Chapter 213: Chapter 215

Sunlight poured through the transparent glass ceiling. Though they sprouted from the same stem, each leaf had its own distinct color.

Ian entered the greenhouse inside the imperial garden and looked back. Quintana and several officials who had followed him were seated around a table.

“The weather is truly splendid. Worthy of being recorded in history.”

“Indeed. You’ve worked hard, Lord Ian.”

“What have I done? It’s all His Majesty the Emperor’s will.”

Even as he made small talk, Ian carefully observed them. They wouldn’t have asked to see him without a purpose. At his gesture urging them to speak up, they all wore awkward smiles. Quintana was the first to step forward.

“May I speak first?”

“Ah, y-yes. Go ahead, Deputy Minister Quintana.”

Despite it being a request for permission, no one could refuse and they all nodded. Quintana called her attendant to bring a sheet of paper. It was a budget plan, densely filled with dizzying numbers.

“Is it true that His Highness Arsen is a mana user?”

An official listening nearby involuntarily covered his mouth. Given Quintana’s nature, this wasn’t the first question expected. She was someone who went her own way regardless of political trends.

Ian also replied with a surprised expression. It didn’t seem like a question to ask with a budget plan in front of them.

“Why do you ask such a thing, Deputy Minister Quintana?”

“If His Highness joins the Ministry of Magic, there will be a double charge for maintaining his dignity. Moreover, the budget allocated to Lady Dilaina for His Highness Arsen is only given when a prince is a minor or has no significant economic income. If he becomes part of the Ministry of Magic and receives an allowance, we’ll need to recalculate everything.”

“Hmm.”

“As you know, our current finances are tight. To reduce the burden on the country even a little, please tell me the Ministry of Magic’s stance on His Highness Arsen.”

It was a plausible pretext, but only plausible. Ian sat on a stump and smiled. Wasn’t she using the budget as an excuse to gauge the truth?

“Does the Ministry of Magic’s stance matter much? Everything will proceed according to procedure.”

Is Arsen truly a mana user? If so, what becomes of Ian’s position as head of the Ministry of Magic? What about Jin, whom Ian is supporting? Questions swirled on the tip of Quintana’s tongue, but she patiently swallowed them.

“Soon, the light of prophecy will come from the Carbo Temple. At that time, we’ll know for certain through the mana confirmation ceremony. The Ministry of Magic’s official stance will be announced after that. It won’t take long, so can you wait that much, Deputy Minister Quintana?”

The officials exchanged glances. Wasn’t the meaning of “we’ll know for certain” quite ambiguous? Ian seemed to be indirectly saying that there were doubts about Arsen being a mana user.

“And as you’ve heard, there are confiscated items from the Chetur district. The Ministry of Magic is currently analyzing their composition, and if they turn out to be mana stones, it will help our finances.”

“Ah, Chetur? You mean where you went with the Imperial Guard? Well, rumor has it that it’s connected to the Hayman family…”

Snap!

Ian snapped his fingers as if to say they’d spoken well. For a moment, whether it was magic or sunlight falling through the glass windows, a light sparkled in the air.

“That’s right. It seems to be related to the black armor that Prince Gale brought in during the rebellion. We’re currently treating those arrested at the scene, and as soon as they regain consciousness, we plan to interrogate and gather evidence. Based on this, we’ll formally file charges against the Hayman family.”

The officials unknowingly clenched their fists. Is this what they mean when they say events snowball? Due to Mariv and Gale’s rebellion, the next conflict was foreseen. This time, with Hayman involved, the winner would grasp the next imperial throne.

“When the charges are presented, they’ll be formally addressed in the grand council. The Hayman family has more than they can handle. If that breaks, it will be a drought not just for Hayman but for all of Bariel, so I plan to divert things little by little before that happens.”

“Are you saying you’re starting full-scale regulation of the Hayman family? How exactly?”

“Taxes are still the most effective, but…”

“The Hayman family won’t sit idle. The central nobles will unite to oppose this.”

Worried concerns leaked out from here and there. Quintana lightly tapped the table, pondering something. If Hayman lost power, the taxes drawn from there could fill the national treasury.

‘And surely His Highness Arsen too…’

Ah. Quintana roughly mussed her hair. From her perspective, Jin and Arsen were both just princes, not much different. But why, for what reason! She couldn’t understand why she had always been more drawn to Jin than Arsen.

Even now, she naturally thought of keeping Hayman and Arsen in check. Ian glanced at her as he continued speaking.

“I’ve prepared a plan to dissolve the unity of the central nobles. So if you intend to participate, I hope you’ll support me in the grand council.”

It meant that the Ministry of Magic would take the lead, so they just needed to lend their strength. The glory that would come in return for their efforts would be considerable.

“Lord Ian, what exactly are the details?”

“It would be good for us to prepare as well, so if we could know…”

“They say even paintings have ears in the palace. Please understand that I can’t reveal all the regulatory details here. However, I’ve brought this up because of the sincerity I’ve seen in you all from before.”

Since the dynamics between Jin and Arsen were settled, these people had never wavered. They had shown their resolve one after another in the courtroom earlier, right after Quintana. Compared to those flitting about like bats now that Arsen was said to be a mana user, these could be considered substantial individuals.

‘I don’t know if they harbor different thoughts inside, but since they’ve shown this much, this level of information should be fine.’

And anyway, Hayman would expect Ian’s attack. Just as these people were gathered in the greenhouse discussing, the other side would surely be sitting around discussing countermeasures.

Swish.

“Lord Ian. Marlon Hope Sereau has arrived with His Highness Jin.”

At that moment, Romandro whispered carefully, delivering a message. When Ian gave him a questioning look, he quietly opened a pocket watch to show him. Though he had thought it was a brief conversation, already thirty minutes had passed. Jin and Sereau, tired of waiting, must have met out front.

“I’m worried about how the Hayman family will respond. I hope they won’t try to incite another rebellion amidst the confusion…”

“They won’t. Lady Dilaina and His Highness Arsen, whom they’ve allied with, won’t allow it. What’s as important as legitimacy for an emperor’s qualifications? If Hayman acts out because they’re cornered, they’ll be immediately abandoned. The Duke knows this well.”

“That’s right. Besides, the reason His Highness Arsen sought out Hayman was, frankly, to counter Lord Ian, wasn’t it? If I may be so bold, with the great merit of resolving the rebellion and the entire Ministry of Magic supporting His Highness Jin, Hayman was chosen as a substitute.”

“But now that His Highness Arsen is said to be a mana user, the dependence on Hayman has drastically decreased. The balance has collapsed, and now Hayman is in a somewhat disappointing position. If they can’t secure the next power player, they could be charged with treason immediately.”

“If that’s the case, diverting domestic funds overseas seems likely. The Kingdom of Ruswena is their maternal family, right?”

“Yes. Then let’s keep an eye on the banking sector’s business trends.”

“That’s perfect. Deputy Minister Quintana is opening transactions with that side, it’s a perfect fit!”

While Ian received a report from Romandro, the officials conferred among themselves, guessing at Hayman’s next moves. Though few in number, they were individuals who had cut their teeth in the imperial palace. They divided tasks swiftly and accurately.

“Excuse me. I have a prior engagement.”

Ian mediated their heated discussion. The officials who had been chattering away suddenly paused. Their faces were already red from the heat in the greenhouse.

“Oh. I see. Well, it was a sudden meeting after all.”

“Do you have any urgent matters to discuss? If not, let’s meet again in the evening.”

“Yes, yes. Understood. We know the Ministry of Magic’s position now, so that’s enough for now. We’ll withdraw for now and meet again in the evening.”

Swish.

The officials left the greenhouse with a nod. They must have met Jin, as small greetings could be heard.

“Ian!”

“Your Highness, you’ve been waiting long. I apologize.”

“No, I just naturally came here while walking with Xiaoshi. I also met Lord Sereau out front.”

Jin ran over with a bright smile. Behind him, Marlon Hope Sereau slowly appeared. He removed his hat and greeted Ian.

“It’s been a while, Lord Ian.”

“Yes. Have you been well?”

“Thanks to you. I know you’ve been busy lately, so it’s an honor to see you like this.”

Sereau looked the same as ever, except his hair was a bit longer. He still had the typical demeanor of a noble’s son, affable and well-mannered.

At Ian’s gesture, Sereau took off his coat and handed it to an attendant. With Jin joining them, the three men sat around the table.

“My father earnestly wished to come himself, but his health didn’t allow it, so only I came. Please understand.”

“Oh dear. I hope he recovers soon.”

“Well, given his age, haha.”

Marlon is the eldest son of the Sereau family. The fact that he came to this meeting, which could determine the fate of his family, without any companions meant that he was likely the next head of the family.

Ian looked him over and smiled faintly. Jin, sitting beside him, imitated Ian’s expression. Sunlight settled in his deep dimples.

“How is your business doing?”

“Thanks to Bariel’s blessing, yes, we’re managing.”

“Oh my, I’ve always felt that it falls short compared to the Sereau family’s reputation. There aren’t many families that started in the center and have maintained their position until now.”

Sereau smiled slightly bitterly. Certainly, Ian’s words were true. Despite their long history, their influence in the center wasn’t very deep. For nobles to extend their power, they needed to either greatly succeed in business, enter the palace bureaucracy and seize power, or achieve merit in war. However, the Sereau family didn’t stand out in anything except the rental business.

“I understand you’ve received word through my subordinate.”

Ian sipped his tea. Since both their purposes and intentions were clear, there was no need to beat around the bush.

“The imperial palace will start taking measures against the Hayman family. I’d like Sereau to take charge of that. If you do, it will likely be the greatest golden age in the history of the Sereau family.”

A portion of the shares in the financial business run by Hayman, promotion to duke, tax reductions, and the blessing of the future emperor on top of that.

Though Ian didn’t say it, even just the visible benefits were enormous. If one had ambition, it was clearly an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up.

“…We might have to fight not just Hayman, but all the central nobles.”

“But you’ll have the imperial palace behind you. It will be worth overcoming.”

“Worth, yes. I know. I can’t miss this opportunity either, and I’m grateful for your offer. But before that, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“Why our family?”

Were there only one or two noble families in the center? Even if it wasn’t Sereau, they could find others if they looked. That’s why this was even more important to Sereau. The reason why it had to be them. Only then could he accept the proposal.

“Sereau is one of the families that didn’t participate in the rebellion.”

“That’s proof that we weren’t notable enough for His Highness Gale to choose us.”

How negative. Ian raised an eyebrow and put down his tea. In that case, whatever he said, Sereau would try to pinpoint the reason. At times like this, it’s better to let things slip.

“Lord Sereau was the first to speak to me at the New Year’s party. There’s no other reason.”

“……”

It seems he had nothing to say to that. Sereau nodded slightly, his lips moving silently for a moment.

“I understand. And I have a proposal.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“The Sereau family also needs a safety measure based on trust.”

Ian hesitated. He seemed to know what Sereau was about to say.

“Lord Ian, please become engaged to my sister.”

“What?”

“Pfft-!”

The one who asked in surprise, eyes as wide as a rabbit’s, was Jin, and the one who spat out his tea was Romandro, waiting behind them. Both exclaimed simultaneously:

“That’s absurd!”

“No, that’s a bit…”