Chapter 176

Liama lay on the ground with her limbs twisted, a gaping hole the size of a head in her chest. Without even a chance to gasp for breath, she, one of the three commanders, was dead.

Mariv picked up the spear that had pierced her heart.

Swish.

The mana sealing stone was sharpened to a keen edge, sharp enough to cut flesh with a mere touch. Mariv personally closed Liama’s eyelids and turned around.

“Urgh…”

“Huff, hah!”

“Your Highness Mariv! Are you alright?”

“What in the world was that just now-“

“Ugh, the blood, it keeps flowing.”

“Your Highness!”

Dilaina’s garden was in shambles. Not a single blade of grass remained, a testament to the battle, and over half the palace had collapsed.

And the black armors buried under the rubble.

The traces left behind by Liama, who had sacrificed her life.

‘Gale, your life as Wesleigh’s lover was not in vain.’

The mana sealing stone, virtually the only means to control mages. It was managed under the imperial family’s initiative, but Gale, who had been Wesleigh’s lover, was largely in charge of it. A sort of unspoken deal. From Wesleigh’s perspective, she had handed the leash of the Ministry of Magic to the most trustworthy person in the imperial family.

‘In the end, that’s what strangled her.’

“What about Gale?”

“He escaped. Towards the Third Imperial Palace.”

“The Ministry of Magic continues to block entry and exit. He won’t be able to leave.”

Mariv wiped his forehead with a handkerchief as he listened to his aides’ reports. The blood wouldn’t stop flowing.

“The Third Imperial Palace, huh.”

“We’re in pursuit. Let’s join them.”

“No. Half search for Gale, the other half go to the Ministry of Magic. If things continue like this, Gale will surely try to find Ian. There are troops there too. I also have plenty to take care of.”

He could either ask Ian to grant entry to the palace or enter the neutral zone as a last resort by surrendering. As long as Mariv didn’t stop, Ian would have to protect Gale to mediate between them.

“Minister of Imperial Defense, chase Gale! The rest, to the Ministry of Magic! You will face mages, so ready your arrows!”

Buuu-

The sound of a water buffalo horn reverberated as if to shake the entire palace.

Not far away, Gale, who was fleeing to the Third Imperial Palace, glanced back. Paal, his aide who had lost an arm, grabbed Gale’s shoulder.

“Don’t look back, Your Highness.”

“Your arm.”

“It’s fine.”

Gale bit his lip hard. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing that Bariel’s soldiers were better than expected.

The battle, initially in their favor, had gradually turned against them as time passed. The fact that less than half of the mana armors promised from Hyman Street had arrived was a steep blow.

Clack clack!

“The other half should be outside the palace. It would be best to meet Sir Ian.”

“Mariv will have troops waiting there.”

“What if we can’t see His Majesty the Emperor?”

“…”

Gale fell silent and quickened his pace. The situation was not good at all. They had tried to stab him in the back with an assassination plot, only to get heavily hit first.

“Your Highness, this way!”

The empty Third Imperial Palace. Perhaps everyone had evacuated due to the commotion, not a single soul was in sight. Stepping on the scattered documents and such on the floor, Gale slowly walked down the corridor.

Swish.

And at the very end of the corridor, he stood before a huge painting taller than a person. It depicted young angels flying in the sky, scattering flower petals. Gale lightly knelt down and brought his forehead to it.

“Father.”

An earnest voice calling for the emperor.

“Father. Are you here? Can you hear me?”

But there was no answer. The angels remained trapped in a still world, smiling brightly. Gale called out to the emperor again with desperation.

“Your Highness, it seems he is not here.”

“What about the other paintings?”

“There is one more at the end of the opposite corridor.”

“Let’s go there.”

The emperor’s secret passageway. If it was not a physical space passed down through generations but created in the current era, the power of magic was absolutely necessary. Wesleigh, who had been in charge of it, had even signed a confidentiality oath, but it was ineffective in the face of love.

Clack clack!

Gale stood up to search for the emperor. Then, the eyes of one of the angels in the painting slowly moved, following Gale’s back. The angel’s eyes were a faded blue.

***

Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Magic.

Ian sighed, brushing back his hair.

The mana sealing stone. Wasn’t it the Achilles’ heel of mages? Even a tiny piece of the raw stone could seal their power, dragging those close to gods down to the ends of the earth. Even the mighty Wesleigh had crumbled before an earring-sized raw stone.

“Sir Ian. What should we do?”

“It must have been His Highness Gale’s side that used the mana sealing stone. Before the situation escalates out of control, we must intervene as well. With the purpose of retrieving the mana sealing stone.”

“Agreed. This is a good opportunity to clean up the sealing stones in the lords’ possession. They could pierce our throats at any time.”

“Liama is dead! One of the three captains!”

Everyone threw in urgent remarks, but Ian remained silent. Instead of answering, he muttered while looking down at the mana stone powder map.

“Everyone, stay calm and observe. Liama was the backbone of His Highness Mariv’s forces. Her death means the battle has reached its climax, which in turn means the two princes’ forces have split.”

Hale nodded, taking out a new cigarette. He also seemed visibly startled, but appeared to maintain composure in contrast to Akorella’s flustered state.

“I agree. Liama was Bariel’s strongest knight, responsible for His Majesty the Emperor’s safety. The unusual mana detected at the end must mean her death was not in vain. To make His Highness Gale use the precious mana sealing stone, we can consider it the final stages.”

The clock hands were barely pointing to afternoon. In less than a day, so much had changed again and again. Ian put down the documents he had received from Romand and instructed.

“Commander Akorella.”

“Yes?”

“It says here that high-grade liqui-stone was taken out during former minister Wesleigh’s time. Do you know anything about this?”

“Liqui-stone? Give me a moment. Let me take a look.”

Akorella furrowed her brow, adjusting her glasses. She was well-informed about even the slightest mana stone exports, but she couldn’t remember this. Only after flipping through the report did she exclaim.

“Ah, I see now. I remember. The imperial family bought this. They said it was to support the palace painters, so things got a bit out of hand. Using such a precious thing for paintings.”

Palace painters.

Ian snapped his fingers as if grasping a clue.

“And you know nothing of it?”

“Me? I’m a layman when it comes to art.”

“I’m asking if Wesleigh was in charge at the time.”

“Yes, yes. That’s right.”

Why would the minister be curious about liqui-stone? Akorella kept pressing between her brows, groaning.

But that was brief. She soon realized that one of liqui-stone’s main characteristics was “absorption.”

“Hale, where did you say was the last place Beols’s presence was felt?”

“The Third Imperial Palace.”

“Commander Akorella, take Beric to the Third Imperial Palace and collect all the paintings made with liqui-stone.”

“Me? With that Beric fellow?”

“In terms of skill, he’s trustworthy.”

“That’s why he’s lacking in other aspects!”

The mages listening silently also bit their lips. The Ministry of Magic’s mad dog and Ian’s mad dog going on a mission together. They wondered if it would be alright. But Ian closed the documents, indicating he wouldn’t reconsider.

“If collecting all of them is difficult, bringing even one is fine.”

“Ah, no. Just in case, please assign a few more people. They even used mana sealing stones in battle, it’s too much of a disadvantage.”

When Akorella pleaded with clasped hands, Ian nodded. If the two went alone, who knows what problems might arise.

“Alright. Have Tommy escort you.”

“Hah. Understood. What about Beric?”

“He’s in the cafeteria, still stuffing his face-no, still eating.”

“Let’s go. Yes. Let’s go.”

Akorella put on her glasses and picked up her outer robe. When pulling out even a bull’s horn, it was best to hurry and get it done. It was a task of bringing back just one painting anyway.

“Huh?”

Just then, someone made a puzzled sound. Akorella, her nerves on edge, shouted while making an X with her hands.

“No ‘huh?’ as if something happened!”

“No, take a look at this.”

“What is it? Gasp!”

“It seems Your Highness Mariv is coming this way? His forces have split in two. One side is heading to the Third Imperial Palace.”

The mage was right. They couldn’t tell which side Mariv was leading, but the chances of him coming to the Ministry of Magic rather than the Third Imperial Palace were much higher.

Akorella gaped at Ian, but Hale blocked her gaze with his hand.

“What are you doing? Not going?”

“M-Mariv’s troops are going to the Third Imperial Palace right now?”

“Two mages and one mage knight. You think they’ll die?”

“Damn it…!”

“The later you are, the more disadvantageous it is for you.”

“Argh! Beric! Beric! Tommy!”

Clang!

Akorella hurried out, calling for Beric. The mages gathered in the lobby were unusually restless, perhaps having seen the banners approaching in the distance.

Ian straightened his collar and nodded.

“The remaining commanders, follow me. Every department, participate in the barrier construction without a single absence.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Clang!

Everyone went outside, moving to maintain order and handle the situation. They evacuated the civilians deep into the building, and all the mages stepped forward, gathering mana. The color of the barrier gradually deepened.

Buuu-

“Sir Ian!”

And before long, a voice calling for Ian. It was Mariv’s aide. Ian looked down at them from atop the stairs with mages in tow. Mariv was looking up, holding a bow.

“…You don’t look well, Your Highness Mariv.”

“Thanks to whom, I wonder.”

“If you’ve come to stop the chaos and restore the palace’s dignity, you’ve come to the right place. Drop your weapons and apologize to His Majesty the Emperor.”

The corner of Mariv’s mouth curled up slightly. As if he had heard a truly amusing joke.

“The palace’s dignity, I must restore it. So, hand over Dilaina and the twin princes you took. They are in league with the treasonous Gale and have insulted me, so I will make them pay with blood.”

Was the insult not being able to end Jin’s life earlier? Ian raised his head with dignity, looking down on them. When there was no answer, Mariv’s expression crumpled.

“…I will say it again, this is a neutral zone. Safety comes first, and we will maintain the order you have trampled on. Therefore, I refuse.”

“Don’t hide behind the word ‘neutral’! Those who do not side with me are ultimately against me! Even if you survive here, I will make you pay the price someday!”

It might seem like black-and-white logic, but there was some truth to it. After this incident, whoever the victor was, Ian would clean them all up anyway. Mariv aimed the bowstring at Ian’s head.

Twang.

“Ian. I was quite fond of you.”

Arrows cannot pierce a magical barrier. But the murderous aura was so intense that the mages gathered mana. Mariv shouted one last time.

“If you won’t cooperate, I will destroy this place too.”

“Again, I refuse.”

Pang!

Mariv released the bowstring. The arrow flew swiftly, stopping right in front of Ian’s nose. The arrowhead in contact with the barrier began to burn, emitting sparks.

Bzzt! Crackle!

“…?”

The mages flinched in surprise upon seeing that. Normally, it should have just bounced off physically, but the arrowhead seemed to gradually pierce through the barrier.

“Step aside, Ian.”

Swish!

Kwaaang!

As Hale struck the halted arrow with his sword, a tremendous boom resounded and mana swirled around the arrowhead. It was the mana of the mages who had constructed the barrier.

“Huh? Uh?”

“Wait, the mana is draining!”

“Maintain it! Keep putting in strength!”

Crack-

But eventually, the barrier cracked. As the mages gasped in shock, Ian unconsciously reached out his hand.

“This…”

The arrowhead that had absorbed the mana had turned amber.

A color that brilliantly captured the sunlight. It was the same as the mysterious raw stone Ian had found in the flowerpot.