Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Pursuit (1)
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The next morning, Tae-jin gathered everyone in one room.
They could have talked over breakfast, but that would have been far too careless.
In a situation where they didn't even know how many intelligence agents were out there, it would be foolish to assume none had infiltrated the inn where the group was staying.
Once Tae-jin had meticulously cast a soundproofing spell, Garam grumbled.
"I'm hungry. Can't we eat first and talk after?"
"Just hold on. This is important."
"What is it? Something happen last night?"
"Yeah. Renata and I ended up taking a little walk around the streets last night."
Pavilion's expression darkened ominously, like a father who'd spotted some punk eyeing his precious daughter.
"Hey, don't make that face. I have no interest in messing with a little kid."
At that moment, killing intent flared from his right. Kids hated being called kids. It was a rabbit punch he'd fully expected, so Tae-jin easily blocked Renata's fist.
Tae-jin summarized the story simply.
"Yesterday, Renata wandered off alone, so I went looking for her. That's when I ran into a murderer..."
As the tale unfolded, the group's expressions grew serious. When it ended, Garam was the first to speak.
"What? So you're saying you almost got your ass kicked by some guy who couldn't even use proper magic?"
"Don't nitpick the wrong part. Focus on what's important."
Having finished, Tae-jin turned to Richer.
Unlike the free-trade warrior Pavilion, the kid Renata, or the part-time worker from Busan, Garam, Richer seemed like he might know something about the intelligence bureau. The old war mage spoke softly.
"Tae-jin, your magic skills are pretty shabby."
"Come on, old man. Be serious. No jokes."
Richer shrugged and continued.
"I'm no expert on the intelligence bureau myself—I don't know anyone there, and I've never been chased by them. But one thing's clear: this isn't a normal situation."
Tae-jin nodded.
"So, any ideas on what we should do? I'm drawing a blank."
"First off, we buy a big, fancy four-horse carriage. In case we need to bolt for the border. Ideally something with extra horses."
It was a playful, straightforward answer, but not wrong at all.
"Yeah, fair enough."
Richer shook his head.
"Truth is, we don't have many options right now. We can't just charge for the border out of nowhere, or attack the agents. Until something changes, we keep moving like normal, then shake them off and run when the time's right. That's it."
It was spot-on, which made it all the more frustrating.
"So what should I be doing right now?"
"Keep memorizing your spells. What else would you be doing?"
It wasn't much help.
*
The group's carriage had been upgraded to a large, sturdy four-horse model. They'd even lined the interior with iron plates for emergencies, so even if arrows came flying, it shouldn't be a big issue.
Common sense said fleeing on individual horses was best, but only Pavilion knew how to ride. Luckily, he could handle the horses and drive the carriage.
The carriage headed toward the border again—or more precisely, the next city.
Between cities, the intelligence agents would follow while making a half-hearted effort to hide: riding horses but keeping distance, or not clustering too closely together.
It might seem meaningless, but they appeared to have their own protocols.
Two days later, though, things took a sinister turn. They stopped hiding their positions and began traveling in pairs or groups of three or four, close enough to each other. The distance hadn't closed much yet, but it was clear they were done concealing their identities.
"Old man, what do we do about those guys?"
Richer was cautious.
"One thing's sure: if we can avoid provoking them, we should. We don't even know exactly why they're after you."
"Like we talked about before—detain me moderately and use me as a bargaining chip with Korea?"
"Could be. But if so, they wouldn't need weapons."
Richer was right.
When Tae-jin had entered imperial territory, the empire's ministers had debated whether to detain him as a bargaining chip.
Relations with otherworlders weren't completely soured yet, so no need for aggression toward their citizens. Dragging it out would just delay everything, and so on.
One point was unanimous: no killing or attacking. For a bargaining chip, Tae-jin's cooperation was far more valuable.
Even if they failed to sway him and he crossed the border, the standing order was no attacks. It was a superior strategy with no downside.
Then Ariete's tip came in. Simple contents:
'Tae-jin is the first otherworlder mage, disciple of War Mage Richer, and can use mana cells.'
The bureaucrats scrapped all premises and prior agreements, restarting discussions.
One thing was certain: mana cells could never leak outside the empire. They were the biggest reason a small kingdom had risen to imperial dominance—overwhelming martial superiority. Mana cells were the foundation of imperial hegemony.
Thus, even hints of mana cell leaks prompted the empire to annihilate the nation. That was how it grew to continental supremacy.
Other nations had no reason to provoke imperial wrath, so they never coveted mana cells. A nation didn't need to surpass the empire to be happy.
Just as being second to none but one was satisfying for individuals, aiming for continental runner-up wasn't a bad rivalry.
It wouldn't be strange to call it an uneasy peace enforced by the empire.
But otherworlders were beyond imperial reach and control.
If even mana cells—the empire's last trump card (no matter if otherworlder tech outstripped war mages)—leaked to them, the empire would hold no advantages over rivals.
To protect mana cells, the ministers' bold decision was inevitable. Better to gamble now than face slow, certain doom. Their once-superior strategy was obsolete; no reason to sit idle.
Thus, policy shifted: capture or sway the otherworlder peacefully if possible. If unavoidable, kill to prevent mana cell outflow—but destroy body and evidence completely.
Tae-jin's group had no way of knowing. They assumed imperial intel hadn't reached mana cell info. If not for Ariete's tip accidentally hitting the truth...
Richer, scanning surroundings while driving, spoke up.
"See those guys who just showed up on horseback?"
Over ten agents were visible now, confirmed total at twelve.
"Yeah? Something different?"
"They've got bows on their backs. See?"
"Yeah, I see them. Why bows?"
"Including bows in armament means they're open to lethal force. Unlike close weapons, one slip with a bow and the target's dead."
Tae-jin's blood ran cold.
"So that means, old man..."
"Yeah. Looks like we're in deep."
Garam grumbled loudly from the side.
"Why am I dragged into this? I just needed to find a shaman."
If someone else had been caught up like this, Tae-jin would have felt genuinely sorry. But seeing Garam—the guy they bickered with daily—swept in oddly cheered him up. Tae-jin chuckled.
"Hey, what can you do? You're marked as part of my group now. Even if you run alone, they'll grab you."
"My luck sucks, seriously."
Garam said that, but he didn't seem surprised. If he'd really planned to ditch Tae-jin, he'd have surrendered already.
Or moved separately that night they set the route. Since fate had bound them, he planned to stick it out. Garam had unexpected loyalty.
"Once we cross the border, you'll owe me extra funds."
"Money talk even now?"
"Part goes to my dream weed fund."
Normally it'd seem cheap, but in this mess, Garam's joking lightened the mood.
Tae-jin called to Pavilion at the reins.
"Sorry, mister. Got you wrapped up in this weird mess because of me."
"What sorry? I knew the risks when I joined."
"Really?"
"Without you and Richer, Renata and I would've died that werewolf night. We owe you two lives—how could I bail? Gotta risk at least that much to balance the scales."
Tae-jin felt a surge of emotion. He immediately turned to Garam.
"Hey, if you're sticking with us, say something cool like that. Wasn't it badass?"
"Badass my ass."
Garam grumbled, and Richer spoke again.
"They're not attacking yet, at least. Bows aren't nocked, and they're not closing distance too much. Probably try persuading us at the next village."
Yeah, makes sense. Only idiots attack without trying to talk first.
Tae-jin nodded.
"Persuasion's obvious, right? 'Don't leave the imperial capital' or whatever?"
"Pretty much."
"What if we accept?"
"You know: like those days near Gate City, but worse. If Korea talks go south, maybe death. No electronics, crap food too."
Richer grinned.
"No way we get caught. Better stuck in Gate City than the empire."
"Exactly. Let's find a way out."
Instead of the nearest village, Pavilion steered toward a farther city.
As close to the border as possible.