Chapter 265

“Have you returned?”

Xiaoshi, who had been guarding the Ministry of Magic alone, welcomed her masters. Although Ian and Jin looked a bit more tired than when they left, why was Beric in such a state? His side wound had reopened, and he was muttering curses that were hard to hear.

“Jeirutt, that son of a-“

So it was Captain Jeirutt’s doing. Then it must surely be the result of Beric’s own rudeness.

Xiaoshi skillfully took out a first aid kit from the cabinet. As Ian’s nosebleeds had become more frequent, the doctor had prepared it in the office.

“Be quiet, you fool! Is Captain Jeirutt your friend?”

“He’ll be my friend when I become captain!”

“Oh my, the captain should have pinched the other side too.”

“Does this look like a pinch to you? He tore at it! Aaagh! It hurts! Apply it gently, will you?”

Romandro took the ointment from Xiaoshi and tended to the wound. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to require calling the doctor again.

While the two were bickering, Ian, as always, immediately checked the desk in his office. It was a gesture to see if any documents had come in while he was away.

“Nothing came in.”

“I see. Everyone was gathered at the grand council, so there wouldn’t have been any reports processed.”

That’s good. Honestly, Ian was a bit tired too, so he felt relieved that he could rest until tomorrow morning. He rummaged in his inner pocket and gestured for Xiaoshi to come closer. Jin pulled a chair close and rested his chin on it, as if waiting for something interesting.

“Xiao, you can read, right?”

“Yes, thanks to Your Highness, I dare say.”

“Here. This is yours.”

A crisp, high-quality paper was neatly folded. Ian motioned for Xiaoshi, who was hesitating, to hurry and take it. As he carefully received it, even Romandro stopped the treatment to watch Xiaoshi’s reaction.

“Read it.”

“…Welcome to becoming a citizen of the Great Empire of Bariel.”

For an official document, an extremely sentimental phrase adorned the beginning. It detailed the permission to live as a person, not someone’s private property, and the rights and duties granted with it.

But Xiaoshi was captivated by the first sentence and couldn’t move on to the next.

“Xiao, what’s wrong?”

Aren’t you happy? He had expected a bright smile, but instead, she looked like she was about to cry. Xiaoshi shook her head with a bitter smile.

“It’s not that. It’s just-“

The lives of countless people flowing in his blood came to mind.

Her mother and unknown father. And her mother’s mothers and father’s fathers. Possible siblings. All of them lived and died so miserably without obtaining this single sheet of paper.

Isn’t it truly ephemeral? She was no different before and after receiving this paper, yet by the permission of some formless entity, she had become a completely different being.

A person. A person whose existence as an individual is acknowledged.

And a citizen of the Great Empire of Bariel, at that.

“I’m glad I can cut it off at my generation. Thank you.”

The bloodline of slaves that had continued for eons was cut off at this moment. Xiaoshi read the certificate without missing a single word, repeatedly murmuring words of gratitude.

“That’s enough thanks. As I said, I didn’t do this out of mere kindness. Fifty gold coins. It would be a burdensome amount for a tenant farmer with a large family, but it should be appropriate for you, Xiaoshi.”

It meant to pay it back slowly. Usually, a commoner’s monthly salary was one gold coin. Fifty coins meant an amount that would take nearly 4 years to save without spending a penny.

But Xiaoshi was currently Jin’s only attendant, and she would have opportunities to work in the palace in the future, so she could expect more income. Above all, what expenses would there be when she was fed and housed?

“What happens when I pay it back?”

Xiaoshi looked around at Jin and Ian as he asked. When she pays it back, does it mean she can no longer be with them? If both the master-servant relationship and the debt disappear, where should Xiaoshi go? Having been bound by others’ will all her life, anxiety suddenly washed over her.

Ian seemed to understand her thoughts and answered while hanging his coat on the back of the chair.

“Xiao. Freedom will be sweeter than your worries. Let’s meet again in a few years. Remember yourself now well. The future you will probably be very surprised at the current you.”

It’s like watching a child dipping into water for the first time. Now she’s hesitating out of fear, but before long, she’ll be spreading her wings unbound by anything.

Xiaoshi carefully folded the certificate, then clutched it tightly with both hands.

“I hear that soon, the Imperial Guards and Imperial Defense Department will be selecting talents. Beric says he’ll apply-“

“You bet I will! I’m gonna kill them all, for real! Aaagh!”

“Xiao, will you do it too?”

Xiaoshi knew that all of Ian’s actions had intentions. Giving her the emancipation certificate now, not on any other day, was in preparation for the talent selection. After all, slaves would probably be excluded from the recruitment.

“Yes. I will.”

Having become a free person, she had no choice but to make her own living. It was time to show her value as a person, not as a slave. The only way was to perform well in the talent selection, as her masters wished.

Ian nodded with satisfaction, and Romandro continued tending to Beric’s wound while praising her.

“Good. You’ve thought well. As you do various things one by one, you’ll find what you truly want. Look at this guy Beric. Although he’s rough and crude, isn’t his life interesting because he has clear desires?”

“What are you saying to someone with a reopened side wound?”

“This too is something you got from doing what you wanted. Accept it humbly.”

Thunk!

Romandro gave Beric a light tap on the head, as if telling him to stay still.

“It seems there will be a lot to prepare, like weapons and protective gear. Xia, let’s go out together soon. It’s been a long time since I went home, so we can visit Viviana too. Hmm.”

“Me too! I’m going to apply too, why aren’t you preparing for me?”

“You have the black sword, don’t you!”

“Iaaaan! Give me some pocket money too!”

Hearing that the two were going out, Beric raised his hand high and shouted. Pocket money? Ian narrowed his eyes and looked at Beric carefully.

“What do you want to use it for?”

“I want to buy protective gear too-“

“You’re going to buy meat, aren’t you?”

“Ah, well! Of course I’ll buy meat too! Hup!”

Beric covered his mouth and held his breath.

Really, is there nothing but food in that head of yours? Romandro clicked his tongue as he tidied up the first aid kit. Jin, who had been listening quietly, carefully tugged at Ian’s sleeve.

“Um, Lord Ian.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I, I also…”

Jin swallowed the end of his sentence hesitantly. Ask anything, Ian said kindly as he bent his waist, and Jin exclaimed.

“I want to go out sightseeing too!”

“Oh, His Highness Jin is asking Ian for pocket money too.”

“You fool, Bariel belongs to His Highness. Who’s giving pocket money to whom…”

Apart from being born in the temple and spending his infancy there, Jin had never once been outside the imperial palace. There was no reason to, nor was there a need. The palace was vast, had everything, and there were still plenty of unknown places.

‘Come to think of it, Mariv and Gale naturally went out to meet nobles and build their factions, and to gauge public sentiment throughout the central regions. But there’s hardly any justification for a young prince to go out. Delaina too had her connections with her family cut off.’

Jin tightly gripped Ian’s sleeve, his eyes sparkling. No different from how Xiaoshi had held the certificate, it was desperate. He had already met the imperial citizens at the trial and discovered that joy. If he didn’t know, he wouldn’t have wanted it, but how could he not desire it now that he knew?

“Lord Ian. Hm? Please. It’s clear that I won’t be able to go out even more once I become the heir. I’ll be buried in studies and training every day. This must be the most leisurely time in my life!”

For a ten-year-old child to discuss life, Ian smiled as he patted the back of Jin’s hand.

“Your Highness. Romandro and Xiaoshi are going out for personal business. If you want to accompany them, Your Highness will have to disguise yourself and hide your identity. If you want to go out officially, there’s a lot to prepare.”

“Of course, I know that.”

“And if Your Highness goes, I will go too.”

Even if elite knights were to accompany him, Ian felt uneasy about sending Jin alone. He felt he needed to be by his side to be at ease.

“…That too, I want!”

The possibility of permission is becoming more visible! Jin unconsciously stood on his tiptoes and bounced up and down. Even when Ian told him to maintain his dignity, the flush didn’t subside from his face.

“Alright. I’ll set a date within this week.”

“Wow! Lord Ian! Thank you!”

“Not at all. When Your Highness grows up, there will often be occasions for secret inspections. You can think of this as practice in advance.”

Prince Jin’s first secret inspection. Romandro scratched his chin as he thought of things to prepare.

First, they’d need to inform the Imperial Guards to secretly select knights to follow, confirm the route, prepare fake identification, and so on. Although it was called a secret inspection, in reality, cooperation from various departments was essential even for this.

“Then are we all going together?”

“Beric, promise to behave outside. With His Highness Jin present, even small disturbances can’t be tolerated.”

“Hooray! Ian is the best! Your Highness Jin, I heard from Captain Hale that there’s a tavern that serves beer mixed with honey. He says it’s amazing. Let’s have fun and then have a drink there-“

“You fool!”

Thwack!

Romandro delivered a final tap on the head. How dare he mention a tavern to His Highness Jin! He glared, telling him not to say such nonsense.

“Why! They said it’s incredibly delicious because they grow the honey themselves! They sell milk too! His Highness Jin can drink that!”

“That’s right, Beric. This is my first time going out, so tell me a lot. I’m truly curious about what the imperial citizens like and enjoy.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll guide you! Yippee!”

“Your Highness, don’t trust him. That guy has no sense of direction.”

Beric jumping around excitedly and Romandro whispering. Jin burst into laughter, finding it all so exciting.

Ian watched them while organizing documents. Jin’s mood had seemed quite bad earlier, but it must have been just simple fatigue.

‘He said he’d keep his conversation with Quintana a secret.’

Ian smiled slightly as he recalled his conversation with Jin. Keeping secrets is the beginning of establishing one’s personality. It was a green light among green lights, wasn’t it truly admirable?

Above all, someone who would ascend to the emperor’s throne needed to know how to stand alone even more.

“And be especially careful not to expose His Highness Jin’s identity outside!”

“Geez, I said I got it! Really, your nagging is intense. Then what should we call His Highness Jin? Huh? It’s not like we’re revealing his identity!”

At Beric’s shout, Romandro hesitated. Then he slowly turned to look at Ian. That’s right? Usually, we use a disguised identity when going out… We’ll need to decide on a new form of address, won’t we?

Ian raised his head, feeling the gaze of the three men looking at him. As if wondering what they were worrying about.

“We’ll say His Highness Jin and I are brothers, and Xiaoshi and Beric are attendants. Sir Romandro would be good as an uncle or grand-uncle.”

“B-Brothers? Lord Ian and me?”

Jin’s eyes widened to the point of popping out. Doesn’t that mean he’ll have to call Ian ‘brother’ when addressing him outside? Goodness!

“I like it very much. I agree!”

“Wait, why am I an uncle or grand-uncle among all possible relationships? Isn’t that cumbersome? I think just uncle would be better.”

At Romandro’s words, Beric clutched his burst wound and giggled.

“Ah, Sir Romandro. For a non-blood-related guardian, that’s perfect. Our appearances are too different, right? Don’t you think, Ian?”

Aha! Romandro snapped his fingers as if he understood, but then comprehended the latter part and made a gloomy expression. Seeing this, Jin hurriedly took his hand and comforted him.

“Romandro, don’t worry. Your child will surely take after Viviana.”

“…Your Highness, thank you for the consolation.”

“Are, are you crying?”

“No. I’m just sad…”

Jin continued to laugh while comforting Romandro. What would he see when he goes out, and what would he experience? Whatever it was, it would be enjoyable with these people.

The child looked back at Ian, who was skimming through documents, and smiled with determination. A determination that believed without doubt that everything would turn out well.