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'That's not a snake, it's an Arika Vine.'
The moment Iana's fire barrier was about to engulf the blue-tinged Arika Vine.
An unknown wave rippled through the air.
Soon after, countless Arika Vines crawled out of the forest and wrapped around the giant vine.
"Ugh!"
As the Arika Vine's magical power grew, Iana was pushed back.
She turned around and shouted at the mage from the capital.
"Send me magical power."
"Pardon?"
"Send me magical power. Quickly!"
While the mage from the capital was flustered, the fire barrier disappeared.
"…!"
Everyone watched the scene with shocked faces as even Iana's barrier was breached.
It was then.
Charles climbed onto the roof of the carriage and shot an arrow coated with magic stone powder.
Whoosh- Bang!
The arrow struck the giant Arika Vine, and flames erupted.
"Retreat!"
At Charles' shout, the Imperial Army finally began to move.
Whoosh-!
The Arika Vines stretched out like tentacles, wrapping around the bodies of the Imperial soldiers and dragging them away as if to devour them.
"Save me!"
The screams of the Imperial soldiers echoed from everywhere.
Other Imperial soldiers nearby cut the vines wrapped around the people's bodies with their swords.
"Ugh!"
Those whose bodies were touched by the Arika Vines were burned.
Iana hesitated, about to cast the fire barrier spell again.
'If I use the fire barrier while people are connected to the Arika Vine, they might get hurt.'
Iana looked at Charles, who quickly recognized the situation and shouted loudly.
"Archers, focus on attacking the Arika Vines flying from behind!"
Ervin's archers, lined up in a row, shot arrows into the mage's forest.
Whoosh- Bang! Bang!
Iana urgently shouted to the mage from the capital.
"If you save the last Imperial soldier being dragged away, send magical power to my body."
The mage from the capital asked with a surprised face.
"…Are you perhaps trying to use Combination Magic?"
"That's right. We need to end it in one go, so send me the strongest magical power you can."
"Yes, I, I understand."
Iana calmly watched the situation.
"What are you doing! Why aren't you getting out of here quickly?"
Carrion shouted at the Imperial soldiers, trying to save himself.
"Shut your mouth! Carrion Dietrian."
Iana shouted sharply.
It was the moment when the Imperial soldiers cut the Arika Vine from the last Imperial soldier being dragged away.
Iana turned around and shouted to the mage.
"Now!"
The mage from the capital sent a blue light towards Iana.
As she chanted the spell, a large fire barrier rose.
Once again, the giant Arika Vine and the fire barrier clashed.
As the magic bow blocked the path of other approaching vines, the resisting Arika Vine gradually lost its strength.
Finally, Iana's fire barrier engulfed the Arika Vine.
Iana urgently said to Charles.
"Arika Vines might appear again from inside the forest. We need to return to the Ducal Palace quickly."
Carrion limped over and asked Iana irritably.
"Then we, we can't go back to the capital?"
Snap!
Charles, who was standing on the roof of the carriage, broke the red flag and cut off Carrion's words.
"Go there alone if you can. Count Dietrian."
"…."
Carrion couldn't say anything.
Charles shouted to the terrified Imperial soldiers.
"Load the injured onto the carriages and get out of here as quickly as possible."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
At his command, Ervin's archers and the Imperial soldiers answered simultaneously.
The procession reformed its ranks.
"Let's go."
Iana stood at the front, followed by Charles and the mage from the capital.
Thump, thump, thump.
The procession quickly ran along the rocky mountain path without any forest. How long had they run? They stopped in front of a lake overlooking the Ervin's scenery.
"That is…"
She looked down at Ervin with a surprised face and couldn't continue her words.
Gray smoke was rising from various parts of Ervin.
Judging by the shape of the smoke, it seemed that they had been attacked by Arika Vines.
"Iana, it seems the war you spoke of has begun."
Charles' eyes turned sharp.
Iana suppressed the rising fear and said with a determined face.
"We have to stop it somehow. Because it's the war I foresaw."
✦ ✦ ✦
Meanwhile, Riel was being guided by a royal garden caretaker planted by Duke Havel.
The two entered a small warehouse built between the trees along a secluded path.
"His Majesty the Emperor will be passing by this way shortly. Then, you should suddenly appear in front of the procession as if you are being chased by me."
The garden caretaker pointed to the large intersection ahead through the window.
Turning around the corner, there were long rows of trees on both sides, and at the end of that road, the Crown Prince's memorial stood tall.
"A situation where I'm being chased…"
Riel trailed off, lost in thought. Soon, she bent down the heel of her right shoe so that it would come off easily.
While she was shaking the wet hair with her hands.
The greedy-looking gardener kept glancing at Riel, who was soaked in the rain and whose skin was showing through.
"Turn your eyes away. If you want to keep seeing with those eyes."
Riel warned in a cold voice.
The garden caretaker cleared his throat and turned his gaze away.
At that moment, the noise of people was heard beyond the window.
Riel watched the intersection and thought.
'Either way, I can't get close to the Emperor because of the Imperial Guards.'
The Imperial Guards holding flags lined up all the way to where the Crown Prince's memorial was located.
As expected, the security was strict.
'I have to make as much noise as possible to attract attention.'
She gauged the moment when the Emperor was approaching.
'He's coming.'
Turning around the corner, the figures of the Emperor and Empress, followed by Alisa and Duke Havel dressed to the nines, came into view.
Riel came out of the back door of the warehouse and began to run, facing the heavy rain and wind.
As expected, the shoe she had bent the heel of came off after only a few steps.
"Stop there!"
The garden caretaker shouted from behind.
"Ugh!"
Riel felt an intense pain as if her bare foot had been stabbed by something sharp.
"Stop!"
Before she even reached the intersection, the Imperial Guards rushed over and pointed their swords at Riel.
Riel, gasping for breath, looked down at her right foot, which was throbbing with pain.
Already, red blood was spreading on her foot.
"His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress are passing by, what is all this commotion?"
Duke Havel scolded the Imperial Guards as if rebuking them.
It seemed to be a plan to bring Riel over and force her to explain the situation.
Duke Havel's prediction was accurate.
Riel and the garden caretaker knelt before the procession.
'I've finally met His Majesty the Emperor.'
Riel raised her head slightly and met the Emperor's eyes.
The Emperor was wearing a black ceremonial robe embroidered with gold thread under a large umbrella.
A beautiful, woman-like face and clear eyes like the surface of glass.
An unknown madness could be felt in the cold gaze that slowly scanned her.
Riel lowered her gaze sadly and tightly gripped the humble bouquet of wildflowers in her hand.
"A suspicious woman ran towards the procession and was apprehended."
The captain of the Imperial Guards gestured to the gardener to explain the situation.
The gardener trembled and opened his mouth.
"O-Today, all the gates of the royal garden were closed. But this w-woman suddenly appeared and…"
"…."
The Emperor was silent.
Instead, as if he was curious about her short bobbed hair, the Emperor's gaze lingered on her hair for a long time.
A tense atmosphere flowed, not knowing what order would come from his mouth.
Duke Havel gave an order as if trying to elicit a reaction from the Emperor.
"Take that disrespectful woman away and question her as to why she suddenly appeared."
"…."
The Emperor was still silent, keeping his eyes on Riel.
Alisa, sensing something instinctively, approached the Emperor and acted coyly.
"Your Majesty, it's too cold because of the rain…"
Riel deliberately interrupted Alisa's words and spoke in a sorrowful voice.
"I will only leave one flower. Before I die…"
The rain, which had become heavier, soaked Riel.
She pitifully trembled her two hands holding the wildflowers as if they were something precious.
Alisa, who was very angry, strode towards Riel.
The maid holding the umbrella hurriedly followed and put the umbrella over her.
Slap-.
Alisa slapped Riel's cheeks one after another as if venting her anger.
"How dare you interrupt someone's words!"
Riel silently took the beating with her head bowed.
Then the Emperor said as if throwing it out.
"Do so."
"Your Majesty!"
Alisa flared up.
But the Emperor had a smile on his face as if he had found an interesting toy.
At the Emperor's command, the guards stepped aside all at once. At the same time, they watched her sharply to prepare for Riel's sudden actions.
Riel limped towards the Crown Prince's memorial. Red blood stained the dirt floor.
The Emperor watched the scene with curious eyes.
Riel knelt in front of the memorial and placed the bouquet of wildflowers neatly in front of it, thinking.
'Your Highness the Crown Prince, if you were going to die anyway, you should have died when my father poisoned you.'
She got up and bowed towards the Emperor.
As the Emperor gave a look, the captain of the Imperial Guards asked.
"Since His Majesty has bestowed grace, tell us why you appeared in this place where outsiders are prohibited."
"I am Riel Estina. I have come to atone in place of my father."
Riel answered calmly.
At the word Estina, the Emperor's face turned cold in an instant.
"Kill that woman."
The moment Iana's fire barrier was about to engulf the blue-tinged Arika Vine.
An unknown wave rippled through the air.
Soon after, countless Arika Vines crawled out of the forest and wrapped around the giant vine.
"Ugh!"
As the Arika Vine's magical power grew, Iana was pushed back.
She turned around and shouted at the mage from the capital.
"Send me magical power."
"Pardon?"
"Send me magical power. Quickly!"
While the mage from the capital was flustered, the fire barrier disappeared.
"…!"
Everyone watched the scene with shocked faces as even Iana's barrier was breached.
It was then.
Charles climbed onto the roof of the carriage and shot an arrow coated with magic stone powder.
Whoosh- Bang!
The arrow struck the giant Arika Vine, and flames erupted.
"Retreat!"
At Charles' shout, the Imperial Army finally began to move.
Whoosh-!
The Arika Vines stretched out like tentacles, wrapping around the bodies of the Imperial soldiers and dragging them away as if to devour them.
"Save me!"
The screams of the Imperial soldiers echoed from everywhere.
Other Imperial soldiers nearby cut the vines wrapped around the people's bodies with their swords.
"Ugh!"
Those whose bodies were touched by the Arika Vines were burned.
Iana hesitated, about to cast the fire barrier spell again.
'If I use the fire barrier while people are connected to the Arika Vine, they might get hurt.'
Iana looked at Charles, who quickly recognized the situation and shouted loudly.
"Archers, focus on attacking the Arika Vines flying from behind!"
Ervin's archers, lined up in a row, shot arrows into the mage's forest.
Whoosh- Bang! Bang!
Iana urgently shouted to the mage from the capital.
"If you save the last Imperial soldier being dragged away, send magical power to my body."
The mage from the capital asked with a surprised face.
"…Are you perhaps trying to use Combination Magic?"
"That's right. We need to end it in one go, so send me the strongest magical power you can."
"Yes, I, I understand."
Iana calmly watched the situation.
"What are you doing! Why aren't you getting out of here quickly?"
Carrion shouted at the Imperial soldiers, trying to save himself.
"Shut your mouth! Carrion Dietrian."
Iana shouted sharply.
It was the moment when the Imperial soldiers cut the Arika Vine from the last Imperial soldier being dragged away.
Iana turned around and shouted to the mage.
"Now!"
The mage from the capital sent a blue light towards Iana.
As she chanted the spell, a large fire barrier rose.
Once again, the giant Arika Vine and the fire barrier clashed.
As the magic bow blocked the path of other approaching vines, the resisting Arika Vine gradually lost its strength.
Finally, Iana's fire barrier engulfed the Arika Vine.
Iana urgently said to Charles.
"Arika Vines might appear again from inside the forest. We need to return to the Ducal Palace quickly."
Carrion limped over and asked Iana irritably.
"Then we, we can't go back to the capital?"
Snap!
Charles, who was standing on the roof of the carriage, broke the red flag and cut off Carrion's words.
"Go there alone if you can. Count Dietrian."
"…."
Carrion couldn't say anything.
Charles shouted to the terrified Imperial soldiers.
"Load the injured onto the carriages and get out of here as quickly as possible."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
At his command, Ervin's archers and the Imperial soldiers answered simultaneously.
The procession reformed its ranks.
"Let's go."
Iana stood at the front, followed by Charles and the mage from the capital.
Thump, thump, thump.
The procession quickly ran along the rocky mountain path without any forest. How long had they run? They stopped in front of a lake overlooking the Ervin's scenery.
"That is…"
She looked down at Ervin with a surprised face and couldn't continue her words.
Gray smoke was rising from various parts of Ervin.
Judging by the shape of the smoke, it seemed that they had been attacked by Arika Vines.
"Iana, it seems the war you spoke of has begun."
Charles' eyes turned sharp.
Iana suppressed the rising fear and said with a determined face.
"We have to stop it somehow. Because it's the war I foresaw."
✦ ✦ ✦
Meanwhile, Riel was being guided by a royal garden caretaker planted by Duke Havel.
The two entered a small warehouse built between the trees along a secluded path.
"His Majesty the Emperor will be passing by this way shortly. Then, you should suddenly appear in front of the procession as if you are being chased by me."
The garden caretaker pointed to the large intersection ahead through the window.
Turning around the corner, there were long rows of trees on both sides, and at the end of that road, the Crown Prince's memorial stood tall.
"A situation where I'm being chased…"
Riel trailed off, lost in thought. Soon, she bent down the heel of her right shoe so that it would come off easily.
While she was shaking the wet hair with her hands.
The greedy-looking gardener kept glancing at Riel, who was soaked in the rain and whose skin was showing through.
"Turn your eyes away. If you want to keep seeing with those eyes."
Riel warned in a cold voice.
The garden caretaker cleared his throat and turned his gaze away.
At that moment, the noise of people was heard beyond the window.
Riel watched the intersection and thought.
'Either way, I can't get close to the Emperor because of the Imperial Guards.'
The Imperial Guards holding flags lined up all the way to where the Crown Prince's memorial was located.
As expected, the security was strict.
'I have to make as much noise as possible to attract attention.'
She gauged the moment when the Emperor was approaching.
'He's coming.'
Turning around the corner, the figures of the Emperor and Empress, followed by Alisa and Duke Havel dressed to the nines, came into view.
Riel came out of the back door of the warehouse and began to run, facing the heavy rain and wind.
As expected, the shoe she had bent the heel of came off after only a few steps.
"Stop there!"
The garden caretaker shouted from behind.
"Ugh!"
Riel felt an intense pain as if her bare foot had been stabbed by something sharp.
"Stop!"
Before she even reached the intersection, the Imperial Guards rushed over and pointed their swords at Riel.
Riel, gasping for breath, looked down at her right foot, which was throbbing with pain.
Already, red blood was spreading on her foot.
"His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress are passing by, what is all this commotion?"
Duke Havel scolded the Imperial Guards as if rebuking them.
It seemed to be a plan to bring Riel over and force her to explain the situation.
Duke Havel's prediction was accurate.
Riel and the garden caretaker knelt before the procession.
'I've finally met His Majesty the Emperor.'
Riel raised her head slightly and met the Emperor's eyes.
The Emperor was wearing a black ceremonial robe embroidered with gold thread under a large umbrella.
A beautiful, woman-like face and clear eyes like the surface of glass.
An unknown madness could be felt in the cold gaze that slowly scanned her.
Riel lowered her gaze sadly and tightly gripped the humble bouquet of wildflowers in her hand.
"A suspicious woman ran towards the procession and was apprehended."
The captain of the Imperial Guards gestured to the gardener to explain the situation.
The gardener trembled and opened his mouth.
"O-Today, all the gates of the royal garden were closed. But this w-woman suddenly appeared and…"
"…."
The Emperor was silent.
Instead, as if he was curious about her short bobbed hair, the Emperor's gaze lingered on her hair for a long time.
A tense atmosphere flowed, not knowing what order would come from his mouth.
Duke Havel gave an order as if trying to elicit a reaction from the Emperor.
"Take that disrespectful woman away and question her as to why she suddenly appeared."
"…."
The Emperor was still silent, keeping his eyes on Riel.
Alisa, sensing something instinctively, approached the Emperor and acted coyly.
"Your Majesty, it's too cold because of the rain…"
Riel deliberately interrupted Alisa's words and spoke in a sorrowful voice.
"I will only leave one flower. Before I die…"
The rain, which had become heavier, soaked Riel.
She pitifully trembled her two hands holding the wildflowers as if they were something precious.
Alisa, who was very angry, strode towards Riel.
The maid holding the umbrella hurriedly followed and put the umbrella over her.
Slap-.
Alisa slapped Riel's cheeks one after another as if venting her anger.
"How dare you interrupt someone's words!"
Riel silently took the beating with her head bowed.
Then the Emperor said as if throwing it out.
"Do so."
"Your Majesty!"
Alisa flared up.
But the Emperor had a smile on his face as if he had found an interesting toy.
At the Emperor's command, the guards stepped aside all at once. At the same time, they watched her sharply to prepare for Riel's sudden actions.
Riel limped towards the Crown Prince's memorial. Red blood stained the dirt floor.
The Emperor watched the scene with curious eyes.
Riel knelt in front of the memorial and placed the bouquet of wildflowers neatly in front of it, thinking.
'Your Highness the Crown Prince, if you were going to die anyway, you should have died when my father poisoned you.'
She got up and bowed towards the Emperor.
As the Emperor gave a look, the captain of the Imperial Guards asked.
"Since His Majesty has bestowed grace, tell us why you appeared in this place where outsiders are prohibited."
"I am Riel Estina. I have come to atone in place of my father."
Riel answered calmly.
At the word Estina, the Emperor's face turned cold in an instant.
"Kill that woman."
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