Episode 540
“Ugh! Hrk!”
Repin gasped convulsively, suddenly aware of an unfamiliar ceiling above him. Where am I? Who am I? A splitting headache throbbed as his eyes darted around.
As his fading memories slowly sharpened, three or four faces suddenly appeared close to his.
“Ahhh!”
“Oh my, what a loud one! My ears are ringing.”
“Accordi—no, Captain Acorella?”
“Yes. I’m Acorella from the Magic Department. These are the palace doctors. We’ve been monitoring Lord Repin since he’s been passed out for days after drinking. Glad to see you’re awake. We almost had to prepare a funeral on such a fine day.”
Days? Repin’s heart pounded as he struggled to steady himself and looked around. This was indeed the Luswena Guest Palace, but not a single member of the delegation was in sight.
“Wait a minute. You’re clutching your chest. Is your heart hurting? And do you usually wake up like this—‘Ugh!’—gasping for air?”
“No, right now—”
“How do you feel? How’s your body?”
Acorella tapped her glasses with the tip of her pen. Repin was a rare subject—he’d never mixed the truth serum with alcohol before. It was unusual that his body seemed expendable.
“How long have I been like this?”
“Not sure exactly, but it’s been just under 90 hours.”
“That’s impossible!”
“Why impossible? What’s impossible is showing up at someone else’s celebration and drinking yourself senseless. At your age, you should know your limits.”
“Someone definitely drugged me again! Those treacherous bastards! I’m not stupid! They conspired with King Clipoford to slip me something strange! The truth serum! That’s it!”
Repin bolted upright, thrashing wildly, but the doctors quickly forced him back down. He was too weak to take a single step anyway.
Acorella carefully examined him, shrugging.
“Any proof?”
“What did you say?”
“And who forced it into your mouth? You drank it yourself, so why the complaints? Lord Repin, you said all sorts of things about King Clipoford. Are you sure you’re okay? If you want to send a letter to Luswena, I can help you draft it.”
What had he said? Repin blinked, then suddenly recalled something, his face paling. The dragon!
“Hmm. Your memory seems better than expected.”
“No, that’s—look, whatever it was, I was drunk and babbling nonsense. Where is King Clipoford now?”
“Oh? So you admit to a drunken mistake?”
Acorella’s question made Repin hesitate. He realized there was no easy way out.
If he pressed the forced truth serum issue, he’d be admitting everything he’d leaked was true. But if he claimed drunken rambling, he couldn’t challenge Bariel’s reckless behavior.
He ground his teeth, and Acorella patiently waited for his answer.
“Filthy mustache.”
“Mad wizard, indeed!”
Their hostile glares made the doctors quietly step back, holding their breath.
“I want to see King Clipoford first.”
“Ah, yes, if you want to see him, you should.”
Rather than rushing to take a stance, Acorella wanted to assess the overall situation. As if expecting this, she roughly pulled back the curtain.
Whoosh!
Sunlight poured in, illuminating the palace packed shoulder to shoulder with crowds. Repin, dazed, shuffled toward the window.
“But what now? Both the Clipoford and Luswena delegations have entered the main palace for the coronation. The crowds are too thick to leave easily. It’s best you stay here with me until the event ends.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Nonsense? Then try leaving on your own. If you get trampled to death, Bariel won’t take responsibility.”
Flying beings pulling this kind of stunt! Repin clenched his jaw, making Acorella’s mustache tremble. She dragged a chair closer and sat down, beginning what felt like an interrogation.
“Is your stomach hurting? Nauseous?”
“If it’s not, that’d be stranger!”
“And your head?”
“Clear as ever. No problem thinking.”
“What about the troublesome dragon?”
“Of course—!”
Repin shouted confidently, then froze mid-sentence. Unfazed, Acorella calmly scribbled notes.
“The dragon brought as tribute was in terrible condition. It was a serious matter, enough to affect its lifespan. And that’s not all.”
Thud.
A water bottle slid onto the bedside table. Repin instinctively recognized it as the truth serum. He pressed himself against the wall, trying to protect himself, inching toward the door.
“Why are you doing this? I am Repin, the Luswena delegation leader! Threatening me is tantamount to declaring war on Luswena, don’t you understand?”
“I know, I know. But I don’t understand why you’re having such a fit.”
Click! Repin’s heart sank as the door locked from outside. Acorella propped her chin on her hand, smiling slyly, beckoning him closer.
“Do you really think this will make Luswena submit?”
“Oh, damn, what a patriot! It brings tears to my eyes. Some people think we have no country. I love Bariel too, you know? But if you hit first, it just feels bad.”
When Repin showed no sign of moving, Acorella stepped forward herself.
“I have a few questions. How cooperative you are will determine how fully you can return to Luswena. Here’s what I expect to ask—”
“Don’t, don’t, don’t!”
“Is the troublesome dragon a hybrid species?”
“…!”
“How many black-armored soldiers are prepared?”
“Don’t know! I don’t know! I’d rather bite my tongue off!”
As Repin tried to bite his tongue, attendants quickly stuffed a cloth into his mouth.
“And finally, do you know the dragon’s abilities?”
“Ugh! Mmph!”
Pop! Acorella opened the truth serum bottle and slowly shook it in front of the struggling Repin.
“Aren’t you afraid of Luswena?”
“Ugh!”
“And aren’t you afraid of Bariel?”
“Waaah! Waaah!”
“It begins! It finally begins!”
As Acorella whispered, the crowd outside erupted like a whirlwind. The coronation was about to start. She winked at Repin.
“You know the coronation and the send-off ceremony happen together, right?”
“Ugh—”
The send-off.
Once war was declared, brave Bariel soldiers would line up and march toward Burgos to cut down the enemy.
That meant only allies and enemies would remain for Bariel, and Luswena—long diverged in their path—would be an opponent to utterly crush.
And Repin was Luswena’s representative.
In other words, the enemy’s representative.
“Well then, let’s get started. Here, have this to settle your stomach. Keep vomiting until you’re empty! Got it?”
From the moment the representative arrived instead of the king, his fate was sealed. Like Prime Minister Shatima of Hawan, he could either cooperate with Bariel to gain influence back home or fulfill his role as a prisoner.
Repin shook his head wildly, struggling, but the palace’s noisy chaos meant no one came to help. Even if they heard, nothing would change.
The main palace was solemn. Even the most lavish nobles wore almost no jewels, and their fabrics were dull. On this day, the only thing allowed to shine was the crown.
The Clipoford side looked half-dead from days of drinking, while Astana and Hawan sat quietly, waiting for the coronation.
The problem was the Luswena side.
“Do you think they’ll be okay?”
“Shh. Stay calm.”
When Repin passed out drunk, it was understandable—common, even. But now, with the coronation underway, no response? Even with palace doctors assigned, it was hard to believe.
With war looming, they knew their status could fall from honored guests to prisoners. But this was unexpected. Bariel still treated them as state guests; only Repin’s inability to wake was an issue.
“Kaila’s not here. Did she really go to Burgos first? That’s harsh.”
Cloy covered her lower face with a fan, glancing around. The quiet music box melody filled the air, and nobles sat stiffly, careful not to move abruptly.
“Mom! Mom! Where’s Dad?”
“Shh, Vivi. Dad’s with His Majesty. He has many duties until the end. Lady Filia, can you see well? Come closer.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine. I can see well. Except Roel a little.”
“Yes, yes. Roel, come here. There’s a small platform for children.”
Thanks to Viviana’s kindness, Roel and Vivi climbed the small steps together. Vivi hugged Roel tightly, whispering,
“It’s the coronation! Amazing!”
“……”
“Roel, we’re about to witness an incredible moment right now!”
“Bibi! Didn’t Mom say to shush?”
Though they were a bit farther away, Viviana and Philia sat with their daughters. As the only commoner among the nobles, Viviana gave an awkward smile, nervously glancing around at the others.
“Your Majesty.”
Inside the main palace, Jin turned his gaze toward Ian’s call. His hair was neatly styled, and he wore a black uniform. On his chest gleamed five badges symbolizing the royal family.
“So, is it time?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Whenever you’re ready.”
“You’ve waited long enough. I’m ready.”
Even as he spoke, Jin kept adjusting the badges on his chest, making sure none were crooked. Seeing this, Ian stepped closer and straightened them himself.
“Is Akorella in charge of Lepin?”
“Yes, that’s correct. We’ve adjusted the sedatives so he should wake up around now without any issues.”
“Once the coronation is over, we’ll have quite an interesting report.”
“But that’s just the beginning. Lepin’s early awakening may be the truth to him, but we still need to investigate whether it’s actually true.”
“If he truly carries the blood of the serpent, then he must have been scheming.”
Ian was suggesting the possibility that Elderet might have fed Lepin false information to confuse Bariel’s side. Everyone who faced Lepin agreed he was a wild card, so it was a plausible theory.
“Sir Ian.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You’ve been through so much to get here.”
“That’s true.”
“I thought it must have been a long and difficult journey, but seeing your face now, it doesn’t seem so. It’s as if the me from ten years ago is standing right here.”
Ian’s youthful appearance betrayed no sign of the years passed.
Ian smiled softly and took a step back, surveying Jin from head to toe.
“You are incomparable to who you were back then. The current Your Majesty is truly remarkable.”
“Thank you.”
“…”
“I feel like I’ve never said this before, so I’ll say it now. Thank you for holding me even when I was bleeding from my wounds. Thank you for not trying to persuade me with sweet words. Thank you for standing with me as I took my first step into the grand hall, and for making me believe I was someone precious.”
Ian simply smiled. In that moment, he suddenly realized how precious the bond forged through time truly was.
“Above all, thank you for returning. And I sincerely thank the gods that we stand here together now.”
At Jin’s words, Ian silently placed a hand over his heart and bowed. He too was silently giving thanks to the gods. Then, he motioned to the attendants with a gesture.
“Let us proceed—”
The attendants draped a richly embroidered cloak over Jin’s shoulders. Ian watched with joyful eyes and added,
“Your Majesty.”