Episode 920
Ian rubbed his eyes as he watched the soldiers bustling around in a frenzy. Everyone seemed busy carrying out their assigned duties. Whether at headquarters or on the battlefield, mornings were always hectic everywhere.
Aco, standing beside Ian, yawned widely, her eyes swollen and puffy. Hale still hadn’t fully woken up, his eyes closed in a daze.
“Still, maybe because it’s the north, the air here is something else,” Ian remarked.
“…”
“Hey, you’re not waking up?”
“…I was awake.”
The three of them had returned at dawn after their secret meeting with Astana. As soon as they stepped into the tent, Aco muttered while staring at her doll, its middle finger raised.
“See? It’s back.”
“How can you tell?”
“The angle’s off.”
To Ian, it looked exactly the same, but Aco seriously raised her eyebrows and said so.
“Ah, if I’d known, I’d have set up some kind of trap or something.”
“Since they know we were gone, they’ll probably respond, right?”
“Yeah. But they won’t make a blatant move. We don’t know how far Crony’s mind can twist things, so we have to be careful.”
Had they figured out that they’d gone to Astana? And that they’d uncovered clues about Idgal? Aco sighed, stretched, and popped a few balloons to clear the air.
“For now, let’s get some sleep. We’ll see what happens when we meet tomorrow.”
That ended their conversation from the previous night.
But the group couldn’t sleep well—uncomfortable cots, the unexpectedly cold night air, and the uneasy feeling of Crony’s presence nearby kept them restless. They stayed awake until sunrise, rubbing their tired eyes, when they spotted Crony approaching.
“Good morning.”
“Yeah, uh… haaaah.”
Aco yawned again, while Crony tried to hide his disgust.
“Looks like you didn’t get much rest last night.”
They’d been busy all night without a break, so it was understandable. Ian and Aco caught the subtle hint in Crony’s words. Hale, meanwhile, blinked vacantly, staring off into the distance.
“The Magic Department isn’t here for leisure. We can’t afford to rest even for a moment, not with the empire’s people at stake. I went on a quick patrol to check for any enemy ambushes riding the night wind.”
They all knew. Crony knew they’d disappeared during the night, and the Magic Department knew that Crony knew. Stroking his beard lightly, Crony nodded in agreement.
“That’s appreciated. But, mage—”
“Yes, speak.”
“I’m the commander here. Please don’t leave the camp without orders.”
“No thanks.”
“What?”
Rubbing her swollen eyelids, Aco casually added,
“We came here primarily to get the guardian’s consent. If a battle breaks out, of course we’ll help Bariel, but honestly, it’s been quiet and peaceful so far.”
The soldiers behind Crony couldn’t hide their displeasure. Even for a mage, that was a bit too arrogant. But what was more infuriating was that she wasn’t wrong.
“Also, the Magic Department isn’t officially participating in the battle. So there’s no need to follow the commander’s orders, right? We’ll handle things ourselves, so Crony, you can just mind your own business. I mean, why get involved in other people’s affairs…”
She was subtly referring to their secret midnight excursion.
Watching the tense exchange between Crony and Aco that morning, Ian gently grabbed Hale’s sleeve, as if to say, “Get a grip.”
“Mind your own business? That’s disappointing. I thought we were all united for the great empire of Bariel.”
Aco sensed danger. This bastard definitely knew they’d been to Astana. And that they’d uncovered information about Idgal. If she wasn’t careful, she could be accused of colluding with the enemy. So she took a step back.
“Of course we exist for the empire, but we belong to the Magic Department, and we wanted that to be acknowledged.”
“I see what you mean.”
“By the way, would you be willing to sign the guardian consent form?”
Squatting down, Aco draped an arm over Ian’s shoulder and asked. Crony looked at Ian and gave a polite smile.
“I wanted to discuss this yesterday, but the timing wasn’t right. Becoming family isn’t a decision to take lightly. I’d like to talk again tonight, Uncle Ian.”
“…Of course.”
Crony’s real intention was to keep Ian from wandering outside the camp. But that was fine. With Aco, Hale, and Kyu around, they could manage. Now that they had a rough idea of Idgal’s burial site, they just had to check diligently every night.
“How much time do we have left?”
“Huh?”
Aco blinked at Crony’s sudden question.
“Didn’t you apply for an external duty with the Magic Department?”
“Ah, one week from the day of arrival.”
Did Crony know that if the three of them didn’t return when the portal opened six days from now, Arena would personally lead the mages here?
At Aco’s answer, Crony nodded slightly.
“Six days, huh.”
She’d try to find Idgal within that time. She’d be moving quickly. Crony gave an unreadable smile and gave a light nod.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
“Yes, take care.”
After a brief salute, Aco clicked her tongue, pulled out a map from her cloak, and cast a light protective barrier around them to keep the soldiers at bay. Though, even without it, the soldiers wouldn’t dare approach the mages recklessly.
“We’ll divide the search area over six days. Ian has to stay in camp tonight, so I’ll stay with him. Hale, you and Kyu search this area.”
“Uh…”
“Are you listening?”
“Yeah…”
Aco rummaged through Hale’s pocket and stuffed a dry cigarette into his mouth. Surprisingly, his half-closed eyes snapped open.
“Then tomorrow, we’ll search from here to here, and the next day, this area. We’ll take turns scouting at night, and during the day, Kyu will handle overall reconnaissance.”
“Got it.”
“Finally, you’re coming around. We only have six days, so be thorough. I heard the area’s large, but we can’t be sure. If it’s small, we might miss it.”
“Is there a forest?”
“Not sure from the map.”
“If there is, we’ll have to fly low.”
They planned the search operation, marking the map carefully. Ian, listening intently, suddenly realized something and asked.
“By the way—”
“Yeah?”
“Where’s Kyu right now?”
“…”
That huge figure couldn’t just be out of sight.
Aco and Hale realized this too and jumped up. With the dragon pact, no one could have attacked him. Even if they had, Kyu wouldn’t just take it lying down. If he’d been hit, the fiery breath would have given it away immediately.
“Exactly. Where is he?”
“Kyu! Kyuuu!”
Aco deactivated the barrier and strode toward the camp’s center. She approached a nearby soldier.
“Did you see where Kyu went?”
“Kyu? Kyu?”
“Dragon! Red Dragon!”
“Oh, before dawn, he flew off that way.”
The soldier’s hand trembled as he pointed north. Since Kyu was no longer visible, he must have flown beyond the horizon. Aco muttered irritably.
“That damn thing, where does he keep wandering off to?”
“Aco, Kyu probably has his reasons.”
Dragons are the ultimate sacred beasts, after all. Ian tried to calm her down, suggesting they wait a bit. The soldier added cautiously,
“But, um, mage…”
“Yeah?”
“Kyu ate all the supplies we brought for him.”
“…What? What did you say?”
Aco instantly switched to polite mode. Ian took a small step back, shocked.
“What are we supposed to do about this…?”
“Why did he eat it all? We brought extra. Wait a minute. Does Crony know about this?”
“I’m on my way to report it now, but—”
“No! Wait! I’ll handle it! Just hold on!”
Aco dashed back into the tent, while Hale moved away from Ian and lit a cigarette. …Ah, what a sweet morning.
Whoosh!
Kyu soared on the wind, chasing a faint, strange sensation. Last night, he’d been too exhausted to focus and couldn’t find it, but now, full and with the crisp air, flying was easier.
-Kyuuu!
Kyu roared happily as he slowly lowered his altitude. He remembered—the evil energy he sensed a hundred years ago during the Great Demon War, and the sacred golden light of Ian Hiel.
Now, those two forces seemed intertwined, sending a signal from somewhere nearby. The Idgal burial site the mages sought had to be somewhere around here.
Rustle, rustle!
Meanwhile, on the surface, the Megetu tribe was swiftly dashing through the tall grass, following the dragon’s lead. Their green hides shifted color with the surroundings—sometimes fading to the dry yellow of withered grass, then suddenly turning the earthy brown of soil. Like monkeys, they ran nimbly, gripping tree branches with their long, whip-like tails to swing themselves forward.
“Can you keep up with the movements of the dragon and the mages?”
A secret message from Crony, who had slipped into the Megetu tribe under cover of night, contained a crucial piece of intelligence: the Magic Department was likely aware of information about Idgal.
Among the tribes, the Megetu were known for their unmatched mobility, so they readily agreed to Crony’s request.
“If this goes well, the northern hegemony will belong to the Megetu. Isn’t it time we established a kingdom like Astana? You know as well as I do that a kingdom’s history only begins with the empire’s recognition.”
This was their chance. But chasing a dragon was no easy feat.
The only saving grace was the dragon’s size—it was large enough to be easily spotted. The Megetu tribe kept running, eyes fixed upward, tracking the dragon’s flight path.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the dragon’s wings swept wide, and in an instant, it changed direction.
“Damn!”
Had they been spotted? The Megetu flattened themselves against the grass, crawling silently and swiftly like snakes toward the dragon’s new path.
“Kyu…”
Pushing through the grass, the sight that greeted them was nothing short of breathtaking. A hill glittered with golden jewels, and the dragon stood silently, watching over them. The Megetu stifled their gasps, covering their mouths to keep from making a sound.
“Found it!”
Idgal’s burial site! It was real! And the amount was far greater than they had imagined—enough to build several structures and still have plenty left over.
Eager to report this discovery, the Megetu turned to leave, failing to notice exactly what the dragon was staring at.
Thud.
Beneath the amber-colored jewels lay a gaping darkness—a crack. From within swirled a black energy. Kyu growled low and bowed its head, while an indistinct shape gradually took on a human face and lunged toward Idgal’s direction.
Boom!
As if begging to be freed from this place, as if pleading for the impossible amber jewel to be shattered.
“You’ve finally come. I’ve waited a long time.”
A faint voice echoed.
Kyu felt the ground tremble. An earthquake. The underground god sealed away a hundred years ago was laughing chillingly, claiming it had waited too long. Kyu couldn’t tell if the one waiting was Ian or someone else.
Silently.
One thing was clear: they had to hurry back and warn the mages. Gathering all its strength, Kyu took flight, speeding toward the Bariel camp at full throttle.