Chapter 16
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Chapter 16
The rather fine residence that Father had arranged for Baron Loapi in exchange for entrusting me to his care receded into the distance behind me.
Since there was nothing in particular to pack, leaving wasn't difficult at all.
'Father, I'm sorry.'
I wasn't abandoning the Loapi Marquessate.
'But I'm smart enough to know that this is the best I can do....'
I was letting go of the blind desperation for Father that I'd been clinging to all this time.
The Baron and Baroness, Huan—they could all go to hell.
'From now on, every paycheck is mine.'
Today was payday, in fact.
As I understood it, the salary would be deposited in the afternoon.
'Starting with this paycheck, I absolutely cannot hand it over to the Baron. Not a single coin from this moment forward.'
I headed straight to the Imperial Palace to change my salary account.
All the things I could finally do now—all the things I'd wanted to do for so long—came flooding into my mind endlessly.
'First, I need to find a place to live. Luca Class lived in a boarding house, didn't he? Today I'll stay at an inn and ask Luca if he has a spare room.'
Any strange boarding house would be more comfortable than Baron Loapi's Residence.
At least they wouldn't be petty enough to withhold meals.
'It'll start getting cold soon—should I buy some clothes? Oh, and my shoe soles have been worn through for ages....'
Of course there were many things I wanted to buy.
Yet none of it brought me joy.
Now I could receive my full salary, and I could finally visit restaurants I'd never been to before.
I could sleep peacefully somewhere without anyone watching my every move.
'Still, I need to save my salary. I can't give up on finding Father.'
Since I wasn't certain of Father's situation, I'd only listened to Baron Loapi's words until now, afraid something might happen to Father.
But you make deals with people, not with dogs.
'There will be a way... a way will appear. If I think carefully, there must be another path....'
Despite having such conviction, I worried that I might come to regret the choice I'd just made.
'Father, I'm not giving up on you. I'll never give up. Never, truly.'
As I headed toward the Imperial Palace, tears kept falling steadily. I muttered continuously, wiping them away without pause.
"Father... Where are you exactly? I miss you so much...."
* * *
The Ministry of Justice Official was already dead ten minutes before the Imperial Palace knights arrived.
The still-invisible enemy seemed to be provoking Crown Prince Kiaros, as if saying 'I already know what you're going to do.'
"That Ministry of Justice Official named Rennan was originally assigned to the Scroll Management Department. Ten years ago, he requested a transfer citing poor adaptation, and moved to the Justice Department."
After hearing the report at the Imperial Palace, Crown Prince Kiaros thought with a cold expression.
'So the Scroll Management Department is definitely involved.'
The Scroll Management Department was a loosely organized body, making it ideal for enemies to infiltrate.
That's why I'd infiltrated that department out of suspicion.
We found several documents half-burned in the fireplace—they appear to be some kind of cipher. We'll search the entire residence and look for hidden spaces.
Progress on the matter wasn't bad. If we found something there, it would be thanks to our swift response.
And the reason they could respond so swiftly was entirely thanks to Namia Loapi...
'Everyone else was caught off guard, yet that seemingly dull junior official was the only one doing her job properly.'
Was she truly dull? Something didn't quite add up.
He sighed and sent the messenger bird back out the window.
'First thing tomorrow, I'll summon Namia Loapi and tell her I'll grant her any reward she desires...'
And just as he was about to turn away.
A familiar silver-haired figure crossed the Imperial Palace Garden with hurried, uneven steps that caught his eye.
'Hmm? That woman...'
He recognized her immediately. It was Namia.
'Didn't she say she was going home?'
She walked with her head bowed low, heading somewhere.
Crown Prince Kiaros's eyes widened without his realizing it.
Namia wiped her eyes with a swift motion. She was crying softly.
He opened the window wider, and her voice reached him—a whispered murmur mixed with tears.
"Father... Where are you? I miss you so much..."
Crown Prince Kiaros stood frozen, watching her.
A knock sounded, and the Aide entered.
"Your Highness."
The Aide held a report with a black cover.
"I've gathered information about the Loapi Marquessate."
Crown Prince Kiaros nodded for him to proceed. The Aide consulted the report and recounted what was, in many ways, an ordinary tale.
They were a declining noble family from the Southern Region with nothing particularly remarkable about them—they had come to the Capital fifteen years ago and had been steadily squandering their fortune, and recently they'd taken out loans for an investment that failed completely.
"However, their movements fifteen years ago are rather peculiar."
It was then that Crown Prince Kiaros's brow furrowed slightly.
"Just before coming to the Capital, they belatedly added Namia Loapi to the family records as Huan Loapi's twin sister."
It was because the name 'Namia Loapi' had appeared.
"What's unusual is that Baron Loapi had a younger brother, and both that brother and his daughter went missing that year. The daughter's name doesn't appear in the birth records."
In provincial areas, it was common to register the birth first and register the name later. The Aide continued.
"Since this occurred in the Southern Region, we'll need more time to investigate, but The Ravens believe that the younger brother's daughter is likely Namia Loapi."
"The Southern Region..."
"Yes. It's already a region where The Ravens have deployed many agents."
At those words, Crown Prince Kiaros fell into thought for a moment.
"Is there still no information about that child from the Southern Region?"
"Ah, yes. There's so little information that even The Ravens are finding it difficult..."
The Aide answered with a grave expression.
"We don't know her age or appearance—we only know she was a girl who appeared at a library in the Southern Region long ago. The librarian who worked there at the time only remembers her as 'a quiet child who read books well, then stopped coming at some point.'"
"Hmm."
"If she possessed that level of skill at such a young age, wouldn't she have already become a mage and be at the Magic Tower?"
That had long been The Ravens' theory.
"However, the Magic Tower doesn't allow mages to make their names public or communicate with the outside world until they pass thirty-five years of age. And even then, only with the Tower Master's permission."
At the mention of the Magic Tower, the Aide glanced sideways at Crown Prince Kiaros's expression.
"However, since Your Highness has now obtained access to the Scroll Management Department's documents... the Tower Master will absolutely refuse to cooperate with you going forward."
"This is truly absurd. He never showed any interest in Imperial Palace affairs before."
"But regardless, he'll perceive it as someone intruding upon his domain. After all, isn't he the type to interpret everything in the most twisted manner possible?"
Crown Prince Kiaros let out a soft groan of exasperation.
'If Namia Loapi hadn't revoked the Intern's authority, matters wouldn't have become this complicated...'
But I decided not to resent Namia Loapi.
She had merely been thorough in her duties.
'And her feelings toward that Intern were genuinely beautiful.'
I had somehow come to understand her true heart, which I hadn't known before. I felt genuinely sorry for my misunderstanding—thinking she was indifferent to the Intern.
Crown Prince Kiaros cleared his throat once and changed the subject.
"By the way, did we send a report about this matter to the Magic Tower? I recall instructing you to obtain a written opinion directly from the Tower Master."
"Yes, however..."
The Aide fumbled and produced a letter.
It bore the seal of the Magic Tower, but lacked the Tower Master's personal stamp. It appeared to have been written by the Tower Master's Secretary.
Crown Prince Kiaros irritably took the letter and unfolded it.
The Tower Master is currently away on business.
There is no definite date for his return.
Upon his return, I will immediately inform him that Your Highness the Crown Prince has requested a written opinion on this matter.
Postscript. However, the report states that the Scroll Management Department official activated 172 scrolls.
It appears 17 scrolls were written in error—could you please verify?
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