Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Without Ian
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“Get out of the way, everyone!”
“Someone fetch a doctor! Get a doctor here!”
“Lord Ian! Open your eyes. Lord Ian.”
Xiaoshi scooped Ian up and bolted. The already chaotic situation was growing even more unstable due to his collapse. This was his liege, who had been trying to prevent that from afar. He rounded the corner and dashed into the office. As quickly and discreetly as possible.
“Ian! Please, ah, the blood keeps coming out!”
Philia, desperately chasing after him, cried out in horror. At the same moment, Xiaoshi felt his shoulder grow damp. His master was unconsciously vomiting blood.
Nersarn caught the stumbling Philia, while Romandro and Jin cleared the path ahead, tears streaming down their faces nonstop.
Bang!
The main building was deserted. Most of the mages had been with Ian conducting the mana confirmation ritual, half of them felled by Arsen, the other half occupied with cleanup. Even kicking open the main doors so roughly, no one useful was in sight except for a few attendants.
“Huh? Lord Ian?”
“Where are the mages? Aren’t there any left in the main building?”
“Th-there should be someone on duty...”
“Bring them here quickly! And a doctor too!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“And warm water and towels!”
Clatter clatter!
Xiaoshi laid Ian down in the small bedroom next to the office. It was a space for catching a quick nap when work grew exhausting. Berik used it often in the past; lately, it was Romandro’s go-to spot.
“Slowly, lower him slowly.”
With his head thrown back, shirt so red no white remained, and face drained pale, there was no denying the severity of his condition.
“Something to cover him with...”
The moment Romandro scanned around for a blanket or such. He suddenly realized it. Having risen to the center, Ian had given no thought to making a proper nest for himself.
That in a collapse like this, the nearest place to lay him was just this tiny room off the office. And even the bed and little furnishings were all leftovers from former Minister Wesly.
“Here you go.”
“Ah, good.”
“Lord Ian? Gasp, what happened to his condition?”
An attendant arrived with a thick blanket, bringing Acorella along. Her protective goggles suggested she’d snuck out to experiment in the basement.
She examined Ian in shock. No major external wounds, but the blood pouring from his mouth nonstop meant trouble brewing inside.
“Captain Acorella! Do something for Ian.”
“W-wait a moment. You! Go downstairs to my office, second shelf in the cabinet on the right, bring everything there. And you, uh, that, send word to the storage room for a mana booster! Ah! Syringe too!”
Acorella, who rarely panicked, stuttered like her mind had frozen. As the attendants rushed off with her orders, Jin clung to Ian’s right arm, sobbing endlessly.
“Lord Ian mustn’t die.”
“Your Highness, don’t worry. Minister Ian is...”
Romandro, trying to comfort Jin, clutched his nose. Blood dripped through his fingers.
Ian wasn’t the only one who’d burned through stamina with sleepless nights these past days. Romandro had relied on magic potions for artificial endurance too. His body was signaling the limit now.
Vivianna, arriving late, spotted it and quickly held a towel ready.
“Darling!”
“I’m fine. Vivi, don’t worry.”
“Good heavens, haa. Really...”
Romandro smiled, stroking Vivi’s back. Just a nosebleed, his gentle gestures sought to reassure his wife. Xiaoshi wiped sweat from his brow and glanced at him.
“Lord Romandro. You should rest too.”
“No need. With Ian lying there, if I leave too, who’ll handle the aftermath?”
“...If I may be bold, we must assume Lord Ian won’t rise for days. You ordered cleanup, so for the next few hours, can’t those on site take the lead?”
Without even aide Romandro, the Magic Department’s decisions would grind to a halt. So for a few hours at least, it’d be wise to recharge and plan ahead—that was the suggestion.
As Romandro waved it off in refusal, blood gushed out again, defiant.
“Kyaa! Darling!”
“Ah, alright. Vivi, please don’t panic. I’m really fine.”
“Romandro. Xiaoshi’s right. Many casualties, but the Prime Minister’s safe. Captain Jeyrat of the Imperial Guard is too. Just a few hours, trust them for that long.”
Jin pushed at Romandro’s back. He glanced repeatedly at the prone Ian, then trudged out reluctantly. Muttering he’d be right back, just a quick nap and he’d return—the words wouldn’t stop.
“Captain Acorella, we’ve brought what you asked for. The doctor will arrive shortly.”
“Set it down here. Haa, as expected of my own brew. Effects and side effects, not a hair’s breadth off, damn. Heh heh heh. Should’ve done some mana training if I knew. Your Highness, I’m an office drone, you see. Brains over brawn...”
“We get it, hurry!”
“Yes, ma’am. Minister Ian, brace yourself. Here it comes.”
Acorella injected the mana booster into her own arm and gritted her teeth. Still experimental, but what choice was there? With the boss dying. She unleashed her mana, channeling strength into Ian.
Zing. Ziiing!
Faintly, ever so faintly, Ian’s breathing steadied. But Jin couldn’t be sure if it was real. Hope always bred illusions. The child pressed his ear to Ian’s chest and murmured.
“Keep going, keep...”
Ian heaved, spewing blood. Jin, Xiaoshi, and the attendants all reached out at once to catch it.
Jin gazed at the blood-soaked Ian with a face full of despair. Was death really this close? Unbelievable.
* * *
“Iaaaan. Ian.”
“...I said quietly.”
“No, I’ve had my guts churned enough times to know. Gotta snap out of it for quick recovery. Iaaaan. Wake up. Master? My lord?”
A whispering voice filtered in. Jin jolted upright in fright, then realized he was on the sofa in Ian’s office. He’d passed out without realizing.
Turning toward the noise, his eyes met Berik’s, grinning ear to ear.
“Berik?”
“Not the master, but His Highness woke up.”
A dream? Berik was bundled in blankets, slung over Xiaoshi’s shoulder.
“Can you move?”
“Huh. If I could, would I be like this?”
Unable to take a single step, yet he’d sniffed out the blood scent and demanded details. No reason for the attendant to lie; he’d heard the full truth of Ian’s collapse. Thus, the hard labor fell to Xiaoshi.
“Iaaaan~. We’ll eat the meat without you~? That stuff from last time, I’ll order double this round~. Won’t wake? Triple then~?”
Berik chattered nonstop, calling to Ian. At his voice, Ian’s brow furrowed slightly. See? It works, Berik crowed gleefully.
“How’s Lord Ian?”
“No threat to his life, they say.”
Xiaoshi answered curtly, turning away. He’d broken the promise to just peek, making all this racket. Now aiming to plop Berik back in place. Sensing it, Berik wriggled in protest.
“Just a bit, come on, really just a bit!”
“...Quiet.”
“Shh! So put me down. Yeah?”
While Berik fussed, Jin checked Ian. Color had returned to his face, definitively. Clothes changed in the interim, neat and tidy. At a glance, he seemed merely in deep sleep.
Jin exhaled in relief, peering out the window. The sunset glowed.
“How long was I out?”
“Three hours, Your Highness.”
Three hours. A world without Arsen had already passed that much time. The devil who looked just like him, out to kill from the soul up. The brother who’d clawed countless wounds beyond counting. Those days he existed had weighed so heavy, this moment felt utterly alien.
‘Amazing.’
Arsen’s shadow had loomed so vast. He’d thought the world would look different without him.
Yet the sunset remained red, the wind blew, clouds drifted. Arsen, in hindsight, had been nothing at all.
Clench.
Jin gripped his knee, vowing. No matter the trials ahead, never forget this instant. Even insurmountable burdens look trivial from afar. Just as with Arsen.
Knock knock.
“Your Highness Jin. Did you cough?”
“What is it?”
Then, an attendant signaled cautiously. As if waiting at the door for Jin’s voice. Had more time passed, he’d have entered to wake him.
“The Prime Minister has called an emergency council. Lord Ian and Lord Romandro can’t attend due to their conditions. The Magic Department’s still in cleanup, so only Captain Hail will go. He’s left already; your carriage awaits.”
“...Understood.”
Jin rose slowly, straightening his clothes. Not the time for this. He was the only prince in the palace now. With even Ian down like that, he had to pull himself together.
Jin nodded at Xiaoshi. Follow me.
Thud.
“Ow! That hurts!”
Xiaoshi dumped Berik roughly under the bed and chased after Jin. The Magic Department remained quiet. Mages dotted about here and there, but all looked frantic, likely just stopping by amid cleanup.
“This way, Your Highness.”
“And Romandro?”
“Lady Vivianna is nursing him.”
Jin pondered briefly, then boarded the carriage. His first grand council without Ian. Anxious, trembling, but a day that had to come.
‘They’ll want to know what happened in the chamber. I was the last to walk out. What else could they pin on me? What to watch for?’
Clatter clatter!
Was his stomach churning from the carriage, or nerves? To avoid trouble when Ian woke, no mistakes allowed...
‘Ian, that’s imperial blood! Hahaha!’
Arsen’s final shout resurfaced suddenly. Jin shook his head in alarm. But oddly, the follow-up wouldn’t fade.
‘Jin. You didn’t know? Why would Ian help trash like you? He’s got his own agenda! ...Only imperial blood is immune to mind control!’
Jin too. While mages and priests clutched heads and fell, he’d stood firm against Arsen. Gail the same. He’d entered the poison zone without issue, soldiers unable to approach.
But why Ian...?
‘Impossible.’
Ian, imperial blood? Then Philia? Former Derga Count? Clearly, that devil had toyed with him to the last breath.
Jin bit his lip softly as the carriage slowed to a stop. They’d arrived at the First Palace main building’s grand council hall.
“We’ve arrived, Your Highness.”
Xiaoshi, seated behind, opened the door and guided him. Jin descended carefully, climbed the stairs tensely. And soon realized it slowly.
Swipe.
Nobles’ gazes unfriendly toward him, whispers sharp as blades, wary postures—all flickered from every direction.