Chapter 879
“Phew…”
Ian and Romandro stepped out of the emperor’s bedchamber. Unlike Ian, who stood quietly composed, Romandro sank down with a heavy sigh, his breath coming in ragged gasps. It was his first time meeting the emperor so closely.
Ian patted his shoulder gently and asked, “Are you alright, Romandro? You said he was a kind man.”
“Yes, yes. It’s not about kindness or anything like that. It’s more… well, hmm. For a court official living off a stipend, this is just a natural reaction you can’t avoid.”
“You mean your legs gave out?”
“You’re still young, Ian, so you don’t quite understand yet. Sob.”
No, maybe he never would. What could a noble child, destined to become a palace mage from such a young age, possibly fear? Romandro wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, and Ian, struggling to help him up, grabbed his arm firmly.
“Can you stand? Should I call Haena?”
“No, I must get up. I can’t just roll away…”
Romandro dusted off his trousers and rose, then followed the steward’s lead out of the room.
Ian wanted to take another look at the portrait from earlier but noticed the path had changed. Was the route in and out different? The imperial palace was truly a complex and fascinating place.
“Romandro, can you tell me more about Bariel’s history?”
“You’ll learn it step by step at school, but do you want to get a head start?”
“It’s more personal curiosity than anything else.”
“Hmm. Just a moment.”
Romandro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Since the palace library was in the adjacent building, he considered borrowing some books to give to Ian. Though only five years old, Ian was more than capable of reading them.
At that moment, Haena and the coachman appeared beside the carriage. Romandro waved.
“Hey, you two!”
“Have you finished your schedule? Shall we head to the Magic Department?”
“Did the Magic Department summon us directly?”
The coachman shrugged.
“They’re overwhelmed with work and sent word to wait for a while.”
“That’s good. Then we’ll stop by the library for a bit. Oh, what about Nersarn?”
“Nersarn hasn’t left the palace yet.”
That was unexpected. The death of the Cheonryeo leader wasn’t considered a matter of great importance within the palace.
Even Nersarn himself seemed unsure why he had to deliver the message personally. Romandro had assumed he’d just pass it on and leave immediately. He snapped his fingers decisively.
“Ian, this way.”
“Yes!”
Waving to Haena, Ian followed Romandro closely.
As they entered the palace connected to the main residence, the atmosphere shifted noticeably—more businesslike, hectic. Ian gripped Romandro’s sleeve tightly, staying close to avoid losing him.
“Excuse me.”
Just then, someone approached and greeted them. A man in uniform, sword at his waist. Ian instinctively tensed, wary he might be a subordinate of Crony from the Imperial Defense Department.
“Are you Ian Hadel, young master?”
“…Yes, but how did you know?”
“Apologies for the late introduction. I’m Hertzi Jacque, second son of Count Jacque. I guessed from seeing Romandro with an unfamiliar child.”
Hertzi Jacque—the son of Count Jacque.
“And above all, you look just like your mother, Lady Jeria. I recognized you immediately.”
Ian bowed slightly in respect. Hertzi motioned his men to step back.
“I’m one of the three captains of the Imperial Palace Guard. A magic user, like yourself. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other. Pleasure to meet you.”
“The Imperial Palace Guard?”
“Yes. We serve as the emperor’s sword and shield.”
“So, Hertzi, you’re a magic swordsman?”
“Exactly.”
Hertzi crouched down and smiled kindly at Ian. Such a young child to be here in the palace.
Some might admire or envy this, but Hertzi knew how tragic it was. Only five years old—barely older than his own children—and already thrust into such a cold, harsh world.
“Since we’ve met, may I introduce you briefly? Do you have time?”
Hertzi glanced at Romandro, who waved his hand dismissively—no problem.
“Ian was just on his way to borrow books about Bariel’s history. The Magic Department seems chaotic right now, so we were looking for somewhere to pass the time.”
“Perfect timing. The other two captains are currently guarding His Majesty, so I can’t introduce them, but—”
Ian recalled the emperor’s chamber had felt eerily empty—no people, no furniture, no decorations. Yet the captains were said to be constantly nearby? Surprising.
“Still, it would be good to get acquainted with the other members. Magic swordsmen and mages have much in common. Both wield magical power and are central to palace affairs, so we often work together.”
Hertzi slowly named the men standing behind him, and Ian met their eyes, greeting them with determination to remember their names. After the brief introductions, Hertzi opened the office door and led them inside.
Creak.
“Hertzi, you’re here? And… is this your child?”
“I only have three daughters.”
“Oh, pardon me.”
Ian exchanged glances with the guards and looked up at the wall badges. Hundreds of them, it seemed.
“These honor the past members of the Imperial Palace Guard. Each guard wears one of these badges. When facing moments that demand risking their lives, they remove the badge to leave a mark.”
“…That’s incredible.”
Ian’s eyes scanned the hundreds of names. All those who had given their lives for the emperor and the palace. A profound reverence welled up inside him.
‘…To die for someone else.’
Suddenly, Ian thought of his mother. After all, she had died for him. Lost in thought, he blurted out quietly,
“How can they do that?”
Hertzi’s eyes widened slightly. Such a question wasn’t easy to answer. After a moment’s hesitation, he replied,
“Because we all cherish the Bariel Empire and His Majesty the Emperor.”
When you hold something dear, nothing is too precious to give.
Ian nodded at Hertzi’s words and clenched his own hand tightly. So that’s why mother did what she did—because she cherished me.
“Oh, here.”
Hertzi pointed to a badge.
“This belonged to an ancestor of the Jacque family.”
Ian raised his head to read the name.
“…Cedric Jacque.”
“By talent alone as a magic swordsman, he’s considered the greatest in history. Though born a commoner, his countless achievements earned him a noble title and founded our family.”
Ian scanned the names displayed alongside Cedric’s.
‘Jaret, Barsabe…’
“There’s a tradition in our family to honor these men by passing down their names. I named my daughter Barsabe, after one of them.”
Ian frowned, realizing these figures had lived during the era of Jin Verosion.
“…”
His gaze suddenly stopped on one badge. Gently touching it, he murmured,
“…Beric.”
The name resonated deeply. For some reason, he kept repeating it in his mind. Strange. An inexplicable feeling welled up inside, making him restless.
“He was remarkable in many ways.”
“In many ways?”
“He was Cedric’s senior and mentor. An otherworldly being named Atan, with a unique heritage, historically significant.”
Could he learn about this too? Ian looked at Romandro, eyes shining with eagerness to get to the library.
“Well, since we’ve seen enough, shall we head out?”
“Very well. Ian, will you be visiting the count’s residence later?”
Ian nodded at Hertzi’s question.
“I have some gratitude to express and news about my mother to share. I’ll be relying on him for a while.”
“Please don’t say that. Jeria—your mother—is like a daughter to me, and you are like a grandson to my father.”
“…Thank you.”
“My daughter is about your age. I hope you two become good friends. Now, let me escort you out.”
Hertzi opened the door and saw Ian and Romandro off. After bidding farewell to the palace guards, the two headed to the library and soon emerged, hands full of books.
“Oh my, so many…”
Haena and the coachman gasped, rushing up the stairs.
The books covered a wide range of topics, starting with the founding legends of Bariel. Ian smiled broadly, clearly pleased.
“Haena, the palace library really has a huge collection!”
“Are you going to read all of these?”
“Well, it’s mostly stories about Bariel’s founding anyway.”
It would take a great deal of time to master over a thousand years of history. Haena and the coachman loaded the books onto the back of the carriage and settled the child into the back seat.
“All right, then. Off to the Ministry of Magic!”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
“Oh wow, finally the Ministry of Magic!”
Romandro slumped back against the seat, exhausted from the long journey.
Meanwhile, Ian sat up straight, eyes fixed on the road ahead. The Ministry of Magic—what a grand, thrilling place that must be! He shrugged his shoulders, biting back a smile that threatened to escape.
“I’m gonna die, I swear! At this rate, we’re all doomed!”
“Then maybe you should’ve met the deadline.”
“What was that? We’re supposed to stick together as wizards!”
“Anyone seen the stamp on the desk?”
“Damn it! Why do you keep messing up the paperwork like this? You wanna go, huh?!”
Bang! Crash!
Ian froze at the distant commotion. They hadn’t even entered the Ministry yet—how could he already hear shouting? And what on earth was going on? The excitement that had filled Ian’s face slowly drained away.
“Shall we head up the stairs, Ian?”
“R-Romandro, are you sure it’s okay to come now? This sounds like trouble.”
“Huh? Compared to usual, it’s pretty quiet. Don’t worry, this way.”
Quiet? Ian couldn’t believe it. He followed Romandro with a stunned expression as the latter explained.
“This is the Ministry’s main building. Unlike other places, the number of floors isn’t clearly defined.”
“You mean you don’t know how many floors it has?”
“Exactly. Magic is the power of the gods, the mystery of the world. Since the Ministry deals with its very source, nothing here is ever straightforward. Well, except for that.”
Romandro pointed to the right, where a small annex stood, looking relatively new.
“That’s the Ministry’s annex. It’s where they store various materials and documents.”
“Got it.”
Ian glanced around the annex, then suddenly realized the stairs had ended. They stepped into a vast lobby, crowded with wizards lounging about and staff bustling back and forth.
“Ahem! Romandro, I’m back!”
He shouted at the top of his lungs, but no one paid any attention. Just as Romandro muttered awkwardly—
“Ian Hadel’s here too.”
Suddenly.
The wizards froze and turned to look at Ian. It was as if time itself had stopped.
Ian, clinging tightly to Romandro’s side, nervously darted his eyes around. The gazes fixed on him were anything but ordinary.
But it only lasted a moment.
“Oh. What? Why are you here so early?”
“Early? Is this early?”
“We’re busy. Talk later.”
Watching the backs of the wizards as they swept past, a cold wind blowing through the lobby, Ian bit his lip hard. This wasn’t going to be easy. He had to do well.
Snap!
At the same time, the wizards clenched their lips tightly, trying to control the storm of emotions inside them. Seeing this, some wizards from deeper inside the office approached and asked.
“Ian Hadel’s here?”
“Yeah. In the lobby.”
“How is he?”
“How is he? He’s just a kid…”
They said he was the first noble wizard or something like that…
‘Damn, he’s so cute!’
The wizards kept their composure, but inside they were screaming. They had to maintain their dignity—no drooling or making a scene! Everyone else was acting normal, so they couldn’t be the only ones freaking out.
“Ahem.”
Still awkward at expressing themselves, the wizards exchanged glances, cleared their throats, and, as if on cue, quietly returned to their offices.