Chapter 980
Not long ago, at the Ministry of Magic.
Ian and the other wizards sighed as they stared at the piles of paperwork that filled every inch of the room. Just like with Crony’s side, this was an information war. The wizards tossed the worn, dog-eared papers aside with frustration, muttering under their breath.
“No matter how much I look, nothing comes up.”
“This is unprecedented in Bariel’s history, that’s for sure.”
“Ugh, seriously! My head’s about to explode!”
Sniff, sniff. “Ugh… if that thing bursts, the smell’s gonna be unbearable. When was the last time you washed?”
“…Do I smell that bad?”
“When was the last time you washed?!”
Exhausted, the wizards grabbed snacks and started playfully grabbing each other by the collars.
Ian, clearly worn out, rolled up his sleeves and perched on the edge of the desk. There was no way to prove that Crony’s power didn’t come from a wizard but from a magical beast.
“It’s because the Underworld God is still a god, in the end. That means the god and its shadow are one and the same.”
Clearing his throat, Ako pulled out the tissue he’d stuffed up his nose and reconsidered. There was no answer. At least they’d discovered that the last hope—the light of prophecy—was useless. Maybe that counted as progress?
“The evidence on the Hadel family incident is clear. The problem is proving the connection between Crony and Soif. No matter how much we rack our brains, there’s no evidence strong enough to submit to the court. What about Beric’s side?”
“No news yet. They’re just digging around, apparently.”
“Digging? Why?”
“How should I know? I’m no dog’s heart.”
As one wizard stretched out on the sofa, the others followed suit, piling on top like a giant sandwich. Ako gave them a shove with his foot, knocking them over as if to say, “Get up.”
“Crony’s more cautious than I thought.”
“Well, we do have the upper hand.”
“Cautious. Damn, annoyingly cautious.”
“Should we dig more traps? Honestly, right now all we can do is pray he trips over his own feet. Seriously, this is thousands of years’ worth of data we’re sifting through.”
The stacks of documents snaked out of the Ministry office and into the hallway. The crazy part? They’d already cleared and refilled these piles several times.
“If we haven’t found anything by now, it just doesn’t exist.”
“I agree. Maybe we should just push forward.”
The idea was to proceed with the Hadel family case, arrest them, and investigate—hoping that would lead to the next piece of evidence.
But Ian was cautious. Not only because the trial date hadn’t even been set, but because Crony was a snake. If they didn’t strike decisively, he’d slip away and keep gnawing at their Achilles’ heel.
“Charging Crony solely on the Hadel family charges won’t eliminate the imperial faction supporting him. They’ll fight to keep him alive, and if we mess up, the backlash will be severe.”
There was another problem. Even if the evidence was crystal clear, what if those who accepted it turned a blind eye?
“Especially since there’s suspicion of mind manipulation involved, we have to be extra careful.”
Ian’s words made the wizards slump back, groaning in defeat. What choice did they have? They had to keep trying. Just as they were about to dive back into the information, a sudden fluttering sound caught everyone’s attention.
Flap!
Flap-flap?
It was a sound none of them had heard before. Everyone perked up and turned toward the window, trying to locate the source.
“Hey, over there.”
At first, they thought it was a star. But looking closer, it was a single sheet of paper fluttering in the night sky, riding the wind.
They thought it was just trash drifting by, but no. The paper’s edges fluttered like wings, hovering in place as if swimming through the air. Everyone furrowed their brows, watching intently.
“Hey, it’s moving.”
“This way, this way.”
The paper seemed to circle the building, heading toward the entrance. Whatever it was, it had passed through the palace’s protective barrier, so it probably wasn’t dangerous.
Flap! Flap-flap!
The wizards opened the door and stared as the paper darted in at lightning speed.
“Whoa!”
“Ian, watch out!”
Startled, Ian hesitated for a moment—
But the paper zipped past the wizards and slammed right onto Ian’s forehead with a sharp smack.
The sound echoed as Ian’s head jerked back slightly. The wizards gaped, holding their breath. No way—the damn paper just smacked Ian right in the forehead.
Lost in thought, Ian slowly raised his hand and peeled the paper off.
“…What the hell?”
Rip, snap!
The paper clung stubbornly, but it was a futile struggle. Once Ian fully tore it off, it turned into an ordinary sheet and drooped limply.
“Ian, are you okay?”
“Your forehead’s all red…”
“I’m fine.”
Rubbing his forehead, Ian examined the paper. Slowly, black ink began to surface, forming characters. Ian recognized them as Eastern script.
“Eastern?”
“Really?”
“From the East?”
“So this is how they send messages. That place really is something else.”
“What does it say?”
“Wait, I’ll translate!”
A wizard familiar with Eastern characters stepped forward and interpreted. Despite the complex, winding script, the message was concise.
—To the esteemed wizards of Bariel, friends from the East. We regret that we cannot verify your inquiry immediately. Currently, Master Jian and the other great mages of the East are fully engaged in suppressing a recent outbreak of great magical beasts. However, since the Underworld God has perished in Gaia, we cannot hide our confusion. This defies reason…
“Good. At least the East supports our claim.”
“Wait, hold on. Jian? Isn’t that the guy from a hundred years ago?”
“What about him?”
“The one who smashed the protective barrier.”
“Yeah, that’s the name!”
“…No way it’s the same person.”
“If it is, how old would he be?”
“Hey, just keep reading.”
Ian’s impatience was obvious. The wizard continued.
—However, as you claim, if you use our ‘relic,’ you may be able to reveal the identity of the suspect. But…
“Oh, I knew it!”
“Shh, keep going.”
—…we do not currently possess it. The last time it was used was a hundred years ago, so it requires some restoration to function fully again. Fortunately, Master Jian has been working on this recently, and progress is smooth. It should be completed in a few years.
“A few years? Are you kidding me?”
“Quiet. The important part’s coming.”
—…We regret to inform you that the relic being created will be used solely for the East. Master Jian says this will be the last relic he can make, so there is no room for negotiation. We apologize for this.
So basically, there’s no way.
Everyone fell silent, gloom settling over the room. Then, the wizard reading the letter suddenly looked puzzled.
—While pondering other options, one idea came to mind. To the wizards of Bariel: is there a wizard named ‘Ian’ among you?
“Huh?”
The wizards all turned to look at Ian.
How would the Eastern mages know Ian’s name? Official diplomatic letters didn’t include individual names.
—If so, please read the following carefully. This is the method to create the relic. Sharpen your skills and try to create Gaia’s own relic.
An awkward silence fell again.
Under the wizards’ sharp gazes, Ian simply closed his eyes. Moments later, a sudden commotion broke out—though in a strange direction.
“Ha! That’s hilarious! Why mention only Ian? There are plenty of wizards here!”
“Not that many.”
“Let’s see how to make it. So, to create a relic, you need a specific magic circle, and you just have to reconstruct it?”
“Reconstructing the magic circle means changing its structure, right? So the way it’s applied changes too? Like rewriting the activation sequence?”
“I don’t get it.”
“So if the magic circle we used before is like water in a cup, you can put it in a vase or a bowl instead. Changing the container changes how it’s used, and that changes its purpose.”
“That guy’s out of the wizarding program.”
“No, I get it! Really!”
“Those Eastern guys really underestimate us. We can do just as well as Ian…”
Ian wanted to say they could do just as well, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t even read the formulas beneath the text. Or rather, he just didn’t understand them.
“What is this? How do you read it?”
“Just read what you see.”
“No, this is like some nonsense gibberish. I can read it, but I don’t get what it means.”
“Anyway, enough with the metaphors… Are you Beric? Step aside!”
“…Can you read it?”
“…”
One by one, the wizards tried, but none could understand a thing.
Eventually, the paper was passed back to Ian. But unlike the letter’s claim, Ian also struggled for a long time to interpret its meaning. Tick-tock. As time passed, the wizards’ hopeful expressions faded.
“Ahem, Ian. It’s okay, you can stop now.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s put this aside for now—”
Then, suddenly—
Ziiiiing.
Ian lightly raised his hand and began to draw something. The characters of the magic circle, which had been swirling in a perfect circle, fell away one by one and lined up neatly in a row. The golden glow faded to black, losing its sparkle, but the smoothness it exuded was quietly beautiful.
The wizards, seeing this for the first time in their lives, stared wide-eyed.
“What is that? What is that!?”
“Q-quiet. Ian’s concentrating.”
Ssshhh!
At Ian’s subtle flick of his fingertips, the characters moved like living soldiers. Everyone watching—Ian included—realized that with this movement, hundreds, no, thousands of new arrangements could be created.
“Go—”
Ian’s calm voice snapped the wizards back to attention.
“Please fetch Captain Herchi.”
“W-who? The captain of the palace guard? O-okay, got it.”
“Ian! How did you do that? Tell me!”
“I told you not to bother me! Hey, get lost. Go away!”
Dodging the wizards who crowded around him, Ian focused entirely on this brand-new form of magic circle. It would take a long time to create what they called a ‘familiar,’ but this was a good first step.
A flutter.
An unread letter slipped to the floor.
—It is my belief, Master Jaan’s, that only Ian can accomplish this. Since you say you are a close friend of Master Jaan, you must be an extraordinary mage. I will make sure the message you sent is delivered to him in full. May the victory bells ring in Gaia as well.
Bang!
“Ian! I brought Captain Herchi!”
“What’s going on all of a sudden—”
Herchi, who had been sleeping in the duty room, was led in by a wizard. His face looked grim, as if he feared something serious had happened.
Ian greeted him calmly and motioned for him to come closer. At that gesture, the characters stirred gently, as if alive.
“Ian?”
“Captain, sorry for the sudden summons.”
“No, if it’s nothing serious, that’s a relief—”
“There’s something I need to ask. You told me about the palace guard’s situation before. Has anything changed since then?”
He was asking if the three commanders, including Merni, had reached a consensus.
Herchi shook his head lightly.
“Captain, please don’t take this the wrong way. The palace guard is probably one of the departments Crony watches most closely. Even a mother and her unborn child can have different thoughts; just because we’re comrades doesn’t mean we always look in the same direction.”
It was a valid point. Even if the betrayal of the palace guard wasn’t recorded in the
“I understand. But I’ve always been concerned about you standing back-to-back with the other captains. Just now, I found a way to help you, so I brought you here.”
“A way?”
“Take off your clothes.”
The wizards who had been quietly listening gasped, then exchanged looks of shock, embarrassment, and joy as they embraced one another.
“I’m going to inscribe it on your back. This will be a protective shield from your comrades.”
Herchi hesitated, clutching his buttons. It felt like admitting he didn’t trust his comrades if he had a shield inscribed on his back.
“I’m not just doing this for you, Captain. Later, I plan to inscribe it on the entire palace guard, including Barsabe. Even if someone points a sword at you face-to-face, no one will be able to harbor treacherous thoughts behind your back.”
“And if the shield activates…?”
Ian pulled out a chair as if inviting him to sit and added lightly,
“Kill them. Whoever it is, don’t hesitate.”