Chapter 791
“Miss Melania, please have a warm cup of tea.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“And your dress…”
Viviana handed her the teacup and began rummaging through the wardrobe. Surely there was something that Philia had worn before.
Melania took a sip of tea and glanced down at her own dress. It was already a mess from the chaos of war, but now it was stained with Ian’s blood—so soaked that she could barely bear to look at it.
“Here, change into this.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as the bathwater is ready.”
Viviana let out a small sigh as she studied Melania. The stains on her skin all seemed to be Ian’s blood. Just a few hours ago, they had shared a warm dinner together—what on earth had happened?
Looking at the clothes in Melania’s hands, Viviana asked cautiously, as if Philia were standing right beside her.
“You said your name is Melania, correct?”
A survivor of the Haiman clan, wiped out ten years ago. Viviana couldn’t help but sigh quietly. It felt like she had stumbled upon a secret she shouldn’t have known.
Melania smiled apologetically.
“Yes. I imagine you were startled last time. I came without warning, asking you to deliver a message to Lord Romandro.”
“Not at all. More importantly, is Ian in critical condition?”
Romandro had rushed Ian back to the palace. The fact that Melania was sent to the mansion without even a single letter hinted at how urgent the situation was.
As a member of a destroyed clan, Melania naturally couldn’t enter the palace. And since she had nowhere else to turn, she had no choice but to stay here for the time being, thanks to Romandro’s arrangements.
“He lost a lot of blood. It wasn’t just from the enemy’s attack—it seemed to be a problem with the magic itself.”
“The enemy? Who are you referring to?”
“The mages from the East, the ones who were with us in Hawan.”
Melania recounted everything that had happened to Viviana. There was no need to keep it secret—after all, she was Romandro’s wife, so it was as if she were telling him directly.
Viviana listened intently, then rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
“So, you’re saying it was the Eastern mages who wiped out the rebel leaders in Hawan? The claim about searching for relics was a lie—they were actually trying to seize something?”
“Yes. That’s what I’ve heard.”
“Does Lord Romandro know about this?”
“I’m not sure. Things have been so urgent, I don’t know how much he’s been informed.”
“Wait a moment.”
Viviana stood up immediately and fetched pen and paper from the study. She wasn’t well-versed in palace affairs, but it was troubling that no one in the Magic Department seemed aware of such a critical matter. What if Ian never regained consciousness?
“If you write it down yourself, I’ll have someone trustworthy deliver it directly to Lord Romandro.”
Melania hesitated briefly, then took the pen. Knowing who was friend or foe was the top priority for survival. If the Magic Department fell into trouble, it would mean losing a vital means for her own comeback. So she carefully detailed everything that had happened in a report.
Scratch.
Three pages filled with small, neat handwriting. Viviana folded the paper carefully and then led Melania to the bathroom, where warm, clean water filled the tub.
“Take your time washing up. I’ll send the letter right away. Don’t worry about your daughter—she’s home alone.”
“Thank you.”
Creak.
Viviana quietly left the mansion. The early dawn was still cold and crisp. Her footsteps echoed softly through the empty streets.
Soon, she arrived at a small shop at the corner of an alley and knocked gently on the door handle.
Thump. Thump-thump.
“Hans, are you in there?”
“Haahm. Yes, I’m here. Madam Viviana?”
“Sorry to bother you at this hour. It’s urgent.”
“Do you want to talk now?”
“Yes. Don’t read the contents. Deliver it directly to Lord Romandro. I trust you understand what this means.”
Hans was a colleague who had been close to Romandro during his time in the administration. He had also worked alongside Viviana during their disaster relief deployment.
Rubbing his swollen eyes, he smiled.
“Yes, I understand.”
He knew all too well that giving in to curiosity would only drag them into the palace’s looming storm.
Hans quickly put on his coat and spoke.
“It’s dark out, Madam. Please come inside.”
“Thank you, as always.”
“Not at all. Let’s go!”
Whoosh!
Hans rode off without hesitation. Since it was such an unusual hour, it didn’t take long to reach the palace gates.
When the gatekeeper raised his spear to signal them to stop, Hans pulled out his ID.
“I’m an administrative staff member. Hans Meiner.”
“What brings you here so early?”
“I have an urgent report to deliver. I’d appreciate it if you could hurry.”
“Understood. Please enter.”
The gatekeepers checked his ID and opened the gates. Hans headed straight toward the Magic Department, leaving the guards puzzled.
“Something’s going on, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, seems like it.”
It was unusual for an administrative staff member to rush to the Magic Department, and even more so for a group of mages to be out at this hour. The gatekeepers felt a growing unease and locked the palace gates firmly. Whatever was happening, their duty was to stay vigilant. Probably.
Thud!
Hans arrived at the Magic Department and hurried up the stairs. But something was off. Despite the early hour, the entire department was deserted.
It was normal for staff to be absent at this time, but where were the mages? They were usually notorious for lounging around the lobby day and night.
“Is no one here?”
Silence. The offices were lit but empty. Judging by the traces, it seemed they had been working until just recently.
Hans scratched his head and continued wandering through the Magic Department, searching for someone.
“Ugh, this is frustrating.”
Romandro was nowhere to be found either. This was a problem.
Hans finally reached the innermost corridor and spotted the firmly closed door of the Magic Department Minister’s office.
“Excuse me? Is anyone here?”
Knock. Knock.
Again.
Knock. Knock.
This was maddening. Still, he couldn’t just barge into the minister’s office.
He ended up spending the entire night without encountering a single soul. With the letter for Romandro still in his pocket, he had no choice but to return to the administration building, clock in, and then check on the Magic Department’s situation again.
Whoosh!
Not long after Hans left, someone arrived at the Magic Department, trudging wearily.
Dressed in tattered clothes, his face worn and exhausted, he staggered up the stairs and muttered to himself.
“I’m hereee—”
It was Tommy. He had just completed the long journey from Toorun to Astana, and then back to Bariel.
Following Ian’s urgent orders, he had gathered every ounce of magic he could muster to fly through the sky. Completely drained, he collapsed flat on the lobby floor, groaning with effort.
“I’m hereee!”
“Where is everyone? Seriously.”
At that moment, the minister’s office door, which had been unresponsive to Hans’s knocks, slowly creaked open. A mage peeked out, recognized Tommy, and whispered softly.
“Tommy?”
“Huh?”
“Come this way.”
“What? Why are you in the minister’s office?”
“Quiet. Come in quickly.”
Tommy, puzzled, got to his feet and stepped inside. He felt the presence of spatial separation magic. The sharp scent of medicinal herbs and the metallic tang of blood filled the air. What on earth had happened while he was gone?
Soon, he spotted Ian lying on the sofa and stopped in surprise. In the corner, Romandro was curled up, asleep.
“Ian!”
“Shh. Everyone’s sleeping.”
“What… what happened?”
The mage didn’t answer but instead inserted a magic amplifier into his arm. Still, it seemed ineffective, as he shook his head and held up a syringe.
“Tommy, do you have any strength left?”
A few hours earlier, inside the minister’s office.
Apart from Akorella’s groans and Ian’s labored breathing, the room was deathly silent. The mages all watched Ian with grave expressions, arms crossed or fingers pressed to their foreheads.
A sickly, bluish tint was creeping up over his pale skin. He had looked fine just before quitting time—what on earth had happened?
“Akorella!”
“Captain Hale!”
“Step aside. I’ll take over now.”
Hale, who had just returned to the mansion and was resting, had rushed over as soon as he heard the news, his hair sticking up wildly at the back of his head.
Akorella, who had been holding the watch, finally pulled herself free and collapsed onto the floor, drenched in cold sweat.
“Hah, hah… damn it!”
“Are you alright, Captain Akorella?”
“Ugh!”
Irritated, Akorella convulsed violently, then used the momentum to push herself upright. Her disheveled hair framed eyes that flashed with fierce determination.
“Wherever they came from in the East, I swear I’m going to tear those bastards apart by the scruff of their necks. What the hell do they think they’re doing in someone else’s territory? Am I right?”
“That’s right!”
The mages responded with fierce agreement. If they were from a foreign land, they should have been lying low, gathering intel—not messing with Lord Ian!
Flames seemed to ignite in their eyes. Hale, who had just arrived, and Romandro, who was wiping tears from his face, all ground their teeth in anger.
“Just catch them and kill them already.”
“If they run, we’ll chase them down no matter what!”
“Everyone, get ready.”
“Yes, sir!”
At Akorella’s command, the mages swarmed out, changing into their robes and wrapping red cloth tightly around their fists. It wasn’t magic they planned to use—it was raw, determined fists.
Akorella turned to Romandro and gave firm instructions to get the situation under control.
“Romandro, except for two mages, send everyone else on official business outside. Don’t inform the palace about Lord Ian’s condition, and keep quiet about the Eastern mages. Make sure the minister’s office door is locked tight. Understood?”
“Sniff… yes, understood.”
“There are plenty of people itching to take advantage of the Ministry of Magic’s troubles these days. If word gets out that Lord Ian has collapsed, who knows what kind of chaos will follow.”
And with Melania and the Eastern mages involved, they had to be extra cautious—at least until Ian could get up and explain the situation himself.
“Romandro, how many enemies are we dealing with?”
“Ah, probably two? Melania, who was with them, is at my place now. I’ll—”
“That’s enough. Knowing there are two is enough. Those bastards, we’re going after them immediately.”
“Captain Akorella! We’re ready!”
“Leave two mages at the Ministry, the rest follow me. Hale!”
Hale gestured for a moment, then poured as much of his magic as he could into Ian before rising to his feet.
They each grabbed a magic amplifier, robes billowing behind them as they charged out of the building.
Thwack!
“Let’s gooo!”
“Yeahah!”
It looked like they were heading into a brawl.
Romandro watched the scene in disbelief, then turned back to the fallen Ian, breaking down into sobs once more.