Episode 220

“Ugh…”

Jin whined softly, rubbing his face into the pillow. No matter how much he had learned the etiquette of the imperial palace, mornings were no different for him than for any commoner child.

He lay on his stomach, eyes barely open, glancing around. Xiaosi, who usually sat on the sofa at the foot of the bed, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Ian was leaning against the wall, slowly reading something.

Jin immediately recognized the book as The Chronicles of Roberside.

“Sir Ian?”

“Are you awake?”

“…Where’s Xiaosi?”

At Jin’s call, Ian tilted his head slightly. He had his fingers tucked between the pages, as if he wasn’t just skimming but carefully examining the text.

Why is Sir Ian so focused on a children’s book? Jin blinked drowsily, and Ian shook the servant’s call bell.

“Xiaosi had some errands to run but will be back shortly. Don’t worry. In the meantime, how about having breakfast with me today?”

“That sounds great.”

Ding-dong.

The bell’s chime seemed to clear Jin’s foggy mind a bit. Soon, a servant came running at the summons.

“Did you call, Your Highness?”

“The prince coughed. Prepare the meal.”

“Yes, I will bring it shortly.”

Even as this was happening, Ian didn’t let go of the storybook. Curious, Jin moved closer to him. He wondered if he had misread it, but no—the book was indeed The Chronicles of Roberside. The portrait of Roberside, Jin’s revered ancestor and protector of the Karbo Temple, was faded and worn from frequent handling.

“Why that book, though?”

“Your Highness once said that whenever you read this story before bed, Roberside appears in your dreams. So I thought it might be fun to indulge you.”

“That’s right. I read something else last night, but without fail, Roberside always shows up.”

Jin smiled brightly and nodded. Playing with Roberside was always a joy. Especially when he was with Arsen, it felt like the only escape he had. Ian held up the book and asked,

“May I borrow it for a few days? It’s not in the royal library, so I’d be grateful.”

There were many books about Roberside, but the fairy tale Jin owned was rare—published specially by the Karbo Temple. Jin nodded in agreement without hesitation.

“You like it too, huh? No need to ask. Feel free to read it.”

“Thank you.”

“Jin, Your Highness, please proceed to the bath. Everything is ready.”

“Okay. Ian, I’ll be back soon. Let’s have breakfast together.”

Jin followed the servants with light steps. Once the door closed behind him, Ian pulled a chair and began to immerse himself in the storybook.

Strange. Is it really a coincidence that Roberside appears in Jin’s dreams every time he reads this book? For a child’s imagination, it happens far too often.

More than that, Roberside had appeared to Ian himself after reading the story aloud. Though the situation was grim—monsters flooding in, attempts on Arsen’s life—it was no less vivid.

Ian could still hear the desperate screams ringing in his ears.

“A child who should never have been born. Kill him!”

Ian tapped the portrait of Roberside gently, staring at it thoughtfully. The last one to seal the monsters, Arsen’s unrecorded abilities, the strange prophecy…

A theory formed in Ian’s mind, but without solid proof, he dared not voice it.

If my suspicion is correct, what happened to Arsen in the original history? Jin’s reign as emperor is unchanged, so surely something must have caused Arsen’s downfall.

Lost in thought, Ian was interrupted as Jin appeared, freshly dressed and ready for breakfast. The boy grabbed Ian’s arm, urging him to eat.

“Sir Ian, come on, let’s go to the dining hall. The chef caught some duck today. Huh? But where’s Romandro?”

“He went with Xiaosi.”

“Is that so?”

Jin glanced left and right, then motioned Ian closer. When Ian bent down to listen, Jin whispered a secret.

“I think Romandro and Viviana’s child is a girl. Luckily, she looks just like Viviana—smart and beautiful.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Roberside told me!”

Jin’s cheeks dimpled with a shy smile. Ian, a little surprised, gently placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and glanced behind him. The servants quickly bowed their heads and stepped back.

“Roberside tells you things like that?”

“Not often, just very rarely.”

“Anything else?”

“Hmm… Oh, about the last monster Roberside dealt with. It’s not in the book, but—”

Jin searched his memory and took Ian’s hand. Carefully, he drew lines on Ian’s palm, forming strange symbols. Ian had never seen anything like it and couldn’t understand.

ᚫᚱᛋᛖᛀᛖ

“That’s how you write the name.”

“How do you read it?”

“I’m not sure. I wrote it on the ground with a twig.”

Ian knew it wasn’t a script from any neighboring country. Since Roberside was from the kingdom’s founding era, perhaps it was an ancient language—or maybe a fantasy Jin had created? As Ian quietly studied the symbols, Jin greeted passing mages.

“Good morning.”

“Did you sleep well, Your Highness Jin?”

“Your tie looks great today.”

“You look sharp too! Thanks!”

The two entered the dining hall, where a large table was set for two. Just as Ian was about to sit opposite Jin—

Bang!

The door suddenly burst open, and a drenched Romandro appeared, panting heavily. He locked eyes with Ian immediately.

“Romandro?”

“Y-Your Highness Jin is here too.”

“I thought you were out on an errand? Come in quickly. Have you eaten?”

While Jin greeted him warmly, Ian stopped unfolding his napkin and studied Romandro carefully. Behind him stood Xiaosi, both clutching a complaint document tightly.

“Sir Romandro.”

“I-Ian, well, you see…”

“Catch your breath. Xiaosi, you too.”

Seeing them arrive in such a state confirmed Ian’s worst fears. The papers were split to prevent losing them all at once, meaning Romandro felt a serious threat.

“Close the doors and have everyone leave.”

Squeak.

At Ian’s command, the servants bowed deeply and exited the dining hall. Jin’s eyes widened, trying to grasp the tense atmosphere. Something was definitely wrong.

“What happened?”

Pant, pant “It looks like an attempted snatch-and-grab.”

Romandro collapsed into a chair, still gasping. Though not the most refined word for a prince’s presence, it was the only way to describe the situation.

“Duke Haiman isn’t as noble as he seems—he’s downright low. I was worried something might happen to the carriage, so I came on foot. If I hadn’t run into Quintana halfway, my knees might’ve given out.”

If they’d been kidnapped from the carriage, there’d be no way out. So Romandro chose to walk and managed to send the two mages away after meeting Quintana, returning ahead.

“The person in charge, Ericsa, had a carriage accident. She probably won’t be back for a day or two. The staff at the reception and the crowd gathered there seemed suspicious.”

“Crude tactics.”

Ian sipped lukewarm water. Crude, but effective to some extent. It seemed the Haiman faction was trying to manipulate the upcoming magic power verification ceremony for Arsen, which was only days away. A direct physical attack was the most straightforward method.

“And Ian, it seems Haiman has people inside the Magic Department too. The two mages who came along earlier… well, how should I put it? They gave me the creeps.”

Romandro whispered this, and Jin’s eyes grew as wide as a rabbit’s. The Magic Department was much smaller than other divisions, with members of high status and strong pride, tightly bonded.

If Haiman’s influence had reached there, how many more could be compromised throughout the palace? It was a stark reminder of how Haiman was nobility above nobility.

“I see.”

But Ian nodded lightly, as if he had expected this.

“Intuition is not something to dismiss lightly. If Romandro felt that way, it’s worth investigating.”

“You knew, didn’t you? That’s why you assigned Xiaosi to me. Without him, I’d have been scared to death. Seriously. When I ran here, Viviana’s face kept flashing before my eyes!”

Romandro shook Xiaosi’s shoulder, groaning. Ian gave a wry smile. It’s easy to suspect others, but much harder to weed out traitors among your own.

“Ian, how did you figure it out? Huh?”

“…I just hoped it wasn’t true.”

Those words—hoping it wasn’t true—implied the harsh reality. Beyond the palace walls, human life was like that. Ian folded his napkin lightly, recalling Naum’s words.

“Your Majesty, when three people gather, one is a traitor, another likely to betray. The only one left is Your Majesty. Trust only yourself.”

“…And you?”

“Your Majesty, do not trust me either. Always be suspicious, keep me close, and use me to your advantage. Trust only leads to pain. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Why hadn’t Ian taken those words to heart back then? He bit his lip lightly, thinking of his nephew, Crony.

Romandro, Xiaoxi, and Jin watched Ian’s heavy silence. His face was calm, but his eyes were deep—overflowing with a storm of emotions.

“Sir Ian?” Jin’s voice broke the quiet, and Ian looked up with a faint smile.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. It was something that had to be done sooner or later.”

“Something like…?”

A mage must never be swayed by personal feelings. Great power demands great responsibility. Those who have sworn the mage’s oath must never forget that.

Ian lightly shook a bell and ordered the servants to bring the meal.

Ding.

“Find out the current status of Officer Erikse. Prepare the documents—we’ll be sending an official notice to the judiciary. When dispatching personnel, send two mages from different departments. Volunteers will not be accepted.”

“Y-yes, understood.”

“And tell the two mages who went with Romandro to wait in their rooms. We will meet with them as soon as the meal is finished.”

The sudden orders startled the servant, but only briefly. He hurried off to carry out Ian’s commands. Romandro, gulping down the last of his water, asked,

“Ian, we’ll have to use the truth serum, won’t we?”

“The Mana Stone Management Department already knows how to neutralize it. If they know, then other mages will too. There’s no trust left.”

Ian held a knife in his right hand and a fork in his left. With graceful precision, he sliced a tomato. One became two, then three.

“We’ll weed them out another way. The Magic Department is a single entity—if there’s something foreign inside, it’s unnecessary.”