Chapter 739
“Ah. The mayor.”
Vanusa looked visibly uneasy upon realizing that the place where Ian had been taken was the mayor’s domain. How was she supposed to process this?
As she trailed off, the mages who had been searching around gathered their attention on her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, the mayor here is a bit… special.”
“Special, huh? He’s just some petty mayor—”
“He’s actually the king’s father. Biologically.”
“Wha—?!”
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock. That was a relationship no one had expected.
Of course, the king couldn’t have just appeared out of thin air; he must have parents. It wasn’t surprising that someone would leverage that connection to secure a position.
The real issue was that the king was skilled in puppetry magic.
“This isn’t the place to be discussing this. If he’s the king’s father, he’s definitely connected to the king. We’ll get caught immediately.”
“Exactly. Captain, after all the trouble sneaking in, it turns out it wasn’t even necessary.”
“Isn’t Ian in danger?”
“Let’s go! Right now—!”
The mages tried to rush out, but Vanusa stopped them. Hale and Akorella also calmed the mages, ordering them to stay put.
This wasn’t just anywhere—it was the capital of Toorun, right in the enemy’s stronghold. They had stepped into the king’s attack range and had to move carefully. Otherwise, a sudden needle-like strike from thin air could ruin the entire plan.
“Ian will figure it out soon enough.”
“Yeah. Listen up, you lot. Do you know who Ian is?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“If it were truly dangerous, he’d have turned back immediately. If he’s delayed, it means he’s judged it’s worth approaching. Whatever the case, all we can do is wait here.”
“What if… what if he’s in real danger? And we’re just waiting for him to call for help?”
“Then we’ll act when the time comes. And haven’t I said it countless times? If Ian’s in danger, there’s not much we can do even if we go.”
The mages fell silent, coming to terms with reality. They wanted to argue but couldn’t; they hated to admit it, but if Ian was in trouble, there was little they could do to help.
Vanusa clapped her hands lightly to gather their focus.
“Now, now. Don’t worry so much. The mayor probably isn’t under any puppetry magic.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Though he’s the biological father, since entering the royal palace, he’s never once mentioned his father—officially or unofficially. Personally, I think—”
Vanusa hesitated, debating whether to say more, then sighed and continued.
“The king seems to want to erase his father from his life.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know the details; it’s just my guess.”
“Please don’t say things that don’t matter.”
“It’s not useless information. That’s probably why Sir Ian decided to enter the mansion.”
Hmm. The mages huddled together, heads bent in thought. How could they discreetly monitor the mansion’s movements?
“We’ll send someone to gather intel.”
“But won’t it take some time to find out what’s going on inside the mansion?”
“Wait a little.”
“No!”
The mages shouted and jumped up.
Vanusa narrowed her eyes as she watched them. Now that she looked closely…
‘They’re not really worried about Ian.’
There was a spark of excitement on their faces. Their concern for Ian’s safety had faded, replaced by a desire to see ‘how Ian, sold off like a slave, was doing.’ Like, for example, that damn ribbon.
Vanusa opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself.
‘Come to think of it, I’d probably feel the same. He’s their direct superior; imagine how much emotion has built up over time. Taking out frustrations like this… it’s human.’
Leaning back in her chair, Vanusa spoke. They weren’t likely to stay quiet, so it was time to decide how to proceed.
“No, if you do that, Ian will scold you later!”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“Let’s think of another way, you idiot!”
“Who called who an idiot?”
They were all just raising their voices, but still.
Spending time like this wasn’t a bad option for Vanusa. Better than rushing outside and—
“Going outside—”
At that moment, Akorella, who had been quietly folding her arms and thinking, spoke up.
She had an unlit cigarette dangling from her mouth, nodding with bright eyes as if she’d just had a brilliant idea.
“Remember those slave traders we moved here? Find them and bring them over.”
“And then?”
“Beat the hell out of them first.”
“Gah.”
The mages covered their mouths in shock. They hadn’t expected anything normal, but this was beyond imagination. If they weren’t mages, they’d probably be thugs in some back alley.
Akorella grinned, unfazed by their reaction.
“It’s natural for the seller to come check on the goods, right? Just say you came to make sure there aren’t any defects.”
“Will that be enough?”
“We’ll handle the inside that way, but for the outside, we’ll use a different approach. Even if he’s the king’s biological father, he’s still the mayor first, right? Not a lord, but a public official who lives off the trust of the citizens.”
She exhaled smoke smoothly, biting down hard on the cigarette.
“Outside, we just need to rattle some chains.”
“Akorella, I don’t quite understand.”
“Look, it wasn’t a proper inspection—it was just robbery. If this keeps up, merchants will stop coming, and everyone except the rich will starve.”
“Y-yeah, that’s true.”
“Bariel’s pushing in from below, and if this keeps happening, it’ll be a disaster. You get what I mean?”
“No.”
Her overly confident answer made Akorella sigh.
“Spread rumors that all the trading guilds have pulled out and won’t come near here anymore.”
“Oh?” The mages looked at each other, mouths agape. That actually sounded plausible.
“But who’ll spread the word?”
“Kids have always been good at gossip.”
Akorella smiled slyly and glanced toward a corner. The Vanusa family children were listening blankly, then suddenly jumped, shrugging their shoulders nervously.
“W-we’re supposed to do it?”
“Yeah. Should our little ones go?”
“W-why?”
“If we get caught, it’ll be a disaster!”
“Exactly. We were told to hide tight.”
Akorella’s eyes curved like crescent moons.
“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine! We’re not going to hide forever. Now that we’re this deep in, worrying about that is pointless. Right, Vanusa?”
Vanusa sighed, placing a hand on her hip. It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t easy to just agree and let it slide.
Akorella draped an arm over her shoulder, urging her to reconsider.
“Bringing down the palace isn’t the only way. If you want to completely overturn your country, you have to start from the outside. Especially since the mayor is the king’s father—need I say more? Right?”
It was a cold, hard truth. It was time to move seriously. In such a critical situation, even the smallest hands should lend a hand.
Vanusa half-made up her mind and turned around. The children caught on and nodded. They might ignore orders from some crazy pink-haired woman, but when it came from Lady Vanusa, they’d do their best!
“You sure about this?”
“…Yes, Lady! Leave it to us!”
“Good. Thank you.”
The children took a deep breath and dashed outside. Akorella nodded at the mages.
“What about you? Not coming?”
“Huh?”
“Go catch those guild guys again. Hard.”
“Ah! Yes, yes!”
Tap, tap, tap!
They were probably congratulating each other for finally escaping the mages. But sorry, it’s not over yet. As the mages, eyes blazing, rushed out, Akorella flung open the warehouse door at the bottom of the stairs.
“Hmm. Plenty of good stuff here.”
Shovels, pickaxes, brooms—various household tools filled the space. Akorella grabbed a broom and raised it high.
“Time to protest!”
‘What are they doing?’
The mages were mingling with the crowd, shouting slogans. Looking closely, they seemed to be enjoying themselves a bit. No wonder—they couldn’t do this in Bariel.
Noticing Ian’s sigh, Aris’s eyes widened as she leaned in close.
“Scared?”
“Yes. I’m scared.”
In many ways, it was because of her subordinates.
Aris giggled and wrapped her arms around Ian’s.
“It’s okay! This place is safe! Those guys? One word from Dad and they’d drop flat and do nothing!”
The child’s reaction was innocent but sharp. Having only ever seen and heard this kind of thing, what else could she do?
As if to prove her point, the mayor’s soldiers marched out in formation in front of the mansion. They pointed their spears in warning, and the citizens stepped back, showing no intent to cause harm.
“Hey! We just want you to listen to us!”
“You come here causing a ruckus?”
“You’re no different from us! That’s unfair!”
“This is the mayor’s mansion! Not some filthy back alley!”
“What does that matter? The highest ruler of the land was born in the darkest place!”
“Shut up!”
Smack! Thud!
The commotion escalated into a clash. A light shove was the signal. Amid the crowd, where it was impossible to tell friend from foe, the mages kept darting in and out, stirring up the chaos.
Aris watched the scene with amusement, stamping his feet energetically.
“Wow! They’re fighting! They’re really fighting!”
Just then, a carriage came around to the back of the mansion, avoiding the commotion. Ian didn’t get a clear look, but he sensed something unusual about its movement.
He glanced at Aris, who was oblivious to Ian slipping away, too busy shouting and tossing small decorative items out the window in excitement.
‘Is there anything more I can find out?’
It seemed impossible to get anything from the child, so if he was going to dig deeper, his only option was to check with the market lord—Aris’s father.
Quietly, Ian rose and stepped outside. Aris, still fixated on the window, didn’t even notice Ian leaving, bouncing around in excitement.
Creak.
Taking care of a kid really isn’t easy. Jin wasn’t like this when he was young—he was always so quiet and composed.
Tap tap tap!
Just then, a man walking down the hallway turned back and looked toward Ian. They recognized each other instantly.
“Y-you’re—!”
“And you are?”
It was the slave merchant who had helped the mages. His face was bruised and swollen, but Ian recognized him immediately.
The man glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then whispered to Ian.
“Is everything alright?”
“…Yes, but you look like you’ve been through something.”
“Don’t even mention it. Haah. No, I’ll explain later. I think I’ve developed a trauma—I can’t even walk down the street properly anymore.”
“No need to explain. I’m not really interested.”
“……”
The leader of the madmen, as expected. The merchant swallowed his tears and said quietly,
“The mages sent me to check on your situation. They want to cancel the deal if possible, but it won’t be easy.”
“Cancel the deal, huh… I suppose that makes sense. No defects, after all.”
“…Yes, yes. Well, if you have any message, please tell me. I’ll make sure it’s delivered.”
Ian hesitated for a moment, then leaned in close to the merchant’s ear.
“Tonight, the mansion will be set on fire. It will be the first signal sent to the palace. Tell the mages to be ready for that. And please, don’t do anything reckless.”