Chapter 736
Vanusa pulled on the rusty doorknob and peered inside the building. Though it was managed by her family, its location on the outskirts of the capital meant it rarely received much attention.
Dust coated every surface, and strange, unidentifiable objects lay scattered about. Who was in charge of this place again? Vanusa frowned as she glanced around.
Creak.
She hesitated as she opened the inner door. There were footprints in the white dust—someone had been here before her.
Was there a back entrance? There were marks showing someone had come in, but none indicating they had left. If there was no exit at the rear, that meant the visitor was still somewhere inside.
Vanusa readied herself to transform into water at a moment’s notice and stepped cautiously into the hallway. Following the faint footsteps, she moved carefully, silently…
Bang!
“Ahhh!”
A sharp scream burst out as she flung open a door. Instinctively, Vanusa raised her sword, but stopped. The scream held no trace of hostility.
She carefully examined the trembling children huddled in the darkness. They looked familiar.
“V-V-Vanusa-nim?”
They were the servants who had belonged to the family since birth.
Unlike Vanusa, they recognized their mistress immediately. The only light came faintly through a tattered curtain, but it was enough.
“Vanusa-nim!”
“You all…”
The children rushed forward and clung to her. Vanusa had no idea how long it had been since she last saw them. After she left for the Masantar Temple, she hadn’t heard a word and had been worried sick.
“You’re safe!”
“Why are you all here? Why aren’t you at the mansion?”
The children clung to her waist, tears welling in their eyes. In the brief silence, so much was left unsaid. The tallest among them finally spoke.
“The royal palace issued an order. Everyone from the Spirit Mage families, regardless of their role, must assist with palace affairs. Our parents were called to the palace first.”
“What?”
Vanusa repeated in disbelief. What was this? The family’s retainers were clearly considered private property. Yet they were being conscripted by royal decree? Her mind went blank.
“Our clan head tried to resist, saying the Spirit Mages must never be sent, but it was no use. Most of the family was summoned to the palace. Thanks to the clan head’s arrangements, we hid out here on the outskirts, watching the situation…”
The clan head was Vanusa’s younger brother.
‘Of all times…’
It was clear the palace was trying to secure resources and manpower for the war from outside sources. Especially since Vanusa’s clan head was away at Masantar, their family was an easy target.
“What about the other families?”
“The Fire Clan seems to be in a similar situation. Since they came here, we haven’t heard anything.”
“This is maddening.”
Vanusa ran a hand through her hair, muttering. Was the palace’s situation really that dire? Or were they using the war as an excuse to tighten their grip on the noble families?
To understand objectively, she needed to assess the ministers’ situations first. If the palace was truly desperate, they would have already raided the ministers’ storehouses. How many could hold out when told the kingdom would fall if they didn’t comply?
‘If this is a ploy to keep the families in check…’
Even hiding these children could give the palace an excuse.
Vanusa sighed deeply and gently patted the children’s shoulders.
“Let’s get you something to eat—”
Boom! Thud! Thud!
Before she could finish, the front door shook violently. The startled children shrank back, and Vanusa drew her sword, tense.
“V-Vanusa-nim!”
“It’s alright.”
Another visitor. Vanusa gripped the doorknob cautiously and held her breath. What time was it? Was it too early for the Bariel mages to pass the inspection?
If not them, it was likely an investigation team sent by the palace to find a pretext—to punish those hiding personnel against royal orders.
‘If it’s an investigation team, then it’s Venda.’
Vanusa steeled herself and asked,
“…Who’s there?”
“Exactly. Who is this ‘Artor’ fellow?”
“What?”
Nonsense.
Vanusa figured only a mage would come here spouting such nonsense. She lowered her guard and flung the door wide open.
Sure enough, a group of ragged mages stood there, half dazed, muttering to themselves.
“Who the hell is this Artor? And why is he…”
“Artor’s daughter’s lucky, getting Ian as a gift… Is this what bloodlines mean?”
“Come on, get a grip. Ian will be back soon. You’d think he was sold off or something.”
“He was sold! They even put a ribbon around his neck!”
“Ah, no, that was just some border guard’s careless words.”
“Do you believe that?”
“No? Then ask Ian yourself when he returns!”
“Wait—!”
Vanusa lightly struck the wall, silently begging them to shut up and explain the situation.
The noisy mages froze for a moment, then casually brushed past her and entered.
“Ugh, this place is a dust pit. The carriage was no better.”
“Vanusa, got any spare clothes? Mine are about to rip.”
“What now? Find your own.”
“Huh? Who are these kids? Vanusa, are these your children?”
“No way. Vanusa, you have kids? You look younger than me.”
“Hey, you lot!”
Vanusa locked the door and demanded,
“So, what happened to Lord Ian? Explain.”
The mages, watching her closely, answered in unison.
“He was sold.”
‘Use your wits!’
‘That thing around his neck—if it’s a head, roll it!’
‘Damn it, why Ian of all people?!’
‘At least he has taste, right?’
‘Is this the time for jokes?’
‘They should’ve taken Captain Akorella instead.’
‘That would’ve been a problem too.’
The mages exchanged glances, their silent conversation clear. The inspector who said he’d buy Ian jingled three silver coins and looked at the guild master as if nothing was wrong.
“Why is that?”
“Well, you see—”
The guild master shut his eyes tightly, trying to stay calm. He had 23 years of experience in slave trading and had met all kinds of customers. Though he’d never had mages suddenly show up trying to bash someone’s head in, many had insisted on buying those he refused to sell.
“I’m sorry, but this one—no, this guy—is not for sale.”
“Why not? You said you’d sell him as soon as he came in.”
“He’s already been reserved with a deposit.”
“What? Damn.”
Ian was a handsome lad, the kind anyone would be happy to receive as a gift. The inspector clicked his tongue regretfully, eyes fixed on Ian.
Such a waste! Unable to shake his disappointment, the inspector leaned close to the cage and asked Ian,
“Is that true?”
“I don’t know anything.”
“Ah, damn! And what a voice!”
The inspector slapped his forehead, lamenting. Worried he might ask for someone else, the guild master hurried over and whispered,
“My stomach hurts a bit. Can we wrap this up?”
“Hmm, alright. No choice. But how much is the deposit?”
“One gold coin.”
“Oh? That’s cheap for such a pretty one.”
“Well, it’s just a deposit…”
“I see.”
The inspector shook his head and rummaged through his pockets. Just as he was about to stamp the permit,
“Who’s that?”
Someone reached out and stopped him. It was Mer, the chief of immigration inspection and the inspector’s superior. The inspector jumped and saluted.
“Chief Inspector. What brings you here?”
“The replacement had an emergency, so I came instead.”
“Gah.”
Damn. No chance of leaving early. The inspector swallowed his curses.
Ignoring that, Mer looked behind the carriage and asked,
“So, who did you say made the deposit? Ah, that one? Blonde hair, green eyes. Wow, she’s really pretty.”
Mer’s eyes sparkled.
The inspector slowly stepped back. Jande was always gloomy, but when she reacted like this, trouble was sure to follow. The guild master swallowed hard.
“So, who?”
“Huh?”
“Who put down the deposit? There aren’t many who can afford a gold coin deposit in this city.”
“Well, you see…”
Who could it be? Whoever it was, they must already know the author. As the guild master pondered, Mer smiled slyly and sealed the deal.
“Don’t worry, just write a letter saying you’ll refund the deposit.”
“…What?”
“We’ll pay instead. Let’s transfer the kid here. Hm? The kid’s really good. Lately, Lord Artor’s been in a bad mood, so I was worried. He’ll be thrilled to get this as a gift.”
Then Mer lightly shook the guild master’s permit.
It was a high-stakes threat. If they didn’t hand over that guy, they wouldn’t be allowed inside. If that happened, it would be no different from taking the advance payment and disappearing, and they’d lose the chance to deal with the other slaves as well.
“I know most of the key players in this city, so there’s no need to worry about any backlash.”
“Ah…”
If they didn’t hand over that kid, they’d be banned from entering. The caravan leader hesitated for a moment, then glanced inside the carriage. They needed the mages’ advice on what to do.
“Hmm.”
Ian, watching the situation, let out a small, annoyed sigh. If they got stuck here, who knew how long it would take to find another way in? It made more sense to get inside first and figure out the next move later.
He’d have the mages join Vanusa, and he himself would ‘temporarily’ sell himself, then escape afterward. Since he still had magic, it wouldn’t be a problem.
With a slight nod, Ian signaled that it was fine. The mages silently protested with desperate looks, but Ian didn’t budge. This was the best option, no matter how he thought about it.
“Ah, well, now that I think about it, that sounds fine. I’ll handle the advance payment myself.”
“Are you sure? I feel bad about this.”
He didn’t look the least bit sorry.
Mer smiled brightly and gave the caravan leader a friendly pat on the shoulder. Just moments ago, they’d been ready to bankrupt an entire caravan without a second thought…
“No, no, it’s really okay.”
“Thanks. As a favor, next time I’ll make your inspections easier. Just come straight up, no need to line up or worry about change. How’s that sound?”
“Th-thank you.”
“All right, then. Let’s open the carriage and get the pretty one out.”
“Yes, sir!”
Following Mer’s command, the inspector moved quickly, and Ian obediently took the inspector’s hand and stepped down from the carriage.
The mages, silent but screaming inside, reached out desperately toward Ian, but a few clear-headed ones bit their lips and held them back.
“Should we prepare a ribbon to hang around his neck?”
“Yeah? Let’s make it as cute and pretty as possible.”
Ian, walking along quietly, flinched.
“…Ribbon?”
A deep regret flickered across Ian’s face as the thought briefly crossed his mind.