Chapter 668
“Philia, take this with you, too. The last time I saw, Roel seemed to really enjoy it—it was nice to see.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine. I heard Viviana had a hard time getting these. Just letting me taste them is enough. Thank you.”
“Well, since we’re in the capital, it’s easier for us to get these things, so don’t feel pressured. Oh, by the way, Hielo is close to Hawan, so maybe it’s easier to get there?”
“In that case, I’ll take them for now, and once I get down there, I’ll find similar jams and send them up. Would that be okay?”
“Of course! Take everything!”
Viviana poured jars of jam into a large bag—made from fruits that only grew in foreign lands.
Philia kept smiling, thanking her repeatedly, while carefully packing her clothes and miscellaneous items. The day to head down to Hielo was drawing near.
“Nersarn will be so happy to see you. I wonder how long it’s been since you last met.”
“Right? If I’d known we’d be apart this long, I might have made different choices.”
“But at least you’ll meet safely. Philia, Vol’s wound has faded a lot.”
“Oh, it healed better than I thought. By the time I see Nersarn, it’ll almost be gone. I was worried he might be upset.”
Philia smiled softly. By now, the courier must have reached Hielo. She could already picture how delighted Nersarn would be upon receiving her message.
Meanwhile, Roel sat leaning against the windowsill, staring blankly outside. Vivi approached and rested her head against his side, but he didn’t respond.
“Roel, don’t you feel sad about being apart from me?”
“…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll come down during the break. We’ll play in the garden again, eating delicious things. Do you have to be in Hielo then? Not going to the Great Desert?”
“…I can’t go.”
“Huh? Where?”
“The Great Desert. I can’t go.”
Roel muttered quietly, his voice thick with emotion, struggling to continue.
Ah, my small, precious friend. He’s so sad about drifting apart from me. Vivi hugged Roel tightly, and for once, he returned the embrace deeply.
“Oh dear, you two must be feeling down. Philia, shall we hug, too?”
“Shall we?”
Seeing the children embrace, Viviana and Philia laughed and shared a light hug. In about two weeks, at this very time, Philia would be in Nersarn’s arms. She smiled, savoring the happiness that fluttered up from her chest.
Knock, knock.
“Are you there? This is Romandro from the Magic Department with a message.”
“Oh! Yes, yes! I’m coming!”
At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the door. Someone from the palace had arrived. Viviana hurried down the stairs and opened the front door.
“What’s the matter? Should I pack clothes?”
“No, it’s not that…”
The palace official’s voice trailed off regretfully.
“There are reports that a war has broken out east of Bariel, centered around Hielo and Merelrof. It’s suspected to be an invasion by Hawan and Luswena. The palace is conducting a detailed investigation, but Romandro recommends Lady Philia stay in the capital for safety. A curfew may be imposed soon…”
“Ah…”
Viviana was speechless. What was this? Like a bolt from the blue. Luswena and Hawan invading near Hielo? Why?
“Lady Philia, what’s wrong?”
Philia came down the stairs slowly, still wearing a fresh smile tinged with a faint blush.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Um, Philia.”
“Yes? Has something happened to Romandro?”
Philia was worried about Romandro instead.
Viviana hesitated, biting her lower lip. Remembering how shocked Philia was when she first learned Ian’s true identity, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“Lady?”
“Philia, please don’t be too shocked or worried. It seems there’s trouble near Hielo and Merelrof. The Gaia situation has been unstable lately.”
“What do you mean—”
“It could be dangerous, so Romandro advised you to stay in the capital for now.”
It was more of a firm suggestion than a mere recommendation. After all, Philia was the mother of the Magic Department’s head. Ensuring the safety of key palace officials’ families was part of the palace’s duty.
Philia swayed slightly, clutching the railing, and Viviana rushed to her side with a startled cry.
“Philia! It’s really okay!”
“B-but—”
“You’ve lived with the Cheonryeo tribe for a long time. I’ve seen them, too. As long as they’re there, Hielo will be safe. And Nersarn, too. You know better than anyone how strong he is, don’t you?”
“Viviana, I… I just—”
“I’ve been there, too. When I first got married and pregnant, Romandro went to the earthquake zone to restore the temple. Until I quit, I also helped with disaster relief on the borders. We worried about each other, but look!”
Viviana’s voice grew urgent as Philia’s complexion visibly darkened.
“In the end, they all came back safe and sound. Worrying is often worse than the actual danger. Don’t let your anxiety grow. Hielo might be perfectly fine, surprisingly.”
“Viviana!”
“Yes, it’s okay. Really.”
Viviana embraced Philia.
Though she spoke lightly to reassure her, Viviana knew exactly what the ‘curfew’ implied. It meant the palace would completely control access near Hielo to protect the empire’s citizens. That suggested something terrible and dangerous was unfolding there.
“…!”
Viviana’s eyes met Roel’s, who was watching from the stairs above. Her heart sank.
Roel had seen it all again—what was happening in Hielo, and the danger closing in on his father.
He pressed a finger to his lips and shook his head—a silent plea to keep it a secret from Philia.
“…”
Tears welled up in Viviana’s eyes without her realizing it, and she buried her face in Philia’s shoulder.
…How cruel. Truly, the gods have been cruel to Philia. Viviana silently kept patting her back.
“What?!”
Bang!
Eldert slammed his fist on the table. What did he just say? There’s a fire in the Mage’s Forest? Not just anywhere—the Mage’s Forest?
“I-I’m sorry. We’re deploying dragons to douse the flames, but the area is vast…”
“Damn it! What on earth caused this?!”
“We can’t confirm the cause, but there are reports of a forbidden mage near the Mage’s Forest. We asked for details, but no response yet.”
“Damn it all!”
Eldert grabbed the dazed mage by the collar and shouted. His fury toward King Toalun, who must be hiding somewhere inside, was burning hot.
The courtiers bowed deeply, and Eldert’s veins bulged as he yelled.
“King Toalun! What are you trying to do? How dare you! How dare you burn the Mage’s Forest?!”
The mage’s eyes spun wildly. Surely King Toalun was watching, but he remained silent. After a moment, the mage spoke softly.
“It wasn’t me. It was a man named Beric.”
“What?”
“Did you know he sneaked into the Mage’s Forest at night? Of course not. You were safe and comfortable in the palace. But I sensed his presence and followed him. Beric was the one who started the fire. I’m innocent. I swear it on the gods.”
“That’s nonsense!”
Eldert’s hands trembled. He wanted to slap the mage hard, but knew it would be pointless, so he held back.
“If possible, I’d help put out the fire, but the situation isn’t favorable right now.”
“Did I hear you wrong? ‘Situation isn’t favorable’? You’re holed up in the safe, comfortable palace doing this, and you say that?”
“But it’s true. If you don’t believe me, you’re the one losing out, Your Majesty. Soon, the mages of Ian, Hielo, and Bariel will come again. Shouldn’t we restore the mages’ power fully before that?”
“Right now—! Save the Mage’s Forest! This is not a request, but an order from the King of Luswena!”
“Ah…”
The mage sighed irritably, turning his gaze aside. Eldert roughly grabbed his collar again, warning him.
“Listen well, King Toalun. Just because you’ve sewn ties with the Luswena mages doesn’t mean you control all of Luswena. Their help is just a distraction.”
“If Luswena and Hawan cause enough chaos, the capital’s attention will be diverted, and the emperor in Kalamath won’t be able to move easily toward Toalun. The interests are simple and clear.”
“And yet?”
The mage smiled and asked again.
Even if that were true, what kind of sanctions could Luswena possibly impose on Toorun right now? They don’t even share a border, all their key forces—the mages—are bound and restrained, and Ian Hielo’s troops are right at their doorstep.
“Be grateful that mages can be used to counter mages, King Eldert. How I command them is my decision alone. If I wish, I can sever their bonds and withdraw them at once.”
If that happened, could you even handle it? Once the betrayed mages regain their senses, what do you think they’d do to Luswena? They’d burn it to the ground, tear it apart, shatter it to pieces, venting their fury. Above all, your grand dream of conquering Bariel would be utterly out of reach.
The mage gave a slight nod to Eldert in acknowledgment, then collapsed to the side. The connection with King Toorun was completely severed.
“…Hey.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Eldert muttered quietly as he watched the scene unfold.
“…Call the hunters.”
“Th-the hunters, sire?”
“I’ll send them to Toorun. There must be shadows leading to that area.”
“Yes, of course.”
Hunters.
If Bariel had its royal guards, Luswena had hunters who moved hidden in the twilight.
Eldert’s subordinates stepped back cautiously at his command, leaving the king alone to calm his anger with a drink. Then, suddenly—
‘…Wait a moment.’
King Toorun’s behavior was so irrationally insolent that Eldert almost lost his clarity.
The Mage’s Forest was a crucial stronghold for Luswena’s mage regeneration. Whether Toorun knew this or not, putting out the flames spreading through the forest wouldn’t be difficult for the mages.
‘They fly through the sky and tear the earth apart; pouring down water should be nothing to them.’
Yet Toorun’s king refused.
“…Wouldn’t it be better to restore the mages’ full strength first?”
He even said that.
Eldert took a sip of his drink and thought for a moment, then realized something. The way the mages were being controlled was causing some kind of side effect for King Toorun as well.
What exactly it was, he didn’t know—but one thing was clear. It was a fatal side effect so severe that Toorun couldn’t even put out a single fire in the forest right now.