Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 538

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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 537
Fire. Shatima and Erika
Jin pressed his eyes repeatedly, fighting off sleep. With the boundary between day and night erased, I couldn’t track the passage of time, yet my body’s condition told me more accurately than anything else that another day had passed.
I leaned my back against the sofa and closed my eyes for a moment. It was remarkable how the mages endured this—I had merely sat and enjoyed the banquet, yet I was already exhausted.
Knock, knock.
“Count Ian?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Come in.”
Ian entered just as I opened one eye barely wide enough to greet him. He checked his watch and nodded as if understanding.
“It’s nine in the morning, past dawn, Your Highness. It’s no wonder you’re exhausted.”
“I’m amazed at how you and the mages manage. You show no signs of fatigue.”
Ian’s complexion was somewhat pale, but otherwise unchanged. The mages moving about outside the waiting room appeared equally vigorous, maintaining their composure without a hint of disorder.
Ian smiled with satisfaction.
“The ability to share strength is the primary factor. Akorelra’s abilities have also played a significant role. Everyone is pushing through, determined to maintain the finest environment until the very end.”
“What of the nobles?”
“They continue to enjoy the banquet. Those living near the imperial palace have left and returned, while others rest in the prepared quarters. They’ll likely return to the banquet hall once they’ve regained their senses.”
“Insufferable lot.”
Hosting parties day after day—they’re truly devoted to revelry. I rubbed my forehead in exasperation, then looked at Ian. But why have you come here?
Ian, reading the question in my gaze, reported.
“Among the attendants of Shatima, the Prime Minister of the Hawan Kingdom, there is one who was formerly the leader of the Imperial Investigation Unit. Her name is Erika Berti. She came under the orders of the late Emperor when I was at the frontier, but she disappeared following a certain incident. It appears she has returned in collusion with the Prime Minister, seeking reinstatement. I thought it best you see her directly.”
“The Imperial Investigation Unit?”
“Yes. Over ten years have passed, and all the members she led are now deceased. This report details the charges applicable to Erika. Detailed explanations regarding the matter are also enclosed.”
Whoosh.
As Ian presented the report, I examined its contents without hesitation. One would hardly believe this was the same person rubbing his eyes moments ago.
The servants watching exchanged glances and clicked their tongues. It wasn’t the party enthusiasts who were insufferable—it was the Crown Prince himself. His reading comprehension was frighteningly sharp.
As I read through the document without pause, my brow furrowed.
“Bring Prime Minister Shatima and Erika to me.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I anticipated this and had them wait outside.”
Creak.
At Ian’s gesture, the door opened and two figures entered. They wore lighter garments now. Both knelt on one knee in salute, and I permitted them to sit on the sofa.
“You are Erika?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Hmm.”
Tap.
As I threw the report before her, Erika’s body flinched violently.
“As leader of the Imperial Investigation Unit, you not only failed to carry out the late Emperor’s orders, but also disappeared and have been surviving under the authority of a foreign official. How should the imperial palace regard this?”
Though I understood that Ian had been involved in the process, and that the bodies of Mary and Chel existed as evidence, my tone remained stern. When Erika lowered her head without answering, I continued.
“You would have no grounds to dispute being called a traitor to your homeland.”
“No! Absolutely not! From the moment I crossed the border, I have waited only for the day of my return. The fact that I am Barielian will never change.”
Erika struck her forehead against the floor repeatedly, insisting on her innocence.
The atmosphere was somewhat tense, yet everyone in the room understood. This was merely the opening gambit of negotiation. Since every word exchanged was transparently calculated, Shatima gradually realized it was his turn to step in.
“Yes, Your Highness. If I may be so bold, Erika has never once forgotten that she is a person of Bariel. I swear to you, she has never leaked even the smallest secret of her homeland. That is precisely why I brought her with me when I came to Bariel. I needed a bridge to connect me back to Bariel.”
“A bridge?”
“I trust you understand that I cannot simply return to Hawan without the King’s permission.”
It was a form of exile. Under the pretext of observing and learning new things in Bariel, Shatima could not return to Hawan without the King’s consent. Such was the fate of one who had lost in the struggle for power.
“And then?”
What was he hoping for? As Jin gently opened the door to the question, Shatima spoke as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“Restore Erika to the Imperial Palace Investigation Unit and dispatch her to Hawan, while allowing me to return with her.”
“Restore her? Do you see the Imperial Palace Investigation Unit as some elementary school class monitor position? It is no honor to be taken lightly.”
“Then I will expose it. I will reveal that the King of Hawan Kingdom has made contact with Rutherford.”
Clang.
Shatima withdrew something from his robes and placed it before them. It was an Idgal—its amber hue gleaming brilliantly, quite large in size, and appearing to have undergone no refinement whatsoever.
“Following the incident ten years ago, Bariel publicly announced an agreement restricting and managing Idgal usage among neighboring nations. The direct target nations were Burgos, Cliffford, and Ruswena, but Hawan was also included due to its geographical proximity.”
Idgal began to be used for the purpose of preventing cracks, mages scattered, and with Rutherford’s disappearance, the method of Idgal production fell into obscurity. Thus, Bariel had no choice but to take the lead in managing Idgal distribution.
Of course, it was possible to suspect that each nation maintained separate stockpiles, but it was overlooked. There was no way to know unless it became visible on the surface.
“The quantity of Idgal in Hawan is incomparably greater than what was reported to Bariel. This is partly because Hawan is a center of trade, but also because Rutherford illegally distributed Idgal in various forms—including jewelry—in the early days.”
Jin picked up the Idgal that Shatima had produced and examined it slowly. It was clear he understood what she was trying to say.
“Very well. All of that is acceptable. But convince me—why must it be Erika Berti specifically? The palace has many capable and trustworthy individuals.”
“While there are many who enjoy Your Highness’s trust in the palace, in Hawan there is no one but Erika Berti who enjoys my trust. Furthermore, no one in the palace will know Hawan Kingdom as well as Erika does. Even the King’s most favored concubine does not know it as she does, does she not?”
Of the two arguments, the latter was persuasive. But the former raised questions, so Jin pressed further.
“Is your trust truly so important?”
“Yes, of course. When I return, my King will see my will to survive and will seek to execute me, and moreover, he will purge my people. To survive, I need someone I can trust.”
At that point, Ian spoke up.
“You have already been broken and come to Bariel. What can we possibly expect from you?”
It was a statement that could be taken as quite insulting, yet Shatima nodded calmly. There was a time for everything, including when to strike back. For now, it was time to bow and accept.
“I do not have much, but I have private soldiers. The King ordered them to be transferred to the state, but they were held in abeyance when I set foot on the path to Bariel. However, it is only a matter of time. It is clear where masterless soldiers will flow. Furthermore, the late King, who was the King’s brother, has grown children.”
“You ask us to wager on rebellion in a neighboring nation?”
“It depends on what kind of wager it is. The payout is substantial, so you will not be disappointed. When war breaks out, Bariel will advance looking only toward Burgos, but what of the rear where Ruswena lies? Cliffford? Do you truly believe that Cliffford, having lost its capital, can stand against Ruswena?”
It was a proposal that Hawan would also join and block the Ruswena side. The fact that Bariel was located at the center of Gaia meant that its surroundings were blocked by other nations. If simultaneous battles erupted, it was inevitable that Bariel’s military forces would be divided.
“I cannot provide troops.”
“Yes. We would refuse as well. This is a matter to be resolved within Hawan. We intend to minimize the use of foreign power.”
“I can send you back with an appropriate pretext, but I cannot restore the honor of investigation unit commander to Erika Berti.”
At Jin’s decision, Erika’s shoulders flinched once more. Had it truly become a position from which there was no return? Her fists trembled so violently that the bones in the backs of her hands protruded sharply.
Jin turned his head away as if he had not noticed, looking at Ian. Then Ian, understanding his intent, added in his stead.
“Given the Idgal issue, we will dispatch a special investigation unit under the Magic Department instead. Not the Imperial Palace Investigation Unit, but the Magic Department Special Investigation Unit. Do you have any objections?”
It was a way to fulfill the request without directly involving themselves.
Erika looked up at Ian in disbelief. Right now, that is to say—
‘He’s telling me to serve Ian as my superior?’
Erika’s mouth opened and closed several times, but she could not bring herself to say anything else. She could only offer her thanks.
“A few more things. Any Idgal that Hawan failed to report will be treated as a breach of the agreement, and we will calculate penalties and have all of it transferred to Bariel. And after the war, in matters of territorial distribution of Ruswena and various agreements, Bariel will have priority. How is that? Will that be acceptable?”
Even if Hawan independently stopped and brought down Ruswena, it meant that Bariel would have priority decision-making rights when distributing the spoils of war.
It was quite unfair, but the one who was parched right now was Shatima. She made a brief modification.
“Let us prioritize only matters concerning the territory itself. It would be better to reach a new agreement on everything else.”
It was the Hawan Kingdom soldiers who would shed blood, so this was appropriate enough. Ian glanced at Jin, and he silently nodded his chin—a signal to proceed. This was the moment when the advantages that could be obtained if anti-establishment forces from various nations visited Bariel were being realized as expected. Except for incompetent fools like Ruswena.
“Prime Minister Shatima will proceed directly to the Magic Department. Since we will be forming a contract spell, if there is any substance that interferes with magic like Idgal, please remove it now. The same applies to Erika. Review your duties and familiarize yourself with your instructions.”
“Your Highness. Thank you. I will surely repay this grace.”
“Grace? I did this because the dividend is substantial.”
As Shatima bowed gracefully, the veil that had been covering her face and hair slipped down smoothly.
The two of them left the reception room first, and Ian also nodded his chin in greeting to Jin.
“Rest comfortably, Your Highness. I will see you again this afternoon.”
“You as well. Take care of yourself.”
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
Creak.
Ian guided the two of them into the Magic Department along with the mages. Unlike Shatima, who was visiting for the first time, Erika seemed nostalgic, as if she was familiar with the place. As they turned the corner of the corridor, the entrance to the Minister’s office came into view in the distance.
“…?”
There was a red-haired man sprawled out on his face with his arm raised high, fast asleep—it looked rather eerie.
Shatima recognized him as the Mage Knight who had been riding the dragon earlier, and she furrowed her brow slightly. Was he drooling too much?
“This way, Prime Minister Shatima. Don’t mind that.”
At Ian’s call, she barely turned her gaze away.
As they closed the door and entered, Berik flinched and came to his senses, then rose. He yawned once, then knelt and held his arm up firmly.
“One, two, three, four, damn it….”
Ian had said he could lower his arm once he counted to a thousand, but damn it. Once he got past five hundred, he forgot the numbers, and past seven hundred, he was so drowsy he could die.
Berik sniffled and focused on counting numbers again.

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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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