Chapter 925
“Excuse me?”
The outside employee greeted the unusually quiet Ministry of Magic door. But there was no response.
‘Why is it so quiet?’
This department usually had the fewest people but was always the loudest. Yet today, something felt off—eerily silent. No wizards lounging in the lobby, and even the staff passing through the hallways seemed stiff, tense.
The employee tried again.
Knock, knock.
“Is anyone there? I need urgent approval—ah!”
As the door swung open, a barrage of sharp, piercing gazes shot at him like needles. Every wizard looked on edge, the tension palpable.
They quickly averted their eyes and buried their noses in their bookshelves.
“We’re not accepting anything.”
“No, I’m from the administration.”
“Come back another time. We’re busy today.”
“But you’re all sitting at your desks…”
They weren’t really doing anything. Just anxiously glancing at the pocket watches hanging at their stations, nervously biting their lips.
Was this some kind of group ritual? The employee stood there awkwardly, clutching his documents. The office was astonishingly silent, save for the occasional ‘tsk’ or the trembling vibration of shaking legs.
Tick-tock.
“Five.”
Five? Why? Why start counting now?
“Four, three, two, one…”
It was noon. But as far as the employee knew, the Ministry’s lunch break started at two.
The moment the clock hands overlapped, the wizards sprang to their feet, and at once—
“Assembly!”
Arena’s booming command echoed as she stormed out of the minister’s office.
The wizards, as if waiting for this, shoved past the employee and dashed out, while he spun in place, clutching his stack of papers.
“Let’s go!”
“Yeah, let’s move!”
“Grab your weapons!”
“Weapons? Do we even have those?”
“If not, never mind!”
Though puzzled, the employee followed them, hoping to get his documents approved. They looked like street thugs charging into battle.
They soon arrived at the Ministry’s garden. Arena, in her uniform, stood with arms crossed, smoking a cigarette.
“Um…”
The employee hesitated, approaching her cautiously. Since the wizards refused to approve his papers, maybe the minister would listen.
But her aide stepped forward with a smile, blocking his way, then made a slicing gesture across his throat—clearly warning him not to push it.
“Yikes!”
“Give me the documents. I’ll handle them.”
“But it’s urgent.”
“I’ll process them as quickly as possible.”
The aide’s tone made it clear that was as far as he could go, then he turned away.
Meanwhile, the wizards paid the employee no mind. They checked the magic circles drawn on the lawn, exchanging hand signals.
“All clear here.”
“Here too!”
“No issues!”
Once everyone confirmed readiness, Arena lit another cigarette.
“Proceed.”
At her command, the wizards unleashed their magic.
Zzzzzing.
Each radiated their unique color, merging into a brilliant golden thread—a sight that never failed to awe. Though his business was done, the employee watched, entranced.
Then—
Whoosh!
A portal opened in midair.
But no one stepped through. They just looked up, waiting for someone to emerge. Arena silently waited, too.
Ssshhh—plop.
The cigarette ash fell. Slowly but steadily burning down to the filter’s end, Arena finally flicked it away in irritation and headed down the stairs.
“Hey. Everyone, move out.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Damn it, why aren’t they coming?”
At Arena’s order, the wizards who had been waiting impatiently began flying into the portal one by one.
The employee’s eyes nearly popped out. Grabbing the aide’s sleeve, he stammered,
“W-where is everyone going? Are you leaving the palace unguarded?”
“Yes, on an external mission.”
“Even the minister?”
Hearing this, Arena glanced back and shouted to the aide,
“Keep a tight watch!”
“Yes, of course.”
Snap.
The aide saluted, and Arena lightly lifted off, disappearing into the portal. It closed swiftly behind her. The employee gaped in shock.
“W-what about the palace?”
“We’ve sent out the external mission.”
“No, that’s not the point—”
“Well, they’ll be back within two hours. Why not go have lunch? Isn’t it almost lunchtime for the administration?”
“That’s true, but—”
“Then it’s settled. Let’s go.”
The aide nudged him forward with a smile.
Leaving only the minimum number of staff to maintain the protective barrier, all the wizards headed north. Their first priority: retrieve Ian. Second: secure the guardian’s consent form. For some reason, no one seemed worried about Ako or Hale, but that didn’t seem to matter.
‘Whatever happens to Ian, they’ll be back in two hours.’
It was essentially a lunch break outing. Though lunch probably meant little to them.
Creak.
After sending the employee out, the aide firmly locked the Ministry door.
A sign hung on it:
—Lunch break changed! Come back later!
Inside the portal, the wizards sprinted toward the beam of light ahead. Their robes billowed as one asked,
“Minister, what if something’s happened to Ian?”
Arena remained silent. Despite the promised return date and time, there was no response. Something must have happened, but how the Ministry responded would depend on what exactly.
When Arena stayed quiet, the wizards behind her shouted with fierce determination.
“What else? We’ll crush anyone who messes with our youngest! Kill them all!”
“Officially, the youngest is Ako.”
“Quit acting like the boss.”
“We’re running, though.”
“You wanna fight, punk?”
“Shut up, all of you!”
Arena’s head was already spinning from the chaos, and now she had to endure their foolish banter. She shot them a scornful glare, and the two arguing wizards started punching each other’s shoulders as they ran.
“We’re here!”
“Get ready!”
Whoosh!
The light grew brighter. The first thing they noticed was the cold northern air, a breeze that chilled their lungs.
Shhhhhh!
“Descend…!”
Arena, who had shouted the order to land, suddenly hesitated. The wizards aiming for a stylish landing froze, eyes wide in confusion.
“Huh?”
“W-wizards?”
Though they had set the coordinates correctly for the Bariel camp, it was eerily empty. Only a small battalion, about the size of a company, guarded the vacant camp. Yet there were no signs of battle.
“What’s going on?”
Arena scanned the area. The desolate northern land. No enemies except the camp flying the Astana flag. Only countless abandoned tent frames remained.
She looked back at the Bariel soldiers trembling before them. Whether from cold or fear of the wizards, she couldn’t tell.
“What happened? Where’s Ian?”
“You mean that young wizard?”
“Yes. Where’s Crony? More importantly, why does it look like this? Isn’t there a war going on?”
“Well, about that…”
The soldiers hesitated, then explained. The other tribes, except Astana, had retreated from the battlefield northward. The Bariel main force, pursuing them—
“Faced the underground god?”
“Yes. Commander Crony was reportedly killed. We were ordered to stay here and monitor Astana without crossing the border.”
“What the hell…”
Arena was at a loss for words. What had happened in that past week? Crony dead? And what was this underground god? And Ian?
“Where are they now? Where is everyone?”
“They’re probably at the magic stone burial site where the underground god appeared. It’s complicated, so they can’t leave easily.”
“Lead the way.”
“Y-yes, yes! I’ll get the horses—”
As the soldier dashed toward the tied horses, Arena grabbed his arm sharply.
“Ahhh!”
Like an eagle snatching a rabbit, the soldier was lifted into the air, half-fainting, screaming.
The wizards wouldn’t know that the soldiers’ trembling wasn’t from cold but fear. Rumors of such brutal treatment had already spread throughout the palace.
“Where to?”
“Over there! That way!”
“…Short on words?”
“Yes! Yes!”
Arena waved lightly in the air, and the soldier promptly passed out. ‘What now?’ she wondered, but thankfully, smoke was rising in the distance.
Soon, a hill bathed in golden light came into view, along with northern tribes oddly mingled with Bariel forces.
“Minister! That’s—”
“Idgal? No way!”
The wizards gaped in shock, as if they had discovered an ancient treasure.
A wave of fear washed over her all at once. If Aco’s message was true, that meant there was a crack down below. Suddenly, the thought that their magic might be nullified sent a chill through her.
“Follow me.”
But Arena didn’t hesitate; she descended without a second thought. Soldiers from Bariel, spotting the mages’ arrival, pointed skyward and shouted, while the northern tribes looked on, startled and confused.
Thud!
Arena landed lightly, her robe billowing behind her. The mages who followed did the same.
“Ma—mages?!”
“Hey, where’s Ian?”
And why on earth were they mingling with those few enemy tribesmen? There were a thousand questions racing through her mind, but her top priority was Ian’s safety.
One of Crony’s men, having heard the commotion, rushed over and recognized Arena.
“Isn’t that the Minister of Magic?”
“That’s right. I heard Crony’s dead?”
“…Yes. It’s a long and complicated story, especially since it involves the Magic Department.”
“Involved with the Magic Department?”
Arena raised an eyebrow, frowning.
Just then, Aco appeared in the distance, waving a bandaged hand. Both his hands were shattered, it seemed, with splints extending up to his elbows.
“What happened to him?”
“What do you mean? That’s the genius mage Aco. No portal response, so he came here himself. Good timing. Anyone here a healer?”
The sight of Aco like that sent a wave of unease through the mages. If he was in that state, something serious had definitely happened. Arena was about to shout again to bring Ian over when—
“Minister?”
Ian appeared, looking bedraggled and disheveled, weaving through the crowd. He hadn’t properly washed, his clothes were in tatters, and scratches marked his skin.
Arena was momentarily speechless, a surge of self-loathing rising within her.
‘…You idiot! I shouldn’t have sent him away after all.’
What kind of glory was there in sending a five-year-old child off? Damn it! Crony was going to pay for this one way or another.
As Arena pressed her palm to her forehead and bowed her head, Ian quietly slipped over and gathered the mages around.
“Minister.”
And the senior mages from the Magic Department—he’d missed them all so much. Though he didn’t say it aloud, the moisture welling in his eyes spoke volumes about how hard it had been. Ian ran straight into Arena’s arms, and she instinctively hugged him tightly.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come back on time.”
“…No, that’s not important.”
Holding Ian close, Arena met the eyes of the Imperial Defense Department officers one by one.
“Now that the guardian’s here, let’s hear it. What’s wrong with our kids? Why are they in this state?”