Chapter 186

Two figures were running across the vast grassy field. Whatever it was that amused them, Ian found himself smiling without realizing it as he approached. The silver hair cut short—he recognized him easily as Roberside.

And in front of him—

“Ian, sir!”

Jin? Ian knelt down and met the gaze of the child clinging to him. The boy’s face was full of life. From a distance, Roberside was shouting something, but Ian couldn’t quite catch the words.

“You look happy.”

“I am. Very happy.”

“What’s brought you such joy?”

Jin smiled brightly but didn’t answer. Then, suddenly, Ian noticed something strange—there were no dimples on the child’s cheeks. More than that, the scar on his face, which had been proof of the emperor’s bloodline, was gone.

Suddenly—

The earth cracked open, and a foul stench filled the air. Monsters appeared on the once peaceful field, and darkness descended as if to swallow the world. Roberside, now close by, screamed a warning in a shrill voice.

“Kill him!”

The child plunged a dagger into Ian’s heart. But Ian felt no pain. Was it shock? Before he could react, Roberside was right behind the boy, slashing his back with a sword and shouting.

“You were never meant to be born! Die!”

With a sharp slash, the child’s back was cut open. Clinging to Ian, he died—but even then, his eerie laughter didn’t stop. Ian looked down at the child in confusion, only for the boy to grab Ian’s hair roughly and pull his ear close.

“You’re the one who should never have been born, aren’t you?”

* * *

“Ian?”

Ian gasped sharply and sat up. His heart pounded so fiercely his whole body trembled. A worried staff member from the Magic Department watched him closely.

“Sir Ian, did you have a nightmare?”

“…”

“You were tossing and turning. It was quite alarming.”

“You did push yourself too hard yesterday. It’s natural to feel unwell.”

“What did I say?”

“Hm? Nothing—just some murmurs.”

Ian brushed damp hair from his forehead and exhaled in relief. The dream had been unsettling, and he was glad he hadn’t spoken nonsense in his sleep.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, it’s no use. You should rest more. I’ll call the doctor.”

The Magic Department staff backed away anxiously, but Ian straightened his clothes and stood.

Nothing had changed in the duty room since his last memory. Romandro, Xiaoshi, and Jin—all were deep in a sleep so heavy it seemed like they were on the brink of death. Except for Beric, who had a piece of paper in his mouth.

“Does anyone know why Beric’s acting like that?”

“No idea. He was muttering something about bananas, then bit the paper and went back to sleep.”

“Quietly, now. Let’s get out.”

Ian soothed his subordinates and stepped outside. The sun was already high in the sky. Though only a few hours had passed, he felt refreshed from the rest. Sitting on the edge of the round table, Ian began receiving reports one by one.

“The Cheonryeo tribe—your father, sir, has joined forces with the warriors to aid in reconstruction.”

“What kind of tribe is that? They seemed wide awake, not even needing sleep.”

Just like when they rebuilt Bratz, this time the warriors were scouring the palace ruins. Without waiting for orders, they spread out in all directions, rescuing those trapped beneath debris, clearing broken stone walls, and gathering scattered remains.

Ian smiled and gave a reminder.

“Treat them with respect. They’re helping us purely out of goodwill. And what about Mother?”

“She’s the same. She’s moving with the warriors. Some of them don’t speak our language, so she’s acting as interpreter and more.”

No wonder she wasn’t around. Ian understood this was her way of supporting him.

“Captain Akorella said she’d submit an interim report on the amber-colored gemstone this afternoon. But here’s a rough summary beforehand. We’ve named the amber stone ‘Idgal.’”

“Why that name?”

Idgal. It sounded almost like a person’s name. Ian repeated the question.

“The stone is artificial. When cut in half, it reveals a geometric pattern—an alchemist’s mark.”

Ian lowered the report slightly, raising an eyebrow. In all the chaos, he’d forgotten to mention the alchemist connection.

“…Their skills are better than I thought.”

In less than a night—no, less than ten hours—Captain Akorella had identified the alchemist’s trace in the stone. The subordinate sniffled proudly.

“That’s why everyone’s been so patient with her. Ah, please keep this between us, sir Ian.”

“Go on.”

“You know well that whether mage, shaman, or alchemist, supernatural powers always leave traces. Especially those involved in crafting. Analyzing the geometric pattern, it reads as ‘Idgal’ in the common language of Bariel.”

“Could that be the alchemist’s name?”

“Highly likely. Alchemists often know their unique geometric symbols and assign them as nicknames.”

Ian nodded and gave an order.

“Send a ring later. Have it cut open, too.”

“A ring?”

When he came from the border to the capital, Lady Lien had given him a ring as a gift along with some medicine. If her jewel was also Idgal, they could narrow down the alchemist’s guild even further.

“And there’s something more important.”

“Yes, sir. Fortunately, the magical energy of several mages, including Nakina, is slowly returning. It’s faint, but not completely gone.”

That was a relief. The Magic Department was already short-staffed; losing talent now would be disastrous. Ian was the first new recruit in years—who knew how long it would be before they found another.

The subordinates fell silent for a moment, then cautiously offered their thoughts.

“Sir Ian, while Idgal and the magic-sealing stones are clearly different, their effects seem similar, don’t they?”

“We noticed that, too. Magic can never be absolute.”

Ian closed the report and nodded, signaling them to continue.

“For the future and safety of our mages, it’s best to eliminate either the magic-sealing stones or Idgal.”

“Since the magic-sealing stones come from nature, wouldn’t it be better to track down and deal with the alchemist?”

They had once thought they touched divine power, only to be shattered by a single Marib arrow. It was arrogance—and, in a way, fortunate. They had survived.

“Killing one alchemist is easier than destroying nature.”

Ian tapped the edge of the report and fell silent for a moment. He understood their concerns.

“I agree. The magic-sealing stones are the will of the gods, but Idgal is the will of the alchemist.”

Control and threat were entirely different matters. Ian passed the report along, signaling not to worry.

“It’s illogical for mages to be endangered by the will of one person. Investigate Marib thoroughly. Once the situation stabilizes, we’ll pursue the alchemist.”

Perhaps the mages who survived the original era had made the same decision. Maybe that’s why Idgal never passed down to Ian’s time.

The mages seemed satisfied with their leader’s words, placing their hands over their chests.

“Next.”

“A gale decline was discovered in the Second Imperial Palace.”

“Discovered?”

Ian hesitated. The wording felt off. Sure enough, the mage lowered his voice cautiously.

“He self-harmed. But his life is not in danger.”

While Marib begged for his life in surrender, Gale had chosen to end things by his own hand. As always, their decisions diverged. Who was right? Ian wasn’t sure.

He rubbed his chin, frowning.

“Is he still conscious?”

“Yes. But three mages capable of healing were dispatched with a doctor. He should recover soon.”

Ian sensed footsteps behind him and turned. Junior officials from other departments and unidentified individuals were arriving, carrying piles of reports.

“Understood. Keep strict watch over Prince Gale. If he tries to harm himself again, restrain and confine him.”

“Yes, sir.”

“If he dies, it should be in the courtroom.”

That way, it wouldn’t burden Jin in the future. Since Gale wasn’t the empress’s child, his legitimacy would always be questioned by rival factions. It was better to erase Marib and Gale from the royal history altogether.

Tap tap tap!

“Sir Ian, Duke Haiman has arrived at the main gate.”

A mage guarding the entrance hurried over to inform Ian. The unexpected name made everyone pause and look at him.

“He wishes to see His Majesty the Emperor. If that’s not possible, he wants to attend the grand assembly to clear up misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings, huh.”

Ian’s bitter smile made the mages swallow nervously. How brazen and shameless. The faction that tried to overthrow the palace using Gale as a shield was now walking in on their own, asking to explain themselves.

“Sir Ian, what shall we do?”

“Honestly, I want to kill him.”

“No! I have money invested there.”

The murmurs grew louder. Ian twirled his pen thoughtfully, weighing his options.

If they bring him inside, they’ll definitely realize the emperor has collapsed. Then, there’s no telling how Duke Haiman might react.

“Miss Melania will be accompanying him as well.”

“…Grant them entry, but detain them immediately. Ensure they have no contact with others—I will see them alone.”

Could ‘detain’ and ‘see’ really coexist in the same order? Still, the mages nodded in understanding and stepped back.

Ian carefully reviewed the remaining documents, continuing to handle the affairs at hand. It seemed he planned to meet Duke Haiman only after finishing all urgent matters—saving that for last.

‘A kind of power play.’

The very act of the noble duke waiting for hours without a word gave Ian a strategic advantage.

“Next report.”

“Yes, here it is.”

This was no ordinary situation. The Haiman family was formidable, but Ian’s calm handling of the matter was equally impressive. The mages pressed their lips tightly and kept handing over reports.

“Oh, and about the curse on Gale Juhah.”

Ian didn’t stop signing, even as the mage spoke. The scratch of his pen on paper sounded crisp and clear.

“Is it true the curse has been lifted?”

“Why do you ask that now?”

Though Ian had declared the curse broken, the mages didn’t believe him. They’d been with him all day, and all he’d done was pour magic into saving people and subduing Marib.

“Well, um, Gale Juhah has been muttering something continuously while unconscious. We thought it might be related to the curse.”