Chapter 636
“Xiaoshi.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
His reply was just slightly slower than usual, almost imperceptibly so.
Jin, who had been reviewing documents, glanced over at Xiaoshi. As always, Xiaoshi’s expression was calm and unreadable, but Jin sensed something unusual in his gaze.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“…No, Your Majesty. Is there something you need?”
“There isn’t enough space inside Kalamath Castle, so I’m considering moving the soldiers’ training grounds outside. Minister Tweller was supposed to submit a report on this. Has it arrived yet?”
“Oh, that report is expected this afternoon.”
“Xiaoshi, you seem uneasy about something.”
Jin finally set down his pen, frowning. The attendants waiting by the door exchanged puzzled looks. Xiaoshi’s demeanor hadn’t changed—still slow, steady, and composed as always. Yet, Jin could tell the emperor’s mood was unsettled.
The attendants bowed respectfully, trying to gauge the emperor’s temper, while Xiaoshi remained silent for a moment.
“Speak up. Is there a problem?”
“No, none.”
“Don’t lie to me. I can see right through you.”
“…I was just thinking about the governance of the Burgos region.”
Ah, there it was. Jin crossed his arms, amused. Though Xiaoshi spoke of regional administration, Jin immediately understood what lay beneath those words: Lady Chloe.
He was utterly obsessed. Jin shook his head and pulled over a chair, tapping it.
“Sit here.”
Lady Chloe was not a suitable match for Xiaoshi. Her temperament was obvious, wasn’t it? Even ignoring the rumors circulating in high society, the fact that she had swallowed a potion nearly poisonous—meant for the empress’s position—without hesitation proved she was no fit partner for Xiaoshi. He needed a more refined lady by his side.
Knock knock!
“Excuse me, Your Majesty. Minister Ian Hielo has returned urgently.”
At that moment, a sudden message came from outside. It had only been a few days since Ian left for Toorun, and already he was back? Jin jumped up in surprise, and Xiaoshi’s expression hardened. Could it be bad news?
“Where is Lord Ian now?”
“With the Ministry of Magic.”
“Lead the way.”
Click-clack!
Jin urged the attendant forward and hurried after him. In the distance, they saw a group of mages gathered in the palace’s central hall. And, contrary to their worries, Ian looked perfectly fine.
“I-Ian, what brings you back so soon?”
“No, I’m just glad to have returned safely. Really, I am… just a bit flustered.”
“Not true! Ian, you’re just disappointed you couldn’t skip out on duty with the others, aren’t you?”
“Shut up, Beric. What do you know?!”
“Yeah! What do you know, you jerk? You play around every day! You understand our struggles? Huh? And you eat the most food too!”
“Oh! Getting mad means you admit it! Gotcha!”
“I’m going to half-kill that guy today.”
“Calm down. Fighting a mad dog is a losing battle, even if you win.”
It was a familiar, chaotic scene—both welcome and bewildering. The hall was filled with noise after a long time. Not only Ian, but Beric, Hale, and Barsabe had all returned without serious injury.
“By the way, Ian, who’s that?” one mage asked, awkwardly pointing to a stranger standing behind.
Judging by appearances, he seemed to be from the northern minority tribes they had seen before. Why was he with Ian, arriving through the portal?
“There were circumstances,” Ian replied.
“That’s Nabu. We found him hiding in the palace and brought him along. He’ll be useful, like a walking bag. We also raided the Akorella laboratory thoroughly.”
“What? Ian, did you come from Bariel?”
“No, what on earth is going on…?”
They couldn’t understand. Why had their superior, who went to Toorun, come from Bariel? And how had this Nabu fellow been hiding inside the palace?
Ian said nothing more, looking up. Soon, he spotted Jin through the railing.
“Your Majesty.”
“Lord Ian, why have you returned so soon?”
“I rescued my mother and brought her to Bariel. I will explain the details later.”
Ian entrusted the cleanup to Hale and ascended the stairs.
The mages watching silently shook their heads. Though they trusted Ian, sometimes they thought he really went too far.
“To rescue Lady Philia from unfamiliar Toorun land in just a few days and bring her to Bariel…”
They stared blankly at Hale, as if asking if it was true.
Hale just gestured toward Nabu, puffing on a cigarette, and told them to stop gawking and help move the luggage.
“So, Philia is safe?”
“Yes, fortunately.”
Jin couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. A storm of events had truly erupted in Toorun in such a short time.
Moreover, Ian had left some diplomatic issues unresolved. If those could be handled well, the path ahead would be clear for a northern advance. The stage was set.
“The palace is aware of the situation. But Bariel is currently focused on monitoring the political climate in Havan and Ruswena, so it would be best if you took the lead in issuing an official statement.”
“Agreed. We’ll formally raise objections based on Katimako’s position and Philia’s testimony.”
“Toorun will likely deny everything outright, especially since Katimako is from Astana.”
Astana was a country made up of northern minority tribes. Toorun would never trust testimony from one of them.
But all of this was just a formality. Ultimately, the only thing blooming between the two nations was war—a war ordained by the gods.
“I understand. Send the official letter to Toorun immediately. It will probably take over two weeks to get the imperial seal.”
The emperor’s orders were absolute and could not be delegated to the Imperial Secretariat. Until now, all commands to Bariel had been conveyed as reports from the Imperial Defense Department or the Ministry of Magic. Bariel could use any means to communicate with the emperor.
“Is there enough time?”
“Before the emperor’s command, there is always enough time. We are ready to depart at any moment. However—”
“However?”
“If it weren’t for the Hollin family’s request…”
They had asked to station Bariel soldiers in Burgos until they could establish a foothold.
If not for that, Bariel’s troops were in excellent condition—high morale, well-fed, and uninjured. The Ministry of Magic had cleared most of the thorny paths ahead.
“Lady Kayla seems to be handling affairs inside the castle, and Lady Danit is busy rallying the central nobles. Since there’s no other choice, most seem to support the Hollin family. The atmosphere isn’t bad.”
The standard approach was to unite the central nobles first, then expand influence into the provinces. Akorella had already left ahead to develop the mines, so some reaction from the provinces was expected. Ian nodded approvingly.
“How is the public sentiment?”
“Many see the Hollin family as the link between Burgos and Bariel. At first, they seemed negative, but after promises of support, they turned around. The long war’s aftermath is still tough on them.”
The Hollin family was a branch of the Rankvis royal house, so to the people, they were essentially the same. Anyone who could end the war and restore the country was ready to be cheered.
It probably wouldn’t take long for the Hollin family to become independent in Burgos.
“Understood. We will keep a close watch on Toorun and observe. We’ll decide the departure date as the situation develops.”
“Good. And Ian, take a look at this.”
Jin snapped his fingers at an attendant, who brought out a brittle, ancient document from a dusty storage box. The paper looked like it would crumble at the slightest touch. Its age was impossible to determine.
“What is it?”
“It was buried at the very bottom of the Kalamath Castle underground archives. It concerns an ancient shrine—strange, yet somehow familiar. Ian, I think you might know what this is.”
The characters were nearly erased by dust, mostly written in ancient Burgos language. Jin handed over a translated copy, prepared with the help of Kalamath’s archaeologists.
“…Monsters run rampant everywhere. We live each day expecting death, yet why does the god not answer? Though we howl until our throats bleed, the god does not hear. Then what were all our prayers? If the god, despite its wonders, does not see us, what meaning does it have? Can we even call it a god?”
Ian hesitated. As Jin said, the words were very familiar.
Ian flipped to the next page to check the source. The location was an unrecorded small shrine in the southeast—Palakam. And the speaker was…
“Priest Raju?”
“Do you know anything about him?”
“Your Majesty, Priest Raju is recorded in Bariel’s history as well.”
“In Bariel too?”
“Yes, if I recall correctly, it was the Hamammer Shrine. According to Raju’s records, he predicted that Arsen would have no shadow.”
To Jin, it had already been more than ten years ago, but for Ian, it was a recent event. Naturally, their memories differed in clarity.
“…Is it the same person?”
“I’m not sure. It could just be a coincidence that the names match. But since the recorded details are strikingly similar, it would be wise to investigate.”
“According to the archaeologists, at that time in Burgos, the damage caused by monsters was so severe that many temples, including Palakam, left behind such blasphemous records. It shows just how strong the backlash was against that part of history. They say it even influenced the choice of the state religion.”
This was where Burgos differed from Bariel. In Bariel, the priest of Raju’s statement was deemed sacrilege and he was executed immediately. But in Burgos, the people’s support shaped public opinion.
‘…The turning point that divided the blessings of the gods.’
Could this be where the difference between Bariel, chosen by the gods, and Burgos, which was not, began?
Ian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If the mysterious Raju priest was the same man, then this was part of the “Black Seed” Rutherford had mentioned—the quiet shadow of the gods, taking root to strangle Bariel to death.
“How ironic.”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“If the priest of Raju’s threat to Bariel was just a ploy by that shadow, then it’s laughable that it allowed Arsen to be ousted. They stabbed each other in the back.”
“Indeed. The height of foolishness.”
Ian smiled faintly, sensing Jin’s meaning. More than that, he admired how casually Jin mentioned Arsen. The way he spoke the name so plainly showed that Arsen was already a faded memory to him.
“In any case, for now, our priority is to keep an eye on Toorun and keep him in check. But after this incident, they’ll want to bolster their forces. What do you suggest we do about that?”
At the question, Ian nodded as if he had been waiting for it.
“It seems they lack the capacity to strengthen their ranks internally. The spirit mages guarding the palace have clear limits compared to the wizards. So they’ll likely hire mercenaries or try to scheme through ‘that temple.’”
Since they can’t confront us head-on, it’s clear they’ll move to manipulate things from behind the scenes.
Ian muttered as he handled the fragile documents, almost as if they might crumble in his hands.
“Either way, I have a plan in mind.”