Chapter 946
A crowd had gathered outside the imperial palace walls. It was the day the results of the month-long grueling imperial civil service exam were announced.
Passersby stopped in their tracks, curiosity piqued, while the examinees clasped their hands tightly, whispering prayers as they waited for the notice to be posted.
“Make way!”
A palace official emerged, cutting through the crowd. He carried a massive sheet of paper—so large that two soldiers had to hold it at either end. With practiced hands, they posted the list, and the crowd immediately began scanning for their names.
“Ah, damn it. I failed.”
“Look again! There! That’s your name!”
“Whoa! Thank you! Thank you!”
A sudden uproar broke out. The stark contrast between those who passed and those who didn’t sparked shouts and cheers all around.
Hans was among them. When he saw his name at the very top of the list, a broad smile spread across his face. Carefully, he pushed through the crowd and dusted off his jacket.
“Told you not to doubt me.”
A quiet voice whispered behind him. It was Ian, cloaked and calm.
Hans was about to shout his joy, but Ian put a finger to his lips, signaling him to keep quiet as they slipped away. Once they reached a quiet alley, Hans clenched his fist and whispered triumphantly.
“Being top of the list means I’m first in line for promotion, right?”
“Thinking about promotion before even starting work?”
“Just wait and see. I’m going to be the youngest Prime Minister Bariel has ever seen.”
“Why didn’t you believe me before? You kept saying you’d be top.”
Ian and Hans bickered playfully as they headed toward a tavern. Hans draped an arm over Ian’s shoulder with an awkward grin.
“I thought maybe you were just telling a white lie to be nice.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Well, you wouldn’t, but my brother definitely would.”
Right after the practical potion exam, the rankings were finalized. Those who admitted to cheating were disqualified, and Hans—who hadn’t even shed a drop of blood—was listed at the very top. He still felt a thrill recalling that day.
“People around me were coughing up blood and going crazy, and I was just thinking, what the hell is going on?”
“That’s just military discipline.”
“Military discipline?”
“The palace isn’t a place to take lightly. It’s like a rookie initiation. Oh, here we are.”
Ian nodded toward a tavern with over a century of history, famous for its honey beer. It had branches all across Bariel, so no one in the empire didn’t know it.
“Hey, Ian! Hans! Over here!”
“The star of the day has arrived!”
The wizards who had arrived early waved cheerfully. This was one of the few quiet moments before the imperial joint recruitment period began. Naum and the other wizards had gathered to celebrate Hans’s top ranking.
Hans bowed politely as he entered, while Ian hung his robe on a coat rack and scanned the tavern.
“You rented the whole place?”
“Of course. Who do you think we are? Wizards. Palace wizards, no less!”
“Using the authority of the Magic Department like this isn’t exactly proper.”
Ian muttered that it felt like an abuse of power, but the tavern owner came out with a tray full of honey beer and joked.
“Oh no, it’s nothing. These are people working for the empire at the palace. This is the least we can do. Our tavern is popular not just with the Magic Department but with other departments for their gatherings, so don’t feel pressured.”
The owner handed out the honey beer and pointed to a seat by the window.
“And our tavern has a long history with the palace.”
“History with the palace?”
“That very seat was where Emperor Jin Verosion met the Empress in secret a hundred years ago! My great-grandfather used to tell that story so often, I swear I heard it hundreds of times.”
Jin Verosion—that name caught Ian’s interest. He took a seat with a good view of the window.
“I heard the Empress was from Clifford.”
“Yes, that’s what they say.”
The owner smiled awkwardly, hinting at a secret. One of the wizards jumped in.
“Actually, there’s a rumor she was a commoner from Bariel, not Clifford. They say she was adopted into the Clifford royal family to cover it up.”
“Oh, wizard, that’s a scandalous claim!”
“Doesn’t matter. Everyone knows it by now. People who saw her working here before she became Empress have given vivid testimonies. You can’t just sweep that under the rug.”
“My great-grandfather got dragged to the palace and scolded for telling that story to customers.”
“Scolded? More like he ended up brewing thousands of honey beers for them.”
“Well, it’s not an easy job for a man over sixty.”
“True enough.”
Ian glanced at his honey beer, but the wizard quickly cleared the glass and brought him a fresh cup of honey milk. Though Ian was mature and composed, he hadn’t yet undergone his coming-of-age ceremony, so alcohol was off-limits.
“I’d give you some, but if Minister Arena finds out, we’re all dead.”
“It’s fine. It’s the thought that counts.”
“Alright then, Hans! Let’s get this started!”
Encouraged by the wizards, Hans stood and raised his glass. Naum smiled and followed suit.
“Thanks, everyone, for the congratulations. We’re in different departments, but I look forward to working with you all. And please, stop bothering my brother so much.”
“Who’s bothering who? Who’s messing with Naum?”
“Then why don’t you ever let him leave work on time?”
“You clueless rookie. Try working at the palace and see how easy it is to leave on time.”
“Alright, enough! Cheers, everyone!”
“Is Hans buying today?”
“Naum should. He’s the newbie.”
“Come on, let’s toast, guys!”
As the wizards clinked their glasses, Ian lifted his cup of honey milk and joined in.
Clink!
With a clear, ringing sound, everyone downed their drinks. It was a rare moment of joy. Forgetting about work and play, it was hard to remember the last time they left on time.
“Minister Arena’s got a soft spot. Since Naum’s your brother and you topped the exam, she cleared your schedules.”
“And we even got the party budget! Ha! If it’s not enough, we can just put it on Arena’s tab.”
“Poor guys on duty tonight.”
“Let’s drink one more in their honor.”
“Boss! Keep the drinks coming, don’t let us run dry! You know the drill!”
“Yes, sir!”
Because Hans was Naum’s brother and the top administrative candidate, he was expected to rise quickly and eventually hold a key position in the administration. Building good relations with the Magic Department early on was smart.
‘Though I don’t think anyone’s thinking that far ahead,’ Ian mused, sipping his sweet honey milk to clear his complicated thoughts.
The imperial joint recruitment would begin soon. When that happened, even someone like Ian, who usually left on time, might have to stay late. With his studies, he’d be busier than anyone.
As if reading his thoughts, Hans raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“I’m done now.”
Ian was about to retort when a wizard with foam from his beer on his upper lip asked him,
“Hey Ian, isn’t today the day Jack and Langnod return?”
“Yes, that’s right. They left a spell in the backyard before leaving, so once we infuse the magic, it should activate.”
“Oh, I see. I should’ve left a message telling them to come this way.”
“The guys on duty will let us know. But wouldn’t they be too tired to come straight here after a mission?”
“Minister Arena said they’d get some leave. And Jack can’t resist honey beer.”
Ian glanced at his watch. The time for their return was almost up. He peeked out the window toward the palace. Under the sunset sky, darkness was creeping in, and a portal was forming.
‘It’s working properly.’
After dealing with any monsters, they’d have to file a report, which would take more time. The wizards joked and bet on whether the two would show up.
Time passed like flowing water, and the sky grew dark. Ian looked out again, a worried expression crossing his face.
“…?”
Leaning against the window frame, Ian seemed troubled. Naum approached quietly, noticing the unusual look in his eyes.
“The portal isn’t closing.”
“Huh?”
“It opened an hour ago, but it’s still open.”
At Ian’s words, the wizards all checked their watches.
Keeping a portal open for so long requires immense power. An hour was far beyond the usual maximum of thirty minutes. This meant Minister Arena was personally maintaining it—and that Jack and Langnod hadn’t returned yet.
“What’s going on? Thirty minutes is the max.”
They had a thirty-minute grace period to account for any unforeseen circumstances during return. Within that time, the returning party had to contact the Magic Department or respond in some way. That was the rule.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
In that instant, a spark flickered before the wizards’ eyes—a signal glowing a deep, burning red.
“…!”
“…!”
Startled, the wizards all sprang to their feet at once. Hans, who had been drinking beer without a care, suddenly started coughing, while Ian quickly grabbed his robe.
“Hans, sorry. It’s an emergency summon.”
“Huh? From the Ministry of Magic? Is everything okay? Go ahead, hurry.”
“Boss, I’ll leave the money here. Please settle the bill. Hans, sorry, can you clean up after we’re gone?”
Leading the way, Ian and the other wizards rushed out of the tavern and took to the sky. Naum patted Hans on the back, who looked worried, and added hurriedly, “I’ll contact you later, Hans. Go home first.”
“Brother, it’s not something dangerous, right?”
“I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this.”
The emergency summon signal—a privilege of the Minister to call all wizards outside the palace in case of a crisis. Ian had been with the Ministry for ten years, but this was unprecedented.
“Be careful, brother! Ian, you too! Everyone, stay safe!”
Hans shouted after the wizards flying out the window, then sighed deeply. On the table, freshly served hot food steamed gently.
Whoosh!
Ian was the first to arrive and stepped inside the Ministry. No wizards were in sight—only staff rushing about frantically.
They saw Ian and the others return and pointed toward the backyard.
“Go check the garden!”
Thud!
Ian and the wizards dashed toward the garden, their robes billowing behind them. What they saw were the guards standing rigidly and Arena sitting on the ground, clutching her forehead.
“Minister?”
At Ian’s voice, Arena turned her head. Her eyes were unlike anything he’d seen before—an overwhelming storm of anger, sorrow, and utter despair.
In front of her lay two bodies side by side. Covered in white cloth, but even without seeing their faces, Ian knew exactly who they were.
“T-This is…”
Jack and Langard.
They had promised to return in a week, but now they lay dead, their bodies battered and broken.