Episode 54
Crunch, crunch.

With every step Ian took, the dry branches snapped beneath his feet. It was the time when the insects heralding summer sang their loud chorus. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he called out to Beric.

“Beric, are you sure this is the right way?”

“…I think so.”

“You think so? That’s not much of an answer…”

“Yeah, yeah. See that black stone here? Uh-huh. This is it.”

They were deep in a remote forest, with no clear path to follow. Unable to ride horses, they had been walking on foot for hours. It felt like they had crossed the borders of their territory.

Beric, despite the wound on his side not fully healed, seemed to have recovered completely. The rest and treatment over the past few days had clearly done him good.

“I told you we had to hide. No one’s going to find us here, right?”

Surrounded by nothing but the natural hues of the forest, a sudden splash of unfamiliar color caught Ian’s eye. Far off, hanging from a branch, was a pale purple skirt. Beric snapped his fingers and declared he had found it.

“Here it is. Good!”

Beric led the way, cutting through the underbrush with his sword. After climbing a steep ridge, they came upon a clearing. An old shack stood there, with a small field tilled in front of it.

“Hard to believe someone found a place like this.”

“It’s an old man’s place, a woodcutter who lived alone. I heard from the tavern owner that the man went mad after coming here to sell wood and forgot the way back. If that’s true, there should be a house nearby. I don’t have a home of my own, after all.”

The shack looked like it might collapse with the slightest breeze, but the warmth radiating from within told them someone was living there.

“Is anyone home?”

Beric scanned the area, searching for Philia. The kettle was boiling, so she couldn’t be far. Ian also took a slow look around the shack, checking for any more red herbs or Silask.

‘None.’

The supplies they had brought from the village didn’t seem like much. Then again, what could she possibly have carried?

“Wh-who’s there?”

A trembling voice came from outside the door. Ian opened it and found himself face to face with a green-eyed blonde woman who looked just like him.

“Ah!”

Philia, caught off guard, dropped the bouquet of flowers she was clutching and threw herself into Ian’s arms. Despite her small, fragile frame, she held him with surprising strength—tight, fierce.

“Ian! Ian!”

“…Are you well?”

“Ian! Ahhh! Thank you! Thank you!”

Philia sobbed uncontrollably, cupping Ian’s face in her hands. Tears streamed down as she cried out in relief and joy. It was only natural—her child, once thought lost, was standing right before her eyes.

“Ian… what on earth happened? Huh?”

Philia was still beautiful, more like a sister than a mother. Ian smiled gently and brushed her tangled hair aside.

“It’s a long story, Mother. Please, sit down and I’ll explain.”

“How’s your appetite? Are you eating well?”

“Look at him—does he look unwell to you?”

Beric replied with a smirk as he pulled out a chair. Philia’s complexion was also healthy. Ian muttered quietly, taking in the neat, orderly home.

“I’m glad mountain life suits you.”

“It was tough at first, but living in that basement… waking up to the morning sun is nice, and the cool mountain streams are wonderful. If you dig around a bit, you find all kinds of berries.”

Ian gently tapped Philia’s hand in comfort. She burst into tears again, overwhelmed by the sight of her son—whom she had disguised herself to meet—right in front of her.

“Ian. Now tell me everything. What happened?”

Ian briefly recounted the events: the deal with Molin, crossing the great desert to live with the Cheonryeo tribe, Derga’s judgment, the battle, and the execution. When Philia heard that Count Bratz had been wiped out, she was stunned.

“Count Bratz is dead?”

“Likely the same for Mary and Chel.”

“My goodness, Ian. We must pray to the gods.”

She looked genuinely relieved, as if she finally understood why Ian was safe here.

“Mother, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Anything, my child.”

Ian smiled sadly. She didn’t know that her angelic son was Emperor Ian. That innocence stirred a strange feeling within him.

“Derga’s banner has been broken, but there’s still much to be done. People from the capital are coming down again.”

“I see.”

“I plan to follow them back to the capital.”

Beric clicked his tongue as he poured tea. Philia’s face fell again, despair settling in. Her eyes glistened, but she waited patiently for Ian to finish.

“I can’t promise whether you’ll be able to come with me or not.”

“But still…”

But still what? Philia looked at Ian with tear-filled eyes.

“But if I want to, I can see you, right?”

“Of course.”

“Without danger?”

“It will be safe.”

“That’s enough. I’m content. Honestly, I don’t want to leave. Life in the forest suits me perfectly. As long as you live and we share the same time, that’s all I need.”

A mother can hardly feel otherwise when her child chooses his own path. She was simply grateful he had returned alive.

“When things settle down, you’ll be free to come and go as you please. It won’t take long. Before you leave, I’ll prepare a place for you in the village.”

“That’s alright, Ian. I really am fine.”

Derga is dead, and Ian has come back alive.

Anything more would feel like tempting the gods to punish them.

“There’s something else I want to ask.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“About the red flower pot you gave me at the park.”

The Silask—a red flower that never withers. Beneath it was a buried jewel necklace.

“Do you remember where you got it?”

“Of course. It was payment for a delivery I made for the guild.”

“The guild?”

When Ian asked, Philia looked momentarily flustered. It wasn’t that long ago—how could she forget?

“It was a pretty big guild. I don’t remember the name, but they were short-handed, so they sent you along. The guild master was generous, gave me a good wage and even the flower pot.”

“Anything else you remember?”

“Hmm… Oh! They said there was a very important person in the guild. Ma, Ma…”

Philia’s throat tightened, and she frowned, trying to recall that day.

“Ma something. Anyway, I remember you were incredibly happy that day.”

“I see.”

Though uncertain, it was clear the mysterious guild was connected to the Silask and the jewels. Given its size, someone in the village might remember.

Ian stood, brushing off his clothes as if satisfied.

“Leaving already?”

“I have some things to take care of.”

Philia couldn’t hide her disappointment. The tea was still warm. Ian felt a pang of sympathy and added,

“I’ll send some chickens through Beric. It might get lonely here in the forest—try raising them.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful!”

“If you need anything, just say the word.”

“Oh! Ian, do you want some Gula seeds?”

Caught off guard, Ian hesitated. Philia walked lightly to the storage room and pulled out two large sacks.

“You told me to gather Gula seeds when I had time. There are two more sacks outside, too.”

The tiny seeds were about the size of cherry tomatoes—hundreds of them. It looked like she had harvested every Gula nearby.

“Where are the Gula plants without seeds?”

“I threw them off the cliff.”

Beric ran his hand over the seeds and gaped in surprise. Not only had she collected so many useless seeds, but she had done it all alone.

“You must have a talent for gardening.”

“After three meals a day, there’s plenty of time left. I just do it to pass the time.”

Indeed, Philia had disappeared before Ian crossed the border. The chaos of recent events had kept him unaware, but here, months of peaceful solitude had passed.

“Don’t you want them?”

Philia asked cautiously, watching Ian’s expression. Though she had gathered them as instructed, his lukewarm reaction worried her.

“No, Mother. You’re amazing.”

Ian smiled warmly as he tied the sack. She had acted on a passing suggestion, yet remembered and followed through. Philia beamed as if rewarded.

“The timing couldn’t be better.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Summer was the season when farmers toiled in the fields, but many were busy rebuilding the village. Besides, the crops sown in spring had been trampled by soldiers’ boots.

“Mother, actually, these Gula seeds are edible.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“There’s no poison in the seeds. You can roast them, grill them, or boil them.”

Philia looked at Ian, wondering if he was joking, but he seemed serious. Beric squinted and asked,

“Are you feeling alright?”

“They’re tasty even raw.”

Ian didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up a seed and popped it into his mouth. Beric and Philia both gasped in horror and rushed toward him.

“Oh my, I-Ian!”

“Spit it out! Quickly, spit it out! What are you doing?”

Crunch. Crack.

But Ian calmly chewed the seed, savoring its nutty flavor. He glanced at the number of seeds left in the sack and gave an order.

“Beric, you’re going to have to work hard.”

“W-what… what do you mean?”

“Judging by your polite tone, I see you’ve caught on.”

“You want me to move these… down below?”

“Exactly. Quietly, secretly. Hide them in the mansion’s storage room.”

“Ha…”

Crunch.

Ian said this as he popped another Gula seed into his mouth. Philia was flustered, unsure what to do, while Beric crouched down, swallowing his curses in frustration.

Ian grinned, confirming with his eyes the distant view of the Bratz estate nestled below the ridge.

---

Meanwhile, Romandro, the reconstruction specialist and advisor dispatched to the region, stared out the carriage window, his face tight with frustration. More than anything, he wanted to jump out and rush straight to the capital.

“This is driving me crazy. Seriously.”

The remote border location was one thing, but the situation on the ground was anything but ordinary. Setting aside the fact that it was a conflict between his own people, the biggest problem was—

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, it’s just my back aching.”

The real issue was his companion, Lord Mollin from the administration.

Though not his direct superior, Mollin outranked Romandro both in rank and position. He had come along supposedly to help Romandro adjust to the border, but Romandro would have preferred to be alone.

“Marib is really pushing it. I just finished the temple earthquake repairs, and now this… Ugh… I want to go home…”

And it seemed Mollin’s presence wasn’t just a formality. The Marib lord had secretly ordered someone to keep a close watch on Romandro and report back. They hadn’t even arrived yet, and already Romandro wanted to turn back.

“What do you think the situation is like in the former Bratz estate?”

“Hm? Well… according to Captain Erika’s report, it’s pretty bad. I don’t know how they’re managing, but if we get there without stones flying at us, it’ll be a miracle.”

Romandro muttered under his breath, annoyed.

Only Lord Mollin knew that Ian had secretly arrived and was stationed in the Bratz estate. If word got out, the palace might send a large force, and their plan to use the estate as a rebel stronghold would be ruined.

“Right. Let’s hope we don’t find anything too shocking when we get there.”

Mollin turned his head, recalling the Bratz estate of old. He fiddled with the letter from Erika tucked inside his coat.