Chapter 167
The morning in Bariel Central was bustling as always.
The tightly shut shop doors from the night before opened, and the Imperial citizens hurried here and there, rushing to work. The nobles’ carriages were stuck, unable to move amidst the transport vehicles, while messenger pigeons flew noisily between them.
“Extra! Extra!”
“Oh my, what do we do if it’s like this here?”
“Not moving forward!? What are you doing from the morning!”
“Wait a moment, please wait! Sorry, but could you help me out a bit!”
It was the same for Ian’s carriage. Ian, Romandro, and Beric had been waiting immobile on the road for several minutes. As luck would have it, the wheel of the carriage in front of them had come off, leaving them stranded indefinitely.
“Extra! Extra! It is said that His Highness Gale, the 2nd Prince, was attacked in the middle of the night!”
Chak!
A boy wearing a flatcap scattered papers while weaving between the carriages. As the content was so shocking, people willingly stopped their busy steps to pick up the papers.
“What did he just say?”
“His Highness Gale, the 2nd Prince, was attacked!”
“Are you crazy? An attack on the Imperial Palace?”
“Oh my, what is this!”
“The bleeding is severe, but it is said there is no threat to his life!”
At the added comment, Ian frowned. Before the boy passed, he opened the carriage window slightly and held out a copper coin. Like a bird spotting food, the boy’s eyes sparkled as he ran over, stuffing in a newspaper, an extra edition, and an advertisement.
“Thank you, my lord!”
“But is that true? That the bleeding is severe?”
“I heard something at the newspaper company, and it will be published after lunchtime. Do you have a separate newspaper company you read, my lord?”
At the boy’s words, this time Romandro opened his wallet. A silver coin. The boy’s chapped lips from the cold curved in satisfaction.
“It seems there was an intruder. The central nobles all entered the palace early, and there are rumors that they brought in knights. Things are progressing in an extraordinary manner.”
Whispering, the boy kept his voice down as much as possible, lest the information leak out. The horse, bored with waiting, began tapping its hind legs. Judging by the slow movement of the carriage in front that had the accident, it was time to start moving gradually.
“But isn’t His Highness Gale these days particularly close with Lady Melania of Hayman? There are widespread rumors that people are moving assassins to keep this in check.”
“We’re moving!”
“Put your strength into it! Push!”
“Exactly, it’s His Highness Mariv!”
Hee-ying!
As the carriage wheel was freed, the coachman hastily whipped the horses to make up for the lost time. The boy bowed to the departing carriage and then ran through the streets again, shouting.
“Extra! Extra! His Highness Gale was attacked during the night!”
As the window closed, the cold wind was cut off abruptly. Romandro muttered in puzzlement as he examined the extra edition.
“Ian, hey, isn’t this a problem?”
He had clearly instructed Xiaoshi that there should be no disturbance. To stick a dagger in the pillow, but not to confront anyone.
“If His Highness Gale has started bleeding, who knows how he will emerge in the future, even if not right now.”
“That Xia guy looked really smart. He’s also useless!”
“Be quiet, you rascal. How many times have I told you not to pretend to know Xiaoshi!”
“Isn’t it okay since it’s just us here?”
The signal flare had been fired. It exploded so loudly that it brought about an unexpected situation, but anyway, the task was done.
‘Xiaoshi seemed to have an aversion to blood. Perhaps it wasn’t him, but Gale himself who inflicted the wound. To find an excuse against me.’
The details could be found out by meeting Xiaoshi.
“But the newspaper company is amazing. How did they know what happened in the palace overnight?”
“Gale personally leaked the information.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes. From Gale’s standpoint, it’s advantageous for people to know that he almost died and why he was almost killed.”
Gale’s curse is entangled with Bariel. And Bariel is soon the Imperial citizens. If it is revealed that Gale’s life is tied to their existence and demise, public opinion will turn favorably for Gale.
“To the Imperial citizens, neither Mariv nor Gale is of great importance. They are figures they may not even know the appearance of. Whoever becomes the next emperor, their tomorrows are guaranteed. But what will happen when they learn that Gale’s death means the decline of Bariel?”
“They’ll pray for him not to die!”
“That is ‘support’.”
Oho! Beric’s eyes widened as if he had realized something. Telling someone not to die is support! He grabbed Romandro’s hand and muttered with determination.
“I support you, Romandro.”
“Oh my. I should say thank you.”
“I support you, Ian.”
“…I support you too.”
Ian chuckled and played along. Sometimes, Beric had such amusing aspects. Romandro patted the back of Beric’s hand and sighed, as if telling the capricious child to stay put for a while.
“Since His Majesty the Emperor has issued a gag order regarding the curse, I suppose this is how they intend to break through.”
“Clever. I guess they have connections with the press as well.”
“After all, most of the newspaper companies operate on funding from nobles, so there must be ties here and there.”
With just the one sentence that Gale was attacked, countless curiosities could be aroused. Why? How? Who? In what way?
Satisfying those and peeling off the layers one by one, mentions of the curse were bound to leak out. What else seeps through cracks as easily as words?
“Judging by the fact that they say the bleeding was severe, we can imagine the atmosphere in the Imperial Palace.”
It would probably be incomparable to the previous day of judgment to uncover the curse. Back then, it was tension based on despair, but this time, it would be tension based on the threat to survival that pervaded.
“Beric. When we enter, stay close by my side with restraint.”
“Master. When did I ever wander around?”
“You did not exercise restraint. Lord Romandro. When we enter, let’s try to contact Xiaoshi right away.”
“Yes. I understand.”
By estimation, the interrogation would have already ended hastily. In the process of creating the truth, those connected to Xiaoshi were predetermined.
“When it spreads that Mariv is implicated, rapid changes will occur in the Imperial Palace. Prohibit mages from external duties and outings, and recall all those who have left the palace as well.”
“Even those who have left the palace?”
“When the storm is raging, we must stick together to survive.”
“That’s right. The body must be solid so as not to crumble easily.”
Romandro kept nodding as he jotted down the orders in a small notebook. But judging by his trembling hand holding the pen, he seemed quite nervous. On the other hand, Beric leisurely observed out the window, humming.
“Hmm, hmm hmm. Grabbing a sword is nice. It’s fun. The palace people, snip snip. Hmm hmm.”
“What kind of bizarre lyrics are those!”
“Huh? Is it a bit much? Okay, okay. I’ll change it to deng-gang deng-gang. Hmm hmm.”
It would be better not to listen at all. Romandro tried to ignore Beric’s humming and asked Ian.
“By the way, Ian. What do you mean by changes?”
“First, there will be immediate ones on Mariv’s side.”
If it spreads that the attack in the middle of the night was Mariv’s doing, he will want to check on Xiaoshi right away. But Gale’s side will likely refuse to show him.
The first clash arising from there was anticipated.
“One side will demand that the investigation process be formally revealed, while the other side will insist that an investigation cannot be conducted under the supervision of the mastermind. If the confrontation continues, the more desperate one will make the first move.”
That would be Mariv. Cornered, he will make a move somehow to escape. Whether that will be force or another card he has hidden, who knows.
“Gale’s side will attach all sorts of serious crimes like treason and whatnot to trying to kill Gale, who shares the same fate as Bariel, and raise their voices. Mariv’s side will be busy countering that.”
“That… do you have no intention of informing His Highness Mariv?”
“That Xiaoshi is my slave?”
“Yes. After all, wasn’t it done on His Highness Mariv’s orders? You said to prove the truth.”
“Telling him at the appropriate time is best. The signal flare has been fired, but what’s the point if none of the players run?”
Since Gale had bled, Mariv also needed a process to follow that.
“From Mariv’s perspective, I have failed. I was ordered to kill Gale, but the slave was captured for all to see, not even providing an excuse, right? Revealing it now would be poison, shattering trust beyond just diminishing it. Like letting it flow with the water, there will be a chance to inform him.”
Ian looked up at the Imperial Palace, which was getting closer. As usual, Bariel’s national flag was flying majestically. As the boy spreading the extra edition had said, it was clear that the nobles had entered the palace with their knights. Compared to usual, the entry permission was being delayed by three to four times.
“And to be honest, there’s something else bothering me right now-“
Just as he was about to say something, the entry guard recognized Ian’s carriage and approached first.
Knock knock.
“Are you Minister Ian Hielo?”
“That’s right.”
When Ian showed his face and nodded, the guard ordered the coachman to turn the horse’s head.
“There was an urgent order from above. When the Minister of Magic enters the palace, go straight to the 1st Imperial Palace. We will open the back door, so please enter through there.”
The 1st Imperial Palace is where the residences of the imperial family and the offices of the officials are located. It was the same as saying an emergency meeting had been convened.
Ian’s carriage passed the long line and leisurely entered the palace under the guard’s escort.
“Ian, what were you going to say earlier?”
“Pardon?”
“You said there was something else bothering you.”
“Ah. Yes, that’s right.”
The carriage was now galloping as if flying. Ian straightened his jolting body and answered.
“It’s about His Majesty the Emperor.”
“His Majesty the Emperor?”
“No matter how senile and lacking in energy he may be, he is the center of the world and the dignity of the Imperial Palace. When such a commotion occurs, I can’t grasp how he will emerge.”
It was a kind of variable. Judging by the fact that Gale, who had the Emperor’s favor, had come this far, he was likely implicitly agreeing to push Mariv aside.
‘It’s not aiming for the throne, but a struggle for the position of heir. Perhaps he thinks that much can be given to the one who seizes it?’
The 3rd Prince had died from a fall. Whether that was the truth, only the gods knew. Although Gale was born from a concubine, if Mariv were gone, he would be the prince closest to the legitimate lineage among the surviving princes.
‘All the more so if Gale informed the Emperor of the suspicion of Mariv’s assassination attempt, the Emperor would support Gale.’
Ian pressed his temples with his wrist. When the one who held everything in his hands is driven to the point of losing everything, what kind of act would he commit?
“Take a look at that, Ian.”
“Ooooh! They’re going to kill!”
At Romandro and Beric’s words, Ian turned his head to look out the window. Armed knights were gathered like clouds. Each holding the flags of their affiliated families. The colorful cloths rippled on the palace ground.
“…It seems the real start is here.”
The factions are confronting each other, holding their positions. A grim atmosphere as if they would hurl spears at each other the moment someone shouted. Ian’s carriage passed between them and arrived at the 1st Imperial Palace.
“We, we’ve arrived.”
The coachman’s voice was hoarse, perhaps from nervousness. Ian quickly alighted from the carriage and climbed the stairs, followed by Romandro and Beric.
Tap tap tap!
The 1st Imperial Palace. The place where the residences of the imperial family and the offices of the officials were gathered. The crowd was so immense that the door to the grand conference room was half open. Those who recognized Ian twisted their bodies left and right, opening a path.
“What are you saying? His Highness Mariv!”
Murmur murmur, the inside was not clearly visible due to the backs of the officials. Only voices could be heard.
“His Highness Mariv is managing His Majesty the Emperor’s seal?”
At the sudden remark, Ian’s eyes widened. As he pushed through the crowd and stepped forward, Mariv, with his hair tightly tied up, was sitting in the Emperor’s seat.
Those who know, know.
That hairstyle is what Mariv does when he goes hunting.
“Oh, Minister Ian Hielo!”
Mariv grinned and waved his hand. The huge golden seal placed in front of him.
“Come on in.”
It was the Emperor’s seal.
Ian hastened to process the situation in his mind. The Emperor’s seal in Mariv’s hands, clearly it was Gale who had gathered armed forces last night, but…
‘Those confronting each other at the entrance were all armed.’
Ian realized. Mariv had anticipated in advance that Gale would plot an assassination and launch a preemptive attack.
How he himself had been used in that would depend on his actions from now on.
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