Chapter 773

The excitement in the capital showed no signs of cooling. Since the official declaration of the end of the war was announced through the Mailly Daily from the imperial palace the night before, fireworks had been lighting up the sky for over twelve hours straight.

Boom! Bang!

People danced with joy, shouting and laughing, while taverns kept pouring endless mugs of beer.

Even the flower shops were booming business. Everyone, young and old, was buying handfuls of flowers to scatter across the streets. It was, quite literally, a festival of festivals.

“Hmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It just feels unreal.”

“You’re drunk. The palace officially confirmed it—what’s there to not believe? If you’re going to ruin the mood, you might as well go inside first!”

“No, it’s just… yesterday, we hadn’t heard a single word. And now, suddenly, in just one day, the news arrives. It’s hard to believe.”

“Magic! That’s what it is—magic.”

“Right? At noon, everything’s going to light up all of a sudden.”

“Ha! I’m so curious. What on earth happened? Did the mages turn the battlefield into a sea of fire in one strike? I bet it was a sight to behold. Ha ha!”

The war had taken place on foreign soil. The people in the capital hadn’t witnessed the battles firsthand, so they had no idea how Bariel had achieved victory. Countless deaths, shattered ruins, twisted fates—all undoubtedly real, yet unseen.

“Mom! Will we finally get to see Dad?”

“Of course. He’s coming today, so let’s go wait outside.”

“Yay!”

As noon approached, the streets grew packed with people. Everywhere except the main central road was so crowded there was barely room to move. The atmosphere for the emperor’s victory parade was electric.

As the cheers for Bariel grew louder, Romandro rubbed his cheek anxiously. He was standing atop the palace’s main gate, overlooking the central city gate in a straight line.

“Smile, Romandro. It’s a good day.”

“Shall I bring you some water?”

“Thanks, but I’m fine. I want to smile too, but my heart isn’t at ease. I wonder if this is really the right way to welcome His Majesty.”

Since the palace had only just declared the war’s end, they hadn’t prepared anything beyond fireworks. Only two mages remained in the capital, and since they’d only received word the day before, there simply wasn’t enough time to arrange a proper welcome.

He knew all this! But still, Romandro’s lips trembled with frustration and helplessness.

“There’s no way around it. No manpower, no time—what can we do? The letter only instructed us to keep the central road open, nothing else.”

“Yes, that’s right. Even managing the supplies is something to be praised.”

“This is His Majesty’s first victorious war, yet… sigh.”

“All we can do is gather every last firework and set them off. Smile! It’s been a long time since we last saw him.”

“It’s almost noon!”

“Already? Does anyone have a watch with a second hand?”

“I do! I do.”

Romandro quickly pulled out his pocket watch. Tick-tock, tick-tock—the second hand’s movement made his nostrils flare with anticipation.

“Ten.”

He’s coming. Finally.

The master of the palace is returning!

“Nine.”

“Beat the drums! Set off more fireworks!”

“The Emperor is coming back!”

“Everyone, shout out loud!”

At the signal, the palace band pounded the drums with all their might. The deep vibrations shook the air, blending with the crowd’s cheers. Eight… seven… Romandro kept counting, but his voice was drowned out even by the person next to him.

Druuuum! Dong! Dung!

Tick! As the second hand passed twelve, Romandro snapped his head up and stared straight ahead. The crowd’s gaze followed. The massive Bariel emblem painted on the city gate began to distort.

And then, the black moon opened.

Whoosh!

The first to appear was the rider carrying the Bariel flag. Though his clothes were tattered from the grueling war, his eyes shone with pride—the pride of bringing victory to his homeland.

“He’s here.”

“Waaaaah!”

“Bariel! Bariel!”

Next came the emperor himself. His golden armor gleamed brilliantly, radiating authority. With a gentle smile, he looked warmly at the people who had come to greet him.

So this is what it feels like to come home.

He hadn’t even entered the palace yet. Still clad in heavy armor, sitting tall in the saddle, he slowly rode forward in the procession.

But the familiar sights immediately eased the tension that had been hiding deep inside. He had thought all the stress had lifted with the declaration of peace, but this was different—this was home.

Jin whispered to Xiaosi.

“I wish Minister Tweller had been here too.”

“Me too.”

For Jin, it was his first war; for Tweller, his last. It would have been perfect if it had ended with the cheers of the empire’s people.

Jin waved his hand through the shower of flower petals.

“Your Majesty, you’ve worked so hard.”

“You’ve worked hard too. Truly, I’m grateful.”

“You trusted me, a man with nothing but experience to offer. That was a great fortune late in my life.”

“Don’t say that. Meeting you was my fortune as well.”

Jin recalled the dinner with Tweller the night before. Tweller had poured him a drink and spoke cautiously.

“…Your Majesty, may I offer a word as a soldier and an old man?”

“Of course. Your words are always wise.”

“Your Majesty, never dismiss even the smallest doubt. The only reason I survived decades on the battlefield was because of that.”

“You mean to warn me about Ian again.”

“When you leave, I will investigate Banusa.”

“Banusa?”

“Yes. It seems the strange rumors lately are connected to her. I will focus on confirming whether there was some deal between Banusa and Minister Ian, and report back.”

“Let me know if you find anything. But don’t keep planting suspicion in my mind.”

Jin set down his cup, but Tweller didn’t back down.

“I don’t know when I’ll die.”

“Minister.”

What if Banusa and Ian really did make a deal? What if that’s why Tweller stayed behind while the emperor was brought here? Was there anyone left in the palace to keep the magic department in check? With Jarrett gone and dead?

Jin firmly rejected Tweller’s assumption.

“That’s impossible. From what I see, you will outlive me.”

“You joke too much.”

“You worry too much.”

“If only my worries as an old man were all there was to fear.”

“Enough. One more drink. Today, I’ll keep pouring until you can’t say a word.”

“Oh my, you’re relentless.”

Following Jin, the palace guard appeared. Not widely known to the public, their numbers seemed noticeably reduced.

Especially where the three commanders should have been, only one man with roughly tied red hair stood. The crowd’s cheers gradually quieted.

“Ah…”

They had expected an overwhelming victory, but had so many of the empire’s top swordmasters really died? Faces hardened.

They quickly scanned the soldiers. Voices calling out for family, lovers, friends grew louder.

“Dad! Dad! Where are you?”

“Jin! Oh my! You came back alive!”

“I missed you. I really missed you.”

“Sir, what about my father? He went with you.”

“Honey! Here I am!”

“Thank you, thank you…”

“I can’t find my child.”

“Stay calm. Not everyone’s out yet.”

For those who recognized each other, it was heaven on earth. They embraced, pressed foreheads together, confirming each other’s presence. And whispered words that might never have been spoken otherwise—thank you for coming back safely, I missed you, I love you, you mean so much to me.

“Thank you for that time. You saved my life.”

“Hey, this is my friend I shared the barracks with!”

“Nice to meet you, madam. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Let’s meet again!”

“Yeah, let’s have a drink!”

The soldiers who had forged bonds of camaraderie embraced one another before returning to their separate lives. They removed their helmets and armor, blending back into the crowd.

Yet, even amid the dispersing throng, some remained rooted in place, waiting for someone. With each passing moment of the procession, anxiety clenched their hands tightly. Their gazes flickered aimlessly; some even pushed through the ranks of soldiers, desperately searching for their loved ones.

“They’re not here, they’re not…”
“Jade! Jade! Please!”
“Has anyone seen my son? My son…”

Then, suddenly—

A soft rustle.

From somewhere, a shimmer appeared. Like fireflies in broad daylight, the lights flickered and danced, gradually gathering to form the shape of a person.

“Ah…”

Those who had failed to find their family members approached as if entranced, reaching out to touch the glowing figure. Though it had no distinct features—just a halo of light—in that moment, it was the precious one they longed for.

Low sobs broke out here and there, and everyone clasped their hands in prayer, honoring the noble sacrifice.

A gentle whoosh.

The cluster of light that had been embraced slowly ascended toward the sky, as if departing this world. The form dissolved, and the glow vanished with the breeze. Everyone watched wistfully, following it with their eyes until it disappeared.

“Your Majesty, please pause here and turn around.”

Ian, who had quietly approached, whispered to Jin.

Following Ian’s words, Jin turned, meeting the crowd’s gaze fixed upon him from the shimmering light. The emperor raised his fist with a resolute and solemn look, as if to console them—that the sacrifice of the fallen was sacred.

A creak.

The palace gates, firmly shut until now, swung open to either side. Everyone awaited the return of their sovereign. They bowed simultaneously, and Ian watched the scene quietly.

‘…The master of the palace.’

“Ian.”

At that moment, Hale approached and signaled—it was time to send supplies to Torolun.

Ian nodded and steadied himself.

---

“Your Majesty! Are you unharmed? We were truly worried.”

“Prime Minister. It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“You look much thinner. Thank the heavens you’ve returned safely.”

The prime minister and other royal officials approached the emperor with joy. Jin embraced them lightly, and the officials who hadn’t seen each other in some time exchanged greetings.

The prime minister smiled at Ian and praised him.

“Minister Ian, you’ve had quite the workload.”

“Not at all, Prime Minister.”

“Your Majesty, please come inside. You must be exhausted.”

As Jin ascended to the main palace, Ian glanced back at the mages. He hadn’t noticed it while in Torolun, but now inside the palace, they looked like a ragtag bunch.

“You all have three days’ leave. Without exception, return home and rest. I’ll take charge of the Magic Department. The emperor will deliver the war’s end address soon, so recover your strength as much as possible by then.”

“That’s impossible!”

“Ian, please don’t say that. You should rest too—”

Normally, they would have been thrilled at the unexpected paid leave, but today was different. The mages offered the suggestion of rest with worried expressions.

“Ian! By the gods, you lot!”

Romandro came running from afar, pounding the ground with heavy steps. He immediately embraced Ian and the mages, tears streaming down his face.

“Oh, you’ve all worked so hard. You did so well. Sniff… I missed you all so much.”

“Romandro! You’ve put on weight.”

“We missed you too.”

“Is everyone alright? No injuries?”

Romandro noticed several familiar faces were missing but chose not to mention it. This was a moment to be grateful for those who had returned alive.

Ian smiled and patted his back.

“Romandro, you did well too.”

“Me? Sniff, bawl, I didn’t do anything! The real work was all you guys!”

Ian motioned for the mages to step back, then walked with Romandro toward the Magic Department. As Romandro chattered nonstop, Ian let the words wash over him and quietly asked,

“By the way, Romandro.”

“Hm?”

“Did it rain in Bariel about twenty days ago?”

“…Twenty days ago?”

Instead of trying to recall, Romandro pulled out his notebook and checked. The day’s brief log was filled with notes.

“Oh, here it is. It says it suddenly rained, so the Magic Department’s exterior cleaning was postponed. Why do you ask?”

Ian smiled knowingly and shook his head.

“Nothing. Just curious.”

Romandro looked back at Ian’s retreating figure with a puzzled expression. That workaholic—already scheming something new the moment he returned. He worried silently.