Episode 631

The royal palace guards charged forward, gripping their long spears tightly. Their faces were etched with a mix of confusion and tension, caught off guard by the sudden alarm.

An enemy invasion right in the capital where the palace stood—not at the border, but here. For those born and raised in Toallun, this was a first. Clutching their weapons, they moved swiftly toward the palace’s front and back gates.

“Left side! Check for any bodies!”

“None here!”

“None here either!”

They had been told enemy corpses would be scattered somewhere along the walls, but all they saw were frightened townsfolk. Hoping to find any trace—bloodstains or the like—the guards spread out evenly, scanning the walls carefully.

“W-what’s going on?”

“Stand back. We’re on duty and can’t answer questions.”

“Good grief. The whole country’s been in chaos since last night.”

“Something’s definitely wrong. There’s no doubt about it.”

The slave market’s closure, a fire that swallowed an entire building, the alarm signaling an invasion, and now the palace guards mobilizing. The residents tried to calm each other, urging everyone to return home, but the atmosphere quickly grew chaotic.

“No bodies found. Report back!”

“Yes, understood, s-Sergeant—”

BOOM! CRASH!

Just as the guards saluted, a deafening roar shook the ground. Dust and sand whipped up on the wind, and people shielded their faces, crouching low.

“Ah!”

Where was that commotion coming from? The guards waved their hands to clear their view—and to their shock, spotted a man standing right in the middle of the main road leading to the palace gates.

Red hair, imposing build, a fierce scowl…

“Ah!”

One of the wanted men! The guards blew their whistles sharply, and archers climbed the walls, nocking arrows.

Beric raised both hands leisurely and began walking slowly toward the palace.

“Stop right there!”

“I’d like to, but I’ve got some business to attend to first.”

Swish! Clang!

Suddenly, sharp attacks flew toward Beric’s head—magic from the palace’s puppeteers. Whether they belonged to the king or not, the barrage threatened to pierce his skull at any moment.

Clang! Ping!

But the guards soon realized the transparent barrier protecting Beric was a wave of energy rippling through the air.

Beric shrugged, lamenting his fate.

“Guess this is just how my luck goes. Always gotta take the hits myself. Anyway, before this thing breaks, how about you pass along a message for me?”

“W-what—”

“Give me Philia.”

“Huh?”

“Philia. The mother of Ian Hielo, Minister of Magic in the Bariel Empire. Your king’s puppeteers kidnapped her, right? We’re here to get her back, so hurry up.”

Crack!

The attacks kept coming, and the shield began to crack. If Ian or Hail were nearby, they could recharge the magic, but from this distance, there was no way. Better to get this done and dusted before my head gets split open.

“Tell your king to hand over Philia, Ian Hielo’s mother. Or we’ll make it an official issue, get the emperor’s seal, and come back with a bang. When that happens, this place will be a mess. Better to settle this peacefully, don’t you think?”

Beric nodded, but the guards only tightened their grip on their weapons, their faces blank with confusion. What could these low-ranking soldiers understand? They reinforced their perimeter around Beric, while the townsfolk held their breath, watching silently.

“Wow, what’s the palace got to do with this?”

“They say they kidnapped the Minister of Magic’s mother, but does that even make sense? Why mess with Bariel…”

“Do you really believe that? He looks like a common thug to me!”

Beric listened to the murmurs, grinning to himself. At least he’d succeeded in spreading the word so the palace couldn’t cover things up. There wasn’t enough time to work through back-alley rumors, and besides, hadn’t the palace already noticed their presence? Ian said making a scene like this right out in the open would be more effective.

“Alright, enough. Step aside. I’m going in to talk.”

“You bastard! Who do you think you are, barging in here like this?”

“Don’t move! Not a single step!”

“Nope.”

Beric took a deliberate step forward. The guards charged, shouting, but he easily held them off without even releasing his magic.

“Such an easy target. Tsk, tsk. Your head!”

Bam!

“Ahhh!”

“Shut your mouth!”

“Ugh, oof!”

“Your gut!”

Smack!

The guards staggered back, clearly no match for someone playing with them like a toy. It was obvious he wasn’t in his right mind. As they hesitated, the palace gates swung open, and a massive torrent of water burst forth.

“…!”

“Lady Banusa!”

It was Banusa, the elemental mage. Though her spirits hadn’t fully recovered from battling the fire the day before, the situation left her no choice but to intervene.

Banusa formed a wall of water, isolating Beric and the townsfolk inside a giant dome. Trapped within the watery prison, Beric’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Oh? Looks like we’ve got a fighter.”

“You’re insolent and arrogant. Do you know where you are? I am Banusa, Chief Water Elementalist of the royal palace. Kneel before the majesty of Toallun’s palace guard.”

“Yeah, right.”

Her eyes narrowed at his crude reply. Could this really be the palace’s magic swordsman? Unbelievable.

“How dare you speak of majesty in front of Bariel? I’ll say it again: return our Philia. Ian Hielo’s mother, the Minister of Magic’s mother, Philia!”

“…What nonsense is this?”

Banusa’s mind twisted in confusion. It seemed almost certain the palace had ordered Philia’s kidnapping, but hadn’t Ian Hielo taken her? Setting fire to the Cutthroat’s den and all. So why was this man demanding Philia’s return?

Could it be that Ian Hielo and this guy had been acting separately in Toallun? That’s why the fact Philia ended up with Ian hadn’t been shared?

“I can hear your brain working from here!”

“…Shut your filthy mouth. And as for Philia, we know nothing.”

Despite the apparent truth, the official stance was clear: deny everything and pretend ignorance. The palace must conceal the fact that they kidnapped the Minister’s mother at all costs.

“Got any proof?”

Banusa lifted her chin. The puppeteer who first took Philia was probably rotting somewhere outside Toallun. The Cutthroat who handed her over had died at Ian Hielo’s hands. Who could possibly link the palace to Philia’s kidnapping?

Beric laughed, pointing a finger as if he’d expected this.

“Then why was the slave market shut down? Why were you hunting the Cutthroat? Didn’t losing Philia put you in hot water? What, you gonna cover your eyes and bark?”

“…We’re just trying to save face. And the palace searched for the Cutthroat because of intelligence about their illegal activities that could cause diplomatic issues. We didn’t know it was connected to Bariel. Closing the slave market was part of that response.”

“Oh, so that’s your story? Well, we have proof.”

“What proof?”

Thanks to Astana’s mage, Katimako, they could confirm the scene of Philia’s kidnapping. Since the puppeteers belonged to the palace, exposing their identity was only a matter of time. But Beric shouted, flipping his eyelids in mockery.

“Not telling you now!”

“…Is this guy crazy?”

“But I’m willing to tell your king myself! So open the gates and hand over Philia. I’m getting hungry.”

Banusa clenched her teeth, trying to keep calm. She was about to deny Philia’s presence again when someone placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

“Banusa.”

“…Ardo.”

“Shh. Don’t engage any further.”

It was Ardo, eldest son of the fire elemental family. Narrowing his eyes, he whispered.

“You just made a mistake. You acknowledged the Cutthroat caused diplomatic problems under the palace’s name. The Cutthroat are bandits, but they operate in Toallun. This could be grounds to hold the palace responsible for Philia’s kidnapping.”

“But—”

“Yes, I know. It was the best option. But even that best option is a sword pointed at Toallun.”

If they claimed Ian Hielo took Philia, the others would demand proof. That would inevitably reveal the boy who translated in the Cutthroat’s den—he knew too much. He knew the palace had ordered Philia’s kidnapping.

“Besides, the boy’s already been dealt with. We can’t say the Minister took Philia. Saying so would be admitting we know everything.”

Still, could they keep pretending ignorance? Whether true or not, their loud claims of proof showed they had a second plan ready.

Ardo and Banusa looked down at Beric in unison.

“It’s a trap. The more you get involved, the deeper you sink.”

Even though there was clear evidence that Toolun had kidnapped Philia, they couldn’t return her. That alone was a blatant cause for war. Toolun, forced to give back what they never had, would face an outright diplomatic defeat.

In this situation, there was only one option.

“Let’s finish this. Cleanly.”

Ardo muttered as he summoned his spirit. A towering pillar of fire erupted within the waves. Beric looked up, shading his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Strong start. Nice and warm. But is that all you’ve got guarding the Toolun palace?”

Instead of answering, the two combined their strength and lunged at Beric. Alongside the relentless attacks from the puppeteer, the spirits’ powers sliced sharply, tearing through the air.

Beric, too, unleashed his magic and drew his sword.

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Whoosh! Boom!

The guards ducked low amid the swirling flames, rushing water, and clouds of dust. But Beric met the flying attacks head-on, warning them.

“Watch closely! If I don’t block this, the palace gates are going flying!”

“Shut up!”

“Fine. I’ll shut up and take you on!”

Clang!

Beric lightly parried the two spirit mages’ strikes with his blade. Then, with a wide swing, he sent a burst of fire toward the faint outline of the palace gates.

Whoosh!

Vanusa raised a wall of water to block it, but in that moment, the spirit revealed itself—exhausted. At the same time, the water barrier collapsed, spilling everywhere. The townsfolk panicked, drenched by the sudden flood, and scattered in all directions.

Kkki-gi-giik!

Meanwhile, Beric and Ardo’s swords clashed in a tense standoff. Beric tilted his head in confusion, then whispered under his breath.

“Man, this guy’s a bigger loser than I thought.”

“…!”

Whoosh!

As flames roared fiercely around the enraged Ardo, something dark appeared in the sky. Beric clicked his tongue in disappointment and sheathed his sword. Then, with a smirk, he flipped up his middle fingers with both hands and leapt into the air.

“Iaaan!”

Thwack!

A small boy caught him. Though far away and hard to see clearly, his shining blond hair stood out. Beric kept waving his fingers in farewell.

“Take care, losers! I’ll be back soon with the emperor’s seal! Byeee!”

The mage’s portal—the so-called Black Moon passage—was their escape route. By the time Ardo realized it, they had already vanished without a trace. Only the clear blue sky remained, as if nothing had happened.

“Damn it…”

Vanusa muttered, glancing back at the half-destroyed palace gates, then turned to Ardo.

“…How many got away just now?”

“I don’t know. It all happened too fast.”

Bang!

Vanusa sank to the ground, clutching his head in frustration. Then, with a sharp glare toward the palace, he asked silently: Does the king even realize what he’s done?

With a furious step, Vanusa turned on his heel and strode away.