Chapter 647

“Your Majesty!”

The urgent shout cut through the tense air.

Just as Eldert was lowering his glasses, he paused, puzzled. Then, the ground beneath them trembled. Something unusual was happening. The attendant, pale as a ghost, stammered nervously.

“One of the mages who had ventured into the Great Desert behind the palace has returned, Your Majesty. But… his condition is strange. You must see for yourself immediately.”

“One? Strange condition? And why would he return to the palace’s backyard instead of the Mage Department building?”

“I don’t know. It’s baffling… The palace mages are gathering now, so you should hurry…”

Frowning deeply, Eldert rose without hesitation.

The sudden return of a mage stirred quite a commotion inside the palace. Servants scurried about, and when they saw Eldert arrive, they dropped to the ground in respect.

As he approached the entrance to the backyard, he saw mages whispering among themselves, covering their mouths in shock.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Your Majesty… it’s…”

“…!”

In the center of the backyard, a mage lay on the ground, gasping for breath. His entire body had turned blackened and melted, his skin sagging and distorted. His eyes were bloodshot, pupils so deep they seemed bottomless—he looked less like a mage and more like a monster.

“Your Majesty.”

“Vitor? What about the other two?”

“They’re dead. Most likely.”

“‘Most likely’? And what happened to you—”

Vitor chuckled darkly, and suddenly, thick, dark blood poured from his mouth. The grass beneath him corroded instantly, releasing a horrid stench.

The mages from Luswena whispered to Eldert.

“It seems he used forbidden magic.”

“Exactly! Damn bad luck—he ran into a sandstorm there, too. Ugh.”

Forbidden magic.

A flash of the late Zaira’s grandmother crossed Eldert’s mind.

But she had died in that battle, hadn’t she? Her soul had been scattered by the blood magic, never to return. So why was this author still alive?

“Damn it!”

Irritated, Eldert convulsed briefly before forcing himself upright.

“Your Majesty Eldert. As you commanded, we annihilated Cheonryeo, and in the process, we also burned Hielo to the ground. We’ve fulfilled all your orders, so please grant us the promised reward—also on behalf of our fallen comrades.”

“Your Majesty.”

The courtiers called out to Eldert with bewildered expressions. Annihilating Cheonryeo was a clear order, yes. But burning Hielo as well? What kind of disaster was this?

Eldert motioned for calm and stepped closer to Vitor.

“Is it true you burned Hielo too?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself when I’m barely holding on. While sweeping through Cheonryeo, some fled to the Hielo border. Somehow, they sent scouts from Hielo. We decided quietly wiping out Cheonryeo alone wasn’t enough, so we took care of Hielo as well.”

Part of it was to honor the two mages who died alongside him. How dare those beastfolk—mere lowly humans—damage a mage’s body and then take their lives? If not for the sandstorm, it would have been unthinkable.

“What do you mean by ‘took care of’?”

“…Haah. We burned everything alive and tore down every standing wall. You can stake your claim however you want. Honestly, I’m running out of strength, so I wrapped it up quickly. Things got more complicated than expected. I’ll need at least 3,000 gold coins per person.”

That meant the mages were demanding at least 10,000 gold coins—a sum utterly unacceptable. Even if agreed upon, paying it all at once would be another problem.

As the courtiers began to protest, Eldert raised a hand to silence them.

“Of course.”

“Your Majesty!”

They all gasped, shooting him looks that screamed ‘Absolutely not!’ Eldert turned his head away from Vitor, signaling with his eyes that he understood.

“You did use forbidden magic, didn’t you? Then how are you still alive?”

“I wished not to die. Damn beast bastards. If you pay up, I’ll leave the palace immediately.”

Not dying, huh? Eldert’s eyes shifted subtly.

Zaira’s grandmother had wanted power strong enough to defeat Ian Hielo. But she ultimately fell into the abyss. So while this author may have escaped death for now, an end would come eventually.

“…Where will you go?”

“To the Mage’s Forest. I need to break this forbidden magic first. Damn, it hurts like hell.”

Break forbidden magic? Nonsense. The mages watched Vitor groan and sweat coldly, mocking him. To crave gold in such a state was despicable. They kept their distance, disgusted.

Vitor groaned, sweat pouring down his face.

“You heartless bastards. Come and put some magic into me.”

“…If you used forbidden magic, your mana reserves must be deep. Is that really necessary? Just rest and preserve yourself.”

“Such attitude. Fine. It’s not my problem. Your Majesty, what are you standing there for? Go get the gold coins!”

His body was in ruins, but his determination to get paid was strong. If he could break the forbidden magic here—or at least survive—it wouldn’t be a loss. Ten thousand gold coins was no small sum.

As Vitor shouted, a courtier hesitantly spoke up.

“Um, sorry, but we can’t pay ten thousand gold coins immediately. It’s a huge amount, so it’ll take at least a week—”

“What the hell are you saying? Can’t you see my condition?”

Vitor’s desperation was laced with venom. The courtier recoiled in fear. It was a warning: if their demands weren’t met, he might blow up the palace right then and there.

This was exactly why Eldert hadn’t refused the proposal outright. The actions of someone cornered were predictable.

“Vitor, raising your voice will only strain your body. Focus on recovery first. Even if we gave you all the gold now, could you even move?”

“Just give me gems or certificates.”

“Fine, that will do. But everything has its procedures. Even certificates take time. We’ll expedite it as much as possible to meet your demands. If you can’t wait, you may go to the Mage’s Forest first.”

“Are you crazy? I won’t take a single step outside the palace until my pockets are full.”

Once outside, the remaining mages could raise shields to block access. Holding the palace’s safety in their hands gave them the upper hand in negotiations.

“Until sunset today. That’s the deadline.”

“…That’s tight. Understood. Everyone, move out.”

Eldert nodded, signaling everyone to disperse. A few mages stayed to guard the backyard entrance, while the rest wiped their cold sweat and followed Eldert.

Tap tap!

Bang!

“Your Majesty, what should we do?”

“Ten thousand gold coins? Ha, unbelievable.”

“He looks like he’s about to die. Should we just give him a fake certificate?”

“No, that’s out of the question. Forging certificates would betray the trust of the mages still in the department. We must avoid deception, if only for their sake.”

“Exactly. There are still many mercenary mages. Even those from Luswena are motivated strongly by rewards like bonuses.”

“Good grief. Ten thousand gold coins isn’t some street dog’s name. We’ll have to pull from this year’s contingency fund.”

“We’re already spending heavily preparing for war. Most of the contingency fund has gone to dragons and the black-armored troops.”

As they entered the conference room, the courtiers argued heatedly. Eldert listened quietly, then spoke softly.

“…Summon the Minister of Defense. We will quickly mobilize the troops and advance into Hielo territory.”

This was their chance. According to the mages, Hielo—the first gate on the path to Barielo—was wide open.

Moreover, Hielo and Merellof were adjacent. If they could secure that route, they could easily draw Hawan into the conflict.

And most importantly—

“Hielo and Merellof are cut off from the central region by the Denba Mountains. Even if reinforcements were sent from the center, it would take too long to arrive. Capturing them swiftly while they’re vulnerable and turning them into Luswena strongholds is advantageous.”

“True, but relying solely on the mages’ word to send troops is risky.”

“Two mages are dead, and the remaining one had no choice but to use forbidden magic. We can be certain Cheonryeo is destroyed, and there’s no reason to doubt the report on Hielo.”

This was the perfect moment.

Eldert nodded, signaling he would not rescind the order. The black-armored troops and dragons were nearly ready. A little haste wouldn’t hurt.

“If we cut through the Mage’s Forest, we can reach Hielo by the shortest route.”

“Understood. I’ll fetch the Minister of Defense.”

Reluctantly, a courtier left the room to carry out the order.

Despite that, the murmurs in the council chamber refused to die down. “Completely dealing with Hielo? Fine, that’s settled. But the real problem is that there’s a single mage—practically a monster—right in the heart of the royal palace. If things go wrong, the palace could be destroyed before the war even begins.”

As other ministers tried to voice their concerns, Eldert raised a hand to silence them.

“We need to hurry and bring in the puppeteer who’s on their way down from Hawan.”

“A puppeteer?”

Whether mage or monster, controlling their will should make this a simple matter, right?

In fact, it might even work to our advantage. Since this puppeteer survived as a product of forbidden magic, they could prove invaluable against Bariel.

“But there’s still no word. We don’t even know if they’re truly heading toward Ruswena. It’s unlikely we can persuade them today—”

“Just issue a certificate. It’s something we can reclaim through the puppeteer. What’s the harm in that?”

“Yes, yes, but forbidden magic is uncharted territory. If our method fails, it could be disastrous.”

“That doesn’t matter. Securing the palace’s safety before the war is the priority. Considering Bariel’s value, ten thousand gold coins is a small price to pay.”

The ministers groaned but fell silent. Soon, they realized there was no alternative to Eldert’s plan. Reluctantly, they bowed in agreement.

“Understood, Your Majesty. We will arrange the funds immediately.”

“We’ll also begin inquiries about the puppeteer. Send a courier to Hawan at once. And instruct the palace guards to grant unconditional priority entry to anyone from Toolun.”

“Good. Carry out all orders.”

With Eldert’s approval, the ministers rose simultaneously and left the chamber. The war with Bariel was suddenly looming closer than ever.

‘I will repay the humiliation we suffered at Clipoford in full.’

Eldert glanced up at the bow of the late king hanging on the wall.

Perhaps it was this vow that made Eriphoni think he was admirable. A few hours later, Eldert received very welcome news.

Tap, tap, tap!

“Your Majesty, news has arrived that the puppeteer from Toolun has reached the capital, Elbasa. They should be entering the palace within the next couple of hours!”