Chapter 523
Episode 144. For a Friend (Part 1)
All the Empire’s transit gates were being shut down.
Troops from the vassal states were spotted moving toward the Empire by land and sea.
There was no doubt anymore—the Empire was preparing for war. A war against Hailan.
Whoooosh!
A pure white dimensional gate opened in front of Tikan’s courtyard, and the snow toad Mote appeared.
As soon as Thalaris sensed the tense atmosphere, she headed straight for Geomhwang Fortress. Mote looked visibly exhausted from the rapid dimensional travel.
“Lady Thalaris!”
Jin and her companions approached, but Thalaris shook her head in disbelief.
“The Emperor has truly lost his mind. He’s seriously planning to attack Geomhwang Fortress.”
“Have you met with Lord Ron?”
“He’s not at his post. I haven’t heard any details either. But Geomhwang Fortress is fully riled up… War is inevitable. All the warriors loyal to Ron are gathering there.”
A war between Hailan and the entire Empire.
Originally, Thalaris believed that as long as Ron was alive, the war’s outcome would surely favor Hailan.
But after visiting Geomhwang Fortress herself, she wasn’t so sure anymore. Not because she hadn’t met Ron in person.
“It’s strange how few families have pledged to support Hailan. I don’t know if the royal family has played some trick, or if Ron has lost favor without me realizing it.”
Jin knew the reason.
“Lady Thalaris.”
“Yes?”
“You told me before that if anything bad were to happen to Geomhwang Fortress, I must be informed immediately. Could you tell me why this is so important?”
The Bigung clan had always maintained neutrality, but now, Jin was effectively on their side.
Still, their relationship with Hailan was uncertain.
In fact, even if Hailan were to fall, Bigung had no reason to intervene. Or rather, they shouldn’t. They didn’t want to turn the Empire into an enemy.
So, Thalaris would only reveal Ron’s poor health after making it clear she intended to aid Geomhwang Fortress.
Thalaris shrugged and looked at Jin’s companions.
“Everyone, step outside for a moment. This is a conversation for my son-in-law alone.”
The others stepped aside.
“My son-in-law.”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember what I told you about Bigung’s duty?”
—Bigung had mostly stayed neutral over the years, but that wasn’t always the case. When the first Bigung Lord was chosen by the Divine Sword Manbing and Mote, they made a solemn vow.
—The power Manbing granted to our Endorma bloodline was immense—too great for a mere human. Along with it came the mission to help resolve the world’s anomalies.
Jin nodded, recalling the story.
“The previous Bigung Lords left records stating that Hailan possesses an object that could threaten the world.”
A white stone.
That was the subject.
It was Hailan’s greatest secret, passed down only to the family heads, but Bigung had known about the stone’s existence for a long time.
“Our clan suspects that the object belongs to the witch Helluram. And as I said before, preventing the disasters she brings is one of Bigung’s primary duties.”
“So, Lady Thalaris, your main goal in this matter is to prevent the danger Hailan harbors as the Bigung Lord.”
“That’s right.”
Thalaris answered calmly.
Her commitment to Bigung’s duty could be interpreted in many ways.
‘It makes perfect sense that handling the white stone takes precedence over Hailan. But on the other hand… if the stone’s danger becomes apparent, Thalaris might even have to oppose Hailan.’
There was no way to know the stone’s current state.
Nor could anyone be sure what Hailan would choose if things spiraled out of control.
Jin trusted his friend Dante, but the leader of Hailan was not Dante—it was Ron.
If Hailan faced the worst possible outcome in this war…
Ron was the kind of man who might use the power of the white stone if it meant protecting his beloved grandson.
—The royal family wouldn’t be so desperate for the stone if it were just an ordinary object.
—True.
—I get it. That stone must be so dangerous that no one in the world should know about it. That’s why the first Hailan family head who obtained it tried to destroy it—and failed. Later generations were ordered to keep its nature secret and simply destroy it to prevent greed.
—You pieced all that together from my brief explanation? Impressive.
—What’s more shocking is that every Hailan family head, including Lord Ron, has failed to destroy the stone. What kind of stone could it be?
Jin’s conversation about Dante and the white stone had already revealed its danger.
The Emperor’s actions—willing to abandon Hailan just to get the stone—showed the same.
‘If the stone threatens the world and Thalaris stands against Hailan…’
There would be no way to stop it.
That’s why Jin hesitated to share information about Ron with Thalaris.
After a moment of silence, Thalaris smiled playfully, as if she understood Jin’s thoughts.
“My son-in-law.”
“Yes?”
“I think I know what you’re worried about. You’re surprisingly easy to read.”
“Yes, I’m worried. No matter what happens, I will help Dante as a friend.”
“Even if it means clashing with me?”
“Yes.”
A heavy silence fell between them.
“…If that fool Ron is desperate enough to save his grandson, he might use Helluram’s object. Nothing is more important to him than his grandson. But Jin, just as Dante Hailan is your friend, Ron Hailan is my comrade.”
Shiron, Ron, and Thalaris.
Among the three, the closest people to them as friends or comrades were only each other.
That’s the life of the absolutes. The higher you stand, the stronger your power, the deeper the realm you enter…
You become lonely. They gained absolute power at the cost of profound solitude.
Only those who have stepped into that realm can understand each other.
But just as stars that get too close collide and vanish, their relationships were no different.
If one of the three could embrace them all, they would have been the closest of friends.
But Shiron, who could have taken that role, ascended to a higher, lonelier plane and lost his human emotions. Since then, the three could not grow closer.
Still, the bond of comradeship remained.
That’s why Thalaris hoped she would never have to fulfill her duty, and if possible, she was determined to steer events away from that path.
“So be honest with me. Tell me everything you know. We’re talking about the worst-case scenario, but it’s still just a hypothesis. We have the power to exclude the worst.”
Her sincerity was clear.
And realistically, to help Hailan as soon as possible, Thalaris’s abilities were necessary.
The closure of all transit gates meant land and sea routes were also blocked.
Jin was prepared to fight the Empire’s forces and break through by land or sea to reach Geomhwang Fortress—and confident she could do so.
But that would be too late.
If Hailan couldn’t hold out until then, helping her friend would be impossible, and she’d only have made an enemy of the Empire.
Going quickly to fight alongside them might mean opposing the Empire, but if it led to victory, it would be worth it.
Jin was a Rune Chandel rider.
She planned to proceed with this support without the acting family head Rosa’s permission.
If so, there had to be results.
“Maybe we’re overcomplicating things. Even if fewer warriors have rallied to Hailan than I thought, Ron might still…”
“Lord Ron… has not recovered from the internal injuries he sustained during the Geomhwang Fortress terror attack.”
Thalaris’s eyes widened.
“…What?”
“After fighting Captain Kinzelro and being wounded, Ron’s condition hasn’t improved at all. I don’t know the details, but it might even be worse now. Only I, Lady Thalaris, and five of Ron’s closest aides know this.”
“I was aware Ron had hardly appeared publicly since the terror attack… but you’re saying it’s because of this?”
“The Emperor’s purges and the lack of warriors supporting Hailan are probably because of this. Those who should know within the Empire likely realize Ron isn’t well.”
“…Ron is cunning despite appearances, so maybe he’s faking it. Pretending to be ill to root out Hailan’s enemies—and maybe even the Emperor… Damn, the situation’s too bad to think that way. Ron isn’t the type to force conflict just to seize power.”
Thalaris sighed deeply.
Hearing about Ron’s condition only made her more worried. She had already been concerned about the white stone’s danger even assuming he was well.
“I understand why Ron wouldn’t meet me. Though we’re comrades, I’m fundamentally an outsider to Hailan. He couldn’t share his condition.”
If the worst had come to pass, he might be too weak to even move.
“Lady Thalaris.”
“Speak.”
“Please help me and my companions ride Mote to Geomhwang Fortress.”
“All right. But not right now. Mote is exhausted from the long journey. He needs time to recover.”
Jin nodded.
“I’ll need some time too. I have to gather my companions and subordinates, and prepare a way to protect Tikan while our forces are away.”
Jin planned to devote all his energy and effort to Hiran.