Chapter 929

The Ministry of Magic was always a whirlwind of chaos.

But right now, it was busier than ever before—beyond anything anyone could compare to. Wizards dashed through the building, looking haggard and exhausted, barely having time to eat or wash properly. And the word most often heard echoed through the halls:

“Ian!”

“Yes!”

Ian sprinted forward and leapt down the stairs. His role was crucial: opening and closing the portals connecting Burgos and Klipford at precise times, sending wizards through. The assistant handed over documents briskly and made a request.

“It’s 12:15. Please open the portal to the Salaetor 9th Rift in the southern Klipford region. The dispatched wizards are Alton and Dan… Ah, here they come.”

“Sorry for being late!”

“Ian, sorry I’m late!”

Despite their apologies, Ian gave a small, reassuring smile and touched the ground in the backyard. Instantly, his eyes shimmered gold, and a portal materialized in midair.

Zzzzzzzing.

The two wizards, barely bothering to secure their external badges, hurriedly dove into the portal. Another mission complete! Ian closed the portal and quickly adjusted the magical formula.

“Next destination?”

“Klipford’s eastern Arcto region. Rift number three. It’s a return portal.”

“Oh, the one we opened yesterday at 5 p.m.?”

“That’s right.”

Though Ian held a map, he didn’t even glance at it, swiftly sketching coordinates with practiced ease.

The assistant clicked his tongue in disbelief. Did ordinary people even realize the immense value of Ian’s efforts? Especially those ministers gathered in the grand hall. To open and close portals multiple times a day without a single error—this was beyond comprehension.

“There’s no way to explain it.”

Arena appeared, her eyes sunken from exhaustion, voicing what the assistant couldn’t.

“Minister.”

Ian paused at her voice, but she sipped her coffee and waved him off, urging him to focus on his work. It was admirable, yet bittersweet.

“The entire Ministry has been tied up with this for over a week, and Ian does it all alone in just a few hours… Isn’t this just too much?”

Arena’s frustration seemed to reach the heavens. Was divine favor really this uneven?

Old wizards would collapse after a single sleepless night, yet Ian would sleep once and come back refreshed, his skin still taut and youthful.

“Ignore it, Ian.”

“…Yes. Opening Rift number three.”

Zzzzzing! Zzzing!

Magic surged from Ian’s fingertips, conjuring another portal. Two wizards promptly stepped through. The assistant, puzzled, asked:

“Why two? Where’s Seri?”

“A monster appeared. Fortunately, it was a low-level one, so it was quickly dealt with. Still, the locals were uneasy and begged for extended patrols, so Seri took charge. The portal will reopen six hours from now.”

“I see. Monsters…”

Snap.

It was clear the rift’s breakage, which had sealed the underground deity, was the cause. Since that day, monsters had begun emerging from rifts across the land.

Thanks to Ian’s portals, they could quickly identify and respond to these threats. Moreover, the monsters were still weak enough that ordinary people could resist them.

Arena muttered softly.

“It’s different from a hundred years ago.”

Since then, weapons from the Dera tribe had been steadily circulating in the market, even made available to civilians.

Traveling merchants, mercenaries, and adventurers—those who faced special dangers—favored Dera weapons. That’s why, even with monsters slipping out one by one, they could still manage.

‘At least for now.’

The assistant sighed quietly as he recorded the situation. The future was uncertain, but monster appearances would continue for the foreseeable future. Unless they could somehow reseal the awakened underground deity, nothing would change.

“Ian, are you okay?”

Ian nodded in response to Arena’s concern. His cheeks were slightly flushed—perhaps from the sunny weather—but nothing alarming. As she turned away, responding to a wizard calling her name, she warned him again.

“Don’t overdo it, okay?”

“Yes, Minister.”

Ian gave a faint smile, telling her not to worry. Then he turned back to the assistant.

“Next location?”

“This time, Burgos.”

“Oh, I’ll have to completely rewrite the formula. Is Klipford done?”

“Not finished, but due to scheduling, we need to connect to Burgos now.”

“…Understood.”

Ian focused his scattered thoughts and began recalculating the portal magic.

Wizards carrying stacks of documents stopped in their tracks, watching him. How could such a small frame produce nearly limitless magic?

“He never seems to tire. Youth really is an advantage.”

“How many times has he opened portals today?”

“Four, I think?”

“No way. It would take us at least a week to open that many.”

“More like ten days.”

If Ian showed any signs of strain, they’d worry. But he looked unfazed—almost joyful each time he calculated a new portal formula. The wizards shook their heads in awe and hurried back to their offices.

“Hmm.”

Meanwhile, Naum hurried after his seniors, watching the golden light weaving from Ian’s fingertips as he passed by.

“Hyung!”

A familiar voice came from the Ministry’s entrance. It was his younger brother, Hans, grinning as he held up a paper bag.

“Your underwear and clothes.”

“Thanks.”

“I thought I wouldn’t get to see you, but lucky me. Busy with work, huh? It’s been ten days since you came home.”

Other wizards, noticing family had arrived, took Naum’s documents and headed inside. Naum bowed in thanks and approached Hans. He seemed taller than the last time they met—just ten days ago.

“Sorry. Looks like this will keep up for a while.”

“Take care of yourself.”

“Will do. How about you? Everything okay?”

“Nothing special. Just enjoying the money you bring home.”

A fine mansion, servants for meals and cleaning, and a carriage to take him to school every day. Had he ever studied so comfortably before?

Naum smiled proudly at Hans’s teasing and patted his shoulder.

“By the way, what about Ian?”

Since the Ministry got busier, Hans hadn’t seen him in a while. He’d heard the magic studies class was even canceled. Not knowing the full story, Hans whispered with concern.

“There’s a rumor going around. That Ian is the first noble wizard.”

“Yeah.”

“People say it’s a lie.”

“What?”

More precisely, it was the idle gossip of foolish Enerjes kids. Hans dismissed it as nonsense, but the unease lingered. Maybe someone outside had heard something.

Even after bashing those fools’ heads with a bag, the frustration didn’t fade. Why did such rumors keep spreading? They needed to know the truth to respond properly.

“…They say it’s fake magic, that monsters and the underground deity are involved, but no one really knows. So the rumor-mongers just make up whatever suits them. Hyung, is something wrong with Ian?”

Naum had heard the rumors too. They were probably distorted words from other departments, blown out of proportion. But the Ministry’s strict secrecy meant he couldn’t say much.

“So, you just let it go?”

“Those idiots? No! I hit them hard.”

“Properly?”

“Of course.”

“Good.”

That was all they could do—indirectly clear up misunderstandings about Ian.

Hans looked around, searching for Ian, and Naum quietly pointed him toward the backyard.

“He’s there. But he’s busy now, so no greetings. Just catch a glimpse from afar.”

“Got it.”

Hans immediately ran down the stairs toward the backyard. Naum watched his brother’s retreating figure and stepped cautiously forward. Though mindful of the office’s atmosphere, he planned to keep an eye on things until Hans left. The Ministry was a place where dangerous things happened all the time…

Zzzzzing! Zzzing!

“Yes, understood.”

“…Next?”

“Um, next is the Klipford 7th Rift in two hours. Ian, will you be resting? I’ll report to the minister and come back.”

Two hours of rest. The first break Ian had taken since morning. He collapsed backward, closed his eyes, and steadied his breathing. Only then did he realize his hair was soaked with sweat.

Haah.

It was tough. Honestly, he was exhausted. But as Arena said at the conference, the Ministry needed him. He was the only one who could prove he wasn’t connected to the underground deity.

And above all, it was a task only he could do. For Gaia’s safety, he would keep working hard—keep pushing forward.

“Hey.”

It was then. At the sudden sound of someone’s presence, Ian opened his eyes to see Hans’s face upside down. As Ian tried to sit up, Hans gently pushed his forehead and said, “Stay still.”

“…It’s been a while, Hans.”

“Yeah. The Ministry of Magic is really ruthless. To treat a kid like you this way?”

“That’s not it. Naum, it’s been a while.”

“Huh? Why the greeting? We’re both from the Ministry, but we haven’t even seen each other?”

“I’ve been busy with work.”

“Wow, that’s harsh. Really harsh.”

Ian chuckled softly, amused. He wondered what Minister Arena would say if she heard that.

“Sigh.”

But the thought was fleeting. The gentle breeze made Ian’s strength drain from his body. Soon, his breathing grew shallow and uneven—he had slipped into a deep sleep.

Hans carefully smoothed Ian’s hair and straightened his collar, frowning with concern.

“He’s passed out.”

“Yeah, he has.”

Hans and Naum whispered simultaneously.

Naum lightly placed his hand on Ian’s forehead, sharing a bit of his magic. Compared to Ian’s, it was small and weak, but if it could help even a little…

“Hey, Naum!”

“Ah.”

At that moment, passing wizards spotted Naum and Hans and called out loudly. Hans quickly shushed them, putting a finger to his lips. Then, the wizards noticed Ian and hurried over.

“What’s wrong with Ian?”

“He’s sleeping. Shh.”

“Oh, you scared me.”

“He was opening portals nonstop until just now, and then he fell asleep? Wow, he must have been exhausted.”

“Yeah, I didn’t notice because he didn’t show it.”

“Poor kid, must be worn to the bone.”

One by one, the wizards clasped their hands together. Their hearts gently layered over Naum’s palm. They sincerely hoped to help, their golden eyes glowing.

Ziiing. Ziiing.

Hans gasped at the wondrous sight unfolding before him. Those shining golden eyes! They never failed to amaze. Seeing them up close, Ian didn’t seem human at all—more like a divine messenger!

“Think that’s enough?”

The brief, dreamlike moment ended. Feeling they had infused enough magic, the wizards withdrew their golden eyes, and the divine messengers returned to their usual forms as if nothing had happened.

“Hey, be careful. You’ll wake him.”

“What about the report? Where did you put the one you gave me earlier?”

“Why ask me? You should know.”

“Sigh… Fine. Let’s go. The minister said to get approval within five minutes.”

“It’s already late.”

“If we’re later, we’re dead.”

The wizards quickly disappeared. Taking advantage of the moment, Naum escorted Hans out of the Ministry. Before long, no one was left by Ian’s side.

Two hours later, Ian woke up from a deep sleep.

“Hm?”

A parasol was shading his bedside. Nearby, an aide sat on a bench, waiting for Ian to wake. His hands were full of freshly received documents.

“You’re awake?”

“Has it really been two hours already?”

“About five minutes left.”

Ian sat up abruptly, wiggling his fingers to check them. The aide adjusted his glasses and asked,

“Are you feeling any discomfort?”

“Um, aide.”

“Yes?”

Ian’s eyes sparkled with disbelief. Then, with a serious tone, he shared a surprising and wonderful discovery.

“I think Minister Arena was right.”

“About what?”

“Why I feel so energetic. It really is because I’m young. I only slept two hours, but my whole body feels like it could fly!”

Ian beamed brightly, and the aide laughed along. Ian had no idea how many wizards had passed through the backyard in those two hours. Nor did he need to.

“I see.”

“Yes! Being young is a good thing!”

“I’m glad you realized that. Shall we get started again?”

Ian nodded vigorously and said to entrust anything to him. Then, he sprang up and slipped away into the crowd of wizards, who were groaning and trudging off in the distance.