Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 263

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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 263
Each Person’s Thoughts
‘What a blessing upon the Empire. The first noble mage! How delightful to meet you. I am Naum Obian. Please, call me Naum.’
When the original Ian was fifteen, Naum had been the first person with whom he exchanged names upon entering the imperial palace.
It was a meeting on a summer’s day that everyone regarded as a blessing, never suspecting how it would come to sway the course of both their lives.
‘And you may call me Ian freely. You have no idea how long the Magic Ministry has waited. It’s been years since we’ve had a new colleague! You haven’t seen the entire ministry yet, have you? Let me show you around.’
Like his long, silken hair of chestnut hue, his smile too was gentle.
At Naum’s approach, the mages averted their eyes and feigned indifference. Most were of commoner birth, having endured the depths of hardship. Their gazes clung stubbornly—resentment toward nobility itself, anxiety that hierarchy might form in a ministry that had known none, wariness that Ian might wield his noble status to harm the Magic Ministry.
Naum smiled at them and waved his hand dismissively.
‘I see you’re all eager to meet Ian. My apologies, but since he’s under my charge, step aside and get back to work. You can introduce yourselves at the initiation ceremony.’
It was the first time Ian had encountered someone for whom casual banter came so naturally. Among nobles who were always dignified, virtuous, and measured in their bearing, it felt like stepping into a new world. Though to be fair, the Magic Ministry was unfamiliar territory to him.
In any case, was that why it happened so naturally? Following him became effortless. Not merely along the corridors of the Magic Ministry, but along the very path of life itself, I found myself walking in his footsteps.
Naum was undeniably a trustworthy colleague, an excellent mentor, and an irreplaceable friend. The difference in our years was merely a matter of perspective. Certainly.
‘Naum. I am deeply grateful to you.’
In a modest study within the annex of the Magic Ministry.
Ian and Naum enjoyed visiting that place whenever time permitted, losing themselves in books. As Ian turned his gaze from the pages toward the window, he spoke suddenly. It was a season when the fresh green leaves of summer were tinged with autumn’s hues.
‘Grateful for what?’
‘….’
For what? Could one even enumerate such things?
Since the answer was endless, Ian remained silent. Naum too observed the changing season.
‘Ian, did you know? Among all the annexes of the Magic Ministry, this window is the largest.’
‘Why is that?’
‘When the annex was first constructed, this space didn’t originally exist. But the ancestor overseeing the project felt it a shame, so he created it anew. Since it wasn’t in the plans, he replaced a wall with a window instead.’
‘Was his name Timothy?’
‘Yes. Remember when he visited our home last time?’
Naum laughed with pride.
Timothy—he was said to be an immigrant from the Bergos Kingdom. The certificate of Bariel citizenship he received upon naturalization was treasured by Naum’s family. They kept it to honor the gratitude they felt toward the one who allowed them to live not as citizens of the declining Bergos Kingdom, but as citizens of the Bariel Empire.
‘Perhaps Timothy never knew. That someday, you and I would treasure this space so dearly.’
‘We don’t use the study only here, though.’
‘Hmm, that’s true. But there’s something only possible here.’
Ian turned his head away, pretending not to understand.
Had he been caught coming here whenever things grew difficult? Just as Naum turned a page with a silent smile, footsteps echoed loudly from somewhere.
Tap-tap-tap!
This was the innermost space of an annex where visitors were rare. Sensing something unusual, Ian and Naum simultaneously turned toward the door.
The door burst open roughly, a cold wind rushing in. Pages fluttered past, the flushed face of an agitated mage, a heart pounding strangely.
‘Ian, Naum! Damn it, how long I’ve been searching for you!’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘The Emperor has passed away.’
Ian sensed in that moment that he would never forget it. He felt with all his senses what a turning point in life truly meant.
‘Ian. You are being considered as the next Emperor.’
‘….’
‘You saw it coming, didn’t you?’
It would be a lie to say I hadn’t. Truth be told, I’d suspected it from the moment I entered the palace. The Emperor was on his deathbed, there was no heir, and I was a distant branch of the imperial family and not a sacred mage.
Add to that my youth. For powerful ministers who found it difficult to ascend the throne themselves, I was the perfect condition. Still, given the gravity of the situation, I had deliberately tried not to acknowledge it.
‘Chroni is looking for you.’
At the name Chroni, Naum’s expression darkened. My nephew, Vice Minister of the Imperial Defense Ministry, the son of my guardian who had taken my parents’ place. And the one who had urged me to hide my magical power.
As I tried to stand, Naum grabbed my arm.
‘Just because he’s looking doesn’t mean you have to see him, Ian.’
He always comes here after meeting with Chroni—I know that. Naum swallowed back his words and shook his head. I couldn’t predict what nonsense Chroni would spout this time to wound the boy’s heart.
‘It’s fine. As you said, I anticipated this moment. So now I’m meeting him because I need to.’
I stood up. My pale blue eyes and platinum hair caught the sunlight, gleaming even more brilliantly.
Naum, witnessing that moment, knew he would never forget it. It was the instant I chose to move forward at a crossroads in my life, and he realized that the end of this moment marked the beginning of the next Emperor.
‘Naum.’
‘…Yes.’
‘I tried not to think about it, but I couldn’t stop. I realized that what one truly desires cannot be denied, no matter how hard one tries.’
Emperor, the pinnacle of Bariel, one who could support and change the world.
The spark of that thought could not be extinguished, perhaps because of the laughter and tears of the citizens I had met while working as a mage.
I placed a light hand on Naum’s shoulder.
‘And the position of Magic Minister suits you perfectly.’
‘Ian.’
‘Just as you’ve helped me until now, I hope for your support in the future as well.’
The next minister—that is, if I become Emperor, my cabinet is already decided in a sense. The mage pretended not to hear and lowered his head as he left the room. I followed without hesitation.
Left alone, Naum pressed his forehead and closed the book I had laid open. Of course, if he could, he would always stand by my side.
In this way, closing the book as it were, handling what comes after and leading the empire’s brilliant future together—that too is an incomparable honor.
But before that—
‘Ian. Becoming Emperor means abandoning yourself.’
It was only regrettable.
What is the imperial palace? A place where bloodshed holds its breath and eyes the nape of the neck, where countless desires gather to form a deep pool.
Could a boy standing alone truly endure it?
He could endure it, perhaps. But he might also break.
‘Sigh.’
*Whoosh.*
Naum also set aside the book he had been reading and stood. When Ian returns here after meeting Chroni, it would be better if I were not present.
If he has decided to dedicate his life to Bariel, then I have no choice but to walk alongside him. When even a single connection is a miracle, haven’t the two of us formed the bonds of teacher and friend and colleague?
‘May the blessing of the gods be with you.’
Naum unconsciously traced a small incantation into the window. Hoping that when Ian comes here to ease his sorrow, it will not be too painful.
* * *
The ministers and officials gathered in the grand conference exchanged only awkward glances. With mountains of matters to discuss, stacks of documents lined the back of the spacious conference room. Even if proceedings moved at a rapid pace, it would not be enough—yet the two key figures sat absent-minded.
“Well then, the next matter. This is from the Culture Ministry. Of the one hundred and five paintings that arrived from Haimanga, thirty are to be displayed in the imperial palace’s national art museum, seventeen for the imperial family’s private collection, and the rest are to be put up for auction. Jhin, have you reviewed the list?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. I’ve reviewed it.”
One of them was Jin—
“Then you agree?”
“…I understand the official appraisal report hasn’t been submitted yet.”
The other was Ian.
As Jin fumbled through his response, Ian flipped through the documents and added his own remark. On the surface, he appeared no different than usual, but Romandro and several other officials knew the truth—Ian remained lost in silent contemplation. Under normal circumstances, he would have interjected before Jin even finished speaking.
The Culture Minister continued his report, gauging the reactions of both men.
“The Haimanga has been conducting separate appraisals of artworks annually. We propose to use those as a substitute for the official appraisal documents. However, given the sheer volume, the process will take considerable time.”
“I object. I cannot trust the Haimanga’s appraisals. Some valuations were deliberately lowered to evade taxes, while others were inflated for profit.”
“Well, the appraiser in question actually worked at the imperial palace until two years ago. We believed there would be no credibility issues…”
“Then it seems appraising the appraisals would be easier than appraising the artworks themselves. What do you think, Your Highness?”
Ian turned his head to gauge Jin’s thoughts. Jin, who had been staring blankly at him, suddenly startled and turned away.
“Oh, that seems right.”
“Then let’s proceed that way.”
What’s this?
Quintana fiddled with an unlit cigarette, tilting her head in confusion. His Highness Jin’s demeanor was definitely strange. Normally, wouldn’t he be watching Ian with sparkling eyes, following his every word?
But now he seemed uncomfortable, something felt off.
As if he were suffering alone in silence…
‘Count Ian is clearly different too.’
The author’s perception was hardly ordinary. Jin’s attitude had changed noticeably, yet he hadn’t noticed—that alone was wrong.
“Very well. Let’s handle the appraisal matter that way. Next item.”
Tap, tap!
The Prime Minister struck his gavel without hesitation, pushing the meeting forward. Resolving matters of lesser importance quickly would at least help reduce the overall meeting time.
Though if Ian and Jin continued in this state, the meeting would likely extend into the next day.
“The distribution of authority over mana-sealing stones. This is the Magic Ministry’s agenda. The proposal is: fifty percent to the Emperor, thirty percent to other imperial family members, and twenty percent to the Magic Ministry, based on the total quantity identified.”
As the Prime Minister spoke, Jin suddenly startled and looked down at the documents. The officials from other departments reacted similarly. Weren’t mana-sealing stones the only means of restraining mages?
They were the method to bring down those who wielded power close to divine—yet more than half of that authority was being handed to the imperial family. Even Wesley, who had deep ties to Prince Gail, had never managed such a thing.
“Is the ratio stated above correct? Minister Ian Hielo?”
“Yes. As Magic Minister, I have learned much through the rebellion we endured. First, a comprehensive survey and secure management of all mana-sealing stones is necessary, and absolute power always requires a balanced counterweight. For the stability and unwavering center of the imperial family, this is what I believe is right. Currently, aside from the Emperor, Your Highness Jin is the only member of the imperial family. Therefore, granting thirty percent authority over mana-sealing stones to Your Highness Jin would be appropriate.”
Jin’s eyes grew wider and wider. It was as if Ian were handing him a blade with its sharp edge facing the Magic Ministry.
“I see. And regarding Idgal?”
“…The Magic Ministry is conducting its own investigation. We believe the best course to minimize chaos is to track and eliminate him, and we’re moving in that direction.”
“I understand. Your Highness Jin. What is your opinion?”
“Mine?”
Arcen’s scheming, Haiman’s manipulation, and Ian knowing the secret passage that only the imperial family was supposed to know—everything was confusing, his mind a tangled mess. Yet strangely, his thoughts were clearing. Jin nodded awkwardly.
“…I agree.”
Ian, facing him directly, raised his eyebrows and smiled. As if asking why. Only now did he notice Jin’s strangeness. Jin responded with a smile that said it was nothing.
Quintana watched the two of them quietly, then tucked the cigarette back into her pocket. It seemed this was something worth investigating further.

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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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