Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 117

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 117. The Guest House
‘He was waiting for me.’
The moment I faced Prince Gail, that thought struck me. Even near the Magic Ministry, it would have been impossible to meet him without someone monitoring our movements. It was clear that surveillance had continued since the Fraternity gathering.
“I am Ian. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”
“Ah, so you know of me?”
“Just as you know of me, Your Highness.”
As I bowed lightly, the wind grew fiercer. Fallen leaves crunched beneath Prince Gail’s approaching footsteps in rhythm with his stride.
“But tell me, why did you come this way? The palace exit is in the opposite direction.”
Prince Gail examined me from head to toe, murmuring softly. A small stone cast into the calm progression of his grand design. That was me. Small, yes, but the ripples I created showed no sign of stopping, continuing to disturb the waters.
“Why? Did Prince Marib tell you this was his way out?”
I lowered my gaze and observed Prince Gail’s hands. Unlike Prince Marib’s, they bore considerable calluses—rough, weathered hands.
“No, Your Highness. I simply lost my way.”
“For someone who lost their way, your footsteps were remarkably certain. As if you’d been here before.”
So he had been watching me all along. Outside the palace, perhaps I could evade him, but within the Imperial Palace—especially near the Magic Ministry—his surveillance seemed inescapable. I would need to be extremely cautious with my actions.
“Forgive me. This is my first time entering the palace today.”
“Is that so? Then let me ask you. What do you think of the scenery here?”
“…I beg your pardon?”
Prince Gail circled around me lightly, making me the center of his orbit. At that moment, the lights in the Magic Ministry’s main building began turning on one by one. A signal announcing the complete arrival of night.
“In my opinion, if we cleared all these trees and erected a splendid pale-colored building, it would be quite magnificent.”
“Ah.”
At the mention of a splendid pale-colored building, I hesitated. The image of the Magic Ministry’s guest house naturally came to mind. Prince Gail smiled knowingly and studied my expression.
“However, your master insists—quite contrary to his nature—that the trees must never be cut down, which I find deeply lamentable.”
Fragmented pieces of information tangled complexly in my mind. A hundred years ago, when the Magic Ministry’s guest house had not yet been built. Using Prince Gail’s words as a clue…
‘Prince Marib and Prince Gail are at odds over the construction of the Magic Ministry’s guest house!’
Prince Gail naturally stood in favor of construction for the sake of the Magic Ministry, while Prince Marib, concerned about the already threatening expansion of the Magic Ministry’s power, would undoubtedly oppose it absolutely.
“Do you think the same?”
He was asking whether I sided with Prince Marib. Truly an absurd situation. I swallowed an involuntary bitter laugh and answered.
“Your Highness, I do not understand your meaning, but I have only one master—His Majesty the Emperor. The path I must walk leads only to Bariel’s glory. If cutting down trees means a better tomorrow, then it is what must be done.”
Except for knights bound by oath, all who stood on Bariel’s soil had to serve the Emperor as their master. Prince Marib and Prince Gail were no exception. Of course, I myself knew better than anyone that such a thing was impossible.
“Hmm. I thought someone freshly arrived from the frontier would speak with the accent of a provincial, but it seems you have quite a knack for noble games.”
Whether it was an insult or praise was unclear, but from Prince Gail’s tone, it seemed the latter quality had mixed in more heavily.
I had revealed a sort of gap by mentioning the Emperor—that I was not entirely with Prince Marib. Prince Gail gladly exploited it.
“Ian. I have great expectations for you.”
Whether that gap was the foundation for serving as a spy for the Magic Ministry or not, that was not what mattered now.
“I expect you will discern the true nature of things well. Remember that you are Ian before you are a lord, and a mage before you are Ian.”
Outside the Magic Ministry’s personnel, mages were as rare as dust in the world. For the sake of progress, we had no choice but to rely on each other, and if I sided with Prince Marib, I would drift on the periphery for life—a sort of warning.
“I shall remember your words.”
“Good. Until we meet again.”
He clearly wished to continue our conversation, but the place and time were unsuitable. Prince Gail turned his back and soon vanished like the wind.
“Hah.”
Left alone, I pressed my forehead in exasperation.
To prevent Prince Gail’s rebellion and diminish his power, I naturally should have sided with Prince Marib, who opposed the Guest House construction. But if things went this way, wouldn’t I inevitably end up lending strength to Prince Gail?
‘If the Guest House is built, Naum’s magic might awaken.’
Whoooosh.
Zing. Zing.
I opened my mana on the chance it might reveal something. The power of mana rode the wind currents differently. My golden eyes gleamed like stars in the darkness, but I could sense nothing.
“Ian!”
Just then, Romand’s voice called from the entrance. He rushed over with a lantern in hand, glancing nervously around.
“Ian! Are you alright?”
“What is it?”
“I just saw Prince Gail’s carriage leaving from behind the Magic Department. It would be troublesome if we ran into him, so let’s hurry out. We can sightsee better during the day anyway.”
“Ah. I’ve already seen him.”
“Wh-what?!”
At my calm confession, Romand froze like stone. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly, clearly flustered and unsure how to respond. I took the lantern from his hand and led the way.
“Let’s leave now. We’ll have to visit the commercial district tomorrow. I didn’t realize it would get this late.”
“Wait! What were you saying?”
“Nothing particularly important. Let’s exit the palace first.”
Urged by me, Romand rushed to the carriage. The moment he squeezed himself inside, he drew the curtains and whispered urgently.
Thump!
“Tell me what he said!”
“There was no mention of you, so you needn’t worry.”
Had I struck a nerve?
Under Prince Marib’s orders, I’d thoroughly dealt with Erika and Mollin. As a family man, it was natural for Romand to fear retaliation. He cleared his throat with a cough and trailed off.
“Do you think I’m curious about something like that?”
“The Garden. Is the Guest House construction proceeding?”
“Hm? Ah. I suppose that came up. The proposal has been around for quite a while. The Magic Department has so few people, yet they keep pushing for Guest House expansion. If they’re going to do that, wouldn’t it be better to expand the Imperial Palace staff quarters instead!”
“Prince Marib opposes it, doesn’t he?”
“Of course. The trees in the Garden are ancient. It’s not officially recorded, but they say fairy blessings dwell within them, so we’ve left them as they are.”
It was one of many reasons for opposition. Trees blessed by fairies couldn’t be removed for a non-urgent Magic Department expansion. Naturally, the Magic Department claimed it was merely hearsay, but it couldn’t be proven either way.
“The proposal was made last year, or the year before… Anyway, it’s been quite a while. Truth be told, beyond this, Prince Marib and Prince Gail have been competing over many things privately. If I counted them all, I wouldn’t have enough fingers and toes. Tsk.”
Romand repeatedly opened and closed the curtains, checking our progress through the palace. After a long silence, once we’d completely exited the Imperial Palace, he released a relieved breath and relaxed entirely.
“Phew. Another day without incident.”
“…How exactly do you manage your commute?”
“I’m more field-based, so I don’t come in much except to report. Every time I do, my breath gets all tight! Oof.”
Romand chuckled and loosened his upper garment comfortably. It wasn’t just a matter of stamina—there were so many things to worry about. As we drew closer to the Manor, Romand’s face began to brighten noticeably.
Creak.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Ah! Thank you! Viviana!”
Following Romand as he hurried down, I turned the carriage toward the Manor. In the distance, Hasha came running to greet me. And…
Pitter-patter-patter!
“Damn mutt! Catch it!”
-Ian! Iaaaan!
Hasha trembled violently as she nestled into my arms. I’d thought she was coming to greet me, but it seemed otherwise. Berik wielded a skewer, huffing and puffing with indignation.
“Ian! That Hasha is a thoroughly rotten dog!”
-I am a person!
“If you’re a person, then eat your own food like one! Why do you steal from others?!”
“Now, now. That’s enough. Let’s go inside.”
“Ian! Punish that thing!”
“Hasha, I’m sorry, but I wasn’t able to find passage to Astana today. The work ended too late, and besides, I think we need to observe the situation from the Manor for a while longer.”
I knew Prince Gail was watching me from the Imperial Palace, so I needed to carefully verify whether the same was happening from outside. Moreover, Hasha was evidence of the misdeeds Wesley had committed. If her existence were discovered, it could become quite dangerous.
-I understand, so do something about that ignorant fool!
Snap. At the word “ignorant,” Berik’s eyes went wide. Amidst the noisy commotion and chatter, they entered the Manor. Viviana, who took my coat, asked with puzzlement.
“You’re going to the shopping district tomorrow?”
“Yes, Countess.”
“Then may I accompany you? It would be nice to do some shopping while we’re out.”
I was about to ask for exactly that. Though the streets were familiar, a hundred years brought changes, and most importantly, I needed to choose attire to wear at the New Year’s gathering.
“I would be grateful. I’m not well-versed in Central fashion, so I would appreciate it if you could select appropriate clothing for me.”
“Leave that to me! You have such elegant bearing that anything you wear will look splendid. Has the New Year’s gathering schedule been announced?”
At the Countess’s words, I retrieved a small note I’d tucked between the mana stone reports. The New Year’s gathering would begin in four days, and my peerage appointment ceremony and mana verification ceremony were scheduled consecutively a week later.
The Countess, looking at the note beside me, nodded thoughtfully.
“It might be a bit tight to prepare the attire. There are always many orders during the New Year. Let me introduce you to a tailor I frequent.”
“Um, what about me? Me too?”
Berik interjected with sparkling eyes. He seemed excited at the prospect of wearing custom-made clothes for the first time, having only ever worn dirt-covered garments.
“Yes. Rest early today, and we’ll move out early tomorrow. We’ll visit the tailor and also entrust my sword to the blacksmith.”
“Oh yes! Great! I love this!”
Suddenly, Hasha, who had descended to the floor, sniffed the air. A scent she’d encountered many times before seemed to drift past from outside.
“Hasha? What’s wrong?”
-No, it’s just that having a dog’s body makes my nose too sensitive. Sometimes various scents blend together and confuse me. Don’t worry about it.
I gazed down at Hasha, then peered out the window. Outside, I could only see nearby buildings with their lights on. I murmured toward Berik, who was bouncing with joy.
“Berik, it’s good to see you so happy. Did you sleep well earlier?”
“Huh? Yes, yes. Very refresh-ed!”
“Then stand watch tonight.”
“Huh?”
Why did he say it that way?
Berik stopped bouncing and turned to look at me, but my gaze remained fixed on the window outside. I smiled and drove the point home once more.
“Just until sunrise. All right? I’m counting on you.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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