Chapter 684
“Welcome!”
The soldiers relaxed at the warm reception from the mayor of Karenna and looked around cautiously. They hadn’t yet reached the city proper, but the people’s reactions and the overall atmosphere were far better than expected.
An officer gave a slight nod and asked, “Are you the mayor of Karenna, Onyx?”
“Yes, yes, that’s right. Thank you for coming all this way. The main support force should be following behind, correct?”
“Of course. We’re the vanguard. What’s the situation in the city? Specifically regarding Hielo and Merellof?”
“Oh, don’t even get me started!”
The mayor waved his hand as if to shake off the memory. Since survivors from Merellof had fled to Karenna and its surrounding towns, he could give the most vivid account of what had happened that day.
“They say Hielo was completely destroyed. Fewer than a dozen survivors remain, and those are just children who had been hiding in the mansion’s underground rooms. Practically no one else made it. Buildings, roads—nothing is left intact. It’s like the whole place was leveled.”
The officer frowned at the scale of the devastation. Though Hielo was a border town, it had a long history and a decent population. To hear that everyone had perished was grim indeed.
He glanced discreetly toward the carriage carrying Roel and added, “Any other news? About Cheonryeo, for example?”
“That mad mage fought bravely when they attacked, or so I’ve heard. But that’s about it. They’re almost wiped out too. As for Hielo… well, it’s basically a dead land.”
The mayor’s words hung heavy in the air.
The officer sighed quietly and motioned for them to move quickly. Though Hielo had fallen, enemy forces were still advancing—specifically, Hawan and Luswena.
“Still, the Bariel mages acted swiftly to drive the enemies back. That was a few days ago, so I’m not sure about the current situation.”
“You mean Minister Ian?”
“Yes, yes. The lord of Hielo. I met him once before, quite a remarkable man. I’m sure he’s grown even stronger now.”
The mayor’s wife nodded eagerly in agreement.
“By the way, who’s in that carriage?”
“Oh, a very important person.”
“Really? A mage, perhaps?”
“No, no. He’s Lord Ian Hielo’s younger brother, and a Cheonryeo himself. Let’s hurry into the city first. We should contact the main force and then get more detailed reports. Are the survivors safe?”
“Yes, yes, they’re all gathered in temporary shelters.”
Just as the mayor was about to direct his people, his wife turned to the officer and asked, “Is it a young girl, by any chance?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“In that case, why not move her to a different carriage? It would be much more comfortable than a military wagon. Plus, attendants can accompany her, and there’s simple food prepared to ease her hunger.”
“Hmm, good idea. The wheels on this carriage are creaking badly after the rough journey. I’ll ask about it.”
“May I greet her personally?”
“Please do. This way.”
Just as the officer approached Roel’s carriage and was about to knock on the window, the mayor’s wife, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly sensed something unfamiliar and turned around.
The soldiers and officer did the same. Far off, along the road they had come, someone was approaching at full gallop.
“Who’s that?”
“Check it out!”
They didn’t seem to be part of the support force, but the speed and urgency were suspicious. The adjutant grabbed binoculars to identify them.
Meanwhile, Roel, who had just peeked out the window, widened her eyes. Like a leaf that had been curled up suddenly stretching out.
“…Mother?”
The officer, hearing Roel’s whisper, looked at the girl in surprise. Mother? Did she mean Lady Philia? The mother of the Minister of Magic here?
The mayor’s wife was equally startled. The difference was that her eyes sparkled brighter than ever—though no one else noticed.
Creak! Clatter!
“Mother!”
As soon as Roel confirmed the golden hair, she jumped down from the carriage and ran forward, waving her hands desperately and shaking her head. The urgency in her movements was heartbreaking.
“No! You can’t come!”
The last image Roel had of her mother was becoming clearer in her mind. Tears streamed down her face as she begged her to stop.
“Please! I beg you, send her back!”
“Miss Roel, calm down—”
“You have to stop her right now! If she gets even a step closer to Hielo, Mother will—!”
“Roel—!”
But the tearful call from her mother made even Roel hesitate. This was her beloved mother, whom she might never see again… smiling brightly through tears, so beautiful.
In the end, the girl shouted out loud.
“If you come any closer, you’ll die!”
Please, turn back. Return to the center and stay alive. Then, when the storm of fate settles, you might see each other again.
But the answer that came back was unexpected.
“I know, Roel.”
“…!”
Philia said without hesitation that she knew.
When she left a letter at the Romandro estate, waiting for dawn, someone whispered in her ear.
“Philia.”
Ah—such a clear, bright voice, warm as sunlight. The voice of her son, who had called her name since he first learned to walk.
Philia instinctively reached out and embraced tightly whoever was in her arms.
“Philia has two choices: to follow Roel’s will, or to follow mine.”
“…I know, Roel! But that’s why I had no choice but to come after you!”
Clatter!
Philia dismounted and ran toward Roel. The mother finally held her daughter close and sighed in relief. The warmth was just like the little Ian’s she had held in her sleep.
“What does that mean?”
“Roel, you have your own will, and the gods have theirs. And—”
Among those standing at the crossroads of fate, one must die. So if you want to save one, you have no choice but to take their place.
Holding Roel tightly, Philia murmured,
“…And I have my own will. This is my will.”
“Mother!”
“It’s alright, Roel. There’s nothing to fear.”
Philia exchanged a knowing glance with the bewildered officer, silently asking for understanding of this sudden reunion.
The officer helped them up and looked around.
“This isn’t the place for this. Let’s move into the village first.”
“Yes, officer. And this may sound strange, but please don’t dismiss it. There’s a threat coming. The danger targeting Roel is so clear that I had no choice but to come here.”
“Ma’am?”
Could it be that, as the Minister of Magic’s mother, she possessed some mysterious power? The officer was puzzled but nodded that it was no problem.
“Don’t worry. We’ll keep a tight watch. Now, about moving—”
He glanced over the military wagon and then pointed to a carriage brought by the villagers. It seemed more suitable for two ladies.
Besides, as Philia said, there was a hidden threat. A military wagon could easily become a target.
“How about that carriage over there?”
“Alright. Roel, come here. Mom will protect you.”
The mother and daughter clasped hands tightly and climbed aboard. When the mayor tried to follow, his wife stopped him.
“No need to trouble yourself.”
“But still, you’re the Minister of Magic’s mother. I should accompany you—”
“I’ll handle it. You just focus on the escort.”
The mayor cleared his throat nervously under her sharp gaze and looked back at the villagers.
“Alright, everyone, let’s head back!”
“Yes, Mayor! Smoke is rising from the village side!”
“Smoke? A signal?”
“Yes! It seems someone’s coming from Hielo.”
The mayor looked through binoculars toward the distant sky and muttered as if understanding.
“Are those mages from Hielo? That must be the signal for reinforcements.”
Anyone coming from the center had to pass through the road where the mayor stood. Who else but mages could be coming as reinforcements? With so many welcome guests arriving, the mayor nodded with satisfaction.
“Honey, please take good care of them.”
“Of course.”
The mayor’s wife smiled gently, climbed into the carriage, and locked the door.
Roel and Philia pressed their foreheads against the window, hands still tightly clasped.
“Would you like something to eat?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
Click. Click!
The mayor’s wife checked the locks twice more, then tapped the roof as if ordering the driver to hurry. Her pupils were darkened, but no one noticed.
Thud, thud!
The carriage shook violently. The mayor’s wife rested her chin on her hand and slid her left hand to her waist, revealing a sharp, small dagger.
“Mother.”
“Hm?”
Roel’s sudden voice made her hide the dagger back in her sleeve.
“Earlier, you mentioned the will of the gods. Could you explain exactly what you meant? I don’t understand. Surely, that person meant something to me…”
She thought her mother had conveyed her will by showing her final moments.
As Roel trailed off, Philia gently stroked the child’s hair with a kind smile.
“You’ll understand everything in time,” she said softly.
“Did you see the same thing I did?”
“Yes. And even the future beyond that.”
Philia lowered her head toward Roel and whispered,
“I finally saw it too. Ian’s true form.”
“…!”
Ian Verosion. The emperor a hundred years from now. His piercing pale eyes and flowing golden hair.
Just like Roel’s mysterious green eyes, Philia’s own green gaze glimpsed the future—a divine gift granted only to those who choose their own path.
‘…He looked so lonely, so utterly isolated. If I hadn’t come, and Roel had been left to face danger alone, the future would have unfolded just like that.’
Philia’s choice wasn’t just for Roel’s sake—it was for Ian’s as well.
Clutching the child’s hand tightly, she gazed out the window. Then, suddenly, her eyes met those of Lady Karenna, the mayor’s wife, reflected in the glass.
A chill ran through her.
Where had she seen that look before? As Philia searched her memory, the lady’s lips curled into a long, sinister smile.
“…!”
It hit her all at once—the puppeteer. The ones who had kidnapped her in the dead of night on the streets!
In that instant, the mayor’s wife lunged at Philia with all her might. The carriage erupted into chaos in an instant.
Clatter, clatter!
“Ahhh!”
The carriage shook violently as a scream—whose, no one could tell—pierced the air, only to be drowned out by the pounding hooves outside. The curtains, slowly stained with blood, went unnoticed by everyone.
Why, of all days, the coachman’s ears were so deaf, or why the curtains were made of red velvet, no one could say.
Only the sound of the coachman sniffling and the distant murmurs of soldiers trailing behind—“That carriage’s wheel looks off too”—filled the air.
“Ian?”
At the Luswena Palace.
Ian, who had opened a portal to return to Kalamath, suddenly stopped in his tracks. A chilling sensation swept over him.
When he turned to look toward the Hielo Territory, the mages smiled and nudged him forward.
“It’s fine! Captain Hale and Tommy will handle everything.”
“…Alright.”
They would. Closing the shadow passage and taking out a few puppets was no challenge for them.
Shaking off the uneasy feeling, Ian turned away.
“Let’s go back to Kalamath.”