Chapter 436

Philia stepped out of the office, her back slumped weakly against the doorframe. She just couldn’t wrap her head around it. Ian didn’t know that song? No way.

When they were kids, that song had filled Ian’s days like a gentle ray of sunlight, humming softly around him. Most children forget their early memories, but even the day before Derga took him away, Ian had asked Philia to sing that very song. It hadn’t even been a year… how could he not remember?

“Philia, have you seen Ian?”

“What was that? Did he say anything unusual?”

“Uh, did he mention anything to you? It’s not that we’re suspicious, but from our side, it’s really important. If you don’t mind, could you tell us everything…? Philia? Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

A group of mages who had been gathered at the end of the hallway quickly closed in on Philia, peppering her with questions. Her face was so pale she fell silent.

“Um, excuse me, mages?”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Is memory loss a known side effect of magic? I heard Ian was badly hurt on the battlefield.”

“I’ve never heard of memory issues as a side effect. Is Ian having trouble remembering things?”

“See? I knew it! He’s got mental problems! No sane person would willingly enter the Rift otherwise. And what’s this about a kid not even an adult yet resigning from a ministerial post? It’s like shutting down shop right after opening.”

“By the way, where’s Captain Hale?”

“Hale? He went to support the Imperial Guard. He’s helping the magic swordsmen recharge their power. Ian sent him. Why do you ask?”

“I need someone to discuss this with. Romandro’s at the mansion, so that’s out. Please, let me see Captain Hale.”

“Wait a moment. Didn’t you get orders not to leave the Magic Department? That’s what the department said. Please wait here a bit. I’ll relay your message to Captain Hale.”

“Ah, yes. I’d be really grateful if you could hurry.”

Philia sank to the floor, clutching her trembling stomach. The mages, startled, sat down with her, looking helpless and worried.

Just then, Beric appeared from behind, scratching his ear, clearly wondering what all the fuss was about.

“What are you all doing? Playing on the floor?”

“Does this look like playing to you?”

“Or maybe working? Hah. Whatever. Where’s Ian?”

“Ian’s in his office, but don’t go in. He’s not feeling well today.”

“What? Why? Is he sick?”

Beric, casually scratching his belly, froze. When they saw him in the underground interrogation room, he seemed fine—so fine he even stopped Damon from losing his temper.

Beric blinked cluelessly, and one of the mages sighed before explaining the situation: the Rift investigation, Ian’s resignation, and the royal family’s involvement, plus Idgal.

“Oh, I’ve heard the rumors. So Ian’s going into the Rift?”

“…You look way too happy about this.”

“Hell yeah! Sweet! This is awesome!”

Beric punched the air, genuinely cheering. The mages stared at him, dumbfounded. They knew he was crazy, but not to this extent. Clearly, Beric didn’t grasp the gravity of the situation.

One mage stammered, “You… you understand what this means, right?”

“Yeah, I do. The Rift’s a monster pit, right? If we’re investigating there, damn, there must be tons of tasty, crunchy things to hunt. I’m already drooling. The palace is nothing but good food anyway. I was bored not being able to slice anything up. Nyah! Can’t wait to have fun!”

Right. This guy’s brain is even more fried than we thought. The mages all sighed in unison, realizing the harsh truth.

“Beric, you’re not going, idiot.”

“Me? Why not?”

“You’re with the Imperial Guard. To enter the Rift, you need orders from the three commanders and His Majesty the Emperor. Do you think the royal family would send a magic swordsman to such a dangerous place just like that?”

“Huh?”

Beric paused, surprised, but then shrugged. There was a simple solution.

“Forget it! The Imperial Guard’s been draining my wallet anyway. Leaving the palace is good for my finances! Ha ha ha!”

“If you’re not in the Imperial Guard, do you think Ian would let you join the Rift investigation team? That reckless guy like you? Huh?”

“Of course! Wherever Ian goes, I go. That’s how it’s always been. And damn, I totally support Ian quitting! Staring at scraps of paper without sleep? What kind of life is that? No time to eat, either.”

“…That food you scarf down by the kilo every day—who’s paying for that?”

The mage brought him back to reality, and Beric sniffled slightly, realizing things weren’t going as he’d imagined. Ugh, this kind of stuff really gets on my nerves.

“Ian’s got plenty of money even if he doesn’t work.”

“Are you really sure Ian’s going into the Rift?”

Without any heads-up to the mages, Ian had caused a huge stir at the assembly. Was it their fault? Captain Hale, Captain Akorella, even Romandro the aide, and the crown prince at the heart of the royal family—they’d all been blindsided. But what about Beric?

Beric slowly backed toward the office, then suddenly shuddered and shouted.

“Iaaaan!”

“Hey, grab him!”

“Ahhh! Ian! What the hell are you saying?”

“Wait, do we really have to catch him? Maybe we should just let Beric loose to knock some sense into Ian. One crazy dog won’t hurt. Worth a try!”

“Who are you calling a dog?! Ian!”

“You, you little—ugh, you’re so strong!”

“Beasts are always stronger than they look. Don’t provoke Ian until Captain Hale gets here! Things are unpredictable enough without Beric making it worse!”

Philia watched quietly as the mages and Beric tumbled around the hallway in a noisy mess. Despite the ruckus, the office door remained firmly shut, as if no one was inside.

“What’s going on here?”

A deep voice cut through the noise, silencing everyone. Philia and the mages turned to see Hale, casually draped in a robe, a dry cigarette dangling from his lips as he looked down at them.

“Captain? Why are you here? I was about to come get you.”

“Is it strange for a mage to be in the Magic Department?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“The rumors around here got so bad I couldn’t stay inside.”

Hale bit the cigarette’s end and muttered. What had started as baseless gossip had spiraled out of control since the assembly.

With the crown prince’s movements prompting the Imperial Guard to act immediately, Hale had naturally realized the seriousness of the situation. He reached out to help Philia up.

“Ma’am, the floor is cold.”

“Captain Hale, there’s something I need to discuss.”

“If I’m right, you want to stop Ian from going into the Rift investigation, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

Hale adjusted Philia’s collar absentmindedly and muttered,

“You don’t need to worry about that. He keeps trying to pass his duties onto me, but I have no intention of taking them.”

His tone was sharper than usual, clearly annoyed with Ian’s reckless behavior. He looked around at the mages.

“Everyone here knows Ian’s acting strange without me saying it.”

“Yes. Sometimes I wonder if coming back to Bariel was a mistake.”

“He wasn’t like this when we were in Clifford.”

“…Are we talking about confinement?”

“You think you can handle it? I can’t beat Ian.”

“Me neither.”

“You crazy fools! Is this the best solution the empire’s top talent can come up with?”

“Shh.”

Hale raised a finger, demanding silence. He made a gesture suggesting he had a plan. The mages’ eyes lit up as they looked to him.

“I’m going too.”

“Huh?”

“I’m volunteering for the Rift investigation. They said they’d recruit only volunteers, right? So I’ll gladly go with Ian.”

…This is insane. We’re screwed.

The mages all thought the same curse simultaneously but soon realized Hale’s response wasn’t bad at all.

If Ian left, Hale was the most likely candidate to succeed him as minister. His absence would disrupt Ian’s plans.

“…Not a bad idea.”

“And you’re all coming too.”

“Whaaaat?!”

“I don’t know exactly what Ian’s thinking, but one thing’s clear: he prioritizes Bariel’s safety. If all the mages follow Ian into the Rift, what do you think will happen afterward?”

“Another breach, right?”

“Poor Romandro.”

It was a kind of strike—a way to show their dissatisfaction with Ian through action.

Hale shrugged and turned naturally. Then, meeting each mage’s eyes one by one, he said firmly,

“To beat Ian, we all need to work together. Keep that in mind as you move forward.”

“Ah, of course. I understand what you mean. No matter how much Ian insists, if we all go on strike together, there’s nothing he can do about it, right?”

“Exactly. If Ian says he’s going to the Rift, then let’s all say we’re going too. That’ll make him reconsider.”

“Okay, sounds good! Let’s draft the petition!”

The wizards’ eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought of giving Ian a piece of their mind. Beric was bouncing along in agreement. They figured it was better to keep things as they were than to let Ian leave them behind.

Philia gently cradled her belly and looked over at Hale standing among the wizards. Did he realize that every time he led the mages, he was proving Ian’s insight right?

“Hale, it’s not like that.”

“Oh? What do you mean?”

“There’s something I need to discuss with you privately. Could you spare a moment?”

Philia requested a meeting with Hale to ask about memory loss as a side effect of magic. Hale nodded and led her to his office, then quietly locked the door behind them.

Creak.

Thud.

---

“Wouldn’t it be better to postpone the meeting until King Damon recovers? The wizards and palace physicians are treating him, so he should regain consciousness soon.”

“I agree. We can schedule the arrival of Luswena and the other foreign dignitaries accordingly—say, in about ten days.”

“Clifford, Luswena, Burgos, and even the northern allies—all are likely waiting for Bariel’s summons and preparing. I doubt it will take the full ten days.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

The prime minister and senior officials gathered in Jin’s office shared updates on the upcoming conference and began wrapping up the meeting. Though they tried to appear composed, their eyes kept drifting toward Jin.

“Your Majesty? What do you think? Do you agree?”

“Well, you see…”

“Yes?”

Jin seemed lost in thought rather than focused on the meeting. After a moment, he lifted his hand from his chin and looked at the prime minister.

“The Rift appeared within Clifford’s territory, so without their permission, we can’t investigate it, right?”

“In principle, yes. But there’s no reason for Clifford to deny that…”

The prime minister chuckled and glanced at the other officials. He had no idea what Jin was getting at. Sending Ian to the Rift was a chance to break the deadlock in this complicated situation. They could crush Ian, who was suspected of being a royal bloodline, and make him stand alone.

But Jin stood up as if he’d just thought of a brilliant plan.

“Right. That’s what we’ll do.”

He furrowed his brow deeply and addressed the prime minister.

“Ten days is too long. Tell everyone to come to the palace within a week. Those involved in this war, those who must take responsibility, and those who deserve compensation.”