Episode 650
Endless stretches of lush greenery.

Ian felt the breeze and scanned the distant horizon. The Mage’s Forest was far larger and denser than he had imagined. Aside from the occasional mountain bird flying overhead, there was no sign of life.

From below, Beric pushed through the underbrush, shouting loudly.

“Ian! See anything?”

“No. Nothing at all.”

“How did Zaira even survive in a place like this?”

“There must be a separate entrance and a path. The border area probably hasn’t been developed because no one travels there.”

Ian said this as he lightly landed on the ground. He could have gone straight to the royal palace, but if the Luswena forces entered Hielo by another route in the meantime, it would be disastrous.

The best plan was to use this forest as a base to first intercept Luswena’s vanguard, then carefully track and eliminate their movements step by step.

Anyone bearing the name Luswena would never set foot on Bariel’s land. Ian swore this to himself.

“The forest is too thick to see from above. We’ll have to find a path from below.”

“So, you want me to hack through the undergrowth even harder?”

“Smart.”

Beric grinned and swiftly sliced through the tree trunks, clearing a path. Then he suddenly asked,

“But why are we looking for the village where the mages lived?”

Waiting here for Luswena’s vanguard? That made sense. But why search for the village Zaira once lived in?

Ian followed slowly behind Beric, scanning for any traces, and spoke.

“If the mages returned to Luswena, they must have a full understanding of Hielo’s current situation.”

“Yeah, right? They probably reported everything in detail. But didn’t you say the mages used forbidden magic? Wouldn’t they be dead?”

“Death itself could be a report. It means the battle in Hielo wasn’t easy, so we can predict the situation at the border from that.”

In reality, they were completely wiped out, but Luswena could interpret it that way.

That left them with only one option: before reinforcements from the center arrive, they would launch an all-out war following the mages’ lead.

Especially Hielo and Merelrof—key strategic points that must be passed before advancing to the center. Whether they could capture these two territories would decide the war’s outcome.

“So, whether Hielo fought well or not, once the mages returned like that, Luswena has no choice but to attack quickly?”

“Exactly. Luswena will throw everything they have at us. There’s no better opportunity. They believe the king and I are in Kalamath. And they have mages, black-armored soldiers, and dragons.”

That’s why they were searching for the mages’ base. Zaira and her family probably packed up before fleeing to Bariel, but their village was tied to Luswena’s history. Something must have been left behind.

“If Luswena’s new mages passed through here, it’s even more important to know what’s here.”

“I see. Still don’t really get it.”

“…If you don’t understand, get into the habit of memorizing.”

“Fine, fine! I’m working hard—cutting through the branches!”

Ian wondered how many mages there were. He had a rough idea of the number of dragons and black-armored soldiers, but the mages were the wild card. Were they so loyal to Luswena that they’d use forbidden magic? Or was there another reason, like Zaira’s grandmother?

Ian was confident even if a dozen mages came, but forbidden magic was a different matter. Once that came into play, things got complicated.

“No more mistakes from now on.”

Not a single blade of grass in Bariel would be crushed by the enemy’s hand. He would protect the smiles of everyone who had faced him.

“Huh?”

Finally, a path worthy of the name appeared—a fork in the road. Ian chose the southern direction toward Luswena’s capital, and it was the right choice. Soon, they found a quaint village of small huts.

The roofs were covered with moss and vines, and the walls made of oak. Here and there, signs showed that someone had practiced drawing magic circles.

“Oh, it’s smaller than I thought.”

“Let’s look around, Beric. Over there.”

“I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I’ll check if there’s any food.”

Beric took charge of the residential area, while Ian inspected what seemed to be public facilities. The place looked hastily abandoned—papers and objects scattered across the floor.

Through a half-open drawer, Ian spotted magic stones and various potions used for research. Nothing particularly special, it seemed…

Creak.

A wall panel shifted slightly. Ian pulled it open like a door, revealing a hidden basement. The musty smell of old paper mixed with earth hit him all at once.

He stepped inside slowly and picked up a particularly glossy book.

—Advice for Those Who Follow the Gods

“This was published by the Karbo Temple.”

The sacred temple of Bariel, where Jin was born and where the faith from Roberside began. It wasn’t far from here.

Judging by the book’s condition, it was at least a hundred years old. Ian dusted it off and carefully flipped through the pages.

Rustle.

It was a kind of manual outlining the mindset and rules for priests. Since “following the gods” was a shared trait, it seemed Luswena’s mages had studied this book.

Ian skimmed through until he found a passage underlined by someone else and focused on it.

—…In the eyes of the gods, the greatest achievement a human body can reach is love, and the only way to embody love is through sacrifice. Every act involving sacrifice carries the gods’ permission. Even if it challenges their authority.

Rustle.

—…To sacrifice oneself is a paradox, like burning ice. If these two words come together in your mind, take a deep breath and face your inner self. Is it truly sacrifice, or is it greed?

What could this mean? Ian frowned, feeling like he almost understood but not quite. He flipped through the rest but found nothing else noteworthy.

He tore out the marked page and folded it into his pocket, then searched the basement thoroughly. Most things were neatly organized, suggesting Zaira and her family hadn’t had time to care for this place when they fled.

“Iaaan!”

Suddenly, Beric’s shout came from outside. Ian stepped out to see him looking up at the sky, ears twitching as if sensing something.

“What’s going on?”

“…Something’s coming. I can hear it.”

His ears kept twitching.

Ian lowered his stance, hiding their presence. Who else but them would be searching an abandoned village? His gut told him this wasn’t good.

Soon, the source of the noise became clear.

“…!”

What Beric heard wasn’t the earth shaking, but the flow of the open sky. Between the thick leaves, they sensed something darting back and forth, then looked up.

Huge wings, blue scales, incredible speed…

“A dragon.”

Whoosh!

A piercing screech!

The dragon’s scales blended with the surroundings, making it hard to see clearly, but its agility was unmistakable. It was definitely sent out for reconnaissance.

The dragon circled the Mage’s Forest several times, then turned back the way it came. It was retreating.

“Ian, what do we do? Should we catch it—”

Beric looked at Ian but suddenly froze.

“Ian?”

Ian’s eyes flashed, shining like a predator spotting its prey.

Without breaking eye contact with the dragon, Ian took a few slow steps forward, then suddenly unleashed a burst of magic and soared into the sky.

Ziiing, ziiing!

Boom!

“Ian!”

It happened in an instant. Beric tried to follow but didn’t dare get close. He just watched with his mouth agape. Damn it!

Swish!

Ian flew behind the dragon, gathering a powerful magic sphere with both hands. The dragon sensed his presence and changed course, but Ian ignored it and accelerated, closing the distance.

Then—

Bang! Bang!

Kyaaaak!

Bright flames exploded several times against the clear sky.

The dragon lunged at Ian, baring sharp fangs. Ian clenched his teeth and thrust his fist toward the dragon’s mouth. Just as the dragon tried to snap him up—

‘Idgal.’

Hundreds of sharp Idgal needles shot out, piercing the dragon’s head. Unlike its tough, scaled body, the inside of its mouth was soft flesh—its only weak spot.

Ian kept generating Idgal needles without pause. Pierced by nearly infinite needles, the dragon finally crashed into the forest.

Boom!

The heavy body shook the entire forest. Beric ran toward the fallen dragon to check its condition.

“Whoa, it’s dead before it even hit the ground. Ian, you okay?”

Ian just brushed the dragon’s blood off his sleeve, looking unharmed.

“I’m fine. Looks like a young one.”

“Yeah. Not quite like Kkueh.”

Definitely a scout. And only one. If there had been more, Ian would’ve been in trouble. Beric looked up at Ian, leaving the limp dragon behind.

“But if this was a scout, now that it’s dead, the others will notice something’s wrong in the Mage’s Forest.”

“Yeah, probably.”

Muttering to himself, Ian neatly rolled up his sleeves and then lifted his gaze toward a patch of sky, as if preparing for some solemn ritual.

Berrick, clueless, just blinked a few times before scrambling up the tallest oak tree to peer in the same direction Ian was watching. His eyes narrowed.

Something was visible in the distance.

“What’s that? What is that?”

“A dragon.”

“Hmm. Yeah, that looks about right.”

“And black-armored knights, too.”

“Really? Oh, those bastards. Well, well, fancy seeing you.”

Three dragons were flying in, each ridden by a knight clad in black armor, gripping their mounts like beasts.

Ian lightly brushed off his hands and surveyed the surroundings. Behind him stretched nothing but desert. Below lay the Mage’s Forest. To the front and sides, thick reeds swayed in the midsummer heat.

‘An aerial battle… three dragons. And three black-armored knights.’

Not absolutely necessary, but having Berrick’s help would make things easier.

After a moment’s thought, Ian descended and scanned the area. Then, standing amid the dense oaks, he dropped to one knee.

“Ian, what are you doing?”

“Shh.”

Ian raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Berrick immediately zipped his mouth shut. When Ian says hush, you hush!

The forest was still, save for the distant sound of massive wings beating steadily closer. Ian remained calm, and Berrick understood what he was about to do.

“Ian, they’re coming.”

“Yeah.”

As the dragons passed overhead, Ian swiftly conjured an Idgal.

A massive net stretching out from the earth. Golden, slender strands of Idgal wove between the trees, soaring into the sky, quickly forming a tight mesh.

Whoosh!

The flying dragons and black-armored knights faltered in surprise, but it was already too late. They had no choice but to drop altitude to avoid the descending Idgal net.

To be precise, they were caught in the net and forced downward. The dense trees on either side and the mysterious golden web above severely restricted their flight.

“W-what is this?”

“Hey, are you okay? It’s Idgal!”

“Idgal? Why all of a sudden…?”

As they swung their swords, trying to tear through the Idgal net, an unfamiliar sound caught their attention.

Rustle!

The swift movement of a beast darting through the underbrush. The black-armored knights looked around, confused, then simultaneously locked eyes and shouted:

“Behind you!”

‘Behind us?’

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Ian and Berrick, hidden in the bushes, launched themselves forward, unleashing their magic. From Berrick’s grip blazed a red-hot magic sword; from Ian’s, a radiant Idgal blade shimmered.

“Berrick!”

“Got it!”

The weak spot of the black-armored knights was their heads. Gritting their teeth, Ian and Berrick closed in and swung their swords with all their might.

The knights instinctively parried, and the dragons thrashed wildly, shaking their bodies in panic.

Kraaaang! Bang! Bang!

A mighty gust tore through the forest, snapping massive oaks like twigs. Mushroom clouds billowed, and gray smoke blanketed the sky.

Meanwhile, far away, Martin, the Minister of Defense for Luswena, frowned deeply as he observed the scene through his telescope.