Chapter 630
Deeeeng! Deeng!

Tap, tap, tap!

As dawn broke, alarms echoed throughout Tolrun. The residents, bleary-eyed from staying up all night due to the massive fire, stared up at the sky with hollow expressions.

The scorching heat had faded, replaced by the chill of early morning. Before them lay charred corpses. The townsfolk watched those moving hurriedly in the distance. The severed-eared body was right here—so why were they rushing about like that?

Bang!

The guards launched a sudden raid on every lodging in Tolrun’s capital. Naturally, the upscale hotel, the Landers, was included. The manager jumped up in surprise at the unexpected intrusion.

“What’s going on?”

“Are there any guests here from Burgos or Bariel?”

Before the manager could answer, the guards dashed up the stairs.

Hotel staff tried to hold them back, pleading for restraint, but all they got in return were hostile glares. The employees looked helplessly to the manager for guidance.

“Yes, actually, we have guests from Bariel who checked in just yesterday. May I ask why?”

“Names? Is this the register?”

“Sir! This is the Landers, the finest hotel in Tolrun. Please don’t—”

Crack.

The guards unfurled a search warrant stamped with the royal seal. It was a clear warning: anyone who interfered would be arrested.

The manager raised his hands in surrender and motioned for them to proceed. At least, he hoped the guards wouldn’t just barge into rooms without cause.

Knock, knock.

“Excuse me. Did someone cough?”

But there was no response from inside. The manager cleared his throat and knocked on the next door—still nothing. There should have been a guard posted, yet no one answered.

Wait, did they even return from the arena last night?

Arena?

“Bring the master key.”

“Manager.”

“It’s fine. Hurry.”

News of the captain of the guard’s death had spread quickly overnight. The manager, who had been awake through the night, had heard it too. The problem was, he hadn’t connected that incident with the guest’s bodyguard.

Taking a deep breath, the manager opened the door.

Click!

“Gasp!”

He sucked in his breath in shock. The room was spotless, not a single bag left behind. On the small table lay only a napkin and a single gold coin.

“There’s something written on the napkin.”

“In the common tongue, manager!”

“Ah, yes, I’ll read it. It says… ‘Rest well. If the guards come looking for us, kindly tell them that we are indeed the ones they seek.’ …W-what? The bodyguard killed the captain of the guard? Unbelievable!”

The manager repeated in disbelief, but the guards only frowned and snatched the napkin away. It was crucial evidence.

“How many were there? What did they look like?”

“There were four. A middle-aged man who seemed like a noble, his two children—a brother and sister. The sister was blind. The bodyguard was a burly man with red hair.”

“Did you know they were mages?”

“Mages? All of them?”

“No idea. I only heard that some or all of them were spies from Bariel and also mages. You know the slave market was shut down, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Looks like they took something after dealing with the severed ears last night. Hmm, I’ll explain the details later. Follow me and give additional testimony.”

“Yes, sir! Oh, and the carriage they came in—we have it stored. You should move it too.”

The guards nodded and headed toward the carriage storage. With traces of the fugitives found, the Landers would be shut down for the time being.

Meanwhile, the manager carefully recorded the descriptions of the four people inside the carriage.

‘Hmm, so—’

A middle-aged man with brown hair and a beard; a boy with pale skin and beautiful blond hair; a woman whose face he hadn’t seen but whose posture was strikingly upright; and the ugly, red-haired bodyguard. Thinking back, it was quite an odd group.

“You’ll be reporting directly to His Majesty, so be thorough. It’d be good if you can sketch them.”

“Oh, luckily I can draw. Running the Landers requires some basic refinement.”

“Enough with the boasting. Just draw.”

The manager took up his pencil, hesitated for a moment, then carefully began sketching.

*    *    *

“So this is the portrait?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kumasha propped his chin on his hand and picked up the corner of the paper. Next to the crude drawing were detailed notes on hair color and the manager’s impressions. Not perfect, but what could be done? The boy muttered as he studied it.

“Could the veiled woman be a member of Barsabe? Did they mention her hair color?”

“No, she was wearing a veil.”

“Hmm. It’s strange to bring a blind member into Tolrun, especially near the royal palace. But on second thought, it might be a smart choice. Since she’s the same woman, she could help find Philia, and maybe provide clues about her blindness.”

He wasn’t asking for an answer—just thinking aloud to make sense of it.

According to the interpreter who survived the severed ears’ hideout, it was definitely Ian Hielo who took Philia away. They called each other mother and son. That meant they didn’t come from Bariel’s capital but had formed their group in Burgos.

“Ian Hielo and Barsabe. What was the other name? Ah, Beric! Yes, I remember Ian Hielo calling him that.”

Kumasha studied the paper, recalling faint memories. Beric was a man inside Agiar Castle, known for his fierce temper. A magic swordsman, likely part of the royal palace guard.

“I still don’t know who the last one is.”

The boy leaned back on the sofa, furrowing his brow. Mage? Magic swordsman? Or some other kind of gifted individual? As he pondered silently, the prime minister cautiously spoke.

“But Your Majesty, if Ian Hielo was indeed the cause of last night’s commotion, wouldn’t he have left Tolrun by now? Having achieved his goal, there’s no reason to stay.”

“I agree. I’ve heard that mages’ portals don’t always appear in the sky. It’s tricky, but someone like the Minister of Magic could go anywhere without issue. It’s likely they slipped away under cover of darkness.”

“There’s no need to risk staying here. Soon Bariel will officially raise objections and ignite the flames of war. We should prepare in advance. The fact they came directly from Burgos means they have evidence of the palace incident.”

“Philia herself must know, right?”

“Maybe. If she understands Tolrun’s language, she might have noticed. But since the severed ears had an interpreter, probably not.”

The prime minister raised his hand to calm the ministers. All good points, but the pressing issue was Tolrun’s defense system.

“It’s clear mages can enter Tolrun whenever they want. We must devise countermeasures. The palace is protected by sorcerers, but their power is of a different, transcendent kind.”

“We should hire mercenary mages.”

“There are only about five left in the capital. We need more talent. How about reopening the slave market and giving merchants work? The severed ears are all dead, and Philia can’t be found anymore, so keeping it closed is pointless.”

“I agree. I’ll make inquiries.”

“Also…”

Kumasha’s eyes narrowed. He considered the king’s silence a virtue, but it was frustrating to watch them debate among themselves.

The boy flicked his fingers, then suddenly stood and left the office. The ministers were startled, but the prime minister signaled it was fine and followed.

“Take a short break.”

“Oh, come on. With such a serious matter at hand.”

“Ahem. Have some tea.”

Creak.

Kumasha opened a room filled with countless dolls. Among the piles, he picked up one he knew well—a doll connected to Barsabe. The visual link was still active, but since Barsabe never removed the blindfold, it had been set aside for a long time.

Kumasha lightly clasped his hands and connected himself to the doll.

“Your Majesty.”

“Shh. I entrusted this to you and left. Don’t disturb me. I’m borrowing Barsabe’s eyes.”

Kumasha, who usually showed no emotion, remained silent as the prime minister watched his back. The young king’s brow twitched slightly.

“Hm?”

Still darkness. Nothing was visible. But something was different—the texture of the darkness. The cloth covering the eyes had changed, letting in a faint light.

“…!”

The boy startled, then his vision slowly cleared. He began to see ahead.

Before her stood Beric. Whether he knew Kumasha was watching, he raised his hand solemnly in greeting. Then, with a stiff gesture, he flipped her the middle finger, even sticking out his tongue in mockery.

“What’s the matter, Your Highness?”

“Not yet.”

“Huh?”

“They’re still in Toorun.”

Barsabea turned her head, then showed a piece of paper with neat Toorun script written on it.

—Prepare to die.

Snap!

Suddenly, her vision blurred and shook rapidly.

Kumasha’s eyes darted around, trying to get her bearings. The architecture was unmistakably Toorun style. Where was this? Why were they suddenly running? “Prepare to die”—was that a warning meant for her?

“Commander! To the underground!”

“What’s wrong, Your Highness?”

“Ian Hielo’s group is on the move! They’re relocating!”

At those words, the commander’s face went pale.

“Is there no one outside? Escort His Highness to the underground immediately!”

The girl furrowed her brow, focusing intently. Location. Finding their position was the priority. If she could pinpoint exactly where they were, piercing their hearts would be no problem. Had they left the Toorun capital? Surely not—

“Wow, the palace?”

Barsabea’s gaze landed on the royal palace. She was sprinting at superhuman speed, paying no mind to the stares around her. With her identity revealed, she was charging full force down the main road toward the palace.

“Damn it!”

If this continued, Barsabea would reach the palace before they could get her underground. Of course, there were mages guarding the palace, but without knowing the strength of the royal guard, the situation was unpredictable.

Kumasha tossed the Barsabea doll aside and moved to the desk, drawing a dagger.

“If she gets close, kill her.”

Recalling the path Barsabea had taken, the girl used her second sight to scan around the palace. Where was she? Where could she be? Barsabea!

Swish!

At that moment, a flash of blue hair caught her eye. It looked like Barsabea was leaping over the palace wall.

Detecting her target, Kumasha plunged the dagger into the doll with all her might.

Thud!

The blade sank deep, hitting the desk beneath.

Feeling her heart pounding wildly, Kumasha slowly lifted her head. Outside the window, everything remained peaceful. Only those inside the room were gripped by a formless terror, watching Kumasha intently.

“…Check outside. See if Barsabea’s body is there.”

Meanwhile, at that moment, Ian lowered his telescope. Barsabea exhaled sharply, leaning against the wall, while Filia embraced her with concern.

“Are you alright, Barsabea?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Barsabea lay sprawled out, gazing up at the protective barrier shielding them. Maintaining the illusionary clone as if it were her true self had drained a significant amount of her magic.

Still, it seemed they had learned what they wanted. Ian nodded with satisfaction as he marked something on the map.

“The king’s immediate response is limited to the palace grounds. To exert influence over the entire Toorun capital requires physical or temporal conditions. If they’ve prepared a stage as large as the whole capital, it’s certainly not inside the inhabited palace.”

It would have to be quite large. However, if it was beneath the palace, that might be possible. Since there was no sign of heightened alert when the magic swordsman approached, it seemed no one using magic was present.

‘Now that the mages’ intrusion is known, Bariel will strengthen security and defenses. But first, it’s best to identify their true strength.’

Having reached this conclusion, Ian nodded to Beric.

“Beric. It’s your turn now.”