Episode 488
The next day, at the grand conference hall.

Those who entered to attend the meeting exchanged brief nods. Almost immediately, they sensed something was off about the atmosphere. Except for a few officials, everyone stood around restlessly. Even those not participating in the discussion wore heavy expressions as they shuffled through their reports.

“Good day. The weather seems especially fine today.”

“Oh, you’re here. Yes, indeed. Winter is finally fading.”

“But what are you all talking about? The Crown Prince should be arriving soon.”

“Nothing much, ahem. By the way, do you know why yesterday’s meeting was postponed?”

“Yesterday? Ah, yes. I wasn’t scheduled to attend, so I heard through my subordinates. Apparently, King Damon caused a disturbance. Since it was an important agenda item, they decided to assess his condition before proceeding. That’s understandable, isn’t it? And since no official notice was sent, it seems there’s no real problem.”

“We heard the same. But upon checking, it seems the royal physician hasn’t entered the tower since two days ago.”

“…Is that so?”

An official tilted his head in puzzlement and took his seat. It was strange. If the situation were serious enough to delay the meeting, surely the doctors would have been involved.

“Well, perhaps there were other circumstances.”

If so, the palace must have given a vague excuse for canceling the meeting. The lack of careful cover-up suggested they didn’t mind if the truth leaked—and more importantly, that it wasn’t a critical issue.

Curious, but not worried. That was probably all it was. The official tapped his report closed with a smile. Such incidents weren’t new at the palace; he didn’t understand why everyone was so on edge.

“Just let it go. Curiosity about the palace? Aren’t you afraid?”

“Afraid of what might happen, yes. Look around—there isn’t a single person from the Magic Department here. The moment I arrived this morning, I went to check on them because of the reports. It was chaos.”

Now that he mentioned it, not a single person related to the Magic Department, including Romandro, was present. Given it was one of the key departments, their absence was unusual.

“Chaos? Why?”

“They said it was because of the Minister’s orders.”

“Minister?”

What was that about? Did they mean the Magic Department Minister who disappeared ten years ago? Ian Hielo? The official frowned, unable to understand.

Squeeeak.

The main doors to the conference hall opened, announcing the Crown Prince’s arrival.

“His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, has entered!”

“Everyone, please rise!”

“Oh dear.”

With a clatter, the officials scrambled back to their seats, placing their hands over their chests. Soon, Jin Verosion entered, followed by the Prime Minister.

They looked as usual, yet somehow different. The officials couldn’t tell if it was their own confused perception or if something had truly changed in the two men.

“Please be seated.”

Jin gestured lightly, allowing the officials to sit.

As he announced the start of the meeting, the officials exchanged glances more rapidly. Despite the Magic Department’s absence, there was no mention of it. This meant Jin was already informed of their situation.

“Yesterday’s meeting was postponed, so we expect a heavy agenda today. Let’s proceed quickly. First…”

Jin flipped through the reports.

“Shall we start with the Magic Department rumors everyone’s been buzzing about? What do you say?”

Gulp. The officials instinctively held their breath and lowered their gazes. Making eye contact here would surely spell trouble—they sensed danger instinctively.

Watching the tension ease one by one, Jin spoke quietly.

“…An urgent report came from Rift Zone 2, Klipoford. It stated that the rift’s magical energy has increased abnormally. To put it simply, it warned that a Rift Zone 3 might form within Bariel.”

“What? A rift in Bariel? Does that mean monsters could appear there?”

“A warning means it’s not yet certain, right?”

“This is impossible! Monsters in Bariel? That must never happen! There’s no record in history of Bariel ever being exposed to such danger!”

“Excuse me, exactly which part of Bariel are you referring to?”

Startled by the sudden news, the officials looked up sharply. Was this why the Magic Department was in chaos? The talk about the Minister was just a rumor?

As the murmurs grew louder, the Prime Minister slammed his staff down forcefully.

Bang! Bang!

“Silence!”

“But, Prime Minister—”

The Crown Prince hadn’t finished speaking yet. Raising his staff again to quiet the room, the Prime Minister’s command quickly restored order.

“Now then, we have discussed this matter thoroughly with the Magic Department. The expected Zone 3 is near the Raja Mountains.”

“Oh no!”

Not far from the center. The officials clutched their heads in despair, groaning.

“However, amidst this, unexpected news has arrived.”

The officials noticed a faint smile in Jin’s voice. A smile from the Crown Prince in such a dire national crisis? They stared in disbelief, but his expression remained calm, as always.

“Ian Hielo, the Magic Department Minister, has returned from the rift.”

“……!”

“……!”

Though long gone from the palace, his presence was undeniable. Everyone knew of him but chose to ignore it. For Jin to officially mention his name was shocking. What? Ian Hielo has truly come back from the rift?

The hall fell so silent that even a breath could be heard. Jin seemed pleased by the quiet as he gently set the report down.

“He regained consciousness near the Raja Mountains. Whether the abnormal magical flow in the rift is connected to this will be investigated separately by the mages.”

After a brief pause, a flood of reactions erupted.

“Your Highness, did I hear that correctly?”

“…The Magic Department Minister is alive?”

“You mean Ian Hielo?”

“…Damn it.”

“Good heavens! This is wonderful news, Your Highness!”

“Remarkable, truly remarkable! Sir Ian, indeed! Ha ha ha!”

“Ian Hielo is that noble, right?”

“Yes. Oh my, to think he actually returned alive.”

Some embraced in celebration, hoping for the Magic Department’s revival; others muttered quietly in dismay. Groups whispered among themselves, seemingly unconcerned by Jin’s presence.

“Your Highness, is this true? Could it be an impersonation?”

“I’m skeptical as well. Someone who disappeared long ago suddenly reappearing like this…”

“A thorough investigation is necessary.”

“Yes, Your Highness! It’s not something to believe lightly! And if he truly returned from the rift, why wouldn’t he come straight to the palace?”

Outrageous. As the Prime Minister raised his staff to silence the room again, Jin waved it off lightly.

“Sir Ian will move to Zone 1 and return with the mages. His identity has already been verified. The palace guard, Beric, is accompanying him, so don’t entertain baseless doubts.”

If the palace guard had confirmed it, there was nothing more to say. Ian Hielo had indeed come back alive.

“Therefore, the Zone 2 mages will investigate the rift’s abnormality and then withdraw to the homeland.”

“You mean recalling the mages stationed in Klipoford? The backlash there will be severe.”

“Unlike the northern zones, Klipoford is an important ally. We must be cautious…”

The officials trailed off but didn’t back down. Everyone knew the chaos brewing in Burgos soon. And they knew Jin was waiting for that moment. It was war.

Thus, a strong alliance with Klipoford was more crucial than ever. It was like a shield to minimize Bariel’s damage.

“If the rift worsens, the safety of our mages investigating it is at risk. How can this be called an unjustified withdrawal?”

“But…”

“Guests from Klipoford will arrive for the coming coming-of-age ceremony. We will meet again then. There’s also the Idgal tribe issue, and we cannot ignore the interests of our allies when Bariel is at risk. And above all—”

What choice was there? Jin shrugged, conveying resignation.

“By principle, the Magic Department Minister oversees the mages. If the Minister calls for a meeting, who would oppose it?”

---

Meanwhile, at the Magic Department.

The chaos was exactly as described.

Mages ran through the offices, robes askew, unconcerned. Romandro rolled up his shirt sleeves and pushed aside piles of documents. Even as he hurriedly scanned the address list, yesterday’s events replayed vividly in his mind.

Boom!

“Ian’s coming back! Everyone!”

“Huh? Romandro, what are you talking about?”

“Ah, Captain Akorella! What experiments have you been up to now?”

“There’s no one here, so let’s take care of each other. What if even Romandro loses it?”

“Ian survived the rift! Woohoo!”

Romandro hugged the mages, bouncing with excitement, while they stood awkwardly, unsure whether to embrace or push him away.

Akorella spun a magic stone between her fingers, laughing.

“These guys go crazy whenever they see me. It’s not like that! Beric pulled it off. He’s traveling with Ian.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that…?”

“I don’t know the details! Ask Ian yourself when he returns.”

“Is it true? Is Lord Ian really coming back? For real?”

“Stop doubting! He’s coming back! With Captain Hale!”

“Uh…”

“Wow, wooooah! Oh my god! Oh my god!”

“Ahhh! What do we do? What do we do? Are you crazy? Seriously?”

The wizards had Romandro trapped in the middle, jumping around wildly and shouting. They seemed completely overwhelmed with joy, excitement, and disbelief.

Their voices were hoarse from cheering at the top of their lungs.

“Ahem. Romandro, I’m heading toward the commercial district. Is there anywhere else nearby I should visit? Could you give me an address list…?”

Just like that.

Romandro flipped through the papers with his fingertips, ready to hand over the list of addresses. But at that moment, Akorella cut in.

“Before you go to the commercial district, there’s a place you need to stop by. I’ll take care of it. I’ve got some things to buy anyway, so it works out.”

“Captain?”

“Yeah. Got a problem with that?”

The entire Magic Department had gathered at the royal palace.

To carry out the minister’s orders—his first in ten years—the wizards were carefully checking the addresses of their comrades who had left the palace.

“No problem. But what exactly is it?”

“Ingredients for a mana recovery potion.”

“You’re not seriously making that for Lord Ian, are you? Have you already forgotten Beric’s letter? Don’t want to get smacked by a mana booster again—”

Smack!

Akorella lightly tapped the wizard’s forehead, cutting him off.

“From what I saw, it’s not the booster that’s the problem. That bastard’s sense of direction is the real issue. Seriously, how the hell do you even crawl into Raja Mountain? And this time, we’re making a recovery potion, got it?”

Romandro buried his nose back in the paperwork as if he hadn’t heard a thing, while Akorella limped out of the Magic Department corridor with a confident stride.

The wizards ran alongside her energetically. As soon as they stepped outside, they activated their magic and soared high into the sky.

“We’ll be back soon!”

“See you in a bit!”

Ziiiiiing! Ziiing!

Whoosh!

“Such a hassle. If I were a wizard, I’d be summoned instantly.”

The wizards who left the palace had mana-sealing stones embedded in their bodies. Because their powers were closely tied to state secrets and a single person’s strength could shake the entire nation, they had given up divine power in exchange for freedom. To prepare for any emergencies, their locations were tracked regularly without exception.

Ziiiiiing! Ziiing!

Whoosh!

Akorella also activated her magic and leapt into the sky. Without hesitation, she flew straight toward a comrade’s mansion.

A man was reading a book in a well-kept garden when he noticed something sparkling in the sky. Soon, he recognized the familiar figure with pink hair.

“Huh?”

“Uh?”

Boom!

Shiiiiiik…

“Ahhh!”

The impact was strong enough to leave a crater in the middle of the garden. The man fell backward, clutching his book to his chest. His household members rushed outside, alarmed by the commotion.

“Captain Akorella? What’s going on all of a sudden? The quarterly location tracking just finished.”

“Don’t waste time with small talk.”

“Pardon?”

Akorella clicked off the mana-sealing stone removal device and smirked. Life’s been good, huh? Time to come back to being a wizard, you bastard.

“Return immediately.”

“R-Return?”

“Back to the palace. Lord Ian is coming.”