Chapter 968

Whoosh!

The moment Ian landed in the garden of Freddy’s mansion, he took off running. The wizards, unsure of his intentions, simply followed the child.

“Ian, what about Minister Freddy?”

“Wait, hold on. Where’s the front gate here?”

“Wow, I never thought I’d be breaking and entering like this in my life.”

“Is anyone here? Please don’t misunderstand! We’re from the Ministry of Magic!”

“Ian, slow down!”

They opened the nearest door and stepped inside the mansion. The hallway was completely silent—no sign of life at all. Ian glanced around, wondering if they had accidentally entered some secluded annex, but through the window, he could see the front gate. They were definitely inside.

The wizards hesitated, caught off guard by the unexpected emptiness.

“…What’s going on? Where is everyone?”

“Ian, what are you planning to do when you meet Minister Freddy?”

“Isn’t there a problem with His Majesty the Emperor?”

Ian, who had been running frantically, stopped and carefully sensed the atmosphere. His eyes sharpened, glinting with resolve.

“This isn’t something a mere servant could have orchestrated. There’s definitely someone behind this. I believe it’s Crony.”

“Well, honestly… there’s no other suspect right now.”

This wasn’t just any incident—it was the assassination of the Most Sacred Emperor Bariel. Whoever was involved was clearly trying to shake the course of history. And the one everyone’s eyes were on, without dispute, was Crony. He stood to gain the most from the emperor’s death, especially since there was no designated heir.

“If it were anyone else, they’d be a complete fool.”

“Exactly. They’d be risking their life for someone else’s benefit.”

Unless someone could surpass the reputation of the “Hero who annihilated the Underworld God,” the emperor’s death would only work against them.

“If the emperor’s seat is vacant, the deal between the Ministry of Magic and the Imperial Defense Department loses all power.”

The Imperial Defense Department—Freddy had allied with the Ministry to keep his ministerial position. But if Crony were to be crowned the new emperor?

“Freddy would no longer need to side with the Ministry. In fact, he couldn’t. Crony would surely rise beyond the Defense Department to the pinnacle of imperial power, and opposing him would mean opposing the emperor himself.”

It would be far safer and more rational for Freddy to cut ties with the Ministry and bow to Crony.

That was why Ian had come here directly. All the deals Freddy had made were based on the assumption that the emperor was still in control. Now that he was incapacitated, Ian had to stop the Defense Department from acting independently.

“Ah, that makes sense. It probably hasn’t spread here yet… but it’s only a matter of time.”

“Yes. And Freddy is likely meeting with officials from various departments to build his faction. The Ministry ordered him to do so.”

To publicize the former Defense Minister’s death and sway public opinion, Freddy was probably working tirelessly to rally key figures.

“If someone like that acts on their own, it’ll be uncontrollable.”

If Freddy abandons the Ministry and sides with Crony, things will get complicated—no, worse than complicated.

One of the wizards, listening quietly to Ian, asked:

“Ian.”

“Yes?”

“You’re assuming Crony will become emperor?”

Ian’s eyes widened slightly at the question.

“……”

He couldn’t bring himself to admit it, but given the current situation, was there any better candidate? Publicly a wizard, noble-born, the hero who destroyed the Underworld God Gaia. With no official heir, it was the obvious conclusion.

“Yes. Though I can’t accept it.”

Ian muttered softly.

Right. He couldn’t accept it. Crony as Emperor Bariel? The thought was unbearable. More than the emperor’s wish for the next generation, it was Ian’s personal desire. The master of Bariel he loved could never be Crony.

‘Ah.’

As the thought settled, Ian’s purpose became clear. To stop Crony and restore order, he had no choice but to become emperor himself.

‘Just like the one in the Hiel Chronicles.’

He was destined to become the core and sacred figure of Bariel, carrying out the divine mission.

At that moment, something opaque inside him shattered completely. Like ice breaking beneath a winter stream, his frozen resolve burst forth with strength.

“Ian?”

He had to become emperor. His goal couldn’t be just protecting the Ministry. Only then could he defeat Crony and save Bariel.

Crony probably had his own vision for Bariel’s future. But what did it matter? Ian didn’t love the Bariel Crony envisioned.

“…It has to be different.”

“Huh?”

“Since the goal has changed, the choice must change too.”

“I don’t know what you mean, but that sounds right.”

The wizards nodded, caught off guard but agreeing with Ian’s words. Ian looked at them steadily, then bit his lip, as if struggling to say something difficult.

“When we return to the palace—”

“Yeah?”

“We’ll elect an interim minister.”

It was an acknowledgment that Arena might not return for a while.

Currently, the Ministry had no decisive leader. The heads were taking turns managing affairs, but a vacancy was still a vacancy. They lacked the strength to stand against Crony or his supporters.

“Interim minister?”

“Yes. If Lady Arena returns, everything will normalize, but until then, we need an official election and to bring it before the Grand Assembly. Once we enter the palace, I’ll propose it. Please don’t be too surprised and follow along.”

“How?”

“By tradition.”

“Ah…”

The wizards’ eyes widened. Tradition meant a magical duel, didn’t it? That naturally meant the interim minister would be Ian.

‘I never thought this day would come.’

‘Lady Arena, where on earth are you? Ian’s about to become Minister of Magic—the same small, young boy.’

The wizards exchanged glances, feeling a strange mix of emotions. But they couldn’t deny that they needed a minister, even if only temporarily, so they said nothing more.

“Then let’s move quickly. I think it’s this way.”

Ian walked toward the end of the hallway, his lips pressed tight. The door to what looked like a parlor was half-open.

“Shh.”

Still, there was no sound of anyone inside. Ian raised a finger to signal silence to the wizards and gently grasped the half-open door.

Creak.

Then—

“That’s right. I was in a bit of a bind back then.”

“Those were ancient times. You should just let it go now.”

Voices burst out simultaneously from the parlor. It was as if they had been quietly holding their breath until Ian arrived, then suddenly started talking loudly, almost defiantly. There was also a discordant note in their voices, as if something was off.

Ian frowned as he saw Minister Freddy raising a teacup with the officials. Their movements were stiff and awkward.

“Oh, Uncle Ian.”

And there, sitting like the main character among them, was Crony. He turned around as if surprised to see Ian and greeted him. At the same time, the others snapped their heads around in unison.

“My goodness, Uncle. You’ve grown so tall.”

Crony stood, arms outstretched as if overwhelmed with emotion, and approached. But Ian stepped back to avoid him, keeping his gaze fixed on the officials.

Something was wrong. There was an indescribable strangeness about them all.

“Uncle, aren’t you glad to see me?”

“…Of course. Sir Crony. I’m truly glad you returned safely. And hearing that you’ve devoted yourself to the empire left me speechless.”

“Is that so? Thank you for saying that. I’ve missed you so much, Uncle. You can’t imagine how deeply I longed for you.”

Ian’s cold eyes flicked between Crony and the officials. Then he quietly called out to Freddy.

“Minister of the Imperial Defense Department?”

“Hm?”

“Sorry to interrupt your conversation.”

“Not at all. What is it?”

Freddy smiled brightly and shook his head. Ian and the wizards’ expressions stiffened simultaneously.

‘…What the hell?’

‘Why are they welcoming him so naturally?’

‘We came without notice. And without permission.’

Leaning back against the sofa where Freddy sat, Crony gestured to the wizards.

“Won’t you join us? We’ve all known each other for a long time and gathered to celebrate my return. It’s just a simple tea gathering. Everyone’s so busy that this is the only chance to relax.”

The wizards forced awkward smiles and declined. Ian sensed something was not just strange but downright bizarre and took a step back.

“There’s no suitable place here. I’m sorry, but we’ll be leaving. Minister Freddy, and the rest of you, perhaps you should return to the mansion and wait for contact from the palace?”

“Contact from the palace? What’s going on there?”

“You’ll find out when you receive it.”

Ian drew a line and stepped back. This place was dangerous.

‘Whatever’s happened, Freddy’s side has folded.’

Just seeing him cheerfully raising a teacup with Crony was enough to guess. Whether by the author’s will or by fate, the worst, most complicated scenario Ian had feared was now reality.

‘At least I’ve seen it with my own eyes.’

Ian stared intently at Crony. Unlike the image etched in his memory, not a speck of change marred his appearance. Without realizing it, Ian let out a bitter smile.

The demise of the Underworld God?

“Whether it’s the will of the gods or not, Sir Crony, I believe your return carries a certain meaning.”

He didn’t exactly welcome the return. But the very act of coming back must hold significance. It would only serve to underscore the pain buried deep within Ian.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Right? What do you mean?”

“You don’t need to know. Even if I said it, you wouldn’t understand.”

“…Uncle Ian, you’ve changed a lot since we last met.”

Crony furrowed his brow slightly, smiling wryly, and Ian responded with a brightening of his eyes.

“Of course. How much time has passed? For a human, it’s only natural to change with the flow of years.”

At the phrase “for a human,” Crony’s expression stiffened, as if those words struck a nerve.

If you’re a human living in this era—one recognized and permitted by this age—then existing within the passage of time is only natural. Ian let out a dry, irritated sound and continued to watch Crony’s reaction closely.

‘He still doesn’t know about His Majesty the Emperor’s freezing.’

That was a clue suggesting this might be Soif’s solo act.

If so, Soif likely isn’t an organism born from the same source as the Underworld God, and there might still be traces of communication between the two. Perhaps letters, or witnesses to their meetings.

“In any case, it’s quite astonishing to see you like this, Sir Crony. You’ve accomplished something great. Rest well at the manor. The Ministry of Magic will contact you separately.”

Don’t wander off elsewhere—stay confined to the manor. The fact that the Ministry, not Ian personally, would be reaching out implied they intended to officially raise issues with him.

Ian bowed his head and turned to leave, followed closely by the other wizards, all unable to tear their eyes away from the strange atmosphere of the reception room.

Creak.

As the door closed, Crony slumped back onto the armrest of Freddy’s sofa and pulled out a cigarette. At the same time, Freddy and the officials’ necks went slack, their heads snapping back.

“Hah. You’ve grown up. Really grown up.”

Crony’s mouth twisted. The tearful child he once was was nowhere to be found; now he had the arrogant gaze of a wizard. The urge to tear him apart right then and there—

“Gahk—!”

At that moment, a sudden bout of coughing up blood seized him. Crony hastily covered his mouth, dark red blood dripping through his fingers. Everyone watched in shock as he muttered,

“…Damn it. Fine, I get it.”

It was a warning from the Underworld God. A caution that, since it exists only on the foundation of trust, one must not recklessly seize the human heart. Puppetry must be used only as a last resort—a bitter lesson learned a hundred years ago.

“Anyway, I don’t like any of this.”

Crony muttered as he roughly wiped the blood away.