Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 238

Three Hours Ago

It was when Ian declared the annihilation of the monster. Most were focused on him, but a considerable number were also watching Duke Haiman’s expression.

The Duke’s flustered look was something they had never seen before. It was the absolute bottom of what a human could show when things went terribly wrong. Haiman, who was said to be between royalty and nobility, was even letting out small groans, unable to hide his distress.

“Damn it.”

“Y-Your Grace.”

He had already turned the Imperial Palace upside down once by colluding with Gale. To overcome that, he had tried to push Arsen as the successor, but now this bolt from the blue! A monster? And a product of a curse that had been passed down since the founding of the nation? It was maddening, but what was even more disheartening was that Ian, an enemy force, had noticed it and eliminated it.

‘It would have been better if the monster had survived.’

It would have been better if everything had died, killed, and collapsed. That way, their mistakes would have been mixed in the chaos and become unrecognizable.

Even now, even now, somehow that bastard…!

“…The Second Prince of Bariel, Gale Verosian, has passed away.”

Haiman, who had been biting his lip, was startled and raised his head. Those around him also gasped in surprise at the same time.

It was pointless that they had made such a fuss trying to kill him before the trial; Gale was dead. And he had walked in himself.

“Did you hear that just now? Good heavens!”

“They say His Highness Gale has passed away.”

“He did seem a bit strange when he was climbing the stairs earlier. Could it be that he sacrificed himself for Bariel?”

“Sacrifice, my foot. He must have failed while looking for an opportunity. He was bound by treason. If he dealt with the monster, he could at least restore his fallen prestige, making it easier for the Luswennans to negotiate when he defected.”

“Still, it was clear that he was prepared to die.”

Voices floated around without order. Chaotic and frivolous. But that was only for a moment. Haiman’s forces, who had been looking for a chance to survive, fell silent and exchanged glances.

As the mages, the Imperial Guard, and the escorts rushed into the building to handle the situation, they naturally retreated and gathered together.

“Your Grace. We need to come up with a plan.”

“F-First, let’s leave the palace. Then, it would be good to gather even the private soldiers and discuss it. Let’s contact our respective residences and have them assemble. Lady Delina, no, it’s too complicated to worry about that right now.”

“Won’t there be a problem?”

“If we continue like this, we’ll all die!”

They had supported a monster that tried to bring down Bariel. In fact, the game was over. The Magic Department had already saved the Imperial Palace from crisis twice, and the prince they held was now the sole successor of the Empire.

Moreover, the Emperor was unable to fulfill his role, so it was clear that Ian would become the de facto owner of the Imperial Palace.

There was no way to survive. Not only were they blocked front and back, but it felt like defeat was rising to their chins.

“Let’s leave the palace.”

Whatever happened, it was better to go to the residence than to stay in the Imperial Palace. Ian’s condition didn’t look good, so now was the chance. If there was really no solution, they would have to try to defect to Luswena, just like Gale had done.

It was the moment they were about to prepare the carriage.

“Wait a moment.”

The Prime Minister, who had been discussing something with the mages, urgently raised his hand. Haiman vaguely sensed the measure he would take. The mages began to rush towards the main gate of the Imperial Palace. The Prime Minister coughed loudly and deeply, as if to draw attention.

“Ahem! From now on, until the situation is resolved, all the gates of the Imperial Palace will be sealed.”

A monster had infiltrated the Imperial Palace disguised as a prince. Also, another prince had died because of it. Where else in Bariel’s history was there such an insult?

Since it was an issue that could not be left in history, the resolution had to be perfect. Control, erasure, and manipulation for future generations. They needed to return everything to Bariel before Arsen was born.

To do that, the first thing to do was to keep the witnesses in place by prohibiting them from leaving the palace.

“Everyone, please follow the guidance and move to the main building of the First Imperial Palace.”

Judging by the fact that he did not mention the schedule for the countermeasures meeting, it seemed that some kind of investigation would be conducted before that.

They said Arsen had used mind control. It was the right procedure to check if there were any others who had fallen under his influence. However, the mages and priests were so busy that it was hard to know when they would be able to receive it.

“Oh, dear. We were trapped like this last time too.”

“Once you enter the Imperial Palace, you can’t leave, ugh.”

“It can’t be helped. The matter is what it is. Either way, it was a foregone conclusion that we wouldn’t be able to leave today. It’s a blessing that they dealt with the monster.”

“Come this way! I’ll guide you!”

The nobles whispered among themselves and got into the carriages. One by one, they disappeared into the main building of the First Imperial Palace, following the gestures of the Imperial Guard, which was in the opposite direction of the gate. Haiman and his followers had no choice but to get into the carriages.

Neigh!

‘The palace gates must have been closed by magic. They can’t be broken through physically.’

Haiman twisted his beard as if he were about to eat it. Think, and examine. How can they survive, how can they overcome this crisis? He had only thought of running away in panic earlier, but when he thought about it calmly, wasn’t that the worst possible move? The Duke arrived at the First Imperial Palace and remained silent, assessing the situation until his followers gathered.

“Your Grace.”

About two hours passed. As the darkening sky receded, someone approached him.

It was a mage wearing a robe. A person connected by a gold vein thicker than blood. The one who had sent a letter to Haiman with the Magic Department’s pen. He cautiously reported what had happened at the scene.

“…Arsen’s essence remains. It seems that it will be clearly proven that he was a monster. Ian annihilated the demon with a sacred magic circle, and he collapsed from the aftermath and is being treated. Romandro is the same. Delina is on the verge of death, and it seems there is no hope.”

“Hmm.”

It was fortunate that Ian had collapsed, but it was a pity that Delina had no hope. Jin seemed to have a deep longing for his mother.

The excuse that it was a mistake caused by the demon’s trickery, the pretext for being forgiven by putting his mother forward, had disappeared.

“And the survivor said something strange. Arsen said that Ian is royalty. As proof, he cited the blessing of the royal family, which is not affected by mind control.”

“What?”

Haiman’s question was loud at the sudden nonsense. As a result, the followers who had been anxiously watching focused their attention even more. The mage pulled down his robe as if he was burdened and disappeared.

“Your Grace. What did that person say?”

Haiman stared blankly ahead. Unlike his calm face, his fingertips were constantly scratching and tearing at the armrest of the sofa. A way, a gap to survive, was beginning to appear.

“…Listen carefully from now on. This day and hour will be a crossroads that determines life and death. First of all, we were also under mind control due to Arsen’s influence. Otherwise, how could we have tried to push a monster as the successor of Bariel? Isn’t that right?”

“Y-Your words are wise.”

“Of course! The monster controlled us!”

The truth was not important. After all, the Magic Department had the Siltham potion. According to Ian’s will, lies and truths would be distinguished. It was essential to establish and assert it as an external justification. Even if it was as insignificant as a sandcastle, the justification had meaning in its very existence.

“And-”

The biggest problem now was the bond between Ian and Jin. Ian had given Jin practical power through the means of the Magic Department, and Jin had added power with the legitimacy of the Imperial Family. They couldn’t deal with two people at once.

“Arsen said that Ian was royalty. His Highness Jin also heard it.”

“Yes? What does that mean…”

Again, the truth was not important. Rather, it would be truly embarrassing if Ian was royalty. The honor of the first Imperial mage would be given to Ian, which meant the birth of a new emperor.

“What are you planning to do?”

“…What else.”

Ian was too solid to find a gap to penetrate. So, they had to shake the relatively weak Jin. Shake and shake that young body so that he wouldn’t know who was next to him.

“Ian being royalty, ha, it’s absurd even as I say it… Anyway, it will be a topic with unpredictable repercussions. Wouldn’t the head of the Magic Department, who is about to come of age, be more suitable for the throne than the young and insignificant Jin?”

There was always only one seat. Not to mention the throne, there was only one successor position as well. If the helper who had been helping him realized that he was actually the most threatening existence, their relationship would inevitably be different from before. If they shook him like that, a gap to survive would appear.

Someone who had been smoking cigarettes incessantly added with difficulty.

“Well, Sir Ian’s mother is alive and well. It doesn’t seem like we can drag this out for long.”

“This is the Imperial Palace where even princes are dying, and you’re worried about a commoner!”

Clang!

“Get your head straight. If we don’t eat them, we’ll be eaten. Our necks are already halfway into their mouths.”

Haiman rebuked him as if to tell him to stop talking nonsense. The ashtray that had been thrown against the wall shattered into pieces.

They were about to be torn apart and killed, and was that the problem? Haiman gritted his teeth in the thick smoke.

* * *

Jin entered the conference hall, pretending to be nonchalant. The nobles and officials who were in the hallway recognized Jin and bowed their heads.

But was it because they were looking up from below? Somehow, the courtesy they showed didn’t seem to reach the end.

“His Highness Jin has arrived.”

“Oh, my goodness. His Highness…”

“Sir Ian is…”

The murmurs that scattered without reaching Jin. Jin felt a faint fear in their eyes. The same faces he had seen when he faced the monster that looked exactly like him.

When they saw Jin, Arsen naturally came to mind, and the fear of the monster he had faced for the first time in his life also naturally came to mind. It was natural, but-

‘It is not natural to reveal it like this.’

What was it? What could it be? Somehow, the atmosphere of the nobles was unusual. If it wasn’t because of their similar appearance, were they doubting his bloodline?

“His Highness Jin is here.”

Squeak.

As the attendants opened the entrance to the conference hall to the left and right, the commotion that had been leaking out subsided in an instant. At the same time, hundreds of eyes poured down.

Jin unknowingly put his left hand into his sleeve and clenched it tightly. It was something Ian always held, but it felt empty.

‘Stop your tears. Your Highness is a precious person.’

‘If you endure and overcome it, it will be something that will not happen again. Even if it does, Your Highness will win.’

However, the comfort he had left behind was vividly engraved in his heart.

Jin noticed that there was an empty seat near the Prime Minister and walked towards it. Hundreds of eyes slowly followed his movement.

Thud.

Jin sat straight in the chair that Siaoshi had pushed in and straightened his back. Duke Haiman was visible directly across from him, but the child maintained a calm expression.

“Your Highness. Are you alright?”

The Prime Minister’s question and Quintana’s worried gaze. Jin did not even look at them and replied. He was the only one who could stand firm in the Imperial Palace now.

As a prince, as a prince…

“Of course. Let’s begin the meeting.”

It was his first step without Ian.