Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 320

The carriage sliced through the cool morning air. Perhaps it was the relief of overcoming the huge hurdle of the inauguration ceremony, but even the magic lights, usually bright day and night, were sound asleep in the early morning.

The coachman yawned widely and opened the window on the passenger side.

Ian was asleep, leaning against the window with a neat posture, while Romandro was passed out with his mouth wide open, looking pained. The coachman hesitated for a moment at the sight of the two men looking so exhausted.

“…Um, we’ve arrived.”

“Hah! Huh, yeah. Arrived.”

The two men reacted sensitively even to the smallest whisper. Romandro woke up as if having a seizure, and Ian only slightly opened his eyes.

It was the day after a day of laughing, chatting, and drinking from noon till night. They had done so thinking they wouldn’t have to go to work, but they hadn’t expected this. Romandro groaned, rotating his stiff shoulders.

“Ugh, I’m dying! I’m dying! I should have drunk less.”

“You didn’t drink after hearing the message. It can’t be helped. You’ve done well too. Call the replacement and go in.”

“Are you coming out right away?”

“I’m just going to get the documents.”

Ian gestured for the coachman to hurry inside and entered the Magic Department.

The lobby was empty. The wizards, except for those on duty, were also enjoying a rare ‘day off.’ In the distance, Hale could be seen walking over, scratching his head.

“Hale.”

“Ah, Ian. You’re here. You must be tired.”

“I dozed off in the carriage, so I’m fine. What about the young guests?”

Hale was in charge of escorting the young guests home under Ian’s instructions. Among them, the one he paid special attention to was, of course, the masked child.

The Crown Prince’s back as he awkwardly entered the palace was particularly memorable. It was obvious that his identity had been exposed, but he had played so happily that he couldn’t admit he was the Crown Prince.

Hale nodded, a cigarette in his mouth.

“No problem. They got in safely.”

“Good. That’s all that matters.”

Ian checked his pocket watch and passed him. He had finished preparing at the mansion, so he just needed to grab the documents and go out again. Romandro followed Ian, dragging his feet.

Swoosh.

The meeting materials prepared by the wizard were neatly placed on the desk. Ian stood for a moment, scanning them, and then handed them to Romandro, as if telling him to familiarize himself with them as well.

“Romandro, please open your eyes properly and read it.”

“Huh? Are my eyes closed right now?”

“Yes. Both of them.”

That’s strange. That can’t be right.

Romandro rubbed his eyelids with the back of his hand, then focused his mind and examined the documents. It was quite a detailed report for a hastily called meeting. Perhaps it was because it was based on detailed messages from the local guards.

“Before we go into the meeting, there’s something we need to go over ourselves.”

“Just a moment. Tell me.”

In his daze, Romandro rummaged through his pocket and took out a notebook. He gripped the pen tightly and blinked again.

“The guards believe it’s almost certain that Clifford was attacked by bandits.”

“It seems they think so even more because the place wasn’t a field but the lower part of the forest. After all, there are various traces left behind.”

“Then let’s think about it.”

“About what?”

“It’s not just a group of simple merchants, but the return procession of a leader of a nation. Even if they were waiting at the pass, a group of bandits wouldn’t dare to touch such a large scale.”

“That, that’s true.”

It wasn’t just one or two guards, but a number of people that easily exceeded a hundred when you included the private porters and servants.

Among the bandit groups that Bariel had identified, there were none that could match such a force. Not even in the Karenna region, where Ian had passed through, which was known for severe bandit damage, would they dare to attack.

Romandro finally raised his eyebrows as if something was strange. His half-closed eyes widened slightly.

“Then, is it possible that they did encounter bandits, but there was no significant damage, so they are returning without stopping? If they informed Bariel of the facts, it would be delayed due to investigations and such. Prince Noah’s condition is also a bit concerning, so I think they wanted to return quickly and avoided it.”

“That’s highly unlikely. Now that we’re about to form an alliance with Bariel, if such a thing happened before crossing the border, they would surely try to make it public. To gain an even more advantageous position.”

Even if there was no damage, they would have laid down and demanded compensation in some way.

However, Clifford was not showing any reaction. Prince Noah’s message in the report was very short and concise.

-We are heading south without any problems. I don’t know what happened, but there’s nothing to worry about. I will return home and convey Bariel’s intentions to my father, and we will consider the date of the meeting.

It was suspicious. No matter how minor, it was related to the safety of a prince of a nation. If he were Noah, he would have asked what happened and tried to understand it clearly.

Romandro drew question marks with his pen, tilting his head.

“It’s certainly necessary to investigate at the imperial palace level.”

“When we go to the meeting, Burgos will probably be mentioned.”

Ian grabbed the doorknob, signaling that it was time to leave. Regardless of Clifford’s position, it was clear that something had happened according to the Bariel guards.

And to create that, it wouldn’t be possible with a ragtag group of bandits. Wouldn’t it be right to assume that they were involved with a similar level of power?

“…Burgos. Yes! Burgos has a motive. Kakel, the golden diamond went to Clifford, so it could be a ploy to retrieve it by disguising themselves as bandits.”

He knew the meaning of the jewels well. They were not just crafted minerals, but something that determined Damon’s position, the unity of the nobles, and even the flow of the political situation.

It was reckless, but not impossible. Rather, it was an opportunity to put aside the complex web of interests and retrieve the jewel for sure.

“Those guys, they didn’t like me from the start. It’s right to investigate the truth and make it clear. I’ll teach them a lesson-”

“I don’t know about that.”

Romandro made angry gestures in the air, saying that they dared to deceive the Bariel Empire. Ian simply lowered his finger.

“Think about it carefully. Let’s say Burgos tried to steal the jewel. This is undoubtedly a hostile act against Bariel. It’s enough justification to mobilize troops.”

In Bariel’s territory, forcibly stealing a jewel given by the Crown Prince? Unless they planned to annihilate Clifford, it would be obvious immediately.

“If they had such an intention, they would have done it beyond the border, not within Bariel. Also-”

Considering the relationship between Burgos, Clifford, and Bariel, it was even more impossible.

For Damon, who wanted to lead the alliance of the three countries, the alliance between Noah and Ian was a considerable burden. If Noah failed to protect the jewel here, what would his position be?

“The Crown Prince lost the jewel he gave as a deposit, and it just so happens to be one of a kind. Bariel’s influence over Clifford will become even stronger.”

“That’s true. Well, get eaten up.”

“…Your expression is strange, but I won’t correct it.”

They would use the jewel as an excuse to tighten their grip on Clifford. This was a perfect bond beyond an alliance. Is the value of the jewel worth enduring this?

“The nobles of Burgos belong to Burgos anyway. It’s an issue that can be handled internally. They wouldn’t try to take care of it by completely giving up Clifford. Above all, it’s a neighboring country. If Bariel’s influence grows there, Burgos will wither even more.”

He was about to add that King Damon wouldn’t have done that, but he stopped. He knew it was an unnecessary remark.

Romandro paused for a moment as if thinking about something, then quickly followed Ian. No one knew what the truth was.

“What if King Damon realized the relationship between Clifford and Bariel? So he judged that there was no possibility of a three-nation alliance and attacked to cut off Clifford?”

Flexible and diverse thinking was very important. So, Romandro continued to put forward hypotheses, and Ian countered as he went down the stairs.

“If that were the case, Prince Noah wouldn’t have been able to send the message safely. If they were trying to cut off Clifford, it would mean a clash in the near future. There’s no way they would have sent Prince Noah back alive. No, it would be right to get rid of him unconditionally. If Prince Noah died in Bariel’s territory, there would be a possibility of taking Clifford to their side.”

“Geez, I don’t know what to make of it! Oh, let’s get ready to leave!”

Thinking had woken him up, which was good, but on the other hand, he felt nauseous. Romandro leaned on a pillar and called the coachman downstairs.

Ian, who was looking at Romandro who had stopped, muttered as he saw the dawn breaking in the distance.

“…Romandro.”

“Ugh. That Beric guy seems to have put something weird in the bomb shot [a type of alcoholic drink]. I wasn’t usually this bad.”

Ian smiled faintly. His eyes seemed to say, ‘You drank it with me.’ He swallowed his joke and whispered softly.

“If it’s not bandits, and it’s not Burgos, then there’s a possibility that it’s not Luswena either.”

“Burgos and Luswena have joined hands properly.”

“Then, who’s left?”

One thing was clear. They wanted chaos.

A force as strong as a royal delegation, and an entity caught between Burgos and Clifford.

Romandro frowned slightly. The sky was turning to dawn. The wind blew, and Ian’s golden hair fluttered. And in the distance, the majestic flag of the Bariel Empire.

“Right now, Ian, you are…”

“It’s not certain, but we need to keep an eye on it.”

An act committed by someone within the imperial palace. A scheme to disrupt everything that was going smoothly.

Romandro watched the changing sky as it brightened and replied.

“Ke, keeping an eye on it is definitely a good idea. But who would disrupt the relationship between countries? Why?”

“The answer can be found through Clifford, who is heading to the border. It’s right to see if they have the jewel properly. If, by any chance, it’s gone-”

If it was gone, he couldn’t think of what would happen next.

It was a jewel that connected Burgos, Clifford, and Bariel. What kind of ripple would that small sparkle create?

“Is it Jerret’s side?”

Romandro was startled and turned to look at Ian.

Everyone knew that Ian’s opposition forces were gathering within the imperial palace. Although no one knew that Ian wanted it.

Anyway! If a problem occurred in a situation where someone had vested interests, the responsibility could be used as an attack by the opposition.

“Commander Jerret is a man of faith. He is a man who walks the righteous path. Especially in a matter that could harm Bariel if done wrong, there’s no way he would have condoned and used it.”

“Well, the Commander isn’t the type to do that. Honestly, it’s hard to do that. Ah, I’m not saying that to disregard him. I respect him.”

“I know. I also think there’s a lot to learn from him.”

At that moment, the coachman waved his hand greatly. He was ready to leave, so they could come down anytime. Ian nodded to Romandro, signaling to go.

“Let’s go to the meeting first. I’ve only made inferences based on fragmented information, so we need to share our opinions with everyone. There won’t be many people attending at this early hour.”

“Uh-huh. Okay.”

Romandro took a step, clutching his stomach.

Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

The meeting would be attended by high-ranking officials, including the Prime Minister and His Highness the Crown Prince. Among them, there were definitely those who were keeping Ian in check. Nevertheless, the fact that he was suggesting to go and discuss this meant…

“Ian.”

It meant that there was no one to be wary of among those attending the meeting. When Ian turned around, Romandro covered his face with the documents and sighed.

“…You magician.”

Ian only gave a short smile without saying anything and went down the stairs again. Sometimes silence tells more than words.