Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: Grand Council
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Knock knock.
“Prime Minister. Minister Ian Hielo has arrived.”
“Tell him to enter. Quintana. Regarding the tax rate adjustment proposal I gave you earlier today. There was a similar case before, wasn’t there? Five years ago, maybe? It would be good to calculate it in comparison to that time.”
“Prince Jin is with him.”
The Prime Minister and the high-ranking officials, who had been gathered and sharing reports, paused.
Prince Jin?
Of course, there was no issue with a prince attending the Grand Council. In fact, stepping forward to sort out the chaos in the imperial palace was the model posture one could hope for.
But Jin was too young, and above all, the succession issue loomed ahead.
‘Minister Ian has properly drawn his sword.’
To bring such a Jin to the Grand Council. It was clearly intended to signal support for the Fifth Prince while gradually asserting his presence in the political sphere. Quintana ignored the murmuring officials and slammed her seal down.
“You’ve smoked all your cigarettes today. What are you standing around for? Bring him in.”
The attendant bowed and turned to leave, and soon the massive doors slowly slid open to the side. Ian was holding Jin’s hand. The Prime Minister and other officials rose to greet Jin.
Creak.
“Prince Jin. You’re safe.”
“The wound on your face is so deep; it’s truly heartbreaking.”
“Please come this way, Your Highness.”
Was it because his skin was so pale? The vicious scar from his left temple to his right jaw stood out starkly. It felt like divine grace that his eye hadn’t been injured; the wound had deeply and darkly split the child’s face in half.
Quintana pocketed her cigarette case and frowned.
‘Prince Marib and Prince Gail are impressive indeed. What crime did this young prince commit to deserve being marked like that?’
But aside from the scar, his complexion looked good, which was a relief. Compared to before the incident, his eyes even seemed to sparkle with life. Sometimes, passing by, he had seemed like a moving doll, unlike Arsen.
“You’ve all worked hard. You’re the ones holding up the chaotic imperial palace, so His Majesty the Emperor will be deeply pleased.”
“You overpraise us, Your Highness. It’s only what we should do.”
“Indeed. It’s our duty.”
“It heartens me. Thus, though my power is meager, I’ve come to lend my aid. Please allow me to learn from the Prime Minister and ministers’ wisdom.”
At Jin’s request, everyone bowed their heads. Had Jin always been so eloquent? No. In truth, they had rarely even heard his voice.
The surprise at his completely different demeanor from memory lasted only a moment. Ian pulled out a chair and guided Jin. It was the seat closest to the Prime Minister, his own seat.
“Please sit here, Your Highness.”
“Thank you.”
Jin replied firmly and sat in the chair. His expression was stern and composed, but the hand placed under the table trembled. He had followed Ian’s instructions perfectly, but Jin was so nervous he couldn’t even remember what he had said.
“Have we arrived last, Minister and Your Highness?”
“Yes. Let’s begin the meeting.”
Ian glanced at the child’s hand and asked the Prime Minister. The ripple from Jin’s appearance was definite, but it soon subsided. There were mountains of topics to discuss and countless matters to handle, leaving little room to dwell on the prince.
Rustle.
Subordinates from each department circulated the meeting room, distributing reports. Romandro was among them, conveying the Magic Department captain’s opinions.
“Administration first, Quintana.”
At the Prime Minister’s indication, Quintana raised her hand.
“This is the report on measures to secure the national budget. The damage to the imperial palace buildings is more severe than expected, so we’ll need about half of this year’s allocated budget additionally.”
“The fire near the Third Palace was the biggest issue. That annex will have to be completely rebuilt. Fortunately, only the Minor Races Diplomacy Support Department is there, so there’s no impact on operations.”
“Why not rebuild it smaller this time? The budget is tight, and there’s no need to reconstruct it exactly as before.”
“Honestly, the building was larger than needed for the workload.”
“There will be strong backlash. It’s not about efficiency; it was destroyed in an unfortunate incident. Restoring it to its previous form holds meaning.”
Minor Races Diplomacy Support Department? As the officials heatedly added their thoughts, Jin merely watched with a composed expression. Not knowing the department they referred to, he couldn’t follow their discussion.
Scribble.
-The Minor Races Diplomacy Support Department. It handles minor races who have officially entered Bariel. But Bariel’s criteria are so low that most cases go to the General Diplomacy Department. Even if they qualify, most are illegal entrants, so it falls under different jurisdiction. It’s a shelved department; I understand they’ve already been moved once.
Ian wrote in the corner of the report and tapped it. They were so accustomed to using abbreviations casually, but it was natural for a first-time attendee to not catch on. That’s why experience matters, as they say.
“Ah.”
Jin murmured softly as if he had just realized. His flustered expression brightened again. Now that he knew what they were referring to, he could follow the officials’ opinions.
“What is Minister Ian’s opinion?”
“I believe reducing it is best. Regardless of legitimacy, it’s too detached from the Third Palace main building. I suggest eliminating the intermediate garden and building there. That way, we can create a new path connecting to the Second Palace.”
Though the question came abruptly, Ian answered naturally. Sounds of pages turning rose here and there at the novel idea. They were checking the imperial palace map to verify how reasonable Ian’s suggestion was.
“It makes sense. To get from the Second Palace central annex to the Third Palace left annex, you have to pass three buildings.”
‘Ah, so there’s no other way to go from here to there.’
Jin nodded, tracing the map with his finger. He rarely had business there, but he could now understand the daily frustrations of officials commuting by carriage. Everything they said felt novel and fresh, making Jin’s heart pound.
Rustle.
Ian turned the page and lightly raised his hand. The Prime Minister signaled permission to speak.
“A question regarding Magic Department repairs.”
“…Thanks to the barrier, there’s no damage, but we did confirm some. It’s minor, so it’s scheduled last.”
Quintana replied with a suspicious glance. As if wondering why he was asking such a thing.
“We plan to proceed with the annex construction alongside the Magic Department repairs.”
It wasn’t a proposal; it was a notice.
At Ian’s statement, Quintana’s brow furrowed involuntarily. Wasn’t that the very thing Wesley had pushed for his entire life? It had repeatedly been shelved due to sharp conflicts with Marib.
“Annex construction?”
The Magic Department’s status in the imperial palace already pierced the heavens, and it was clear it would continue. If they expanded further, wouldn’t their influence grow even stronger? The more space they occupied, the more other departments would feel oppressed.
Quintana rejected it outright.
“I oppose. Compared to other departments, the Magic Department already has ample space for its personnel. Moreover, we can’t allocate more budget.”
“Hm, I agree. Minister Ian Hielo, we acknowledge the Magic Department’s great contributions this time, but the annex is a separate matter.”
Several officials also stood immediately, declaring it unacceptable. Their momentum was fiercer than expected, and Jin couldn’t help glancing at Ian beside him.
When throwing out a topic opposed by all, what was Ian thinking? He was curious and worried.
“Director Quintana.”
Ian wore a relaxed smile. Even as those facing him stiffened their lips, Ian remained unruffled.
“I heard that when budgeting, you set aside five years’ worth in addition to the current year’s. Is that correct?”
“Approximately.”
It was to draw from future allocations in cases of war, natural disasters, or sudden crises like this. Ian flipped through the papers and asked.
“Then, the budget listed here already reflects the Magic Department’s pre-allocated Luron Stone installment payments, right?”
When Ian sold the Luron Stone to the Magic Department, the amount was so massive they couldn’t pay it all at once. Instead, it was to be paid in installments over several years—that’s what he was referring to now.
Quintana stared at Ian, speechless. She could guess what he intended.
“We’ll redirect the Luron Stone payments to the annex construction. By our calculations, the payments exceed the construction costs.”
Rustle.
Sounds of papers turning rose again.
If the held payments disappear, the budget actually has a surplus. Buildings aren’t erected overnight, and construction costs are paid in installments anyway, so from the national treasury’s perspective, Ian’s proposal was advantageous.
“In that case, we won’t need to pull two years’ budget ahead. Just one year in advance.”
“The Luron Stone payments far exceed several years of the Magic Department’s budget. It should be fine even with construction.”
“Huh. Well, ahem.”
The Magic Department already took the largest budget after the imperial household. Quintana quickly scribbled calculations with her pen. Indeed, in this situation where every coin must be saved, if only the Luron Stone payments vanished…
“Of course, this is all after the imperial palace stabilizes. I’m just mentioning it now that reconstruction is being discussed.”
It meant: I’ve said it in advance, so don’t think of opposing later. Since it was their own money to spend as they wished, there was no real grounds to oppose. With Marib’s faction dismantled, there was no one to step up anyway.
“Moreover, there are quite a few magic-related items the Magic Department is preparing for commercialization, including the truth serum. If a portion of that is taxed, it would help further. Director Quintana.”
As Ian finished with a grin, she spun her pen and swallowed a sigh. With no money forthcoming, she had nothing to say. Quintana wasn’t in a position for blind opposition just to check them.
“…Understood. We’ll verify the details separately. Let’s move to the next item.”
She conceded a step. With Quintana, who controlled the budget, yielding, the other officials swallowed bitter sighs.
Thud thud!
“Next item.”
The Prime Minister struck the gavel, deciding on reducing the Third Palace annex and considering the Magic Department annex construction.
Similar situations repeated several times. The officials presented the best opinions from their perspectives, and answers emerged through coordination.
Dawn arrived, but Jin nodded along without noticing, explanations from Ian accumulating in the report corners.
“Shall we wrap up then?”
“Ah, I have one proposal.”
“Speak, Minister Hielo.”
As it neared the end. Ian looked at Jin and opened his mouth.
“It concerns Prince Jin’s residence.”
“With his quarters destroyed, isn’t he staying in the Second Palace annex for the time being? I understand Lady Dillaina has moved there as well.”
Jin fidgeted with his fingers under the table. It would be revealed: that he was the abandoned child.
“Instead of Lady Dillaina for the time being, I’d like to take charge of him. Assign his residence near the Magic Department as well.”
“Why is that?”
“When Prince Marib stormed the quarters, I saw Lady Dillaina beg for her life and hand over Prince Jin. That’s when His Highness got the wound.”
At Ian’s words, the officials furrowed their brows. What was he saying now?
“My opinion is that we cannot expect Lady Dillaina to fulfill her duties as guardian.”
“Your Highness, is what he says true?”
The Prime Minister straightened and asked Jin. Everyone in the meeting room looked at Jin. Pity, sympathy, shock, bewilderment—all gazes intermingled.
The child hesitated briefly before finally nodding.
“It’s true.”