Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 210

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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 210
Day D-5
The grand mansion of House Haiman, known as the small imperial palace at the center.
In terms of scale and splendor, its magnificence rivaled the Imperial Palace itself. It was common enough for foreign visitors arriving in the capital for the first time to mistake it for the Imperial Palace and enter—that alone speaks volumes.
Duke Haiman drew on his water pipe while gazing at the small fountain flowing through the reception room.
“So you’re telling me they clashed with the Imperial Guards in the Chetur district?”
“My apologies.”
“And directly under Captain Jairot himself.”
“Access into the inner Chetur is currently restricted. The bridge has been flooded, and the other side is blocked by the Guards themselves, who are demanding identification. According to reports, most of the black armor has been destroyed, and the materials stored in the warehouse have also been confiscated….”
Crack!
The Steward could not continue. The long water pipe had struck his face squarely. Yet he remained silent, his gaze fixed upon the floor.
“I’m quite certain I instructed you to keep the subordinates in line.”
Ever since the Meilideili incident, those in black armor had been causing trouble one after another. They were likely mercenaries hired under contract rather than the House’s official Knights.
The Steward bowed again in apology.
“My apologies.”
“If they’re taken as witnesses, what comes next? You’re clever enough to understand. What do you think will happen? Hmm? With Prince Gail still alive, do you truly believe that Ian will let us off gently?”
Duke Haiman’s pitch-black pupils gleamed. Like the eyes of a raven. The gaze, devoid of any white, made the Steward’s shoulders shrink further.
“More than half died on the spot from the aftermath of the Imperial Guard attack. Those transported to the Imperial Palace have begun treatment, but their survival cannot be guaranteed, or so we’ve heard.”
Even Duke Haiman could not know exactly how many in the Imperial Palace had accepted his gold. If there was shadow, if there was one who knew the glimmer of coin, then anyone could become Haiman’s eyes and ears, bringing him information in abundance.
Did Ian suspect it? That Haiman’s gold had rolled into the Magic Ministry as well?
“Clean it up. Thoroughly.”
“Yes. I will ensure that matter is handled.”
These were men whose lifespans could not be guaranteed beyond tomorrow. If one merely aided them when their breath grew short, the cleanup itself could proceed without question. Duke Haiman exhaled a particularly thick plume of tobacco smoke.
“And the materials in Chetur have been confiscated?”
“What would you have us do?”
The black armor was the core of Haiman’s military strength. Originally crafted to guard banks, the House possessed countless reserves. But the supply of ‘that’ material being cut off was somewhat troublesome. Haiman twisted his beard repeatedly, muttering to himself.
“Captain Akorella has likely begun her research, hasn’t she?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
If one claimed the mana stones belonged to House Haiman, one could not escape responsibility for the night’s battle. Clashing with the Imperial Guards was, without question, a grave crime. Yet to let them be seized before one’s very eyes—there was no worse stroke of misfortune.
“Captain Akorella is skilled, so she will uncover its nature before long. That in itself is not entirely unfavorable, but the problem lies in the matter of ownership.”
Even if it falls under the Imperial Palace, if Arcen can seize power, I can reclaim it. But with Ian and Jin standing firm as barriers, that mad researcher Akorella will never simply let it be. She will surely use it for every conceivable experiment, wearing it down through endless research.
“It seems nothing is progressing properly except that Prince Arcen is a mana user. What of Prince Gail’s side?”
“We continue to attempt it, but the vigilance is considerable.”
“I wish someone would openly strike while feigning madness. Once Marib’s trial concludes, House Haiman will truly become the center of attention.”
Duke Haiman scratched at the leather handle with his fingernails, then called for the Butler.
“Butler.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“I shall compose a letter to Ruswena. Prepare the materials.”
Ruswena was the oldest and most established of the border nations adjacent to Bariel. A powerful, prosperous land centered on fertile soil, wanting for nothing.
It was also the nation ruled by Melania’s maternal grandfather. The Butler promptly brought forth fine parchment and writing instruments before Duke Haiman.
“Should I send it through Jeonseogoo?”
“No. With proper ceremony, I’ll deliver it myself.”
“I’ll have a skilled horseman prepared.”
Squeak.
Duke Haiman seemed to be organizing his thoughts, staring at the blank parchment for a long while. Only when the candlelight began to dim did he elegantly pick up his pen and compose the opening.
-Your Majesty, Queen of Ruswena. Please aid House Haiman.
* * *
Neigh!
As the sun began to set, Romandro arrived at the Magic Ministry with the Imperial Guards, driving the carriage. His shoulders creaked with each rotation from exhaustion.
“Lord Romandro! Thank you for your hard work.”
“Ah, yes. It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.”
“But we saw each other yesterday, didn’t we? These are all the items confiscated from the Chetur District, aren’t they? Greetings, Imperial Guards. Please set down the cargo. We’ll take it from here.”
Half a dozen small boxes were unloaded from the back of the carriage.
Half of what had been discovered after thoroughly searching the Chetur District was allocated to the Magic Ministry. Research took priority, and since both the Imperial Guards and the Magic Ministry had been involved in the case, the distribution was made accordingly. Later, through formal proceedings, the items currently held by the Imperial Guards would also be transferred to the Magic Ministry.
‘The sun is setting. Finally, tomorrow… the trial…’
The moment Romandro stretched, he found himself meeting a gleaming gaze from atop the stairs. Upon closer inspection, Captain Akorella’s protective research goggles were reflecting the light brilliantly.
“Lord Romandro!”
“Goodness, you startled me.”
Tap tap tap!
Whoosh!
It was Captain Akorella. Rather than walking down the stairs, she leaned against the railing and slid down with a whoosh. Her subordinates followed behind her.
“Why are you only arriving now?”
“Me? Do you have reports that need processing?”
“I’ve been waiting! Really!”
Saying so, she immediately opened one of the box lids. Black raw crystals piled high inside. Captain Akorella, without realizing it, began bleeding from her nose while grinning uncontrollably. Was this even a person’s normal reaction? She seemed so overwhelmed that one might think she was hallucinating from mental and physical exhaustion.
When Captain Akorella suddenly turned her head, Romandro flinched and stepped backward.
“Can I take these straight to the lab?”
“Please do. Besides, there’s no one else in the Magic Ministry besides Captain Akorella who can handle these.”
“Yippee! Wahoo! The ones Ian gave me earlier broke for some reason. With this much, there’s no problem. Yes yes. This is perfect. Absolutely perfect!”
As Captain Akorella gestured urgently to her subordinates to move everything quickly, the Imperial Guards were relieved and hastily tidied up the back of the carriage.
“Lord Romandro. We’ll be going then.”
“Ah, thank you for your hard work. I’ll contact you again.”
“Hard work hard work! So grateful! Ahahaha!”
Neigh!
Until the carriage departed, Captain Akorella waved her hand enthusiastically. Romandro climbed the stairs with her and asked.
“But tell me, have there been any advances in your research?”
Captain Akorella, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped and spun around. Romandro nearly stumbled in surprise, but she paid no mind and opened her eyes wide.
“Lord Romandro. No matter how brilliant a researcher is, with just one sample, I know absolutely nothing. Do you have any idea how much I’ve been dying for this?”
“….”
“But listen! But—!”
She seems quite excited. She was always mad, but now she’s practically in another world.
“Who am I? Aren’t I Captain Akorella?! Ahahaha!”
“Captain, please, let’s have a normal conversation for once.”
“I did discover a few peculiarities. First, the crystal structure is quite jumbled, which is unusual. In cases like this, it wasn’t formed from raw ore itself, but rather refined somewhere, or created through a complex synthetic process….”
Romand narrowed his eyes and looked up at Akorella. His expression clearly showed he couldn’t understand a word she was saying, despite both speaking the Bariel language.
She stopped mid-sentence and smiled wryly.
“My hypothesis is that it’s a result derived from an organic bonding process. There aren’t many organisms in the world sturdy enough to withstand Imperial Guard attacks. And yet it bears such a beautiful bituminous black color!”
What is she talking about? Romand sniffed and nodded vaguely. In the distance, Viviana was approaching with Mini, carrying blankets.
“I’ve been caught in the rain all day, and running around without food has left me out of my mind. Even if you explain, I won’t understand. Please just write it nicely in your report later.”
“Of course! I’ll write it in colored pen!”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
Saying so, Romand nestled into Viviana’s embrace. Viviana welcomed her rain-soaked husband with sympathy. Seeing this, Akorella let out a loud cry and rushed down to the laboratory.
“True love is the best! Ahahaha!”
She was in quite a good mood. At this point, one might suspect she’d been drinking. Romand clicked his tongue and entered the office with Viviana. While he was away, she had organized the documents in order of urgency and placed them on his desk.
“Thank you, Vivi. Where’s Ian?”
“He fell asleep after eating earlier and hasn’t woken up yet. Jhin is with him.”
“Poor thing, he must be exhausted. I’ll handle the rest of the organizing, so don’t wake him. Let him sleep well until tomorrow. Besides, the judicial mediation will be handled by the judiciary, so we only need to organize the testimonies.”
Rustle.
By tomorrow, the First Prince of Bariel will disappear from history. Everyone had never doubted that he would be the future Emperor, yet here he was, falling so completely. This is why people say you can’t see even an inch ahead.
Viviana sat beside Romand and murmured while flipping through documents.
“…Was it two years ago? Before I took my leave.”
Like Romand, she was an Advisor who moved about the Imperial Palace handling various matters. Naturally, she had several opportunities to see Princes Marib and Gail coming and going.
“At that time, both princes were truly, truly beautiful. Beyond their appearance, I could feel that both of them loved Bariel fiercely, just in different ways.”
But the Marib and Gail she saw upon entering the Imperial Palace had changed remarkably.
One stood before trial as a criminal, his wrists bound in chains, while the other lay collapsed in such a pathetic state that he couldn’t even control his own body.
“I really don’t know where things went wrong.”
“That’s why tomorrow’s trial will be conducted privately, away from the empire’s citizens. It’s a courtesy to preserve the dignity of the princes, at least until the end. Even if they disappear from history, they’ll continue to live in Bariel for some time.”
I won’t deny it. Marib had, after all, guided Bariel well in place of the aging Emperor. Romand patted the back of Viviana’s hand and gazed down at Marib’s name written in the documents.
And it wasn’t only the Magic Ministry that reminisced about the former glory of Marib and Gail.
‘Soon the day will change.’
‘Prince Marib will finally….’
‘So this is how they depart. I can feel being in the midst of history.’
The staff member taking down the princes’ portraits from the main lobby, the servant organizing Marib’s quarters, the guard standing before the prison—all of them waited for Marib’s final moment and recalled his former brilliance.
And Marib himself felt the same way.
“…Ah.”
He tilted his head back fully, then gazed up at the black ceiling. The days he had lived in the Imperial Palace came vividly to mind.
When he was very young, he never imagined his death would be like this.
Dong- dong-
At the sound announcing midnight, Marib finally closed his eyes.

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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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