Chapter 451

“Your Majesty, this is not something to agonize over.”

The Prime Minister pressed the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated. In all other matters, he was a man of clear judgment—but why, in this one instance, did he suddenly reveal his age and falter like this?

Jin pressed his palm to his forehead, listening—or perhaps only half-listening—to the murmurs of the officials around him. Or maybe he wasn’t really listening at all, just letting the words wash over him.

“I understand Your Majesty’s hesitation. It’s true that Lord Ian is suspicious in many ways, but there’s no denying he’s an invaluable asset to Bariel. If we send him to Clifford, he’ll naturally enter the Rift as intended. But then, we won’t know when—or if—he’ll return. His fate would be uncertain.”

“If he wishes to go, why do you keep blocking him? Yes, he’s a talent, but if his position is vacated, someone else will surely fill it. Are there no capable mages in the Magic Department? Even during former Minister Wesley’s time, people said there was no mage like him. But look—Lord Ian has appeared, and now Bariel can welcome a new mage once again.”

“Putting all that aside, the proposal from Clifford is quite favorable. Isn’t this exactly what we intended from the start? They’re willing to hand over all rights without fuss. This is an unparalleled foothold for keeping both nations in check.”

“Yes, I agree. Especially since Your Majesty ordered the military redeployment in Burgos. It’s better to absorb Burgos into Bariel than to let it fall to Rutherford’s merchant guild. We can’t allow some unknown faction to plant their flag in the neighboring country, creating something like Idgal. We must stop that.”

“I thought there would be some negotiation, but seeing them hand it over without a word suggests the situation in Clifford is worse than expected.”

“Whether by luck or fate, this is a great opportunity for us.”

“It’s a sign of the Rift’s worsening severity. This will have a profound impact not only on Clifford but on Bariel as well!”

Bang!

Jin slammed his hand down on the desk, unable to tolerate the barrage of comments any longer. Usually calm and gentle, this was the first time he had expressed such passionate anger.

The officials froze, mouths agape. Some rolled their eyes and backed out of the room without a word.

“I know all your arguments well enough to have them memorized. But—”

“Your Majesty.”

The Prime Minister knelt beside Jin. Jin braced himself, expecting the same old words. Instead, the Prime Minister’s unexpected statement pierced the boy’s heart like a dagger.

“The interests are clear. Your hesitation means that Lord Ian’s very existence is already a loss.”

“…Prime Minister.”

“The advancement of magic, Bariel’s future, Gaia’s absolute supremacy—I understand all of it. I know the brilliant world Lord Ian could bring. But by disrupting Your Majesty’s decision and blocking the clear path of interest, his presence alone harms Bariel. It has been so for a long time.”

The very person Jin had believed would help him grow had become the obstacle to that growth. The imbalance born from his deep affection and desire to keep Ian close.

Jin’s eyes widened in shock, as if a new world had shattered before him. Now he understood why Ian had insisted on leaving despite his protests.

“The sole Crown Prince of Bariel is weighing the future of the empire against the fate of a single mage. Your Majesty, this cannot be allowed.”

No matter how valuable Ian might be—worth thousands of gold—if he clouds Jin’s judgment, he becomes a curse. The Prime Minister made his decision and prostrated himself on the floor. He rarely bowed to anyone but the Emperor, so this was a sign he regarded Jin as equal to the Emperor and that this was a life-or-death warning.

“Your Majesty, if this negotiation is not corrected, I have no reason to remain here. I cannot stay if I cannot fulfill my duties as a paid official.”

“Prime Minister!”

“Decide now. This is my final counsel.”

With the Prime Minister’s stance so firm, dozens of officials followed suit, bowing their heads to the floor. Only a few dissenters remained awkwardly standing.

Jin looked at Xiaosi, who shook his head resignedly.

“…Very well.”

At last, Jin gave his consent. They would accept all rights from Clifford and provide full support for reconstruction.

Now, there was only one thing left for Jin to do.

“However, I will add a clause to the Burgos agreement.”

“What clause, Your Majesty?”

“To include mana stones in the compensation. The types of mana stones will be determined with advice from the Magic Department, and I will not entertain any objections on this matter. Mana stones fall under the Magic Department’s jurisdiction.”

The Prime Minister looked at Jin in confusion for a moment, then nodded in understanding. This wasn’t about cutting other parts but adding mana stones as compensation. There was no need to coordinate with other departments, and above all, this was an unconditional gain for Bariel—no one could oppose it.

“Very well, Your Majesty.”

“Inform Lord Ian.”

“Your wise decision humbles me greatly.”

“…There’s no need for thanks.”

They were simply doing their duty. Gratitude was unnecessary. The Prime Minister signaled the officials to move quickly.

Tap tap tap!

Bang! Crash! Rattle!

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

Startled, the Prime Minister looked up to see the attendants drenched in cold sweat, gasping for breath. And blood smeared on their hands.

Sensing something was terribly wrong, Xiaosi gripped the hilt of his sword. The Prime Minister and other officials did the same.

“W-What’s the commotion?”

“A disaster! A disaster has occurred! Lord Ian—!”

“Why? Could it be—!?”

“Surely not?”

Had Ian started a rebellion? Some officials paled, fear flashing across their faces. Their earlier suspicions about his origins and motives now seemed to justify their dread.

The attendants, panting, frowned as if to silence such nonsense.

“Lord Ian collapsed, coughing up blood.”

“Suddenly? What caused it?”

“We don’t know. The doctors have gathered, but he’s not breathing…”

Jin sprang up, stunned. Ian had been fine just moments ago in the meeting room. How could he suddenly collapse, coughing blood? And now not breathing? His hands trembled as he approached the attendants.

“…What happened? Is it a lingering effect from the war? No, not breathing… I don’t recall anything like this before.”

He didn’t seem to grasp the gravity of ‘not breathing.’ It wasn’t just dizziness, chills, or bleeding—

It meant one thing:

Death.

Tap tap tap!

Crash!

“Your Majesty!”

The attendant prostrated himself, speechless. Jin leapt forward, passing him by, and sprinted down the corridor with all his might. Officials and attendants shouted in alarm, and Xiaosi swiftly followed the boy.

When had Jin ever run like this before? This moment would surely be etched deeply in his memory. The endless corridor stretched before him. Without a glance at who stood in his path, he chased after the commotion.

At the end stood Ian.

“Lord Ian! Please, stay with us!”

“Damn you all! What did you do!?”

“Step aside! I’m a doctor! I’m a doctor!”

“We must arrest all the Luswenans and Burgos people inside the palace! He collapsed after drinking tea with them!”

“Where are the healing mages?”

“They’re unstable due to the Idgal from the war.”

“Everyone, gather! Pour your mana into Lord Ian!”

“We’re innocent! Though we offered the tea, it was the Magic Department who brought it! And Lord Ian came on his own! Our king nearly suffered because of this!”

“Shut up! How dare you speak so recklessly?”

“Shut up? Look at this!”

The scene was chaotic, like a marketplace. Mages swarmed, shouting urgently. Bariel guards, Luswenans, and Burgos people all claimed innocence.

Amid the crowd, a bright light shone—mana gathering, flowing into Ian. As Jin approached, the guards parted to let him through.

“Y-Your Majesty.”

“This is Crown Prince Jin! Clear the way!”

“Your Majesty, you shouldn’t see this. Please step back—”

“Move aside!”

A guard tried to block Jin’s view out of concern, but Jin’s thunderous command startled him into stepping back.

Drawing closer, Jin saw Ian lying on the floor.

“Lord Ian?”

His hair hung limply, his white shirt soaked in blood. The radiant green eyes were gone, and his once-straight posture was now bent like a bow.

Jin carefully took Ian’s hand.

“…!”

The skin was shockingly cold—so cold and stiff it was unimaginable for a living person.

Only then did Jin truly grasp what ‘not breathing’ meant. His eyes darted around, filled with confusion, despair, and fear.

“W-What are you all doing? Hurry… keep pouring mana.”

“Your Highness Jin.”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Jin grabbed the wizard’s arm roughly and shook it, causing the man to freeze in surprise.

At that moment, someone caught Jin’s eye—Eriphoni, standing at a distance with a fan shielding her face. Beside her was Vania, the envoy from Burgos.

The two women were whispering something furtively amid the commotion, and it looked incredibly suspicious.

“Eriphoni!”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

Startled, Eriphoni frowned and glanced sideways at Jin. But Jin strode forward confidently, and given the stark difference in their builds, there was no intimidation in her presence.

“Sir Ian collapsed while having tea with you?”

“I was truly at a loss. We drank the tea brought by the Magic Department, and he just collapsed like that. I suspect something was wrong with the tea. This could have easily sparked a misunderstanding between our nations.”

Eriphoni’s tone implied that if she had drunk it herself, it would have been a disaster. In other words, she was trying to claim that Luswena had nothing to do with this incident. But to Jin, that sly expression and attitude reeked of deceit.

More importantly, with Ian in that state, was there really any point in debating who was at fault? Everyone present was responsible. They were guilty of letting Ian die. Guilty of not dying in his place.

So the Crown Prince decided to hold someone accountable.

For the audacity to commit such a grave offense with such shameless arrogance.

“Kneel.”

“What?”

“I said, kneel.”

Jin looked up at Eriphoni and gave the order, her lips twisting into a grimace. Even as the Crown Prince of Bariel, to command someone to kneel before everyone? No matter how unfavorable the political climate, she was still a sovereign ruler. There was no justification, no evidence, for such a demand!

Eldert, sensing the king’s intent, stepped forward to protest—but was stopped by Xiaoshi’s sword.

“Hah!”

Eriphoni’s face openly showed her indignation, but Jin only muttered quietly.

“If you don’t kneel now, I will have your legs cut off below the knees.”

Everyone instinctively understood.

This was the final warning, spoken in words.