Chapter 278

The meeting was long overdue—far too late. As everyone hurried to leave, Captain Jarrett remained seated, quietly holding his ground. He had just finished sorting through reports he needed to handle personally, all while enduring light reprimands from those passing by.

He reached into his pocket, searching for a flame to light his cigarette.

At that moment, a lighter was extended toward him. It was Quintana.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“Aren’t you heading home? It’s late.”

“And what about you, Captain Jarrett?”

Seems like he has something to say. Jarrett bit down firmly on his cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke.

The Prime Minister still hadn’t moved. They all seemed to be waiting for the room to clear before leaving. The officials who had been tossing remarks at Jarrett quietly slipped away, sensing the mood.

Click.

Bang!

Only the Prime Minister, Quintana, and Jarrett remained inside, aside from the attendants waiting outside. Jarrett flicked the ashes of his half-smoked cigarette into the ashtray and asked,

“Is there something you wish to discuss, Prime Minister?”

“Captain Jarrett. How long has it been since you entered the palace? If I recall correctly, it’s been well over thirty years.”

“I joined when you were Deputy Minister of Administration.”

Jarrett smiled faintly. It had been a long time indeed. Back then, Petreo—the father of Varsabe—stood beside him, and Riama and Beols were his comrades in training. Those days of relentless toil, driven by the honor of being the empire’s strongest and the duty to protect the emperor, flashed by in an instant.

“Thirty years. A long stretch of time. Jarrett, I know you well. You are loyal, intelligent, and determined.”

“Please don’t sugarcoat your reprimand. I’m a soldier.”

The Prime Minister smiled but furrowed his brow deeply. Ian had already shown signs of discomfort throughout the meeting, issuing warnings, and now the Prime Minister seemed to be signaling once more. Quintana watched the two men, exhaling a faint wisp of smoke.

“The palace has only recently been stabilized. I understand your intentions, but this time, it was a mistake. Why throw stones into calm waters? Especially during a festival shared by the empire’s people. Beric and Xiaoshi are nothing but pawns of His Highness Jin.”

The lonely young prince’s side, yet here they were stirring up trouble. The Prime Minister shook his head slightly in admonishment.

“It’s natural that Sir Ian shows his displeasure.”

“Prime Minister, about Beric and Xiaoshi—they are not pawns of His Highness Jin, but of Sir Ian. Look closely at where their loyalties truly lie.”

“Jarrett.”

“Beols—”

Jarrett invoked the name of Beols, one of the three commanders. A knight who had once protected the emperor and a close friend who had died tragically during the Arsen incident.

“Not long ago, I received word from Beols’ estate. They found a small letter he left behind for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to ask you, Prime Minister. I truly don’t know what Beols’ intentions were.”

With a smooth motion, Jarrett pulled a neatly folded letter from his pocket and placed it on the desk, gesturing for them to read it. Quintana unfolded the letter on the Prime Minister’s behalf.

Jarrett, if this has reached your hands, then I must be living in another world now. This was written the night before His Highness Arsen’s magic confirmation ceremony. Jarrett, as a comrade and close friend, I earnestly ask you to carry on the solemn duty entrusted to me. Only the authority of His Majesty the Emperor must stand firm at the center of the world.

Quintana hesitated briefly, glancing at the Prime Minister.

No one in the palace may recklessly increase their influence—whether ‘Prime Minister,’ ‘Minister of Magic,’ or anyone else. Remember and uphold this. When the horizon tilts, the rocks will tumble. Those rocks will harm His Majesty the Emperor.

The Prime Minister let out a quiet groan inwardly.

Beols had been beside the emperor when he was frozen—bearing the last worries the emperor left behind. There was concern that, in the emperor’s absence, someone might exploit the situation to stage a rebellion.

Especially those without royal blood, like the Prime Minister and Ian, were likely targets. Dilaina, after all, was still a member of the royal family.

“The role of the three commanders is simply to ensure His Majesty’s safety. I don’t understand why Beols would have such concerns and entrust them to me.”

“Um, Jarrett.”

“But surprisingly, the current state of the palace feels very much like what Beols feared. You saw it earlier, didn’t you?”

Ian’s discomfort was palpable, and everyone at the meeting bowed their heads low in response. This was certainly no ordinary situation.

Having endured civil war and the monster crisis, Ian’s presence in the palace now rivaled that of the emperor himself. To say he had surpassed the emperor was to say he had surpassed Jin.

“Though I regret making this meeting difficult, it’s a consequence of others failing to fulfill their roles properly.”

Unlike other departments closely intertwined, the palace guard operated independently. The guard was directly under the emperor, and the appointment of the three commanders was not decided at the New Year’s meeting.

Only the emperor’s will was the core of the department—the guiding principle they must protect and follow.

Now, with the emperor bedridden and the Prime Minister acting as proxy, it was clear that even he could not encroach upon this domain.

“Beric and Xiaoshi are both capable. But that’s the problem. You know why Sir Ian sent them to the selection.”

Beric was assigned to the palace guard, Xiaoshi to the Imperial Defense Department, expanding their influence.

The Prime Minister said nothing, only stroking his beard, lost in thought. His mind was tangled with worries. The emperor’s freezing—should it be passed on to Jarrett as it was to Beols? Or should the secret be kept to a minimum?

“In my view, this is as far as we can go without danger. It’s like a frog slowly boiling in hot water. No matter how much His Highness Jin trusts Sir Ian, who can truly know a person’s heart? Think of the princes.”

One had swung a sword against his own father, the emperor, while another had abandoned his lover. What exactly is the nature of the human heart?

Quintana, who had been quietly listening, brought over the ashtray and tapped the cigarette.

“Beric is a magic swordsman, so the risk might be worth it. But Xiaoshi is not?”

“That’s a misjudgment, Deputy Minister Quintana. Have you ever observed Xiaoshi up close?”

“No, only from a distance when facing His Highness Jin.”

“In my opinion, Xiaoshi is especially dangerous. The fact that his connection to His Highness Jin began under Sir Ian’s orders is particularly troubling.”

Who truly holds the reins? That was the key, but no one outside could ever know. And the less you know, the greater the risk.

The Prime Minister pressed his clasped hands to his forehead and muttered,

“Very well. Jarrett, I understand your intentions. So you plan to keep provoking Sir Ian little by little?”

“Who else would? The other commanders aren’t around.”

Scattered forces gather for a single point. Since no faction opposed Ian directly, even if others kept quiet and hid, if Jarrett kept stepping forward, they would become aware.

They could voice opposition through him.

They could keep him in check.

Jarrett placed his hand over his chest in a solemn vow.

“I will act solely for the royal family—specifically, for His Majesty the Emperor. It is certain that His Highness Jin will succeed to that position someday. This is also for His Highness’ sake.”

Quintana smiled wryly, intrigued. Both Sir Ian and Jarrett were undoubtedly working for His Highness Jin, yet their paths were so different. They looked toward the same goal but walked in opposite directions.

The Prime Minister pondered briefly, then nodded slightly.

“There’s no need to inform anyone of the emperor’s freezing. Whether they know or not, Jarrett’s stance won’t change. If they find out, it might only make Sir Ian or myself more sensitive to their actions.”

“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Honestly, the Prime Minister had no reason to oppose this. Jin’s deep reliance on Ian was both idealistic and unrealistic.

If even the smallest crack appeared, could Jin endure? Having someone step up to check and keep tension was, from the Prime Minister’s perspective, a blessing.

“But I will not intervene. The path you choose to walk, you must walk alone.”

“I do not wish for company. If I stumble along the way, Prime Minister, you must take another path.”

“Good grief. Then what about Beric?”

“I expect he’ll rank somewhere in the top ten and join the palace guard.”

He would need to be handled more carefully and closely. Jarrett looked back at the Prime Minister, placing his hand over Beols’ message, silently asking if there was more to say.

“…Very well. Meeting adjourned.”

“…Yes. Please leave.”

The Prime Minister feigned ignorance, stood, and exited the conference room. Quintana followed, turning his back to add,

“Captain Jarrett, regardless of right or wrong, be cautious. If you focus too much on one thing, you might miss what’s beside it. I worry you might miss His Highness Jin’s tears while trying to read Sir Ian’s heart.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Jarrett nodded in farewell.

Once the two had left, the palace guards waiting outside entered, ready to depart.

“Captain, shall we get going?”

“Alright. Take good care of these. As soon as we get back to the office, prepare the report and distribute it.”

Jaret handed the documents to his subordinates, issuing the order. The Selection Festival wasn’t over yet, and he had plenty to do as well.

*    *    *

Following Ian were Romandro and a servant carrying a golden tray. On the tray lay letters from various nations.

These were replies to the invitation for Jin’s appointment ceremony. Upon hearing that Jin was with Xiaoshi, they had turned back.

“How are Beric and Xiaoshi doing physically?”

“Hm. Beric’s fine, just as expected. Xiaoshi’s the one I’m worried about. Since only the healing mage can channel magic to her, she’s at a disadvantage.”

“Is she in bad shape?”

“Not exactly. She’s going through a tough time, that’s all. But from what I’ve seen, that doctor is pretty serious. Ever since Beric got hurt, he seems to barely register most wounds as injuries.”

Tap, tap, tap.

The servants standing outside Xiaoshi’s room noticed Ian and Romandro and quickly greeted them. At the same time, the door opened, signaling someone inside. Jin was sitting by Xiaoshi’s bedside, reading a book.

“Sir Ian.”

“Your Highness. I heard you were here. We’ve received a reply to the appointment invitation. Shall we read it together?”

“Ah, yes. I’ve been waiting for it as well.”

Ian studied Jin carefully. He had expected Jin to be upset seeing Xiaoshi lying there like that, but surprisingly, he seemed alright. Jin noticed Ian’s gaze and tilted his head.

“Why do you look at me like that?”

“Nothing. Has everything been alright? It must be difficult without Xiaoshi around.”

“Yes, I’m fine. I have many attendants here.”

“I see.”

Romandro recalled the expression Jin had earlier by the window, bathed in the sunset. It was clear he was deeply pained, yet he never voiced it. Such dignity. Romandro opened the door wider as he guided Jin out.

“Let’s head to the office, Your Highness. It would be good to review the reply and discuss today’s events and what lies ahead.”

“Agreed.”

Xiaoshi lay with perfect posture, breathing evenly. Beric had been a mess even as he was dying. Ian glanced briefly at Xiaoshi’s bruised and torn face, then moved the book from the bed to the bedside table.

A soft sliding sound.

At that, Xiaoshi’s eyes opened. Perhaps she had only been pretending to sleep. If such a small noise could wake her, she must have been alert to Jin’s presence all along.

Ian looked toward the door. Romandro and Jin were already gone.

“Master.”

“Yes, Xiaoshi. How are you feeling?”

“…I’m fine. Is everyone else alright?”

Such a loaded, meaningful question. Ian hesitated for a moment, then pulled a chair over and sat beside her. It seemed she didn’t fully understand why she was like this.

“There’s nothing to worry about. You took the worst of it. Xiaoshi, do you know why you had to face Beric?”

“To test me, Captain Jaret said…”

So she understood at least that much. Smart girl. Ian nodded in approval, then leaned in to whisper as if sharing a secret.

“But Xiaoshi, there’s a more important reason.”

“What is it?”

“Because you called me ‘Master.’”