Chapter 502
The garden beside the grand assembly hall was abuzz with activity. Officials in suits hurried back and forth, cigarette smoke curled endlessly through the air, and hushed whispers mingled with the rustling of leaves.
A man draped his suit jacket over his arm as he stepped through the entrance. His colleagues beckoned him over with gestures.
“Welcome. This way.”
“You’re all quick to gather. Looks like you’ve been waiting.”
“I was so startled I sobered up right away. Didn’t even bother changing clothes—just waited here. The assembly should start within the hour, I’d say. How are things on your end?”
Flickers of cigarette flames glimmered here and there. The man gave a wry smile and shrugged.
“At first, no one believed it. They said the vanished Minister of Magic, Ian Hielo, had appeared looking just like he did as a child. They told me I must be drunk and should go home.”
“I heard the same. Damn it.”
“No sign of the administrative officials.”
“They’re better off not coming. They’ll show up just in time for the meeting. Doesn’t His Royal Highness the Crown Prince distrust the Minister of Magic? No need to test the waters.”
“Romandro coming over from the administration to the magic department was already suspicious.”
“That was at Ian’s suggestion.”
“Is that so? But I find it odd. Why would the Crown Prince welcome the Minister of Magic back? Sure, if the magic department runs smoothly, it benefits Bariel. But hasn’t it been functioning well all these years? The magic department was practically run like a branch of the administration. Won’t it be difficult once the minister returns?”
The newcomer was a recently appointed official.
Those who knew the full story cautiously scanned the garden’s shadows. The judiciary and legislature sat clustered beneath the zelkova tree, deep in conversation, while the cultural department gathered noisily around the fountain. Amid the chaos, sharp eyes watched one another warily.
“Actually, it was the Minister of Magic who elevated His Highness from fifth in line to Crown Prince.”
“Ha! That’s nonsense. He was just a green boy.”
“Don’t be fooled by appearances. He was the one who stirred up a storm in the palace.”
“Now, now, that’s not the point. The minister’s back—what should we do going forward?”
“The palace’s power will consolidate around the administration and the magic department. Naturally, that means our influence will fade.”
For Bariel’s sake, they regarded their influence as both a right and a duty. Whatever their private thoughts, their public stance was suitably noble.
“It seems His Majesty the Emperor’s funeral left an opening that His Highness the Crown Prince is trying to exploit.”
“That’s not all. With the minister’s post vacant, the magic department was practically treated as public property. Now that’s no longer possible, so managing it will be difficult.”
When budgets ran short, they’d find convenient excuses to siphon off magic department resources bit by bit. The department had shrunk, and with no unified projects underway, no one was in a position to strongly object. Many departments took funds with promises to return them in the next budget cycle.
“What a mess. What’s this all about, suddenly?”
“Exactly. We needed at least a couple more months.”
The same went for personnel. When short-handed, they’d borrow mages. These were people who could accomplish more than dozens of regular workers on site.
Under the banner of the palace’s grand mission, ministers had no grounds to refuse cooperation. Romandro was the minister’s proxy, not the minister himself.
“If we’d known, we should have disbanded the magic department earlier. Seriously, the minister’s post has been vacant for nearly ten years—does that even make sense? Now that His Highness is an adult and the coronation is near, it’s all but lost.”
“Removing Ian Hielo from the minister’s position would be ideal, but with the Crown Prince’s firm trust in him, that seems unlikely. Best to buy time.”
“Hmm. Agreed.”
One man produced a neatly folded document from his coat. It was a report summarizing the various unresolved suspicions that had surfaced after Ian Hielo’s disappearance—and a list of charges that could be brought against him.
“Good. Let’s proceed with this.”
“How do you think the other departments will react?”
“The Ministry of Justice and the judiciary will likely split internally. The cultural department opposes the magic department and Ian Hielo. Remember the incident when palace treasures were lost? We can hold them accountable.”
They all nodded in agreement, steeling themselves. Palace staff bustled about, and the clock hands pointed to midnight.
“Magic department has arrived.”
“…Here they are.”
“Ahem. Let’s go!”
Officials snuffed out their cigarettes one by one and rose. Soon, a carriage bearing the magic department’s seal pulled up before the assembly hall—the guest of honor for today’s meeting.
“Arrived, Ian.”
The mage opened the carriage door, and Ian turned his head. How long had they waited to see this? His hair neatly combed, dressed in his uniform, reading documents even as he moved.
The mages’ faces softened with emotion, but Romandro, sitting opposite, snapped his fingers and signaled them to compose themselves.
“Don’t cry, you lot. This isn’t the magic department.”
“Romandro, you were sniffling just now! And I’m not crying, I’m just a little moved!”
“Ian, you can leave them behind.”
Grumbling, Romandro muttered as Ian stepped down, clutching his documents. A midnight assembly—when had such an urgent summons last been called? Not long ago for Ian, but somehow it felt distant.
The staff from each department bustled noisily up the stairs, lighting the area like daylight. Ian nodded and led the way.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Ian!”
The mages followed in unison, each clutching a bundle of reports. The noisy crowd quieted, people covering their mouths to whisper.
“…He really looks like a child.”
“Is that really Ian Hielo?”
“What on earth could have happened for him to be alone like that?”
“Quite a few mages have returned. Seems the southern contingent hasn’t arrived yet.”
“I’ve never seen the magic department gathered like this before.”
Inside the assembly hall, the atmosphere was even tenser. Groups huddled in threes and fives, heads together, then all turned to look at Ian in silence. Though unintentional, the mood was awkward.
Ian nonchalantly found his seat. But a woman blocked his path.
“Ian.”
“Oh, Quintana.”
“My goodness, my goodness!”
Quintana, once the administration’s finance officer and now a minister herself, looked both changed and familiar. Shocked, she inspected Ian up and down, oblivious to her own rudeness. After a long pause, she finally spoke.
“…Are you well?”
“Of course.”
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Thank you. Please, have a seat.”
Servants busied themselves—had the Crown Prince arrived? Ian gestured for Quintana to sit. Soon, Maxim Tweller, Minister of Imperial Defense, and General Jaret entered. They exchanged glances with Ian, their expressions a complex mix.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”
With a sharp sound, everyone rose and greeted him according to palace protocol. Seeing the Crown Prince preside over the ministers, Ian felt a strange sensation. Ten years had truly passed in his absence. The boy who once etched unknown things into the corners of his mind was gone.
“All present. Please be seated. As you all know, this emergency meeting is to announce the return of Ian Hielo as Minister of Magic. But it’s not just about filling the long-vacant post—we will also discuss the reappearance of Rutherford, who vanished alongside Ian.”
The unexpected topic stirred the assembly into renewed commotion. The Imperial Defense Ministry had already briefed the Crown Prince directly and dispatched Beric, so this was the first time it was being discussed in a meeting.
The mages distributed the prepared reports to ministers and senior officials.
Rustle.
The sound of pages turning filled the room. Ian spoke cautiously, as if inviting them to listen.
“I am Ian Hielo, Minister of Magic. The reports you’ve just received contain publicly shareable information detailing the events in the Abyss.”
So there was classified information as well. The officials, having skimmed the reports, straightened and looked to the Crown Prince, signaling their desire to question Ian.
The Crown Prince nodded silently, granting permission.
“Ian, first, welcome back to Bariel. Do you remember me?”
“Of course. Deputy Minister Hamanna.”
“Now Minister. According to the report, time flows differently between the Abyss and here, which explains your appearance. Can you prove this?”
“Prove? How so?”
Ian’s very appearance was proof enough. The mages all narrowed their eyes sharply, and the Crown Prince tapped the edge of the document silently.
“Are you truly Ian Hielo, the missing minister? To be honest, I understand the doubts, but it’s hard to accept. Beneath the Rift lies a den of monsters, and you appeared in a form beyond all reason. Surely you see what that suggests to us—if you are indeed Ian Hielo.”
Do you remember the Arsen incident? Bariel nearly fell from within when monsters infiltrated the palace. If you are truly Ian Hielo, then prove you are not a monster wearing a mask.
Ian smiled faintly and nodded.
“First, Rutherford’s timeline must have been twisted as well, so his appearance should be unaffected by time. You can capture him and verify this. Also, my mother, Lady Philia, is currently inside the palace. Using a homogenous potion, I can prove our bloodline connection.”
Ian answered calmly, without hesitation, as if expecting these questions.
“And we may request holy water or the light of the oracle at the temple. You understand, don’t you? If you remember the past.”
A monster would dissolve in holy water and cast no shadow before the oracle’s light. Everyone here has seen it firsthand.
“If that’s still not enough, I recommend a personal journey to the Abyss. The Ministry of Magic will wholeheartedly assist in any way to prove this.”
“If you wish, we will send you,” Ian warned sharply. The man fidgeted awkwardly with his pen. Then the woman beside him raised her hand.
“Since Lady Philia was mentioned, I must say, Sir Ian Hielo, you must recall the suspicions surrounding your past.”
“Yes, about my royal bloodline.”
“May we call Lady Philia as a witness?”
“Of course. You may even use the truth serum. But if doubts about my origins persist afterward, I will consider it an insult to my mother and, by extension, the royal family—and respond accordingly.”
He was basically saying, “Do as you wish, but once the results are in, keep quiet and don’t bring it up again.”
The atmosphere grew tense as questions poured in.
“You still admit to creating Idgal?”
“Yes. I never imagined it would be so useful over time.”
Creating Idgal was no longer a stain on Ian’s record but a sign of potential. Whether he could still make it now, he chose not to reveal.
“How do you explain your relationship with Rutherford?”
“It was magic. Beyond my control.”
At that, the officials’ eyes gleamed briefly, as if they’d caught him in a slip.
“Magic? So you couldn’t stop Rutherford?”
“Sir Ian had the duty, as Minister of Magic, to protect the palace. Yet, due to lack of ability, he failed to prevent even a band of outsiders from invading, and as you just admitted, couldn’t repel Rutherford’s attack with magic. I hate to be harsh, but do you really think he was qualified?”
“Dozens of priceless palace treasures were lost in Rutherford’s rampage. This is an unforgivable failure of the Ministry. Shouldn’t you take responsibility?”
“All palace officials at the time were dismissed to restore order. Sir Ian, you may have been a great mage, but that was long ago. Surely the skill of mages now is not the same. The world has advanced.”
“Even if it were, that would be a problem too. It would mean the Ministry has stagnated. Ahem.”
“If Sir Ian is to be reinstated as Minister of Magic, something worthy must be shown. Even if the timeline was different, you were too young then. Would your subordinates respect your former authority…?”
Scratch, scratch. Ian recorded every word without changing expression. Behind him, the mages narrowed their eyes sharply, glaring, but the officials ignored them with forced coughs.
Finally, Ian set down his pen and began answering one by one. First—
“To the gentleman who said youth was a problem, may I ask your name?”
“Pardon? I’m Daph Lontine from the Ministry of Culture.”
“Sir Lontine, how long have you been in your post?”
“…Five years this year.”
“Oh, I see. My apologies. I thought you might not know how His Majesty Jin has led the palace.”
Jin had just come of age today. Until now, he had ruled as a minor, so Ian’s comment about youth was also an indirect jab at Jin.
Ian smiled gently and looked at Jin, who responded calmly, resting his chin on his hand.
“Indeed. We’ve been together five years, yet you seem unaware.”