Episode 512
“This… this can’t be real, can it?”
Bang!
The bureaucrats trapped in the conference room erupted in outrage. They all stared at the empty seat meant for the Minister of Magic, then clutched their heads, lit cigarettes trembling between their fingers, and groaned in frustration.
How on earth were they supposed to pay off ten years’ worth of outstanding fees by the end of this week? Or else, they’d have no choice but to persuade the Duke of Holin—but how, exactly?
“Tsk, tsk. What a ruthless man.”
“Exactly. I never imagined he’d just dump this mess on us.”
“He didn’t even bat an eye after reading the letter demanding five times the amount. He must have had a plan all along.”
“What do we do now? If we can’t pay in full, it seems he intends to press charges.”
“Ugh. This is maddening. If it goes to trial, they’ll conduct a fresh audit of the accounts. Honestly, what won’t they find fault with? Every number, every item on the list—they’ll pick apart everything.”
Clears throat.
This upheaval wasn’t just about departmental chaos—it was a matter of their very livelihoods. The thicker the smoke from their cigarettes grew, the deeper the furrows on their brows became.
“First, we should try to persuade the Duke of Holin.”
“Yes, well… there’s no other way.”
“Honestly, when we bought the territory, didn’t we lend a hand? Without us, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
“That’s right. The weapons business rights, too. If the Duke has any sense of shame, he won’t refuse easily.”
“Or, what about this?”
At that moment, one official stood up, flicking ash from his cigarette. He seemed to have thought of a good idea.
“If persuasion fails, why not borrow money directly from the House of Holin? We need to put out the fire first, then use that to pay off the Ministry’s fees.”
“Oh, that’s not a bad idea.”
“But is it even possible? It’s ten years’ worth of fees. They’ve borrowed bit by bit from various places, but the total sum must be enormous. Even the House of Holin can’t just come up with that kind of money on the spot…”
“We can’t save everyone.”
At that, the officials’ eyes flashed sharply. Their gazes intertwined swiftly—if not all could be saved, then at least some of them must survive.
“Alright. Still, let’s start by trying to persuade the Duke of Holin. It’s our best option. If the Ministry of Magic manufactures special weapons, it means we can respond to monsters without relying solely on mages.”
“It’s an opportunity to weaken the Ministry’s influence.”
“Yes. We’ll deal with the next problem later.”
“Thank you for your efforts. Well then, let’s get going.”
Clears throat. “Me too.”
Without waiting for anyone else, they stormed out of the conference room.
The room emptied in an instant. The attendant who had stayed until the end turned and headed toward the Crown Prince’s palace, where a carriage belonging to the Ministry of Magic was waiting.
Tap, tap, creak.
“Your Highness, all the officials have left.”
“They must have been deep in discussion. Understood.”
Ian, Jin, and Romandro sat on the sofa, reviewing the reports. Jin gestured in acknowledgment, while Romandro polished Ian’s pen and asked,
“Ian, do you think the officials will actually follow through as we expect?”
“They’ve been given a clear path, so for now, they will.”
There was no reason not to. Just as Ian intended to resolve both the outstanding fees and the Duke of Holin’s issue simultaneously, the officials would also try to tackle the fees and curb the Ministry’s power in one go. For them, this was a golden—and perhaps the only—opportunity.
The key, however, was the Duke of Holin’s side…
“I just hope the officials have something to pressure the Duke with. How nice it would be if this all went smoothly.”
“Exactly. Soon, other Derra tribes from the Rajasan region will arrive. We need to wrap this up quickly and move on to research. There’s little time before the delegation departs.”
“Your Highness, is the official letter ready?”
“Yes. It’s done.”
At Ian’s question, Jin finished signing with his pen. It was a royal decree addressed to all central nobles.
Ian took the document and read it carefully. When a satisfied smile spread across his face, Jin leaned back on the sofa and smiled as well.
“Officials cornered like this will use every means to settle their overdue fees. One of those will be asking Holin for help. Even if the Duke hoards gold coins, he can’t cover everything.”
“And even if he does bail them out, that’s a problem in itself. It means the Duke would be involved in the palace’s budget process. That will surely cause issues later.”
Such a thing must never happen. It might not matter to the officials desperate to escape the immediate crisis, but it was crucial.
“In any case, if the officials ask for aid, Holin will have no choice but to gather funds from other nobles connected to him. Cutting the ties between the Ministry and the officials is the only way to protect the business rights.”
That was the purpose of the royal decree. It was a stern warning not to interfere in the palace’s ongoing affairs.
—A bill is being prepared to monitor and investigate corruption and bribery. For any transactions with the palace exceeding a certain amount, an investigative team will be dispatched to thoroughly verify the source of funds and transaction details. Central nobles are advised to conduct their dealings with caution.
If they didn’t provide a solid justification, other departments might resist. This was just enough to make the nobles understand the message clearly: once they step foot in the palace, they too would be compromised.
“Romandro.”
“Yes. I’ll prepare it and send it immediately.”
“Now, we just wait and see how things unfold. Your Highness, what about Davion’s side?”
Jin, sipping tea, tilted his head in puzzlement. Attempts to arrange a meeting with the lady of that region had been ongoing, but suddenly, things had gone quiet.
“Well, if they want to support the Ministry, they must be busy. This is the perfect chance to stop the Holin family’s dominance and bring them down.”
“So they’re being cooperative, then.”
“I mean quiet. But I did see Lady Kyla.”
“Oh? I’m sorry, but you saw her before Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
“And? Does she have what it takes to be Empress? Someone who can sit beside me and help build Bariel?”
Jin asked with a hint of curiosity, and Ian tapped his chin thoughtfully with his pen.
“She’s beautiful and intelligent.”
But there was nothing about her—name, appearance, or anything—that felt familiar. More importantly, Ian thought it would be better for Bariel if she stayed with the House of Holin rather than becoming part of the royal family. After a moment’s hesitation, Ian reported to Jin, leaving some things unsaid.
“You seem to have more to say?”
“It’s best not to add anything until Your Highness meets her in person.”
“Afraid of forming a bias?”
“No. I trust Your Highness’s judgment completely.”
Hmm. Jin shrugged and snapped the report shut.
“By the way, soon a delegation will head north to Burgos. War is not far off. After the coronation, I plan to join the battlefield myself.”
“A brave decision. The soldiers’ morale will be high, and they will protect Bariel.”
“There’s one difficult matter.”
“What is it?”
“Damon Runkvis.”
“Ah.”
King Damon Runkvis of Burgos. Though currently a war prisoner and a symbol for the royalist cause, his value would fade in the coming civil war-free Burgos.
“He was the main culprit behind the Clifford-Burgos war, so he can’t be spared. But because of what you told me, Ian, I couldn’t just kill him.”
“You mean his second life?”
“Yes. Even if it’s another world, I can’t allow Damon to threaten Bariel. The only way is to completely erase his existence, but I have no idea how.”
Ian pondered for a moment. Rutherford losing his magic and reincarnating in another’s body was all the work of the Underworld God’s schemes. Just as the god’s judgment allowed Ian’s spirit to enter his body, Bandor was also present in Rutherford’s body by the Underworld God’s will.
In this clash between the god and its shadow, Damon’s existence was somewhat puzzling.
“What about Vania?”
“Oh, the royal blood of King Damon who came with the delegation? Her whereabouts are unknown. No trace for years. Since Damon has long been offering his bloodline to Rutherford, it’s likely connected.”
“I will meet King Damon myself.”
With the Underworld God behind Rutherford, the Burgos royal family was probably being used by the god for some purpose. Damon’s absolute belief in a third life might hold the key.
As Ian tidied the documents and stood, Jin slowly turned to him, as if wanting to say something.
“Why?”
“…I will go on a secret journey before the coronation.”
“Ah.”
Ian smiled faintly, saying the timing was right. Once he became emperor, it would be difficult to leave the palace, so he planned to travel incognito beforehand to gauge public sentiment—how the people viewed the royal family, their thoughts on the war, and so on. There were limits to what reports could convey.
Ian nodded, satisfied with his plan. Just as he was about to leave—
“Won’t you come with me? Beric, Sia, and Romandro too.”
“Like before?”
“This time, you’ll be the one carrying the milk.”
Jin’s playful joke made Ian burst out laughing. Jin laughed along. Though Ian’s smile was often seen, such a hearty laugh was rare.
Ian bowed his head, offered his farewell, and left the office.
“If I have no pressing duties, yes. I will join you.”
Tap, tap!
The morning at the House of Holin was unusually noisy.
The duke, shaking off his drowsiness with the scent of freshly brewed coffee, frowned as he caught the sound of footsteps approaching. What on earth is all this commotion about?
“Your Grace! Your Grace!”
“What is it?”
“Th-there are guests outside…”
Guests? How uncouth. Showing up unannounced at this hour? Setting his coffee cup down, the duke asked sharply, “Who are they?”
“There are so many, I couldn’t even remember all their names.”
“What?”
Sensing that something was amiss, the duke pulled back the curtain. Far off, near the mansion’s main gate, a dense crowd had gathered. And the carriages? About ten of them, by rough count.
“What in the world—”
“They all say they want to see you, Your Grace. When asked about their business, they insisted on telling you in person. Most of them seem to have come from the palace.”
“The palace?”
“Yes. Minister Philelong is among them, and there are several familiar faces from the garden party the other day.”
So it wasn’t the Ministry of Magic after all. After demanding five times the usual price and receiving no response from the Ministry, the duke had been on edge for some time. Just as he was about to swirl his coffee and order the guests inside—
Knock, knock.
“Your Grace, a letter arrived today.”
The butler entered, balancing a silver tray piled high with letters. Like the visitors, the correspondence came from various departments—none from the Ministry of Magic. The duke tore open the nearest envelope.
“Damn lunatics!”
“Your Grace, are you alright?”
“Is this the same nonsense? This is madness!”
“Oh dear, Your Grace!”
Each letter demanded that he lower the purchase price of his lands and the sale price of his infrastructure. They called it a request, but most hinted at collusion with him, thinly veiled threats.
“Bring all the guests inside.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“Tell Kyle to come up here, too! I won’t let these people get away with this. After all the trouble they went through to get here, just because of that blasted Minister of Magic…”
The duke immediately recognized Ian’s handiwork behind this chaos. Slipping on his jacket, he steeled himself.
It was time to fight back.