Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 427

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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 427
Fire. Records of the Cracks
Akorelra tilted her head back against the sofa, exhaling cigarette smoke into the air.
This is perfect. This is it.
It was only natural to foresee a man who had fallen from such heights to the ground making a final desperate struggle before the end. There was no problem with her destroying all the perfectly good Shildam potions with her own hands—she could simply make more. But now, the sigh that rose from deep within Akorelra’s chest was caused by none other than Ian. More precisely, it was his reaction, whose true thoughts remained inscrutable.
But now, it was none other than Ian who was creating sighs from deep within Acorella’s chest. More precisely, it was Ian’s inscrutable reaction.
“Ian.”
“What is it?”
“There’s one more thing you’re hiding, isn’t there?”
Ian’s pen paused for a moment before resuming its strokes across the page.
That brief hesitation. Akorelra narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth. Then, careful that not a single word would leak outside, she whispered with utmost caution and quietness.
“You already told me about Idgal beforehand, so I understand that. Captain Heil knows about it too. That pendant is certainly connected to the time when your memories were blank. But what about the imperial family? What does that have to do with anything?”
“Akorelra, do you believe what he said?”
“It’s not a matter of belief or disbelief—the problem is that it keeps being mentioned. This isn’t the first time, is it? The rumor that you’re of imperial blood has circulated for a long time. When was it? Arcen—ah, damn it.”
Arcen. A forbidden name that should never be spoken within the imperial palace. When Ian fixed her with a cold stare, she raised both hands in acknowledgment of her mistake.
“So to be more precise, it was Haiman the nobleman who first mentioned it, wasn’t it? He certainly had a lot to say.”
“He did. So much that everyone dismissed it as a lie.”
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. If King Damon’s statement brings this back into public discourse, even those who thought nothing of it will begin to harbor doubts. Ugh, really. Can’t we just live in peace? Let me throw myself into my research like a madwoman, and you focus on the work you want to do. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? But the moment we return, we have to dive headfirst into another political storm?”
“It is the fate of those who serve in the imperial palace. How can one desire peace in a place where all the world’s power gathers?”
“That’s exactly why, Ian. Let’s settle this one thing properly before we move forward. We—we should be able to do this.”
The method to neutralize Shildam potions was already in the hands of the Magic Bureau. Prince Gail had benefited from it, and unofficially, it was believed that after commercialization, the neutralization method would open up new markets.
There would be nothing for Ian to struggle with at the grand conference. That was something Akorelra could confidently assert. But before that, Akorelra wanted to know. What was the truth? The complete truth, including all the facts.
“Ian. Are you really of imperial blood?”
“…”
Ian closed the folder of documents and turned his pen over in his hands. He was deliberating on what to say. The longer his silence stretched, the more Akorelra’s eyes widened in astonishment as her mouth slowly fell open.
“I am—”
‘Ian Verosion from Bariel a hundred years in the future.’
Ian recalled that sentence which could not bring itself to be spoken, and slowly opened his mouth.
“I am indeed Philia’s child.”
“I already knew that. You can tell just by passing by from a distance—the resemblance is obvious.”
“You know my mother. She is so pure that she cannot speak falsehoods, yet how could she harbor such a tremendous secret?”
“So you’re saying it’s not true?”
But then why did Damon say such a thing?
“I will dismiss Damon’s claim that you are connected to the imperial family as mere nonsense.”
“Akorelra. It is not nonsense. Just as Haiman said, the fact that I alone could stand during ‘that’ incident—everyone surely harbors doubts about it.”
That incident referred to the Arcen incident. When everyone else collapsed forward under mental domination and assault, was it not I alone who stood firm and faced the demon?
Akorelra let the cigarette fall from her lips with a soft tap.
“Wait, hold on. Right now…”
“The explanation is complicated, and for now, this is all I can tell you.”
Was Ian speaking in riddles? That he was not of imperial blood, but had received the imperial family’s blessing? Was such a thing even possible?
Akorelra herself was not of royal blood, so she knew nothing of blessings. The same would be true for the other officials. Currently, aside from the Emperor and the Prince, there was likely no one who understood blessings in detail.
Knock, knock.
“Ian.”
Akorelra startled at the sound of footsteps from outside, hastily straightening her clothes. She ran her fingers through her hair for no particular reason, picked up a cigarette butt rolling at her feet, and blew on it.
One of the Mages pushed his head in while pulling a trolley. From his expression, it seemed the interrogation with Damon had reached everyone’s ears. If so, the imperial scribes would have already informed Jin of this news.
“These are the Crack-related documents we retrieved from the archives.”
“Move them over here. What about the copies?”
“We’ve divided them separately. We’ll review from here to this section, and the support department will handle what’s below. Before the grand council meeting, we’ll do a quick review and report. Ian, are you going back into the interrogation?”
“Yes.”
I clicked open my pocket watch, watching the second hand move. Time was running short. The truth serum had shattered completely, and since this was the first grand council meeting to report everything after the war, I needed to take the lead in preparing the documents.
“No. I’ll leave the interrogation to someone else. Akorelra.”
“Me?”
“Simply read through the questionnaire as written. Assist Romandro in conducting the interrogation.”
“Shouldn’t Romandro be assisting me?”
“You know well enough that you’re not suited for interrogation. I’m sorry, but time is short.”
Akorelra’s words caught in her throat as she pointed at me with her cigarette, then turned her body away. The implication was strong—she was letting it slide for now because things were busy. Tonight, once all the schedules were finished, she would march in with a full wine bottle and expose all my secrets.
“I’ll see you soon, Ian.”
“Yes. Make sure everyone is fully prepared by the council meeting time.”
Screech.
As Akorelra dragged the Mage’s arm and left the office, I was left alone. I lay half-sprawled, staring at the thick documents.
At this point, I was truly grateful I’d entrusted my secret to the Gypsy. Had I not, I might have already revealed my identity to Akorelra. To Berik, to Romandro. And to Jin and Xiaoxi, and further still, to everyone in the Magic Bureau and to Philia.
Because I now occupy the shell of the illegitimate Ian, everything is complete, yet I nearly shattered their daily lives on some inexplicable impulse.
“Sigh.”
Just a little longer. Naum said to go to the annex, so I just need to endure alone until the annex is completed.
‘Third life.’
‘Rutherford.’
‘The illegitimate Ian and Emperor Ian.’
I fell silent, turning over the words that formed at my fingertips.
There was essentially no great difference between Damon’s new regression and new life, and my existence here. The only difference lay in whether I borrowed another’s body or obtained my own anew.
I suspected that Rutherford held the answer to regression alongside the annex’s construction. Then, like Damon, what price must I pay to Rutherford?
‘Half-siblings.’
Suddenly, new words struck my mind. I recalled Philia’s brightly smiling face and unconsciously straightened my posture.
My mother’s face, delighted at having gained a younger sibling. My mother’s face, deeply disappointed at my claim that it was not my concern. Jin’s whispered words that she would be a very lovely child.
“Ah.”
Perhaps it was exhaustion—all sorts of pointless thoughts were surfacing.
Even if Damon’s chosen method of regression contained the sacrifice of blood relatives, I had no need to choose the same path. There was no reason to, and above all, I had no desire to return at such a cost.
As I told Damon, even if I were to move forward into a new world, the beings here would endure eternally.
Click.
I shook my head to dispel the thoughts and opened the document collection. Ancient information, interspersed with archaic language throughout. Given the temporal depth, one might say the materials were sparse.
-…In the twenty-third year of the Imperial Calendar, near the northwest of Bariel, the earth split apart with a tremendous earthquake. It was a catastrophic quake that erased two nearby villages without a trace. Subsequently, due to concern over volcanic eruption from the intense heat and unknown ash, an investigation was undertaken, but yielded no significant results….
Fifteen days after the great earthquake of Year 23, magical beasts emerged from the fissures. Initially, we suspected the creatures’ activity radius had shifted due to the earthquake, but investigation revealed they were being ‘generated’ within the cracks themselves.
‘The first officially recorded Crack in Bariel.’
I steadied my chin and focused on the text to dispel my wandering thoughts. Since Bariel had remained relatively free from magical beast attacks, each record was indeed precious and reliable.
Led by Bandor, a mage of the Magic Bureau, five mages entered the fissure to begin a full-scale investigation.
Perhaps because the times were turbulent, the response was surprisingly bold. I traced through the records chronologically, curious about the outcome, but the name ‘Bandor’ did not appear. However….
Imperial Year 34. A new anomalous reaction was detected in the northeastern region previously classified as a Crack zone. A new earthquake occurred, but its vibrations were peculiar—those who experienced it spoke with one voice of an unfamiliar sensation. The earth no longer split apart; instead, the depth of the fissures decreased as if trying to seal themselves. The ash and fire also ceased.
Since it was a region virtually ungoverned, as the land revived, all manner of lowborn humans flooded in, and it rapidly transformed into an emerging crime-ridden district in Bariel. Among them, a man calling himself Bandor was prosecuted for defamation.
A man calling himself Bandor? Yet more than ten years had already passed.
I frowned and attempted to examine the details concerning him, but the records on the Cracks ended there. I quickly called out to those outside.
“Is anyone there?”
“Yes, Ian. What is your command?”
“Bring me the court records from Imperial Year 34. Regarding a man who called himself the mage Bandor—he was apparently prosecuted for defamation.”
“What is the exact date?”
“The fifth day of summer.”
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
Tap tap tap!
At my command, my servant moved swiftly. Soon, a small file folder came into my hands. Since it was a trial record of a commoner, it appeared to contain only basic information without anything particularly special.
I carefully turned the pages that seemed ready to crumble at any moment, reading the faint script.
The mysterious man calling himself Bandor possesses no magical power.
Though no one knows where he heard it, he recited detailed facts about the true state of the imperial palace’s Magic Bureau, and the Bureau, lamenting this, established the Confidentiality Act to preserve their own dignity….
And the final line. My eyes stopped.
Bandor claimed that an abyss exists beneath the Cracks.

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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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