Wow!
A thunderous cheer erupted, loud enough to split their ears.
As they stepped through the massive, majestic gate, the first thing they saw were the Imperial Capital guards stationed at the entrance. Beyond them, under the blazing sun, a bridge extended toward the Capital, and on either side, countless citizens greeted the procession with cheers.
Council members had erected barriers to form a clear path, and in the center, those tasked with the escort from the Council’s Central Branch stood waiting.
They had gathered to receive Hugo, Flynn, and the figure sealed inside the iron cage.
"Commander! Flynn!"
"Commander, welcome back."
"Great job, both of you!"
Unlike the Northern Branch, the Central Branch members welcomed them with warmth beyond a formal salute. Their familiar tone made it clear they shared a close bond.
Among them, a man who looked like a battalion commander unfolded his arms and approached Hugo. He smirked and gave Hugo’s shoulder a light tap.
"You sure took your time."
Hugo let out a carefree laugh and replied,
"We got here as fast as we could."
"My, my, is that a scar of glory under your eye? Never thought I’d see the day your face took a hit."
The man staring at Hugo’s injury was Andreas Fredrick, 4th Battalion Commander of the Council’s Central Branch. He had sandy beige hair with a faint gray sheen and soft violet eyes. About the same height as Hugo, he had a striking face that was quite popular.
Andreas looked at Hugo with a grin, clearly amused. That blemish—out of place on a face so familiar—made Hugo seem both strange and oddly compelling. It was the first time he’d seen him like this.
But the moment didn’t last. ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Irritated by Andreas fussing over his face, Hugo waved a hand and turned away to dodge the persistent gaze, only to pause as he noticed something odd.
There were many people due to the crowd-control operation, but the number of those actually assigned to the escort was smaller than expected.
Frowning, Hugo scanned the area and said in a displeased tone,
"Is this all the standby personnel?"
"What do you mean, ‘all’? We’ve got the 4th Battalion Commander and our best men escorting one mage. If you count those managing the crowd, your complaint doesn’t hold up."
Andreas’s tone carried a hint of irritation, and Hugo didn’t argue further. It was fair, given Andreas hadn’t witnessed Leonardo Blaine in combat.
Still, the Northern Branch had deployed three battalion commanders. The Central Branch sent only one. Including himself, there were just two. Far from enough, should anything go wrong. On top of that, his adjutant Flynn wasn’t even a combat mage, and the elites would be busy protecting civilians rather than fighting.
As Hugo weighed the possibilities, his brow furrowed. All those managing the crowd wore the white Council uniform.
"The military didn’t show up."
"What did you expect? We should be glad they’re not interfering."
Andreas shrugged, clearly never having expected their help in the first place.
Just then, a faint creak sounded from the iron cage, which had been silent until now. Both Hugo and Andreas turned their heads at once.
The cage was sealed off, so it couldn’t be—but it almost felt like "he" inside was reacting to their conversation. Hugo stared at the cage with a tightened expression.
A black tarp covered it to block both the heat and the view caused by the man inside, but the inability to see made them even more tense.
Andreas, also staring at the cage, glanced at Hugo’s sharp expression. Puzzled by the rarely seen look in his commander’s eyes, he suddenly shifted direction and stepped toward the cage.
Hugo quickly reached out to stop him.
"Touch those bars now and your hand will burn. Stay back."
"I’m not an idiot."
Andreas responded casually, but he didn’t stop. He finally reached the cage and clicked his tongue at the layers of mana netting and binding stones wrapped around the iron structure towering over him.
"This is practically a dragon. And you’re saying it still moves under all this?"
Hugo shook his head.
"It’s worse than a dragon."
At those words, Andreas, still looking up at the massive thing, slowly turned. He knew Hugo wasn’t the joking type. Hearing that, paired with the scar under Hugo’s eye, made it clear that the person inside the cage was more dangerous than he’d imagined.
Amidst the periodic creaks and the echoing cheers, Hugo said to Andreas,
"Either way, we should move quickly. Better not provoke him."
At his signal, the waiting members quickly surrounded the cage and took formation. Andreas, watching the efficient movements, nodded and took his place as well.
Once the escort was fully assembled, Hugo gave a hand signal. Flynn, leading the procession, tugged the reins and moved forward. The crowd stirred, trailing the movement of the procession.
As they crossed the wide bridge leading to the Capital, the true beginning would unfold.
Beyond that bridge, an even denser crowd awaited. The moment they crossed it, they’d step into the full territory of the Imperial Capital, where teleportation was banned across the entire zone.
Inside the Capital, large-scale magic use was sharply limited due to the countless small mana stones buried underground, which suppressed mages’ power.
It was a precaution to prevent accidents in the densely populated city. The restrictions also functioned as a defense, buying time in the event hostile forces attacked the palace.
Moreover, the Imperial Capital was divided into four zones, each ringed by progressively stronger mana control barriers. The closer to the palace, the greater the suppression. Within Zone 4—the palace interior—magic use was nearly impossible except for the smallest of spells.
In short, once they passed the first checkpoint, it would become even harder to respond to emergencies using magic.
With such worries in mind, the escort slowly advanced with the iron cage carrying Leonardo Blaine.
The bridge they were crossing was called the Diamond Bridge, named for its resemblance to a cut gem when seen from above—eight bridges connecting to the Capital like facets.
Its durability was legendary, built to withstand wartime bombing. Yet for some reason, with each step, the escort members felt a faint tremble beneath their feet. It was impossible to tell whether it came from the weight beside them—or the thunderous crowd beyond.
And so, when the iron wheels of the cage rolled off the bridge and touched solid ground...
A massive crowd filled the plaza before the escort party, now in the 1st Mana Control Zone.
Wow!
Another explosive cheer hit them, sharp enough to pierce the chest. Flynn, at the front, involuntarily swallowed hard at the sight.
Thanks to the barriers and crowd-control, the central path remained open—but the energy of the masses was on another level entirely.
Imperial flags bearing Raina Logia’s crest rippled violently atop high buildings, resonating with the rising roar. Even those who couldn’t be out on the streets pressed against windows, watching breathlessly.
It was as if the entire Capital had turned its gaze toward one single point.
Creak—
Meanwhile, the iron cage groaned again, and Hugo’s sense of foreboding deepened.
Even with his eyes and ears sealed, and his body bound, there was no guarantee he couldn’t hear. The chaos outside, flooding in like a tidal wave, was likely provoking the prisoner inside.
"Please don’t come closer! It’s dangerous!"
Council members locked arms and tried harder to keep citizens at bay—but unaware of the danger, the crowd continued to press forward, narrowing the path.
Even screaming at full volume wasn't enough to secure their cooperation.
They had no real grasp of the terror sealed inside that iron cage.
