Chapter 554
Except for those who had actually worked in trade, most of them were crossing the Bariel border for the first time. That even included Jin, the emperor himself. Marib had once gone on a grand tour as crown prince when he was young, but Jin had never had such an opportunity.
Feeling a strange mix of tension, excitement, and awe at leaving Bariel behind, everyone marched forward with determination.
“Well, damn. All I see are rocky mountains.”
Beric half-hung out the carriage window, gazing outside with a bored expression. There wasn’t a single blade of grass in sight.
One of the Astana envoys rode up alongside the carriage.
“How are you feeling?”
“So-so. Haven’t been eating properly, so I’m not quite myself.”
“We’ll be meeting up with the Astana troops soon, so hang in there a little longer. And Sir Ian.”
They peered inside the carriage and called out to Ian. He was focused on a report, but when he turned his head, they exchanged a subtle glance.
“The king wishes to see you privately.”
“Understood. I’ll visit once the carriage stops.”
“Very well.”
Hasha requested a private meeting—what could it be about?
Ian nodded slightly, as if guessing, but said nothing more. Just as he reached for his pen again—
Bwooo—
Bwoo—
From afar, the bellow of a water buffalo horn echoed, signaling the arrival of Astana’s reinforcements.
The soldiers, exhausted from barely resting since crossing the border, let out a collective cheer. The Astana envoys responded with joyful cries.
“Finally, we can stretch out and sleep!”
“Tell me about it. I thought I was a goner these past few days.”
“Ugh, I was worried we’d all keel over before even reaching Burgos. Ha ha!”
“Wait, is that really the Astana reinforcements?”
“Hm? What? No way!”
There were roughly a hundred of them, mostly unarmed, and even a few children mixed in.
They might look like that on the surface, like Katimako’s group, but the first impression was underwhelming. They looked more like refugees than reinforcements. Murmurs of disappointment rippled among the soldiers.
“Summon the Astana envoys and confirm if they’re truly reinforcements!”
The officers were equally unsettled but maintained their composure, directing the procession while keeping a close eye on the group that appeared to be Astana’s reinforcements.
Flutter! As if to reassure them, the Astana troops waved their flag proudly.
Thud thud thud!
Boom!
“What’s that?”
“An earthquake! An earthquake!”
Then the ground began to shake.
Having already experienced cracks in the north, the mages and palace guards instinctively unleashed their magic to prepare for an attack. But what appeared next was—
“Whoa!”
“Monsters?”
Giant golems.
What had seemed like part of the rocky mountain was actually their heads, and soon hidden hands and feet emerged.
There were five in total. Perhaps over a hundred summoners were casting spells simultaneously, as the golems moved in coordinated intervals.
“They’re creatures living beneath the Astana cliffs. We successfully subdued them and tamed them. Their nature makes them highly susceptible to magic. Though there are only five, they’ll firmly guard the front and rear of Bariel’s soldiers.”
The Astana envoy added proudly.
In truth, mobilizing over a hundred people was like calling up every able-bodied person Astana could muster—they were a tribal nation, after all.
“Stop!”
“Everyone, halt!”
As the flag was raised, the procession gradually came to a stop.
The closer they got, the more the soldiers couldn’t help but gape at the size of the golems. They stared blankly upward, while the Astana summoners approached with warm greetings.
“Welcome! This is Astana!”
“Oh, Pekuriren!”
“Katimako! Thank you for your hard work!”
“You arrived just in time. Well done.”
“Yes, of course. And Your Majesty?”
The elderly man, who looked like a child, greeted Katimako with utmost respect. The soldiers, struggling with the cognitive dissonance, quickly averted their eyes to focus solely on the golems.
“Pekuriren.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Show proper respect. This is His Majesty, Emperor of the Great Empire Bariel.”
When Hasha introduced Jin, everyone knelt reverently. Even the golems’ heads turned slightly in acknowledgment.
“Impressive.”
Jin muttered as he looked up at the golems.
Judging by their height, they probably reached halfway up a tower. It was astonishing that Astana possessed such weapons. It also made him reconsider the potential of the northern sorcerers.
“So the other northern sorcerers can control creatures this size as well?”
“Golems of this scale are rare, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, I’m confident. There is no greater sorcerer tribe in the northern regions than Astana.”
“It’s reassuring to hear you say that.”
Jin glanced at Ian as he spoke, silently instructing him to prepare for the possibility of other summoned monsters.
“Are you Ian?”
“Yes. Ian Hielo, Minister of Magic.”
“Oh my! What a surprise!”
Unlike Ian’s polite hand extended in greeting, they disregarded etiquette and embraced him warmly, overwhelmed with joy.
The mages gawked in shock and quickly pulled them apart.
“What are you doing? You startled Ian!”
“Is that how you greet people in Astana?”
“Ah, sorry. We were just too happy.”
“…Did you have some connection with them?”
Ian tried to recall but found it difficult. Still, they clasped his hands again without any hint of resentment.
“Back then, my family was rescued by Your Highness… that is, Hasha, from the caravan and returned to Astana. I always wanted to thank you properly, and now that this moment has come, I’m truly moved.”
“My younger sibling was with me!”
“Not only did you save us, but you also gave us travel expenses. Thanks to you, we all returned safely. We are sincerely grateful.”
Not just Hasha, but many who had returned to Astana owed Ian a debt of gratitude, directly or indirectly.
Ian gently patted their hands in response.
“It’s nothing. I’m now part of the Bariel imperial palace, so please direct your gratitude there. That will make me truly happy.”
“Of course!”
Their hands gripped firmly, a bond of trust.
At that moment, Beric flung open the carriage door. Holding his still-unhealed wound, he walked toward the golems and sniffed at their feet.
“Doesn’t smell like a living creature. Are they really monsters?”
“Think of them as puppets. They have no consciousness, only will. Once a spell is cast, it’s hard to break, making them easy to control. But who are you?”
“Me? Beric.”
“Beric! Oh! Sir Beric!”
“Who? Beric?”
Surprised by the reaction, Beric smiled faintly. Come to think of it, hadn’t he been with Ian when they rescued the Astana people?
“The one who came looking for Hasha and got caught with them?”
“That’s right. He couldn’t write, so Hasha dictated letters for him.”
“Damn it! No, I wasn’t caught—I just stayed there until Ian arrived!”
“Yes, yes. We know.”
“Then why the face? Say thanks to me too!”
“Sorry, I can’t just say empty words.”
Judging by Beric’s outburst, his stomach wound didn’t seem too serious.
The Astana people turned their attention away from Beric and asked,
“What happened to the vanguard? They said they’d pass through here, but we didn’t see them and thought they’d been missed. If you hadn’t sent a messenger, it would’ve been chaotic.”
“There were circumstances. First—”
Ian motioned to clear the area.
“Your Majesty, the soldiers are exhausted. How about we camp here early today and depart tomorrow?”
“Good idea. We also need to organize the formation with Astana.”
“At this pace, we can cross the Burgos border within three days. It’s later than planned but reasonable.”
“Is there any issue with food supplies?”
“No, none.”
Everyone agreed to halt for the day.
Tents were pitched beneath the golems, and the once fearful soldiers soon grew accustomed, wandering near the golems’ feet.
“So what’s their weak spot? The head?”
“Golems are collections of lifeless matter and spirit, so even if one part breaks, it doesn’t affect their movement.”
Hmm. An opponent without weaknesses—this just got interesting. Beric lightly punched a golem’s leg, and it slowly turned its head to look down at him.
Click click.
“What are you staring at?”
The golem slowly raised its hand.
A large shadow fell, and dirt crumbled from its shoulder.
What’s this? The soldiers tensed at the sudden movement, but the golem stopped, raising its middle finger.
Tap tap tap!
“Trouble!”
At the sudden commotion, the key members of the Banwang faction glanced at the man before them.
With a long pipe and hair roughly tied up, Rutherford sat across from them, studying a map.
Such a frivolous announcement.
“What’s the fuss about?”
“It seems the Atan tribe sent to Bariel has been completely wiped out. We’ve lost all contact, and there’s been no sign of the vanguard returning.”
“What did you say? Wiped out?”
“Yes. And there was a massive tectonic shift reported in the northern region, but regarding that—”
“It’s a rift.”
Rutherford muttered lowly, flicking ash from his cigarette.
“The rift created a breach, a sign from the gods. We needn’t concern ourselves with that. But if the Atan tribe was annihilated, their opponent must have suffered heavy losses as well, right?”
“We’re still assessing, but it’s difficult to get close. The Bariel army’s march seemed to be proceeding without issue.”
“Bah! Those were the ones who were supposed to be unstoppable. And now they’re wiped out? What are we supposed to do with this?”
“No one can say for sure. Weren’t they all mages and magic swordsmen? It’s baffling how they fell so easily.”
“They were nothing but wild beasts from the start. Didn’t I say we shouldn’t put our hopes in them? Fine. This is ultimately a matter between Burgos and Bariel. The Atan tribe only gave Bariel a pretext. Let’s just consider their destruction a fitting outcome.”
“No, still—”
As members of the Royalist faction exchanged remarks, Rutherford kept biting down on his cigarette holder. His calm eyes belied the nervous grinding of his teeth, giving off an irritable edge.
“…Everyone, don’t dwell on it.”
The gods had yet to respond. If there was a problem, surely they would have sent a sign by now. This was proof that his plan remained sound, and there was no reason to waver.
“Our lands and people have already suffered greatly from civil war. Any fierce battles must take place outside Burgos.”
“Absolutely right!”
“It’s been confirmed that the Emperor and his close aides have all left the palace. We should focus on our own tasks.”
“Yes, yes. We’ve already found the right person for the job.”
With a smooth motion, one of the Royalist faction members slid a report across to Rutherford.
“A specialist in assassination. He’ll take King Damon’s life without issue.”
One of the reasons the Royalists had united was precisely because King Damon was still alive. Whether he wanted it or not, he carried the bloodline of the Burgos royal family and maintained ties with Bariel, inevitably drawing their influence.
But if Damon died?
“The Royalist unity would collapse, and all of Burgos would rise against Bariel.”
Rutherford nodded as he read through the report, clearly satisfied.
“Send him.”