Chapter 129
“Rebellion?”
“Exactly as it sounds. As you know, the Astria Empire relies on magic for so many things: the supply of power, teleportation circles for convenient long-distance travel, magical communication, and so on. Even the stones that illuminate the surroundings after sunset contain magic. Damn it!”
Evelyn slammed her hand on the side table, unable to contain her anger.
Count Clayton, seeing this, closed his eyes tightly in despair and quietly added an explanation.
“It seems that all magical activity within the capital has been sealed. The only person with enough power to cause something like this would be Director Melina of the Magic Academy.”
“Exactly! That bastard gathered all the mages and locked them inside the Academy! They won’t even follow my orders now!”
It hit me like a giant hammer striking my head.
A sense of foreboding crept over me, as if we were already one step too late.
“Magical communication has been cut off, so we’re sending out messengers as a temporary measure, but it’s so slow and frustrating!”
“Throughout the capital, fires and crimes are causing casualties. But we can’t find a single healer to treat the wounded. They’re all inside the Magic Academy.”
“That damn Dream Quill! The Pen-Sing Factory just threw them all over the streets. Now even five-year-olds in the capital have at least twenty of those quills each. The citizens, desperate and frustrated, are misusing them and even dying!”
“As the death toll rises, the chaos worsens. The capital can’t even function normally anymore.”
Evelyn and Clayton each spoke as if competing to outdo the other.
This was clearly a rebellion orchestrated by the Magic Academy.
The chaos that began in the capital would soon engulf the entire Astria Empire.
“No wonder Director Melina has been sitting so quietly…!”
It seemed she had been planning from the beginning to deliver the decisive blow at the critical moment.
If Director Jang was the operational leader, it seemed the director herself had been the strategist behind the scenes.
I made up my mind. The tasks ahead formed a clear image in my mind.
“Your Majesty, I will contact the Kingdom of Tian and have the Mage Tower Master brought here. I have a way to communicate with them.”
“You’ll get the Mage Tower Master…? How on earth will you handle that eccentric person?”
“We are about to depart for Snaud. The Mage Tower Master has agreed to support this expedition, and by now, the ship carrying him and the mages should have already left the Kingdom of Tian. I will ask them to change course and come here, so please hold on just a little longer.”
Evelyn looked at me with admiration and asked,
“Oh, Hero Giana. Will you marry me after all? I don’t think anyone else is as fit to hold the position of State Minister as you are.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve already promised my hand in marriage.”
I answered while wrapping my arms around Nox’s shoulders.
Now I could say it with confidence: Duke Nox Rupellen was my future husband.
I had vowed to spend my life with him.
“So the two of you are getting married! Wonderful. Truly wonderful.”
Relief and a flush of joy appeared on Evelyn’s face, as if she had finally found a way out.
“I will also notify all regional lords outside the Magic Academy’s influence to gather their troops to the capital. So hold the line until the Mage Tower Master arrives with them.”
“Understood. Ha, if it weren’t for you, we’d be in serious trouble. A simultaneous attack from Snaud and the Magic Academy could have destroyed the empire. Once this crisis ends, I will make sure to commend you!”
Evelyn embraced me tightly in her excitement and peppered my cheek with kisses.
“Duke, just let this one slide! You’re the savior of the nation, aren’t you?”
I carefully pulled Evelyn away, seeing Nox’s expression slowly turning as if he’d been bitten by a bug.
“Wait a moment. I’ll write the decree ordering the troop mobilization.”
While Evelyn quickly drafted the decree, Count Clayton brought the emperor’s seal.
After stamping twenty documents with authority, she handed them to me with a request.
“If you deliver these decrees to the lords of this region, they will pass the orders to the subordinate lords themselves.”
“Understood. I’ll deliver them immediately, so please hold on.”
We bowed to the emperor and promptly left the palace.
By now, the teleportation circle had already gone offline. We had been fortunate to use it one last time.
“This circle won’t work anymore.”
I crouched to examine it, and Nox nodded in agreement.
“The teleportation stone feels completely sealed, as if tied down by something. No energy at all.”
“There’s nothing we can do.”
I stood and gestured to him.
“Come here for a moment. Can you hold me tight?”
“Here? Now?”
Nox approached, puzzled but pleased, and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Hold me tighter. We can’t afford to fall.”
I wrapped my arms around Nox’s neck.
Suddenly, angelic white wings sprouted from my back. I took a breath and spread them wide.
This was a power I had gained after regaining the dragon’s power at my father’s grave.
As our bodies lifted into the air, the acrid smoke that had blanketed the city dissipated in an instant.
“G-Giana?”
I smiled at the flustered Nox and spoke with a tone of caution.
“I’ll be a hundred times faster than before. Hold on tighter; we have many places to visit. Let’s go!”
I tightened my grip on Nox’s neck and we swiftly took flight outside the capital.
Saying “a hundred times faster” wasn’t an exaggeration. The speed was so fast that even Nox, who was used to seasickness, struggled to keep up.
After meeting the twelfth lord, Nox tried to stop me and pleaded.
“Wait… just a short break, can’t we?”
“You said it was urgent, didn’t you? If we want to finish before nightfall, we need to move even faster.”
I tilted my head and teased his pride, and at the mention of ‘night,’ his eyes lit up with renewed energy.
I held him tightly again and headed to the next destination.
After delivering the emperor’s decrees to twenty lords, explaining the situation in the capital, and returning to Duke Rupellen’s residence,
We managed to complete everything before the sun set.
“Giana, can we finally… go to the bedroom?”
Nox, looking slightly pale from the long journey, asked me.
I shook my head apologetically.
“Not yet. There’s still work left, and it’s not night yet.”
“There’s more work?”
“Of course. We need to contact Arines. Tell him not to go to Snaud and to come directly to the empire.”
I took out a crystal for video communication, leaving the flustered Nox behind, and Arines answered as if he had been waiting.
This is Communications Officer Arines! Did you call for me?
Arines saluted, which looked quite funny.
He seemed completely immersed in his role, perhaps to ease the tension of going to a battlefield.
“Arines, you’re at sea right now, right?”
Yes. The Mage Tower mages are pumping enormous amounts of magical power into the engine, so the ship is ridiculously fast. Even though I said they could go slowly to join you, they didn’t.
“Good. Then increase the speed and come to the capital of the Astria Empire.”
The capital? Not Snaud?
“The Magic Academy Director has staged a rebellion.”
I explained the situation with a somewhat grim expression, and the Mage Tower Master appeared behind Arines.
That old man is fearless. Honestly, I never liked him from the start. He had nothing but age, no magical power at all, yet as the director, he belittled my skills. Ridiculous. Social skills have nothing to do with magic ability. Those who are insecure in their jobs always bring in irrelevant factors to belittle others.
It seemed Arines had a lot of built-up resentment toward Director Melina.
Perfect. I’ll show them who the real powerhouse is. In three, maybe five days, we’ll arrive at the empire. I’ll flatten them with just one finger, so don’t worry—head to Snaud first.
The madness in the Mage Tower Master’s eyes was so terrifying that even I, who knew him well, got chills.
I nodded and silently prayed for Director Melina’s soul.
