Chapter 177
Chapter 177
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Black Moon
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The amber arrowhead soon fell powerlessly to the floor. So pathetically, thud. No one could believe it had cracked the magic barrier.
The mages felt cold sweat trickling down their backs and took steps backward. Stealing mana—it was something they'd never even heard of.
“Just now, that wasn't just me, right?”
“…It felt like it was being sucked in.”
“What was that? A sealing stone? But it felt different from a sealing stone.”
“Everyone okay? Hey? Check your mana, your mana!”
At someone's shout, the mages simultaneously activated their mana without hesitation. Fortunately, they realized there was no problem with their inner power and managed to stay calm.
Hail spat out his cigarette, thud, and brought his sword to the amber arrowhead.
“Seems a bit different from a mana sealing stone.”
“Hail! Don't! Don't touch it!”
“It's turned into a raw ore lump. Not glowing. Acorella would faint from joy if she saw this. She said she's never seen anything like it.”
Ian knelt on one knee and peered down at the arrowhead. No matter how he examined it, it was the same raw stone as the necklace he wore. Yet when it had first flown in and been blocked right in front of him, it had been an ordinary lump of metal.
“Prince Marib. What is this?”
What on earth was it, that it could scatter mana without being a mana sealing stone? And it had been in the bastard son Ian's flower pot. Lady Rien had possessed it too. She had said it was an alchemist's failed creation. Definitely.
“Like Wesley and you, it's a human creation to stop the mages disrupting the imperial palace and the great Bariel Empire. Like it?”
As he answered, Marib drew another arrow. Looking closely, the fletching was distinctly different from what the imperial family used. He had probably trimmed the feathers himself to distinguish it. As the bowstring was drawn taut, Ian shouted.
“Maintain the mana again!”
Ziiing. Ziiing.
At his command, the mages reflexively poured power into the barrier. Since it was already cracked, two consecutive hits from that bizarre attack would shatter it. The mages gritted their teeth and channeled their mana to the maximum.
“Hold! Keep pouring mana, keep pouring!”
“Is this really okay, really okay, Ian-nim!?!”
“Shut up! How would Ian-nim know? Pour the mana!”
“Uwaaaak! Uaaaak!”
Marib elegantly traced an arc with his fingertips and released the bowstring. This attack targeted the gap in the barrier that hadn't yet been filled.
Kwa-jijik! Kwajik!
Sparks burst in lightning patterns. In that light, Ian's golden eyes glowed even brighter. The power of the mages trying to maintain the barrier clashed fiercely with the arrow's power trying to steal it away, whipping up a gale.
At that moment, Ian gained enlightenment.
*This is it. The reason for Gail's rebellion failure, as recorded in history!*
It felt like a lost puzzle piece clicking into place.
In the original history, Gail had plotted rebellion with Wesley's backing from the Magic Department. He couldn't know the full situation at the time, but he should have questioned how most of the mages had been subdued. The imperial mana sealing stones couldn't have handled them all.
*Marib must have developed it to keep Gail in check.*
Keeping Gail in check meant keeping the Magic Department in check. That was how he'd been able to subdue the mages when trouble arose.
The situation now wasn't much different. The only difference was whether it was Gail's Magic Department or Ian's.
Kwa-jijik! Kwang!
The arrow began siphoning mana again. Marib gave no opening and nocked a third arrow.
“Damn!”
It felt like his blood was surging in reverse. Not from anger, but from uncontrollably unleashing his mana.
The amber raw stone had come from the caravan with the alchemist, so they must have researched and distributed it. But the puzzling thing was why it hadn't been passed down to later generations.
*The imperial means of controlling mages was solely the mana sealing stone. It was unique; there was nothing else. If there had been, I would have known.*
Because he had been the emperor. And a mage.
Ian spat blood and shouted. He didn't know how many arrows there were, but just blocking like this was like pouring water into a sieve.
“Hail! Nakina!”
“Command!”
Ian glared straight at Marib with his golden eyes. Then, he called the names of mages skilled in attack magic.
“Roph, Ation, Kanna, Salvera!”
“Yes! Ian-nim!”
“Command!”
Marib calmly continued firing arrows. Like stones tossed into a deep well, the arrows kept cracking the barrier.
Kwa-jijik!
*Regrettable.*
The mages panicked, but Marib felt regret. If he'd had just a bit more time, he could have used something more refined to cut off their breaths. Marib's aide Paal raised his hand, as if signaling to prepare for attack.
“- 이상, in the name of Ian Hielo, Magic Department Minister, I command!”
Kwaaang! Kwang!
“Execute Prince Marib.”
“Execute!”
The named mages leaped into the sky all at once. The barrier, drained of their power, couldn't withstand the arrow and shattered, but Ian calmly directed the formation.
“Even if it breaks, remake it! We can keep making them! Don't leave your positions—focus your minds!”
“Kill the mages! Sly traitors!”
“Devils in the guise of gods!”
“Kill them! Kill!”
“Drag out the true prince!”
Determined to smash the barrier completely, the soldiers roared as they charged up the stairs. From above, they looked like a swarm of ants. As the mages flinched and stepped back, Nakina blocked the soldiers' path.
Shiiiik!
「Gale」
The wind swirling with mana narrowed and fiercely pierced between the soldiers. It sliced exposed napes, wrists, Achilles tendons over armor, carrying the thick scent of blood.
Chwaak!
“Uwaaaak!”
“Push! More! Forward!”
“Ke, keok!”
“Cover your mouths to speak! Your tongues will be cut!”
“It's a blade wind! Close your eyes and charge!”
But the numbers surging like the tide were too overwhelming. Soldiers using their comrades' bodies as shields approached one by one and swung swords at the barrier.
Thung! Tu!
Kwaaaang!
At that moment, Hail leaped down swiftly, grabbed a soldier by the hair, and slammed him into the floor. His already thick fist was glowing red-hot like tempered iron. The soldier's skull shattered without a scream, losing all form.
Shiiik!
An arrow grazed past him. Marib. Hail tossed the hair down the stairs and stood.
“Do you even know the meaning of what you're doing right now?”
“No need. Ian-nim knows.”
“Foolish. Who would call you products of wisdom?”
Piiing! Shiiik!
Not just Marib—his aide and the others occupying positions nearby all seemed to possess amber raw stones. Arrows poured down like rain from a clear sky.
Shiiik! Puck! Peuk!
Chaeng!
“Ian-nim!”
“Wh-what do we do?!”
“Aak!”
The arrows were embedding faster than they could remake the barrier after it shattered. The mages ordered to attack cleaved through the soldiers toward Marib, but...
Puk!
An unmanageable number of arrows flew in, shattering their individual barriers. Nakina's left arm was also pierced by some blind attack.
“Aak!”
With a curse of pain, Nakina roughly yanked out the arrowhead. And the instant she reflexively tried to unleash an anger-fueled attack spell.
“……?!”
Her breath caught, and her mana blocked up. As Nakina hesitated, a soldier swung his sword at her heart.
“Dieeee!”
“Nakina!”
Kwaang!
“Snap out of it! Kid!”
“H-Hail. My mana won't come out.”
“What?”
Nakina stood dazed, as if dropped into a distant world. Hail smashed the soldiers' heads and bellowed.
“Nakina! Focus!”
“Ah, th-that, Ian-nim!”
Nakina flinched and let a tear drop. Too startled—it had come out reflexively without her realizing. Amid the whirl of reason and emotion, Nakina shouted.
“Don't get hit by the arrows! Mana won't come out!”
“What? Nakina, what did you say?”
“M-Mana won't come out.”
“Nakina! Nakina!”
Better to inform her comrades than remain in shock. Winning and surviving came first. Nakina bellowed loudly again.
“If you get hit by an arrow, you can't use mana! Guys!”
“Damn! Ian-nim!”
Kwaaang!
The mages building the barrier paled and turned to Ian. Ian bit his lip hard, then stepped backward.
“…Everyone, gather.”
“Retreat! Over here!”
“Activating the portal.”
It was more troublesome than a mana sealing stone. A sealing stone's effect vanished simply by moving away physically, but this one stole mana itself through wounds.
*Hoped I wouldn't have to use this one.*
“Ian-nim!”
“The portal's activating! Location is the one I mentioned before! Escort the true prince.”
The one mentioned before—Hielo territory. The only place in Bariel lands where Ian could truly trust and hide.
Tadak tadak!
Ian flung open the infirmary door, but there was no sign of life. Breathing ragged, Ian softly called to the child.
“Prince Jin. It's Ian. We must evacuate urgently—come out.”
Swik.
From under the bed, where he had been hiding with the doctor, Jin poked his head out. Unlike the trembling doctor, Jin emerged from the bed with a stern expression.
“What's happened?”
“I'll explain later. We're going to Hielo territory. It's the safest place.”
Ian extended his hand, and Jin hesitated briefly. Hielo—remote among the borders. There? Alone?
“…You're going too?”
“Of course.”
“Doctor, you're coming too.”
“Y-Yes, yes!”
Jin hurriedly grabbed Ian's hand.
Outside, the tide had turned sharply. Countless amber arrows scattered on the floor, a transparent wall blocking the soldiers. It meant the mages' mana was nearly depleted.
“Opening the portal!”
“We'll support!”
“Support, uwaat! Uwaaaak!”
Jin craned his neck high and stared at the black crescent moon. As the mages chanted in an unfamiliar tongue, dozens of concentric circles appeared at Ian's feet. As if standing on water.
*Wah.*
The concentric circles glowed beautifully. More brilliant than Ian's golden hair, Jin unwittingly let out a gasp of admiration. Ian reached out his hand. He couldn't cover the sky with his palm, but at least he could block the black crescent.
Saaak.
Grow larger, grow larger—were they chanting? As Ian gestured elegantly, the moon filled out, soon becoming a full moon. It hung huge and heavy, as if about to drop right onto the imperial palace.
“Prince. If you're scared, grip my hand tightly.”
*I'm not scared,* he thought, yet his grip tightened. The moment Ian lifted him to step onto the portal.
Paat!
“Huh? Ian-nim! Wait a moment!”
“Something's falling from inside!”
Meteors were pouring into the black space. Ian frowned and looked up at them.
What the hell was that?
“Are you sure it's connected to Hielo?”
“Y-Yes, certain.”
The meteors grew larger. Leaving the black moon, they streaked across the palace sky and plummeted downward. Ian gaped unwittingly at the sight.
“Iaaaaan!”
“Insolent Berik's here too?!”
“Uhahahahat!”
It was a rough, crude laugh carrying the full heat of the desert. Warriors rained down from the sky.
Kwaaang! Kwang!
“Demosha!”