Chapter 448

“…How audacious.”

The silence was broken by Jin’s muttered words. The boy clenched a handful of documents tightly, then took a steadying breath as if to control his rising anger.

Xiaoshi, sensing the lord’s unusual change in mood, stepped forward cautiously, but Jin shook his head firmly, cutting him off.

“Minister Ian Hielo serves Bariel’s imperial palace and works for Bariel. He draws a salary from them; his true master is Bariel, the royal family. So why would he stoop to insulting us by bringing up some mere merchant guild leader? Is this truly Vargas’s choice?”

As long as Ian remained minister, his allegiance was to the royal family. More precisely, within the palace, Jin Berosion was his true master. Yet here he was, in front of the crown prince, calling Rutherford his lord—and worse, babbling nonsense about Mosine Mane.

Jin clenched his teeth involuntarily and rose from his seat. His clear blue eyes flickered with fierce anger. Ian’s repeated attempts to leave the palace had already been a source of concern, and now Vargas’s words had crossed a line.

“Envoy Banias, I ask you one last time: is this Vargas’s decision?”

“…Crown Prince Jin, I have used the truth serum exactly as the palace instructed. You agreed not to question anything beyond confirming my identity, did you not?”

Was the promise of the great empire of Bariel so easily broken? Banias raised a hand in protest, and the Vargas delegation behind her immediately adopted the royal court’s etiquette to calm Jin’s fury.

Ian added quietly, “Your Highness, I beg you, do not judge the minister’s words too harshly. Please show leniency.”

“Sir Ian! Did you not hear me? Did I not say Rutherford is your master?”

“In my world, that is the truth. The truth serum doesn’t reveal objective facts; it exposes one’s inner self.”

A subtle denial. Ian was telling Jin that this was Banias’s one-sided claim.

It was true that Ian was involved in the production of Idgal, and that a contract had been made with the Mosu faction back then. But the important thing was that the Ian present here was not the illegitimate son, but Emperor Ian.

“Please, calm yourself,” Ian said, nodding gently, signaling the boy to compose himself, then turned to Banias.

‘She knows she’s subordinate. Whether this is a weapon Rutherford told her to use to shake the palace, or something everyone in Rutherford’s faction knows—I’m not sure. But she clearly knows the details of the contract. If handled well, we might extract valuable information.’

“Envoy Banias.”

“Yes, Minister Ian Hielo.”

“Your claim that you serve Rutherford implies that you are under his control. In other words, most of Vargas’s ruling class is connected to Rutherford. Do you admit this?”

“……”

Banias remained silent, choosing not to answer what she was not obliged to. Ian, however, stepped closer with a pleased expression.

“Furthermore, judging by your faction’s stance, it seems that King Damon, whose fate swings like a pendulum, is also in Rutherford’s grasp.”

“Vargas is in crisis because of the war. All the various powers that usually trade with the state are now focused on the situation. Rutherford is just one among them.”

“That’s a strange way to put it. One might think you’re the victims here.”

“Exactly. Please correct yourself. That statement is deeply offensive to Clifford!”

The Clifford delegation, who had been quietly listening, now protested strongly at Banias’s words. The prime minister raised his staff, signaling them to hold back, and they reluctantly bit their lips.

“So, you admit that Rutherford is involved in Vargas now. Envoy Banias, that is how I interpret your words.”

Banias glanced between Ian and Crown Prince Jin’s side. The royal family’s reaction was surprisingly calm. No one except Jin showed any strong response to the claim that they served Rutherford. Had the palace already known this?

King Clifford and Eriphoni of Clifford, watching the tense scene silently alongside Banias, exchanged a glance and inwardly gasped.

‘The palace knows Ian is connected to Rutherford. Rutherford’s main sphere of activity now is the production and distribution of Idgal.’

It was starting to make sense why Ian wanted to step down as Minister of Magic. If the head of the mages was involved in something that endangered their safety, it would be utterly absurd.

“Minister Ian is involved with Idgal.”

King Clifford and Eriphoni whispered simultaneously, and the two delegations stirred quietly again. The Magic Department’s red cloth protests were not without reason. If Ian was truly connected to Idgal and, by extension, Rutherford, it was grounds for immediate dismissal.

“Wasn’t Idgal used in the civil war as well?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“I know that too. So, did Minister Ian create Idgal? And why? Especially when they’re even destroying existing magic-sealing stones.”

“Still, it seems the palace knows everything.”

“And yet they oppose his resignation. Meanwhile, Ian himself wants to step down. Hmm.”

“That shows the crown prince’s confidence. Having seized power, he believes he can keep Ian under control.”

Speculation buzzed among the envoys. Most of it made sense and was largely accurate. The connection between Damon and the palace was beyond their imagination.

“Your Highness.”

Ian turned his back firmly when Banias remained silent, then smiled first, signaling the boy to relax.

What Rutherford wanted was to keep Damon’s life hanging by a thread until he arrived, and to remind Ian, who had taken root in the palace, that their contract still stood.

“If Rutherford is involved in uniting Vargas’s forces, Bariel must officially counter this.”

“On what grounds?”

Jin narrowed his eyes and asked.

Of course, it would be ideal, but to mobilize the army, they needed a clear justification. Even if they restarted the war they had just ended, the empire’s people would need a convincing reason.

Besides, this affected the morale of those who had just returned home, so Jin lightly pressed his temple in frustration.

“Wasn’t the distribution of Idgal during the Clifford-Vargas war something Bariel couldn’t really control?”

If Clifford had fallen, Bariel would have been in a difficult position. But before that, how could Bariel possibly know and intervene in all the countless transactions during wartime? Supplies and many other things move explosively in all directions during war.

Moreover, Rutherford wasn’t even part of Bariel’s merchant guild, and Clifford and Vargas had no obligation to report Idgal’s distribution to Bariel.

It would be a problem if discovered, but if not, it gave them power to oppose the mages. There was no reason not to do it.

‘Luswena.’

Luswena, who succeeded in receiving supplies.

‘Clifford.’

And Clifford, who failed and allied with Bariel.

Every time Jin’s gaze met the kings, they bowed their heads. No one could know the weight of those bowed heads.

“There is no lack of justification, Your Highness. The wounds you bear are that justification.”

At that moment, Ian’s voice snapped Jin back to focus.

Following his words, the boy touched the scar on his chin. The deep, sunken wound’s edge was clear.

“A civil war?”

“Yes. Someone mentioned it earlier. Everyone in the Gaia theater knows that Idgal was used in the palace rebellion. No matter how much a merchant chases profit, supplying Idgal to a palace revolt is outright treason against Bariel’s legitimacy.”

“I know that. So…”

So the Magic Department analyzed Idgal and tracked Rutherford’s whereabouts. Why bring this up again? Jin pondered briefly.

But only briefly.

“That is the problem.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The boy grasped Ian’s meaning.

They had forgotten. Rutherford was not just a threat to the mages’ safety but the one who had raised a blade against Bariel.

If rebels took control of Vargas, it was something Bariel could never tolerate. Officially.

“Since someone loyal to Rutherford even serves as envoy here in Bariel, there’s no need to elaborate further on Vargas’s situation. It’s a border region and the main instigator of the war. For someone involved in Bariel’s civil war to seize control there—that is unacceptable.”

Jin waved his hand dismissively, signaling there was nothing more to say.

“I will deploy troops to the border region. This is separate from the ceasefire agreement between Clifford and Vargas; it is Bariel’s defensive posture. Does anyone oppose?”

Jin scanned the officials. They stood firm, showing their support for the crown prince’s decision. Ian also placed a hand over his chest silently praising the wise move.

“Now, returning to the main point: Vargas must immediately disarm the soldiers owned by the royal palace and surrender the seals of the central nobles to Bariel. Anyone who resists will be deemed to be in league with Rutherford. The kingdom’s warehouses must be opened to pay war reparations. Quintana.”

“Yes, Your Highness. This is the estimated damage cost to Bariel caused by the war. It was submitted by Cleaford, and we’ve found no particular anomalies.”

Rustle.

Quintana stood briefly and read aloud the report. Compared to other wars, the duration was relatively short and the damage costs were low, but the moment Cleaford’s ‘Rift Incident’ was included, the numbers skyrocketed exponentially.

“…Am I seeing this wrong?”

Eriphoni frowned as she took the documents. How many digits were there, exactly? It was overwhelming.

Eldert shook his head briefly. The treasury of Luswena alone couldn’t possibly cover this. At this rate, negotiation wasn’t optional—it was absolutely necessary. They had no choice but to go through talks and try to bring the price down somehow.

Just as Eriphoni was about to stand and protest, the Ministry of Magic began distributing papers, as if on cue. Ian stepped forward slowly, passing by the Luswena and Burgos delegations.

“What you’re receiving now is the Ministry’s projected plan for managing the Rift aftermath. As you’ll see, much of the data is based on past records. Therefore, a thorough investigation schedule is essential for a more accurate estimate…”

The wizards glared, clutching the red bands around their necks. Crown Prince Jin frowned deeply, clearly displeased, prompting Ian to take a step back.

“There are significant difficulties in narrowing down disagreements. Therefore, it would be best if each nation dispatched their own wizards. Burgos and Luswena—how many wizards are currently assigned to your royal courts?”

Eriphoni bit her lip sharply. Despite knowing full well that many wizards had rebelled, to ask that so openly in an official setting was a clear provocation—a direct insult.

While Eriphoni was scrambling for a response, unexpectedly, the King of Cleaford spoke up.

“Minister Ian.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Please go ahead.”

“There are damages that have been overlooked.”

“Could you specify what you mean? Material losses, or—”

“Something far beyond material value. The trust and faith in the royal court.”

Ian smiled faintly, furrowing his brow.

Beside him, Mei’s tension was palpable—she knew a bombshell was about to drop from the King’s mouth.

“Because of this Rift, a curse-like affliction has settled upon the royal family. Cleaford intends to seek compensation for this as well.”