Episode 135
The council meeting held before presenting matters to the Emperor.
Ever since Marib and Gale joined due to the border issues, the meetings had never gone smoothly. Everyone was on edge, trying to handle matters carefully, worried that if any noise arose, the princes might step in again.
Wesley watched the ministers’ discussions with an impassive expression.
“Alright, then. We’ll have the executive branch handle this matter. Next item: a report arrived yesterday from Mayor Karenna. It says the bandit gang that had been causing chaos in the area has been wiped out.”
“Is that so? That’s truly a relief.”
“We’ve been troubled by them several times, so this is good news. Did the mayor personally lead the operation? We almost had to form a punitive force.”
“Hmph. If I recall correctly, that mayor wasn’t the type to do such a thing.”
Karenna. A city with deep ties to Wesley, yet her face showed no change. The Prime Minister gestured for silence and carefully read through the report.
“Most of the bandits were annihilated during the operation, and only the leader was captured alive and interrogated. However, during the interrogation, several suspicious points arose, and they’ve contacted the palace for consultation.”
“Suspicious points?”
“They said the bandits carried several unusual items as they came down from the north. The details weren’t included, but from what was mentioned, it seems related to the undead…”
Wesley’s eyes widened rapidly as he listened quietly. The undead? Are they saying undead were found—not just anywhere, but in Karenna?
“What do you mean?”
Wesley raised his voice without realizing it, but the atmosphere suggested it was natural for the Minister of Magic to be sensitive about the undead. One minister gave an awkward smile and spoke gently.
“Minister Wesley, don’t be so sharp. We receive regular reports that the Magic Department manages necromancers well.”
“Indeed. Did Mayor Karenna say they had undead corpses? Could it be a mistake, confusing vagrants for undead?”
The Prime Minister lightly shook his head.
“No such mention. It seems to be a conclusion from the bandit leader’s interrogation. Karenna has no information on this, so they’re requesting the palace’s records.”
Information about the undead fell under Wesley’s jurisdiction. At the Prime Minister’s gesture, an attendant brought the report over to Wesley. Though he tried to keep calm, his hands betrayed him. He read the text intently, his frown deepening.
“Mayor Karenna has urgently asked a few questions, so I think we should send answers via official dispatch and send related information by carriage.”
“…Questions, huh.”
Are the undead to be considered monsters? Has the slave trade involving undead been officially sanctioned by the central government? Is there a way to become undead without necromancy?
“I will handle this.”
Wesley realized the questions were quite specific. Surely, there must have been a process leading to this. As he bit his lip and passed the report along, someone asked.
“By the way, was the bandit suppression really done by Mayor Karenna?”
It was Taiha, Minister of Imperial Defense. If the bandits came down from the north, crossing the border was a possibility. That would naturally raise questions of responsibility. There was no border count directly overseeing the northern frontier.
“Well, there were a couple of incursions. It seems Karenna’s guards suppressed them, though they did get some help from external mercenaries. Isn’t that right, Minister Wesley?”
“Yes. That’s what the report says.”
“External mercenaries? Even a small city like Karenna has mercenaries, huh? Ha ha ha!”
While the clueless ministers laughed, Wesley couldn’t bring himself to smile. The presence of external mercenaries was truly bothersome. If they were just wandering souls caught up by chance, it wouldn’t be a problem…
‘If the mayor of a small provincial city mentions them like this, it means they played a key role in suppressing the bandits.’
Since this was a palace-delegated position, these people were more eager than anyone to flatter. Wesley thought that the mayor’s brief mention was not something to be taken lightly.
“Anyway, I will take charge of this matter. Let’s move on to the next item.”
With a light tap, Wesley closed the report and made his proposal. It was only fitting that he handle it at his level. But Taiha, who had been quietly listening, interrupted.
“The bandit jurisdiction falls under our department.”
“One, they’ve already been suppressed, and the mayor’s request concerns answers about the undead and other suspicious matters.”
“Since the slave trade seems involved, that’s also our jurisdiction. Besides, the bandit leader is still alive. Minister Wesley, wouldn’t it be enough to just organize a clear response and send it via official dispatch? It’s not really a matter for a minister to intervene.”
He was basically saying, just answer the questions and step back. Wesley let out a bitter chuckle and tapped the table with his fingers. Silence fell over the noisy conference room.
‘Here we go again.’
The Prime Minister stroked his white beard and sighed inwardly. It was predictable when tempers flared over trivial matters—whether it was the new year, personal grudges, or hidden agendas.
‘Taiha seems concerned about ministerial reappointment this new year.’
Unlike the independent and stable Magic Department, other departments often clashed over personnel evaluations and reappointments. If all went well, ministers would continue, but when was there ever a quiet day in the Empire? Especially the Imperial Defense Department, where heads changed once or twice a year after a single campaign.
“Minister Taiha, it’s the new year. Why are you so eager to take on so much? That will only burden your successor.”
Wesley jabbed with a rather insulting remark, implying what if he was dismissed after taking on the work? Taiha’s thick eyebrows twisted in displeasure.
‘Why is Wesley like this? If he toned down, there’d be no problem. I just don’t get it. Taiha’s right; this isn’t really a matter for direct involvement.’
The Prime Minister watched both men, calculating the situation. Wesley’s energy was sky-high; whether it was mere whimsy, he couldn’t tell…
Bang bang bang!
“Minister Wesley, please calm down.”
“Of course. Provided the speaker doesn’t spout nonsense.”
“Minister Taiha’s point is valid. So, I ask that both departments handle the Karenna matter together. Cooperate, but each take responsibility for your own jurisdiction. That should prevent problems. Let’s move on to the next agenda.”
The Prime Minister sided with Taiha. Wesley made a dumbfounded face, but most ministers, as if expecting this, checked the next report.
‘You should’ve kept your boundaries clear.’
The delicate balance maintained by mutual restraint was shattered at the New Year’s meeting. Because of the ‘Truth Serum Potion’ developed by the Magic Department. They proposed making high-ranking appointees drink a magical potion that forces them to speak truth and sincerity before appointment. Who knows what they were thinking?
“Next…”
“Continuing…”
Who in the world is spotless? And the Magic Department made that? What on earth are they trusting? For the first time in a long while, departments outside the Emperor’s executive branch united strongly in opposition.
‘This will probably start with the appointment of the Supreme Court Justice. What will they do?’
The candidate was Sir Hailot, strongly backed by First Prince Marib. He was recognized both externally and internally as a talent, but his pride was stiff, and his relationship with the Magic Department was poor.
Swoosh.
Wesley gestured to his aide. As the aide quietly approached, Wesley covered his mouth and whispered something. Everyone pretended not to notice, but all senses were on high alert, watching them closely.
“Baretto, summon all the necromancers.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And tell the Mana Stone Management Department to prepare as well.”
“I’ll make sure there are no issues.”
After giving his orders, Wesley glared sharply at the ministers in the conference hall. No one was looking directly, but the tension in the room stiffened nonetheless.
Everyone, as always, wished for one thing:
That this meeting would end quickly.
“I should’ve just killed them back then, huh?”
Romandro muttered seriously while reading the mayor’s letter. Hearing that from him, not Beric, was surprising.
“Looks like Beric’s influence got to you.”
“Hmm? No, isn’t it true? If Minister Wesley finds out, what could be more dangerous? Forget Hasha, we can’t even guarantee our own safety knowing this secret. A woman who wiped out an entire village.”
Saying it aloud made it feel all too real. Romandro’s face turned pale, then he screamed again.
“Ahhh! Yeah! This is dangerous! Should I send a message to His Highness Marib?”
“Calm down, Lord Romandro. Acting rashly could reveal our hand. First, we need to confirm whether the mayor’s report has reached the palace. If it hasn’t, we can intercept it. If it has, we need to see what it contains.”
That meant it was time for Romandro to move. Since the departments shared matters in the council, it wouldn’t be hard to find out with a little inquiry.
“And then?”
Romandro rubbed his palms on his coat nervously and asked again. The next step was Ian’s responsibility, wasn’t it?
“Now that I’m part of the Ministry of Magic, I’ll start gathering information myself.”
Even if research on necromancy was officially public knowledge, there had to be a difference between what was known outside and what was known within the Ministry. And above all…
“Why was research on casting necromancy on the living conducted in secret?”
Wesley’s role in the royal palace seemed clear—he was the vanguard in Gale’s rebellion. But in the history Ian remembered, there had never been any mention of undead being used in that uprising.
‘Then maybe this is something Wesley is pursuing on his own. Gale might not even know about it. Surely, the key lies in that gap.’
A secret—put another way, the reason it became a secret.
And if you unravel that, it becomes a weakness.
“Wesley’s weakness…”
Ian muttered the words absentmindedly, lost in thought. Romandro, now calm again, wiped the cold sweat from his brow and responded reflexively.
“Wesley’s weakness? That’s a bit off.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“If you say his weakness is His Highness Gale, that doesn’t really make sense. He’s the second most powerful person in the Empire. That’s just how it is.”
Ian quietly mulled over Romandro’s words.
Everything Wesley did was for Gale…
But if Gale was unaware of the necromancy situation, then it was for Wesley’s own sake.
‘No way…’
A wild theory flashed through Ian’s mind. Turning the living into undead to keep them under one’s control? Could it be… Gale himself?
‘If he’s not insane, that can’t be…’
“In a way, Wesley is crazy. There’s a reason they say love makes people mad.”
“Good heavens.”
Romandro muttered to himself as he skimmed through the mayor’s letter. Ian looked at him in surprise, and Romandro blinked, suddenly flustered.
“D-did I say something wrong?”