Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 219

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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 219
A Step Back
The evening of the previous day, when Prince Marib’s execution had taken place.
Deilaina had refreshed her dress and stood before the reception room door. The heavier makeup and ornate jewelry she wore seemed to conceal, at least somewhat, her diminished composure.
The servants glanced at Deilaina standing before the door. Listening to the voices of the ministers leaking from within, she gazed firmly at the door. How could the lower ranks possibly know what she was thinking?
‘Now it truly begins.’
Marib’s death was not merely a warning. It was the intersection point that everyone in the imperial palace—allies and enemies alike—had been aiming for. Having passed through that point, each faction could now only pursue their own path.
There was only one destination: the imperial throne.
Whoever arrived first would claim victory, so even the smallest gap or moment of carelessness would prove fatal.
“Mother.”
Arcen, who stood beside her, noticed her tension and offered a final word of comfort. Deilaina nodded as if she had composed herself.
“Announce my arrival.”
“Lady Deilaina has arrived!”
“Lady Deilaina has arrived!”
Creak.
As the door slowly opened from the relatively dark corridor, the chatter of the ministers quieted, and instead only light spilled forth brightly. Deilaina stepped forward with a deliberately rigid expression.
“Lady Deilaina. Welcome.”
“We have been waiting for you.”
“Lord Arcen is with you as well. What an honor.”
Formally dressed men were scattered freely throughout the reception room. All eyes that had been surveying the surroundings now poured toward Deilaina and Arcen. As the future emperor, their gazes shone with loyalty as if they were meeting the future master of Bariel.
Deilaina held her chin high and walked among them, settling onto the sofa. Her thick dress rustled, creating a beautiful silhouette.
“Some of you I’ve seen before, and some I haven’t.”
Deilaina surveyed the ministers. Then Duke Haiman, who sat nearby, had several others approach and introduced them.
“Iza has been assisting the Haimanga in business. I ordered him to enter the palace as I thought he would be helpful to you and Lord Arcen.”
Centered around Haiman were the central pillar nobles, high-ranking officials from various departments, and wealthy merchants known throughout the realm—all gathered in one place. For Deilaina, or more precisely, for Arcen.
“There are rumors that Count Ian will present an indictment against Haiman. From what I’ve heard, all preparations are already complete, and he was merely waiting for the trial of the former Prince Marib.”
Though he claimed to have heard it secondhand, no one truly believed it. Haiman’s wealth seeped everywhere like water, and was as ubiquitous as the air one breathed without noticing. It was reasonable to assume he had already planted people even in the Magic Ministry.
“What is the content of the indictment?”
“As you know, the focus will be the charge of treason due to collusion with Prince Gail. There may be other minor matters, but they are not important.”
“Duke, does this include the disturbance in the Chetur region?”
“Well, Count Ian seems to think I am the master of that place. He will likely seize upon even the smallest thing.”
Haiman deflected the conversation smoothly without directly admitting anything. One must always be wary of the solidarity of those bound by greed. Just as he had planted people, might not Ian have done the same?
“The Ministry of Justice lacks talented personnel….”
Someone muttered thus. It meant that Arcen’s faction had few people in the Ministry of Justice. Among those gathered here, there were a few from the ministry, but none possessed the authority to block an indictment. The law was a realm of impartiality, so even the imperial palace appointed officials with careful deliberation.
“Once it is received, won’t a grand assembly be convened and a trial date set immediately? In a few days, there will be Lord Arcen’s mana confirmation ceremony. What if we try to delay it until then?”
“I agree. Once the Magic Ministry officially recognizes his mana, there will be nothing to worry about. We could even apply pressure to the Ministry of Justice.”
“We won’t even need to go to trial. If we reach a majority, the grand assembly can dismiss it outright.”
The moment Arcen was reborn as a mage, the next emperor would be all but decided. The foolish servants clinging to Jin would fall away, and the Minister of Justice would tilt his head toward Arcen for the sake of reappointment next year.
The nobles turned to look at Arcen and asked carefully.
“Your Highness, your health is well, I trust?”
“I was deeply worried upon hearing that Prince Gail had been attacked.”
In truth, rumors had spread far and wide, yet no one had witnessed it directly. Only the Magic Ministry’s preparation for the mana verification ceremony proved this was no mere fabrication.
Wasn’t it truly peculiar? Those who opposed Lord Arcen were now supporting his position.
“Your Highness, if I may be so bold, could you demonstrate your mana? It is the Imperial Family’s first blessing. Please grant us such an honor.”
A nobleman pleaded as though honey coated his tongue. Everyone had merely been watching, but now that he had stepped forward, their expressions brightened with anticipation.
If they witnessed it directly, they could stand with Arcen with even greater conviction. They waited quietly for his response, their silence speaking volumes.
“I too wish to grant this honor, but as you know, the mana verification ceremony’s oracle light shines beautifully according to one’s power. To prepare myself for that once-in-a-lifetime day, I am disciplining my body and spirit. I hope you understand.”
“…Of course, Your Highness.”
It was a clear refusal. Yet there was nothing to be done about it, so the nobleman simply smiled and bowed his head. Then, an official from the Administrative Ministry, seeking to refresh the atmosphere, introduced a new topic.
“By the way, have you heard? A message came from the Carbo Temple. The oracle light departed safely, and a new oracle has descended as well.”
A new oracle!
Those hearing this for the first time stirred in surprise, and Arcen’s pupils dilated as well. When the boy looked at Deilaina, she shook her head as if she too was unaware.
‘How could she not know when her family is the foundation?’
The boy’s brow furrowed with irritation. His advantage over Jin stemmed entirely from the oracle, did it not? That meant Jin could also draw the situation to his favor through the oracle.
Unaware of Arcen’s concerns, the administrative official continued with a hearty laugh.
“It told Lord Jin that he cannot defy fate and must die by his own hand. Hahahaha!”
“Oh my! Is that true? What welcome news after so long.”
“I read the message myself. Indeed, it is Carbo, who has been with us since the founding. They do not cling to bloodlines and only speak the truth, do they not?”
Heaven aids, and earth aids. While everyone in the reception room exhaled sighs of relief, only Deilaina and Arcen maintained their silence.
“Lady Deilaina?”
At Duke Haiman’s call, Deilaina snapped back to attention. Though she had left, what oracle could possibly concern a mere ten-year-old child! She wanted to cry out thus, yet what emerged from Deilaina’s lips was the opposite—a chilling blessing.
“It seems the Gods are watching over Bariel.”
Meanwhile, Arcen kept his expression unchanged, merely tapping his folded arms. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something, so Haiman quietly observed him.
“Did it truly come to Jin?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes, yes. It came to the cursed one, and since it mentioned fate, everyone believed it was for Lord Jin.”
“Is that so?”
“Why do you ask?”
“No, it is right to believe it is Jin. It must be so. Then, shall we return to discussing the accusation document? I think it would be better to delay slightly as I suggested earlier and have the grand council convene after the mana verification ceremony. Four days should be sufficient, I believe.”
It was confidence that the mana verification ceremony would proceed without issue. Several others agreed with Arcen’s opinion and added their thoughts.
“Honestly, all we need is to prevent the seal from being stamped on the accusation document.”
Until the seal was affixed or the document was sealed, nothing was decided, so they threw themselves into blocking it. It was more akin to a protest than armed struggle.
“That may be true, but things are different from before. The atmosphere in the imperial palace is rather tense these days. We must proceed as quietly as possible and avoid giving them any grounds to criticize.”
“Is this not an accusation document regarding treason? If we are caught on some pretext, we could become implicated and provide them with justification.”
“I believe the person in charge is Erikse.”
“Hmm. Erikse, you say? Where does he reside?”
“Ah, then I shall take care of it. I have a suitable cousin. Finding someone is hardly difficult.”
What need was there to distinguish between the main path and side roads in achieving a greater cause? If they could block it by any means necessary, that was what mattered. These were people who moved through noble society, conducted business, and navigated politics—their minds were exceptionally sharp in such matters.
“Very well. Then we shall begin tomorrow—no, rather, as soon as midnight passes, we shall start immediately.”
“Lady Deilaina.”
The clock hand would soon announce the next day. Haiman called to Deilaina as he tidied up the situation. She lifted her wine glass, and soon everyone gathered at the table followed suit, raising their glasses.
“For the glory of Bariel.”
“For the glory of Bariel.”
Clink—clink!
They drank their wine simultaneously, their glossy lips curving like crescents.
* * *
“What’s the matter?”
“Show me your identification. Didn’t I ask for it?”
Romandro raised his hand to signal the woman not to approach. This wasn’t some nameless pawn shop in the city—this was the imperial palace. The judiciary, where the Emperor’s solemn decree held sway and Bariel’s law was enforced! Yet why did everything feel so wrong?
Everyone stared at Romandro with bewildered expressions. Among them were the two Mages who had accompanied him.
“Here’s my identification.”
The employee pulled out her credentials with a somewhat exasperated expression. No matter how I examined them, they were unmistakably genuine imperial palace employee credentials. She crossed her arms at her waist and reproached Romandro with obvious displeasure.
“Don’t you see how busy I am? I was trying to accommodate you since you’re from the Magic Ministry, but this is too much.”
“….”
Romandro groaned inwardly and handed the credentials back to her. She took them but didn’t lower her hand.
“Aren’t you going to file the complaint?”
“Romandro. What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m tired. Just process this quickly so we can leave.”
The Mages standing nearby urged Romandro forward. The way he yawned so openly seemed to suggest that only he felt the peculiarity of this situation. Romandro paid no mind to the stares directed at him and stepped backward.
“When is Erikse arriving?”
“We received word this morning that he was in a carriage accident. It doesn’t seem to be a serious injury, but I’m not entirely sure.”
“I see. Then I’ll come back later.”
“Romandro!”
When one of the Mages grabbed him, Xiaoxi reflexively brushed him off. Though I couldn’t say what it was, he too sensed something was amiss. Ignoring the bewildered Mage, Xiaoxi whispered to Romandro.
“Should I draw my sword?”
“Are you insane? Absolutely not. No way.”
I had only sensed something suspicious—there was no actual threat. If Xiaoxi drew his sword here, it would only make us look suspicious.
Romandro shook his head frantically, stopping Xiaoxi. Fortunately, he was different from Berik, who couldn’t understand a word.
“Then what should we do?”
Romandro glanced around and grasped the door handle leading outside. Ian had sent Xiaoxi with me. Perhaps he had anticipated this situation to some degree? Regardless, it would be better to return to the Magic Ministry.
Romandro clenched his teeth and whispered like a ventriloquist.
“Let’s scram, let’s get out of here.”

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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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