Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 321

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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 321
Fire. Dawn Breaks
A carriage pulled up, cutting through the cool morning air. Perhaps it was the weight of crossing that massive mountain called the appointment ceremony, but even the Magic Bureau, which usually glowed brightly day and night, was deep in slumber at this early hour.
The coachman yawned widely as he opened the window toward the passenger cabin.
Ian sat by the window in an upright posture, fast asleep. And Romandro lay unconscious with his mouth gaping open in an expression of anguish. Seeing how exhausted both men looked, the coachman hesitated for a moment.
“…Sir, we’ve arrived.”
“Huff! Gasp, yes. We’ve arrived.”
Both men responded alertly even to the smallest whisper. Romandro jolted awake as if seized by a fit, while Ian merely cracked his eyes open slightly.
This was the day after spending from afternoon until night laughing, talking, and drinking continuously. They had thought they wouldn’t have to come in, but they hadn’t expected this. Romandro groaned as he rotated his stiff shoulders.
“Ugh, I’m dying! I’m dying! I should have drunk less.”
“You haven’t had anything since hearing the message, have you? There’s nothing to be done about it. You’ve worked hard too. Call for your replacement and head inside.”
“Will you be coming right out, sir?”
“I’ll just gather some documents.”
Ian gestured for the coachman to hurry inside, then entered the Magic Bureau.
An empty lobby. The mages, except for those on duty, were enjoying “leaving work” for the first time in a while. In the distance, Heil approached, scratching his head vigorously.
“Heil.”
“Ah, Ian. You’ve arrived. You must be tired.”
“I caught some sleep in the carriage, so I’m fine. How are the young guests?”
Heil had been assigned by Ian to handle the young guests’ departure. Among them, the one he paid special attention to was naturally the masked boy.
The departing figure of the Prince, who had awkwardly entered the palace, left a particularly deep impression. It was too awkward to pretend otherwise since his identity had been exposed, yet he had played far too happily to admit being the Prince.
Heil nodded while smoking a cigarette.
“No problems. They entered safely.”
“Good. That’s all that matters.”
Ian checked his pocket watch as he passed by him. Since he had completed all preparations at the residence, he only needed to grab the documents and leave again. Romandro followed behind Ian with dragging steps.
A soft rustling sound.
The conference materials prepared by the mage were neatly arranged on the desk. Ian stood for a moment, skimming through them, then handed them to Romandro as if instructing him to review them.
“Romandro. Open your eyes properly and read this.”
“Huh? Are my eyes closed right now?”
“Yes. Both of them.”
That’s strange. That shouldn’t be the case.
Romandro rubbed his eye sockets with the back of his hand, then concentrated his mind to examine the documents. For a hastily convened meeting, it was quite a detailed report. Whether it was based on detailed messages from the local guards, he couldn’t say.
“Before we enter the meeting, there’s something we need to clarify between ourselves.”
“Wait. Go ahead.”
In his drowsy state, Romandro rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a notebook. He gripped his pen firmly and blinked his eyes again.
“The guards are nearly certain that Cliffford was attacked by bandits.”
“Since that place is beneath a forest rather than an open field, they’re even more convinced of it. It seems various traces were left behind.”
“Then let’s think about this for a moment.”
“What about?”
“This isn’t a simple group of merchants—it’s the returning procession of a national leader. Any ordinary band of thieves would have found the scale too intimidating to approach, even if they had been waiting at the pass.”
“W-well, that’s true.”
The escort soldiers were not few in number, and when combined with the private porters and servants, the total headcount easily exceeded a hundred.
Among the bandit groups Bariel had identified, none possessed the strength to stand against such a force. Even in the Karenna region that Ian had passed through—an area notorious for severe bandit activity—they would not dare attack so brazenly.
Only then did Romandro raise his eyebrows as if sensing something amiss. His half-lidded eyes widened slightly.
“Then perhaps they did encounter bandits, but since there was no significant damage, they’re simply returning without delay? If we inform Bariel, investigations and such would certainly cause delays. And given Prince Noah’s condition, wouldn’t they have been evasive to hurry back?”
“That’s unlikely, sir. With the alliance with Bariel imminent, had such an incident occurred before crossing the border, they would surely have made it public. To secure a more advantageous position.”
Even without casualties, they would have demanded compensation by lying low and making a scene.
Yet Cliffford showed no particular reaction whatsoever. Prince Noah’s statement in the report was remarkably brief and concise.
-We are proceeding southward without incident. I’m uncertain what this is about, but there is no cause for concern. Upon returning home, I shall convey Bariel’s intentions to my father and consider when we might meet.
It was suspicious. Regardless of how trivial, this concerned the safety of a prince of a nation. Had I been Noah, I would have questioned what happened and sought to understand it clearly.
Romandro merely drew question marks with his pen, tilting his head in confusion.
“An investigation from the imperial palace is certainly necessary.”
“When we reach the conference, Burgos will likely be mentioned.”
Ian grasped the door handle, signaling it was time to leave. Regardless of Cliffford’s position, from Bariel’s guard’s perspective, something had clearly gone wrong.
And to create such a situation would require more than a ragtag band of thieves. Wouldn’t it make sense that similar forces clashed?
“…Burgos. That’s it! Burgos has motive. Kackel, since the golden diamond passed to Cliffford, they might be disguising themselves as bandits to reclaim it.”
I understood well the significance those jewels held. They were not merely crafted minerals, but determined Damon’s standing, the unity of the nobility, and ultimately the flow of the political situation.
Reckless though it was, it wasn’t entirely impossible. Rather, it was a clear opportunity to set aside the complexities of entangled interests and definitively recover the jewels.
“These bastards never sat right with me from the start. We should investigate the truth and lay it bare completely. I’ll give them a proper thrashing-”
“I beg to differ.”
Romandro thrust his finger angrily at empty air, as if to say they dared deceive the Bariel Empire. Ian merely gently lowered his hand.
“Consider this carefully. Suppose Burgos attempted to steal the jewels. This would undoubtedly constitute hostile action against Bariel. It would provide sufficient justification to mobilize troops.”
Stealing jewels given by the Crown Prince by force within Bariel’s territory? Unless the plan was to annihilate Cliffford entirely, it would be exposed immediately.
“Had they possessed such intent, they would have done so beyond the border, not within Bariel. Furthermore-”
Considering the relationship between Burgos, Cliffford, and Bariel made it even more impossible.
For Damon, who sought to orchestrate a three-nation alliance, Noah and Ian’s alliance was a considerable burden. Should Noah fail to properly protect the jewels, what would become of his position?
“The Crown Prince gave those jewels as collateral, and they happen to be unique in all the world. Bariel’s influence over Cliffford would only deepen.”
“That’s true. Come, let’s be devoured.”
“…Your phrasing is odd, but I won’t correct it.”
Using the jewels as leverage, they would bind Cliffford. This transcended mere alliance—perfect subjugation. Was the jewel’s worth sufficient to endure such a thing?
“Burgos’s nobles ultimately belong to Burgos. It’s a matter manageable internally. They won’t go so far as to surrender Cliffford entirely. Above all, it’s a bordering nation. Should Bariel’s influence strengthen there, Burgos would only wither further.”
I nearly added that King Damon would not have acted thus, but stopped myself, knowing it was unnecessary commentary.
Romandro paused as if considering something, then quickly followed behind Ian. No one knew what the truth was.
“What if King Damon discovered the relationship between Cliffford and Bariel? What if, judging a three-nation alliance impossible, he attacked to sever Cliffford?”
Flexible and diverse intellectual expansion was quite important. Thus, Romandro continued proposing hypotheses while Ian descended the stairs, countering each one.
“Had that been the case, Prince Noah couldn’t have sent Jeonseogoo safely. If they intended to sever Cliffford, it would mean conflict in the near term. Prince Noah would never have been allowed to leave alive. No, he absolutely should have been eliminated. If Prince Noah died within Bariel’s territory, Cliffford might actually fall into their hands.”
“Goodness, this is maddening! Ah, prepare for departure!”
His mind was working and sleep clearing, which felt good, yet on the other hand, his stomach felt queasy. Romandro called to the coachman below while leaning against a pillar.
Ian watched Romandro standing still. Murmuring as he gazed at the distant dawn breaking.
“…Romandro, sir.”
“Ugh. That Berik must have put something strange in the bomb shot. I’m not normally like this.”
Ian smiled faintly, his eyes conveying the message: we drank that together. He swallowed his jest and whispered at last.
“If it’s neither a thief nor Burgos, then naturally, there’s a possibility it isn’t Ruswena either.”
“Burgos and Ruswena have joined hands properly.”
“Then, who remains?”
One thing was certain: someone desired chaos.
A force formidable enough to rival the kingdom’s delegation, positioned between Burgos and Cliffford.
Romandro furrowed his brows slightly. The sky bloomed with dawn’s light. Wind stirred, and Ian’s golden hair swayed. And far beyond, the majestic imperial flag of Bariel fluttered as well.
“You, Ian, at this moment….”
“It’s not certain, but it warrants close observation.”
The work of someone within the imperial palace. Just as everything was proceeding smoothly, this was a scheme to obstruct it.
Romandro answered while watching the brightening sky transform before his eyes.
“Observation, of course, would be good. But who would strain relations between nations? And why?”
“That answer can be confirmed through Cliffford, who is heading toward the border. We should verify whether he’s properly carrying the jewels. If they’ve disappeared—”
If they’ve disappeared, one cannot fathom what comes next.
The jewel that binds Burgos, Cliffford, and Bariel as one. What sort of ripple that small glimmer might create….
“Could it be Captain Jairot’s doing?”
Romandro spun around in surprise, looking at Ian.
Within the imperial palace, everyone tacitly knew that forces opposing Ian were consolidating. Though no one knew that Ian himself had desired this.
In any case! When a problem arises amid someone’s established position, responsibility can become a weapon of attack for the opposing faction.
“Captain Jairot is a man of integrity. He walks the righteous path. Especially in a matter that could harm Bariel if mishandled—he could never have overlooked and exploited it.”
“True, the Captain isn’t the type for that. Honestly, it would be difficult for him to do so anyway. Ah, I mean no disrespect whatsoever. I hold him in high regard.”
“I understand. I too believe there is much to learn from him.”
Just then, the coachman waved his hand broadly, signaling that preparations for departure were complete and they could descend whenever ready. Ian nodded to Romandro, gesturing that they should go.
“Let us attend the council first. My reasoning is based only on fragmentary information, so we need to share opinions with everyone. At this early hour, not many will be in attendance.”
“Yes. Agreed.”
Romandro clutched his chest and took a step forward.
Then, a sudden thought struck him.
The council would be attended by the Prime Minister and the Prince, along with high-ranking officials. Surely among them would be those who opposed Ian. Yet despite this, to go and discuss this matter….
“Ian.”
It meant that among those attending the council, there was no one to be wary of. As Ian turned back, Romandro covered his face with documents and sighed.
“…A mage, indeed.”
Ian offered only a brief smile in silence before descending the stairs once more. For sometimes, silence reveals far more than words ever could.

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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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