Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 333

“I thought the meeting was over, but I guess I was mistaken.”

The Prime Minister muttered as he took off his coat. Crown Prince Jin, along with Jayrut, the head of the Imperial Guard, and the Minister of National Defense, had gathered in his office.

The Minister, holding a report, placed it on the desk, indicating that he had organized the troops to be sent to the border. Everything was done swiftly, ready to depart as soon as the order was given.

It seemed that the Ministry of National Defense had been preparing for this, given the sensitive issue of the Three-Nation Alliance.

Jayrut, looking at the report, asked,

“Prime Minister, what are your plans regarding Idgehal?”

“I recall we discussed it during the meeting earlier. We will track and investigate.”

“And after that?”

At Jayrut’s question, Volv, the Minister of National Defense, chuckled. Having risen to his position temporarily after the civil war, he had secured his place without much trouble and was now striving to regain his standing. Of course, his position had been declining since he let Melania escape.

Nevertheless, he was certain. Now was the perfect opportunity for the Ministry of National Defense.

“You ask unnecessary questions, Commander Jayrut. Of course, it will be used to its full value for the advancement of the Great Empire of Bariel. What answer are you hoping to hear?”

“Volv.”

His words were a bit harsh. The Prime Minister called his name, urging him to restrain himself, and Volv nodded and stepped back.

“It is unacceptable to exclude mages from this expedition. Please reconsider.”

“What are you talking about? Jayrut. I clearly gave permission for the Magic Department to join the expedition.”

“You gave them a choice, not permission.”

If the Magic Department were to join the Ministry of National Defense on the expedition, the Imperial Palace would use that opportunity to interfere with the investigation of Idgehal. This was a clear sign of restraint.

To prevent this, the Magic Department would have to stay put, leaving the Ministry of National Defense to monopolize the benefits of the outcome of the incident.

Either way, it was a move that concentrated power in the Imperial Palace.

“I don’t understand why the Imperial Guard is saying this. Commander Jayrut, weren’t you the one who tried to keep Ian in check? Ah, why? Is it because Idgehal is involved that you’re having trouble?”

“It’s because the Sword Mages also went missing. If there’s a problem, we need people who can quickly share their magic.”

“Exactly. The mages will be worried about their superior and will accompany us. I feel like we’re going in circles.”

“Since you ordered an investigation into Idgehal, the mages won’t easily step forward! That’s what I’m saying!”

Barsabe and Beric were together. Even if Beric was Ian’s man, he was still a member of the Imperial Guard.

Volv crossed his arms and circled Jayrut. Jin, seeing the blatant confrontation, rubbed his forehead and watched the two. The Prime Minister, as if he had expected this, began to read the report Volv had brought.

“…Commander Jayrut.”

“Yes, Minister Volv.”

“The duty of the Imperial Guard is to protect His Majesty the Emperor. So why are you trying to interfere with the decisions of the Ministry of National Defense? Idgehal is a threat to those who use magic, and if we make a mistake, we could lose valuable forces. Trust us with this one.”

Volv patted Jayrut’s shoulder and laughed. On the surface, he was saying that they couldn’t afford to lose valuable forces, but he couldn’t hide his true intentions. He wanted to elevate the status of the Ministry of National Defense with this opportunity.

If they rescued Ian and the mages, their standing would rise, and even if they were already dead, there was no better path to success than starting a war.

Jayrut frowned, brushing off Volv’s hand.

‘This guy….’

He was one of those in the Imperial Palace who wanted Idgehal. His goal was to become a key force in Bariel, surpassing the Imperial Guard, which he could never overcome.

The Prime Minister put down his pen and asked Jin,

“Does Your Highness share the same opinion? If so, I will follow it. But as I said before, there is no better time than now for the Imperial Palace to exert influence over Idgehal.”

The eyes of the three men suddenly turned to Jin. The representative of the Imperial Palace. The only one to whom the Prime Minister, who held the Emperor’s authority, lowered himself.

The boy looked at Jayrut and Volv, pondering.

‘Everything is based on the assumption that Idgehal can be completely controlled by the Imperial Family.’

It shouldn’t fall into the hands of other countries, or even other departments within the Imperial Palace. It had to be solely, completely, and entirely in the hands of the Emperor, but right now, everything was uncertain.

“…The priority is the safe return of Minister Ian.”

“Of course, Your Highness. Is there any weapon in Bariel that is more valuable?”

Volv placed his hand on his chest, indicating his agreement. At the same time, Jin and Jayrut’s brows furrowed. But Jin continued, fiddling with the edge of the sofa.

“And a thorough investigation of Idgehal is necessary. Prime Minister, I’m concerned that the morale of the Magic Department might be lowered due to the Imperial Palace’s intervention. According to Minister Ian’s message, it seems that routes have been opened to both Vergos and Luswena. I think it will be a race against time.”

The Prime Minister’s gaze deepened. The young Crown Prince’s haste was not to his liking. Now was the perfect time, but the Crown Prince was about to make a regrettable choice due to his past affections. However, the Prime Minister did not interrupt and simply took off his glasses, gesturing for him to continue.

“The life or death of Minister Ian…”

Suddenly, Jin’s words trailed off. He had only been thinking about it vaguely, but when he tried to say it out loud, his chest tightened.

What if Ian was dead? If he could no longer see the kind and strict man, what would he be stepping back for?

When Jin didn’t continue, Jayrut tilted his head in confusion.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

“Ah, yes. I, uh, I think it wouldn’t be too late to deploy personnel to the Magic Department after confirming Minister Ian’s safety. However, if Idgehal has been distributed to neighboring countries, it will be a full-scale battle. Therefore-”

Jin looked at Volv, the Minister of National Defense. It was not ideal, but he needed a piece of meat to appease the one who was eyeing Idgehal and immediately baring his fangs at the Magic Department.

“It would be good to check the progress of this situation and explore new possibilities for the Ministry of National Defense.”

Volv placed his hand on his chest with satisfaction and bowed. If his personnel, budget, and various authorities were increased, he could put down the stiff-necked Commander Jayrut.

The Prime Minister rubbed his eyes for a moment. And then, a small sigh followed.

Although it was not intentional, the sigh made Jin’s heart sink. Now that Ian was gone, the Prime Minister was filling his place. If they were to be set up in opposition, it would be truly difficult.

Jin suddenly realized how young and powerless he still was as the Crown Prince. That was why he couldn’t be relieved even by the compromise the Prime Minister had just offered.

“Understood. If that is Your Highness’s wish, I will postpone the deployment of the Imperial Palace’s Magic Department personnel. Instead, I will have them check the distribution status of Idgehal by turning to Vergos and Luswena.”

“As far as I know, Idgehal is made through alchemy. The number of them won’t be that high.”

“I think so too. Not much is known, but alchemy is not something that can be done easily. If Vergos and Luswena possess Idgehal, we will send a stern warning. Your Highness, please approve.”

“…Yes, I will.”

The conversation seemed to be coming to an end. With Ian gone, just maintaining the status quo was helpful to Jin.

He had managed to protect the independence of the Magic Department, and Volv of the Ministry of National Defense had come to expect a better position. It was a strange situation where meaningless satisfaction was exchanged. The Prime Minister put his glasses back on and asked Jayrut,

“Commander Jayrut, what about you? Do you have anything else to say?”

Regarding the existence of Idgehal, they were on the same side as the mages, but they were directly under the Emperor. Their position was slightly different, so they had no choice but to unconditionally support Jin’s opinion. He was the next Emperor, and they were his future masters. Just as Jayrut was about to shake his head.

Knock, knock.

“Prime Minister!”

A commotion was heard from outside. The door opened before permission was given from inside. The Prime Minister frowned, but judging from his aide’s urgent expression, he knew it was not a trivial matter.

“What is it?”

“A message, a message has arrived!”

“What? From Clifford?”

The aide shook his head, panting.

“No. The border guards found dead messenger birds and sent them directly to the center. They found two, but the others are still…”

“What do you mean, the messenger birds are dead?”

“I don’t know the details.”

Jayrut, who had been listening quietly, rubbed his forehead. He suddenly remembered the magical anomaly that had been detected at the border. However, he didn’t know if it would cause problems with the messenger birds’ magic stones. They needed confirmation from the mages.

“The two birds had the same message. It says that Minister Ian is in critical condition with severe internal injuries.”

“…What?”

“The other mages are also in bad shape…”

Jin stood up abruptly, his eyes wide with shock. What was he saying? In critical condition? Ian?

Volv muttered, calculating how Ian’s death would change the political landscape.

“What’s the reason?”

“It’s not written.”

“Prime Minister, I will depart immediately. Clifford has clearly caused a problem. If it’s written on the messenger bird that he’s in critical condition, he might be dead by now-”

Let’s go. It’s war. This was an unparalleled opportunity for the Ministry of National Defense.

“Volv! Silence yourself!”

The moment Jin shouted in anger, something strange was seen outside the window. It was a black moon rising in the blue sky.

* * *

“It’s been a while, and the state of my lab is terrible.”

Acorella muttered, running her fingers over her dusty lab. Hale and a few other mages followed her in and asked,

“Are you feeling okay? What brings you here?”

“Whaam! I came because they said all the mages were gathering? But it looks like a funeral home. I heard Ian went missing? After going to Clifford. So everyone was trembling like a wet dog?”

“Acorella, you-”

“Ahahaha! Just kidding! Aww, I’m just happy to see you after so long! Cheer up.”

She leaned against the lab table, just smiling. Hale and the other mages were serious, though.

If they went down to Clifford, the Imperial Palace would take the opportunity to interfere with the Idgehal investigation, but they couldn’t just stand by while their superior and colleagues were missing.

“There’s no problem.”

“What do you mean no problem? Are you sick? Do you not understand?”

Hale muttered, putting a cigarette in his mouth, and Acorella snatched it away and threw it.

“No! I’ve come back completely smarter!”

“You’re crazy. You’re crazy.”

“We can just open a portal and go. In a day, poof.”

“If that were possible, we would have-”

Just as Hale was about to say something, Acorella danced and showed off her coat. The mages thought she had truly gone mad. A mysterious potion came out from inside her coat.

“What do you think this is?”

“…What is it?”

“A magic amplifier! With absolutely no side effects, the masterpiece of Acorella’s life! Kyaaa! I’ve been itching to show this off!”

The mages paused and stepped back. A magic amplifier with no side effects was surprising, but the fact that she had researched it while sick was even more shocking.

“Everyone, get one shot of this and open a portal. Then it’s possible.”

“Acorella, it’s not that we don’t trust you, but you should rest when you’re sick. Okay?”

“I tested it myself and verified it! Wow, you don’t trust me. Hey, you. Come here. I’ll give you a shot without hurting you.”

“H-Hale, please save me.”

Everyone was reacting with disbelief. Acorella scratched her head as if she had lost her energy, and then a message came from outside. The same one that the Prime Minister and Jin had heard-

“It’s a disaster! They say messenger birds were found at the border! And, uh, Minister Ian…”

The news that Ian and his colleagues were in critical condition. The mages were agitated and couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

Acorella crossed her arms and kept shaking the potion, and finally, Hale made a decision.

“Bring the syringe.”

“Okay! My first customer!”

“Acorella, are you really, truly sane?”

“Of course, of course. I guarantee it. But I think you’ll be a bit short on magic to open a portal by yourself. Anyone else want a shot?”

Swoosh.

“I, I’ll take one too.”

“Yes. We can’t just stay here.”

“It’s right to hurry without giving the Imperial Palace time to interfere.”

“I’ll take one too, Acorella.”

When Acorella looked around and asked, the mages raised their hands one by one. Everyone there, willingly.