Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 332

The Prime Minister adjusted his glasses, reading through the documents, but his aide could tell. Not a single page had been turned. He fidgeted with his pen and checked his watch, showing a clear lack of focus.

Tick-tock, with each movement of the minute hand, the Prime Minister’s gaze shifted towards the office door. Perhaps other high-ranking officials were doing the same.

Knock, knock.

A cautious sound from outside. The Prime Minister involuntarily stood up, hoping the news was as good as he had desperately waited for.

“Come in!”

However, the expression on the face of the attendant who peeked in was not good. The Prime Minister felt his heart sink as he slumped back into his seat.

“I apologize, but there’s no news. Shall I call for an assembly?”

“…Yes. Urgently. And tell all the mages to attend as well.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll make the preparations.”

Squeak.

As the door closed, the Prime Minister rubbed his deeply lined eyes, lost in thought. It had been a week since contact was lost with Ian’s group, who were supposed to cross into Clifford. They had sent nearly a dozen messenger birds, but not a single one had returned, let alone with a reply.

What was going on? Why was Clifford not responding?

“Prime Minister.”

“Yes.”

Soon, at the call that preparations were complete, he rose from his seat. The missing were the Minister of Magic and his mages, along with two members of the Imperial Guard. These were the most elite personnel in the Imperial Palace, so it was necessary to ascertain the truth.

Clatter, clatter!

Neigh!

The Prime Minister’s carriage sped towards the main palace, and at the same time, dozens of other carriages also raced towards the same destination. It was the movement of officials and mages responding to the call for an emergency assembly.

“Romandro.”

“Your Majesty?”

“Shhh.”

On the stairs leading to the assembly hall, someone grabbed Romandro’s arm. It was Jin and Xiaoshi.

Jin, aware of the surrounding eyes, pulled him behind a corner. The child bit his lip repeatedly, whispering.

“Do you have any idea what’s going on in the Ministry of Magic? It’s been a week since we lost contact with Ian.”

His tone, like a muttered scolding, was filled with anxiety. Romandro met the child’s gaze and calmly reassured him.

“Your Majesty, please calm down. First of all, Ian will be fine. You know him well, don’t you?”

“But, but…”

They had investigated the Clifford carriage, crossed into the country, and then lost contact. What more suspicion was needed? No matter how he thought about it, it was clear that something had happened in Clifford. In fact, all the officials gathering at the assembly would think so, except for the people from the Ministry of Magic.

“Ian is someone who has returned alive from the middle of the desert. Berik is with him too. There’s nothing to worry about. Now, let’s go to the assembly. There are many eyes watching, so I’ll go in first.”

The distance between Jin and Ian soon meant the distance between the Imperial Family and the Ministry of Magic. Romandro understood Ian’s intention to distance himself for an ideal relationship and had a duty to uphold it. He bowed his head and was about to turn away when-

“Wait, Romandro. How far has the investigation into Idgal progressed?”

Jin grabbed him again, whispering. This was an even more secretive and cautious statement.

Xiaoshi looked around, checking for any signs of people, and Romandro, realizing it was a serious matter, knelt again.

“…The investigation into Idgal is limited to the report submitted to the Imperial Palace, and there has been no progress. It’s partly because the person in charge, Acorella, is on sick leave, but also because the number of Idgal we possess is limited, making analysis difficult.”

Romandro had also heard about Ian’s last note. That a full investigation into Idgal was needed. He tilted his head in confusion, then paused, realizing something.

“Your Majesty, could it be…”

“It will be discussed at the assembly, so be aware.”

The Ministry of Magic’s goal was to track down Idgal and eradicate its existence, but those who kept the Ministry of Magic in check would want to get their hands on it instead.

Romandro unconsciously rubbed his forehead and sighed. Of all times, why did this have to happen when Ian was not around?

“Your Majesty. I hear footsteps.”

“Romandro.”

Xiaoshi, sensing footsteps approaching from afar, informed Jin. Jin then grabbed Romandro’s shoulder, making firm eye contact. He didn’t say anything, but his clear blue eyes were comforting him.

That he could do it, that he didn’t want that much either. But because of the public eye, he was sorry that he couldn’t help from the front.

Swoosh.

Jin nodded and then disappeared around the corner. Officials from other departments who were passing by were startled to see Romandro kneeling in the middle of the hallway.

“Aren’t you Romandro? Is there a problem?”

“Huh? Ah, no. I, uh, just felt a little dizzy.”

“Shall I help you?”

“No, no. I’m fine. I’ll go in.”

Romandro shook off the daze and stood up.

Most of the attendees had already arrived, and the mages were also gathered on one side, waiting for Romandro. Now that Ian was not present, his aide, Romandro, was practically Ian’s representative.

“Now, if everyone is here, let’s begin the meeting.”

Bang! Bang!

Squeak.

The Prime Minister struck the gavel, and the door closed. He unconsciously sighed and rubbed his chin, as if unsure of what to say first.

He had been in public service for a long time, but this was a first. Not just anyone, but the Minister of Magic and his mages were out of contact.

“Has there been any contact from the Imperial Defense Department?”

“Yes. They arrived yesterday and are investigating with the guards. We expect another messenger bird by this evening.”

Unlike the mages who had teleported directly to the border, the Imperial Defense Department had moved by horse, which was why they had only just arrived at the location.

In fact, Ian had already made contact with the Clifford carriage and found out the details, making it unnecessary. But anyway, they were continuing their own investigation.

“How many messenger birds have we sent to Clifford so far?”

“…Exactly twelve.”

“Not a single reply from any of them. Isn’t this the same as admitting that something serious has happened? I suspect something has happened to their safety.”

“But it’s Ian. Minister of Magic Ian. The mages with him are not just a few, and there are two members of the Imperial Guard accompanying him. Even if something happened in Clifford, they must have had a way out.”

Officially, there were no mages in Clifford. So, if they wanted to, they could easily escape, and even cause chaos in the country.

However, the reports from the border stated that there was no disturbance on the Clifford side.

“Idgal.”

Someone spoke, cutting through the murmuring.

“Isn’t Idgal a substance with the same effect as a magic sealing stone? It was mentioned in Ian’s report. They must have secured it in Clifford. Then all the questions are answered.”

“That’s right. We were told to keep an eye on Vergos and Luswena as well, so this means a three-nation alliance has been formed under the surface.”

“If the royal palace has secured Idgal, hmm. That explains it. Isn’t Ian just a boy if you take away his magic?”

“What about the magic swordsmen? Does Idgal have an effect on magic swordsmen as well?”

All eyes turned to Jaylut. He took a sip of water, moistened his lips, and cautiously answered.

“The magic of a magic swordsman is similar to that of a mage. It has an effect.”

“Good heavens. There’s nothing more to see.”

“We must mobilize the army. Before the three-nation alliance moves, we must move first. The justification is clear, so there’s no problem.”

“It’s not something to think about lightly. What you’re saying now is war. If Bariel attacks Clifford, will Vergos and Luswena stand by? Especially if they have secured Idgal, as Ian said? If the mages become useless, do you have a special plan?”

Their attitude of treating mages as mere weapons. Nakina clicked her tongue and frowned. Hale was the same. He suddenly craved a cigarette.

“Alright, alright, everyone calm down.”

Bang! Bang!

The Prime Minister demanded silence and looked around. Jin and Romandro had not said a word yet. He cautiously suggested.

“Since the messenger birds aren’t reaching them, there will be no objection to sending people directly. Ministry of Magic?”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“Can you activate the same means of transportation as the Black Moon that Ian used?”

At his question, Romandro looked troubled. He was not a mage, but an ordinary person. Hale, who was sitting behind him, raised his hand and spoke instead.

“I apologize, but it’s impossible. It’s a magic that uses a lot of magic power, and without Ian, the accuracy of the location adjustment is significantly reduced.”

“Then there’s no choice. The Imperial Defense Department will organize an army to send to Clifford and report back.”

“Prime Minister. The Ministry of Magic…”

“The Ministry of Magic will be excluded from this matter.”

“…Excuse me?”

Romandro and all the mages looked dumbfounded. It was not just anyone, but their superior and colleagues who were missing. And yet, the Ministry of Magic was being told not to accompany them?

“If something has happened to Ian, it means that the power of the mages is being neutralized. Therefore, the Ministry of Magic will be excluded from this matter.”

“Wait a minute!”

As Nakina raised her hand to protest, Romandro calmly stopped her.

“But Prime Minister. If Ian and the mages are alive but injured, they will need someone to share their magic. It is right to have mages accompany them. Even if Idgal exists and becomes a threat to us, it will surely be a help, not a hindrance. Don’t you know that?”

The Prime Minister’s eyes narrowed. Then, Jin, who was sitting across from him, shook his head slightly, signaling to Romandro that something was wrong.

“Alright. That makes sense. Then the Ministry of Magic will also accompany with a minimum number of personnel. But even during that time, the investigation into Idgal must continue. The Imperial Palace will send support personnel to the Ministry of Magic.”

To control Idgal, paradoxically, the power of the Ministry of Magic was needed. It was beyond the reach of ordinary people’s common sense and abilities, so the first step was to mix people into the Ministry of Magic.

Thus, they would follow and help, seize the authority over Idgal within Bariel, and the moment the Ministry of Magic tried to eliminate it-

‘They would take it away.’

“Let’s send another messenger bird one last time, and if there’s no reply by tomorrow, we’ll set off immediately. The Ministry of Magic should also prepare thoroughly.”

Bang! Bang!

It was a sign of war.

Each department, anticipating a flood of work, quickly rose from their seats. As if they had expected the Ministry of Magic to raise objections, they all disappeared without a moment’s hesitation.

“Prime Minister!”

“Romandro, I’m sorry, but let’s talk later.”

Romandro grabbed the Prime Minister, but it was no use. The mages were left behind, all of them letting out a hollow laugh as if they were dumbfounded.

“This is crazy. Is this how we’re being treated right now?”

“I never thought they would go this far just because Ian isn’t here. Wow. This is harsh, really. After all we’ve done.”

“Exactly. Should we just flip the table?”

“Isn’t this a meeting just to completely trample on us? Is this the treatment we get after all the hard work we’ve done? Ha.”

“…Everyone, watch your mouths.”

Hale muttered, putting a cigarette in his mouth. There were already few mages, and with Ian taking half a dozen with him, they had become even fewer.

“If we could somehow activate the portal, we could hurry to Clifford…”

“And if there really is a problem with Ian and the others, we could rescue them right away.”

“But we’re not nearly enough.”

Everyone sighed and thought the same thing. Magic amplifiers. If only there were no side effects, they could use them to do something…

Tap! Tap, tap!

Then, a light knock on the door. Everyone looked up in confusion, and there stood a welcome figure. She was quite gaunt, but her eyes still shone with madness.

She waved her hand and greeted them.

“Ta-da! Smarty-pants Acorella is here!”