Episode 537. Shatima and Erica
Jin pressed his eyes shut and tried to keep himself from falling asleep. The boundary between day and night had disappeared, so he didn’t realize the passage of time, but his body’s condition told him more accurately than anything else that the day had changed.
He leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes for a moment. He was surprised at how the wizards could endure this, even though he was just sitting there enjoying the banquet.
smart.
“Is this Sir Ian?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Listen.”
Just then, Ian came in, and Jin greeted him with only one eye barely open. Ian checked his watch and nodded as if he understood.
“It is past dawn, nine in the morning. You must be tired, Your Majesty.”
“I’m amazed at what you and the wizards are doing. You don’t seem tired.”
In fact, Ian’s complexion was a little pale, but other than that, there was no other change. The wizards who were wandering around the waiting room were also in good spirits and showed off their neat and tidy appearance.
Ian smiled with satisfaction.
“The biggest factor is probably being able to give and receive power. Accorella’s ability also played a part. Everyone is working hard to maintain the best environment until the end.”
“The nobles?”
“They are still enjoying the banquet. Those who live near the palace have left and re-entered, and those who are not are resting in the prepared palace. They will probably enter the banquet hall again when they come to their senses.”
“They are like the worst people.”
The party was held on a fictitious day, and the party people were really party animals. Jin rubbed his forehead, saying he was tired, and then looked at Ian. But, why did you come here?
Ian noticed the question and reported.
“There is a person among the attendants of Prime Minister Shatima of the Kingdom of Hawan who was the leader of the Imperial Palace Investigation Corps. His name is Bertie Erica. He came by order of His Majesty the Emperor when I was on the border, but disappeared due to some incident. It seems that he came in collusion with the Prime Minister in order to return, so I think it would be best for you to see for yourself.”
“Imperial Palace Investigation Team?”
“Yes. It’s been over ten years since that incident, and all of the members of the organization that Erica led at the time are dead. I’ve listed the charges that Erica can be charged with in this report. A detailed explanation of the charges is also enclosed.”
Swish.
When Ian handed over the report, Jin checked the contents without hesitation. It was as if he was the same person who had been rubbing his eyes just a moment ago.
The servants who were watching the scene nodded to each other and stuck out their tongues. It wasn’t the partygoers who were the worst, but His Highness the Crown Prince. It was as if even poison could be that bad.
Jin, who had been reading the letters without any hesitation, frowned.
“Bring Prime Minister Shatima and Erica.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I knew you would do that and told you to wait outside.”
Squeak.
At Ian’s gesture, the door opened and two people walked in. Their clothes were much lighter. The two bowed to each other on one knee, and Jin allowed them to sit on the sofa.
“Erica?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm.”
Percussion.
Erica’s body flinched violently as Jin threw the report in front of her.
“As the head of the Imperial Investigation Corps, if you not only disobeyed His Majesty the Emperor’s orders, but also went missing and were living under the care of a foreign official, how should the Imperial Palace accept this?”
Even though she realized that Ian was there during the process, and that Mary and Chell’s bodies were also there, Jin’s attitude was firm. When Erica lowered her head without answering, Jin continued.
“Even if you consider me a traitor to my country, I have nothing to say.”
“No! Absolutely not! From the moment I crossed the border, I waited for the day I could return home. The fact that I am a Barielian never changes.”
Erica banged her forehead on the floor and insisted on her innocence.
The atmosphere was somewhat tense, but everyone there knew that it was just a prelude to the conversation. The conversation was transparent from start to finish, so Shatima slowly realized that it was her turn to intervene.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I dare say this, but Erica has never forgotten that she is a Barielite. She swore to me that she would never let go of even the slightest thing about her homeland. That is why I brought her with me when I came to Bariel. I needed a bridge to connect to Bariel.”
“Did you need legs?”
“I believe you know that I am not in a position to easily return to Ha-Wan.”
It was a kind of exile. Under the pretext of seeing and acquiring new knowledge in Bariel, Shatima could not return to Hawan without the king’s permission. It was the fate of one who lost in the power struggle.
“so?”
What do you wish for? As Jin slightly opened his eyes, Shatima said as if she had been waiting for it.
“Please reinstate Erica to the Imperial Investigation Team and send her to Hawan, and allow me to return with her.”
“Reinstatement? Does the Imperial Investigation Team look like a class president position in your elementary school? It’s not an honor that can be easily granted.”
“I will denounce you. I will denounce you, the King of the Kingdom of Hawan, who has made contact with Rutherford.”
Dalgrak.
Shatima took something out of her bosom. It was Idgal. It was a beautiful amber color and quite large, and it seemed to have not undergone any refining.
“Due to the Saadal of ten years ago, Bariel announced an agreement to limit and control the use of Idgal by neighboring countries. The direct target countries were Burgos, Clifford, and Luswena, but Hawan was also included due to its geographical proximity.”
With Idgal starting to be used for crack prevention purposes, the wizards scattered, and Rutherford gone, the method of manufacturing Idgal was also hidden in the labyrinth. As a result, Bariel had no choice but to actively participate in the distribution of Idgal.
Of course, it was possible to guess that each country was paying its own bills, but it was ignored. There was no way to know unless it was visible.
“The quantity of Idgal that was reported to Bariel is incomparably greater in Hawan. This is because Hawan is a center of trade, but also because Rutherford illegally distributed Idgal in various ways, including as jewelry, in the early days.”
Jin lifted the Idgal that Shatima had taken out and slowly examined it. It seemed as if he understood what she was trying to say.
“Yes. Everything is fine. Let’s assume that I send an investigation team to the palace because I suspect a breach of the agreement. But, convince me why it has to be Bertie Erika. There are many capable and trustworthy people in the palace.”
“There are many people in the palace who are trusted by His Majesty, but in Hawan, there is no one who is trusted by me other than Bertie Erika. Also, no one in the palace knows Hawan Kingdom as well as Erika. Right now, don’t you even know the King’s most beloved concubine?”
Of the two reasons, the latter was convincing. However, the former was questionable, so Jin asked back.
“Is your trust that important?”
“Yes, of course. When I return, my king will see to it that I have the will to survive, and he will try to execute me and even purge my people. In order to survive, I need someone I can trust.”
At that point, Ian asked.
“You have already broken down and come to Bariel, so what can we expect?”
It was a remark that could be taken quite insultingly, but Shatima nodded calmly. There are times when it is appropriate to fight back. For now, it is time to just bow and go.
“There are not many private soldiers, but there are. The king has ordered that they be returned to the state, but it has been put on hold since I set out on the road to Bariel. But it is only a matter of time. I can see where the masterless private soldiers will drift to. Also, the king’s brother, the previous king, has a grown son.”
“Are you suggesting that we bet our money on a neighboring country’s treason?”
“It depends on what board it is. The odds are high, so you won’t be disappointed. If war breaks out, Bariel will only look towards Burgos and advance, but what do you plan to do with the rear where Ruswena is? Clifford? Do you think Clifford, who has lost its capital, can stand against Ruswena?”
It was a proposal that Hawan would join forces to block Ruswena. The fact that Bariel was located in the center of Gaia meant that its territory was blocked by other countries. If there were simultaneous battles, it was natural that Bariel’s power would be divided.
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“I cannot give up my troops.”
“Yes. We will also refuse. This is something that we will have to resolve internally. We plan to minimize the use of external forces.”
“I can send you back with a proper excuse, but I can’t restore the honor of the investigation team leader to Bertie Erika.”
At Jin’s decision, Erica’s shoulders trembled once again. Was this really a place of no return? Her fists were shaking so much that the bones on the back of her hands were popping out.
Jin turned his head and looked at Ian, pretending not to see him. Then Ian said, “I understand,” and added instead, understanding what he meant.
“Since it is an Idgal issue, we will dispatch a special investigation team under the Ministry of Magic. It is not the Imperial Investigation Team, but the Ministry of Magic’s Special Investigation Team. Are there any objections?”
It means that you will listen to the request without getting involved directly.
Erica looked up at Ian in disbelief. Now, that is-
‘Are you asking me to treat Ian as my superior?’
Erica’s mouth opened and closed a few times, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything else. All she could do was say thank you.
“A few more things. Idgal, who was not informed by Hawan, will be treated as a violation of the agreement, and a penalty will be calculated and all of them will be returned to Bariel. And after the war, in the distribution of Ruswena territory and other agreements, Bariel will have priority. What do you think? Is that okay?”
Even if Ha-Wan took the initiative to stop and bring about the downfall of Ruswena, it meant that Bariel would have the first decision-making authority when dividing the spoils.
It was quite unfair, but the one who was thirsty at the moment was Shatima. She made a brief correction.
“Let’s just prioritize the territory itself. It would be better to agree on other matters again.”
The ones shedding blood were the soldiers of Ha-Wan-Guk, so this was appropriate. Ian looked back at Jin, and he nodded his chin without saying a word. It was a signal to proceed. This was the moment when the benefits that the anti-establishment forces of each country had hoped to gain by visiting Bariel were realized. Except for the lesser ones like Ruswena.
“Prime Minister Shatima will go straight to the Ministry of Magic. We will be making a contract spell, so if there are any substances that interfere with magic, such as Idgal, please remove them now. The same goes for Erica. Review your work and memorize the instructions.”
“Your Majesty, thank you. I will definitely repay your kindness.”
“What about favor? I said it because the dividends were big.”
As Shatima bowed gracefully, the veil covering her face and hair also flowed down.
The two people left the reception room first, and Ian also pulled Jin’s chin in to greet him.
“Rest well, Your Majesty. I will see you again this afternoon.”
“You too. Take care of yourself.”
“Okay, I’ll take my leave now.”
Squeak.
Ian and the wizards led the two into the Ministry of Magic. Unlike Shatima, who had come for the first time, Erica seemed to feel nostalgic because she was familiar with it. As they turned the corner of the hallway, they could see the entrance to the Minister’s office in the distance.
“… … ?”
Then, the red-haired man who was clearly visible. He was lying forward with his arms raised and sleeping, which looked a bit creepy.
Shatima realized that he was the same swordsman who had been riding the dragon earlier, and frowned slightly. Isn’t that drooling too much?
“This way, Prime Minister Shatima. Don’t worry about that.”
Ian barely managed to turn his gaze to her call.
As they closed the door and went in, Beric flinched, came to his senses, and stood up. Then he yawned, knelt down, and held his arms up tightly.
“One, two, three, four, shit… … .”
Ian said he could put his arms down after counting to a thousand, but damn it. If I go over five hundred, I’ll forget the numbers, and if I go over seven hundred, I’ll be so sleepy I could die.
Beric sniffled and went back to counting.
fantasy,
