Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 189

The Grand Council

Knock knock.

‘Prime Minister, Minister Ian Hielro has arrived.’

‘Let him in at once, Quintana. About that tax rate adjustment proposal you gave me this afternoon. I believe there was a similar case before. Was it five years ago? It would be good to calculate it in comparison to that time.’

‘His Highness Jin is with him as well.’

The Prime Minister and high-ranking officials, who had been sharing reports, paused.

His Highness Jin?

Of course, it wasn’t a problem for a prince to attend the Grand Council. Rather, it was an exemplary attitude to take the lead in resolving the chaos in the Imperial Palace.

However, Jin was too young, and above all, the issue of succession was at hand.

‘Sir Ian has truly drawn his sword.’

To bring Jin to the Grand Council. It was clear that the purpose was to announce his support for the Fifth Prince and to gradually assert his presence in the political world. Quintana ignored the whispering officials and stamped her seal.

‘I’ve finished all my cigarettes for today. What are you standing around for? Aren’t you going to escort them in?’

The attendant bowed and turned away, and soon the huge door slowly slid open. Ian was holding Jin’s hand. The Prime Minister and other officials rose to greet Jin.

Squeak.

‘Your Highness Jin, you are safe.’

‘The scars on your face are grievous; it is truly heartbreaking.’

‘Please come this way, Your Highness.’

Was it because his skin was so fair? The gruesome scar from his left forehead to his right jaw stood out. It was as if it was a blessing from the gods that his eyes were not injured. The scar was dark and deep, cutting the child’s face in half.

Quintana put the cigarette case in her pocket and frowned.

‘Their Highnesses Marib and Gail are truly something. What sin did the young Highness commit to be treated like this?’

However, it was a relief that his complexion looked good, despite the scar. Rather, compared to before the incident, his eyes seemed to be full of life. Sometimes, when she passed by, he felt like a moving doll, unlike Arsen.

‘Everyone has worked hard. You are the ones supporting the chaotic Imperial Palace, so His Majesty the Emperor will be deeply pleased.’

‘You are too kind, Your Highness. It is our duty.’

‘That’s right. It is our duty.’

‘I am reassured. Therefore, I have come here to lend my strength, though it is meager. Please allow me to learn from the wisdom of the Prime Minister and the ministers.’

Everyone bowed their heads at Jin’s request. Was Jin originally such a good speaker? No. In fact, they had hardly ever heard his voice.

Everyone was surprised by his completely different appearance. Ian pulled out a chair and guided Jin. It was the seat closest to the Prime Minister, his own seat.

‘Please sit here, Your Highness.’

‘Thank you.’

Jin answered firmly and sat down. His expression was solemn and calm, but his hands under the table were trembling. He had done well as Ian had told him, but Jin was so nervous that he couldn’t remember what he had said.

‘Are His Highness and I the last to arrive?’

‘Yes. Let’s begin the meeting.’

Ian glanced at the child’s hand and asked the Prime Minister. The impact of Jin’s appearance was clear, but it soon subsided. There were mountains of things to discuss and countless issues to deal with to be conscious of the prince.

Rustle.

The subordinates of each department walked around the meeting room, distributing reports. Romandro was also among them, conveying the opinions of the Magic Department leaders.

‘First, the Administrative Department, Quintana.’

At the Prime Minister’s designation, Quintana raised her hand.

‘This is the report on measures to secure the national budget. The damage to the buildings of each Imperial Palace is more severe than expected, so about half of the budget allocated for this year is needed additionally.’

‘The fire near the Third Imperial Palace was significant. The annex there needs to be completely rebuilt. Fortunately, it’s only the Minor Clan Affairs Department, so there’s no disruption to work.’

‘How about reducing and rebuilding it this time? The budget is tight, so there’s no need to build it exactly as it was.’

‘Honestly, the building was too big for the work we do.’

‘There will be strong opposition. It’s not about efficiency, but because the building was destroyed due to an unfortunate incident. It’s meaningful to restore it to its original form.’

Minor Clan Affairs Department? While the officials were heatedly adding their opinions, Jin just watched calmly. It was a department he had never heard of before, so he didn’t know what they were talking about.

Scribble.

-It is the Minor Clan Diplomacy Support Department. It is in charge of the minor clans who have officially entered Bariel [the name of the kingdom]. However, the standards set by Bariel are so low that most of them are transferred to the General Diplomacy Department. Even if they exist, most of them are illegal immigrants, so the jurisdiction is different again. It is a dead department, so I know that the building has already been moved once.

Ian wrote on the corner of the report and tapped it. Everyone was so used to it that they used abbreviations, but it was natural that someone who had just entered the meeting would not be able to understand. That’s why they say experience is important.

‘Ah.’

Jin murmured softly as if he had realized something. His flustered expression began to shine again. Now that he knew what they were referring to, he could follow the officials’ opinions.

‘What is Sir Ian’s opinion?’

‘I think it would be good to reduce it. Aside from legitimacy, that area is too far from the main building of the Third Imperial Palace. I propose removing the middle garden and building it there. Then, we can create a new path connecting to the Second Imperial Palace.’

The question came suddenly, but Ian answered naturally. The sound of papers turning could be heard from all over at the unusual opinion. They were checking how valid Ian’s words were by looking at the Imperial Palace map.

‘That makes sense. To go from the central annex of the Second Imperial Palace to the left annex of the Third Imperial Palace, you had to pass through three buildings.’

‘Ah, to go from here to there, you have to go this way.’

Jin nodded, pointing at the map with his finger. He had not had much reason to go there, but he had been riding in a carriage every day, so he did not know the difficulties of the managers who worked there. Everything they said was new and amazing, and Jin felt his heart pounding.

Rustle.

Ian turned over the report and lightly raised his hand. The Prime Minister nodded, granting him permission to speak.

‘I have a question regarding the repair of the Magic Department.’

‘…Thanks to the barrier, there are no damaged parts, but we have confirmed the damage. It is minor, so we plan to proceed with it last.’

Quintana answered with a suspicious look. As if she didn’t know why he was asking such a thing.

‘We plan to proceed with the construction of an annex along with the repair of the Magic Department.’

It was not a proposal, but a notification.

At Ian’s statement, Quintana’s brow furrowed involuntarily. Wasn’t this something Wesley had been trying so hard to push for? It had been constantly thwarted due to his sharp conflict with Marib.

‘Construction of an annex, you say?’

The status of the Magic Department in the Imperial Palace was already sky-high, and it was foreseeable that it would continue to be so. But if they were to expand it, wouldn’t their power become even stronger? The more area they occupied in the Imperial Palace, the more other departments would feel psychologically pressured.

Quintana immediately objected.

‘I am against it. Compared to other departments, the Magic Department has sufficient work space for its personnel. Moreover, we cannot allocate any more budget.’

‘Well, I agree. Sir Ian Hielro, I acknowledge the great contribution of the Magic Department this time, but the construction of an annex is a different matter.’

Several officials also immediately rose up, saying that it was not possible. Their momentum was more fierce than expected, and Jin glanced at Ian, who was sitting next to him, without realizing it.

What was Ian thinking when he brought up a topic that everyone opposed? He was curious and worried.

‘Deputy Minister Quintana.’

Ian had a relaxed smile on his face. Even while those sitting across from him were all stiffening their mouths, Ian was unperturbed.

‘I heard that when you allocate the budget, you set aside not only the current year’s budget but also the budget for the next five years, is that correct?’

‘Roughly.’

This was because if additional budget was needed in case of war, natural disaster, or a sudden crisis like this, they would draw from the future budget. Ian flipped through the papers and asked.

‘Then, the budget listed here must include the division payment of Luron Stone [a magical stone] that the Magic Department had set aside in advance.’

When Ian sold the Luron Stone to the Magic Department, the amount was so enormous that they could not pay it all at once. Instead, it was scheduled to be paid in installments over several years, and that was what he was talking about now.

Quintana stared at Ian, speechless. She seemed to know what he was trying to say.

‘I will use the Luron Stone payment for the construction of the annex. According to our calculations, the payment is larger than the construction cost.’

Rustle.

The sound of papers turning was heard again.

If the reserved payment disappeared, the budget would actually be a little left over. Buildings were not built overnight, and the construction cost was also paid in installments, so if you consider the national treasury, Ian’s proposal was beneficial.

‘Then, we don’t need to pull the budget for two years. We only need to pull it for one year in advance.’

‘The Luron Stone payment far exceeds the Magic Department’s budget for several years. It seems there will be no problem even if we proceed with the construction.’

‘Hoo. Well, hmm.’

The Magic Department was already the place that took the most budget from the Imperial Palace after the Imperial Family. Quintana quickly moved her pen and calculated the numbers simply. Indeed, if the Luron Stone payment was gone in the current situation where they had to save even a penny…

‘Of course, all of this is after the Imperial Palace is stabilized. However, since there was talk about reconstruction, I am informing you of this.’

It meant that he had told them in advance, so they should not think about opposing it later. Since they were using their own money, there was no reason to oppose it. In fact, with Marib’s forces dismantled, there was no one to take the lead.

‘And there are quite a few magic-related items that the Magic Department is preparing for commercialization, including Sildam potions. If a certain portion of this is attributed to taxes, it will be more helpful. Deputy Minister Quintana.’

As Ian finished with a smile, she just spun her pen and swallowed a sigh. Since there was no money to give, there was nothing to say. Quintana was not in a position to blindly oppose for the sake of checks and balances.

‘…I understand. We will check the details separately later. Let’s move on to the next agenda.’

She took a step back. Since Quintana, who held the budget, had come out like that, the other officials also swallowed a sigh.

Bang bang!

‘Next agenda.’

The Prime Minister struck the gavel, deciding to consider the reduction of the Third Imperial Palace annex and the construction of the Magic Department annex.

Several similar situations unfolded. The officials presented their best opinions from their perspectives, and answers were found in the process of coordination.

Dawn had come, but Jin, unaware of it, just kept nodding his head. The explanations that Ian had written on the corner of the report increased.

‘Then, can we wrap it up now?’

‘Ah, I have one proposal.’

‘Speak, Sir Hielro.’

Just as the meeting was about to end, Ian opened his mouth, looking at Jin.

‘It is about His Highness Jin’s residence.’

‘Since his residence was destroyed, isn’t he staying in the annex of the Second Imperial Palace for the time being? I know that Lady Delaina has also moved there.’

Jin fidgeted with his fingers under the table. It was about to be revealed that he was an abandoned child.

‘For the time being, I would like to serve him instead of Lady Delaina. And I would like his residence to be assigned to a place close to the Magic Department.’

‘Why is that?’

‘When Prince Marib stormed into the residence, I saw Lady Delaina begging for her life and handing over His Highness Jin. That’s when His Highness’s scar was inflicted.’

At Ian’s words, the officials frowned. What was he saying now?

‘It is my opinion that we cannot expect Lady Delaina to fulfill her duty as a guardian.’

‘Your Highness, is that true?’

The Prime Minister straightened his back and asked Jin. Everyone in the meeting room looked at Jin. Pity, sympathy, shock, absurdity. All those gazes were mixed together.

The child hesitated for a moment before nodding his head with difficulty.

‘It is true.’