Chapter 899

“Alright, everyone, drink some water.”

The three kids, sitting close together, eagerly gulped down the water Na-um handed them. Maybe they were really thirsty— they drank so refreshingly that Na-um wanted to buy them ice cream, but his empty pockets only earned him a bitter smile.

They finished the water in one go and wiped their mouths with the backs of their hands.

“You all feeling better? Calm now?”

“Yeah. What about you, hyung? Aren’t you thirsty?”

“Nah, I’m not.”

Na-um crouched down to meet Hans’s gaze. The gentle look from his older brother made Hans’s nose tingle again, and he playfully stretched Na-um’s cheek.

“Dummy! Dummy! Dummy! If you quit the print shop, you should’ve told me!”

“Haha, sorry, sorry. I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Do they feed you here?”

“Not yet. They said after the probation period.”

“So you haven’t eaten anything all day?”

Na-um’s face showed regret. If he hadn’t eaten, his little brother must have had a tough day too. Hans caught on and replied.

“Ian bought me a meal.”

“Really? Thanks.”

Ian smiled shyly and shook his head, but Na-um winked at him.

Just then, Hans pulled a coin pouch from his pocket and handed it to Na-um. It was the money Barsabe had taken from the loan sharks earlier—about fifty silver coins in total. Na-um blinked in surprise.

“Where did you get this?”

“You know those loan sharks?”

“They actually came to your house?”

Na-um stood up as if to protest immediately, but Hans stopped him.

“They came by to check if I was eating well.”

“Huh?”

“They said I need to work hard to pay back the money, so I should eat well and not overdo it. They gave me some allowance and told me to study hard.”

“No way.”

“It’s true.”

Ian and Barsabe nodded vigorously, as if guaranteeing it. Na-um thought he’d have to look into it properly later but pocketed the money for now.

“Um…”

Ian spoke cautiously, curiosity and confusion piling up.

“Hans said your family is connected to the Ministry of Magic’s annex construction. Is that true?”

Could it be that Na-um was drawn here because of some link to the Ministry? Like a sixth sense?

Na-um glanced at Hans. Hans rarely talked about his family, but had he mentioned it? Hans introduced himself casually.

“Ian Hadel, he’s a wizard.”

“What? Oh! The first noble-born one?”

“Yeah, so when we talked about the Ministry, it came up naturally.”

“I see. It’s an honor, wizard.”

Ian waved his hands nervously, signaling not to treat him too formally.

Na-um just smiled, amazed by the coincidence. To think his little brother’s friend was the only wizard in Enerjes! He couldn’t hide his grin as he explained.

“You asked if we’re connected to the annex construction? Yes, that’s right. Among our ancestors, there were people from Burgos. A long time ago, they held official positions there, though I don’t know the details. I heard that due to the chaotic political situation, they had no choice but to move to Bariel.”

“Oh, so that’s who it was?”

“Yes. I don’t know exactly how they got involved in the annex construction, but since they came from Burgos, which is rich in magic stones, and worked there, the palace’s Ministry of Magic probably asked for their help.”

Hans sat down beside Na-um. The four of them sitting on the stair landing looked peaceful—if only the piles of waste around them weren’t there.

“So it must have been a decent life. What happened?”

Barsabe asked, curious why a family that once had wealth had fallen so low they worried about meals.

It was a bit rude, but Na-um and Hans didn’t seem bothered.

“Our grandfather used to shuttle between Burgos and Bariel as a magic stone broker. He brought goods from Burgos, but apparently, some forbidden stones were mixed in.”

“Forbidden stones?”

“Yeah. I don’t know much about them, but I heard they’re gems that can nullify magic. Anyway, grandfather was wronged but had no way out. He got fined heavily and couldn’t continue as a broker.”

“Whoa. Someone must have slipped those in secretly.”

“Probably. But it was so long ago, no one knows for sure. When the family fortune declined, my father tried various businesses, as you can see.”

They lost everything. Their parents passed away, leaving just the two brothers behind.

It was a heartbreaking story, but no one shed tears. For Na-um and Hans, it was old news; for Ian and Barsabe…

“If it were me, I’d hunt down whoever planted those stones and kill them.”

“Sis, that’s harsh.”

“You wouldn’t?”

Ian was silent for a moment, thinking of Crony’s face. The desire for revenge for his family and parents still burned somewhere deep inside.

“…I wouldn’t stay quiet either. I’m sure Hans’s ancestors felt the same. But since they never found the culprit, maybe there was a bigger conspiracy.”

“Are there any records left in the Ministry?”

“There should be. Last time I checked, they keep even very old records well organized.”

Hans and Na-um listened quietly, then interrupted with puzzled looks.

“Wait. What are you talking about? That was ages ago. It’s what my father told me when I was little.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

Where exactly does the path you’re walking now begin?

Hans looked into Ian’s clear eyes and lost his words. Seeing this, Na-um tried to lighten the mood.

“I’m curious, but I can’t. I just started a new job, so I can’t take time off. Hans, you should visit the Ministry. It’s a great opportunity.”

“No, hyung. Na-um hyung should go.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Why me?” Na-um smiled in confusion, but Ian grabbed his hand firmly and suddenly opened his golden eyes.

Hans gasped and grabbed Ian.

“What! What are you trying to do?!”

Zzzzz! Zzzing!

Whoosh!

A gentle wind swept around them.

Barsabe fixed her fluttering bangs and watched with interest, while Hans followed Ian’s unwavering gaze to look at his brother. Na-um stood frozen, clutching Ian’s hand as if his heart had stopped.

“Can you feel it?”

With his other hand, Ian conjured light in the air, and somewhere deep in Na-um’s mind, a light switched on.

Following Ian’s gesture, the energy moved slowly. Na-um was so overwhelmed by this new sensation he seemed to forget to breathe.

“You will definitely see it.”

With the sixth sense—the golden light of the gods.

Whoosh!

As Ian gently infused magic, warm feelings poured around Na-um: spring wildflowers, a cozy blanket, the comfort of a hearth, a firm embrace… a joy impossible to describe with words.

“Uh…”

Na-um’s brown eyes instantly turned golden, matching Ian’s.

Hans’s mouth dropped open in astonishment, and Barsabe flicked Ian’s magic off her fingertips, impressed.

‘The concentration is insane.’

Now he understood why the Ministry had such a fuss, why his grandfather and father mentioned Ian Hadel’s power. It was on a whole different level from magic swordsmen—he was an extraordinary wizard even among wizards.

Shhhht!

As the magic faded, the surroundings fell silent as if nothing had happened.

Boom.

Except for some laborers dropping their tools in surprise from afar, the space was utterly still.

Na-um looked down at his hands, fumbling, when Ian hugged him tightly.

“I knew it! You really are a wizard!”

“A magic user, right? Ian, step aside. Let me hold your hand too.”

“When you came to pick up Hans on your bike last time, I felt something strange. We were connected by the sixth sense!”

“Ian, move! I want to hold your hand too!”

“Really happy and congrats, Na-um and Hans!”

Ian bounced around, unable to hide his joy. Barsabe eagerly joined in, clasping their hands, and they all cheered loudly. Ian even hugged Hans, shouting,

“Your destinies are about to change!”

Just like his own had.

On the edge of despair, about to fall into hell, the miracle of magic had transformed the world—and these two brothers were about to experience it too.

Na-um still looked incredulous, and Hans shivered with goosebumps.

“Hyung—!”

“Ah…”

“Hey, Na-um. What was that just now?”

“M-M-Magic, right?”

“What happened, huh?”

Na-um smiled in disbelief as everyone cheered him on. Then he pulled Hans into a tight embrace, trying to steady the flood of emotions.

More than the fact that he was escaping financial hardship, more than the rise in his humble status, it was the warmth Ian had just offered that resonated deeply within him.

Tap, tap, tap!

Whoosh!

“Iaaaan—! Young master! Barsabe! Agatssi!”

A familiar voice rang out from somewhere nearby. Suddenly, a carriage burst through the gate of the waste disposal yard, arriving in a rush. It was Romandro, who had been contacted by the royal carriage driver and had come running straight from the palace.

He looked like he’d been frantically searching all over Rugerspell—his collar was half turned up at the back.

“Ah, Romandro!”

“Oh my, you troublemakers! What on earth are you doing here? I can understand if Young Master Ian doesn’t know Rugerspell well, but Miss Barsabe—!”

“Romandro, come here. This is Naum. He’s the older brother of my friend Hans, and he’s a magic user!”

“Is it really important that your friend’s brother is a magic user right now?! If you keep wandering off from the carriage like this—! Huh?”

Romandro’s eyes went wide as if they might pop out of his head. Ian and Barsabe were clinging to his waist, bouncing up and down like kids.

“It’s true! I saw him transform with the golden eye.”

“No, that’s not the point—! Hah! Enough. But you say he’s a magic user? How do you know? There’s no sign of the Oracle’s Light.”

“I just had a feeling, so I lightly tested his power.”

Romandro seemed to pause for a moment, trying to make sense of the situation. His eyes darted around, gauging Naum and Hans’s reactions and the atmosphere around them.

Could this really be true?

“Romandro, you brought the carriage safely. Let’s all go to the Magic Department together. We’ll get a proper confirmation there.”

Wait a minute. How exactly did things get to this point? Romandro instinctively wiped his hands on his coat.

“I’m Romandro.”

“I’m Naum.”

“Honestly, I feel like I’m dreaming right now.”

“Same here…”

To shake hands with two magic users in one year… no, three if you count the magic-obsessed one with the magic stone. Ever since Ian arrived, the number of magic users at the Magic Department had been steadily increasing.

“This is really wonderful.”

Romandro smiled brightly at Ian and finally came to a conclusion: perhaps a truly great blessing had entered the Magic Department.

Half in a daze, Romandro opened the carriage door and gestured inside.

“W-would you like to get in?”

“My clothes are dirty…”

The carriage was far too fine and elegant for someone dressed so plainly. But Ian and Barsabe grabbed Hans and Naum’s arms, pulling them up first.

“Come on, get in! Who do you think’s going to wipe their bottom before getting on?”

“Romandro, you should get in too.”

“Y-yes, yes, alright. L-let’s go.”

Romandro invited Naum and Hans to take their seats, then, still half distracted, tapped the driver’s seat—a signal to return to the palace.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two new magic users in one year… no, three if you count the one obsessed with the magic stone. Coincidentally, ever since Ian’s arrival, the number of magic users at the Magic Department had been steadily growing.

“This is truly a blessing.”

Romandro smiled warmly at Ian, finally convinced that something truly special had come to the Magic Department.