Chapter 441
“Things are getting intense.”
Noah muttered as he changed his shirt. The meeting had ended, but the strange tension he’d sensed between Jin and Ian left his whole body stiff. He now fully understood the saying about shrimp getting crushed in a whale fight.
Noah flopped onto the sofa, clearly exhausted. Mei, tidying up behind him, responded.
“That’s right. The minister resigning like that, and the Crown Prince actively trying to stop him—it’s not something you see every day. Honestly, I’d probably do the same if I were the Crown Prince.”
“But it’s only a matter of time. With such a firm will, even the Crown Prince won’t be able to do much in the end.”
“Hmm.”
Mei rolled her eyes and held back her words. In truth, if the Crown Prince wanted, there were plenty of ways to handle this. But mentioning them would only bring misfortune to Ian and bad luck to Clifford, so she kept quiet.
If Ian is willing to resign voluntarily, couldn’t the royal family just use that against him? They could reprimand him, dismiss him from his ministerial post, and demote him to commoner status or lower. That would make it easy to control him.
Amoral as it might be, such tactics were common in the face of a powerful state. This world had been shaped—and would continue to be shaped—by such ruthless processes.
Neither Noah nor Mei realized they were thinking the same thing as they shook their heads lightly. Just as Mei folded some clothes, a sound came from outside.
Knock knock.
“Excuse me, Your Highness?”
“Come in. What is it?”
Bariel’s attendant spoke softly from outside the door. Aside from Noah and Mei, other guests had arrived at the palace.
“Guests from Luswena have arrived as well.”
“Luswena? That’s earlier than expected. They must be frantic, trying to play the victim and dodge responsibility.”
Though not as hostile as Burgos, Luswena had also become a full enemy of Clifford through this war. Noah was about to get up to see the proud King Eriphoni in person, but the attendant bowed his head.
“The Luswena king is still on his way, but their mages have arrived first.”
“Mages?”
Noah hesitated, trying to recall. There were a few notable young mages from Luswena, including Zaira.
But why would the mages arrive before their king? Unlike Clifford, where the rift was spreading in real time, there was no urgent reason.
“Did Lord Ian order this message personally?”
“Yes.”
The Luswena mages had defected en masse.
The Mage Department had officially announced this to the public, explaining the current situation within the department. New personnel had arrived at the palace despite the ongoing mage strike, so there was no need to worry. And to Clifford, it was a warning: Luswena had lost a significant number of mages to Bariel.
Jin’s proposed magical support would be useless; helping him was the only way to overcome this disaster.
“How many have defected?”
“They didn’t specify the exact number, but twelve carriages entered the palace grounds, plus five large cargo wagons.”
Considering Luswena’s mage population wasn’t large, most had clearly naturalized in Bariel.
That left only Burgos and the northern territories with foreign mages…
“This is a problem.”
For Ian to enter Clifford, the kingdom would have to endure the Crown Prince’s wrath or at least divert his attention to allow entry without issue.
“If your father enters the capital, the contract with the Crown Prince will proceed. Then, we won’t be able to get Ian’s help. Mei, what should we do in a case like this?”
“Wait a moment. Hmm.”
Mei paced the bedroom, resting her chin on her fingertips, deep in thought. Legitimacy. That’s what Ian needed now. Something only Clifford could provide.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shared such a personal matter as his resignation with two Clifford envoys.
“It must be something Ian can’t say directly. Otherwise, he would have asked outright when we had tea earlier.”
“Something he’s reluctant to mention himself.”
“Or maybe he’s holding back to avoid future trouble. Either way, it seems Ian wants to gain the upper hand in his relationship with Clifford. After all, we’re the ones who desperately need his help right now.”
“How can we bring him here?”
“Hmm…”
As Mei lightly tapped the edge of the sofa with her fingertips, Noah’s right ear suddenly popped up.
“Your Highness.”
“Hm?”
Oblivious, Noah rubbed his chin and tilted his head. Then, his left ear quietly rose as well.
Mei slapped her forehead and sighed in frustration. The palace was difficult enough when sane, but with the curse manifesting, it was hopeless.
“Mei, what’s wrong?”
“Oh.”
Noah flapped his ears, and Mei suddenly jumped up, as if struck by a good idea.
Meanwhile, at that moment.
The mages who had defected from Luswena entered the palace through the main gate and inspection area, waiting for their processing.
Until recently, they had stood with Burgos, attacking Bariel and Clifford. There was no denying the possibility they were spies sent by Luswena under the pretense of ceasefire talks. In fact, most in the palace suspected them.
Screech.
“No issues detected.”
“Next, second carriage. Check inside the wheels thoroughly. Move the horses to the other side.”
“We’ll need to remove this plank. Please hand me the tools!”
“Use this! The wagons made by Rulphsa Company have space under the seats. Check carefully! If you can’t reach, lie down under the wheels and tap the bottom. Report any suspicious signs immediately!”
“Yes, understood!”
“Mages, please line up here. Show your identification from Luswena.”
“What if someone doesn’t have ID?”
“No ID? Then please wait until the mages arrive. After all, isn’t magic itself a form of ID? Now, raise your arms. We’ll conduct a search. Have you unloaded all your belongings? Anything found later, whether accidental or not, will be reported to the royal court. There may be consequences, so please cooperate.”
The guards meticulously searched for smuggled items or anything that might threaten Bariel’s palace. The mages, seemingly expecting this, cooperated without hesitation, removing their outer garments.
Screech.
“Even if the weather’s warm, aren’t you all dressed a bit lightly?”
“Ian, you’re here?”
“Hey, kid! Long time no see!”
At that moment, Ian appeared in the inspection area, with Beric firmly guarding his side.
Zaira, expressionless, put her clothes back on.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Good. Was the journey difficult?”
Ian carefully observed the mages.
Those who met his gaze bowed their heads respectfully. Zaira had been right—Bariel’s Mage Minister Ian Hiel welcomed their return warmly.
“A little. It’s a long way.”
The mages smiled faintly, holding the hands of their families who had come with them.
Every moment had been exhausting. They had to rescue their families held in the palace, move necessary materials from their home in the Mage Forest, and evade Luswena soldiers chasing them.
They split into three groups, crossed Luswena’s lands, and only after selling some mana stones in Bariel could they secure carriages and horses.
Their disheveled clothes, unkempt hair and skin, and tired eyes spoke volumes about their ordeal.
“Understood. Mages, line up here; civilians, over there. Don’t worry, this isn’t a farewell. You’ve all traveled hard, so let’s finish quickly and rest.”
Ian said this, nodding to Beric. Beric was carrying an antique wooden box. When he opened it, the Luswena mages instinctively stepped back.
“This is a Mana Sealing Stone. While the Mage Department welcomes your return, some in the palace see you first as Luswena natives, not mages. To build trust, wear this on your unused wrist.”
Now that they’d come this far, there was no turning back. It was worrisome, but what choice did they have?
“Once the investigation is complete and you prove your genuine intent to naturalize in Bariel, the seals will be removed.”
“That won’t take long. King Eriphoni is on his way to the palace. When he meets us, his reaction will speak volumes.”
“Did you manage to take out half the palace?”
“Not half.”
That meant they’d caused some damage, but not that much. Beric whistled and handed the mana sealing shackles to the child.
“You’re small but fierce, huh?”
“So what if I am?”
“…Small but spicy. Yeah, spicy.”
Click.
Without hesitation, Zaira fastened the shackles herself. They were lighter than expected, and she even waved her hands around to test mobility.
“So, Zaira, are all these people your family?”
“Yes. They’re my kin and family.”
“I see.”
Ian looked over them again, a gentle smile on his face.
Even a clever child is still just a child, right? Or were the Luswena mages bound together by some unbreakable bond beyond Ian’s understanding? He wanted to find out if there was anyone among them harboring ill intentions, but since this was their first meeting, he had too little information. He’d have to take his time and observe.
Besides, with King Eriphoni arriving soon, some kind of reaction was bound to come.
Crash! Bang! Crack!
Startled by the sudden loud noises, Zaira flinched and turned around.
Through the small window of the checkpoint room, she saw a cluster of heads. All of them wore red headbands.
“Look, look! The Luswena mages really are here?”
“Yeah, that’s right. That kid—looks familiar.”
“Ugh! Why do they have to show up now? This is driving me crazy.”
“Don’t get worked up. Maybe we can try to coax them gently?”
“Do you think that’ll work? A strike? Are they just going grocery shopping or something? They’re supposed to be applying for asylum, and now they’re striking? If they want to settle here, they’ll need Ian’s help. That means they’ll be joining the anti-Ian faction. How many are there? One, two, three…”
“Damn. That’s a lot.”
Did they think they were invisible? Zaira asked dryly, nodding toward them.
“What’s with those idiots?”
“As you can see, they’re Bariel’s mages.”
“Why are they wearing those things on their heads? Did they all get a bump on the forehead or something?”
“They’re on strike to stop my resignation. Can you believe it?”
“Resignation? Ian’s?”
Zaira’s eyes widened. She had trusted Ian and followed him to Bariel, and now he was resigning? Shouldn’t he stay at least until they had a stable life?
As the Luswena mages murmured among themselves, Ian raised his hand to calm them.
“This won’t cause you any harm. Even without me, mages are always welcome in Bariel. It’s just a bad time right now, so there’s nothing to worry about. And Zaira.”
When the child looked up at Ian, he bent down and whispered quietly.
“There’s something I need to discuss with you. It’s about the Abyss.”