Ian wiped away his sweat and brought cool water to his lips. Though even swallowing was difficult as all his strength drained away, just holding the cool sensation in his mouth felt comforting.

He looked down at his hands, which hadn’t been cleaned properly. Despite attendants wiping them with wet towels, the deaths of enemy soldiers still stained them in spots.

“……”

And the magic that had been intense enough to cover those deaths.

Ian covered his eyes with his arm and let out a weak sigh. The path he was walking was too rough and chaotic. What was God watching? How far had he come without even realizing it, and what kind of path lay ahead?

Ian suddenly remembered the cottage he’d shared with Naum. On such a confusing day, he wished he could read a book in a room with wide-open windows. With someone whose company felt as comfortable as the air itself.

“Iaaaan!”

Bang! Crash!

Ian recognized the owner of the voice just by hearing the sound echoing from the end of the corridor. It was Beric. He came rolling in, opened the door, and rushed toward the bed.

Ian slightly turned his head to look at Beric. Despite the disarray, there was no tension. It wasn’t something serious, just his usual self.

“What.”

“They’re here. Those weird people.”

“The Atan tribe?”

“Yeah. The curly-haired chieftain is coming up.”

Did he know that the descriptor “those weird people” included himself as well? Ian raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Beric. When you crossed swords with Efdiram, did you feel anything?”

A tribe that manifests upon awakening. Through Jeirutt’s investigation, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Beric was Atan. It was both a problem and a blessing that he himself wasn’t aware of it.

Beric crossed his arms and exhaled roughly through his nose.

“Yeah. I did.”

“What was it?”

“It’s a bit tough, but doable.”

“……”

“I just think I needed a bit more muscle.”

Ian smiled with narrowed eyes. What was he expecting, really?

Behind the door Beric had burst through, there were signs of people. The sound of numerous overlapping footsteps. The mages seemed to be escorting and monitoring Efdiram.

“Hey there. Still alive?”

As soon as Efdiram saw Ian, she gave a flippant salute and pulled up a chair. Behind her, the mages pursed their lips in disapproval.

‘How annoying.’

Everyone was of one heart and mind in thinking so.

What’s going on? Ian asked with his eyes, but Hale just rubbed his nose vigorously. He had fully absorbed Efdiram’s mockery about how the mages of the great Bariel Empire could possibly not know about Borrowed Power. They all wanted to refute but couldn’t, so they could only express their discontent through their expressions.

Efdiram pointed to the mages with a nod of her head and smiled.

“Well, you’d better live a long time. What use are these kids when they’re so clueless? Don’t you agree, Minister Ian Hielo?”

“Who is the one accompanying you?”

“Oh, my family. The kid who takes care of all my chores. Do you want to know the name? Or is this the imperial way of greeting?”

Efdiram glanced at Ian’s palm, not hiding her interest. Why had the Imperial Ministry of Magic minister used a magic called Borrowed Power, why was it placed on an Idgal of all things, and why did Damon have it? She was full of questions.

But Efdiram didn’t expect an imperial official to readily hand over information. Even if her curiosity was pure, weren’t those from the empire all the same?

Ian shook his head lightly and extended his hand.

“This is the imperial greeting.”

“Oh, we do this too.”

“Has everyone entered the barrier?”

“No. What are you trusting? Our kids are outside.”

Efdiram leaned back in her chair as she spoke. It was a natural choice for her own safety and that of her subordinates.

“I was thinking we could talk over a meal.”

“Ah, I’ll bring food myself. Looking at your condition, it seems you can’t even get up? Also, I’m quite shy. I get indigestion when I eat with strangers.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“Who said that?”

One of the mages reflexively retorted, and Efdiram reflexively whipped around. Seeing this, Ian leisurely moistened his throat with water.

Dealing with these people was easy. Their purpose was clear and undivided. On the surface, they appeared so blind in their devotion that there seemed to be no gaps, but that very aspect was their weakness. In other words, they could flexibly choose any path to achieve their goal.

Ian just needed to offer them a better option than Damon. He began his introduction.

“You saw King Damon being captured, right?”

“Of course. I have good eyesight.”

“Officially, Burgos has been defeated. Although Ruswena and northern minority tribes including yours remain, this is an unchangeable fact. I don’t know what deal you made with Damon, but it’s best to recognize first that it has been broken and cannot be fulfilled.”

“You don’t know what deal I made with Damon? Really? I don’t really like being tested like this.”

Create rifts to bring about a flood of monsters, and the Atan tribe would cooperate and take away all the delicious blood they want to their heart’s content.

It was obvious. Given the Atan tribe’s characteristic of not being particularly attached to material things, what they valued was the primitive satisfaction like satiety. Whether it was psychological or physical satiety.

Ian pretended not to know and continued.

“If you naturally break the contract with Burgos and return north, we won’t question the cost of your participation. Additionally, as Bariel strengthens its control over the north through Burgos, we’ll provide territory where you can freely roam. However, you must definitely observe boundaries.”

“You want to keep us like livestock in an enclosure?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“If you put up a fence and tell us to live only here, isn’t that livestock?”

“Humans build fences around their own boundaries and spend their lives there. Even as Atan, you are still human, so it’s a natural way.”

Efdiram was silent, just nodding her head slightly, whatever she was thinking. The mages focused on the back of her head, and soon heard a playful voice.

“Then okay. I understand. Since good is good, if we keep rampaging, it could stimulate the rifts, and we might not be able to predict the movements of Burgos’s remaining soldiers, so it would be better for both of us if we leave. Right? And in that process, losing our kids would be, ah, too sad.”

She very accurately understood the influence the Atan tribe could have in the current situation. Though not powerful enough to reverse the war situation, they could certainly throw ashes on the atmosphere that could be taken as victory.

Especially the Imperial Defense Department wanted nothing more than a perfect and clean victory. This was the first expedition directly appointed by the Crown Prince, and the palace’s standing would be determined by this incident. Furthermore, Ian as a minister of Bariel and as a supporter of Jin, wanted that too.

“That’s right. It’s a sad thing. Is there anything more you want besides your unique northern territory?”

According to the original history, the time when the Atan tribe would gain power due to the great monster flood was not far off.

Regardless of anything else, it would be good to prepare some measures to minimize damage, so Ian had no intention of missing this opportunity. The Atan tribe was especially not easy to meet and bring to the negotiating table like this.

“There is! Let’s eat some meat.”

“Well, Clifford will provide that from a humanitarian standpoint.”

The Clifford attendant who had been listening quietly flinched and backed out of the room. It was to inform Prince Noah of this fact. At a time when they could barely handle what Beric ate in a day, meat to feed the entire Atan tribe? It would be right to consider next year’s livestock farming ruined.

The mages clicked their tongues and glared at the back of Efdiram’s head. If it were up to them, they’d like to starve her!

“And tell just me.”

“What do you mean?”

“As a minister, you do know, right? The Borrowed Power magic. Why it was activated through that particular object at that time. I’m so curious, I can’t even think about food.”

Efdiram turned to the mages with a grin. Look at this, you guys. You’re dying to know, right? Even if you never know, I’ll know before I die—her expression clearly taunting them.

The mages rushed forward and each threw in a comment.

“Lord Ian. Don’t say a word!”

“Yes. It would be better if we just gathered our strength and cut down these Atan tribe bastards. That would be good for Clifford’s cows too.”

“They’ve been pushing it since earlier, do they think this is a playground? Are you here for fun, Atan Chieftain? Huh?”

“Lord Ian. There’s no reason whatsoever to give out information. It would be better for you to ward off someone like Beric and rest. We’ll handle the cleanup in the meantime.”

“What? Someone like Beric? You, what does that mean?”

With the mages’ intense opposition and Beric jumping in, it became chaotic, and Ian quietly sighed.

Idgal. And Damon. Both were words that couldn’t be associated with Ian, the Minister of Magic. If there was any connection, even if it was as thin as a thread, it would obviously be problematic. And she wanted him to tell only her about it? Even the Ministry of Magic members were being cautious and not bringing it up freely!

“Well, well. If you’re jealous, just say you’re jealous. You hardheads.”

“H-hardheads?”

Efdiram wiggled her finger and called out one of the mages.

“The one who said ‘someone like Beric,’ come out.”

“Right! I can’t tolerate that either. You’re comparing me to this curly head? And we’re still family?”

“Why are we family? You’re the Imperial Guard. We’re the Ministry of Magic. Our rice bowls are different. Even the people who feed us are different.”

“Ian feeds me, right? Who feeds you?”

“L-Lord Ian does.”

“Then what’s different!”

As Beric jumped at the mage and grabbed his collar, Efdiram started clapping her hands, saying well done.

Ah, so that’s subtly annoying again. Beric and the mage simultaneously frowned and glared at her. But Efdiram just winked lightly and added this:

“Well, or else, give me that Beric guy.”

“What? Me?”

“What? Him?”

Efdiram shrugged her shoulders as she spat her gum on the floor with a ‘too.’

“Do you all really not know? Or are you pretending not to know? Beric, that kid, is Atan. His head is still soft, so he doesn’t even know what he is, but I’ll take him and roll him well. And occasionally, when I’m bored, I’ll use him to sharpen my sword blade.”

“Do you… sharpen sword blades with people?”

“I might not be able to. But Beric, that kid, seems like he’d be good at it.”

As Efdiram burst into laughter, the mages cautiously gathered forward and blocked in front of Beric. They thought she wasn’t in her right mind, but she was truly mad.

“Well, Beric might be a bit, useless.”

“That’s right. Even though Beric looks sturdy, he’s actually kind of, you know. If you take him, he’ll just eat a ton.”

“Mm-hmm. That’s right. If it were me, I wouldn’t take him.”

“Isn’t that right, Lord Ian? The kid causes some trouble, but it doesn’t feel right to send him elsewhere. He has a good heart. Even if he’s a fool.”

No matter what, they couldn’t hand over Beric. The mages who had just been drawing lines saying they had different rice bowls were now gently checking Ian’s reaction and defending Beric. Through the crowd of mages, Beric poked his face out.

“Right! Ian! I’ll eat just a little from now on!”

“How much?”

“…I think I’ll have to see when the time comes. Anyway, I don’t want to go! Just try to sell me off. I’ll really bite you.”

Efdiram gestured to Ian as if asking him to choose. Just as Ian was about to open his mouth.

Tap tap!

“Excuse me, Lord Ian!”

The attendant who had gone to relay the message to Prince Noah returned urgently.

“An urgent letter has arrived from Bariel. It was sent directly by Crown Prince Jin, they say. They say Lord Ian must receive it personally…”