Chapter 244

“Your Highness.”

“Mmm…”

“It’s time to wake up.”

Xiaoshi quietly roused Jin from his sleep. As always, she knelt by the bedside, her voice careful and gentle.

Jin buried his face in the pillow, putting up a sleepy protest. Even a child of the imperial family couldn’t escape unconscious instincts. Xiaoshi watched him for a moment before adding:

“I heard Lord Ian woke up at dawn.”

“…Huh?”

“He requested that as soon as Prince Jin wakes up, he should get ready and come to the office. He said he has something to ask of you.”

His half-closed eyes snapped open. It felt as if the drowsiness was washed away by cold water all at once. The child threw off the blanket and quickly slipped on his slippers.

“Ian woke up? How is he?”

“He seemed fine. Your Highness, are you going in your pajamas?”

“Oh! Wait. Wash water! Bring me wash water.”

Jin was unusually hurried and flustered.

In contrast, Xiaoshi calmly prepared his clothes, checked the temperature of the wash water, and neatly laid out the child’s hair accessories.

Jin sat at the edge of the bed, watching her. That brief wait calmed the child’s excited heart.

“Did Ian say what he wanted to ask?”

“I didn’t hear the details, but it seemed there was something he needed Your Highness to handle.”

“Is that so?”

Jin kept glancing towards the door as he was being dressed. Though he was trying his best to restrain himself, even the servants could tell the child was itching to go. Their hands became more urgent in response.

“Your Highness. We’re finished.”

“Good work.”

“Xiao, let’s go.”

Jin dismissed the servants with a dignified gesture and left the bedroom. At first, his steps were just a patter, but they soon gained strength as he went. Pat-pat-pat! By the time they arrived at Ian’s office, he was almost out of breath.

Creak.

The door was half-open, presumably because people were coming and going for work. Jin carefully announced his presence as he poked his head in.

“Lord Ian?”

“Your Highness.”

Ian was sitting at his desk with a blanket draped over his shoulders. Though he still looked pale, he was certainly more stable compared to when he had been coughing up blood.

Ian put down his documents and greeted Jin.

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

“Good, good morning!”

“Yes. I heard from Captain Hale’s report. I hear you did great things at the grand council. You’ve done what I couldn’t, and I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

Jin’s dimples slowly appeared. It was like a fully bloomed flower bud bursting open, or the setting sun dyeing white clouds. Jin showed his neat teeth in a bright smile.

“What gratitude! How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, thanks to you.”

Ian’s gaze briefly drifted to the corner sofa. There, Captain Hale lay sprawled, half-dazed. It was because he had been infusing magic for hours without a break, but the child wouldn’t know that.

“So, what’s the matter? You said you had something to ask?”

“There’s much to do before the judiciary sets Hayman’s trial date. As you well know, granting and revoking noble titles is the Emperor’s unique authority.”

In the early days of the empire, especially when the Emperor’s power was strongest and the country’s foundations weren’t yet established, granting and revoking titles happened quite frequently. It was a means of demonstrating the Emperor’s favor.

“As generations passed, the country stabilized, and land, titles, and noble privileges were inherited and succeeded. Unless tied to a serious crime, even His Majesty couldn’t take away their benefits without justification.”

Rustle.

Ian handed Jin a few documents. . At the bottom were the official seals of the Prime Minister and Ian himself.

“With the trial approaching and Hayman and his nobles’ charges being clear, the main opinion is that we should impose legal sanctions in advance. If Prince Jin permits, the Prime Minister will handle this. We can pressure the nobles on various fronts, including asset freezing, lifting the limit on detention periods, and forced reduction of private armies.”

It wasn’t limited to just Hayman. It was about suppressing all the forces tied to him at once.

Especially the forced reduction of private armies would be effective in preventing potential armed conflicts.

“Is this possible?”

It was a question of whether they, as proxies, could make a decision that even the Emperor couldn’t easily make. Ian dipped his pen in ink, assuring him not to worry.

“Yes. I believe it’s possible. But we need Your Highness’s permission, as the sole heir to the imperial family.”

Who would dare oppose the revocation of noble titles? This wasn’t a power struggle between the imperial family and the nobility. It was a unilateral purge by the imperial family, a part of consolidating power. Anyone who carelessly intervened would not keep their life.

“The Prime Minister and the administration are just waiting for Your Highness’s decision.”

“The administration too?”

“The confiscation of nobles’ assets will benefit the national treasury. The Imperial Defense Department is waiting for the nobles’ private armies and weapons, and the Culture Department wants their artworks.”

Everyone in the imperial palace is baring their teeth, eagerly waiting for the opportunity. What better example could there be than breaking a stiff neck when you’ve got a hold of it?

Jin took the pen from in front of Ian and was about to sign without hesitation. That’s when Ian’s hand lightly stopped him.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes?”

“Signing is putting your name on the line, so you shouldn’t do it lightly even if it’s handed to you by someone trustworthy. Scrutinize each word, its meaning and nuance thoroughly.”

Ah, Jin nodded, scratching his cheek with the pen tip.

“Read it slowly, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, please ask.”

“Yes. I understand.”

The child sat down next to the sprawled Hale and started flipping through the documents. The little Emperor wouldn’t know. This was the first official task he undertook as a prince, the part that would first appear when history mentioned ‘Jin Verocion.

And for it to be an . He would surely be recorded as the one who suppressed the central nobility at the age of ten.

“Um. Lord Ian?”

Jin seemed to be stuck on the first page, raising his hand with an embarrassed smile.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Could you explain this part?”

Just as Ian was lowering his blanket to stand up, the door suddenly swung open and a mage burst in.

Bam!

Crash!

Jin flinched, and Hale, who had been sprawled out, reflexively took a defensive stance, putting the child behind him. But soon they realized the intruder was a ‘former’ colleague mage and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Patrick. What’s this commotion?”

“L-Lord Ian. There seems to be some misunderstanding.”

He was one of the traitors written on Gale’s note. The guards and mages who followed him in immediately subdued and dragged him out, but he struggled and clung to the doorknob.

“Lord Ian! Lord Ian!”

“Damn it, Patrick! You’re only making things worse for yourself!”

“I’m not a traitor. Really, I’m not!”

“The Prince is here! Are you trying to commit more crimes?”

“I’m sorry, Lord Ian. On the way to the interrogation room, I just…”

“Please listen to me! Please, please!”

What on earth is going on? Jin was startled, covering his mouth with the documents and rolling his eyes. What was Ian thinking? There was no change in his expression.

“…Enough. Stop.”

“Lord Ian! Really, I’m not…”

“Patrick. If you’re not a traitor, you just need to sincerely cooperate with the investigation. You’re part of the Ministry of Magic, so you know better than anyone how capable your colleagues are. And even if you were a traitor, I understand. It’s human nature to pursue one’s interests.”

Ian thought of Crony and the betrayers. They must have been the same. Under their own judgment, they chose what they thought was a better path.

But-

“So you should understand me too, and pay the price.”

This was also Ian’s judgment.

“Lord Ian, please, please…”

“Take responsibility for your choices. Are all those who keep their loyalty too dull to know how to pursue their interests? If you wanted to advance and gain, you should have been prepared to lose as well. That’s the principle, Patrick.”

Patrick prostrated himself and begged, but Ian added firmly. The watching mage colleagues could only draw difficult breaths.

“If you absolutely cannot remain in the Ministry of Magic, you may leave the palace. But you know well what that means.”

He’s a talented individual who knows the internal affairs of the imperial palace well and possesses magical abilities. If he’s cast out due to loyalty issues, there’s a high possibility he could grow into a threatening existence. It would be unavoidable to implant tracking devices and magic-sealing stones.

“Take him away now.”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry. Patrick. Get up.”

“Hic, ugh…”

Creak.

Patrick was dragged away by his colleagues, and Hale just tilted his head back behind the sofa and clicked his tongue. Jin put down the documents and gently pressed his lips.

“Your Highness. I apologize.”

“No, it’s alright.”

“…Additional tax, according to the national tax collection law, refers to the amount added when obligations are violated. For nobles, it’s generally 10%, and for others, it can be imposed up to 40%.”

Ian pointed out the part Jin had questioned and explained. The child nodded repeatedly, but it was clear he couldn’t concentrate. Ian knelt down and carefully examined his face.

“Were you very surprised?”

“I was surprised, but that’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

Jin smiled awkwardly.

“Someday, I too will have to do as Lord Ian does.”

The imperial palace, a place beautiful and cruel just by its name. Where humanity withers before power, and obedience disguised as order rots overnight.

“Realizing that, I was a bit taken aback.”

The day would come when Jin too would have to cut down someone who was once his own, for survival. Whether by his own will or by force. Ian met the child’s gaze and was silent for a moment.

“That’s right. The time will surely come. When it does, don’t forget, don’t hesitate, cut them off.”

“I understand.”

“But before that, while I’m here, I will do it in Your Highness’s stead.”

Ian smiled gently. This child had lived through one history. Ian existed because of Jin, so he would do his best to help as much as he could.

Jin’s dimples deepened again. The child gripped the pen and carefully read through the documents.

Scribble.

And then, he signed with his own judgment and will. When Jin handed the documents to Ian, Ian bowed his head as he received them.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Do well.”

“Yes. How could I not? Is there anyone outside?”

Knock knock.

“Yes, Lord Ian.”

Ian tightly tied the leather strap wrapping the order. The rolled-up document was sealed in a wooden tube.

“Deliver this to the administration.”

“Yes, understood. Oh, and Sir Romandro has woken up. Lord Beric keeps crawling out into the corridor and rolling around too.”

“Finally feeling better, I see.”

The mage just shrugged her shoulders as if in disbelief. What are they, animals, constantly trying to escape their rooms? Ian gestured for her to go, and she bowed and turned away.

“What should I do now?”

“Hmm. The administration and the Prime Minister will handle the execution, so we’ll wait for news and then act. Before that…”

“Before that?”

Ask me to do more. Jin’s eyes sparkled.

“I hear the Ruswena delegation is here. As Your Highness is the heir apparent, it would be good for you to see them directly.”

Since they’re lying in bed claiming stomach aches, we have no choice but to personally check on their condition.

“And Your Highness. Have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“That Lady Dilaina’s condition is not good at all.”

“I heard it’s so critical that even the servants can’t easily enter.”

“…It would be good to see her soon.”

Jin hesitated at Ian’s words. Wasn’t this a roundabout way of saying her time had come? The child’s breath trembled faintly, but Ian pretended not to notice.

“Yes. I understand.”

Ian reached out his hand, saying let’s go, and Jin grasped it.

Firmly, so as not to waver in the bloodwind of the imperial palace.

***

Pat-pat-pat!

“This is Prince Jin’s approval signature.”

“Oh, it’s here! The order has been approved!”

“Contact the Imperial Defense Department and the Imperial Guard.”

“From now on, we’ll be going to the named houses to order the revocation of titles. Arm yourselves! Tell them to open the castle gates wide!”

“It would be best to send Captain Jeirutt to Hayman’s side.”

“How many places are affected in total?”

“Including Hayman, um, seven central houses.”

Shortly after, the administration, having received Jin’s signature, rushed about frantically to execute the orders. As this was shared and transmitted to each department, the imperial palace moved with one mind for the first time in a very long while.

How long had it been since they pointed their swords outward, rather than inward! The palace soldiers marched out of the main gate in perfect order, their ranks and files aligned.

Their destination: the mansions of the central nobles, the core of Hayman.