ETHTKE chapter 32

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If Cedric wasn’t the one who placed the barrier, he could still quickly dispel it.

Piel intended to call Cedric first to ask if he knew anything about the barrier in the Crown Prince’s palace.

Even if he didn’t know, it wouldn’t be a waste of time, as Cedric, who had been the head of the Magic Department for a long time, might still offer some valuable advice.

“If the barrier suddenly disappears, I might see my brother’s surprised face.”

Just the thought made Piel’s lips twitch in amusement.

But the moment of enjoyment was brief, as Piel sensed the presence of his subordinate returning already.

Piel’s mood improved as he turned his head, thinking everything was going smoothly.

But…

“For someone who came back so quickly, you’re alone.”

For some reason, the subordinate had returned alone. Hadn’t he been told to bring Cedric?

“Your Highness, it seems… Cedric has stepped down from his position as the head of the Magic Department. The matter was handled so quietly that few people are aware of it.”

“What nonsense is this? Resigned out of nowhere? Did you verify this?”

It was an utterly unexpected and unfortunate piece of news.

Who was Cedric? A remarkable elder who had devoted over fifty years of his life to the Imperial family.

As the head of the Magic Department, he was highly respected, possessing immense wisdom and knowledge.

For such a person to quietly retire without anyone knowing? That was simply impossible.

“I heard it directly from someone within the Magic Department, so it seems to be true. However, they didn’t know the reason, only that it was his personal decision…”

As his subordinate cautiously continued, a deep sigh escaped from Piel’s lips.

Cedric’s absence was an unexpected setback.

Of course, Cedric often joked about wanting to rest due to his age.

But usually, people say they want to quit without actually doing so!

“Since when?”

“Fifteen days ago, on the day of the Magic Department meeting.”

As the report continued, Piel’s sighs grew deeper.

Running a hand roughly through his hair, Piel clicked his tongue with sharp eyes.

“Tsk, too late. So, who’s replacing Cedric?”

“Lord Blue is currently acting in his stead.”

As Piel quietly listened, he suddenly realized something strange.

Then, as if something dawned on him, Piel slowly furrowed his brow and stroked his chin.

“…Wait, if it was on the day of the Magic Department meeting…”

Wasn’t that the day I sent the crows to watch Cheong Dowoon?

That was the very day Cheong Dowoon first attended a meeting at the Magic Department.

Looking back now, there was something suspicious.

“Is a newcomer allowed to attend the Magic Department meetings?”

“According to the department’s regulations, they can only do so after a year.”

It wasn’t just an observation; it was actual ‘attendance.’

How could a mere rookie have the audacity to speak at a meeting?

Yet it had all flowed so naturally that no one had noticed at the time.

“Then how did Cheong Dowoon manage to attend?”

“As far as I know, exceptions can be made if the head of the department intervenes.”

At his subordinate’s words, Piel’s face twisted slightly more. He knew that, but Cedric and Cheong Dowoon had never met before, right?

So, did Cedric, who had never met Cheong Dowoon, suddenly call him out of nowhere?

…Why?

“Is there any other way?”

“The Magic Department operates under the Emperor’s authority, so external pressure can’t affect it. Unless Lord Cedric personally invited him, there’s no other way.”

For a moment, an absurd, strange thought flashed through Piel’s mind.

“…No way.”

Did Cedric, for some reason, use his authority to bring Cheong Dowoon to the Magic Department? And then got to know him…

“And my brother was involved?”

Could it be that the Crown Prince, displeased with this, decided to get rid of Cedric, who was always a thorn in his side?

What a crazy thought.

The head of the Magic Department was someone even the Emperor couldn’t easily deal with. That was only natural, given the rarity of Wizards in Pendium.

But did my brother really commit such a blatant act just because someone followed his orders?

“My imagination is running wild.”

Though my brother is often irritating, he’s not the type to do something so unreasonable.

He wouldn’t do something like that out of spite.

Of course, he does openly dislike the Magic Department and has persistently suggested its dissolution…

“…Enough. Then go and fetch Reggie. He knows something about barrier magic. And find out Cedric’s whereabouts. There’s something I need to ask him.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

It seemed I wouldn’t be satisfied until I heard why Cedric had sought out Cheong Dowoon. Given Cedric’s dull personality, it was probably nothing, but still, one never knows.

For now, it seemed wise to use Reggie as a temporary solution.

In terms of skill as a Imperial Court Wizard, Blue would naturally be a better choice, but Piel had a reason for choosing Reggie.

“Getting stabbed in the back once is enough with Ken.”

A chilling voice echoed in the empty office.

Having been burned once, Piel had become more cautious and had now set his sights on Reggie, one of the Imperial Court Wizards.

With his striking orange hair, Reggie was different from Blue in that he was purely driven by pleasure—a true hedonist.

Moreover, Reggie was an eccentric who refused to talk to anyone who seemed uninteresting.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Reggie had already sensed Piel’s plot to overthrow the Crown Prince, Hail, and found it intriguing.

Since realizing Piel’s intentions, Reggie had often helped him as an accomplice, providing significant assistance, albeit indirectly.

One of these was coercing and recruiting Ken, the knight commander, to their side, making Reggie invaluable in many ways.

Of course, Ken’s unexpected betrayal had rendered all that moot now, but still…

“Cheong Dowoon… If not for Reggie, there would never have been such strange rumors.”

What a fool I was to trust Reggie so blindly.

Piel had also taken an interest in Dowoon, who had suddenly appeared one day, but Reggie’s obsession was on another level.

Ever since Cheong Dowoon’s arrival, Reggie had been unpredictable, behaving in a series of erratic ways.

They spread malicious rumors about Dowoon, labeling him as a “Imperial parachute,” and eventually pushed forward the idea of proving his competence by leading the restoration of the Imperial palace’s burnt private property.

During this process, the Crown Prince, Hail, faced constant protests in Imperial meetings almost every day.

There were very few people who could bother someone as cold-hearted as Hail, let alone Dowoon.

All of this was orchestrated solely by Reggie.

Dowoon, unaware of this, just smiled innocently at Reggie, who had orchestrated everything to put him in this position.

“I can’t possibly believe that guy is on my side just because he’s helping me.”

Piel had every intention of using Reggie while he was still helping him.

It was better to keep an unpredictable madman close than to turn him into an enemy.

Deep down, Piel wanted to grab Reggie’s annoyingly smiling face and throw him far away every time he saw it.

It was somehow unsettling to see Dowoon smiling or casually conversing with Reggie, not knowing anything.

It annoyed him to see that smile… Maybe it would be better if Dowoon cried instead.

That way, he might feel less uneasy.

It wasn’t something he could easily imagine until he saw it himself.

However, Piel found the thought rather appealing, and a slight smile crept onto his lips.

Dowoon’s tears—now that would be a sight to see.

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“I’ve been locked up here for three days now, and… any chance you’ll let me out? My cough is completely gone now.”

“No.”

Baek Yigang’s cold voice promptly shut me up.

Come on, at least pretend to think about it before answering. This is too harsh.

As I kept complaining about my confinement, Baek Yigang, in what he called a solution, moved a desk into the bedroom.

In other words, he was using the bedroom as a temporary office.

He must be out of his mind. It’s not like I’m going to die the moment I step outside the barrier.

This is overprotectiveness!

I recovered too quickly for it to be because I had the flu.

Anna and Asel, who had been pitying me, thinking I’d be bedridden for a while, were amazed at how fast I recovered, asking if this was also magic.

Sadly, it wasn’t. It was just the remarkable resilience of a Korean who loves garlic and mugwort.

Anyway, as I lived confined to the Crown Prince’s palace under Baek Yigang’s absurd excuse that it was all for my sake, I suddenly realized there were only four days left until the Founding Festival.

It was about time the ominous outline of the original story started to reveal itself.

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