Chapter 449

For a moment, Ian and Jin both hesitated.

When speaking of the curse that haunts the Clifford royal family, they must be referring to the beast transformation. But hadn’t that curse existed long before the Rift appeared? In fact, it had been with the royal family since its very beginning.

“Your Majesty of Clifford, could you please clarify exactly what you mean by this curse?”

“Is it truly acceptable for someone bearing such a curse to enter the imperial palace? What if it spreads within the royal household?”

“It’s not contagious, I presume? You said the curse is bound to the royal family itself, so there’s no need to worry.”

“How can you be so sure? The Rift only opened recently! Honestly, this meeting’s first day is already a mess. Vargas has his own issues, Clifford has theirs! This is like treating Bariel like a joke. This isn’t some market stall bargaining session—why all the noise?”

“Please lower your voice. His Majesty is present.”

“It’s just frustrating! That’s all!”

“Your Majesty of Clifford, please answer the question. What exactly is this curse? Surely it’s nothing that would harm the imperial family? That would be problematic.”

Though the tone was polite, the implication was clear: the forces heading to Vargas might have to be split in two.

The Clifford king rose as if seeking permission to speak, then finally broke the heavy silence.

“Your Majesty, I report this: while the imperial family may be unharmed, Clifford faces a grave problem. We barely have enough time to unite and move forward, yet disaster has struck the very heart of our royal house. How are we to bear this sorrow?”

“Be specific.”

“I have many children, all legitimate heirs born of the queen. The youngest has only just begun to walk. After the Rift opened, everyone in the palace abandoned the home they had known for countless ages. And then, the problem arose.”

Jin crossed his arms, watching the Clifford king with keen interest. He seemed to have a rough idea of what was coming.

Beric, who had been quietly listening, was the same. At first, he was puzzled, but after some thought, he found the answer. Ah! The ears and tail transformation?

“It’s the beast transformation.”

“The beast transformation? You mean the one we know?”

“Did I hear correctly? The one where they take on the form of beasts? Members of the Clifford royal family?”

“No, to be precise, it has only manifested in the youngest child so far. The child is fragile and we have protected him as best we could, but he could not bear the weight of fate.”

The youngest of the Clifford royal family is afflicted with the curse of beast transformation!

Jin and Ian exchanged glances briefly. In truth, the curse applied to the entire royal family, but only this part was revealed, carefully concealed.

‘Once outside the palace, controlling the curse becomes difficult. They’re using the youngest, who is unknown to the public, as a scapegoat to prepare the narrative.’

Even if the curse of the royal family were to be exposed to the people, it could be blamed on the Rift—and by extension, Vargas. Such strong resentment would only help unite the nation in rebuilding. By revealing this issue now, they could steer the situation to their advantage.

And—

“Therefore, I humbly request that Minister Ian be assigned to the Clifford investigation team. As the Empire’s foremost mage, the Minister of Magic will surely be able to unravel the curse’s mysteries.”

Their true intention was to officially invite Ian to Clifford.

By revealing part of the beast transformation curse in such a public setting, the royal family was acknowledging that this was a problem beyond their capacity to solve alone—one of great importance. It was only fitting that the Minister of Magic visit personally to investigate.

More importantly, this was a strategy of sacrifice: giving up flesh to save the bones. If the Rift remained unresolved, the royal family was doomed to extinction. They were willing to sacrifice the youngest child to ensure Ian’s inclusion in the investigation.

“How is this curse related to magic?”

“Since it is a curse caused by the Rift, it is a curse born of magical power. We hope that the Minister of Magic can resolve it.”

“Your Majesty of Clifford, at this moment—”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. Clifford is in no position to refuse any help from Bariel. But if you permit the investigation by Lord Ian and other mages, and support the reconstruction efforts, Clifford will transfer all rights to claim damages from Vargas and Luswena to Bariel.”

The Clifford king cut off Jin’s words boldly. He already anticipated how Bariel would respond. Bariel’s true aim was to absorb Clifford’s authority and dominate Luswena and Vargas.

The Bariel officials whispered among themselves, covering their mouths with documents.

“The Clifford king brought this up first. This might go smoother than expected.”

“Support for reconstruction means they want the funds upfront, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Even though the Ministry of Magic is involved, this was expected on our side.”

“It’s beneficial for both sides. Bariel has decided to consolidate authority; Clifford can’t resist. No point dragging this out—let’s approve it immediately. Now is the perfect time, with the leaders of Luswena and Vargas gathered. And what was that other name?”

“Rutherford.”

“Yes, Rutherford. I don’t know much about him, but it’s best to settle things before that merchant gets involved.”

“Rutherford seems closely connected to Lord Ian. Can we really sort this out?”

“All the more reason to do so. If Ian follows someone involved in the rebellion, he can’t remain in the palace.”

“Is Ian following that man, or is it the other way around…?”

“Logically, it makes no sense for the Minister of Magic of the great Bariel Empire to be subordinate to a mere merchant. I believe Rutherford is under Ian’s command.”

“Wait, be careful with your words. You know what that implies, right?”

The official who spoke realized his mistake immediately and tapped his mouth.

“Your Majesty.”

The Prime Minister, who had been quietly listening to the officials, bowed to Jin.

No matter how you looked at it, Ian’s trip to Clifford was for everyone’s benefit. Ian himself wanted to go, Clifford was willing to show goodwill to Bariel, and above all, it was a good opportunity for Jin. A chance to observe the situation from a distance, to confirm whether Ian truly had ties to the royal family, and to understand his relationship with Rutherford.

Though these statements came from Vargas’s side, as the sole heir to Bariel’s throne, Jin had to address any discord. If Jin gave in, Bariel’s royal legitimacy would be undermined.

“Let us accept the Clifford king’s proposal for the sake of Bariel. Ian’s journey to Clifford and return can be formalized in writing. The Ministry of Magic officials may have caused some fuss with strikes and such, but look—nothing has changed.”

While Jin was being persuaded by the Prime Minister, Luswena’s side grew restless. If the right to claim war reparations passed to Bariel, reaching an agreement would become even more difficult.

There was a big difference between being pressured by a collapsing Clifford and being pressured by Bariel, the heart of Gaia.

“Clifford and Bariel are negotiating the right to claim damages. Is there nothing we can do, Eldert?”

“Since this conversation started with the beast transformation curse, if we offer support, we might be able to smooth things over somewhat. But…”

But as you know, all Luswena’s mages had rebelled and fled to Bariel.

Feeling hopeless, Eriphony caught sight of a familiar face through the door. It was Zaiya, who had come to see how the negotiations were progressing and what was happening with the royal family back home.

When Eriphony met Zaiya’s gaze, the girl slowly raised her middle finger.

“Hey—!”

Never in her life had Eriphony been subjected to such a crude and blatant insult. She jumped to her feet, drawing the attention of everyone in the meeting. Zaiya, however, acted as if nothing had happened, standing straight with bright, unblinking eyes.

“Eriphony, Queen of Luswena. Is there a problem?”

“…No.”

Bariel and Clifford were on the verge of making critical decisions and were too busy to tolerate unnecessary disturbances. The Prime Minister frowned and issued a warning.

“Eldert.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Eriphony swallowed her rising anger with a sigh. Then, with a sharp look, she pointed toward Vargas’s side.

Vargas and Luswena would be in a difficult position if the right to claim reparations passed to Bariel. Especially Vargas, which would face harsher military and economic sanctions under the pretext of Rutherford.

“Vargas is trying to avoid King Damon’s execution, but I don’t think that’s possible. If the king dies, a power vacuum will form. It will be the perfect opportunity for Bariel to swallow Vargas whole.”

“I agree, Your Majesty.”

“Those envoys must realize their countries are in dire straits.”

Eldert understood what Eriphony meant. When it came to killing Jin and Ian, there was no force more suitable than Burgos. If they didn’t eliminate the two, Burgos would be wiped off the map. That alone was reason enough to risk their lives and carry out the assassination.

“They might have already made up their minds to do just that,” Eldert murmured.

If that was the case, Luswena would have no choice but to lend a little support.

Catching Eriphony’s intention, Eldert gave a subtle nod to the delegation behind him. The movements of the king and his advisor were visible to everyone, but the delegates standing further back were busy enough moving around that they had a bit more freedom.

Silently, one of the Luswena delegates slipped away and approached the Burgos side.

“Excuse me,” the delegate whispered.

“…”

“If the territorial rights fall to Bariel, it’ll be trouble for both you and us. Have you considered any plans?”

“…”

But the Burgos delegate only glanced over briefly, offering no response. The Luswena delegate leaned in again, voice low.

“Perhaps it would be best to call for a brief recess, so your representative and His Highness Eriphony can meet privately and try to find a way forward. Despite some friction during the war, you were still allies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Let’s at least try to prevent the transfer of those rights.”

“I will pass along your message, but don’t expect much.”

“Don’t expect much?”

The Burgos delegate barely moved his lips, muttering as if ventriloquizing.

“We came to delay King Damon’s execution, not to save Burgos. There’s no hope.”

What the hell…

The Luswena delegate frowned, trying to read between the lines, but the Burgos delegate turned his back and walked away, cutting off any further conversation.

The delegate returned to his place and reported what had transpired. Eldert relayed the message to the king. Hearing this, Eriphony pressed his temple with a weary hand, as if a headache was settling in, then raised his hand.

“King of Luswena, is there something you wish to say?”

“…The disagreements between Bariel and Clifford are dragging on. Luswena requests a brief recess to review the documents. Please grant us this. If the territorial rights transfer, our position will change as well.”

“The absolute amount you owe in war reparations is fixed. But your request is accepted. We will take a short recess. The meeting will resume in thirty minutes.”

Bang! Bang bang!

The prime minister slammed his staff down and then knelt beside Jin, pleading earnestly. The officials exchanged documents in a tangled flurry.

Eriphony rose from his seat. Ian stood frozen in the center of the chamber, watching him. Then, he turned to look at Zyra and nodded.

“They’re moving. Get ready.”