Chapter 23: Warrior

"They say those from the capital lack perseverance."

Derga frowned deeply as he climbed the stairs to his office. It seemed that the considerable time and effort he had invested had been erased from memory. The butler also smiled awkwardly, as if finding the situation difficult.

"Indeed. To quit so suddenly like this."

"Is there a scholar from Barial University in Brats?"

"I'll look into it. If not, we should invite one from elsewhere."

It's become unnecessarily troublesome. Where else would you find someone from Barial University who would work as a teacher for such a low price?

I wonder if I shouldn't have frozen his salary for those few years. If I had known, I would have raised it gradually to keep him. Though, it wasn't about money since he was leaving for research in another country.

"Will it be expensive?"

"Most likely. We'll have to pay at least ten times the tuition we've paid so far. Even then, it's uncertain if they'll accept."

Damn! Derga stomped his foot, filled with irritation. As he was about to reach the office, he suddenly thought of his advisor, who hadn't shown up yet.

"Is the advisor still sleeping?"

"He fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, so he must be exhausted."

"His fate is sealed. Wake him up and send him home."

Creak.

As he opened the door, Derga hesitated. The butler's puzzled gaze was irrelevant. The usual orderly scene had somehow changed.

"What is this?"

It wasn't just his imagination. The advisor was lying flat on the floor, and the pile of papers was slightly disheveled. The butler, who had followed Derga in, covered his mouth in shock.

"Good heavens! Is he alright?"

Unlike the butler, who immediately checked the advisor's condition, Derga went straight to the drawer. He opened the secret safe inside to check if the seals and valuables were still there.

"Sir! Should I call a doctor?"

"…Is he dead?"

Derga's voice was sharp. If he had collapsed at his desk, there was only one possible explanation. He had been caught in a mouse trap, just like the previous butler.

"He's still breathing."

"Call a doctor. And report to me the moment he wakes up. Make sure someone watches him so he doesn't escape."

"Yes, sir. Outside! Is anyone there!"

"What's the matter?"

A commotion ensued. As the servants rushed in to move the advisor, Derga thoroughly inspected the office. Fortunately, nothing seemed to be missing or altered.

Perhaps because there was no damage, his mind calmed, and a surge of betrayal rose.

"Damn it!"

"Oh, sir, you shouldn't!"

"How did I raise you! To act like this!"

Smack!

Derga slapped the unconscious advisor's face, venting his anger mixed with frustration.

Meanwhile, Beric, who had returned to the annex, bit into an apple and asked,

"It's noisy. Did we get caught?"

The servants, who had been resting leisurely, were all summoned and rushed into the main house. A carriage crossing the garden—surely a doctor was inside. Ian leaned against the window, watching with interest.

"We were caught. The advisor was inside."

"Trouble. We're in for it now."

"Are you scared?"

"If I die like this, I'll be the only one suffering."

Not a bad point. Ian laughed at Beric's words.

Ian broke the wooden key and handed a small pouch to Beric. Inside was a rolled-up note.

"Destroy the key outside where no one can see. And deliver this to Officer Molin. You must deliver it personally. Do you remember the address?"

This was the final step. Beric tucked it into his pocket and nodded.

"Deliver it to Officer Molin, get the gold coin, and on your way back, stop by the house and tell Philia."

"Excellent."

This was a message to Philia, Ian's birth mother.

It's time. If you're ready to hide, disappear without anyone noticing. Only Beric knew her location, and even if they crossed the border, there would be no loose ends.

"Let's start proper training from tomorrow."

"If we complete the mission successfully."

"Alright. Don't back out later."

He looked determined to complete the task by any means necessary. Ian threw him an apple and smiled.

"See you tomorrow."

Creak.

The conversation was over.

Now, it was a matter of observing how the other side would react. On second thought, being caught by the advisor wasn't entirely bad.

'Even if I wrapped things up, there might have been something overlooked in the rush. Derga would surely notice. He might shift his focus to the advisor.'

If the advisor testified, it would lead to a new phase, but the question was whether Derga would believe him. The count would likely draw his own conclusions to protect his position, and those conclusions wouldn't change even if the sky split in two.

Knock knock.

Ian turned at the knock.

"Ian. I'm coming in."

"Ah. Teacher."

The teacher entered, sweating profusely. He seemed drained from his conversation with Derga. The tension between an employer who didn't want to let go and an employee who wanted to quit was evident.

"Did you have a good talk with your father?"

"Yes…"

"Since today is your last lesson, I'm disappointed. I'm truly grateful for your excellent teaching. As a token of my appreciation, I've prepared a small gift."

Ian smoothly handed him a folded piece of paper. It was a travel permit with the Brats seal. The teacher let out a sigh of relief and wiped his forehead.

"Phew. Goodness."

"Is it not to your liking?"

"No, why didn't you smile when our eyes met earlier! I was so worried about what was wrong."

The teacher clutched the travel permit to his chest as if it were a lifeline.

"Go to Blaster and continue your good research. Even if no one pays attention, it's people like you who will change the world."

Ian sincerely encouraged him. The knowledge he had built over a lifetime would become the foundation of Barial and, eventually, the driving force for Ian.

The teacher, unsure how to respond, rummaged through his bag.

"Here, the materials you mentioned."

It was a map of the Great Desert and expected climate conditions. The altitude of sand dunes and oasis markings were meticulously noted.

"Based on the date you mentioned, there's a high probability of a sandstorm forming in the northeast around here. I'm not sure about the Thousand Clan's movements, but if you're lucky, you'll avoid it."

The temperature fluctuations were extreme, ranging from scorching heat to freezing cold. Ian sighed at the arduous journey ahead.

"You don't look well."

"I feel like giving it all up."

"Still, it's a place where people live."

Was this a response to the earlier encouragement? Ian carefully folded the paper and put it in a drawer.

"Are you leaving today?"

"Yes. I can't wait another moment."

Ian extended his hand as a final gesture, and the teacher hesitated before taking it. They smiled, wishing each other luck.

"Wait. Before you go."

"Yes?"

The teacher's expression suggested he was wondering what else could be left.

Ian took out the Thousand Clan letter he had copied from Derga's office yesterday. It was a transcription of scattered words rather than a full sentence.

"Can you translate this?"

The teacher examined the paper, then tilted his head.

"Who will succeed the current leader of the Thousand Clan?"

He read it aloud, but the teacher laughed, clearly not understanding the meaning. Ian was in the same boat.

However, given that it was in the secret safe, it was undoubtedly an important letter.

* * *

"Did you hear?"

"About the advisor? Oh, the world is a scary place."

"Indeed. I heard this happened before."

"You can never truly know what's in someone's heart, but it's still surprising."

The atmosphere in the mansion was tense. Despite the butler's efforts to maintain order, it wasn't easy. Servants gathered in groups to discuss the advisor's incident.

"…So, he hasn't woken up yet?"

"Yes, young master."

Ian, leaving the servants' chatter behind, asked Hana. The child followed, holding his coat. Behind them, Beric, carrying sandbags, trailed along.

"The count hasn't sent him home. He locked him in an inner office and posted guards in the hallway and at the door. No servants are allowed to approach."

Hana whispered, recounting what she had overheard. Given the amount of magic used, it was natural that he wouldn't wake up easily. Hana, genuinely curious, asked,

"How did you do it?"

What had he done to make the advisor collapse like that? Hana, unaware that Ian was a magic user, was dying of curiosity.

"Here, take this."

"Whoa! Gold coins!"

Instead of answering, Ian handed her a gold coin from his pocket. It was a sign that the message to Molin had been delivered successfully.

"It's your reward and the carpenter's share. Pass it on."

"It's too much. Wow."

"Is it? Then give me the change."

"No, no. Hehe. What a silly thing to say."

The polite refusal was not a refusal. Hana smiled and bit the coin with her front teeth. She quickly put it in her pocket and stepped back, pretending it was nothing.

"Beric, come on."

"But you said we'd do proper training…"

"Is that not proper training? Should I add more weight