Episode 573
“Over here!”
Not long after they began moving the debris.
The massive boulder had been roughly pushed aside by the golem, but a few minutes of effort was nowhere near enough.
As the palace guards and soldiers struggled to shift the heavy stones and dig through the rubble, finally, the first signal flare went up.
“It’s a Burgos soldier! Wearing armor!”
“Turn him over. Check the face.”
“Ugh! Hey, lift this side a bit—there’s a leg trapped underneath.”
“There’s someone here too. Still breathing.”
“Move the bodies this way, the living to the opposite side.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Be careful! We’re pushing the stones! One! Two! Three!”
“There’s one more! We should keep digging here! Looks like it was under the barrier’s leg. There’s some space, so there might be more people!”
“Captain Bonita! Barsabe! If you can hear us, respond!”
They found a staircase leading downward. The palace guards leaned over the edge of the pit, shouting, but all that came back was a foul stench mixed with dust.
“Ian, didn’t that gypsy have gills? This must be the place. The smell of fish is especially strong here.”
“I’ll go down and check. Give me a rope.”
“Pull the rope if you find anything. Got it?”
“Yes, understood. Captain Bonita! Barsabe!”
The soldiers tied ropes around their waists and descended. Ian carefully examined the faces of the bodies they uncovered. Even if the faces were crushed beyond recognition, he was prepared to identify Rutherford at a glance.
A soft sound.
“Signal! Clear the stones at the entrance!”
“Pull the rope! One, two, three!”
“Captain Bonita! Barsabe! Are you okay?”
Cheers mixed with worry erupted from above, but what emerged was not what they expected—a stranger’s corpse.
“Ugh!”
It was the gypsy, her gills and abdomen torn open. She lay dead with her eyes open in apparent pain, her body dry and brittle as if all moisture had been sucked out.
Ian covered his nose with his sleeve and approached, frowning deeply.
“This will require a separate investigation. Take her with you.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Hey! Is Captain Bonita or Barsabe down there?”
A distant, echoing reply came from the depths.
“There are so many Burgos soldiers’ bodies! We’re checking, but no sign of them. Same with Rutherford! There’s a path leading to the corridor on the opposite side, but I think they didn’t go that way. Hold on a moment!”
“Where does it lead?”
“Uh… I’m not sure. Maybe the back gate of the barrier?”
“Why are you asking us? You’re the one checking.”
“Oh! Found her! Captain Bonita!”
“What? You found the captain? Pull her up!”
At the shout, everyone grabbed the ropes and pulled. Covered in dust, Bonita slowly came into view, motionless as if dead.
“C-Captain?”
“Come on, snap out of it. Captain.”
Thankfully, Bonita’s lips twitched faintly. She gasped out a few broken words.
“…Rudder… …and… …Rsa… ah…”
Everyone held their breath, hanging on her voice, but that was all. Bonita exhaled her last breath and slipped into eternal silence.
The guards said nothing, gently closing her eyes and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Ian gave a brief, respectful gesture in mourning.
“She’s badly wounded.”
At Ian’s quiet murmur, the soldiers finally noticed the severe wounds on Bonita’s abdomen, previously hidden beneath the dust.
“Oh, right. All the Burgos soldiers with Captain Bonita were wearing black armor. Maybe they ran into trouble during the explosion while fighting with the Dera tribe’s weapons.”
Whether they lost their weapons, got too close, or lost focus and left an opening—there were too many variables to say for sure.
But what was even more baffling was the whereabouts of Rutherford and Barsabe.
“Anyone else with them?”
“We’ll have to go down and check again, but none were seen at first glance.”
“Understood. Continue the search. Carry Captain Bonita on a stretcher.”
What had happened?
Was Barsabe chasing after a fleeing Rutherford? Did Bonita get caught while covering her back? If so, the news would eventually come out in time.
“Ian!”
Hearing the mages call for him, he turned his head. He signaled he’d be there soon and ordered a passing soldier.
“Go to the camp and bring Melania.”
Clark and two other palace guards remained here with him. While all the guards were recognizable, Clark was not, so Melania’s help was needed.
Ian handed over his post to her and flew back toward the heart of Agiar city, circling the debris.
Thwack!
The first thing visible were the blue imperial flags of Bariel fluttering throughout the city. The people of Agiar had all taken to the streets, kneeling before the emperor’s procession. The small city north of Burgos had been utterly crushed.
“Ian, a Burgos messenger has escaped the city through the southern gate. What should we do?”
They were asking whether to cut off communication or spread word of Bariel’s victory.
Ian descended toward Minister Tweller and relayed the message.
“Minister Tweller, a Burgos messenger is heading south.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“I think it’s best to cut off the message.”
“Of course. We can announce the fall anytime, but once declared, there’s no turning back.”
Ian nodded as he passed on the reply, and the mage quickly flew south. Soon, they would return with the messenger’s head.
Tweller slowly urged Ian to look toward the city center. A small castle stood tall.
“They say the castle of Agiar is completely empty. Since it’s a rebel faction, they probably chose a suitable local stronghold, but I’m not sure if they have enough reinforcements.”
“We have no information on the lord.”
“Rutherford was effectively the lord. With no commander or responsible party, we’ll investigate further.”
At that moment, Jin, who had been leading the way, stepped inside the castle gate. It was small and worn, unimpressive, but sufficient as a base for a few days.
Compared to the days spent sleeping under the open sky and on the ground, this golden castle was a palace.
Creak.
Jin entered a small hall, cautiously surveying the quiet space where only his breathing could be heard. Following Tweller’s orders, soldiers spread out left and right, beginning a thorough search. Jin wandered down the corridors as he pleased.
Tap tap tap!
“Remove all paintings and statues, hang the Bariel imperial flags. Small jewels will be given as spoils to wounded soldiers after the war, but large gems will go to the families of the fallen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We will remember.”
“There’s a large grain and wine cellar underground!”
“Check through the Burgos soldiers if the food is safe to eat. Tonight, all Bariel troops will feast and sleep soundly.”
“There’s a small passage beneath the cellar! It seems everyone in the castle escaped through it.”
“Select a pursuit squad, but block the passage.”
Soldiers busied themselves checking how many rooms the castle had, whether the kitchen had enough water, and so on. When the search ended, the sunset light filtered through a window in the ceiling. Jin looked back at Ian.
“How’s the barrier rescue operation going?”
“We rescued Captain Bonita, but she died immediately. We haven’t found Rutherford or the other guards yet.”
Hearing of Bonita’s death, Jin frowned with regret. From the moment he resolved to charge the barrier on a dragon, death had been an unavoidable shadow. But hearing it now in reality weighed heavily on his heart.
“Keep searching even after dark.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And—”
Creak.
Jin opened the reception room door and sighed softly. It was a room suitable for meetings of key officials. Servants lit candles placed around, dispelling the darkness in advance.
“Let’s hold the meeting here. We don’t have much time, so we’ll eat while we talk.”
“Understood.”
Ian and Tweller bowed and stepped outside. Ian told the mages to prepare to rest, and Tweller ordered the soldiers to remove their armor.
The first night in Agiar castle was approaching.
Jin sat at the center. To his right were Tweller, Xiaoshi, and several officers; to his left, Captain Jarrett, Captain Simon, and Beric. Facing Jin were Ian, Hale, and Akorella.
Spread before the leaders on the large round table were maps of Agiar’s city center and surrounding areas, along with wine poured for everyone.
Swish.
After a simple meal, Tweller wiped his fingertips with a napkin and spoke first.
“So, what are the current casualties among the palace guards?”
“Captain Bonita and Kanna died in the Agiar operation. We have yet to find Barsabe or Wakion. Besides that, four guards, including myself and Beric, sustained various injuries.”
Tweller pursed his lips as if to comfort himself, then took a sip of wine. The group was small to begin with, and since most of them were frontline fighters, the losses had been heavy.
Jaret reported calmly.
“According to Beric, who was part of the infiltration team at the time, it seems there was a puppeteer inside the barrier. The mysterious ranged attacks were likely their doing, but as usual, the dead can’t speak.”
“Did you confirm the body?”
“Beric identified the face. But the clothing was from Tolrun.”
Beric gave a slight nod at Jaret’s explanation. Even so, he kept glancing at Ian.
His gaze was so blatant that everyone noticed, but no one stopped him—not even Ian himself. Everyone here was curious about Ian, after all.
“…There was a puppeteer from Tolrun causing trouble in Bariel before. It’s probably connected. Beric, did you see how the attacks were carried out?”
“He was holed up in a cramped room, playing with his dolls like a madman.”
Jin shrugged as if satisfied and gestured.
“We’ll need to investigate thoroughly. Astana’s probably in chaos, but we have more intel here, so let’s request their cooperation.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then, Sir Ian.”
At Jin’s call, all eyes turned to Ian.
He lowered his chin in a respectful nod, as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Now, tell us your story.”
As Jin began, everyone seized the opportunity and bombarded Ian with questions.
“There’s so much we want to know. What exactly happened? What was going on in Bariel a hundred years from now?”
“You must have had palace guards with you, Sir Ian. It’s hard to believe you were imprisoned. Was this some incident within the palace itself?”
“You’re a mage, aren’t you?”
“Ian, be honest. You knew about the Luron Stone deposits, didn’t you? Right? Are there any others? Tell us!”
“Akorella, enough. Please.”
Ian waited patiently for the excitement to die down, then took a slow sip of wine. The rich bitterness lingered on his tongue.
He waited for the sweetness to rise before speaking softly.
“…This all began when I was very young.”
His entire life.