Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 154

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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 154. Between Coercion and Negotiation
The moment Wesley’s authority—the kind that could knock birds from the sky—vanished, Seilo, who had been the commander of the Magical Support Division, found himself in an equally precarious position.
No, it would have been fortunate if I’d merely been cornered. The Imperial Palace seemed to view the Magical Support Division as complicit with the criminal Wesley, while the other magical departments, preoccupied with the ministerial selection, turned their backs and ostracized us.
Tap, tap, tap!
So I had been lying low, waiting for the minister to be appointed so I could seize an opportunity to turn the situation around—when suddenly a summons arrived. And from none other than Ian, who currently enjoyed the Prince’s full confidence.
Click!
“Huff, huff….”
“Twenty-one minutes and thirty-four seconds.”
“You actually made it in thirty minutes? Did you use a portal?”
“How could he use a portal alone? He worked hard. Being desk-bound, it must have been ages since he ran like that.”
Seilo surveyed the Magical Operations Division office while catching his breath. Five commanders, including Heil, were already gathered. Ian set down his teacup and gestured for me to sit.
“Your sincerity is admirable. Please, have a seat, Commander Seilo.”
I noticed Ian’s gaze drift toward my nape. I hadn’t even realized my collar was turned inside out in my haste. Seilo glanced at Heil, who was lounging and smoking, then sat across from him.
“W-what brings this about?”
“Ha ha. Indeed, what could it be? Having summoned Commander Seilo at dawn like this, it must be something worthy of the effort.”
Ian smiled gently. The Magical Support Division was hardly in a position to be formal, yet here they were maintaining propriety—quite amusing, his expression suggested. Seilo’s face flushed at understanding his meaning, and he barely managed to hide it by taking a gulp of tea.
“It’s nothing else, but isn’t the selection of the new Magical Division Minister currently underway? I wished to inquire about the Magical Support Division’s position. Since you haven’t registered as a candidate, it seems you must have other intentions.”
We hadn’t failed to register—we’d been prevented from registering. Didn’t Ian see it with his own eyes at the meeting? The decision had been made to exclude the Support Division entirely, given its deep connection to Wesley, out of consideration for public perception.
Seilo bit his lower lip hard and swallowed dryly.
“Right, Ian. Don’t ask about such things. After our meeting ended, all the Magical Support Division staff were summoned by the Imperial Guard and dragged away.”
“My, was that so?”
“They’re being investigated, so they’d have no time for intentions or anything else. Isn’t that right, Seilo?”
Akorelra grinned and nodded her head. Her freckled cheeks were flushed, suggesting she was quite animated. She wrapped an arm around Seilo’s shoulder and offered exaggerated comfort.
“But don’t worry. Right now, with no one in the Palace to represent us, we’re taking direct hits and getting shaken down. But once a minister is appointed, there’ll be no problem. We’ve gathered like this, and we’ve called you here, haven’t we?”
“Listen, I’ve never benefited from your proposals.”
“That’s ancient history, and besides, the proposals come from Ian, not me! Aha ha!”
Whack! Smack!
Akorelra laughed brazenly and patted Seilo’s shoulder repeatedly. Every proposal she’d made to other divisions concerned magical stone experiments, so it was routine for people to suffer for three or four nights.
“Commander Seilo. I know very well that the Magical Support Division has no connection to this Wesley incident.”
Ian moistened his throat with tea and quietly laid his groundwork. Suddenly, Seilo realized that unlike Akorelra, Heil, and the other commanders who looked haggard, Ian’s demeanor was immaculate. He was certainly at the center of the Magical Division’s recovery, so he should be in chaos if anything—yet he wasn’t.
Was it the weight of his noble title? Or his appearance?
“Commander Seilo?”
“…I’m listening.”
“I believe in you, but I’m not certain the Palace will believe the same. There are divided opinions even among our fellow mages, which is only natural.”
Moreover, what if the Palace decided to completely overhaul the Magical Support Division to check the Magical Division? And if, in doing so, past work records were examined and problematic sections came to light?
Separate from Wesley, Seilo would be unable to escape punishment.
“As you know, the Palace currently receives reports on internal Magical Division matters through me. I will ensure the Palace is clearly informed of the Magical Support Division’s innocence. Such a task presents no difficulty.”
Seilo immediately grasped Ian’s meaning. He would persuade Prince Marib, his backer, to show leniency toward the Magical Support Division. Seilo stammered and offered a careful objection.
“B-but even if Prince Marib were to overlook it, the direct victim is Prince Gail. It’s unclear how he might respond….”
“Prince Gail presents no problem either.”
At those words, Akorelra and Heil also turned their heads to look at me. Prince Marib was naturally my patron, so that made sense, but Prince Gail?
However, I glossed over the secret dealings between myself and Gail instead.
“Because it would be a blunder for Prince Gail, Your Highness.”
“A blunder? Ah, I see.”
At my words, Heil, who had been smoking from behind, exhaled a plume of smoke. If Marib seized real power, Gail’s position would certainly become precarious.
In such circumstances, there was no reason to stubbornly cling to the Mage Support Division. Rather, he would overlook what he could. The enemy of my enemy is my ally. He would gather those cast out from the Mage Division and absorb them into his forces.
“Right. Don’t worry about Prince Gail, Seilo.”
Even if that weren’t the case, if I became Minister of the Mage Division, my power combined with Prince Marib’s real authority would be more than sufficient to cover everything. As Heil flicked his cigarette away, Seilo’s expression darkened. He clearly didn’t understand.
“What do you mean?”
“If you don’t understand, just shut up and nod your head. That’s the way to stay alive.”
At the blunt rebuke, Akorelra pressed her lips firmly together. If even a hint of laughter escaped, Seilo looked ready to bolt from his seat.
“Don’t worry. Just gather the support of the Mage Support Division members for me. What do you think? It seems worthy enough to come running at dawn without noticing your collar’s been turned.”
I brushed dust from his shoulder and asked in return.
Seilo slowly looked around at the captains and me, then opened his mouth with difficulty. Scraping together the self-respect that had dried up completely on the floor.
“What if I refuse?”
“Oh. If you do that—”
As I let out a low chuckle, simultaneously, dawn broke through the window. Dazzling sunlight painted my blonde hair even more brilliantly. Though the sunlight was hot enough to feel its warmth, the coldness reflected in my green eyes could not be erased.
“I doubt anyone would remember Seilo at all, would they?”
Brief but unmistakably clear. I had suggested that Seilo could disappear on charges of treason, entangled with Wesley. Thus, not even a single letter of his name would remain here, no matter how much time passed.
“…If I refuse, I was merely asking out of curiosity. I’m naturally quite curious, you see. I won’t choose, so I’m just wondering. Mm-hmm.”
Seilo immediately corrected himself and mumbled excuses. At his appearance, Akorelra burst into laughter, and Heil also took out a fresh cigarette and lit it.
“Ahahaha! You were so pathetic just now, but it’s fine. We’ll keep it between us. Good thinking! Look, we’re still family after all. Seilo, if you die, I’ll be so sad. Then who will I conduct mana stone experiments on? Hm?”
“Fortunate that you’re stubborn despite being foolish. Congratulations on extending your life.”
At the captains’ words, Seilo’s trembling fists simply shook. But what could he do? For now, he had no choice. If I refused, he would have to attach himself to Jang, but whoever he backed, he couldn’t stand against Marib.
“Then, could you ask them to release our people who were summoned to the Imperial Guard? That way I’ll at least have something to convince the division members with.”
Snap!
I flicked my hand in agreement. Obtaining the Mage Support Division’s votes was important, but it was equally crucial to position as many of my forces as possible within the Mage Division building to set the atmosphere.
“Understood. I’ll make sure everyone returns home by this afternoon. Captain Seilo, while you’re here, go to that corner and review some documents. We’re in such a bind with work paralysis that we’d need to borrow a dog’s paw.”
“A dog’s… paw?”
“Come on, let’s get to work now.”
“What time did you say we’re receiving the administrative reports from?”
“You’ll need to ask the adjacent department about that. I heard it came down separately in the meantime.”
As Seilo stood there bewildered, they all stretched and rose to their feet. Despite not having slept, morning had arrived so mercilessly. The moment Akorelra opened the door wide to return to her department.
Creak!
“Aaaah! You startled me!”
She came face to face with a strange steward standing right in front of the door. At her commotion, everyone turned their heads to look toward the door.
“Who is it?”
“Viscount Ian Hielo. I am the steward of Lady Deilaina. Please spare me a moment. I have prepared a carriage.”
…Deilaina? The concubine who was the only one to stand beside the current Emperor, and the mother of Arcen and Jin. I set down the stack of documents and picked up my coat.
“Let’s go.”
What could she want to see me about? I could make an educated guess, but I couldn’t be certain.
‘Arcen and Jin. For the sake of the two princes’ safety, Deilaina would hope for a balance between Prince Marib and Prince Gail. At least until the children come of age.’
But now that things had come to this, if Prince Marib seized control of the Magic Ministry and solidified his power, there would be no one left to stop his monopoly. And if Prince Marib ascended to the throne, the safety of Arcen and Jin could not be guaranteed either.
Deilaina would rather choose to aid Prince Gail now.
‘In the matter of the Emperor’s death being problematic, Prince Gail and Deilaina have more than enough reason to be in the same boat.’
Could it be that Prince Gail had already given Deilaina a hint beforehand? That though I stood beside Prince Marib on the surface, I held a blade behind my back.
‘It’s possible. For now, maintaining my forces and responding is what matters. She might be trying to draw in Arcen and Jin as well, pooling our strength.’
Or perhaps, seeing me as a talented figure under Prince Marib’s command, she was summoning me to keep me in check? As Ian’s carriage raced forward, his assumptions continued endlessly.
Whiiiiing!
In the early morning, the area around Deilaina’s palace was desolate. A chilly wind brushed past Ian’s hair, and the Chamberlain guided him forward with a half-bow.
“This way, please.”
The Chamberlain’s footsteps echoed unusually loud. There was no one in the corridor. For an early hour, the emptiness was excessive for a concubine’s palace. She must have deliberately cleared the area of servants.
The Chamberlain bowed before the large arched doorway leading to the reception room.
“Pardon me. I shall inform her of your arrival momentarily.”
Creeeeak.
Without a servant to announce him, she entered directly. As she stepped through the door first, Ian kept his posture rigid, his gaze fixed forward.
How much time had passed?
Swish.
Ian turned his head at the warmth he felt in his right hand. Silver hair and blue eyes. A boy was holding Ian’s hand.
“Count Ian.”
A greeting from eyes that hadn’t seen him in quite some time. The tone was calm, yet subtly subdued. At that peculiar atmosphere, Ian almost found himself speaking the name ‘Jin’ aloud. But he stopped, caught by the boy’s gently smiling face.
“Prince Arcen. Good morning.”
Arcen opened his eyes wide in surprise, looking at Ian. Then, as if finding it interesting, his eyes narrowed with intrigue. Ian sensed something cunning in that gaze.
“How did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That I am Arcen.”
Ian’s gaze fell upon Arcen’s cheek. Smooth skin without a dimple. He lightly shook his hand free and smiled.
“That’s a secret.”

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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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