CHAPTER 705: THE BINDING OF THE BARRIER

“It’s definitely not breaking.”

The barrier covering the Empire was being tested by Jack and me as we attacked it from a distance.

It resulted in Jack’s arrows and my magic both getting deflected.

“Mind if I try a serious shot?”

“Go ahead.”

I stopped firing my magic bullets and became ready to act if anything happened. So far, the barrier showed no obvious weaknesses but testing its strength with Jack’s attacks was the best approach we can do right now.

Jack took a deep breath and slowly drew his bow, creating a magic arrow as he did so. Jack’s attacks, being among the strongest on the continent, were formidable. A massive amount of magic power flowed from Jack’s body into the arrow.

“Let’s see how this does.”

With that, Jack released the arrow. The high-density magic arrow sped toward the barrier, causing a fierce clash upon contact. However, the arrow didn’t manage to penetrate the barrier and eventually dissipated.

“No good, huh…”

“Destroying it with long-range attacks seems impossible.”

If Jack’s attack couldn’t get through, then no other long-range attack would work. Even my full-strength magic would be ineffective.

The barrier seemed less about sheer durability and more about some kind of layer or fault line between us and it, preventing simple attacks from succeeding.

“Shall we get closer?”

“I don’t think that distance is the issue.”

Jack scratched his head and jumped toward the barrier, aiming to get as close to it as possible. However, he slowed down midway and fell to his knees.

“…”

“…”

“What are you doing?”

“My body feels heavy!”

If someone like Jack was experiencing this level of difficulty, others wouldn’t be able to get close at all.

This was a problem as that would make even investigating the barrier limited to a few individuals.

While pondering this, I walked up to the barrier without any issue.

“…”

“…”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I’m not kidding!”

Without any trouble, I reached the barrier and soon became close enough to touch it. Jack, on the other hand, struggled as if he was carrying a heavy load.

Why am I unaffected?

Curious, I dispelled the barrier I had around myself and I still felt nothing abnormal.

“Is there really nothing wrong with you?”

“There’s nothing.”

“Does this mean only mages can get close to it?”

“It’s hard to distinguish who’s a mage.”

If we define a mage as someone who uses magic, then many people would qualify. Even swordsmen use magic, and if it was about magic power levels, it wouldn’t make sense for just me to be able to move freely. If having a certain amount of magic power made one immune to the effects, then this barrier would be flawed.

There must be another reason.

“So, what’s the criterion?”

Jack finally reached the barrier and extended his hand. However, something repelled it and he couldn’t even touch it. I then reached out as well and my hand passed through without any resistance.

I quickly pulled it back.

“Hey! Did your hand just go through?”

“I see now.”

Such a powerful barrier must have some kind of condition applied to it.

“It seems that this barrier allows only members of the Adler family to pass through.”

“So, only the royalty can get in without any trouble? Then the others can all retreat.”

“Even if they can enter, it’s unclear if they can exit. Considering that when it activated, it likely did so when the royalty entered the Empire.”

Leo’s allied forces had reached the border. Although I wasn’t sure about Father’s actions, since the barrier had activated, it suggested that Father was currently inside as well.

This means that all the confirmed surviving royalty are within the barrier.

“Once they’re inside, the flaw of being able to enter isn’t a flaw anymore.”

“That’s true, but what good is it if only the other Adlers can enter? You’re an exception.”

Exactly. The ones we need to infiltrate the barrier are the hero and the other SS-ranked adventurers.

As this barrier can’t be maintained with such a simple condition. They must have taken all the Adlers inside in advance.

“Jack… you can enter the barrier now.”

“If I could, I wouldn’t have struggled this much.”

While muttering, Jack extended his hand to the barrier. This time, it passed through like mine had and he quickly withdrew it.

“Hey! What’s going on?”

“It's probably something like ‘those permitted by an Adler can enter.’ Sp if an Adler gives the order, their army can likely enter too.”

That’s why they took the Adlers inside since exiting must be impossible. Otherwise, there’s no point in taking them.

“They must really believe that I’m dead to activate such a barrier.”

“Oh that’s right, you’re supposed to be dead. I forgot.”

Jack sighed as his shoulders started slumping. The enemy had activated the barrier under the assumption all Adlers were accounted for.

No one counts the dead.

“So, you being here is this barrier’s weakness?”

“Looks like it.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

“First, we need to gather all our remaining forces into one place. It’s pointless unless all our forces are under my command.”

The concept of “permission” is abstract. Is it enough for me to give my permission remotely? Does my voice need to be heard directly? Does that permission last indefinitely?

We don’t have the time to test these questions and it’s faster to gather forces under my command.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“To the Perlan Kingdom.”

First, we need to merge with the allied forces. I doubt all the forces have entered the Empire yet and there should still be some forces outside that are still remaining.

______

Allied Forces’ Headquarters, formerly the Kingdom’s Louisville Fortress.

The command room was destroyed and the fortress was abandoned. All forces were relocated to the temporary capital.

Jack and I stood there.

“There were other places we could have transferred to.”

“This is personal.”

I stood at where the command room had been. Nothing remained.

I had already heard about the details from Henrik, that assassins and magic bombs were sent simultaneously to ensure my death, and how Gied told Henrik how much he hated me. We were both considered failures, but our family relationships differed.

No matter how much of a failure I was considered to be, my family never abandoned me. Gied however, was cast aside. I wasn’t abandoned by friends, but Gied was. We weren’t on good terms—bully and bullied—but we spent our childhood together. I could have cut ties but didn’t, thinking of him as a friend deep down.

Yet I never conveyed that.

In the end, Gied lamented to Henrik that all he really wanted was a friend. I thought of him as a friend, but he never knew. I never showed it in words or actions as it didn’t seem necessary.

“Keeping secrets isn’t always good.”

“What brought this on?”

“…People don’t understand unless you tell them.”

“Of course. Expecting others to just know is the arrogance of a fool.”

Jack muttered while his eyes were downcast. He was likely reflecting on his own experiences, where he couldn’t sense his family’s issues, which led to their eventual departure.

At the time, Jack wanted his feelings understood, but his family’s problems couldn’t be sensed. It was a very Jack-like statement.

“…A friend died here. I don’t want to lose another.”

“Then you have to work hard.”

“Yeah.”

Friendships are fragile.

Maintaining them is challenging but if you don’t want to lose them, you must try.

“Let’s go. I’m ready.”

I said as we started to walk.

Sebas once told me that revealing a secret and having it exposed are vastly different things from each other.

I’ve been keeping my secret, all for the purpose of revealing it at the decisive moment.

That moment is now.

In order to enter the barrier, all my forces must know I’m alive. But before that, I need to tell an important childhood friend.

As a matter of principle, I must now reveal the truth about Silver.

TL's Notes:

I'm back.....

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