Chapter 399
Those who move stealthily, hidden in the darkness.
Leading them were the soldiers of Luswena, with Eriphoni at the forefront. They stood just before the forest where they were to meet Damon, every nerve on edge at the slightest sound.
Then, a flash of light and a thunderous roar erupted from the Clifford Barrier. Eriphoni slowly turned around, and Eldert casually pulled out a telescope, handing it to her.
“I told you to be discreet, but you never listen. Kids these days.”
To the left of the Clifford Barrier, though too far to see clearly, it was obvious a battle was raging in midair. It must be that girl, Zaira. She was so young—could she really pull this off? But, as expected, she was just as capable as ever.
Eldert lowered his head, easing the king’s worries.
“Still, she fulfilled her role.”
Eriphoni and Eldert had already anticipated that Zaira wouldn’t be able to sneak in and out unnoticed.
Clifford would surely try to cut off the rendezvous between Burgos and the Luswena king, and among the scouts would be elite magic swordsmen.
So the commotion was meant to serve as a distraction, to temporarily blind and deafen the enemy. Whatever was happening inside the barrier, the mage who had gone to the left would find out.
Eriphoni clicked her tongue and turned away.
“Bariel will probably request a prisoner exchange—Zaira for a mage, right?”
“Yes. If they capture one alive, that’s what they’ll want.”
There was nothing to lose. Even if Zaira was caught, they still had Jean on their side.
The real question was how Damon’s value would shift during negotiations. Whatever happened, Luswena would never come out at a loss.
“Did Burgos start eating horses during the war? Why are they so late?”
Eriphoni muttered, her nerves frayed.
It was late at night during wartime, in unfamiliar territory with nothing visible. Wouldn’t it be better to finish the rendezvous while Zaira was causing a ruckus at the barrier? Just as Eldert was about to check the time, a rustle came from the darkness.
The soldiers raised their spears and swords, alert. Eriphoni grabbed her bow. Damn magic swordsmen had ruined her custom bow, and it just didn’t feel the same anymore.
“Long time no see, Queen Eriphoni.”
Under the moonlight, his violet hair shimmered. His cheeks looked paler than when she last saw him in Bariel, and his gaze had grown darker.
Eriphoni nodded in greeting.
“Not that long, really. Glad to see you’re well. There’s much to discuss, but since scouts are patrolling near Clifford, let’s keep it brief and withdraw quickly.”
It couldn’t be helped. No matter the alliance, having kings enter each other’s camps was too risky, and the scouts near Clifford would be watching closely. If a magic swordsman ambush happened, it would be disastrous.
Eriphoni took a bundle of letters from Eldert and handed them to Damon.
“You’re aware that Bariel has banned trade, yes?”
“Yes. It’s caused chaos among the ministers. Every coin has two sides—this has even strengthened the war hawks. Luswena won’t be any different.”
Their biggest trading partner, Bariel, had shut its doors. Supplies were running low, and the desire to invade Clifford had surged sharply as a response.
Eriphoni shrugged with a faint smile.
“We mainly export, so it’s disappointing but not critical. Burgos, however, will be furious.”
“Regardless, all supply routes are blocked. Bariel’s path is closed, and pursuers are on the Dead Lands. We haven’t received a single shipment.”
So they asked for new supplies. Magic swordsmen were a thorn in their side, but if they could get a large stock of black armor, they’d have a clear advantage in close combat.
Eriphoni ran a hand through her hair and smiled briefly.
“We’ve already fulfilled our requests diligently. Asking for new shipments because you didn’t receive them is a bit difficult, King Damon.”
“The Luswena supply troops were cut down before even reaching the Burgos border. And yet you say you performed your duties diligently? Are you serious?”
“You know how it is. Once war begins, supplies vanish like melting snow. We can’t provide endlessly. Unless we revise the alliance treaty, that is.”
An alliance was a partnership for mutual benefit, but when it came down to it, the real question was who could take the bigger slice.
The smile vanished from Damon’s lips.
“Once we capture Clifford, Luswena was to manage five key northeastern cities. Let’s change that to seven. Then I can immediately provide the black armor materials. Bariel is blocked, and the Dead Lands are useless, so this is the only option.”
Just like Burgos, Luswena’s need for new territory was growing. They had barely enough supplies for themselves, yet they’d given up land for their ally. They needed to make sure they got their due.
“Seven…”
There was no room for negotiation. Eriphoni’s gaze was sharp. Damon pretended to hesitate, then nodded in acceptance.
“Fine. But you’ll have to choose from the neighboring cities.”
“Of course. That’s more convenient for us as well.”
They shook hands.
Foolish. Once Clifford cracked, most of that land would turn to dust. Luswena wouldn’t see any fertile fields. What did it matter if it was five or seven cities?
“And about the Bariel mages—we captured one on our side. How many do you have?”
“Four.”
Oh, Burgos soldiers had been quick and efficient.
Eriphoni shot Eldert a look, half-scolding him. Luswena had taken more hits from magic swordsmen because of their black armor, but she ignored that.
“Are they all alive?”
“All but one.”
“Damn.”
One had died. Eriphoni nodded with an expression utterly devoid of sympathy.
“The one we have is barely alive. What do you intend to do? I heard necromancers can control mage corpses?”
“We’re trying, but there are some trial-and-error issues. It’s best to keep them alive as long as possible for now.”
They could move like normal corpses, but channeling magic through them was proving difficult. They didn’t understand that magic imprints on the soul, not the body, so the experiments were clumsy.
As soon as Eriphoni heard this, she signaled Eldert. A living mage was far more valuable than a dead one. They would send word to their camp to share magic power with the Bariel mages.
Snap.
Whoosh!
Two soldiers bearing the king’s orders mounted their horses and disappeared into the forest.
The moon hung lower in the night sky. Dawn was approaching, and it was time to focus on the next battle.
Eriphoni gazed at the fading light of the Clifford Barrier. Zaira had either slipped through or been captured. It was one or the other.
“We’ll handle the magic swordsmen. It looks like six of them fighting in pairs can crack even black armor, but we’ll reorganize our black armor units into an elite force. If we can force them into individual combat, we have a real chance. What if we turn the composite monsters against them?”
“One of the necromancers defected to Bariel. We dismantled the remaining monsters and destroyed their cores, but that mage will still be a significant force at Clifford. Especially since he’s from Astana, famous for necromancy.”
A tangled mess. From a broad view, there was no advantage for either Burgos or Luswena. This was troubling.
The strategy to neutralize mages through Idgal’s supplies was progressing slower than expected. Eriphoni frowned, and Damon added:
“It’s fine. Reinforcements are coming from the north.”
“The north?”
“Countless forces. All kinds of people gathering.”
“Oh, I heard about that. You released monsters? That seems reckless for the Clifford farmlands. Can you control them?”
“It’s limited to the western border near Burgos, so don’t worry. And, hmm—”
Damon also looked at the moon. Once it waned, only a week would remain. A short time in war, but far too long to tear down a barrier.
“We plan to breach the barrier and reach the capital within a week.”
“Easier said than done, King Damon. You know who’s inside the barrier.”
“Thanks to Luswena’s mages, much of their power has been diminished. When dawn breaks and the battle begins, we’ll know more precisely. But the key is that one week.”
Eriphoni couldn’t make sense of it. One week. What did that mean? The amount of supplies? Or, God forbid, some auspicious day for the sorcerers?
If it was the latter, she’d break the alliance and return home immediately. How could she trust someone so easily swayed by superstition?
“There will be an earthquake.”
Damon seemed to read her thoughts and explained.
“An earthquake?”
“A massive one.”
“Inside the barrier?”
When Damon nodded, Eriphony frowned. Something didn’t add up. It felt like a crucial clue was out of place.
“If that’s the case, then why not just hold out until then instead of launching an attack within a week? If we do nothing, the building will collapse and soldiers will die—so why spill blood needlessly?”
“The goal is to retrieve the royal treasures before everything turns to ruins. First, to break the legitimacy of the Clifford royal family, and then to put gold into the hands of the northern allies.”
Damon’s short hair shifted slightly as he nodded, as if emphasizing the importance of what he was about to say next.
“And above all, we want to settle this before Bariel’s reinforcements arrive.”
Hmm. Eriphony’s eyes narrowed. A massive earthquake could indeed destroy the royal treasures. There was also the need to satisfy the northern tribes, who were almost barbaric in nature.
Still, something felt off. To signal her refusal to agree with the one-week timeframe, she changed the subject. She couldn’t join the plan until she was fully convinced.
“There’s been a response from the Hwan Kingdom as well.”
The Hwan Kingdom—a small but crucial crossroads of the continent, including the Great Desert and all the golden trade routes.
Since Hwan was friendly with Luswena, they had sent word that they would observe the situation before deciding whether to join the fight. They might have sent a similar letter to Bariel’s side, but the important thing was that there were forces ready to follow once momentum was gained. Even if it wasn’t Hwan, another country would step in.
“It would be good to show some external success, even if only short-term. The bigger the prey, the more reason to unite our strength. Now, please sign here. These are the revised clauses of the alliance treaty.”
With a soft rustle, Eriphony unfolded the letter and handed it over. A courtier took it and passed it to Damon.
At that moment, Eriphony realized that Timothy, who was always by her side, was nowhere to be seen. Her teal eyes flashed sharply as she slowly watched Damon sign the document.
KRAAASH!
“Ah! You scared me!”
“W-what’s going on?!”
The door to the operations room suddenly burst open. Ian, who had just regained some composure, turned his head, and the mages clutched their chests in surprise. It was Akorella.
Beric sniffled as he looked at her disheveled appearance. Why were there holes in her clothes?
“What happened to you?”
“Huh. Heh heh heh…”
Akorella raised a beaker with wild eyes. A thick, sticky liquid sloshed inside.
The mages swallowed hard, deliberately avoiding looking at her. That had to be it.
“It’s time to pay homage to the great mage Akorella. Wow, I actually did it! Captain Hail! This is the magic amplifier you told me to make!”
“Captain Hail! Find the captain, quick!”
“Ah, Captain Akorella… her eyes are gone again…”
Ian covered the makeshift map of Clifford and called out to Akorella.
“Already? You probably weren’t prepared. Still, impressive as always, Akorella.”
“Oh, Ian, you’re awake! Ha ha ha! The great mage Akorella, recognized by Ian himself!”
“So, do we just drink it?”
“Ah, no, Ian, you can’t.”
Ian smiled gently as he asked, but Akorella raised her other hand firmly to refuse.
“This definitely has side effects. Now, who else wants to try it besides Ian?”
“W-we’re allowed to drink it? That’s not fair!”
“Huh? You just made eye contact with me. Come here.”
“What? No, I was just looking at the ground the whole time.”
Then Beric raised his hand.
“That stuff! Can I try it? It smells delicious.”
“Smells delicious? Really?”
“Yeah. Like meat.”
Strange. That couldn’t be right. Akorella sniffed it again, but all she felt was a wave of nausea. She nodded toward Ian as if asking for permission.
“Well, Beric wants to try it. Is it okay, Ian?”