Chapter 876

Ian watched with wide eyes as Romandro worked.

He discreetly slipped the potion into the thief’s mouth, and almost immediately, the bleeding stopped. New flesh began to grow visibly. The thief’s pale complexion flushed a healthy crimson, and the half-lost consciousness seemed to snap back.

Romandro muttered repeatedly, sounding regretful.

“This stuff… this is the really expensive kind… tsk.”

It was a masterpiece potion, highly praised even among the legendary Minister of Magic, Akorella’s creations. Thanks to this potion, casualties had been drastically reduced, and from the era of Jin Verosion to the present, it had been a cornerstone of peace and prosperity, aiding Bariel’s development.

The only downside was that the magic stones required to make it were extremely rare, making mass production impossible.

“Consider yourself lucky. What you’re swallowing right now is something even the top central nobles line up for.”

“Gah… cough…”

The thief flinched and coughed, not from discomfort but from the sudden relief of pain and exhaustion.

He lifted his head slightly, blinking.

“W-what is this?”

“Feeling a bit more lucid?”

“Am I… am I dead?”

“Well, that depends on what happens next.”

The thief kept examining the now-healed back of his hand, clearly trying to make sense of the situation. Romandro snapped him out of it with a sharp slap across the hand.

“Answer my questions. You were in a lot of pain earlier, right? If you lie again or stay silent, you’ll have to go through that all over again.”

“Wait, wait a moment.”

“Tell me—was your goal really theft, or were you hired by someone to attack us?”

Romandro asked bluntly. The thief’s eyes darted wildly. A tense silence followed. Ian, standing close by, narrowed his eyes, urging him to speak.

The thief’s lips moved, but before he could say anything, Romandro clicked his tongue and stood up.

“Tch. Just wasted the potion. Hey, you out there! Fix this guy back to how he was!”

“No, wait!”

“Why? What? Or are you going to pay for the potion?”

Hearing footsteps outside, the thief paled and shook his head frantically. Romandro knocked on the door to signal the guards to wait.

“Alright then. Spill everything you know.”

“A few days ago, someone came by. They said that when the crescent moon rises, the next day around noon, some carriages will pass through—and that we should kill them all.”

The day after the crescent moon. Someone who knew Ian’s schedule leaving Hadel was behind this. Romandro frowned, rubbing his chin.

“Kill them all? No specific targets?”

“…”

“That’s a lie, Romandro. I heard it clearly.”

Ian interjected, and the thief grimaced in frustration.

“Well, okay, to be honest, there’s a young boy involved. They said even if you miss the others, don’t let that boy escape.”

“How can someone be like that? Look at him—just five years old, such a sweet child. You want to kill him?”

“We have to do what we must to survive. It’s our job.”

“Don’t talk like that when you don’t even pay taxes!”

Smack! Romandro’s angry slap landed squarely on the thief’s head. It seemed to sting more than expected, as tears welled up in the thief’s eyes.

“And?”

“Well, they also gave us a rough estimate of how many people there’d be and their strength.”

“Who was it?”

“It was night, and they wore a robe to hide their face, so I don’t know who exactly. But it was definitely a man.”

“You teamed up with someone whose identity you don’t even know?”

“They paid us. Do I need to know more?”

“Well, I suppose that’s true.”

Ian realized something. Crony had moved separately from him not just for an alibi, but to hide the fact that he was the mastermind.

If they had moved together, the thieves wouldn’t have known who the client was and might have attacked them both.

“How much money?”

“Huh?”

“The advance payment. How much did you get, and where is it now?”

“About twenty gold coins. I’ve already spent it all.”

Twenty gold coins—that was roughly a year’s income for an average farmer. If that was the advance, whoever was behind this had considerable resources.

Everything pointed to Crony. Romandro folded his arms, pondering briefly, then opened the door and called out.

Click!

“Guards!”

“Yes, here.”

“These guys were definitely hired. There’s illicit profit involved, so start the investigation from scratch. We must recover it! Twenty gold coins, no less!”

Gold? The guards’ eyes lit up.

If they recovered the illicit gains, most of it would be allocated to the village guard’s budget. It was a huge sum, enough for a nice bonus beyond just meat for their meals.

“Understood.”

“Oh, and—!”

Romandro tried to add something, but the guards ignored him and rushed into the interrogation room.

Only a few higher-ups, including the captain, had been hired by Crony. The guards, who hadn’t gotten a single crumb, wouldn’t miss this chance.

Bang!

Romandro muttered to the firmly closed door.

“Damn, this should’ve been done after the potion wore off…”

Otherwise, the moment the wounds healed, the pain would return sharply. It would be easy to lose a man that way.

But what could he do? Romandro shrugged as if to say he didn’t know, then turned to Ian.

“Shall we get out of here, my lord?”

Because soon, terrible sounds would start leaking through the door. Ian nodded silently.

Sure enough, as soon as they stepped out with the child, the thief’s horrific screams echoed through the street.

---

In the inn room, Hana, Filia, Romandro, and Ian sat around the table.

The four stared silently at the crumpled paper before them. The silence stretched on until Hana’s cheeks flushed red.

“I’m sorry…”

“Huh? No, no need to apologize!”

It was truly a mess of handwriting. Hana had broken into the guest room to copy part of Crony’s letter, but the poor penmanship made it hard to read. And on top of that, the sentences were fragmented and incomplete.

Romandro leaned in close, scrutinizing the paper.

“So, Lord Crony killed the lord and lady of Hadel, and now intends to kill you, Ian, to seize the Hadel family’s inheritance.”

“Hana heard it herself, and it seems her mother knows as well. And this—”

Ian pulled out a magic stone.

“It’s a magic stone that can record audio. It captured a conversation among Crony’s gang. The sound quality isn’t great, but it’s clear enough.”

Romandro crossed his arms and laid out the evidence on the table.

Hana’s letter was practically useless as evidence since it wasn’t the original.

And the magic stone—he’d have to listen to it himself, but on its own, it wasn’t enough to tie Crony and his gang conclusively.

“This is dangerous.”

Romandro’s voice was firm.

He was the one who killed the lord and lady and hired the thieves. Where was Crony now? Outside the inn, or in the guardhouse? No one could say.

“If he realizes we’re onto him, and that we even have evidence, who knows how he’ll react? I’ve heard rumors at the imperial palace about Lord Crony of the Imperial Defense Department. They say he’s cruel and cold, sharp as a blade, and sees the world in terms of ‘my side’ and ‘your side.’”

That meant he always made sure to understand the situation fully before making a move.

Ian felt sorry, but once Crony decided to eliminate the lord, there was no stopping him. He only hunted prey he could catch.

“We can’t touch this half-heartedly, Ian. Crony has probably already heard about the interrogation. He’ll know we’re suspicious. That alone puts us one step into danger.”

“So what do you suggest?”

“Let’s go to the imperial palace first. Shut your eyes and ears to everything else and head there. Then we can plan our next move. There are allies of Crony’s there, but also many who oppose him.”

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all. Ian carefully put the magic stone away and bit his lip. He understood, but the anger inside him was hard to suppress.

“We’ll report to the palace, including the thieves’ attack—”

“Could you write it as if they were targeting the Ministry of Magic instead?”

Ian grabbed Romandro’s hand, pleading.

“That way, we can avoid putting the spotlight directly on me and instead frame it as an attack on the Ministry. It’ll draw more attention. The bigger the stage, the more people get involved, and the harder it is for the enemy to act recklessly.”

Romandro narrowed his eyes and smiled slyly.

“Are you asking me to write a fake report?”

“Not at all. You’re Ministry staff, and I’m part of the Ministry too, so it’s not exactly false. It’s clear the thieves targeted a child and me, but there’s no need to emphasize that.”

Besides, Romandro, you’re already caught in the web of truth. If it came out that Crony targeted Ian, you’d be in danger too as a witness and accomplice.

Romandro raised his eyebrows with a knowing look and replied.

“Well, reports are supposed to be concise, after all.”

It was a sign that he was willing to grant the child’s request.

Ian smiled faintly at Romandro’s reply.

“If the royal palace takes an interest, they can escort the thieves to the capital.”

“That would allow for a more thorough and impartial investigation.”

“And, most importantly, we’d be able to use the truth serum.”

“Truth serum?”

“Oh, it’s something created by the former minister—he was a bit unhinged, as I mentioned earlier. It’s a potion that reveals truth from lies. It’s been in use for a long time, but there are many ways to neutralize its effects. That’s why it’s not trusted if used without proper verification.”

Knock knock.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Hana, Philia, and Romandro scrambled to tidy up the table, causing a bit of a commotion. They hurriedly gathered the scattered papers and called out.

“Wh-who is it?”

Could it be Crony? That sneaky bastard… Were they eavesdropping outside this whole time? Everyone tensed up and shouted, when an awkward voice came from outside.

“A visitor has come again.”

It was Nersarn. Philia cautiously opened the door, and the tall, bronze-skinned man looked down at her.

“I heard you were looking for Master Ian.”

“Here?”

When Nersarn nodded, everyone exchanged puzzled glances and looked toward the window. Crony had already arrived from the Hadell territory, so who else could be looking for Ian? Romandro muttered as he examined the unfamiliar carriage closely.

“That seal looks familiar…”

Hana studied the flag carefully, then suddenly slapped her palm in realization.

“Ah!”

It was the seal of Count Jacques—the tutor of Lady Jeria, Ian’s mother! Hana’s face lit up as she looked back at Ian.

“Master! It seems Count Jacques has sent someone! They must be here to help us. You should go out and see them.”

They might have rushed here after hearing Ian was in danger.

Unlike the bouncing Hana, Ian calmly adjusted his jacket.

“Well…”

His mother’s warning echoed in his mind.

“Count Jacques was my mother’s tutor. He’s trustworthy, so if you’re in trouble, ask for his help—but if he demands the seal, turn around and leave immediately.”

He was someone who couldn’t be fully trusted. And more than that—

“You’ll see for yourself.”

He hadn’t even cast a shadow at his parents’ funeral.

Biting his lip firmly, Ian stepped out of the inn.