Episode 55: Unprecedented
The matter of closing the rift of demonic lair was not a simple affair, so Yohan had to head to the Imperial Palace without even having time to relieve his war fatigue.
As soon as Yohan returned to Rozino, he suppressed his exhaustion and came to the audience chamber with the Commanders of the First and Second Division.
Francia had returned to their mansion first. Since there was no telling when the audience would end, she couldn’t simply wait endlessly.
“Raise your heads.”
In the solemn atmosphere, the emperor slowly raised his hand as he spoke.
Yohan and the commanders, who were kneeling on one knee with their heads bowed, looked up.
It was the second time Yohan had come to the audience chamber, but unlike before when only the emperor had been present, many people were here this time.
Ministers, chancellors, and members of the Senate…
The high-ranking officials who were key pillars of the imperial government had gathered to hear the detailed.
“Special-Class Mage Yohan Harsen, step forward and explain in detail what happened that day.”
“Yes.”
Yohan, who had been kneeling on one knee, stood up and stepped forward.
“The Sanburk army launched a surprise attack on the Bureau’s Second Division while collaborating with Dark Mages, and they opened a demonic Lair in the mountainous path where the battle took place.”
Those gathered in the audience chamber listened intently to Yohan’s words.
“To quickly suppress the immediate crisis, I used the most powerful spell among my magic to target the rift that was spewing out the demonic beasts.”
The emperor nodded slowly. He had already read this part in the reports.
Yohan continued.
“Immediately afterward, the rift of demonic lair emitted an unknown magical wave, distorting itself along with the surrounding space. The edges began to lose their light, and as the mist coming from the rift of the demonic lair dispersed, the rift of the demonic lair slowly interlocked and disappeared.”
The moment his words ended, a heavy silence filled the audience chamber. Even the sound of breathing could be heard in the stillness as everyone awaited the Emperor’s response.
“…First, let me ask the person involved. Special-Class Mage Yohan Harsen, why do you think the rift was closed?”
The emperor spoke, breaking the heavy silence that weighed on the room.
“It is just speculation, but I believe the method to close the rift of a demonic lair is to infuse it with pure magic of an extremely high concentration.”
The emperor’s eyebrows twitched.
“…Explain in more detail.”
Yohan swallowed nervously once and continued his explanation.
“It is known that demonic lairs are tears in the world created by corrupted mana imbued with negative energy. If this is true, then it might be possible to seal a rift by using highly pure magic to drive out the negative energy.”
Although the nature of demonic lairs were still largely unknown, over the long history, many scholars had studied and analyzed them.
The resulting theory was that “demonic lairs are tears in the world caused by corrupted mana imbued with negative energy.”
The theory described how corrupted mana created rifts in the world, serving as pathways for demonic beasts to cross over.
This was the most widely accepted and logical hypothesis among scholars who had studied demonic lairs.
“My magic is nearly as pure as the mana flowing in the atmosphere, and its volume is immense. If the theory I mentioned earlier is correct, then the logic holds.”
With those words, Yohan bowed his head once again.
“So… does that mean the demonic lairs, which has long plagued the world, can be closed?”
“If that is true, doesn’t this mean Special Mage Yohan Harsen is the only one capable of closing demonic lairs?”
“We still need further research and investigation…”
“We must conduct an experiment immediately.”
The previously quiet audience chamber began to buzz. The excitement was palpable. The damage caused by the demonic lairs was no small matter, so their reaction was inevitable.
“Silence.”
As the discussion grew longer, the emperor raised his hand to stop them. The chamber quickly returned to silence.
“Special-Class Mage Yohan Harsen. Your explanation is plausible, but it is merely a hypothesis relying on speculation. Do you have any solid evidence?”
“Unfortunately, there is not enough information collected, so it is only a conjecture at this point. There is no concrete evidence.”
“Hmm…”
The emperor furrowed his brows and rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
“Indeed. As you said, without sufficient information, only speculation runs rampant. What do the Ministers, chancellor, and the Senate think of this?”
He turned to ask the officials for their opinions.
“We cannot make any conclusions at this point. It could have been mere coincidence.”
“That’s correct. We must first confirm whether other demonic Lairs can be closed as well.”
“To uncover the truth, we should form an investigation team centered around him.”
Amid the various opinions being shared, a voice broke through.
“Special-Class Mage Harsen. Previously, as part of your official duties, you went to investigate a demonic lair that appeared in the Count Ekarsi’s territory. What happened then?”
It was Fedelian who had been silently observing the conversation, now asking with a hardened expression.
“At that time, I used magic directed at the rift, but no changes occurred.” Yohan replied.
“Then…”
Before the ministers could interject, Yohan quickly added,
“I believe there is a relationship between the time of the crack’s appearance and the ability to close it. A demonic lairs grows in size as time passes, which would mean that the magic required to repair it also increases.”
This was another hypothesis, merely built on speculation by Francia.
“The demonic lairs created by the Sanburk forces in cooperation with the Dark Mages had been open for less than an hour. Thus, the amount of mana required to restore it would have been much smaller.”
If this assumption were true, then the logic aligned perfectly.
“Indeed…”
“Hmm.”
“So, it was because he is Special-Class Mage Yohan Harsen…”
The ministers, the chancellor, and the Senate all nodded in agreement.
“……”
As the idea that only Yohan Harsen could close a Magul began solidifying, Fedelian’s expression turned icy cold. Inside, he was seething.
The flow of this conversation… was not good. If things continued like this, Yohan Harsen’s value would skyrocket to the point where even Fedelian, as the crown prince, would not be able to touch him easily.
But there was no way to refute it. At this moment, nothing had been proven yet; everything was still based on possibilities.
Even so, he couldn’t outright shout that it was all impossible and demand everyone believe him.
‘Still… it’s not over yet.’
It could simply have been a coincidence that the demonic lair closed, couldn’t it? Fedelian swallowed his frustration and endured.
“Very well.”
After a brief silence, the emperor stood from his throne, his decision made. The ministers, chancellor, and Senate around him fell silent, holding their breath at his movement.
“Special-Class Mage Harsen.”
The weight of the emperor’s gaze fell on Yohan, and the air grew even heavier.
“I hereby issue you an imperial decree. Recover your strength, and as soon as you are ready, proceed to the demonic lair in the Count Ekarsi’s territory alongside the First and Second Division Officers.”
The demonic lair in the Count Ekarsi’s territory had opened relatively recently. It was an ideal location—manageable in size and a good place to test the theory.
“I will carry out Your Majesty’s command.”
Yohan responded, kneeling on one knee and bowing his head.
He didn’t know how much mana it would take to close that demonic lair, but he wasn’t concerned.
After all, his mana had a bizarre property—it replenished itself the more he used it.
“That is all.”
The emperor waved his hand once, and the ministers and Senate quickly bowed and withdrew.
“We shall take our leave, Your Majesty.”
Yohan lifted his head, overcoming the weight in the air. The emperor’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before he slowly turned away.
In an instant, silence consumed the audience chamber.
***
As soon as Rudella heard from her aide that Yohan Harsen had come to the imperial palace, she rushed out of Topaz Palace.
“Huff, huff…”
Her ragged breath turned white in the cold air. The biting wind brushed her cheeks, and her fingertips were numb with cold, but she didn’t stop running.
Struggling over the frozen dirt path, she crossed the garden. White lilies brushed against the hem of her clothes, swaying gently, but Rudella’s gaze was fixed solely ahead.
“Haa…”
In front of the palace.
There he was.
Yohan Harsen.
The moment she saw him standing by a carriage with his hand resting on it, her steps faltered.
She hesitated on the hard, cold ground. Just one step forward—that’s all it would take. Yet, that single step felt like an endless abyss, terrifying and insurmountable.
Her hand lifted, then dropped. Her fingertips hovered in the air, trembling uncertainly.
Her lips parted to call his name but shut tightly again. No matter how much she tried to summon her courage, the words kept sinking back into her throat.
‘…I’m just glad you’re safe.’
That’s what she wanted to tell him.
‘I missed you. Truly…’
She desperately wanted to say those words.
But… her fear blocked her from expressing those feelings.
Rudella bit her lip. She opened her mouth to call his name, only for the words to choke and fall silent. The emotions she couldn’t express churned inside her like a storm, screaming and writhing.
“Ah…”
Her eyes trembled faintly. She stepped forward several times, only to retreat again.
Her chest tightened. She tilted her head slightly, looking up at the gray clouds that blanketed the winter sky.
‘This isn’t… right.’
She was afraid.
If he, who already seemed to hate her, drifted even farther away… she didn’t think she could bear it. She felt like their relationship would become irreparable.
Rudella clearly remembered Yohan’s cold gaze. That moment still lingered vividly in her mind. She would never forget it, not for the rest of her life.
And if she called out to him now, only for him to turn around with an even colder look… she couldn’t bear that.
It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, with no way back. Her clenched fists trembled.
Deep in her heart, a flame of longing burned for him, but the shackles of fear smothered that fire.
‘…For now, just seeing him from afar is enough.’
Her gaze remained fixed on Yohan. Watching him quietly from a distance was all she could bring herself to do.
But…
As she stood there, watching from afar and confirming his presence once more, Rudella realized how utterly foolish she was being.
“Ha…”
A hollow laugh escaped her lips, though she didn’t even know where it came from. Her hand returned to her chest.
Her heart pounded madly.
It ached, burned, and overwhelmed her.
‘It’s a wretched sickness.’
Even as she coldly mocked this emotion, she wished it would consume her completely. She didn’t mind if this pain shattered her, if it devoured her from the inside out.
It truly was a wretched sickness.
Rudella clenched the hand over her heart. Her trembling fingers weakened, and the winter wind tousled her hair.
As she watched him ride away in the carriage, she smiled faintly.
‘If I stay like this… nothing will ever change.’
If she let herself be consumed by fear, if she lied to herself to hide from it—
She knew she would regret it forever.
Rudella clenched her fist tightly. The breath pent up in her chest solidified into resolve.
She would tell him her feelings again—one more time.