Episode 975

“Move aside!”

“Hmm? Oh my!”

As a line of soldiers marched through, the crowd startled and quickly parted to either side. They appeared to be imperial troops, all fully armed for some reason. Their steps were precise and synchronized, eyes fixed straight ahead.

“What’s going on?”

“Yeah, it’s strange enough that the nobles entered the palace…”

“Isn’t that the residence of Minister Freddy of the Imperial Defense Department?”

The soldiers had arrived at Minister Freddy’s mansion. Half of them entered inside, while the other half stood guard outside. Even the soldiers themselves looked puzzled, unsure why they were stationed there—but orders were orders.

“Ah, good work, everyone!”

Crash!

Suddenly, some officials hurried past the soldiers and dashed into the mansion. They moved as if they were familiar with the place, entering the reception room where the sharp scent of cigarettes and coffee made them pause.

The spacious room was cluttered with piles of documents. Lawyers with their sleeves rolled up had pushed several large desks together to create a makeshift workspace.

“Welcome.”

“Here’s what you requested.”

“And the Ministry of Justice? What’s the situation over there?”

“Well, um…”

One official wiped sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, hesitating before speaking. Crony sat by the window, sipping coffee.

“It’s chaos. They’re still cleaning up after the door got smashed.”

“Ian Hadel really went overboard. I never thought I’d hear about the Ministry of Justice’s door getting blown off.”

“Right? And then they say they ‘fixed’ the broken door or something.”

Whether by cunning or sheer luck, despite smashing the door wide open, the Ministry of Justice couldn’t find any grounds to protest and ended up letting Ian in. If only they had at least accused him of locking the door with some ulterior motive, they might have gained the upper hand.

“Your uncle grew up to be quite the aggressive young man.”

Crony chuckled softly, eyes still on the soldiers outside. The officials awkwardly laughed along, then leaned in closer to lower their voices.

“Sir Crony, as you know, this isn’t an ordinary matter.”

This was an incident involving the destruction of public property—by a mage, no less, using magic! Normally, such an act would warrant disciplinary action, but surprisingly, nothing happened. This only proved how firmly Ian controlled the palace’s internal atmosphere.

“A mage, no less, boldly breaking down the Ministry of Justice’s door. Ian Hadel himself knows there’s no one inside the palace who can stop him.”

“The palace atmosphere is almost entirely under control. The factions supporting Ian Hadel and those opposing him have both taken shape.”

Crony nodded slightly. Except for one place—the Imperial Palace Guard.

‘Unlike other departments with a single leader, the Guard has three commanders. If even one disagrees, conflict is inevitable.’

This was the one weakness of the tri-commander system. While they united to protect the emperor, in a state of lost central control, each would pull in their own direction, risking division.

“Have you received any word from the Palace Guard?”

Crony fell silent for a moment at the official’s question.

“It’s not an easy matter.”

The real problem wasn’t Hertzi. Though he was the current tri-commander and the biggest obstacle, the true troublemaker was Count Jacque.

Count Jacque sponsored several guardsmen and was practically a godfather figure in that world. Naturally, those in the gray area were gravitating toward Hertzi’s side.

“Is there any way…?”

“We have the Imperial Defense Department’s troops, and once the magic swordsmen arrive, honestly, there’s nothing to fear from the mages. Unless they want to tear the empire in half, the mages can’t move freely.”

The soldiers represented the threat of rebellion, and the magic swordsmen served as a direct check on the mages.

Though the power gap between mages and magic swordsmen was significant, the Palace Guard symbolized the emperor and the royal family. From Ian’s perspective, emphasizing legitimacy, they were a factor that couldn’t be overlooked.

After a moment’s thought, Crony made a decision.

“Can you bring even one of the commanders over here?”

While mental manipulation was limited due to the physical pain it caused, taking on one commander was worth the risk. They were crucial players in this fight. Whoever controlled the Palace Guard would likely win.

The officials exchanged uneasy glances.

“That’s… going to be difficult for now. Since His Majesty was frozen, the entire Palace Guard is on emergency duty centered around the emperor’s quarters. Not a single member, commander or otherwise, leaves the palace.”

The ‘freezing’ was the emperor’s barely sustained breath, a sign that death was imminent. And since it was caused by an assassination attempt from outside, it was no surprise the entire Palace Guard was on high alert.

“Even just one would be good.”

“Hmm, if we’re to try contacting someone, Captain Merni would be best. He has some ties with us and is relatively open-minded.”

“No, no.”

Crony shook his head. If they were only going to bring over one, it made sense to take the one Ian had.

“Captain Hertzi would be ideal.”

“Eh? Captain Hertzi?”

Why? Meeting him would be like talking to a wall. If they were going to make the effort, wouldn’t it be better to meet someone they could actually sway?

The officials openly looked puzzled, but Crony merely sipped his tea, as if he had it all figured out.

‘Count Jacque is useless to recruit. Hertzi makes all the difference.’

Though Count Jacque was influential, his power rested on Hertzi, one of the tri-commanders. Even if Jacque switched sides, without defeating Hertzi, it would be meaningless. He wasn’t a son who’d blindly follow his father’s sudden change of heart.

“Trust me on this. Please try your best.”

“Well, I’ll do my best, but don’t get your hopes up. If I can get in touch with Captain Merni, I’ll arrange a meeting immediately.”

‘Hmm.’

They don’t come outside the palace, so it’s hard to see them. But there’s a way to make them come out. Crony recalled a letter Soif had sent.

‘If Beric dies, that would be killing two birds with one stone.’

If a Palace Guard member died outside the palace, an investigation would surely follow, providing an opportunity to eliminate one of Ian’s close aides.

Oh, and one more thing—since they’re Athan, there’s no risk of attracting monster scent.

Snap!

Crony snapped his fingers, and an armored knight standing outside entered.

“They say the entire Palace Guard is on emergency duty at the emperor’s quarters, but why is this Beric confined to the mansion?”

He had already sent someone to check on Beric’s whereabouts. At first, he thought it was a trap, but hearing that Beric was digging in like a trapped beast made it hard to judge. What exactly was he up to? What was his intention?

“Details are unclear, but it’s said to be confinement due to internal regulations violations.”

“Specifically?”

“…Should I say it here?”

“Is there someone here who shouldn’t be?”

Crony looked around at the officials, puzzled. The knight shrugged awkwardly and rattled off what he could recall.

“Property damage, basic insubordination, disobedience, embezzlement and theft, abuse of power, among others.”

Breaking wooden training dummies to make firewood, talking back to seniors, ignoring pleas to stop, putting favorite liquor on supply requests, stealing venison from the kitchen, flipping the gambling table when losing while claiming to be Palace Guard… To those unaware of the details, it was a list that could only be taken seriously.

Crony frowned, and the officials whispered as if they hadn’t known.

“Your uncle keeps someone like that close?”

“No, I’d heard he was reckless, but this is unexpected. Ian Hadel is friends with such a hooligan?”

“Right? They say the blood of a madman runs in him, and it shows.”

“Impressive. In any other department, he’d have been kicked out and reported long ago.”

Tap, tap. Crony drummed his fingers lightly, falling silent.

‘What to do…’

Killing him would be right, but was this the right opportunity? And he was a magic swordsman. An ordinary assassin would only get counterattacked. They needed a sure way to end his life.

‘Then, there’s only one option—’

Crony turned and gestured to the knight.

“Bring the carriage closer.”

“Yes, sir.”

They would watch more closely but not cross the line. Since the Soif incident had already given the Magic Department an excuse, they had to be cautious.

The knight saluted and left. The officials watching exchanged curious glances.

“Sir Crony?”

“What’s the connection between Beric and the carriage? That order just now—there’s something going on, isn’t there?”

But Crony drew a firm line, unwilling to share.

“Please continue your efforts. Soon, news about Uncle Ian will spread across the capital, even the entire Bariel region. When public opinion swells, we must move in earnest.”

“Yes, of course.”

With that, Crony leisurely offered a cigarette, then turned his gaze out the window. More soldiers were gathering around Freddy’s mansion.

---

“Hey, Hertzi.”

“Hmm?”

The Emperor’s chambers. As Hertzi rubbed his tired eyes, someone grabbed his shoulder.

“Ready to spill the beans yet?”

“About what?”

The man had striking, shiny black eyes like polished beans. He casually blocked Hertzi’s path and grinned.

“I’m curious. Why did you send Berrick and Barsabe out on that assignment?”

“They weren’t sent out on an assignment. They’re under house arrest.”

“House arrest? In times like these, when we’re pulling all-nighters on emergency duty?”

If you were going to put them under house arrest, you should’ve done it ages ago. Berrick’s mess in the palace wasn’t exactly small. The man crossed his arms, flashing a sly smile.

“Come on, be honest. You sent them to the Magic Department, didn’t you?”

“That’s not true.”

“Everyone in the palace knows you’re on Ian Hadel’s side. There are two other commanders, but you went ahead and decided the fate of the guards all by yourself. That’s not how it works.”

Hertzi flicked the man’s collar lightly and replied.

“I’ve already shared the details about their house arrest. It’s all by the book. I’m covering for Berrick and Barsabe’s absence, and the schedule isn’t affected.”

He raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled.

“And if you already know I’m following Ian Hadel’s orders, why dig so deep? That’s not like you.”

Besides, those two are just apprentices—barely worth mentioning.

“What’s got you so curious, Merni?”

The man called Merni smirked slyly.

“Just… I want to know everything, that’s all. But Hertzi, there’s something you should keep in mind.”

“What’s that?”

“If you keep pulling guards like that, the entire royal guard could fall apart in no time.”