Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 457

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 457
Fire. What They Concealed
“You have it? Yes? You have it?”
Then shouldn’t you share this wisdom with everyone immediately?
As Romandro whispered excitedly, I raised my hand to cover my lips. I could feel the gazes of everyone in the conference room gradually converging upon me.
“I do, but it’s useless now.”
“Why?”
“Because Bariel is employing the same method Rutherford used to consolidate power within Burgos. Unlike Rutherford, who seeks to unleash the internal chaos of Burgos outward through war, Bariel will install a pro-Bariel figure as king to bear that internal turmoil. If that happens, the internal discord will interlock so thoroughly that there will be no capacity for war to spread. However, this will cause a civil war of catastrophic severity, and we cannot guarantee that we’ll capture all the secondary benefits from this Cliffford-Burgos conflict.”
Above all, the problem was that there were few influential figures on the Burgos side who belonged to the pro-Bariel faction. The Burgos royal palace was already filled with Damon’s subordinates, and wasn’t the war itself born from that foundation?
The only one the imperial palace could push forward was Timothy, but he had already been purged, lost everything, and naturalized. He couldn’t return to Burgos, and even if he did, it would be difficult.
‘And I don’t desire it either.’
Timothy must sever all ties with Burgos. Only by settling in Bariel as things stand can I hope for Naum’s future, can I not?
“Then, uh, what do we do?”
“I’m somewhat at a loss, but for now—”
A firm response was the correct course of action. A defeated nation, and moreover an invading aggressor that started the war, could not be tolerated for holding its head so high and displaying such arrogance in the imperial palace. The imperial family and I would not allow it.
Even if the enemy consolidates through war, maintaining Bariel’s dignity must come first. Nothing was more important than that.
“We have no choice but to cut them down, preserve the honor of the imperial family, and overwhelm the Burgos delegation.”
So it would be war again after all. A look of blank despair flickered across Romandro’s face. He was a reconstruction specialist, was he not? While his work primarily involved sites affected by natural disasters, he had not infrequently traversed war-damaged regions alongside Viviana.
The Cliffford-Burgos War had felt like someone else’s problem, but now it appeared that Bariel would take the lead. And against a western nation where mysterious forces had consolidated.
“Ian. Prince Gin has publicly declared that he will dispatch you to Cliffford, and accordingly, the Mage Division will also send a certain number of personnel with you.”
“…I won’t mobilize many.”
“That’s your thinking! Anyway, war, you say. Of course, I don’t doubt Bariel’s military strength. But to achieve victory as decisively as possible without bloodshed, wouldn’t the presence of the Mage Division be necessary?”
“Have you noticed Minister Tweller’s expression?”
“Maxim Tweller?”
As I tilted my head lightly, Romandro barely rolled his eyes to meet my gaze.
The Minister of Imperial Defense, Maxim Tweller, seated not far from Gin, seemed to be savoring the scent of the impending war’s overture, his nose twitching with satisfaction.
They were beings who lived drinking blood and grew stronger through screams. This wasn’t a war between foreign nations—it was a war led by the empire itself, making it a perfectly laid feast for them.
“The Minister of Imperial Defense will be pleased. Those are the men who advance through war. His position will be elevated as well.”
“That too, but what I’m observing is his eyes.”
“Hm? His eyes?”
“The eyes of one who has properly harbored resentment.”
What did his eyes matter? Romandro focused on Tweller’s gaze as I spoke.
“This is a man who has waited his entire life for a moment like this. Even without mages, he will display his full capabilities on the battlefield. Rutherford’s existence is a concern, but the enemy is a defeated nation. Should mages attempt to intervene in this war, Minister Tweller will indirectly sever that involvement.”
Whether Maxim Tweller noticed our gazes or not, he looked toward me and raised his eyebrows slightly. A faint smile played at his lips. He placed his lean, hardened hand upon his chest in a gesture of respect—as if to say how fortunate it was that the Mage Division would go to Cliffford and the Imperial Defense Ministry to Burgos.
Romandro also responded with an awkward smile.
“Indeed. That would be so. The Mage Division’s contributions in the Cliffford-Burgos War were significant, so this time the Imperial Defense Ministry will surely take the lead in conducting the war, no matter what. Ah, what a relief.”
“For now, it seems best to respect and follow the imperial will. Let us observe.”
Gin whispered various things with the Prime Minister, nodding his head repeatedly. Once as if he understood, once as if he granted permission, and soon as if everything had been settled.
Bania looked up at this sight with her chin held high. According to the command of this young prince, the delegation that came with her, and moreover the fate of Burgos itself, would be determined. However the larger framework unfolds, it would not escape Rutherford’s grasp, but the fear of the trials that would soon arrive was an unavoidable human instinct.
Clang! Bang!
The Prime Minister struck his gavel with solemn authority, restoring order to the chaotic conference hall.
“Burgos Envoy Bania.”
“Yes, Prime Minister.”
“As the Burgos delegation, you maintain the position that you will not accept Bariel’s proposal. Is this correct?”
“It’s not that we won’t accept—”
“Bariel made it abundantly clear that there is no room for compromise in this proposal. You would be wise to recognize your position. Whatever you may desire, do not profane the imperial conference hall by harboring hidden intentions beneath the surface. I speak this as my final word.”
BANG!
The Prime Minister’s voice rang out with rare intensity as he delivered his pronouncement. The force behind his gavel strike was unmistakable, and the officials struggled to maintain their composure, keeping their eyes fixed forward.
“Can the Burgos delegation not comply with Bariel’s proposal?”
Bania paused to collect herself, then swallowed a sigh as if accepting the inevitable.
“That is correct. We cannot comply.”
“How audacious! Such disrespect is unparalleled!”
“Since they reject the proposal, they must bear the consequences! Your Highness, you must execute them at once and send a warning to Burgos!”
“Yes! That is right! How dare they!”
“Their scheme is transparent! They must be shown immediately what death looks like when it arrives without warning! In fact, this is fortunate! Let us seize all Burgos territories and annihilate them entirely!”
“Everyone, silence!”
CRASH! BANG! BANG!
The Prime Minister brought his gavel down with brutal force, as if striking an enemy’s head.
Cliffford’s delegation was equally in turmoil. They had agreed to transfer spheres of influence to Bariel, but if Burgos was being treated this way, what would become of Cliffford’s position?
Damon gazed at the ceiling with languid eyes, his expression deliberately ambiguous and unreadable.
“By the authority vested in me as Prime Minister of the Bariel Empire, I declare this: The Burgos delegation currently present in the imperial palace shall hear me. You have demonstrated no willingness to cooperate in fostering friendly negotiations between Burgos and Bariel. This constitutes an affront to Bariel itself. Therefore, I hereby revoke your status as an official delegation.”
CRASH!
At the Prime Minister’s command, armed soldiers burst through the doors from outside. Those who had entered as envoys were now stripped of their credentials, and their treatment going forward was painfully obvious. Rutherford—they would be held accountable for their public allegiance to one involved in imperial treason, and would receive treatment befitting that crime.
After Ruswena, was Burgos now to follow the same path? The King of Cliffford watched the situation unfold with tension, while the Burgos delegation found itself rapidly surrounded by soldiers.
“Particularly you, Bania. You publicly declared your allegiance to Rutherford, who participated in imperial treason, and you insulted the Empire’s ministers by associating them with Rutherford. Furthermore, suspicion remains that you were present when the King of Eriponi caused disturbances in Ruswena. You will not leave this imperial palace on your own two feet. And let all Burgos soldiers hear this as well!”
Sharp spears and blades drew close enough to pierce their throats, yet not a single one of them showed any sign of retreat.
I perceived the unnatural flow of the air around them. Any ordinary person, no matter how much backing they possessed, would show at least a flicker of fear. Yet there was none. It was as if they believed themselves incapable of death.
“Wait.”
I rose slowly, raising my hand as I broke the silence. Jin and the imperial officials turned toward me in surprise.
“Is there some problem, Minister Ian?”
“No, not a problem. Rather, I have a suspicion.”
I approached Bania slowly.
Beneath my penetrating gaze, Bania’s eyes instinctively dropped. She feared that if our eyes met, her true intentions would be exposed. That small gesture only deepened my conviction, and I tilted my head thoughtfully.
“There is something more hidden within these people’s hearts. They are deliberately provoking war to bring about their own deaths. Your Highness, if you permit it, would you allow the mages to interrogate them for a time?”
“Was that not already done when they entered the main gate?”
“Yes, Prime Minister. However, we interrogated nearly fifty people with only four mages. And they were important figures from three nations—Cliffford, Burgos, and Ruswena—interrogated in rapid succession. I make this request out of an abundance of caution. Please consider it.”
“Hmm.”
The Prime Minister glanced at Jin, seeking his judgment. Though the matter concerning my actions had already been concluded, he seemed concerned that Jin might waver again.
“If there is doubt, what then?”
But Jin merely asked the question flatly. He was no longer the child who had been sniffling and bickering with me moments before.
“I apologize, but I believe that requires investigation. For example….”
I brought my fingertips elegantly to Bania’s chin, then lifted it slightly. I examined the inside of Bania’s lips persistently.
“Whether you’re hiding something beneath your tongue like King Damon-”
“Release me! How dare you!”
“You are no longer the representative of the Burgos delegation, so why speak of propriety?”
Bania roughly brushed away my hand, but I responded with laughter. Thanks to the leather gloves, not a single scratch marred my skin.
“Or perhaps we harbor different intentions.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It is the primary method Burgos employs. At the very beginning, before war broke out. The Burgos delegation that arrived in Cliffford did not even know they were fated to die. That is why they maintained composure even in harsh circumstances. Looking at these individuals now, it brings back those memories.”
As I spoke softly, the pupils of several Burgos envoys trembled slightly. I snapped my fingers and issued instructions to the Mages.
“Investigate the reception room where the Burgos delegation stayed.”
“Yes, Minister Ian.”
“And these individuals should go to the Magic Ministry for now, if that is acceptable, Your Highness?”
“Your Highness. That will not do. Did you not hear the testimony that Count Ian is connected to Rutherford? We must eliminate risk factors. They should be taken to the Imperial Palace.”
“Still, this sort of investigation is best suited for Mages….”
“Your Highness. That will not do. Aside from trust, it is not appropriate publicly.”
The moment my question ended, Officials crowded around Jin and whispered amongst themselves.
Jin pondered deeply, then waved his hand to silence the private commotion.
“Investigate only Bania at the Imperial Palace, and have the Magic Ministry investigate the rest. However, Imperial personnel will observe the proceedings.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Then negotiations should be suspended for now, shouldn’t they? Both Ruswena and Burgos had failed to find common ground, and everything had collapsed.
Only Cliffford had secured its own interests from this affair. The King quickly scanned the remaining text, then signed at the very bottom.
Thump!
Cliffford’s seal likewise was stamped in vivid crimson.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————