Chapter 685

Jin’s hand, which had been flipping through the documents with casual ease, suddenly faltered.

Those watching from nearby instinctively tensed, wondering if something was wrong. This was a man who never missed even the smallest mistake, who remembered the slightest inconsistencies no matter how minute. His calm reprimands were far more terrifying than raised voices.

“Your Majesty, is there a problem…?” a minister asked anxiously.

But Jin’s expression remained gentle, clearly indicating the issue wasn’t with the papers. Instead, he quietly turned his gaze toward the window.

“I sense a presence.”

“A presence?”

The ministers followed his gaze, but none detected anything unusual. Yet Jin seemed certain. He set down his pen completely and rose from his seat.

Knock, knock.

At that moment, a servant cautiously knocked on the door. Normally, they made no sound unless it was urgent, so this immediately suggested something serious had occurred.

“Your Majesty, the mages have returned from Elbasa.”

Ah, so it really was important. The ministers exchanged glances and bowed their heads.

Elbasa—the capital of Luswena. The mages who had left to counter the sudden attack on Hielo had crossed the border and reached Elbasa itself…

“Your Majesty, Lord Ian has accomplished something significant.”

“Straight from Elbasa?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

This was a return that encompassed both the war report and the emperor’s protection. Jin lightly adjusted his collar and said he would go at once.

“Have the reception room prepared.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Gentlemen, let us conclude here. Now that the mages have returned, further discussion among ourselves is pointless.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

“Gather the documents roughly and organize them later.”

With that, Jin left the meeting room first. The warmth in his steps was not a mere illusion felt by one person alone. As the ministers murmured and gathered the papers, Tweller quietly stood, watching Jin’s retreating figure.

“Minister Tweller, is something the matter?”

“…No.”

There was something fleeting in his eyes, but Tweller dismissed it as nothing. He followed the emperor’s steps toward the reception room.

Tap!

The reception room wasn’t far. Perhaps it was just a trick of the mind, given that the Kalamath Castle was smaller than the Bariel Imperial Palace, or maybe the excitement had distracted him from noticing the distance.

Whatever the case, the footsteps rushing into the reception room were not only the emperor’s.

“Your Majesty!”

“Captain Akorella.”

“I heard Lord Ian has returned. Ha ha! Please, come in!”

Akorella and her troops, fresh from the mines, came running in, robes billowing wildly. Spotting the emperor, Akorella immediately composed herself, unable even to fix her disheveled hair or robes.

At Jin’s gesture, the servant led them inside.

“His Majesty the Emperor.”

Creak.

As the door opened, they came face to face with the mages—worn and weary. Cuts and scratches marked their bodies, and the unmistakable scent of blood and exhaustion clung to them, subtle yet telling signs of war.

“Lord Ian.”

“Your Majesty.”

As Jin entered, Ian and the mages bowed their heads. Jin motioned for them to relax, as if to say it was all right.

“What happened?”

Hielo? Were the desert warriors safe? Since they came from Elbasa, Luswena was expected, but what of Havan? That reckless king, Eldert? There were so many questions that Jin found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

Ian lowered his gaze briefly before reporting.

“…There were survivors, but Hielo was nearly annihilated. The power of the forbidden mage was too overwhelming for the desert warriors to withstand.”

Jin hesitated at those words. He recalled the warriors who had once poured through portals during the Marib and Gale civil war—some called them barbarians, but they were strong warriors who understood loyalty and pride.

Silence fell over the room. Beric unconsciously ran a hand through his hair, reminded of Nersarn’s last moments, who had embodied the desert star.

Jin remembered too—the laughter and chatter at the engagement ceremony, the ridiculous dance with Beric.

“…A tragic affair.”

“The forbidden mage was confirmed to be affiliated with the Luswena royal court’s mages. Accordingly, Hielo lodged a formal protest with Luswena under its border autonomy rights. However, communication was difficult, so Hielo had no choice but to respond by crossing the Luswena border.”

This report came not as the Minister of Magic, but as the lord of Hielo. He had confronted Luswena directly for trampling on his people and land.

“And the outcome?”

“We left the royal palace doors wide open, ownerless.”

Eldert was dead. Luswena’s capital, Elbasa, had fallen. Though it lasted only a few days, it was a devastating war for all involved. Ian summed it up in that one sentence.

“What about the other territories outside the capital?”

“I can’t say for sure how they’ll respond, but they will make wise choices. Currently, Prince Noah of the Kingdom of Cliffford is handling the cleanup in Elbasa. There’s a magical stone mural underground in Elbasa that connects to the southern border with Cliffford.”

“Cliffford.”

It felt like the pieces on the giant Gaia chessboard were moving independently. The polluted waters flowing down from Toorun must have already reached Cliffford by now.

“They’re in a tough spot too. The main force dispatched an investigation team following the trail of Burgos’ milk. Their goal is to pinpoint the source of the pollution and speed up countermeasures. Clark is among them.”

“Clark?”

“He was so eager to be sent to Hielo that I gave him the chance.”

If he completed the mission, he would be granted a new status. The investigation team also included Paladin Erin, though Jin deliberately didn’t mention her.

“…I see.”

Ian simply nodded. Clark had chosen his path; what could anyone say? Merellof was the type to do anything to return home. Ian only hoped that, since they had gone, they would achieve remarkable results.

But that wasn’t the pressing matter now.

“Your Majesty, regarding Havan—it’s more complicated than expected.”

“Complicated?”

“At the eastern edge, beyond the Blaster Sea, they’ve made contact with a nation and acquired a new weapon capable of countering mages.”

“What?”

Aside from the magical sealing stones and Idgal, could there really be a weapon that could rival mages? They were supposed to be heirs to divine power.

“It’s called a ‘firearm.’”

Ian briefly explained what had happened in battle—the basic operation, range, and impact. Jin recognized it as a weapon he had seen once before in the future, noting that this was its early form.

“According to Bertie Erica, the leadership seems to have succeeded in contacting their mages. It’s unfortunate we lost communication during the puppeteer’s attack, but this confirms that Toorun’s influence has deeply rooted itself in Havan.”

Not just Havan—puppeteers’ influence had already spread to the small provincial town of Karenna in Bariel.

Akorella, counting heads one by one, suddenly raised her hand.

“Lord Ian, where are Captain Hale and Tommy? Are they dead?”

“Ah, Captain Akorella! That’s blasphemy…!”

“No, why? It’s just a question!”

Her wide-eyed, blunt manner was classic Akorella. Ian shook his head.

“We received intelligence that puppeteers were hiding in Karenna, so we dispatched forces to deal with them. They will return later—if all goes well, within three days.”

“Ah, I see. That’s a relief.”

Akorella slapped her palm with a thud, visibly relieved.

Though grim, the worry wasn’t unfounded. They had faced forbidden mages—surviving at all was practically a miracle.

“You all are incredible. I’m not mocking you—I really want to know how you managed to come back in one piece after facing forbidden mages.”

“Except for the mage who attacked Hielo, the others were all fallen against their will. We acted under the Toorun king’s orders, so we had our chances.”

“You confirmed they were connected to the king’s nerve network?”

“Yes. We confronted them.”

“Ah.”

Damn it. Akorella smiled slyly and muttered under her breath. The cursed Toorun king was the very reason she’d been called back from the mines to Kalamath.

“But Lord Ian, surprisingly, Toorun hasn’t reacted much. I thought they’d push down here any moment.”

Toorun, sharing senses through their puppets, surely knew the situation—the mages mostly in Hielo, the emperor’s guard absent in Kalamath.

This was a golden opportunity—

“Reconnaissance troops and we have been taking turns scouting the north, but there’s nothing unusual. The investigation team sent to study the polluted waters hasn’t reported back either.”

Toorun was silent. It was almost frustrating, as if quitting the mining operation and returning to Kalamath had been in vain.

At Akorella’s report, Ian’s expression tightened slightly.

“Is that so?”

Had the enemy not yet arrived? Normally, that would be expected—the distance from Toorun’s capital to Kalamath was considerable.

But the opponent was Toorun.

“Even a small town like Karenna has puppets, yet the capital of Burgos, Kalamath, has none? That’s strange. King Toorun must have known that the brief window between us finishing with Elbasa and moving here was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Given the thickening clouds of war between Toorun and Bariel, it made no sense that they hesitated because of the political situation. Whether they succeeded or failed, it was only natural that there would be attempts on Jin’s life.

“Even if not puppets, there are spirit mages. Wind spirit mages, in particular, would have excellent mobility.”

There must have been some reason within Toorun’s ranks that prevented movement. Ian came to that conclusion and then made a suggestion to Jin.

“For now, since we’ve returned, it’s best to keep a close watch on Toorun’s movements. Once Astana’s testimony officially reaches the palace, we can act without hesitation.”

He was referring to the official documents from Katimaco that would prove Toorun’s involvement in Philia’s kidnapping.

Of course, Toorun would deny everything outright, but at this point, that didn’t matter.

“And while we wait, we need to root out their spies hiding everywhere—eyes and ears of the enemy.”

“Can you tell them apart?”

“It won’t be easy, but fortunately, we have allies. I’m sorry I can’t show Your Majesty—they’re too… unusual.”

“What do you mean?” Akorella asked with a glance, but the mages just shook their heads. If Akorella saw Lady Darcy’s eyes rolling around like that, her reaction would be obvious.

“Once we’ve made some progress, we plan to launch a large-scale search of the palace. I humbly ask for your permission, Your Majesty.”

“Of course, Sir Ian. It’s absolutely unacceptable for those scoundrels to hide in Bariel wearing masks. I expect everyone to do their utmost.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. We will devote ourselves fully.”

Jin’s voice was firm and solemn. Even after returning from a major battle, there was no time for the magic department to rest.

Outside, the courtiers standing in a line overheard the conversation and exchanged wide-eyed looks.

So, just a dozen or so operatives…

“Are you saying the magic department handled Luswena all by themselves, without any outside help?”

“That’s what it sounds like…”

“Huh. Ha ha.”

It was beyond their comprehension. How could Ian and the magic department speak so casually about such a monumental matter? And why was His Majesty so unfazed?