Chapter 945

“Good morning.”

The office was already more than half full—whether the others had come in early or hadn’t left yet, it was hard to tell. The mages caught Ian’s voice and glanced over, offering greetings.

“Uh, not such a good morning.”

“You came in early today—”

“Huh?”

Their eyes widened as they spotted the newborn cradled in Ian’s arms.

The mages naturally gravitated closer. Dark bronze skin, striking green eyes. Though a baby, the features were sharp and promising—someone with a bright future ahead! And somehow, the little one carried an air that reminded them faintly of Ian himself. One mage stammered with a serious expression.

“I-Ian, did you… get yourself into some kind of trouble?”

Bam!

A fist flew, snapping the mage’s jaw, but—

The mages swarmed, delivering a collective beating to the crazy mage.

“There’s nothing you wouldn’t say about a baby!”

“Exactly. Put this bastard to sleep. Forever.”

“Ah! No, wait! It’s just because they look so alike!”

Do they really? Ian tilted his head, puzzled. Not a drop of his blood ran through the child. He looked down at Roel, who met his gaze with bright, clear eyes, then grinned mischievously, grabbing and poking Ian’s cheek. Ian set the baby down and began to explain.

“This is the child of Philia and Nersarn. They arrived at the capital recently, and today they’re stopping by the palace to report on the Great Desert. I offered to watch the baby for a while.”

“Oh, that’s what’s going on?”

“I thought it was something else. You really scared me.”

Philia could have stayed at the mansion, but for some reason Roel didn’t want to be separated from Ian, so this was the only option. Once the report was done, Nersarn would take the child back.

‘Philia can finally get some rest after a long time.’

It was a rare trip to the capital. Philia planned to meet her mentor, colleagues, and acquaintances to catch up briefly. Since they were all doctors, many had been scattered across the battlefield during the recent monster outbreak, so who knew how many would still be around. But at least for a short while, they’d reminisce about the past.

“Isn’t the baby heavy? Want me to hold him?”

“You’re just trying to sneak out of work, aren’t you?”

“Hey, what do you take me for? You saw right through me.”

“Aww, so cute. If I weren’t in the Magic Department, I’d probably have a baby your age by now. What’s his name?”

“Why blame the Magic Department? You should blame your own face.”

“Flatterer—”

“Hey! You’re talking!”

The mages couldn’t take their eyes off the adorable little life after so long. Ten years ago, Ian had been just like this, but now…

“This is Roel. Everyone, get back to work. Isn’t there a weekly meeting today?”

The Magic Department was like a second arena. Surely Ian had been a baby once, too? Ah, how time flies.

The mages shuffled reluctantly, unable to tear themselves away from Ian and the baby. Roel waved tiny hands curiously, playfully smacking their faces.

“Flatterer—”

“Yeah, you’re telling us to get back to work, huh?”

“Got it, got it. Never trust cuteness. Scary little things.”

Ian chuckled softly, settling into his seat with Roel in his arms. He casually flipped through the reports to see what tasks had been assigned to him. Then he paused, furrowing his brow.

“Senior, is this information reliable? About the monsters in the northern Red Forest?”

“Huh? Uh, probably?”

“That’s strange. We were dispatched there just last month. There was no sign of monsters at all.”

The report suggested a new type of monster had appeared in the Red Forest region up north. Recently, the monsters had been weak enough that a few adult men armed with Dera weapons could take down several at once. But this time, hunters had been found with their necks completely severed. The mutilation and wounds resembled the dangerous monsters that had flooded the area years ago.

The mages leaned back in their chairs.

“This is a major topic for today’s weekly meeting. We’re wondering if another rift has opened somewhere, or if it’s a sign that the monsters’ strength is rising again.”

“Ugh, I really hate this. I thought it was finally over.”

If the monsters, which had been steadily decreasing, were actually cycling between outbreaks and declines, never to be fully eradicated, it meant constant vigilance and response. It would change the future not only for the empire’s citizens but for all of Gaia.

‘A life alongside monsters.’

Just thinking about it was exhausting and terrifying.

Ian frowned again, and Roel gently smoothed his brow with a tiny finger, as if telling him not to worry and to relax.

Rrrrriiiip!

“Ahai! Good morning!”

The boisterous Arena burst in, throwing open the office door. She froze when she saw Ian and Roel, then closed the door and checked the sign, wondering if she’d come to the wrong place.

“What’s this?”

“Philia and Nersarn’s baby.”

“Oh, right! They said they were coming to the capital. Oh my, so cute! Come here, come here. Goo goo, ga ga.”

Arena made baby-talk noises, causing the mages to stiffen in embarrassment. Roel giggled and hugged her, and Arena declared this was true welfare, inhaling the baby’s scent deeply.

“Minister, don’t get too attached.”

“No way. If you don’t like it, why don’t you be the minister?”

“Anyway, is that northern thing for real?”

“Yeah, we got a follow-up report. Assistant!”

At Arena’s call, an aide wheeled in a cart with second reports for the mages. As he passed between desks, the mages each grabbed a copy and flipped through the pages.

“Hm? The bodies were found progressively further south? At this rate, haven’t they already left the Red Forest?”

“The closest country to that area is Astana. They’re planning to seal off the forest and handle the monsters there, but honestly, I think we should go.”

“True. We don’t know if this is a mutation or a sign of another monster outbreak. It’s best if mages go and check.”

“So! Today’s agenda!”

Ta-da.

Arena raised Roel’s hand with a smile.

“Who wants to go?”

Here we go again. The dreaded “Who wants to go?” question. After ten years of hearing it nonstop, Ian was sick to death of it. Just as he was about to raise his hand out of habit—

“Jack and Langnod. You two are going.”

“Called out. Damn.”

“Why? Why me?!”

Arena singled out the two mages.

“Judging by the wounds, it looks like they were attacked almost simultaneously. The necks were cut, but the holes aren’t uniform, and the wounds narrow toward the back… Do you get what that means?”

No one knew. The mages squinted and clamped their mouths shut. Ian added,

“It could be a creature that uses tentacles.”

“Exactly.”

They speculated it was capable of attacking multiple targets at once, with tentacle-like appendages that grew sharper toward the tips. This was based on forensic analysis and field reports.

“Jack and Langnod have faced a similar monster before, right? The name was…”

“Katarodiak.”

“Right. Confirm if it’s that one. If not, investigate whether it’s a mutation and report back. Ian, open the portal today. One week deadline. Enough time?”

“Going today?”

“Well, what else? Eat, poop, wash up, maybe even take a vacation before you go?”

“…You really have a way with words.”

“Doesn’t sound good?”

“Can’t say it does. Ugh.”

Another sudden trip to the north. Jack and Langnod groaned and splashed water on their faces. But what choice did they have? When ordered, you obey.

After delivering the rest of the announcements, Arena wrapped up the weekly meeting. She nodded toward Jack and Langnod.

“You’ll get paid leave when you return.”

“Really?”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

“Minister! I’ll go! I’ll go!”

“Enough. That’s it for today. The administration will send someone soon, so prepare the real potions and follow them.”

“Ah, is today the last day of the exam?”

Time flies. It felt like just yesterday when the empire’s biggest exam—the Imperial Civil Service Exam—was all the buzz. Now it was over, and they were wrapping up. The final stage was to check the mindset of those who passed with excellent scores.

Arena handed Roel back to Ian and clapped her hands, urging him to hurry.

“Ian, want to open the portal first? Got time?”

“If it’s the Red Forest, I’ve already got the coordinates ready. If the seniors are okay with it, I can open it right away.”

“Yeah, no point in dawdling. You’ll just get nagged by the minister. Open it now. We’ll be quick.”

Jack and Langnod pulled their bags out from under the desk, packed with potions and essentials. Just as they were about to leave—

“Daaah—”

Roel suddenly squirmed in Ian’s arms and grabbed onto Jack and Langnod’s clothes tightly, as if begging them not to go.

Startled, Ian soothed the baby, while the two mages laughed, finding Roel’s clinginess adorable as they poked his cheeks.

“Got attached after just a glance? Aww, so cute.”

“Stay safe until we get back. Roel, you’ll be here at least until Romandro’s wedding, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll be back soon.”

“Byeee!”

Roel shouted even louder, clutching at their clothes, but the two gently pulled their hands away and ruffled his hair.

Ian scooped Roel up and headed with them toward the backyard. As Roel’s free hand touched the ground, the surroundings instantly shimmered with a golden light.

“Seriously, it’s like cheating every time I see it.”

Jack and Lannod exchanged looks, tongues clicking in disbelief. Unlike them, who had to spend days double-checking formulas just to open a single portal, Ian had summoned it perfectly with just a flick of his finger.

Ziiing! Ziiing!

“Take care on your way.”

“Yeah, nothing to worry about. See you next week.”

“Bye, pretty Roel! See you next time!”

“Byaaah!”

As the two disappeared into the sky, Roel reached out, his face scrunching up as if protesting something. Ian, puzzled by his reaction, gently patted his back to soothe him, then turned at a call.

“Ian, Sil-dam!”

“Yes, understood.”

Cradled in Ian’s arms, Roel watched the portal vanish over his shoulder before closing his eyes.

---

Knock, knock.

“Excuse me.”

Ian entered the administrative office carrying an elegantly decorated wooden box. With the imperial civil service exams nearing their end, the atmosphere was far less chaotic than before. An administrative staff member stood to greet Ian and took the box.

“Oh, thank you. We should have come to collect this ourselves.”

“No, it’s no trouble.”

“But… is that a baby?”

“He’s my little brother.”

“Ah, that explains the resemblance. It’d be wonderful if this little one grows up to be a mage too. Hello there!”

The staff smiled warmly at Roel, who returned the greeting with a shy smile. A ray of light in the otherwise bleak palace. The staff flipped through some documents.

“Let’s see… Oh, this is the last one. Let’s head right over. How about the baby?”

“He’s quiet, so it should be fine.”

“Alright then. We’ll just record the Sil-dam potion’s reaction from a distance anyway. This way, please.”

Inside a small room within the administration building, the top ten successful candidates sat in a row.

Among them was Hans, sitting in the center, his face tense as he wondered what the next test would be. Usually, the final exam was kept secret even from the candidates…

Screeeech.

“Alright, the final test begins now.”

Ian watched from outside as the staff placed a Sil-dam potion in front of each candidate and explained.

“You have all already passed. This is simply the last test to determine your ranking. It’s very straightforward.”

Clink.

The candidates cautiously picked up the potions and looked at the staff.

“Drink this, then answer my questions.”

“Go ahead and drink,” the staff urged with a knowing look. Without hesitation, everyone downed their potion in one gulp. After confirming all had taken it, the staff began asking questions, holding a clipboard.

“Answer simultaneously. Was there any cheating during this exam?”

“Yes!”

“Of course not!”

As they answered, blood suddenly trickled from someone’s mouth. The staff noted it calmly and continued scoring.

“As an administrative officer, do you pledge to serve with integrity and honesty, dedicating yourself not to personal gain but to the advancement of the palace and Bariel?”

Scratch.

“Yes!”

Hans was nervous but answered steadily without any reaction to the potion. Until the final question, he was the only one who didn’t bleed. The moment the top scorer was about to be decided.