Episode 438
“Looks like Ian has finally woken up.”
Hale was sitting on the lawn, busy repairing a wooden plank, while Accorella watched him from across. She chewed her cigarette lazily, glancing toward the window. From here, she couldn’t see much. She wanted to check if the ragtag group from the Magic Department was doing their job properly.
“So, got something to say?”
“Yeah. About what Filia mentioned yesterday—Ian’s memory loss symptoms.”
Crack!
The moment Accorella said “memory loss symptoms,” the plank Hale was working on split clean in two. It had been rotten and blackened inside. Frowning, Hale nodded for her to continue.
“I looked into it, but none of Ian’s known magical side effects seem linked to memory loss. The worst he’s had was the ‘River of Suffering,’ right? But that one’s a clearly defined side effect—no ambiguity. The magic itself is the purpose, and the side effect is well documented.”
“So, maybe Filia was mistaken?”
“Hey, don’t dismiss maternal instincts so easily. Intuition can’t be proven, but it’s often reliable. If Filia felt that way, I’m inclined to believe there’s something underlying it.”
Filia had raised the possibility that Ian might be suffering from amnesia. Despite everything that had happened, she was baffled that he couldn’t remember that song. It was almost as if he didn’t recognize her at all. She was adamant that it wasn’t just any ordinary song.
“So?”
“It might not be a side effect from magic at all. It could be coming from somewhere else.”
“For example, something you created?”
“I don’t want to admit it, and I’d argue against it fiercely, but it’s the most reasonable suspicion, so I’ll keep quiet. To be more specific—remember when I almost died because of the Dragon’s Curse?”
“Why can’t I remember that?”
“At that time, the side effects of the mana amplifier combined with my symptoms caused memory blackouts. If there’s a connection, it makes sense to investigate that angle. Honestly, it was a long time ago, and I’ve even tried antidotes since then, so I think the chances are low.”
“The tricky part is how to bring this up with Ian.”
“That’s why I’m thinking of conducting a study on the correlation between side effects and memory issues. Those slackers in the Magic Department are good at pestering Ian, but I need some of our people sent down to help. I can’t handle it alone—I need more hands.”
“If you want, I can send some. But I’m not sure those guys will actually go.”
“They’ll go if I tell them to. What else can they do?”
Accorella lit her cigarette and took a deep drag.
Maybe because it was only Filia’s claim so far, the idea that Ian was suffering partial amnesia didn’t quite sink in. Honestly, forgetting a song or two over the course of life didn’t seem like a big deal. As long as it didn’t interfere with work or daily life, what was the problem?
Just as Accorella groaned and stood up—
“Huh?”
Ian was calmly walking out of the main building, with Beric trailing behind him. Accorella rubbed her eyes, thinking she must have misseen.
“What’s going on? Why is Ian out? How did he get out?”
“Ian’s out?”
“Look at those idiots. They can’t do anything right.”
The idle stablehands scrambled to grab the reins as soon as Ian appeared, and somewhat helplessly, they hurried out of the Magic Department.
Accorella grabbed a long piece of wood and dashed up the stairs. Since those fools clearly hadn’t gotten their act together, she decided to help herself.
“Hey! Ian’s gone—”
“Captain Accorella!”
“Help! How do I undo this?”
“I think there’s a separate spell to解除 it, but this posture makes it impossible to use. Ugh.”
“Hey! Didn’t I tell you to wash up regularly? That smell is awful. Move it!”
“How can I move when I’m tied up?”
“Damn it, at least pretend to try!”
Accorella slung the wooden stick over her shoulder, wearing a look of utter disbelief. The mages were all tightly bound, wrapped up like scrolls. They’d been helplessly caught by Ian’s binding magic.
“What a mess. What a mess.”
“Help us!”
“Where’s Ian? Where did he go?”
“He left while talking about the envoy. Probably went to check on that. The administrative side, I guess.”
“Okay.”
“Captain Accorella, what about us?”
“Figure it out yourselves. The bindings will loosen after a while.”
“How long?”
“A few hours. Oh, but since it’s Ian, it could be days.”
The mages’ faces fell as if the world had collapsed. Without a second thought, Accorella turned her back and grabbed Hale, heading back down the stairs.
“What’s wrong? The others?”
“They’re on strike, so it’s less embarrassing that they can’t leave because they’re tied up. If you don’t have the skills, you have to make up for it with your body. Just leave them be. Yeah.”
A week later.
Prince Noah gazed at the central city walls of Bariel in the distance, feeling a strange mix of emotions. When he first visited, he never imagined he’d be entangled with Bariel like this. Life was truly unpredictable.
Clack, clack!
He urged his horse down the steep slope without slowing. Ever since receiving the handwritten letter from Jin via courier, Noah and Mei had ridden nonstop, arriving at the capital in just a few days.
No less than the sole crown prince of Bariel himself had requested the Clifford royal family to hurry their visit—how could he afford to be leisurely?
“Your Highness, shall we change horses once we enter the city? They seem a bit tired.”
It wasn’t just the horses that were exhausted. Mei glanced at Noah with concern.
Noah had barely eaten or slept while managing the aftermath of the rift incident. And now, summoned to Bariel, he’d ridden hard to get here. The fatigue must be immense.
More importantly, the curse cycle was approaching again.
“What’s the point of delaying? Keep riding!”
“Yes, Your Highness! Are you feeling alright?”
“No problem! Mei, take care of yourself before me!”
“Understood. Since the partially destroyed palace makes it impossible to calculate the curse cycle precisely, you must monitor your own body closely. This is a critical time for Clifford’s survival. Faith in the royal family is faith in Clifford itself.”
“Feels like this happens every time we enter Bariel!”
“Not intentional, but yes! The margin of error is about three days, so if anything happens, it might be good to ask Lord Ian for help.”
“Help from Ian? I wonder if he even offers help without strings attached.”
Noah laughed heartily, and Mei added,
“He’s definitely got interests involved! But that’s why he’s risking his life to help Clifford. Knowing when to ask for help boldly is a skill in itself.”
“Got it! Anyway, I’ll be careful not to give anyone a reason to blame me.”
“Please do!”
With that, the two focused solely on urging their horses forward.
Soon after, soldiers at the outer city walls waved flags in welcome, allowing them to enter without stopping. They galloped along the royal road, quickly approaching the palace.
Clack, clack!
Hiiing!
“Are you the envoy from Clifford?”
“I am Prince Noah of Clifford. Our king is currently traveling by carriage, so by order of the crown prince, I will enter the palace first.”
“Yes, please come this way.”
The gatekeeper briefly checked their documents, then nodded and led them toward a side gate instead of the main entrance.
Mei stopped him, surprised.
“This is Prince of Clifford! Why are you guiding us to such a small gate?”
“Apologies, but due to the Magic Department’s strike, the criteria for opening the main gate have changed. All commercial carriages and smaller vehicles must enter through the side gate.”
“A strike?”
“As you know, opening and closing the big gate is the mages’ responsibility. If you insist, I can ask them. Please wait a moment.”
Noah and Mei exchanged glances and chuckled in disbelief. Why would Bariel’s mages want to do this? And for what purpose? Especially inside the palace? Was Lord Ian behind this? What on earth was going on?
Unlike the two, the gatekeepers seemed surprisingly familiar with the situation.
“Mage!”
“Yeah, yeah!”
“The Clifford envoy, Prince Noah, has arrived first! Can you open the central gate?”
The gatekeeper called up, and two mages peeked out, their red headbands tightly tied. Since they knew each other, they immediately recognized one another.
“Oh, Prince Noah arrived first?”
“What are those two up to?”
“Thank you for coming. We’ll open the gate, so please enter through the main entrance. But keep it a secret from Lord Ian!”
“What?”
Creak!
Kugugugung! Kuung!
At the same time, the main gate swung wide open. Noah and Mei looked back at the gatekeeper in confusion, but he just shrugged and smiled.
“Please, come inside.”
“Do you know why they’re acting like this?”
“Of course. It’s said to be in protest of Lord Ian’s resignation as minister.”
“Lord Ian resigned?”
That phrase was even more shocking than the mages’ strike.
Ian stepping down from such a key position is regrettable on a personal level, but on a national scale, it’s an enormous loss. If Ian were a Clifford, they would never, ever have accepted his resignation. That’s what Noah thought.
“I didn’t think Sir Ian was the type to step down so easily,” he said.
“Maybe it’s because he had everything at such a young age?” someone suggested.
“No, it’s not that. It’s more that he knows his own worth. Sir Ian is well aware of his value. He understands the cost Bariel will bear if he resigns. Something must have happened after they returned to the country.”
When they left for Bariel, there had been no hint of this. Or maybe they just didn’t mention it? As Noah pondered this and moved deeper into the palace, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
“Noaaa! Your Highness! You’re here! Come on!”
“Is that casual or respectful speech? Honestly…”
“Greetings, Ambassador Mei!”
“Beric. It’s been a while, but it doesn’t feel like it at all.”
Beric shook hands briefly with the two of them, then glanced around cautiously, whispering. He seemed wary of someone, but Noah couldn’t tell who. Was there really someone inside the palace to be on guard against?
“Before heading to the First Palace, do you want to see Ian first?”
“Sir Ian? Is there something to discuss?”
“I don’t know. Ian said it’d be better to meet briefly before the Clifford envoy meets Crown Prince Jin. Otherwise, he can’t help with the ‘fracture’ situation.”
“If Sir Ian won’t help with the fracture recovery, who will? I have no idea what’s going on in this palace, Beric. Can you give me a simple explanation?”
“Uh, well…”
Noah listened carefully as Beric gave a messy explanation, trying to piece things together.
Apparently, during Damon’s interrogation right after their return, statements came up that shook Ian’s standing.
“So the Magic Department is split in two now. The Ian faction and the anti-Ian faction. That’s what people are calling them.”
“The anti-Ian faction must be the Crown Prince’s supporters.”
“Eh? Is it really like that?”
“How many are in each group?”
“Not many. Just me, Ian, and Romandro.”
“…Hmm?”
How could Ian be part of the anti-Ian faction?
“If you help Ian with his work, you’re anti-Ian. If you obstruct or threaten him, you’re pro-Ian.”
“…Lead the way. I’d better meet Sir Ian myself.”
“Wait!”
As Noah hurried off, waving his hand, Mei grabbed the prince’s sleeve. Though the situation seemed playful on the surface, she had grasped the underlying truth: why the Clifford side had rushed to request entry to the palace.
“Beric, just to be clear—Sir Ian is resigning and joining the fracture recovery effort, while the others oppose both his resignation and the recovery? That’s the right way to understand this, isn’t it?”