Chapter 543
“Excuse me, Mage?”
At the summons, Mage Luswena turned her head.
Despite her youthful appearance, deep shadows lay beneath her eyes. It was clear she had been sitting in that same position for hours. The untouched bedding and the food left untouched were proof enough.
“Are you alright?”
“…W-what is it?”
“The Magic Department has come. They’re asking you to pack your things and come out.”
“Understood. I’ll be out shortly.”
“If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
The attendant withdrew with a worried glance, and as the door clicked shut, the mage immediately rushed to her belongings and began rummaging through her clothes.
Her trembling fingers found a dagger disguised as an ornament. From the side, its edge was razor-thin, almost like a thread.
“You must not return alone. Persuade those who fled to Bariel. Mages are connected by a unique sense, special to each other, right? Only you can do this.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will keep that in mind.”
“Once the coronation and the send-off ceremony are over, Bariel will immediately declare war on Burgos. Luswena will likely do the same, especially after Repin’s death.”
“…What am I supposed to do then?”
“You will be Luswena’s first warrior. Entering the palace means you are closer to Bariel’s heart than anyone else. Use your sword to cut it out and offer it to us.”
“But, Your Majesty, I cannot face all the mages of Bariel alone. And before that, the moment I step into the palace, I will be bound by the magic-sealing stones.”
“The situation is tricky, but you are going as a guest of Luswena. Surely they won’t chain you like a prisoner.”
Clinking softly, the mage fiddled with the magic-sealing stone bracelet tightly fastened around her wrist, pondering the king’s words.
“Magic-sealing stones can be cut off. Unless they’re on your neck.”
“Cut them off, you say…”
“Remember, you are Luswena’s mage, and you have a duty to sacrifice yourself for your homeland. If Luswena is in danger, so is your family.”
“If only I were an earthen soldier, it would be easier.” The mage gripped the dagger tightly with her trembling hand.
“…But even if I remove the magic-sealing stones, I don’t have the strength to face them. I’ve heard Minister Ian Hielo of the Magic Department is almost godlike in power. How could I possibly—”
“If you draw blood, what is there to fear?”
Forbidden magic.
The mage immediately understood what the king was urging and, unable to refuse, joined the delegation. Part of her even hoped, against expectations, that Bariel might let them pass unharmed.
“Hah, damn it, damn it!”
But she realized that hope always ignores reality. The delegation leader, Repin, collapsed on the first day and never recovered before the coronation. The others scattered somewhere after the event. They didn’t even know if their comrades inside the palace were alive or dead, let alone prepare to return home.
And now.
The Magic Department had come for her. It was her turn.
“Phew.”
Just as the mage took a deep breath and raised the dagger to cut her wrist—
Bang!
Suddenly, the door burst open, and mages and soldiers flooded in. Startled, her blade slipped slightly, nicking her wrist and drawing blood.
“D-don’t come any closer!”
“You never change.”
“I said, don’t come any closer!”
“Calm down, idiot! Listen to me! Bring some cloth!”
It was Zaira, along with mages from Luswena. As if expecting this, they swarmed in and subdued the mage, tightly wrapping cloth around the bleeding wrist.
“I thought it was taking too long.”
“Let go of me!”
“Captain Akorella wants you brought in. Do you know what that means?”
The mages checked the magic-sealing stones for any issues and pressed down on her body to keep her still.
The struggling mage soon gave up. If she kept fighting, she might suffocate.
“We’re giving you one last chance before we take you. We have that damned Luswena blood in our veins too! And we’ve been through the same thing!”
Squeeze.
“Hey, hold her down.”
“You tried to cut your wrist. You’re tough. Now we’re putting one on the other wrist too.”
“Two stones now. Give it up. Hm? How do you plan to cut the other one?”
The mages muttered as they fastened another magic-sealing stone to her other wrist.
She lay face down, tears streaming down her cheeks, finally realizing resistance was pointless.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I understand you’re frustrated, but there’s no choice.”
Zaira glanced at her watch and added,
“Five minutes. This is our last conversation. I guarantee, if you die, your whole family dies.”
“Right. If you fail the mission, your family will be killed as an example. But if you survive, they’ll keep you alive as a hostage. We don’t know what you might do. Understand?”
“So, just say you’ll cooperate with Bariel. Okay?”
The mages couldn’t hide their sorrow. Even after all these years, the plight of Luswena’s mages hadn’t changed. It was heartbreaking and frustrating.
The mage lifted her tear-streaked face and whispered softly,
“Everyone…”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s okay, there’s always a way—”
“I’m sorry…”
Beneath her sobbing throat, a bright, intense light began to rise.
An explosion.
Zaira and the mages instinctively sensed something was about to erupt from the small girl’s body.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
“Zaira!”
“Raise the shield!”
“Ugh, ugh…”
Leaving the wailing mage behind, Zaira instantly conjured a protective barrier—front, back, left, right, and even the ceiling.
They didn’t know how powerful the explosion would be, but no harm could come to the palace. Not even a single branch could be broken.
“Is this a contract spell? Hey! Can you stop it?”
“Ugh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
“Zaira, to the floor!”
“Damn it!”
Ziiing! Ziiing!
As Zaira lowered herself and spread the shield on the floor—
Boom!
With a tremendous roar, the mage’s body exploded.
“Oh?”
Beric, who had been resting his forehead on a stone, suddenly jumped up. Romandro was about to scold him for slacking off.
But the palace guards gathered there all froze simultaneously. Then, they all turned their heads in the same direction as Beric—even Ian.
“Ian, what’s wrong?”
“An explosion.”
“An explosion? Just now? Where?”
“Seems to be inside the palace, but the energy feels off.”
“Ian! This is the west side, right?”
“Captain Jaret.”
At Ian’s call, Jaret nodded. Another captain was already guarding the camp, but everyone was signaling to mobilize and reinforce his safety.
Ian stood and activated his magic, then walked toward the window.
“We need to survey from above first. Romandro, return to the Magic Department.”
“Can I go alone?”
“Yes. Romandro, take the carriage and check for any issues on the ground. That’s all.”
Ziiing! Ziiing!
Taat!
“Ian! Let me come too!”
“Beric, you’re palace guard. Get a grip!”
“Tch. Old man really likes me, huh!”
Beric grumbled as he trudged toward the emperor’s quarters.
Left alone in an instant, Romandro scanned his surroundings warily before quickly leaving the room.
Swoosh!
Meanwhile, the source of the commotion was easy to find—the guest pavilion given to Luswena. Other mages were arriving one by one, and soldiers were running in formation from afar.
Taat.
“Ian!”
“What’s going on?”
Smoke was rising, but no visible flames. Ian asked, and Zaira sighed as she removed her cracked glasses.
“I’m sorry.”
Zaira and the Luswena mages looked battered—some with minor scratches, others like Zaira bearing severe burn scars on one arm.
Ian silently took her hand and transferred some magic energy.
Ziiing.
“I asked what happened.”
“…It seems Luswena sent a contract spell to the mage. We were trying to persuade her one last time when it exploded.”
Despite the brief moment, the shield was carefully maintained, and the building seemed mostly unharmed. Watching the black smoke slowly dissipate, Ian pondered for a moment.
“Withdraw all soldiers.”
“Yes, that’s best. No need to cause unnecessary panic.”
“By any means, it must not be known that Luswena’s preemptive strike reached the palace. Announce that this explosion was an accident during Captain Akorella’s experiment.”
“Captain Akorella must feel wronged.”
“Well, it’s what she’s been doing all along. Can’t be helped.”
“Ha ha. Ha ha ha…”
“Right. Because it’s what she’s been doing…”
The mages looked stunned. After all, the mage who died in the explosion was part of their past. It must feel like old wounds reopening.
Ian cleared the debris by hand and stepped inside, inspecting the scattered clothes and belongings.
“Let’s clean this up quickly.”
“Yes, understood!”
Zaira staggered to her feet but immediately clamped a hand over her mouth and turned away, clearly struggling with nausea.
“Zaira, are you okay?”
“Forget it. You should go get treated.”
“No, I’m fine.”
She felt sick to her stomach. The memory of how Luswena had treated them came rushing back—how they’d been nothing more than tools to her. The thought made her skin crawl. If the king of Luswena were standing right in front of her, she’d want to tear him apart. And once again, she felt a deep sorrow for her grandmother, who had died because of those despicable people.
“What’s going on here? What happened?”
“Is everyone alright?”
One by one, the mages arrived. Among them was Akorella. She grabbed a passing soldier, demanding an explanation.
“What’s going on? What exploded?”
“Ah, it’s nothing serious. Captain Akorella from the Magic Division was conducting an experiment and accidentally blew up part of the building again.”
“What are you saying? Damn it, I’m Akorella! And what’s this ‘again’ about?”
“Ahhh, why are you like this?”
Akorella grabbed the soldier by the collar and shook him in disbelief. Other mages stepped in to explain the situation, and after a moment, she released her grip, though clearly displeased.
“Keep only those needed for cleanup. The rest, return to your posts.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Zaira, let me see your wounds. This way.”
“I said I’m fine.”
The Luswena mages sat around dazed, not moving. The atmosphere was a complete mess. These were the very people who, in just a few hours, would march alongside His Majesty the Emperor onto the battlefield—and yet they looked like they’d lost their souls, barely able to hold themselves upright.
“These idiots—”
“Captain!”
“Hey, you! And you, you there! Who else here is from Luswena? Yeah, you too!”
Clap!
Akorella snapped her fingers loudly, demanding their attention.
“Look, I get that you’re all shell-shocked, but there’s no helping it. At dawn, we march out of the palace to claim victory. We need to show a smiling face, not this mess. Get treated, then take a shot of something—sleeping pills, alcohol, whatever—and get some rest. If you’re still feeling miserable after that—”
If I’m still miserable? What?
Zaira looked up and stared at her.
“Come see me for the forgetfulness potion. Sometimes, you have to forget to move forward.”