Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 510

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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 510
Tea Party
Marquis Hollin and Princess Kaila immediately recognized that Pim was a beastkin, but maintaining composure was an entirely different matter.
A mole dressed in clothes and speaking like a person! Marquis Hollin turned his head away in visible disgust, while Kaila examined Pim with curious interest. Each time Pim walked, the distinctive padding sound of his footsteps seemed unusually loud.
“Your office is quite impressive.”
“Please, sit over here.”
“I’d like to, but are you sure? Your lordship seems—”
uncomfortable.
As Pim wrinkled his nose and spoke, I turned to look at Marquis Hollin. He was ordinarily skilled at concealing his expressions, yet his face was now flooded with unmistakable negativity. Either he was that shocked, or his prejudice against beastkin ran that deep. It had to be one or the other.
“My lord?”
“Ah, yes. The, the blacksmith.”
“He is the one I intend to entrust future work to. His skills are exceptional, and I can confidently say that everything he produces is of the highest quality. Should you transfer the foundation to me, I will proceed with weapon development centered around Pim.”
“Is that… possible?”
Regardless of how skilled he might be, a mole is still a mole. Will the apprentices even follow him properly?
As the Marquis unconsciously clicked his tongue, Kaila quickly interjected.
“Father is concerned whether he can manage alone.”
“Pim has numerous family members. They are all master craftsmen of comparable skill. There is no problem.”
“Then that’s fortunate. It’s nice to meet you, Pim. I’m Kaila Hollin. Since the Minister of Magic speaks so highly of you, I’m curious. Just how skilled are you?”
“…Yes, well. I’m Pim.”
Pim merely nodded and resumed padding around the office. His reluctance to engage in pleasantries was unmistakable. Kaila offered a perfunctory smile and turned to her father.
“Father, since we have a guest, wouldn’t it be best if we took our leave now? The matter of the sale is not something to decide immediately, so it would be better for all family members to gather and discuss it together.”
“Yes, that’s… that’s right. That would be best. Count Ian, I will review your proposal and give you an answer soon.”
“Yes, my lord. I await your favorable response.”
“Then, ahem.”
The Marquis left without even glancing at Pim, and Kaila followed her father with only a nod. Pim didn’t sit on the sofa until the door was completely closed, leaning back against it.
“I apologize, Pim.”
“Don’t be absurd. That’s how the educated folk are. His reaction was actually quite restrained.”
“Would you like some tea?”
“Something cold.”
Such was the sorrow of being beastkin.
I suddenly thought of Prince Noah. As a member of Clipoford’s royal family, Noah had to desperately hide his nature, so his transformations were only occasional.
However, the Dera Tribe had long secluded themselves in the Rajasan Mountains, avoiding all contact with the outside world. Thus, they retained their beast forms throughout the seasons.
Realizing that the survival methods of beastkin differed depending on their circumstances, I poured tea for Pim.
“Dripper will arrive soon, so please wait a moment.”
“Alright. But really, will this be okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you see that old man’s—I mean, the elder’s reaction? Will it really be acceptable to formally entrust work to the Dera Tribe? The imperial palace’s position seems like it will become awkward.”
Pim asked while taking a long drink of the cold tea. Disagreeable as it was, the Marquis’s concern wasn’t entirely unfounded.
Even if all the Dera Tribe gathered, they couldn’t produce enough weapons to supply an entire empire’s war effort in a short time. External assistance would be necessary, and working alongside people would inevitably create problems both large and small.
“Victory is the imperial palace’s objective and the means to protect our soldiers’ lives. Therefore, I care not who forges the weapons. I desire only superior quality compared to what we have now. For the present, the weapons made by the Dera Tribe satisfy this. But Pim, should another alternative ever emerge, I will not hesitate to choose it instead.”
“Well, well. You’re quite sharp even before we begin.”
“I was the one who gave the Dera Tribe this commission, so I’ll take responsibility and ensure the process runs smoothly. You just need to create a masterpiece.”
A masterpiece. I quite liked that expression. This small boy kept calling their inventions works of art. Pim twisted his mouth and suppressed a smile threatening to break through.
“I’m worried the imperial palace won’t let us go! You’re talking nonsense. There’s never been anyone better at craftsmanship than us, from the past until now, right? And there won’t be in the future either.”
“Pim. Remember. Before you are a Dera Tribe member, you are a citizen of Bariel. Take pride in that.”
Pim said nothing, but his nose twitched pleasantly.
Then, a knock sounded from outside.
Knock, knock.
“Please come in. Did the Count leave safely?”
“Yep. He just hopped in the carriage and took off.”
Something must have happened. Romandro looked at Ian and Pim with a puzzled expression, but neither offered any particular explanation. Romandro shrugged and produced a box.
“Here, what I was asked to bring.”
“It’s a Dripper. Pim, take a look at it.”
“And someone came from the Department of Technological Advancement.”
“The Department of Technological Advancement?”
Pim climbed down from the sofa and rummaged through the box. With eyes like button holes narrowed to slits, he examined the mechanism carefully from every angle.
Ian watched him and turned back to Romandro.
“What is this about?”
“They heard about the Dera Tribe entering the palace. The Department of Magic is curious about what we’re making. They came to ask if there’s any possibility of collaboration with the Department of Technological Advancement.”
Ian pondered for a moment, then nodded. The Hollin family would certainly resist giving up business rights, and moreover, there was a strong possibility they would oppose the Department of Magic’s weapons manufacturing project.
If that were the case, I needed to gather adequate countermeasures. It would be necessary to unite opinions among the relevant departments within the palace. First, the Imperial Defense Department and the Imperial Guards would likely cast their votes with the Department of Magic….
‘If I can also bring the Department of Technological Advancement on board, that would be ideal.’
“Yes. Please do invite them. Wouldn’t it benefit both sides if we help each other with whatever we can?”
“Right. I understand. Just a moment.”
Romandro opened the door to greet the visitor. A very familiar face.
“Ah, hello. I’m Rashida from the Department of Technological Advancement.”
The official who had asked me quite sharply at the general assembly. Rashida greeted me with an awkward smile, and I gestured for her to sit as a sign of welcome. Whether the guest came or not, Pim had already settled on the floor and was taking apart the Dripper in various ways.
“This is Pim of the Dera Tribe. I imagine you’ve come to see him?”
“Oh, no, that’s not quite it. I just thought our department might be able to help with something. Pim. Hello. I’m Rashida. What, what do you have in your hands?”
“A Dripper. Hmm.”
“Why, is something not to your satisfaction?”
“No. It’s absolutely perfect. Perfect, but it’s still difficult to improve. See this small protrusion here? If I don’t file this down, the left component won’t rotate, which causes about a ten-thousandth of an error, but if I do file it, I can’t move to the next stage. I want to add a long support brace on top of this. Right here.”
Pim mumbled an explanation, but it was somewhat beyond Ian and Romandro’s comprehension. They simply lowered their upper bodies and listened intently.
Then, Rashida quietly wedged herself between the two. Romandro nearly fell backward in surprise, but Rashida paid no mind and pointed precisely at one spot on the Dripper with trembling fingers.
“If, if you rotate the groove this way?”
“Huh? What are you talking about? That would completely change the structure?”
“No. If you move the joining part this way, space opens up above. Then this becomes like this, and that becomes like that….”
“Hmm? Try it again!”
At Pim’s request, Rashida wriggled forward on her hands and knees, then fiddled with the Dripper while explaining. Ian and Romandro still couldn’t understand, but in any case—
“Romandro. I would like you to prepare for the relocation of the remaining Dera Tribe members from Lazasan.”
“Ah, yes, yes. So what will they do?”
They seem completely absorbed, lost in their own world.
I simply waved my hand dismissively and returned to my desk. Romandro tiptoed past the two of them, cast a sidelong glance at this peculiar gathering, then closed the door.
* * *
“He’s lost his mind. That Minister of Magic went into the Abyss or something and came back completely mad.”
Count Baolruk Hollin shook his head repeatedly with an exhausted expression.
Supplying weapons during wartime was among the greatest of undertakings. Yet now they were being asked to relinquish the Hollin family’s business rights that had been running smoothly without issue, and on top of that, they were installing a mole as the weapons development supervisor—it was suffocating, as if his throat had been suddenly blocked.
“Isn’t that right, Kayla?!”
“…Where in this world does a mole exist that can speak and walk about? Why does appearance matter so much? By that logic, my second brother is a toad.”
“Kayla!”
Kayla rested her chin in her hand, her brow furrowed. The fact that the Ministry of Magic was acting this way suggested that the Crown Prince’s intentions were reflected to some degree.
If they didn’t diminish the Hollin family’s power, they would plant a hostile impression in the Crown Prince’s mind, and unless their prestige and influence surpassed the Crown Prince himself, the position of Empress would certainly slip away.
So then, what should they do?
“Miss. Your schedule ended earlier than expected. It seems you may be able to attend the tea party you mentioned. What would you like to do?”
Just then, the servant sitting beside the coachman asked. She had sent word of her intention not to attend due to entering the imperial palace, but thinking about it now, this was not the time for that. The bonds between nobles would play an important role in rejecting the Ministry of Magic’s proposal.
“I’ll attend. Since we’re heading that way, just drop me off. Father, please send a carriage for me this evening.”
“Yes, Miss. We’ll arrive shortly.”
“And let’s all gather this evening to discuss. I’ll bring good news with me.”
Whirrr!
Kayla left a kiss on her father’s cheek, then descended from the carriage. The tea party was being held in the courtyard of Count Charlotte’s residence. Quite a number of carriages were parked there. Quite conveniently so, at that.
Kayla rang the bell, and shortly after, the butler himself came out to greet her.
Creak.
“Oh, if it isn’t Princess Kaila Hollin.”
“My schedule ended earlier than expected.”
“Please come this way. Fortunately, we’ve just served the second round of tea.”
The brilliantly decorated garden caught her eye first, but soon Kayla spotted the red hair among the attendees.
‘Chloe Davion.’
She was nibbling at the edge of a cake with a bored expression when she noticed Kayla and raised her eyebrows slightly.
“Princess Hollin.”
“…Princess Davion. What a surprise to meet you here.”
“Indeed. I thought you were always too busy with official duties to attend gatherings like this anymore.”
“Princess Davion never misses a party, so no matter how hard I try to keep up, I simply cannot. What can one do? We all have our own circumstances.”
The other young ladies hid their mouths behind their fans, their eyes darting about. The two most likely candidates for the next Empress from the most powerful families had just met in one place.
“Please sit here, Princess Kaila.”
“I heard you had business at the imperial palace. It seems you finished early.”
“Yes, the Ministry of Magic invited me for a brief visit, but it was nothing of importance.”
At the mention of the Ministry of Magic, Chloe’s eyes lowered slightly. The Davion family had requested their assistance without receiving a response, yet they approached the Hollin family first? How should one interpret this?
“The Ministry of Magic? It doesn’t seem like nothing.”
“That’s right. Please tell us what it was about.”
The young ladies urged Kayla on with cheerful laughter. What could it mean when nobles were summoned to the imperial palace outside of official occasions? Most often it included bad news. The young ladies concealed their base curiosity behind radiant smiles.
“Father met with them privately, so I’m not entirely certain what was discussed.”
Had Chloe not been present, I would have shared the matter and taken measures regardless. The heiress on the left supplied iron to House Hollin, while the one on the right collected taxes from Hollin’s territories. But how could I expose my vulnerabilities to those golden eyes so desperately hunting for leverage? Kayla lifted her teacup, a gesture meant to convey that nothing unusual had occurred.
“Is that so? Then the imperial palace wasn’t summoning Princess Kayla after all.”
Chloe added with a light fan of her crimson hair.
“The Count is truly blessed. Wherever he goes, his esteemed daughter follows along. How beautifully devoted you are, Princess Kayla.”
A warning to stop fidgeting about and conduct herself with proper restraint.
The other heiresses interpreted it similarly, ceasing their laughter and beginning to observe the two with keen interest.
‘There it is.’
A fissure crackled across Kayla’s violet eyes.

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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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