Chapter 927

Lunchtime at the imperial palace. For the overworked and overwhelmed staff, this was the only moment to step outside, breathe fresh air, and catch their breath.

Everyone had settled in the dining hall’s garden or on the terrace, enjoying delicious food and soaking up the sunlight.

Then—

BANG!

The restaurant door slammed open with a crash.

Normally, in such a noisy place, this kind of commotion wouldn’t even register as a disturbance. But today was different. Everyone—from those mid-bite to those casually flicking ash from their cigarettes, from the newest recruits to the veterans—instinctively froze and turned toward the door.

“W-what’s going on?”

“It’s serious!”

“Is it the Magic Department again?”

“They still haven’t arrived? Oh no, this is bad.”

“No! They’re here, they’re here—!”

Breathless and trailing off, the words barely finished before people started jumping up from their seats. They wanted answers—what on earth was happening? Some looked ready to bolt out the door at any moment.

But then the words that followed froze everyone in place.

“Captain Crony of the Imperial Defense Corps has been killed in action! And, and the Underworld God has appeared. The Idgal burial site has been discovered—”

“What?”

“What is this nonsense?”

“…Minister Arena has called an emergency meeting immediately!”

A thunderclap of news like no other. Staff from every department dashed madly toward their offices. Plates clattered to the floor, shoulders bumped, but no one cared. All eyes were fixed ahead, running full speed.

“Damn it, how did Captain Crony die? What about the Bariel front?”

“No details on that yet.”

“This is driving me crazy. The Underworld God… you mean the one from a hundred years ago? Send urgent messages to every temple. And what about Klipoford and Burgos?”

“Minister Arena said she’ll issue orders soon.”

“Damn, our minister is on a business trip today.”

“Contact her immediately! Tell her to come back!”

BANG! BANG!

Those who had already heard the news were frantically rifling through documents, while the hallways echoed with frantic shouts and cries.

This was the highest level of emergency alert. Not only had the commander in chief died in battle, but now—the Underworld God?

Tap tap tap.

Ministers and staff flooded into the conference hall in an instant. Carriages tangled in chaos outside, hurried footsteps echoed loudly.

SLAM!

“Oh, have you eaten?”

Sweating profusely, Arena arrived and greeted them with a smile, calmly sipping her coffee. Beside her sat Ian, Ako, and a stranger, while Freddy from the Imperial Defense Corps took a seat across from them.

“Minister Arena, what’s going on?”

“Yes, exactly. The details will be shared once His Majesty arrives. For now, please take your seats and wipe off your sweat.”

“Right, right.”

The emperor was coming. No matter how poor his health, he wouldn’t stay idle with the Underworld God reemerging.

Arena leisurely sipped her coffee, waiting for the emperor’s arrival, while everyone else kept glancing nervously between her and the Magic Department officials.

Then—

“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”

At the announcement, everyone stood. The emperor, supported by his attendants, walked slowly forward. The ministers suddenly realized how long it had been since they last saw him in person.

“…Please, be seated.”

At his command, everyone sat. He gave a subtle nod to Arena, signaling her to begin. The Magic Department staff handed out reports to all. The rustling of paper filled the room for a long moment.

“So, you’re saying the Underworld God killed Captain Crony?”

“That’s what we’ve been told. Ako, Ian, mercenary Hale, and Freddy from the Imperial Defense Corps were all present at the scene. Testimonies from northern tribal leaders align perfectly—there’s no doubt about it.”

No matter how certain the evidence, could it really be true? As the ministers whispered among themselves, the emperor calmly studied the report. Arena watched his expression closely and added:

“For reasons unknown, it seems the Underworld God’s power has been revived. We expect monster attacks at each of the rift zones, so preparations are necessary. We’ve requested the Dera tribe to produce special weapons to arm as many soldiers as possible.”

“Each rift zone?”

“There are currently twelve rifts identified and managed in Bariel. New ones may appear, but those are unpredictable and excluded for now.”

“Good grief! Does this mean a flood of great monsters is coming?”

“We don’t know. But one thing is certain: from now on, life as we knew it is over.”

The ministers’ faces drained of color, understanding Arena’s warning that the century of peace had shattered.

“Five mages remain in the north to monitor the situation. If no unusual activity occurs, we’ll reduce that number to three. We’ll also send mages to Burgos and Klipoford to check for abnormalities.”

“You mean the palace will be left unguarded?”

“Except for essential personnel, yes. Therefore, we request that the war in the north be considered over, not just a ceasefire. It’s not the time to focus there.”

With no casualties from the northern tribal battles and the Imperial Defense Corps leadership—including Crony—now gone, the very reason for war had vanished. Everyone, including the emperor, wanted a swift end.

The emperor nodded slightly.

“Agreed. Except for forces guarding the northern border against monsters, all others are to return. Order the Dera tribe to prioritize supplying weapons to the north.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Though Crony’s death was shocking, it was not tragic. Nor was it regrettable.

The ministers flipped through the reports, stealing glances at Ian. They understood the situation well enough; now it was time to find out why this had happened.

“I am Freddy, a guard from the Imperial Defense Corps.”

Freddy introduced himself and spoke. His account matched the earlier disputes with the Magic Department in the north. He suggested Ian Hadel might be connected to the Underworld God and bore some responsibility for Crony’s death.

But contrary to Freddy’s expectations of a strong reaction, the ministers responded lukewarmly—almost as if they had agreed to ignore it. After a long silence, one minister reluctantly asked:

“Ahem. Mage Ian Hadel?”

“Yes, Minister of Culture.”

“Do you have anything to say about this?”

The dead were dead, and Arena sat there perfectly fine. The decision on whether Ian was linked to the Underworld God rested with the Magic Department minister. Power had already shifted heavily in their favor—who would dare oppose it? The dead Crony? The toothless Imperial Defense Corps minister?

“I don’t know how the Underworld God is involved.”

“Hmph. I see.”

The Minister of Culture said this while watching Arena’s expression. If a war with monsters broke out, the Imperial Defense Corps would matter less than the Magic Department, which would hold the greatest power. Already a formidable force, the Magic Department would reign supreme in the palace until the Defense Corps recovered. Thinking this in front of the emperor was almost blasphemous…

All eyes turned to Arena, but she revealed nothing of her thoughts.

“Your Majesty, esteemed ministers, I regret that words alone cannot fully capture the situation on the ground.”

At this, Freddy jumped up, pleading.

“The Imperial Defense Corps demands the complete isolation and thorough investigation of Mage Ian Hadel. We also request that those accompanying Ian be included in the investigation. There were suspicious circumstances at the scene.”

The accusations were consistent: Ako and Kyu did not do their best to save Crony, and Hale helped the enemy Astana by casting a protective shield.

Yet the ministers remained indifferent, only watching the emperor and Arena.

“Do you see the part about Ian controlling Idgal?”

Arena held up the report, pointing to the passage. Everyone nodded slightly, focusing.

“Idgal is a magical stone dangerous to mages. It could permanently drain one’s magic. But that also means it’s a threat to the Underworld God and monsters.”

Arena placed a hand on Ian’s shoulder.

To be honest, she wasn’t sure if her choice was truly right. Ian’s magical talent and genius intellect were undeniable.

But what if all this was part of the Underworld God’s plan? What if the future with Ian ended in despair, making her regret and resent her decision?

‘Damn it.’

Arena couldn’t bring herself to trust the Underworld God’s words. Whether or not Ian was truly connected, the source was evil incarnate.

‘I’d rather trust Ian a hundred times over.’

Even if that trust was misplaced, it didn’t matter. If, by some miracle, Ian was linked to the Underworld God—

‘We’ll raise him right.’

Watching him closely, instilling goodness—that could be a way forward.

In any case, Arena’s conclusion was clear: Ian Hadel cannot be left outside the Magic Department. For any reason whatsoever.

“The Ministry of Magic plans to investigate Ian Hadel and study his ability to control Idgal, in hopes of uncovering how to defend against monster attacks and seal the underground god.”

“Isn’t that… too dangerous?”

“Exactly. Keeping someone with unknown potential inside the palace… well, I must admit, I have my concerns.”

“Are you referring to the Ministry’s underground prison?”

Though the ministers were politically savvy, they clearly understood the threat to the entire palace. Why keep a suspicious child, accused of heresy, inside the palace walls if it could be avoided?

Ian was present, and with Arena’s intentions so transparent, no one dared say it outright. But honestly, it would have been far simpler to just exile or eliminate him. No matter how brilliant a mage he was, there was no reason to gamble on Bariel’s fate.

“Hmm.”

The emperor let out a soft sigh, sinking into deep thought. His lifeless eyes betrayed no emotion.

Ian glanced at him sideways. This was the emperor who had once called upon him to freeze time, claiming it was a blessing passed down from the previous ruler and that the next throne was his by right. What was he thinking now, looking at Ian like that?

The silence was broken by Arena.

“Apologies, but the Ministry has determined that Ian Hadel poses no threat.”

“On what grounds? It’s only been a few hours since the incident.”

“Yes. That’s precisely why.”

“What do you mean?”

Arena set aside any personal bias and spoke only the facts.

“The underground god killed Commander Chroni and then vanished after hinting at Ian Hadel. If Ian were truly connected to the darkness, he would have acted immediately upon receiving that hint.”

He wouldn’t have waited to be surrounded, killed, or isolated. Before anyone could even accuse him, he would have wiped out the imperial soldiers present—and certainly wouldn’t be sitting quietly in front of the emperor now.

“But…”

The ministers trailed off, unconvinced. Arena sighed and added,

“To be honest, the Ministry’s operations would be difficult without Ian Hadel.”

“Excuse me?”

“As I mentioned, we need to focus on managing the twelve rifts scattered across Gaia, including Burgos and Cliford. That number excludes any new rifts that might appear. If we send mages to all those locations, who will protect the palace? Who will handle the Ministry’s daily affairs? But if we can simply block the paths leading directly to the rifts, then dispatches become more like routine fieldwork rather than full deployments.”

“Minister Arena, I don’t quite understand.”

“Let me explain—”

Ian possessed a genius-level, awe-inspiring depth of magical power. His sharp mind grasped the truths of magic instantly. While it took a dozen mages to open the portal once or twice a day…

“That portal. Ian opens it several times a day, all by himself. Does that help you understand now?”