CHAPTER 137………………………………………
Ian stayed behind in the conference room, saying he had something to discuss with Meria.
When he opened the door and stepped out, Shaire was waiting.
“Please, this way.”
The room they were guided to was small but not bad. There was a bed and a desk, with enough space for Arjen’s luggage. A small bathroom was also attached.
They were told that dinner and the party would be held in the communal dining hall.
Since there was still time before dinner, they decided to take a look outside.
Arjen had tied her hair up to keep the sand from getting into it. At least, the buildings blocked most of the windblown dust from the road.
Walking along the path, Arjen quickly scanned the number of people present.
Given this population, it was surprising that the royal family hadn’t discovered them until now.
In any case, the resistance had already been cornered. On top of that, soldiers were heading this way. The royal family wouldn’t just stand by—they would surely dispatch a large force of mages from the Tower of Magic.
As long as Ian carries the royal blood… Kether won’t intervene.
But could they reach the Western Desert temple safely while avoiding the Tower’s surveillance?
While lost in thought, a familiar voice called out from a distance.
“Miss Arjen? I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Angelina walked briskly toward them, her characteristic cheerful laugh echoing. With an eyepatch over one eye and a hood covering her face, it was hard to recognize her.
Why on earth is that face here?
This was the very moment the Tower’s mages were being sent in force to the Western Desert.
So how was the Tower’s aide standing in the middle of enemy territory so calmly?
Arjen was so flustered she nearly choked.
“Angelina… I didn’t expect you to come here yourself. Have you come to capture us?”
Angelina laughed heartily.
“Haha, of course not.”
But the mages of the Tower were among the least trustworthy beings in the world.
On both sides, could there really be anyone among the royal forces genuinely on the emperor’s side?
Arjen sighed and shook her head.
“Explain the situation, please.”
“It’s simple. Watching how things are going, I realized that Ian has a high chance of winning,” Angelina said.
In other words, Angelina, who had been walking a fine line, had completely turned her back on the royal family.
“Did he really discover that Ian is the bloodline of the previous emperor…? Anyway, I’m busy now. The royal family thinks I’m an investigator dispatched to the Western Desert. Here, I’m creating false coordinates to hide the resistance’s location.”
“So, a double agent,” Arjen summarized.
Angelina smiled.
“Yes, and in return for covering them, I plan to take something from this land.”
In this barren wasteland, there was only one thing worth taking.
“Are you interested in the desert temple as well?”
“Of course. It’s a magical barrier that can make any spell vanish instantly.”
Angelina spread her hands playfully, making them sparkle.
“After the soldier killed Dr. Santala with that barrier, I’ve been keeping an eye on this place. If possible, I definitely want to break it.”
So in this timeline, the soldier also killed Dr. Santala.
A vague bitterness arose as she recalled the elderly man with round glasses.
“Even so, can one Angelina really conceal a group of this size?”
“Haha, one skilled mage can handle five hundred mages. Don’t underestimate me.”
A surprisingly arrogant claim. Of course, Arjen didn’t take it at face value.
She must have another card up her sleeve.
What it was, she didn’t yet know. Perhaps the faction within the Tower, represented by Angelina and Preston, was gradually consolidating its own power.
“In any case, always playing both sides is the wisest strategy. I didn’t know Ian had built such an independent force,” Angelina said with a sly smile, kissing the back of Arjen’s hand.
“You’re going to the desert with the soldier? Then I’ll join you.”
Thus, an unexpected traveler joined the journey.
I wonder what Ian is thinking…
Arjen raised an eyebrow instead of answering.
Ian, Arjen, and Meria.
The dinner with only the main characters ended peacefully.
There were no attendants besides the chef, and every dish, from salad to main course, was served on a single plate.
Aristocrats who had experienced hunting competitions were used to meals like this. Arjen finished her plate without complaint.
Meria and Ian exchanged a brief conversation.
“When will the soldier arrive?”
“Tomorrow afternoon, as scheduled.”
“Soon, then.”
Meria nodded.
“Angelina is going with you, right? Take care. I really don’t know what she’s planning.”
“She’ll study the temple, and if possible, try to kill the soldier.”
Ian replied coldly.
Arjen, listening without thinking, choked on her food and patted her chest.
Ian jumped up in surprise and handed her a handkerchief.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine… but what did you say?”
“The Tower doesn’t forget grudges. The conflict between the two forces is already obvious. Since the soldier killed Dr. Santala brutally, they’ll want revenge.”
Meria, equally alarmed, interjected.
“That’s impossible. The Tower Master has already seen the future. It’s basically unchangeable. And Angelina already betrayed the Tower and turned her back on the royal family.”
“This prophecy is different. The Tower Master barely regained his foresight by borrowing Yuna’s power. He’ll want to check if this prophecy is real. Moreover…”
“Moreover?”
“If we lose and the royal family wins, they’ll need an excuse for why we were lurking in enemy territory to kill the soldier. And if they can get the soldier’s head as well, all the better.”
It was a shockingly cold analysis. Angelina intended to walk a fine line between the two forces until the very end.
Ian finished speaking quietly, sipping from his glass.
“Although Angelina has turned her back on the royal family, that doesn’t mean she isn’t part of the Tower, nor that she will forget her grudges. Her intent to kill the soldier will remain. Make sure they don’t meet before reaching the temple.”
“Having many enemies must be tiring,” Meria muttered, mixing a smile with a sigh. Arjen felt that smile was strangely ominous.
“You be careful too, Meria. Don’t think too much.”
“I know,” Meria replied with a laugh.
After the meal, Ian stood and asked Arjen,
“Arjen, where were you assigned?”
“Why?”
“I’ll walk you there. The roads are complicated.”
There was no reason to refuse. Walking out into the night with sand blowing around, Arjen looked up at him.
“Do you think Angelina really intends to kill the soldier?”
“Yes, highly likely.”
He answered briefly, looking ahead, then added a little, perhaps sounding unfriendly:
“She’ll want to see if the prophecy, borrowing Yuna’s power, is real. She’ll also settle old grudges. I understand that.”
Ian looked down at Arjen.
Her face was hidden under the hood, making it hard to read the emotions in her eyes.
“But if she can’t kill the soldier here, she’ll have to accept fate… and surrender to us.”
“Us?”
“You and me. In the end, we’ll be the ones to win, right? The prophecy will surely show the same.”
Ian smiled with his eyes.
Winning… together.
Seeing the curve of her eyes under the hood made her heart skip a beat.
She awkwardly smiled along.
“When this is over, I’ll become emperor… and then I’ll give you the best thing I have. I’m wondering what to give. I’ve never worried about this before.”
Happiness shone in Ian’s curved eyes. She must have been thinking about this all along while he was away. Seeing him smile like this made her heart glad.
Arjen smiled too.
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
“Then I’ll have to think about what to take until then.”
Ian nodded.
“I’ll be waiting.”
The conversation paused briefly after that.
Finally, they were alone.
Arjen felt the moment had come.
It was time to tell him something truly important—the story she should have told first but hadn’t yet.
That this would be Ian’s last life.
Arjen looked up at him and whispered,
“Yuna said the world’s cycle will end this time. This is the last time.”
At those words, Ian stopped in his tracks.
He pulled his hood down to his chin, revealing a trembling expression as he looked down at Arjen.
“Is that true?”
