Chapter 284

“Ian, it’s me.”

“Please come in.”

Romandro peeked in, pulling a small handcart piled high with stacks of paper reaching up to a person’s waist.

Ian, busy scribbling with his pen, turned his head in surprise at the sound of wheels. Where on earth were all these tasks coming from? It had been several days since the selection ceremony, yet somehow his workload felt heavier than ever.

He glanced at the mountain of reports filling his office and gestured toward a corner.

“Leave them over there.”

“Feels like you said that an hour ago. Ha ha.”

“Sometimes it’s strange. I wonder if there’s anything left to come, but when I open the reports, it all makes sense. Please organize them in order of approval dates.”

“This one can wait a bit. It’s a proposal about the Ministry of Magic’s routes and role assignments for the day of His Highness Jin’s appointment ceremony. Other departments just need to be informed once it’s decided.”

“I see. Understood. This one’s already approved, so please take it away. We’re running out of space.”

Ian fixed his gaze back on the documents, the steady scratch of his pen resuming. But only for a moment. He noticed Romandro hadn’t left and looked up again.

“Is there something else to report?”

“Ah, yes, about that…”

Romandro glanced at the chair, and Ian nodded, inviting him to sit. Sensing the conversation might be lengthy, Ian rested his pen on the inkpot.

“Barsabe’s situation is a bit unclear. Xiaosi is still receiving treatment, but she’s recovered enough to compete without issue. It seems she’s no longer needed, though.”

Captain Jarrett hadn’t ‘officially’ ordered Barsabe’s return, and Ian hadn’t heard any hints either, so Romandro was bringing it up directly.

Is it just because everyone’s busy? But Ian wasn’t the type to overlook something like this. He asked cautiously, feigning ignorance.

“Ian.”

“Yes?”

“I’m just saying, the atmosphere at the palace has been a bit tense lately.”

“In what way?”

Ian pretended not to know and asked again.

“Remember the day Beric and Captain Jarrett sparred? Since then, the palace guards have been unusually sharp. It seems they’re displeased with Beric’s victory, but the problem is the Imperial Defense Department seems to be siding with them, giving off the same vibe.”

Everyone had seen Ian transfer his magic to Beric. It was no secret that the Minister of Magic intended to place his own people close to His Majesty the Emperor.

“Of course, internal evaluations were part of the captain selection process, but the rumors about your intentions are rampant.”

“My intentions? What do they say?”

Ian smiled genuinely, curious. Seeing his harmless smile, Romandro couldn’t help but smile back. Up close, Ian’s presence was radiant, though from afar, few seemed to notice.

“Well, there are many theories. Some say you knew the internal evaluation was hopeless, so you deliberately defeated the captain to make up for it. Others say it’s a message that although the Ministry’s manpower has decreased, their military strength remains solid. Five people together, five different stories.”

It was a highly impactful incident. Not only palace insiders but also general participants had witnessed it. The lingering tension was understandable.

Ian shrugged.

“Interesting. One action, countless interpretations.”

“The appointment ceremony for His Highness Jin is coming soon, so things might quiet down for a while. Beric’s appointment fell through, too. But it’d be wise to be cautious going forward. You know how sensitive this is, right?”

With the young prince and the Minister of Magic standing behind him, once Jin officially became the successor at the ceremony, concerns and vigilance would only deepen. Power was like a living thing—it grew larger with time.

Those aware that this was just the beginning would surely try to gradually shift Jin’s attention toward them.

‘Maybe it’s already started.’

In any case, it seemed best to settle Barsabe’s residence anew. She was the key link between the palace guards and Jin.

But Ian just shook his head, signaling it was fine.

“Her skills and loyalty have been proven several times, and the more people serving His Highness, the better. Xiaosi also has much to learn from her, so I’ll keep her around a little longer.”

“Ian?”

“Besides, since she’s His Highness’s bodyguard, it’s not really my decision. It was entirely His Highness’s wish to accept her in the first place.”

Romandro blinked in surprise. Did he not realize what it meant for Ian to keep Barsabe close? ‘That’ Ian?

No way. Then there must be some other motive Romandro hadn’t grasped yet…

“Um, Ian—”

“Waaah! I’m gonna die here!”

Bang! Crash!

Beric burst in, cutting off Romandro’s words. Romandro frowned and scolded him, but Beric paid no mind.

“Beric, at least announce yourself!”

“Ugh, I’m too exhausted for that. Seriously, the palace guards must be crazy. Why make us run so hard on the very first day? Not even a sip of water allowed! Argh, seriously!”

Today was Beric’s first day training as a palace guard. He’d been sharp and neat in his uniform that morning… but by afternoon, he looked like a mess.

“Oh no, you couldn’t even drink water?”

“Exactly. And the funny part is, only rookies aren’t allowed. They told me if I wanted water, I had to run laps for an hour.”

Oh, wow. Beric, that’s what we call hazing.

Romandro covered his mouth, looking at Beric with pity. The earlier scolding was long forgotten.

“So, what happened?”

“Well, I ran laps for an hour and emptied all the water containers. Ha ha!”

Looking closer, Beric was still in his training clothes under the uniform. He must have rushed straight here without changing. The palace guards clearly didn’t welcome Beric’s presence, so they were trying to wear him down like this. But still, the Empire’s honor is at stake—how could they…

“They told me to refill all the water containers, but they should be the ones drinking it, right? I got so mad I smashed them all and just left. They said there’s beef for dinner tonight. Romandro, are those water containers expensive? They looked a bit bigger than me.”

“You broke all the water containers? On your first day? Why on earth?!”

“Because I was pissed off!”

Romandro silently made the sign of the cross, mourning the palace guards. They were already rough enough; now they’d be even harsher trying to ‘shape’ him.

“Beric.”

“Yeah?”

“What did I tell you this morning?”

“…Not to cause trouble.”

“So you heard me. I’ll tell Captain Jarrett to deduct the cost of the water containers from your salary. You’ll barely be able to buy a beer with your first paycheck.”

If he could even afford a beer, that’d be lucky. With this chaos on day one, he might be in debt by the end of the month.

Beric’s jaw dropped in shock, and Ian suddenly recalled the awards ceremony day. He thought he’d heard something about ‘trouble’ then too…

“Beric, about that. On the morning of the ceremony, when you were late, you mentioned some kind of trouble. What happened?”

“Last time? Hmm? Ah! Oh!”

Beric snapped his fingers, as if remembering.

“Nothing much. I almost hit an old man rushing over that day.”

“You idiot!”

Smack!

“Hey! I didn’t hit him! Not even a strand of hair touched!”

“Why are you telling me this now? Did you handle it well? Old people can get hurt just from a little shock!”

“He was perfectly fine! Honestly, I’m the one who’s upset! The old lady was crawling across the main road. Hard to notice right away.”

“So what did you do?”

“I tried to give her money, but she wouldn’t take it. Said something about ‘eating secrets’ or something. Kinda weird. Ian, you told me to bring you, right?”

Romandro gasped sharply. Even Ian, who rarely showed surprise, widened his eyes and set down his pen.

Both men looked unsettled. Beric, confused, stepped back behind the sofa.

“Why? Why are you acting like that? Nothing really happened that day.”

“No, Beric. Tell us more. The old person was a woman? And she said she ‘eats secrets’? A gypsy, right?”

“Gypsy? I can’t tell those apart.”

“Ian, since she was crawling across the main road, she must have been a legless old woman.”

“Oh! That’s right. She had no legs!”

“Good heavens!”

Romandro clutched his head, twisting his body as if about to have a fit—somewhere between ecstasy, shivers, and shock.

They’d issued a wanted order across the Bariel region at Timothy’s request, but no news had come.

And now Beric?

He’d met her on the night he came home drunk and late!

“Beric, what did you mean by ‘bring Ian’?”

“Well, if you want to make amends, bring someone quiet, thoughtful, and strange. That’s totally Ian.”

“Right. That is Ian.”

“…?”

Ian tilted his head in confusion, looking at Romandro. Neither of them seemed to understand what the other was talking about.

Romandro forced himself to stay calm and asked again.

“Where to? When?”

“On the night of the half-moon, at the place where the accident happened. Oh, near the alley by the newspaper office. Just a few corners from the intersection, and you come to the entrance of the big park.”

On the night of the half-moon, Ian and Romandro both glanced up at the calendar perched atop the bookshelf.

“It’s today.”

“Today, indeed.”

As they muttered in unison, Berrick gave an awkward, sheepish grin. He had completely forgotten.

“Really? Didn’t know that.”

“…Can’t exactly scold you for it, though.”

“Romandro, there’s still some time before nightfall. Get ready. I’ll finish up the documents I was reviewing. We need to pinpoint the exact location and block all possible routes of escape. Just in case, it’d be wise to send out a few mages as well.”

“Agreed.”

“Berrick, come with Romandro and assist him.”

Berrick whined about being tired since he’d just come in, but when Romandro tugged on his ear, he obediently followed.

Ian picked up his pen to finish what he was working on but then set it down again.

‘The secret-eater, the gypsy the King of Burgos desperately seeks.’

Soon, the reason why the King of Burgos was searching for her would be revealed. Perhaps there was a secret he wanted to erase through her, or maybe there was a secret she held that he was determined to uncover.

If it was the latter, Ian was genuinely curious.

And he truly needed to find out.

‘In response to the shifting dynamics among the three kingdoms, she will surely be a crucial key. Moreover, to guide Timothy’s naturalization smoothly, it’s best to know everything about the King of Burgos.’

With a steady breath, Ian steadied his resolve and gazed out the window.

The moon would rise soon.