Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 11

While Chell was at the clothing store, only Ian and Molin remained in the drawing room.

‘If you cross the border—’

The quiet drawing room was filled with the pleasant sound of cutlery clinking. Ian looked up at Molin’s even tone.

‘You will miss this place very much.’

‘One can never leave their hometown, even in death.’

Was that too unchildlike of a response? He pondered for a moment, but Molin didn’t seem to mind.

‘You seem very interested in the capital.’

‘I suppose so. As a citizen of Bariel, wouldn’t anyone want to set foot in the capital at least once?’

The significance of the Imperial Palace and the Papal See was extraordinary. It was the starting point of patriotism and the final destination of a pilgrimage.

Even without such grand reasons, the capital held small festivals and events every month. For a child, especially a bastard from the slums, it would be a dreamlike, glamorous place.

‘It’s a pity. If you cross the border in a couple of months, you won’t have any chance. By the way, has young master Chell ever been to the capital?’

Ian smiled brightly and shrugged.

Probably not, right? This place was the farthest border from the capital.

The debut of Bariel’s noble children into society was under the Emperor’s jurisdiction. Every year, on a day in the fall when the rice was at its most beautiful, a grand party was held for the young nobles about to come of age.

‘Well, I think it will take more time.’

In a year or two, Chell and Ian would also be old enough to debut into society. But in a situation where they didn’t know what would happen even tomorrow, they couldn’t promise next year.

‘If you have time, ask the Count to take you on a trip to the capital. Young master Chell will have many opportunities, but not you, Ian.’

The nuance subtly emphasized Chell, as if to provoke him by comparing his situation with his own.

But Ian took it calmly. He wanted to tell him to stop beating around the bush and get to the point, but everything had its order.

‘I still have much to learn, so I don’t think I can even dare to think about it.’

But Molin was skeptical. He didn’t seem like someone who would struggle with even a single letter, given how bright he was.

Ian smiled and asked,

‘If I go to the capital, can I see the Imperial Palace?’

‘Of course. I will have invitations issued for the young masters of the Derga Count’s family by specially requesting it from His Highness Gail. I noticed you were curious about mages last time, weren’t you?’

Molin’s eyes gleamed, trying to gauge whether Ian’s golden eyes were an illusion or not. But Ian didn’t notice, as he was busy repeating the name Gail in his mind.

‘No matter how much I think about it, the name is familiar.’

‘There are many excellent mana users under His Highness Gail. It will surely be a good meeting.’

‘Ah.’

Ian covered his mouth with a napkin and laughed in disbelief. It was thanks to the related words ‘Gail’ and ‘mana user.’ He remembered his name, which was written under a faded memory.

‘I see. It will be a really good meeting.’

There were only two types of people the Emperor had to imprint in his mind:

Those who had made great achievements or those who were involved in treason.

Especially the latter, as the aftermath was important, so even after time passed, they had to be periodically investigated to ensure that the bloodline was completely cut off. Even after 100 years, they would periodically investigate to track whether the bloodline was completely cut off.

‘Second Prince, Gail. He was a traitor. A failed one.’

There was a reason why the name was so familiar. And if Gail’s identity was that….

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing.’

Ian narrowed his eyes and looked at Molin.

Could it be that he saw the traces of mana in the drawing room that day?

‘One of the main pillars of Gail’s rebellion was the Magic Department.’

The impact it had on Ian was enormous.

It was an incident where a large number of already rare mages were purged, and Emperor Ian bore the burden. At this time, there were nearly five hundred mages, but in Ian’s generation, there were only about a hundred left.

‘That’s right. That’s why I once tore up a report. How could they have dragged in mages and caused such a mess?’

Now it was a bit clearer.

The reason why Molin was approaching Ian.

Seeing how he was acting, he must have noticed something in the drawing room. A mana user, he was trying to win over talent before they became mages.

‘You look uncomfortable.’

‘No, it’s just…’

Ian watched Molin’s expression. Whether Molin was sure about his mana or not, it wasn’t bad for Ian’s current situation. In fact, if he used it well, it was something to welcome.

Ian slowly touched the brooch on his chest, as if to show it off.

‘My eyes are a bit sore.’

And then he covered his mouth with his finger, to let them know that the conversation was being recorded by the brooch. They needed to share their intentions silently.

‘Is that so? Just a moment.’

Molin was surprised for a moment, then got up and walked to the table. He picked up a small notepad and a pen.

‘Would you like to try this?’

‘Eye drops, thank you.’

He carefully handed over the notepad and sat closer to Ian. His hand, scribbling with the pen, was swift.

-Is it a mana stone?

Ian nodded his head in affirmation. Molin tapped his temple for a moment, then frowned. It was a rare item even in the capital, how could a count in the borderlands have such a thing?

Scribble.

But the hand writing the note didn’t hesitate. What he had been thinking about repeatedly was written down.

-Do you want to cross the border?

There was no way. Ian shook his head. The sound of scraping the soup bowl was heard along with it.

-There is Chell, the legitimate son, so it is unreasonable. And you, Ian, have a separate birth mother, don’t you? If you leave Bariel, the Countess won’t let it go.

It matched the preamble he had expected.

He mentioned the child’s only weakness, his birth mother, and poked at the resentment deep inside him. They wanted Ian to stay here instead of Chell.

‘If they saw me using mana, as expected, they’re trying to pull me to Gail’s side to strengthen their forces, and if not…’

Since they were traitors, there was only one thing.

They intended to make Ian a puppet and take over the Bratz family’s territory. The management was a mess, but because of that, the number of soldiers was several times higher than other places.

Above all, the key to the success of a rebellion was speed. If they used this place as a base before other nobles in the borderlands sent reinforcements, they could effectively stop them.

‘But it’s a question. What about Derga?’

Either way, getting the Count’s cooperation was the fastest and surest way.

‘The current power is on the side of the First Prince, so they are currently in check with Derga. It wouldn’t have been bad for the Second Prince’s forces to approach him? They wouldn’t have mentioned rebellion right away, and would have poked at forming a subtle force. But seeing them trying to entice Ian, it’s a natural assumption that it failed.’

In a short time, Ian had come to know Derga.

For someone as greedy and sensitive to the situation as him to reject the Second Prince’s approach? It would be more convincing if he was holding back and playing both sides… Judging from Molin’s attitude, it seemed like he had rejected them outright.

Ian looked at Molin with a calm gaze.

-Are you going to help me?

-If you wish.

Why?

Why was Derga not interested in the power struggle in the center?

At that moment, Ian remembered the documents he had seen in the office. A military ratio so high that he didn’t know how it was running. The tax was at an explosive level, but he wondered if it would be enough to cover it. So much so that he had even considered if there was a special resource in the territory.

‘Could this guy be…’

Was he perhaps skimming off the taxes he was supposed to pay to the Imperial Palace?

If so, all the circumstances fit. The attitude of trying not to get involved with the center as much as possible, the abnormal economic structure, and the busy work even during the off-season.

Tap tap.

Molin lightly tapped Ian’s arm to draw his attention. It was a sign to answer the last written words. Ian wrote a reply with his small hand.

-What do you want from me?

He was easy to talk to. Molin mentioned the golden eyes of that day without hiding anything.

-By any chance, Ian, are you a mana user?

-I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Ian flatly denied it. If it was revealed that he was a mana user, there would be more harm than good. Moreover, the other party was someone who was trying to plot a rebellion with the Magic Department behind them. It was wise to hide it until he could protect himself.

Molin tapped the notepad silently. The old man’s eyes, trying to catch a lie, were sharp.

-That’s a pity.

-Are you going to take back your words because of that?

-Absolutely not. We need you, Ian. If you help us well, we will oppose your adoption into the capital. Then there will be no reason to cross the border.

‘Is the clothing comfortable?’

At that moment, Degore’s voice was heard from outside. It was a signal to finish the conversation, as he would surely come inside.

Molin, without showing any signs of panic, gathered the notepad into the ashtray. He put a small spark in it and sealed it with the lid.

Squeak.

‘Huh?’

Chell, who had just gotten his new clothes, stopped as he opened the door. It was because the atmosphere was strangely stiff. Molin greeted Chell with a kind smile.

‘Oh my. The madam at that clothing store is really skilled.’

‘Sir Degore gave it to me as a gift. Th-thank you.’

‘It was my fault for spilling the water. Let’s finish our meal. By the way, why isn’t Mac coming?’

As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened again. The guard was nowhere to be seen, and Mac was alone.

‘If he fell into a wine barrel, he wouldn’t die from drowning, but from alcohol poisoning. I told him to taste it, and he took a sip and got drunk.’

Mac’s cheerful words immediately enlivened the luncheon atmosphere. Ian responded with a smile and cut the remaining meat, and Molin gave a look to his two subordinates.

‘How is it?’

‘As expected, he is brilliant.’

At the first luncheon, Molin had conveyed Gail’s intentions to the Count, but Derga’s reaction was not very enthusiastic.

In a difficult situation, the moment he opened the door, he met Ian’s golden eyes. If he did well, he had value. Especially if he was a mana user, he would have thought it was an opportunity given by God.

But the child flatly denied it….

‘Keep a close watch.’

Molin raised his left eyebrow and instructed Mac and Degore.

Meanwhile, Ian looked down at the fork in his left hand and the knife in his right hand, and it felt as if he held both the Imperial Palace and the Cheonryeo clan in his hands.

Scribble.

Then the steak in the middle would be Bratz. If he used both at the same time, he could cut it very cleanly.

‘The meat is as delicious as ever.’

Ian added a word and smiled contentedly. And he naturally added,

‘Since the escort is passed out, I don’t think we can go far today. After the meal, shall we take a walk in the park to digest? I want to see the lake that Sir Molin mentioned.’