Chapter 277

Chapter 277

Saveli nodded in response to Jirata’s question.

“That’s right. If you possess two abilities like His Highness the Prince, you might not feel threatened even without using magic. After all, magicians are instinctively uneasy if they can’t harness their magical power, right?”

Kaichen didn’t deny Saveli’s words. He had experienced that unease firsthand in the northern regions.

Rubbing his throbbing temples, Kaichen gazed heavily at the city wall.

‘And of all places…’

The thick and sturdy walls seemed very familiar. He felt similar to when he first heard that time magic had manifested in Acrab.

‘Why did it have to be here? Why this place?’

Considering the places where time magic had occurred so far, they were all locations that had evoked a strange feeling in Kaichen.

These places meant something to him.

“Time magic in Turbeau… Isn’t this a smaller city than Acrab? There’s nothing particularly… unusual about this place.”

Saveli nodded in agreement with Jirata’s words.

Indeed, the Turbeau Territory in the Kalhei Empire was a small place. It had only one city, much like Acrab, which belonged to a Countess, and due to its location at the western edge, only a few people came and go.

Acrab was known as a city where craftsmen resided, which gave it a certain uniqueness, but Turbeau had none of that.

On the contrary, it was a place feared due to being the former capital of the old Guarten Kingdom. The thick city walls were certainly not in the style of the Empire’s architecture.

A city that stood tall on vast plains.

There were many shepherds, and you could frequently see sheep and goats—a perfect place for raising livestock. Of course, there were also plenty of horse ranches, but the western part of the Empire was known for its abundance of sheep and goats, horse ranches, and favorable conditions for raising livestock.

Turbeau wasn’t the only place that could be considered unique; the entire western region was like that.

‘It’s not as if they randomly chose a location to use time magic. Could this place have some significance?’

While it was ambiguous to consider every place where time magic manifested as significant, it couldn’t be ruled out entirely. Turbeau was the city where Julius had grown up until Hamal picked him up.

“I never thought I’d thrive in Turbeau, where I used to be a beggar.”

“This is something you couldn’t find in Turbeau!”

“I saved it to give it to the younger kids in Turbeau!”

Kaichen recalled Julius’ occasional remarks.

Even though it had been a short period, Julius had spent his childhood in Turbeau.

Even after becoming a disciple of the Tower of Magic, he had often returned to Turbeau, and according to him, he wanted to take care of the siblings he had grown up with during his days as a beggar.

He vividly recalled Julius’s excitement when he announced she was expecting a daughter. Julius had tumbled down the stairs, exclaiming how adorable his little sister would be.

Even the cat, on the brink of death, injured and helpless, had appealed to that cute younger sister to take care of it.

When he had grabbed Julius by the collar and shaken him, complaining about the cat suddenly showing up and going back to its owner without a proper farewell, Julius had laughed, saying that his younger sister in Turbeau was looking after it.

As he contemplated it all, Kaichen couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease.

It probably wasn’t related, but with the existence of Princess Exchetra, there was a possibility.

Turbeau held immense significance for Julius. It wasn’t a matter of politics; it was a place Julius felt fond of. It was his hometown.

“Can you track the mage who manifested the time magic?”

“It’s difficult. I’ve been trying since earlier, but I can’t sense anything.”

“There must be someone who used magic. A mage who cast a spell, not just a medium.”

“I know that, but… I can’t sense anything. Maybe they’re already dead or inside the time magic? If they’re inside, there’s no way for me to find out.”

Jirata shook his head in frustration. It seemed like he was genuinely irritated by this, based on his slightly impatient and annoyed expression.

Kaichen increasingly felt a sinking feeling but tried to smooth it over and approached Turbeau.

“Time magic is annoying enough, but a magic seal that prevents the use of magic… that’s black magic, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

Kaichen replied briefly, and as he got closer, he could distinctly feel that familiar time magic.