Chapter 805

“Timothy.”

At Ian’s call, Timothy, who had been quietly sitting and gazing out the window, turned his head. Recognizing Ian, he looked a bit surprised. He hadn’t changed a bit since all those years ago.

But Timothy was not the man Ian remembered. His features were still sharp and rugged, but there was now a softness to his expression—a calm ease that hadn’t been there before.

“Minister Ian.”

“Ah, yes.”

There was a certain awkwardness between them. It was only natural, since this was their first meeting since Ian’s journey into the Abyss. Ian smiled faintly and gestured for him to sit.

“It’s been a long time.”

For Ian, it had been a short while, but for Timothy, a whole decade had passed. Unconsciously, he touched his jaw, memories long blurred beginning to resurface as he looked at Ian.

“…I thought it was just a rumor.”

“Not something easy to believe, I know. How have you been?”

“Until a few years ago, I was stationed at the Ministry of Magic’s annex construction site in the capital, but now I live on the outskirts. All thanks to you, Minister. I’ve wanted to properly thank you someday.”

Thanks to the pass Ian had given him, Timothy had escaped with his life from King Damon’s wrath. Though he had lost his family in the process, it was a fate he had no choice but to accept.

Life was truly unpredictable. The agonizing pain of that day had faded, and here he was, smiling now—something he never imagined possible.

“I’m glad you like Bariel. Are you alone?”

Normally, Ian wouldn’t pry into someone’s family affairs, but Timothy was an exception. He was an ancestor of Naum, after all. Timothy needed to find a new family here for Naum to exist in the future.

Timothy hesitated briefly, surprised by the question, but then shook his head.

“…I’m not alone.”

“That’s good. It’s important to have someone to lean on, especially for you. Don’t get stuck in the past.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Well then, shall we talk business?”

Ian picked up a sheet of paper from the desk and smiled. Though they had prepared the site while he was away, that was all. It was practically starting from scratch. Ian frowned as he examined the blueprints.

“What’s wrong?”

“Who drew these plans?”

“The architect in charge at the time. The designs were approved by the majority of the Ministry of Magic. Is there a problem?”

“This isn’t right.”

Ian muttered softly, then pulled out a pen and began drawing lines across the paper.

“The stairs leading to the second floor should be here, here, and here—”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

“I want two archives, facing each other down the hallway, one on each side. The ceiling height should be generous—four meters, no, maybe five. The windows are large enough to see the ash tree branches on the west side, so let’s match that.”

Timothy carefully took notes, puzzled. It was as if Ian was describing something he had seen with his own eyes.

“And above all, the exterior…”

Ian tapped the paper thoughtfully, then began sketching with focus. Timothy watched for a while, then realized it was a rough outline of the building’s facade.

“Something like this. Do you think it’s possible?”

“…”

Timothy remained silent. The lines were so jagged and abstract they resembled a piece of geometric modern art.

He pondered what to say as he stared at the paper, when Romandro approached carrying drinks.

“Oh my, good heavens.”

Seeing what Timothy held, Romandro sighed sympathetically.

“Sir Timothy, you have children?”

“Excuse me?”

“When Vivi was little, she did the same thing—doodling nonsense on reports due the next day!”

“Um, Romandro…”

“But don’t be too hard on him. All kids do that. Judging by the drawing, I’d say about two years old. Still, that’s some talent! Ha ha ha!”

“…”

“Ha ha, ha, ha…?”

Sensing something off, Romandro gave an awkward laugh. He glanced back and forth between Ian’s pen and the sketch. Was it possible Ian had drawn that?

“Romandro.”

“Yes?”

“Please call Hail, Nakina, and Tommy.”

“Right away.”

Romandro hurried out of the office, and Timothy straightened up, glancing at Ian. Ian offered him some tea and asked,

“If we change the blueprints, how long until completion?”

“To be honest, it’s inversely proportional to the budget. The groundwork we did before isn’t a big concern, but from here on, it’s critical.”

“So as long as the funds are secured, there’s no problem?”

“That’s not certain either. There will be construction phases involving magic, which differ greatly from normal building processes. It’s complicated.”

Timothy handed over the next report, pleased.

“There’s something else to discuss. The list of mana stones needed for the annex construction—most are purchased through the palace.”

“The Ministry of Magic will be allocated what’s needed.”

“All of it?”

“Probably. Why?”

“The market price for those mana stones has suddenly spiked. Have you checked the budget?”

Ian frowned as he read the report. This was news to him.

Mana stones imported from Burgos were allocated to the Ministry through the palace, priced within the Ministry’s budget. If market prices soared, the unit cost would rise, reducing the quantity allocated.

“When did this happen?”

“About ten days ago.”

That was when Ian had lost consciousness. More precisely, two days after the Foreign Minister’s mansion was destroyed by Eastern mages.

Ian clicked his tongue, sensing some underhanded scheme.

“They’re really trying hard.”

With no clear reason to block the annex construction openly, they were resorting to sabotage like this.

The palace’s finance officer was Minister Quintana, not someone who would scheme behind the scenes. So clearly, other interests were involved.

“If the budget falls short, I’ll cover it myself. Proceed without worrying about payment issues.”

“Yes, sir. Also, we’ll need the mages’ help removing the fairy tree roots buried underground. Using laborers would take too long. The work was halted before and remains unfinished.”

Ian suddenly thought of Marib and Gale. When they had clashed over the annex project, the fairy tree was always mentioned.

Opponents claimed it was sacred and could never be cut, while the Ministry dismissed it as nonsense.

But now, only the roots remained, almost ready to be removed. Sometimes, Ian found it fascinating how even meaningless things like this marked the passage of time.

“Alright. I’ll tell the others.”

Knock knock.

“Ian, you called?”

“We’re here!”

Nakina and Tommy entered, bowing politely. Ian handed them the blueprint he had drawn. Nakina looked up, utterly confused by the chaotic scribbles.

“What is this?”

“Use this as a reference. You three, along with Captain Hail, will redraw the exterior of the Ministry annex.”

“Us? But we’re combat unit.”

“Yes.”

Ian didn’t change his mind. He wasn’t sure how much they remembered, but they had seen the completed annex beneath the Masantar Temple. He hoped the images would resurface unconsciously.

“This—”

“You mean the one we saw under Masantar Temple?”

At the question, Ian turned, surprised. Nakina and Tommy looked equally astonished to share the same fragmented memory.

“No, Captain Hail said the same. Memories were scattered underground, but strangely, only images presumed to be the Ministry annex remained. Do you feel the same, Ian?”

“…Yes.”

“Wow, maybe it’s because of the Abyss. There really was something there. But Ian, you didn’t actually draw this exterior, did you?”

There’s a reason they say “don’t tempt fate.” Nakina read Ian’s expression and instinctively covered her mouth.

“That’s right.”

“Oh. I thought so. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Timothy, when do you need this by? I think the architect and the three of us can work on it together.”

“The sooner, the better. If you’re free, come with me. I’ll introduce you to a skilled architect.”

“Really?”

Though busy, what did it matter? Anything to get out of here was welcome. As Timothy stood, Ian followed to see him off.

“Romandro.”

“I’m here!”

“Sir Timothy is leaving. Please tell those without tasks to go to the annex site and clear the tree stumps.”

“Understood. I’ll get everything ready right away, Sir Timothy. The group is currently at the site of the annex.”

So, they had a group after all.

They left the main building together and headed down the southern stairs. Just then, Timothy’s party, who had been inspecting the annex site in the distance, spotted him and hurried over. Among them was a woman who caught Ian’s eye.

“Timothy!”

Her long brown hair and gentle expression made Ian think he must be mistaken. She looked remarkably like Naum.

Timothy smiled warmly and waved back at her. She pointed toward the carriage, signaling that she would go ahead.

“So, this is Sir Timothy’s right hand.”

“He’s someone I have much to learn from in many ways.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“…Thank you.”

Ian and Timothy had honestly thought they didn’t resemble each other at all, but now Ian was beginning to understand.

Ian smiled and patted Timothy on the shoulder, urging him to hurry.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. I’ll report back on the schedule later.”

“Thank you for your efforts.”

As Timothy headed down to the carriage, Nakina and Tomi quickly followed behind. Romandro burst through the door of the lounge and called out to the idling mages.

“Everyone, get out there and do something about those tree stumps.”

“What do you mean, ‘do something’? Call someone else. Do we really have to handle that?”

“Exactly. That’s a job for paid labor. It’s a great chance to create some jobs, isn’t it?”

“But Ian gave the order.”

Romandro narrowed his eyes and added, prompting the mages to all turn toward him. With heavy sighs, they reluctantly stood and slipped on their robes, clearly doing it begrudgingly.

Romandro grumbled, “Seriously, they never listen when I talk!”

His voice was almost on the verge of tears. The mages pretended not to hear.

“Hey, don’t be like that. We’re listening now.”

“If Ian says so, we have to do it.”

“It’s not just anyone giving the order, you know.”

“Wanna make a bet? Whoever finishes first gets to pass off a task. Deal?”

At that, the mages all dashed outside at once, unleashing their magic.

BOOM! CRASH!

“Just clear the stumps! The stumps! Don’t go smashing everything else!”

Romandro shouted desperately, but no one paid him any mind. Honestly, looking at them, they all seemed perfectly sane. Crazy people. Romandro watched the wild mages with a look of utter dismay.

“Romandro.”

“Ah, Ian.”

BOOM!

“Ha ha ha! See that? I smashed it to bits!”

“Funny. Sneaking in like that.”

“Move aside! Thunder and lightning coming through!”

RUMBLE! CRACK!

Ian glanced at the mages rampaging like untamed colts, a faint smile playing on his lips. Then he turned and spoke quietly.

“Let’s prepare for the tournament. Also, please look into the recent fluctuations in the magic stone market.”

There was definitely something going on.