Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 446

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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 446
Fire. Creaking
Enemy and enemy. And enemy.
There was only one word to describe the conference hall: conflict. Cliffford, Burgos, and Ruswena had once planned an alliance, but now they were completely separated by the massive wall that was Bariel.
Whispers. Each faction discussed strategy in their native tongue, careful to keep their voices from reaching foreign ears. The King of Cliffford, Damon of Burgos, and Eriponi of Ruswena. Their gazes tangled and dissolved in the empty air repeatedly.
Though they sat at considerable distance from one another, their sharp eyes showed no sign of dulling. They seemed both aware and unaware of each other, reading the currents with practiced skill.
How long had they been waiting? The envoys were just beginning to pull out their pocket watches.
Creak!
Bariel officials entered in a single line, dressed in formal uniforms.
All of them elderly men with their chins held high. No matter that they represented Bariel’s position, they were merely bureaucrats. The situation where kings waited for them was absurd. Moreover, these were not the kings of remote barbarian lands, but rulers of great nations that had shared histories for ages.
Yet war possessed a power to make even the impossible happen, did it not? Eldetr whispered over Eriponi’s shoulder.
“…Your Highness.”
“…Damn it.”
At Eldetr’s urging, Eriponi swallowed her sigh and rose first from her seat.
Only Eriponi of Ruswena could bow to the officials now. Cliffford could afford to maintain a friendly stance, but Burgos had already crossed the line too far to recover through diplomatic pleasantries. Their position was beyond repair.
Whoosh.
As Eriponi stood, the Ruswena envoys followed. Then came the Burgos delegation. Finally, the Cliffford envoys rose and offered their greetings in imperial court protocol.
The King of Cliffford and Damon sat heavily in their seats. Both glanced at Eriponi with disdain simultaneously, but she had no choice. Ruswena’s fate depended entirely on the outcome of this negotiation. She had to remain in the gray zone between black and white, no matter what.
Eriponi bowed her head slightly, deliberately ignoring the officials’ gazes.
‘Sigh.’
Yet she could not help but notice Ian entering at the end of the procession with the mages. A white smile flashed across his expressionless face as he entered. It was unmistakably mocking the dignity of the fallen king.
She bit her lip and struggled to control her trembling fists beneath her sleeves.
“Your Majesties. We are grateful for your respect toward Bariel. Please, be seated.”
The Prime Minister, occupying the seat directly beside the head position, adjusted his glasses and nodded. He was grateful that the kings had set aside their pride to greet the officials, but his gesture conveyed: that will be enough.
As Eriponi sat, the envoys rushed to follow her. The Prime Minister glanced at the thick stack of documents before him, then confirmed that all three nations were represented.
“Hmm. It seems not all those involved in the war between Cliffford and Burgos are present. However, there should be no difficulty in proceeding with negotiations. Let us bring forth Prince Gin.”
The Prime Minister gestured to a servant to fetch Prince Gin. Tension filled the conference hall—the sense that things were about to begin—and it remained taut until the young prince entered.
Creak!
A large scar crossing his face, silver hair, and pale blue eyes. Those seeing Prince Gin for the first time found the descriptions accurate, but the aura he radiated was entirely different.
Who would call him a mere ten-year-old boy? The stories of him vegetating in the imperial palace seemed unbelievable. Every aspect—his gait, the way he managed his gaze—carried an inherent dignity. It seemed he had been steeped in imperial education since birth.
As Gin appeared, the King of Cliffford rose first. Everyone in the conference hall followed, bowing their heads until Gin took his seat.
“Please, be seated.”
Crack!
Gin glanced at the Prime Minister. It was a command to proceed with negotiations. The Prime Minister cleared his throat several times, then picked up his gavel and brought it down.
Bang! Bang!
“We shall now commence peace negotiations between Cliffford and Burgos. As this is a grave matter, proceedings will extend over several days to ensure each party’s position is fully represented. Regarding any agreed-upon results, none shall speak against them, and all shall be executed under the name of the great empire Bariel. Those who do not consent may leave. However, you alone shall bear all responsibility for doing so.”
The Prime Minister paused. If anyone was inclined to storm out, now was the moment. After some time passed, the Prime Minister brought down his gavel with force.
Bang!
“Very well, let us begin. First, Burgos. Through interrogation of King Damon, we have confirmed certain facts. Answer carefully. Should any contradictory statements arise, negotiations will inevitably be prolonged. Does Burgos admit to invading Cliffford?”
A woman seated beside Damon rose from her seat. Everyone except the Burgos delegation looked at her with curious eyes.
An individual of ambiguous status. And far too young to serve as the envoy representative. Of course, age didn’t guarantee position, but at minimum, if someone were to take on the role of envoy representative, Bariel should have received intelligence about them beforehand. They weren’t a star that fell from the sky, after all.
“Reveal your identity.”
The Prime Minister had this in mind, ensuring she would clarify her identity in her own words. Though she had done so when passing through the main gate earlier, reiterating it in an official setting was an entirely different matter. The Scribes waited for her statement, concentrating with utmost sensitivity in their fingertips.
“I am Bania, the envoy representative of the Burgos delegation.”
“What position do you hold in Burgos?”
As the Prime Minister posed the question subtly, Bania evaded naturally.
“As I mentioned, I hold the position of envoy representative.”
“I see. Representative Bania. Do you acknowledge the fact that Burgos invaded Cliffford?”
She seemed unwilling to speak. The Officials all shifted their gaze to their documents, scribbling this and that. Until unexpected words emerged from her lips.
“No.”
“…?”
“Initially, it was a request for entry. Burgos, concerned about the safety of our envoys, requested entry to verify this matter, and Cliffford refused. The border has been fraught with so many disputes that misunderstandings arose in the process. As a result, war did occur and Burgos was defeated—this is fact. However, I wish to make clear that there was no intention to invade at the outset.”
“Are you joking right now? What is this from the very beginning?”
“Everyone saw, heard, and experienced it! Burgos doesn’t even attempt to cover the sky with its palm. It merely closes its eyes!”
“King Damon already admitted to this in his first interrogation question. So why deny it now? How absurd.”
The Cliffford delegation was the first to object. They sprang to their feet before Bania could even finish speaking, venting their fury. Of all things, to deny the very intention to wage war from the start!
As the delegation huffed loudly, the King of Cliffford made a light gesture for restraint. The Prime Minister likewise tapped his staff, demanding silence—as if to say that with Prince Gin present, such disrespectful conduct could not be tolerated.
Of course, this applied equally to Burgos.
“Damn it, what nonsense from the start.”
“Shh. Berik. Your voice is too loud.”
Berik too muttered under his breath, speaking as if practicing ventriloquism without moving his lips. The Mages poked him in the ribs repeatedly, but shouldn’t he say what needs to be said?
“Exactly. That’s not words, that’s hot air.”
“Well. It looks like hot air, but it’s a statement nonetheless.”
And Ruswena’s side, reacting as keenly as Cliffford. Confusion had set in at Burgos’s unexpected approach. Even if heaven split in two, the facts wouldn’t change, so why were they making such reckless statements?
Moreover, they were currently in the position of a defeated nation. If Bariel and Cliffford so wished, they could swallow the entire country whole. Was there anything more chaotic and tempting than a nation without a leader?
“What’s their intention?”
“I’m not entirely certain yet. From the way the delegation sits quietly, it appears to be a coordinated statement, but….”
“Isn’t that quite dangerous and reckless?”
“Indeed. How Bariel will respond….”
Eriponi whispered to Eldetr sitting beside her while never taking her eyes off Bania. She stared resolutely ahead, though her hands gripping the table seemed to tremble slightly.
Eriponi furrowed her brow and soon caught the movement of Bariel’s Officials. Like whispered conversations, they too exchanged words in hushed tones. It seemed the hardliners welcomed this as an opportunity to seize upon their audacious attitude, while the moderates appeared troubled, discussing how to resolve the situation.
…Then, what of Ian?
“…to…do….”
With his hand covering his mouth, he was issuing some instruction to a Mage. The one who received Ian’s command immediately left the conference room, and Ian straightened his posture as if nothing had happened.
The Prime Minister lightly brought down his staff to quell the commotion.
Clang!
“Everyone, be silent. Burgos envoy representative Bania, despite being given advance notice of King Damon’s interrogation, you’ve made statements that contradict his. How should this be interpreted?”
“If the envoy representative and King Damon hold different opinions, can we consider her words as the will of Burgos? There’s no need for royal respect—let us make her kneel at once.”
“Now, now, do calm yourselves. We’re only just beginning, and everyone is far too agitated.”
“Is this the opinion of the entire Burgos delegation? King Damon, speak for yourself. Since what the delegation testifies now differs from what you testified in the interrogation, it is proper that we hear your opinion once more.”
Damon, who had been quietly observing the situation, raised his eyebrows and lifted the corners of his mouth when he was mentioned. Then, as if to make a point, he displayed his severed tongue once more and shrugged his shoulders. Even if he wished to add something, with his tongue cut off, what could he do?
One of the Officials suddenly erupted in anger and rose from his seat.
“You, you insolent wretch! Before Prince Gin himself! Just because your tongue is severed, has your hand been cut off as well? Clarify your position through written words!”
Creak.
At that moment, the Mage who had stepped outside quietly entered the conference hall. The commotion was so loud that no one paid close attention to his arrival—except for those on Burgos’s side.
Damon’s face, which had maintained an air of composure throughout, visibly hardened when he saw who was following behind the Mage.
“You’ve come, Timothy.”
“Yes, Ian.”
“Over there.”
Timothy knelt and took his position diagonally behind Ian, then slowly scanned Bania following his gesture. Then came a whispered voice.
“She is King Damon’s half-sister.”
“Are you certain?”
“I cannot swear to it absolutely, but I am nearly certain. Several years ago, we ‘secured’ a child resembling her and sent her to Rutherford.”
“Is that so?”
Ian stroked his chin as if he was beginning to understand how matters were unfolding. Damon would have known the moment he saw Bania—that his half-blood relative, the one he had sent to Rutherford, had arrived. Thus, he could have inferred the meaning without any hand signals.
‘The one sent to Rutherford has become the representative envoy of Burgos? One can infer that the coordination of opinions among Burgos’s Nobles is being conducted under Rutherford’s influence. The fact that they elevated her as representative despite the risk of drawing attention suggests it was unavoidable for the sake of this meeting. Hmm.’
Ian’s eyes narrowed. Rutherford, Damon, and Bania. From the start of negotiations to the awkward statements.
‘Is the intention to delay the negotiations?’
Why? What value does delay hold?
‘…Is Rutherford heading this way?’

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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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