Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 469

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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 469
Fire. The First Step
“How delightful to see you, Vivi. I’ve been wanting to meet you.”
“Me? You wanted to see me?”
Vivi’s eyes widened in surprise at this unexpected greeting. She was so startled that her heavy glasses slipped down slightly. Prince Jin gestured for her to sit on the sofa, and the girl awkwardly smoothed down her skirt.
In the meantime, Romandro placed three stacks of documents on the desk. They were titled “Coming-of-Age Ceremony Progress,” “Burgos Supply Support,” and “Rift Regular Report—Zaira,” respectively.
“Yes. I heard you resembled Viviana so closely that I became curious to see for myself.”
“Ah, everyone says that. They’re grateful I only take after Mother. Even Father said the same thing.”
“Ahem, Vivi.”
Romandro cleared his throat as a gentle reminder of proper etiquette. The person before them was no mere noble, but imperial blood—Prince Jin, who stood on the threshold of the imperial throne itself. Regardless of what Romandro had observed over the years, it seemed necessary to exercise greater care in word choice.
Though Prince Jin himself appeared unbothered.
“Vivi. In truth, I was the first to say that she resembled her mother.”
“Your Highness said so?”
“Yes. Which is precisely why I became even more curious.”
“But you hadn’t seen me yet. How did you know I resembled Mother?”
Vivi turned to Romandro and murmured in confusion.
This was Prince Jin himself, no less. If he had wished to see her, he could have done so at any time. Moreover, for him to speak in such a contradictory manner—what could it possibly mean? What was his intention? Ah, was this perhaps that peculiar manner of speech used only by the nobility? It was certainly as difficult as she’d heard!
Romandro noticed his daughter’s thoughts deepening and quickly changed the subject.
“Your Highness. The Bariel Central Elementary School has published a collection of writings in deep celebration of Your Highness’s coming-of-age ceremony. Vivi participated as well, and by great fortune, her work was selected as the featured piece. She was so eager to share it with you that we have come to request an audience. Please, might you offer a word of encouragement?”
Oh! Vivi started in surprise and thrust the book from her arms toward Prince Jin. Her expression wavered between hope and worry.
Gifts arrived at the capital from all corners of Bariel almost daily. Enormous statues, fabrics in thousands of hues, rare delicacies imported from foreign lands, and more. In comparison, a collection of writings penned by children seemed far too trivial, did it not?
“Mm.”
*Flip.*
With each page Prince Jin turned, tiny beads of perspiration emerged on Vivi’s palms. If he should take offense, it would be Father’s fault! At the girl’s anxious gaze, Romandro winked reassuringly with one eye.
“Here it is—Vivi’s work.”
“Yes! That’s the one!”
“…The writing style is so clean and clear, much like Vivi herself. I shall keep it in my bedchamber and familiarize myself with it whenever I have a spare moment. Perhaps we might share a meal together next time and discuss it?”
The girl’s mouth fell open, and she immediately began nodding her head vigorously as though it might break.
At the young lady’s complete lack of composure, Romandro gestured to a servant while gently chiding the child.
“Vivi, now thank His Highness and wait outside. Quietly, understand?”
“Yes, Father. Thank you, Your Highness!”
“Good. Study hard.”
“Yesss! Oh my goodness, this is amazing!”
“Vivi!”
*Squeak.*
Though the girl had merely stood and left, the office seemed as though a tempest had swept through it. Romandro bowed deeply to Prince Jin, perspiration beading on his brow.
“My apologies, Your Highness. Vivi is still young, you see. Haha. Raising children is truly taxing.”
“Not at all. I’ve received such a wonderful book. She’s exactly as a child her age should be—quite charming.”
A child her age. Romandro traced back through the years to Vivi’s age, and it struck him anew that Prince Jin had been the same age as Vivi at that time. How strange. He was certainly her contemporary then, yet how could Prince Jin have been so composed back then?
“You hinted several times that you wished to see the girl, and yet you only now show her to me. You are quite cruel indeed.”
Tap. Jin closed the book and moved to the desk.
He understood why Romand had never brought Vivi into the palace. For the past decade, a cold, heavy, and silent wind of blood had swept through the imperial palace. How could he possibly bring his precious daughter, as delicate and treasured as a flower, into such a place?
“Report.”
“Yes, Your Highness. First, regarding the coming-of-age ceremony. There have been no changes to the schedule, and everything is proceeding smoothly. Twelve families from across Bariel, in addition to the central nobility, have confirmed their attendance at the ceremony.”
“More than expected. And it’s merely a coming-of-age ceremony, not an enthronement.”
“…That includes Hielo as well.”
Jin paused as he passed over the report.
That name, which had filled nearly half his life. A name he could not forget, nor wished to forget, appeared before him once again today. Jin smiled faintly and asked.
“Will Philia, Nersaren, and Count Ian’s sibling come together?”
“Yes, they will.”
“She is one year younger than Vivi, is she not?”
“Yes. When the child was born, the Cheonryo Tribe Chief passed away, and she spent five years in the Great Desert. We have only exchanged letters, so this will be my first time seeing her in person as well.”
“…Does she resemble Count Ian greatly?”
At Jin’s question, Romand merely laughed. He had asked Philia the same thing. And her answer was—
“They say she’s a female version of Ian.”
“A female Ian? In appearance? Or something else?”
“I’m not certain about that either.”
Jin touched the edge of the report, trying to imagine her appearance. Blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin. What else was there? As the details eluded him, Jin turned back to Romand with a look of surprise at himself.
“Why do you ask, Your Highness?”
“Romand.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
His constant, innocent laughter had cut off Jin’s words abruptly. Like someone standing with their back to the sun, Ian’s face had grown dim and indistinct.
Jin frowned irritably and waved his hand. It was a gesture to continue the report.
“Ah, yes! Next is the matter of material support for Burgos. The royalist faction has reportedly secured what is presumed to be an imperial treasure—a tiara. In exchange, they have requested additional weapons, which we are currently reviewing.”
“You said the capital, Kalamatt, is in the midst of civil war. Through what route?”
The Burgos civil war, now in its tenth year.
The war between the royalist and anti-royalist factions was, in essence, nothing more than a puppet show orchestrated by Bariel. Whenever one side appeared to be losing, support was funneled to them; whenever the other side fell behind, they were helped to regain balance. Officially, it was called humanitarian aid to Burgos, but in reality, it had become the very force that perpetuated the war.
By now, no one in Burgos remembered why the war had started or why it continued. Within a meaningless cycle of killing and being killed, they merely glared at each other, wrapped in the hollow shell of ideology.
“There is an outer region that can serve as a detour into the capital, and a mineral deposit was discovered there. We initially pushed support toward the royalist faction to investigate, and during that investigation, a buried box was found.”
“You still don’t know whether it’s an imperial treasure?”
“Correct. It could belong to Burgos. Since it’s at the gateway to the capital, we will seal it off once the investigation is complete. The deposit is located in high ground, which is advantageous for combat, so it would be wise to minimize weapons support.”
Jin nodded in agreement. As his signature was drawn in the approval column, Romand cautiously suggested.
“Your Highness. Perhaps it is time to resolve the Burgos situation?”
“Not yet. That is a decision to be made after the enthronement.”
Several times, other officials had offered similar opinions. Perhaps it was time to stop mediating the Burgos civil war and absorb it entirely into Bariel. But Jin’s position remained firm.
“Bariel and Burgos have shared borders for ages, yet their histories and cultures are distinctly different. If Bariel were to step forward now and attempt to resolve their internal conflict, it could actually unify their divided people. The resistance from Burgos’s citizens would be certain.”
Jin smiled. When there was so much to gain from a Burgos that teetered on the brink without falling, why resolve it now? At that cold smile, Romand pressed his lips firmly together and bowed his head.
“And if I expand territory now, it becomes my father’s achievement, not mine, does it not?”
The Emperor still lived, though Jin held the true power of the empire. If Bariel were to seize Burgos now, it would be recorded in the Emperor’s history, not Jin’s. That could not be allowed.
“The coming-of-age ceremony approaches soon. Tell the officials to stop pressing the matter. If they continue to send word to you, I will appoint them as supervisors of governance policy and send them to Burgos.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“How many mana stones are needed for the construction of the Magic Division’s annex?”
“We’re expecting ten additional crates to arrive by the end of this season.”
“Tsk. Slow. Far too slow.”
The civil war in Cliffford had brought one singular disadvantage. The mana stones necessary for constructing the Magic Division’s annex were buried in Cliffford, yet they weren’t being formally exported. There were no mining personnel to speak of, and even if there were, they would be prioritized for their own internal conflicts. I had considered sending people from Bariel, but with the entire nation engulfed in war, that wasn’t feasible.
“Still, we’re nearly finished, so please don’t worry too much, Your Highness. It should be completed within this year.”
…This year. Once the Magic Division’s annex is complete, will Count Ian truly return? After ten years of silence, buried in the depths without a trace or echo, will he really come back?
I sat in silence, my chin resting in my palm. Even Ian’s voice promising my return had faded. At ten years old, had I simply believed without question the lie my parents told—that they’d sleep ten nights and return?
“Your Highness.”
Romandro reminded me of my grave expression. There were still documents left to review.
“The regular report from Cliffford has arrived.”
“….”
Half of the Magic Division had departed, and then half of that had been dispatched to the Cliffford fissure. The mages were suppressing it, investigating it, and researching its source, but unfortunately, there had been no progress. Not in nearly ten years.
“Was there anything of particular note?”
“No. It’s the same as always.”
-No abnormalities observed. No discoveries. Nothing to report.
Sometimes I wondered if all those past memories were merely my fantasy. That Ian, who had shone so brilliantly, vanished in an instant—yes, it was incomprehensible, yet my mind could grasp it.
But Rutherford was different. Though he and his associates had been sealed away in the Black Moon, there was an oddly complete absence of activity. For someone who had tried to seize Cliffford and moved his merchant guild quite significantly, he had disappeared without a trace. The anti-royalist faction had also been connected to Rutherford, but now, washed away by time, not even a hint remained.
Then, a sound from outside.
Knock, knock.
“It’s Akorelra, Your Highness. I’ve brought what you asked for!”
“Come in.”
With my permission, the door opened and Akorelra limped inside on one foot. When I doubted whether it was all a fantasy, reality always screamed back at me. No, it said. Everything that happened that day was real.
“Didn’t take long, did it?”
“…Where’s your crutch?”
“Too bothersome. I walk just fine without it~”
“You didn’t blow it up experimenting again, did you?”
“Do I look like Berik to you? Everything I touch doesn’t explode.”
Akorelra’s ankle had been completely crushed by Rutherford’s gang. Since magic couldn’t heal it, she now moved with slower, careful steps as she entered the office.
“Here it is, Your Highness.”
“Good work. You two can leave for the day. Romandro, Vivi must be waiting.”
“Huh? Vivi’s here? I didn’t see her outside?”
“What!? Good grief, where is she wandering off to again!”
“Xiao.”
Squeak.
At my call, Xiaoxi, who had been waiting outside, nodded. He would prepare the carriage, he answered. I placed the potion Akorelra had made into my robes and left the office.
“But Akorelra, what did His Highness instruct you to make? I didn’t hear anything.”
“Nothing special. You know, a potion to release frozen things.”
“Frozen?”
“I don’t know. He must have a use for it somewhere. Ask Vivi if you’re curious, I’m heading out!”
The unfreezing of his father, the Emperor.
A natural death. An even more natural succession to the throne.
To become a true Emperor, to take a step closer to history, and someday to face Ian—this was the first move Jin had to make.

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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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