Chapter 228
“Is it still not time yet?”
“Sorry. There’s an order not to let anyone in.”
“Ha, why are you acting like this all of a sudden? It’s driving me crazy.”
“And what about Lord Romandro? Where is he?”
The sun hung high in the sky, the hour late in the afternoon. Wizards lingered outside the office, clutching their reports tightly. Just yesterday, they had been coming and going nonstop, but now, Ian had suddenly forbidden entry, and no one knew why.
Viviana, standing guard at the door, forced a reluctant smile.
“He’s inside with Lord Romandro. If you have something, I’ll pass it along.”
“Could we just see him for a moment? The judiciary is in an uproar. The Highman faction and their close aides have declared they won’t attend the grand assembly convened over the filed complaint.”
“They say it might fall just short of a majority. Without that, even if the meeting is held, no decisions can be made. You know how it works.”
“What on earth are they doing in there?”
“Well… I’m not exactly sure myself…”
The wizards clung to her sleeves, nearly on the verge of tears. They were running around, urging other departments to attend the assembly, but without the leaders Ian and Romandro stepping forward, their efforts were futile.
“Is he sick, by any chance?”
“Yeah! He’s been insanely busy these past few days!”
Ian had been a workaholic, barely eating or sleeping as he handled his duties. Yet, in just one day, he had vanished as if in seclusion. And with Romandro joining him! When both leaders disappear simultaneously, what are the subordinates supposed to do?
“He’s not sick. Actually, I peeked inside earlier, and I got scolded.”
“Ah…”
Viviana ran a hand down her neck, clearly uncomfortable, and the wizards reluctantly stepped back. If even Romandro—the devoted husband—wasn’t budging, there was no solution. They checked their watches and bit their lips anxiously.
“The deadline for a response is six o’clock. We’ll come back then, ma’am. Please, we beg you.”
“Yes. Take care.”
“Please tell him we just want to see him for a moment.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Viviana smiled and gestured lightly. The wizards turned away reluctantly, muttering their frustration.
“I just don’t understand why they’re acting like this with such a big crisis looming.”
“Right? I think it’s because the Light of Prophecy arrived earlier than expected. The ones on duty that night all went to the Stone Mountain as reinforcements.”
“They went with Lady Dilaina’s troops in the carriage.”
“At night? Ugh, just hearing that makes me uneasy.”
“If Arsen is a wizard, Ian must be the most troubled. He’s probably deep in thought. Let’s try to understand.”
“But what if they just step away from their duties?”
“Exactly. And Gale’s side isn’t looking good either.”
“Gale? Why?”
“Don’t you know? Rumors are spreading that he’s defecting to Luswena.”
“How? He’s under confinement.”
Click, click!
As the wizards rounded the corner and disappeared, the murmurs died down. Viviana sighed deeply and let her hand drop. Then, she opened the firmly shut office door and stepped inside.
Creak.
Slide.
“Romandro, could you hand me that book you were looking at earlier?”
“You mean ‘The Correlation Between Temples and Oral Traditions’?”
“There’s also a vernacular here. How do you read this?”
“…k. a. r. v. o. It refers to the Karvo Temple.”
The office was piled high with stacks of documents, leaving barely any room to stand. Ian and Romandro had rolled up their sleeves and spent nearly a full day without sleep, poring over information. Avidel and Mikael, the temple priests, had also taken off their robes to assist them.
“Ian, it seems you’re still getting messages about the assembly. The wizards are struggling.”
Viviana cleared away an empty potion bottle from the desk. It was a special stimulant made by Captain Akorella—something that could boost stamina for up to three days but caused double the fatigue after the fourth day, making it unbearable.
Ian had downed two bottles at once, and Viviana couldn’t hide her worry.
“Has the Highman faction said they won’t attend?”
“They refused, saying they don’t have time as a group. The wizards are trying hard to reach a majority, but there’s a limit. Everyone’s anxious.”
“Anxious, huh.” Ian smiled faintly, clearly pleased by Viviana’s words. There was a sense of satisfaction beneath it.
“What time did they say to expect a reply?”
“By six o’clock.”
“Then deliver the message right at six. Tell them we will attend the assembly as planned. Whether or not we reach a majority doesn’t matter, but don’t let the wizards know.”
Ian’s stance was deliberate. It wasn’t just that he physically lacked time to review the documents; his main goal was to sow confusion throughout the Magic Department.
When everyone rushes forward united, there’s no room for selfish thoughts. But in a chaotic atmosphere, with the leaders absent and a crisis looming, two reactions will emerge: some will grit their teeth to save the department, while others will look for ways to save themselves.
“Philia—no, have you informed your mother?”
Viviana nodded at Ian’s question. They were to tighten security around Gale but pull the warriors back to less visible positions to lower their guard.
This would help the bats who had heard the rumors approach Gale more easily. Of course, they wouldn’t allow direct contact.
“Yes. They said they would keep a tight watch.”
“Good. And the reinforcements sent to Stone Mountain?”
“They’ve come down. A messenger just arrived. If it doesn’t rain, they should be here by tomorrow afternoon.”
Ian nodded repeatedly, as if everything was unfolding exactly as planned. Viviana, fiddling with the empty bottle, couldn’t hold back her curiosity.
“But why bother attending the assembly at all? If it’s just to instill a sense of crisis in the Magic Department, wouldn’t it be better not to show up? Without a majority, no decisions can be made anyway.”
“That’s true, but those gathered at the meeting aren’t connected to the Highman faction.”
Over time, the forces rallying around Arsen had grown stronger. More precisely, Jin’s faction was fracturing.
The arrival of the Light of Prophecy, the Magic Department’s lukewarm response, and Gale’s defection combined to leave Jin’s position as fragile as a fallen leaf clinging to a branch in late autumn.
“I want to see their faces personally. And I plan to give them gifts that align with their beliefs.”
Slide.
Ian stopped there and returned his focus to the documents. He was unofficially signaling the exposure of Arsen’s true identity. Viviana felt the storm’s eye drawing near and patted her chest to steady her racing heart.
“Vivi? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just been feeling a bit off lately.”
“Please, go rest inside. Set up Xiaosi.”
“I’ll stay. I’ll prepare a meal.”
“Ah, well…”
Perhaps because the month’s end was approaching, Viviana simply told him not to worry and carried the tray with the bottles away.
Before long, the wizards returned, crowding the office entrance once more. Viviana ignored them and quickly slipped down the corridor.
Clatter, clatter!
Whirrr!
The quiet night at the imperial palace.
Two carriages raced toward the grand assembly hall. Though the prime minister had personally convened the meeting to review the complaint, the surroundings were unusually deserted. Romandro clicked his tongue, clutching the documents at his side.
“Look at this.”
“Peaceful, isn’t it?”
“This is going too far. No matter what, it’s the prime minister’s meeting. To blatantly ignore it like this—what’s the difference? Tch!”
There were fewer than twenty carriages parked. Hardly the turnout one would expect for a grand assembly.
Ian strode up the steps, his robe billowing behind him. The assembly hall’s doors were open, and the first sounds were the chatter of a few guards.
“Minister Ian Hiel of the Magic Department?”
“Please, come in.”
Creak.
The usher pushed the door wider, the squeak oddly comical. The prime minister, seated in the center, frowned as he greeted Ian.
“Sir Ian, you’ve arrived.”
“Sorry for being late.”
It had taken time to sneak past the wizards blocking the office.
Ian scanned the attendees carefully. Including the three generals—Veols and Jaret—Quintana, Erickse, and others, there were fewer than thirty people in total.
“Is there any point in holding this meeting? The Highman faction refused to attend during the day, so it was held at night, but they still didn’t show. Look around—there are more empty seats than occupied ones.”
Someone voiced their dissatisfaction. Why hold the meeting at all if it was going to be ignored?
Ian took his seat, and Romandro distributed the prepared reports. There seemed to be far more copies than attendees.
“We can’t reach a majority, so no decisions can be made, Sir Ian.”
“Yes. But still, you all came. Those who uphold principles and beliefs deserve proper reward. That’s why, though unavoidable, we pressed on without canceling the meeting.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Prime Minister Su-sang furrowed his brow, twirling his beard in frustration. Compensation or no compensation, it was clear he just wanted to wrap up this pointless meeting and leave as soon as possible.
But Ian gestured toward the report, silently urging them to read it.
With a soft rustle, Quintana was the first to scan the pages. A brief silence fell before she let out a bitter, incredulous laugh. The report claimed that Arsen was a monster. Never before had she felt such a waste of paper.
“This is madness, Sir Ian.”
“Sir Ian, is this some kind of joke?”
“For a joke, it’s a cruel one. Now I understand why everyone’s turning away from His Majesty Jin and toward Arsen. No, it’s unbelievable that the Minister of Magic would put forth something so absurd.”
“No matter how desperate the situation, this is crossing a line. Sir Ian, Prime Minister, this is an insult to the royal family and demands immediate punishment!”
An outburst erupted. Starting from the children’s book The Roberside Chronicles cited as evidence, there wasn’t a single logical proof to back up the claim.
They looked at Ian as if he were truly insane—eyes wide with shock, even bordering on fear.
“I’m serious.”
“I’m leaving. This is a waste of time.”
“Please, sit down, Quintana. If you dismiss this now because it seems pointless, tomorrow’s Bariel might never come to be.”
Ian stood, meeting each person’s gaze in turn.
“I told you, this is a kind of compensation. Just knowing in advance that Arsen is a monster changes your futures.”
“Sir Ian, please.”
“You said there’s no proof. Don’t worry. On the day of the magic verification ceremony, you won’t just see it—you’ll feel it with all your senses. So for now, calm yourselves and hear me out.”
He motioned for Quintana to sit. She tapped the report against the desk, then sighed openly. But with nothing to lose, she crossed her arms and sat back, raising her voice.
“So? What exactly are you proposing?”
“Not exactly a proposal. More of a request for cooperation.”
Flipping to the last page of the report, Ian muttered under his breath:
“On the day of the magic verification ceremony, we will kill Arsen.”