Chapter 19: Informant

"I know you have nowhere to stay and nothing to eat."

The salary he had received so far was likely confiscated under the name of compensation. Beric was literally left with nothing.

He managed to get some food from the tavern he used to frequent, but he couldn't live like this for days on end. Beric frowned and glared at Ian.

"Damn, did you use some kind of drug on me?"

"It seems that was the case."

"Thinking about it, every time I met you, my body felt that way. I don't know what it is, but it would be better for your health to tell the truth. I don't fight that way."

The feeling of determination surged through his veins. When he punched, he almost lost consciousness from the pleasure. No matter how he thought about it, it wasn't a normal reaction. The only common factor in both experiences was that blonde-haired guy.

"Hmm."

Ian shook his head with a relaxed smile, looking a bit disappointed.

"You have a good attitude, but you're more dull than I thought."

"What?"

Beric was taken aback by the unexpected comment. Ian crossed his arms and leaned against the door, tapping his temple as if urging Beric to think.

"The water I gave you the first time was from one of the trainees, not me. And you didn't refuse the jerky, did you?"

He hadn't drunk a single drop of water since then. Beric's face grew increasingly confused. He had come here half-sure of something.

"I can tell you what you're curious about, but you have to promise something first."

Swoosh.

Ian's eyes turned golden.

But he didn't send mana to Beric like before. If he acted like a calf here, things could go wrong.

"First, you must keep the golden eyes a secret."

"No, no! This is—"

Beric jumped up and shouted, causing the guards behind him to look at him curiously. Ian's back was turned, so they couldn't see his face.

"And you must not be disrespectful."

Ian calmly warned Beric, who had been given a lot of leeway because of his power as a sword mage. But Beric's behavior was too much. Given his personality, he would likely act the same way in front of Derga.

'So that's why sword mages are valuable?'

The kind of person who would even beg to be killed. The still-healing whip marks were evidence of that. Beric bit his lower lip and muttered.

"Is that all?"

"Lastly, I want you to protect me from all dangers. In return, I will make that power fully yours. To avoid any misunderstanding, I just brought out the power hidden within you."

Since he seemed to dislike relying on external forces, it was best to make that clear. Beric blinked in surprise.

"Mine?"

"That's the offer. If you agree—"

"I'll do it!"

"Please lower your voice."

With Beric shouting that there was no need to think, the guards began to look suspicious. They whispered to each other, discussing something.

"Being with me includes crossing the border. I may need you when we return, but I'm not sure."

"Return? Here?"

How could a tribute sold in a peace treaty return to Brats? Even Beric knew that was impossible. But his answer was clear.

"What's the big deal about crossing the border? I have no home or family anyway."

"Remember, you might die."

"I'll starve to death here."

Right. Even if he were to die soon, he wouldn't show respect. Ian laughed helplessly and looked up at him. He almost added something but stopped. After hearing so many complaints, he thought Beric had improved.

"So, now tell me everything."

Beric's eyes burned with a simple desire for strength. Ian paused, choosing his words carefully.

"Have you heard of a sword mage?"

"No."

"Then what about mana?"

"Never heard of it."

"......"

They stared at each other in silence, finding each other strange.

Even in Ian's time as emperor, there could be uneducated people. Here, in a rural border area over a hundred years ago, it was natural that an orphan who roamed the streets wouldn't know these things.

"Sir Ian, we've been delayed too long."

"It's time to change shifts."

As they stopped talking, the guards seized the opportunity to intervene. Ian stroked his chin and instructed Beric.

"I'll call you soon, so wait here."

"Huh? Wait, just a moment."

"Be patient."

The last words were almost a plea. As the guards slowly pushed the massive door closed, Beric rushed forward. He was blocked by a long spear.

'He clearly told me to wait.'

How could he disobey an order immediately? With so much to do, he now had one more thing to worry about.

Ian clicked his tongue and moved toward the annex. The corridor was empty, likely because the servants had gone to rest after cleaning.

Knock knock.

"It's Ian."

Without waiting for a response, Ian opened the door.

He thought the teacher would be waiting, but the room was empty. The coat, bag, and half-cooled teacup suggested he hadn't left.

"Where did you go? Teacher?"

He thought the teacher might have gone to the bathroom, but there was no sign of anyone. Ian leaned back on the sofa, then suddenly looked at the teacher's bag.

'This is Derga's spy. He must have some useful information.'

Ian rummaged through the bag and found a stack of papers. Most were reference materials for class.

The rest was a paper titled "Climate Change in the Great Desert and the Correlation with the Blister Sea," which included a scholarly map published last year. Surprisingly, it was issued by Barial University.

'So he graduated from Barial.'

It was possible to guess why a genius would be in the Brats border area. 'Great Desert' referred to the Tianli tribe's base, and 'Blister Sea' was the sea at the edge of the desert, bordering the East.

Swish.

He searched the bottom of the bag but found nothing special. After neatly organizing the materials, he checked the old coat. It was clean except for some trash in the pockets.

"Hmm?"

Inside the sleeve, there was a designer label. The name of the designer and the stamp next to it were familiar.

'This stamp looks similar to the one Lord Mollin used.'

He traced the lines with his fingertips, which were similar to Mollin's gestures in his memory.

At that moment, the academic journal from Barial University caught his eye again. Since Barial University was a state-run institution, it was likely that the teacher had many opportunities to connect with government officials. Ian couldn't help but laugh.

'So Lord Mollin's eyes and ears were a tutor.'

Thinking about it, it made sense. Information like sending letters to the Tianli tribe wouldn't be known to servants. Ian sat on the sofa, pretending nothing had happened.

'Does the teacher know I'm working with Lord Mollin?'

If he was just an informant, he wouldn't need to know that much. If he was more than that, he was likely monitoring Ian from behind.

At that moment,

Creak.

"Sir Ian?"

The teacher, who had rushed in, was startled to see Ian. His slightly sweaty and flushed face suggested he had just done something risky.

In such cases, it was usually a secret meeting, spying, or theft. Given that he was unarmed, spying was the most likely.

"I was delayed because I had something to do. Where did you go?"

"To the, to the bathroom."

"But there's a bathroom in the room."

"Well, um..."

His eyes darted around. Ian waved his hand, as if dismissing the matter, and sat at the desk.

"I need to write a letter today. You heard from my father, right?"

"Yes, I did. I've already written it. You just need to copy it."

A sigh of relief could be heard from the teacher. He seemed glad Ian wasn't too interested.

How could he be so clumsy? It was more plausible that the teacher was a distant relative rather than a planted spy.

"Teacher, it might be late today. Should I call your house to let them know? We can have dinner here since it's getting late."

Ian asked to test the teacher. The teacher wiped his sweat and looked uncomfortable.

"It's fine. No one is waiting for me. I'll eat at home."

A bachelor, in his late thirties, living alone in a foreign land, a poor noble who had come here for his research. Ian could clearly see his life.

When he was in the palace, such people occasionally showed remarkable achievements.

'Now I understand why he lacked enthusiasm for teaching.'

He wanted to finish quickly and return to his research.

While copying the letter, Ian closely observed the teacher. He definitely seemed nervous, and the atmosphere was tense.

Scratch scratch.

The sound of the quill scratching on parchment echoed in the quiet room. Ian thought to himself.

'It seems he was trying to do something on Mollin's orders. It would have been too tight to go to Derga's office.'

Ian's room was on the third floor of the annex, and Derga's office was at the top of the main building. With no idea when the student would arrive, it would have been impossible to go there. So, he must have done something in the annex.

The first floor had a small kitchen, servants' bathroom, and storage. The second floor was for the butler and other servants. The third floor and above were guest rooms and empty rooms.

"Butler..."

Did he go to the butler's room? Ian casually mentioned