* * *
“Here, it’s not much, but a little gift. I heard you liked fruit wine.”
Dowoon handed Ian the apple wine he had brought with him. Ian might not like Baek Yigang, but he couldn’t afford to dislike Dowoon too.
Power aside, it would be quite troublesome to be hated by one of the main characters.
Who knows, Dowoon might have to switch sides to him someday.
Not that it seemed likely, but who knows what the future holds?
It’s important to maintain good relations, easy communication, and a friendly image!
…That’s what Dowoon wanted.
“I’m already grateful for your company, and now a gift as well… Huh?”
But Ian suddenly paused, his eyes widening in surprise, as if shocked by something.
What? Did Dowoon bring the wrong thing?
He couldn’t have made a mistake, right?
“Is this… the 999th-year vintage apple wine, of which only a few bottles remain in the Empire…?”
“…Pardon?”
What was Ian even talking about? Nothing seemed wrong, right?
“You brought this rare apple wine for me? Wizard… you’re truly a good person.”
His deep blue eyes sparkled as they looked at Dowoon, filled with genuine gratitude.
What?
It’s rare?
But Reggie said it was common!
Dowoon had thought it was just an ordinary wine!
“Ah, yes. Well… I’m glad you like it.”
Feeling awkward, Dowoon forced a smile. Ian then offered a wine glass, suggesting they drink together.
Oh, more alcohol…
Why does it feel like every time I meet him, we end up drinking?
Does Ian just crave alcohol when he sees me?
Considering that Dowoon had come here to touch Ian in some way, Ian’s sincerity was becoming quite burdensome.
It was gnawing away at what little remained of Dowoon’s conscience.
“The aroma is incredible. I’ve always wanted to try this wine, and I’m so grateful.”
Dowoon’s thoughts about Ian being serious about wine seemed to be right.
He seemed like the type who would get along with Reggie… although, with their vastly different personalities, it was hard to say if they would actually get along.
The empty glasses were quickly refilled.
Considering how rare this wine was, why was Ian pouring so much?
It was meant for him alone, but he was practically draining the bottle.
After making small talk and emptying their glasses, an idea suddenly came to Dowoon’s mind.
A legitimate, perfectly reasonable way to make contact with Ian.
It was…!
“Um, Your Highness.”
“Yes, Wizard?”
It seemed like Ian was in a better mood, probably because of the alcohol.
Although his expression remained calm, there was an unmistakable energy in his voice, slightly more elevated than before.
Honestly, it was the perfect timing for a con… or rather, to make a move.
“Your Highness, aren’t you curious about your future?”
“Hm, the future… Of course, I am curious. Isn’t everyone? Even the mighty gods are said to be ignorant of what lies ahead.”
Ian smiled warmly and continued in his smooth manner.
Right, even the gods can’t know the future.
But someone who got transmigrated does. I know your future.
“I was thinking of taking a peek at Your Highness’ future. What do you think? I’m actually quite talented in that area.”
With a sly smile, I threw out the bait.
A bright flash flickered in Ian’s dark eyes.
He didn’t respond immediately but instead downed the rest of his drink, contemplating his answer.
“So, are you saying that you, a Wizard, have the abilities of a sorcerer?”
Oh? Look at that.
Ian’s response was rather bold.
The reason being, in ‘The Catastrophe of Initia’, there were many individuals with peculiar abilities, but the only ones whose powers were recognized were Wizards.
But the sorcerers Ian just mentioned were those who had once been Wizards but were cast out.
They deceived people with trivial tricks that barely resembled magic, which ultimately led to their downfall.
Because of that, even today, the image of sorcerers was terribly bad.
To put it kindly, they were people who performed sorcery.
In harsher terms, they were scammers, often called witches for leading people astray with nonsense.
“It’s not that grand. I’m just really good at fortune-telling. My prophecies have a high probability of coming true.”
Of course they do.
I’m just repeating the plot of the original story, so how could they not?
When it came to the main character Ian, I could predict anything and everything accurately.
Ian, after pondering once more, quietly gazed at the empty wine glass before looking at me with resolved eyes.
“Well then, Wizard! I’d appreciate your advice about my future.”
Hah, Lord, here comes a big catch.
It was the moment when a suspicious fortune-telling tent had just opened.
And the result? Needless to say, it was a complete success.
You told him, with a bit of exaggerated flair, that he’d strike it rich in the future, gripping Ian’s hand as you said it.
Thanks to that, I managed to siphon even more holy power than last time.
Well, it made sense—Ian had been downing strong drinks all night and was completely out of it, so without realizing it, I just kept…
“Extraordinary, truly.”
Even after draining some of his holy power, the cold energy in my body disappeared.
I hadn’t even absorbed it yet, just held onto it.
That only meant the energy was that pure.
It made me realize anew that this level of holy power was what it took to erase the traces of dark magic.
I had always propped up Ian as the main protagonist, but in reality, his actions weren’t much different from other supporting characters, so I had low expectations.
However, today, I saw it clearly—his aura was different.
The villain is the villain, but the protagonist is still the protagonist.
Yes, there needed to be a clear distinction between the two.
Having absorbed enough holy power, it was time to head back to my room.
Ian, already too drunk to stay awake, had passed out in front of me.
The apple wine I brought had run out long ago, and after drinking all the alcohol Ian had stashed away, even I was starting to feel a bit lightheaded.
“Ian, I’m leaving now, okay?”
We had gotten so close that Ian allowed me to call him by name when it was just the two of us.
Of course, considering he was drunk, I wasn’t sure how long that permission would last.
“Mmm… Wizard. Can I really become someone great…?”
“Of course you can.”
I stood up, leaving Ian, who was muttering, and was about to walk past him when I finally lifted him up.
“Ugh, up you go.”
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Ian’s room was connected to the sitting room, so the bed was right across from me.
Before he could throw up from all the drinking, I quickly carried him to the bedroom.
Then, I gently… or rather, carefully, laid him down on the bed.
He was a full-grown man, and with all that alcohol in him, he was heavy.
But not so heavy that I couldn’t manage.
I was suddenly reminded that Baek Yigang was unexpectedly heavy.
He didn’t look it, since his muscles weren’t that visible, but when you actually tried to lift him, it wasn’t easy.
He was one of those people whose muscle mass made them heavier than they looked.
“Ian, I’m really leaving now!”
“…”
No answer came from the sleeping Ian.
Even though I wasn’t the one who made him pass out, I felt a little guilty.
After all, he was younger than me.
“Your Highness…”
As I opened the door and stepped out, the attendants who had been waiting outside stared at me with anxious eyes.
I guess they were worried because the rowdy noises inside had suddenly gone quiet.
“He’s sleeping. Just clear away the bottles, so he doesn’t wake up.”
“Thank you.”
The attendants carefully entered the room, following my advice.
My task was done.
But where was Asel?
I half-expected him to be waiting outside, as usual, until I came out.
Well, I suppose sometimes it’s good to have moments like this.
“…Sir!”
As I leisurely made my way back to my room, a voice I recognized faintly called out in the distance.
“Wait, Sir Cheong Dowoon!”
I turned around to see a familiar face—someone I felt like I’d met before but couldn’t quite remember.
“Who are you?”
“It’s me! The person in charge of magical power measurement…!”
Realizing I had forgotten him, he looked at me with sad eyes.
Ah, the one who conducted my magic test?
“Oh! Yes, I remember now. It’s been… quite a while?”
You said you’d contact me when the results were out, but it’s been nearly a month now.
No wonder I forgot.
“Well, the results should’ve come out sooner, but there was a small issue.”
“Issue? What sort of issue?”
The official’s eyes departed around nervously before he slowly answered.
“It seems there was a malfunction with the device during your test. We sent it in for repairs, but it took longer than expected… I’m afraid we’ll need to retest.”
“The device malfunctioned? On the day I took the test?”
“Yes, so we’ll have to redo it. When you have the time, please come back to the Magic Department. This time, Blue will be the one handling it.”
The official delivered the shocking news with an awkward face. No wonder the results hadn’t come—it all made sense now.
“I get that, but why is Senior Blue handling it?”
“Oh, you didn’t know? He’s currently the acting head of the Magic Department.”
Blue, the acting head of the Magic Department? What kind of absurdity was this?
Seeing my dumbfounded expression, the official awkwardly smiled, sensing my shock.
“If you meet him, be sure to address him as ‘Head’. He’s quite fond of the title.”
Unbelievable…
This was, hands down, the most ridiculous thing I’d heard all year.
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