Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 221

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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 221
A Trap’s Script
‘Damn it.’
The Mage paced the room, gnawing at his fingernails incessantly.
No matter how much I thought about it, I hadn’t done anything that would make Romandro suspicious, yet I couldn’t understand why he had turned back at the last moment when he’d made it all the way to the reception desk.
‘Right. To be honest, the staff member at the reception desk could have been that way. If someone was sharp-eyed, they might have picked up on the disorderly yet refined atmosphere.’
But why, why didn’t he trust even the Mages? He refused to take the carriage, and when he encountered a Colleague on the way, he took only Xiaoxi and fled as if escaping. The Two Mages had no choice but to spend considerable time wondering whether they should return to the department.
“Ugh, seriously.”
If I’d known this would happen, I would have been more careful with my approach! Or I should have handled the matter inside the carriage on the way. To be suspected before even doing anything—isn’t this maddening?
With such an unassuming appearance, my instincts are really….
Creak.
“Ian.”
Then the door opened and Ian entered. The Mage straightened his posture and barely managed to suppress his tense breathing. Romandro must have surely mentioned that something was amiss.
Then should I use truth serum?
Or?
The Mage desperately tried to read Ian’s expression.
“I escorted Romandro to the judicial branch and returned.”
But Ian spoke calmly and sat down in a chair, even gesturing for me to sit as well. The Mage hesitated at Ian’s unexpectedly gentle tone. I barely managed a response and pulled the chair closer.
“…Yes. That’s correct.”
“You’ve worked hard. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet, not yet.”
“The duck today was quite good. After your report, hurry to the dining hall. The Chef won’t like it if you’re late.”
When Ian brought up an unexpected remark, the Mage’s eyes widened. He used the word ‘report’ rather than ‘interrogation’? That meant Ian didn’t suspect me? My mind spun rapidly. If I played this right, I could get through without any problems.
‘No, actually, it was an escort without a single flaw.’
From a third party’s perspective, Romandro simply jumped to conclusions and made a fuss. There’s no law saying I have to die. The Mage suppressed his laughter and answered that he understood.
“But Romandro said the attitude of the Staff Member at the judicial branch was strange. Did you observe it closely from beside him?”
“Yes. I escorted him all the way to the reception desk.”
“Give me a detailed report.”
Ian said so and lightly gripped his pen. With that hand, he rubbed his brow as if completely puzzled, and a faint red mark appeared on his fair skin. Ian muttered something while writing on a document.
“I hear there wasn’t even any physical confrontation, and the Staff Member is also a person of the palace, so there shouldn’t have been any problem. I’m curious why Romandro came to that conclusion when there was nothing to be concerned about. He himself says he simply felt it instinctively, which is frustrating.”
“Ah, I see.”
The Mage moistened his dry lips and quickly continued speaking.
“Actually, I don’t quite understand why Romandro felt that way either. Latris, who went with me, probably feels the same. He rushed out of the judicial branch as if being chased. Until we met Quintana’s carriage on the way, he kept glancing back nervously. Once in the carriage, he even said there was no room and that he’d go ahead first.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
“I suspect it’s due to accumulated fatigue. That judicial branch staff member—I know him well too. He’s mechanical because of his heavy workload, but he’s kind and a decent person.”
Ian nodded repeatedly and scribbled with his pen. With his interjections of agreement throughout, the Mage felt his anxiety gradually easing.
“He probably felt somewhat insulted when asked to present his identification. Why don’t you bring the complaint and have a better conversation with him again?”
Tap.
At that very moment, Ian set down his pen. With an elegant yet decisive gesture, the Mage’s words caught in his throat. Ian simply smiled faintly.
“I asked for the basis of Romandro’s judgment. It’s not your place to decide whether that judgment is right or wrong.”
“Ah, I, I apologize.”
The Mage bit the inside of his cheek without realizing it. He should have simply said he didn’t know and left it at that.
Ian tapped his pen against the desk several times before rising from his seat. When the Mage stood as well, Ian smiled and gestured for him to sit.
“Please, remain seated. What a shame. The meal today was truly delicious.”
The moment those words left his lips, the door burst open. Soldiers rushed in carrying mana-sealing shackles. Before the Mage could resist, they swiftly bound him and pinned his body to the bed.
“Ian! Ian! Why are you doing this?”
“Stay still.”
“Mmph! Mmph!”
Bang!
Ian glanced at him being restrained, then left the room without hesitation.
Romandro, who had been pacing in the office, approached with a startled expression.
“What did he say?”
“Since something is certainly suspicious, it would be best to conduct a full interrogation. Do so discreetly and without delay.”
When asked about the circumstances, he answered without the slightest hesitation. Had he known nothing, Romandro would have recalled the man’s behavior, deliberated, and arrived at his own conclusion.
But he did not. This was evidence that he had known from the start, and his testimony presupposed that Romandro’s judgment was in error.
“Good heavens.”
Romandro pressed both hands to his forehead. It was true that Haiman’s connections existed within the Magic Ministry. Even fighting with unified purpose would be fierce, and such division was utterly fatal.
To prevent any internal confusion and to avoid alerting those who would later be purged, Ian decided to hide the two Mages.
“Have both of them processed as being on official business.”
“Ah, understood. How many do you think there might be in the Magic Ministry?”
“It’s impossible to say. Not until I see them with my own eyes.”
“That’s the problem. Being unable to identify them immediately is fatal. With several critical matters looming ahead, we lack the physical resources, don’t we?”
Ordinarily, finding traitors is not easy. Unless they’re caught red-handed like today. Either one infiltrates the opposing side to gather clues, or the traitor reveals themselves through the consequences of their betrayal. It must be one or the other.
“If we attempt to find what is hidden, we may do so. But if we make them come forward of their own accord, it becomes relatively simple. We need only wait.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Shall we borrow Haiman’s name for a moment?”
It was a form of entrapment investigation. Create a trap by presenting the opposing side, define those who approach as traitors, and eliminate them. Romandro shook his head, believing it would not be easy.
“We lack absolute information about Haiman’s internal affairs. The traitors already have communication channels with them, so they would be caught immediately. It won’t be easy.”
Ian smiled in agreement. His expression suggested he had already considered this as well.
“A fair point. A trap must not be recognized as a trap. Then it would be better to borrow the name of someone who opposes us, yet is neither Haiman nor Arcen.”
“Such a person couldn’t possibly exist in the palace…”
Romandro was about to say such a thing was impossible, but then he paused, recalling something. Unable to speak, he merely clicked his fingers repeatedly in exclamation.
“Ah!”
“Prince Gail.”
“Gail! I was just about to say that!”
Ian flipped through the reports stacked on his desk. They were filled with opinions that Haiman would seek assistance from Ruswena, the neighboring kingdom. Supporting this, there was also word that Haiman’s knight had recently crossed the border into Ruswena.
“Let us spread this rumor.”
He removed chess pieces one by one and placed them on the table.
“It is circumstantially certain that Ruswena intends to intervene in Bariel under the pretext of Haiman’s request. Their justification is that Haiman’s wife is of Ruswena’s royal family—family, in other words. Do you follow me thus far?”
Tap.
Romandro pulled the black Queen forward and nodded. Horses swarmed before and behind the Queen.
“Then, how should Bariel respond to Ruswena?”
Tap.
“While it would certainly be possible to apply political and economic pressure, considering that Your Majesty is bedridden and the palace is in turmoil over the succession, I believe a conciliatory approach would be better than a hardline stance.”
“Everything you’re saying now—these are all hypotheticals, correct?”
“Of course. Though they are hypotheticals with considerable potential for realization.”
Romandro grasped his chin in thought, then began toying with the white King. Should I place it here, or there? Using Prince Gail for appeasement?
Ian seized the King from his hand and advanced it forward.
“Haiman’s wife may be of Ruswena’s royal bloodline, but she is not a direct descendant of the current king. And the fact that the ruler is a woman also plays a role.”
“…Is Prince Gail attempting to survive by exploiting these things?”
“It differs little from the methods he has primarily employed all along.”
“Well, that is true, but…”
Wesley, Melania, and now even the Queen of Ruswena. Had Prince Gail not always survived in precisely this manner? Romandro awkwardly scratched his head. Whether his fortune was good or bad remained an eternal mystery.
“If rumors spread that Prince Gail will seek asylum in Ruswena, many will react. The Ministry of Magic will be no exception. Since Ruswena lacks many mages, he could receive ministerial-level treatment upon arrival.”
Ian simultaneously moved half a dozen chess pieces to the opposite side. The board instantly fell into disarray.
“Of course, those who choose to go to another nation following their convictions are free to do so. Neither I nor Bariel can stop them, but—”
Here, a critical turning point would emerge. A crucial juncture through which traitors could be identified.
“Would I, having heard all of this, and would Haiman, simply sit idle?”
If Prince Gail departed to another land and gathered strength, he would pose a threat to me, and especially to Jin. Haiman faced the same dilemma. The link connecting Ruswena and Bariel would no longer be unique, diminishing his position. Both I and Haiman would move heaven and earth to prevent it.
“To check Ian Hielo and Haiman, Prince Gail will gather forces. He will collect internal intelligence on his enemies. This is the crux of it.”
The stage was fully set. The actors’ motivations were sufficiently sound. Once the trap began to turn based on this script, those who heard its sound would come rushing in. Should they step into it, they would meet death upon the turning blade. Ian moved his piece into checkmate.
“In the meantime, we need only do our part. If we happen to uncover clues through interrogating the two mages, that would be ideal.”
“But doesn’t this require Prince Gail’s cooperation entirely? And what if he truly harbors different intentions?”
If Prince Gail, knowing there was a path to survival, truly sought asylum in Ruswena, matters would become troublesome. Ian drew forth his magical power and created light at his fingertips.
“The Prince’s cooperation is not greatly necessary. He will remain confined in the palace whether now or when rumors spread. And should he attempt asylum…”
Zing. Zing.
“I will determine his death.”
“Determine it?”
“Through magical power.”
Ian flicked his hand lightly and extinguished the light.
As though it were Prince Gail’s final breath.

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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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