Chapter 338
Bang! Bang!
“Please open the door, Lord Romandro!”
“No, I just need you to approve this one thing. Just stamp it, please.”
“Let’s talk face to face, okay? Why are you acting like this? Seriously, is this how you do things? You know exactly how other departments operate, so why behave like this?”
“Lord Romandro, don’t pretend you can’t hear me!”
The door rattled violently, but Romandro remained calm, sipping his tea.
It had been over a week since Ian had been away. His absence was critical, yet other mages had stepped up, and Romandro had done everything within his authority to keep things running smoothly.
But look at this now. The Ministry of Magic was completely empty. Except for the mages assigned to palace security, everyone else had vanished, and all their work had come to a halt.
“Hmm. This tastes good.”
“Lord Romandro!”
Bang! Bang!
Romandro sipped his tea, glaring at the door that shook as if it might break. Half of those pounding were probably here to genuinely ask for help; the other half were there to protest. He had resolved to stay put in his office until the mages returned.
Isn’t this going too far? They must know how much the mages had sacrificed—body and soul—to keep the palace running, yet this is how they’re treated? This was essentially a justified strike.
When someone even tried to shake the window, Romandro set down his teacup and shouted, “Hey, you’re going to break the window!”
“Hey, you’re in there!”
“Well, of course I’m here during work hours. If you have documents to leave, put them in front of the box. It’s not there for nothing. Ahem.”
“So, when are the mages coming back?”
“Ask about Ian’s condition first! They said they’d send a dispatch as soon as they arrived, so just wait. I don’t know!”
“Open the door, geez! Is it because it’s the Ministry of Magic? This door’s ridiculously sturdy. Should I break it down? Huh? Just stamp the papers!”
“That door’s made from enchanted stones—very expensive! If you want to waste your salary, go ahead! Idiot!”
Romandro made a ridiculous face and stared at the door. Like that would make him open it. He chewed on some crispy roasted gulas and slowly began reviewing his backlog of reports.
Then, suddenly, the noise stopped. Romandro tilted his head in confusion and looked toward the door. A polite knock sounded.
Knock knock.
“Ah, we don’t accept salesmen.”
“Romandro. It’s me.”
“Gah!”
With a clatter, Romandro jumped up and opened the door.
There stood Jin, looking sheepish, alongside Xiaosi. Behind them, staff from other departments eyed Romandro like predators eyeing prey. Romandro peeked through the door and then gestured for Jin and Xiaosi to come inside.
Swish.
Romandro flicked his eyebrows at the others as a warning. No one dared cause a scene in front of the Crown Prince, so they quietly watched the door close.
“What brings you here, Your Highness?”
Once the door was fully shut, Romandro asked cautiously. He knew Jin’s intentions and wanted to confirm if it was truly acceptable for him to enter the Ministry of Magic like this. Jin smiled faintly, though his expression was tinged with concern.
“No matter what, the Ministry of Magic is still a department of the palace. They serve me and Bariel. Given the circumstances, I must come see for myself.”
“Wise words, indeed.”
“Has the dispatch arrived yet?”
“No. If it had, we would have been notified at the main gate.”
“I see.”
Jin fidgeted with his fingers resting on his knee, falling silent for a moment. Since hearing that Ian was near death, no new information had come, leaving him frustrated and helpless. If Ian didn’t return…
“Your Highness, the mages left as a group. With that much magic power, even on the way to the afterlife, they’d snap out of it and come back.”
If they didn’t return, the future would be a bleak darkness. Losing the empire’s greatest power and the head of the Ministry of Magic would leave everything in chaos. The path ahead was utterly grim.
Most of all, Jin feared never seeing his mentor and close friend Ian again—just like those who had lost their children.
“…Is there something you wish to say?”
Romandro whispered, sensing the gravity in Jin’s mood. He worried that any sound might leak outside. Xiaosi pressed close to the window, scanning for eavesdroppers.
“You know the Prime Minister and the Imperial Defense Department are investigating Idgal.”
“Yes, of course. You stopped them, didn’t you, Your Highness?”
“While the Prime Minister is one thing, I feel the Imperial Defense Minister Volbe’s vision for Bariel differs from mine.”
“…!”
Romandro’s eyes widened, startled. Jin was expressing discomfort with the Imperial Defense Department’s role in his political sphere. Romandro took a polite sip of his tea.
“Minister Volbe’s intentions are correct, yes?”
“Yes. Both the Prime Minister and Volbe seem focused on seizing Idgal first, but their motives differ. I’m not certain, but…”
If the Prime Minister seeks to suppress the Ministry of Magic for Bariel’s stability, Volbe seems to be leveraging power for his own status.
What bothered Jin most was the subtle friction in Volbe’s words and actions—enough to be impossible to ignore. Though it was only a suspicion, he was cautious about voicing it.
But—
“No, if Your Highness feels that way, then it’s true. Ian always said you are the center of the world.”
Romandro nodded without hesitation, fully agreeing with Jin.
Jin gave a bitter smile. Everyone who truly aligned with him was in the Ministry of Magic, but standing apart alone was no easy task.
“I want to appoint the Imperial Defense Minister as my man, but the New Year’s gathering is too far off. And who knows how the other ministers’ opinions will shift by then. So, if you have any good ideas, I’d like to hear them.”
“Ah, yes, yes. I understand. If Ian were here, it might be easier.”
“No. Keep it secret from Ian as much as possible.”
“Eh? Why?”
Romandro was puzzled by Jin’s request. Ian would surely have a clean, decisive plan. But Jin gripped Romandro’s hand firmly and repeated his request.
“I want Ian to remain unaware.”
Ian wanted Jin to walk this path alone, without him. He didn’t want to disappoint him.
Also, Jin asking Romandro for help was the greatest kindness he could offer himself. With no solid foundation, there were few options left.
Idgal…
Romandro stroked his beard, muttering the name repeatedly. The traces Ian left behind during the search of Felic’s residence. It seemed Idgal had some silent connection to Ian, but how the palace would react if they found out was anyone’s guess. He would ask Ian when he returned, but with the current situation…
“My apologies, Your Highness. I can’t tell you everything right now.”
“I understand. I’ll look for solutions from every angle. But remember, Your Highness, the palace belongs to you.”
This might be Jin’s first true political rival. Securing power begins with placing the right people in the right positions.
“Minister Volbe was appointed arbitrarily during the civil war. Considering the previous minister sided with Marib, Volbe must be from the opposing faction—someone distant from royal power. Having risen by chance, he won’t miss an opportunity.”
“I sensed that about the minister…”
Jin hesitated but then confessed, “I think he wants war.”
“That’s typical of military men. They live on bloodshed. Well—”
Even if not Volbe, anyone in the Defense Department would want war. Romandro was about to dismiss it lightly but stopped.
“Your Highness, could it be…”
Why Jin came here despite the risks, and why he specifically mentioned Volbe.
Romandro sprang up and drew back the curtain at the window. Staff from other departments, sitting in small groups in the lobby, looked up.
Not a single member of the Imperial Defense Department is here.
“They’ve gone out for large-scale military exercises.”
“Damn.”
“With the Ministry of Magic empty, Bariel is more vulnerable than usual. There was no reason to refuse. Ian and the mages’ dispatch hasn’t arrived either.”
There was a clear purpose: to prepare for a possible clash with Clifopod or to guard against Vargas and Luswena trying to exploit the gap. So, Jin had no choice but to approve the large-scale exercises, and under his command, the soldiers were gathering.
The situation was precarious. No one in the palace could suppress Volbe right now.
Sigh.
Jin pressed his forehead and let out a weary breath. He’d always known his position was fragile, but he hadn’t realized it could be so easily swayed by the winds. Yet—
“There were issues along the way, but Clifopod has no choice but to be friendly to Bariel. During my inauguration, they basically declared they would take a different path from Vargas. So, as long as Ian is alive, they’ll be accommodating. Vargas and Luswena aren’t fools either; they won’t recklessly attack Bariel just because the Ministry of Magic is empty.”
But reeds don’t break. Jin firmly believed that this period of wavering would help him grow. After all, it was what Ian had hoped for—so it had to be right.
“…Unless it’s Clifford.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“War is coming. I don’t know how big or far-reaching it will be, but it’s definitely coming. So we’d better hurry. It’s ridiculous to limit the military authority of the Empire’s Defense Minister; the right move is to remove Volbe.”
Romandro tilted his head in confusion, clearly not grasping the meaning behind Jin’s “Unless it’s Clifford.” But then realization dawned, and his mouth slowly opened.
“Ah.”
He seemed to understand the situation Jin was pointing out.
Hale returned from his audience with King Clifford, and the scene that greeted him as soon as he opened the door was quite a sight.
Beric was sprawled out on the floor, exhausted from dancing, and several mages had collapsed from draining their magical energy. The only relief was that some of them were Acrella, so it was relatively quiet.
And Ian had started feeding himself soup with his own hands.
“You’re recovering quickly, Ian.”
“Everyone worked hard. I owe them at least this much.”
Ian gave a faint smile and set down his spoon, though his movements were still awkward. He’d been coughing up blood badly, so this level of recovery was impressive.
Hale nudged the Acrella aside with his foot and pulled up a chair to relay the details of the audience with the king.
“First, we’ve sent a new dispatch to Barielo. Ian, you were the one who discovered the magical anomaly at the border, right?”
“Yes, I told them.”
“This time, it should arrive properly. Though it’s being sent via a detour, so it’ll take a bit longer. Also, the king requested compensation for the vineyard.”
“It got ruined, didn’t it?”
“Yes. That was a mistake.”
Beric, delighted at the chance to gorge on the ruined premium grapes, kept wandering back and forth. Hale scratched his head awkwardly and replied.
“The king didn’t go into detail with me, but the royal family said they want something custom-made. They suggested we discuss the contract again once Ian’s health improves. Here’s a rough outline.”
With a soft rustle, Ian slowly read through the message Hale handed him. It seemed they were planning to seek the magic department’s help regarding the royal curse.
Besides that, the terms for the alliance were neatly laid out, covering what each side owed the other. The finer details would be handled with the crown prince present, but overall, it seemed quite reasonable.
“Not bad.”
“And soon, there’s the anniversary festival for the construction of Clifford’s palace. They suggested attending that before departing. I think they’ve heard about the mages’ pollen incident.”
Ian stared up at the ceiling, shaking his head slightly, deep in thought.
“No. We need to replenish our strength as quickly as possible and return to Barielo.”
“Is it because you’re worried about the palace? The magic department may be absent, but other departments…”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what?”
“Burgos and Luswena have probably caught wind of the current situation. If we stay here, Clifford could be in danger.”