Chapter 470
Bibi stood frozen, her face serious. She glanced sideways, then straight ahead, and finally scanned the distant towers standing far off.
The imperial palace was truly a remarkable place. Thanks to its large windows and open gardens, one could see far into the distance, and the four towers seemed to mark the cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west.
The road stretched out straight, without a single bend. All she had to do was decide whether to go left or right, yet strangely, she felt like she was just circling the same spot. There were no guards patrolling either.
Ah, this is bad.
She had to admit it.
“…Hmph. I’m lost.”
Bibi’s hands trembled as she adjusted her glasses. Calm down, calm down. Dad must be looking for me, so if I find someone passing by, I can just ask for help.
Clearing her throat, Bibi took a deep breath. She’d been taught to shout as loud as she could if she ever got lost! But despite her determination, her voice barely rose above a whisper.
“Is… is anyone there…?”
Her steps quickened, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Suddenly, a conversation between her parents flashed through her mind.
“…Every night, all the meat in the palace disappears. It’s some kind of ravenous monster.”
“Has it been happening again recently?”
“There’s not a single night without bloodshed. They’re even debating whether to head to the northern monster territory.”
“…”
Better find a safe place before nightfall.
Just then, Bibi spotted a woman passing by, carrying a sword and armor. She had short, dark blue hair and a sturdy build.
“E-excuse me!”
Bibi waved her hands frantically and ran after her, but the woman didn’t notice and entered a building.
Bang! Crash!
Thud! Smash!
“One more time!”
“Damn it, let’s do this!”
“Can you even do it if I say so?”
“You’re so unlucky! You’re dead meat!”
Smash!
What Bibi saw next was a group of lightly dressed or shirtless men gathered in a circle, watching a fight. Ah, this was the training ground. But why did the voices sound so familiar?
“Hey, aim for Beric’s side! It’s wide open!”
“Oh no, he’s gonna get hit again. You can’t win if you keep charging him head-on!”
That’s Uncle Beric! Just as Bibi was about to run over excitedly at the sight of someone she knew, Beric’s figure emerged from the crowd. His upper body was covered in wounds, hair soaked with blood and hanging limply, and his eyes—usually calm—were now burning with fierce determination.
“Damn it.”
“Can’t you hear the kids’ advice? If you’re dead meat, act like it and try to dodge to the side. What’s with all that confidence charging straight ahead?”
Beric gritted his teeth and grabbed his opponent’s neck with one hand, lifting him as if to snap it. The other man struggled desperately to break free, but the more he fought, the weaker he felt.
Beric watched with a cold, detached expression. His face flushed red, the whites of his eyes showing, and soon enough, the man would foam at the mouth and pass out. It was a predictable, emotionless fight.
“Beric, stop.”
At just the right moment, Barsabe stepped in. Beric shrugged and dropped the half-conscious man to the ground.
Thud!
“You do what your molars tell you.”
“That’s going too far. If you keep this up, the suggestion to go to the northern monster territory will turn into an order.”
“Ugh, damn it. I’m sick of your nagging.”
“When you’re given a choice, you should take it!”
As Beric walked toward the water jug, the crowd parted. His comrades of ten years yawned, muttering “Here we go again,” while the rookies nervously wiped blood from the floor.
“I know you don’t want to leave the palace. So—”
“Yeah. I don’t want to leave here. But do you know why?”
Beric tossed the empty water jug behind him and grabbed his shirt.
“It’s because that damn Tweller old man suggested sending me to the northern monster territory where the Atan tribe lives. I swear, I’ve seen this kind of crap before.”
“…Beric.”
“If I go there again and something happens, I’ll kill everyone.”
“Watch your mouth! Minister Tweller, please!”
“Minister, my ass. Shut up.”
Barsabe sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
After the Clepford Rift opened, Bariel’s mages were dispatched to suppress and study its power. Though there was no progress in exploring the unknown world, the rift’s containment was going well—ironically, through Idgal.
“So, you put it on hold until the magic department’s annex is built? Afraid Ian might come back?”
“He said he would, so he probably will.”
“You actually… believe that? Even now?”
Beric glared fiercely at Barsabe, who realized her mistake and raised her hands apologetically.
“Sorry.”
“The Crown Prince said so himself.”
“Okay, okay, I get it. Sorry.”
“Damn, thinking about it again pisses me off. If you hadn’t told me to take charge of the Atan tribe back then, Ian wouldn’t be—”
“Enough already! How many times do I have to say sorry? You’re unbearable. Ten years of apologies should be enough!”
“Not even close. Keep apologizing until you die.”
“Where to!?”
Beric flipped her off and turned away. After working out, it was time to refuel with some meat.
Eat, fight, sleep, fight again. For the past ten years, Beric had done his part according to Ian and Jin’s wishes. Rumor had it the annex would be finished this year. Would it really?
‘It’s taken forever. Seriously.’
Building a single structure seemed simple, but nothing in life ever went as planned. If it had, Ian wouldn’t have disappeared—or at least, he would have gone into the abyss with Beric.
Creak.
“Huh?”
As Beric pushed the door open, something bumped softly against him. Looking down, he saw Bibi, frozen like a stone, her eyes shimmering.
“What the—Bibi? What are you doing here?”
“Sniff, sniff.”
“Eh? Why are you crying?”
“Waaah!”
She clung to Beric’s waist, tears streaming down like raindrops. She sobbed that this wasn’t the Beric she knew, that hitting people like that was wrong, and that using bad words would get him scolded.
Beric looked around helplessly, while everyone else watched in amusement at the tough guy struggling with a crying child.
“Hey, stop crying. Where’s Romandro?”
“Sniff, sniff, sob…”
“Bibi!”
Beric waved his shirt at Romandro, who was running over with heavy footsteps. When Romandro saw the crying girl, he gasped.
“Bibi! Why are you crying?!”
“Beric, Uncle Beric…”
“Beric? What did you do to Bibi?!”
“I didn’t do anything! Hey, Bibi, you have to finish your sentences properly.”
“Uncle… sniff—!”
“You little punk, my daughter!”
“Ah!”
Smack!
Romandro flicked Beric’s forehead, who rubbed the sore spot in irritation. The crying child threw herself back, making quite the scene.
Barsabe rested her chin on her hand and shook her head with a wry smile. Some things change with time, but others never do—and that was oddly comforting.
“Your Highness, you have arrived.”
When Jin entered the emperor’s chambers, the prime minister and Jaret, who had arrived earlier, greeted him. Unlike Jin, who was in the full bloom of youth, the prime minister looked like a withered branch bracing for a long winter.
“Have you waited long?”
“Not at all. Even waiting is precious now.”
“…Come in. Sia, wait here.”
The prime minister and Jaret followed Jin inside. The space was as cold and silent as always. Knowing the end was near made it feel even more so.
“Jaret.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“When I ascend the throne, the neighboring countries around Bariel will react strongly. While some will welcome the new era, many will fear change.”
Especially Burgos. The royalists and anti-royalists were glaring at each other as if on the brink of civil war. With the emperor’s death and Jin’s ascension, their attention would turn here.
What would a passionate emperor do first to achieve his goals? Conquest. Burgos, weakened by civil war, was the perfect target.
Therefore, I order you to closely monitor Burgos as soon as the emperor’s death is announced. Jaret nodded in understanding.
Creak.
As the chamber door opened, a rush of peach scent filled the air—oddly out of place. Jin looked toward the peach tree standing tall in the garden and thought of Ian. The voice that had said, “Since it’s a promise with Gale, at least leave that tree.”
‘Ah, it’s fading.’
With that thought, Jin knelt beside the emperor’s neatly laid body. He had been just a child when he first saw his father frozen like this.
“Father.”
His body was cold as expected. The unhealed wound on his side still oozed fresh blood, as if just cut. A wound that could never heal to prevent decay. Jin gently took his hand and spoke.
“I’m about to come of age.”
This is no longer Jin Verosion, who once hid behind the emperor’s shadow as a shield. Now, it’s time to step into the sunlight and build my own Bariel. Just as my grandfather did, and his father before him, now it’s time for my father to rest in the pages of history. In the name of Verosion, become the wall that guards Bariel.
With a gentle motion, Jin poured the thawing potion into the emperor’s mouth.
It was time to live—and to die. The emperor’s body gradually warmed, his faint breaths growing steadier. Prime Minister Susang and Jaret lay flat, pressing their foreheads to the floor.
“Your Majesty, this is Prime Minister Susang. The dawn of a new era for Bariel has come.”
“By the honor of the Imperial Guard, I swear to protect the royal family. Please, rest peacefully.”
It was their final farewell. A bond forged over years of ruling the palace together—loyalty, perhaps even friendship. The emperor’s white eyelashes fluttered, and a single tear slipped down his cheek.
Jin held his father close, whispering softly.
“Father. Before you were emperor, you were my father. Thank you for everything. I will carry on your will and walk the path ahead. Until we meet again.”
“…Ah.”
“Yes, Father.”
At last, blood seeped into the bedspread—the frozen wounds and blood now thawed. Jin pressed his ear close to the emperor’s lips. The late emperor’s final words drifted out.
“Well done. Just as I die, so too must you, one day, for Bariel… you must die.”
“Do not worry.”
“And with your own hands, just as you ended your father’s breath, whatever it may be, for Bariel, without hesitation… strike it down.”
A strong wind swept through, shaking the peach tree outside.
“Strike it down. Whatever it may be.”
Jin gazed quietly at the sunlight filtering through the leaves—his golden hair, his fresh green eyes. Holding his father’s body, now warm then cold again, he murmured,
“I swear it. Father. In the name of Verosion, for my Bariel, I will do whatever it takes.”