Chapter 908
“Master!”
The butler rushed in and pulled back the blanket. Lato showed no response. The heavy silence in the room made it clear—he was no longer breathing.
Ian was shocked, of course, but Hana and Romandro also stepped back in alarm.
“Is anyone outside?”
“What’s going on?”
“Hurry, get Doctor Bergin!”
“Y-Yes, right away!”
The servants who had been chasing the bug in the hallway came running, quickly assessed the situation, and then dispersed.
Ian looked at Romandro helplessly, unsure of what to do next. The butler kept checking on Lato without giving them a chance to speak.
“Master, ah, Master…”
“Um, excuse me—”
At Romandro’s call, the butler sniffled and turned around. Ian, Hana, and Romandro noticed something: though he was on the verge of tears, not a single tear fell from the butler’s eyes.
Romandro quickly grasped the mood.
“I’m sorry about Lord Lato’s passing, but it seems chaotic here. We should leave the mansion for now.”
They could return once the funeral was arranged.
But the butler stopped them.
“No, I’m sorry, but I ask that everyone remain in the mansion.”
“Why?”
The butler clutched the master’s body and murmured, heavy with grief.
“Though the young master’s health had been poor, he was perfectly fine just moments ago. Please stay until the official pronouncement of death is made.”
A death pronouncement requires a cause of death. In other words, they were to stay until the cause was determined.
“Are you implying you suspect us?”
Romandro raised his voice, frustrated at the implication in front of the deceased. The butler shook his head firmly.
“No, not at all. It’s just that the young master is away, so there’s no family member with authority here. Ian Hadel is the closest blood relative, though distant, so we ask you to oversee the situation. Once the death is officially declared, I will handle the funeral arrangements.”
Romandro had no argument against such a reasonable explanation and said nothing, while Ian glanced between the two.
Ian fiddled with the Idgal and his business card in his pocket, then looked back at them.
“There’s no choice. The doctor will come and make the pronouncement. Let’s wait a little.”
It wouldn’t take more than an hour or two. Romandro sighed quietly and pulled a chair over, offering it to Ian.
“…”
Tick-tock. The wall clock’s second hand sounded unusually loud. The butler had stopped crying, and an eerie stillness filled the room.
Softly, the butler tidied the blanket, recalling the message Crony had left.
“When Ian Hadel arrives, your father will stop breathing. This is all for the sake of the family. Do not fear or waver.”
The butler glanced at the bouquet on the table and remembered the next instruction.
“Doctor Bergin will write the death certificate. Before he arrives, be sure to place the gift Ian Hadel brought near the table.”
Everything was perfectly prepared. The butler didn’t understand why the young master wanted to keep that boy here, but it must have a purpose. Anxiously, he checked the clock again, waiting for the doctor.
Tap!
Because the door was open, footsteps echoed clearly from the hallway. Finally, he’s here! The butler brightened and stood to greet the doctor.
A moment later, a stout doctor entered and surveyed the bedroom.
“Oh my.”
“You’ve arrived, Doctor.”
“Yes. What terrible news this is.”
“Terrible? He was an old man just tidying up his affairs, barely hanging on.” Hana frowned, thinking this as well.
Following Bergin was another person. The butler raised his eyebrows, unfamiliar with the face, but Hana, Romandro, and Ian recognized her with relief.
“Hello, I’m Philia.”
Philia. Her blonde hair tied back as always, elegant and beautiful.
Bergin clicked his tongue in displeasure and introduced her.
“She’s a doctor who’s been helping me recently.”
“Upon hearing of Lord Lato’s passing, I thought I might be of assistance, so I came along. I specialize in herbal medicine.”
“Ah, yes, yes…”
The butler shook Philia’s hand, then looked at Bergin as if to ask what was going on. Wouldn’t having another doctor here prevent Bergin from writing the death certificate as the master wished?
Sure enough, Philia immediately picked up the bouquet from beside the table and examined it.
“Lord Lato had no known allergies, correct, butler?”
“Yes, but his health has been deteriorating lately…”
“I’ll take this and examine it. It’s my specialty, Doctor Bergin.”
“…Very well.”
As Philia took the bouquet, Ian suddenly realized he had almost walked into a trap.
Crony was the kind of man who would gladly implicate Ian in Lato’s death, whether intentionally or not, just to create a pretext.
The thought struck Ian: perhaps Lato’s death was yet another performance orchestrated by Crony’s hand.
“Philia.”
“Do you know her?”
The butler reacted sharply to Ian’s mention, but Philia shrugged nonchalantly.
“I once treated Ian Hadel’s father. It’s been a while, Ian.”
Outwardly, they acted distant, as they should. Otherwise, Crony’s side would suspect Philia’s involvement.
Ian nodded slightly.
“…Yes, it has been a while.”
“What brings you here? Waiting for the death pronouncement?”
“That’s right.”
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
Philia spoke with a professional tone, then gave Bergin a look, silently urging him to make the pronouncement quickly without tying them up. She stood firmly beside him, watching closely.
“Death confirmed.”
“Cause of death…?”
Bergin glanced at the table where the bouquet had been. He had planned to write allergic respiratory failure or an unknown poison reaction, but with Philia here, that was impossible—she was an expert in herbal medicine.
“…A detailed cause will require an autopsy, though I’m not sure if Lord Crony will consent. On the surface, it appears to be from a pre-existing condition.”
“Then write it as such.”
Scratch.
Philia recorded it on the chart, and Bergin fell silent. Romandro, understanding the situation, lightly nudged Ian’s back.
“Ahem, that should do it. We don’t want to get in the way. We’ll leave now. Please prepare a carriage once the pronouncement is complete.”
“Ah.”
The butler tried to say something, to stop them, but Hana and Romandro left the bedroom with Ian without looking back.
They hurried down the stairs, passed through the parlor, and sat on a bench by the front door, scanning for the carriage. Ah, there it is!
“Ian, did you find something in the study?”
“Yes. I think I need to bring it to Minister Arena.”
“Then let’s head straight to the palace.”
Though well past office hours, it didn’t matter to the Ministry of Magic. Like the wizards, the minister practically lived in the office, with no concept of leaving work.
As they walked toward the carriage, Ian glanced back up at the mansion’s windows. The servants were bustling about.
“Philia…”
When exactly had she come to the capital? And how had she appeared so perfectly timed?
There were many questions, but Ian knew he couldn’t ask now. Clutching the items in his pocket tightly, he quickened his pace toward the carriage.
“Minister Arena!”
“Again? What is it now?”
Arena slammed her documents shut, exasperated. With no day passing without trouble, she was quick to lose patience whenever her aide summoned her urgently.
The aide hurriedly handed over a report.
“The Deputy Minister of Imperial Defense has been found.”
“…Found?”
That choice of words felt off.
Arena bit her lower lip and flipped through the report.
“He was discovered dead at his private villa. It appears to be suicide. A note was found beside him.”
“A note…”
Arena read the carefully written message. It confessed to killing the Imperial Defense Minister, blamed everything on greed and poor choices, expressed regret for realizing it too late, and declared the writer would bear all dishonor for the family’s sake before dying.
Arena sighed softly and asked,
“Has the handwriting been verified?”
“Yes, it’s in progress.”
But as expected, there would be no problem with the handwriting. Crony had meticulously planned every detail.
“This is troublesome.”
If this continued, the case would close exactly as Crony wanted. With the culprit dead, the prosecution would be void, and no objections could be raised.
If only they could buy more time. Enough to expose Crony’s involvement. Arena rubbed her forehead and muttered,
“What about the Imperial Defense Ministry’s stance? Are they recommending Crony for minister?”
“At this rate, it seems likely.”
“This won’t look good if the war ends like this.”
A complete ceasefire in the north. The war barely even started.
Of course, it was what the emperor wanted, and the Imperial Defense Ministry was using it as a means to consolidate power, but there was another audience watching: the people of the empire.
“If the war fizzles out just as you’re appointed Minister of Imperial Defense, people will start talking.”
“Ah, Minister.”
“Hm?”
The aide pressed his lips together, clearly uncomfortable.
“There’s one more piece of news.”
“What is it? Don’t keep me in suspense.”
“Sir Rato Alpart, Lord Crony’s father, has just passed away.”
The pen slipped from Arena’s hand and rolled across the desk.
‘So he’s really set on this.’
This changes everything. It’s as if every justification for a retreat has been meticulously stacked from start to finish.
As far as she knew, Crony had no siblings, so he would be the only one responsible for Lord Rato’s funeral.
“…He’ll be coming right away.”
“Yes, most likely.”
Could all of this really be a coincidence?
Arena let out a deep sigh and tapped her forehead. It was obvious Crony was scheming behind the scenes, but without a shred of evidence, there was nothing she could do.
“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered that the news be delivered by magic, not by messenger.”
“Ha. Yes, of course.”
For an emperor eager to wrap up the war quickly and return to normalcy to maintain his power, Crony’s return was a long-awaited event.
Stretching lazily, Arena gave her instructions.
“I’ll open the portal tomorrow. Tell the team to set up the calculations in the backyard. We just need to send the message—keep it small and discreet.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And the Deputy Minister’s body—are they going to perform an autopsy?”
“Probably just a formality… I haven’t heard anything concrete. Since it’s an undignified death, the family is hoping to settle things quickly.”
“Damn it.”
Arena muttered a curse under her breath and slammed the report shut.
At this point, there was no chance for the Magic Department to get involved in the investigation. She had planned to use a truth serum potion during the Deputy Minister’s interrogation, but now he was dead…
Knock knock.
“Yes, don’t come in.”
Arena joked reflexively. When the door didn’t open for a long time, she exchanged a puzzled glance with her aide.
“…?”
Usually, mages just barge in without a second thought. The aide went ahead and opened the door himself.
Creak.
“Oh.”
Ian Hadel stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
“May I come in? I have something to discuss.”
“Ian Hadel? Come in! Come in!”
Damn it! Startled, Arena jumped up and went to greet him. Only then did Ian cautiously step into the minister’s office.