To the North to Suppress the Rebellion
“Ah, so you saw it. How desperately she was appealing to you. Hehe, it was enough to make me jealous.”
Emily covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed.
“If you’re thinking of pairing me with her, forget it. I have no such intentions.”
“You didn’t even blink. The empire’s top beauty... Ah, but you’ve already claimed one great beauty.”
Emily feigned innocence with a sly smile in her eyes.
Every time I heard that I was popular with the young ladies, the same question arose.
“There are no good rumors about me, so why do so many propose marriage?”
“Hmm, is that what you’re curious about?”
“It’s crossed my mind once or twice. The son of Duke Solarion is rumored to be handsome, and Count Krelto and Marquis Masario are both outstanding in ability and looks.”
They were renowned nobles and handsome men. In this vast empire, how many possessed both talent and beauty?
In contrast, my reputation was filled with brutality. The maestro of torture. A cold-blooded killer who took lives without hesitation. The empire’s worst battle mage. And so on. Not a single good rumor.
“Oh, that?”
Emily said it as if it were nothing.
“Minister, your infamy is high, yes. But it’s overshadowed by your looks and abilities.”
“Is that so.”
“A handsome man with talent, favored by the emperor, the next great powerholder. A man who seized the family head’s position without being the heir. How could the young ladies not like you? And you’re so handsome, too?”
She’d said “handsome” twice now.
“Those are the reasons?”
“Of course.”
It was a more mundane explanation than I’d expected. I’d thought there might be something deeper.
“Whether those young ladies truly love you... well, who knows?”
She grinned mischievously.
“I don’t care.”
Marriage among nobles in this world was mostly political anyway.
“But why play matchmaker? A merchant of your caliber doesn’t need to bother.”
“Matchmaker? This is just building connections. To survive as a merchant among nobles, it takes quite the effort. Especially since my old ‘handsome guy’ position is gone.”
“I see.”
She’d adapted surprisingly well to her changed gender.
“And my efforts like this? They’re for building ties with you, Minister.”
Connections.
It was refreshing that she stated her intentions so openly. How many in this palace hid daggers behind false pretenses?
“Forming ties with me won’t be easy.”
“I know. The minister with the cold heart.”
“Is that another nickname circulating among the young ladies?”
“Yes. Want me to tell you more? Ice Prince, Elegant Black Panther, Black Obsidian on the Cliff...”
“Enough.”
They were nicknames so embarrassing my hands curled up.
“More importantly, was Emir on that list by your design?”
“It’s a secret~.”
I sighed and pushed away the booklet she offered.
“Useless for now. I’m not thinking about it yet... I’ll request it separately if needed later.”
“Disappointing, but unavoidable. Next time, let’s talk something more constructive.”
Emily licked her lips regretfully and withdrew.
I returned to my office. There were things to prepare before heading north.
It was a harsh land where even in midsummer, people froze to death in the cold. Precautions were necessary.
“Miiiiniste~r!”
The moment I entered, Jane shrieked and made a fuss.
“What?”
“It’s a disaster! A disaster!”
What the hell.
“What disaster?”
“Look at this!”
Jane thrust a newspaper at me. It was gossip news about a famous imperial theater actor’s dating scandal.
“Wahhh, it’s all over now. My ultimate bias got hit with a dating scandal. I hoped it wasn’t true, thought my oppa wouldn’t do that. It’s really all over. Oppa, sob sob.”
She wailed pitifully.
“Look, that actor, considering your actual age...”
“Minister! Stop right there. You mustn’t mention a lady’s age!”
Jane hurriedly covered my mouth. Her face flushed like a shy girl’s, but she was a transcendent being who’d lived for ages.
Right. The rift in the imperial palace. Jane was one of the transcendents who created it. She’d been bound to the Magic Tower in the aftermath of that battle.
“Fine. But what’s the real issue? This doesn’t seem worth your hysterics.”
“As expected, jokes don’t land with you.”
Jane sighed and folded the newspaper.
“Thirty minutes ago, a mana storm erupted in the south.”
“Mana storm?”
A magical disaster caused when powerful, clashing manas collided. The blue storm turned everything in its path to scorched earth. It even influenced natural mana for a long time, leaving mages who used magic nearby as permanent invalids unable to cast again.
The south also housed one of the empire’s four academy branches.
“Serious?”
“No. No casualties yet. It’s far from the academy too.”
“Cause identified?”
“No. Not even I can detect it yet.”
Bound to the Magic Tower now, her abilities remained intact. She had magical talent strong enough to shatter my telepathy, and used it to monitor mana flows across the continent. Not everything, but if she focused, she could see to the ends of the land.
Her curiosity probably stemmed from that power. If even she couldn’t grasp it...
“I’ll have to check it myself.”
“Probably. But why did the emperor summon you?”
“You should know.”
“The recent rebellions across the empire? Or... Seria?”
She grinned slyly.
“Why bring up Seria like that woman?”
“That woman?”
“Veronice.”
“You saw?”
“Of course. I’m very curious about you, Minister.”
“I told you not to spy.”
“Hehe, but I don’t peek once you enter the mansion. I respect privacy.”
“Because of the magic circle I set up.”
“Hehe.”
Jane scratched the back of her head and stuck out her tongue.
“I keep telling you not to voyeur.”
“Can’t help being curious.”
“Did you do the same to the previous minister?”
She made a disgusted face I’d never seen before.
“Ew, no way. No interest in that greedy old fart. I only care about noble souls.”
“Doesn’t seem like I qualify.”
“You undervalue yourself too much. Fufu.”
“Enough nonsense. Analyze the mana storm’s path first. Contact me if anything happens. I’ll handle the rebels first, then check it.”
“Got it.”
Now I had reason to hasten the subjugation.
I gripped the Phoenix Heart from my office storage. Not a real heart—a blazing red gem like flickering flames. Named for resembling a phoenix heart as it radiated heat.
Its warmth enveloped my hand as I hurried outside.
I took a portal.
Whiiiiiing!
A freezing wind bit at my skin. But the warmth from the Phoenix Heart shrouded my body. Good thing I’d brought it on purpose.
“Interesting.”
My first time in the north, and the natural phenomenon fascinated me. Amid the skin-cutting winds, frozen mana was mixed in. Not natural—someone had artificially created this cold. Whoever it was, no ordinary figure.
But it didn’t help against the rebels.
I sought the general commanding the northern imperial forces.
“You’ve arrived.”
Marquis Romero, commander of the northern imperial army, greeted me. A noble with striking white mustaches.
“What’s the battle situation?”
“Currently facing 5,000 rebels and 20,000 barbarian cavalry.”
“Quite the numbers. Our forces?”
“17,000.”
Numerically disadvantaged from the start.
“The enemy seems to be basing at Balt Castle, planning to advance south.”
“Got a messenger bird?”
“Of course.”
“Lend me one.”
I cast familiar magic on the hawk used for messages. It allowed shared vision with the summoned beast.
-Screee!
The hawk soared high. Through its eyes, we saw our positions and the rebels’ at a glance. Rebels camped around the castle. Imperial forces in the gorge between castle and cliffs. Neither side could attack first easily. It’d turn into a prolonged war, perfect for wasting national strength.
I released the familiar magic and recalled the hawk.
-Screee!
“Frontal assault’s impossible for both.”
“Indeed. We’re set for defense now, but...”
In that case, Balt Castle—core of northern defense—might fall to the barbarians. Endless invasions would follow. We had to drive them out.
“They’ve gathered around Lord Balt, right?”
“Yes. His domain forces will crumble if he dies. The problem is...”
“The barbarians.”
“Yes.”
“Any way to split the two forces?”
“Hm.”
The marquis pondered.
“There is one.”
“What?”
“The barbarians come down for farmland. Promise them enough land, and they’ll withdraw.”
“No. Can’t give imperial land.”
Fastest way to lose my head to the emperor.
“Even if we win, what if the lord doesn’t get his promised land? Would they fight?”
“They’d avoid it.”
“Then it’s possible.”
“What possibility?”
“A way to make the rebels drive out the barbarians.”
I smiled coldly at the enemy camp. Colder than the north’s freezing winds.