Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 437

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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 437
Fire. A Dream
“Your Highness.”
I nodded at the sound of Naum’s voice calling me. It was permission to continue speaking. Yet the detached building remained silent, and Naum gazed out the window at the fading, nameless flowers, saying nothing.
I observed Naum’s back and slowly took in everything before me. Why is it that such moments exist? Moments that are utterly ordinary, yet somehow feel destined to linger in memory, surfacing unexpectedly time and again.
I realized this was one of those moments. Petals of countless colors falling on the wind, and Naum’s silhouette.
“Why do you call me?”
“Your Highness, how would you wish the opening sentence of your legacy to begin?”
He was asking how I wished future generations to record and evaluate Ian Verosion when, in time, I faded into the pages of history.
“Does it matter? It is beyond my control.”
“How can you say that? It matters greatly, and it depends entirely on your will as it does now. It can become what you desire. This will shape a great portion of your life and become the future that Bariel pursues. In what words would you wish to be recorded?”
At Naum’s question, I pondered for a moment. It was a matter never before discussed in my mind.
How the purge of the central nobility should unfold, the timing of the northern war and the migration routes of the nomads that followed, winter, budget allocation, and the administrative officials constantly embroiled in scandal—these had been my primary concerns.
“What of you?”
“Me, Your Highness?”
“Yes. You too will stand beside me and be recorded in history alongside me. Naum, what words would you wish to leave as your mark?”
I laughed and turned the question back to him. I could not speak easily of it. It was merely words that would scatter on my tongue, yet if I uttered them now, they felt as though they would come to pass. It was like the feeling of a child given hundreds of candies, uncertain which to choose.
Only then did Naum turn his head to look at me.
“Your Highness’s legacy should come first. Why would you wish to hear mine before yours?”
“Speak anyway. What kind of Bariel do you wish to experience and create?”
“I…”
Naum’s fingertips gently traced the window, and I watched as faint fingerprints remained in their wake. He seemed embarrassed, his brows slightly furrowed as he smiled.
“I cannot do this. I cannot speak of another Bariel while your will stands before me.”
My will could become Naum’s will, but Naum’s will could never become my will. I repeatedly assured him it was fine and urged him to speak, but I could not break his stubbornness.
In the end, I leaned my head against the sofa and rolled beautiful words one by one across my tongue.
An age where all people laughed and lived their complete lives—the golden era of the great empire Bariel. An age of light when Gaia shone brighter than ever—
“Ian ascended to the throne as a boy.”
Then Naum’s cold voice swept past me.
Startled, I turned my head, and the world froze. It was no mere metaphor. The flower petals flowing outside the window hung suspended, and Naum, smiling, remained motionless. Yet his lips moved grotesquely.
“Ian ascended to the throne as a boy.”
“…Naum?”
“And his neck was severed before he came of age.”
“Naum!”
“Ian ascended to the throne as a boy! And his neck was severed before he came of age! Ian ascended to the throne as a boy! And his neck was severed before he came of age!”
Naum shrieked as though the entire world was collapsing, and I realized blood was seeping from my neck. I quickly pressed both hands to it, but I could not stop the crimson pouring through my fingers.
I collapsed forward and looked up at Naum. Then he transformed into Chroni’s form. Chroni seized my fallen head by the hair and shook it, pressing his face close to mine as he asked.
“Ian Verosion. Where is Naum?”
* * *
“Gasp!”
I awoke from sleep, breathing heavily. There could be no nightmare worse than this. My heart continued to pound violently, and cold sweat would not cease.
When had I fallen asleep? I frowned at the scattered documents strewn across my desk by my own careless movements. Though I knew better, I absently touched the back of my neck, trying to shake off the fog of sleep and return to reality.
“Sigh.”
In that fleeting moment when my neck had been cut, I would never forget the chilling sensation.
I must be on edge, I thought, shaking water from my damp hair as I reached for my water bottle. It should always be full, yet it sat completely empty.
‘Of all times—’
“Is anyone outside?”
I called out, trying to calm my racing heart, but no sound of anyone stirring came from beyond the door. Strange. A blanket was draped over my shoulders, which meant someone had entered during the night—so why was my water bottle empty?
“…Is there really no one out there?”
It was eerily quiet. Not even the servants opening and closing the door responded. Something felt wrong, and unease crept over me.
As if in a dream, had everything simply stopped?
Creak!
Boom!
I irritably yanked the door open and was met with quite the spectacle.
“Everyone…”
“Oh! Ian, you’re awake. Everyone, look ahead.”
“Huh? Ian, you don’t look well. You’re sweating heavily. Are you ill? Should I call a doctor—”
“No! Just shut up and get in formation!”
“Ian! These bastards tied me up so I couldn’t move! But why are you so wet? Did you wash up inside?”
“If anyone heard this, they’d think you actually got tied up. You agreed to join in, but then you quietly backed out? That’s pretty sneaky, don’t you think? Should we exclude Berik? Huh? Pfft!”
“But I really was tied up!”
“Because you kept trying to sneak into the office!”
The eerie silence from moments ago was completely shattered by this chaotic and absurd scene. Each of them had tied a red headband around their forehead and wore their mage robes inside out.
I crossed my arms, bewildered at what this commotion was about. As I leaned against the wall, the mages nervously revealed the picket signs they’d been hiding behind their backs. Would this be okay? They looked so cautious, exchanging glances with one another.
“W-we are actively expressing our opinions to you, Ian!”
“Where’s Heil? While everyone’s doing this, what exactly is he doing?”
“He went to the backyard to make picket sign wood.”
“…I’m losing my mind.”
“Ian, you came out earlier than expected. M-may we continue speaking?”
I gestured with my right hand as if to say go ahead. Unless they’d all gone mad together, this couldn’t be happening. A protest—in the imperial palace, no less! I was so stunned that words escaped me. I’d lived through many things, but never this.
“Ian!”
“…What.”
“A s-solidarity for mage rights and the development of the advancing Ministry of Magic. In s-short, Mama-yeon.”
“You’re all quite creative with your nonsense.”
“Ian! The name’s weird, right? For the record, I opposed it.”
“Berik signed first.”
Whoosh.
One of the mages handed me the petition. At the top, a drawing that resembled beef caught my eye. It was Berik’s work—he still found it easier to draw pictures than write letters.
I confirmed that the signatures of all the mages in the Ministry had been secured, then shrugged. So, what exactly did they want me to do?
“Among civil servants of the same rank, are there any treated as well as mages? I believe salary negotiations occur every year at the beginning of the term.”
It was laughable to even mention improving their treatment. As I slowly waved the paper, the mages clenched their fists tightly.
“I don’t care if you’re the Emperor or not!”
“I don’t care!”
“I don’t care! Give me meat instead! I’ve been getting shorted and haven’t received a single coin!”
“For critical matters like the Rift Investigation where the very survival of the Ministry of Magic hangs in the balance, please consider our opinions alongside your unilateral decisions, Minister Ian!”
Ian pressed his brow together, clearly not understanding.
“I heard your opinions. I said I would accept volunteers.”
“You said you’d accept volunteers, but you have no intention of taking anyone, do you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be saying you’ll go to the Rift yourself! Before even accepting volunteers from the mages, rumors are already spreading throughout the imperial palace that Minister Ian will go directly to the Rift. For someone who doesn’t waste even a single breath, is this intentional or what exactly is it? Explain yourself!”
“Explain!”
“Figure it out yourselves! I only need meat!”
As the mages pressed him with their rapid-fire accusations, Ian ran a hand through his hair.
They weren’t entirely wrong. Just as Jin worried about personnel losses in the Ministry, I didn’t believe many Bariel mages were necessary for the Rift Investigation. I judged that the investigation could proceed sufficiently with Ruswena and the northern volunteers.
Of course, with myself as the centerpiece.
“So what do you want? Are you all so fearless that you’re wearing red armbands inside the imperial palace?”
Ian clicked his tongue and reached to remove the armband from the nearest mage.
But the mage refused with a firm gesture, leaning his upper body backward to avoid being touched.
“We won’t move a single step from the main building unless Minister Ian agrees.”
“Yes. This is our strike. We won’t do any work for the Ministry of Magic. You’ll even have trouble finding a servant to pour water for you.”
“Is that why the water bottle was emptied?”
“We don’t know. Anyway, our demands continue! First, accept our opinions. And second, no resignation!”
“No resignation!”
“If Minister Ian leaves, who will oversee the Ministry of Magic? There are already plenty of mages injured from the aftermath of the war. In times like these, you need to hold the center firm and protect the Ministry! There’s only Captain Heil or Captain Akorella besides Minister Ian—are you planning to kill us all?”
“Opposition to Akorella’s appointment!”
When Berik shouted loudly, everyone gasped and stepped back. They’d never chanted that before?
Ian quietly pressed his forehead. A rabble like this loses its poison the moment a sit-in loses its edge. These mages only know how to cast spells; they’re useless at anything else. When I was Emperor, I recalled those who had tied red cloth around themselves to declare their territorial independence and make their grievances known. And so, with a gesture of refusal upon refusal, I forcibly removed one mage’s armband.
“…Everyone knows I was involved in Idgal’s invention, don’t they?”
How could someone who endangered the mages’ safety sit in the position of Minister of Magic?
“My stepping down is for everyone’s benefit.”
“Aaaah! You’re violating the first demand! Accept our opinions! If it’s for everyone’s benefit, shouldn’t you hear everyone’s thoughts too?”
The mages folded their arms firmly and filled the corridor without gaps. Given how orderly this part was, they must have practiced it.
“Otherwise, you cannot leave.”
“Rather than kill us—please, just step on us and go!”
“Soon delegations from Cliffford and other nations will arrive. If the mages are acting like this, it will look quite good, won’t it? Yes?”
Given that Jin wasn’t worried about the imperial court’s eyes, there was a high possibility he already knew. Indeed, no matter how ignorant the mages were of worldly affairs, they couldn’t fail to understand the meaning of the red armband.
Wait, no.
“Ah.”
“What is it? Are you finally willing to talk?”
Ian let out a small exclamation as if he’d realized something, muttering to himself. They might not know. There was a hundred-year gap in time between my era and this place.
“Was it mentioned that the delegation schedule was conveyed to Cliffford and other nations?”
“Do you want to know? Since there’s no servant to relay work to you, you wouldn’t know, would you? You’re curious, aren’t you?”
The mages’ eyes gleamed brightly as they held their folded arms even more firmly. This was precisely the kind of threat that would work best on Ian.
“If you wish to work, then come to an agreement with Mama-yeon!”

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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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