Chapter 766
“Barsabe! You’re alive!”
“Ah!”
With a sudden embrace from behind, Barsabe’s upper body lurched forward as she was wrapping her bandages.
The military medic, pale as if about to faint, caught her, and she turned around in surprise. Familiar faces of the royal guards appeared before her—each bearing their own torn and bleeding wounds.
“Of course. I don’t die that easily.”
“Wow, your left arm’s a mess. Can you feel anything?”
“…A little.”
Barsabe hesitated for a moment, then forced a smile. It wasn’t exactly a situation to laugh about, but she didn’t know what else to show on her face.
Silence fell over them, and soon the guards pressed their foreheads against hers. With a trembling voice, Barsabe apologized.
“…Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
“It’s alright. There’s plenty to be sorry about.”
“We tried to do something while you were fighting—”
“We all did our best. Just as you know us, we know you. Don’t say that. Captain Jaret wouldn’t want it either.”
At the mention of Captain Jaret, Barsabe squeezed her eyes shut.
Since her father’s passing, Jaret—her father’s close friend—had taken even greater care of her. He never held back his teachings and was a senior who boldly led the way on the path she was to follow.
A father, a mentor, an embodiment of admiration. The absence of Captain Jaret was a pain that felt like a lifelong wound.
“Well, I guess the day really has come.”
“Yeah. The war is finally over.”
“No, not that!”
“Oh? Then what?”
“Look, look over there!”
“Snap!”
One of the guards pointed far off at Beric. Then, shaking his head in disbelief, he muttered,
“Beric as captain? Seriously?”
“You know what’s annoying? He’s actually doing a decent job. Did some crazy guy eat something wrong or what?”
“And the worst part is, he somehow fits the role. It’s infuriating.”
“Damn it. When I get into the palace, I’m applying for captain. I can’t stand the thought of working under that guy—it’s a blow to my pride.”
“First, you’ll have to get past me.”
The royal guards joked around, lightening the mood. Barsabe wiped away her tears and smiled, prompting them to call out to Cedric, who was chatting with someone in the distance.
“Cedric!”
“Yes, coming!”
The boy whispered something to his companion before dashing over to the guards.
“So, how does it feel to have your direct senior as captain?”
“Not much of a thrill. If I had to say, I’d say I want to be captain too.”
“Ugh, such an arrogant brat! No wonder he’s Beric’s junior!” The guards stretched Cedric’s cheeks playfully and nodded.
“Stop goofing around and stick close to Barsabe.”
“…Y-yes, sir.”
“Once you finish the bandages, take her to Captain Akorella of the Magic Department. There were some emergency cases earlier, so I’m not sure how busy it is now. Barsabe, stay put for now. We’ll see you later.”
Though Cedric was a magic swordsman, he was still inexperienced and couldn’t be sent out for field duty. His control over magic was clumsy, and being a child, his physical strength was lacking.
Cedric stared intently at the direction the guards had disappeared, then stuck his tongue out in a cheeky gesture, as if not caring whether Barsabe saw it or not.
“You really are you.”
“Medic, is it just the bandages now?”
“Ah, yes, yes. That’s right.”
“Then I’ll take care of it. You go ahead.”
The number of medics was limited, and the injured were countless. The medic gladly handed over the bandaging to Cedric and hurried toward the palace, as more wounded were being carried out on stretchers.
“I’ll be thorough for you, senior.”
“Alright. Do your best.”
“By the way, does becoming a magic swordsman strengthen the body? Usually, an arm this badly damaged would mean permanent disability or death.”
“That depends on the level of training.”
Cedric carefully wrapped the bandages with clumsy hands, stitching them as if sewing.
Barsabe rested her chin on her hand, waiting patiently, while Cedric kept glancing at her.
“What?”
“Got something on your mind?” Barsabe asked, holding her chin steady. Still, Cedric fidgeted with the bandages for a long moment, hesitating. Sensing the odd atmosphere, Barsabe furrowed her brows.
“Cedric?”
“Well, Barsabe senior, you’re close with Beric, right?”
“Depends on what you mean by ‘close.’”
“I heard a strange rumor, and I’m not sure if I should report it.”
“A rumor? What kind?”
Cedric suddenly raised both hands with a blank expression, then muttered quietly with a mischievous look, like “Hehe—scary, huh?”
“They say a woman appeared in the water.”
“Water? Where?”
“At the well that supplies drinking water.”
“…That’s odd.”
Such bizarre rumors were common on the battlefield, where death from friend or foe—or even bystanders—was a frequent reality.
Wasn’t it the same at Burgos Castle? There were widespread rumors of guards hearing phantom voices and seeing ghosts, which lasted quite a while.
‘But the war is over now.’
And with victory.
This was a time when liberation and a sense of accomplishment were at their peak. The Shadow God was too wicked a being to feel pity, and honestly, aside from the sacrifices of mages and magic swordsmen, the damage to regular soldiers wasn’t that severe. From Barsabe’s experience, it was rare for ghost stories to spread in such an encouraging atmosphere.
“So… you’re hesitating whether to tell Beric about this?”
“Yes. It’s connected to Minister Ian of the Magic Department. The two of them are close friends.”
“Minister Ian?”
“Yes.”
Cedric sniffled and finished wrapping the bandages with surprisingly delicate care for a child. He glanced around cautiously, then leaned in to whisper to Barsabe.
“There’s a rumor that Minister Ian is of royal blood.”
“What?”
Barsabe frowned, wondering if she’d misheard. Was this kid talking nonsense?
Seeing her strong reaction, Cedric raised his hands again, proving his innocence. He was just passing on what he’d heard.
“I know it sounds ridiculous, but that’s probably why it’s spreading so fast. If Captain Jaret were here, I’d tell him, but whether it’s good or bad, Beric is in charge now.”
Should she tell him or not? It would come out eventually anyway, but did she want to get tangled up in unnecessary trouble?
Seeing the disbelief on Barsabe’s face, Cedric nodded.
“I thought the same at first. Who the hell started that rumor?”
“Wait a minute.”
Barsabe snapped her fingers to get Cedric’s attention. His reaction was strange—like he had no idea that Ian Hielo was the emperor from the future. Barsabe was speechless.
‘…This is it.’
The strange disconnect she’d felt when talking to Beric earlier—now she understood what it was.
After a moment’s thought, Barsabe jumped up, shrugged off her royal guard uniform, and limped toward the barracks. Though her leg wasn’t fully healed, her pace quickened.
Tap tap tap!
“Could this be Tolrun’s last desperate move?”
“Come on, no way.”
“Then that means he’s still alive.”
“No, it must be some other force.”
The soldiers’ chatter echoed loudly, drifting into Barsabe’s ears.
“I think it’s possible. Even in Bariel, there were occasional rumors. The Magic Department denied it outright, but nothing was ever proven.”
“Who’d be crazy enough to bring that up? Whether it’s true or not, it’s a problem.”
“Shh. Everyone keep quiet. We barely survived the war; don’t go dying over nonsense.”
“Exactly! Shut up, everyone. We won because of the mages. So what if someone’s royal blood? Isn’t that a blessing? It’s the first time a mage has come from the royal family!”
“I just want to get home and rest already.”
“Do you think the wizards will open a portal for us when we leave?”
“Doubt it. The Minister of Magic isn’t in good shape right now.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Everyone had witnessed Minister Ian’s royal bloodline firsthand. So why did it sound like no one had heard of it before? Who had carelessly let that rumor slip out into the chaos? There was no way to know.
And above all else…
‘A woman who appeared in the water.’
Could it really be… Vanusa?
Pushing aside the dizzying thoughts, Barsabe sprinted toward the Ministry of Magic’s barracks.
Late at night—
Vanusa opened her eyes. She had no idea when or how she had passed out, or how long she’d been like this. She tried to move, but her legs were pinned under rubble, leaving her completely immobilized.
She turned her head. Far off in the distance, she thought she saw someone with dark blue hair—probably Barsabe—but she couldn’t be sure. It was out of reach.
Rustle.
Vanusa transformed her body into liquid and slipped out from beneath the collapsed palace. What had happened? Had Bariel won? Other than the rain stopping, she knew nothing.
Even after emerging from the debris, the scene was the same. Everyone lay sprawled on the ground as if asleep.
‘What on earth…?’
The emperor, the wizards, the magic swordsmen—all unconscious, scattered across the muddy earth like they had lost their minds underground.
“Hey, over here…”
Suppressing the wave of dizziness, Vanusa shook them, but there was no response. With no other choice, she staggered forward.
Even in the darkness, the ruined capital was unmistakable. The palace was completely destroyed, and the houses were charred or burned to ashes.
‘It must have been a fierce battle.’
Vanusa pressed her palm to her forehead, troubled.
She hadn’t wanted to bring down Toorun itself—only the palace. Seeing the city she loved so dearly in ruins made her nose sting.
She kept moving, searching for anyone who might have regained consciousness. But…
‘This is strange.’
Bright red handprints that even the rain hadn’t washed away. Blood stains everywhere. Not from shadow creatures, but from humans.
Following the blood flowing like a stream, Vanusa rounded a corner. Suddenly, a sharp, metallic scent of blood hit her. Her body froze.
“Ah…”
The bodies of Toorun’s residents were piled up like a mountain.
This couldn’t be happening. What had they possibly done wrong? Each one had their throat slit, eyes wide open in death. The wounds on their bodies spoke of clear intent.
‘…A massacre.’
It made no sense. Why would Bariel do this? Ian Hielo had clearly promised an alliance. He vowed to protect Toorun.
“Damn it!”
Unable to contain her rising fury, Vanusa drew her sword. With everyone unconscious, it would be easy to strike them down—starting with the closest one…
Wait, that face looks familiar. Wasn’t that Minister Tweller?
“Ugh…”
But then, a groan came from somewhere nearby. Vanusa instinctively turned toward the sound.
A child was hiding inside a trash bin in the alley, coughing weakly, barely clinging to life. Vanusa quickly pulled the child out and moistened their lips.
“Ugh…”
“Don’t worry. I’m Vanusa.”
“V-Vanusa-nim?”
“Yes. Breathe out slowly.”
The child couldn’t open their eyes but clung tightly to Vanusa’s arms, summoning their last strength to speak in a faint, strained voice.
“B-Bariel’s army… massacred everyone. They cut down indiscriminately. My parents and I weren’t even armed. They killed us all. They cornered us…”
Vanusa’s eyes trembled.
“Please… punish them, Vanusa-nim. Those Bariel bastards…”