The White Crystal Reclaimed

“To swallow it—how were you able to keep it stored all this time? More importantly, is it true, Camyu, that you swallowed it and kept it in your stomach?”

In response to Ian’s words, Camyu lowered his head with a small bow, as if affirming it. Ian felt flustered, but the next thought that came to him was whether it might have affected Camyu in some way.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Camyu removed his mask, set it down, and began working his throat.

At that sight, Ian unconsciously turned his gaze away.

It was bad enough having to look at the burn scars on his face, but with his throat convulsing like that, Ian couldn’t help it. It seemed the others felt the same, because they, too, subtly averted their eyes.

Then—ptoo.

Camyu spat something into his palm. When Ian cautiously looked back, he saw the White Crystal sitting there.

“I-It’s real!”

It was covered in saliva, but it was unmistakably the same thing he had seen before. How Camyu had managed to keep that inside his body all this time was beyond comprehension. Perhaps he had used mana to store it somewhere within himself.

But more than the mystery, desire flooded Ian’s heart. He reached out without thinking and took a step forward—then stopped short.

A sudden doubt struck him: was it really right for him to absorb it immediately?

‘I don’t know anything about what it actually is. I don’t even know how it’s supposed to be used.’

The only thing he knew for certain was that it had explosively increased his power. But was simple absorption truly the correct method? The hesitation grew stronger. Its practical applications were still unknown, and other factions clearly seemed to be using it in some way.

‘Should I absorb it? Or should I keep it for now and research how to use it?’

He couldn’t help but waver. His greed pulled one way, long-term utility pulled the other. Meanwhile, everyone watched the King with puzzled expressions. Only Viscount Rubingston, having seen something like this before, remained quiet and simply observed.

The silence stretched. The two agents exchanged uneasy glances, unsure what to do—until Ian’s voice finally echoed through the office.

“Viscount Rubingston.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Take that and begin research. And ensure the security classification is kept at the highest level.”

“Understood. I will have it studied at the highest-security facility within the Jamila Research Complex.”

He had agonized over it, and in the end, he chose research over immediate absorption. Truthfully, he hadn’t even fully refined the power he already possessed. Absorbing it out of greed felt like it might backfire in some inexplicable way.

‘It’s not going anywhere. If the research goes nowhere, I can always absorb it later.’

Now that it was in his grasp, it wouldn’t be leaving. And if that was the case, then the already high security around the research complex needed to be reinforced even further. Meanwhile, Rubingston took out a handkerchief, carefully wrapped the White Crystal in Camyu’s hand, and tucked it into his coat.

‘Come to think of it, it doesn’t seem to have affected Camyu at all.’

In a sense, it had reacted only to Ian and been absorbed by him. That made him wonder what it was truly responding to. Regardless, having obtained one of the two treasures put him in an excellent mood.

‘Right—how did they escape again?’

He still hadn’t heard that part, so he immediately looked to the two agents and asked.

“More importantly, how did you escape? It couldn’t have been easy—especially after you took hold of one of the treasures. They must have tried desperately to seize you.”

“Yes, it wasn’t easy. Once we found them, their attitude changed.”

“They clearly intended to eliminate us. And in practice, they tried to.”

“The moment we took a protective stance around us, Lacen and Lord Camyu engaged each other.”

“How did it go? Who won?”

“That… they were evenly matched. It was a sight we can only call incredible. Their movements were too fast to follow, and bursts of blue flames kept detonating. We could only watch, anxious the whole time.”

“And they didn’t interfere with you?”

“They seemed confident they could kill us at any time after the duel was decided. So they left us alone.”

“So they were careless. But if you escaped, there must have been a major variable. What happened?”

“Yes, a variable occurred—an enormous one. There were traitors among them.”

“Traitors?”

From Magnia’s perspective, they would have carefully selected the people they brought. For traitors to be mixed in meant that the organization’s influence had been planted deep. And if that was true, Polia couldn’t relax either. There was a strong chance of infiltration on their side as well.

‘I can’t mentally manipulate everyone. There are definitely people hiding.’

Still, considering he had already turned the top leadership and those with real authority to his side, even if infiltrators existed, they wouldn’t have much influence. In fact, the higher an infiltrator climbed, the more likely they were to end up within his grasp.

‘Even if it’s a hassle… anyone who rises to a command position must be vetted without exception.’

The agent continued.

“Suddenly, the traitors set off smoke bombs. Since a direct fight was impossible, they likely tried to divert attention and seize the treasure in the chaos.”

“And then?”

“Yes. In that tangled situation, a scramble broke out to claim the White Crystal. During that, Lord Camyu halted the duel and approached our side, and we were able to enter the competition as well.”

“And that’s how you secured one.”

“Yes. Lord Camyu eliminated whoever happened to grab it, picked it up—and swallowed it. We were shocked.”

“I would have been, too.”

At Ian’s words, the two agents nodded vigorously. They went on to explain that with visibility ruined by the smoke, Camyu fled while taking the two of them with him. The moment they broke out of the treasure chamber, they ran blindly—and a pursuit team latched onto them.

“Then we remembered the waterway we’d found earlier in the maze.”

“A waterway?”

“Yes. While exploring the maze, we saw a torrent pouring down like a waterfall, flowing off somewhere.”

“Then you jumped into it.”

“Yes. With the pursuers still on us, we jumped—and when we woke up, we were on a ship’s deck.”

“Lord Camyu brought us. It seems the channel connected all the way out to the sea.”

Only now did Ian hear the full story. So much had happened. He was relieved they had returned safely. Perhaps it was because he had ordered Camyu to protect the two agents that they had survived all the way back.

“You all did well.”

“It was nothing, Your Majesty.”

“It was what we should have done.”

“To those who suffered for this, I will grant each of you a reward of five hundred thousand Grang. With that, you may leave and live independently if you wish.”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“How can you give us such a huge sum?”

Five hundred thousand Grang was beyond anything the two agents could have imagined. If they avoided reckless extravagance, it was enough to start a family and live comfortably for the rest of their lives. And to be given the option to step out and live independently—it was an enormous opportunity.

“Think carefully before you decide. I will give you as much time as you need.”

At those words, the two agents’ faces filled with emotion. Ian believed the reward was only right. They had been sent out as expendable pieces, and it had weighed on him. And now they had even brought back a priceless treasure, the White Crystal—how could he not appreciate them?

“Now then, arrangements have been made for you to rest in comfort. Go and sleep well.”

They may have rested somewhat, but after all of that, and then coming here by sea, the exhaustion would still be heavy. The two agents left the room, and when Viscount Rubingston followed, only Camyu remained. Ian praised him.

“You worked hard.”

“…..”

Still silent, Camyu bowed his head in reply. Watching him, Ian thought that the moment Camyu began moving around the palace, the Magnia Empire would react.

And if Magnia had no certainty that Polia possessed the White Crystal, that would be even better.

‘With all that smoke, no one would have seen him swallow it. They might think only our people returned.’

If that was what they believed, all the better. And sure enough, once Camyu’s presence was witnessed at the palace, the Magnia Empire made contact.

May 6.

Ambassador Miblanc of the Magnia Empire entered the audience chamber. A man who proudly declared himself a mage, he was still residing at Magnia’s embassy in the Polia Kingdom. As Ian watched him, he wondered where the ambassador would begin.

“I greet the Ruler of the Great Ocean.”

“Welcome, Ambassador Miblanc. It’s been nearly several months.”

“Indeed. Please forgive me for being unable to visit while I had so much to attend to.”

“Is that so? In any case, you’ve come in person—so I take it you have business.”

“Yes, I do.”

As he spoke, Ambassador Miblanc’s eyes briefly drifted to Camyu, standing to one side. Camyu stood with no sign of concealment, openly holding his place. The ambassador studied him, then spoke in a quiet voice.

“I must ask, just in case… Has the person you previously sent returned to his homeland?”

With Camyu wearing that white mask—its expression faintly like a smile—his build and presence were so identical that it was hard not to believe he was the same man.

But Ian decided to feign ignorance. After thinking it through, he saw no need to openly antagonize the Magnia Empire.

“That man has not returned.”

“However, that one is clearly—”

“He is an entirely different man.”

Ian’s reply was firm. In truth, with a mask, all it took was someone of similar build and training to make the claim plausible. Hearing Ian’s words, Miblanc spoke as if he couldn’t accept it.

“I do not believe he is someone else. His physique and the aura he gives off—he appears to be that man in every respect.”

“He is not. He simply possesses a similar physique and similar aura due to similar training.”

It was an argument bordering on absurd, but Ian was the King. What could Miblanc say? The ambassador could tell Ian was intentionally denying it. Thinking the young King was no easy opponent, he asked,

“Another mana user… Does this kingdom have an educational facility dedicated to training mana users?”

“I cannot speak on that. It is a matter of the highest secrecy in our Kingdom.”

Ian left room for interpretation. In reality, it didn’t even exist—he was simply projecting confidence, implying it might. Whether Miblanc believed it or not didn’t matter. The ambassador hesitated, then nodded slightly.

“I see. Understood.”

“Then when will our people return? Are they even alive?”

“I have not yet received a report on that matter, so I do not know.”

“I sincerely hope our people return safely.”

“Of course. I will contact them and learn what I can…”

Though they had already returned safely, Ian spoke as if he didn’t know, deliberately placing pressure on them. Meanwhile, he had already planned to thoroughly launder the identities of the two agents so Magnia would never be able to trace them.

If they chose independence, he would give them entirely new lives. If they remained as agents, he would grant them even more secretive posts so they would never appear externally.

While thinking through that, he also considered Magnia’s current entry into the war.

‘They said they’re pushing the front hard right now, didn’t they?’

It was reported that since formally joining the war, Magnia’s forces had steadily driven back the fronts where they had previously been losing. They were fighting with the tanks they had developed and produced. Judging by the results, their strength was clearly formidable.

‘And even in armored warfare, they said the Frei Tanks we exported are being pushed back.’

Magnia’s tanks, with far thicker armor and much larger-caliber guns, had destroyed many. Still, it wasn’t a one-sided beating—through mobile tactics, the Frei Tanks were striking weaker points and proving their worth.

“I hope the Empire’s work proceeds without issue.”

“Of course. The ruins expedition is progressing well.”

It had already ended, but Miblanc offered no truth. Ian’s distrust only deepened. In the end, Ambassador Miblanc had no choice but to leave the audience chamber without gaining anything. Ian was denying him outright, leaving him with no move to make.