Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 536

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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 535
Fire. Unexpected Focus
“Wait.”
At my gesture to hold, Lepin’s expression soured. We’d already waited this long, and now more?
The Bariel delegation had been dropping hints that Ruswena was late, but truthfully, they bore no fault. Strictly speaking, the other nations had arrived early—Ruswena had entered the palace precisely on time as scheduled.
From that perspective, it was actually Ruswena who had reason to be upset. Starting a banquet before all the guests had arrived? What kind of conduct was that?
Lepin stroked his mustache, then gestured to his attendants and withdrew.
“I haven’t the faintest idea how much longer we’re meant to wait.”
“Precisely. There are limits to this dithering.”
“Tsk, tsk. Even the great empire of Bariel amounts to nothing. With such incompetence, how can anything function properly?”
“Careful. They’ll hear you.”
“Let them hear. If it starts like this, the end is as clear as fire. Lord Lepin, shouldn’t we consider departing before the coronation?”
“Ah, but we have Prince Eldetr’s orders. How can we defy them?”
“Still, we don’t deserve such treatment.”
“Indeed. No matter how strained relations are, war hasn’t been declared, has it? They’ve drawn their own line. Ruswena and Bariel walk different paths, they said.”
“Restrain yourselves. Restrain.”
Lepin scolded them while glancing nervously toward the mages, worried they might actually hear the complaints beneath the bravado. Fortunately, the mages seemed absorbed in their own huddle, paying no attention to this side.
Grrrrr.
The dragon’s jaw settled atop Lepin’s head. Clearly, being tethered for so long had grown tedious. Lepin, startled, brought his staff down mercilessly on the dragon’s neck and belly.
Thwack!
“You insolent creature, how dare you!”
“Oh, Lord Lepin. We can’t have it marked. It’s a genuine article.”
The beaten dragon bore not a scratch and continued wearing its vacant expression.
The mages huddled together caught sight of this and murmured amongst themselves.
“Wait, did King Eldetr hire us to assassinate this thing? And we’re supposed to send back Lepin or whoever alive?”
“Let’s send him back alive. Then Eldetr will burst with rage and die.”
“Reasonable and efficient. No need to escalate to war.”
“That petty mustached bastard. I’d tear those whiskers clean off, snap.”
“Same with the dragon. Why did they send something that looks this stupid?”
“Could it just be a winged lizard in disguise?”
For now, perhaps. But once the audience concludes, the Magic Department will inherit this burden. How can any other department manage it? We’re deploying right after the coronation—this poses serious problems.”
“International treaties prevent us from deploying it in war, so it’s a complete headache. Just a massive Berik!”
“At least Berik actually participates in combat.”
“Ian, what do we do?”
The mages, who had been whispering frantically, turned to me in unison, as if demanding I provide the answer.
I paused briefly before speaking.
“Not even the slightest disturbance can be permitted.”
“Of course not. What kind of day is this!”
Ruswena had already made it clear that if the dragon wasn’t admitted to the banquet hall, they would consider it a slight. In other words, the solution was to bring the dragon inside, maintain proper protocol for the audience, while ensuring there were no safety issues.
“But the dragon looks rather dim-witted. If we tell it to stay still, wouldn’t it be fine?”
“That thing isn’t even a dog, and what nonsense is this? How are we supposed to know what kind of contraptions those Ruswena brats have set up? If he suddenly gets excited and smashes everything to pieces? What if something happens to the Prince? This is going to be a headache.”
“Then we just take off Muffin’s head.”
“Lepin. The one who wants that bastard dead the most is Eldetr—”
“Akorelra. Could you reduce its size?”
“Pardon?”
At Ian’s question, the Mages froze. What was he saying right now? How could they possibly shrink something that massive? They all stared blankly at Ian before turning their gaze to Akorelra. She hesitated unusually, scratching only the tip of her nose.
“I think there might be a related potion.”
“…Well, there is one, but…”
“There is? There’s something like that? Why, why did you make it?”
“It’s still in the experimental stage, so it’s unusable. It was created for humans, and especially with dragons, I have absolutely no way to predict what kind of reaction it might cause.”
“No, Captain. Why did you make something like that?”
“Shut it, you lot. What am I? Huh? Did you think I made it to trick Ian?”
“Wow, she’s insane. Completely crazy.”
The Mages shook their heads with expressions of exasperation, while Ian stroked his chin. Bringing it inside directly would be the best method, but if that’s impossible, there’s no helping it.
“Then we’ll proceed with a horizontal trajectory.”
A horizontal trajectory? What’s that?
Just as everyone seemed confused and he was about to offer an explanation, Lepin, who had been continuously pounding the dragon, could no longer contain himself and shouted.
“How much longer must we wait? If the invitation was somehow incorrect, please speak freely! I shall not blame you with a generous heart!”
His constant bellowing made my head spin.
At this, Akorelra expressionlessly grabbed the sword hanging from the Guard’s waist, but the startled Mages quickly diffused the situation. Just as the atmosphere was about to become chaotic—
“Yes. Leave the dragon behind and enter.”
Lepin, who had been raging wildly, turned around and examined the face of the one who had spoken. It was Ian. At his calm tone, the Ruswena envoys quickly settled down.
“Leave the dragon behind? That would be acceptable?”
“The Magic Department will take custody and transport it. It will accompany you during the audience, so there is no need for Ruswena to worry about not being able to display the sincerity you have prepared.”
With no experts available anyway, one problem here and one there made no difference. Ian turned his head, declining further questions, and the Guards promptly cleared the way.
“Ahem. Move the luggage.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Load it properly! These are precious items!”
Lepin gave irritable orders, then climbed the stairs with his Attendants. Ian also commanded the Mages and personally grasped the rope around the dragon’s neck. Was he going to move it himself? Only briefly. Ian handed the rope to Romandro.
“Everyone to your positions.”
“Yes, to your positions!”
“Romandro, please transport the dragon to the rear garden. Once I’ve corrected the magic circles in the banquet hall and its vicinity, I’ll follow immediately.”
“What, me? Alone? With this thing?”
“Please hurry. The Mages have their roles, so there’s no choice. They’ve managed to drag it this far without experts, so it means they’re trained to some degree. Now, we’re closing the portal! One last time—go to the Magic Department and confirm there are no problems!”
“Yes, Ian! I’ll fly there and back!”
“Wait, Ian!”
Ziiing! Zing!
Tap-tap-tap!
The Mages scattered in all directions, and Ian himself entered the banquet hall with cold composure. Only Romandro, the Guard, and the dragon remained.
“H-how am I supposed to handle this?”
Romandro looked as though he might cry as he pleaded with the soldiers for help, but they averted their eyes in refusal. They lacked not only the authority to leave their posts, but also the courage to step forward and face the dragon.
Ssshhhhh.
Then, from behind Romandro came an unfamiliar cry. As he turned around with a whimper, the dragon was staring down at him.
Screeeech—the creature’s maw opened wider, casting a deep shadow. Thick, viscous saliva dripped from its razor-sharp fangs, and Romandro felt dizzy, swaying on his feet.
Ah. Romandro, loyal servant of Bariel and devoted family man. Leaving behind his beloved wife and daughter, sacrificing himself to the palace here and now…?
“What’s this? Why are you dancing here?”
“…Berik!”
At that moment, Berik appeared, firmly grasping the side of Romandro’s reeling head. In this instant, he was no longer a foolish pup but a reliable Palace Guard Mage Knight!
As Romandro leaned into Berik with tears glistening in his eyes, Berik pretended not to notice and grimaced with disgust.
“Ugh, let go of me. You’ve lost your mind, how repulsive.”
“This dragon… *cough*. I have no magical power, nothing at all… Ian, *hack*…”
“Oh, dragon.”
Crunch!
“…!”
Berik examined the dragon with great interest, as if he’d discovered something fascinating, then suddenly opened his mouth wide and bit down hard on its neck. He was curious what it tasted like.
* * *
“There’s a commotion.”
Jin, who had been listening to the nobles’ conversation, gestured to Ian.
Those who had been chattering and laughing lowered their voices as they noticed the Prince’s attention, and the one who had been leading the discussion suddenly brought his wine glass to his lips, postponing his remarks. It was a gathering meant to catch the Prince’s eye, but if he wasn’t paying attention, what was the point?
“My apologies. The delegation from Ruswena has arrived.”
“They’ve come early.”
It wasn’t sarcasm but genuine sincerity. I had expected them to arrive tomorrow or later, but they managed their timing reasonably well.
“A dragon has arrived as a tribute gift, but we’re currently taking measures as it cannot be brought in as is. Your Highness need not be concerned.”
It was a brief report, but it contained much within it—Ruswena’s deception, the pretext of goodwill, the cause of the commotion, and more. Jin rose from his seat entirely, and the nobles covered their faces with fans in dismay.
“It seems Eldetr has put some thought into this.”
“Yes. His actions are identical to Eriponi’s.”
“What’s the solution?”
“The best option would be for the dragon to rampage and eliminate the Ruswena delegation. That way, we bear no responsibility, and we can turn the tables by claiming they attempted to present a ferocious beast. Beyond merely disposing of unwelcome guests, we could also express our sentiments indirectly to Ruswena.”
“Isn’t that worth considering?”
“The dragon’s temperament is far too docile.”
Jin raised his eyebrows at this unexpected revelation.
“And moreover—”
Ian observed the countless eyes fixed on him and Jin, then whispered.
“Because of ‘the dragon’s sacrifice,’ I cannot make such a decision. My apologies, Your Highness.”
It was a legend passed down since the beginning of time.
Until now, dragons had existed as humanity’s weapons, playing a great role in destroying the world. When the God who witnessed this stripped away their power, they became the dragons of today.
The ‘Inviolable Dragon Covenant’ was a pledge between humans to honor this, and moreover, a promise never to sacrifice them again to human greed.
“I understand your meaning. I too know of ‘the dragon’s sacrifice.’ This is a matter that could pose problems both morally and diplomatically, so I shall follow your counsel.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Then, should we only admit the Ruswena delegation?”
“Yes. Preparations are complete.”
“Proceed.”
At Jin’s command, I bowed and retreated. The banquet hall doors swung open, and Lepin and his delegation strode in with commanding presence.
“Greetings, Your Highness. I am Lepin, representative of the Ruswena Delegation. It is an honor to meet you, Prince.”
“I hear you’ve brought something quite remarkable. Though the distance between Bariel and Ruswena is hardly far, I can only say welcome.”
“…It seems the endless blessings of Bariel are finally bearing fruit. I cannot even begin to imagine how magnificent the future you lead will be, Your Highness!”
As Lepin knelt on one knee in greeting, the Bariel nobles stirred with unease. Was that truly a greeting? The blessings of Bariel finally bearing fruit? Then what of before?
‘A filthy mustache, and yet he presumes.’
‘What did he just say?’
‘There’s a barb in his words. From the very start.’
“His Highness Eldetr regrets that he could not attend in person. Thus, I have brought gifts to convey his sentiments. Treasures rare to Bariel…”
The attendants presented boxes overflowing with jewels and precious metals, while Lepin offered only an awkward smile.
“You see, the Magic Department would not release them. With not only Bariel but other nations watching, it is rather embarrassing to-”
Snap!
Before Lepin could finish, I flicked my fingertip lightly, and grass surged across the banquet hall floor in an instant.
The startled guests murmured briefly before realizing it was not real—merely a transparent illusion.
“Your Highness. That is the dragon submitted as tribute.”
Boom.
A crimson dragon materialized in the center of the banquet hall. Though the guests stumbled backward at its vivid form, they soon recognized it as illusion and gasped in wonder. All of this—the work of Bariel’s Minister of Magic, myself!
Zing! Zing!
I concentrated to maintain the dragon’s form. But it did not last long. I noticed something strange attached to its back.
“What is that? On the dragon’s back.”
“Where? Uh, what?”
The hall erupted in murmurs. Everyone pointed at the dragon’s back, whispering, until someone who recognized it cried out.
“…Berik!”

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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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