Chapter 916

“Uncle Ian, would you like another cup of tea?”

As Crony rose from his seat, Ian lightly shook his head in refusal.

Because Ako had gulped down the tea so quickly, Ian hadn’t even taken a sip. In fact, that was for the best. Here, nothing should be consumed carelessly—not even a drop of water.

“No, thank you.”

“Is that so?”

Crony repeated the question, his attention shifting to the sounds outside the tent. Two pairs of feet flickered beneath the canvas. Although Ian had requested a private meeting with Crony and sent Ako away, someone was still lingering nearby.

‘They’re on guard.’

A mage could hear the faintest sound, even ants crawling dozens of steps away. Clearly, they were ready to intervene at the slightest provocation.

‘But it doesn’t seem to matter.’

Crony smiled faintly and straightened his posture, then slowly set down his teacup.

Clink.

That brief noise created a momentary opening. Ian glanced sideways at Crony’s desk. Spotless. Not a trace of ink or seals. No orders or reports in sight.

Curious. This was a conflict zone where skirmishes broke out at any time. Surely dozens of reports and commands passed through daily. Yet the commander’s desk was unnervingly clean. Ian stored that thought and shifted his expression.

“Sir Crony, I’m curious about the secret regarding my parents you mentioned in your letter.”

“You’re rushing, Uncle. You’ve lived all this time without knowing.”

His tone was sharp, almost cutting. More blatant than before.

Ian met Crony’s gaze steadily and replied firmly.

“Things are different now than they were then.”

“Ha! Indeed. But even if you remain ignorant, nothing in your life will change, Uncle Ian.”

Ian furrowed his brow slightly. If Ako were here, he’d probably say:

“He’s just selling you a line.”

Why beat around the bush like this? Was it all a lie to lure him north?

If so, that was a relief—but it still stung. How dare he speak of his father and mother like that? After all they’d been through.

Ian’s grip tightened on his sleeve. Crony let slip a quiet remark.

“Are you aware that your mother, Lady Jeria, was actually an adopted daughter?”

Ian’s eyes widened slightly. Crony smirked, clearly amused by the reaction.

“Judging by your expression, you didn’t know.”

“That’s a lie. My mother was definitely—”

“There’s a saying: ‘When a child doesn’t come, bring one from outside.’ Lady Jeria was quite fortunate.”

A woman of unknown origin, chosen by chance to live a noble’s life.

Crony’s point was clear:

“You’re only half of the whole.”

A noble mage praised and revered by many? Don’t make me laugh. You don’t even know what runs in your own blood. Crony suppressed a smile as he studied the boy’s face. Would he falter? It would be quite a sight to see those glassy eyes waver.

But Ian’s gaze was colder than any child’s.

“Do you have proof?”

Crony faltered at the unexpected challenge.

“Excuse me?”

“Proof. Evidence to verify your mother’s origins. Something you can shout to the world, not just whisper to me.”

“There is. If Lady Jeria wasn’t adopted, how could she have married your much older uncle?”

Because she was adopted, her family had no reason to oppose. A poor woman used and discarded from start to finish!

Ian’s brows knitted in disdain. It was all nonsense. Of course, his parents weren’t close. His father’s illness and their naturally reserved natures explained that. At least, that’s what Ian believed.

But to bring up such flimsy excuses without solid evidence?

“So, you have none.”

Ian rose sharply, his anger barely contained. Just like Crony, sharp and blunt.

“This is offensive, Sir Crony. The standards of the Alphart family seem very different from those of the nobles I know.”

How dare he throw around such baseless accusations? No matter how young he was, this was no better than street scoundrels.

“If the mages find out I traveled all this way just to hear such nonsense, they’ll be deeply disappointed. I suggest you keep this quiet.”

“Nonsense?”

Crony stood and stepped closer, a faint tremor at the corner of his mouth visible. He met Ian’s eyes and whispered.

“I’m warning you, Uncle Ian. If you lean too heavily on the shield of noble birth as a mage, you will eventually fall.”

“I have no intention of leaning on it, so I won’t fall. You seem to have quite a few worries yourself. Your mission must be weighty.”

“Hah!”

Just a short time apart, and this kid already talks like he owns Hadelga.

Crony slowly rose, looking down at Ian with a mocking smile. Ian met his gaze evenly. If he wanted, he could snap this little neck in an instant. The urge to kill was strong, but everything had its procedure—and that procedure required intent. Crony smiled broadly.

“Let’s end this conversation here, Uncle Ian. If there are misunderstandings, it’s best to clear them up. After all, aren’t we ‘family’ now?”

“…The closer the relationship, the more precious it should be.”

“Exactly. You and I should cherish and care for each other. Now—let’s save the deeper talks for later. I don’t want to keep the mage waiting too long, especially since you’re busy.”

At Crony’s words, Ako’s footsteps abruptly stopped. Ian gave a brief nod and stepped out of the tent, soon facing the awkwardly standing Ako.

“Is it over?”

Ian nodded silently. Ako lightly draped an arm over his shoulder and made a spitting gesture toward the tent. The soldiers were startled but, seeing it was just a gesture, reluctantly let Ako pass.

“You heard, right?”

“Well, there wasn’t much to hear.”

“…What’s his game?”

Ian believed Crony was lying. And even if it were true, it wouldn’t affect his future…

Suddenly, a thought struck him like lightning. Ian spun toward the tent, instinctively sensing why Crony was so fixated on his mother’s origins.

The key was the Emperor.

“If I should pass away, my position will likely be yours.”

“…!”

“Ian Hadel. Though a collateral branch, you carry royal blood and are the first noble mage. Except for your youth, no one would dispute your claim.”

Those secret words whispered in the bedroom. If that was true, then half his blood was from the royal line, unavoidable. So Crony’s ploy was to cast doubt on the other half, muddying his legitimacy.

And if all this was true…

‘His Majesty might soon face danger.’

Ian froze, staring at the tent.

Ako followed his gaze. The tent’s entrance, neatly closed, fluttered slightly in the breeze. Through the gap, Crony and his men could be seen talking.

“Ian?”

“Ako. Let’s finish up quickly and head back.”

“Suddenly? Why?”

Ian didn’t answer, simply turning forward as if nothing was wrong. The secret meeting with the Emperor was not to be revealed.

At least there was still time. Even Crony hadn’t fully consolidated control after the recent deaths of the Minister and Deputy Minister of Defense. No one would dare touch the Emperor yet. It wasn’t that bad—yet.

“Nothing good comes from staying too long.”

“Right. Besides, this place is a barren wasteland. Doesn’t seem like there’s much here. Hey!”

At Ako’s call, Hayle, smoking a pipe, nodded.

“The talk’s been long.”

“We kept it as short as possible. What about you, Kkyu?”

“Taking a walk.”

They were searching for the Idgal burial grounds. Rumor had it the massive rift was still being sealed, so it should be easy to spot from the sky—if they were nearby.

“And you? Just smoking your pipe?”

“Yeah. Looking around here and there.”

“Anything worth seeing?”

Ako reached out, about to ask for a puff, but caught Ian’s sharp gaze. Ah, man. The air’s nice, but I just want one smoke to settle my stomach…

As Ako withdrew her hand, Hayle pointed toward the minority tribe’s camp.

“That side looks suspicious. All the messengers went in there.”

“Astana? The only kingdom left. That must be why.”

“Doesn’t feel right.”

Ian tugged gently on Ako’s sleeve.

“Ako. There’s a kingdom up north too? I’ve only ever heard of Toorun.”

“Yeah. But calling it a kingdom is a stretch—it’s more like a tribal alliance, so it doesn’t really have much presence. The royal family’s only known for their necromancy skills, that’s about it.”

“Necromancy, huh…”

That’s quite a chilling power. Ian’s expression tightened with unease, and Ako let out a small laugh. Here he was, smashing through the palace’s protective barrier all on his own—what was there to be scared of?

Just then, Hale motioned for the two of them to come closer.

“Why?”

“Just come over. Ian, you too.”

“Okay.”

The three of them huddled together, heads bent in close.

It must have looked pretty ridiculous, because a passing soldier glanced over with a smirk. Wizards were known for their eccentricities, but seeing a kid act like this, it seemed the oddball streak was just in their blood. Like the gods gave them one gift and took another away.

“There’s zero tension between the two sides. It’s all just talk—no real hostility.”

Hale shared what he’d witnessed with them. Ian, having seen and felt things at Crony’s tent, found it easy to believe.

Only Ako sat quietly, chin resting on his hand, lost in thought. But just for a moment—

“Then why don’t we just strike first?”

A wild gleam flashed in Ako’s eyes—not sharpness, but madness.

“What?”

“Huh?”

Startled, Hale and Ian both asked at once. Ako just shrugged.

“Look, it’s way too quiet here. So why don’t we shake things up a bit? We jump in, cause a ruckus, and see what happens. Let them stew in their own mess behind the scenes.”

The tribal alliance would blame Crony’s side for not stopping the wizards, and Crony wouldn’t even get a chance to explain as long as the wizards were involved. The rift would only deepen.

Who knows what kind of secret deals they’d made, but after taking a hard hit, they couldn’t keep pretending everything was fine. And when it comes to dishing out a good smack, no one beats the magic department.

“Ako, calm down for now. The war command belongs to Crony. If we jump in without reporting, it won’t just hurt us—it could damage the entire magic department. Arena might even get reprimanded.”

“Wow, sounds awesome.”

Ako gave a thumbs-up, clearly tempted, but Ian quickly folded it back down. Hale rubbed his eyebrows, then sighed as if resigned.

“So that’s my role here, huh.”

Not part of the magic department, an outsider—he was the perfect fit. Hale muttered with an unlit cigarette between his lips.

“Well, I guess I just have to go get hit once.”

“Oh, you think that’ll be okay?”

“Mercenaries get paid to take the hits.”

“Professional and full of spirit—love it!”

While Ako cheered, Ian looked quietly worried. Hale grinned and ruffled Ian’s hair.

“Don’t worry. I’ve been curious anyway—why all the tribes are flocking to Astana. I just can’t resist finding out.”