Chapter 291

It was puzzling. Ian had only stepped away for about ten minutes, yet the atmosphere in the reception room felt as if the meeting was about to abruptly end.

Of course, the Ruthwena delegation had just arrived, so a lengthy exchange wasn’t expected. A brief greeting, presenting the tribute, and a quick discussion about the upcoming official schedule would have sufficed.

But this felt far too soon.

Romandro leaned in close enough for only Ian to hear and whispered, “The king is more aggressive than I expected.”

Though brief, those words carried everything.

What stood out most was the phrase “more than expected.”

Indeed, she was more imposing than anticipated, her spirit fiercer than imagined, and her gaze far more blatant than anyone had foreseen.

Ian stepped back from Romandro and approached Jin.

“Sir Ian.”

A faint flush crossed Jin’s face before fading away. The tension that had threatened to break the room dissipated with Ian’s arrival, and a new energy took hold.

For one, Eriphoni relaxed against the chair’s backrest. She rested her hands lightly on her knees, smiling as if waiting for Ian’s introduction.

“Is there no problem?”

“No, Your Highness. I apologize for any concern caused.”

“Not at all. Please, pay your respects to Queen Eriphoni. This is Sir Ian Hielo, Minister of Magic for the Great Empire of Bariel.”

Ian placed a hand over his chest in greeting, and Eriphoni nodded in return. She had heard of him from Eldert, but still—how could the empire’s future rest on such young shoulders? She covered her mouth with a fan and praised Ian.

“Sir Hielo’s reputation has spread even to Ruthwena. A prodigious mage who has overcome great hardships to serve the empire at such a young age.”

“You flatter me. I, too, have heard much of Ruthwena’s renown. A land of opportunity for mages, I understand.”

The prime minister, caught in the middle, lowered his gaze awkwardly. It was like shaking hands while simultaneously poking each other with sharp elbows.

The “hardships” Eriphoni mentioned included Ian’s background as a bastard from the borderlands, while Ian’s “land of opportunity” referred to Ruthwena’s slow magical development due to its scarcity of mages.

The factions surrounding the room exchanged subtle glances and murmurs.

“Even if young, a mage is still a mage.”

“Isn’t he a key figure in the current palace?”

“I heard he’s of low birth.”

Ian’s confident and fearless responses made his presence undeniable.

Eldert glanced discreetly at Eriphoni and closed his eyes. Unlike the ten-year-old prince, Ian was not someone to be underestimated. Perhaps it was time to ease off the provocations.

“I stepped away briefly due to an issue at the Ministry of Magic and interrupted your conversation. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Ian bowed slightly to Jin, offering a gentle smile. It was a subtle invitation for the boy to explain the situation himself—what had happened, what difficulties Jin was facing.

For example, something like this:

“No, it was just that Queen Eriphoni was presenting gifts aside from the tribute.”

“Oh, I see.”

“The only regret is that it seems it will take quite some time to show proper sincerity.”

At Jin’s subtle signal, a servant opened the lid of a quiver. Inside was a massive bow, nearly as large as the gift’s recipient. Ian quickly grasped the implication and raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm, look at this.”

But Eriphoni was also keenly aware of the subtle emotions between Ian and Jin—a complex, delicate relationship that was hard to pin down.

From one angle, it seemed rosy; from another, purple; and at a glance, tinged with blue. Truly meaningful.

“…It’s a commonly used bow, so I made a mistake. Your Highness, please don’t be angry, and if the string stretches too much, do let me know.”

Eriphoni threw another verbal stone to gauge Ian’s reaction.

Despite having been insulted twice, Jin still hesitated, troubled. So many options lay before him, but he was cautious, afraid that one wrong move might lead to irreversible consequences.

Ian looked down at the round back of the boy’s head and rubbed his fingertips thoughtfully.

“He’s not a noble of our land, but a foreign king. If diplomatic relations sour, the empire’s people will suffer most. No wonder Jin feels the weight. Though he met Eldert, it was only once. The disparity in experience is real.”

Moreover, Ruthwena’s king was shockingly bold—even Romandro was surprised. Without anyone to warn him where to push and where to hold back, it was natural for Jin to be flustered.

The king’s attitude was a sharp variable that couldn’t be fully anticipated from palace intelligence alone.

“Your Highness.”

Ian called Jin gently. The boy’s blue eyes searched Ian’s face, seeking an answer.

Yet his delicate brow was slightly furrowed. After the coronation, he would become the true heir of the empire. What could be more painful than confronting one’s own shortcomings? Ian smiled warmly and offered a suggestion.

“Since the king prepared the gift himself, wouldn’t it be fitting to respond in kind?”

“What…?”

Jin trailed off, uncertain. To respond meant to shoot the bow…

“Do you have anything to shoot at?”

Eriphoni added with a wry smile. How, and for what purpose, could one shoot a bow here? Ian answered politely.

“Oh dear, Queen Eriphoni. I’m not sure about Ruthwena, but in Bariel’s palace, there are no wild beasts running loose.”

“……!”

“……!”

The entire reception room held its breath. Though there had been tense exchanges before, nothing so overt.

The queen immediately straightened in her seat, lips pressed tightly together. Her eyes, dripping with venom, resembled a viper’s. Ian pretended not to notice and pulled the bow from its case, examining it from every angle.

“Though there are many ways to stabilize the bow, the arrow’s length is particularly problematic. Your Highness, right now Bariel is showered in pollen to bless your coronation. Shall we add some power to it?”

Ziiing. Ziiing.

As Ian unleashed his magic, the Ruthwena delegation flinched and stepped back.

Magic. The minister’s magic they had only heard about in stories!

Ruthwena did have mages, but they were few and mostly attached to the palace, with a vast gap in skill.

“Sir Ian.”

Between Ian’s hands, a slender beam of light appeared. It shimmered beautifully in pink hues, gradually taking shape as an arrow.

“Jin, there’s no need to be afraid. If Ruthwena’s king provokes you, don’t hesitate to respond. You have that right. You are Bariel.”

Ian lightly moved his fingertips, shaping the beam. Then, slowly, he handed it to the boy and asked.

The warmth that flickered was the same as when Jin had touched Ian’s magic orb before. Jin gazed down at the sparkling particles within the light.

“…Open the window.”

Swish.

At Jin’s command, servants busied themselves sliding open a massive window in the wall. A wide view of the palace gardens stretched out before them.

A refreshing breeze swept in. Eriphoni caught her fluttering hair with one hand and crossed her legs—boldly, despite the prince’s presence.

“I will hold the bow for you. Just draw the string.”

Ian held the bow steady with one hand, and the boy took aim, pulling the string with all his might. The string stretched smoothly, curving gracefully.

The magic arrow, resting lightly on Jin’s fingertips, hummed softly, creating a faint melody.

Wheeeeee. Wheeeeee.

Jin released the string, aiming at the blue sky. Though the force was small, the arrow soared upward as if guided by will, bursting in midair. The sparkling fragments mingled with the pollen drifting all day long, vanishing into the breeze.

Whoosh!

Bang! Pop!

A strong gust followed the release, and the bowstring snapped.

Peeng!

No matter how many times a craftsman twisted it, it was impossible to withstand magical power.

Jin looked at the sagging bowstring in the sunlight and turned to Eriphoni.

“Eriphoni, it seems the string doesn’t just stretch with time.”

The queen said nothing, instead watching the pollen falling behind the boy.

Are those stars falling in broad daylight? Perhaps now she understood why poets praised and sang of magic’s beauty. She shrugged and smiled softly.

“My apologies, Your Highness.”

“No need for apologies. Just keep your promise to replace the string. Take it back, have it repaired, and send it back.”

They would accept the gift but expected it to be returned for proper adjustment. Now that they knew Jin’s size, simply replacing the string wouldn’t suffice.

Eriphoni nodded gracefully, agreeing to the request. Though she hadn’t anticipated having to take back the gift as-is, what could she do? They had shown goodwill, and now it was their turn.

“Then, let us arrange the tribute…”

Jin started to give an order but stopped. Smiling brightly, he asked Queen Eriphoni for her understanding.

“I think we should inspect it first.”

“Inspect? What do you mean?”

“A report came in recently about an abnormal hypersensitive reaction to dragon antigens and antibodies. The investigation is underway here in the palace, and there’s reason to believe the source is an item from Luswena. It’s just a routine quarantine procedure, so it won’t take long. We’d appreciate your cooperation.”

Eriphoni glanced at Eldert, who looked utterly baffled.

But Eldert couldn’t have known either. The outbreak of Akorella had been kept strictly under wraps within the palace walls.

“For now, please get some rest. We’ll arrange a separate meeting to discuss this matter. You must be tired from your journey.”

Jin gestured as if to dismiss them, and the attendants began carrying the gifts out one by one.

Eriphoni tidied her hair, bowed to Jin, and left the reception room. The envoys followed the king in orderly fashion, whispering among themselves in confusion.

“Dragon antigen-antibody reaction? What does that even mean?”

“Isn’t that some kind of infectious disease? I thought that disappeared ages ago. Why now, all of a sudden?”

“Luswena does have dragon breeding grounds, but does Bariel?”

Tap, tap, tap.

Eriphoni climbed into the carriage and stared out the window. Palace officials on horseback led the way, guiding them to the villa where they would stay during the coronation.

Across from her, Eldert cautiously addressed the king.

“Your Highness.”

“A dragon epidemic? Have you heard anything about it?”

“No, Your Highness. Nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem like something made up…”

“I’ll look into it once we reach the villa. But, Your Highness—”

Eriphoni snapped her head around, annoyed at being called again.

“You might have been a bit harsh with Prince Jin.”

“Is that so?”

“No matter how young, he is the future emperor.”

Eriphoni smirked faintly and muttered under her breath.

“…He’s kind of adorable.”

“Such a terrible taste you have.”

She shot Eldert a warning glance to keep quiet and returned her gaze to the drifting flower petals outside. She wasn’t sure if Jin had just launched them into the air or if they always shimmered like that.

One thing was certain: this palace was truly something to envy.