Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 147

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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 147. Truth Serum
“If I die, then to my father, the supreme dignity of Bariel itself, and to my beloved—”
The moment Prince Gail uttered “beloved,” everyone grimaced and furrowed their brows. No matter how one considered it, such an adjective was utterly unsuited to him. The moment they realized the object of his affection was Prince Marib, the assembly began to stir with unease.
“—a curse of death shall befall my brother, Prince Marib, or so I have been told.”
“Gail!”
Crash!
Prince Marib rose abruptly, striking the table before he could stop himself. There were limits to manipulation. Such brazen falsehood was deception at its most egregious. The opposing faction, equally astounded, began to voice their objections in unison.
“Your Highness Prince Gail, does that even make sense?”
“Silence! Show respect to His Highness Prince Gail!”
“But is it not so? He claims that if he dies, a curse shall fall upon the Emperor and Prince Marib—clearly an attempt at self-preservation!”
“Precisely! He’s concealing the true curse!”
“Since revealing it would surely prove troublesome, he speaks thus. Your Majesty, there is no need for deliberation. Command his exile at once!”
“What nonsense is this! And if something befalls Prince Gail after his exile? If the curse activates, will you bear responsibility?”
“This is a grave matter upon which the very survival of Bariel itself depends, not merely the Emperor and Prince Marib! How can you so easily dismiss this as falsehood? Surely you do not wish to disbelieve it?”
“Do you truly believe his words? That such a grievous curse could be cast merely through the blood of two individuals? Can you honestly accept that?”
“Ask the Mage! Count Ian!”
Ian, who had been observing quietly, was called upon. The heated faction fell silent at once, turning their gaze toward him. His expression remained remarkably composed as he faced forward.
“I ask you, Count Ian: do you believe that forbidden magic—specifically, that Minister Wesley and her Steward could cast a curse capable of determining Bariel’s fate? Do you consider His Highness’s curse to be genuine?”
A Minister from Marib’s faction urged him with his eyes to deny it, pressing him silently. Yet Ian’s response was remarkably serene.
“It is possible.”
Murmurs rippled through Prince Gail’s faction as they huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. They likely suspected that Gail’s testimony was false. Yet regardless of the truth, it was clear that his statement was their only opportunity to shift the atmosphere in their favor.
“Forbidden magic is a collective term for all abilities that transcend the laws of nature and destiny. It allows a mage’s soul to touch what even the Divine hesitates to reach—matters of life, time, and space. In particular, the former Minister Wesley was talented enough to become the youngest court mage, so such a thing is not impossible.”
“What? A single mage can determine Bariel’s survival? How is that even conceivable?”
“If you understood what becomes of one who uses forbidden magic, you would not speak so. They fall into the abyss. Commonly called hell.”
Hell—a space of eternal torment where one devours oneself across eons of time.
“And to be precise, there were two mages. Those who inherited the Divine Will fell into hell. It is certainly a plausible curse.”
Marib’s faction swallowed hard, their eyes turning toward Gail. Was he not the very one who had borne such a terrible curse? Even if his testimony were false, it was evident that a different curse was already taking root within him.
“Then, let us administer the truth serum to Gail.”
It was Prince Marib’s voice that broke the silence.
He settled back into his seat, maintaining his composure once more. A lie told to escape the moment would only ensnare him further. Marib smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over Gail from head to toe.
“What say you? We shall soon know whether the curse Gail received is truth or falsehood.”
“That is an excellent idea!”
“Y-yes, that’s right! Wasn’t the truth serum something the Magic Department pushed so hard? Its effects are quite remarkable, are they not?”
“Issue the command at once, Your Majesty!”
“If His Highness Prince Gail’s testimony is false, he must be stripped of his imperial name! He has effectively blackmailed the security of Bariel, Your Majesty, and Prince Marib!”
“All of you are reckless! Mind your tongues! You are already treating His Highness Prince Gail as though he had testified falsely! This constitutes an insult to the imperial house!”
The Emperor slowly raised his hand. It was a signal for all to cease and remain silent. His hand was withered and thin, yet carried undeniable authority.
“…Gail, do you consent to the use of the truth serum?”
It was a question from the Emperor, his father. It was an opportunity—a chance to retract any falsehood and apologize if he had misspoken.
Yet Gail placed his hand upon his chest and spoke with absolute certainty.
“I agree.”
“You see! My Prince speaks nothing but truth! I’ve taken careful note of every one of you who dared slander Prince Gail here today. We shall see what becomes of you!”
“Heh, truly remarkable, Prince Gail! What exactly are you scheming?”
“How… disrespectful!”
His consent came without a moment’s hesitation. If the curse were truly false, such ready agreement would be impossible—the moment the Magic Department brought the truth serum and administered it, everything would be exposed.
One of the ministers leaned toward Prince Marib and whispered.
“Your Highness, what do you make of Prince Gail’s intentions? He seems so confident… could it be the truth?”
“Not truth. Cunning.”
“…Pardon?”
Prince Marib clarified for the minister, whose eyebrows had risen in question.
“He’s confident it won’t expose him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare speak so boldly of using the truth serum.”
The greatest flaw of the truth serum had always been trust. While it supposedly compelled truthful speech, the real concern was that it could be manipulated according to the Magic Department’s intentions.
“He’s definitely tampered with the truth serum.”
“Ah…”
The minister nodded at Prince Marib’s words.
It was certainly plausible. Wesley was dead and gone, but weren’t all the truth serums currently stored in the Magic Department made according to her instructions?
Suspicion had become certainty.
“I have a proposal, Your Majesty.”
Prince Marib obtained the Emperor’s permission before speaking.
“All truth serums currently in the Magic Department were made according to the intentions of the traitor Wesley, and thus cannot be trusted. Therefore, I suggest we discard all magical potions and have a new truth serum manufactured fairly for Prince Gail’s use.”
“Prince Marib! Are you unaware of how much Luron stone was used in manufacturing the current truth serum? You wish to discard it all?”
“Does Prince Gail’s safety not concern you? I find it questionable and worrisome, so I cannot support using what’s already been made.”
On the surface, he was safeguarding Prince Gail’s interests, but it was truly a stratagem to uncover the truth of the curse. Prince Gail, who had been listening quietly, added a remark.
“Manufacturing the truth serum will require some time.”
“If everyone in the Magic Department rolls up their sleeves, we can shorten it as much as possible.”
Prince Gail’s lips twisted. Seeing this, Prince Marib clenched his fist as exhilaration surged through him.
‘Do you think I’ll fall for your schemes?’
“Why do you wish to delay what can be revealed immediately?”
“Gail. If your testimony is true, there’s no problem whatsoever unless you die this very moment, is there? I’ll station guards firmly, so don’t worry and wait. Or… do you still trust Wesley?”
Prince Marib’s blatant jab sent the atmosphere soaring beyond control. His faction insisted Wesley had clearly tampered with the truth serum, while those supporting Prince Gail for reasons unclear began their quarrel.
Bang, bang, bang!
Unable to bear it any longer, the Prime Minister struck his gavel again.
“Very well. This is something I agree with, as does His Majesty. Since we cannot know what Wesley may have done, I authorize the disposal of all consumable serums and the manufacture of new ones.”
“How long will this take?”
At someone’s question, all eyes turned to Ian. All matters concerning magic were inquired through Ian’s mouth alone. It was a telling glimpse into how the Magic Department’s exclusive power had been established.
“According to reports, it will take roughly two weeks, though we may be able to expedite it somewhat. Details will need to be discussed with the relevant departments.”
“Understood. Then let us conclude this meeting here. We’ve already spent considerable time. I will call for an emergency assembly soon, so those directly involved must remain in the palace and not depart.”
Bang, bang, bang!
The meeting adjourned. Had Prince Gail not awakened, it would have dragged on longer. The ministers exhaled in relief and bowed to the Emperor.
A soft rustling.
“…Everyone must work to restore the Imperial Palace to its normal state. And Gail.”
“Yes, Father.”
The Emperor silently gestured with his head for them to follow. As they stepped outside, Prince Gail’s faction dispersed like a receding tide. They would undoubtedly continue their emergency meeting on this critical matter. The remaining forces under Prince Marib had also gathered in small groups, huddling together with their heads bent in discussion.
“Ian.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I approached at Prince Marib’s call and bowed my head.
“Will the department heads related to the Veritaserum be among the candidates for the next Minister of the Magic Department?”
“No. They prioritize the pursuit of wisdom over the cultivation of magical power, so they would have no interest in the ministerial selection.”
Prince Marib gestured for me to come closer, waving away those around us. I leaned forward toward him as he sat, bringing my ear near to his lips.
“Then recruit them first.”
His voice sounded quite pleased. And well it should—Wesley, the wings of the Magic Department, lay broken and dead, and dealing with Gail was merely a matter of time. Moreover, the one he would push forward as the next minister was his own subordinate. Where could one find a more perfect situation than this?
“It should be possible.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
“Good. I’ll send word with the details later.”
The Magic Department had now clearly recognized my existence. I had only just joined, yet I held the Prince’s connections firmly in hand, and above all, I possessed abilities formidable enough to rival the former minister.
The atmosphere was far from treating my appointment as minister as a mere jest.
Whoosh.
I nodded and offered a brief bow, while Prince Marib encouraged me with a satisfied gesture.
As I stepped outside, I noticed a crimson magic circle had been drawn around the building where the conference had taken place. It was a marking indicating that investigations were underway, including into Wesley’s death, and that no one should approach.
‘Marib… did he fail to notice something strange?’
I recalled Prince Marib and Prince Gail clashing in the conference hall. It was true that Gail had lied about the curse. But the Veritaserum? Had things truly unfolded according to Marib’s intentions?
‘If Gail had truly tampered with the Veritaserum, he would have brought it directly into the conference. Then, by drinking it while testifying, he would have forced the matter through.’
This was all Gail’s calculation. He had bought time by exploiting the opposing faction’s distrust of the Veritaserum.
Then in the Magic Department without Wesley, who would stand beside him to assist…
“Ian.”
Whoosh.
It was as I passed through the Garden beside the main building of the Magic Department. I turned at the sound of my name. Just like that day—the day I had encountered Prince Gail where the Guest House should have been. A cool breeze swept between us.
“Have you spoken with His Majesty the Emperor?”
Prince Gail tilted his head and pointed deeper into the Garden. He wanted to talk for a moment.

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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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