Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 231

“Arsen!”\n\n”Let go of me!”\n\nAs the two got closer, a horrified Dilaina hurriedly tried to pull the child away.\n\nHowever, Arsen’s gaze fiercely followed Ian, like a young beast who had found an interesting toy. He roughly shook off his mother’s hand and grabbed Ian by the collar.\n\n”Interesting.”\n\n”……”\n\nArsen’s eyes flashed. He had activated his ability again. A primal force erupted from the depths of his senses, but it vanished as soon as it touched Ian.\n\nSqueeze!\n\nThe bones on the back of Arsen’s hand, which was gripping Ian’s collar, turned white.\n\nHow could he forget this? The Emperor was like this, Marib was like this, and Gale and Jin were also like this.\n\nThey demonstrated the absolute protection of God just by their existence, and Arsen had no choice but to acknowledge his limitations. Just like the bones on the back of his hand right now.\n\n”You’re a royal, aren’t you? Huh? That’s strange. Where did this come from?”\n\nArsen also whispered softly. His cheeks were flushed. He had discovered something huge, so how could he use it?\n\nThe more he thought about it, the more he laughed. As the child’s shoulders heaved with giggles, Dilaina watched her son in confusion. It was unfamiliar, and so unfamiliar that it was scary.\n\n”…A demon-like act is quite a sight. Look at the eyes of those who are watching you.”\n\nIan calmly and resolutely muttered as he removed Arsen’s hand.\n\nThen, Arsen’s vision, which had been clouded by excitement, cleared instantly. Dilaina, the ministers, the priests, and even the mages were all watching the two of them with shock and bewilderment.\n\n”Ah ha.”\n\nBut what did it matter? Arsen’s ability was nullified by Ian as soon as it was activated, leaving no trace.\n\nHis behavior was strange, but so what? It could be seen as just a battle of nerves between two people about to start a major event, right?\n\n”Mother, let’s go.”\n\n”Huh? O-okay.”\n\nWhen Arsen smiled, Dilaina also reluctantly raised the corners of her mouth. He was her kind son, as always. It was clear that Ian had said something bad to make him act like that.\n\n”Sir Ian, I am as excited for tomorrow as you are. Ah, it’s truly amazing.”\n\nHe shook his head and clicked his tongue, feigning sincerity. Arsen got into the carriage with Dilaina, and the officials who had regained their senses followed behind. The whirlwind of carriages disappeared one by one, the way they had come.\n\nHee-hee!\n\nDilaina and Arsen sat facing each other.\n\nThe mother carefully grabbed her son’s hand. Arsen, who had been staring out the window, specifically at Ian, turned his head with a smile. His face was full of joy.\n\n”Arsen, what did Ian say earlier?”\n\n”Why? What would you do if you knew?”\n\n”If it was something that would upset you-“\n\n”How many children did Father have?”\n\n”Huh?”\n\nIncluding the third prince who died from a fall, only Jin was the last in line for succession. Below that were the children born to women without status in the Imperial Palace, so it was right to say that they were meaningless.\n\n”There are about a dozen of them. But don’t worry. They are all living as if they are dead outside the palace. As long as the succession is secure, no one can threaten you.”\n\n”Hmm. Is that so?”\n\nArsen replied without any emotion. His mind was only filled with Philia, whom he had seen at Gale’s residence.\n\nThey looked exactly alike, as if they were made from the same mold, so her birth mother must be her, but then would her father be a royal? He had heard that she was the illegitimate child of the destroyed Derga family?\n\n’How can I connect this? Huh? Jin, do you know?’\n\nWhether he connected it this way or that way, it was clear that an interesting situation would unfold. Arsen couldn’t help but laugh again.\n\n”Ahahaha!”\n\nThe blessing of the royal family was meaningless. Now, he was only one step away from truly taking over the empire. And now, Ian’s secret had come rolling in, so there could be no better situation.\n\nTap tap!\n\nMeanwhile, Romandro, leaving the departing carriage behind, approached Ian. Ian brushed off his disheveled clothes and waved his hand to show that he was okay. There was a bright red scratch mark on his white neck. It seemed that he had been scratched in the process of Arsen grabbing his collar.\n\n”I-Ian. Are you okay?”\n\n”What is going on? Why is His Highness Arsen acting like that?”\n\n”Oh my, there’s a scratch on your neck!”\n\nEveryone was unable to touch him and just hovered around anxiously.\n\nIan finished adjusting his clothes and looked at the High Priest and the priests. Their expressions were hidden by their robes, but they were huddled together and whispering, as if they were very embarrassed. It was because they realized that the atmosphere was unusual as soon as they entered the palace.\n\n”Now, let’s move again. The people of the empire outside are waiting. High Priest and Ranco, please follow me.”\n\nWhen Ian snapped his fingers, the gatekeepers who had been standing blankly were startled and moved. They moved the priests’ luggage to the carriage and ran around to quickly clean up the scene. Whether they knew it or not, the lower-ranking people always got hurt when the higher-ups fought. It was best to avoid the situation.\n\n”Excuse me, Minister Ian.”\n\n”Speak.”\n\nHigh Priest Lily, who was walking behind Ian, cautiously called out to him. This was not the Imperial Palace they had imagined. It was never a place where love and hope sprang up, but it was even more so in this precarious and chaotic atmosphere. The Imperial Palace was the center of the world, so it had to stand firm with its weight.\n\n”What happened in the Imperial Palace? We are cut off from the world, so we are not aware of the news outside. Aside from the strange behavior of Dilaina and His Highness Arsen, where is His Highness Jin?”\n\n”His Highness Jin has made the Magic Department his residence.”\n\n”The Magic Department?”\n\n”Before that, Priest Ranco.”\n\n”Yes?”\n\nIan stopped walking abruptly. Before meeting Avidel and Macael, there was something he needed to point out in advance.\n\n”When you received the oracle, what was the voice of God like?”\n\n”The voice of God? My abilities cannot express its greatness.”\n\nJudging by the faint emotion in his voice, Ranco seemed to be recalling the glory of that day. Ian pressed him again, asking.\n\n”I am asking about your memory. I know that God is great. For reference, Avidel and Macael’s expressions were very interesting.”\n\n”…It was a deep and heavy resonance, and I felt like the ground I was standing on was shaking. Each word shook my heart with a strong weight.”\n\nIt was more in line with Macael’s claim that it was heavy, rather than Avidel’s claim that it was a soft voice.\n\nIan nodded as if he had expected it. Then, he recalled Arsen’s flashing eyes.\n\n’He tried to use his power on me earlier.’\n\nIan stroked his neck. It was clear that he had tried to use ‘brainwashing,’ a type of mental magic.\n\nIt was the best of the wicked tricks he could use, and judging by the fact that he mentioned the royal family afterward, it seemed that he was blocked by ‘neutralization’.\n\n’The blessing of the royal family is still there, which means I am still Ian.’\n\nNot the illegitimate child Ian, but Emperor Ian.\n\nHe turned to Romandro and instructed.\n\n”Deploy more personnel to His Highness Gale’s residence.”\n\n”Personnel? Why?”\n\nArsen had begun to doubt Ian’s bloodline. If so, he would naturally dig into and touch Philia, his birth mother. There was less than a day left. There was almost no chance that Arsen would expose it in the Imperial Palace. First of all, who would believe it, and even if they did, it would not benefit Arsen.\n\n’If I, the Minister of the Magic Department, am a royal, then Arsen’s claim that he is the first imperial mage will be denied. Rather than mentioning it officially, it is right to use it as a means to shake my surroundings.’\n\nPhilia.\n\n…Or Jin.\n\nRomandro stared blankly at Ian, who did not answer his question. When he realized his gaze, Ian just smiled and walked ahead.\n\n”Didn’t you see Arsen’s strange behavior earlier? I’m just worried, just in case.”\n\nPhilia had Nersarn and the warriors, and above all, there were limited political measures she could take.\n\nBut what about Jin? He was a child in the middle of the storm of the political situation, so he would shake Ian’s secret in some way.\n\n’I’ll protect Jin’s side.’\n\n”Please get in.”\n\nIan personally opened the carriage door and guided High Priest Lily and Ranco. As they entered the independent and enclosed space, Ian told them the hidden main point.\n\n”Avidel’s oracle was wrong.”\n\n”…Yes? What are you talking about?”\n\n”Ten years ago, what she heard was not the voice of God, but the voice of a demon. It was the work of a demon who hated Roberside and wanted to bring down Bariel. I am convinced that the demon is Arsen.”\n\nThe High Priest lifted her robe instead of answering. As expected, her sparse white hair and tree-like wrinkles showed the passage of time. The old woman frowned as if she was dumbfounded.\n\n”…I wasn’t this surprised when I first heard the oracle. Are you Minister Ian of the Magic Department? It’s the Carbo Temple. Carbo, which has been with us since the founding of the nation.”\n\nOn the other hand, Ranco was afraid, bowed his head, and clasped his hands together. It seemed like he was praying for forgiveness for that disrespectful remark.\n\n”I know. I understand that you can’t believe it right away. But your understanding is not important right now. The magic confirmation ceremony is just around the corner, and I will reveal it.”\n\n”Minister Ian.”\n\n”There is only one thing I want.”\n\nTap tap!\n\nThe carriage shook violently. The High Priest hesitated and grabbed the armrest, but her bewildered gaze was fixed on Ian.\n\n”I would like you, with your long experience, to confirm one last time whether the magic confirmation ceremony I have prepared is feasible. And if you see a demon…”\n\nSplash!\n\nThe carriage wheels cut through a puddle of water. Then, the rainbow that had been seen in the Magic Department’s garden faintly appeared. Ian’s running now, at this moment, made the rainbow appear.\n\n”Help me deal with the demon. And give His Highness Jin a new life. That is the only way to make up for Carbo’s mistake.”\n\n”Minister Ian, what on earth-“\n\nJust as the High Priest was about to object, the Magic Department building came into view outside the window. Avidel and Macael were standing on the stairs. The two people, who had taken off their robes and were showing their faces, were running towards them with tears in their eyes.\n\n’This can’t be happening.’\n\nShe couldn’t believe it, but Lily didn’t say the words. It was because Ian had said that he didn’t want an answer. She was silent for a moment and made the sign of the cross with her fingertips. Several times, continuously.\n\n* * *\n\nClink.\n\nGale stirred the soup with a spoon. As expected, something round came up.\n\nIt was a bead a little bigger than a pill. He put it aside and lightly smashed it. With a clinking sound, a rolled-up piece of paper was revealed.\n\n”Ridiculous.”\n\nIt was clear that the rumor that Gale would defect had spread faster than expected. Every time it was mealtime, pieces of paper were stuck in the soup and bread. They were all contacts from the servants who wanted to go to Luswena.\n\nGale frowned in annoyance.\n\nKnock knock.\n\n”Your Highness. I heard the sound of glass breaking. Are you okay?”\n\n”……”\n\nPhilia peeked her head in. Instead of answering, Gale pushed the bowl away and told her to clear the meal. There were already five notes piled up in his drawer. The handwriting of the traitor that Ian wanted was clearly written on the notes.\n\n”I’m worried because you haven’t been eating well lately.”\n\n”What is there to worry about? I’m going to die anyway.”\n\n”…I don’t think I’ll be able to have dinner with you tomorrow. Ian is holding a magic confirmation ceremony, so I think I should go.”\n\nPhilia smiled awkwardly as she cleared the dishes. But her fingertips were trembling very slightly, because she had heard the rumors circulating in the Imperial Palace late. On the day of the magic confirmation ceremony, either Arsen or Ian would die.\n\n”Why?”\n\n”Ah, you haven’t heard, Your Highness.”\n\nPhilia hesitated and told him the rumors of the Imperial Palace. The rumor that Arsen was a demon, and if not, Ian would die. Gale opened his eyes wide and slowly turned his head.\n\n”What?”\n\n”So I’m going to go. Even if I go, it won’t change much, but I’m worried.”\n\n’…Arsen is a demon?’\n\nGale chewed on a cigarette and pondered. He didn’t know how the situation was going, but one thing was certain…\n\n”Philia.”\n\n”Yes?”\n\n”I have a favor to ask.”\n\nPhilia tilted her head as she held the plate. A favor? How could the prince ask me for a favor?\n\n”Tomorrow, take me to the magic confirmation ceremony too.”