Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 443

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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 443
Fire. Converging on Bariel
“I’ll beat them to death, tear them apart….”
Eriponi nervously plucked the bowstring tied to her golden bow while muttering under her breath.
A fury I couldn’t possibly suppress alone surged up in waves. Being humiliated in the war against Cliffford was troublesome enough, but the mages I had trusted without question as Ruswena’s allies had staged a rebellion and fled.
“Your Highness. Please calm yourself for a moment.”
“Calm myself? Are you truly serious!?”
Even Eldetr’s usual consolations fell on deaf ears. On the path toward Bariel, not knowing exactly where I stood, I glared in all directions and let out a curse.
“As if the royal palace being half-destroyed wasn’t enough, those bastards’ families escaped. There’s no greater humiliation than this, yet the pursuit force only chased their shadows and lost them? They say they must have reached Bariel’s imperial palace by now—so what more can we do? Huh?! Tell me! Instead of spouting nonsense about calming down, come up with a practical countermeasure!”
It was like a beast baring its fangs and roaring. With a frame eight spans tall and eyes that already looked fierce, the servants trembled and prostrated themselves flat on the ground, praying that not a spark of her fury would fall upon them.
Eldetr lowered his head and spoke more calmly.
“The pursuit force did engage them, but it is true that we lacked sufficient personnel due to the war and the chaos at the palace. Moreover, the enemy are mages—those who fly through the heavens. How could we possibly catch their shadows?”
“They traveled by carriage, for heaven’s sake!”
“They split into two groups to create confusion. Your Highness, please do not worry excessively. The imperial palace has had the Magic Ministry for a long time, so they possess systematic methods of checking mages. Not through physical means, but through social, cultural, and political avenues across multiple fronts. Meanwhile, Ruswena’s royal palace has walked its own path independently from mages. Some mistakes are inevitable.”
“Mistakes? Is such a thing acceptable in history? It will be seen as a rebellion by our own mages.”
Eriponi squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her forehead. Setting aside external calamities, the current internal atmosphere was deeply unsettling.
Since Ruswena’s founding until now, the dynasty had never changed even once. It was a nation that boasted such solid foundations and powerful royal authority, yet with the defeat in war and the rebellion of mages converging, a trend never before seen was now rampant.
“Why do you jump to such conclusions?”
Eldetr handed Eriponi a cup of wine. She drained it in one gulp, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Like a beast that had just finished feeding, faint red marks smeared around her lips.
“What is it, Eldetr? Is there something I don’t know?”
“I hesitated to speak before I could confirm it, but since Your Highness seems deeply concerned, I report to you now. Among the Ruswena mages, there is one we might be able to reach.”
“Might be able to reach? So you haven’t reached them yet?”
“We can persuade them.”
“What good is turning around just one of those wretches?”
“One alone would be of little consequence, and one could say it holds no particular significance. Yet the mere existence of such a person allows us to accomplish much.”
This is infuriating. Eriponi rolled her three-pupiled eyes back and forth, her expression growing irritable.
I understood what Eldetr was saying. We were entering Bariel ostensibly for peace negotiations, but from another perspective, we were walking into the enemy’s headquarters. The imperial palace would open its doors wide, and before us would stand a little young prince, waving his pen and wagging his three-inch tongue.
“…Could it work?”
The Emperor was now so aged he was as good as absent, and next was a single ten-year-old young prince. And among the numerous officials supporting him, Ian held the central position. If I could eliminate these two, I could not only sow chaos in Bariel but reverse the entire situation in one fell swoop.
“It would be difficult, but is it not worth attempting?”
Whether we succeed or fail, that arrow returns to Ruswena. The royal palace already watches the results of the peace negotiations with burning eyes, and if we add further burden, we only end up provoking them.”
Eriponi clenched a cigarette between her teeth. The faces of aged officials passed before my eyes one by one. On the surface they said, “Do well, we trust in you, Your Highness,” their lips barely moving as they spouted such words, but I knew their true hearts. Like foxes waiting for grapes to fall, they waited for cracks to appear in royal authority.
“What if we do not act?”
“What?”
“Many besides Ruswena will enter the imperial palace. Envoys will come from Burgos, the homeland of Damon held as a hostage, and the northern minority tribes will also attend. Everyone who set foot in the war, and even Cliffford as well.”
“Cliffford is an ally of Bariel. Why would they come?”
“Reasons can always be manufactured. A negotiation satisfying all is like a rainbow. Even if Bariel accommodates Cliffford’s interests to the maximum, the center will inevitably return to Bariel itself. There will be details that conflict, and we have methods to exploit that. Of course, the easiest approach would be to shift the flow toward Burgos.”
Eldetr slowly turned the bowstring Eriponi held and removed it from her grasp. Knowing the King’s temperament bordered on hot-blooded, he feared the servants would see blood if he left anything in her hands.
Eriponi yielded the bowstring readily and leaned back against the leather sofa, gazing up at the sky. Through the opening of the makeshift tent, countless stars were visible. If I hid among so many, perhaps I could succeed?
“Shift the flow toward Burgos…. Yes. Burgos is in an even tighter corner than we are. They desire Bariel’s chaos even more than Ruswena does, so even if they caused trouble, who would suspect them? And Burgos is such a gloomy lot.”
A thin smile played at the King’s lips. If Burgos stepped forward like that, Ruswena’s claim to be the victim might be accepted.
No matter what, the absence of Jin and Ian was favorable to Ruswena. Whether they died or disappeared didn’t matter—as long as they ceased to exist. And if the attention and scrutiny that would have been directed at Ruswena remained internal before erupting toward Burgos, that would be ideal.
“How do you propose to dispose of two men at once? The young boy is one thing, but Ian troubles me. The things he does without even having undergone his coming-of-age ceremony are like those of an old man who has lived twice over. If we rush in carelessly, we’ll certainly be exposed. You know he’s not an easy target, don’t you, Eldetr?”
“Of course. There is only one opportunity. We must deal with them simultaneously. Otherwise, their guard will strengthen and we will fail to achieve our objective.”
“Both at the same time….”
By nature, I would have preferred to face them and swing my bow staff, tearing that pale skin with each blow, and finally stomping on their fallen shoulders before driving an arrow through their hearts.
As Eriponi clicked her fingers and smacked her lips, Eldetr shook his head.
“That is impossible. We must ensure that the investigation reveals who was behind it. Poison would be best.”
“But I heard that Bariel’s Magic Ministry possesses something called a truth serum. It reveals truth and falsehood. Once interrogation begins, they speak everything without filter.”
“I will entrust that to the Ruswena Mage.”
“To Ruswena’s person? It hasn’t been long since she cut off her tail like a rat and fled. At that time, asylum proceedings would have been underway—what power could she wield within the Magic Ministry?”
Eriponi glared at Eldetr with reproach. Listening to this, her eyes held doubt—she found it entirely unreliable. But Eldetr shook his head, telling her not to worry.
“No. She will be capable.”
“…Very well then. Try that approach. First, it would be good to enter the Imperial Palace and observe the situation. Those damned wretches. How dare they betray the nation and insult me. If I encounter them in the Palace, I fear my blood will boil over.”
Eriponi exhaled smoke while muttering. Now that I think of it, Damon also had Timothy, whom he kept close, seek asylum in Bariel, didn’t he? I don’t know if he was captured and met him. In any case, what this great empire does….
“Everyone should receive similar entry times. Before Burgos and the northern forces arrive, let us enter first, confirm the situation, and devise a strategy.”
“Yes. The poison in my bow staff hasn’t diminished, so it’s about time I emptied it.”
Eldetr knew there was a small gap inside Eriponi’s golden bow staff. Poison prepared so that during hunts, when facing a formidable opponent, it could be applied to the arrowhead.
Eldetr bowed deeply and wished the King a peaceful night.
“Rest well, Your Highness. From tomorrow onward, I shall urge the carriage to greater speed.”
“Yes. Ah, but what became of that one?”
“That one, you say?”
“Alena, the charming young lady.”
“Ah.”
The one who had come down to Cliffford leading private soldiers to make a fresh start, but was assigned only to cleanup duties due to the early end of the war, accomplishing nothing.
Her brother Sereo remained on the front lines and suffered, but what became of Alena afterward, I do not know. In truth, Eriponi hardly had the leisure to concern herself with that matter.
“Did not the young lady go up to the capital to receive Your Highness? Since there was no special messenger, she must be doing so. In fact, as she is a lower-ranking noble facing ruin, you need not concern yourself with her. She poses no problem whatsoever to our enterprise. To speak frankly.”
“Hmm.”
That was true. Eriponi recalled Alena on the balcony, clutching her fan to her chest, her eyes sparkling. She agreed with most of what Eldetr said, but if even one person opened a path while creeping into the enemy’s lair, wouldn’t that prepare us for the future?
Eriponi snapped her fingers and gave her command.
“Prepare paper, pen, and a messenger.”
* * *
Dawn in Bariel. Early morning, when all but those preparing for business slept.
A heavy procession of carriages thundered down the central road. People who had been dumping stagnant water from the night and sweeping the path ahead rubbed their eyes and looked toward the sound.
Clatter clatter!
Neigh!
“What carriages move at this hour?”
“Yeah. Seems like they’re coming from outside.”
“No Imperial Palace flags. Foreign envoys?”
They swept half-heartedly and tried to check the flags attached to the carriages. But something was odd. Not a single identifying flag was displayed. Unauthorized carriages traveling the central road was a grave crime. Surely the central gatekeepers must have opened the way and guided them through? Otherwise, that long procession of carriages could never have entered Bariel’s central road.
“Ah. So that’s where they are.”
“Where?”
“Over there. The place that got completely destroyed this time!”
Hack, spit! Someone who had caught on to their identity spat as if disgusted. Then several others, understanding as well, furrowed their brows and hurled curses toward the back of the carriage.
“Are those the envoys from the defeated nation of Burgos?”
“When the capital itself is dying, what’s so grand about them? Invaders! Crawl your way out of here, you bastards! Do you know how much suffering you’ve caused us all this time!”
“That’s right! Crawl away! Go bury your heads with your king!”
“Tsk, tsk! I recognized them from the start when I saw them wearing those dark clothes. I knew something was wrong with those people!”
“What business do they have here? They’re just going to waste the Imperial Palace’s food!”
Thwack!
The citizens hurled small stones, and one struck the side of the carriage.
The one who felt the impact pulled back the curtain to peer outside. Skin so pale it seemed almost white. A woman with dark blue hair tinged with violet gazed out, her eyes alone taking in the sight of Bariel Street.

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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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