Chapter 533: Ruthwena’s Gift
Unlike the grand banquet hall, the Magic Department was quiet. Only two mages were on duty, just in case Ruthwena decided to pay a visit.
The captain and his subordinate—Acorella and his aide—were sitting on a mat in the backyard garden, enjoying the brightening sky. Though it was their own masterpiece, the sight was truly something to behold.
Acorella flopped backward onto the grass, muttering to himself.
“Damn it, stuck here waiting on standby on a day like this. I should be running experiments, really pushing things.”
“There’s no choice. Since we don’t know when Ruthwena will arrive, someone at the captain level has to be here to greet her instead of Ian.”
“You want to stay here? I’m just going to pop into the office for a bit.”
“No, you can’t leave your post. Ian will hear about it for sure. You’re going to the lab to experiment, right? Once you get in there, you lose track of day and night. You sure you can handle that?”
“Who the hell’s in charge here?”
“You, Acorella.”
“Right. You know your place, even if you’re a pain.”
Acorella tugged at his hair and rolled around restlessly. He wanted to give up, but it wasn’t that simple. Some mana stones were affected by day and night or weather, and if he missed today, those experiments might never see the light of day.
Damn Ruthwena. What the hell are they dragging this out for?
“Bastards. Maybe they’ll show up just before they drop dead.”
“If you want to write a report, I won’t stop you. But I want to make it clear—I’m not responsible.”
“Ugh, fine. Go move the lab equipment.”
“Wait, what’s that?”
Acorella was about to list the errand when the mage suddenly stood up and looked toward the sky. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Acorella punched the mage’s calf.
“Stop stalling! Grab the second shelf in that cabinet and the frozen Luron crystals below it. Saitomark, Galen, and—”
“The captain! They’re coming!”
“What now?”
“Ruthwena!”
They were supposed to arrive just before the portal closed. What nonsense was this? Hmph, if I get fooled, I lose. The smoke is impressive, so I’ll give them that. Acorella turned his gaze skeptically—and then stiffened as he stood up.
“That’s…”
“C-C-Captain, should I fetch Ian?”
“Damn it, no!”
What was slowly emerging from the black moon was not a carriage, but a living creature.
A sleek, angular snout and pale horns rising from its forehead.
A body covered in red scales, with wings stretching out from its back.
“Is that… a monster?”
“…It’s a dragon.”
With a whoosh!
The dragon fully revealed itself, spreading its massive wings and taking flight. Acorella immediately noticed a chain-like collar around its neck, and that the other end was connected to the carriage.
Where the horses should have been, there was a dragon.
“Captain!”
“Damn it, let’s move!”
Ziiing!
Their first priority was to safely catch the carriage. The two braced themselves to take off, but quickly realized it was pointless.
The carriage’s balance in the sky was as steady as it would be on the ground. There had to be a mage among Ruthwena’s delegation.
Whoosh!
“Ahhh, it’s coming! It’s coming…”
“Shut up, you idiot! Stop making a fuss.”
The mage muttered behind Acorella, who shot him a sharp glare.
The carriages landed smoothly, as if following an invisible road, and the dragon folded its wings calmly. Up close, it was nearly the size of a house—intimidating beyond measure.
Creak.
“Are there really so few mages in Bariel?”
“Welcome. I am Captain Acorella of the Magic Department. The banquet is currently underway, so we have only a small welcoming party. Please understand.”
This was the man Elderet had sent in his place. Thin and gaunt, with dull eyes. His attitude was off-putting, but what bothered Acorella most was—
“That disgusting mustache. Damn it.”
The mustache was so bizarrely shaped it was hard to believe it was natural. Fixating on it, Acorella asked,
“And what exactly is that dragon?”
“Oh, don’t be alarmed! His Highness Elderet sent it as a coronation gift to the Crown Prince! Ha ha! It’s a shame Bariel has no dragons, so he picked a rare and sturdy one to send.”
With a loud smack!
The man roughly struck the dragon’s head, laughing loudly.
Treating a sacred creature like that? The subordinate mage flinched, but the dragon, tamed through breeding, only snorted a few times without reacting.
“Well? I’m sure this is your first time seeing one.”
He looked at Acorella proudly, but Acorella just crossed his arms silently.
The mage sensed the tension and quickly cast a summoning spell, then whispered, tugging on the captain’s sleeve.
“Captain, please hold back. Hold back—”
“I just said I’m Captain Acorella of the Magic Department.”
“Right, I heard that.”
A vein throbbed at Acorella’s temple.
“Don’t they have a custom of introducing themselves in Ruthwena?”
“W-What did you say?”
The mage blinked in alarm. Acorella’s eyes, usually half-crazed, now gleamed with madness. There was no trace of reason left; it was as if his mind had flown far away.
“We introduced our affiliation and name, but got no reply. I’m starting to wonder if they’re really from Ruthwena.”
Buzz.
If they weren’t guests, this was an intrusion of the palace and grounds for immediate execution. Acorella radiated a deadly aura, conjuring spheres of mana in both hands. The man took a step back.
“I am Repin, head of the Ruthwena delegation.”
“So they are guests after all. Looks like there’s a mage with them.”
“J-Just one!”
Why so short with the answers? Acorella frowned deeply. Repin then stepped forward with someone else—a young boy, likely a newly discovered mage from Ruthwena after the war. They probably brought him to show off their magical strength.
Acorella nodded and gave orders.
“The mage must wear a mana-sealing stone. Only then will I allow entry to the palace.”
“Please come this way first.”
“Repin.”
“Yes, follow me! Hurry!”
The mage led the boy toward the Magic Department’s main building, while Acorella, still displeased, glanced back at the dragon. A sigh escaped him.
“Haah.”
“That’s considered the most beautiful dragon in Ruthwena. It’s on loan for about ten years, free of charge. During that time, Bariel will develop research and understanding of dragons. It’s a priceless gift—His Highness Elderet is essentially giving Bariel a future.”
Hearing that, Acorella glared at Repin. Ruthwena had always been masters of playing tricks with gifts.
‘Where the hell do they keep this thing?’
Unlike Ruthwena, which had hatcheries and breeding grounds, Bariel had no facilities for dragons. Was it just the facilities? They had no knowledge or experience in managing or breeding dragons either. This wasn’t a small investment. With war looming, when would they build such facilities? Who would they entrust with the task?
‘And it’s only for ten years. Once we’ve invested and established something, they’ll take it back, leaving us with nothing. What if something goes wrong and it dies? That’d be a diplomatic nightmare—no, an international incident. Damn it.’
All the fancy talk about the “most beautiful dragon” was bullshit. When inspected later, it’d probably have health issues. And above all, after all the hell he’d gone through with dragon sickness, this was just…
“Ahem. Shall we head to the banquet hall now?”
Though curses bubbled at the back of his throat, Acorella forced himself to hold back. This bastard—do you even know who’s at the banquet? You’re dead meat now.
“Alright. Let’s go. We’ll wait here until your mage arrives.”
Acorella gestured for them to prepare, and Repin and the Ruthwena entourage climbed back into the carriage.
The dragon blinked, clueless, scratching its snout with a forepaw.
“Ian, we just received a summons. The Ruthwena delegation has arrived.”
“Who greeted them?”
“Captain Acorella.”
“Understood. Prepare to escort them here immediately.”
“Yes, but… the summons was strange.”
Ian raised an eyebrow, watching the banquet hall carefully. Their early arrival was suspicious enough, but a strange summons meant there had been a problem from the start.
He nodded and ordered the mages to prepare. Then, without moving, he kept his eyes fixed on Shatima, facing Jin—meaning the Hawan side.
“…Once again, congratulations from the bottom of my heart.”
“Yes. Please convey my wishes for a swift recovery to King Hawan. Also, tell him we have excellent doctors here in the capital.”
“…I will pass on your message.”
“Dismissed.”
At the command signaling the end of the audience, Shatima bowed her head and stepped back. The attendants approached, helping to hold the hem of her dress, among them the woman who had entered with Ian. Shatima noticed her return and subtly gave her a pointed look—part scolding, part warning.
Romandro caught Ian’s eye and asked, “That woman from earlier—are you worried about her?”
Ian sipped his drink and nodded.
After the audience, Shatima excused herself under the pretense of adjusting her dress and left the banquet hall. Ian signaled to the mages with a gesture, and they followed her.
Click.
Boom!
The waiting room reserved for the honored guests was locked tight. Shatima confirmed no one was inside, then growled low under her breath.
“I told you not to be foolish.”
“I’m sorry. The investigation team’s building isn’t far from here, so I just went to check on something briefly.”
“And what was that?”
At Shatima’s sharp question, Erika lifted her veil, revealing a troubled expression.
“Before, before I was sent to the border, I left a photo at my desk. It’s the only family picture I have, so I wanted to see if it was still there.”
“There’s no way it’s still there!”
Ten years had passed. And she hadn’t even completed her mission—there was no way the office of a palace official who’d vanished without a trace would remain untouched.
“Yes. So I spent some time looking through the lost-and-found storage inside. Given the circumstances, no one was in the building. I was careful, so please don’t worry. I apologize for causing concern.”
“This isn’t Hawan. It’s Bariel.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Shatima sighed, smoothing her forehead with long nails. Since she was still weighing her options for revenge, it was best not to push too hard. She waved her hand dismissively.
“Go get some new jewelry.”
“Yes, understood.”
The jewels for the audience were extravagantly ornate—so heavy that her neck and shoulders ached. It was time for something lighter.
Click.
Erika stepped outside and gave orders to the attendants. Just as she turned to leave—
“Excuse me.”
“…!”
It was Ian.
Caught completely off guard, Erika froze. Their eyes met directly, and for a moment she wondered if she’d forgotten to cover her face. She instinctively raised her hand to feel the veil’s fabric, and only then did relief wash over her.
“Is there something you need?”
“Oh, no.”
“You seemed like you were looking for something. For example—”
“I’m fine.”
Erika bowed her head and hurried past Ian.
But then he spoke again, his words gripping her like a vice.
“Like the corpse of Merina Chel?”