Chapter 217
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
Jin’s pupils trembled as he lowered the note. Romandro called out to him with concern, but the boy kept staring down at the paper without responding. Doubting his own eyes, he read it over and over, but nothing changed.
Romandro glanced at Ian.
“…”
But Ian simply sipped his tea with an indifferent expression. Faced with these two completely opposite reactions, Romandro dared to make a request.
“Your Highness, if you don’t mind, may I see it as well?”
“Ah, yes, yes. By all means.”
“…Gasp.”
Romandro hurriedly took the note and, without realizing it, held his breath. Judging by Jin’s reaction, it probably wasn’t a favorable prophecy, but still…
—Cursed one, you shall not defy fate. For Bariel’s sake, take your own life. Only then shall glory grace the world.
Anyone could see that this prophecy fit Jin and Arsen’s situation perfectly. The cursed child, Jin. And the destiny foretold from birth.
Romandro crumpled the note and glanced around nervously. The attendants still stood waiting with bowed heads.
“Has this message from the temple come only to us?”
If so, it might be better to bury it here. The political tide was already turning toward Arsen’s side, and if this prophecy became public, things could spiral out of control. Though the prophecy’s credibility was debated, receiving two similar messages would surely inspire belief where there was none before.
“It’s been forwarded to the administration as well. There was no special distinction, just the department name, so I assume it’s the same content.”
“Oh dear! Oh dear!”
Romandro slapped his forehead roughly and sighed. The administration? Within half a day, everyone in the palace would know about this new prophecy. He clutched his head and collapsed onto the table.
“…”
Silence fell again. It was so quiet it felt strange, so Romandro peeked up. Jin was staring intently at a corner of the greenhouse, lost in thought, while Ian savored the scent of his tea. One was resolute, the other calm. Puzzled, Romandro tapped Ian’s arm.
“Ian, say something, please.”
But Ian just blinked and signaled for silence. As Romandro raised an eyebrow in confusion, Jin finally spoke.
“…I’m not the only cursed one in the palace.”
“That’s right, Your Highness.”
“This isn’t a prophecy meant for me. It’s meant for Brother Gale.”
Gale was also cursed. In fact, compared to Jin’s ambiguous prophecy, Gale’s curse was a clear fact—who cast it, how, and why were all known.
Romandro, who had forgotten about Gale, gasped.
“That’s right. Exactly. This prophecy isn’t for Your Highness Jin, but for Your Highness Gale. Yes, yes, that’s it.”
“Exactly. That’s what I believe.”
Though the prophecy didn’t specify exactly who it referred to, Jin intended to believe that. He knew all too well how cruel and exhausting a fate born from belief could be. He had painfully experienced how belief could bring a destined future into reality. From now on, he would reject all falsehoods from his life. Staring into the darkness, he steeled his resolve.
“A wise decision.”
Ian praised Jin without reservation. In truth, Ian already knew Jin would become emperor, so when he saw the phrase “cursed one,” Gale immediately came to mind. But Jin had to realize and act on it himself. He needed to fully understand his own worth.
“But what about Haiman? If they find out—no, it doesn’t even have to reach Haiman. If Arsen’s powerful allies learn of this, they’ll see it as an opportunity to try killing Brother Gale again.”
There had already been one attack on Arsen, and demands for Gale’s immediate judgment were coming from all sides. If the prophecy was interpreted that way, they wouldn’t miss their chance. Ian nodded at Jin’s concern.
“That’s true. In fact, all evidence against Your Highness Gale is complete. He conspired with Haiman to incite rebellion, and there’s even some kind of deal prepared regarding that. The problem is the trial date.”
Unlike the swift and unanimous trial in Marib, Gale’s case was complicated. Ian’s side wanted the trial as soon as possible, but Haiman—more precisely, Haiman’s faction—would refuse to attend before Gale was dealt with. They’d keep finding excuses to delay it. Eventually, the trial would happen, but it was undeniable that time was being dragged out.
“Let’s observe the grand assembly first, then set the schedule again.”
Ian gave Romandro a look, asking if the indictment was proceeding smoothly. Romandro confidently tapped his chest as if to say, “Trust me.”
“Understood.”
Jin unfolded the crumpled note and muttered, as if to confirm once more that he was not the cursed one. Ian snapped his fingers and released his magic. A small flame flickered at his fingertips.
Ziiing. Ziiing.
“Your Highness, if you wish.”
If you wish, burn it. There is no reason for this to exist if it offends Your Highness’s spirit. So, destroy it.
“Thank you.”
Jin caught Ian’s meaning and smiled faintly. Without hesitation, he burned the note in Ian’s flame.
The ashes scattered briefly, but were pitifully light. The weight of the prophecy that had oppressed and suppressed Jin was so easily lifted.
“Your Highness, the sun will set soon. It would be best to return before the wind turns cold.”
“And Sir Ian?”
“Of course, I shall accompany you.”
The Ministry of Magic was both their workplace and refuge. Jin brushed his hands off and stood. The greenhouse remained warm, though the outside world was unknown.
Perhaps because it was a day that began early and ended with witnessing his brother’s death, Jin dozed off in the carriage and was carried inside by Xiaosi. Ian and Romandro wished they could rest like that, but reality was less forgiving.
Rustle.
“Next?”
“
“I remember. Schedule it when you can. Once the magic verification ceremony starts, things will get even busier, so sooner is better.”
A mountain of paperwork greeted Ian and Romandro. It hadn’t been this bad when they left in the morning, but reports from Quintana and other ministers had likely been added.
“And here, the indictment.”
Romandro set down a thick stack of papers. Each one was about Haiman’s rebellion and serious crimes. The sheer volume made Ian’s eyebrows arch.
“Quality over quantity. If we mix in unnecessary things, the judiciary will waste time sorting it out, which is disadvantageous for us.”
“All are based on facts. Or should we only charge them with the Black Armor rebellion? That would be about twenty pages total.”
“Wait a moment.”
Before officially submitting to the palace, Ian performed a final review. Since the indictment was submitted under the Ministry of Magic’s name, it was essentially under his name. He carefully examined it and pointed out corrections.
“Here, revise this. Change the order of the list. Haiman has a stake in Chetur, but nothing has been proven yet. It’s better to move that to the back.”
“Hmm, hold on. Okay, got it.”
Romandro’s quill moved busily. As they worked, a sound came from outside.
Knock! Knock knock!
Ian glanced at the clock. It was almost past midnight. Just from the knock, he seemed to know who it was and gave permission lightly.
“Captain Akorella? Come in.”
“Oh?! How did you know?!”
“Only Beric or you knock like that.”
“Hahaha. Well, I heard you’re submitting the indictment to Haiman tomorrow.”
She waved a thick bundle of papers in one hand, smiling. Romandro covered his mouth in horror—he was so sick of white paper he felt like vomiting.
“Additional materials? Ugh.”
“Oh dear. Are you substituting for Viviana’s morning sickness?”
“Not morning sickness. It’s just that now, seeing new papers makes me nauseous. Honestly.”
“These are black stones obtained from the Chetur district. The research results.”
Ian frowned in confusion as he took Akorella’s report. Research results? Already? That was impossible given the physical time constraints. He pressed his brows together as if in pain.
“Captain Akorella, don’t misunderstand. If you’re worried about including this in the indictment, I must politely refuse.”
“It’s not rushed. Though still ongoing, this might be essential to include in the indictment, so I’m bringing it here.”
Essential? Ian hesitated, then slowly read through the report. The more he read, the more cracks appeared in his otherwise calm expression—clearly, he was surprised.
“What I understand now is…”
Romandro recalled Akorella’s mention of some kind of organic fusion and waited for Ian’s question. Could Ian comprehend it?
“So this is what they call dragon’s kakrin?”
Clink. Romandro, trying to wake himself up a bit, picked up his coffee—only to drop it right away. Understandable, since while dragon teeth and bones were rare but not unheard of, kakrin was a different matter entirely.
“K-Kakrin? Kakrin? You mean the scales I know?”
‘This is definitely going to cause some trouble,’ Ian sighed, resting his chin on his hand.
Dragons were sacred, untouchable divine beasts in the world’s eyes. Regardless of their numbers, the myths surrounding them had cemented that status.
Romandro wiped his trembling hands on a dry cloth and looked back at Ian.
“Ian, have you ever heard of the ‘Dragon’s Sacrifice’?”
In the chaotic dawn of time, mighty dragons became weapons for humans on the battlefield. Their fiery breath split continents, which were then filled again by their tears—a cycle repeated for centuries, shaping the very crust of the earth, according to legend.
The gods, horrified by the devastation, stripped dragons of their powers to end the war.
“So it’s about dragons losing their strength because of human greed, right? Every self-proclaimed nation has signed the sacred non-aggression pact. Bariel was even a signatory on behalf of the alliance.”
“Wow, you really know your stuff.”
In short, the whole world had agreed not to hunt dragons. The only exception was the use of naturally deceased dragons’ remains—teeth and bones were often forged into swords.
Akorella tapped her report lightly and added, “That’s why I was a bit confused. There’s definitely something like magic involved, but the crystals were different. Oh, and when dragons die naturally, the kakrin is the first to decay and disappear. So it’s incredibly hard to get.”
“So that means it was likely obtained while the dragon was still alive?”
“They’ll probably argue there’s a separate supply factory. In fact, there are a few large ones near Bariel.”
From birth to death, some state-certified factories raise dragons for a hundred years, waiting for their corpses. Ian handed Romandro Akorella’s report with instructions.
“Make sure to include this when you send it up.”