Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 556

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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 555
Fire. Other Northern Tribes
“Sigh.”
The Imperial Palace office was quiet and still.
The employees who had been stamping documents all glanced sideways at Romandro. He sat with his chin propped up, clicking his pen absently, his mind half elsewhere.
“Ugh.”
“Excuse me, Romandro?”
“Hmm? What? Are we done already?”
“No, it’s not that… the floor is going to cave in. Is something wrong? You’ve taken breaks thirteen times in a row now.”
The moment Romandro heard those words, his eyes welled up with tears, and he collapsed onto the desk with a thud. The employees finally set down their stamps and turned their chairs toward him.
“No!”
“Yes, what is it?”
“It’s been nearly ten days since they all left, and not a single letter has arrived! I can understand that reckless troublemaker, but Ian—I mean, the Minister—surely he should send word, shouldn’t he?”
“Ah.”
That’s all? Nothing serious then.
Everyone straightened their chairs, and only the employee sitting closest attempted to console him, patting his shoulder.
“Well, Romandro, we did receive a message from Jeonseogoo saying the army had arrived at Mount Laza and to relocate the Dera Tribe, didn’t we?”
“That’s beside the point!”
“No news is good news. Once they cross the border, another message will arrive. Don’t worry.”
“Sob, sigh.”
Besides, if it were anyone else, it might be different. But who worries about the Minister of Magic? He’s the one who came back alive from the Abyss itself—a mere war is nothing. The employee swallowed the words rising to his throat and forced a smile.
Crash!
Just then, a Palace employee rushed into the office. He glanced around urgently before spotting Romandro.
“Romandro! Are you here?”
“Huh? I’m right here.”
“A message from the Minister of Magic. A separate letter has also been sent to the Prime Minister. There was a problem in the northern rift zone. The fissure widened and monsters flooded through, but fortunately the Imperial Guards managed to contain them.”
“What? A monster flood? From the north?”
“The Atan Clan, the source of the trouble, has been annihilated. Search parties are investigating the area, but since they need to rejoin the main force, they’re requesting additional support troops from the Palace. And there’s a separate instruction on the back—only you are to review it.”
“Give it here!”
As Romandro examined the letter, the employees grew anxious. A monster flood in the middle of war? An emergency meeting was necessary.
“Is the Prime Minister reviewing the details?”
“Yes. An official notice should come down from the Administration soon.”
“My goodness, monsters suddenly appearing there—wait! What about the advance force?”
“We don’t know yet. I suspect there may be problems.”
“Oh dear. Everyone, keep this under wraps. There’s nothing good that comes from the citizens knowing about this.”
“Of course. Understanding the situation is our priority.”
Everyone moved about busily, but Romandro stood in place, reading through Ian’s letter. Then, without warning, he bolted out the door.
“Romandro! Wait! We’re almost done with the approvals!”
“Send them to the Magic Department! Please!”
Tap tap tap!
The time had come. Without hesitation, Romandro bolted toward the carriage and urged the coachman onward.
“To the Magic Tower! To the Magic Tower, quickly!”
“You mean where King Damon is, sir?”
“Yes, yes. And you there! Contact Timothy for me. The address is here.”
Romandro rattled off the address without pause, as if he had memorized it. The servant accepted the paper and asked with confusion.
“Timothy, you say?”
“Yes, the fellow from Burgos who was handling the annex construction before he quit last year! You know, the one with that distinctive jaw and the burly build!”
“Ah, yes. I understand.”
The coachman cracked his whip sharply, and Romandro kept reviewing Ian’s instructions over and over.
-Romandro. How are you faring?
A problem arose at the northern rift, but fortunately we’ve managed to contain it and are advancing northward.
More importantly, do you remember what I mentioned before? The matter regarding King Damon’s life and death. He seeks to end his own life because he anticipates rebirth.
Neither His Majesty nor I wish to see Bariel endangered in any world. Therefore, we intend to keep him alive until we unravel the secret of reincarnation. To accomplish this, you must remain vigilant against any movements from Burgos. Beyond King Damon’s personal circumstances, his existence is the very reason for the royalist faction’s existence, and he is the pillar supporting the current Burgos crisis….
Romandro wiped cold sweat from the back of his hand and turned the page.
-…There may be assassination attempts. Internal defectors might make such attempts, or assassins could be dispatched. What matters most is that this truth must never reach the outside world.
His Majesty the Emperor and his close associates are all away. Handle this matter quietly and discreetly. If any gaps appear, the citizens will grow anxious, and enemy nations will become even more emboldened….
“Can’t you go any faster?”
“Yes, understood. Hyah!”
-…Guard King Damon in secret. At least until Bariel takes Burgos.
Timothy is suitable as an ally. He straddles both the exterior and interior of the imperial palace, hails from Burgos, is hostile to Damon, and possesses considerable strength….
“We’re almost there, Romandro.”
“Good. Wait here. If anything seems amiss, call for me immediately!”
“Amiss, sir? What do you mean?”
“Anything! If you sense something wrong!”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
The coachman nodded without comprehension, wondering what had gotten into him.
As Romandro climbed the tower, he scrutinized every soldier’s face carefully. There could be a traitor among them, after all!
“Aren’t you Romandro?”
“You! How do you know me!?”
“…Well, naturally. This is the Magic Tower, and you’re the Steward of the Magic Department.”
“Hmm. Nothing unusual has happened?”
“No, it’s been very quiet these past few days.”
“He’s still alive, isn’t he?”
“…Of course he is.”
The soldiers wondered what kind of conversation this was. If King Damon had died, word would have reached them immediately.
Romandro narrowed his eyes as he passed the soldiers and soon reached the chamber where King Damon was confined.
Creak.
The double iron doors. As Romandro opened the outer door and stepped inside, Damon turned his head to look at him.
‘Still in one piece!’
Romandro dragged a chair over and sat before him. He would wait a moment for Timothy to arrive.
King Damon watched his retreating figure, a faint smile crossing his face. War had begun, and he wondered what would become of him—
‘At last.’
At last, I would see the end.
King Damon clasped his trembling hands together, excitement coursing through him, and fixed his gaze forward. As if he would welcome a blade to his throat at any moment.
* * *
The sky was just breaking with dawn.
Ian rose early and surveyed the surroundings. Charred logs, long since extinguished, lay scattered about. Unlike most of the Bariel people still asleep, the Astana were awake and beginning their day.
“You’re awake, Count Ian?”
“Everyone moves early, I see.”
“It’s not from diligence. As sorcerers, we often need the energy of dawn, so we rise with it.”
As he spoke, he made peculiar gestures while murmuring something repeatedly. Hasha, who had been praying among them, noticed Ian and smiled.
“Count Ian. You have risen.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I trust you slept well.”
“Look here. These people are my family, and there are no Bariel here to watch over us. You are my friend—why do you act so distant?”
To the Astana, Ian was more than the Minister of Magic of the Bariel Empire—he was Hasha’s trusted friend among his people. A friend bound by extraordinary circumstance.
Ian smiled in return and settled across from him.
“You’re right, Hasha. I heard you wished to speak with me privately yesterday. Forgive me for only coming now—circumstances prevented it.”
“No matter. Were you occupied yesterday?”
“Thank you for your patience. So, what is this matter?”
“It’s not anything grave, but I wished to discuss something. You know better than anyone that among the northern minority powers, only Astana stands with Bariel.”
“Of course. His Majesty is greatly pleased by this, and all the glory of war shall be yours.”
Hasha lowered his gaze for a moment, then spoke carefully.
“We understand our role in the war against Burgos. But I wish to discuss what comes after.”
“Explain further.”
“When the war expands toward Toollun, by that point, nearly all the other northern powers save Astana will be decimated. Rather than continue participating in the war, I believe Astana should focus on consolidating and absorbing them.”
There was no need to continue a war of attrition. Toollun was not a prize Astana could digest, so instead, he intended to use that strength to fully unify the north.
“I speak to you first, not to His Majesty, to indirectly hear Bariel’s position, and because I trust you. After we take Burgos, let Astana walk its own path, depending on how matters unfold.”
Ian paused to consider.
As the King of Astana, it was an obvious decision, but was he not also Bariel’s Minister? He needed to carefully weigh how significant their withdrawal might be.
“And after you unify the north?”
“Then stabilizing the realm becomes the priority.”
“What if, instead of Astana, you considered providing other northern sorcerers?”
“It’s not without merit, but I cannot be certain of what decisions I’ll make during unification. This is all I wish to convey.”
There would certainly be factions that fell away during integration. They would be taken as prisoners and fall to the bottom of society, but I would rather hand them over to Bariel instead.
Yet Hasha offered no assurance on any of it.
“I understand Astana’s position well enough.”
“Let me be clear—Astana will always be Bariel’s ally.”
“Of course. I have no doubt of that. Only, when I report to His Majesty, I hope we can reach an agreement that satisfies everyone. Then I too can better aid Astana.”
Hasha slowly embraced Ian. The warmth and softness of his touch remained vivid in memory, yet now his was the cold body of an old man.
Ian suddenly felt that Hasha’s time was passing far too quickly.
“I appreciate you saying that.”
Thoom.
Thuuoom.
In that moment, a faint vibration resonated through the air.
Ian and the Astana people turned their heads in unison. In the distance, something was rushing toward them alongside the rising sun.
“What could that be?”
“A Golem!”
Whoosh.
At the Sorcerer’s gesture, the Golem extended its hands in a neat formation. As its owner climbed aboard, the Golem raised its arms with all its might to gain altitude.
“What do you see?”
“Uh, wait a moment. Those guys—”
From the hesitant reaction of the Sorcerers, Ian immediately understood.
“Burgos is already in dire straits from their internal conflict. Even if they clash with Bariel, they’ll want to meet outside the borders rather than within them.”
“Are those Sorcerers from Burgos?”
“It appears so! The Natan Clan and the Megetu Clan!”
“The Enjar Gal Clan is approaching from the opposite direction!”
The northern tribes allied with Burgos, excluding Astana, were converging. On Astana’s land, not Burgos’s.
“Sound the horns.”
Buuuu—
Buu—
At Ian’s command, the Imperial Guards blew their buffalo horns.
Berik, who had just woken from hunger, stumbled out of the tent.
“Ugh. What now? What is it this early morning?”
“We’re under attack from another tribe!”
“Damn it, seriously. Getting to Burgos is such a pain. You said it was right around the corner? This hardship is endless! That bastard Rutherford—I should shave his head completely bald!”
Berik stretched and grumbled, while Ian tossed him an outer garment.
“That’s what happens when you leave home, Berik. If your wounds haven’t healed, stay back.”
“What if they have?”
“Stay back anyway.”
It was a place where cracks didn’t matter. Ian gestured to the Astana people and slowly walked toward the rising sun.
“We’ve come this far. We can’t afford to delay.”

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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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