The Ruswena camp used a hill as its barrier.
The Clifford soldiers frowned as they looked up at the hillside, seeing their country’s land used in such a way. The fluttering Ruswena flags planted here and there turned their stomachs.
Shortly after, a moving flag appeared. They were coming down from the Ruswena camp for the prisoner exchange.
Ian tilted his head to the left, glancing at the distant edge of the plains. Did Burgos know that Bariel and Ruswena were making contact? That could be another variable…
“Lord Ian. There they come.”
“It’s Queen Eripony.”
“Jang? Can you see him?”
“All soldiers should gather and prepare for ambush! We must not lower our guard. They’re like snakes!”
Eripony approached on horseback. She raised her bow smoothly in greeting, as if meeting an old friend. The king continued her dignified steps with her royal guard.
A prisoner exchange in the open plains. The mages floated slightly into the air and took out their telescopes.
Clop!
“There is a carriage.”
“Can you sense Captain Jang’s energy?”
“I’m not sure, it’s hard to tell. Probably because Ruswena mages are also present. Or perhaps Jang’s magical power is too faint for us to detect.”
When Jaira touched her wrists bound with magic-sealing stones, Ian placed his hand on the child’s shoulder. His gaze remained fixed on the approaching Eripony.
“Jaira. Recite again what path you will take from now on.”
“The safety of my family remaining in the palace and retrieving my magic research records.”
“As soon as you return, Eripony will ask you many things. She will demand you tell her everything about what was inside the Clifford barrier.”
“I can do well. Keeping the oath secret.”
“Without the black armor, Ruswena becomes quite vulnerable without its mages. And always remember.”
Jaira bit her lip while rubbing her swollen cheek against her shoulder. She would never forget being struck by that general.
“Those who know their worth cannot be treated carelessly by anyone.”
Clop clop!
Neiiigh!
Eripony drove her horse to a fairly close distance. Those guarding her side were not ordinary soldiers but mages. They recognized Jaira and waved their hands with welcoming expressions.
“My, Lord Ian. I suspected as much, but you’re perfectly fine and alive. You don’t seem to have a single injury after falling from such a height. Should I say I’m relieved?”
“Indeed. It’s as if all the arrows went blind, unable to pierce me. I suppose our side should consider it fortunate.”
It was a mocking remark—after shooting so many arrows, how did she fail to achieve her one desire? Eripony frowned and showed the arrow in her hand.
“Someone ruined my personal bow. It was a Bariel mage-knight, and I wonder if I should hold you responsible for that.”
“Go ahead. Let’s discuss everything from beginning to end, examining each fault. If we do, Ruswena will have to provide compensation by flaying the skin off its citizens.”
Welcome to try. Ian smiled slightly, spreading his hands.
Is this really someone who nearly died? Eripony looked at Jaira with an irritated expression. Her hands were bound with magic-sealing stones.
“Well anyway.”
Children will be children, after all. Eripony nodded while flipping her long blue-green hair back.
“Send the Ruswena mage this way. Then we will also send over the Bariel mage.”
“I will first verify their condition.”
“Eldert!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Eldert approached the carriage, then returned carrying a tightly bound adult male over his shoulder. His disheveled hair fell limply downward. He looked in poor condition, so pale it was questionable whether his heart was functioning properly.
The mages called out Jang’s name in surprise.
“Captain Jang! Please come to your senses!”
“Jang! Jang! Are you all right? Open your eyes!”
Swish.
Eripony concealed his face with her fan, indicating this was as far as they would go. Now that they had confirmed each other’s prisoners, shall they proceed?
Ian first threw the magic-sealing stone key toward the Ruswena side, then patted Jaira’s shoulder.
“Go.”
Jaira looked up at Ian one last time. Then she nodded slightly and walked slowly.
The same for Jang. After his ropes were untied, he staggered toward the Bariel camp like he might collapse at any moment. Mindlessly, just like an instinctive movement.
As Jaira and Jang drew closer to each other, Eripony called out showily:
“Be sure to tell Bariel’s little Emperor that I respected your mages enough to send them back alive.”
Didn’t Burgos send back a severed head? Eripony was creating an escape route in case the war turned unfavorable. Though allied with Burgos, her attitude toward Bariel was different.
Ian replied while watching Jang approach him:
“Yes. I will personally convey your message. His Imperial Highness will surely provide something equivalent in return.”
“I have a few questions.”
“Please understand that there is no obligation to answer.”
“By any chance, did Envoy Timothy defect to Bariel?”
When Ian reacted with a cold gaze, Eripony’s eyes narrowed. The person who had always been by King Damon’s side had suddenly disappeared, so Eripony had been making inquiries. During that process, she had heard rumors that Timothy had deserted from the battlefield.
If he had defected to Bariel, it would be quite burdensome for Burgos.
“That’s not worth answering.”
“A king’s question isn’t worth answering? This certainly is wartime! Hahaha! Then one more. Does Bariel truly have no intention of withdrawing from this war? Clifford and Burgos have had a poor relationship for a long time. This isn’t such a special situation, is it? If Bariel withdraws, Ruswena also intends to withdraw.”
“We’ve already come too far. And you seem to misunderstand something—in this war, Ruswena was the last to join. You should have been more careful about where to insert yourselves. How dare you try to dictate Bariel’s course of action?”
When Ian spoke decisively, Eldert and the Ruswena soldiers placed their hands on their sword hilts. The Clifford soldiers did the same.
“Since Your Majesty has asked a question, I shall ask one as well. What are you hoping to gain by lurking around here? Did King Damon offer to split Clifford in half with you?”
“The victors in war always gain more than expected.”
“Out of concern, I urge you to heed this: If Clifford becomes overrun with synthetic monsters, the problem won’t end with Clifford. Bariel will successfully defend its borders, and the monsters unable to advance northward will certainly leak sideways, flowing toward Ruswena.”
“Wait, what does that mean?”
At Eripony’s question, Ian inwardly let out a small exclamation. The mages also exchanged glances and remained silent, as if they had discovered a small crack of opportunity.
She really doesn’t know. Well, from Damon’s perspective, the only thing he could currently offer Ruswena was Clifford territory.
Jaira and Jang passed each other.
“Jang.”
Ian ignored Eripony and called to Jang, who barely raised his head in response. His entire body was swollen. It was impossible to tell which wounds might be threatening his life.
When Jang staggered and was about to collapse forward, Ian rushed to him.
“Lord Ian!”
“Captain Jang!”
Mages moved with him. Just as Beric had done for him, Ian caught Jang and embraced him tightly. At the sudden movement, Ruswena soldiers flinched and became alert, while Clifford soldiers pointed their swords as if warning them not to rashly intervene.
Ziiiing. Ziing.
As soon as Ian grasped Jang, he infused him with magical power. In some places it was cold, in others it was so hot that one might question if this was truly a living person’s body. Ian swept Jang’s hair aside and held onto his consciousness.
“Jang. Can you hear me?”
“…Yes. Lord Ian.”
“Though it’s difficult, keep accepting the magical power continuously. We’ll move to inside the barrier. Hale!”
“Lord Ian. We should infuse him with magic here first. Captain Jang’s condition is too poor. Time is of the essence.”
Ziiiing. Ziing.
Jang leaned on Hale’s shoulder and took a deep, low breath. As the magic entered him, he felt his airways opening little by little.
Ian wiped away his cold sweat personally and asked:
“Jang. Do you feel alive?”
“Yes, Lord Ian. Ah, my head is spinning. Those bastards, if it weren’t for the magic-sealing stones, I could have taken them on. Stingy enough not to give me a single bit of magic…”
“So chatty. Lord Ian, no need to worry about Captain Jang.”
“…They kept me gagged.”
“Understood, so please close your mouth for a bit.”
Ziiiing. Ziing.
Light rose in fluffy clouds from the middle of the earth. Though it was magical power being released to save a fellow mage, to the soldiers, it looked as if the fallen moon had descended upon them.
While they stared in a daze, Eripony shouted:
“Ian! I asked what you meant about the monsters!”
Answer me, came the shrill command. Ian looked down at Jang without giving her a single glance.
He had returned alive. Selena had returned as a corpse, but Jang, one of the remaining ones, had returned alive like this. Jang closed his eyes with an awkward smile, as if feeling ashamed.
“I’m sorry, Lord Ian. I went all the way into their camp, but I didn’t bring back anything useful.”
“No. It’s enough. Jang, you’ve fulfilled your role just by returning alive. I’m sincerely grateful. Just having you alive allows me to endure a little more.”
“What are you saying? Did something happen while I was gone?”
“Captain Jang. Stay still. Keep smiling nicely for Lord Ian. Yes. You’re doing well.”
When the blatantly ignored Eripony picked up an arrow, Clifford soldiers immediately stepped forward with shields. In the midst of the tense atmosphere, the Ruswena mages also welcomed Jaira, embracing her with all their might.
“Jaira. Are you all right? Any injuries?”
“I’m fine. Sorry. I thought I could do better.”
“No, no. We’re grateful just that you’re safe. It’s our fault for sending someone as young as you.”
While Jaira was enjoying her family’s welcome, Eripony lowered her bow irritably.
Continuing to ask questions that received no answers was an action that tarnished a king’s dignity. Unable to face further embarrassment, Eripony’s attention immediately shifted to Jaira.
“Jaira.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How impressive. Thanks to you, we’ve lost a Bariel mage hostage. Prove it to me. That you have such worth, and that my choice was not wrong.”
Tell me everything you saw and heard inside that barrier without omission. And also what Ian meant by “monsters.”
Jaira answered, innocently rolling her eyes:
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will convey everything in my memory.”
“You answer well. Indeed, dying once and coming back helps with rehabilitation. Eldert! Let’s withdraw!”
Jaira mounted a horse with the mages and looked back at those who were still surrounding Jang, laughing and crying. Soon, someday, she and her family would also be like that. Relationships finding comfort even amid the backdrop of war.
Jaira hugged the mage beside her tightly and recalled Ian’s instructions.
“To rescue your family imprisoned in the palace and do everything as you wish, you must induce division in the current camp. Make the palace continue to dispatch troops. That will empty the palace. Naturally, the eyes watching your family will decrease as well. Though this is a burdensome strategy for us in the war, there’s nothing better for your objective, Jaira.”