Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 531

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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 530
The Moving Puppet
Hawan.
A nation of trade connecting foreign lands and Bariel. With merchants from all walks of life establishing their bases here, countless cultures blended together to form a unique identity.
From the very first glance, the carriage itself seemed rather peculiar—
Neeeigh!
“What in the world is that?”
“It doesn’t seem to be a horse. Is it a goat?”
“M-may we approach it?”
The creature pulling the carriage was a strange hybrid beast unlike anything familiar. With its massive frame and six horns that radiated an intimidating presence, the palace staff froze in place, unable to venture closer.
The first to move was the Hawan delegation. The carriage door opened, and a woman with her hair pinned up and face concealed by cloth emerged. Ian approached her and bowed respectfully.
“Welcome. Are you Prime Minister Shatima Gurgein?”
“Please call me Shatima. And you are Ian Hielo, the Minister of Magic, yes? It is a pleasure to meet you. I am grateful, as the representative of the Hawan Kingdom, to participate in such an honored occasion.”
Shatima’s eyes were densely marked with red and yellow dots. Though I could not discern her full appearance, knowing she had served two generations of kings allowed me to estimate her age.
Shatima possessed fingernails as long as fingers themselves, all ten of them. As I shook her hand, I replied.
“Thank you for traveling such a distance to visit us. I hope the King of the Hawan Kingdom recovers swiftly and shares in the glory of the Empire.”
I did not know the true circumstances, but since the official documents mentioned the king’s health concerns, I had no choice but to address it formally.
Shatima’s lips curved upward without a word, a smile that carried both elegance and self-mockery simultaneously.
“Kind words indeed. I shall convey them to His Majesty precisely.”
Unlike Bariel, it was clear that the King and Prime Minister of the Hawan Kingdom were in strong opposition. Though Akorelra had interpreted it somewhat roughly, the documents made this current unmistakably apparent.
—Prime Minister Shatima Gurgein is a highly capable individual with many achievements and enjoys great popularity in the Hawan Kingdom. If possible, please permit her to remain even after the coronation ceremony to learn of the Bariel Empire’s advanced culture and society. During that period, regard her as a subject of Bariel, and ensure she experiences no inconvenience within the Empire.—
Shatima likely sensed the implications of that content as well.
And this was exactly the opportunity Bariel sought—a chance to make contact with hostile forces holding power in a foreign nation. Just as I had anticipated.
“Is there a dedicated administrator for the beasts?”
“Of course. They are creatures newly arrived and established in the Hawan Kingdom. Though they possess the stamina of horses, they are far more docile and quite popular. We have prepared several as gifts for His Majesty’s coronation.”
“Excellent, I’m certain he will be delighted. Shall we proceed to the main palace? Please rest and recover from your journey before meeting His Majesty.”
Creak.
Shatima settled back into the carriage.
Inside sat another woman with her hair pinned up and face concealed by cloth, her gaze fixed on me through the gap in the window. In those eyes, which held the light of someone seeing me for the first time in ages, burned unmistakable fury and contempt.
“After so long away, what are your impressions of returning?”
As the carriage began to move, Shatima tilted her chin slightly and asked. The woman responded with a low laugh.
“It feels like returning to a home I longed for. If not for Ian Hielo, I would have come here long ago. My entire body trembles with indignation and resentment.”
“Yet you must exercise restraint. I brought you to the imperial palace as a contingency, not to support your personal vengeance.”
“Of course, Shatima.”
“Then, how shall we address you? Should we use your former name? Now that you’ve returned to your homeland, wouldn’t that be preferable?”
Shatima drew the carriage curtain shut with a swish and turned to face the woman.
“Erika Berti?”
“No. I fear someone might recognize it.”
“You are overly self-conscious. It has been more than a decade. Who would remember an investigation commander who vanished after failing a mission at the border? The Emperor has changed, and the world has transformed.”
Erika Berti.
The investigation team leader who had descended to the borderlands to investigate Count Bratz’s tax evasion allegations, only to fail in awarding the title due to Ian and ended up wandering the border regions searching for Mary’s and Chel’s bodies.
Erika despised these sentences that defined her so intensely that her teeth chattered.
“Choose wisely.”
Shatima gazed at Erika with brownish eyes.
“The path of revenge, that is.”
Whether to simply take Ian Hielo’s breath away, or to return to the imperial palace and completely erase all traces of her past life.
Erika continuously bit her lips and rubbed her forehead as if troubled. She knew what the wise course of action was, but now that she was looking at Ian Hielo’s face, her rational judgment wavered greatly.
“Erika. I have invested in you. Do not forget that if you return to the imperial palace and establish yourself, you will be more helpful to me than anyone else. Only beasts forget the grace of those who have taken them in.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Erika answered thus and carefully covered her face with cloth. In the distance, the main palace where the distinguished guests would stay began to come into view.
* * *
“All the distinguished guests have arrived, except for Ruswena.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Jin stood before the mirror, tapping his shirt collar repeatedly. At his somewhat irritable gesture, the servants stood at a loss, carefully adjusting the hem of his clothes.
Jin leaned back on the sofa and gestured as if truly lamenting.
“I have disliked Ruswena more than Burgos from long ago.”
“Is that so?”
“Had I been able to choose which country to make my first stronghold, I would have unhesitatingly claimed Ruswena first. That snake of a king, Eriponi, treated me as a young boy from the start and showed an arrogant attitude. Eldetr, who inherits her spirit, is also unsuitable.”
Those involved would never know how relieved and satisfied Jin was when he heard that Eldetr would not come in person but send a representative instead. By providing the justification to punish them along with Burgos, Jin intended to keep it as a coronation gift.
Ian handed over the report with a faint smile.
“At the assembly, they will request an audience in the order of Astana, Cliffford, and the Hawan Kingdom.”
“Count Ian, you say you have a special relationship with the King of Astana?”
“It is a connection formed by chance in the past. It was a matter entangled with Former Minister Wesley.”
Hmm. Is that so? As Jin shrugged his shoulders, Ian lowered his gaze back to the report.
“And regarding the young lady of Marquis Hollin’s house.”
“You mean Princess Kaila?”
“Yes. Before departing to Burgos, she has requested one last audience with Your Highness. It seems she judged it an opportune time to leave, as Bariel will be in turmoil due to the upcoming festival.”
At Ian’s words, Jin laughed slightly with a puzzled expression. The judgment seemed appropriate, but the intention was unclear. What could he and Princess Kaila possibly have to discuss in private?
“I’m busy.”
When Jin answered playfully, this time Ian shrugged his shoulders.
The coronation and the expedition ceremony would not end in a single day. First, with the arrival of the distinguished guests, there would be a grand banquet where all the central nobles gathered, and simultaneously, for a week, all the imperial citizens would enjoy a public holiday under everyone’s celebration.
And since the end led to the battlefield, Jin’s schedule was filled without a single day of respite with events to foster harmony with the imperial citizens. There was no room to spare for meeting Princess Kaila.
“I shall convey that, Your Highness.”
“Everyone is worried, Count Ian. That you might collapse like before, with such an important matter ahead.”
Though they attributed it to the four black moons hanging visibly in the sky, Ian vaguely understood. The mages, Romand, or Berik had come whimpering to Jin and lamented to him.
Ian slightly shook his head as if to say not to worry, and adjusted Jin’s collar for him.
“No matter how ungrateful a subject I may be, would I ruin Your Highness’s coming-of-age ceremony and then your coronation? Do not be concerned. The people of the Magic Department are simply making unnecessary fuss.”
“Taking good care of yourself is also your duty.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Then I shall take my leave first. Savor each moment with joy. It is Your Highness’s day, after all.”
“Very well.”
Ian emerged from the Crown Prince’s residence with the report held lightly in hand, and the mages waiting in the corridor straightened their postures to greet him.
“What of the distinguished guests?”
“All have entered the palace and unpacked their belongings. We’ve informed them of the banquet time, so they’ll prepare accordingly and arrive on schedule.”
“To be safe, remind them again in a couple of hours.”
“Yes. Oh, and King Astana asked you to bring ‘that’ here.”
“That?”
“The doll that Romandro submitted. This one.”
The Inpi doll preserved in a transparent glass case. Romandro made a disgusted expression and gagged repeatedly.
“It turns out there’s an expert among King Astana’s attendants regarding this matter. They said they can verify whether it’s cursed whenever you bring it. Should we take it right away?”
“Have it moved to King Hasha’s quarters.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Have you confirmed the magical formations connecting the banquet hall, the imperial palace, and the outer central district one last time?”
“They say we’ve just entered the final stages. There should be no problems with the event’s progression.”
“In opposition to Burgos, there are those mixed in who wish to gauge Bariel’s full strength. In this event, I will tolerate no mistakes whatsoever.”
“Yes, Count Ian!”
“Then, all of you disperse to your positions.”
With a sharp sound, the mages saluted crisply at Ian’s instruction. They all scattered in different directions according to his orders, and the mage responsible for the Inpi doll flew toward the Astana delegation’s quarters.
Zing!
Thud!
“Are you here?”
“Yes, what is it?”
The Astana attendants were in the midst of carrying fabrics and ornaments. They appeared to be items to be presented as tribute.
“I’ve come from the Magic Department. I’m bringing an item for appraisal by the Astana delegation. Who is the person in charge?”
“They’ve stepped out to the back garden for a moment. If you leave it here, I’ll make sure to pass it along.”
“No, I’ll deliver it personally.”
“They’re in a ritual right now, so it may take some time.”
The mage hesitated briefly and checked his pocket watch. If he wasted time here, everything would fall behind schedule. After a moment of deliberation, the mage set the glass box containing the doll on the table.
“Then I’ll leave it here. Please make sure it’s delivered.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
With a bow, the mage left, and the attendants resumed moving their belongings.
The Inpi doll sat abandoned in the indifference. How much time had passed? As the surroundings fell silent, the head tilted with a soft scraping sound, and the glass case began to open gradually.
Thump.
The doll fell forward helplessly, writhing like a person with all their tendons severed. Bit by bit, it crawled forward slowly, inching along.
Just as it seemed to have nearly made it through the crack in the door—
Crash!
“Hasha!”
The door swung open and struck it squarely, sending it flying.
Something had been in the way. Berik scratched his nose and looked down at the floor, discovering the doll crumpled miserably in the corner.
“What is this? Why is it here?”
Berik narrowed his eyes and sniffed. What was this suspicious doll doing here? After staring at it for a while, Berik impulsively brought his fist down on the doll’s face.
Thwack!
“How irritating.”
With that, I grasped only the end between my thumb and forefinger, lifting it as though handling something filthy.
“Hasha!”
Berik dashed inward, dangling the doll as he called out for Hasha.

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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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