Chapter 855
Jin’s Office.
“What the—”
Beric’s mouth twitched as if he’d misheard.
Akorella glanced cautiously at the firmly shut door before speaking carefully, clearly wary that their conversation might leak outside. Although the mages were standing guard, the imperial palace was no ordinary place—every shadow had eyes and ears. With the Grand Mage of the East having entered the palace, they had no choice but to be cautious.
Jin, equally stunned, froze in place, waiting for Akorella to continue.
“‘Soul weathering,’ huh? What exactly does that mean?”
“Soul extinction. They say there won’t be a next life. Damn old man… I don’t know what he was thinking creating something like that. Of all things, this damn thing.” Akorella muttered, rubbing her temples as if her head ached.
This was absurd. All that remained for Ian was to travel to the future and meet his Bariel. But now, he couldn’t be reborn? Jin repeated to himself that it must be the will of the gods, so it couldn’t be true—but he couldn’t shake the unease.
“So, what happened to Lord Ian?”
Jin’s question made Akorella frown in frustration.
It had been a year and a half since Ian disappeared. They wanted to believe he was somewhere out there, but judging by the last state he showed, hope was slim. If he truly had ended things somewhere…
“Akorella.”
Beric rapped his knuckles on the table, then lowered his posture to look Akorella straight in the eyes.
“Ian isn’t dead yet.”
“…I want to believe that too, but we have to be careful. What we do next depends on Ian’s condition. That old man seems to have his own agenda. He’s not telling us how to fix this…”
Akorella’s voice dropped to a whisper. Beric straightened up again, deep in thought.
“Because the method depends on the subject’s condition, we can’t just cling to hope. First, we need to accurately assess Ian’s state.”
She sighed deeply and lit a cigarette. What if Ian was truly dead, and there was no solution? That would be utter ruin—for the emperor before them, and for the magic department itself.
“So, to sum up: our goal is to find out Ian’s current condition and the old man’s true intentions, then find a way forward?”
“You put it well. You’re starting to sound like a commander.”
“Is the old man strong?”
Beric’s question drew a heavy sigh from Akorella. She knew exactly what he meant—he wanted to beat the old man until he talked.
Strong?
“Hell yes.”
Whoever gave him the title of Grand Mage, he was undoubtedly worthy of it. He had shaken the palace’s protective barrier with ease, cast spells without incantations, and even created that artifact—that alone proved his mastery.
“We know how to use magic, but making something like that? That’s beyond us. It’s out of our league. But that old man turned it into a tool anyone can use. I think age plays a part, but he’s above even Lord Ian.”
Ian might reach a higher level when he was as old as Zaan, but on the same timeline, it was clear.
Beric clicked his tongue at Akorella’s answer.
“Thought we could handle it.”
“Even if we could, no way. This isn’t some border wasteland. If anything happens, the entire capital gets wiped out.”
Akorella warned him not to even think about it, but Beric said nothing.
Wait, what’s this? Just as Akorella was about to add something—
“…We just have to find out.”
Breaking the silence, Jin spoke, tapping the leather sofa with his fingertips as he gave orders.
“First, the magic department is to treat Zaan with utmost courtesy. They should pretend to maintain a friendly relationship to lower his guard.”
“Understood. Don’t worry about that. He’s been eating and drinking alone, enjoying himself.”
“And Eunrang and Hohun?”
“Huh?”
“Still banging their heads against the wall in the hall?”
Jin recalled the two, terrified and begging for mercy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all. Using Eunrang and Hohun to gather intel on Zaan was the best option. Jin gestured to get up and move.
“Keep them distracted so Zaan doesn’t come to the hall.”
“I’ll keep pouring the strongest stuff until they’re drunk enough to drop dead. That old man’s stubborn, though—I’m not sure if he’ll even get drunk.”
“And Beric—”
Jin looked back at Beric, who nodded as if ready to follow any command.
“Let’s track him again.”
They meant to retrace Ian’s steps from last year.
Despite searching the forest thoroughly back then, they found nothing, and Ian himself hadn’t appeared since. Everyone assumed it was his will and gave up. The countryside mansion where Ian was supposed to stay remained untouched.
“Proceed discreetly.”
“Yes, understood. I’ll work with Barsabe.”
Only those who knew about Ian’s existence should move carefully. If rumors spread that the palace was searching for someone already executed, it would be a real mess.
Akorella glanced at Beric with some doubt, but thought it would be fine with Barsabe involved. No matter how you looked at it, it was fortunate Barsabe had been appointed one of the three commanders.
“Akorella.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Let’s go to the hall.”
Beric gave Akorella a sharp nod that meant “get lost,” and she raised her eyes warning him not to cause trouble. That was all they needed to say.
As they left the office, the mages guarding outside followed Jin.
Thud.
Soon, they arrived at the center of the hall.
Under the watchful eyes of mages and guards, Eunrang and Hohun remained in place. They lay flat on the floor, muscles tense to avoid being dragged away, sweat pouring from their bodies.
Jin signaled everyone to step back.
“Ugh…”
“Are you conscious?”
Eunrang lifted her chin slightly to look at Jin. Her eyes were bloodshot. Jin knelt before her and gently pressed the back of her head with a finger.
“Ah—!”
It was a very light pressure, but Eunrang, who had been holding on with all her strength, let out a pained groan and trembled violently.
Jin ignored it and kept pressing. Hohun, watching nearby, snapped through clenched teeth.
“St-stop!”
“How touching.”
Jin knew well that Hohun rarely spoke, and Eunrang’s mind was full of schemes. So he had no choice but to use their feelings.
“Hohun. Try harder. Otherwise, your lover will sink to the floor.”
“Grrk!”
Jin watched their reactions with an emotionless gaze. When their faces turned pale and they seemed about to lose consciousness, he withdrew his hand and asked,
“I want to know more about your master, Zaan.”
“Why all of a sudden…?”
Hohun and Eunrang furrowed their brows deeper. They were hostages, held only to maintain contact with the East. The artifact, the friendly relations with Zaan—it all seemed like a setup. Now, suddenly, Jin was trying to extract information?
Eunrang sensed a shift in their relationship.
Snap.
At that moment, the oppressive force holding them down suddenly vanished, like a taut string snapping.
The two collapsed to the floor. Jin looked back at Akorella.
“Zaan, that old man, seems to have withdrawn his power.”
It couldn’t be a coincidence. That meant he knew what was happening here.
‘Why would he release them?’
It almost seemed like he didn’t care if information leaked.
Hohun and Eunrang gasped for breath, trembling weakly.
“You want to know about Zaan?”
“…Yes.”
“Then let’s make a deal.”
Eunrang wiped her mouth and looked up at the emperor.
“Don’t send us to Zaan.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Is there anything the emperor—the center and master of Bariel—can’t do? Think carefully.”
How arrogant… Akorella rolled up her sleeves and strode forward, but Eunrang hurriedly added,
“We’re not asking to be hidden or to oppose Zaan. Just let us go. We’ll run far away and never set foot near Gaia. Please.”
“Don’t you know it’s basic manners to speak politely when asking a favor?”
“Akorella.”
Jin stopped her and stepped back.
“There are two more like Zaan in the East.”
“What?”
Jin and Akorella froze at the unexpected revelation.
“Why would three people be needed to use the artifact? It was made based on three grand mages who reached the absolute pinnacle. They fight each other to the death, but when it comes to eradicating the aberrations, they share the same goal.”
Eunrang’s voice trembled faintly. Jin, listening quietly, grasped the core of the matter.
“Eradicating the aberrations.”
If someone with such a prickly personality could unite with hostile rivals, it showed just how important that mission was to him.
For a moment, his mind cleared. He reminded himself that the start of any negotiation was to figure out what the other party wanted.
Eunrang spoke up.
“Besides that, we’re making a deal just between us, right?”
“A deal only works if both sides have something to exchange,” Jin replied.
Did you even have any cards to play? Jin’s words made Eunrang snort.
“If we’re led out of the palace by Jian’s hand, we’ll immediately reveal the secret to the whole world. That someone who was hung in the streets is actually alive and well.”
“Ah, Johta.”
Burp. Jian patted his full belly and drained his cup. Feeling pleasantly drunk, he shouted toward the door.
“If you’re coming in, come in. If not, then don’t!”
The palace orchestra, startled, paused for a moment. But this wasn’t the first time Jian had rambled drunk nonsense—they quickly resumed playing.
Still, when the door actually opened a little while later, they were all taken aback. How on earth had he sensed someone approaching?
“Well now, I like your eyes. Everyone from this side of the country has eyes I can respect. I might not know much else, but I’ll give you that! Care for a drink?”
“Please.”
“You’re quite rude. At least introduce yourself first!”
“What’s the point? How close do you think we’re going to get that I should?”
“You know my name. I want to know yours. Hmm, let me see…”
Jian narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.
“Beric, isn’t it?”
“…Eavesdropping inside the palace is a serious crime. You’d better stop, Strawberry Nose.”
“What? Strawberry Nose? Ha!”
Beric plopped down opposite him and warned, but Jian just grabbed the bottle and took a long swig.
“Eavesdropping my ass! What am I supposed to do with sharp eyes and ears like mine?”
Beric sat down across from him, picked up a cup, and made a proposal.
“Old man, want to make a bet?”
“What kind of bet? Nothing ruins a drinking session like gambling—ha! But no one who’s said that in front of me has ever lived up to their words.”
“So you’re in? To make the drinks more interesting, best of three.”
“You’re bold, I’ll give you that. Fine, what’s at stake?”
‘Stronger than Ian, huh?’
Beric muttered, recalling what Akorella had said.
Still, I haven’t always lost to Ian.
“The winner gets their wish granted. How about that?”