Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 441

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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 441
Fire. The Ruswena Mages
“The atmosphere is tense.”
Noah changed his shirt while muttering to himself. The meeting had concluded, but his entire body felt rigid from the strange undercurrent he’d sensed between Gin and Ian. He now viscerally understood what it meant to be caught in the crossfire of titans.
As Noah sprawled across the sofa in exhaustion, May tidied up while responding.
“Indeed, Your Highness. It’s quite unusual for the Minister to insist on resignation while the Prince actively dissuades him. Though I confess I would have done the same in Prince Gin’s position.”
“But ultimately, it’s only a matter of time. With his resolve so unwavering, even Prince Gin will find himself powerless in the end.”
“Hmm.”
May rolled her eyes and chose her words carefully. In truth, if the Prince desired it, there were many methods available. She simply refrained from mentioning them because they would bring misfortune upon Ian and calamity upon Cliffford.
‘If Count Ian is willing to resign, couldn’t the Imperial Court use that very fact against him instead? They could censure him, remove him from his ministerial post, and demote him below commoner status. That would make it far easier to exercise control over Count Ian.’
Immoral though it might be, such reasoning held no weight before the massive apparatus of state. This world had already been constructed through such processes, continued to be so, and would remain so in the future.
Noah and May, unaware they harbored identical thoughts, shook their heads lightly. As May began folding the garments properly, a sound came from outside.
Knock, knock.
“Pardon the intrusion, Your Highness?”
“Come in. What is it?”
Bariel’s servant spoke softly from beyond the door. Aside from Noah and May’s visit, other guests had arrived at the Imperial Palace.
“Guests from Ruswena have arrived.”
“Ruswena? That’s sooner than expected. They must be desperate to play the victim and escape accountability.”
Though not to Burgos’s extent, Ruswena had likewise entered into open hostility with Cliffford through this war. Noah rose to his feet, eager to see the renowned King of Ruswena himself, but the servant bowed his head.
“The King of Ruswena is currently en route, but the mages have entered the palace first.”
“The mages?”
Noah paused, searching his memory. There were several memorable individuals among Ruswena’s mages, including the young mage Zaira.
But why would the mages arrive before the King? Unlike Cliffford, where rifts were spreading in real time, there was no urgency.
“Did Count Ian order this message directly?”
“Yes, he did.”
The Ruswena mages had defected en masse.
The Ministry of Magic was officially announcing this to the public, conveying the current state of the magical division. The intention was to assure that despite the mages striking at the Imperial Palace, new personnel had arrived, so there was no need for excessive concern. And the message to Cliffford was clear: Ruswena had lost that many mages, so they should think carefully about it.
Prince Gin’s proposed magical support would prove useless, and assisting Ian was the only viable path to overcome this disaster, by any measure.
“How many defected?”
“The exact number wasn’t specified, but twelve carriages entered the palace. There were five additional large supply wagons as well.”
Considering Ruswena’s mage contingent had never been particularly large, this represented the vast majority naturalizing to Bariel.
If that were the case, the only foreign mages remaining would be those with Burgos or in the north….
“This is perfect.”
For Ian to enter Cliffford, either Prince Gin’s wrath had to be absorbed by Cliffford, or at minimum his attention had to be diverted to ensure entry without complications.
“Once Father enters the capital, the contract with Prince Gin will proceed. Then I’ll certainly be unable to secure Count Ian’s assistance. May, what should we do in such circumstances?”
“One moment. Hmm.”
May paced the bedroom, chin resting on her fingertips, contemplating. A justification. Wasn’t that what Count Ian needed now? A justification that only Cliffford could provide him.
Otherwise, he would never have revealed something as intensely personal as his resignation to the two Cliffford envoys.
“Count Ian likely finds it difficult to convey this directly, which is why he’s acting this way. Had circumstances been different, he would have made a direct request when you were having tea together.”
“It’s a matter he’s reluctant to broach himself.”
“Or perhaps he’s exercising restraint, concerned about future complications. Either way, it appears that Count Ian is indeed seeking to establish an advantage in his relationship with Cliffford. After all, it’s we who desperately need his help right now.”
“How on earth are we supposed to bring him around?”
“Hmm….”
Tap tap.
The instant May lightly scratched the edge of the sofa with her fingertips, Prince Noah’s right ear suddenly popped up from his head.
“Your Highness.”
“Hm?”
The clueless prince tilted his head while stroking his chin, and from the opposite side, another fox ear slowly rose into view.
May smacked her own forehead roughly and sighed with exasperation. The imperial palace was difficult enough when he was in his right mind, but once the curse manifested, there was no hope.
“May. What’s wrong?”
“Oh.”
As Noah fluttered his ears back and forth, May suddenly jumped to her feet as if struck by a brilliant idea.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
The mages who had fled from Ruswena stood in the checkpoint room inside the main gate, awaiting the imperial palace’s disposition.
Until recently, they had stood with Burgos’s faction and unleashed attacks on Bariel and Cliffford. There was no way to rule out the possibility that they were spies sent by Ruswena under the guise of peace negotiations. In fact, most of the imperial palace suspected them.
Screech.
“Nothing suspicious found.”
“Next, the second carriage. Check inside the wheels thoroughly. Move the horses to the other side.”
“We’ll need to remove the boards here. Could you pass me the equipment?”
“Here! Use this! Carriages made by Reufs Company have space beneath the seats too. Check meticulously! If your hands can’t reach, lie down under the wheels and tap the underside. Report anything even slightly suspicious!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Mages, please line up single file over here. Each of you should produce your identification documents from Ruswena.”
“What if we don’t have identification?”
“You don’t? Ah, then please wait a moment until the mages arrive. After all, magical power is identification, isn’t it? Now, raise your arms to shoulder height. We’ll be conducting a search. You’ve surrendered all your belongings, correct? Should anything be discovered later, regardless of whether it was an oversight, it will all be reported to the imperial court. There could be consequences, so we appreciate your cooperation. Yes.”
The guards meticulously examined whether the Ruswena mages had smuggled anything or if there were any suspicious signs that could threaten Bariel’s imperial palace. The mages, as if they had anticipated this, all cooperated without hesitation, removing their upper garments for the soldiers.
Screech.
“No matter how warm the weather is, aren’t they all dressed rather lightly?”
“Ian. You’ve arrived?”
“Ah! Little one! It’s been so long!”
At that moment, Ian appeared in the checkpoint room, with Berik standing firmly at his side.
Zaira, with an impassive expression, put her clothes back on.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Good. You’ve worked hard. Was the journey difficult?”
Ian surveyed the mages carefully as he spoke.
Those whose eyes met Ian’s lowered their heads one by one, showing their respect. Zaira’s words had been correct. Ian Hielo, the Minister of Magic of Bariel, was welcoming their return favorably.
“It was somewhat arduous. The distance was considerable.”
The mages smiled faintly and grasped the hands of their families who had come with them.
Every moment had been truly exhausting. They had to rescue all their families imprisoned in the royal palace, while simultaneously moving necessary materials from the Mages’ Forest, their sanctuary, and all the while evading the pursuing Ruswena soldiers.
They had scattered in three groups and crossed the Ruswena lands, and only after arriving in Bariel and selling some mana stones were they able to procure carriages and horses.
Through his disheveled clothes, unkempt hair and skin, and eyes weary with exhaustion, I could discern the grueling journey he had endured.
“Very well. I understand. Mages, stand over here. Civilians, over there. You’re not being separated, so rest assured. Everyone has traveled a difficult path, so let’s finish the procedures quickly and take time to recover.”
I spoke thus and gestured to Berik. Now that I thought about it, Berik was holding an antique wooden box. The moment he opened its lid, the Ruswena Mages instinctively took a step back.
“These are mana-sealing stones. The Ministry of Magic welcomes your return without hesitation, but there are those in the imperial palace who see you as Ruswena natives before they see you as mages. This is to build mutual trust. Wear them on your non-dominant wrist.”
Having come this far, there was nowhere left to return to. I wondered if it would be alright, but what could be done? There was no other way.
“Once the investigation is complete and it’s proven that you truly wish to naturalize as Bariel citizens, we’ll remove them.”
“That shouldn’t take long then. The King of Eriponi is on his way to the imperial palace. When he sees us, his reaction will leave no room for doubt.”
“Why, did you blow up half the royal palace?”
“Not quite half.”
This meant not quite half, but certainly some significant portion. Berik whistled and handed the mana-sealing stone shackles to the boy.
“For someone so small, you’re quite bold lately?”
“So what.”
“…For someone so small. Yeah. You’re spicy, very spicy.”
Click.
Zaira fastened the shackles without hesitation. Finding them lighter than expected and movable enough, the boy even swung his hands around experimentally.
“So, Zaira. Everyone here is your family?”
“Yes. They’re family, and they’re my kin.”
“…I see.”
I looked over them once more and smiled faintly.
Was it that even a clever child remained just a child? Or were the Ruswena Mages bound by bonds I couldn’t fathom? I wanted to discern whether anyone among them harbored ulterior motives, but since this was our first meeting, I lacked sufficient information. I would simply have to observe them over time.
Above all, the King of Eriponi would arrive soon, so some kind of reaction would come regardless.
Boom! Crash!
Kaboom! Crack!
Zaira flinched at the sudden loud noise and turned around.
Through the small window of the interrogation room, I could see heads clustered together. They all wore red headbands.
“Look, look. The Ruswena Mages really came?”
“Yeah. That’s right. That little one looks familiar.”
“Ugh! Why did they have to come now? This is driving me crazy.”
“Don’t say that. Should we try to coax those kids over to our side?”
“How could that work? A strike isn’t like going shopping, is it? They request asylum and then immediately do this? To settle here, they absolutely need Ian’s help, and if they do that, they’d join the anti-Ian faction. How many are there? One, two, three…”
“Damn it. There are too many.”
Did they think they couldn’t be seen? Zaira asked dryly, shaking her head.
“What are those idiots?”
“As you can see, Bariel’s mages.”
“Why are they wearing those things on their heads? Did they all hit their foreheads?”
“They’re on strike to prevent my resignation, or so I’m told. Unbelievable.”
“Resignation? You, sir?”
Zaira’s eyes widened. We came to Bariel relying only on you, and now you’re resigning? Shouldn’t you at least stay in your position until we’ve established a stable life?
As the Ruswena Mages stirred restlessly, I raised my hand to calm them.
“This won’t bring disadvantages to you. Even without me, mages in Bariel are always welcomed. It’s simply bad timing now, so there’s nothing to worry about. And Zaira.”
When the boy looked up at Ian, he bent down and whispered softly.
“There is something I must discuss with you. It concerns the Abyss.”

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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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