Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Stamp Miss
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Centra Hospital's one patient room. As a place where countless patients come and go, it's usually the busiest and noisiest spot around.
Yet today it was especially rowdy, thanks to Erics, who had been rushed in that morning for emergency treatment.
"How does that even make sense? You don't know what kind of carriage it was?"
"We're investigating the area, but it's hard to find any traces."
"Carriages aren't something just anyone hops into and out of—I'm telling you it was a private red oak carriage! Our wheel got smashed off, so theirs must be totaled in the back! And this isn't even near the border—you can't find it? Is that supposed to be bullshit? Huh? It has to be somewhere nearby!"
Having an accident first thing in the morning was bad enough, but the guard from the security force—the one in charge of the investigation—just kept saying they couldn't find the culprit.
What nonsense! Were all the eyewitnesses there blind or something?
Erics bellowed at the top of his lungs, his face flushed red.
"Catch them right now! Find the bastard who did this to me!"
"…We'll do our best."
"Do you know how much tax I've paid? This is, really, ugh!"
"Then I'll take my leave. We'll visit again if there's progress in the investigation. Get well soon."
Erics flopped back onto the bed in utter disbelief and emptiness. A sharp pain shot up from his waist. This wasn't an injury he'd shake off easily. For someone like him who sat at a desk all day handling work, this pain was fatal.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
"Master. A visitor from the Magic Department is here."
"Magic Department? Not our division?"
The valet poked his head in. No word from his own Judiciary division, but out of nowhere, the Magic Department? Erics permitted entry with a puzzled look.
"Hello. I'm from the Magic Department. Are you feeling all right? This is a get-well gift from Minister Ian."
A man in a mage's robe entered carrying a fruit basket. Erics was so flabbergasted he couldn't muster a reply. A minister sending a gift to a mere handler was surprising enough, but the timing was suspiciously quick. It was almost like the timing of the manor valets who had come to check on him.
"…I'll gratefully accept it. But how did you know?"
"We went to file the complaint early this morning at the Magic Department and noticed you were absent, Handler Erics. The minister wanted to entrust it directly to you."
"You could've left it with my subordinates."
"That's… there's a bit of a problem with that."
"Hm?"
The mage smiled faintly and signaled the valet to leave. Erics nodded, and soon only the two of them remained in the room.
"What's going on?"
"Don't you find it odd that the Judiciary hasn't contacted you despite your injury?"
"Don't tell me it's another rebellion? Is there a problem?"
"Not that. It seems the Haiman side is systematically blocking the complaint filing. More than one or two people didn't make it to the Judiciary today. No one else seems to be as badly hurt as you, though."
It was unbelievable. More than one or two people missing from the Judiciary? Because of sabotage from the Haiman faction? The mage handed Erics a letter from Ian as his jaw dropped.
"I suspect the carriage accident culprit is connected to Haiman too. If so, the security force probably won't find them."
"Wait! My head's spinning—hold on a sec."
Erics raised his hand urgently to gather his thoughts. Then he quickly scanned Ian's neat handwriting. The gist was as follows.
There was interference at the Judiciary intake desk, so he requested cooperation. And could they process the complaint here at the hospital if they brought the seal?
Erics rubbed his furrowed brow and looked at the mage.
"Will delaying it a few days cause problems?"
"I wouldn't know, but there must be a good reason. Especially with you injured like this."
"Hmm."
Was it really Haiman? Did one of his lackeys ram my carriage? Erics racked his brain endlessly. But it didn't take long to reach a conclusion.
'I'd have handled it myself if I'd gone to work anyway.'
What difference did it make doing it here instead of there? If the Magic Department was right and this was Haiman's scheme…
"Fine."
He'd do it, no question. Whoever dared break his arm would pay dearly, whatever it took. Erics returned the letter with instructions.
"The seal's on my desk. Make sure to bring every single piece of supporting evidence for the complaint, no omissions. And have anyone for the in-person review come here. If it goes past business hours, it'll roll over to tomorrow, so it has to arrive before then."
"Understood."
"And one more thing. I'm thorough with reviews. Given the circumstances, I won't let anything slide easily. Doing business here doesn't mean it'll get rubber-stamped."
"I'll relay that. Could you please add a short handwritten reply?"
"Damn it. What mess is this? Ugh."
Scribble scribble!
Erics groaned as he wrote with his right hand. He felt like he'd wake up tomorrow with an even worse hangover. As the mage dashed out of the room, the valet peeked in cautiously.
"Master. That guy was a real mage, right?"
"Yeah. Rub my legs a bit. It hurts like hell."
"Amazing. I've never seen that mage before. What was it about?"
"What does it matter to you? Just rub my legs!"
"Yes, sir!"
Erics clicked his tongue and stared at the white ceiling. What the hell was going on in the palace right now? If the mage was right about Haiman's sabotage, that was a problem in itself.
'I'll get the full picture once I see the complaint.'
"…And call all the manor guards here."
"To the room?"
"Yeah, here. Tell them to guard me tight."
"Understood."
Assuming everything he'd heard was true. Haiman was desperate to block the complaint, and the Magic Department seemed just as desperate to file it. So if they brought the seal and pressured him, that could be trouble. Being outside the palace meant extra caution.
* * *
"Master, master!"
"Huh?"
When had he fallen asleep? Erics jolted awake at the valet's fussing. He winced at the dull ache in his ribs—he'd completely forgotten about the accident.
"From the Magic Department."
"Magic Department? Ah, let them in."
"Yes, sir. But, uh, one of them looks off."
"Off? How?"
"No idea. Looks like they can get treated here after business. Anyway, bringing them in."
Erics had no clue what the valet meant. Not until the door opened.
Slide.
"Hello. I'm Captain Hail of the Magic Operations Division. Here on the minister's orders. Heard the accident was bad—how's the body holding up?"
"Ah, yes, yes. It's fine."
Captain Hail—famous guy. Erics propped himself up and eyed him top to bottom. He knew the man was always carefree, but how were his clothes so torn? His hair was messily disheveled too.
As he inwardly grumbled about not getting mages' eccentricities.
"Pleased… to meet you. I'm, sniff, Romandro, aide to Magic Department Minister Ian."
"…You okay?"
Romandro was a total wreck—so bad the bedridden patient had to ask. Bloody tissues plugged both nostrils, and his puffy eyes bore clear scratch marks. If Hail's clothes were shabby, Romandro looked like a bum. He kept sniffling nonstop.
"Honestly, not really."
"Yeah, I can see that."
"…Before I get even more depressed, let's hurry and get this done."
Romandro dragged a chair over like he'd given up and sat before Erics. He set the thick complaint on the bedside table. Then from his pocket, he reverently pulled out Erics's official work seal.
Thud.
A round bead at the seal handle's end blinked with light signaling the time. That was why Erics—and Judiciary staff—strictly kept business hours.
After the set time, the seal would stamp tomorrow's date, not today's. Which meant processing would follow tomorrow's schedule.
"Then, let's begin. The Magic Department is filing the complaint, and the target is the entire Haiman family, not just Duke Haiman."
"Yes. Could you speak a bit faster?"
"I'll try."
Romandro checked the time nervously. If the in-person dragged, bringing the seal here would've been for nothing. It was the seal he'd wrestled for in his first-ever brawl.
Whether he knew Romandro's plight or not, Erics read the complaint meticulously.
"Explain this part. The research on the black ore seized from Chetur District says it's dragon scale powder? Is this credible?"
"There's an attached report."
"But the research period listed is absurdly short. It undermines credibility."
Hail leaned against the door, watching. Romandro, thankfully prepared for the question, answered without panic. Without those nostril tissue wads, he'd have looked pretty cool.
"The period doesn't solely determine the result's reliability. Some research hinges on time, some doesn't. Identifying a substance is obviously the former. And above all, confirming this requires a full investigation of the Haiman family. Which can only happen after the complaint is filed."
"…So the dragon scale powder part will be clarified at trial. Understood. I'll accept the claim."
Rustle.
Erics twitched his eyebrows and flipped pages. Q&A repeated several times like that. Tick tock, Hail kept checking his watch, hyper-aware of the time. Business hours were ending soon. The seal would change, and as warned, Erics let nothing slide.
'This is maddening.'
He itched to chaw a mana cigarette. If not for the hospital, the floor would've been littered with butts. The valets sensed the tension and held their breath.
Scribble scribble.
Erics jotted notes nonstop. Slowly but surely, the pages turned. Finally, no skips, he reached the last page.
"Final confirmation. This is official procedure. It'll carry weight in the Grand Council and any future trial, so answer carefully."
Last! It's the last! Romandro's eyes sparkled as he nodded vigorously, urging him on.
"Of course."
"Is there any fabrication or intentional falsehood in the Magic Department's complaint against the Haiman family?"
"I swear there isn't. Absolutely."
"If fabrication or intentional falsehood is found, it could lead to charges. Do you agree?"
"Naturally!"
"Understood."
Erics lightly gripped the seal. The bead reacted to the handler's print with a small flash. He pressed it firmly on the complaint's front.
[No. 52398 Complaint Filed.]
Click.
Today's date appeared clearly below. The moment Erics lifted the seal, the bead's time changed. They'd just barely made business hours.
Romandro hugged Erics in感動. The nostril tissues popped out with a poof.
"Yes! Thank you! Oh man, thanks! But seriously, why so slow! I was sweating bullets!"
"Aaack! It hurts! Ow!"
"Whoops, sorry, sorry."
Hail ignored the fussing pair and retrieved the complaint. With the seal stamped, tampering now would mean severe charges. Time to head back to the palace. The Magic Department head was probably waiting.
"Lord Romandro, let's hurry back."
"Hm? Ah, yeah! Right. Get well, Erics! And you need to rotate those staff! Tsk tsk. All brawn and no brains—pure troublemakers!"
"Huh?"
Romandro slashed his throat with his hand, face twisted in disgust. Erics, clueless, just rubbed his numb arm and watched them go.
What the hell had happened in the palace?