Chapter 689
“This is screwed.”
That was the immediate thought running through the minds of the Vallijuard caravan members and the vanguard soldiers the moment they saw Filia’s lifeless body.
They didn’t have the luxury to notice the wizards’ stunned mourning, nor Ian’s frozen embrace of Filia, holding her tightly for what felt like an eternity.
“What do we do now?”
First, the Vallijuard caravan.
They were refugees who had fled the Hwanan civil war, slipping into Merelro without going through official entry procedures. They had swiftly infiltrated deep into the central region to assess the situation.
More importantly, they were a faction that freely crossed borders using magical sigils, which meant the imperial palace eyed them with suspicion. To ease that tension, they needed to maintain a friendly relationship.
And helping Filia move safely was part of that.
“If it’s found out that it was us, the Vallijuard caravan, who brought Lady Filia here… what will happen to us? She’s the mother of the Minister of Magic, for crying out loud. Damn it! Looks like she came out secretly. Did we just get ourselves tangled up in something we shouldn’t have?”
They had been trying to build some merit, but now it looked like they’d ruin everything in an instant.
As the Vallijuard members staggered, their minds racing, the vanguard soldiers shivered uneasily.
“Lord Roel has been injured!”
Roel was a descendant of the Cheonryeo clan and Ian Hielo’s younger brother. The desert warriors were crucial for border defense, a fact even the imperial palace acknowledged. That was why they had ordered the desert warriors to escort Roel quickly back to the border.
But in a moment of carelessness, disaster struck.
“This is bad.”
They had failed to protect Roel. And as a result, Filia had paid the price. It was all their fault—a grave sin.
Filia had even warned them earlier. There was a silent danger lurking, targeting Roel.
“Damn it!”
They had hoped to make a name for themselves in the war, but everything was over before they even took a step.
The soldiers exchanged helpless glances, unsure who should take responsibility.
“Lord Roel!”
They stood frozen in the heavy, uncomfortable silence until Roel finally lost consciousness and collapsed. When Ian, still holding Filia, lifted Roel, the wizards and villagers finally sprang into action to manage the crisis.
“I’ll take him to my estate first, Ian.”
“…”
“I’ll take care of Lord Roel.”
“…”
“What are you waiting for? Get the carriage moving. We’ll return to the village and handle this.”
At Hale’s command, the Vallijuard caravan and vanguard soldiers flinched. The caravan members especially seemed torn—should they follow or not?
Wasn’t now, amid the chaos, the perfect chance to escape? Once Minister Ian Hielo regained his senses, he’d surely want to investigate what happened.
Swish!
As the wizards flew ahead toward the village, the caravan members saw their chance and immediately turned their horses around. The soldiers, noticing this, reacted instantly.
“What’s going on?”
“They’re the ones escorting Lady Filia. Looks like they’re trying to run.”
“Damn it! Catch them! We can’t let them get away!”
If push came to shove, they might have to take full responsibility for Filia’s death. Even if it meant dragging the bodies along, they had to keep them close.
“Charge!”
At the officer’s order, the vanguard soldiers spurred their horses forward. Though the Vallijuard caravan was known for traveling via magical sigils, trained soldiers could not be easily shaken off. It was only a matter of time before they were caught.
Swish!
Still, the caravan showed no intention of stopping. The soldiers drew their swords and cut down the fleeing members, pressing forward.
“Ahhh!”
One man fell from his horse, groaning in pain. The officer’s mind raced—if they played this right, they might escape blame for the whole incident. He signaled his men.
“Let’s enter the village. Search for any hostile remnants hiding out. If we find any, we’ll deal with them.”
“Line up!”
The soldiers’ intimidating tone made the villagers shrink back. They had been quietly relieved when reinforcements arrived from the capital, but now it felt like a thunderclap.
What did the attack on the Minister of Magic’s family have to do with them? Especially since the mayor’s wife had died on the spot.
Grumbling rose beneath the surface, but no one dared speak out against the sharp blades.
“Ridiculous. I heard it was some kind of brainwashing, but how could mere soldiers know that? What a joke.”
“Lower your voice.”
“Shouldn’t they be searching the mayor’s estate instead of hassling us?”
“The perpetrators wouldn’t dare go there. The Minister of Magic is with his brother. What if they get caught and scolded?”
“Who cares about scolding!”
“Sir, please lower your voice. These soldiers are from the imperial army, not the village guard.”
Indeed, the soldiers had no way to distinguish those who had been turned into puppets. Even the great wizards only learned about it after a tip-off from Lady Darsi. What chance did the soldiers have?
They merely checked IDs and made people recite the name of the Bariel nation—clumsy, suspicious, and unprofessional.
“Then why don’t they do the same over there?”
“They’re refugees from Hielo.”
“So?”
“Don’t you get it? They’re from the Minister’s territory. They’re completely off-limits!”
They were going through all this trouble to appease the Minister’s anger. Who in their right mind would arrest those people?
The Karenna villagers crossed their arms, waiting irritably for their turn. Food was already scarce because of the refugees, and now this?
“Next!”
An old man tightly gripped a child’s hand and stepped forward. His breath was labored and rough. He was no spy—just an old man lucky to be alive tomorrow.
The soldier glanced over the ID and noticed something unusual.
“From Hwanan?”
“…Yes?”
“Have you naturalized?”
“I… I don’t remember exactly. It was decades ago, when my mother was still young…”
The child looked up sharply with clear, piercing eyes. They seemed to say, “I know everything.” They understood that the soldiers were punishing innocent villagers to lessen the guilt over the Minister’s mother’s death.
The soldier’s face flushed red, and without thinking, he grabbed the child’s shoulder.
“You two, over here! We’ll investigate you later!”
“No, wait! We’re truly from Bariel. Who would harm whom? I’m old, and this is just a child…”
“Don’t argue! You’ll only make things worse.”
“Please, have mercy…”
“What crime are you talking about?”
The child spoke up, clutching the grandfather’s arm tightly.
“We don’t understand what crime we supposedly committed that’s getting worse. That’s why we’re asking.”
“Hey, look at this!”
The soldier suddenly grabbed the child by the collar. The startled old man rushed forward, begging him to let go, but the soldier shoved him away roughly.
“We’re carrying out orders from the imperial family of the Great Bariel Empire. Anyone who interferes with us is obstructing the imperial will. Stop acting smart and just obey.”
“My grandfather is from Hwanan, but he’s lived longer as a Bariel citizen. I’ve never even left Karenna.”
“Then why keep talking back so clearly—”
Smack!
The soldier lightly slapped the child’s cheek. He didn’t like the insolence but was only trying to intimidate since it was a child.
But—
“Oh?”
The child held their head high, glaring defiantly as if daring the soldier to hit again. They probably didn’t understand the saying “don’t poke the bear.”
Angered, the soldier kept striking the child’s cheek. The old man, unable to watch, collapsed and trembled on the ground.
“You stubborn brat. You want to go before your grandfather?”
“…”
The child clenched their lips and headbutted the soldier with all their might.
Smack!
“Ahhh!”
The sound of cracking bone echoed as the soldier tumbled. Other soldiers nearby rushed over, shocked. Blood dripped through the man’s fingers as he clutched his nose—his nose bone was broken in one blow.
“You little—!”
“Bring it on! I’ll take you down!”
The child charged bravely, but how could a kid stand against grown soldiers? They were beaten mercilessly, dust rising around them.
Seeing this, the villagers stepped in to stop the soldiers.
“Stop it! The child didn’t know any better.”
“Yes, the kid’s known in the village for their strange temper. Please, don’t be so harsh… oh no, you’re going to kill the kid!”
“This is too much! We know this is just for show. That’s why we’re cooperating quietly. But if you keep this up, it’s going to be a problem for us!”
“Exactly! The refugees from Hielo are being housed and fed by the villagers with all their heart!”
“The reinforcements from the capital should be catching the enemy, not arresting innocent children!”
The already disgruntled villagers began shouting one after another. The area erupted into chaos. The flustered soldiers swung their swords wildly, shouting.
“Shut up! Be quiet! We don’t know if there’s a Toorun spy hiding among you!”
“You’re the one who looks most like a spy!”
Smack!
The child, who had fallen to the ground, stubbornly got back up and headbutted the soldier’s abdomen. Most kids would have cowered and begged for mercy, but this one had a nasty streak. The more you provoked him, the sharper he got—there was something oddly familiar about that…
“You little—!”
Just as the soldier swung his sword threateningly,
Snap.
Hail stepped in front, stopping the blade with his fingertips. A hum of magic surged, and the sword’s tip scattered into dust.
“Ugh!”
“What’s all this commotion?”
“C-Captain Hail!”
“We were—just conducting a search for spies from Toorun, in case of any hidden threats.”
Hail glanced between the villagers and soldiers, frowning in confusion.
“From the looks of it, you lot seem more like Toorun’s spies.”
“What are you talking about!”
“If that’s not true, then why treat the people of Karenna like this?”
Karenna was the frontline of Bariel’s territory and currently the only refuge for refugees. Their cooperation was absolutely vital to the people of Hielo.
Hail glanced briefly at the fallen child, then turned to look at him properly.
“Hm?”
The child spat out a broken tooth along with thick saliva—hardly the behavior of a mere kid. And somehow, he looked familiar. Where had Hail seen that before? Tilting his head, he asked the boy,
“You alright?”
“Yeah, well… I think I just took a quick trip to the afterlife’s doorstep. But I’m fine.”
Huh? The way he spoke?
Hail cautiously placed a hand on the boy’s forehead. There was a faint trace of magical energy—but it wasn’t from a mage.
“You—”
“Yes?”
“Cedric!”
An old man crawled over and suddenly wrapped his grandson in a fierce embrace, drawing strength from somewhere unknown.
Hail was pushed slightly aside but didn’t take his eyes off Cedric. That foul temper, the faint yet distinct magical aura, and the strange sense of déjà vu.
“…You’re a magic swordsman, aren’t you?”