Chapter 217
Chapter 217
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 217
Chapter Title: New Oracle
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“Your Highness, are you all right?”
Jin’s pupils shook as he finished reading the note. Romandro called out to him worriedly, but the boy just kept staring down at the note without responding. Wondering if he had misread it, he read it over and over, but nothing changed.
Romandro looked at Ian.
“…….”
But Ian merely sipped his tea calmly. At the two completely opposing reactions, Romandro made a presumptuous request.
“Your Highness, if you don’t mind, may I take a look as well?”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
“…Gasp.”
Romandro hurriedly took the note, then unwittingly stopped breathing. He had thought it wouldn’t be a good oracle based on Jin’s reaction, but still……
-Cursed one, you cannot defy fate. Die for Bariel. Then glory shall descend upon the world.
Anyone could see it fit Jin and Arsen’s situation perfectly. The cursed child, Jin. And the fate foretold from birth.
Romandro crumpled the note and glanced around. The attendant was still bowed, waiting.
“Did the temple send this only to us?”
If so, it might be best to bury it here. The momentum was already tilting toward Arsen, and if word of this oracle got out, it would be uncontrollable. People might quibble over the oracle’s credibility, but if two aligned ones came down, even skeptics would start believing.
“It was also sent to the Administration. It only listed the department name without distinction, so I assume it’s the same content.”
“Oh dear! Oh no!”
Thwack!
Romandro struck his forehead roughly and sighed. Of all places, the Administration? Everyone in the palace would know about the new oracle within half a day. He clutched his head and collapsed onto the table.
“…….”
Silence fell again. It was so quiet it felt odd, so Romandro cautiously lifted his head. Jin was glaring at one corner of the greenhouse as if deep in thought, while Ian savored the aroma of his tea. One side resolute, the other serene. Feeling perplexed, Romandro poked Ian’s arm.
“Ian. Say something.”
But Ian just winked and signaled for silence. As Romandro raised an eyebrow at the incomprehensible attitude, Jin spoke up.
“…I’m not the only cursed one in the palace.”
“That’s right, Your Highness.”
“They’ll think this was sent not to me, but to Brother Gail.”
Gail was cursed as well. Strictly speaking, wasn’t his curse more certain than Jin’s ambiguous oracle? His curse was a clear ‘fact’—who, how, and why it was cast were all known.
Romandro, who had forgotten about Gail’s existence, let out an exclamation.
“You’re right! Yes, this was sent to Prince Gail, not Prince Jin. Exactly!”
“Yes. That’s what I’ll believe.”
He didn’t know exactly who the oracle pointed to, but Jin intended to believe that. He knew better than anyone how cruel and arduous fate derived from belief could be. And how belief could manifest into actual fate. From now on, he would reject all such false words from his life. The boy steeled his resolve while glaring into the darkness.
“An excellent decision.”
Ian praised Jin without reservation. In truth, Ian knew Jin would become emperor, so he thought of Gail the moment he saw the ‘cursed one’ part. But he waited for Jin to realize and act on it himself. Jin needed to fully recognize his own value.
“But what about Haiman? If they find out in Haiman—no, they don’t even need to go that far. If Arsen’s retainers learn of this, they’ll seize the chance to kill Brother Gail again.”
They were already demanding Gail’s summary execution from all sides after the previous attack on Arsen. If the oracle’s interpretation shifted that way, they wouldn’t miss the opportunity to pounce. Ian nodded at Jin’s concern.
“You’re right. In fact, the evidence against Prince Gail is all prepared. We have proof of his collusion with Haiman to incite rebellion, along with details of their dealings. The issue is the trial date.”
Unlike Marib’s trial, which proceeded swiftly with unanimous support, Gail’s was more complicated. Ian’s side wanted to hold it as soon as possible, but Haiman—precisely Haiman’s faction—would refuse to comply until Gail was dealt with first. They’d keep finding excuses to delay. A trial would eventually happen once limits were reached, but the delay was undeniable.
“Let’s observe the Grand Council first, then set the schedule.”
Ian gave Romandro a look. It was a question about whether the indictment was proceeding smoothly. Romandro thumped his chest confidently, as if to say leave it to him.
“Got it.”
Jin smoothed out the crumpled note and muttered. As if reconfirming it didn’t apply to him. Then Ian snapped his fingers, releasing mana. A small spark formed at his fingertip.
Zing. Zzzt.
“Your Highness. If you wish.”
If you wish, burn it. Anything that defies Your Highness’s will has no right to exist. So, destroy it.
“Thank you.”
Jin understood Ian’s intent and smiled brightly. Then, without hesitation, he burned the note with Ian’s fingertip.
The ashes fluttered briefly, but they were laughably light. The weight of the oracle that had suppressed Jin was so trivial.
“Your Highness. The sun is setting soon. You should return before the wind grows cold.”
“And you, Lord Ian?”
“Of course, me too.”
The Magic Department was their workplace and sanctuary. Jin dusted off his hands and stood. He didn’t know about outside, but the greenhouse was still warm.
* * *
Perhaps because they had prepared from early morning and witnessed his brother’s death that day, Jin fell fast asleep in the carriage and had to be carried in by Siao. Ian and Romandro wished they could do the same, but reality was unforgiving.
Rustle.
“What’s next?”
“The [Mailly Daily] requested an exclusive interview for their special edition. Remember? Vivianna promised them exclusivity in exchange for that extra print.”
“I remember. Schedule it in the spare time. It’ll get busier once the Mana Confirmation Ritual starts, so before then.”
A mountain of documents greeted Ian and Romandro. It hadn’t been this much when they left that morning—likely mixed with reports from Quintana and the other ministers.
“And here’s the indictment for submission.”
Romandro set down a thick stack of papers. All about an inch thick, listing Haiman house’s charges of rebellion and major crimes. It was more extensive than expected, arching Ian’s brow.
“It’s quality over quantity. Including unnecessary items wastes the Judiciary’s time sorting them, which works against us.”
“All based on facts. Should we just submit the Black Armor rebellion charge? That would be about twenty pages from here to here.”
“Wait a moment.”
It was the final check before formal submission to the palace. Anything submitted under the Magic Department’s name was essentially under Ian’s. He reviewed it slowly, pointing out edits.
“Here, revise. Move this item down the list. Haiman has stakes in Chetur District, but nothing’s confirmed yet. It’s better at the end.”
“Hmm, one sec. Alright, got it.”
Romandro’s quill moved busily. They were deep in work when footsteps approached from outside.
Knock! Knock knock!
Ian glanced at the clock. It was nearly midnight. He could guess who it was from the knock alone, so he lightly permitted entry.
“Is that Captain Acorella? Come in.”
“Ooh?! How did you know?!”
“Only Berik or you knock like that.”
“Hahaha. Well, I heard you’re submitting the indictment against Haiman tomorrow.”
She laughed while shaking a thick bundle of documents in one hand. Romandro, who now felt nauseous at the sight of white paper, covered his mouth and shot her a horrified look.
“Additional evidence? Ugh.”
“Oh dear. Taking on morning sickness for Lady Vivianna?”
“Not morning sickness, just… now even new paper makes me retch. Seriously.”
“It’s the black raw stones acquired from Chetur District. The research results.”
Ian took Acorella’s report, tilting his head curiously. Research results? Already? Physically impossible in that timeframe. He pressed his brow as if it throbbed.
“Captain Acorella. Don’t take this the wrong way. If you’re worried about attaching it to the indictment, I politely decline.”
“It’s not rushed. It’s still ongoing, but it might be essential for the indictment, so I brought it.”
Essential? Ian pondered briefly, then read the report slowly. Cracks formed in his impassive expression—clearly ‘surprise.’
“From what I understand right now…….”
Romandro recalled Acorella’s talk of organic fusion whatever and awaited Ian’s question. Could Ian comprehend it?
“This is dragon scale powder, you mean?”
Clang. Romandro had grabbed coffee to wake up but dropped it. Dragon fangs and bones were rare but visible sometimes, but scale powder was different.
“Sc-scale powder? That scales I know?”
‘It definitely has potential issues.’
Ian sighed and rested his chin on his hand.
Dragons were sacred, inviolable divine beasts by world definition. Regardless of numbers, myths surrounding them made it so.
Romandro wiped his dry face with trembling hands and looked at Ian.
“Ian, do you know of the ‘Dragons’ Sacrifice’?”
In chaotic ancient times, mighty dragons became humanity’s weapons, dominating battlefields. Their flames split continents, their tears filled the rifts, repeating for centuries to form the current crust—that legend.
Seeing the horror, the gods stripped dragons of power and halted the war.
“Humans’ greed caused dragons to lose their strength. No self-proclaimed nation hasn’t signed the inviolability pact. Bariel signed as a representative.”
“You know it well?”
In short, the world allied not to hunt dragons. Exceptionally, ‘naturally deceased’ dragon corpses could be used, so fangs or bones became swords.
Acorella tapped the report and added.
“That’s why it was confusing. It had something like mana, but the crystals differed. Oh, and dragons’ scales rot first upon natural death. Extremely hard to obtain.”
“So, high chance it was taken while alive?”
“They’ll claim supply factories exist. Several large ones near Bariel, in fact.”
State-certified factories raise them from birth to death over a century, awaiting corpses. Ian handed Acorella’s report to Romandro with instructions.
“Attach this to the submission too.”