Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 637

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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 636. The Return of the Superior
“Xiao.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
His response came ever so slightly slower than usual.
Jin, who had been reviewing documents, turned to look at Xiao. He gazed at his lord with his customary composed expression, yet Jin detected something peculiar in those eyes.
“Are you unwell?”
“…No, Your Majesty. What is the matter?”
“The space within Kalamat Castle is insufficient, so I’m considering placing the soldiers’ training grounds outside. Minister Tweller was supposed to submit a report on this. Has it arrived yet?”
“Ah, that matter should be submitted this afternoon.”
“Xiao. You seem uncomfortable about something.”
When Jin finally set down his pen and furrowed his brow, the servants waiting by the door exchanged puzzled glances. Count Xiao appeared no different from usual—always measured and composed in his demeanor. The servants bowed, reading the Emperor’s mood, while Xiao fell silent for a moment.
“Speak. Is there a problem?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“That’s not true. My eyes don’t deceive me.”
“…I was merely contemplating matters regarding the administration of the Burgos territories.”
Well, well? Jin crossed his arms in exasperation. Though Xiao spoke of territorial management, Jin immediately discerned what truly occupied his mind—Princess Chloe.
He’s utterly smitten. Jin decided this wouldn’t do and pulled over a chair, tapping it insistently.
“Sit here.”
Princess Chloe was wholly unsuitable as Xiao’s companion. Wasn’t her nature perfectly transparent? Setting aside the rumors circulating through society, the mere fact that she had swallowed Akorelra’s potion—nearly toxic in its potency—for the sake of the Empress’s position made it abundantly clear she was not the right match for him. He deserved a far more virtuous princess.
Knock, knock!
“Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty. Minister Ian Hielo has returned urgently.”
But at that moment, an unexpected report came from outside. Only days had passed since Ian departed for Toollun—already? Jin sprang to his feet in surprise, and Xiao’s expression hardened. Could something unfortunate have occurred?
“Count Ian? Where is he now?”
“He is with the Magic Department.”
“Lead the way.”
Tap, tap, tap!
Jin hurried forward, urging the servant ahead. In the distance, he could see mages gathered in the central hall of the Royal Palace. And contrary to his concerns, Ian appeared perfectly unharmed.
“I-Ian. Why have you returned so soon?”
“No, I’m just so glad you’ve returned safely. Yes, truly glad… I’m just a bit surprised, that’s all.”
“What? Ian! Aren’t those the eyes of someone disappointed they couldn’t skip work?”
“Shut up, Berik. What would you know?!”
“Yeah! What would you know, you bastard! You loaf around every single day! Do you understand our struggles? Huh? And you eat the most food too!”
“Aha! Getting defensive means you admit it, caught red-handed~!”
“I’m going to half-kill that bastard today.”
“You hold back. Fighting a mad dog is a losing proposition even if you win.”
A mixture of joy and bewilderment, yet familiar nonetheless. The hall filled with commotion for the first time in ages. Not only Ian but also Berik, Heil, and Barsabe had returned without serious injury.
“But Ian, what is that?”
One of the mages pointed to a stranger standing awkwardly in the back. By his appearance, he seemed to be from the northern minority tribes they had seen before, but it was unclear why he had come through the portal with Ian.
“Circumstances dictated it.”
“His name is Nabu. He was hiding in the imperial palace, so I brought him along. Use him like a pack mule from now on. I also thoroughly ransacked Akorelra’s laboratory.”
“Pardon? Lord Ian, you’ve come from Bariel?”
“No, what on earth is happening here…?”
I couldn’t make sense of it. How had my superior, who went to Toollun, arrived from Bariel instead? And by what means had this Nabu character managed to hide within the imperial palace?
Ian looked upward without responding, and soon discovered Jin through the railing gap.
“Your Majesty.”
“Count Ian. Why have you returned so early?”
“I’ve rescued my mother and brought her to Bariel, then made my way back. I’ll explain the details at leisure.”
Ian asked Heil to handle the cleanup and climbed the stairs.
The mages watching him silently shook their heads. Though they trusted and followed Ian, sometimes they felt he truly went beyond all bounds.
“In merely a few days, he rescued Philia in that unfamiliar land of Toollun and brought her to Bariel…?”
They stared blankly at Heil’s face, questioning whether this was actually true.
Heil responded by asking if they couldn’t see for themselves, then gestured toward Nabu with a cigarette in his mouth, telling them to stop standing around and move the baggage instead.
* * *
“So, Philia is safe?”
“Yes, fortunately so.”
Jin let out a small exclamation of admiration. In that brief span, Toollun had indeed experienced a tempestuous upheaval.
Moreover, since Ian had left behind certain diplomatic issues to be resolved, if those matters bore fruit properly, only a northward advance remained. The board was quite literally set.
“The imperial palace has already become aware of the current situation. However, since Bariel is currently focused on observing the circumstances surrounding Hawan and Ruswena’s factions, it seems we should take the lead in issuing an official statement.”
“Very well. We shall formally lodge a protest based on Katimako’s testimony and Philia’s account.”
“Toollun will likely deny all matters outright. Especially regarding Katimako, given that he is an Astana native.”
Astana was a nation composed of minority tribes from the north. There was no reason Toollun would trust the testimony of such a person.
Yet all of this was merely a hollow process. Ultimately, what would bloom between the two nations was only war—a war bearing God’s will.
“I understand the situation well. Send an official letter to Toollun at once. I suspect it won’t take more than a fortnight to affix the Emperor’s seal.”
The Emperor’s command was too grave for Jeonseogoo to bear. Thus, all orders issued to Bariel thus far had been conveyed in the form of reports from the Imperial Defense Ministry or the Magic Department. Though any means would suffice for sending something from Bariel to the Emperor.
“Is there sufficient time?”
“Before the Emperor’s command, time is always sufficient. We are prepared to depart at any moment. However—”
“However?”
“If not for the Hollin Family’s request. What of the Hollin mother and daughter?”
The request to station Bariel soldiers until the Hollin Family could establish their footing in Burgos.
Without that, the Bariel soldiers would be in excellent condition to march on Toollun immediately. Their morale was high, they were neither starving nor injured, and they were in peak physical condition. This was because the Magic Department had largely cleared the thorny path they’d traveled.
“Princess Kaila seemed to be handling affairs within the city, and Mrs. Danit appeared busy securing the central nobles. Given the lack of alternatives, most seemed to be offering their support to the Hollin Family. The atmosphere isn’t unfavorable.”
The orthodox method was to consolidate the central nobles first, then expand influence to the provinces. Fortunately, Akorelra had departed earlier for mine development, so reactions would surely emerge from the provinces in some form. Ian nodded, satisfied.
“What of the people’s sentiment?”
“Many view the Hollin Family as the connecting link between Burgos and Bariel. Initially it seemed negative, but once support was promised, they appeared to turn around. The aftermath of the prolonged war must be weighing heavily on them.”
Since the Hollin Family was a cadet branch of the Rankvis royal house, to the common people they were much of a muchness. Anyone who could end the war and restore the nation to normalcy was ready to receive their cheers.
It didn’t seem the Hollin Family would take long to become self-sufficient in Burgos.
“Understood. Then going forward, I shall monitor Toollun and observe the situation. We can set the date of departure as circumstances continue to unfold.”
“Very well. And Count Ian, take a moment to look at this.”
Jin snapped his fingers at a servant. The servant then produced a well-preserved document from an old storage case. It was the sort of paper that would crumble at the slightest touch. The traces of time were immeasurable.
“What is it?”
“It was sleeping at the very bottom of the underground archives beneath Kalamatt Castle. It concerns an ancient temple, and what’s strange is that it feels both unfamiliar and oddly familiar. I have a feeling Count Ian would know what this is.”
The text was on the verge of being erased by dust. Moreover, most of it was in ancient Burgosian. Jin presented an interpretation alongside it—a simple translation made with the help of archaeologists within Kalamatt.
-…Demons rampage on all sides. We live each day contemplating death, yet why does God not answer? We cry out until blood flows from our throats, yet does God not hear? Then what were all our prayers until now? What did we beseech of a God so great yet unable to hear such a cry? What meaning is there if God possesses wonder yet does not see us? Can we even call such a being God?
Ian paused. It was exactly the kind of content Jin had described—very familiar indeed.
Ian flipped to the next page to verify the source. The location wasn’t recorded precisely—a small temple in the southeast, Palacam. And the speaker was….
“Raju Priest?”
“Do you understand something?”
“Your Majesty. Raju Priest—that name appears in Bariel’s records as well.”
“In Bariel too?”
“Yes, I believe it was at the Hamammer Temple. According to the records of Raju Priest at that time, he had predicted that Arcen would have no shadow.”
For Jin, it had been more than ten years ago, but for Ian, it was recent. The clarity of memory could not help but differ between them.
“…Is it the same person?”
“I cannot say for certain. It could merely be a coincidence of names. However, since the recorded content is remarkably similar, it would be wise to investigate.”
“According to the archaeologists, Burgos suffered severe demon damage at that time, so such irreverent records were left in many temples besides Palacam. As a historical record, one can see how intense the backlash was. It even influenced the decision on the national religion.”
This was different from Bariel. In Bariel, Raju Priest’s words were considered blasphemy and he was executed immediately, but in Burgos, he gained the support of the people and became a matter of public opinion.
‘…The starting point that determined God’s blessing.’
Did the difference between Bariel, chosen by God, and Burgos, which was not, begin from here?
Ian stroked his chin thoughtfully. If the mysterious Raju Priest was the same person, this was part of the ‘black seed’ Rutherford had spoken of. God’s shadow, quietly taking root and seeking to strangle Bariel to death.
“It’s rather amusing.”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“If Raju Priest was a shadow’s scheme to threaten Bariel, then through it they were able to expel Arcen—isn’t that amusing? They stabbed each other.”
“Indeed. The height of foolishness.”
Ian smiled faintly. He understood Jin’s meaning. And above all, Jin’s attitude in mentioning Arcen was truly admirable—the way he spoke that name so naturally and calmly told Ian that Arcen had already become a faded past for him.
“In any case, for now it is paramount to watch and check Toollun, but with this incident, they will likely seek to strengthen their forces. What do you think should be done about this?”
At that question, Ian nodded as if he had been waiting for it.
“It appears there is no capacity for internal strengthening. The spirit sorcerers responsible for royal palace defense have clear limitations compared to mages. So they will either seek mercenaries or attempt to orchestrate something through ‘that temple.'”
Unable to confront directly, they would surely move toward scheming from behind.
Ian murmured while carefully handling the crumbling documents.
“Therefore, I have already devised a method.”

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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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