Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 539

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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 538
Fire. Be Careful with Drink
-Kyuu?
Captain Akorella placed her hands on her hips and looked up at the Dragon. The creature sat still, merely bobbing its head. Its temperament seemed relatively docile, but with a size like that, it was overwhelming just to look at. I had no idea how I was supposed to manage this thing.
As Captain Akorella calmly pulled at her hair in frustration, the Mages poked the Dragon with their pens.
“It seems to treat us differently than it does Berik?”
“Maybe it knows Berik is its equal?”
“Is this how Dragons normally behave?”
“There are some real savage ones. But we can’t bring those across without specialists.”
“Right. That mutt probably died before crossing the border.”
“This one was carefully selected—manageable enough and just vicious enough to be useful to us. Well then, let’s start with a scale analysis.”
“A scale analysis? That?”
“Yeah, that.”
“Are you sure about this, Captain?”
Though it was long ago, Captain Akorella had nearly died from Dragon scale plague and survived. She pulled on sanitary gloves firmly and turned back.
“If not me, who else here can do it? Who’s ever touched Dragon scales? Or even knows how to handle them?”
“…No one.”
“Exactly. So from now on, take interest in various fields, do some research, and prepare yourselves. All of you.”
“Come on. You only know all this because you caught the plague yourself.”
“If you’re jealous, go catch it yourself.”
Captain Akorella carefully approached the Dragon and lifted one layer of scales.
When the Dragon tilted its head as if sensing something odd, the Mages took defensive positions. They knew how pathetically inadequate the iron chains binding the creature were as a control device. If it suddenly went berserk, they would have to subdue it immediately.
“Whoa, relax. You’re making the kid nervous.”
“That’s how you get your head bitten off, Captain.”
“Since when did you start worrying about me?”
“Do it properly. You’re breaking the scales.”
“Who’s in charge here anyway?”
Crack! As Captain Akorella tore out a scale, the Dragon’s eyes widened. Growl, growl—its breathing became ragged, and saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth. An ominous reaction.
While the Mages tensed, Captain Akorella pulled at another scale.
“C-Captain!”
“Why do you keep calling out like that?”
“The creature’s crying.”
“What?”
Captain Akorella turned her head in disbelief. She’d thought it was saliva, but it was tears. She also noticed the Dragon trembling violently, and holding only the two scales she’d plucked in her hand, she sighed.
“That’s enough. We’ll use these for the test.”
“Stop crying, you fool. Why are you crying?!”
-Kyuuuu!
“This is driving me crazy. Stop crying. What do you eat? Meat? Fruit?”
“Give it what we were going to give Berik.”
The Mages, who had been standing guard as if ready to subdue the creature at any moment, gradually approached and began stroking the Dragon’s forehead. Seizing the opportunity, it suddenly flopped over and exposed its belly. The Mages found it fascinating and touched it here and there, while Captain Akorella issued a warning.
“Take your hands off. Don’t approach until I’ve examined Kachlin.”
“Ugh. You’re so cold-hearted.”
“If you don’t like it, what do you do? You dig through it.”
“But this one, the more I see them, the stranger it gets. Why do they like people they’ve never met so much?”
“Berik hated them.”
“He’s not even human. Anyway, they were docile in front of the Ruswena delegation too, but it didn’t feel like this. Since they’re a magical creature, do they like Mages? I heard Ruswena brought one Mage along as well?”
Smack!
Captain Akorella delivered a satisfying flick to the Mages who showed no sign of backing off.
“Put up a fence and tie it down. I said no approach. If you disobey, consider yourselves having multiple lives and I’ll invite you to the research lab.”
“Gasp! I’ll remember that.”
Tsk tsk. Should’ve done that from the start.
Captain Akorella went straight up to the research lab and placed two Kachlins into a transparent glass cup. It was generally preferable to find defects in the Dragon. That way, she could send it back through Lepin as is, and depending on the issue, she could even expand the Imperial’s justification.
‘But the Kachlin incident already happened ten years ago. We have some information about it to some degree. Since Ruswena knows this too, if it were an epidemic, it probably wouldn’t be identical. Hmm.’
Whoosh. Captain Akorella lowered her protective goggles and took a light breath. It was a ritual before sacred research. Since this was an important moment to discover what Ruswena had sent through the Dragon, she had no choice but to pour her heart into it.
Clatter.
Boom!
“…?!”
Ten minutes after the experiment began.
The sudden explosion startled the Mages of the Mana Stone Research Department, and they looked toward Captain Akorella’s laboratory. But it was brief. Since it was a common occurrence, they all lost interest and buried their heads in their desks.
Recovering stamina before the coronation was essential.
* * *
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the banquet hall was quite chaotic.
The smell of spilled wine and the laughter of the drunk, and the Nobles who were nearly sprawled out were smoking cigarettes in comfortable positions. Whether in the marketplace or the Imperial palace banquet hall, the true face of a party was not so different.
“Lepin.”
“Huh?”
“The Prime Minister of the Hawan Kingdom and the Minister of Magic are nowhere to be seen.”
Lepin, equally drunk on alcohol, stroked his mustache and made a puzzled sound.
On the Cliffford side, everyone except the King and young royalty were holding their positions. Whether due to their people’s love of alcohol or not, they had been leading the banquet hall’s atmosphere for hours in a tipsy state.
“Didn’t the Minister go in to rest? I noticed the Mages coming and going frequently in shifts.”
“That could be, but the Prime Minister of Hawan is also missing along with him, which concerns me. I suspect they might be having a secret conversation.”
“Hah! What could he possibly do with secret talks? A man exiled and demoted in political strife.”
“Still, it would be good to verify. Hawan and Ruswena are close, so frankly, their movements are more important than Bariel’s, aren’t they? If Shatima returns home with Bariel’s support behind her, it’s a major headache not just for Hawan but for Ruswena as well.”
Gulp! Lepin’s expression, holding the wine glass, gradually twisted. The more he pondered it, the more reasonable the advice seemed. He covered his mouth with his hand and asked.
“The Dragon?”
“The Magic Department took it, but there’s been no particular reaction since. It seems ‘still’ without problems.”
“That pink-haired Mage who guided us when we first arrived. The Captain, that Accordion whatshisname.”
“Captain Akorella.”
“Yes, yes. Doesn’t something feel off?”
“According to information, she handles research in the Magic Department.”
“That’s exactly why it feels off! She’d be the one researching the Dragon too, wouldn’t she?”
Perhaps if there were no suitable candidate, that would be the case. As the attendant nodded, Lepin clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath.
“I think I might figure it out.”
“Figure what out?”
Just then, King Clipoford thrust his head forward.
With a broad grin stretching across his face, his eyes curved into crescents. And those prominent cheekbones? He possessed an affable demeanor that seemed impossible for a king. He swirled his wine glass and offered Lepin a drink.
“What do you mean you’ll figure it out? Let me try to figure it out too!”
“Well, it’s nothing much. By the way, Your Highness certainly seems to enjoy drinking.”
“Any Cliffford person considers this the bare minimum! We drink wine with every meal. Come now, don’t hold back—have another! Prince Gin gave us such excellent wine that we mustn’t waste a single drop! Kyo kyo kyo!”
“Ah, I really should stop now—”
“Why? You won’t drink?”
Though it was a foreign land, a king was offering it, wasn’t he? To refuse? King Clipoford stared at Lepin with wide eyes, and his royal entourage followed suit with their gazes. How dare one refuse wine offered by our king?
Lepin awkwardly laughed and drained the cup.
“There we go, you drink well—it’s a pleasure to watch! But I’m curious about something.”
“Yes, Your Highness. *Cough cough*. Ugh, how bitter.”
“About dragons. Didn’t Ruswena have some trouble with them before? I heard that a noble family executed for treason did something with a dragon over there.”
“Ah. House Haiman?”
Lepin answered without thinking, then glanced around. He’d momentarily forgotten he was in the heart of Bariel’s imperial palace. Fortunately, most were so intoxicated they could barely keep themselves upright.
“Though the Countess was of royal Ruswena descent, well… the authorities had nothing to do with that incident.”
“I heard rumors that they made something—black armor, I think—from a dragon. I’m asking carefully whether that’s true.”
“Wouldn’t that violate the treaty? Not at all. Ruswena operates only internationally recognized dragon breeding facilities, and we know nothing of any other matters. It’s unfortunate how rumors spread from who knows where.”
To avoid continuing the conversation, Lepin voluntarily downed the remaining wine. King Clipoford glanced around carefully, then leaned closer to him and whispered.
“So you’re saying you know absolutely nothing about the black armor?”
“Yes, yes. I’ve never even seen it, that’s right.”
“Hmm, is that so? What a shame.”
At King Clipoford’s murmur, Lepin’s eyes narrowed. A shame? About what? He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, pondering. Then, unable to restrain himself, he whispered to the king.
“Is something the matter?”
“Hmm. No, nothing.”
As a Ruswena envoy, I cannot easily overlook talk of black armor. Your Highness, please tell me.”
“Ahem. Then wait a moment.”
The king gestured for Lepin to come even closer. There’s something! Lepin’s eyes sparkled as he watched, and the king naturally refilled the empty wine glass.
“It’s nothing else, but Cliffford’s capital has been destroyed by fissures for ten years now. I can no longer avoid thinking of independent reconstruction.”
“Yes, yes. Quite right. It’s a matter concerning the dignity of the royal house.”
Lepin reacted keenly to the word “independent.” Cliffford currently operated under Bariel’s dependency, and this meant breaking free from that to establish a new order, didn’t it? This would lead to a very significant shift in international affairs.
“I understand the imperial palace seized quite a number of black armor pieces from House Haiman before, but they say Cliffford cannot receive support.”
“That’s understandable, yes. Bariel likely doesn’t have enough for their own use.”
“So I’m asking discreetly—might there be a way to obtain black armor? Through unofficial means, that is. We both know well that trade between Ruswena and Cliffford is impossible due to external relations, so I wondered if Representative Lepin might arrange something. Could you connect us with a supplier?”
“Black armor, you say. Hmm.”
“If you simply connect us with a supplier, I’ll give you ten percent of the transaction fee.”
Ten percent? Lepin blinked involuntarily. It was an unimaginable sum. Each piece of black armor possessed astronomical value. Lepin lightly slapped his own flushed cheek.
‘Get a grip. This is a trap, a trap.’
Where does Cliffford intend to procure such funds and make payment?
Even if he did pay, the black armor flowing into Cliffford would inevitably be passed to Bariel, tightening the noose around Ruswena’s neck. This was an exceedingly, extraordinarily flimsy scheme!
“If I may, Your Highness. The black armor—”
“The prelude to a refusal, I see. Come now, let us have a drink first.”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
Lepin suppressed the spinning sensation in his head and drained his cup. It would be wise to excuse myself soon. As he reached to wipe his damp mustache, King Clipoford posed another question.
“It seems Ruswena is indeed preparing the black armor.”
“Yes.”
What? What is this? Lepin was startled by his own unexpected response and clamped his mouth shut. Yet King Clipoford continued speaking as if nothing were amiss.
“Dragon scales are essential for crafting black armor, and a considerable quantity would be required. Is such a supply possible through official breeding facilities alone?”
“…No?”
What is happening? Lepin pressed his tongue firmly against his teeth, struggling to control it. Something was terribly wrong—I must have drunk something I shouldn’t have.
King Clipoford chuckled knowingly and winked.
“Then, there must be another breeding facility?”
“Your Highness, I—”
“Why do you hesitate? You seem quite intoxicated.”
Something masquerading as alcohol’s influence dominated Lepin’s body. For a moment, he recalled the existence of truth serum, but the spinning in his vision forced him to abandon the thought.
Damn it. I should stand up and insist this is truth serum, raising an objection. Or perhaps they’ll simply assume I was drunk and made a mistake…
Thud!
Lepin finally collapsed forward, his forehead striking the table, and King Clipoford laughed with delight while patting his back.
“There! Ruswena’s delegation, support your envoy! Good heavens, why did you drink so much when you can’t even handle alcohol!”

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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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