Wizard Of Cosmos

306 - The Messenger

The atmosphere grew heavier, the tension thickening with each breath.

The envoys from the Brodice Kingdom stood their ground, their jaws clenched in barely contained frustration.

Their eyes—especially those of the Grandmasters—never left Amelia. There was fear there, even if none of them dared to admit it. One step too far, and they knew she could crush them where they stood.

Still, their leader stepped forward, holding a scroll with trembling fingers masked by feigned authority.

“We are envoys of the Brodice Kingdom,” he declared, voice echoing with forced confidence.

“I stand here on behalf of His Majesty—the absolute ruler of our lands. In his name, we extend a proposal of peace. We are willing to lift the bounty on your head... in exchange for removing the bounties you have placed on His Majesty and his subjects.”

His words were rehearsed—measured—but anyone could see the nerves behind them.

“No.” The room froze.

The envoy blinked.

“W–What?” Even the officials of Light Shone looked startled.

It wasn’t the answer that shocked them— It was the complete lack of hesitation.

Only Amelia, leaning lazily in her seat, and Hanna, who was still focused on her cookie, looked entirely unmoved.

Jason sat relaxed in his chair, arms draped casually as if the fate of kingdoms didn’t hang in the air.

He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t blink.

“I’m not interested. You can keep your bounty.” He lifted his hand and gestured lazily. “And I’ll keep mine.”

The envoy opened his mouth and then closed it.

“But… but—” His eyes widened in disbelief.

Jason raised his hand again, silencing him. Then, he smiled.

It wasn’t a warm smile.

It wasn’t polite.

It was cold, dismissive—condescending.

“There’s no point in negotiating something so one-sided.” He tapped his armband lightly with a finger.“I can die and come back.”

He leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming.

“Can you?”

…

“There is a Grand Order!” The envoy’s voice cracked through the hall like a whip, rising above the stunned silence.

It echoed for a moment—harsh, desperate. Then he froze, clearly startled by his own outburst.

A wave of murmurs spread through the room.

“A Grand Order?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Is it a title or some kind of political trick?”

The players looked confused, whispering among themselves, but the natives looked startled.

Jason raised a brow, his expression shifting from mild curiosity to deep amusement.

“A Grand Order?” he repeated.

Then his lips curled. And the next second—

“Hahahaha!” He burst into open laughter.

Hanna blinked, puzzled at first, and then giggled.

“Hehehe... Eh? Why is Daddy laughing?” she asked with wide eyes, delighted by her father’s laughter.

“Because he’s weird,” Amelia replied dryly, clearly unamused. She leaned her cheek on one hand, her expression blank. “This is just wasting time.”

Jason finally composed himself, wiping the corner of his eye.

“A Grand Order? You?” he scoffed, turning his amused gaze toward the envoy.

“Do you even have the qualifications to carry one? Much less read the contents?”

There was a spark in his eyes now—not mockery, but something sharper.

He knew.

In his previous life, he had never once seen a Grand Order up close.

Even during the Cervian invasion, when the planet itself was at war, no common king had received such a decree. A Grand Order wasn’t something for mortals to flaunt. It wasn’t a document. It was an act of divine will to this world.

And yet—here it was.

Something had changed.

‘So I’ve disrupted things this much already...’ Jason’s eyes scanned the room once more, lingering briefly. There was someone else here. Hidden. Watching. Concealing themselves to a degree most wouldn’t even detect.

He suppressed the grin that tried to rise again.

“Jason, what’s a Grand Order?” Dane finally spoke up, eyes sharp with curiosity.

Jason didn’t turn to him right away. His gaze remained locked on the envoy.

Then, slowly, he leaned back and smirked.

“It’s the highest decree on this planet,” he said calmly.

“An order signed by all six Grand Wizards of Yuriel. The one command no one can defy.” He paused just long enough for the weight of his words to sink in.

“And let me tell you what actually happened.” He leaned forward.

“Your king received a Grand Order to remove the bounty on my head. Not because he wanted to. But because he was told to. Ordered to.” Jason’s voice dropped just slightly—low enough to make the envoy flinch.

“And he’s terrified that the moment my bounty is gone, someone will come for his head instead.”

The envoy’s face went pale.

‘A spy… there’s a spy in the king’s court.’ It was the only explanation.

There was no way this alien boy could have known the exact wording of the Grand Order otherwise.

“Dane, show them a place to rest. I’ll deal with this later.” Jason turned away, waving his hand.

Dane nodded, stepping forward, but the envoy wasn’t done.

“But—! We’re here to return with word to His Majesty! We were ordered to begin negotiations immediately—”

Jason raised his hand again—palm outward.

The envoy stopped mid-sentence.

“Later.” The tone was final.

“And don’t cause any trouble while you’re here.” His eyes flicked to the envoy.

“I don’t need any of you alive to talk to your king.”

…

“That is everything for the day, Jason.” Iris stepped forward smoothly as Dane left the hall, her voice calm and composed.

Jason gave a thoughtful hum, leaning back slightly in his chair, his fingers tapping the armrest.

“Mommy, who’s that Ghost Grandpa?” 

Hanna’s curious, melodic voice sliced through the quiet air like a knife through silk. Her green eyes locked onto a seemingly empty corner of the hall.

“Hmm?” A rare smile tugged at Amelia’s lips, softening her usually unreadable face. Her eyes narrowed slightly, glinting with pride.

“You can see him?” Jason, too, turned his attention to their daughter—his expression lit with amusement.

“Eh… No, Mommy.” Hanna shook her head with innocent sincerity, her silver hair swaying as she gave a dramatic pout.

“Then how do you know he’s a Grandpa?” Jason asked as he gently ruffled her hair.

“Because he thinks like a Grandpa,” she replied, matter-of-fact tone. She tilted her head, beaming under Amelia’s approving gaze.

“It’s easy to guess age from the way someone thinks.” She giggled.

Then, turning to look at Jason and Amelia again, she added brightly:

“And Fluffy Kitty said Ghost Grandpa is weird!” Her words made the room shift. “And Fairy Sister said… she wants to bite him.”

Hanna turned her head toward the shoulder where the little winged wraith sat calmly. Then her mouth fell open in mock shock.

“Why do you want to bite him? Are ghosts tasty?”

Despite all the heavy tension in the air, a few nearby officials tried not to laugh, but Jason and Amelia’s eyes never left that empty corner.

‘They see me…’ The Master Wizard, hidden in plain sight, flinched. A chill ran down his spine. His trained senses screamed a warning.

Amelia’s gaze had swept over him before, and now he understood—it wasn’t a coincidence. He had been noticed. Identified.

And Hanna, that strange girl, hadn’t just felt his presence. She had heard his thoughts.

“That’s not a ghost,” Jason said smoothly, his voice carrying no panic, no alarm. His tone turned oddly instructive as if speaking to a student.

“That’s invisibility— a spell of the Water Domain. Only Master Wizards can cast it.” He leaned forward slightly, his eyes glinting with cosmic calm.

“But it alters the molecular structure of the water in your body. “Which makes it more susceptible to damage.” Jason’s smile thinned, but there was no warmth in it.

“That’s why most wizards don’t use it on themselves. Only on warriors they want to hide.”

The hooded man tensed.

It was no longer a conversation—it was a message, and it was aimed directly at him.

“Based on your control of mana,” Jason continued, now speaking straight to the corner where the Master Wizard stood, “you must be a Master Wizard. Perhaps…” He paused for effect. “…the one who brought the Grand Order to Brodice Kingdom? The messenger.”

A collective breath seemed to stop.

Eyes turned, following Jason’s gaze.

The room chilled.

Then—

“Humph.”

It wasn’t loud, but Amelia’s aura flared like a blade drawn across the air.The sharp pressure filled the room, cutting deep. The Master Wizard shivered, cold sweat forming beneath his cloak.