Chapter 971

The grand hall fell into sudden silence. In the near stillness, the only sound was the rustling of papers as Ian flipped through them.

The prime minister and other officials cautiously spoke up.

“Are you saying… that Sir Crony Alphat is the assassin of His Majesty the Emperor?”

“That is correct.”

“Ian—no, Minister. Are you certain of this?”

“Sir Crony is currently hailed as the hero who vanquished the Underworld God. I advise you to choose your words carefully.”

With his widespread public support and familial ties to Ian, Crony was clearly a central figure in the next regime. To call him an assassin was shocking.

Ian fixed the official with a sharp gaze and replied,

“The Ministry of Magic conducted the investigation with utmost care. Suggesting otherwise borders on insult.”

“No, I meant only to express concern for the Ministry. I fear a backlash if an innocent person is wrongly accused.”

“Your concern has overflowed beyond reason. Minister, perhaps you should tend to your own department before worrying about ours.”

“What insolence is this?”

Insolence? Challenging the Ministry’s findings outright? Ian picked up his pen and rifled through the documents.

“Soif entered the palace with the intent to assassinate His Majesty. Any department that recently accepted new recruits this year should be on high alert, thoroughly scrutinizing any shadow of an assassin among them.”

“Hah! So you’re saying traitors lurk within the palace?”

“Who can say? Even the emperor’s personal attendants have harbored ill intentions.”

“Wait, everyone calm down. Minister Ian.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

Answering the prime minister’s call, Ian jotted down the name of the official at the edge of his notebook. Judging by the reaction, there was a strong possibility of collusion with Crony. In a moment like this, distinguishing friend from foe was crucial. Ian and the Romandros quietly observed the atmosphere from a corner of the hall.

“Present the evidence that Sir Crony Alphat led the assassination.”

“Before that, allow me to address Crony’s so-called ‘magical power.’ The Ministry cannot confirm that he truly possesses divine power. Here’s why.”

At Ian’s signal, the mages distributed reports to the officials.

“First, palace records state that the Underworld God’s destruction is impossible. Just as light and shadow coexist, the existence of the Underworld God proves the existence of the divine. To claim the Underworld God was destroyed is to claim the gods themselves have perished—an unacceptable assertion.”

Ian presented supporting evidence: records from a century ago during the Great Verosion Monster War. They described how the Underworld God was not destroyed but sealed after direct confrontation on Gaia.

“However—”

“And second,” Ian raised his hand, signaling for silence, “considering that his power originates from the Abyss and is said to be ‘a direct gift from the gods,’ the Ministry holds that ordinary magical detection methods, like the Light of Prophecy, cannot verify it.”

“We all saw it with our own eyes in the audience chamber—he wielded a golden spear.”

“That was mere illusion. In fact, it only deepened the mages’ suspicion and confusion. His magic lacks the sixth-sense connection that mages rely on.”

A murmur rippled through the hall. Until now, the investigation had been quietly accepted, but such statements at the grand assembly marked the start of open debate.

The Ministry was declaring that Crony Alphat was neither hero, mage, nor chosen one.

“Then what exactly is that power…?”

“While Crony declared the Underworld God’s destruction and the end of monsters, the Ministry disagrees. Minister Arena has gone north on a mission to find a monster or unknown entity strong enough to challenge the mages—”

Most importantly,

“We found traces of monsters within Soif.”

“What?”

“With the help of Beric, a palace guard who belongs to the Atan tribe—monsters’ primary prey.”

“Ah, Atan?”

The officials scrambled through their papers, trying to recall what Atan meant.

“Beric’s Atan heritage is unrelated to the current matter and will be discussed in the next meeting. The key point is the monster traces found in Soif.”

“That can’t be—”

“Yes, it’s impossible. A monster would never pass through the palace gates to stand beside His Majesty. If that happened, it would be a failure of the Ministry, with no excuse.”

“So?”

“We suspect that a monster has taken root inside the human Soif.”

“What does that mean?”

Ian had been pondering this. What about Crony had inspired Soif’s blind loyalty? No physical explanation made sense.

But there was one precedent—the reverse.

“As you know, during the Monster War, Tolun was possessed by monsters and used puppetry to devise strategies. I suspect something similar here.”

The prime minister adjusted his glasses and muttered lowly. So Soif’s reason was consumed by a monster, turning him into a puppet? And behind it all was the mysterious Crony, risen from the Abyss?

He pressed his palm to his forehead.

“…Plausible, but where’s the proof?”

“Proof of puppetry requires finding the puppeteer.”

“So, none.”

“Therefore, I request the formal arrest of Sir Crony Alphat and that all investigative authority be entrusted to the Ministry of Magic.”

“No!”

At that moment, the Minister of Imperial Defense, Freddy, who had been silent until now, suddenly stood up and shouted. His gaze was fixed not on Ian or the mages, but on empty space ahead.

“His Majesty has been frozen. This is a time to secure the succession and stabilize the nation. Sir Crony Alphat currently enjoys overwhelming support from the empire’s citizens and is a hero who has devoted himself to the empire. He is a key figure who could be named heir. Yet the Ministry is slandering him without a shred of evidence.”

The blunt mention of “heir” stirred the hall. Ian slowly turned his head to look at him.

‘Look at that.’

Not long ago, during their secret meetings, Freddy had acted as if he would give the Ministry everything. Now, his attitude had flipped like a hand turning over.

“What the hell is wrong with that guy?”

“Shh. They’ll hear you.”

“He’s siding with Crony.”

Though suspected since Crony had been at Freddy’s estate, seeing it firsthand was absurd. The mages exchanged uneasy glances between Ian and Freddy.

“They keep demanding evidence. It’s nerve-wracking.”

“It’s okay. I trust Ian.”

Catching Crony with a letter in Soif’s handwriting would only be possible once the stage was properly set. That cunning, suspicious Crony wouldn’t bite the bait so easily. Ian thought it best to first secure a place where he and Crony could play.

“Make the accusations public at the grand assembly, then catch him at the right moment.”

Ian’s plan was firm, and Freddy’s outburst was expected. Ian lightly touched the magic stone the emperor had given him and replied,

“Yes, continuing His Majesty’s will to stabilize Bariel is important. But Minister Freddy, the Ministry has repeatedly called for re-examination of Sir Crony. Are you suggesting we ignore that and crown him emperor outright?”

Isn’t that tantamount to open conflict with the Ministry? Ian stood and faced Freddy.

“The Ministry officially raised doubts that Crony borrowed monster power and is behind the assassin Soif. Yet you discuss crowning him emperor right here?”

“Yes, Minister Freddy, that was reckless.”

“I declare here and now: until all doubts are resolved, I, Ian Hadel, will never allow Crony to be crowned emperor. No matter what it takes, I will stand against it.”

“Minister Ian, please calm yourself—”

“The Ministry supports Minister Ian’s resolve!”

“Yes, after guarding the palace for so long, to suddenly entrust Bariel to a stranger of unknown origin without trusting the Ministry is treason by all who agree here!”

“Mages, restrain yourselves!”

“We cannot just stand by and listen!”

“Enough, enough!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The prime minister slammed his gavel and shouted, silencing the room. Though many still glared fiercely, ready to pounce.

“Has the poison used on His Majesty been investigated?”

“Ah, yes. That—”

Startled by the sudden question, the person in charge stammered. They had extracted poison from Soif’s arm and were analyzing it, but since it was a toxin not found in Bariel, confirming its components was taking time.

“Fortunately, His Majesty was frozen safely. We should first focus on finding an antidote. Remember, His Majesty has not yet passed.”

The prime minister looked around, urging everyone. Those who witnessed the emperor’s freezing knew this was little more than a temporary scolding to quell the chaos.

“An antidote, huh.”

If the antidote is administered immediately after freezing, then we might be in luck. But to be frank, it’s doubtful. The moment the emperor is thawed, he will likely pass away. He’s barely clinging to the edge of life.

“And Minister Ian.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“Submit evidence to support the Ministry of Magic’s claims. If you do, we will entrust the investigation to the Ministry through a formal vote.”

“Understood, Prime Minister. However, it’s not possible at this very moment. I will present it at the next meeting.”

The Prime Minister, who had been wiping his sweat, paused. Why couldn’t it be done right now? He looked at Ian with a puzzled expression, but Ian seemed unfazed and addressed everyone in the chamber.

“Let me reiterate: the Ministry of Magic condemns Crony. Supporting him is tantamount to opposing the Ministry. Please keep that in mind.”

If Crony is not a hero but a puppet of monsters… then who will ascend to the vacant throne?

The officials exchanged glances, stealing quick looks at Ian.

“A collateral member of the royal family.”

“The first noble mage.”

“The head of the Ministry of Magic, the backbone of the palace.”

In every respect, Ian Hadell was the perfect candidate. And above all, the only person standing in direct opposition to Crony. The sole rival capable of stopping him.

“Crony or Ian. It has to be one of the two.”

Those who had long served the palace could easily grasp the situation. From now on, the palace’s power would split into two factions.

“The victor becomes emperor; the loser faces death.”

The officials exchanged knowing looks. Seeing Ian take such a stance suggested he must have solid evidence against Crony…

“And Minister Freddy.”

Breaking the silence, Ian spoke again.

“I’ve heard rumors about Sir Crony Alphart’s conspiracy to assassinate the former Minister of Imperial Defense. Yet, you have nothing to say on the matter?”

Ian pulled an old magic stone from his pocket—a recording device used at the Hadell estate.

Inside was a recording of Crony’s own words regarding the assassination of the Hadell family head. A secret Ian had held onto for a long time, waiting for the right moment, but forced to keep buried due to the death of the person involved.

“Once I leave this chamber, I intend to file charges against Crony Alphart as the murderer of my parents. If you, Minister Freddy, have any intention of doing the same—”

If you betrayed us expecting Crony to become emperor, then see this. Witness who truly deserves to be emperor.

“Come with me.”

This was Ian’s final offer to Freddy.