Chapter 156
“Sir Ian, are you busy?”
Ian turned at the call. His sleeves had long been rolled up, and his usually neat hair was a bit tousled. He looked every bit the part of someone who’d been buried under piles of paperwork for days on end. As the sole link between the Ministry of Magic and the royal palace, this was to be expected.
“What is it?”
“A carriage has arrived for you, Sir Ian.”
“Ah, the Luron stones? I’ll be out shortly.”
“And don’t forget, there’s a mana verification coming up soon.”
Ian nodded. It was natural for others to address him with honorifics now. Though he was still young and a noble, the usual condescension had faded since he emerged as a leading candidate for the next minister. Respect came with his rising stature.
Whooosh!
In the distance, a line of three or four carriages approached. Wizards, including Ian, gathered to catch a glimpse of the Luron stones. Among them was Captain Akorella, who had been nervously biting her nails. She hurriedly dashed down the stairs.
“Hurry! Everyone, come quick!”
“Captain Akorella, that’s dangerous!”
Ignoring the warnings, Akorella gestured wildly to her subordinates, signaling them to unload the cargo. From inside the carriage, Romandro and Beric peeked out, searching for Ian.
“Ian! Ian!”
“Should we unload it here?”
Waving enthusiastically, Ian smiled in response. As guards and staff carefully set the crates down, Akorella snorted and cautiously opened a lid. Inside lay a dazzling heap of violet Luron stones, shimmering brilliantly.
“Good heavens! I’ve never seen stones this large before.”
“Wow, these chunks must weigh several kilograms each. We’ll need more hands to move them.”
Akorella’s hands trembled as she lifted a stone. Wizards watching from the stairs murmured in awe. Even those outside the Mana Stone Management Department saw the arrival of such a rare, large supply as a positive event.
“Captain Akorella! Nosebleed! Nosebleed!”
“…The color is so radiant and beautiful, haah, it’s driving me crazy. I want to grind it, burn it, mix it into experiments everywhere. Can I lick it? Minister Ian!?”
“Are you insane? Why would you lick that?”
“Did I ask you? I asked the owner of the mana stones.”
She grinned with half-crazed eyes, blood streaming from both nostrils. Ian, sensing trouble if he refused, nodded and gestured.
“It’s your property now. Do as you please. But you should move it to the storage room quickly. The royal treasury will be sending someone soon.”
“Yay! Thank you!”
“Understood.”
After confirming the stones had been properly received, payment would be made to Ian. Though only a few tens of thousands of gold coins at first, it would cover the tribute and Romandro’s reward without issue.
“Ian! No, Master! Want to eat?”
“Don’t be fooled. That one emptied the entire royal training hall’s food supply. He skips training and just goofs off. If luck were a measure, he’d be the luckiest.”
“I went, but Jaret wasn’t there, nor Eokmin. Just a bunch of nobodies, so I took it easy.”
Since the Wesley incident, royal security had tightened. Jaret and Barsabe had become busier and rarely showed up at the training grounds. The wizards immediately recognized the young red-haired swordsman.
“Oh, that’s the one who made Captain Jaret open his mana.”
“He’s younger than I thought. And he’s Ian’s bodyguard?”
“Impressive, to be on par with Captain Jaret.”
“I heard he was brought from the borderlands. That place is full of mysteries—Luron stone deposits, and even wild dogs like him…”
Beric’s lips twitched into a smile as he glanced at Ian. His eyes sparkled, ears perked up. Whether it was praise or insult, he couldn’t tell, but he clearly enjoyed the attention. Ian laughed, patting Beric’s shoulder.
“Feeling good?”
“Oh yeah, this actually feels pretty nice.”
“Those who take up the sword as their destiny tend to be like that.”
“Ian, so what about food?”
Ian checked his watch. It was an awkward time for a meal, and more importantly, he had an important event coming up.
“Can’t. The mana verification ceremony is about to start.”
“Mana verification? Didn’t you do that at the New Year’s gathering?”
“That was just to confirm the presence of mana itself. This time, it’s to determine superiority. Anyone claiming to be the head wizard must have mana power that everyone recognizes.”
Everyone could roughly gauge each other’s strength, but ranking through competition was another matter. Some who hadn’t thrown their hats in the ring for the minister position probably didn’t want their true level revealed.
“Can I come along?”
“Be my guest.”
With Ian’s permission, Beric bounced excitedly around the room. Romandro followed Akorella, waving his hand.
“Ian, I’ll handle the rest here. Once the treasury issues the check, we can settle the tribute immediately.”
“Thank you, Romandro.”
“So, you handle Beric.”
“…I almost took that as a thank you.”
Romandro grimaced, saying it was better to handle paperwork than to have that wild kid tagging along in the palace. Beric ignored him, tugging on Ian’s collar.
“So? Where’s this happening? The wizards fighting each other!”
Though officially called the Magic Training Room, all the wizards referred to it as the “Glass Dome.” To prevent damage outside while practicing offensive magic, the dome’s walls were reinforced with defensive mana stones.
“Iaaan! Master! Let’s go! Kill them all! Crush them! Grind them to dust! Let’s do this!”
Among the calm wizards, Beric stood out, clenching his fists and shouting encouragement at the top of his lungs. Ian gave Nakina a look, and without hesitation, she grabbed Beric’s collar and sat him down.
“Is everyone here?”
The head of another department, overseeing the selection, scanned the room before pausing to look up at a spot on the upper floor. Then he bowed slightly. Ian and the other candidates turned to see.
“Isn’t that Marib, Your Highness?”
“The Minister of Justice is here too.”
“Everyone’s showing up quietly.”
“What brings the prince here?”
The wizards murmured, glancing at Ian. There was no other reason—they wanted to see for themselves the abilities of the candidate Marib was backing.
Slowly, all the wizards, including Ian, placed their hands over their chests in salute. Clearing his throat, the head explained the procedure for the mana verification.
“You will face each other and release mana, observing who pushes and who yields. No magic spells allowed—only pure mana spheres to prove your power. The time limit is three minutes. No objections will be accepted, and anyone may forfeit now. There’s nothing more humiliating than being pushed down by your opponent’s mana.”
A brief silence. One wizard raised his hand.
“…I forfeit.”
“Very well.”
“I forfeit as well.”
“Anyone else?”
They declared their forfeits, glancing at Ian. The next minister’s outline was already clear. Over half the departments supported him internally, and he had the full backing of the palace’s power brokers. Plus, having faced Wesley, his mana strength was unquestionable.
“I forfeit.”
“Then the remaining candidates are…”
The head looked at Jean, raising his eyebrows as if to ask if he would forfeit. Ian met his gaze, his expression complicated and troubled.
‘If Dilaina withdraws her support, it would all be meaningless.’
More than meaningless, it could be dangerous. What if someone backed by Marib, Gale, and Dilaina lost and still took the minister’s seat? How long would that position last?
When someone unwanted seizes the prize through intrigue, it’s like drinking from a poisoned chalice.
“Jean?”
“…I won’t forfeit.”
After a long hesitation, Jean declared it with a strained voice. Pride no doubt, and a deep obsession with the minister’s post. Whether foolish or steadfast, time would tell.
“Very well. Then Ian and Jean will proceed with the mana verification. It won’t take long. One round will decide it.”
Snap!
The head pointed to opposite ends of the dome, signaling them to stand apart. As the two walked to their positions, the others left the dome.
“Iaaan! Let’s win! If we win, I won’t eat pork today! Victory is all that matters!”
“You’re going to burst your eardrums, kid. Shut up.”
“Ian! Show us what you’ve got!”
“You’re the one who beat Wesley, right?”
“I didn’t beat him, I just blocked him!”
“Jean! Be careful!”
“What? Jean’s not forfeiting? Surprising.”
The wizards’ chatter filled the dome as magical light slowly spread across the glass. Soon, large numbers appeared, glowing brightly—a countdown had begun.
“Ian, I don’t know what you did when you met Lady Delaina, but this isn’t over yet.”
—10, 9, 8…
“I—I will prove it once again.”
Jang stammered, unable to hide his nervousness. He believed that if he could defeat Ian here, he might be able to sway Delaina’s heart—and perhaps even turn the entire Ministry of Magic’s opinion around. Ian smiled sincerely and slowly began to release his magical power.
Zzzzzing.
“Jang, I have to say, it’s impressive to see you giving it your all until the very end.”
“Shut up! I’ve been waiting for this day ever since I joined the Ministry. What do you know, you just got here!?”
—7, 6, 5…
“Do you really need to know?”
“What?”
“You don’t fully understand my situation either, do you?”
“Ugh, you’re getting on my nerves.”
—4, 3…
“Consider this not an opportunity, but a lesson. The eternal truth is that if you don’t give up, you’ll eventually reap the rewards. I respect that you haven’t given up.”
At those words, Jang bit his lip hard. Even knowing the path ahead was blocked, he still dared to take a step forward. That stubborn grip on even the smallest hope. Maybe not now, but someday, a new chance would come for Jang too.
“Shut up!”
—2, 1…
Whoosh!
As the numbers disappeared, Jang unleashed his magic. The short grass whipped around as he closed the distance to Ian in an instant.
But the moment he met Ian’s golden eyes—
Boom! Bang!
Crackle!
Jang’s power was instantly repelled, shattering in all directions. Light poured endlessly from Ian’s body. Their magics clashed in midair, locked in a fierce struggle.
Or so it seemed.
“Huh? Jang?”
“Ahhh!?”
“Jang! Hey! What are you doing?”
“Ugh! Damn it, what the hell is this!?”
Only a few seconds.
Jang managed to hold back Ian’s magic for just a few seconds.
Unable to withstand the force pushing in, his feet began to slide backward. Sweat dripped down, but no one noticed—not even Jang himself.
“No!”
Whoooosh!
The moment his strength faltered, Jang’s body was sent flying, crashing into the wall. Dust settled thickly as all the wizards rose from their seats simultaneously.
Swish.
With a graceful gesture, Ian brushed away the smoke and looked up at the audience, as if silently asking why they hadn’t made a ruling yet.
Then, slowly, a single flower drifted down in front of him.
“Well done.”
It was a flower thrown by Marib. A white flower, a symbol of congratulations for the victor.
The wizards around him began to conjure flower petals with their magic. One by one, the petals gathered at Ian’s feet.
“Ian! He’s my master!”
“Well done, amazing, Ian!”
“What was that just now? Did I see that right?”
“Jang! Are you okay? Jang! Snap out of it!”
“He was impressive even at the New Year’s gathering, but wow.”
Ian lifted Marib’s flower and gave a light salute. The wizards’ applause, mixed with awe, continued to rain down like petals.