Episode 964

Ian leaned halfway against his desk, murmuring to himself.

“The Atan tribe, huh…”

Weren’t they the nearly extinct clan from a hundred years ago, wiped out during the Great Demon War? Since they fed primarily on monsters, they opposed Bariel’s monster extermination efforts and eventually faded into the shadows of history.

“That’s right. But the Atan tribe is a discovered species, so they weren’t completely wiped out. Though rare, there are still reports from the north of individuals suspected to be Atan.”

Naum began listing their traits one by one with his pen. While there might be slight variations among individuals, distinguishing them broadly wouldn’t be difficult.

“Aggressive, obsessed with combat, raw morality. Their resilience and vitality go beyond common sense. Since they feed on monsters, they have clear differences from humans.”

“So, you’re suggesting we use them to get a better look?”

“If Crony isn’t a mage, then what else could he be?”

The golden spear he confidently wielded before the mages—

Its source of power had to be one of two things: either the same as the mages’ or the opposite—something monstrous.

“They say the Atan can detect monsters by scent, so that could help. At least we’d know immediately if there’s any connection to monsters.”

Ian hesitated. Crony had shown confidence even in the face of the Oracle’s light, so there was clearly something he trusted. But could identity really be discerned by scent alone?

“It’s a decent idea, but there’s not enough evidence. And more importantly, we can’t just bring the Atan tribe into the palace right now.”

The palace atmosphere was already tense. Bringing in a tribe from the north that fed on monsters could spark unpredictable trouble. Public opinion inside the palace couldn’t be ignored either. Historically, they had been hostile to Bariel.

“That’s true. But I think it’s worth a try. If Crony’s right and the rift has fully closed with the underground god gone, then they must be struggling in their own way.”

They made their living hunting monsters. Once we establish contact, we could deepen our understanding of monster ecology and behavior.

And above all—

“They’re bound to be hostile toward Crony.”

“Exactly. He wiped out their livelihood. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?”

It made sense. With that advantage, it was worth attempting contact.

Still, the risk was high. Being aggressive meant they were predictable but hard to control. Even if we tried, there was no guarantee of cooperation. Seeing Ian’s lukewarm reaction, Naum added,

“And second—this is actually the most important part.”

He circled Crony’s name with his pen and continued.

“Whether it’s monster power or mage power, the source is ultimately the same.”

Since the power came from gods or shadows, distinguishing between them was tricky.

The suspicion that Crony wasn’t a mage came from their sixth sense warning them. Despite seeing his glowing golden eyes and the spear made of light, there was an instinctive unease that made them step back.

“There’s a relic in the East that can gather the power of mages. It’s in official records, so it’s not a lie. If we borrow it, we could immediately tell whether Crony’s power is mage-based or not.”

“What kind of relic exactly?”

“It’s said to create a new magic barrier.”

“Sounds valuable just from the description. Do you think the East would agree to lend it?”

Ian lightly pressed his forehead. It was a good idea, but it also meant relying on outside forces. Building trust would take time, which was a critical drawback.

“Our exchanges with the East have been steady for the past hundred years. If we play it right, we could get their help. And the underground god issue is something the East is even more sensitive about.”

Gaia had only gone through one major crisis a century ago, but the East had been waging war against monsters for a long time. As Naum said, there had been occasional contact with Bariel.

“And Ian, since when have we ever waited for someone’s permission to act?”

Naum tapped Ian’s shoulder.

Ian had been unusually cautious lately, worried about Arena. But making things happen despite obstacles—that was Ian’s way, and the way of the mages.

“…You’re right.”

Ian pushed his hair back and let out a low chuckle. Naum smiled back at the boy, then stood and gathered the documents.

“Stop worrying about Minister Arena.”

“Yes, understood.”

“I’ll talk to the captains. We might get a meeting scheduled soon.”

Naum spun around and left the office. Ian watched his retreating figure for a long moment before picking up his pen to finish his thoughts on Crony.

‘If Crony is targeting all of Bariel, what’s his next move?’

To take the emperor’s throne—

The throne would have to be vacant.

To empty the throne, the usual tactic is to cut off the surrounding branches first. Without realizing it, Ian wrote the words ‘Palace Guard’ with his pen.

Swish.

Palace Guard.

As the emperor’s closest protectors, they were the toughest fortress to break through. But if you took them down first, everything else would fall into place.

‘The Imperial Defense Department is also a power center, but if the throne is empty, they lose influence.’

Besides, the Palace Guard received the magic-sealing stones. As a countermeasure against the magic department, one-tenth of all magic-sealing stones found across Bariel were allocated to the Palace Guard. Since Crony had gained magic power, they would react sharply.

“Palace Guard…”

“Why the Palace Guard?”

Ian muttered to himself. Suddenly, someone approached and whispered in his ear. Startled, Ian turned around to find Beric grinning at him.

“Why? Planning to join us? Then you’re my junior, Ian.”

“Beric. What brings you here?”

“Ah, all work’s done. Let’s grab some food.”

“Food? Now?”

Ian hesitated, feeling the timing was odd. Beric looked at him incredulously.

“What are you talking about? If not now, when?”

“How many meals have you had today?”

“Don’t even ask. I only managed six meals before entering His Majesty’s chambers. Man, I’m starving.”

Beric clutched his stomach, grumbling. Ian turned away, pretending not to hear. When he showed no sign of getting up, Beric dragged a chair over and sat beside him.

“Want to eat here? Should I bring some food?”

“You eat.”

“Ian, by the way, I saw your nephew. Man, I’m itching to tell you.”

Beric settled in close and started chattering as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

“Why’d you tie yourself to a guy like that?”

“I didn’t choose to.”

“But he’s tough as nails. I mean, surviving even when buried deep underground. Maybe you two are alike in that way? Ha ha ha!”

Ian frowned, considering shutting him up. Then Naum’s words came to mind.

“The Atan tribe is aggressive, obsessed with combat…”

‘…Beric is aggressive too.’

He was the most battle-hungry person Ian had ever met. His obsession with fighting was almost like a tragic unrequited love.

“What? Got something on my face? I haven’t eaten anything yet.”

Ian stared at him, and Beric wiped his mouth roughly, chuckling. Ian straightened up and studied Beric carefully.

“…Raw morality.”

“Huh?”

Maybe it was because he came from the back alleys, but even so, his behavior was shockingly low-level. Ian crossed his arms, wearing a serious expression.

“You used to raid the kitchen all the time at Count Jack’s place, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t raid it. I just took food.”

“Breaking all the locks. The chef begged you not to eat the expensive ingredients, crying and pleading, and you just swallowed it right in front of him.”

“Did I?”

“You never considered the other person’s position at all.”

“Why are you like this? Are you mad because I brought up Crony?”

Beric cautiously watched Ian’s expression, but Ian’s gaze only grew sharper. Could it be?

“See? Coming all the way here to bring up Crony so casually. That’s not something you learn to do.”

“Wait, now you’re just beating me up calmly.”

Whoosh!

“Hey!”

Ian yanked off Beric’s jacket, and Beric flailed, covering his chest. His body was covered in countless scars. Ian stopped when he saw the largest one on his side.

“This…”

“Hey! What’s with that?”

“That wound was pretty bad.”

“Take off my clothes! It’s choking me!”

That was a wound Ian had seen when they first met in the fighting arena. Magic had healed it quickly, but looking back, it was strange how that was even possible. No matter how much magic helped, a wound like that should have kept him bedridden for a month.

“Resilience and vitality beyond all reason.”

Naum’s voice echoed again in Ian’s mind. Suddenly, Ian sprang up and went searching for him.

“Naum! Naum hyung!”

“Ughhh!”

As Ian grabbed him, Beric was dragged along, his clothes half torn off. The mages in the hallway and lobby glanced over in confusion but quickly turned away, assuming it was nothing serious.

“Naum hyung!”

Bang!

Ian flung open the door where Naum was talking with the captains. Beric, resigned, tilted his head back in surrender.

“Athan!”

“Athan?”

“…Altang?”

At Ian’s shout, Naum repeated the word, and Beric chimed in. Ian pointed at Beric and shouted again.

“Athan!”

No need to travel all the way north, no worries about impulsive actions fueled by resentment toward the empire! No concerns about palace politics either! If Beric is Athan, then—

“Beric perfectly fits Athan’s traits.”

“Beric?”

“Me? Altang?”

Ian pointed at Beric’s side and explained.

“I saw this wound myself. His insides were practically spilling out, yet he was up and moving the very next day. That’s beyond the limits of healing magic.”

“If that’s true…”

It’s definitely worth checking out.

As Naum approached, Ian finally let go of Beric’s shirt. Beric dusted off his crumpled clothes, muttering.

“Ugh, Barsabehan’s going to give me hell again for looking like a mess.”

“Beric, have you ever heard of Athan?”

At Naum’s question, Beric shouted confidently.

“No! All I know is Altang! And since you keep saying Altang, I’m starving—can we please go to the dining hall?”