Chapter 963
“Hey, Beric. Shift change.”
At the call of a palace guard, Beric, who had been sprawled out, peeked his head up. He chewed on a piece of dried jerky, scowling deeply.
“What, already time for a shift change? What have I been doing?”
“Six hours have already passed. Time flies when you’re just loafing around.”
“Hmph. Loafing? You know the saying—rest is part of training, right? You don’t know a thing.”
“…Hey. You don’t even realize I’m your senior.”
“Don’t need to know that.”
Sigh. “Damn it…”
Beric wanted nothing more than to rush over and smash that smug face, but he couldn’t. He’d already lost once in sparring.
To Beric, comrades seemed to be divided into two categories: those to be broken and those who had broken others. Once you were on the list of ‘broken,’ there was no fixing that arrogant attitude.
Smack!
“Ahhh!”
“Sorry, senior!”
If it weren’t for Barsabe, who stuck close like a shadow, the palace guard unit might have already been in chaos. Thanks to Barsabe’s tactful intervention, the seniors who’d snapped at Beric managed to save face.
“Get up, you.”
“Ugh, seriously. Why do you just stand around in someone else’s bedroom? You could be sparring more in that time.”
“Why spar? To protect His Majesty the Emperor, you blockhead.”
As Barsabe dragged Beric away by the collar, the other guards sighed with a mix of relief and worry, turning back to their posts. Beric, being pulled along, asked,
“Who’s the duty captain today?”
“My dad.”
“Wow, that’s brutal.”
One of the three captains always had to be present when guarding the Emperor, and the number of guards adjusted depending on the situation. Since Barsabe and Beric were still trainees, this was their first time entering the Emperor’s bedroom.
“You’re talking trash about my dad?”
“No, I’m talking about the captain, not your dad.”
“Stay sharp and do your job right. Everyone’s on edge because of Crony.”
“Crony, Crony, that damn Crony! Ugh, what a pain. Beric stretched and thought of Ian.
“Does that include Ian too?”
“What?”
“You said everyone’s on edge. I was wondering if Ian’s why he hasn’t been seen around the palace.”
“Hmm, probably not. He was absent before the news about Crony came out. But I don’t know if he’s been inside the palace.”
“He’s been inside.”
At Barsabe’s mutter, someone cut in with an answer.
Startled, the two turned around. A man with deep violet hair and a composed smile stood there. Judging by his attire, he seemed to be palace staff.
“Whoa, you scared me…”
“Apologies if I startled you.”
“No, no problem.”
Barsabe rubbed her chest thoughtfully, scrutinizing the man. Something felt off. How had she not sensed his presence until he was right behind them, even though she’d been chatting with Beric?
“I heard Ian has started working at the Magic Department. I’m not certain, just passing on what I heard. But it should be true, right?”
“I see. Thanks for letting me know—”
Barsabe trailed off, signaling she wanted to know his identity. The man extended his hand for a handshake.
“I’m Soif, from His Majesty the Emperor’s direct secretariat.”
“Soif, nice to meet you. I’m Barsabe, and this is Beric. We’re palace guards.”
“Yes, I know you well. You’re quite famous around here. By the way, I haven’t been here long either.”
“Oh, a recent recruit?”
“That’s right. If you want to get technical, we’re even colleagues.”
They’d both started palace work the same year.
Beric, showing little interest, stepped back and observed him. Suddenly, he sniffed the air, catching an unfamiliar scent.
“By the way, Barsabe, you might know me. I’m also from Enerjes.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Barsabe, you’re a magic swordsman, and you were so talented from a young age that no one in Enerjes didn’t know you.”
“Oh, that’s too kind.”
“Yeah, too kind. No need to flatter so much.”
Beric chipped in, and Barsabe shot him a sharp glare. Soif laughed and offered his hand to Beric as well. Beric shook it casually, sniffing repeatedly.
“Nice to meet you, Beric.”
“Yeah, you too. But what’s that smell?”
“Smell?”
“No way.” Barsabe poked Beric’s side, signaling him to shut up. Serving so close to the Emperor demanded absolute cleanliness. Wearing perfume or anything that stood out was forbidden.
“Zip it.”
Barsabe warned quietly, but Beric ignored her and kept circling Soif. Soif smiled awkwardly and took a step back.
“Must be the fragrance used in His Majesty’s bedroom.”
“Really? The Emperor has strange tastes. It’s not exactly a pleasant smell.”
“Beric, enough.”
“You little… You don’t know the first thing about manners.” Barsabe gave Beric a headlock and smiled awkwardly.
“Well then, Soif, it was nice meeting you. I’m sure we’ll see each other often.”
“Yes, looking forward to working with you.”
Soif bowed and headed down the corridor. Barsabe, finishing her polite greeting, pinched Beric’s cheek sharply.
“I told you not to blurt out whatever comes to mind. You love to eat, right? So swallow it, don’t spit it out.”
“It tastes awful.”
“Ugh, what am I even saying.”
“Seriously, that smell was weird!”
“You’re the only one who smelled it!”
“Are your nostrils just for decoration?”
Barsabe looked genuinely exasperated, and Beric was just as baffled. If you’re human—and your nostrils are clear—you’d definitely smell it, right?
“Enough. Let’s go. I don’t have the energy to deal with you here.”
“Wait, didn’t you smell a faint meaty scent?”
“No, I didn’t!”
“Why are you getting so worked up? You’re wrinkling your forehead.”
“Yaaah!”
Barsabe couldn’t hold back and shouted, making Beric flinch and step back.
From a distance, Herchi, one of the three captains waiting for the shift change outside the Emperor’s chambers, spotted them. He beckoned them over.
“Barsabe, Beric.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Barsabe responded crisply, while Beric pouted. Always calling him “dad” earlier, huh.
‘By the way, that guy… If he went to the same school as Barsabe, then Hans and Ian must know him too.’
Barsabe’s school life was a mystery, but he was probably less famous than Ian. Ian had entered at a very young age with the honor of being the first noble magician.
“The Emperor is asleep. It’s due to the effects of medicine, so minimize any noise.”
“Yes, understood.”
“No other special instructions. We just need to stay silent like shadows and remain by His Majesty’s side. Beric?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t cause any trouble. Got it?”
“But what if I get hungry or need to go to the bathroom?”
“Hold it.”
“Wow, that’s cold.”
Herchi answered firmly and checked his pocket watch. It was time. He led the way into the bedroom, and Barsabe and Beric followed, keeping their presence as quiet as possible.
Slide.
The bedroom was calm and silent.
The Emperor lay there so still and composed it was hard to tell if he was asleep or dead. When seen in the audience hall, he looked like an old man, but lying like this…
‘He must have used up all his strength and passed out.’
Beric stifled a yawn and focused on his duty. But boredom crept in slowly. He unconsciously sniffed his nose and realized something.
‘Huh?’
The smell he’d caught from Soif wasn’t coming from the Emperor’s bedroom. They said the fragrance had soaked in here, but the scent was a sharp, sour meat smell on Soif, while the Emperor’s room smelled fresh and subtly fruity.
‘That’s strange.’
It was nothing major, but why did it bother him so much?
Beric tilted his head without realizing it. Barsabe’s eyes flashed sharply, signaling him to stand properly and stay alert.
‘Damn it.’
He’d rather get beaten in sparring than stand silently like this. His whole body itched with restlessness.
Beric tried to steady himself and looked out the window. Once his shift ended, he’d rush to the Magic Department to meet Ian. He wanted to chat about meeting Crony, how surprised he was that they didn’t look alike despite being related, and just catch up on trivial things.
‘Ugh.’
Damn it. Only four minutes have passed.
Ian rubbed his forehead as he sifted through papers. These were all reports that Arena had handled at the Magic Department. He’d sent a handwriting analysis request but was told it would take several days, so he’d taken the documents out himself.
‘They look similar, but not quite the same.’
Ian pressed his brows tightly together. Having read the report dozens, maybe hundreds of times, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He finally tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and stretched out stiff limbs with a weary sigh.
Let me think this through. If something happened to Minister Arena, then the culprit has to be ‘that guy’—the one who killed the mages.
But if that’s the case, it would mean he sent the letter on Arena’s behalf. Could a monster really possess that level of intelligence?
From all the reports so far, it seemed impossible. This went beyond simple communication—it involved writing a report and sending it to the Magic Department.
…Someone’s involved.
There had to be a person behind this mysterious figure. Given the current situation, it was likely Crony or one of his henchmen.
Crushing the paper in his hand without realizing it, Ian’s mind raced.
What did it mean if Crony was involved? Arena was already dead, which meant Crony had taken away another precious family member—just like he had with Ian’s parents.
No. It can’t be.
Losing loved ones once was already enough. That darkness had already seeped deep into the foundation of his life.
Ian rested his head on the desk and took a steadying breath.
No. The body hasn’t been found, so I can’t be sure. Minister Arena isn’t someone who would die so easily. Even if she did… to leave me and the Magic Department behind without a single word of farewell…
Just then—
“Ian.”
A hand landed gently on his shoulder. It was Naum. Looking down at the crumpled papers in Ian’s hand, he asked with concern,
“You okay?”
“Naum hyung…”
“Don’t worry so much. The handwriting analysis results will be back soon.”
Ian leaned his forehead against Naum’s chest. Naum instinctively patted his back and let out a soft sigh.
“About the Crony’s magic test—we found a few other methods besides the Oracle’s Light.”
“You found others?”
“Yeah. Want to hear them? The captains don’t know yet.”
Ian pulled back slightly, and Naum dragged a chair over to sit beside him. He pulled out a blank sheet of paper and began explaining. His calm, measured voice was soothing.
“Alright, I’ll go through them one by one. First, there’s a method using the Atan tribe.”