Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 472

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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 472
Fire. The Gap in Time
The meeting was suspended.
Leaving the muttering officials behind, I caught Xiaoxi’s eye and nodded slightly—a signal to postpone the announcement of the Emperor’s death that I had instructed him to relay midway. Xiaoxi carefully tucked the letter into his robe, then stepped forward to open the door.
Tap, tap, tap!
Xiaoxi could not reproach me for maintaining decorum as I rushed forward.
Ten years. A full decade had passed—ten springs gone by during which no trace of the two who vanished could be found, leaving only loneliness, questions, and a feeling like a dream from a single day. Now, I was retracing those years.
“Where is Minister Tweller?”
“He is finishing joint military drills with the Imperial Guards and entering the palace. He said he would come directly to the office upon arrival, so he should be waiting.”
“Summon Romandro and Berik as well.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Heil is not in the palace now, is he?”
“He was dispatched on an investigation mission to the northern monster territory.”
“Bring in Akorelra.”
Xiaoxi answered briefly that he understood, then gestured to his subordinates.
The group split into three directions at that command. I did not stop running until I reached my office, where I encountered Tweller just as he was stepping down from his carriage.
“Your Highness.”
“Hah, hah…”
While I had grown into a young man, for Tweller that time was merely part of the continuous flow of his life. Not a single strand of hair or wrinkle had changed—he remained the vigorous elder he had always been.
Tweller’s eyes widened slightly in surprise before he bowed respectfully.
“Forgive my tardiness. Age has made my body sluggish.”
“Nonsense. There is no one in the Imperial Defense Ministry as swift as you. Come inside.”
I barely tore my gaze from the stack of documents at Tweller’s side. Someone bearing the name Rutherford had appeared.
Was it an impostor? Or was it truly him—the one who fell into the rift with Count Ian back then? Had Count Ian returned? Could he have come back without appearing at the palace?
Whoosh.
“This is a report from Burgos. The anti-royalist faction has made contact with a new supply force, and they have traced the source of those supplies. It is uncertain, but Toollun appears most likely at present.”
“Toollun?”
“It is adjacent to the area that Rutherford’s faction once used as a base. According to the royalists’ assessment, military supplies crossed the northern border region into enemy territory a fortnight ago.”
“It seems the information was not certain. The fact that an incident from a fortnight ago is only now reaching me suggests as much.”
“Indeed. At the time, the accuracy was insufficient to warrant an official report. However, now—”
Clink.
Tweller placed a gem I knew all too well on my desk—an amber-colored Idgal stained with someone’s blood.
I stopped short, my brow furrowing.
“An Idgal.”
“It will require proper appraisal, but it is presumed to be identical in composition to those circulated by Rutherford’s faction ten years ago.”
I picked up the gem and examined it from all angles. Though it held no magical power, I had observed and handled such stones for so long that I could identify it readily enough.
“Idgals are being newly introduced? Could it be from a country other than Toollun?”
“Currently, every Idgal that Rutherford circulated in Bariel, Cliffford, and Ruswena is being mobilized to suppress the rifts without exception.”
The Idgals were among the reparations Bariel had demanded from Ruswena. Since stabilizing the Cliffford rift took priority, Ruswena would surrender all the Idgals in its possession.
Yet the Ruswena royal palace continued to secretly divert small quantities of Idgals, and Bariel responded by sending regular inspectors to monitor them.
“Who knows? Perhaps something the Ruswena royal palace was secretly holding has leaked out. If Bariel absorbs Burgos, wouldn’t Ruswena be the next problem?”
Especially as Prince Jin’s coming-of-age ceremony drew near, both Burgos and Ruswena were on high alert for any shifts in the political landscape.
So there was no choice but to play the most effective card for strengthening Burgos—the ‘Idgal support’ card. Idgal could restrict magical power, and it was a resource that Bariel would find difficult to trace.
“I will pressure Ruswena.”
Xiaoxi grasped the Prince’s intent and began preparing to draft correspondence.
Tweller too could not jump to conclusions. Though the royalists held a pro-Bariel stance, they were ultimately Burgos soldiers. He couldn’t trust only the scraps of paper that came up in reports.
“If it’s Idgal from Burgos that we haven’t yet identified… If the Ruswena royal palace is secretly providing support… And—”
Prince Jin paused as he enumerated the possibilities.
“…If Rutherford has newly manufactured Idgal from the Toolun side.”
Please, please appear before my eyes once more. Let me repay the humiliation myself. Tell me where Count Ian is, what has become of him—every detail.
After hearing all the answers, like that king trapped in the tower counting only the passage of time, I will tear out my own tongue.
Knock, knock! Crash!
Just then, a commotion erupted from outside. The moment I gave permission to enter, Berik, Romandro, and Akorelra came pouring in.
Berik, drenched in sweat, was at the forefront. He pointed accusingly at Minister Tweller, complaining irritably.
“Seriously! If something like this happens, you should go together. You took a carriage alone? I had to run here!”
“…I didn’t know the Prince would be looking for me. Berik, have you finished your training?”
“Yeah, thanks to you it was incredibly tough.”
“Ahem, Berik! This is before the Prince. Show some respect!”
“Your Highness. I heard new Idgal arrived? Is it really new? Ugh, it’s all going to Cliffford’s side, and I’m dying from lack of samples.”
“Akorelra, you should restrain yourself too!”
They were people who anticipated Ian’s existence as much as I did. Prince Jin tapped the report Tweller had handed him and spoke.
“Traces of Rutherford have been discovered.”
“What? Ru-Rutherford?”
“At the end of the traces of newly supplied Idgal to Burgos, that name is being used. Whether it’s an impersonation or not, we cannot tell.”
Berik froze in place, and Akorelra’s eyes widened. Romandro was the first to speak. He stroked his beard repeatedly as if trying to think faster.
“Could there be a reason for this sudden appearance after ten years? If it were to consolidate his scattered forces, it would certainly be a plausible scenario.”
“Exactly. So I will send the Imperial Defense Ministry to Burgos to investigate the matter. And I also wish to send people to Toolun.”
Whoosh.
As Prince Jin picked up the Idgal, Akorelra received it respectfully with both hands. Once it had been so common that it threatened the safety of mages, but now they were all being driven into cracks, making it a precious commodity.
After confirming the safety of the Idgal, Akorelra exhaled sharply and refused.
“I cannot go. My legs aren’t sound. They’ve been aching more lately, ugh. Toolun is too far.”
“That’s funny. You run around just fine normally. Just say you want to do research. Anyway, everything out of your mouth is a lie.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I need to research this and stuff it into Berik’s thick head. Maybe that will close his big mouth?”
“Ahem, everyone!”
Romandro exclaimed in amazement, then slowly raised his hand and laughed.
“Your Highness. I, that is—”
The words ‘I have a ten-year-old daughter waiting at home’ rose to his throat but wouldn’t come out. How could one compare great matters and family affairs before the Prince?
Prince Jin shook his head, indicating he understood. The right person was already decided.
“Berik. You shall go. Go, and on your way down, meet with the Atan Clan, join up with Captain Heil, and return.”
Akorelra and Romandro looked at Berik simultaneously. He was someone who didn’t want to take even a single step outside the palace. The thought that Ian might return at any moment.
“If Rutherford is there, the chances of Ian being present as well are considerable.”
Unlike ordinary mortals, Berik could mobilize far more swiftly through the manipulation of mana. Moreover, he was well-suited for matters concerning the Atan Clan.
Berik swept his hair back and paused in thought for a moment.
“You’re saying Ian might be there?”
“Yes. So go and conduct a thorough search, then report back. If you find Rutherford, capture him alive if possible, but killing him is acceptable. Even just bringing his head would suffice. However, if you find Count Ian—”
As Jin paused mid-sentence, Berik completed his thought.
“I’ll bring him back.”
“…By all means.”
Berik rolled his neck from side to side, catching a glimpse of Romandro and Akorelra’s bewildered expressions. As if to say, ‘What are you looking at?’ There was a difference between being sent by Minister Tweller and being sent by Prince Jin. Obviously.
“I can write a report, but my handwriting is atrocious. Is that acceptable?”
“Of course. When have I ever cared about such things?”
“When should I depart?”
“Immediately, if possible.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll leave after dinner.”
It wasn’t as though he were merely visiting a neighboring village—he was heading all the way to Tooluun. Why the rush? Romandro quietly tugged at Berik’s collar and whispered.
“Berik, guests will be arriving from Hielo’s domain soon. At least show your face before you go.”
“I’ll be back in no time, won’t I? Just tell them to wait here until I return.”
“Do you even know where Tooluun is?”
“I do. It’s above the nation of Hasha. Ah, Your Highness, I promise I’ll be back within the year. They said it would be done by the time the annex is completed.”
“Berik! I’ll open a portal for you with the children and amplifiers. I can’t send you far, but you should land somewhere around the outskirts of Bariel.”
“Oh, how unexpectedly helpful.”
Berik stretched languidly and left the office. Romandro added with concern,
“Your Highness, are you certain it’s wise to send Berik alone? Would it not be prudent to assign Barsabe to accompany him?”
“Now that Rutherford has surfaced, I cannot spare two Imperial Guards.”
Rutherford was someone who had infiltrated the palace before. Jin lightly closed the report and nodded as if dismissing him.
“And others besides Berik hold no particular significance.”
“What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”
“Whoever I believe most strongly will return—that person will ultimately be found.”
Thus, there was no need to involve others beyond those gathered here.
Romandro nodded in understanding and accepted the report without further comment.
* * *
Creak.
The door to the dark chamber opened, and as a sweet fragrance wafted out, a shaft of light pierced the interior.
The subordinates sent by the Anti-Royal faction hesitated, peering inside. They had been told they could enter once the door opened, but the darkness was so thick that they lacked the courage to venture forward.
“A cold wind is coming in.”
Then, a low voice from within. A man reclining against the bed spoke, a cigarette holder clenched between his teeth.
The subordinates cautiously stepped inside, and as their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they could make out a figure.
“Are you… are you Rutherford, sir?”
One of them, who had made contact with Rutherford in the past, asked in disbelief. A decade had passed, yet his appearance and demeanor remained utterly unchanged. Even the manner in which he received them was identical to that time.
Rutherford worked the cigarette between his teeth and rummaged through his pocket.
Thud.
What was thrown at the feet of my subordinates was Idgal. Simple yet irrefutable proof of Rutherford’s identity.
“I’m simply indulging in what I couldn’t before, so bear with me.”
“W-what happened? What on earth has occurred…?”
“D-did you enter the Rift, sir?”
“You’ve returned alive? What of the Mages? What became of them?”
Rutherford merely stared blankly into the void, savoring the smoke from his cigarette. Ten years had passed in Gaia’s time since I sank into the sea of Rifts. But for me, it was merely ten days. Ten days.
“I heard the Minister of Magic from Bariel was with you as well. That man—what happened to him? Did you dispose of him?”
“Ah. Ian?”
Scritch.
Rutherford chuckled softly, tapping ash from his cigarette. As if to say, don’t even mention it. I never knew such obsession existed—one that transcended eons of time. I shook my head slightly and murmured.
“He must have awakened alongside me. I don’t know where, but that’s precisely why this is our opportunity.”

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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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