Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 349

The king of Cliffopord stared at the marble floor, his expression troubled. Just hours ago, the envoy from Vergos had bled to death on this very spot, yet now it was pristine, without a trace. His vassals moved with urgency, carrying out orders to mobilize the soldiers, while the king waited for the audience chamber doors to open.

Cliffopord had seen many wars, both large and small, with Vergos, but he always felt a sense of unease before making a decision. The aftermath of war, the salty tears of a child crying in a devastated vineyard, were so profound that they could wither the nation’s spirit.

*Click.* The audience chamber doors finally opened, and all eyes turned towards them.

“Noah, Sir Ian.”

“Father, you’ve been waiting long.”

“No, no. Waiting? How could you say that? Come, tell me what you’ve discovered.”

Noah peeled off his leather gloves, which were stiff and shrunken with blood. The stench of blood and the unique smell of the basement suggested a rather intense interrogation had taken place.

The king felt a pang of sympathy for his son. Noah was shouldering all the unpleasant tasks in the palace, instead of his own frail self. Noah, however, didn’t seem to mind. The king touched his stinging nose and cleared his throat.

“Did all the envoys from Vergos know?”

“No. Only one of them knew. That they were here to die. He was almost unconscious by the end, so I couldn’t understand him properly. But that’s the gist of it.”

Noah glanced at Acorella and reported.

They had only intended for it to be effective enough, but the effects and side effects had gone far beyond the acceptable range. One truth, one instance of spitting blood.

Acorella, with a proud expression, stepped forward while taking notes.

“Your Majesty, listen to this. Acorella’s Siltham potion [a fictional potion] has revealed the following: if one envoy dies, it means a mage is stationed there, so they should observe the situation further; if two die, the mage is stationed there, but they can enter immediately; and if three die, there is no mage. If four die, there is no mage, and they should not enter. Oh, and also, the spitting blood was a reaction seen even in the pre-commercialization Siltham potion, but this time it seems to be accompanied by pain. It seems that it was lacking—”

“Acorella.”

Acorella, who had been rattling on with sparkling eyes, stopped. Ian shook his head, telling her to restrain herself. She looked back and forth between her densely filled notebook and Ian, then muttered a small exclamation.

“Ah. Did I cross the line?”

“Your Majesty. This is Acorella, an authority on potions from our Magic Department.”

“I see. So you’re the one in charge. It seemed so.”

“You say it seemed so…”

“It’s a compliment.”

“Waha! Thank you!”

The king clearly remembered Acorella’s first impression, holding a syringe and smiling. He waved his hand, changing the atmosphere. It was a fact that Vergos had used human lives, even the lives of their own vassals who trusted and followed them, as signal lights. No matter how young the king was, such inhumane actions were excessive.

The king clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Anyway, it’s amazing. Even the previous dynasty didn’t dare to do such a thing. It’s an unfathomable thought.”

“There’s no need to fathom it, Father.”

“Vergos has made a complete decision, hasn’t it? Conflict is inevitable. It seems like now, while they are waiting for news, is our opportunity. Noah, tell me what you think.”

“I had the same thought, but currently, the mages of Bariel are stationed in Cliffopord. It would be better to refrain from a preemptive strike to ensure the safety of our citizens and these mages, and above all, to use it as a justification to seek an alliance and cooperation from Bariel.”

Noah looked back at Ian. It was all an act of accepting Ian’s intentions and suggestions. Unlike Noah, who was soaked in blood, Ian was neat, with only his sleeves rolled up.

“As you know, justification is important. Sending a treacherous envoy is not enough. After all, they died in the Cliffopord palace. Whether they died from drinking wine or from taking an unknown drug.”

Acorella gave a thumbs up and smiled, and the king turned his gaze away, thinking that she was clearly beyond the pale as well.

“Or, if Cliffopord has a justification to claim first, then maybe. Haven’t the two countries shared a long history?”

“There are countless if you count them.”

There were disputes over territorial boundaries on the southern border, past conflicts caused by differing interpretations of compensation lists, and cultural clashes. As neighboring countries, there were plenty of reasons to bring up.

However, none of them were enough to suddenly declare war, and above all, there was a lack of a righteous cause to receive help from Bariel.

“Those are also mixed with Cliffopord’s interests, so to prevent Ruswena’s intervention and gain Bariel’s cooperation, we need a justification that Cliffopord is solely the victim, isn’t that right?”

The king understood Ian’s point without needing a long explanation. The boy nodded with satisfaction and then made the same suggestion he had made to Noah.

“Therefore, I recommend that the deaths of the envoys not be officially announced. Since it is true that they entered the Cliffopord palace, just send a message that the envoys have fallen ill with some kind of disease and will be cared for in Cliffopord.”

“Won’t they send people to check on the situation?”

Ian smiled as if it were no problem when Acorella asked.

“Those envoys will also be sick.”

“Whoa.”

What would Vergos think if the envoys they sent kept disappearing? They would be frustrated and suspicious of their lives, and they would consider it a suitable justification for invasion.

Furthermore-

“It seems that the people of Cliffopord like to sing, so how about spreading some rumors?”

That three of the first envoys who entered seemed to have died.

That they saw the bodies being thrown out of the palace.

The rumors would quickly spread and reach Vergos, which would give Vergos, who kept losing contact with their envoys, confirmation. The king pondered and muttered.

“Three have died. A signal that there is no mage.”

“They may or may not believe it, but we have nothing to lose. After all, it is true that the envoys died. Anyway, if Vergos starts the war first, there will be enough room for Bariel to intervene.”

“Enough room to intervene?”

“I was unable to make a contract magic [a magical binding] due to personal reasons, but there are many mages in the palace, aren’t there? If you proceed with what you couldn’t do before, I will help in the first war between Cliffopord and Vergos.”

At Ian’s nod, Hale stepped forward. A contract for a contract. Hale would be magically bound to the king in Ian’s place.

“And I will send a message to Bariel. I will inform them of the current situation and request troops. This will prevent the war from dragging on, which will greatly help minimize the damage.”

If Bariel were to stand firm at the border and come to help when the conflict between Vergos and Cliffopord was imminent, they could mediate and gain the upper hand.

The king rubbed his plump cheeks and fell into deep thought.

“Eventually, when things progress, the time will come to guide the envoys of Vergos, what will we do then?”

“No problem. We can say that the supply route for medicine was cut off due to Vergos’s invasion, making treatment impossible, and that they died as a result.”

Cliffopord would claim that they treated the envoys humanely until the end. And the death of the envoys was ultimately caused by Vergos themselves. If they push these two points, there would be no grounds for external criticism.

If they could keep the palace quiet.

“Keep the bodies, but if their condition gets too severe, you can just keep some hair and dispose of the rest. The important thing here is to publicize that all the wrongs and damages originated from Vergos.”

“You said you were the Minister of Magic, right?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Uh-huh. The king’s expression became strange. He had heard that mages were very intelligent, but were they all like this? The bold moves he was making were not like those of a bureaucrat who had lived his whole life in the imperial palace. Well, perhaps it was because he was a Bariel facing the affairs of Cliffopord that he was being more daring.

As he said, the envoys were already dead, and the events that would unfold were already set. The key was which way to direct the flow.

“Alright. I will make the contract that I couldn’t make before.”

“That is indeed a wise decision.”

“But you’re not really in pain, are you? I was nervous when I saw Sir Ian collapse with my own eyes. My first impression was a bit off.”

“That was a side effect due to my personal circumstances. There will be no such thing with Commander Hale, so you can rest assured. I swear this on my name as the Minister of Magic and on my loyalty to Bariel.”

He was swearing on Bariel, so what could he do?

The king reached out his hand, and Commander Hale knelt down and supported it with both hands. Noah grabbed the hilt of his sword in case of an emergency, and Beric whispered to him.

“But, Prince.”

“What is it? Don’t whisper like we’re close.”

“Prince, when will you get cursed again? Seeing your brother, it seems like it happens suddenly even in the middle of the day.”

“…Do you think I’m going to tell you that? You fool.”

“F, fool? Calling a fool a fool is really hurtful, you know? I was just wondering what would happen if I suddenly got a ‘poof’ in my ear or a ‘poof’ in my tail during a battle. Oh well, never mind.”

Noah glared and looked back at his father.

Magical power that was bright and shimmering. Complex and chaotic formulas bloomed and disappeared, creating colorful changes. The king watched the scene in a daze, then suddenly remembered something and asked.

“But about the rumor that three envoys died. I don’t think Vergos will believe it, how about saying only one died?”

*Buzz. Buzz.*

“No. It doesn’t matter whether they believe it or not. So, since we’re doing it, it’s better to say there’s no mage. Your Majesty. Please be careful with your words. Commander Hale doesn’t have good concentration like me.”

“Sir Ian!”

“Oh, sorry.”

As soon as he said that, the formula was disrupted. Was this difficult? Last time, Ian was smiling and activating it right away.

The king of Cliffopord looked at Hale suspiciously, and Hale kept his eyes closed and concentrated on the contract magic. When sweat was dripping down, a faint light wrapped around the wrists of the two and disappeared.

*Buzz. Buzz.*

“I, is it done? It’s done, right?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is done.”

“I heard that all mages are smart, but it seems that there are exceptions. Why are you having such a hard time, even sweating like that?”

“…Your Majesty. I am normal. Sir Ian is the Minister.”

Hale wiped away his sweat, feeling embarrassed.

The king of Cliffopord opened and closed his hand, looking amazed. Ian clapped his hands lightly to tell him to come to his senses.

*Clap.*

“Your Majesty. And Prince. Above all else, keeping the palace quiet is essential. Please take care of that part.”

“Of course. I will be careful.”

“Good. Now, shall we start preparing for Vergos? Let’s throw the bait.”