Episode 893

Ian lay face down on the desk, watching the wizards at work. Since this was the “Magic Department,” he had expected flashy spells and things zipping around, but it was surprisingly quiet.

Most of the wizards were buried in paperwork, running around to get stamps, and bickering over who did better or worse.

“Are you out of your mind? Who handles work like this?”

“You’re the one slapping the stamp around like decoration, so this happened—”

The two wizards, raising their voices, suddenly froze. They sensed the unfamiliar presence of five-year-old Ian Hadell, eyes sparkling as he lay on the desk, and the warning glares from their colleagues around him silently saying, “Cut it out.”

‘You crazy fools, there’s a five-year-old here.’

‘Shut your mouths.’

‘Don’t do things your usual way. Ian Hadell is listening.’

‘Haven’t you heard the saying that you can’t even drink cold water in front of a kid?’

‘If rumors spread that Ian Hadell learned weird stuff in the Magic Department, we’re all dead meat.’

With a sharp flash in their eyes, the wizards’ hostility cooled. The two awkwardly cleared their throats and clasped hands, as if trying to make peace.

“…Friend, if you handle work like this, I’m in serious trouble.”

“Yeah, yeah. Then why didn’t you do it properly from the start?”

“You’re challenging me, huh?”

“Come with me, then.”

A silent battle of strength disguised as a handshake quietly unfolded.

As the two slipped away to the side, Ian propped his chin up, watching with genuine interest. So this is how they handle things.

He wasn’t involved in the work yet, but someday he’d have to pull his own weight in the Magic Department. He needed to take it all in and remember everything.

“Oh?”

Just then, Arena, heading to the minister’s office, stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the office.

“Hello, Minister.”

“Oh, hey. Did you get home okay?”

“Yes, thanks to you…”

Arena narrowed her eyes, glancing at the wizards. Ian Hadell sitting at an empty table? Okay. And the mountain of snacks piled on it? Also okay.

But then…

“Why is the desk arrangement like this?”

Originally, the desks faced the walls. They didn’t want to see each other, so why sit facing one another? The basic setup was to keep as much distance as possible.

“Why the change?”

The wizards just snorted and looked down, pretending not to understand the minister’s question. They were too busy to care.

“…Hmph.”

Arena looked around at them, baffled. All the desks formed a circle around Ian Hadell. What were they trying to pull?

Only Ian, thinking this was normal, blinked as if nothing was wrong.

“Um—Minister, are you busy?”

“Yeah, yeah. I saw another stack of paperwork delivered earlier.”

The wizards politely tried to send the minister on her way. In front of Ian, they kept their composure, trying to maintain the dignity of senior wizards.

“Busy… very busy… unbelievable.”

“……”

“Is Ian Hadell staying here all day?”

“Ah, yes.”

Ian straightened up and answered.

“Today, I’m supposed to get familiar with the Magic Department’s structure and geography, eat all the cake here, and then go home.”

Wandering around, playing, eating delicious food, then clocking out.

“Tomorrow, I’ll learn about garden maintenance.”

A sunny day picnic, enjoying warm sunlight in the garden.

“The next day, I’ll learn how to operate the palace gates, manage shield creation and maintenance, and communicate with other departments.”

Climbing the castle walls to enjoy the view, visiting departments to introduce himself and get some attention.

“If there’s time left, I’ll visit the central branch operated by the Magic Department to learn about its revenue structure.”

So, basically, the wizards take outings when they have time? That’s how Arena heard it.

Anyway, it sounded like a well-packed three-day plan with tasty treats and fun sightseeing. Arena nodded with a satisfied raise of her eyebrows.

“Busy from the start, Ian Hadell.”

“No! I’ll do my best.”

“Oh, that’s the spirit! Okay, good luck!”

“Um, Minister!”

“Yes?”

Arena smiled brightly but stopped in her tracks.

“Um… I heard Kkyu caused some trouble.”

“Ah.”

Damn dragon. Thanks to that, this quarter’s budget took a hit. Arena’s face fell, and Ian cautiously asked.

“I was wondering if it was because of me.”

It seemed strange to call it a coincidence. The kids who took him to that garden all ended up buried under debris and rushed to the hospital.

The wizards, pretending not to listen, stopped writing and perked up their ears.

‘What’s he talking about now?’

‘No idea.’

They whispered silently with their eyes, holding their breath to eavesdrop on Arena and Ian’s conversation.

Arena tilted her head, pondering what to say.

‘Because of him.’

Something had happened.

Though she couldn’t fully grasp Kkyu’s intentions, she believed there was a reason. Judging by Ian’s reaction, it definitely involved the boy.

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, so don’t worry about it.”

“Ah…”

But Arena ended it there and turned away. There was a mountain of work waiting.

Ian scratched his cheek awkwardly as he watched Arena disappear around the corner.

“…?”

Then he noticed the wizards staring at him intently and made a puzzled face.

“Why?”

Weren’t they working? At Ian’s question, they snapped back to reality and buried their noses in paperwork.

The quiet scratching of pen tips filled the office. Ian sat back down, eating cake and watching the wizards work.

“Ian Hadell.”

“Yes? Do you have something for me to do?”

Do what? What could they possibly ask of a five-year-old on his first day? The wizard waved his hand nervously and asked carefully.

“Did something happen in Enerjes?”

“…No, nothing.”

“I’m in charge of dragons. It’d be good if you told me.”

That was a lie. Kkyu had long settled in the Magic Department and wandered freely, enjoying a carefree life. The department only took care of feeding and lodging, so there was no real need for a dedicated position.

“In charge of dragons?”

“Yeah. So, will you tell me?”

Tell us, tell us, tell us! The wizards’ eyes sparkled as they silently repeated the plea. Ian bit into his cake, covering his mouth, looking a bit troubled.

But these wizards weren’t about to give up. The five-year-old’s stubbornness was impressive, but so was the experience of wizards who had survived years in the palace’s Magic Department.

Sliding chairs, they quietly surrounded Ian.

Now trapped, Ian rolled his eyes and put down his fork, but there was no escape.

“Ian Hadell, this isn’t just because we’re curious about your schedule.”

“Right. Why would we be curious about that?”

“Exactly. It’s definitely not simple curiosity.”

“Dragon duties are very important. Talking about Kkyu and the series of events you know isn’t tattling or idle gossip. It’s a kind of work report.”

“Right. A work report.”

“As Magic Department members, it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Exactly! Don’t think we’re just nosy. It’s protocol.”

The pressure from the wizards tightened little by little. Ian leaned back, surprised, and the wizards quickly shifted gears, smiling naturally to lighten the mood.

“Come on, then. Just a quick summary, okay?”

“Well…”

As Ian hesitated to bring up what happened in Enerjes, the wizards put up a “Meeting in Progress! No Entry!” sign and locked the office door, with a small note saying, “Strike if disturbed!”

---

Clack.

The moment Arena opened the minister’s office door, she felt the urge to close it again. Didn’t they say it was just “a stack of paperwork”?

The desk was buried under a mountain of documents, blocking the window. She shrugged off her coat and tossed it carelessly, only for her assistant to catch it midair with practiced ease.

“This is ridiculous. Where did this come from now?”

“Looks like the Imperial Defense Department.”

“The Imperial Defense Department?”

Arena frowned. They were the ones most eager to stir up trouble in the palace atmosphere.

What now? Something about deploying a large force to the north? Just thinking about the officials shouting at the last conference gave her a headache.

‘The Emperor will definitely oppose it, but I wonder if they have any justification…’

The Imperial Defense Department’s request for additional troops was a direct threat to the emperor’s authority. The emperor, who was already on edge trying to subtly tip the balance of power in his favor, would find this an unbearable burden.

To make matters worse, the Defense Department had even asked the Magic Bureau to send mages as reinforcements. Their excuse was that the northern minority tribes were organized around shamans.

Of course, Arena had flat-out refused. For one, they were already short on personnel, and secondly, this wasn’t a full-scale war or even a skirmish—it was more like a tense standoff.

“If they send troops north this time, it might actually spark a real war. And the Defense Department wants exactly that,” she thought grimly.

When that day came, she’d have no choice but to get involved. But for now? No way was she going to step into a trap set for someone else’s power play.

Flipping through the papers quickly, she suddenly frowned.

“What’s wrong?” her aide asked.

“Am I just too tired?” she muttered.

“Should I get you some medicine?”

“No, listen to this—the Defense Department wants to draft Ian Hadel.”

“What?”

Her aide looked just as baffled and leaned in to read the document with her. He read aloud, disbelief clear in his voice:

“Ian Hadel isn’t currently a critical asset to the Magic Bureau, so even if drafted, it won’t disrupt our operations. The draft is supposedly for reinforcing northern border security, not for war, so the risk is low. Moreover, it’s seen as a valuable opportunity for his magical development… and since his bloodline kin Crony will accompany him for safety, the Magic Bureau is encouraged to accept this as a chance to broaden its horizons…”

Arena was speechless for a long moment before muttering under her breath, “Are these people insane?”

The kid was only five years old. He’d barely seen five seasons in his life. And they wanted to drag him off—where? To the battlefield?

“I feel like my common sense is being shattered right now.”

“Yes. Obviously, we should refuse,” her aide agreed, trailing off. He’d caught the Defense Department’s dirty intentions.

“We can’t just give a simple excuse like ‘he’s too young,’ can we?”

“No, that won’t do.”

Arena nodded. Something smelled rotten. She was sure they were preparing a counterargument.

“Besides, it feels like they’re trying to corner us. This is already the second request for support. If we refuse again, who knows what the Defense Department will do…”

“Ugh, what a headache.”

Pressing her temples, Arena furrowed her brow.

“Damn it, those bastards…”

“Let’s delay our response for now.”

“No, no. Request a meeting with the Defense Department. Let’s talk face-to-face. Passing notes like this is a waste of paper.”

It was easier to read their true intentions in person—and cut off any overstepping on the spot.

“We’ll go in head-on.”

Her aide bowed and left the room, following her orders.