Chapter 843
The building where the nobles were being investigated was crowded everywhere. Not only had all the central families been dragged in, but each family had brought along a whole group of witnesses.
The only small mercy was that, thanks to a slight favor from the royal court, they were confined not in a prison cell but in a reception room. Count Charlotte and his wife sat on the sofa, looking haggard and worn.
“Honey, what on earth is going on? I don’t know how long we have to stay here like this,” the countess said, her voice trembling.
“They won’t let us go easily. This isn’t just any charge—it’s treason. They won’t risk releasing us outside the palace, fearing some kind of incident,” the count replied grimly.
“But how can we prove we had no such intentions? The Ministry of Magic has been restored, hasn’t it? Maybe we could use something like a truth serum,” she suggested hopefully.
“Do you think His Majesty would allow that?”
“Excuse me?”
His Majesty was probably tightening the leash, measuring just how far to cut it. What a tempting feast laid out before him. Now that we’re trapped inside the palace, there’s no way out. We might as well admit to crimes we never committed.
The countess muttered through tears.
“They’ve truly lost their minds. If only they’d been gambling or something, it wouldn’t have come to this. How could they destroy an entire family overnight?”
“Overnight…” the count echoed.
Yes. Overnight.
There were too many suspicious circumstances. They claimed to have trusted Ian Hielo’s magic and acted on it, but the gap between forming the conspiracy and taking action was suspiciously short. There was no actual armed conflict inside the palace either.
“This feels like a trap,” the count muttered.
But there was one thing that stood out: Ian Hielo himself.
“His Majesty might have tied Ian Hielo into this as well… The conflict between the palace and the Ministry of Magic was reaching a boiling point, so it’s not impossible,” he said.
“Regardless of the setup, conspiring and acting on treason is a fact. We should just settle the matter as the palace wishes—hand over the wool and gemstone crafting business rights to the palace, and sell the land near the mansion at a low price.”
“Wait a moment. Offering the first deal in a negotiation is just as much a loss as you can take.”
The count gently smoothed his wife’s hair, brushing it behind her ear. Then, with a soft click, he removed one of his bright red earrings and walked toward the door.
Knock, knock.
“Who’s there?”
“What is it?”
A guard on duty outside the reception room peeked in. The count cleared his throat and cautiously beckoned him inside. Then, whispering, he handed over the earring.
“Go to where Ian Hielo is being held and deliver a message with my name. No matter how you look at it, there seems to be some injustice in this situation. If Sir Ian has anything to say, have him pass it along. If you do well, I’ll give you the other earring too.”
The guard glanced at the jewel in his hand and nodded slightly. This was a piece of jewelry used by the lady of a noble central family—worth at least a year’s salary. He pocketed it carefully and slipped out, making sure no one was watching.
“Hey, it’s shift change time, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks for your work.”
It was just about time for the guard rotation. That’s how life goes! If the shift had been a little earlier, he wouldn’t have gotten this chance.
Pretending to return to his post, the guard changed direction.
Sliding quietly.
The underground prison where Ian Hielo was held wasn’t far from the main palace. As the guard entered the building, he immediately noticed how unusually quiet it was.
‘That’s strange.’
The building with the nobles was noisy like a market, but here, few officials passed through. It felt eerie, even in broad daylight.
The guard cautiously looked around, searching for Ian Hielo. Since this wasn’t his assigned area, he had to check every cell. If he saw someone, he’d try to ask discreetly.
“Hm?”
At the end of the corridor, he reached a cell. Hoping it wasn’t the one, he peeked inside—
“What are you doing?”
A wizard approached, frowning. Despite his hurried steps, his voice was low and calm.
“I asked what you’re doing. You were told in advance this is a no-patrol zone. Don’t you know this is where a wizard is imprisoned?”
“Oh, no, it’s not that. I’m new on duty and made a mistake. I wanted to ask for directions, but there’s hardly anyone around… Please forgive me this once.”
“Name and affiliation?”
“K-Kepim. I’m from District 6.”
The wizard’s eyes narrowed, as if searching for something suspicious. He stared at the guard as if reading his mind, then shook his head.
“Go quickly. Turn left when you exit.”
“Thank you!”
“Lower your voice. Forget you ever came here. It’s for your own good.”
“Of course. Thank you.”
The guard dashed away as fast as he could. The wizard watching him sighed softly, arms crossed.
‘I cleared the building so Ian wouldn’t be disturbed. Didn’t expect this. Hopefully, he’s not awake yet.’
Inside the cell, Ian lay sound asleep on the bed. He looked exhausted from his nighttime walk and showed no sign of waking. Well, after all the physical and emotional hardship, a good rest wouldn’t hurt.
One of the few perks of the underground prison was that no sunlight reached inside. With a good bed and blanket, the quality of sleep could be surprisingly high. He knew this from experience.
“Hmm.”
The wizard opened the cell door and gently placed a hand on Ian’s forehead. He felt a slight fever. The emperor’s warning that Ian looked unwell was true. Worried, he murmured,
“Please recover quickly, Sir Ian.”
Meanwhile—
Patter, patter!
The guard who had left the building gasped for breath and glanced back, half-expecting the wizard to follow.
Seeing no one, he relaxed and fiddled with the earring in his pocket. Then he thought, truly puzzled.
‘What on earth is going on?’
The cell contained a fine table, sofa, and even a bed—things rarely seen in a prison.
Ian Hielo was a traitor, yet treated like this? Was it because he was the Minister of Magic and a war hero?
‘Still, this is ridiculous. Unbelievable!’
Grumbling, the guard headed back to his post, constantly glancing over his shoulder, worried the wizard might be chasing him.
Though he hadn’t met Ian, he knew he had to report this to the count at the next shift. Otherwise, he might have to return the earring without getting another.
“Wouldn’t it be better to bring Minister Tweller into the palace?” Xiaoshi asked, handing over a report.
Jin seemed to have been thinking the same and nodded lightly. To appoint a new Minister of Imperial Defense, Tweller’s retirement had to come first.
But his retirement required proper honors and a dignified ceremony. This was a long-standing tradition, and especially so for Tweller, who had earned great merit in the recent war.
“We’ll discuss it at the meeting. Is everyone gathered?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
It was time for the grand assembly. Since this was the first meeting since the rebellion, it was expected to be full of heated discussion. Jin set off with Xiaoshi toward the assembly hall, soon encountering the bustling Ministry of Magic.
“Minister Akorella!”
“What’s with the ‘Grand Minister’ title?”
“Why was the report changed? I clearly submitted a revised version.”
“I didn’t like the numbers, so I reverted it. What are you gonna do? You want the job?”
“Yes, I’ll be the minister. Step down.”
“You haven’t even had your inauguration yet.”
“You’ll be the first minister to step down without one. Congratulations.”
“Pak! You’re pushing your luck!”
Akorella and the wizards grumbled as they climbed the stairs, each clutching a stack of documents.
Seeing this, Jin finally felt the reality that Sir Ian had truly stepped down. He sighed softly and took a moment before entering the assembly hall.
“Hello, everyone. I am the new Minister of Magic, Akorella. You all know me, right? Yes, yes, nice to meet you.”
“Minister Akorella, please take a seat here.”
“Oh, how kind. Minister Raven, you weren’t like this before. I guess people really do change when it’s time to go?”
“Oh, what do you mean by that? Time to go?”
“That’s rude! Minister Akorella!”
“Don’t be so sensitive. I’m just announcing a major personnel reshuffle. The Minister of Magic is just getting fired up over it.”
“Mi-Minister?”
“You said it yourself. Mi-Minister—”
Jin stopped in his tracks, hearing Akorella’s booming voice through the door. Just as the attendant was about to announce the emperor’s arrival, Jin raised his hand to stop him.
This was Akorella’s first time entering the assembly as minister. Whether it was a proper greeting or not was unclear, but it was only right to give her some time.
‘When I spoke with Sir Ian, I had no worries at all.’
Sir Ian had said the Bariel Empire had many talented people by his side, so there would be no problem. Maybe things would have been different if I had seen it with my own eyes.
Jin listened quietly as Akorella fired off her harsh words, then gave a signal as if to say it was time. The attendant cleared his throat and announced from inside.
“His Majesty the Emperor is here—!”
Honestly, Jin thought bitterly, could they please just shut up? It always sounded exactly like that.
As Jin stepped inside, the ministers who had been insulted by Akorella showed grim expressions and awkwardly cleared their throats. But Akorella herself?
“Welcome, Your Majesty!” she said, her eyes sparkling with innocent enthusiasm and a gaze full of sincere loyalty.
The ministers grimaced and parted their lips slightly in disbelief. They knew she was crazy, but wasn’t she crazy in a whole new, colorful way? Meanwhile, the mages seemed unfazed, as if they had long since transcended such things.
“Good morning,” Jin said.
“Good morning!” Akorella replied cheerfully.
Apart from her, the others’ greetings were noticeably subdued. Understandably so—between the rebellion and the reshuffling of officials, the noose was tightening around their necks.
Jin looked around to signal the start of the meeting.
“Please, take your seats.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Today’s agenda is of utmost importance. Consider this the first step toward restoring order in the chaotic palace. I expect everyone to approach it with the utmost seriousness. Let’s begin with Captain Akorella of the Magic Department.”
“Ready!”
With a confident bang, Akorella stood up so abruptly that her chair toppled backward. The mages calmly caught it and set it upright again.
“First, I will report on the rebellion charges against former Minister Ian Hielo, the events surrounding it, and the outcome of the suppression. Next, we will discuss opening the portal for Minister Tweller’s return to the Imperial Defense Department, followed by…”
The attendants perked up their ears, focusing intently on the atmosphere inside. They had thought Akorella was just crazy, but now that the meeting had started, she was actually doing her job properly.
Tap, tap, tap!
“Excuse me, Your Majesty?”
At that moment, a flustered official rushed in, looking for the emperor. The attendants nodded toward the meeting room.
“The meeting has just begun. Where are you from?”
“I’m from the Foreign Affairs Department. Ah, I’m a bit late. I have a message that must be delivered to Your Majesty personally.”
“Currently, it’s the Magic Department’s turn. Please wait until the Foreign Affairs Department’s segment, and we will inform you then. But what is the matter?”
“Well, you see—”
The official held up a piece of paper, and the attendants leaned in to examine it closely.
“Proelka? Where is that?”
It was a letter from a country they had never heard of. The official himself seemed unfamiliar with the name and had apparently looked it up. He answered with a serious tone.
“It’s a southern nation! We had no contact with Bariel and only knew of its existence, but… isn’t this astonishing? Oh, the sender’s name is ‘Taoma.’”