Chapter 769
“Rrrrggghhkkk!”
“…Damn it.”
That damn snoring!
Akorella groaned in irritation as she sat up, searching for the source of the noise. To her surprise, it wasn’t just one person—it was a full-blown ensemble of three or four snorers all at once.
With genuine exasperation, Akorella gave the nearest wizard a sharp smack on the cheek and stretched. It was just before dawn.
Smack!
“Ugh! Oof?”
“Get up, you lot.”
“Why, why so early? You old geezer—”
“Shut up! Can you combine your nostrils into one or what?”
“Leave him be. It’s a side effect of the magic amplifier.”
“What? The snoring?”
“No, the captain’s temper.”
Thwack!
“Ahh!”
Pillows flew through the air, landing squarely on the wizards’ faces. Do they even have any strength left? Using magic so early in the morning for no reason? Their energetic wake-up was unbelievable.
The wizards rubbed their noses and climbed out of bed, while Akorella pulled back the curtain to Ian’s bedroom. The first order of business was to check on Ian’s condition.
“Yawn. Looks like the Varsabe squad has left.”
“They ran off because of your snoring. They’re sensitive enough as it is.”
Scratch!
But Akorella froze in place. The wizards, rubbing their puffy eyes, turned their heads and stopped abruptly.
“Ah…”
The bed was neatly made, and Ian was nowhere to be seen. His shirt wasn’t even hanging there.
Everyone let out confused groans before rushing out together.
Thud!
“Ian! Ian!”
“Ian! Where are you?”
“Captain Akorella, should we report this to His Majesty the Emperor?”
“We’ll search first, then report.”
“I’ll scout from above! Signal immediately if you find him!”
“Hail! You come with me!”
“…Damn it.”
The sudden commotion left the guards staring at the wizards with bewildered expressions.
“Excuse me, have you seen Minister Ian?”
“Blond hair, green eyes. A pretty boy!”
“Ah, no, I haven’t.”
Pat pat pat!
The chaos spread quickly. One by one, soldiers began moving, scanning the area, calling out Ian’s name from all directions. But Ian was nowhere to be found.
Shortly after, at dawn, Hail pressed a hand to his right ear and relayed a message.
“-…Found Ian.”
“-Where?!”
Along a small river running outside the city walls, a boy sat by the water’s edge, his head bent down as if deeply curious, peering inside. He looked every bit a child.
From the high sky, Hail could see him clearly and let out a breath of relief without realizing it. Upon hearing the news, the wizards swooped down like lightning.
Whoosh!
“Iaaaan!”
“What are you doing here?”
Ian turned his head and looked up at the sky. The wizards approached, sniffling and on the verge of tears. A smile spread across the boy’s lips. Little did they know how frustrating this was for him!
Wiping the water from his hands, Ian asked in return,
“And what about you all? Why such a fuss?”
“Are you kidding? We thought you were gone!”
“Me? Gone where?”
The straightforward question hit the wizards like a thunderclap. True. Why had they been so panicked? Where exactly did Ian think he was going? He wasn’t the type to sneak off to Barielo without telling anyone.
The wizards exchanged puzzled glances. Now that reason had returned, their overreaction seemed ridiculous.
“Y-You disappeared suddenly, so we were worried.”
“I’d been lying down for days and felt uncomfortable.”
“Why is your bed so neatly made then?”
“…When you get up from sleep, tidying up is just basic.”
“Oh.”
“And your shirt’s missing!”
“It’s cold at dawn.”
The more Ian answered, the more foolish the wizards felt. They rubbed their foreheads repeatedly, trying to find a logical explanation for their own fussiness. But it wasn’t easy. Had they subconsciously feared Ian might disappear for real?
As the wizards groaned in frustration, Ian stood up.
“Enough. I think everyone’s fully awake now.”
“Don’t even say that. My heart nearly stopped.”
“Ian, next time wake us up. You’re not exactly in good shape, and it’s dangerous to move around alone.”
“I’m fine.”
“Huh?”
Ian tilted his head, inviting them to look at him. Despite having slept for days, his skin was soft and fresh, his complexion bright, and his eyes sharp. Compared to their sallow faces, he looked completely different. Reluctantly, they had to admit that if anyone looked sick, it was the wizards, not Ian.
“Still, you should be careful.”
“Alright. I won’t scare you like that again.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
“Shall we head back and check?”
“Huh? Check what?”
Ian looked at them as if it was obvious.
“The report.”
“Oh.”
“We’ll discuss the progress of the cleanup and the method of returning home. Bring the report I submitted to His Majesty while I was bedridden. I’ll submit a new report this afternoon, so finish the work before then.”
‘Idiots. Where would Ian even go?’
‘Yeah, who was the first to bolt?’
‘Shut up, all of you. It’s embarrassing.’
‘Seriously, they just make trouble for themselves.’
The wizards, having completely forgotten their earlier panic, just glared at each other. When Ian moved a little ahead, they hurried after him again.
“Ian! Come with us!”
“Geez, really! Don’t leave without us!”
As the wizards’ backs disappeared into the distance—
“……”
A head surfaced from the river.
It was Banusa. She peeked out with only her eyes visible, watching Ian’s retreating figure. A truly inscrutable person. And frustratingly—
‘Is that what you want?’
She was also a step ahead. She had planned to shake the imperial palace for revenge, but Ian seemed to want exactly that.
Could giving your enemy what they want be called revenge? Banusa sighed, bubbles rising around her.
“Banusa. You will not regret your choice. No, you cannot. Everything His Majesty has done in this war was for Bariel’s victory. To regret your choice would be to regret victory itself.”
Slowly, she sank back into the water, mulling over Ian’s words.
“But I will take responsibility. I will bear that sin in His Majesty’s stead, so do not be too angry—just wait. Now that the underground god has vanished, I too do not wish to see Torlun fall.”
Though she hadn’t observed her long, Ian was no fool spouting nonsense. She was definitely worth waiting for. The capital was in ruins, and she had no other options.
And above all—
‘…He looks weary.’
Among those whose memories had been erased, Ian’s smile seemed a little pitiful. Compared to his people who had died without understanding why, it was nothing—but still, a little.
Banusa frowned and slipped back beneath the water, disappearing from sight.
Inside a solemn, serious tent—
“Sniff. Snff.”
An unbearably awkward, strange sobbing echoed endlessly.
The officers covered their eyes and ears, staring straight ahead, while Jin kept his gaze fixed on the report. But the longer it went on, the more heartbreaking the sobs became. Unable to bear it, Jin lowered the report and scolded.
“Lady Chloe.”
“Hic. Y-Yes?”
Her face was flushed red, tears and snot streaming uncontrollably. Chloe rubbed her cheeks with the back of her hand, but how could she stop the flood? Jin looked at her with a mixture of disgust and pity, then pleaded,
“Please compose yourself.”
“I’m sorry, hick, I’m sorry. It’s just not easy—”
Chloe’s eyes were fixed on the seat beside the Emperor—her lover, Xiaoshi.
Jin pressed his eyelids down wearily.
“Ugh! Waaah!”
“Well now. Has someone died?”
“N-no, no, haven’t they come back to life…?”
“That’s exactly it. They came back alive, so why the tears?”
Jin burst out laughing, clearly baffled. Such heartfelt emotion right in front of the emperor—how sincere.
As Chloe sobbed, her shoulders shaking violently, Xiaoxi gave a small nod. It was a signal: it’s okay now, calm down.
But seeing that, Chloe only let out an even louder wail.
“Waaah!”
“Ah, really.”
Thud.
Jin finally set down the report. Then, unable to hold back any longer, he glanced at Xiaoxi. Look at this—why are his eyes red? The two of them are quite the pair.
Meanwhile, Chloe did her best to stifle her cries, but it was no use.
“Xiaoxi.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Escort the young lady outside. My mind is too unsettled to focus. If she collapses like that, who will take responsibility? Since the war’s over, it’s hard to treat her as a war hero.”
Xiaoxi seemed to have been waiting for this and gently helped Chloe out. Even as they left, the soft sniffles continued.
The officers cautiously watched the emperor’s expression. Despite his irritated tone, his face was calm. The war had ended in victory, and he seemed to graciously accept the joy of reunion. Though outwardly he wore a stern mask.
“So, how much supply do we have left?”
“About two weeks’ worth. The capital itself is devastated, so it’s difficult to procure more nearby,” Tweller answered Jin’s question.
“And the ruined palace? Has the imperial army rescued everyone?”
“Yes. For now, most of the casualties have been recovered.”
His words were cold, but the palace and capital’s reconstruction was Toorun’s responsibility—that was the burden of the defeated.
Of course, without leadership, progress would be slow. Some imperial troops would remain in Toorun to elect leaders and oversee recovery.
‘Vanusara, was it? He’s suitable enough.’
Capable, well-respected, and friendly toward Bariel. Yet strangely, news of her had suddenly stopped. As Jin pondered what to do, someone cautiously called him over.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty.”
“Speak.”
“It would be best to return to Bariel as soon as possible.”
Jin raised an eyebrow in confusion. It didn’t seem to be about the supply shortage. Judging by the officers’ expressions, they seemed to know something. Tweller didn’t argue and averted his gaze.
Jin closed the report.
“I want to return to Bariel as well. But everything has its order. Explain the reason for such haste.”
“Embarrassingly, there are baseless rumors spreading among the soldiers. It seems a natural reaction after such a great victory, but…”
“Baseless rumors?”
When the officer hesitated, Jin nodded reassuringly.
“Yes. That… Sir Ian Hielo, the Minister of Magic, is rumored to be of royal blood. Despite threats to severely punish those spreading the rumors, they won’t die down.”
“What?”
Jin’s surprise made the officers bow their heads even lower.
Ian is of the same royal bloodline? Jin unconsciously rested his chin on his hand, thinking deeply. To be honest…
‘Good.’
He trusted and followed Ian, and was genuinely glad deep down.
But as emperor, this was absolutely unacceptable. Ian was an unprecedented mage who had earned great merit in the war. If he truly had royal blood, he could even lay claim to the throne. Not that Ian would ever do such a thing.
“…Blasphemy.”
He couldn’t reveal these thoughts. He was the emperor, after all. Reluctantly, Jin gave his orders.
“Ian Hielo of royal blood? Ridiculous. Impossible. Those spreading such nonsense will be dealt with by law to show the severity.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As everyone obeyed the emperor’s command, Ian waited outside the tent, holding a report. His attendant glanced at him awkwardly, but Ian gave a reassuring look.
“…Wait a little longer before making your presence known.”
If he entered now, it would make the emperor uncomfortable.
Ian’s grip tightened on the report in his hand.