Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 500

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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 500
Fire. A Noisy Minister’s Office
Creak.
I slowly opened the door to the minister’s office.
Documents arranged in perfect order and pens neatly organized. And a fireplace still burning even though no one was here. It was maintained so well that it seemed impossible that ten years had passed.
As I smiled and gently touched the desk, Romandro burst into tears again.
“Oh no, just yesterday I, sob, never thought I would see something like this, cough, I never even, waaah!”
“What are you saying? Just do one thing, just one. Either cry or speak.”
“I’ll cry. Then let me cry. Waaaah.”
As Romandro sobbed while dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief, Berik covered his ears. His disgust was evident. He had cried when he first met me, but he had clearly forgotten that in the meantime.
Then—
“There’s nothing quite as pleasant as seeing something return to its rightful place.”
Jin leaned against the minister’s office door and slowly surveyed the interior. Since the owner had been absent, he rarely had reason to enter here. It had been a long time for Jin, just as it had for me.
“Your Highness, you’ve arrived? Xiaoxi. You came too.”
“…Ian.”
“Have you been well?”
Xiaoxi awkwardly nodded and grasped my hand. Then he continued to gaze down at me without any sign of letting go.
When I heard that the disappeared Minister of Magic had appeared in his original form, I wondered what that meant, but goodness. It was unbelievable even seeing it with my own eyes.
Berik tapped the back of Xiaoxi’s hand and spoke.
“Ian’s hand will go numb. Sit down. We have a lot to talk about.”
“Sob, first, I’ll prepare to write a report. Sniff!”
“Romandro, that’s enough!”
“What can I do if tears keep coming? You cold-hearted fool!”
Romandro grabbed Berik by the collar and buried his head, while Berik shouted that he was sick of Romandro acting like this. Jin and Xiaoxi seemed uninterested and continued staring only at me. Then came the sound of footsteps from outside the door. It was the sound of Mages lingering, wanting to come in.
Since it was quite a mess, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. The surroundings naturally quieted, and everyone awkwardly laughed along with me with somewhat surprised expressions. Could I laugh like that? Me?
“I, Ian?”
“I apologize. Though time has passed, it still feels the same to me, so honestly I’m not sure. Especially regarding Romandro.”
“R, right. People don’t change easily, after all. Ha ha.”
“Is that so?”
But you seem to have changed a bit, Ian, Romandro thought, dabbing away his last tears with his handkerchief.
“Then, where should I begin?”
“First, regarding Rutherford. I heard through Jeonseogoo, but the content was so brief that it was hard to understand. You said Rutherford serves the Shadow of God, but what exactly is its true nature?”
“It is a being that exists because God exists. It lives in a rift and was essentially no different from a demon. What Rutherford believes in and follows is called the ‘Underworld Deity’ in Gaia.”
Thud.
Romandro’s handkerchief fell. Why would the Underworld Deity appear there? Shocked by this unbelievable revelation, he froze without moving.
I bent down and picked up the cloth for him, then added:
“Rutherford’s attempt to stimulate the rift seems to be for the purpose of manifesting the Underworld Deity outside of Gaia.”
“Wait, are you talking about that Underworld Deity from the Tolorun Kingdom?”
“Yes. The Shadow of God feeds on human faith, as I mentioned. Burgos is a sort of passage that the Underworld Deity uses to approach Bariel.”
“So that’s why you said Rutherford would be in Burgos.”
“We too have no choice but to settle Burgos before we can reach Tolorun. I hear Bariel is preparing for war. The timing is remarkably opportune.”
A time well-suited for war, indeed.
Jin tapped the edge of the sofa thoughtfully with his fingertips. If Bariel’s ultimate target wasn’t Burgos but Tolorun, he would need to establish new justification.
“Your Highness, have you perhaps dispatched an investigation team to Razasan?”
“Yes. Immediately upon receiving word from Jeonseogoo.”
“Among the beastfolk who make Razasan their base, there exists a tribe called the Dera. They are craftsmen who forge weapons in their underground caverns, and it appears their creations are particularly effective against non-humans. If we distribute them in large quantities, they would prove invaluable to Bariel’s forces.”
Should Rutherford succeed in stimulating the rift, countless demons would pour forth. At that moment, the Dera’s weapons would enable ordinary soldiers to stand against those monsters.
“Should the Dera tribe ascend to the capital, please inform me at once. I have goods to trade with them.”
“I’ll ensure the report reaches the Ministry of Magic.”
“Thank you.”
At Jin’s instruction, Xiaoxi nodded in acknowledgment. Now, what remained was—
“The matter concerning me, I presume.”
Ian spoke while taking a sip of tea.
“But before that, does anyone recall the ‘Gypsy who devours secrets’?”
“That strange gypsy? I remember.”
“Of course, I remember as well.”
“Right, right! That old woman!”
It was a name heard after a long time. They had searched extensively in Bariel in connection with the King of Burgos, but ultimately failed. She had faded into the recesses of memory.
“I encountered her in the Abyss. In that process, some of my secrets were consumed. Unless I find her, I cannot clarify everything with certainty as I once could.”
“Wh-what secrets? What was eaten?”
“If it was eaten, how am I to speak of it?”
Romandro chided Berik with a look of exasperation. Ian, who carried imperial blood and had always given vague explanations regarding his relationship with Rutherford, remained unchanged even now after all these years.
Romandro pondered for a moment, then offered an indirect approach.
“What if we request testimony from the Countess Philia? She has entered the imperial palace now, which is fortunate. Previously, testimony was impossible due to her pregnancy, but that is no longer the case. If it can be proven that you are the child of Philia and Count Derga, the matter of imperial blood will be resolved.”
“I agree in part, but there are two concerns. One is the credibility of the truth serum, and the other is Your Highness’s intentions.”
Ian turned to look at Jin.
The most important figure in this matter was neither Ian nor Philia, but Jin. The appearance of another member of the imperial family was a grave matter threatening succession. If Jin could not accept it, everything would be meaningless.
Jin slowly raised his head, his expression suggesting he did not understand what was being said.
“Count Ian. Did I pass the time without you so carelessly?”
A man who had been absent for so long could not shake his position merely by asserting bloodline. Moreover, he had already undergone the coming-of-age ceremony, though it was still ongoing. Until the coronation that remained, nothing could stand in his way.
Ian, as if realizing his misstep, lowered his head with a smile.
“My apologies, Your Highness.”
“There remain aspects I do not understand.”
Why Arcen’s hypnosis had not worked. And why he knew of the imperial secret passages.
“But these are matters for you to clarify to me, not to others. After you capture the gypsy, swear to me that you will resolve every doubt without reservation. By me, by Bariel, and by God.”
“I swear by Your Highness, by Bariel, and by the God who stands with us in this moment.”
At his resolute and unadorned oath, Jin suddenly recalled something he had not considered before. What if, by the slimmest possibility, they were bound by blood? Would that not be a different sort of joy? For he had no family left.
“Good. And Ian, do not worry about the credibility of the truth serum. Over the years, it has become commonplace among the nobility. It is no longer the exclusive domain of the Ministry of Magic, so all will trust and follow it.”
“Then that is fortunate. Much has changed.”
“Indeed. Idgal as well.”
Initially, they had been an axis of evil that checked the Mages and threw Bariel into chaos, but now they had become an essential device that controlled the rifts and ensured safety.
Romandro suddenly thought how fortunate it was that I had returned now. Everything that had denied my existence had now disappeared or faded, losing its power.
Romandro thought that my words about “the timing being appropriate” might apply to me even more than to the war itself.
“And I have one more question. Have you completely severed your ties with Rutherford?”
“Yes. Certainly. In the abyss, I experienced countless deaths, and through that process, all the magic that had been entangled with Rutherford disappeared. You don’t need to worry.”
“Phew, well, yes. But what do you mean by experiencing countless deaths?”
Knock, knock.
As I was pondering how to explain, a knock sounded at the door. The Mages, unable to contain their impatience.
“Ian!”
“Captain Akorella! I told you it’s not allowed! The Prince is here!”
“Hello, Your Highness. It’s nothing else, but this!”
“Ahhh! Please! Captain! Stop this madness!”
“You’re the mad ones! Why are you all like this? If you drink this, you’ll recover quickly, right? Ah, let go of this! I said let go! Ow, my legs hurt!”
“Really?”
“I’m lying, you fool!”
Smack!
Akorella delivered a series of flicks to the Mages trying to drag her away, then placed a potion on the table.
An extraordinary appearance with shimmering blue light. When I sent a questioning gaze asking what this was, Akorella grinned widely.
“I heard your condition wasn’t good, so I specially prepared this special recovery potion. Drink it all at once. The magical power you depleted will return immediately.”
“You can’t, Ian! I heard it clearly. You said there were side effects!”
“What medicine in this world has no side effects? It’s nothing serious, so just drink it down. Ah, let go of this!”
“Ian! You mustn’t drink it!”
Romandro jumped up in astonishment at the noisy commotion of the Mages. What were these people doing in front of the Prince?
However, Jin seemed unconcerned, and rather appeared to find this atmosphere comfortable. The Ministry of Magic he had known was exactly like this.
“Um, um…”
Then, Philia’s voice from behind. Viviana and Nersaren were with her as well.
I immediately recognized the child clinging to Viviana’s side. Large glasses and eyes brimming with curiosity. Anyone could see she was Romandro’s daughter.
“Has the child born back then already grown so much?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. It’s Vivi! Vivi, come here. This is Count Ian. Dad talked about him a lot, didn’t he?”
“Wow.”
Vivi approached me hesitantly with an amazed expression. When I extended my hand in greeting, Vivi grabbed her father’s arm and shook it, unsure what to do.
“Wow! Dad! Is this really the Minister of Magic?”
“Ouch, my arm’s going to fall off. Vivi.”
“Roel! Come see. You two look exactly alike!”
“Roel?”
At the name, Roel slowly stepped inside. Philia placed her hand on the child’s shoulder and introduced her.
“Ian. This is your sister, Roel.”
“Ah.”
The child who had been in the womb. Blonde hair and green eyes, bronzed skin. Truly delicate and well-defined features.
Ian and Roel stared at each other, and the people around them held their breath, watching the two. There was something tense about two people who looked so identical facing each other.
“Brother.”
Roel was the first to speak. The girl approached me and whispered with remarkable composure.
“Have you seen God?”
“…?!”
“I know where the Gypsy who consumed the secret is.”

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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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