Chapter 180

“Protect Sir Ian!”

“Iaaaan! Hahaha!”

The warriors’ hearty laughter grazed Ian’s ears. They willingly gave their bodies to the flying arrows and easily caught them with their hands, breaking the shafts.

“Sir Ian! Be careful!”

The mages were the same. Without a moment to exchange greetings with the border tribe that had fallen from the sky, they immediately stood back-to-back with Ian, opening a path for him. The soldiers pushing forward were helplessly pushed back, trampled underfoot, and tumbled down the stairs.

Kwaang! Kwajik!

Clack clack!

“For Sir Ian!”

“For Sir Ian!”

“For Ian!”

Everyone shouted simultaneously, volunteering themselves as Ian’s shield. A glaring light gathered in his hand and soon shot out like a stream of water through the gaps between his fingers.

Ping!

Mariv’s arrow aimed at his neck. Nersarn deflected it with his hand and ran alongside Ian.

“I didn’t expect you to come.”

“Didn’t you ask for help when the thin ice breaks? Spring is coming, but a cold wind still blows fiercely in the palace.”

“It’s not cold now that you’re blocking the wind.”

“In the name of Our Father-“

Clang!

Nersarn mumbled as he cut the necks of the attacking soldiers. Was it because of the leaping? His ears were unusually red.

“-I have come.”

“Aargh! They’re not human, they’re demons!”

“We are the warriors of the Great Desert!”

“How dare you beasts come here of all places!”

“Your Highness Mariv, retreat for now!”

“You must join forces with the Third Imperial Palace troops! Your Highness! Give the order to retreat!”

Clang!

Mariv’s aide clashed with a warrior. They weren’t the only ones. Swords clashed with swords everywhere, occasionally sending up sparks. Mariv stepped back but didn’t let go of his bowstring.

Swish!

Clang! Chang!

This time, it was Hale who deflected the arrow. He also jumped down the stairs with Ian, personally fending off the bizarre objects flying at them.

Slash!

A pool of blood, unknown whose it was, was abundant. As Ian lowered his body and landed, blood swirled along the flow of mana at his feet.

“Mariv!”

Zing! Zing!

His voice was full of authority. Like a lion’s roar from a cliff, a force that easily suppressed the noisy battlefield. The ground cracked where Ian stepped.

“Man-yeop”

For a moment, Hale thought he had misheard. But the ground’s fissure came before the realization, shaking as if the world would split left and right.

Rumble!

Man-yeop, the eternal tree with leaves so dense that its end couldn’t be fathomed. Wasn’t it a spell that brought the power of the otherworldly magic tree as it was?

Branches of an old tree beautifully stretched out from behind Ian.

Shaa.

As the branches stretched, green leaves sprouted, and Ian ran again. The sight created an illusion as if Ian was running through a forest alone.

“Move! Move with Sir Ian!”

Clack clack!

Mirage-like tree trunks moved as if alive, binding the soldiers. The more they struggled, the more it mercilessly tightened around their limbs. Some died with broken necks, and some dropped their fingertips due to suffocation.

‘Unlike binding, this is a magic that suppresses the enemy on a wide battlefield. But summoning an otherworldly magic tree must consume a tremendous amount of mana.’

Hale worriedly watched Ian’s back as he ran without hesitation. He seemed to be pouring out everything without reserve now that reliable people had come. Judging from the degree of bleeding, he already seemed to be enduring with willpower.

Swish! Ping!

“Your Highness, he’s getting close!”

“Your Highness Mariv, dodge!”

“Escort His Highness! Block that bastard!”

“Damn it.”

Mariv muttered a curse after firing his last arrow. It was regrettable to lose a fish that was almost caught, but for the tide of battle to completely turn… He struck the approaching vines with his bow. Perhaps the bow also had the mysterious gemstone embedded in it, as it caused small explosions whenever it touched the magic tree.

“…!”

Swish!

Clang!

The wind blows. The sight of leaves scattering in all directions was spectacular. Mariv, who met Ian’s golden eyes as he leaped into the air, involuntarily flinched.

The gazes of the two intertwined in midair.

It was a fleeting moment, but to Mariv, it somehow felt like an eternity.

Slash!

As Ian gestured, the magic tree’s vines lunged as if to pierce Mariv’s torso. Mariv drew a new sword from his waist and confronted them. Ian noticed that the color of the blade was slightly different.

“…Just how much of that mysterious gemstone do you have?”

“Not enough to kill all the lowly and filthy mages.”

Lowly and filthy.

It was like the law of nature that most mages had such origins. Because in Bariel, the number of commoners was overwhelmingly large.

“The lowly and filthy one is you, Mariv!”

“That’s right! You turned the palace into this mess overnight, and now you’re spouting nonsense!”

The mages who had crossed the boundary of death each threw in a remark. Nakina even raised her middle finger and was shouting curses that were hard to understand.

“Sir Ian! Quite a few mages besides me were hit by arrows! We need to crush that bastard, no, twist his neck and make him confess about the gemstone!”

“How insolent! How dare you call Your Highness Mariv-!”

“Shut your trap! The only ones calling Mariv ‘Highness’ here are you lot!”

Veins bulged on Mariv’s temples. He seemed properly provoked by the mages’ crude remarks. He gripped his sword and glared at Ian.

“The mistakes of subordinates are the responsibility of the leader. It’s not this sword that will behead you, but the loose tongues of those bastards.”

He charged forward and cleanly severed Ian’s magic tree illusion. The magic turned into fine light dust and disappeared. But Ian continued to draw out mana and confronted him. As the warriors rushed to help, Ian shouted.

“No. I will handle Mariv.”

Politically speaking.

The Cheonrye tribe was already looked down upon in Bariel as a small minority of the border regions. Who knew what burden they would bear if they directly subdued the prince? Since there was no declaration from the emperor regarding the current situation, Mariv had to be dealt with by Ian.

Slash!

One side relentlessly attacked, while the other merely defended and held his ground.

A heavy but static clash continued. Jin and Philea, Ian’s colleagues from the Ministry of Magic, the warriors, and everyone who had evacuated from the palace silently watched their battle.

‘The power the gemstone steals from mana is gradually decreasing.’

The one swinging might not know, but Ian, who was confronting it with his body, could clearly feel it. It was a green light. If there was a limit to the gemstone, it was highly likely that the mages’ disabled state was temporary.

Crack.

At that moment, a crack formed on the amber blade.

“Ian!”

Swish!

The excited Mariv, unaware of it, delivered a blow, and as soon as it touched the magic tree, it shattered mercilessly.

The shattered blade tore Mariv’s earlobe, and Ian coughed up blood severely. Philea sat down as if she couldn’t bear to watch.

“Ah! Ian!”

“Madam, madam. It’s alright.”

Jin comforted Philea like that. The child’s hands were also trembling, but his gaze toward the battle was unwavering.

“Sir Ian smiled.”

The moment the sword shattered, Ian smiled while coughing up blood. As if he had noticed an opening. Because he had drawn out all his strength with the thought of it being the last, blood surged.

Swish!

As Ian leaped into the air, the magic tree stretched out even more magnificently. It soon grabbed Mariv’s limbs, lifted him up, and mercilessly slammed him into the ground.

Kwaang! Kwajik!

“Kuh…!”

Ian fell on top of Mariv.

He suppressed Mariv’s solar plexus with his knee and grabbed his collar at the same time. Mariv, who was pinned down, looked up at Ian with unfocused pupils.

“My lord!”

“Get him off! Get that bastard off His Highness!”

“Who gave you permission! Kill him!”

“Kill him!”

As Mariv’s subordinates rushed in, another small commotion arose. Mariv, who was lying on the ground, realized that something damp and hot was flowing from his neck.

It was the blood of his subordinates. It flowed and flowed, staining his golden hair. Ian’s hair falling down was brilliant, but Mariv’s hair was a mess with dirt and blood.

“…”

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Ian’s whisper tickled his ear.

“That you would not be engraved in history.”

That line again. Mariv showed the whites of his eyes and asked.

“Then what about you?”

“…”

“Do you think you will be engraved in history?”

“That is not important to me.”

Swish!

Mariv took out a dagger hidden in his wrist and aimed for Ian’s neck. But all he could cut were thick leaves.

The weight of the giant old tree gradually increased.

At this rate, he would die from being crushed.

“I, I am the First Prince of the Bariel Empire! Everyone, take a good look! See who is killing me now! This man sent an intruder into Gale’s residence and deceived me, provoking a battle between brothers!”

It was a desperate struggle, gasped out with difficulty. There was a stir from the evacuated palace people. As if telling him to continue, Ian tightened Mariv’s breath even more.

“History will judge after it flows! Who was right and who was wrong! The Ministry of Magic intends to kill me and seize the palace!”

“No!”

A clear voice directly refuting Mariv’s words. It was Jin. Only then did Ian look back in surprise. The child was mustering courage with teary eyes.

“Everyone, listen carefully! Sir Ian and the Ministry of Magic saved me, Arsen, and my mother. And they saved you all too! Think without wavering about who caused this commotion to seize the palace. What you saw and experienced is the truth.”

Then, after holding his breath for a moment, he made a decision.

“Brother Mariv. You know what it means that you tried to kill me, right?”

A fight between princes. In the case of Mariv and Jin, it was more of a one-sided violence than a fight, but by convention, it would be interpreted as a fight.

“Since you tried to kill me first, I also have the right to kill you, brother. Sir Ian. Do as you wish. That is my will.”

It was a declaration of support, stating that there would be no problem even if Ian killed Mariv.

Mariv frowned and let out an absurd scoff. It wasn’t like the little ones were conspiring together.

“Surrender.”

Mariv finally played his last card.

“I surrender in the neutral zone.”

“My lord!”

“Will you still kill me?”

Before the emperor’s declaration and trial, it was impossible to judge who was guilty. As Ian, who advocated for a neutral zone, it would be difficult to execute someone who had surrendered in front of everyone.

Mariv panted and laughed.

“Will you kill me!?”

Swish.

Instead of answering, Ian tightened his breath even more with the vines. A distant consciousness. As if his breath would soon pass, Mariv heard Ian’s voice stretch out.

“I refuse. Your Highness.”

“Kuh…”

Mariv struggled and finally lost consciousness. Leaving his sprawled body behind, Ian instructed the mages.

“Is, is he dead?!”

“Bind Mariv and imprison him.”

“Oh, ohhh! Yes, yes! Understood!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Also, sort out the soldiers, separating the dead and the living. Mages, inform the palace of Mariv’s surrender and secure Gale’s location. And to the mages who lost their mana, it may be confusing, but for now, maintain formation and wait. It’s likely a temporary phenomenon.”

It was when Ian was leading the situation while wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. Beric came running from afar, swinging his black sword.

Clack clack!

Thud! Thump!

“You bastards! What did you do to our Ian? Ian! Ian! Gasp!”

Beric, who had been running in a daze, flinched upon seeing the warriors. And Mariv lying unconscious. Beric opened his eyes wide, looked left and right, and was bewildered.

“Wha, what?”

“Our rude Beric! Long time no see!”

“Ah, what is it, what is it! What’s with everyone! Waaah!”

“Come here! Let’s see how much you’ve grown!”

“This guy, I think he’s been slacking off in training? He’s all soft.”

“No, I haven’t! How did you all get here? Huh? Did we win? It seems like we won?”

Beric couldn’t hide his joy, bouncing around, happy to see his old friends. Ian, who was laughing at the sight, staggered and collapsed forward.

“Sir Ian!”

“Iaaan!”

“You’re making a racket. Be quiet.”

“Sir Ian, are you alright?”

Ian’s colleagues from the Ministry of Magic, the warriors, and Beric surrounded him. Philea and Jin also came down the stairs and stepped on blood. Ian only smiled faintly, looking at the faces of the people gathered around him.

The day was too long.

The problem was that it wasn’t over yet.

Ian asked, mumbling with his eyes closed.

“Beric, the painting?”