Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 328

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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 328
Fire. Finding Ian
“Ugh.”
“Romandro, are you alright?”
“Alright? Don’t be ridiculous. That’s hardly something to call traveling….”
Romandro leaned against the wall, retching repeatedly, while Tomi patted his back sympathetically.
Nakina stood with a cigarette between her lips, surveying the surroundings. For a densely populated residential area, foot traffic was remarkably sparse. She exhaled smoke while facing the small building directly ahead.
“Still, we arrived before sunset without taking a carriage. You’ll get used to it, Romandro. It’s more efficient for our work.”
“Efficient? I’ll be dead before I get used to this, blast it!”
“How many floors did you say it was, Tomi?”
“Fifth floor.”
The investigation had progressed more smoothly than expected. Thanks to Philic’s unusual status as a Mage, the homeowner remembered him clearly. Through this connection, I was introduced to the carriage driver who had helped with the move, and through careful inquiry, I uncovered the detailed address.
Philic didn’t seem particularly interested in hiding either. Otherwise, even the neighborhood children wouldn’t know that a Mage lived there.
“Do Mages usually have such poor health?”
“I’m not a Mage. I’m just an ordinary person.”
“Hmm. I see.”
The Boy crouched beside Romandro tilted his head curiously. Heil pulled a copper coin from his pocket and handed it to the child.
“That’s payment for the information. Now go home.”
“Ew. Stingy!”
“….”
“Just kidding. You’re dumb, mister. Hahahaha!”
The Boy snatched the coin and ran off, teasing the bewildered Heil. Though fragmented, it was a clear indicator of the neighborhood’s atmosphere. Dilapidated and shabby, the helplessness of those living day to day. Everything here was permeated with such despair.
“That bastard Philic—does he pocket all his wages? Why would he set up residence in a place like this?”
It was an objective fact that a Mage’s salary was substantial. A considerable portion of the imperial palace’s vast budget was allocated to the Magic Division, and only a few shared it. No matter how humble one’s origins or how empty-handed one started, acquiring a decent house should be simple.
“Perhaps he uses it only for storage since he can’t actually live here.”
“Let’s go. Romandro, will you be alright?”
“Yeah. I’m fine now. Ugh, my head aches.”
“Should we request the Guards to control the area?”
“There’s no one around anyway. If the Guards show up, it’ll only draw more attention. Let’s go in right away.”
“Agreed. It’s quiet—perfect conditions for our work.”
As Romandro wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, the three Mages pulled on their gloves and approached the building. It was structured with one household per floor. Moldy wooden doors were firmly shut, and the stairs creaked with each step.
Click.
“It’s locked, but I sense faint magical power. What should we do?”
“Step aside.”
Nakina pulled Tomi back and examined the door. As she said, protective enchantments were in place. She carefully infused magical power, gauging the nature of the barrier.
“If we’re unlucky and it’s complicated, we’ll have a problem.”
“Why? Why?”
“If security was the priority, the building could collapse the moment the barrier breaks. That’s difficult though, and there’s also a method that kills intruders….”
“But then we’d have a corpse while he’s away. Cleanup could get messy, so we rarely use that method in situations like this.”
Romandro pressed himself flat against the wall, clutching both cheeks. What kind of horrifying things were these people discussing? The building collapsing? Corpses? Just as Romandro was about to stop the Mages—
Zing. Zing.
“Yes. Romandro, step back.”
“Ahhhhh! Ah! Wait! I’m still here!”
“Going!”
“Kyaaaah!”
Crash! Thud!
After completing her assessment, Nakina wrapped mana around her fist and drove it forward with all her strength. Just once. The wood splintered and fell away, and at the same moment, something transparent shattered and burst outward.
While Romandro recoiled in shock, Heil and Tomi waved their hands as if merely brushing away dust.
“Pardon us.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“Come on, let’s go!”
Romandro quickly followed the Mages downward, surveying the lower level as he went.
The smell of dust rose up. It was a space connected as one without any walls. Except for a desk, chair, and bed sitting alone, the entire area was packed tight with wooden boxes.
“Wow, the state of this place is quite impressive, really.”
“Could there be protective measures on the inside? Nakina?”
“Yes. Probably. It would have been impossible to set up barriers all the way inside. Just looking at what was installed on the front, you can estimate the cost. It’s astronomical.”
Nakina muttered as she tapped the boxes with her toes. Just thinking about investigating all of this made her breath catch. Or was it the dust?
Heil gestured toward the desk area to Romandro with a nod.
“Romandro, would you handle the documents? You’re likely the fastest reader among us.”
“Ah, of course.”
“If anything seems problematic, tell me immediately. Tomi, head inside and start there. Nakina, begin over there.”
“Understood.”
The two took their positions according to Heil’s instructions. There was barely room to set foot, and the boxes reached all the way to the ceiling. Romandro carefully approached the desk and examined the papers.
Rustle.
Most of it looked familiar—documents the Magic Ministry often brought. There had to be some clue somewhere…
“Hmm.”
While Romandro rummaged through every corner of the drawers, the Mages broke open and smashed boxes, examining their contents. It seemed the belongings had never been unpacked since moving. Or perhaps they’d been in this state at the previous residence as well.
“Nothing here. Tomi, how about your side?”
“Ah, just a moment! Captain!”
“What did you find?”
At Tomi’s call, Heil drew closer. There was a pile of unidentifiable powder. When Tomi tried to smell it, he blocked him with his hand.
“Don’t sniff it carelessly. Seal it back up. We’ll call people and move it to the Magic Ministry.”
“Captain! There’s something strange here too! It looks like seeds!”
Diamond-shaped red seeds. Heil couldn’t fathom what this bastard Philic was up to. He continued the search, setting aside what needed to be taken to the Magic Ministry.
How much time had passed? Beyond the sealed window, the sun began to set.
“Sigh. Philic, you bastard. I’m exhausted.”
“Captain, I’ve finished organizing the inside. Nothing special besides the powder.”
“This side’s about done too. Let’s move it to the Magic Ministry first, then request reinforcements tomorrow and come back. What do you think, Captain?”
“That sounds good. Ian might have returned by then. Romandro?”
Heil glanced toward Romandro. He stood with his back turned, head bowed low, seemingly absorbed in reading something.
“Romandro?”
“Hm? Yes?”
“Were you looking for something?”
When Heil asked with confusion, Romandro quickly lifted his head. A brief silence. He soon laughed awkwardly and waved the papers around.
“Sorry. I was concentrating and didn’t hear you. Most of it seems related to the Magic Ministry’s work, but there’s nothing particularly urgent.”
“I see. Then shall we call it a day?”
“…Will you fly away again?”
“Of course not. I have luggage, so I’ll call for a carriage.”
“Ah, thank goodness for that.”
As Heil turned to leave, Romandro read through the papers in his hands once more. Though scattered unfamiliar characters were mixed throughout, there were certainly sentences he could identify clearly.
‘Why…’
Why was Ian’s name mentioned here? It was a common name, so I wondered if it was coincidence, but from the context before and after, it was definitely the Ian I knew. The one who was born and raised in Byeongyeong, the one who could use magic.
“Sigh.”
Romandro closed his eyes, pressing his throbbing head. I wanted to make sense of it, but with limited information, it was impossible. From what I knew….
‘Ian released Melania to track down the Rutherford Merchant Company, which was Idgal’s location. But why does this contain content about meeting soon? Why on earth? No, did I read this correctly? Damn, I did.’
Romandro rolled his eyes back and forth, mulling over the letters again and again. I hoped I had misread something, but the more I looked, the clearer the ink seemed to become.
Then Nakina grabbed Romandro’s shoulder.
“Romandro.”
“Gah!”
“Good grief, you’ll faint. What’s wrong?”
As she narrowed her eyes, Romandro unconsciously hid the note in his back pocket. Thump-thump, my heart pounding like mad. Cold sweat. And a complexion that was difficult to see.
Nakina clicked her tongue and patted his shoulder.
“Feeling queasy again? Really, you need to take better care of your health.”
“Hm? Yes, yes. You’re right. Wait until you’re my age.”
“Go on ahead. The smell will only make it worse.”
“Ah, right. I’ve reviewed everything here. Just in case, please move this along with the rest. As is, without any damage.”
Romandro shuffled backward and left.
Nakina watched him with pity. She glanced toward the desk for a moment, but since Romandro had already reviewed it, there was no need to look. She turned away without hesitation.
* * *
Tap-tap.
Ian sat lost in thought, tapping only the table with his fingertips. As the silence lengthened, Prince Noah’s tension grew as well.
Acquiring Idgal in large quantities was clearly an attitude to check the Mages. This meant building up the kingdom’s strength against Bariel, and it signified that an alliance could not be established.
Noah looked at Philic lying down, trying to clear his complicated mind. If only the other party had done their part correctly! We could have acquired only the Idgal and returned to our kingdom without any suspicion. The more I thought about it, the more twisted things seemed to become.
“Tell me the exact details of the transaction. Did you perhaps use a contract spell?”
“No. They suggested it, but I couldn’t trust them, so I refused. Instead, I wrote them a letter to facilitate easy entry into the kingdom. In exchange, I agreed to supply them with a hundred times that amount over five years.”
“What was the amount?”
“I already told you.”
Noah nodded and spoke.
“I gave them golden diamonds.”
“…Is that all?”
“One could say half the payment has already been made.”
The jewel bestowed by the Prince was such that I could exchange it for a vast quantity of items equivalent to a mana-sealing stone.
The jewel would be returned ten years later, when Prince Jin came of age. Ten years was hardly a short span of time. After all, Prince Marib and Prince Gail, once formidable candidates for Emperor, had fallen in merely a single day.
Had it not been discovered, had that brief commotion not reached the Guards’ ears, it would have been a decision without any problems whatsoever.
‘No payment?’
I pondered something deeply, then summoned the Mage from outside. This was grave. It was evident that the political situation of the Three Kingdoms was becoming far more precarious than anticipated.
“I must return to the Imperial Palace at once.”
“Pardon? Right now?”
“Yes. Immediately.”
What if, under the guise of a dramatic settlement following the attack, Idgal had been handed over to Cliffford? What if Rutherford was distributing Idgal to the Three Kingdoms almost without compensation?
“Only two of you remain to recover the Cliffford carriage. I will return to the Imperial Palace and come back again.”
“Ah. But Minister Ian, there’s a problem.”
A problem? As I furrowed my brow, the Mage approached with a troubled expression and whispered very quietly.
From stopping the carriage, restraining Philic, and recovering the carriage itself—
“We’ve exhausted our mana, so we can’t open a portal right away. I’m so, so sorry. Sob.”

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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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