Chapter 272

The weather was beautiful. So much so that Ian, who had been concentrating intensely on paperwork, was distracted by the swaying branches. He put down his pen and gazed at the garden where the Ministry of Magic’s annex would be built.

It had already been two weeks since Jin’s covert operation, when he met Timothy. He had said he would visit before crossing the border, but there was still no sign of him. Given his status, it wasn’t something that could be dismissed with empty words.

“Lord Ian. Please sign here as well.”

When the mage standing beside him gently urged, Ian finished signing.

Unlike the bright outdoors, the office was stuffy with piles of documents. Even Beric, who liked the sofa here best, had run outside. As Ian received the next report, he asked:

“What about Beric? Has he gone to the training ground again?”

“Probably? Judging by how quiet the dining hall is. The chef keeps praising Xiaoshi. He says the dining hall is peaceful because she goes to the training ground with him every day. He was praising Xiaoshi so much, saying she’s doing great work.”

Ian smiled wryly. The recruitment for the Imperial Guard and Imperial Defense Department was about to open. Beric and Xiaoshi were diligently going to the training ground to build their physical strength and learn systematic swordsmanship, fully taking advantage of their position.

Which commoner could use the Imperial Palace training facilities and receive one-on-one instruction from General Jeirutt, the pinnacle of the empire? Click, Ian added as he turned the report page.

“I heard they eat twice as much when they come back after working out.”

“That’s fine because it’s after the chef’s shift. He does complain every morning though. But isn’t it better not to see their faces?”

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

Ian looked up at the sound. Romandro appeared, his hair slightly damp as if he had been running around. He nodded to the mage as if asking for understanding.

“I have something to report privately.”

“Ah, excuse me then. Please call me if you need me, Lord Ian.”

Even as the mage was leaving, Ian didn’t take his eyes off the documents, rubbing his temple. Although there were only two of them, Romandro approached Ian carefully, looking around.

What he put down was a palm-sized note. It was crumpled here and there, as if it had been tied to a carrier pigeon.

“Ian, this is from the shadow.”

“…It’s a bit late for the first report.”

It was a report on Melania’s movements and situation from the shadow Ian had attached to her. As if anticipating Ian’s reproach, the note’s preface explained the reason for the delay.

-Melania crossed the forest in the remote northeast to avoid surveillance by the border guard. I couldn’t get a carrier pigeon, so it took this long. As I write this, I am in Ayen, a small town in northern Ruswena. Melania doesn’t seem to plan on settling in Ruswena, as she continues to move while hiding her identity. She was caught in an identification card check by the guards once, but I helped her as instructed.

The main reason for letting Melania live and escape was to establish contact with the Rutherford trading company. The intention was to obtain information such as the company’s location, but wouldn’t there be problems if she were caught by the border guard?

The shadow was ‘managing’ her to an appropriate extent, as per Ian’s orders.

“What does it say?”

“She’s moving across Ruswena. Apart from her route, there doesn’t seem to be anything special yet.”

Ian burned the note with magic, destroying it. This was a matter known only to his close aides, not even the Prime Minister knew about it.

Even if there were reasons, wasn’t it essentially protecting the bloodline of a family destroyed for treason? It had to be maintained with absolute silence, with no possibility of leakage.

“Thank you for your hard work. Is there anything else to report?”

“About Akorella, her condition is improving, but we’ve used up all the infection treatment medication that was left in the palace, so we need to produce more.”

Since it’s a disease rarely seen these days, the amount of treatment stored in the palace was also small. If this was the case in the palace where nothing was lacking, it was reasonable that it couldn’t be found in the civilian sector.

“Is the current amount sufficient for a full recovery?”

“Fortunately, it’s exactly right, without any margin. A few of the ingredients needed for production are difficult to obtain in Bariel, so it could have been a big problem if things had gone differently.”

“I see. Since the production isn’t our responsibility, I’ll just keep it in mind for now. Please continue to maintain Akorella’s sick leave.”

Now it’s really over, right? Just as Ian thought this and was about to pick up his pen again, Romandro smiled sheepishly.

“And word has come that Delegate Timothy has entered the palace. Shouldn’t you see him with His Highness Jin?”

“Ah.”

The expected has come. Ian stood up as if he had been waiting and adjusted his clothes.

“What about His Highness Jin?”

“He’s in the main building, having a scholarly discussion with the Prime Minister. They should have received word as well. But I don’t think the Prime Minister will come. I heard he has a meeting scheduled for the afternoon.”

“It’s fine since he’s coming without prior arrangement. It’s enough for His Highness and me to receive him.”

“If you greet him first, His Highness will come.”

“Understood. The weather is nice, let’s meet in the garden.”

“I wholeheartedly agree with that. Ian, you need some sunlight. Everything that comes from nature is directly connected to health! Is there anyone outside? Have refreshments prepared in the garden!”

Ian smiled and sorted out a few documents. He couldn’t waste even the time it would take Timothy to arrive from the main gate to here.

Ian left his office and walked to the garden for the first time in a long while. The mages rushing through the corridors often stopped, wondering if they were seeing things.

“Lord Ian? How come you’re outside?”

“Am I not allowed to go outside?”

“Ah, that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh? Lord Ian, I’m carrying reports right now.”

“Leave them on the desk, I’ll be receiving a delegate from the Kingdom of Burgos. I’ll check and respond by this afternoon at the latest.”

Even in the short walk, his name was called endlessly. Romandro suddenly remembered when Ian had collapsed. How did the Ministry of Magic function then?

Although Ian woke up quickly, judging by the current situation, it seemed that even half a day’s absence could cause problems. The high dependence on one person. While it meant Ian’s abilities were extraordinary, it also indicated an imbalance in the organization.

Whoosh-

As they entered the garden, a cool breeze blew.

“This is where I first met Prince Gale.”

“Ah, right. You said you encountered him when he came to look around the Ministry of Magic?”

As soon as he entered the palace, following Naum’s last words, he came here, but there was no annex, only Gale.

Ian spotted a carriage approaching from afar. An outsider’s carriage, it was Timothy.

Creak!

As Timothy got out of the carriage, Ian approached with a friendly greeting. It had only been two weeks, but he looked quite worn out from searching for the gypsy. The sleeve torn during the underground fight was still in a shabby state.

“Delegate Timothy. It’s been a while.”

“Minister, I apologize for the late greeting.”

“No, we didn’t actually set a specific time. Please, sit over here.”

Timothy sat down naturally while looking around the garden. He had been to the palace several times, and when Wesley was here, he had thoroughly explored the inside as well.

Especially this garden. Wasn’t this the site where she said the Ministry of Magic annex would be built? Although it wasn’t finalized, there had been discussions about exchanging magic stones and manpower related to it.

“An annex for the Ministry of Magic will soon be built here.”

Ian said this while picking up his teacup. Timothy, who was about to drink along, hesitated and frowned. From what he had heard, Wesley…

“Former Minister Wesley was proceeding with the Ministry of Magic annex.”

“Yes. I will do so as well.”

“…If I may be so bold, is there something we don’t know about her final moments?”

The Wesley incident was hotly discussed in neighboring countries as well. The breakup of the two people who were openly in a relationship was newsworthy in itself, but what drew attention was its final form. The greatest mage who had risen to the position of Imperial Minister fell into hell with an eternal curse, and the Prince was cursed because of it.

Depending on what the curse was, it would determine the fate of the nation, so at the time, neighboring countries invested enormous efforts and costs to find out about the curse. Until Gale lied in court.

“No. What you know is probably all there is.”

“Then why are you trying to continue the former minister’s work?”

Wouldn’t it be right to choose a path opposite to Wesley’s, even intentionally? The construction of the Ministry of Magic annex that she had pushed for should have been abolished.

“Because I am also the Minister of the Ministry of Magic. It’s a decision for the department’s work efficiency, position, and other advantages.”

Clatter.

Timothy put down his teacup. This directly demonstrated Ian’s authority. That even if he dared to follow Wesley’s actions, there was no force in the Imperial Palace that could stop him. That even if he dared to speak of doing so, there would be no problem.

Ian smiled brightly and invited him to have some refreshments.

“Isn’t this something the Kingdom of Burgos would welcome?”

“We always support the development of the Imperial Family.”

If the annex construction proceeded, Burgos could sell a massive amount of magic stones, and furthermore, could receive support from mages in return. As Ian said, it was something Burgos would welcome with open arms.

“I see. Thank you for your words. I assume your presence at the palace means you’ve completed your schedule and are returning home. Well, did you achieve what you wanted?”

He was asking if Timothy had found the gypsy. But Timothy shook his head with a hardened expression. Ian observed him and subtly probed. If the gypsy Jin saw in the park was that gypsy…

“Since that day, the guard has been conducting intensive crackdowns on illegal slave trading. If there’s any incoming information, I’ll let you know. Is it correct that it’s an old woman, with scars on her face, and has difficulty moving?”

“Ah, thank you. But it’s not certain whether she was caught as a slave or not.”

“…Seeing that the king is looking for her, she doesn’t seem to be a simple gypsy.”

“As I mentioned, I’m told there’s a deep story.”

I’m told? This clearly means he’s repeating what he’s been told, doesn’t it?

“You don’t seem to know the details?”

“What do you mean?”

There was only one thing that clearly distinguished the gypsy he was looking for from other gypsies. That she eats secrets.

Ian put down his teacup and stared at Timothy. Something seemed to flash in his mind. Even the person inquiring doesn’t know the characteristics of the target well?

‘Does the king not know either? No. The king must know. Despite the deep story, he had the delegation representative track her for such a long period. That shows how important it is…’

“Lord Ian?”

“Delegate Timothy.”

Ian grinned.

Timothy responded without understanding, but Romandro, who was watching from behind, recognized Ian’s smile. Just as people died when he adorned himself, new developments tended to appear when he smiled like that.

Romandro quickly refilled Timothy’s teacup, diverting his attention. Hoping that he would show a weakness to Ian’s questioning.

“By the way, how long has the current king been on the throne?”

“It’s been just over two years now.”

“Ah… Is that so?”

There are two assumptions. If what the king needs is an accurate prophecy, it means he’s facing a matter significant enough to look into the future.

However, Ian thought it would be best to minimize the possibility of this. Isn’t Burgos a kingdom that has held its place on the continent for a long time? No matter how accurate a prophet might be, there must surely be people who could replace them.

‘Would it be worth expending a resource like Timothy? I’m not sure.’

In that case, it might be better to focus on the fact that she eats secrets…

‘Among the secrets the gypsy has eaten, there must be something the king absolutely needs to know. Or, there’s a secret that needs to be erased from the world with her help. Whatever it is, it means there’s a problem with the King of Burgos.’