Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 142

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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 142. Black Smoke
“Minister Wesley went on a business trip?”
“Yes. I hadn’t seen him in a few days, and that’s what I heard.”
“Captain Heil doesn’t see Minister Wesley very often anyway.”
“Well, how often would there be to see him?”
Captain Heil responded indifferently, but I couldn’t believe the story about a business trip. Given the timing, it seemed unlikely he would leave the palace so carelessly.
‘So that’s why things had been quiet these past few days. Gail must have discovered the forbidden summoning magic and is holding Wesley captive, or perhaps….’
An escape? Or maybe he went directly to Karenna to clean up after the undead. Since I had no way of knowing what Gail was doing, my mind continued to spin with nothing but speculation.
“So I’ll be attending today’s personnel meeting in Wesley’s place. Everyone else, you’re dismissed.”
When Wesley was absent, the Steward would take his place, but since he had gone out as well this time, the department heads had to gather instead. Nakina collected the documents and asked.
“The captain of the Magical Support Division isn’t going?”
“All the department heads are going together. Though I’ll just be sitting there without any say in the matter.”
It was a matter of courtesy, I suppose. Still, since we were all bound together under the name of the Magic Division, we made an effort to show sincerity at the personnel meeting by gathering like this.
“Then we should go too.”
“Those Magical Support Division guys will definitely follow if their captain goes. We can’t leave Captain Heil standing there alone looking forlorn!”
“Go home, all of you.”
“I don’t mind. What about you, Nakina?”
“I have nothing to do either.”
Tomi and Nakina slowly turned to look at me. With the captain and all the senior mages going, they were asking with their eyes what the youngest would do. I smiled and nodded.
“I’m happy to go as well.”
“Your mouth is smiling, but is that all?”
“No. My eyes are smiling too.”
“Youngest, when else will you get to see another personnel meeting like this? The atmosphere there is actually quite interesting.”
I understood well enough. It was the first button of politics that would carry through the year, the starting point that set the trajectory. That was the personnel meeting. For those who had succeeded in solidifying their positions as appointees, it would be like a festival, and for those who would tug fiercely at the strings of life and death in the meeting, it was no different from a battlefield.
‘Under normal circumstances, the Magic Division would just be going through the motions….’
But this time would be different.
And it had to be different.
Because I had cast bait before Prince Marib.
“Then let’s hurry. It’s time to depart.”
Heil stubbed out his cigarette and checked his watch. It was time for everyone who had staked their lives on this meeting to head to the grand conference hall.
* * *
“Minister! This way!”
“Ah, aren’t you the next Minister of Internal Affairs?”
“Ha, what are you saying? I’m embarrassed.”
“That painting you showed me last time, a friend of mine….”
“It’s been a while. How is it so difficult to see your face?”
“How much time does that person have left until retirement?”
“Ah, shh. Watch your words. I heard they spent a fortune in bribes to get Clerio into the Foreign Ministry.”
The area in front of the grand conference hall was filled with carriages. Less than half of those here would be able to observe in the conference hall itself, but they were all waiting either to escort their superiors one last time or to offer congratulations the moment they left the meeting room.
“Ian!”
“Ah, Romandro.”
Romandro was in the same predicament. As a member of the administrative division, he was being jostled about by people and wandering through the conference hall lobby. He glanced around nervously and whispered.
“Still no word from Berik?”
“If there had been word, you would have known first, sir.”
“Good grief, I’m losing my mind. Where on earth is that man and what is he doing? It’s been nearly a week without a single message! Don’t tell me something’s happened to him?”
He had rushed out at dawn and there had been no contact for nearly a week. It was like sending out a dog to find a person, only to need to send out another person to find the dog. I patted Romandro’s shoulder and muttered.
“He’s hardly the type to go off and die, and even less likely to abandon his post.”
“True enough, he’ll come back eventually for a meal. The question is when. I should have set a specific time if I’d known it would come to this. Berik—the problem with him is that if you tell him one thing, he only learns that one thing. I completely forgot.”
The one fortunate thing was that no news of incidents or accidents had been reported from anywhere in the capital. If Berik had even swung his black sword once, there would have been proper chaos.
Clack, clack, clack!
That was when a massive carriage pulled up in front of the conference hall building. The flag of Bariel fluttered with proud grandeur.
“His Imperial Majesty approaches.”
“His Imperial Majesty is here!”
“Clear the way, all of you!”
“Bow your heads!”
The Emperor climbed the stairs slowly on his own two feet, though unsteadily. I, along with Romandro and everyone who served the crown, prostrated ourselves in respect. Following behind him were two Princes—Marib and Gail.
Whoosh.
The two of them passed by, their gazes fixed intently on the back of my head. Though their faces were not visible, their eyes were persistently entangled with each other.
Boom!
As the three members of the imperial family entered the conference hall, the lobby descended into chaos once more. With the Emperor and Princes inside, the meeting would begin immediately.
Some clasped their hands together in fervent prayer, while others already spoke loudly as if their appointments had been confirmed. The hierarchy among subordinates varied according to the status of their superiors, making this another fierce arena of politics.
“…?”
Zing!
That was when I, Nakina, and Tomi all looked toward the north simultaneously. It wasn’t just us. The mages from other departments who had sent their captains inside also flinched at the same moment.
“What was that just now?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Minister Tomi, Minister Nakina. Did you feel it?”
“Yeah. You felt it too, youngest?”
“Hey, I wasn’t the only one who felt that just now, was I?”
“It’s strange. If we’re talking about the north from here….”
“What’s going on? Ian, explain it to me too.”
“Romandro. Stay close to me for now.”
The mages continued to sharpen their senses with unease, but those without magical power couldn’t possibly know. Silence within chaos. Only Romandro, bewildered and clueless, clung tightly behind me while gauging the reactions around him.
Boom!
At that moment, a deafening sound rang out.
Something exploded from the location where the ominous surge of magical power had been felt. Only then did others pause and lift their gazes to the sky. Black smoke billowed upward—a sight never before seen in the imperial palace. Everyone seemed unable to comprehend the reality before them.
“…Fire?”
That couldn’t be.
Fire never breaks out in the imperial palace due to the control of the Magic Division. Perhaps if someone in one of the research departments had made a mistake and caused an explosion, that would be different. But all those holding key positions in the imperial palace right now are gathered here in this conference hall lobby, aren’t they? What research could possibly be conducted without them?
“What is that?”
“I think we should summon the Imperial Guard.”
“Wait, hold on.”
The Imperial Guard was solely under the Emperor’s authority, so it wasn’t a matter for the personnel meeting agenda. Someone went to call the Guardsmen Captain, and soon Jairot, one of the three captains, appeared leading his subordinates. Barsabe was among them as well, though she ranked at the bottom of the hierarchy.
“Say, the smoke seems to be drawing closer.”
“Everyone move to your respective posts and assess the situation.”
“Yes, Captain.”
It wasn’t mere intuition. Something with formidable magical power was approaching. Jairot questioned the mages.
“Have all the captains entered the conference room?”
“Yes, they have.”
“Just in case, put up defensive barriers.”
“Hey, stop dawdling and gather! Draw the magic circle!”
“Who do you think you are giving orders? Magical Support Division, gather over here! We’ll draw the magic circle centered on us!”
“These lunatics, I swear.”
Even at a time like this, they were squabbling over territory. Nakina’s blood boiled and she raised her middle finger, but Tomi covered it with his palm. With the mages mobilizing, the other department staff panicked and rushed about in confusion.
“Shouldn’t we suspend the meeting?”
“Are you joking? Who decides that?”
“His Majesty the Emperor is inside. If something happens, we could be held responsible.”
“I know all about that faction falling from grace this time. Don’t try to use this as an excuse to halt the meeting.”
“What are you implying?”
“Mark my words! Those who call for stopping the meeting here won’t be seen in the palace for the rest of the year! Hahaha!”
“That’s not our intention!”
Once a year, the most crucial meeting that formed the foundation of politics. Those who fell from grace here would do anything to have the meeting suspended, postponed, or maneuvered toward future opportunities. So those newly appointed could not stop it, no matter who died in the process.
“I will tolerate no further disturbance. Everyone remain silent and cooperate. The Magic Division will establish a defensive formation, so wait here for now.”
When Jairot spoke with authority, everyone settled down somewhat. Unlike the Magical Support Division drawing magic circles on the ground, Tomi and Nakina slowly loosened their arms and legs while gazing up at the black smoke.
“What’s to the north? Could something have gone wrong in the Magical Beast Research Division?”
“That’s north from the Magic Division’s main building. Not from here. Hmm. If you go straight that way… the Administrative Division, Support Division, the Grand Garden, and Prince Gail’s quarters.”
“The closest would be the Support Division?”
Zing. Zing.
Tomi and Nakina’s eyes gleamed with golden light. They crouched down and gently rubbed their Achilles tendons and anklebones. Following their gestures, magical power surged forth in billows, filling the ground beneath their feet.
“Youngest, you keep watch here.”
“We’ll go check it out.”
Whoosh!
Crash!
With tremendous wind, their bodies shot skyward. As if bound by invisible strings, they soared upward.
Romandro stared at them with his mouth agape, while I shielded myself from the wind with my arm. The luminous trails of magical power couldn’t keep pace with their speed, leaving afterimages behind. Like a monochromatic rainbow.
“Oh my, oh my. So mages can fly through the sky.”
“Haven’t you seen the Magical Operations Division fight in combat?”
“…Ian, anyone who’s seen that is dead.”
“Ah, I see.”
When they were deployed in battle, it was when the advantage had shifted to the enemy. Using magical power to turn that angle back toward our forces. The Magical Operations Division was deployed to accomplish what would be absolutely impossible without divine power.
‘So Prince Gail’s palace is in that direction—’
I could easily discern what the black smoke infused with magical power was.
‘Is it Wesley?’
I couldn’t say how this came to be, but if it truly was Wesley, I needed to steel myself. She was a great mage worthy of becoming the youngest court noble.
I approached the mages and glanced down at the floor.
“Don’t get in the way. Step aside, noble lord.”
“The formula is reversed. If you do this in the field, everyone dies. Senior lord.”
“…What?”
“Ah, right, hey! Lee, who wrote this here?”
“And here and here shouldn’t be written in Alehaman, but rather in Bariel for greater effectiveness. Who will be in charge of this section when the magic circle activates?”
“I was going to do it?”
“Then rewrite it. The formula should be like this.”
I naturally inserted myself among them and began correcting the magic circle. A vast magic circle stretched from end to end at the lobby entrance. While the mages all prostrated themselves designing the barrier.
“Get out of the way! We must stop the conference immediately!”
“Who do you think you are? My, my, a final desperate struggle. Imperial Guard Captain, arrest all these heretics at once!”
“Notify those inside immediately!”
“Absolutely not! Not until the seal is stamped inside!”
Those trying to block the conference and those defending it grappled at the entrance. I clicked my tongue and looked up at the sky, then noticed Tomi and Nakina standing blankly in midair.
Whoosh!
I fired magical power into the air as if signaling them to tell me what they could see. But the two of them remained blank, their minds seemingly gone as they stared at the substance of the smoke without moving.

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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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