Episode 443
“Damn them… tear them apart…”
Eriphony muttered irritably, flicking the bowstring tied to her golden bow.
A surge of anger welled up inside her, impossible to suppress alone. Not only had she been humiliated in the war against Clipford, but the wizards she had trusted implicitly—believing them to be on Luswena’s side—had rebelled and fled.
“Your Highness, please calm yourself.”
“Calm down? Are you serious right now!?”
Eldert’s usual words of comfort fell on deaf ears. Standing somewhere along the road to Bariel, not even sure exactly where, Eriphony glared around wildly and shouted in fury.
“Not only was the royal palace half-destroyed, but their families escaped too. There’s no humiliation like this! And the pursuit squad only chased their shadows and lost them? They say they’ve reached Bariel’s imperial palace—what are we supposed to do now? Huh?! Tell me! Instead of telling me to calm down, come up with some practical solutions!”
She sounded like a beast roaring with murderous intent. Towering at eight feet tall, with fierce eyes to match, the courtiers trembled and prostrated themselves on the dirt floor, praying that the backlash wouldn’t fall on them.
Eldert bowed his head and spoke more calmly.
“The pursuit squad did engage, but it’s true they were understaffed due to the chaos of war and the palace’s turmoil. Also, the enemy are wizards—those who fly through the skies. How could they possibly track their shadows?”
“They traveled by carriage, though!”
“To sow confusion, they split into two groups. Your Highness, please don’t worry so much. The royal palace has long had a structured system to keep wizards in check—not just physically, but socially, culturally, and politically. Luswena, on the other hand, has always walked its own path with wizards since its founding. Mistakes are inevitable.”
“Mistakes? Is that acceptable in history? This will be seen as a rebellion by our own wizards.”
Eriphony squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her palm to her forehead. Setting aside the external disasters, the internal atmosphere was what truly troubled her.
Since its founding, Luswena had never changed dynasties. It was a nation proud of its solid roots and strong royal authority. But now, with the war lost and the wizards’ rebellion, an unprecedented unrest was spreading.
“How can you be so quick to judge?”
Eldert handed her a glass of wine. She downed it in one gulp, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Like a beast just finished feasting, faint red stains lingered at the corners of her lips.
“What is it, Eldert? Is there something I don’t know?”
“I wasn’t sure I could say before having confirmation, but Your Highness seems deeply concerned, so I must report. There is one Luswena wizard we believe we can still reach.”
“‘Can still reach’? So you haven’t yet?”
“We can persuade them.”
“What good is turning over just one of those bastards?”
“One alone might not mean much, but just knowing such a person exists gives us many options.”
Sighing, Eriphony rolled her three-hundred-eyed gaze around, her face twisted with irritation.
She understood what Eldert meant. They were about to enter Bariel for peace talks, but from another perspective, it was like stepping into the enemy’s leadership. The palace gates would open wide, and before them, the young crown prince would flick his pen and wag his sharp tongue.
“…Do you think it’ll work?”
The emperor was old and effectively absent, leaving only a ten-year-old crown prince. Supporting him was Ian, a key official among many courtiers. If they could deal with those two, they could not only throw Bariel into chaos but turn the tide in an instant.
“It will be difficult, but it’s worth trying.”
“Whether we succeed or fail, the blame will fall back on Luswena. The palace is already anxiously awaiting the peace talks’ outcome. If we add more pressure, we’ll only provoke them.”
Eriphony clenched her teeth around a cigarette. Faces of old officials flashed before her eyes—outwardly they said, “Do well, Your Highness, we trust you,” but she knew their true thoughts. Like foxes waiting for grapes to fall, they were just waiting for cracks in the royal authority.
“What if we don’t do it?”
“What?”
“Many others will enter the palace besides Luswena. Envoys from Damon’s homeland, Burgos, who was captured as a barren land, and northern minorities will attend. Astana, Atan, and all others involved in the war. Even Clipford.”
“Clipford is an ally of Bariel. Why would they come?”
“There’s always a reason. A satisfactory negotiation is like a rainbow—fleeting. Even if Bariel favors Clipford, their core loyalty will be to Bariel itself. There will be conflicting details, and we can exploit those. The easiest way is to shift the momentum toward Burgos.”
Eldert slowly turned the golden bowstring in Eriphony’s hand and took it away. Knowing the king’s fiery temper, he feared giving her anything to hold might lead to bloodshed among the courtiers.
Eriphony handed over the bowstring without protest and leaned back on the leather sofa, gazing up at the sky. Countless stars shone above the tent’s entrance. If she could hide among them—among so many—maybe, just maybe, she could succeed.
“Shift the momentum toward Burgos… Yes. Burgos is in a worse bind than us. They’d want Bariel’s chaos even more than Luswena. If something happens there, who would suspect us? And Burgos is full of shady characters.”
A bitter smile flickered on the king’s lips. If Burgos stirred the pot, Luswena’s claim as the victim might be accepted.
No matter what, the absence of Jin and Ian was good news for Luswena. Whether they died or disappeared didn’t matter—just as long as they were gone. If the attention and scrutiny on Luswena stayed internal and then exploded toward Burgos, all the better.
“How are we supposed to take out two at once? The kid, I can handle, but Ian worries me. He hasn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony, yet he acts like an old man who’s lived twice over. If we make a clumsy move, we’ll get caught. You know he’s no pushover, Eldert.”
“Of course. We have one chance. Both must be dealt with simultaneously. Otherwise, the guards will tighten, and we won’t achieve our goal.”
“Both at once…”
Her instinct was to swing the bowstring at them when face to face—tearing that pale skin, then trampling their fallen shoulders to drive an arrow into their hearts.
As Eriphony snapped her fingers and licked her lips, Eldert shook his head.
“That’s impossible. We must ensure the perpetrator is identified after investigation. Poisoning would be best.”
“But Bariel’s magic department has that truth serum, doesn’t it? It reveals truth and lies alike. Once interrogated, they spill everything without filter.”
“We’ll leave that to the Luswena wizards.”
“To Luswena’s? They fled like rats, cutting their tails not long ago. They’re probably still in the process of seeking asylum. What power could they possibly wield inside the magic department?”
Eriphony glared at Eldert, skeptical. The more she heard, the less she trusted it. But Eldert shook his head reassuringly.
“No, they can do it.”
“…Alright, I understand for now. Start working on that. First, we should enter the palace and assess the situation. Damn them all. How dare they betray the country and insult me? If I meet them in the palace, I swear my blood will boil.”
Eriphony exhaled smoke and muttered. Come to think of it, Damon’s close aide Timothy had defected to Bariel, hadn’t he? She didn’t know if he’d been captured or met with. The things these great empires do…
“They’ll probably all arrive around the same time. Before Burgos and the northern forces get here, we should enter first, check the situation, and plan.”
“Yes. The poison on the bowstring hasn’t diminished; it’s about time to use it.”
Eldert knew there was a small gap inside Eriphony’s golden bowstring—a place to apply poison on the arrowhead if they encountered a tough opponent during the hunt.
He bowed his waist and wished the king a peaceful night.
“Rest well, Your Highness. From tomorrow, we’ll hasten the carriage’s pace.”
“Right. By the way, what about that side?”
“That side?”
“Alena, the cute young lady.”
“Oh.”
She had come down to Clipford with mercenaries to make a comeback, but the early peace talks left her with nothing to do. Her brother, Sero, remained on the front lines, but Eriphony didn’t know what became of Alena afterward. Honestly, she didn’t have the luxury to care.
“Wasn’t the young lady supposed to go to the capital to greet Your Highness? Since there was no special dispatch, she’s probably doing just that. She’s a minor noble on the brink of ruin, so you needn’t worry about her. She poses no threat to the plan, to be frank.”
“Hmm.”
That’s true. Eriphoni stood on the balcony, clutching her fan, her mind drifting to Alenara—eyes sparkling brightly.
She agreed with most of Elderte’s words, but if even one person could clear a path while sneaking into enemy territory, wouldn’t that help prepare for what’s to come?
Snapping her fingers sharply, Eriphoni gave the order.
“Prepare paper, pens, and the courier birds.”
Dawn in Bariel. The city was still asleep, save for those preparing for the day’s trade.
A heavy procession of carriages thundered down the central street. People sweeping away puddles in the night rubbed their eyes and turned toward the noise.
Tap tap tap!
Whirrr!
“What kind of carriages are moving at this hour?”
“Yeah… looks like they’re coming in from outside.”
“No palace flags. Could be foreign envoys?”
They lazily tried to spot any banners on the carriages, but found none. No identifying flags at all. Unauthorized carriages on the main road were a serious offense. Surely the central gate guards must have opened the way and guided them through. Otherwise, such a long line of carriages couldn’t have entered Bariel’s main street.
“Oh, so that’s where they’re headed.”
“Where?”
“That place that just went bankrupt!”
Kaak! Ptooey!
Someone who recognized the group spat disdainfully. Others, catching on, scowled and hurled curses at the carriages from behind.
“Must be the defeated Vargas envoys.”
“With their kingdom falling apart, what makes them think they can parade in like that? Invaders, the lot of them! Crawl back where you came from! You’ve caused us enough grief already!”
“Yeah! Crawl back! Go bury your heads with your dying king!”
“Tch. I knew it the moment I saw them dressed all in dark clothes. Strange characters, every one of them.”
“What do they want anyway? Just to leech off palace food!”
Thud!
Some locals threw small stones, one striking the side of a carriage.
Inside, someone felt the impact and drew back the curtain to look outside. Pale, almost ghostly white skin. Hair the deep navy blue tinged with violet. A woman, eyes darting, taking in the streets of Bariel.