efficient. I gotta admit, that’s smart.”

As this new perspective on magic emerged, the mages couldn’t hide their excitement and started chattering among themselves.

It made sense—they would have been ordinary humans without magic. This was a chance to take a step closer to the source of magic power, and their instinctive curiosity was impossible to suppress.

Bang bang!

“Alright, everyone, don’t all speak at once. One at a time!”

The general slammed his hand on the table, and the mages paused, turning to look at him.

“We’ve said everything we needed to.”

“Yes. That’s it.”

“So, what’s the conclusion?”

“We don’t know. It’s just speculation. You should ask Ian.”

At the mage’s nod, everyone present, including the general, focused their attention on Ian.

Ian sipped his tea and raised an eyebrow. He had only been in office for about half a year. Despite being a minister, he seemed amused by the fact that the magic department was demanding answers from him.

“Ian, please explain it properly.”

“Everyone’s right. For the Gaia power coiled beneath the crust to erupt, there has to be continuous stimulation from above. The presence of monsters, the power of mages, and even magic swordsmen of similar nature—all these activations would deepen the scale of the rift, even if it’s the same earthquake.”

“Wait, me too? Really? So we shouldn’t use our powers?”

“Using the White Horn among the many monsters was probably for that reason as well.”

They were useful in every way—explosive, polluting fertile land, and burrowing beneath. If left unchecked, they would breed rapidly.

“So, does that mean mages won’t be able to help us anymore?”

At the general’s question, Noah pressed his forehead. It seemed like only with the mages’ power could they counter the synthetic monsters, but the more they used magic, the more disaster it could bring to Clifford itself. They were stuck, unable to move forward or back.

“We can help. We don’t know when the earthquake will happen, but everything has limits. Burgos will try to push beyond those limits, and we just have to intervene within those boundaries.”

“Can you quantify that? Define it?”

Noah muttered sharply, unable to accept continuing the war on such vague terms when Clifford’s fate was at stake. The atmosphere froze as if doused with cold water.

“You said there’s no research on this in Bariel, Ian, so how do you know so much and make such judgments? If this is just intuition—”

Though the mages were helping Clifford, this was unacceptable. The fate of the nation and its long history were on the line.

Noah swallowed his words and chose them carefully.

“There could be problems in the relationship between Clifford and Bariel. Since we’re allies, we should treat each other’s countries as our own. We can’t gamble on invisible limits. Please understand our position.”

The roles were clear, but given the gravity of the matter, Noah couldn’t just be led around by the mages.

Ian set down his teacup and tilted his head.

“Of course, Your Highness. We have never once acted against Clifford’s interests. It was our subordinates who saved Prince Noah—”

Noah glanced away. The mage who saved him in Baki Village avoided his gaze. He had disobeyed orders to stand by and had to report on it. Ian let it slide with a simple ‘well done.’

“We’re also the ones who dealt with the synthetic monsters.”

“Yes, yes. Look at our little puppy, smelling like rotten garbage!”

Without them, the situation between Clifford and Burgos would have been very different.

Ian smiled gently, listing their achievements. It was a warning that not only the rift but the mages themselves had limits, so it was best to stay out of it if possible.

“It’s true that Bariel hasn’t conducted research on this, but that doesn’t mean there are no records. The palace holds countless—”

Ian hesitated. Just as he was about to mention the many past records and documents, Romandro came to mind.

Hadn’t Romandro been dispatched to repair the temple after the earthquake before coming down to Bratz? There had been other minor earthquake reports, but he couldn’t recall clearly. Ian frowned, and Beric stepped forward, crossing his arms and shouting,

“And Ian knows everything! …Right? If he were king, he’d be trusted immediately, but the prince is so picky, seriously. I was just over there, fighting off those Burgos bastards, you know? Why? Because Ian told me to! Why did Ian tell me? Oh, to help Clifford!”

Bang!

Beric seemed to be trying to back Ian up, but it came out all wrong. The mages looked up at the ceiling as if enlightened, while only Akorella kept fiddling with her brooch, shouting,

“That’s ridiculous! We saw you laughing while you were cutting through them!”

“Didn’t see you puke, though. That monster’s stench was awful—”

“Quiet, quiet. Ian and the prince are talking.”

Please, these two crazy ones, zip it. As the mages pulled them back and calmed them down, Ian crossed his legs and lifted his chin.

“If you want us to withdraw from the front lines, we will do so immediately, Your Highness. Just say the word.”

“…That’s not what I meant. Don’t take it the wrong way.”

“Of course. But there is one thing I want to formalize in writing.”

“What is it?”

Noah’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. At Ian’s gesture, a Clifford officer stepped forward.

“It’s a contract acknowledging that mage support could accelerate the rift, and that even if a rift occurs in Clifford, Bariel will not be held responsible.”

“It’s obvious that if Clifford is overrun by monsters, Bariel will suffer too. Why go this far?”

“Even if the world is flooded with monsters, Bariel will remain safe. That is our reason for existing. You asked us to understand Clifford’s position, didn’t you?”

“Huh? That line! Ian said that before!” Beric shouted excitedly.

“So Clifford should understand us and sign the contract too! …Right?”

Ian frowned with a smile. He raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, and Beric winked and stepped back.

“If you sign the contract, as you said, we will consider this an ideal alliance and plan operations to support Clifford as much as possible. Isn’t that a contract with no downside for the prince or Clifford?”

Face reality. If Gaia’s disaster lurks beneath Clifford, they have no choice but to accept the mages’ help.

“…Right. I was a bit rude.”

“No, it’s understandable. Anyone would be furious after losing subordinates in the extreme situation of war.”

But a leader must not lose control. Ian swallowed his words and smiled gently. Then, pointing elegantly to the bottom of the paper, he said to Noah,

“One more thing.”

“…….”

“If, during this war between Clifford and Burgos, our mages’ help leads to a positive outcome in this battle, please offer a reward not to Bariel but directly to the magic department.”

“A reward? What kind?”

The mages perked up their ears. Ian just tapped the paper lightly with his fingertip, as if to say, ‘Write it down.’

“I’ll explain that when the time comes.”

“That’s a pretty vague answer.”

“You also have the right to refuse, Prince Noah. But let’s set the date I propose. I haven’t decided what to ask for yet.”

Noah furrowed his brow as he glanced over Ian. His sly retorts suggested he had some hidden agenda, but it was impossible to tell what.

Still, if there’s a right to refuse, then no matter what the deal is, it might not go through, right? After all, you just have to say no. Noah fiddled suspiciously with his pen before finally starting to draft the contract.

Swish.

All the while, unaware that his siblings had already informed him of the next curse’s activation date.

Prince Noah firmly signed the document and handed it to Ian, his expression saying, “I’ve given you everything you wanted. Now show me that brilliant strategy of yours.” A plan that would suppress the Burgos faction while minimizing any damage to Gaia’s Rift.

“Hasha.”

“Yeah?”

“Describe in detail the appearance and information of the commanding sorcerers and the heirs of each tribe deployed on the front lines. We’ll take them out first. That should benefit Astana as well.”

The northern front had been a grueling back-and-forth battle. If Hasha’s help could eliminate the leaders of other factions, it would not only strengthen Astana’s position but also provide a prime opportunity to absorb the surrounding chaos caused by the loss of those leaders.

Hasha smoothly snatched the pen from Noah’s hand.

“Of course. Although their formations and positions shift slightly, most commanding sorcerers will be near the synthetic monsters. None are hiding outside the army, but many, like me, wear regular soldier uniforms, so finding them won’t be easy.”

“No, that won’t do. Since I captured you as a prisoner, the other side will assume your identity has been exposed. You’ll likely change clothes and break formation. So recognizing their faces will be crucial.”

“Hm, that makes sense. Very well, I’ll start.”

Hasha quickly began jotting down notes, recalling details from memory. Watching from the side, Noah turned to Ian and asked,

“What’s the point of identifying the commanding sorcerers? We’re already developing weapons to counter the synthetic monsters. Shouldn’t it be enough to just cut them in half?”

“To cut through those monsters, magical power is essential. So if we can eliminate them by moving troops alone, that would be ideal. For Klipoford, at least.”

Ian snapped his fingers thoughtfully.

“And we’ll need one prisoner to send naturally to Burgos. Someone to exchange for Hasha, providing a solid excuse to return them without suspicion…”

Tap, tap, tap!

Just then, footsteps echoed from outside.

A soldier appeared, holding a rolled-up letter, shouting,

“Your Highness! A letter from the Burgos side! They say they’ve captured Lady Mei as a prisoner!”

Noah’s eyes widened. Snap! He snapped his fingers as if pleased that Akorella and Beric were doing well, and Ian nodded in agreement.

“Perfect timing. We’ve got the right candidate for an exchange.”