Chapter 926

“So, you’re saying the Underworld God killed Captain Crony?”

Inside a shabby tent.

The space was packed—mages, Imperial Defense officers, and tribal chiefs all gathered together. Arena pressed her temples, complaining of a pounding headache, while the mages whispered among themselves.

“Underworld God? You mean the Shadow God, right? Wasn’t it sealed away a hundred years ago?”

“How did it come back?”

They had expected something serious, but this was beyond anything they’d imagined. As the mages murmured anxiously, one of Captain Crony’s subordinates from the Imperial Defense spoke up.

“More than that, the Underworld God called that boy ‘his own child.’ Said it in a very familiar, affectionate way!”

He pointed a finger at Ian. Ian flinched but didn’t deny it—because it was true.

Ako averted her gaze, clearly frustrated. There were too many ears around for any excuses.

“Hey.”

Arena glared fiercely at Crony’s subordinate, who had been speaking so arrogantly.

“State your name and affiliation before you start spouting nonsense.”

Who did he think he was? This wasn’t some market stall. Reporting to the Minister of Magic like that was downright disrespectful.

At Arena’s low, commanding tone, the man hesitated, then cleared his throat.

“…I’m Freddy, Captain Crony’s bodyguard.”

“Alright, Freddy. You said the Underworld God called Ian ‘his child’?”

“That’s right. And then, as if to say he didn’t want Captain Crony to live, he reached out with his claws and dragged him away. The mages responded passively during the whole thing.”

Ian’s face flushed red. He didn’t understand why the Underworld God had called him that, but every time the incident was brought up, shame welled up inside him, and he bit his lip. The Underworld God… the child of a monster? Could it be that he really was that kind of being?

Ian shrank back, unable to say a word. Seeing this, Ako raised her hands in exasperation.

“Passive my ass. Can’t you see both your arms are broken?”

“You didn’t use magic!”

“You’re not supposed to use magic in the rift! It only provokes them and makes things worse. If you don’t know anything, just shut up!”

“What did you just say?”

“Say that again? I’ll shut you up before you can blink!”

Ako tried to rise, swinging her broken arms as if to strike, but the mages hurriedly held her back. The commotion drew Arena’s attention, and she slammed her fist on the table.

“Enough. Quiet.”

She slowly turned to Ian.

“Ian, do you have any idea why the Underworld God called you that?”

“…No.”

“I see.”

Arena’s answer was brief and simple. Freddy looked incredulous.

“That’s all?”

“And if not?”

“Well, shouldn’t we be using the truth serum favored by the Magic Department? Shouldn’t we be thoroughly investigating why the Underworld God said that? If Ian Hadel is connected to the Underworld God, he must be held responsible for Captain Crony’s death!”

“Exactly!”

The Imperial Defense officers all shouted in agreement. They had seen it with their own eyes—who the dragon saved when half-submerged in the rift.

“We went in together. But the dragon only came back with Ian!”

“And more importantly, Ian controlled the Idgal to completely seal the hole. If he’d closed it just a bit later, the captain could have been saved.”

“Wait.”

For the first time, Arena reacted, pointing at one of the subordinates with a deadly glare.

“What did you just say?”

Ian controlled the Idgal?

The atmosphere shifted instantly. The mages held their breath and froze. Freddy, however, raised his voice triumphantly.

“I said Ian controlled the Idgal! He reassembled the shattered pieces caused by the earthquake, filling the gap thicker and more evenly. Isn’t Idgal a substance that nullifies magic? For a mage to create such a magic stone—that’s proof of a connection to the Underworld God!”

That was a blatant overstep. Yet Arena and the mages had no words to counter it. Honestly, everything he said was true.

Magic and Idgal cannot coexist—they’re fundamentally opposed. So how could one person wield both? If anything, Idgal is a substance designed to control mages. In other words, it favors the Underworld God.

One mage spoke up in rebuttal.

“That’s not true! I’ve heard that during the Great Magic War a hundred years ago, they used Idgal to win. And now, Idgal is officially used in several rift zones, including Klipoford!”

“But no one’s ever heard of a mage who can create it! Does the Magic Department know about this?”

No one answered. Probably because they had no answer.

Ako stepped forward.

“Ian’s power is definitely based on magic. How he creates Idgal needs research, but that alone doesn’t prove a connection to the Underworld God. The real problem lies with the Imperial Defense!”

“What?”

The officers erupted in anger. But Ako pointed at Freddy with her bandaged hands.

“You think I don’t know? You’ve been secretly colluding with the Northern Alliance, pretending to fight a war! Trying to smuggle out Idgal behind our backs! If we hadn’t arrived first, those bastards would’ve destroyed all the Idgal and taken it!”

The tribal chiefs Freddy accused bristled in protest.

“No, we were just retreating.”

“Bullshit! And then you tell us to get out of the way? You even tried to catch and beat the Shadow! Hey, Minister, I got hit by these bastards!”

If the link between the Imperial Defense and the Northern Alliance was exposed, the mere act of opposing the mages to mine Idgal would be a huge problem. It meant the Imperial Defense tried to collect Idgal without the Magic Department’s knowledge, even risking activating the rift.

The chief of the Megetu tribe fired back.

“Isn’t it your mages who secretly sided with us tribes? You put a protective shield over Astana, didn’t you?”

Thanks to that, Astana had remained untouched, holding its position intact. Of course, Hale had used invisibility magic to escape safely, so there were no witnesses or evidence, but the circumstances clearly pointed to the mages’ help.

Ako hesitated briefly, then responded.

“Do you have proof?”

“It’s a reasonable deduction! That was definitely a mage’s shield. Am I wrong? For mages to help the enemy Astana and hinder the Imperial Defense—that’s outright treason!”

“Ridiculous. Why should we hear that from the Megetu tribe? If anyone’s to blame, it’s the Imperial Defense!”

“Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Arena slammed her fist on the table with all her might. This was a complete mess. Having roughly grasped the tangled situation, she looked around at the tribal chiefs.

“I get the general picture, but why are you still here? You said you were retreating.”

The chiefs and Imperial Defense officers exchanged glances. The Megetu chief spoke.

“…Because the Underworld God is a serious matter for us too.”

“We agreed to a temporary truce.”

This northern land, where the rift had taken hold, was home to many minority tribes who would suffer the most if monsters poured out. So they had made a truce with Bariel’s side and were investigating the Idgal Hill. In truth, it was less an investigation and more a watchful vigil, wary of the Underworld God’s possible return.

“A truce?”

Arena nodded knowingly. A perfectly reasonable decision. She then gave an order to Freddy.

“Then lead Bariel’s soldiers back to the center immediately.”

“Return? Now?”

Freddy and the Imperial Defense officers protested at the sudden command.

“What do you mean? And this isn’t a matter for the Minister of Magic. We’ll report to His Majesty and await his orders.”

“Report to His Majesty only after you’ve re-entered Bariel’s borders. The Underworld God and Idgal fall entirely under the Magic Department’s jurisdiction.”

Arena’s tone grew polite but firm. This was an official declaration.

“No one knows when or where the next incident will occur. In this situation, I’m sorry, but the Imperial Defense can offer no assistance. If you value the lives of Bariel’s soldiers, choose to withdraw from here or return inside the borders.”

Now that the Magic Department knew about the Underworld God and Idgal, all related matters would be decided by them. Arena then addressed the tribal chiefs.

“You will stay here and continue talks with Bariel. This is for the sake of peace in the north. I ask for your cooperation.”

“Ah, ahem.”

An awkward silence fell. The Imperial Defense was reluctant to leave behind the mountain of Idgal, while the tribes felt uneasy facing the Magic Department without the Imperial Defense. Why? Because they too had attacked Ian and Ako to get their hands on the Idgal!

When there was no answer, Arena raised an eyebrow.

“You’re free to refuse. But be aware—how we interpret that refusal is entirely up to us.”

You little brats attacked the mages just to get Idgal, didn’t you? You’ll pay the price for that. The moment you step out of this tent! Arena’s chilling gaze warned them.

The tribal leaders had only one response.

“Ah, yes, yes. Understood. Let’s clear up any misunderstandings and discuss Gaia’s safety. It’s an honor to meet the Minister of Magic, though… well, the circumstances are a bit awkward.”

“Alright then, it seems we’re settled. Let’s move. The Imperial Defense Department will meet you at the palace.”

Arena nodded once and strode out of the tent first. The gathered tribespeople outside jumped back in surprise. Ignoring them, Arena scanned the area and soon spotted Kyu and Hale, their wings torn.

—Kyu!

“Well, looks like things got chaotic here too.”

“You’ve arrived.”

“Hale, since you’re guarding Ian, why not help Ako and Kyu a bit as well?”

“…There were circumstances,” Hale whispered cautiously, signaling that revealing she was the one who cast the protective barrier over Astana wasn’t something she could admit in front of everyone.

“Let’s check the rift first.”

Sensing what was on Arena’s mind, she let out a small sigh and headed up toward Idgal Hill. A crowd of mages followed behind her. From behind came the sound of Bariel’s army bugle, signaling a retreat.

Swish.

Ian followed Arena closely, with Ako by his side. The underground god, Idgal… What if the Ministry of Magic starts to see him as suspicious? Ian’s worries gnawed at him. One mage glanced back.

“Hey, Ian.”

With a grunt, he scooped the boy up in one swift motion.

“Hold on tight—it’s slippery.”

The mage’s casual attitude unsettled Ian, who pressed his lips together silently.

When they reached the crest of Idgal Hill, a massive rift yawned before them. Arena knelt on one knee, peering down.

“Ian, Ako. Is this the place?”

“Yes. It is.”

“The size… it’s enormous.”

How on earth did they manage to seal something this big? Arena frowned and leaned closer to the ground. Beyond the opaque amber glow, shadows flickered. Rolling up her sleeves, she placed her hand on the earth and focused.

Ziiing. Ziiing.

Thanks to Idgal, it wasn’t easy, but she didn’t stop concentrating. There was a magical overreaction device for times like this, but it was currently at the Ministry of Magic. When you don’t have a tool, you have to rely on your own senses. Arena’s subtle detection was something only she could manage.

And after a moment—

“Ah.”

She sighed softly.

“It’s already begun.”

The unmistakable aura of monsters, far beyond normal levels. Arena groaned low and bit her lip. The hundred years of peace were about to shatter.