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"Your Highness, District 4... the village is completely covered in Arika Vine."
District 4 was a mountainous village right below the rocky mountain.
'Arika Vine has completely covered the village?'
Iana was puzzled.
Ervin had clearly undergone a massive Arika Vine removal operation in all areas.
Yet, if the Arika Vine had spread so rapidly, it meant either it hadn't been completely removed or it had mutated.
Charles asked the messenger with a sharp glint in his eyes, "What about the residents of District 4?"
"They've all been evacuated to the fortress in District 5 for now. But the vine's direction isn't towards District 5, but towards District 3 village here."
At the messenger's words, Charles issued a loud command.
"We're leaving for the Ducal Palace immediately. I repeat, never touch the Arika Vine with your bare hands when it appears."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The residents answered in unison and calmly boarded the carriages as they had practiced in the evacuation drills.
The elderly and children boarded the carriages with roofs, and the rest were divided among the baggage carts.
Rita and Annie also boarded a carriage with Ru.
"Let's depart."
Once the formation was complete, Iana stood at the head and shouted.
Johan stood behind her, and Charles and the archers surrounded the procession as they rode out.
She watched the sky and the ground in turns.
Throughout the ride, the desolate landscape continued, with no people or animals in sight.
Had they ridden for about an hour? The walls of District 2 appeared in the distance.
Boo. Boo. Boo.
The sound of a horn blared from the watchtower on the wall, signaling an emergency.
Iana surrounded the procession with a fire barrier in preparation for the Krikan. But for some reason, the urgent horn didn't stop.
She asked Johan as she rode, "It doesn't seem like the Krikan are appearing, but what's going on inside the District 2 walls?"
"It seems like it's a signal to us, not from inside the walls."
Johan answered, his eyes fixed on the wall.
It was then.
"Archmage, over there."
Johan pointed to the top of the wall.
Flutter-.
On top of the wall, a flagman vigorously waved a large red flag.
'That's a signal to run at full speed.'
Iana increased her speed and rode forward.
"Arika Vine!"
Someone shouted from the back of the procession.
Iana turned around and saw the Arika Vine surging like a black wave in the distance.
At an incredibly fast speed.
'Did the Arika Vine in District 4 already catch up?'
She thought as she sprinted towards the wall.
Woo-oong.
The heavy gate of District 2 opened.
Iana was about to enter the wall with the procession when she checked behind her.
Screech-.
The wheel of a baggage cart carrying magic stones seemed to have hit something and fallen off.
The baggage cart fell to the side, and the large magic stones crashed into the baggage cart running in front.
Bang!
The baggage cart carrying people fell over with a loud noise. About ten people riding inside tumbled to the ground.
"There's been an accident!"
At someone's shout, Iana and Johan turned their horses around just before entering the gate.
After confirming that the front procession had entered the wall, the two rode towards the accident.
A carriage carrying children quickly brushed past Iana.
It was only for a moment, but Annie and the children were crying in shock.
Iana rode to the scene of the accident and saw people thrown from the broken baggage cart lying on the ground, bleeding.
Charles issued a firm command.
"People in the carriages in the back, help the injured!"
The First Order of Knights and the residents in the baggage carts in the back moved the injured people.
"It's coming!"
The Arika Vine looked like a swarm of giant snakes surging like a wave.
Senior mages and knights from District 2 ran out with baggage carts.
Iana dismounted and ran forward, giving instructions to Johan and the District 2 mages.
"When I create a barrier, send me magical power."
"Yes, Archmage!"
The two answered simultaneously.
The moment the Arika Vine approached.
Iana created a large fire barrier.
The two mages sent magical power to Iana.
The Arika Vine leaped up, as if to swallow the black wave over the fire barrier.
"Ugh!"
Iana felt severe pain as the Arika Vine with its powerful magical power clashed with the fire barrier.
At that moment, Iana heard a hallucination in her ear.
"Shall I carry you on my back, my dear?"
"Iana, the only one I love is Riel."
"Then you should have died back then!"
The voices of her father, Carrion, and Riel overlapped in her ear, and the flames of Iana's barrier weakened.
"Now!"
Charles fired magic arrows with the archers.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Arika Vine, which was trying to ride the fire barrier towards the wall, was burned away.
"Don't back down."
A thick white smoke settled over the wall area.
The acrid smell of the burning Arika Vine stung the tip of her nose.
Iana felt the magical power pressing down on the barrier disappear.
As the smoke slowly cleared, the surviving Arika Vine retreated like the tide.
"Let's get inside the wall quickly."
At Charles' words, Iana rode towards where Andre was.
At that moment, she felt a dizzy spell.
Iana staggered, and Charles caught her from behind.
"What's wrong?"
"I suddenly felt dizzy. I'm fine now."
"Isn't it because of the heavy magical power consumption?"
"Ah, it seems like it."
Charles helped Iana onto the horse with a worried expression.
She rode towards the wall, thinking.
'Is the sudden hallucination also because of the magical power consumption?'
The Arika Vine burned away by magical power left no trace.
As if nothing had happened.
✦ ✦ ✦
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Palace in the capital.
Riel was imprisoned in the Imperial Palace's prison.
Arriving at the Imperial Palace in any way wasn't a bad sign.
But the Empress's reaction in the Imperial Garden bothered her.
"Shouldn't you investigate if there's someone behind this?"
Her resolute appearance, as if she knew something, was unsettling.
Then, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard outside the prison's iron gate.
Riel crouched down and focused on the sound.
"His Majesty the Emperor is entering."
The iron gate opened, and the Emperor entered. He held a short dagger in his hand.
Riel knelt down demurely and lowered her head.
The Emperor sat on a chair brought by a royal guard knight and spoke.
"I think I've given you enough time to think. Speak quickly."
"⋯⋯."
"Tell me who sent you here."
Riel answered obediently in a calm voice.
"Duke Havel sent me. With the purpose of slandering His Majesty."
"Duke Havel?"
The Emperor's face momentarily hardened. Yet, his eyes were full of suspicion.
Riel lowered her gaze and said.
"He will say this. If someone really sent me with the purpose of slandering His Majesty and was discovered, they will shift the blame onto His Majesty's closest aides."
"What?"
"How can you believe that my confession is the truth?"
"You're a very cunning woman."
The Emperor twisted one side of his mouth.
Riel continued to speak calmly, like a person facing death.
"Because that's how my father was framed. He did participate in the poisoning incident, but he wasn't the mastermind."
"⋯⋯."
"But he ended up that way because of someone's confession who wanted to protect the mastermind."
The Emperor, who had been listening quietly, took the dagger out of its sheath and placed it under her chin.
"How can I believe those words?"
The blade slowly slid down her wet dress.
"The words of a woman who shows her insides so clearly..."
A deep lust arose in the Emperor's clear eyes.
She had to make him more anxious.
Riel raised her bound hands politely and said with a determined face.
"I will prove it right here, with my death."
Clang-.
The Emperor threw the dagger on the floor with an indifferent face.
"Then, go ahead and do it."
The royal guard knights standing behind him tensed up.
They were preparing for the situation where she might suddenly change and stab the Emperor with the dagger.
The Emperor seemed to be thinking the same thing, yet he wanted to test her.
Riel carefully picked up the dagger that had fallen on the floor.
"I have one request for Your Majesty."
The Emperor sneered as if he knew she would try something.
"Why, now that you're about to prove it with your death, do you want to find another way?"
"No. Please, in the future, bestow grace upon the women of treasonous families and execute them together with the men."
"⋯⋯."
"The life I survived was too much like hell."
After finishing her words, Riel slit her own throat without hesitation.
The flowing blood stained her pure white dress crimson.
Thud-.
Riel collapsed on the spot.
Unlike the surprised royal guards, the Emperor stared down at Riel. As if he were looking at something fascinating.
Their eyes met.
Riel gazed earnestly into the Emperor's eyes, as if looking at an absolute being.
She actually wanted to live.
So, with pitiful eyes begging to be saved.
Riel's consciousness disappeared into the deep darkness.
District 4 was a mountainous village right below the rocky mountain.
'Arika Vine has completely covered the village?'
Iana was puzzled.
Ervin had clearly undergone a massive Arika Vine removal operation in all areas.
Yet, if the Arika Vine had spread so rapidly, it meant either it hadn't been completely removed or it had mutated.
Charles asked the messenger with a sharp glint in his eyes, "What about the residents of District 4?"
"They've all been evacuated to the fortress in District 5 for now. But the vine's direction isn't towards District 5, but towards District 3 village here."
At the messenger's words, Charles issued a loud command.
"We're leaving for the Ducal Palace immediately. I repeat, never touch the Arika Vine with your bare hands when it appears."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The residents answered in unison and calmly boarded the carriages as they had practiced in the evacuation drills.
The elderly and children boarded the carriages with roofs, and the rest were divided among the baggage carts.
Rita and Annie also boarded a carriage with Ru.
"Let's depart."
Once the formation was complete, Iana stood at the head and shouted.
Johan stood behind her, and Charles and the archers surrounded the procession as they rode out.
She watched the sky and the ground in turns.
Throughout the ride, the desolate landscape continued, with no people or animals in sight.
Had they ridden for about an hour? The walls of District 2 appeared in the distance.
Boo. Boo. Boo.
The sound of a horn blared from the watchtower on the wall, signaling an emergency.
Iana surrounded the procession with a fire barrier in preparation for the Krikan. But for some reason, the urgent horn didn't stop.
She asked Johan as she rode, "It doesn't seem like the Krikan are appearing, but what's going on inside the District 2 walls?"
"It seems like it's a signal to us, not from inside the walls."
Johan answered, his eyes fixed on the wall.
It was then.
"Archmage, over there."
Johan pointed to the top of the wall.
Flutter-.
On top of the wall, a flagman vigorously waved a large red flag.
'That's a signal to run at full speed.'
Iana increased her speed and rode forward.
"Arika Vine!"
Someone shouted from the back of the procession.
Iana turned around and saw the Arika Vine surging like a black wave in the distance.
At an incredibly fast speed.
'Did the Arika Vine in District 4 already catch up?'
She thought as she sprinted towards the wall.
Woo-oong.
The heavy gate of District 2 opened.
Iana was about to enter the wall with the procession when she checked behind her.
Screech-.
The wheel of a baggage cart carrying magic stones seemed to have hit something and fallen off.
The baggage cart fell to the side, and the large magic stones crashed into the baggage cart running in front.
Bang!
The baggage cart carrying people fell over with a loud noise. About ten people riding inside tumbled to the ground.
"There's been an accident!"
At someone's shout, Iana and Johan turned their horses around just before entering the gate.
After confirming that the front procession had entered the wall, the two rode towards the accident.
A carriage carrying children quickly brushed past Iana.
It was only for a moment, but Annie and the children were crying in shock.
Iana rode to the scene of the accident and saw people thrown from the broken baggage cart lying on the ground, bleeding.
Charles issued a firm command.
"People in the carriages in the back, help the injured!"
The First Order of Knights and the residents in the baggage carts in the back moved the injured people.
"It's coming!"
The Arika Vine looked like a swarm of giant snakes surging like a wave.
Senior mages and knights from District 2 ran out with baggage carts.
Iana dismounted and ran forward, giving instructions to Johan and the District 2 mages.
"When I create a barrier, send me magical power."
"Yes, Archmage!"
The two answered simultaneously.
The moment the Arika Vine approached.
Iana created a large fire barrier.
The two mages sent magical power to Iana.
The Arika Vine leaped up, as if to swallow the black wave over the fire barrier.
"Ugh!"
Iana felt severe pain as the Arika Vine with its powerful magical power clashed with the fire barrier.
At that moment, Iana heard a hallucination in her ear.
"Shall I carry you on my back, my dear?"
"Iana, the only one I love is Riel."
"Then you should have died back then!"
The voices of her father, Carrion, and Riel overlapped in her ear, and the flames of Iana's barrier weakened.
"Now!"
Charles fired magic arrows with the archers.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Arika Vine, which was trying to ride the fire barrier towards the wall, was burned away.
"Don't back down."
A thick white smoke settled over the wall area.
The acrid smell of the burning Arika Vine stung the tip of her nose.
Iana felt the magical power pressing down on the barrier disappear.
As the smoke slowly cleared, the surviving Arika Vine retreated like the tide.
"Let's get inside the wall quickly."
At Charles' words, Iana rode towards where Andre was.
At that moment, she felt a dizzy spell.
Iana staggered, and Charles caught her from behind.
"What's wrong?"
"I suddenly felt dizzy. I'm fine now."
"Isn't it because of the heavy magical power consumption?"
"Ah, it seems like it."
Charles helped Iana onto the horse with a worried expression.
She rode towards the wall, thinking.
'Is the sudden hallucination also because of the magical power consumption?'
The Arika Vine burned away by magical power left no trace.
As if nothing had happened.
✦ ✦ ✦
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Palace in the capital.
Riel was imprisoned in the Imperial Palace's prison.
Arriving at the Imperial Palace in any way wasn't a bad sign.
But the Empress's reaction in the Imperial Garden bothered her.
"Shouldn't you investigate if there's someone behind this?"
Her resolute appearance, as if she knew something, was unsettling.
Then, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard outside the prison's iron gate.
Riel crouched down and focused on the sound.
"His Majesty the Emperor is entering."
The iron gate opened, and the Emperor entered. He held a short dagger in his hand.
Riel knelt down demurely and lowered her head.
The Emperor sat on a chair brought by a royal guard knight and spoke.
"I think I've given you enough time to think. Speak quickly."
"⋯⋯."
"Tell me who sent you here."
Riel answered obediently in a calm voice.
"Duke Havel sent me. With the purpose of slandering His Majesty."
"Duke Havel?"
The Emperor's face momentarily hardened. Yet, his eyes were full of suspicion.
Riel lowered her gaze and said.
"He will say this. If someone really sent me with the purpose of slandering His Majesty and was discovered, they will shift the blame onto His Majesty's closest aides."
"What?"
"How can you believe that my confession is the truth?"
"You're a very cunning woman."
The Emperor twisted one side of his mouth.
Riel continued to speak calmly, like a person facing death.
"Because that's how my father was framed. He did participate in the poisoning incident, but he wasn't the mastermind."
"⋯⋯."
"But he ended up that way because of someone's confession who wanted to protect the mastermind."
The Emperor, who had been listening quietly, took the dagger out of its sheath and placed it under her chin.
"How can I believe those words?"
The blade slowly slid down her wet dress.
"The words of a woman who shows her insides so clearly..."
A deep lust arose in the Emperor's clear eyes.
She had to make him more anxious.
Riel raised her bound hands politely and said with a determined face.
"I will prove it right here, with my death."
Clang-.
The Emperor threw the dagger on the floor with an indifferent face.
"Then, go ahead and do it."
The royal guard knights standing behind him tensed up.
They were preparing for the situation where she might suddenly change and stab the Emperor with the dagger.
The Emperor seemed to be thinking the same thing, yet he wanted to test her.
Riel carefully picked up the dagger that had fallen on the floor.
"I have one request for Your Majesty."
The Emperor sneered as if he knew she would try something.
"Why, now that you're about to prove it with your death, do you want to find another way?"
"No. Please, in the future, bestow grace upon the women of treasonous families and execute them together with the men."
"⋯⋯."
"The life I survived was too much like hell."
After finishing her words, Riel slit her own throat without hesitation.
The flowing blood stained her pure white dress crimson.
Thud-.
Riel collapsed on the spot.
Unlike the surprised royal guards, the Emperor stared down at Riel. As if he were looking at something fascinating.
Their eyes met.
Riel gazed earnestly into the Emperor's eyes, as if looking at an absolute being.
She actually wanted to live.
So, with pitiful eyes begging to be saved.
Riel's consciousness disappeared into the deep darkness.
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