Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 294

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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 294
The Carriage Comes to a Stop
“Your Highness. Cliffford’s carriage has been spotted.”
“Is that so? There’s no time to rest. How long until it arrives?”
The news reached Prince Jin as well, who had returned to his quarters to rest. He had been deliberating over lunch arrangements since the midday meal timing was uncertain, but if Cliffford was arriving, it seemed he could prepare a meal with Eriponi.
It was inconvenient, but what could be done? This too was a duty that fell upon Jin’s shoulders. Yet strangely, no answer came.
“What is the matter?”
“It appears it will take some time, Your Highness.”
“Why is that?”
If the carriage was visible from the outskirts, even at a leisurely pace it would take only a couple of hours. Had something happened at the palace where Cliffford was staying? When the Boy urged the Servant to speak up quickly, the attendant bowed awkwardly.
“The carriage is moving extremely slowly.”
“What? What is the reason?”
“Count Ian has gone out to the outer walls with the Mages to investigate. Should there be a problem with the carriage, he suggested we send an escort. However, from what I hear, it does not appear to be a mechanical issue.”
Not a mechanical issue? Prince Jin tilted his head in confusion. He glanced at Sia, but he too could not possibly know. It would take considerable time to travel to and from the outskirts…
“Since he went with the Mages, Your Highness, they likely traveled by the skyway.”
Xiaoxi added, sensing the Prince’s concern. There was no other choice—the streets were so packed with people that a single horse could barely pass through.
The Boy looked up at the sky beyond the window. Had he gone out alone to avoid drawing attention?
“Did only Count Ian go?”
“Romandro and Berik went with him as well.”
“Those two… how could they possibly fly?”
How could they fly through the sky?
The moment Prince Jin harbored this doubt, he seemed to hear a distant scream tearing through the air from far away. Yet it was drowned out by the constant bursts of fireworks, the cheers of the crowd, and the music of the streets.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the outer walls.
The Soldiers retreated and glanced at the group of Mages.
Though the one who had been shuttling between this place and the imperial palace all day serving as a messenger was also a Mage, seeing so many gathered together was a first for them, and it was quite a novelty. Moreover, they were peering through a telescope in fixed positions.
The Soldiers exchanged knowing glances.
‘Is the blonde one the Minister of Magic? And the one next to him?’
‘I don’t know. The one sprawled on the ground looks like a Steward.’
Ian, his head tilted as he peered through the fixed telescope. And beside him, Berik was holding a small telescope upside down while mimicking Ian’s posture. Romandro lay on the ground, groaning continuously.
“Can you see anything? Ian, I can’t see a thing.”
“Ugh… ugh…”
“Romandro. Stop gasping and get up.”
“Y-you fool. We flew through the sky like a cannon, and now… ugh…”
“This one seems broken?”
Berik held up his own telescope, saying something was wrong, but the Mages did not respond, their attention fixed on Cliffford’s direction. Ian lifted his face from the telescope and asked the Captain of the Guard at the outskirts.
“It stopped there?”
“It was wobbling along, then came to a complete halt right there.”
As Ian stepped aside, Berik quickly pressed his face to the telescope to check. In the distance, a massive carriage at the front of the procession was visible.
Beyond the ridge, there was likely a long procession stretching out like Ruswena’s, but for some reason, it had stopped without crossing over the hill.
“I see it! Oh! There! A person just came out. Checking the hoofprints and turning back?”
“I think we should go check it ourselves.”
“Ian! I! I!”
At my words, Romandro sprang to his feet and clasped his hands together. Some might find flying exhilarating, but I am merely mortal. My heart thrashed wildly in all directions, and I couldn’t bear the sensation of blood rushing backward through my entire body.
“Romandro, please wait here. We can’t send all the delegation’s carriages, and once they reach this point, they’ll walk along the central side path anyway, so we can all return together.”
“Ah, yes, that makes sense.”
“The rest of you, follow me.”
“Yes, Ian.”
“Ian! Let’s go!”
Whirrrrr. Whirrrr.
Whoosh!
As the Mages unleashed their mana, Berik leaped over the city wall first. Without a moment’s hesitation, decisively and cleanly.
Just as the startled Soldiers rushed forward, the Mages all dashed down and hurled themselves over the edge.
Swooosh! Swish!
And in an instant, they soared into the sky. Two Mages caught Berik upside down and flew toward the Cliffford carriage.
Even with the world turned upside down, it seemed fun. Berik flailed his arms wildly and shouted.
“Waaahhh! This is killing me!”
“That, that madman. He won’t live a natural life.”
Whoosh.
Ian gave Romandro a look to wait, then leaped lightly.
As the Mages disappeared into specks, the Soldiers cast sympathetic glances at Romandro. How did he manage to work among such people?
“Huh? Look, something’s coming.”
“Stop! We are from Cliffford-”
“They appear to be Mages. They’re people!”
“But what about that person flying upside down in the middle?”
“We are the Cliffford diplomatic delegation! Stop!”
“Bring May here. These are Bariel’s Mages!”
As they drew closer, a massive procession came into view. The delegates gazed up at the Mages in wonder, and the Mages looked down at them in turn.
All of them had hair with a reddish tint. Since they held important positions in the kingdom, it seemed they had selected only those from legitimate noble bloodlines to form the delegation.
With Ian at the lead, the Mages touched ground.
“Who is in charge?”
As Ian looked around and asked, a short-haired woman rushed over urgently and stepped forward. This was the ‘May’ everyone had been looking for. She served Prince Noah and oversaw the entire delegation.
“Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am May, the chief supervisor of the Cliffford diplomatic delegation and the Steward attending Prince Noah.”
“Thank you for your arduous journey. I am Ian Hielo, Minister of the Mage Division of Bariel. I heard there was trouble with your carriage, so I came to welcome you and verify the situation.”
“Ah, I see. Thank you so much.”
Ian and May exchanged a light handshake in greeting. She looked around and shrugged awkwardly. As if she hadn’t expected to meet like this in the middle of the street.
“The carriage wheel sank into soft ground and caused us to fall behind.”
“Is that so?”
A faint smile played at the corners of Ian’s mouth as he replied dryly.
It hadn’t rained for several days. Moreover, this was a road used by countless people all day long to enter the capital. I knew the ground was firm, yet how could soft spots have appeared?
“Then let us depart at once. His Majesty awaits. I shall have the outer gates opened in advance.”
“Wait!”
As I turned to leave, May grabbed me urgently.
“Forgive me, but would it be possible for us to enter the palace and rest a moment before meeting with His Highness the Prince?”
“Is there a valid reason for this?”
“The Prince has fallen ill from the arduous journey.”
“I see. I shall summon the palace physician at once.”
“No, we have our own physician. It would simply be most appreciated if we could have a little time before meeting His Highness.”
Cliffford had come to Bariel as a guest. Since they had accumulated fatigue from the grueling schedule, Jin could certainly understand this.
But something felt off.
After a moment of thought, I located the carriage where Prince Noah was likely to be. It was unmistakably Cliffford’s representative carriage, adorned with exotic decorations hanging all about. The curtains were drawn tight.
“I shall inform His Majesty.”
As I nodded, one of the Mages flew back once more.
The delegation members could not hide their excitement at the sight. My goodness, truly the great empire of Bariel. Humans who flew freely through the sky!
“You shall receive an answer at the palace. For now, let us depart. Everyone is waiting.”
If we arrived this late after announcing our coming, they would not be able to fully enjoy the festive atmosphere upon entry. This would be unfortunate for Cliffford, who had traveled so far, and it was something Bariel could not afford, needing to be filled with unceasing cheers.
From sunrise to sunset, until all grew weary. The blessed cheers for Jin must not cease.
“I shall guide you along the sky route first. Once within the walls, guards will flank both sides, so please move with the spacing as tight as possible.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Berik.”
“Huh?”
Berik had been poking at the unfamiliar decorations on the carriage when he turned his head at my call. His hair was disheveled from flying through the air. When I gestured with my hand, he came running over and sniffled.
I gave my instructions so no one else could hear. One could never be too thorough in investigation, just in case.
“As you escort the carriages, check if any wheels are wet with mud. If you find anything suspicious, investigate it, and also check the path the procession traveled to see if there are any soft patches of earth.”
“Okie dokie. But what about when I come back?”
“You like running, don’t you?”
“Aw man, you’re really something!”
“I’m joking. I’ll have Romandro send cavalry.”
Without a word, wouldn’t he end up running all the way to that distant wall alone, then walking back to the palace? Berik’s mouth fell open in alarm, but he breathed a sigh of relief when I said it was a joke.
“Come now, let us hurry.”
“May! Are we ready to depart?”
“…Yes. Let’s go. As slowly as possible!”
“Widen the spacing between the carriages. We depart!”
“Load the baggage again! Those resting, return to your positions!”
At May’s command, the delegation moved busily to prepare for departure. There was nothing particularly problematic, and the Mages had nothing to help with. Apologies from the Cliffford party for making them walk unnecessarily could be heard here and there.
“Not at all. Since you are honored guests, this is only natural. Please tell us immediately if there are any problems.”
“Yes, yes. Thank you! You Mages are amazing!”
It was probably because they were the farthest nation from the center. Unlike Ruswena, they had no political entanglements, and their exchanges were the rarest among the three nations. As a result, goodwill based on curiosity was naturally woven into their demeanor.
Thud!
Creak.
Watching the mages disappear, May climbed back into the carriage. Prince Noah lay curled on a makeshift bed, wrapped in a blanket. May drew the curtains tightly before examining him.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
“Were those the Imperial Palace mages?”
“Yes. The carriage stopped, so they came to investigate.”
“Ah, this is truly troublesome.”
As the blanket slipped away, beast-like ears twitched between strands of orange hair. It was impossible to distinguish where the hair ended and the fur began. Prince Noah groomed his ears while muttering.
“I cannot let other nations see me like this.”
“I informed them it was a travel ailment. Prince Jin’s right hand, the Minister of Magic, is favorably disposed. We should be able to delay this.”
Even his pupils were split down the center—unmistakably fox eyes. May handed him the blanket again, trying to calm her racing heart.
At least the tail hadn’t emerged yet. Even if the request was denied, the ears could be hidden somehow.
“When I return to Cliffford, I’ll have to kill that sorcerer. The fool can’t even calculate manifestation dates correctly, yet he struts about so arrogantly most of the time.”
“But Cliffford and Bariel are different nations. The cycle likely destabilized when crossing the border.”
With a soft sound, Prince Noah flicked his elongated tongue irritably and frowned like a beast. Then he buried his face in May’s shoulder and yawned languidly.
Just then, faint voices from outside—guards and a stranger.
“Stop. This is the Prince’s carriage.”
“Ah, I see. My mistake!”
Prince Noah’s ears perked up, but that was all. Whoever it was must have been stopped by the guards.
“Hmm.”
Berik, who had stepped back, could not tear his eyes from Prince Noah’s carriage.
The people preparing for departure wanted him to move further aside, but Berik stood firm, staring only at the carriage. He continued to inhale deeply, sniff after sniff.
‘Strange. For the Prince’s carriage, the smell is absolutely foul. Is that a beast’s scent?’
It seemed familiar somehow, but he couldn’t remember where he’d smelled it before.
Berik tilted his head and examined the carriage wheels. They were covered in dust, but there was no mud to be found anywhere.

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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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