Chapter 352

Ian made his way to the annex palace where the mages from the Magic Department were staying.

As he flung open the door, the half-dozing mages wiped their drool and lifted their heads one by one. One, two, three… almost all of them were still exactly where they had been when he arrived. Ian scanned the room as if searching for something, and one mage stretched and asked,

“Need some mana? Hey, who’s next in line?”

“Just let me skip once. I’m still tired.”

“You’re the only one tired? Stop whining and get up.”

“Ugh, seriously.”

The mage poked his companion’s waist with his toe, but Ian motioned for them to just stay lying down. Despite the unusual tension in the Clifford Palace, the mages who had been out cold had no clue.

“What about Beric?”

“Beric? Hmm, I haven’t seen him since he left earlier. Didn’t he go looking for you, Ian?”

“That was yesterday.”

“Wait, yesterday? Has it been that long?”

The mage blinked in surprise. He vaguely remembered Prince Noah barging in and Beric stepping forward to guide Ian, but that was yesterday? The mage was stunned.

“Ian, if this keeps up, won’t we have to walk back home? Are you feeling okay? Hey, no answer?”

“I seem to be back on track. You all focus on recovering your energy. That’s all.”

Ian hurriedly shut the door and turned away.

There were a mountain of questions he wanted to ask, but the mages just froze, reaching out into empty air. Well, he did say to rest, so they had no choice but to obey. The mages, chewing on dried grapes, slipped back into their drowsy haze.

Tap tap tap.

“Ah, Barsabe.”

“Yes, Ian.”

Just as Ian rounded the corner, he ran into Barsabe, drenched in sweat. He must have been training swordsmanship alone in the backyard.

“Have you seen Beric?”

“Beric? The servant called him back to the main palace. Prince Noah’s siblings summoned him, something about ‘bbong’ and ‘ppong’—I don’t really get it, but he went that way. What’s going on?”

Ian nodded and motioned for Barsabe to follow. Though assigned to the palace guard for various reasons, here in Clifford, they were all one body. Barsabe wiped his sweat, puzzled, and trailed behind Ian.

“Barsabe, a clash between Clifford and Burgos is imminent. We must minimize losses and prevent Clifford from falling.”

“I thought the palace was noisy, but it’s worse than I imagined. I heard Captain Akorella’s mana amplifier only has one use.”

There was no choice. If they helped Clifford, the path back to the center would be closed.

“But first, I need you to go outside the palace with Beric. There’s someone we need to find.”

“Wait, just the two of us with Beric?”

Barsabe’s face twisted in shock. What kind of mission was this, sending him out with a wild dog who didn’t listen? To control that guy, you’d need someone like Ian or Captain Jarrett. Hmm, Romandro might do as well.

“Timothy, the Burgos envoy, has entered central Clifford. He’s likely meeting with a palace spy. Since Clifford and Bariel have conflicting interests, we’re sending you two to prevent any unforeseen incidents.”

“I’m not sure what the intention is, but…”

“I want Timothy detained so he can’t return to Burgos. If necessary, capture him alive and bring him back unharmed.”

“Why capture the Burgos envoy?”

Thud.

As they spoke, they arrived at the main palace—specifically, the small northern annex where Prince Noah’s siblings were.

Laughter and raucous merriment spilled out. As they approached, the servants blocked their way.

“Apologies. By royal decree, you may not see the young prince and princess at this time.”

“Beric is under my command. Let me see him.”

“We will report to the prince and return shortly. Please wait.”

“No need. I know this is due to the curse. Step aside.”

“A curse?”

The servants froze, pretending ignorance, but their efforts were in vain as Beric tumbled out, followed by the prince and princess. One of the children even had a small, adorable tail. Barsabe’s eyes nearly popped out, and the servants hurried to shield the kids.

“Your Highness! What are you doing?”

“Beric, see? I rolled too, so I win.”

“Didn’t you just use your tail to keep balance? Do it again.”

“Beric.”

“Huh? Ian, are you done with your business?”

The prince and princess, barred from going outside, had gotten bored and called Beric to play. Unlike Barsabe, they were drenched in sweat.

“I was looking for you. Come on.”

“Me? You found me? Why? Is it time to eat?”

Bang!

As Beric excitedly tried to follow Ian, the prince and princess grabbed his feet, causing him to stumble forward. Barsabe frowned as if his nose had been broken and stepped back.

“No, Beric has to play with us.”

“Yeah. Ian, I heard Beric’s no help at work. Just let him stay here.”

“Princess, Prince, I’m sorry, but Beric has a task only he can do. He’ll be back soon, so please let him go.”

Ian tried to reason calmly, but the children showed no sign of backing down. They even thumped the floor with their tails in frustration, their ears puffing up.

Barsabe covered his mouth, overwhelmed by how shockingly cute they were, and staggered back. They were just kids, after all, and with the curse active, rational behavior was impossible. Even Noah had been rolling around in the palace backyard—what else could be expected from children?

“Ian, I’m so popular.”

“Just a little longer. The curse will lift soon. Next time, I don’t know if Beric will even be here, so cut me some slack! Beric’s always causing trouble anyway!”

“No, really, Prince. Beric’s more capable than you think. Well, nothing to brag about, but still.”

The kids piled on Beric all at once.

One servant ran down the stairs to report the situation, while another began securing all the windows and doors in the hallway—some of the few who knew about the royal curse. They must be highly trusted.

Ian knelt carefully and met their eyes.

“I don’t know when the next curse will strike, but if it happens while we’re in Clifford, it won’t interfere with Beric’s playtime.”

“The next curse? In two weeks.”

“Two weeks? The curse has a cycle?”

The kids wriggled up Beric’s back and finally sat on his head. Beric waved his hands, gasping for air, but no one paid attention.

“Of course. Some can predict the curse’s timing, but even they only have a rough idea. The problem is the uncertainty. I was told the next one will come in two weeks.”

“I see.”

Ian hesitated, then smiled and asked,

“Then, when is Prince Noah’s next curse?”

“Big brother? He’s probably…”

“If you tell me, I’ll lend you Beric all day that day.”

“Wait, hold on. I haven’t counted that high yet.”

The child’s fingers folded and unfolded like counting, then whispered something just loud enough for Ian to hear.

Just as Beric, barely holding his breath, suddenly stood up—

“Your Highness!”

“Ah! The grumpy old man!”

“Grumpy old man? That’s rude. Please come inside quickly!”

A servant brought in the king’s closest minister—someone akin to a prime minister.

He looked surprised at the scene but relaxed when he saw Ian was the witness. He already knew about the royal curse.

“Please, come inside! Immediately!”

The kids squealed playfully as they were ushered into the room, and Beric slowly got up, his hair a mess.

The minister gave Ian an awkward nod and followed the prince and princess. Soon, loud scolding would echo through the halls.

“Beric, let’s get out of here.”

“Honestly, you can tell they’re family. Noah acts just like him—loves rolling around.”

“Barsabe, I’ll explain everything later. For now, keep this under wraps.”

“Yes, yes. Understood.”

Barsabe, flushed and excited, couldn’t hide his enthusiasm after seeing such cuteness.

Leaving the annex, Ian led them toward the palace’s main gate, where palace staff came and went.

“Timothy is in the center.”

“Timothy? Really? But…?”

“Prince Noah will soon share a list of suspected traitors within the palace. Anyone leaving the palace besides those on the list, watch them closely and follow.”

If Prince Noah cooperates and shares the list of traitors willingly, there won’t be any problem. In that case, the whole rendezvous process will be relayed to Ian, so they can figure out how to persuade and keep an eye on Timothy when the time comes.

The real issue arises if Noah refuses to cooperate.

“Right now, the palace is on high alert against any unnecessary rumors, so very few people are allowed to leave. Just two, but that should be manageable. The exit is over there, and judging by those who ran errands for Akorella, the left path draws less attention.”

Unlike Barsabe, who dutifully recorded every single one of Ian’s orders, Beric just scratched his head and shrugged.

“From what I saw through the window, everyone’s dancing and singing like crazy. I don’t think anyone would even notice if we just went out the front door.”

“Not a chance. If the crowd realizes there are outsiders leaving the palace, who knows how they’ll react? We’re putting a lot of effort into keeping rumors under control, so don’t cause any unnecessary trouble. Be careful with your disguise. If you show up wearing some weird rag like last time, don’t expect any food for a while.”

Ian was referring to the last undercover mission. While everyone else blended in with ordinary clothes, Beric had piled on every odd accessory he could find, calling it a disguise.

“Wow, what do you take me for?”

“Barsabe, I’m counting on you. Beric, listen carefully to Barsabe. If you don’t, you’ll regret it. And make sure Timothy knows I want to meet him.”

Barsabe shot Beric a confident look, while Beric scowled in irritation. But what could he do? It was Ian’s order. If he messed up, he’d be stuck eating grapes forever, so he’d better behave.

“…This is annoying. You’re saying my molars are above me?”

“I’m annoyed too, okay? Just follow along, Beric. No exceptions.”

“No exceptions, huh?”

“Don’t repeat that. I swear I’ll kill you.”

“Ah, sorry. No molars, so I couldn’t understand your pronunciation.”

Ian clicked his pocket watch and checked the time. It was about time to head back to Noah and get that list of traitors. As he made his way toward the main palace, he reminded the two.

“Don’t fight. This is important. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Got it!”

The two pressed their foreheads together, glaring fiercely at each other as they answered. Their voices were loud and clear, at least. Ian smiled faintly and shook his head.