Chapter 698

“Senior.”

Cedric poked Beric’s side with the tip of his wooden sword. Dead? There was no movement at all.

What on earth had happened overnight? He was the one who had been tossing and turning all over the place the day before. So why was Beric struggling like this?

“Senior, it’s training time. If you don’t get up, we’ll start as is.”

Good. When he was lying there unable to move, Cedric could beat him to a pulp. Morally questionable, sure, but it didn’t matter. If Beric had been the kind of person to care about such things, he wouldn’t have treated Cedric so harshly when he first picked up a sword.

Just as Cedric raised the wooden sword to strike Beric’s back with all his might—

Whoosh!

“…You’re dead meat.”

“Ah, senior, you’re awake.”

“Where the hell did you learn that?”

“I was just trying to wake you up since you wouldn’t get up.”

“Not wake up, I was trying to put you to sleep for good.”

Thwack. Beric cracked his eyes open slightly and lightly blocked the blow with his index and middle fingers.

Even if Cedric had a natural talent, it was limited to ‘magic swordsman’ skills. A wooden sword wielded by a kid who’d never properly trained wouldn’t faze Beric.

“Ugh, damn it, you little—”

Beric struggled to sit up and gulped down the water beside him. His voice was hoarse, so he must be feeling pretty rough.

“What time is it?”

“Past ten. By the way, training started at nine.”

“I know that, man.”

“You were lying there like a log, so I thought you didn’t.”

“My head’s killing me. You wanna keep talking back?”

Snap. Cedric was about to pounce on him when Beric’s glare stopped him. Suddenly, Cedric’s eyes darted back, and a flick to the back of Beric’s head landed.

Smack!

“Ah!”

“Late riser.”

It was Jarrett. Cedric immediately lowered his sword and saluted respectfully, while Beric glared at Jarrett, clutching the back of his head.

“The Emperor summons you.”

“Huh? The Emperor? Why?”

How dare he question the Emperor’s summons? Jarrett frowned and tried to flick Beric’s head again, but this time Beric blocked it with the edge of his hand. One hit, two hits—what was the difference?

Smack!

But the cost of defiance was high. Jarrett’s other fist swung around and snapped Beric’s jaw.

Watching quietly, Cedric made a mental note: never question orders. And if Beric was going to be taken down, Captain Jarrett was the one to do it.

“Ugh!”

“The Emperor’s intentions are known only to him. Whether it’s because of the incident you caused yesterday or not.”

“I didn’t cause any incident.”

“You’re a magic swordsman of the Imperial Palace Guard, yet you were carried in by the Imperial Defense soldiers. That’s not an incident?”

Hmph. So the Imperial Defense brought him in. I thought it was Ian carrying him. Beric yawned awkwardly, then suddenly stretched. He’d never had such a brutal hangover before. Never touching that kind of drink again.

“Should I go right now?”

“Wash up and change clothes first.”

“What’s this between us—”

Swoosh. Jarrett flashed his eyes and raised his fist. Beric said nothing and headed to the washroom.

A little later, on his way to the audience chamber, Beric noticed an unfamiliar carriage parked outside.

‘Who’s come from outside?’

It wasn’t one of the carriages used by the Bariel army, and it was far too fancy to belong to local food vendors. Curious, Beric entered the chamber.

Creak.

“Your Majesty, the Imperial Palace Guard magic swordsman, Beric, has arrived.”

“Bring him in.”

Ian was already seated inside. Opposite him sat Minister Tweller, and beside him—

“Taoma.”

“Ahem. Greetings.”

Taoma, the owner of the flower shop they’d met at the tavern. Despite the wild drinking the night before, he looked surprisingly neat.

Crazy man… Beric muttered in disbelief as Jin gestured toward the sofa.

“Have a seat.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Feeling better?”

“Yes. Aside from a cracked skull and a stomach upset, I’m fine. Ian, how about you?”

Beric asked with concern. Everyone else cleared their throats awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood. They were exchanging subtle signals about the previous night’s chaos. Ian remained composed.

“No problem.”

“You’re lucky to be young.”

But why had they called him here? Aside from Ian, none of these people seemed connected to him. Beric asked, puzzled, and Jin spoke up.

“To cut to the chase, Lord Taoma is to be escorted to the northern part of Burgos. This mission also serves as the vanguard for the army’s advance. Your task is to track the path of the Osu reconnaissance team that left earlier and handle any nearby threats until the main force arrives.”

“Huh?”

What was this all of a sudden? The Emperor’s name was so solemn it was hard to grasp. Ian set down his teacup and added lightly:

“Lord Taoma came to the palace early, despite having three days. ”

“Lord Ian, if I may, it’s best to handle these matters quickly, based on experience.”

Especially with unfair contracts, the sooner you demand correction, the less damage you suffer. And with a condition like ‘death penalty’… Taoma rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head.

“That’s right. It’s a mutually beneficial contract, so the sooner it’s fulfilled, the better. Still, your choice was truly wise. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

“Indeed. I commend you deeply.”

Ian and Jin’s sly responses made Taoma narrow his eyes in disbelief.

Are you kidding? He’s the Minister of Magic for the Bariel Empire. Ignoring him would be like making an enemy of Bariel itself.

‘Besides…’

Who knows? Maybe he’d cast some magic while Beric was unconscious. Taoma couldn’t be sure.

Only then did Beric notice two sheets of paper on the table—contracts Ian had drafted and sealed.

“Oh, that worked out well. Ian’s still alive after all? But what does that have to do with me going north?”

“Lord Taoma has to travel to the southern country through several teleportations. The first is a small town north of Burgos, opposite the direction of Agiar where we came from.”

Taoma had no plans to return south anytime soon. The journey conditions weren’t favorable. With the chaotic situation, bandits and militias would be everywhere along the route. He needed reliable protection.

And the one chosen for that was—

“Me? You want me to do that?”

Beric pointed at himself, eyes wide.

Ian added:

“Taoma knows the way, so no worries about getting lost. Just escort him safely and wait. The main force’s departure date is set, so we’ll follow soon.”

“No, no. It’s not about getting lost. Why me?”

Everyone except Beric chuckled quietly. Jin was the first to speak.

“Beric, as you know, the Imperial Palace Guard can’t spare many men. Efficiency with minimal personnel is key, and you’re the perfect fit.”

Ian followed:

“You’ve broken every flower vase in the flower shop, so it’s only fair you pay your dues.”

“No, that’s—”

“Ha ha! And to keep you from being lonely on the road, someone like you is needed! Mm!”

That was Taoma. Judging by his tone, he was looking for a drinking companion. He’d met many people, but few could drink and eat as well as Beric.

Tweller watched silently, thinking:

‘No Beric means saving on rations.’

He didn’t care about the burden Taoma would bear and calculated the secured supplies in his head.

As the mood grew tense, Ian joked briefly:

“And above all, since you were one of the signatories on the contract, it makes sense for you to go.”

“What? I don’t even know what I signed.”

“That’s true for all parties, so it’s fine.”

Ian smiled at Taoma. The contract was signed without anyone really knowing the details—what did it matter?

Taoma laughed awkwardly and then pleaded again.

“About that, I’ll pass along any information I hear about Laromedia, but one gold coin per stalk of Silask is really too much. If the southern country knew Bariel was the buyer, they’d ask for at least 100 coins, maybe even 1,000.”

It’s never been officially exported. The southern country surely knows how rare Silask is.

Beric scratched his ear, unimpressed.

“Then why not just hide who the buyer is?”

“For people like us, trust is everything. If we’re not going to do this for generations, maybe that’s fine. But I have no such intention. My late father would rise from his grave if I did.”

A merchant who travels east and west, selling everything profitable. Without trust, who would do business with him?

That’s why Taoma rushed to Kalamath Castle as soon as he came to his senses—to earn the palace’s trust.

“Lord Ian, please reconsider that part. I can bear some losses, but this is beyond me.”

Taoma bowed politely. Honestly, the situation was unfair and frustrating, but he had no grounds to argue. He was the one who had proposed the wager, and it was his own fault for falling asleep and failing to guard his fingers.

“Hmm.”

“What should we do, Your Majesty?” Ian asked after a moment of hesitation, looking toward Jin. Jin glanced at the two crumpled contracts and then spoke to Ian.

“First, Taoma should head to the Southern Kingdom, right?”

“Yes, I think that’s best.”

“As for the Silask trade price, let’s hold off on deciding that for now. We’ll reconsider once we have more information from Laromedia and other developments. How does that sound?”

It was a thinly veiled form of hope—if Taoma played his cards right, there might be a way out.

But clinging to even that was Taoma’s only chance at survival. He bowed deeply, expressing his gratitude.

“I am deeply thankful for Your Majesty’s mercy.”

“Then prepare yourself.”

Prepare, Beric.

At Jin’s glance, Beric lowered his head behind the sofa. Waking up only to be sent on a mission right away—could his luck be any worse? If possible, he just wanted to hide away somewhere and get a good rest.

“Ah.”

Beric suddenly lifted his head and asked, “Can I bring Cedric along?”

“Cedric?”

“He’s my marksman. It shouldn’t be a problem if he comes with me, right?”

“Well…”

“Do as you please.” Jin shrugged, not seeing any harm in it. Beric let out a sly smile inwardly. That arrogant brat. Once we leave the palace, there’ll be no one to keep him in line. I’ll make sure he learns some manners.

“So, when is the main force departing—”

“…?”

“—exactly?”

Beric grinned mischievously as he asked Tweller.

Since that day ten years ago, Beric’s attitude toward Tweller had remained unchanged. Tweller swallowed a sigh as quietly as possible and replied.

“Four days from now. The Bariel main force will advance north. The goal is to reach the Burgos–Toolun border within a week at the latest. We may have to split our forces between the temple side and the capital side at the border, but that’s not certain yet. We still have no information on the Osu reconnaissance team.”