Episode 669
“Ugh…”
The king of Toorun, Kumasha, collapsed the moment his connection to Luswena was severed, clutching his head in agony. Outside, the attendants waited anxiously, but no one dared to ask about the king’s condition. The sounds of his laughter or sobbing were not meant for anyone else to hear.
Tears streamed down Kumasha’s face as he furiously grabbed the dolls within reach, tearing and throwing them aside.
“Damn it. It hurts too much.”
Not only the doll sorcerers of Toorun but also the elemental mages and others with strange powers were all linked to Kumasha’s dolls. This connection allowed him to see, hear, and feel the world from deep within the palace. But he had never experienced such a severe backlash before.
“Lady Darsi seems completely broken… haah. I guess I have no choice but to do this myself. Is this really the extent of a mage’s power?”
From the moment Lady Darsi first summoned the forbidden mage, Kumasha had sensed something was off. A suffocating pressure weighed on his chest, cold sweat dripping down.
At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but by the second forbidden spell, he was certain.
“Normal magic was fine. It must have been because the doll sorcerers’ subconscious was issuing commands. The mages acted within their range to achieve their goals. But forbidden magic is different.”
It was like a faint, thin flame climbing up a thread—starting from the mage, passing to Lady Darsi, and then finally reaching Kumasha himself. Each time it passed through someone, the backlash weakened somewhat, but it never fully disappeared.
“Is there anyone outside?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Bring me water. And contact the Prime Minister—tell him to come up quickly.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
Kumasha buried his face back into the pile of dolls. Without Lady Darsi to absorb some of the shock, the full brunt of the forbidden magic’s backlash would now fall on him.
At least there was one relief: those who had already become forbidden mages carried no burden.
“Ian Hielo is the only one who can face two forbidden mages alone. Unless all remaining Luswena mages become forbidden mages, there’s no chance of victory.”
He needed to find a way—some method to turn the Luswena mages into forbidden mages without suffering the backlash.
Kumasha stared at his hands and his reflection in the window.
“If I do this right…”
Lady Darsi’s body had melted away by the third time. That meant he could probably handle one or two himself.
He crawled toward the mirror to check his face. No signs of melting—his skin was still pale, almost translucent.
Knock knock.
“Your Majesty, the Prime Minister has arrived.”
“Send him in.”
Kumasha greeted the Prime Minister while still lying down. He wanted to stand, but even moving a finger was difficult. The Prime Minister looked at the king’s unusual state with concern.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?”
“Forbidden magic is definitely different. The backlash that Lady Darsi couldn’t filter has reached me as well.”
“…!”
“That’s why I think Luswena is nearing its limit. If we deploy the last forbidden mage along with the regular mages, we might be able to cut Bariel’s magical forces by half.”
“So you’re saying it’s impossible to eliminate them all.”
“Ian Hielo fought two forbidden mages alone. Let Luswena handle the rest. We should focus on Kalamath instead.”
“Just now, I received word from Banusa, the chief elemental mage. They’ve released the maximum amount of poison upstream. It will affect not only Clipoford but also Burgos.”
Kumasha raised an eyebrow at the news.
“Did the temple release all the poison?”
“That seems to be the case.”
“Banusa must have earned the favor of the high priest. He’s usually so strict.”
“Banusa is well respected both inside and outside the palace.”
“That’s true. Sometimes he’s so straightforward it’s frustrating.”
Fiiing.
Kumasha pulled tight a doll’s string connected to Banusa. After pondering for a moment, he waved his hand as if satisfied.
“Prepare the Toorun forces. They must be ready to move immediately according to Luswena’s situation.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The commander of the Toorun army was Ardo, eldest son and head of the Fire Elemental Mage family. Coincidentally, he was paired with Banusa, the Water Elemental Mage chief. With these two—masters of fire and water—stationed along Toorun’s southern border, they could pressure Bariel’s main army, which lacked mages.
Kumasha tilted his dizzy head back and closed his eyes briefly, envisioning the upcoming battle with Ian Hielo.
“Check the embers carefully! No mistakes!”
“The wind is still blowing strong!”
“We should carry more water to the northern sector!”
“Supporting the dragons!”
“Advance with support!”
Luswena’s soldiers rushed in and out of the forest, battling the fire until dawn. They formed long lines carrying buckets of water and sand, while dragons flew overhead, pouring massive streams of water.
“Haah, how long is this going to last…”
“Where are the mages? Why aren’t they visible?”
“Quiet, or you’ll get scolded.”
“Isn’t it strange? If the mages just lifted a finger, this would have been put out long ago. Why are we suffering like this?”
“Enough talk. If you have the strength, carry more water.”
“Ugh, wait—my stomach—”
“Geez, enough with the whining.”
Some soldiers, clutching their stomachs, staggered out of line, earning scornful clicks of the tongue from their comrades. They were probably exhausted from lack of sleep and overwork, but still, they seemed too weak.
But then—
“Ugh! Ugh!”
“Help me—”
Soldiers collapsed helplessly. The poison that had seeped into the Mage’s Forest reacted with the fire, releasing harmful toxins.
The reinforcements sensed something was wrong and signaled to retreat.
“Keep away! Keep away!”
On a hill overlooking the Mage’s Forest, Martin bit his lip in frustration. The border had not been crossed, so all the damage fell on Luswena. He raised his baton, rallying the troops.
Bwooo! Bwoo!
Soon, the main army would depart from the palace. It was time to cross the border and take revenge on Hielo, who had turned Luswena’s golden lands to ash.
Shhaaak!
Suddenly, something moved among the reeds. Was it just the wind? Or the presence of a fleeing beast?
Martin soon realized it was the tremor of marching feet. The sound of a military band grew louder. Turning his head, he saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance.
Bububu! Bwoo!
The Luswena main army.
Since the king himself led the troops, the force was considerable. It was safe to say every available soldier in Luswena had been mobilized. Because the destination was close, they had organized at least a minimal supply unit to focus on combat forces.
King Eldert, leading the Luswena main army, rode a white horse adorned with golden armor, his gaze fixed ahead as he trotted slowly.
“Your Majesty! Show Bariel’s forces the taste of fire!”
“Let’s end this long-standing grudge once and for all!”
“Long live Luswena! Long live Luswena!”
The people lined the roads to see off the soldiers, but the troops maintained solemn, resolute expressions. They knew all too well how formidable their enemies were after the recent battle.
Creak!
As the castle gates opened, Eldert frowned. Gray smoke still rose from the forest. The once lush Mage’s Forest was utterly destroyed, and their fertile lands lay ravaged by the conflict. Corpses, bloodstains, and scattered weapons and armor littered the ground.
“Advance.”
With a light lift of his bow, Eldert gave the order, and Luswena’s banners fluttered proudly.
If they marched straight ahead and crossed the border, they would soon reach Hielo’s territory. They had to quickly finish off the remaining mages and plant their flag there—before Bariel’s central army could send reinforcements.
“Waaaah!”
“Let’s go!”
The soldiers shouted, forcing their spirits up. No mages were visible now, and this was their homeland, Luswena. What was there to fear?
The military band’s music grew louder and faster as they moved smoothly forward.
Rustle rustle.
Far off, a lone child stood suddenly in the middle of the road. Too small to identify clearly, but Eldert instinctively knew. Blonde hair, robed figure.
“Ian Hielo…”
“Ian Hielo! The Minister of Magic for Bariel has appeared!”
“They’re invading Luswena again, right ahead!”
“That bastard, what does he think Luswena is?!”
Was he alone? Where were the others?
No matter how much Eldert looked around, no one else was visible. The child stood there so naturally, so calmly.
What was astonishing was that despite being just a small child, his presence was immense—enough to face thousands.
Though the path was wide open, it felt completely blocked. Though there were no walls, it felt like an invisible barrier had been erected.
“Your Majesty.”
“Bring Martin here. We’ll join the main force first.”
Ian stood on the path beside the Wizard’s Forest, facing off against the main force of the Luswena army. As Martin rallied the soldiers, they shifted their formation to the left.
With a rumble, the two groups confronted each other. Ian carefully observed them, then stepped forward.
The soldiers gripped their spears tightly, their eyes darting nervously. The wizard was approaching—should they just stand by and watch?
“Eldert. Are you there?”
Amid the soldiers, Ian couldn’t spot Eldert directly. But judging by the position of the banners and the formation, he was certain the king was somewhere within that mass.
“How dare you! How dare you call upon King Luswena’s true name so recklessly!”
“It’s not disrespect.”
When the officer at the front shouted, Ian immediately retorted.
“How can I recognize or respect a neighbor’s king who disregards the dignity of wizards and challenges Bariel? Eldert, to me, you are no king. You’re little more than a blind serpent leading the Luswena horde.”
“Blasphemy!”
“Blasphemy?”
Ian smiled faintly, and at his feet, a slender golden line appeared. It was Idgal.
“History will tell who truly erred. Eldert, this is the last thing I leave you with.”
A boundary stretched out from Ian, marking a clear line.
“You shall not pass this line. Not even in death.”
Eldert frowned as his men relayed Ian’s message. Insolent brat. How dare he speak so in a foreign land…
“Wizards!”
Eldert shouted to the wizards behind him. Though, in truth, he was calling for King Toorun.
The wizards, who had been dazed moments before, snapped to attention and turned.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
Just as the wizards’ golden eyes flashed and they prepared to take flight—
Whoosh!
Massive world trees erupted from Ian’s left and right, their trunks twisting tightly around each other.
Startled, the soldiers hesitated and stepped back, then spotted the Bariel wizards perched atop the colossal trees.
“Wizards! Up there, on those giant trees—Bariel wizards!”
“Idgal arrows! Prepare the Idgal spears! Bring them to the front!”
Each Bariel wizard gripped a sturdy trunk, looking down on the vast Luswena army. They drew breath deep from their cores.
Then, as if on cue, they shouted in unison:
“First, the forbidden wizard bastard—come out!”