Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 439

Ian on the left, Jin on the right.

Noah, unsure where to look, focused solely on the mages visible through the window. He didn’t know if they were aware of the Crown Prince’s arrival at the Magic Department, and frankly, he wasn’t sure he cared. They were occasionally creating vibrant lights, trying to draw attention.

Watching them, it was clear that the Crown Prince opposed Ian’s resignation. If the royal family wanted to keep the Magic Department in check, an opportunity like this wouldn’t come again.

‘Wasting Ian’s natural talent would be a national loss, so a complete dismissal would be impossible… but if they used the Magic Department’s dereliction of duty as a reason to demote Ian from Minister to a lower captain position, and then put a suitable person with royal connections in his place, they could control the Magic Department like a limb. If Crown Prince Jin were even a little bit ruthless, he might have done just that.’

There were several ways the royal family could control the Magic Department. Through institutional methods, or through the inhumane method of using magic sealing stones.

Humans harbored the root of evil, and if they wanted to, they could control the Magic Department in ways that could never be recorded in history.

Wasn’t that what Eripohni, the king of Lusswennah, had done? Amidst the wave of strikes by the mages, Prince Noah recalled the flames that had consumed the old man that day.

“Prince Noah.”

“Ah, yes. Your Highness.”

It was Jin who broke the silence. Jin stared at the teacup Ian had personally poured before speaking.

“Did you get lost? Or was the guide incompetent? I don’t understand why you came to the Magic Department instead of the First Imperial Palace. I ask because I don’t know.”

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

It was Ian who answered instead of Noah. He bowed deeply, apologizing for the impudence. Every time Jin frowned, the long scar on his cheek moved with it.

“I thought it was urgent to check the progress of the Clifford Rift, so I dared to request a meeting first. I heard that Your Highness was in class, so I thought I could make the time, but it seems it was my fault.”

“You knew I was in class?”

“Yes. As you can see, the Magic Department members are unable to handle their duties due to personal reasons, so we are receiving help from the royal family and the administrative department, aren’t we? Beric told me.”

“Is that so? Even so, you made me come here myself, so this is definitely Sir Ian’s mistake.”

He had said it to get angry, to get the upper hand on Ian, but it didn’t work at all. Ian just smiled and admitted it.

“Yes. It’s my mistake. So, I will resign.”

“No!”

“Puh-!”

May coughed at Ian’s calm reply. She repeatedly apologized, taking out a handkerchief and wiping the wet spots.

“Prince Noah.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“It’s good that you’re here. It’s clear that you and Sir Ian made a mistake, but the situation in Clifford is urgent, so I will be lenient.”

“Your Highness’s grace is as vast as the summer sea.”

“The rift occurred in the capital area, not far from the palace, right? What is the current evacuation status of the people in that area?”

At Jin’s question, May hurriedly pulled out documents from her leather bag.

The daily lives of thousands of refugees were neatly contained in a brown envelope. Those belonging to the royal palace were voluntarily doing their best to rebuild the country, even though they knew it was difficult to get paid, and the people were also working together to help with the recovery.

But there were clear limits. The help of the mages, or rather, Bariel’s help, was desperately needed. There were people on the streets who couldn’t even get one proper meal a day. Clifford truly needed Bariel’s help from a humanitarian perspective.

Of course, there was no such thing in the world.

“Therefore, anything that can be provided immediately, such as grains, clothing, and anything else, would be appreciated. Please, from Bariel to Clifford, just tilt your head a little and give us hope.”

“As for grains, we can request them from Lusswennah. I will propose that they release several thousand bags of grain first as part of the war reparations. However, it will take some time for negotiations to be completed. How about we take the rights in exchange for Bariel providing them first?”

Jin made a proposal to Noah based on what he had discussed with the administrative department. Lusswennah had admitted some of their wrongdoings, but it was no different from claiming that they were also victims.

To ‘match’ the interests regarding war reparations, it was convenient for Bariel to hold most of the rights. If they were not dispersed, they would have to match.

“The details are for my father, the king of Clifford, to decide, but I think it’s reasonable. The lives of the starving are burning, so we need to put them out quickly.”

“Good. I will tell the administrative department to accurately calculate the amount of grain that can be provided and let you know by this evening. Siao.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Siao Shi took down Jin’s orders and gestured to the attendants below. Everyone moved in perfect order, as if they had their designated positions, without a moment’s hesitation.

Noah looked down at his cold teacup and bowed his head. The gap between the emperor and the king, between the empire and the kingdom, was so clear.

To be honest, he felt that Clifford’s current state was truly lamentable, but what could he do? If he bowed, the people would live.

“Please, sit down.”

“…Thank you. Clifford is a country that mainly relies on agriculture. The damage this time is quite severe. The Vergos side even released monsters that kill the land. Even though the coming winter seems far away, it will be here in the blink of an eye.”

At Noah’s words of concern about the famine, Ian straightened his posture as if something had come to mind.

“…Do you know about Gula?”

When Ian came up from the border to the center, he brought with him the possibility of Gula being edible.

However, with many incidents and accidents, and as the land stretched into spring and summer, the imperial palace’s concerns about the famine had naturally subsided.

Above all, the imperial palace was strangely affluent.

It seemed that the budget was strained due to the civil war, but looking back now, there was no better turning point. Marib and Gale, who had been competing for power and consuming energy, had fallen, hadn’t they? The emperor was bedridden, and those who would receive the imperial budget, including his concubine Delaina, had all disappeared.

‘Moreover, with the purge of the central nobles, the nobles who were below rose to the surface. This is the same principle as when the Hyman family’s coffers were opened, and the nearby forests and animals grew fat.’

In short, the imperial family was so affluent that the awareness of Gula had almost disappeared. Ian smiled and waved his hand at Noah, who looked puzzled.

“Later, let’s talk about it again later.”

It would be a good example in many ways. It would be Gula’s first historical appearance, and if it could solve the famine in Clifford, it would naturally bring publicity to other countries and Bariel.

“Why? Why not now?”

“No. It’s outside the scope of the current issue.”

Jin glared at Ian, but Ian kept his smile and closed his mouth. It was like a gentle pat, not at all like a power struggle between the Crown Prince and the Minister based on a strike.

As Noah and May looked around, Siao Shi cleared his throat. It was a formal signal to Jin to continue the conversation.

“The urgent matter is that for now, and hmm. Yes. I will also send what is needed for medical care and daily life. Some of it is Bariel’s grace, and the rest should be considered a debt to Lusswennah. That way, you will feel more comfortable. It’s only right that you receive what you deserve.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Whatever it is, we will fill the blood we have shed with the blood of the invaders.”

“Don’t worry. That’s not a problem.”

“But, I have one question. Food and medical care are both like a ray of light for Clifford, but isn’t the most important thing that the rift itself disappears and Clifford returns to its original state?”

Noah carefully brought up the topic.

“Therefore, I would also like to ask for the help of the mages.”

Why was there no mention of magic, which was the most important thing? He knew that they didn’t want to send Sir Ian to Clifford, but then they should at least promise the support of other mages first, shouldn’t they?

Clink.

Jin put down his teacup and shook his head.

“I’m also keeping that in mind. Aren’t there still Bariel mages in Clifford? Each of them is comparable to a god, so they will be of great help to Clifford. I will demand the dispatch of their mages in the negotiation stage with Vergos and Lusswennah. All of them, without exception, will be used as relief personnel for Clifford.”

On the surface, it seemed like a very reasonable and helpful proposal for Clifford. That was until Noah and May, after carefully considering the content, realized the loophole.

“Ah, Your Highness. I apologize, but could you not provide the support details of the Magic Department in advance, like the other lists?”

“Unlike food and daily necessities, mages are living people, and the number that can be mobilized is not large. And didn’t you see? There are quite a few people on strike due to some issues in the Magic Department. If we are to force them to provide support by imperial decree, it seems that a considerable price will be needed.”

“Ah, that is…”

Noah trailed off, fiddling with his fingers in his sleeve.

Turning the mages of Lusswennah and Vergos to this side. If viewed positively, it meant that they could receive more support than the number of Bariel’s Magic Department members.

However, the mages of Lusswennah and Vergos who opposed this could give up their nationality or pretend to give it up and be excluded from the count before the negotiations were concluded. If he were a king, he would have done the same. Rather than sending precious mages to another country, wouldn’t it be better to record that they don’t exist and secretly operate them from behind?

“The mages of Vergos and Lusswennah are the main culprits who destroyed Clifford. There will be many emotional problems in working together with the people to repair the rift. People’s emotions are not so simple to calculate.”

“The soldiers of the defeated countries are all mobilized and put into the reconstruction of the territory. Is it any different from that? Although more people are mobilized than mages, they eventually get it done, don’t they? They are the main culprits of the war criminals. They also have the responsibility to bear the resentment of the victims’ people.”

“But-”

“I’m sorry, Prince Noah. I have no intention of compromising on this. It has already been decided in the internal meeting, so I politely decline any further additions.”

And above all, Ian wasn’t there.

Noah suppressed the urge to shout that and closed his mouth with a smile. Ian, who had been quietly watching from the side, also put down his teacup.

Clink.

“Your Highness.”

He knew that many people had been coming and going to the First Imperial Palace day and night for the past week. It seemed like a strategy to gain cohesion by completely taking over Lusswennah’s right to claim Clifford…

“If I may add, I think it would be better to take over the right to claim magic as well. Mages have a reliable means of transportation, so it doesn’t take long to travel to and from Clifford. Magic cannot be weighed or counted, so you will have the right to the mages themselves. Therefore, wouldn’t it be better to give out Bariel mages in advance and then absorb the mages from Vergos and Lusswennah for Bariel in the future?”

“Is that something a minister who is resigning should say?”

“Above all, the rift is getting wider and deeper as time goes by. It means that later will be more dangerous than now. If you want to save the Bariel mages, you need the manpower to send then.”

As Ian spoke clearly, Jin bit his lower lip.

“And Prince Noah seems to be worried about the mages who will be excluded from the negotiation process.”

“Ah, I suppose so. Especially the Lusswennah mages, I know that they are not affiliated with the state and live in groups among themselves. It will not be easy to conscript them.”

“Just as I will no longer be the Minister of the Magic Department if I resign, if they give up their country and disappear, they will become people that even Bariel cannot count.”

Ian smiled as he poured new tea into Jin’s and Prince Noah’s teacups. Warm steam rose, but perhaps it was because of Jin’s energy. It felt strangely cold, and May rubbed the back of her hand for no reason.