Gale sat alone at the edge of the bed, listening to the ticking of the clock’s second hand. A cigarette burned away at his fingertips, but he didn’t seem to care much. A pile of barely-smoked cigarette butts had already accumulated at his feet. He leaned forward, staring at the rising smoke.
‘Mariv is dead.’
And he died hanging in the sky while Gale was asleep.
At first, he couldn’t believe it. Wasn’t it ‘that’ Mariv? The object of contempt who seemed like he would oppress Gale forever. It felt strange to realize that even Mariv was ultimately human and could die. Mariv, who had always been ahead of him. To think that he was dead.
“Haha, ha.”
It felt refreshing, but also irritating, and at the same time, everything felt pointless. And he felt a complete sense of defeat. As Ian had said, a clear sense of defeat that neither of them would be engraved in history.
Knock knock.
“Your Highness Gale, it’s the doctor.”
“Excuse me.”
Though he hadn’t given permission, the door opened. Having heard that Gale had woken up, the doctor had rushed over. One side of his hair was severely pressed down, as if he had been called while sleeping. He frowned at the smoke filling the room.“Your Highness. You’ve injured your throat. Why do you keep smoking…”
“Why? Did they order you to keep me in check so I can’t testify at the trial? I’m going to die anyway, so I might as well die after inhaling plenty of smoke.”
A life that would naturally be trampled once it became useless. Neither Jin nor Arsen had any reason to leave him be. Gale defiantly inhaled the cigarette he had been merely holding and raised an eyebrow. The doctor couldn’t bring himself to take it away and unpacked his bag to check Gale’s pulse.
“So, what’s Ian doing now? Is he having a celebratory drink since Mariv is dead?”
“The palace is generally solemn.”
“Hmm. Is that so? Well, I suppose the time has come for the twins to seriously clash. You’d better choose your side wisely. It could be even more intense than it was with me and Mariv.”
The doctor rolled up Gale’s sleeve and prepared a syringe. Tap tap, he tapped the needle tip and muttered:
“Well, it seems the outcome is already decided.”
“Mariv died too. No one knows.”
“His Highness Arsen is a mana user, isn’t he? Then it’s only a matter of time before he absorbs the Ministry of Magic, and it’s a given that his overall position will rise above His Highness Jin’s. Oh, and they say a new prophecy came down from Carbo.”
“A prophecy?”
“‘Cursed one, you cannot defy fate, so die for Bariel’s sake. Then glory will descend upon the world.’ Something along those lines, I hear. It’s driven the nail in the coffin. Telling His Highness Jin to step down…”
The doctor’s voice trailed off as he was giving the injection. Everyone in the palace was so focused on the twins. Yet the truly cursed one was right here! Cursed with a forbidden and eternal curse, cast by a magician who burned their very soul.
Gale chuckled.
“It sounds like God’s words to me.”
“W-well, I’m not sure about that.”
The doctor hastily packed up his medical bag and left. Gale was alone again. He lay down flat and mulled over the prophecy. If he dies by his own hand, glory will descend upon the world?
‘…Glory that will be remembered in history?’
Even Mariv, who had been the First Prince, vanished without leaving even a handful of ashes. It was clear that the same would happen to him, so wouldn’t it be better to have a glorious death, if he was going to die anyway?
It felt like God had given him one last chance. A body that had once given up everything. He had luckily survived, but hadn’t he already crossed the line? The second time was easier.
“…Is anyone there?”
Gale murmured quietly, very quietly. The magicians must have done something to the bedroom. That’s why they left him alone here without any soldiers. As if to prove this, a door on the left wall, not from the corridor, suddenly opened.
“Your Highness Gale, is something wrong?”
It was Philea, Ian’s mother. Nersarn followed behind her. The two hadn’t been apart for a moment since the Arsen incident. As Philea started to make a fuss and call for servants, Gale gestured to stop her.
“That’s enough. It’s nothing.”
“Ah, I, I see.”
Philea hastily let go of the doorknob. When she still didn’t move for a while, Gale had no choice but to look at her. As if giving permission to speak if she had something to say.
“Your Highness, thank you for that time. I was in such a state that I couldn’t properly thank you, and it’s been weighing on my mind.”
Philea prostrated herself in gratitude. Hadn’t she almost scarred Arsen’s face, led by some unknown force? The more she came to her senses, the more she realized what a great weakness this could have been for Ian. If Gale hadn’t luckily woken up, she would have been devastated. He was practically her lifesaver.
Swish.
Nersarn, standing behind her, also bowed neatly. Perhaps because he was a person exuding a warrior’s spirit, even when he lowered his body, it didn’t feel like he was truly bowing. Gale waved his hand, dismissing them.
“It’s bothersome. Leave.”
He hadn’t really intended to help Philea. He had just woken up and was confused, and had grabbed her because Arsen’s energy felt ominous.
“If you need anything, please let us know anytime.”
As Philea and Nersarn left the bedroom, Gale rummaged through the desk again. Another cigarette was in his hand. White smoke dissipated, seeming to invade the room, and Gale fell asleep pondering the prophecy.
***
Thud!
“Huff, huff, urgh…”
Romandro stood up abruptly, supporting himself on the desk with both arms. But suddenly, a wave of nausea hit him. He had said he would send the indictment when the sun rose, but then Ian’s revisions and Akorella’s report had come in. Romandro rubbed his bloodshot eyes and whimpered.
“It’s done. Oh my, it’s finished.”
“Uh, um… Did you complete it?”
“Captain Akorella, you shouldn’t sleep here. Go downstairs. I need to get some sleep too before submitting the indictment.”
Akorella, who had been curled up on the sofa in the corner of the office, barely opened her eyes. She had been standing by to immediately resolve any questions if Romandro had doubts while compiling and understanding the report. Looking outside, the morning sun was already high in the sky.
“Then I’ll head down. Let me know if there’s any problem.”
“Yeah. Alright. Thanks.”
“Good work.”
Even as Akorella waved her hand and left, Romandro was busy organizing documents. I did it, I did it! It seemed impossible, but it’s done. As they say, people can do anything if they try. Even this great palace was built by people, so an indictment is nothing!
Creeak.
“Oh my. You’re up?”
“Vivi. You’re up early. How are you feeling?”
“I’m always fine. How about you, Romandro?”
At that moment, Viviana came in with a tray of breakfast. Romandro, who never easily tired even at disaster sites, seemed to be visibly losing weight as the chaos in the palace continued. Still, he was on the robust side compared to the average person.
“Just give me the soup. I feel like I’ll throw up if I eat anything else. Is there any magician outside with free hands?!”
At Romandro’s call, two magicians poked their heads in. They too were on duty, so their faces were steeped in fatigue. Romandro clicked his tongue sympathetically and instructed:
“Get ready. We’re going to submit the indictment, so please escort us. I’ll give you half a day off when we return.”
The two magicians nodded, glancing at the thick stack of papers on the desk.
“Do you need any extra hands?”
“It’s fine. It’s heavy, but we’ll be taking a carriage, so what’s the problem?”
“Yes, understood. We’ll prepare to depart in two hours.”
“Yeah. Alright, alright.”
Thinking he had finished a big task, Romandro smiled happily as he ate his soup. The submission itself was just the beginning, but wasn’t it nice to enjoy such a small luxury? He might even be able to spend time with Viviana until the grand council schedule was announced.
“You’re submitting the indictment to the Judicial Department, right? It’s the farthest place from the Ministry of Magic.”
“I’ll just submit it and observe the formal review process, so I think I’ll be back around 3 PM.”
“Then I’ll prepare a meal for when you return.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Romandro pressed his lips to Viviana’s cheek and happily changed into his outdoor clothes. Soon, when the magicians informed him that the carriage was ready, he hurriedly scraped up the remaining soup and rushed out.
Neigh!
“Please get in.”
“Thank you. Ugh.”
Romandro boarded the carriage, tightly hugging the indictment to his chest. The seated magician also tapped the window as if to signal departure, but it was strangely quiet. The coachman called from the driver’s seat, sounding perplexed.
“I apologize. There’s something a bit off with the reins.”
“Take your time!”
The mood is good, so what does it matter! Romandro smiled and waved at Viviana, who was watching him from the top of the stairs. Then the magician casually asked:
“If you’re going to sleep for a while, I can hold it for you.”
“Oh, it’s fine! I think I won’t be able to focus during the review if I sleep.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah, yeah. Oh my, the weather is so nice today!”
Romandro smiled, looking out the window. Behind him, the two magicians exchanged some kind of glance. Finally, the coachman had solved the problem and was about to depart.
Tap tap.
Xiaoshi, who had approached without notice, knocked on the window.
“Mr. Romandro. Are you going to submit the indictment?”
“Xiaoshi, what’s the matter?”
“Lord Ian told me to accompany you.”
“He’s awake? But two magicians are already coming with me.”
“…Lord Ian told me to accompany you.”
“A-alright. If the master says so, it must be done. Get in!”
Romandro opened the door and made room on the seat. As a result, the two magicians were pushed further inside, crumpling their bodies.
“Let’s chat on the way. Keep talking to me so I don’t fall asleep. No, it’s better if I do the talking. Just yesterday, I thought this might not be possible, but haha! I did it!”
“……”
Among the four, only Romandro was talking. Xiaoshi just occasionally nodded while watching the two magicians. It was a strange atmosphere, but the drowsy Romandro couldn’t notice.
Clop clop!
Neigh!
The carriage sped along without stopping. Romandro, who had been humming a tune, saw the building of the Judicial Department in the distance. As the place responsible for all central trials, its grandeur was impressive.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Good work. Please wait here.”
Creeak!
It was still early morning, so it was quiet. Was it because there were few people climbing up and down the massive stairs? The sound of shoes hitting the marble floor seemed particularly loud. Romandro found his way inside, familiar with the place.
“Huh?”
But why were there so many people here where indictments are submitted? Moreover…
‘Did everyone just stop talking when I came in?’
As Romandro looked puzzled, the official in charge approached and asked:
“What business do you have?”
“I-I’m from the Ministry of Magic. Here to submit an indictment.”
“Ah, I see? Just a moment please. As you can see, there are many people waiting. Please wait for a while.”
“Y-yeah. Alright.”
He perched on the edge of a sofa in the corner, still tightly hugging the indictment to his chest. Xiaoshi also stood firmly by his side. The sound of quiet murmuring could be heard from all around. Romandro whispered to Xiaoshi, using his eyes:
“Something feels, a bit, off, doesn’t it?”
“……”
“Tsk.”
The two magicians also sat down next to Xiaoshi and Romandro. Tick tock, Romandro kept checking the time on his pocket watch. For some reason, the waiting people just stood there without moving. No one seemed to be trying to conduct any business, and the staff appeared to be the same.
Swish.
As Romandro stood up, unable to wait any longer, to complain, a new staff member approached from inside, smiling.
“You’re from the Ministry of Magic, right?”
“That’s right.”
“You can just give me the indictment.”
The staff member held out both hands, asking for it. Romandro was about to hand over the indictment, but he hesitated and pulled it back.
“Before that, show me your ID. And isn’t Erikse in charge here? I’ll give it directly to Erikse.”
“Mr. Erikse hasn’t come in yet.”
“Why not?”
As the employee smiled kindly and urged him again, Romandro took a step back.
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