Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 379

A small lamp illuminated Minister Tweller.

Only then did he seem to notice the blood hardened on his palm. He gave a good-natured laugh and wiped off the dried stains as a formality.

“Are you feeling any discomfort?”

“As you can see. The Clifford Royal Palace has been very accommodating.”

“As I’ve said repeatedly, His Highness and the entire Imperial Palace were very worried. Especially since the entire Magic Department had to move, who would dare deny the seriousness of the situation?”

It was a roundabout way of scolding the now-empty Magic Department. Although Volv was the minister at the time, emptying the Imperial Palace was never a wise decision.

When the old man’s gaze reached Acorella and the mages, they subtly looked up at the ceiling, pretending not to notice. He was definitely a veteran who had seen battle, and each of his glances was hard to bear.

Ian offered him warm tea and continued speaking.

“It’s all my fault for being inadequate as the one in charge.”

“No, that wasn’t my intention. Please don’t misunderstand.”

“How is His Majesty?”

Ian first asked about Jin’s well-being. The silver hair and blue eyes that flickered before his eyes were vivid, but considering the situation in the Imperial Palace, he must have changed a lot from the Jin he knew.

He wanted to see Jin. More precisely, he wanted to meet him and see his true self, as it was etched in the original history.

Tweller raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his tea.

“His Majesty is doing well, aside from the hard work of overseeing the Imperial Palace affairs. Oh, and what was his name, Siochi?”

“Siochi? Yes. You mean the one who guards His Majesty?”

“He has officially received a title. He is now a Baron, just like Sir Hielo.”

“What!? A Baron!?”

Berik, who had been listening quietly, jumped up and shouted. It didn’t make sense! He was the strongest person in Bariel, so how could Siochi receive a title first? Huh? He was the one suffering outside!

He had a lot to say, but Acorella shoved her fist into Berik’s mouth and smiled sweetly.

“Excuse me, Minister. Isn’t everyone a little out of their minds during war?”

The mages’ eyes darted around. It was also terrifying that someone who was out of their mind was pretending to be sane.

Berik struggled, but Acorella and the mages dragged him outside, and Tweller watched the scene with interest.

“That’s Berik, I presume.”

“Do you know him?”

“Yes. He’s the Magic Department Minister’s escort, but he belongs to the Imperial Guard. He’s quite an impressive fellow.”

There were rumors that the Magic Department had planted him to keep the Imperial Guard in check. Of course, those who had actually seen Berik and knew his personality shook their heads, saying he wouldn’t be of much help.

Tweller scanned Berik up and down in a very short moment and muttered.

“He’s quite sturdy for his size. Those kinds of people have a good natural momentum. They might not stand out in war, but they excel in combat. You just need to tame his personality a bit.”

Tweller smiled playfully. He was saying that knowing full well that he couldn’t be tamed.

Ian nodded, signaling that it was time to get to the point. Prince Noah had been listening intently to their conversation since earlier.

What he was curious about wasn’t the initial greetings between the ministers, but what role the Bariel support troops had played and how the war situation was unfolding.

“Ah, um. Where should I start? First of all, the number of supply routes from Luthweena to Burgos is not fully known. It seems they are moving separately, as expected. The wagons we seized contained dragon scales, some magic stones, and powder.”

“Powder?”

“I suspect it’s a substance needed to manufacture black armor. Do you know anything about it, Sir Ian?”

“No. I don’t know anything about the manufacturing process either. There’s no need to conclude that it’s definitely related to that. Making conclusions always narrows one’s perspective.”

“You’re right. Anyway, my subordinates, along with two mages who haven’t returned, are tracking supply soldiers on other routes, and I think it would be best to let one of them go to find out the supply base.”

If it was a supply base, there was a possibility that black armor was being manufactured near there. Therefore, even if supplies were delivered, knowing the approximate location would allow them to raid and stop the production.

“That is for Minister Tweller to decide. I have no military decision-making power.”

“You may not have military decision-making power, but you have the decision-making power of the mages, which is even greater.”

“Hmm. I need to tell you this too, Minister. Mages cannot freely use their power on this land.”

Tweller’s wrinkles moved slightly, as if he had heard something unexpected.

As long as there were mages, the outcome of the war could be determined very accurately. That was why Bariel had grown into an empire and maintained its status, and it was proof that it could be called a place blessed by the gods.

But the mages couldn’t use their power?

“I see. You must still be feeling some discomfort.”

“No. My power has almost returned. The mages are also gradually regaining their usual strength. The problem is the land of Clifford. I heard you’ve participated in monster battles, Minister, is that correct?”

“Monster battles. Yes. Countless times.”

“Then you must know the conditions of the terrain where monsters often spawn. According to the information we have obtained, cracks are appearing under the land of Clifford. An earthquake is also predicted.”

Tweller’s lips, which had been smiling, hardened. The situation was more serious than he had thought. He had thought his mission was simply to stop Luthweena, help Clifford, and bring the mages back safely. But monsters and cracks?

“That’s a problem.”

“Yes. It’s a problem in many ways.”

Whether Clifford was taken over by Burgos or Luthweena, or if cracks appeared and the land became filled with monsters, it was a problem for Bariel. It was as if a threatening force was approaching rapidly.

Ian told Tweller what he had proposed to Noah.

“Therefore, we don’t have many opportunities. If Luthweena has mobilized black armor and mages, they cannot be stopped by ordinary soldiers, so Clifford plans to open a path to lure them here. It’s better to deal with them in one blow.”

“Hmm. Just a moment. Prince Noah, could you show me the map?”

At Tweller’s request, Noah’s subordinate brought the map and spread it out. His eyes, shining brightly within the wrinkles, examined the map. He moved his fingertips along the paths and tapped them. Noah bit his dry lips and waited for Tweller’s opinion.

“By any chance, do you know who the general of the Luthweena side will be?”

“I don’t know. I’m ignorant about that. Since Bariel has officially attacked Luthweena, we cannot rule out the possibility that King Eriphony will come forward.”

“Very well. I think Sir Ian’s strategy is worth adopting. However, there is a condition.”

“A condition?”

“The one leading the Luthweena army must be suspicious, intelligent, and cautious.”

“Ah, yes. Then that’s good. Originally, we were going to open a path starting from this forest, but it would be better to open it from the front.”

“Before the path splits. Yes, yes.”

“Wait, wait! What are you two talking about?”

As Ian and Tweller kept talking back and forth with incomprehensible words, Noah couldn’t help but raise his hand. How could they exchange opinions between themselves while leaving the prince of the home country out?

Ian and Tweller simultaneously made a face as if they had realized their mistake, and Tweller apologized, placing his hand on his chest.

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

“Why open the path from the front, near the border, instead of luring them through the forest path? Of course, it’s intended to have Luthweena approach the capital, but that’s too…”

Wasn’t it too much? There should be a limit to a bloodless entry. Wasn’t it the same as opening the border wide and inviting the enemy in?

Moreover, if Luthweena changed their tactics and instead of approaching the capital, they went to nearby villages to massacre and destroy buildings, the meaning of all these decisions would be diminished.

“Um, Your Highness. Let’s assume something. You and I don’t get along very well. We’re eager to kill each other.”

Ian gestured for Noah to calm down. Then, he smiled, offering the teacup he had been drinking from.

“But one day, I offer you tea so kindly. If I personally offer it to you, saying to drink it while it’s warm, would you drink it without hesitation?”

Noah’s face flickered in the shimmering liquid.

The answer was one. Not just a royal, but even a noble, or even a commoner, would be wary and refuse.

“I would never drink it.”

“That’s exactly it. Now, let’s apply this and think again. Luthweena has brought a large army to take over Clifford. They know that there are Bariel support troops and mages here. But there’s no one blocking them at the border. If only a strangely quiet forest and a path with no signs of life await them, how do you think Luthweena will act?”

Noah let out a small exclamation, as if he had understood.

“What I proposed was a way to bring Luthweena to the capital, and Minister Tweller has added to that. If we make Luthweena suspicious and buy time, we can create an opportunity to request additional support troops from Bariel. Ah, I guess we can’t call them support troops then.”

It was throwing the country into the vortex of war, so it was highly likely that the Imperial Defense Department and perhaps even the Imperial Guard would be mobilized. It seemed that Jin’s position in the Imperial Palace had become somewhat established, so this level of support request shouldn’t be a problem.

“It’s fine if Luthweena comes right in, or if they hesitate at the border and spend time. Either way, we can turn it into a good opportunity for us. So, um.”

Ian pointed to the villages near the border one by one, advising that it would be best to evacuate them quickly.

At first, they were going to open the path by pretending to retreat with a very small number of people, but now they were going to clear everything out.

“What do you think, Your Highness? Isn’t it worth trying?”

Noah pondered with his chin in his hand, then nodded.

Ian was right. The goal was to lure them closer. But what if they became suspicious and didn’t come in? There was nothing better than that.

“As Minister Tweller said, several conditions must be met. The area around the border must be strangely quiet. We must set up structures for deception that are difficult to gauge, and the general on the Luthweena side must be cautious and experienced.”

“There’s a lot to do. We can’t sit here until the tea gets cold.”

Tweller downed his tea in one gulp and stood up.

“My subordinates are still tracking the supplies, so we’ll have more information before the next sunrise or sunset. I’ll send a report to Bariel and request additional support troops.”

“Ah, I’ll make the request for support troops. It would be good to write a detailed report about the situation here, along with the fact that I met Minister Tweller.”

“If that’s what Sir Ian thinks, then so be it.”

Tweller put his armor back on, gauging the time. He was probably estimating where his subordinates were and how they were tracking. He extended his hand to Ian again.

“I’ll recover all the supplies and come back. I hope we can drink cold tea then.”

“Yes. Minister Tweller. Please return safely.”

“Then, I hope Your Highness will also be safe.”

“Thank you, Minister.”

As Noah grasped his hand, expressing his gratitude, Tweller shook his head firmly.

“No. Everything is His Majesty Jin’s will.”

At that moment, Ian realized that Jin had truly taken a step into the Imperial Palace.