Episode 612

Danit’s proposal left all the Royalist leaders dumbfounded. A full inventory inspection? Of all their weapons? With Grand Duke Bariel’s forces practically at their doorstep, was she seriously suggesting they hand over their arms?

From Burgos’s perspective, there was no statement more infuriating or maddening than this. Yet Lady Danit stood her ground, unwavering in her insistence.

“Why is there no answer?”

“What is this—”

“You called me unreasonable, shameless even? That label fits you far better. You threatened me and my daughter, claiming there’s something wrong with the weapons, yet you refuse to produce any proof? You might as well try to cover the sky with your palm!”

Her stance was clear: unless they could prove the weapons were faulty, she would accuse Burgos of outright slander.

It was absurd and infuriating, but what was even more frustrating was the lack of any solid counterargument.

Refusing a full inspection while still proving the Holin family’s betrayal? There was only one way.

‘Kayla’s confession.’

Without the involved party’s direct admission, resolving this would be nearly impossible.

The Royalist leaders exchanged uneasy whispers, turning their heads away, while Lady Danit glared at them, tense. Her hand, hidden beneath the folds of her dress, clenched tightly. She knew all too well that this was their only option.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“We refuse. Give us an immediate answer.”

As the Royalists tried to leave, Danit raised her fan to block them. It was obvious they intended to go to Kayla, who was being held somewhere in confinement. They might subject her to harsher torture to force a confession.

Lady Danit looked toward Hale and Nakina, silently pleading for help.

“As a mage of the Great Empire Bariel, please speak up. If anything happens to Kayla here, I will retract every statement I’ve made so far.”

A full inventory inspection—there was almost no chance the Royalists would accept it. But if they did, Bariel’s forces would face the enemy empty-handed.

If they refused? They’d fail to prove the Holin family’s guilt. That would be an insult to the Imperial Court’s support of the Royalists, giving Bariel yet another justification to storm the gates.

Hale slowly chewed on the cigarette in his mouth. It was crucial that the Emperor and Ian receive this precarious situation intact, like a flickering candle about to go out.

“Royalist leader, your name?”

Hale nodded toward the eldest among them.

“…Jorge.”

“Jorge. Very well. If you refuse the inspection, return Lady Kayla safely. Otherwise, I will report to His Majesty the Emperor that you have treated Bariel as invaders.”

“Do you really think that’s reasonable? Hand over our weapons?”

“Who said we’re taking them? We’ll just check for any irregularities and return them. So stop worrying.”

“Shut up! Damn it! The more you wag your tongue, the louder your daughter’s screams will be.”

“Try me!”

Danit snapped sharply. Her voice was so loud and heavy that even Nakina flinched.

Lady Danit glared at Jorge with deadly intent. Not a single blink, her pupils frozen as if carved in stone.

“Go ahead, try me. If even one tear falls from my daughter’s eyes, I’ll tear you limb from limb. Curious if I’m serious? You’ll find out.”

She stepped forward toward the Royalists. Though just a woman holding a fan, they instinctively took a step back, keeping their distance.

“I’ve already achieved everything I set out to do. You’ve seen it with your own eyes, haven’t you?”

“Sniff… sniffling…”

“Bring Kayla here. Right in front of me. Now.”

As Danit reached for Jorge’s collar, the soldiers closed ranks to block her, and Hale and Nakina moved in to protect her.

The tension was palpable. Nakina’s eyes began to glow golden.

“Thought I was late, so I came by—”

Though barely audible, the voice drew everyone’s attention. Ian was watching from above, and beside him hung Beric, clinging to another mage.

Hale and Nakina gestured for them to come quickly, while the Royalists tensed, gripping their swords tighter at the arrival of a new mage.

“Apologies. Something came up.”

“Ian! Come quickly! This place is a mess.”

“Yeah, it sure looks like it! Everyone’s so slow.”

“Beric! No need for your nonsense calling it a mess.”

With a snap, Nakina and Beric exchanged middle fingers as Ian landed.

The Royalist leaders were bewildered by the sudden appearance of the boy, but seeing Hale and Nakina’s respect, they guessed his identity.

“…The Minister of Magic.”

Damn it! Now that even the Minister of Magic had arrived, was this really the end? Maybe they should have waited for Danit inside the gates of Kalamath instead.

“What’s going on?”

“Well—”

Hale whispered the situation to Ian, summarizing what had happened.

Meanwhile, Beric scanned the Burgos soldiers, looking for a worthy opponent, while Danit adjusted her disheveled clothes.

“Hmm.”

Ian’s eyebrows rose in satisfaction upon hearing the report. This was an unexpected variable for Lady Danit, but her skill in maintaining control was impressive.

Ian approached them, signaling for all weapons to be laid down.

“What… what should we do?”

“Give the order!”

But the soldiers hesitated, wary of the Royalist leaders’ reactions. Beric, thinking ‘Gotcha,’ grabbed one by the collar and headbutted him.

Smack!

“Ugh!”

“Ian said to put down your weapons! Peace, dialogue, and for God’s sake, a reasonable choice!”

The man’s nose was crushed in a single blow. Though similar in size, the difference in strength was clear. Judging by his fierce attitude, he was probably a magic swordsman. Everyone watching shrank back in fear.

Ian calmly walked between Lady Danit and the Royalists, naturally widening the space.

“First, I understand the current situation well. It seems unlikely we’ll reach any agreement right now, so as Minister of Magic, I have a proposal. Starting with the Royalists.”

Bariel’s one demand of the Royalists was simple:

Obedience and cooperation.

They occupied the capital Kalamath and had rallied public support under the banner of preserving the dynasty’s legitimacy. If they opened the gates and showed goodwill toward Bariel, cultural integration would proceed much more smoothly.

“Regarding autonomy, His Majesty the Emperor cannot grant it immediately. You’ve come this far with Bariel’s support over the past decade, yet when Agiar fell, you changed your stance overnight. The Emperor is saddened by this and has decided to observe the situation further before making a decision.”

“Listen, I’m sorry, but even the people of Burgos are beginning to see where this civil war truly started!”

“That was the failure of the incompetent Rankvis dynasty and those who supported it. What are you trying to say?”

That Bariel had been manipulating the north-south civil war all along? That the root cause lay with the corrupt leaders who ruined the country? Ian smiled wryly, and the Royalists fell silent.

“In any case, until the Holin family’s wrongdoing is clearly proven, detaining Lady Kayla is excessive and a mistake. Above all, she is a citizen of the Empire. You cannot imprison an innocent without evidence.”

“What do you want?”

“Return Lady Kayla to Bariel. Then I will speak to His Majesty on your behalf.”

“You think returning Kayla is worth swaying the Emperor’s heart? She’s just one noble daughter among many. Though judging by her reckless betrayal in a foreign land, she must have a fiery spirit.”

“Yes, of course she is valuable.”

Ian added kindly.

“Surely you didn’t expect to receive autonomy without any connection to Bariel?”

The blood of the Rankvis line flowed through Danit and Kayla. Even if autonomy were granted, it would be mediated through the Holin family.

Turning to Lady Danit, Ian continued.

“In exchange, once you retrieve Lady Kayla, you must clear the suspicions regarding the weapons. This was a project authorized by the Imperial Court—if there’s a problem, you will take responsibility. The Holin family, specifically.”

Though the Imperial Court had orchestrated this, the Holin family would now bear the burden alone.

This was the Court’s way of avoiding blame and keeping the Holin family in check during any potential compensation process. If the Rankvis bloodline became the center of Burgos’s autonomy, they might one day grow beyond Bariel’s influence.

“Whether you sell out your family to pay the price, or the Holin family sacrifices a life or two—that’s your business. We invited you to the table because you share Rankvis blood. Now you must survive on your own.”

Danit read the meaning behind Ian’s silence. It was ridiculous, but not unexpected. That was how the Imperial Court’s people always were.

Anyway, the most important thing right now was to safely bring Kayla back. If they could just find their daughter, they were willing to face whatever dangers the future might hold.

“I will take responsibility.”

“How do you feel about that? It seems we’ve reached an agreement. Is there still something lacking?”

Ian looked at Jorge and asked. After a moment of hesitation, they nodded. Ian gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.

“That’s the right decision. Don’t forget that the lives of countless Burgos citizens depend on this. Now, send word inside the Kalamath fortress. The Bariel forces will arrive today—make sure to welcome His Majesty the Emperor with all due honor. And don’t forget to add a few things.”

He went on to explain that it was thanks to Bariel’s support that Burgos had maintained its legitimacy through the civil war, that the people had barely survived the harsh ten years because of Bariel’s aid, that Bariel had crushed the rebel forces in the north that the royalists had failed to handle, and that a new Rankvis heir was soon to appear, succeeding Damon Rankvis.

But above all else, the most important message: the people of Burgos would reclaim the lost decade, and behind them, Bariel would remain strong and steadfast.

“Do you understand?”

At Ian’s question, Jorge made his decision.

Though it felt like they were trailing behind the Holin family for now, the palace had effectively handed them the sword. The deal to supply low-grade weapons was their foothold.

If some autonomy slipped to the royalists through the Holin side, they could weed out the traitors then. The people would never cheer for those who, while of Rankvis blood, had supplied faulty arms to the royalists.

“…Understood.”

“Good. And the young lady?”

“There’s a cabin a little south from here.”

Upon hearing that, Lady Danit immediately mounted her horse, while Hale and Nakina took to the skies ahead.

Ian asked Jorge again.

“Is the young lady’s condition alright?”

“…Yes, well.”

“I see. Then hurry and send word inside Kalamath. His Majesty the Emperor will arrive soon.”

With that, Ian entered the mansion where the mother and daughter had been staying. He had some idea of Kayla’s condition, but he hadn’t yet grasped the new turmoil it would bring.