Episode 997

“Very well.”

Hans closed the Bariel Chronicles and offered a brief word of praise, prompting a collective sigh of relief from the secretaries.

“Proceed as planned, but with the coronation coming up, we’ll have many guests. Please keep more detailed records for the time being. Secretary Jang, you’re in charge of the Klipoford delegation, correct?”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“Good. If possible, please submit daily reports. There’s so much to read these days that trying to catch up all at once is exhausting.”

After last year’s underground god’s resurrection incident partially destroyed the central archives of the palace, they had overhauled the administrative system to ensure safer, more permanent record-keeping. This included significantly increasing the number of secretaries and having Hans personally review every document stored within the palace.

Thanks to his uncanny memory—once he’d seen something, he never forgot—it was Hans who saved countless documents that might otherwise have been lost. One of his ongoing duties as Prime Minister was to find a worthy successor who could inherit his role and preserve the palace’s records for eternity.

“Understood, Prime Minister.”

Hans smiled awkwardly at the title. It had been some time now, and he should have grown accustomed to it, but facing a room full of elderly elders still made him uneasy.

Knock knock.

“Prime Minister, the Klipoford royal family has arrived.”

“Ah, I’m coming out now.”

Hans rose quickly at the announcement. The other secretaries busied themselves organizing papers, while Secretary Jang Gordina grabbed pen and paper and followed closely behind Hans.

With the grand coronation festival imminent, the area around the main palace was packed to the brim. Gifts from all over the realm and the staff sorting them left barely any room to move.

“The Klipoford royal carriage is approaching!”

“Clear the carriage path!”

As the guards shouted and the staff hurried to make way, Hans straightened his attire and watched the carriage draw near. True to their reputation as a land of wine and revelry, the escorts moved with a graceful, dance-like ease, their joy palpable.

Whooosh!

A massive carriage woven to look like grapevines rolled forward, faintly scented with fresh fruit. Hans bowed his head and stepped forward.

“Welcome, King of Klipoford.”

“Ah, good to see you, Prime Minister Hans.”

“I am Hans Obia.”

The Klipoford king, Bio, extended a hearty handshake. His slender, curved eyes seemed to be smiling even when still. Fox ears twitched playfully through his orange hair.

Hans smiled warmly at the sight of the king’s wagging tail and quickly clasped his hands around the king’s.

“Thank you for making the long journey.”

“Don’t mention it! Bariel’s celebrations are Klipoford’s celebrations! We’re practically family, aren’t we? By the way, did you receive the wine I sent ahead?”

“Yes, it’s been well preserved.”

“Good, good! Ha ha ha!”

The phrase “we’re practically family” was no mere pleasantry. A century ago, Emperor Jin Verosion had taken a woman from the Klipoford royal family as his consort, making the Bariel and Klipoford royal houses distant relatives.

There’s debate over whether the empress was truly of Klipoford blood, but that hardly matters now.

By the same logic, the Burgos dynasty originated from Holinga, a central Bariel noble family, so family and friends were all intertwined.

“Your Majesty!”

“Oh, right.”

The Klipoford queen, arms full of princes, raised her voice. Each child bore strikingly similar faces, their fox ears twitching mischievously. The king hurried over, scooped up the children, and then turned to Hans.

“Where will you be staying?”

“This way, please.”

They said there were quintuplets, but seeing them in person was astonishing. Bariel had always prized new life, but Klipoford was strangely abundant. The five-year-old princes giggled as they climbed onto their father’s shoulders.

“Could you help with the luggage?”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

Hans gave instructions to the staff and then entered the guest palace with the royal family.

While the princes ran about noisily, a little girl nestled quietly in the queen’s arms—the only princess among the quintuplets.

“Please make yourself comfortable in the entire guest palace. Your attendants will stay in the building across the way. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, Prime Minister.”

The princes crawled up on Hans, poking his cheeks despite the king’s protests. Whenever one was pulled away, another took its place.

Hans raised a hand to signal he was fine and gently stopped the king.

“His Majesty Ian Verosion is currently attending to official duties. You must be weary from your journey. Please rest well until the banquet.”

“Understood. Come down now, my princes.”

Unlike the rambunctious princes, the princess clung quietly to the queen, staring at Hans with wide eyes. Hans gave a polite nod, and the princess smiled shyly before proudly showing something hanging around her neck.

“A gift.”

Her pronunciation was still a bit clumsy, as if she wasn’t yet fluent in the common tongue. But Hans understood immediately and lowered himself to her level.

“A gift? You mean a present?”

The queen smiled and patted the princess’s back. Meanwhile, the king was overwhelmed by the princes and collapsed onto the bed with a sigh.

“Prime Minister, it’s nothing special. Just a small jewel kept by the royal family. The princess cherishes it as a toy, and since she’s attending the coronation, she prepared it as a gift.”

“I see. Princess, that’s very kind of you.”

The jewel was red. Though worn with age, its unique craftsmanship left a strong impression. Was it modeled after a family crest?

I’ve never seen this emblem before.

Hans knew all the noble crests of Bariel’s provinces and the neighboring three kingdoms—not because he tried to memorize them, but because he often glanced through foreign information, and they naturally stuck in his mind.

If it wasn’t a family crest, it might just be a popular design from Klipoford. Either way, it wasn’t important.

“Should it be submitted in advance?”

The king asked, but Hans shook his head.

By protocol, all gifts brought from outside must be inspected by the Magic Department to ensure they pose no threat. But this was a heartfelt gift from a young princess of a brother kingdom.

“I will send a mage over. The inspection is simple and will be done quickly. The princess can keep it until the banquet and present it herself then.”

The princess smiled again, clearly appreciating Hans’s thoughtfulness. Her fox ears relaxed contentedly.

“Then, please rest.”

Click.

As Hans stepped outside, the administrative staff greeted him eagerly. They were busy sorting the royal carriage and other incoming gifts.

“Prime Minister, any instructions?”

“Nothing special. The princes and princess are still young, so be careful to prevent accidents. Give them the toys we prepared right away. I heard the king smokes cigars—make sure to provide the finest quality…”

“Hans—”

While Hans was busy, someone called from behind.

“—Prime Minister?”

It was Naum, looking a bit different than usual. He wore the Magic Department minister’s badge on his chest, likely dressed up for the visiting guests.

Naum nodded, holding some documents, as if wanting to speak privately.

“…Yes, Minister Naum.”

Hans signaled the staff to step back and approached Naum closely. Moments later, both men wore grim expressions.

“Brother…”

“Hans…”

They were utterly exhausted.

As heads of the administration and magic departments, their workload had become overwhelming compared to before. They whispered their frustrations and comforted each other.

“I feel like I’m about to nosebleed.”

“Be careful. Last time it wouldn’t stop, and that was serious. But what brings you here? Isn’t the Magic Department busy?”

“Busy, yes. But you forgot to resend the guest list for the three kingdoms this morning.”

“Sorry. I’ll check it. But you came all the way here just for that?”

“If I don’t run away… I won’t survive… How has Lady Arena managed this for over ten years…”

“I understand. Next time, I might just escape to the Magic Department.”

They patted each other’s shoulders, swallowing their tears. Compared to the starving days, this was nothing—but it was still hard. While their subordinates were being worn down, what was His Majesty Ian Verosion doing?

“His Majesty?”

“Attending to official duties…”

Hans shrugged. If sitting at a desk and reading documents counted as official duties, then yes. But in reality, it had nothing to do with governing the nation.

“Reincarnation?”

Naum asked knowingly.

“Probably.”

After everything settled, Ian had shared with Hans and Naum the contents of The Life of Hielo. Hans had been the one to reveal the book’s existence, and Naum, as Hans’s brother and a key figure in governance, was involved as well.

“Hans, Naum. Read this.”

It was truly astonishing. The golden mage Ian Hielo’s history was recorded, along with the names of those currently by their side.

But that was all.

“What do you think?”

“Seems like he’s still searching for clues.”

Hans and Naum mostly felt wonder. The fact of reincarnation, and that it had shaped the present.

That was enough for now.

It was surprising, but that was as far as it went. Wasn’t everything over? The underground god had vanished, Crony was dead, and Bariel was more peaceful and comfortable than ever.

“No matter how much I say it’s none of your concern now, it seems to still weigh on your mind.”

Whether it was Naum from his past life or Naum now, if they were the same person, he’d tell himself to listen—to stop tormenting himself and stirring up his heart over something that was already settled.

Naum tried to comfort him like that, but Ian only gave a faint, pale smile at the time. Every day, he devoted himself to gathering and analyzing information about his past life throughout Bariel.

“Well, if it really bothers you that much, maybe it’s better to find a clue quickly and break free.”

“Is Secretary Jang around?”

“Oh, the Clifford royal guests arrived, so he went over there.”

Naum breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly remembering the secretary’s presence. At least when it came to research on past lives, Ian had been secretly working behind Secretary Jang’s back.

“Anyway, after the coronation, there won’t be much time left, so it seems you’ve been pushing yourself harder lately. Hans, let’s make sure we support him well.”

“Of course. Oh, by the way, brother! Since you’re here, could you stop by the Clifford palace for a moment?”

“Why?”

“The princess brought a special gift. It wasn’t announced beforehand, so it needs a quick inspection. It was originally a brooch but was reworked into a necklace. They say it’s a toy from the Clifford royal family.”

“Ah.”

Naum caught the gist and nodded. As Minister of Magic, he needed to pay his respects to the king anyway, so this worked out well.

From a distance, the administrative staff glanced over anxiously, clearly waiting to report something but unsure when the conversation would end. Naum gave Hans a light pat on the back and moved on.

“Take care, little brother.”

“You too, brother. Let’s take a vacation after the coronation.”

“If only that were possible.”

The brothers exchanged a knowing look and parted ways.

Naum weaved through the servants carrying goods and stepped deeper into the palace.

Knock, knock.

A servant rapped on the door, announcing their presence. From inside came the cheerful, pleasant laughter of children.

“Your Majesty, Minister of Magic Naum Obia has arrived.”

“Ah, yes, yes! Let them in!”

King Bio of Clifford was playing surrounded by five babies. Among them, the red necklace hanging around the princess’s neck caught Naum’s eye immediately.

He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow slightly.

‘Huh? That’s…’

Wasn’t that a mana stone?