Chapter 853
“Alright, let the music play! Faster, faster!”
As Jaan bounced on his shoulders and stood up, the imperial orchestra, about to start their string performance, froze in confusion. They’d played at countless prestigious banquets before, but never anything like this. This wasn’t a ball—how much faster did he want the tempo?
Jaan strode between the musicians, shouting to speed up. The conductor glanced back, silently pleading for help.
Shrug.
Acorella shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “Handle it yourself.” What a crazy old man. He was clearly in his own world, chugging rare wine by the bowlful and shouting about “the true taste of the Western regions” as he went wild.
“Now I get why he smashed the shield before the main gate,” she muttered.
“Why’s that?”
“Try walking up to it step by step. Who’d think that was the Eastern Grand Mage? They’d just chase off some crazy old man who wandered in from nowhere.”
“Fair point.”
“My head hurts, seriously.”
Acorella pressed her brows together, mumbling, while Jaan returned to his seat, flicking up the hem of his robe. He mixed the drinks he’d prepared however he pleased, then downed it all in one gulp, letting out a satisfied exclamation.
“Ha! Whether East or West, the emperor’s palace is heaven on earth! No need to envy immortals. That’s why everyone’s scrambling so hard. Where crows gather, egrets, come join us! If a boat sinks, we’ll scavenge and have a blast!”
No one really understood what he was saying, but it was clear he was thoroughly enjoying himself. The problem was, it all sounded like nonsense. Jaan tore into his meat, then gestured to Acorella, who stood a little apart.
“Won’t you join me?”
“Well, if that’s the Eastern way of hospitality, then yes.”
Acorella sat opposite Jaan, raising her glass. The old man poured wine until it overflowed, grinning and urging her to drink.
“You’re the head of the Magic Department, right?”
“Acorella. Do you remember? You seem quite tipsy already.”
“No matter how old I am, I don’t forget what just happened.”
Strange. He looked no older than his mid-thirties—how old was she, really? Acorella drained her glass in one go and wiped her mouth. The mages around her gasped, while Jaan chewed his food with a curious “hmm?”
“You know your drinks, huh?”
“I taste all sorts of strange things—that’s my job. Anyway, let’s get to the point.”
“The point?”
Acorella took a breath and bowed her head slightly.
“First, I think it’s right to apologize. As you suspected, we used the artifact.”
She admitted that thanks to it, they’d created a new spell called “Conjunction.” Jaan didn’t seem particularly interested in the magical significance.
Acorella continued.
“However, at the time, we believed the artifact belonged to someone else. We didn’t even know how it entered Gaia.”
“Hmph. It’s good you’re honest, but it’s all just excuses to me.”
With a clink, Jaan refilled her glass, silently inviting her to continue.
“If you need anything to recreate the artifact, the Magic Department will support you fully.”
“Hmm.”
Jaan thought for a moment, then smiled openly.
“Isn’t that a good thing for you?”
“Excuse me?”
“The artifact was my essence. Recreating it will take time and effort, but that’s not the point. Let’s talk profit and loss first.”
He pointed at Acorella and the mages with his finger, which gleamed with grease from eating.
“Let’s see… You get to observe the level Eastern magic has reached under the guise of helping me. That’s a priceless opportunity to advance Western magic. But me? I lose my artifact and have to give free lessons. Sounds like I’m the only one losing out here. Am I imagining things? Hmm?”
Acorella’s eyes narrowed. She wanted to argue but couldn’t deny the truth.
They were sincere about helping recreate the artifact, but she couldn’t say they had no ulterior motives. Research spanning East and West—that was thrilling. Including mages in the delegation to the East was part of that plan.
Jaan tugged at the skin under his eyes as if he knew everything.
“Ha! I see right through you all!”
“…That’s a misunderstanding.”
Acorella forced a polite smile, though her trembling lips betrayed her. The mages pretended not to notice.
“So, what kind of compensation do you want?”
“Compensation, huh… hmm.”
“If you haven’t decided, we can postpone and discuss later. There’s a mountain of things to talk about—Eunrang, Hohun, and Yeonmok.”
Acorella gestured, and Hale brought her some documents. Jaan stared at Hale, clicking his tongue in displeasure.
“Since you came after these three, I take it you want authority over their fate as well.”
“Why make it so complicated? Just say it straight.”
Acorella handed over the papers and explained.
“First, the damage estimate caused by Yeonmok, who ran off with the artifact. He used forbidden magic to damage the ‘Mage’s Forest’ in Luswena. It’s a historic magical site, so putting a number on it is meaningless, but this is just for reference.”
Jaan flipped through the papers.
“Luswena’s a neighboring country, right?”
“They were defeated and became a vassal of Bariel. Plus, some mages from there are here.”
“See that?” Acorella nodded toward them, but Jaan just sipped his drink, uninterested.
“There’s more detail on Eunrang and Hohun.”
They threatened Minister Raiven and Bariel officials, caused property damage, and even racked up dining bills at the palace.
“Pay up?”
‘So you can read the common language,’ Acorella thought, surprised and momentarily speechless.
“No, how could we treat honored guests like that? This is just Bariel’s way of showing consideration for you.”
“So, because I owe them, they’ll let the artifact issue slide? That’s how I hear it.”
“That’s another misunderstanding.”
They had no idea of Jaan’s goals or temperament. This was a subtle warning against unreasonable demands: “Take it easy. You may be the Eastern Grand Mage, but this is Gaia.”
“By the way…” Jaan suddenly tossed the papers aside, deep in thought.
“No matter how I look at it, there aren’t enough people.”
“Huh?”
“When using the artifact, three people must have shared the pill. But here, I only sense power from one. Where are the others?”
Jaan fixed his gaze on Hale. Of the three orbs in the box, Hale had taken two, and Ian had taken one…
“They’re dead.”
Acorella said calmly.
“They were executed long ago for treason.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Good timing. I wanted to ask about this. The box had inscriptions hinting at side effects. Eunrang and Hohun seemed unaware. Can you explain?”
Though Hale showed no symptoms yet, it was important to know.
Jaan motioned for Hale to come closer. When he stood beside him, Jaan tapped his forehead lightly.
“Do you know? Magic resonates with the soul.”
“I do.”
“Good. You’re at least that sharp.”
Jaan draped an arm over Hale’s shoulder and took a sip of his drink.
“I don’t know about the West, but the East has entered an age of chaos. The emperor’s a fool, and monsters that feed on screams are endless. I believed we needed magic of a higher dimension to quell this chaos.”
That’s what the artifact made possible.
Eunrang, Hohun, and Yeonmok, driven mad by harsh training, coveted it for one reason: it made getting stronger easy. Hale had guessed this from the inscriptions on the artifact.
“But power without a price? Where’s that?”
Creating new magic circles for future generations isn’t a simple sacrifice. It requires borrowing the power of souls to wield higher powers.
“You said it’s called ‘Conjunction’? It will self-destruct within a hundred years and become unusable.”
“…Why?”
“If used indefinitely, the target’s soul will erode.”
“…?!”
Acorella and Hale’s eyes widened in shock. Soul erosion? Did they hear that right?
Jaan clenched his fists and added,
“So, you have to settle things within the allowed time. Monsters or not, grind them to dust…”
“Wait a minute! So the side effect you mentioned is soul erosion? Please explain exactly what that means.”
“Just as it sounds. Soul extinction. No next life. Hmm, did the Western regions even have a concept of reincarnation?”
“Hey, you! Damn it!”
Bang!
As Akorella suddenly jumped up, about to overturn the table, Hale hurriedly stopped her. Zaan just chuckled without a hint of surprise.
“You can’t just take it easy.”
“You like it raw? It’s spoiled!”
“If it was really spoiled, you wouldn’t be eating it, would you?”
“Damn—!”
“The greater the difference in the subjects’ levels, the steeper the decline. That means the soul erosion happens faster. Hey, you idiots just standing there—go get some ink and brushes.”
Akorella, half-translating, snapped sharply.
“Paper and pens!”
“Y-yes, yes!”
Zaan pushed the plates aside on the table and grabbed a pen. Though his expression showed the food wasn’t exactly appetizing, he handled the pen with surprising skill.
“The box probably said something like this.”
“Sound about right? My memory’s a bit fuzzy.”
Hale nodded slightly, confirming it matched what he remembered. Akorella snatched the paper and read it aloud, then suddenly shouted.
“Why is the recovery condition left blank?!”
“Because I said so, you little pony.”
Zaan laughed, flopping back onto the floor.
“Hey, hey, bring more drinks! Why is the emperor so busy he can’t even show his face?”
“Yaaaah!”
“Minister, wait! Wait a moment!”
The mages rushed in, pulling Akorella away. After apologizing to Zaan, they left. Even with the door closed, the noise outside grew louder.
Lying down, Zaan turned his head sharply and muttered softly.
“So why are you lying? Like hell anyone’s dying.”
He rested his foot on his knee, tapping his toes. The smile had long since vanished, replaced by a deep, serious gaze.
‘Increasing magical power means gaining stronger abilities. If some beast like a dog or cow uses this, it’ll cause a huge disaster. Judging by the energy that just flew in, this isn’t some ordinary person…’
Zaan was curious. Were these Westerners using the relic truly good by his standards? If not, to prevent catastrophe, he’d have to kill everyone involved before he could leave.
“Ah, but it tastes good. Yeah.”
As if nothing had happened, his expression shifted. He wiped his nose and eagerly grabbed another bite.