Chapter 667

“Wait a moment, Ian!”

Just as Ian was about to swallow the orb, a mage suddenly raised his hand.

“Who’s supposed to swallow the other one?”

Everyone else nodded in agreement, acknowledging the valid point. The mage continued, “According to the explanation, three people are needed in total. And above all, the balance of the three powers has to be somewhat even for safety. Even if Captain Hale is one, none of us are suitable candidates.”

Compared to Ian, Hale’s magical depth was still lacking, and if an ordinary mage swallowed an orb and tried to participate in forming the magic circle, no one could guarantee what might happen.

Ian hesitated, pulling the orb slightly away from his mouth.

“What if I swallow two?”

If Ian took on the roles of two people, the center of power would rise higher, potentially making it more stable. But it was dangerous. One orb was already worrisome—two, alone?

“Absolutely not!”

“That’s impossible!”

Boom!

The mages suddenly erupted in outrage, springing to their feet. Papers scattered across the floor fluttered in the commotion, and Ian’s eyes widened. One after another, the mages grabbed Ian’s wrist, holding onto the orb in his hand.

“What are you saying?”

“Yes, we absolutely can’t allow that!”

“If Ian is going to swallow both, then it’s better—!”

Better what?

Ian’s eyes narrowed. He knew exactly what words were on the tip of their tongues. Gently, he grasped the backs of their hands and spoke quietly.

“I know this is suspicious. I know the risks are huge. But right now, I see no other way.”

The Ruswena mages seemed to be completely under the puppet master’s control. Even if there were limits to using forbidden magic, the worst-case scenario was predictable: all of them falling into forbidden magic.

If that happened, Ian alone couldn’t stop it.

“I have two choices. One is to stand by and watch you all fall off the cliff into forbidden magic. The other is to find a new solution. As I said, I will never accept the first. So I will swallow the orbs. Even if it causes me serious harm, the outcome won’t be much different.”

Whether he swallowed the orbs or not, Ian’s future was the same: risk.

Whether that risk came from swallowing the orbs or facing the forbidden mages alone was a matter of choice. But wouldn’t it be wiser to bet on the option with even a slight chance?

“…But still.”

“Why not call Captain Akorella from the mines and have her analyze the components? She’ll be here soon.”

“I forbid it.”

“Huh? Why?”

Tolrun had noticed that most of the mages, including Ian, had left Kalamath.

Jin must have grasped the situation as well—and realized his own safety was at risk. Akorella was probably already on her way to Kalamath, summoned by Jin. Though she alone wouldn’t be enough.

Still, Jin stayed behind because he trusted Ian.

He couldn’t take Akorella away from the emperor, who was barely holding on while waiting for news of Ian. For safety, the mages remaining with the emperor had to guard Kalamath.

“…And above all, I can feel it.”

Ian looked back at Hale. His golden eyes shone brighter and clearer than ever before. There was no trace of sinister energy—only pure divine power.

Whoever the Eastern mage who created this was, they must have reached the level of a sage.

“Then I’ll swallow two.”

Hale made his decision. He picked up the remaining orb and nodded at Ian.

“If someone has to swallow two, it should be me. Ian, please wait.”

“Captain! Wait!”

“No, spit it out! Spit it out!”

But it was too late. Without hesitation, Hale swallowed the second orb. He had already accepted death when he decided to use forbidden magic. If there was a way forward, he was willing to do anything.

A brilliant golden light burst forth!

An overwhelming magical power flowed from Hale, unlike anything felt before. The mages who had been shaking him to spit it out froze. When he clenched his fist, golden energy dissipated through his fingers.

“C-Captain Hale, are you alright?”

“…I feel good.”

“G-Good? Really? Are you sure you’re not hallucinating or something?”

“No, really. I’m fine.”

He was in better condition than ever before.

When he let out a faint smile, the mages relaxed and smiled quietly. With crazy commanders like these, not a single day passed without their hearts racing.

“It feels similar to when I took Akorella’s magic amplifier. I don’t know much, but it seems Eastern mages are quite skilled.”

“They’d love to hear you say that in front of Akorella.”

“Hmm. I’ll think about it.”

Even joking around—amid the mages’ astonishment, Ian followed Hale and swallowed the orb.

Like Hale, pure golden magic wrapped around his body. The mages stepped back, clasping hands as they watched the two leaders.

Rustle!

“Ah! Ah!”

“The papers! The papers!”

Suddenly, the white sheets inside the box lifted and unfurled.

The endlessly expanding paper quickly covered an entire wall. Ian and Hale reached out simultaneously. Black ink slowly spread from their fingertips.

Swoosh!

“Ian!”

“Hale, it’s alright. Stay calm.”

From deep within his chest, Ian felt something stirring. He gently reassured the startled Hale not to worry.

Splash! Splash!

The ink, heavily soaked with water, spread endlessly over the thin paper. The mages, unfamiliar with Eastern hanji paper and ink, watched in wonder as the lines traced themselves.

“Huh? The speed is slowing.”

The spreading lines slowed and seemed about to stop. Ian instinctively knew this was where his power had to be poured in.

“Many Leaves.”

Facing the forbidden mages head-on would be Ian’s role. The Bariel mages would support him by binding the forbidden mages—a strategically sound plan.

As Ian traced the Many Leaves magic circle with his fingertips, Hale sensed it was his turn. He added two of his signature spells to the design.

“Captain! You’re adding that?”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s just…”

The mages trailed off. Hale’s magic, honed for fieldwork, was too rough and destructive for them.

But the black ink included Hale’s magic circle as well.

Swish.

Then, slowly, all the drawings sank into the ink. The lines vanished, leaving only blackness.

From within, golden light began to rise.

“Ah!”

A brilliant flash!

It was a new magic circle unlike anything they’d seen before. A strong wind swept through the study, sending papers swirling like a tornado.

The mages shielded their faces with their sleeves but couldn’t tear their eyes away from the circle. Overwhelmed with awe, one mage snatched a sheet and began copying the circle.

Swoosh!

“It’s better to learn this by doing than memorizing. Follow along.”

At Ian’s command, the mages reached out together.

“Let’s draw it as one!”

“Yeah, better to pool our magic.”

“Hey, you crazy people! This is indoors, you know?”

“Here we go!”

Beric, who had been sitting by the window watching, jumped up in surprise. Were these lunatics really getting excited over a new magic circle? He shouted for them to stop, but the mages didn’t hear.

“Binding.”

Boom! Boom!

The world tree summoned by the magic circle burst through the mansion’s walls and ceiling. Its branches were tipped with razor-sharp thorns.

The mages snapped out of their daze amid the collapsing debris and rushed outside, with Beric fleeing through the window.

“W-Wow!”

Only after putting some distance between themselves and the mansion could the mages take in the towering world tree stretching toward the sky.

They stared in awe. Mysterious and wondrous, the world tree seemed to glow faintly, asserting its presence even in the darkness.

“We made this?”

“Crazy… I’ve never used Many Leaves before.”

“It actually works.”

“When we pool our magic, even higher-level spells become possible.”

The fact that higher-level magic was now possible was only part of the achievement. The crucial point was that this magic was effective against the forbidden mages. The mages glimpsed hope—they could play a role in the battle.

“Oh, Ian! Captain Hale! How are you feeling?”

“Any problems? No way, after summoning something like this, you can’t be fine.”

“If either of you feel even the slightest off, tell us immediately. Without you two, everything falls apart.”

“Yeah, you can return to Kalamath, but if there’s any problem—”

The worried mages fell silent. Both Ian and Hale looked remarkably well. Amid the rubble, they examined themselves carefully.

“I don’t feel any immediate issues. Hale, how about you?”

“Same here.”

“W-well, that’s a relief. Still, something feels off.”

“Of course. There’s no such thing as power without a price.”

“Hmm.”

Ian nodded in agreement. He picked up the triangular box lying on the floor and spoke softly.

“Nabu.”

“Yes?”

“Keep this safe. Be careful not to lose it.”

“Understood. It’s important, right? I’ll guard it with my life!”

“Don’t overdo it. Ian, ever since that guy saw you fight, he’s been acting like that. Doesn’t it get obvious?”

Honestly, no matter what Nabu did, there was always something to complain about. If he resisted, it was a problem; if he cowered, it was a problem too. Nabu shot Beric a disgruntled look before slipping back into the shadows.

“We’ll return to the palace to investigate the gaps in the analysis.”

That way, they could learn more about any side effects. For now, they were just grateful there were no major issues.

At Ian’s words, the mages suppressed their proud smiles and, all at once, rushed toward the World Tree, wrapping their arms around its trunk like tiny forest spirits.

“Don’t worry anymore, Ian! If that forbidden mage shows up, we’ll throw ourselves at him with everything we’ve got and hold him down.”

“You know there’s no winning against a gang attack, right? That bastard’s done for, seriously! We’ll watch your front and your back. Nothing will happen to you!”

“Waaah… I made the Many Leaves, the Many Leaves. If my mom saw this, she’d be so proud. Sniff.”

“Honestly, whoever made this has great taste. It’s beautiful!”

A faint glow traced the surface of the tree—not the tree’s own light, but the first light of dawn breaking through the night.

As the dawn spread, Ian turned his gaze toward Luswena. The sky above the Mage’s Forest was still shrouded in ash-gray, as if the forest had been completely burned.

“Here we go again.”

Ian motioned for everyone to prepare. As long as they could capture the forbidden mage, holding back Luswena would be easy.

Against the dawn-lit sky, a black scrap of paper caught the wind and fluttered away.

Whoossh!

To be precise, it wasn’t just riding the wind—it was returning to a point east of where they had come from. But Ian and the mages had no idea.

Their eyes were fixed solely on the south, on Luswena.