The matter of closing the Magul was not a trivial issue, and thus, Yohan had to head to the imperial palace without even a moment to relieve the fatigue of war.
Therefore, as soon as Yohan returned to Rogino, he suppressed his exhaustion and went to the audience hall with the heads of the First and Second Civil Servant Corps.
Francia decided to return to the mansion first, as the audience might last for an unknown amount of time, and she couldn’t just ask him to wait idly.
“Raise your head.”
In the solemn atmosphere, the Emperor slowly raised his hand as he spoke.
Yohan and the commanders, who had been kneeling with their heads bowed, raised their heads.
Though this was only their second time in the audience hall, unlike the previous time when only the Emperor was present, many others were now gathered.
Instead, the Chancellor, the Senate…
High-ranking officials responsible for many aspects of the royal family had also come to listen to the detailed accounts.
“Harssen, the special-class mage, step forward and explain the events of that day in detail.”
“Yes.”
Yohan, still kneeling, stood and stepped forward.
“While the Sambulke army launched a surprise attack on the Second Civil Servant Corps, they also worked with magic practitioners to open the Magul at the site of the battle in the mountain pass.”
Those in the audience hall listened intently to Yohan’s words.
“In order to extinguish the fire quickly, I used my most powerful spell towards the rift from which the monsters were pouring out of the Magul.”
The Emperor slowly nodded his head. This part of the story had already been conveyed through correspondence.
Yohan continued,
“Immediately after, the rift emitted an unknown magical fluctuation and twisted along with space. Its edges began to lose light, and the mist that had been pouring out of the Magul dispersed, gradually closing as the rift merged back together.”
The moment his words finished, a profound silence fell upon the audience hall.
The stillness was so deep that even breathing could be heard.
Everyone was waiting for the Emperor’s response.
“…First, let us ask the person in question. Harssen, the special-class mage, why do you think the rift closed?”
In the heavy silence, the Emperor asked.
“Though it is just a hypothesis, I believe the way to close the Magul’s rift is to fill it with pure magic.”
The Emperor’s eyebrows twitched.
“…Elaborate further.”
Yohan swallowed once and continued his explanation.
“The Magul is said to be a rift in the world created by mana corrupted by negative energies. If this is true, then it is likely that the rift can be sealed with pure magic strong enough to expel the negative energy.”
Though the Magul itself was still not fully understood, many scholars throughout history had investigated and analyzed it.
The resulting theory was that the rift was caused by mana corrupted by negative energies.
This corrupted mana creates fissures in the world and serves as a passage for the monsters to cross.
This was the most widely accepted theory among those who had studied the Magul and seemed to be the most plausible one.
“My magic is of such high purity that it is nearly in sync with the mana in the atmosphere, and its scale is vast. If the method I just mentioned is correct, the conditions align.”
With this, Yohan lowered his head.
“Then… does this mean that the Magul, which has been corroding the world, can be closed?”
“If this is true, then only Harssen, the special-class mage, can close the Magul, right?”
“We still need further research and investigation, but…”
“We must conduct an experiment immediately.”
The quiet audience hall suddenly stirred with excitement.
The damage caused by the Magul had been catastrophic, and this reaction was inevitable.
“Silence.”
As the conversation grew long, the Emperor raised his hand to silence the room.
Calm returned once again.
“Harssen, the special-class mage. Your argument is valid, but it is still merely a hypothesis based on speculation. Do you have more concrete evidence?”
“Not yet. We haven’t gathered enough information, so all we have are speculations.”
“…”
The Emperor narrowed his eyes, resting his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
“Indeed, as you said, without sufficient information, all we have are mere guesses. But what do the Chancellor, the Senate, and the other officials think?”
He turned to ask the ministers.
“For now, I don’t think we can draw a definitive conclusion. It could have been a coincidence.”
“Yes, we must first confirm if we can close other Maguls as well.”
“To uncover the truth, we should form an investigation team centered around him.”
At this moment, a new voice broke through the discussion.
“Harssen, the special-class mage. You once investigated the Magul that appeared in the Count of Eckarshi’s domain during your duties as a civil servant. How was it then?”
Fedelian, who had been quietly listening, asked with a stern face.
“At that time, I also used magic towards the rift, but no changes occurred.”
“Then…”
Just as the ministers were about to speak, Yohan quickly added,
“I believe the time when the rift first appeared plays a crucial role.
The rift grows larger over time.
As it does, the amount of magic required to restore it also increases.”
This too was just a hypothesis, derived from Francia’s speculations.
“The Magul that the Sambulke army and the magic practitioners created opened less than an hour ago. The amount of magic required for restoration would have been less.”
If we assume this, it all aligns.
“Indeed…”
“Hmm.”
“Then, because Harssen is a special-class mage…”
The Chancellor, the ministers, and the Senate all nodded their heads.
“…”
As the theory that it was Harssen who closed the Magul began to solidify, Fedelian’s face grew cold.
His insides seemed to freeze.
The situation was not looking good.
If things continued this way, Yohan Harssen’s value would skyrocket, making him someone even the Crown Prince himself could not easily confront.
But there was no way to challenge it.
At this point, nothing had been conclusively proven, and they were relying on possibilities.
Yet, he could not simply argue against it, claiming that it was impossible.
‘Still… we don’t know for sure.’
Couldn’t it have just been a coincidence that the Magul closed?
Fedelian suppressed his frustration and endured.
“Very well.”
After a brief pause, the Emperor finished his thoughts and quietly rose from his throne.
The ministers, chancellors, and senators standing nearby held their breath at his movement.
“Harssen, the special-class mage.”
When the Emperor’s gaze landed on Yohan, the weight of his attention made the atmosphere even heavier.
“I hereby give you the Imperial command.
Rest and, as soon as you are ready, go with the heads of the First and Second Civil Servants to the Magul in the domain of Count Eckarshi.”
The Magul in the domain of Count Eckarshi had recently opened.
It was the best place to attempt closing it, as the rift was still relatively small, making it a good location for trying out the method.
“I will obey Your Majesty’s command.”
Yohan knelt again, lowering his head.
He didn’t know how much magical energy would be required to close the Magul, but he didn’t believe it would be impossible.
Yohan’s magic had an eerie quality, one that grew stronger the more he used it.
“That is all.”
The Emperor waved his hand, and the ministers and the Senate quickly bowed before retreating.
“We shall withdraw, Your Majesty.”
Yohan lifted his head, struggling against the oppressive atmosphere.
The Emperor’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before slowly turning away.
The audience hall was instantly filled with stillness.
* * *
Rudella ran out of the Topaz Palace as soon as she heard from her attendant that Yohan Harssen had arrived at the imperial palace.
“Haah, haah…”
Her labored breaths turned into white puffs of steam in the cold air. The cold wind brushed her cheeks, and her fingertips numbed with the chill, but she did not stop running.
Struggling to step on the frozen dirt path, she crossed the garden. The white lilies swayed as they brushed against the hem of her dress, but Rudella’s gaze was fixed solely ahead.
Step…..Step….
“Hah…”
In front of the imperial palace, There he was.
Yohan Harssen.
The moment she saw him placing his hand on the carriage, her steps came to a halt.
Her feet hesitated on the cold, hard ground.
She only needed to take one more step, but that single step felt like an endless cliff, and fear gripped her.
Her hand lifted but then dropped. Her fingers, suspended in the air, trembled vaguely.
The lips she had parted to call his name were now tightly sealed.
No matter how much courage she mustered, the words rising in her throat kept sinking back down.
‘…I’m glad you’re safe.’
She wanted to say that to him.
‘I missed you. Truly…’
She wanted to tell him this, more than anything.
But… the courage to convey those feelings was blocked by her fear, and it didn’t come out.
Rudella bit her lips.
She tried to call his name, but the words caught in her throat and kept sinking back down. The feelings she couldn’t express churned like a scream inside her.
Step.
“Ah…”
Her eyes fluttered slightly. Several times she tried to take a step forward, only to step back.
Her chest tightened. She tilted her head slightly, and the gray clouds of the winter sky filled her view.
‘This… won’t do.’
She was afraid.
If he, who had already grown to dislike her, moved further away from here… she couldn’t bear it. It felt like their relationship would become irreparable.
Rudella clearly remembered the cold look in Yohan’s eyes. That moment still vividly lingered in her mind. She would probably never forget it.
But if she called out to him here, and he turned to face her with even colder eyes, she couldn’t bear to accept it.
It felt as if she were standing at the edge of a cliff with no way back. Her clenched fists trembled.
Deep inside her heart, a fire of longing for him burned, but the chains of fear suppressed that flame.
‘…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 do.
But…
From this spot, simply confirming his existence from afar, she painfully realized her own foolishness.
“Haha…”
A hollow laugh, from who knows where, escaped her. Her hand dropped to her chest again.
Her heart was pounding wildly.
It was painful, burning, and overwhelming.
‘What a dreadful disease.’
While mocking these feelings coldly, she still hoped to be consumed by them. She almost welcomed the pain if it would break her and consume her inner self.
It truly was a dreadful disease.
Rudella clenched her hand against her chest. Her trembling fingers lost their strength as the winter wind tousled her hair.
As she watched him leave in the carriage, a small smile crossed her face.
‘If things stay like this… nothing will change.’
…If she continued to fear moving forward, if she let that fear consume her and deceive herself,
She would regret it for the rest of her life.
Rudella clenched her fist. The breath that had been stuck in her chest turned into resolve.
She would once again convey her feelings to him.