Chapter 606
How many days had passed?
Philia had completely lost all sense of time.
The carriage rattled endlessly beneath her, and through a hole in the floor, a damp cloth was occasionally pushed in—meant to quench her thirst. She chewed the parched fabric desperately, fighting to keep her mind from slipping away.
So far, I’ve only been given food once. But as soon as they opened the box in the middle of the night, they blindfolded me—I have no idea where we are. If I had to guess, maybe it’s the third day? I think I’ve had water five or six times.
If it had been three days since crossing the border, they must be passing through the northern lands of the minority tribes. Towloon? Or northern Burgos? Either way, it wasn’t good.
Her stomach growled loudly.
Philia clutched her empty belly, frowning. Hunger made it impossible to think clearly. She had to avoid being dragged to their destination and subjected to whatever they wanted. As she silently prayed, thinking of Ian’s face—
creak!
The carriage suddenly came to a halt. It was so abrupt that she felt its weight lurch forward.
Sure enough, the people inside shouted loudly at the driver, scolding him to steer properly. Then, silence fell.
What was going on? What was happening?
whine!
thud! thump! creak!
The stopped carriage spun around, tossing Philia violently. Not just side to side, but it seemed they were turning back the way they came.
They must have spotted some obstacle ahead—either the road was blocked, or something unexpected was in their path, or maybe—
“Ah!”
thud! thump!
The carriage jolted hard. Philia’s head slammed against the sides, and a dry scream escaped her lips. The carriage tipped sideways, and blood rushed to her head.
“Why run away? We could have talked this out. Now, where are you from?”
“Looks like Bariel. The exit stamp’s on her.”
“Ah, Bariel’s good. If she were from Burgos, I’d be disappointed. Push her back there.”
“Can’t we just unpack her here?”
“Wait, this one’s a sorcerer, isn’t she? She’s got a doll.”
Philia strained to listen, but the foreign language was unfamiliar—except for “Bariel” and “Burgos,” she understood nothing. Hanging upside down, she swallowed hard. Judging by the tone, these were definitely bandits.
Is this a relief? Or has the situation gotten worse?
She didn’t know how a puppet sorcerer’s attack worked, but the fact they were helpless meant these weren’t ordinary thieves.
Still, if their goal was money, she could feel some hope. If they returned her to Bariel, she could promise a huge reward. Philia pressed her hands together over her pounding heart.
Please, let them be greedy bandits.
She could give them whatever they wanted. Even if not Ian, Lord Nersarn would pay a fortune for her.
thud! creak!
The carriage was set upright, and she heard the sound of goods being unloaded. Then, voices grew clearer, approaching.
“There’s more than I thought. All top quality.”
“Did you check the pass? Something’s off for a merchant.”
“Smugglers, maybe? It’s locked up here!”
“Wait, wait—I found the key.”
click.
Philia’s eyes widened. The box’s lock was undone. The door creaked open a little, and bright light spilled inside.
“Huh?”
Philia locked eyes with a rough-looking man. But instead of surprise, he tilted his head in genuine confusion.
Philia noticed something else—none of the bandits had ears. Not just the man she faced, but all of them.
“There’s a woman here.”
“These guys are suspicious. Let’s question her once she wakes up.”
“Hey, were you kidnapped?”
Nearly thirty bandits, all with their ears cut off. The driver and what looked like puppet sorcerers lay sprawled on the ground, blood pooling like a flood.
What on earth had happened in that short time?
“I—I was kidnapped. Please help me get back to Bariel. I’ll give you all the money you want.”
“This woman’s from Bariel, but I can’t understand a word she’s saying.”
“Yeah. Anyone here speak Bariel? I only know Burgos.”
Philia gestured toward the puppet sorcerers, then to herself, trying to show she was dragged here against her will. Then she picked up a gold coin from the scattered loot.
“I’ll give you this. Bariel! If you take me back to Bariel, I’ll give you lots more!”
“Is she saying the money’s hers?”
“Dunno. Tie her up for now. Let’s take her. She’s pretty—maybe we can sell her in Towloon.”
“She might fetch a good price. Maybe five gold coins?”
“Idiot, that’s not enough. She’s worth at least ten gold coins.”
“Really? That much?”
“Wanna bet?”
The men chuckled as they grabbed Philia’s arm.
“I’m the mother of Ian Hielo, Minister of the Imperial Magic Department. Hielo!”
“Shut her up, she’s noisy. Tch.”
“Hielo, mmm! Mmm!”
Even though they could have come to an understanding if they talked, Philia’s mouth was gagged.
Luck—but it was fleeting and fragile.
Purpato was gradually being brought under control.
The deer’s corpse had vanished without a trace, and the raging flames were quickly extinguished. Some areas had burned, but nothing that would hinder rebuilding.
As the Bariel soldiers prepared to leave Purpato, Tweller, cigarette in mouth, pondered deeply. Finally, he stubbed out the cigarette and approached Jin.
“Your Majesty.”
“…Speak.”
His reply was half a beat late. Though he tried to hide it, his mind was somewhat absent.
The earlier battle had clearly shaken him. Not just the lightning strike, but the sudden appearance of someone connected by fate, appearing as a paladin. Tweller tactfully avoided mentioning it and said:
“I have a proposal regarding the aftermath in Purpato.”
“What aftermath is there? We can leave as is. Bariel has done more than its duty by putting out the fire.”
“Not that. I suggest considering a ‘different’ kind of aftermath.”
“A different aftermath?”
Only then did Jin turn his gaze to Tweller. Instead of answering, Tweller signaled for Ian, who was standing a little apart, to come closer.
“What is it?”
“I have something to discuss with Your Majesty, and it concerns Minister Ian as well. I’d like him to hear it.”
“Very well. Please proceed.”
“I propose that no survivors be left in Purpato.”
The tone was firm, as if the decision had already been made.
“The offer to spare lives was based on the contract with the deer. But now that it’s dead, there are no restrictions on killing the Purpato people. This place is not Agiar, Your Majesty. As long as their customs and traditions remain, they could create another guardian like the deer at any time.”
Hadn’t the deer said it was the one who listens to prayers? If so, as long as there are those who pray, a second guardian could appear.
“Moreover, their way of praying is strange—almost a harmful superstition. Considering Your Majesty’s concerns about the rear, I believe it’s best to exterminate them completely before advancing south.”
It was a reasonable proposal from the Imperial Defense Minister. He was not only concerned with winning the war but also with Bariel’s safety.
But Jin’s reaction was skeptical.
“We have already sworn mercy in the Emperor’s name. The survivors trusted that and chose between life and death. How can we break that vow just because the deer is dead? It would disgrace the Empire.”
“That is true. But Your Majesty, this is a battlefield. The weak who crawl away alive are the victors here. Mercy can become poison amid such deadly struggle.”
Jin furrowed his brow and rested his chin on his hand. He wanted to refute each point but found Tweller’s logic sound enough to hold back for now.
Ian simply listened quietly to both sides.
“I understand Your Majesty’s concerns. But did those people truly surrender in the spirit of Bariel? They watched their families, lovers, and friends die while plotting to harm Your Majesty. This was not a simple surrender but resistance disguised as one. Bariel has no reason to show mercy to such people.”
“But who can say? No one knows how many truly surrendered in Bariel’s sense.”
“Yes, we don’t know. Maybe only one harbored ill will, or maybe all did. In other words, it’s uncertain. And uncertainty is the first thing to be eliminated in any war, Your Majesty.”
Tweller looked at the gathered survivors with a fearful expression. They seemed harmless now, begging for their lives, but they could strike Bariel’s back at any moment. Moreover, they had experienced the power of belief firsthand. They were an absolute danger.
“Still, it cannot be done. The Emperor’s command is sacred.”
“The Emperor’s command to grant mercy is indeed noble. But the order to exterminate you are about to give is also from the Emperor, and it is equally noble.”
If the concern is about external criticism, there are plenty of ways to avoid blame. The voices cursing the emperor will be buried beneath the earth once all of them are eliminated.
Tweller bowed his head, as if pleading for a wise decision, and Jin pressed his lips tightly together.
“…Lord Ian, what are your thoughts?”
As both the emperor and the empire’s minister, Ian fully understood the positions of both men. Moreover, hadn’t he made a direct contract with the Stag? Only he could declare that the contract with the Stag had been severed. His opinion was just as important as Jin’s intentions.
“I find myself somewhat confused.”
Jin worried that he might be blinded by the title of emperor and make a grave mistake. After all, they were just ordinary residents—how much of a threat could they really pose to Bariel? Was this arrogance? Or complacency?
Ian thought for a moment, then nodded.
“I understand both of your positions. But you must remember that both Your Majesty and Minister Tweller ultimately act out of concern for Bariel.”
In other words, whatever decision they made would not harm Bariel. It was a subtle way of saying so.
“I imagine Minister Tweller has some thoughts on how to handle Purpato.”
“I believe it’s best to deal with it quietly, with as few soldiers as possible. The ideal time would be after Bariel’s main forces have left.”
“That’s a sound plan, but no matter how few carry it out, you cannot deceive heaven and earth. News of Bariel massacring the people of Purpato will inevitably spread.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“What if we involve forces other than Bariel?”
Other forces? Aside from Bariel, who else is there in this region?
Ian unfolded a map and pointed to nearby cities.
“Purpato surrendered to Bariel. Because of that, the guardian was killed, and Bariel entered Kalamath without suffering any losses. If such rumors spread nearby, Purpato will naturally become isolated.”
“Isolated how?”
“Right now, Burgos is in the midst of war. Wherever Bariel’s army passes, bandits will swarm and lawlessness will reign. For Purpato, that means a direct threat to their survival—”
Ian lifted his gaze and fixed it on Tweller. His eyes were a striking shade between green and blue, sharp and clear.
“From there on, it’s best to leave it to the will of the gods.”