Chapter 131
“Who has arrived?”
Ellarion furrowed his brow slightly and asked the man who brought the news.
“It’s Duke Rupellen of the Astria Empire. Ah, and there was also a woman claiming to be a hero. On top of that, there was a dragon flying in the sky, raining down fire…!”
“…Understood. Take the mages and do your utmost to defend. We cannot allow them to take Snawd.”
“Yes, Lord Ellarion!”
After the man left his chamber, Ellarion could no longer hide his unease. He hastily whipped away the white cloth.
There lay the unfinished ancient artifact—a sandglass.
Clicking his tongue, he muttered to himself, almost under his breath:
“Damn it, the glass isn’t even full yet.”
The sea in front of Snawd was filled with massive ice blocks, making it impossible to approach by conventional means.
Any attempt to force a ship through would have shattered it into pieces, sinking it immediately.
And yet Duke Rupellen had come here? Even bringing the hero, Jiana?
“Jiana’s dragon power was sealed by Director Jang at the cost of his life, so she must be no more than an ordinary human now…”
So Rupellen bringing her was likely just for show.
Ellarion ran his hand irritably through his hair, trying to console himself.
Until now, things had gone reasonably well. He had accepted the sudden appearance of his brother’s daughter and the way it had thrown the original plan off completely.
But this situation was different. He had to complete the sandglass and become the draconic ruler who would grasp the world in his hand.
“I’d better see this with my own eyes.”
Pulling the white robe over his head, he stepped outside the main temple.
Over the past few weeks, he had been slowly thawing Snawd, giving the people hope that “this winter will soon end” while simultaneously encasing the continent in ice for defense.
So a gentle wind was natural, yet…
“This… is no gentle wind.”
Beyond gentle, it felt like the hot, dry wind of a desert blowing in from the harbor.
The sharp, towering ice mountains had all melted, leaving the ground soaked.
The Albita tribe, who had made the ice mountains their home, wailed pitifully, circling the sky in confusion.
He steadied his dizzying thoughts and hurried back to his room, summoning Director Melina via his communication ring.
— You called, my lord?
“What exactly are you doing about this mess?”
Ellarion spoke with a voice brimming with anger, discarding his usual elegant demeanor, and Melina flinched immediately on the other end of the ring.
— …What happened?
“A huge problem has arisen. Why are Duke Rupellen, Jiana, and that dragon here? Why is all the ice in Snawd suddenly melting?”
— I-I don’t understand…
“Didn’t I ask you first?”
Unable to contain his fury, Ellarion threw nearby objects around him.
While Melina trembled in fear, enduring the clattering chaos, Ellarion’s eyes fell on the sandglass—his treasure, almost complete, needing only a little more life force.
“If they’re playing dirty tricks, fine. Then we’ll respond with an equally unexpected move.”
He spoke in a very cold, low voice to Melina.
“Kill them all.”
— Kill them…?
“I mean wipe out the capital completely. Make sure those who dare set foot in Snawd flee in shock at the carnage. Reduce the imperial capital to ruins!”
— …!
“That’s why I made you the head of the Magic Academy. Understand? In the Kingdom of Arcanis your brother ruled, there were far greater, more skilled mages than you in abundance. Among them, I specifically chose you for this world because you know best how to prostrate yourself at my feet.”
The words spilling from Ellarion were so far removed from the dignified man he once was.
“Kill them all, and send their life force here. You’ll die if I die anyway, so fill this glass quickly before that happens!”
Veins of red stood out in his eyes. His once fair face was now full of madness and rage.
Melina shivered and replied through the ring.
— …I will obey your command.
“One more thing. I’ll settle the debt of time completely in this opportunity.”
Ellarion, barely calming his rage, asked Melina a question.
“Do you still have records of everyone you came into contact with from other worlds, and those who bought the herbs you sold?”
— Yes.
Hearing this, Ellarion twisted his lips.
“Scrape up all their souls to repay the debt of time. Immediately.”
Gari, like a fish in water, flew through the sky wildly, breathing fire.
The area was covered in ice. No matter where the fire touched, nothing would ignite—the ice only melted.
“Yesss, this is the true taste of a dragon’s breath!”
Since the palace arson incident, I had developed a trauma to fire and had kept Gari’s use of breath extremely restrained.
I did not want to burn down the palace again.
But this place was all ice, so I commanded Gari to release his seal.
“Melt it all! That’s it! Good job, Gari!”
Snawd’s mages panicked and unleashed every spell at Gari, but it was useless.
Gari, after all, had once dominated the dragon seas and instilled fear in all.
Besides, I had given Gari a protective barrier that ignored all magic.
He was truly invincible.
“Move out of the way! Do not block the dragon’s path!”
Gari breathed fire selectively, and wherever it touched, the ice melted, revealing moist ground beneath.
We advanced slowly, protected inside a massive magical sphere using his dragon power.
“What… what’s happening? None of our magic is working?”
“We cannot let these fiends take Snawd! Bring all the mages here!”
Watching Snawd’s mages scramble, Nox lazily kicked a stone rolling on the ground.
“This is so easy it’s boring.”
“That’s thanks to the Duchess.”
“Yes, you’re right. I am lucky to have such a wife.”
As we moved forward, chatting pleasantly, the apparent leader of the mages stepped forward.
“What do you want? Why invade our land all of a sudden?”
“Weren’t you the ones who declared war on us first?”
“How dare you shamelessly act this way! We live on frozen land because of the evil your side committed. And now you repay kindness with this?”
“Hmph. I think you’ve seriously misunderstood something.”
I rubbed my chin and tilted my head.
Ellarion’s brainwashing had clearly taken deep root among the Snawd people.
After wiping them out, facing Ellarion alone would be the easiest method.
‘But that’s not how Dad would do it.’
If it were my father—the great King Valamir of Arcanis—he would never have harmed these innocent mages.
The only one who should die is Ellarion. Eliminating him would bring peace to Snawd, the Astria Empire, and the Tian Kingdom.
‘Director Melina… well, the Mage Tower Master will handle it.’
According to my novel’s setting, the Mage Tower Master was the strongest mage in this world and would not be outdone by Melina.
Still with my arms outstretched, I spoke pointedly to the mages blocking our path.
“Listen, we have no intention of taking Snawd. We just want to meet Ellarion.”
“How dare you address the great Lord Ellarion like that…!”
His anger seemed only to flare further.
The mages, who were still attacking, suddenly stopped, split into two, and cleared a path.
At the end appeared a white-robed, silver-haired mage.
“Ah, I see you for the first time, my beloved niece.”
It was my uncle, Ellarion.
