Episode 161
“There is a way to break the curse.”

No need to shout or plead for attention. Ian’s quiet words alone drew every eye in the room to him.

For the first time ever, Nakina felt the atmosphere come alive, as if a vast energy was flowing and shifting with Ian’s intent.

“Ian Hielo, Minister of Magic. You say the curse can be broken? But it was created by two mages burning their very souls—how is that even possible?”

A noble’s voice rang out, skeptical. Ian met him with calm eyes, as if to say, “Why are you so surprised?”

“There is no other choice. It must be possible, and it must be done. We cannot simply leave Gale’s curse as it is. This concerns Bariel and the fate of the empire itself. The Ministry of Magic will do everything in its power to resolve it.”

His firm answer carried undeniable conviction. There was only one outcome he believed in: the curse would be lifted.

Gale couldn’t help but smirk, brushing his hair back. Without even knowing what his true curse was, Ian was already playing an interesting game.

“Well, that’s a comforting thing to hear.”

“Your Highness Gale, it is my duty.”

Ian placed a hand over his chest and saluted. He seemed at ease despite the sudden turn of events—he had achieved everything he wanted today. He had reframed the curse as a protective shield and hadn’t revealed the Haiman family’s support. He had successfully loosened the grip Mariube held over Gale’s fate.

“Sir Ian Hielo, Minister of Magic. Report to us—how exactly do you intend to break Gale’s curse?”

The Prime Minister gestured lightly, urging him on. The Emperor and Delaina watched Ian closely. It was hard to believe that the future of Bariel rested on this small, beautiful boy.

“First, I must inform you that the curse on Your Highness Gale is a forbidden magic. There will be many trials and errors.”

Ian snapped his fingers, conjuring a small orb of magical energy. The room brightened instantly, but a deep shadow fell across Ian’s sharp features.

“The curse is this shadow. Like the two sides of a coin—light and dark magic—they operate through the same mechanism.”

The curse’s power came from the caster’s magic, the ritual, the target, and the consequences it summoned. Though called a curse, it was ultimately a form of magic.

“So, how do you get rid of the shadow?”

“To remove the shadow? You either shine a stronger light on it—”

“Exactly. That’s how Wesley and his aide neutralized the curse with a power greater than the forbidden magic.”

Even Wesley himself couldn’t have handled it before, so how could two mages under a forbidden spell manage it? Not even Ian was confident. In fact, even the entire Ministry of Magic might not be sure. The mages murmured uneasily, and the audience whispered with growing anxiety.

“Or, you could cover the shadow with another shadow. But let’s set that aside for now… Your Highness Gale, may I ask—did Wesley attach any conditions to the curse? If it’s conditional, fulfilling those might be another way to break it.”

‘Gale, you will—forever—’

Gale suddenly recalled her final words. Though days and nights had passed, each memory remained vivid. He shook his head calmly.

“…No.”

“I see. Forgive me for saying so, but it’s fortunate Wesley is a mage. If he were a shaman, we wouldn’t even dare attempt this.”

Ian stepped forward toward the Emperor, bowing with proper etiquette. He earnestly requested the Emperor’s consideration.

“Your Majesty, I ask that this matter remain an absolute secret within the palace. It must not leak to the people of Bariel or neighboring nations.”

There were many who eagerly awaited Bariel’s downfall. If rumors spread that Gale’s life was tied to this, chaos would erupt—ranging from assassination attempts to outright war. The Emperor nodded in deep understanding.

“Furthermore, the Ministry of Magic will apply and adapt conventional curse-breaking methods to find a solution. For a smooth investigation, I ask that control and command over this matter be entrusted to Minister Ian Hielo.”

Since Ian had just taken office during the crisis, authority was fragmented—palace guards on site, administrative offices handling documents, and so on.

Delaina hid her face behind a fan, barely masking her embarrassment.

‘He’s definitely no ordinary man. Are all mages like this? Wesley too—like wild beasts.’

It was a moment when the Ministry’s prestige, long diminished, was fully restored. A statement that reminded everyone that without them, Bariel would cease to exist. The Emperor had no grounds to refuse. Nor any reason to.

“Your proposal is sound. From this moment, all command regarding the Wesley incident is entrusted to Minister Ian Hielo of the Ministry of Magic. All who hear my order shall cooperate fully and follow his instructions to resolve this matter swiftly.”

Everyone present rose, placing their hands over their hearts. At that moment, the Emperor coughed violently and bent forward. Delaina gasped and supported his arm.

“Your Majesty!”

“…That will be all for today.”

“That would be best, Prime Minister!”

At Delaina’s call, the Prime Minister struck his staff firmly, signaling the end of the meeting. The Emperor was escorted away by his attendants, and the chamber quickly descended into chaos.

“Your Highness Gale!”

It was then that Melania, clutching the folds of her voluminous dress, rushed toward Gale. Her eyes, filled with melancholy, looked genuinely pure.

Thud! Crash!

“Oh my, goodness.”

Melania stumbled as if she’d stepped on her dress, knocking over a vial of poison from the table. Mariube’s lips pressed into a tight line, his expression one of utter disbelief.

“What do we do now?”

“It’s alright. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. Minister Ian, I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize, Lady Melania. As long as you’re unharmed, that’s all that matters.”

Ian’s gentle smile was chilling. She had deliberately broken the remaining vial to prevent any further trouble. Truly the conduct of a noble. Ian clicked his tongue inwardly but smiled warmly alongside Melania.

“Sir Ian.”

“Yes, Your Highness Mariube.”

Mariube frowned, clearly unable to tolerate the scene, but his gaze softened slightly—aware of his earlier emotional lapse.

“I’ll visit the palace later.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

What Mariube lacked now was the Emperor’s trust. But with Ian, the Minister of Magic, having secured the Emperor’s support, he couldn’t afford to lose him to baseless suspicion.

“Your Highness Mariube. Until next time.”

“…Indeed, Lady Melania.”

Melania gave a pointed farewell, and Mariube reluctantly nodded. His disdain was clear in his posture. Once Mariube disappeared, Melania wiped the smile from her face and gripped her dress.

“Your Highness Gale, I’ll wait in the carriage.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

Behind them, Gale’s followers were fervently discussing the recent events. After Melania left, Ian organized some documents and asked quietly,

“Is there anything you wish to say?”

Gale lowered his voice and smiled. Then, so no one else could hear, he whispered,

“To say you’ll break my curse without even knowing what the problem is—that’s truly laughable.”

He was a master of striking where it hurt. Knowing the curse was a lie, even if they claimed to break it, there was no way to prove it. The Ministry would gain great prestige for ‘saving’ Bariel, without any cost or sacrifice.

“I’m glad I could bring you even a small smile. Since Your Highness said the curse is limited to you personally, isn’t it fine if they don’t know the real problem?”

With Mariube’s troubles also addressed, gaining trust would be easier. They just needed to perform the right act at the right time and ‘break’ the curse.

“Keep your promise. Hand over the drug and the merchant guild’s documents related to Mariube, and I’ll do my best to accommodate you.”

Gale pulled out a cigarette, raising his eyebrows with a strangely amused expression.

“Of course. I’ll deliver them soon.”

“Thank you.”

“But I don’t know how much that will really help you.”

Gale exhaled smoke with a low chuckle. When his followers called out to him, he threw a look that said ‘we’ll meet again’ and turned away. With his subordinates pondering their next moves, he disappeared.

“Minister Ian, shall we go?”

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work today.”

“No, we just sat through it. At least the immediate crisis is over, so we can breathe a little easier.”

Nakina muttered as she gently swept away shards of broken glass with her foot. Ian stepped outside with them, turning over Gale’s words in his mind.

‘He doesn’t know how much the documents will help?’

Ian frowned. He suspected a troubling theory was creeping into his thoughts.

‘We’ve been covering it up, but the situation remains precarious. Gale mentioning the merchant guild to Mariube is proof. He must have seen it as a last card—and now he’s shown it…’

They were heading into all-out conflict. The tangled checks and balances were about to explode. For both Mariube and Gale, this was both an opportunity and a crisis.

Ian could feel the beginning of an irreversible clash looming on the horizon.

“I might be able to leak Marib’s files.”

Gale’s warning that it wouldn’t help much since Ian wouldn’t be the only one knowing seemed accurate. Marib was sharpening his blade behind the scenes as well. If Gale acted like that, the outcome was obvious.

Swish.

“Ian Minister, what’s wrong?”

“I need to reschedule the entire Ministry of Magic’s agenda.”

“Huh? Why?”

Whether it’s offensive or defensive magic, it’s best to develop the strength to hold the center steady when a storm hits. Even if it doesn’t bring immediate results, it’s better than doing nothing.

Ian kept walking without answering.

Tap tap tap!

Footsteps rapidly approached Ian. Nakina and Tomi, startled, tried to block the way but hesitated. The man running toward them, hair blazing red, looked familiar.

Ziiing! Thud!

“Ugh!”

“Why did you stop building the defense line?”

“Because it’s Berrick. Berrick, are you okay?”

“Ugh, ugh! Seriously! Damn it!”

Berrick had slammed his head hard into the defense line Hail had made. Clutching his nose, he collapsed forward, and Ian noticed a letter clutched in his hand.

“Berrick, I told you it would be trouble if you recklessly barged into the palace.”

“I don’t care. Just look at this quickly. It’s a letter from Hielo, but the seal got broken by mistake because the sender’s name is Viviana’s.”

The reply came surprisingly fast. Ian recognized the neat handwriting on the envelope as Hana’s. Seems she hasn’t neglected her studies.

Rubbing his reddened nose, Berrick added, “And she wants to get married.”

“Married? Who?”

“Ugh, damn it. My nose hurts so much I can’t even talk. She wants to marry the Cheonryeo tribe.”

Marry the Cheonryeo tribe?

Ian recalled Hana’s tearful face when the Cheonryeo left the borderlands. She definitely had someone on her mind.

“Isn’t Hana too young to get married?”

He wasn’t her parent, and if she wanted to, he wouldn’t stop her. Ian muttered this, and Berrick just sniffled.

“Not Hana.”

“…?”