“Excuse , Lord Ian. We’ve arrived.”
At the coachman’s guidance, Ian opened his eyes. Except for slightly leaning his head against the window, his posture was upright. Seeing the scenery outside the window had changed, he let out a faint sigh. He didn’t even know when he had fallen asleep. There was a reason Romandro had strongly insisted on Ian’s rest.
“Good work.”
“Not at all.”
The coachman, who bowed deeply at the waist, glanced back. In fact, it had been thirty minutes since they arrived at the Ministry of Magic, but they had been waiting due to instructions from the ministry staff. He had been wondering when he could go ho, but fortunately, it didn’t take long.
As the carriage door opened, the mages who had been pacing nearby all approached closely.
“Lord Ian. You’re back?”
“What about Mr. Romandro?”
“He’s out on business. Is there an urgent matter?”
“No. I think it can be handled later. The urgent docunts are on the office desk. By the way, I heard the Imperial Guard engaged in a fierce battle in the middle of the night. Is it true?”
As Ian climbed the stairs, soone draped a warm robe over him. Those who had quickly escorted Barsabe and the armor legion to the Imperial Palace had inford them. Ian gladly accepted the robe. Even though he had slept for a bit, his whole body was shivering.
“Lord Ian. You’re here.”
“Just in ti, Captain Akorella.”
“Huh? ? Why?”
As he passed through the lobby, Akorella was about to pass by Ian while greeting her subordinates. However, she imdiately stopped at his call. Akorella herself didn’t seem to know, but the front of her hair was singed and curly. It was undoubtedly the traces of a failed experint.
Slap!
“Ooh?”
“Do you know what this is?”
Ian took out a mysterious mana stone from his pocket and tossed it. Akorella caught it lightly with both hands and imdiately brought her nose close, examining it deeply. The subordinates standing behind her did the sa. They crowded in so close that their breaths touched each other and scrutinized the mana stone.
“This black thing……”
“What in the world……”
“…First ti?”
Akorella’s face gradually loosened. Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and her nostrils flared uncontrollably, having lost their will. As if her breath was stuck, Akorella couldn’t form proper words.
“Wh-wh-what is this?”
“I’m asking because I don’t know either.”
Akorella doesn’t know. The subordinates don’t know either. Ian says he’s asking because he doesn’t know either. Doesn’t this an it’s a newly discovered mana stone? Akorella unknowingly scread.
“…Kyaaaah!! Aaah! Aah!”
“Captain! Captain! Le-let’s go together!”
“You’ll fall. Wait a mont, slowly!”
“Quickly open the lab door! You bastards!”
Bang! Thud! Boom!
As a researcher and a mage, she couldn’t help but be excited. She practically rolled down to the basent, and her subordinates followed.
“The Mana Stone Managent Departnt is okay, right? We don’t need to stop them, right?”
“It’s not just a day or two. Lord Ian, if there are no more samples, it’s better to say it in advance. Captain Akorella always ends up smashing them at the end.”
“It’s fine. Soon, they will co in lines of boxes. When the Imperial Guard arrives, guide them to Captain Akorella.”
“Why is the Imperial Guard bringing mana stones?”
“They were confiscated from the Chatur area. It’s related to the Hayman family. Fragnts of the Black Armor will also co in, so everyone should focus on the Mana Stone Managent Departnt and sincerely help.”
“Yes. Understood.”
The Black Armor! The armor that had killed Captain Riama. The mages, who knew about the political relationship between Ian and Hayman, grasped the importance of the situation.
Ian flipped through the incoming reports and asked again.
“What about Beric?”
“Ah! Oh! Right. Beric has woken up.”
“Woken up, but can’t move.”
“If he can move in that state, that’s a bit……”
Ian smiled faintly and turned the corner towards Beric’s quarters. Nurous mages followed behind him. It was to request that he process their reports first after seeing Beric and going to the office.
“Is he speaking well?”
“I thought there was no one like him.”
“Haha. I see.”
It seems he caused a bit of a commotion. As the mage’s expression frowned, Ian couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Sothing like this had happened before. When returning from the Great Desert to Bratz, he couldn’t even walk, but his temper remained the sa, so he was carried tied up like luggage behind Kusile.
Tap tap.
The door to the quarters was slightly open. What leaked through the gap wasn’t just the sound of voices. There was a distinct sll of at.
“No, this is really too much! Your Highness Jin!”
“Beric. Calm down. The stitches will all burst. The doctor said if you eat anything now, you’ll really die.”
“I’ll die like this too!”
“It’s okay. You won’t die.”
“Wow, I’m going crazy. Sia! Try persuading His Highness Jin!”
“………”
“That, that bastard, he’s eating at without even answering?”
“Now now, Beric. Just keep slling it.”
“Aaaah! Ian!”
Creak.
It was quite a spectacle. Next to Beric, who was lying on the bed unable to move, were Xiaoshi and Jin, eating grilled at. High-quality, scarlet beef was piled up on one side. When Beric wailed and called for Ian, Xiaoshi noticed him first.
“You’re here.”
“Oh! Sir Ian! You’re here?”
“Ian? Ian!”
Greetings poured out simultaneously. Ian closed the door, pushing the mages behind him. Beric couldn’t move at all below his neck, so he just blinked his eyes frantically to express his joy.
“Your Highness. Why are you having a al here? Why not go to the dining hall? Although it’s a bit chilly, the afternoon sun is warm, so it would be nice to have it in the garden.”
“Sir Ian! Listen to . As soon as Beric woke up, he urged the attendants to eat at, you know? Even though his intestines were all injured and I strictly ordered him to fast.”
“Is that so?”
“He even threw a fit at the doctor, so it finally reached my ears. I ran right over and stopped Beric!”
Jin looked up at Ian, his eyes sparkling. At the gaze asking for praise, Ian lightly patted Jin’s shoulder.
“Well done.”
“Well done? Huh? If you eat at next to , that’s cheating! It’s torture! Your Highness Jin! You’re really too much!”
“Didn’t you ask to at least sll the at?”
“No…. Ha, really. Ian. You understand my heart, right?”
To at least let him sll it, he probably intended to snatch it as soon as it was brought close to his nose. Jin doesn’t even know how to use a fan. Ian sat on the edge of the bed and carefully examined Beric’s condition.
“…Your body.”
“I’m fine. So just one bite.”
“Endure a little more. It’s burdenso even for a healthy person to eat at right after waking up, so how can you?”
As soon as Ian spoke, Jin approached and kept nodding. Regardless, Xiaoshi just chewed indifferently with his mouth, but still.
“Ah. I, really. Ha.”
“Barsabe also returned alive.”
“What? Molar is alive?”
Ian smiled as he changed the subject. How simple, the guy who was crying just a mont ago changed his mood as soon as Barsabe’s survival was announced.
In fact, I don’t know if Barsabe considers Beric a close friend, but to Beric, she would be one of the few intimate acquaintances. Ian nodded.
“She’s a bit injured, but she’ll recover soon. So Beric, you also focus on treatnt. Then I’ll let you eat as much as you want.”
“Ah! Okay okay! Call the doctor! Tell them to treat quickly! Apply the dicine!! Keep applying it!”
As a form of consolation, Jin kept fanning and wafting the sll of at. Fortunately, he seems fine even though he can’t move. Ian looked at the black sword placed next to the bed and asked.
“Beric.”
“There was no choice! If I hadn’t used mana, I would have really died.”
Beric preemptively jumped to conclusions. He was told not to put mana into the black sword, but he had properly released it and faced the enemy. It’s a sword that summons demons, so it’s fortunate there were no demons nearby, otherwise there would have been great secondary damage.
“That’s not what I’m scolding you for.”
“Huh? Really? Never mind then.”
Should he tell him that Beric might be an Atan? While Ian was contemplating for a mont, a piece of at was suddenly presented in front of him. It was Jin who offered it.
“Sir Ian. It’s not lunchti yet, right?”
“That’s right, Your Highness.”
“Have so. Beric ordered too much at. I don’t know why he did this to eat alone.”
“Ha! Your Highness Jin. I can eat all of that in one al, you know?”
“Lies. How can a person eat at larger than this? You’re making fun of , Beric.”
“I’ll show you. Put it in my mouth.”
Jin firmly closed his mouth and shook his head. Absolutely, absolutely, he couldn’t give the at, it was a firm attitude. Ian supported his hand and ate the at Jin handed over.
“It’s delicious, right?”
“…Beric. You ordered the expensive one.”
“Of course! Ian is rich! Premium grade! The most expensive one!”
Ian called an attendant and pulled up a chair to sit. The mont he ate a piece of at, it dawned on him. He couldn’t rember the last ti he had a al. In between, he only satisfied his hunger with things like Gulla, but it had been a long ti since a proper al like this had disappeared from his mory.
Swish.
As Xiaoshi got up from his seat, Ian gestured for him to sit down.
“The bedroom is small. It’s fine, sit down.”
“Yes. Master.”
“Xiaoshi, try this again. It’s very tender. Do I have to keep telling you to eat?”
“No. Your Highness.”
Xiaoshi looked down at the at Jin put on his plate with a troubled expression. He had no choice but to eat it earlier, but he wondered if this was really right. A slave sharing a table with the master? And with a mber of the imperial family? As he hesitantly grabbed the fork, Ian pointed out.
“Xiaoshi. When cutting at, hold the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left. Lift your elbows to match the table so the blade doesn’t get too sharp.”
Jin follows Xiaoshi well. Since his personality is trustworthy, unless sothing special happens, Xiaoshi will continue to serve Jin in the future. So it’s good to learn basic table manners.
“Aaah! Xiaoshi! Even you!”
“………”
Beric wailed in his own way, looking at the three people eating. It sounded even more pitiful because no one paid attention to him.
“Sir Ian, did you see the drawing?”
“Are you referring to the ox? The one Your Highness drew?”
“I drew it because Beric asked to.”
“Your skills are improving day by day, it’s amazing.”
With a pleasant conversation and the delightful sound of clinking tableware, it was a good listen. Suddenly it beca quiet, and when they looked back, Beric was sleeping with his mouth wide open. Even though he looked energetic, his condition was so bad that he quickly lost consciousness.
“By the way, Sir Ian. You know that tomorrow is my brother Mariv’s trial, right?”
“Of course. The Ministry of Magic is thoroughly preparing for it. He will surely pay the price for trying to harm Your Highness Jin.”
“Mother and Arsen will also co.”
“That’s right. If you haven’t made up your mind yet, you don’t have to attend.”
It was about the determination to face his mother. Jin shook his head vigorously after putting a piece of at in his mouth at once. Instead of answering, he gave a short nod, in line with table manners.
“No. I realized one thing. Determination is not made in a mont, but built day by day. So I will also go to the trial.”
Ian smiled and placed a piece of at on Jin’s plate. If he had seen the succession in his previous life and had a child, he would want a child like Jin.
“I understand. I will prepare without any issues.”
“Yes. I will do the sa.”
“Have so more.”
Clatter clatter. Ian smiled as he watched Jin vigorously devour the at. In between, Beric woke up and mumbled, but even that felt like a peaceful noise. The day after it rains is so cozy and warm. Without realizing it, Ian fell asleep after finishing his al.
Creak.
“Gasp. He’s asleep.”
“Oh my, what to do?”
“Let’s stay for one more hour and then go.”
The bedroom, which had been filled with the sll of blood with Jin, Xiaoshi, and Beric, was now filled only with the sll of at and the sound of snoring.
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