Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 299

Damon Runkvis, the king of Vergos, watched out the window, his short black hair tied back.

Unlike his barren country, this land flowed with milk and honey, a place where the people knew how to enjoy festivals. Not even an emperor’s ceremony, but the appointment of a prince with a faint presence, and they were this happy.

He sighed and tilted his head, causing the loosely tied hair to slip down.

‘It seems they just arrived from Vergos.’

‘I’ve never seen such a magnificent black carriage before.’

‘Hello! Vergos!’

‘Welcome! We’ve been waiting! I’m sure Prince Jin is too!’

‘Vergos! Wave to us!’

Since the country they had just passed was Clifford, the people’s enthusiasm was fervent.

They had seen the acrobatics on horseback, the winking when eyes met, and even the heart-stirring orchestra, so their expectations were as high as they could be.

Timothy, sitting behind the coachman’s seat in front of the king’s carriage, awkwardly looked away.

Tap tap!

Thud!

The Vergos guards and knights, even the lowliest servants, were marching with dignity and precision. There was no room to receive even a single flower offered by a child through the gaps.

Except for the occasional sound of a water buffalo horn to keep the beat, the Vergos procession was truly silent.

It was as if they had arrived not to celebrate the appointment ceremony, but with the tension of an enemy nation entering during wartime. Those who had been scattering flower petals on the railing stopped, as if their energy had been drained, and rested their chins on their hands.

‘Why are they like that? Smile a little! Don’t ruin the mood!’

‘That country never changes. Just leave them be. They’ve always been like that. Cold and aloof. To put it badly, they’re just unlucky. But I thought it might have changed a bit with the new king.’

‘Why the king?’

‘He’s young. Maybe a little older than our Minister of Magic? Well, their royal family is so full of rumors, I figured he wouldn’t be ordinary.’

‘Rumors?’

‘They say bastards are running around claiming to have royal blood.’

‘What? Mwahahaha!’

The Vergos procession was silent, but the center was filled with the chatter and songs of thousands. Even if drunkards were spouting unfriendly words, they wouldn’t reach the carriage.

Swoosh.

‘Your Highness. We will arrive at the Imperial Palace shortly.’

In the distance, at the end of the central road, Bariel soldiers could be seen. Timothy reported through the window connected to the inside of the carriage, and Damon straightened his posture and gaze.

‘Is he not there?’

The gypsy who eats secrets.

Just by knowing the past and the future, he acted arrogantly as if he knew the truth. If he knew he was being pursued, he would surely be mixed in with the crowd, watching mockingly.

Damon bit the inside of his cheek and looked up at the window connected to the coachman’s seat. Timothy’s profile was visible through the opaque glass.

‘…What will happen this time?’

Frankly, Damon was not yet sure. Whether the Timothy of his previous life and the Timothy of now were the same person.

As he regressed, and as the history of Vergos was twisted, the fates of many changed. Timothy must have been affected as well.

Then, would the end be different as well?

‘There were small and big changes, but there were also things that were not affected, except for those directly derived from them.’

If this life were his third, he would know everything without hesitation.

Damon closed his eyes for a moment. He could feel the carriage slowing down. Arriving at the Imperial Palace was like throwing himself into a storm.

Click, the carriage door opened, and he opened his eyes. His purple eyes, hidden in the shadows, were dyed by the sunlight of Bariel. A place where his father had come instead of him in his previous life.

Squeak.

‘Welcome, Your Majesty, the King of Vergos.’

The person who seemed to be the Prime Minister of Bariel bowed politely with his hand on his chest. Behind him, the officials of the Imperial Palace stood in a fan shape.

As Damon got out of the carriage, they also raised their hands at the same time, showing respect. It was a moment when the wind was particularly swirling.

‘Are you not tired? His Majesty is aware that you have come a long way for Bariel. Please come this way.’

As the Prime Minister turned to guide him, a head of golden hair came into view behind him.

A surprisingly youthful boy.

Damon recognized that he was Ian Hielo, who had been mentioned in Timothy’s report. The Minister of Magic and a bastard from the border.

* * *

Pale.

That was the first impression of Damon by the officials who saw him for the first time.

He seemed to have a sensitive disposition. The Prime Minister paused as if to tell him to follow, but he stood still, only looking at Ian.

‘King Damon, is there any problem?’

‘…No. Let’s go.’

Ian kept his gaze down until Damon passed by. There was no need to rashly exchange words with him.

Even if it was a simple conversation like exchanging names, all interactions contained information. The other person’s breathing, tone, gestures, frequently used words, and so on.

If Ian’s existence was something Damon was seeing for the first time, there was even more need to be careful.

Swoosh.

Damon brushed past Ian. Led by the Prime Minister and Damon, the Vergos delegation and the officials of the Imperial Palace followed in a line.

Timothy made a slight nod to Ian when their eyes met. As if to say he had worked hard to come, Ian also nodded with a smile.

‘Oh, welcome, King Damon.’

‘It is my first time meeting you, Your Highness Jin. I sincerely congratulate you on your appointment ceremony, and I sincerely hope that the future of Bariel will be filled with flower rain like today.’

As Jin got up from the sofa and extended his hand, Damon politely took it and offered his praise. Unlike his sharp demeanor, his greetings were quite gentle.

Jin smiled and gestured for him to sit down.

‘You are the last guests.’

‘Oh dear. I apologize. I hope we are not late?’

‘Of course not! As long as the central road is open, it’s never too late. Come on, everyone, please sit down.’

Following Jin’s guidance, Damon took a seat opposite him.

The Prime Minister and Jin did the same.

Pour, pour.

Jin looked at the rising tea and smiled awkwardly. How many cups was it already today? With King Eripony, the May delegation, and snack time. It was already the fourth tea time.

Siaosi, who was standing behind him, noticed this and frowned worriedly. Since the three countries were gathered, they couldn’t easily change a teacup to avoid discrimination.

‘Your Highness.’

‘Hmm?’

‘If it’s not rude, may we postpone the tea for a moment? I’m not feeling well since I just got out of the carriage.’

At that moment, a very timely request came. Did he read his mind? Jin was inwardly surprised, but he quickly composed himself and showed an unconcerned expression.

‘Of course.’

‘Thank you for your understanding.’

Damon only touched the tea out of courtesy and placed the teaspoon on the saucer. It meant he wouldn’t drink any more.

Since the guest wasn’t drinking, Jin didn’t need to drink either. The child smiled lightly and replied.

‘I’ll send a doctor to the detached palace. Spending a long time on the road must be very tiring.’

‘…Thank you.’

While Timothy was placing the tribute boxes on the table, Damon slightly lowered his gaze. The young prince had never been outside the palace. How could he empathize with travel fatigue?

Perhaps, was there a problem with one of the other countries that arrived earlier?

‘That would be troublesome.’

And Ian was watching him. Unlike Rusweena or Clifford, this time he was standing shoulder to shoulder with the other officials. Some of the officials who noticed the difference in his attitude exchanged awkward glances.

Click.

‘These are the tributes. The nobles of Vergos have specially selected them from all over the country, so please appreciate their sincerity.’

‘Tell me about them.’

‘This is dried Du-gwaja leaf. We have prepared fifty bundles of ten kilograms each. It is a representative crop produced in the arid Vergos.’

‘Ah, I’ve heard of it. It’s mainly used as an anesthetic, right? Usually, it’s not called Du-gwaja, but Brudodu-gwaja leaf.’

‘Brudo is the family that leads the maximum production of the crop. Du-gwaja is the official name. And next is the golden diamond from Kakelga. It is a treasure passed down from the head of the family, and they have given their heirloom to celebrate Your Highness’s appointment ceremony. Over there.’

At Damon’s gesture, a man mixed in with the delegation bowed his head. Jin looked at the small gem with curiosity. Judging by the fact that only one was presented, its rarity was self-evident.

‘I see. I will gladly accept it.’

‘And next……’

There were so many samples prepared in the small boxes. It was an incomparably richer tribute than the previous two countries. Jin and the officials exclaimed with interest as they listened to the introductions.

‘Oh, I see. So that’s the crop that comes from there.’

‘Yes. Vergos is barren and arid, but there are various things that grow and thrive in accordance with it.’

Click. Ian glanced at his pocket watch and then made eye contact with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, who had been laughing, noticed Ian’s signal and cleared his throat. Since the banquet time was set, it meant it was time to wrap things up.

‘Your Highness.’

‘…Hmm?’

‘It seems that all the tributes have been checked, so how about we adjourn now? It would be good for King Damon to rest from his journey, which will make the upcoming banquet even more enjoyable.’

‘Yes, that’s right. I was so pleased with the tributes that I forgot for a moment. The Vergos delegation also needs time to unpack.’

He had been talking too much with someone who said he wasn’t feeling well.

‘No, Your Highness. I am glad that you are pleased, and it makes my long journey worthwhile.’

‘I will guide you to the detached palace. You will receive separate guidance regarding the banquet. Prime Minister.’

‘Yes, Your Highness. Your Majesty, the King of Vergos. I will guide you.’

‘Thank you, Your Highness. I will see you at the banquet.’

Damon bowed politely, just as he had when they first met, and then left the reception room.

From the outside, he seemed like someone who didn’t know how to bow, but his attitude towards Jin was quite the opposite. The officials also left the reception room in order, following the delegation.

Squeak.

Thud!

After the last official left, only Ian and his close associates remained in the reception room.

Jin stretched his knees with satisfaction and yawned. The quality of the tributes was good, and the king seemed better than he had expected. Most of all, all the official daytime schedules were over. Now, after the banquet, he could finally rest!

‘Ian? What’s wrong?’

But soon, Jin turned his head at Romandro’s question. Ian was rubbing his chin with a face that was smiling but seemed a bit off.

‘Sir Ian?’

‘…Your Highness.’

What was wrong?

Ian sat close to Jin and clasped his hands tightly. The awkwardness from earlier in the day was faintly present, but Ian’s smile was so fierce that it was hard to remember.

‘Listen carefully. Of the three countries, you must be most wary of Vergos.’

‘Huh? What do you mean? Perhaps, is it because he is astute?’

He had immediately noticed that Jin didn’t want to drink tea. He was certainly quick-witted, but judging by his overall attitude, wasn’t Eripony the most dangerous?

‘Your Highness. Please take a good look at the tributes you have received so far. Don’t you notice something different?’

At Ian’s words, Jin and Romandro racked their memories. The number and quantity were so diverse that they couldn’t pinpoint what was different.

‘…The other kingdoms prepared their tributes independently. However, all of Vergos’s tributes were from the nobles. Do you not understand the meaning of this?’