Chapter 661
A Temporary Retreat
Following Ian’s orders, the mages slowly began to rise. They staggered forward step by step, clutching each other’s arms, supporting one another’s waists, and sharing their magical energy.
The power I had given saved one comrade, who in turn saved another. That strength then circled back, ultimately saving itself.
They were one life—a cycle that would continue endlessly, bound by fate as brothers-in-arms.
“Beric!”
Nakina, riding her dragon, lowered her altitude and shouted toward Beric. Understanding the situation, Beric nodded and swiftly climbed onto the dragon’s back. Together, they reached down to grab the mages who couldn’t fly or were badly injured.
Thwack!
“Grab them! We’re pulling back!”
Ian watched as the mages gradually departed, stepping back slowly. A sharp crack echoed—Idgal, the barrier imprisoning the forbidden mage, began to fracture.
Even a power that counters magic can’t perfectly contain forbidden magic. There are limits.
Shhhhhh!
Still, it was a relief. Earlier, when facing two of them, it was too dangerous to even use Idgal. But now, it was possible.
With almost no strain on his mana, Ian continuously generated a massive Idgal barrier, ensuring the mages could safely cross the Luswena border.
“Ian.”
Hail grabbed Ian’s sleeve with a bloodied hand. He said nothing, but the worry etched on his face was unmistakable.
He feared that, like himself, Ian might be willing to make “some sacrifice” for the magic division—that he might stay behind alone to cover the retreat.
“There’s no need to worry.”
Ian said calmly, turning with Hail.
The mages ahead all looked back at Ian and Hail, their eyes silently asking, Are you all keeping up? We’re not the only ones leaving, right?
When Ian leapt into the air, they finally relaxed and focused forward.
Whoosh—
A sandstorm whipped across the desert. The portal had vanished without a trace, but the stains of the foul water it had spilled were clear.
They cut through the scorching desert winds and crossed the Luswena border. Though unspoken, they all shared the same destination.
The Hielo Estate.
Just before crossing the border, Ian glanced back one last time. Thankfully, no forbidden mages pursued them. Their enemies must have agreed to a truce.
When we return…
I’ll show them what true finality means.
With that vow, Ian flew after the mages.
A little later—
In the distance, the ruined Hielo estate stood silently.
Thwack.
“Ow, that hurts.”
“Ugh, I’m exhausted. Let me lie down for a moment.”
“Who was bleeding earlier?”
“Captain Hail?”
“No, not the captain. Wait—hey, I’m bleeding here too.”
As soon as the mages landed on the grass of the Hielo estate, they collapsed flat on their backs, rolling over like ragdolls. No exaggeration—they were utterly spent, both physically and mentally.
Sniffle…
One mage, staring up at the blue sky, couldn’t hold back tears. Soon, sobs and sniffles echoed here and there.
Captain Hail had tried to use forbidden magic—right in front of them. That shocking image wouldn’t leave their minds.
Thud.
Hail landed lightly on the grass, and the mages scrambled to their feet, rushing to him. Their tear-streaked, snotty, and bloodied faces made for a pitiful sight.
Without a word of apology, Hail gently patted those clinging to him.
“Sniffle, sob…”
“Captain, that was really too much.”
“You shouldn’t have done that. A captain can’t do that.”
Though they scolded him through tears, deep down they understood his choice, which only made their despair worse.
They were called the closest to the gods, wielders of divine power. Even united, they were insignificant before the forbidden mage—unable to even scratch him. The sense of defeat was overwhelming.
“…The apologies and thanks are ours to give, Captain.”
“I’m sorry for making you choose that path. And thank you. We know you did it for us.”
“But it can’t be. Even if it means we all die, forbidden magic is off-limits. It’s a curse that shatters the soul.”
“Right, Hail.”
Ian approached with a sigh, his face unusually pale. He looked drained from facing the forbidden mage.
But his steps were steady, and his tone firm as he wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand and addressed the mages.
“As long as I’m here, forbidden magic is absolutely forbidden. This applies not only to Captain Hail but to everyone with me.”
Engrave this deeply in your hearts. Even if not now, this will be a vow passed down to Bariel a hundred years from now.
“You will die in peace, and I will live for that. So for my sake, and for Bariel’s, do not give up on yourselves. That burden is mine. If you fall, I will shatter.”
It was a heartfelt plea.
Hail exhaled softly and nodded.
“…I’m sorry. I was thoughtless.”
“No, it’s okay. You were able to turn back.”
The mages embraced one another tightly, sharing deep hugs. They were alive. They were here. Together. That alone was comfort.
Creak.
“Enough with the crying and fussing. How long are you going to keep this up? Come inside already.”
At that moment, Beric opened the door wide and called them in. Though some decorations were broken, the house was still intact enough to serve as a temporary shelter.
“That guy has no sense of emotion or tact.”
“Better alive than dead. Everyone, follow me. Looks like Hena left some food and healing supplies.”
“Hena? Who’s that?”
“She’s the housekeeper here.”
The mages trailed after Beric into the estate. Though worn and broken in places, the place still exuded a certain old-world charm.
Some mages showed surprise—not at the beauty, but because they had lived in the palace and weren’t used to such surroundings.
“This is Ian’s estate?”
“Ian, did you grow up here? Oh, you’re still young now. Sorry.”
“I heard Beric lived here too.”
“Yeah, I used the room on the second floor.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. I can’t believe this is Ian’s place. I thought you always stayed in a small office room or at Romand’s estate. This is so fancy, it’s surprising.”
“Everyone, follow me to the parlor!”
Though it had been a long time, Beric still remembered the layout. He led the mages to the parlor and pulled out a box Hena had left behind.
Inside were neatly packed essentials for survival. For the Hielo survivors, or just in case Ian and Beric returned.
“Alright, those with cuts and wounds, come here first. Nakina! You got the biggest stab wound on your back, right?”
“Take it easy. If you hurt me, I’ll kill you.”
“Then just go home. Hey! The hungry ones, have some jerky.”
“Wow, Beric actually told us to eat first?”
“Why else? He saved his own share.”
“Eat up, seriously. Or you’ll die.”
They treated each other’s wounds and shared food, resting.
Ian wiped the blood from his face with a wet towel and leaned back on the sofa, exhausted.
“Ian, are you alright?”
“Facing two forbidden mages alone and holding out like that was incredible. But…”
One mage hesitated, as if having made a decision.
“Ian, may I speak frankly about our situation?”
“Anything.”
Ian nodded, still holding the wet towel. Perhaps from the release of tension, he barely had the strength to respond.
“To be honest, we have limits. We never expected Luswena to use forbidden magic. This means, in some way, the enemy is always one step ahead of us.”
What does it mean to be one step ahead? It means that over the past decade, Luswena’s mages have grown stronger.
While Bariel’s mages were split north and south, they hid Idgal, hired mercenary mages, and developed black armor technology—strengthening their nation.
“We’ve certainly trained hard too, but this time, we were clearly defeated. That’s undeniable.”
“True enough. Even with Torlun’s interference, we couldn’t lay a finger on the forbidden mage.”
“It felt like a different dimension. Maybe the source of their power changed.”
“Besides that, Luswena’s mages seemed pretty skilled. Most of their spells were at least intermediate level, right?”
“Yeah. Some thanks to forbidden magic, but even so, you can’t cast spells you don’t know. Especially the mercenaries—they come from all over, with different backgrounds and experience. Their movements felt completely different.”
The mages nodded in agreement, each adding their thoughts.
Accepting defeat brought a strange sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from their hearts. Lightening the mind—that, they vaguely realized, was the very first step toward moving forward.
“There are probably many factors, but I think Captain Akorella relied too heavily on potions. They’re effective for temporarily boosting magic power, but that reliance made her complacent. She hardly practiced expanding her mana.”
“If Captain Akorella heard that, she’d probably foam at the mouth.”
“It’s not the potions themselves that are the problem,” the mage said, “it’s that I depended on them too much. That’s the real issue.”
One by one, the others began to speak up, reflecting on their own shortcomings.
“I kept using the same spells over and over.”
“Yeah, me too. When I tried casting Haste earlier after a long time, I got all flustered. I thought I’d misread the magic circle.”
“Nakina got cut by Idgal twice, didn’t she?”
“Right. She got hit from behind. We should’ve kept shields up on our backs, too.”
They started reviewing their mistakes—not to beat themselves up, but to patch up their weaknesses quickly and prepare for the next battle.
They might not grow by leaps and bounds overnight, but as long as they didn’t repeat the same errors, they’d be better than before.
“If I grow stronger, my comrades won’t get hurt. If I become their pillar, they won’t have to sacrifice themselves.”
Once this war was over, I’ll train like crazy and draw closer to the gods.
Beric, who had been quietly listening beside them, suddenly asked with a puzzled look.
“Wait, what was that? Didn’t you say something about how magic users can level up, like how sword mages break through their bloodlines or something?”
“Sword mage, where do you pick up these things?”
“Beric, unlike you, we don’t break through bloodlines or anything like that. It’s more accurate to say we expand our capacity.”
“No, I’m pretty sure I saw it in the Mage’s Forest…”
Ian frowned, lowering his damp towel.
“Beric, you haven’t even come down to the library.”
“Not the books—I saw something weird in a drawer.”
“What weird thing?”
“Exactly—that’s why I don’t know what it was.”
The mages narrowed their eyes, and a brief silence fell. Beric scratched the spot between his nose and upper lip, looking sheepish.
“…Should I go back and get it?”