Chapter 712
Chronie always had the habit of pausing briefly in front of the emperor’s study. The clueless attendants assumed he was just taking a moment to steady his breath or adjust his attire with reverence, but that wasn’t the case.
Chronie was always fidgeting with a specially crafted magic-sealing stone tucked in his pocket. It resembled a pen, but its tip was a sharp magic-sealing gem.
“Your Majesty, Lord Chronie, Deputy Minister of Imperial Defense, has arrived.”
“Send him in.”
Whether it was to assassinate the emperor or to protect himself from the emperor, no one could say for sure. Perhaps it was both.
Through the slowly opening door, Chronie noticed Ian staring directly at him.
“Did you call for me, Your Majesty?”
“Welcome, Lord Chronie. I appreciate you coming on such short notice. I hear you’ve been busy lately.”
There was an edge to Ian’s voice. Chronie instinctively sensed it, having observed Ian for many years. He offered a gentle smile and bowed his head. At times like this, it was best to keep one’s expression neutral.
“Your Majesty, what are you saying? What could be more important than your summons? I’m disappointed you called me so early.”
Ian studied Chronie for a moment, then sighed softly and averted his gaze.
“…There are disrespectful rumors circulating within the palace.”
In truth, Ian must have known for quite some time. Ever since the previous Minister of Magic transferred the authority over the magic-sealing stones to other departments to secure his position; ever since the central nobles began visiting Chronie’s mansion almost daily; ever since the courtiers in meetings paid more attention to Chronie’s words than Ian’s.
But now that the rumors had reached Ian’s ears directly, he could no longer stand idly by.
“Lord Chronie, be careful. In the palace, even the smallest thing can become a sharp sword that cuts down its target. You know this better than anyone.”
“Yes, of course. I will be cautious. That is why I intend to investigate these disrespectful rumors immediately—”
“Go north.”
Ian slammed the documents shut, cutting off Chronie’s words as if there was nothing more to say.
“You mentioned the northern front urgently needs reinforcements. This is perfect timing. Lord Chronie, I entrust you to inspect the border thoroughly and submit a report. I cannot trust anyone else, so I am asking you personally.”
“…Your Majesty.”
“Besides, your absence will naturally quell these baseless and malicious rumors. It will be cold, but think of it as a little outing. I’ve been there myself; the scenery is breathtaking.”
Since becoming emperor, Ian had pressured Chronie so much that he spent most of his time on the battlefield. Now, it was time for Chronie to go. Ian looked him straight in the eye, as if resolute.
“Hah…”
The first sound to escape was a sigh of lament. Chronie stood there silently for a long moment, unable to utter a word. But who would dare argue with the emperor’s command? Slowly bowing his head in respect, he finally replied,
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
I understand perfectly, Ian. I know exactly why you’re sending me north. You want to strip me of my position, cut me to pieces, and erase me completely. How could you…? I raised you, and even now, the clarity in the eyes of the child you once were remains vivid. How could you…
“Then, I will take my leave.”
Suppressing the rage boiling inside him, Chronie left the study. As soon as he stepped outside, he rubbed the magic-sealing stone in his pocket endlessly—both to calm himself and to silently plead for its power.
Descending the stairs, he whispered to his subordinate,
“Send word to the central nobles immediately. Tell them all to gather at my mansion.”
“Yes, Lord Chronie.”
“And—”
Chronie hesitated briefly, stroking his chin, but the decision came quickly. If he went north as ordered, death awaited him alone.
“Have the soldiers assembled.”
“…!”
“Contact the former Minister of Magic as well.”
“…Understood.”
Something serious was brewing. The subordinate’s lips tightened into a firm line as he saluted and hurried away.
Chronie climbed into his carriage and swiftly departed the palace grounds, just as he had before. The wind he brought still swirled fiercely around the palace.
“Is this the Imperial Palace Guard?”
“Yes, but they’re currently suspended and barred from entering the main building.”
“Why? What did they do?”
“How should I know?”
Four people huddled in a corner of the palace’s central archives, whispering.
Three mages clutched documents related to the Abyss, while Beric held a piece of jerky he’d somehow acquired.
“Seriously, you’re the same even here.”
“Is that my fault? Ian’s the darkness. So it’s his fault.”
“Shut up. Who do you think you’re disrespecting, the emperor’s name?”
Nakina glanced around cautiously as she spoke. Beric smirked and stuffed the jerky into his mouth in one bite. Who called you? I didn’t!
“But why did you stop me earlier? If Chronie is Ian’s darkness, wouldn’t killing him end it all? That guy’s face is seriously off-putting.”
“Yeah. If you’re disgusted by him, that says it all. But no, we can’t act rashly. We don’t know what might happen if we interfere. Securing information about ‘here’ is our priority.”
“So you should look for more documents. You can read now, right?”
“I can read, but I can’t understand the documents.”
“What does that even mean…”
Talking nonsense with such care? Nakina narrowed her eyes and glared. Just then, Tommy raised his hand, having found something.
“Here, there’s something noteworthy. It says that to ‘sink’ into the Abyss Sea, ‘forbidden magic’ must be a prerequisite.”
“Isn’t that basic? I know that.”
“There were exceptions, like Melania and Clark. Anyway, what caught my attention was the definition of ‘sink.’ What does it mean here? Literally submerged underwater? If so, what about us? Is that possible without forbidden magic?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Sinking means darkness. If we assume that, it fits. It explains why we entered Ian’s darkness.”
Beric frowned, resting his chin on his hand. He clearly didn’t understand.
“Among us, only Ian is directly connected to forbidden magic. That’s why only Ian has darkness.”
“Hmm. I think I get it.”
“Did Melania or Clark ever say they saw darkness?”
“No. They just saw Ian and said they barely escaped with the help of the secretive gypsies.”
Rutherford said the mages who fell into the Abyss with him suffered endless deaths, but that was the trickery of the underground god.
That’s right. Melania and Clark, who weren’t involved with forbidden magic, returned safely.
“So, how do we get out?”
“I don’t know. How did Ian get out before?”
“Before?”
They didn’t know. Ian never said he met a god in the Abyss or that he found his way back that way.
They fell silent, staring at the useless documents.
“Will we find answers by just staring at those? If we just behead Chronie, it’ll be over quickly. Let’s do that, okay?”
“Hmm?”
Tommy ignored Beric’s words and focused on a sentence in the document.
One was a record from Vandor: “There is no space or time in the Abyss.” The other was a record Zaera brought from the Mage’s Forest.
“Beneath the rift, their own world moves. If they call each other unknown worlds, their stars must be ours.”
Tommy muttered, savoring each syllable.
“…This place is darkness, and yet, a world.”
“Tommy?”
“That seems right. Beric might be onto something.”
“Huh? Suddenly? What? Why?”
He was happy to be agreed with, but what sentence made him think that?
Tommy twirled his pen and asked everyone,
“Here’s a pen that keeps spinning endlessly in place. How do you stop it?”
“Just grab it with your hand.”
“Yes. By ‘external intervention.’ When Ian first entered the Abyss, he must have received help from outside. If he had escaped on his own, he would have told us how to counter the Abyss’s tide.”
That made sense.
Hail, Nakina, and Beric drew closer, as if an answer was just within reach.
“So, external intervention is still needed, if your assumption is correct.”
“Exactly!”
“Then that external force is…?”
“Us.”
They were the only ones not connected to forbidden magic who could influence this world.
“Right. Let’s go.”
“Wait! Can you handle it?”
Beric jumped up, ready to behead Chronie, but Nakina grabbed his collar.
“Even if it’s darkness, this is still reality. Think carefully if you can take on all the palace mages and the Imperial Guard here. Rebellion means everyone has turned their backs on Ian, right?”
“I’ll go to his mansion and—”
“No. Killing Chronie isn’t a fundamental or ultimate solution. What if someone else takes his place?”
“I’ll—”
“There will be a right time and place. I think it’s when Naum uses forbidden magic.”
“On what basis?”
Nakina folded her fingers one by one as she explained to Hail.
“There’s definitely some guilt in Ian’s darkness over Naum, and since even Ian doesn’t know what comes after, this damned darkness must be the moment it breaks. Besides, isn’t overcoming the rebellion Ian’s real challenge?”
Hale nodded, arms crossed, as if in agreement.
“Alright then. Let’s move. Judging by the palace atmosphere, the rebellion is about to start any minute.”
“Where do we begin?”
“Look over the list of central nobles that’s been passed down for the last hundred years.”
“We’ll remember it and deal with them when we get back.”
“…What difference does taking down ancestors from a hundred years ago make?”
Hale lit his cigarette. With three mages and one mad dog gathered here, there was nothing they couldn’t do. No, they had to succeed.
Beric tapped the table with his fingertips and asked, puzzled, “So, we’ve got the answer now?”
“What answer?”
“How to save someone lost in the abyss.”
Someone unrelated to forbidden magic, who melts into the darkness, intervenes, and turns the whole thing upside down.
Wait, isn’t that way too simple? If Zyra finds out, she’ll jump straight into the rift.
“Simple, you say?”
Nakina chuckled softly and shared Hale’s cigarette.
“Do you really think it’s easy for someone with no connection to forbidden magic to dive into the abyss just to save another?”
They only ended up here because they were swept away by the tide, after all. Think about it—no one has dared to plunge into the abyss to save Ian in the past ten years.
Not even Zyra tried to save her grandmother. The girl kept researching on solid ground in her own way, but still.
“Naum used forbidden magic to save Ian. I think it’s somewhat possible to throw yourself away again for someone who sacrificed themselves for you. But what about when that’s not the case?”
Unconditional sacrifice. The courage to cast yourself into the unknown purely out of love for another, without expecting anything in return.
How could anyone call that an easy thing?
“I think it’s like divine mercy. The only mercy a person can hold onto when sacrificing themselves for someone they love.”