Episode 961

Freddy stared anxiously at the door, his gaze piercing through it as if willing it to open. The cigarette in his hand burned down to ash, but he didn’t move, carefully exhaling each breath.

Just as the ash from the cigarette crumbled and fell on its own, footsteps sounded outside. Straightening his posture, he composed his expression as if nothing was amiss.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

“Minister Freddy, I’ve delivered the letter to the Ministry of Magic. A wizard will be arriving shortly.”

Perfect! Freddy let out a quiet cheer in his mind, while his close aides clasped hands, their resolve hardening as if they had just overcome a critical hurdle.

“Haah, I’m truly relieved we got a response. I was worried those fools might ignore us just to avoid dealing with the aftermath.”

“Exactly. But judging by how quickly they reacted, it seems they’re on high alert as well.”

“No matter how eager they are, would they really welcome Crony? Didn’t Ian Hadel face rejection for being a noble when he first joined the Ministry?”

“Did he? I thought he was practically raised from the start.”

“Tsk, you’re clueless. Anyway, if it’s confirmed that Crony is a wizard, he’ll be sharing a roof with someone from the Imperial Defense Department who’s also a noble. It won’t be easy for him, that’s for sure.”

“That’s right. And everyone knows Ian Hadel and Crony don’t get along. If things go wrong, it could cause a rift within the Ministry.”

When a person is cornered, they’ll do whatever it takes to survive. Just as the Imperial Defense Department is on high alert over Crony’s appearance, the Ministry of Magic is no different.

“But wizards are stubborn by nature. If Crony truly shares their sensibilities, they’ll have no choice but to accept him. Besides, he’s a hero who dealt with the underground god—he can’t be ignored by the people of the Empire.”

“Exactly! But before that—”

Bang!

One of the captains slammed his hand lightly on the table, clearly frustrated. He took a deep breath and added quietly,

“We need to get this done, no matter what.”

In truth, if Crony joined the Ministry of Magic, the Imperial Defense Department wouldn’t need to fuss so much. His influence might shrink, but moving to the Ministry has always been an option. In fact, Crony’s transfer could even improve his standing.

The only problem is that the Ministry probably won’t allow it.

The Ministry is clearly hostile toward Crony. This is evident from the relationships among the wizards, especially those centered around Ian.

So, if Crony can’t enter the Ministry, where will he go?

The Imperial Defense Department, of course!

If that happens, Freddy and all his allies who have held power so far will be cast aside in an instant, left to fend for themselves on the streets. To prevent that, they chose to ally with the Ministry from the start.

“Ahem. This will be fine, won’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I just worry that if we leave things be, Crony might slip into the Ministry without any fuss, and we’d be stirring up trouble for no reason.”

“Do you not know the Ministry? If they say no, it’s an absolute no. The atmosphere in the audience chamber earlier made that clear. As long as Ian Hadel is there, Crony will never be accepted.”

“Understood. I get it.”

“Good. Then stop whining and stay put.”

“Whining? Did you just call me whining?”

“Oh, come on, everyone.”

As murmurs broke out among the aides, Freddy raised his voice to mediate. They needed unity, not discord.

“It would be wise to have a private audience with His Majesty the Emperor. The Empire’s hero would surely be welcomed and blessed by His Majesty, but the hero of Gaia—that’s a different matter, especially since there’s no heir…”

If it’s true that Crony dealt with the underground god, he carries a glory that could threaten the Emperor’s authority. Would the frail, elderly Emperor truly bow his head in respect for this hero? For Gaia?

Who knows.

It depends on how Crony approaches the Emperor, but everyone in the Imperial Defense Department had similar predictions. It’s Crony, after all—Crony Alphat. If many years had passed, maybe his temperament would have changed, but he himself said he’d only been in the abyss for ten days.

“Should we be thankful he’s still the same, or not?”

Now that he’s gained magical power, he’ll likely swim more aggressively toward the heart of the palace. The captains exchanged uneasy glances.

Knock, knock.

“Minister Freddy, Ian Hadel of the Ministry of Magic is here.”

“Ah, send him in.”

Ian Hadel arrived—the shield of the Imperial Defense Department against Crony, and the current pillar of the Ministry.

As Ian stepped inside, the door closed firmly behind him, as if to ensure that not a single word of their conversation would leak out.

“Did you come alone?”

“Yes, but—”

Freddy frowned slightly at Ian standing alone. Even so, shouldn’t at least one deputy or acting minister accompany him? After all, this was a meeting called by the Minister of the Imperial Defense Department.

But Ian seemed to think no further explanation was necessary and sank into an empty sofa. It was barely afternoon, but he looked exhausted, no doubt from staying up all night and the stress of Crony’s arrival. Pressing between his eyes, he asked,

“You requested to share investigation data on Sir Crony Alphat, and you have proposals for the Ministry as well. Is that correct?”

“Yes. I understand the Ministry’s duties are heavy. With Minister Arena absent, I thought the Imperial Defense Department might provide full support.”

“I see.”

Full support? Ian responded with a slightly amused expression. How could ordinary people who can’t even draw a proper magic circle help wizards?

Freddy tried to continue, but Ian cut him off with a smirk.

“We’re truly grateful. The Ministry is touched that the Imperial Defense Department offers help first. If Minister Arena were here, she’d probably be moved to tears.”

Ian’s smile and sharp words created a strange contrast.

“Thank you for the offer, but we must politely decline sharing the data.”

“Why not?”

“Why not?”

Because this is the Imperial Defense Department.

“The process of verifying magical power must be transparent and fair. Everyone knows Sir Crony belongs to the Imperial Defense Department, don’t they?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

If Crony is a wizard, Ian Hadel would be the one in the toughest spot. Freddy subtly hinted at this, but Ian looked genuinely puzzled.

“If not, then what do you mean?”

“Good grief…”

“Listen, Ian. Go fetch a wizard of captain rank.”

“Captains can’t leave their posts. To repay your concern for the Ministry, I must say the Ministry is suspicious and wary of Sir Crony Alphat’s very existence.”

That meant once again that Crony’s entry into the Ministry was unlikely. It also implied that if Crony can’t join the Ministry, he’s likely to return to the Imperial Defense Department.

“Wait, you said ‘suspicious of his very existence’?”

“Apologies, but this is Ministry confidential. You’ll hear more at the upcoming conference.”

“No, Ian…”

Freddy stood and approached Ian. Hesitating for a long moment, he finally asked quietly,

“Do you really not understand what this meeting means? We’re offering help from the Imperial Defense Department—for the peace of the palace, as we did over the past ten years.”

“For the Minister’s peace, more like.”

“…What?”

Don’t you get it? The one who truly doesn’t understand is Minister Freddy. Ian leaned back on the sofa and looked him straight in the eye.

“The biggest blow from Sir Crony’s return will be to you, Minister Freddy. Yet you pretend to offer help to the Ministry with all these flowery words. Honestly, it’s laughable, and I want to look away.”

“Hey, Ian!”

“No, no, no…”

The officers gasped and raised their voices at Ian, but no one dared to argue. Honestly, if Minister Arena had come instead, the conversation would have started very differently. It was clear from both inside and outside who was the breaking branch on the verge of snapping.

Freddy’s face flushed red as he issued a warning.

“Ian, do you truly want Sir Crony to enter the Ministry? If so, the Imperial Defense Department will support you.”

Ian pressed his forehead in frustration again. The problem was that word—‘support.’

“The Imperial Defense Department cannot help the Ministry. Understand your position clearly, Minister. At times like this—”

Ian pulled a magic stone from his pocket. It had been glowing faintly since he entered, as if recording everything.

“Just say what you can do. Not ‘we will help,’ but ‘we want to receive help.’ Every deal starts with an offer. You have to reach out first for us to even consider taking your hand.”

Ian placed the stone on the table. Freddy swallowed hard.

“Or are you just looking down on the mages because Minister Arena isn’t here right now?”

“What kind of—”

Ian didn’t answer. Instead, he shot a sharp glance around at Freddy and his aides, silently telling them to stop interfering—he was already overwhelmed dealing with Crony.

Freddy hesitated for a moment, then spoke. He’d caught on to what Ian wanted, though it took some courage to say it out loud.

“I intend to prove and testify that the death of the former Imperial Defense Minister is connected to Sir Crony.”

They were all tangled up in this mess, but if they played their cards right, they could cut off the tail and send Crony off cleanly.

Ian crossed his legs, clearly intrigued.

“I had no idea Crony was involved in the former Imperial Defense Minister’s death.”

It was such a shameless lie it was almost comical. Ian smiled again and added,

“My interest lies with a different death.”

“…”

“Have you heard anything about the death of my parents?”

At that moment, one of the captains lightly jabbed Freddy in the back—a warning not to slip up here. No matter how important the alliance with the Magic Department was, they couldn’t afford to cut their own throat like this.

“Nothing at all?”

“I’m not sure what you’re implying.”

“I see.”

Ian nodded as if conceding for now. But since he’d extended a hand, it was only polite to at least pretend to take it.

“Send someone from the Imperial Defense Department. Through them, I’ll share any information I have and request assistance from the Magic Department.”

Freddy’s face immediately fell. That was it—the enemy of my enemy is my friend. One of life’s eternal truths.

But Ian was quick to specify.

“Officer Xiao Xi Enrou would be ideal. Send him to the Magic Department, along with whatever accusations the Imperial Defense Department has. We’ll take responsibility for making this public and ensure he never sets foot anywhere near the palace again.”

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

As Ian collected the mana stones, he asked,

“This is what you want, isn’t it?”

For now, this was just the beginning.