Chapter 221
“Damn it.”

The mage paced back and forth in the room, nervously biting his nails.

No matter how much he thought about it, Romandro hadn’t done anything suspicious. So why, after escorting him all the way to the reception desk, did Romandro suddenly turn his back and leave at the last moment? It was baffling.

“Yeah, honestly, the receptionist could have acted that way. The atmosphere was both chaotic and refined—if you were perceptive, you might have picked up on something.”

But then, why—why did even the mages refuse to trust him? Romandro had refused to take the carriage, and on the way, he’d taken only Xiaosi with him, leaving the others behind as if fleeing. The two mages were at a loss, unsure whether to return to their department or not, and spent a long time debating.

“Ugh, seriously.”

If only I’d been more careful with my glare! Or better yet, handled everything inside the carriage. Being suspected before even doing anything was maddening.

He looked so indifferent, but his instincts were sharp as hell…

Screech.

“Ian.”

At that moment, the door opened and Ian entered. The mage stood at attention, barely holding back his tense breath. Romandro must have told him something was off.

Would he use the truth serum?

Or something else?

The mage desperately tried to read Ian’s expression.

“I escorted Romandro to the judiciary department,” Ian said calmly as he took a seat, even gesturing for the mage to sit as well. The mage hesitated at Ian’s unexpectedly gentle tone, then slowly pulled out a chair and replied.

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

“Good work. Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet, sir.”

“The duck today was quite good. After your report, hurry to the dining hall. The chef doesn’t like it when people come late.”

Ian’s unexpected words made the mage’s eyes widen. He said “report,” not “interrogation”? That meant Ian wasn’t suspicious of him? His mind spun wildly. Maybe this would all pass without incident.

No, actually, the escort was flawless.

From an outsider’s perspective, Romandro had overreacted on his own. There was no reason to die over this, the mage thought, suppressing a smile as he nodded.

“But Romandro said the judiciary staff’s attitude was strange. Did you see it for yourself?”

“Yes. I escorted him all the way to the reception desk.”

“Give me a detailed report.”

Ian said this as he lightly gripped his pen. He rubbed his brow as if puzzled, faint red marks appearing on his smooth skin. Muttering to himself, he scribbled on the documents.

“I hear there was no physical altercation, and the staff member is from the palace. There should be no problem, yet Romandro judged otherwise. I’m curious why. He says it was just a gut feeling.”

“I see.”

The mage moistened his dry lips and quickly continued.

“To be honest, I don’t understand why Romandro felt that way either. Latris, who accompanied me, felt the same. Romandro seemed like he was being chased, darting glances anxiously until he met Quintana’s carriage. He even said he’d leave first because there was no room in the carriage.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“I think it might be accumulated fatigue. I know that judiciary staff member well. They’re mechanical due to workload but kind and decent.”

Ian nodded repeatedly, jotting down notes. His occasional affirmations helped the mage feel increasingly at ease.

“They might have been a bit rude, asking for ID and such. Perhaps you should bring a formal complaint and try to talk it out again?”

Tap.

Ian set down his pen with a graceful but firm gesture, silencing the mage. Ian smiled faintly.

“I asked Romandro for the basis of his judgment. Whether it’s right or wrong isn’t for you to decide.”

“Ah, I-I’m sorry.”

The mage bit the inside of his cheek without realizing it. He should have just said he didn’t know and left it at that.

Ian tapped his pen several times, then stood up. When the mage rose as well, Ian smiled and motioned for him to sit back down.

“Stay seated. What a pity. The meal today is truly delicious.”

No sooner had he spoken than the door burst open. Soldiers stormed in, carrying magical binding shackles. Before the mage could resist, they quickly restrained him and forced him down onto the bed.

“Ian! Ian! What are you doing?”

“Stay still.”

“Mmm! Mmmph!”

Bang!

Ian glanced at the struggling mage, then left the room without hesitation.

Romandro, who had been pacing outside the office, jumped in surprise and hurried over.

“What did he say?”

“He’s definitely suspicious. We need to start a proper interrogation. Make sure it’s discreet and without complications.”

When asked about the situation, Romandro answered without hesitation. Anyone unaware would have tried to piece together why Romandro acted that way and come up with an explanation.

But he didn’t. This was proof he already knew, and also an admission that Romandro’s judgment was flawed.

“Oh, dear.”

Romandro pressed his hands to his forehead. It was true that the Highman faction had infiltrators in the Mage Department. Even if they fought unitedly, the battle would be fierce. Such division was potentially fatal.

To prevent internal chaos and avoid alerting those to be weeded out, Ian decided to hide the two mages.

“Handle those two as if they’re on a business trip.”

“Understood. How many do you think are in the Mage Department?”

“Impossible to say until we see them.”

“That’s the problem. Not being able to identify them immediately is fatal. With so many major issues ahead, we don’t have the luxury of time.”

Usually, finding a traitor isn’t easy—unless you catch them red-handed like today. You either infiltrate the enemy to gather clues or the traitor reveals themselves through their actions. One or the other.

“If we want to flush out those hiding, sure. But if we let them come out on their own, it’s easier. We just have to wait.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Shall we borrow the name of Highman for a moment?”

It was a kind of sting operation—setting a trap under the guise of someone else, then punishing those who approach as traitors. Romandro shook his head, thinking it wouldn’t be easy.

“We lack absolute intel on Highman’s internal affairs. The traitors must have communication channels with them, so they’d be exposed immediately. It’s not simple.”

Ian smiled knowingly. He had already considered that.

“You’re right. A trap only works if the target doesn’t realize it’s a trap. Then, it would be better to borrow the name of someone who opposes us, but is neither Highman nor Arsen.”

“Is there such a person in the palace…?”

Romandro was about to say no, but then hesitated, recalling something. He fidgeted, unable to speak, letting out frustrated sighs.

“Ah!”

“Gale Jeoha.”

“Gale! That’s exactly who I was about to mention!”

Ian rifled through the reports piled on the desk. Many suggested that Highman would seek help from the neighboring country, Luswena. Supporting this, there was news that a Highman knight recently crossed the border into Luswena.

“Let’s spread this rumor.”

He placed chess pieces one by one on the table.

“It’s clear from the circumstances that Luswena is trying to intervene in Bariel under the pretext of Highman’s request. Their justification is that Highman’s wife is royalty in Luswena—that she’s family. Understand so far?”

Tap.

Romandro pulled the black queen forward and nodded. Pawns swarmed before and behind the queen.

“So, how should Bariel respond to Luswena?”

Tap.

“Politically and economically, pressure is possible. But considering His Majesty is bedridden and the palace is in turmoil over succession, a conciliatory approach might be better than a hardline stance.”

“Are all these assumptions correct?”

“Of course. But they’re plausible assumptions.”

Romandro pondered, stroking his chin, then toyed with the white king. Should he place it here or there? Use Gale to push for conciliation?

Ian snatched the king from his hand and moved it forward.

“Highman’s wife is Luswena royalty, but not a direct descendant of the current king. And the fact that the king is female also plays a role.”

“…Prince Gale is trying to use all this to survive?”

“It’s not much different from his usual tactics.”

“Y-yeah, that’s true.”

Wesley, Melania, and now the Luswena king—Gale always managed to survive like this. Romandro scratched his head awkwardly. Whether it was good or bad luck, it was hard to tell.

“If we spread rumors that Gale will seek asylum in Luswena, many will react. The Mage Department will too. Luswena has few mages, so if he goes there, he’ll be treated like a minister.”

Ian moved half a dozen chess pieces to the opposite side at once. The board quickly became chaotic.

“Of course, going abroad out of conviction is their choice. I, and Bariel, cannot stop that—”

This was about to become a crucial turning point—a moment that would reveal the true traitor.

“Do you think Hyman and I will just sit quietly after hearing all of this?”

If Gale went abroad to gather forces, he would pose a serious threat to Ian, and especially to Jin. The same went for Hyman. The link connecting Luswena and Bariel would no longer be unique, and their influence would diminish. Ian and Hyman would do whatever it took to prevent that.

“Gale will amass power to keep Ian Hielo and Hyman in check. He’ll gather intelligence from within the enemy ranks. That’s the key.”

The stage was set. The players had clear motives. Once this plan was set in motion, the traitors would come running at the sound of it. But if they stepped in, they’d be met with a blade spinning to kill. Ian shifted the conversation, stepping into a checkmate.

“In the meantime, we just need to do our part. If we can find any clues from interrogating those two mages, that would be ideal.”

“But doesn’t this rely entirely on Prince Gale’s cooperation? What if he truly decides to switch sides?”

If Gale, knowing there was a way out, actually defected to Luswena, things would get complicated. Ian summoned his magic, conjuring a faint glow at his fingertips.

“We don’t need much from the prince. He’ll be trapped in the palace, whether now or when rumors start to spread. And if it comes to defection…”

Ziiing. Ziiing.

“We’ll decide his fate.”

“Decide his fate? What do you mean?”

“With magic.”

Ian flicked his hand lightly, snuffing out the light as if extinguishing Gale’s very breath.