Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 460

“Ru, Rutherford—!”

Romandro’s off-key shout echoed through the imperial palace. His face pale, he stumbled forward, and the attendants naturally stepped aside to clear a path.

Rutherford.

Some knew the exact meaning and weight of that name, while others, who had only vaguely heard it, tilted their heads in confusion.

Romandro, ignoring the dozens of gazes, hurried towards the space where Crown Prince Jin was. Beric followed closely behind.

Taptaptap!

“Get out of the way!”

“Lord Romandro, Lord Beric. What’s the matter?”

“It’s urgent! Didn’t you hear me say get out of the way?”

“Oh my, move aside!”

Thud!

The attendant guarding the reception room suddenly stuck his face out to ask what was going on. Romandro and Beric collided head-on with him, sending all three tumbling.

The three of them fell in a mess. Romandro clutched his throbbing head, while Beric, with a nosebleed, jumped up.

“Rutherford has invaded!”

Creak.

At that moment, Tweller, who had been waiting for a report, opened the door himself. Over his shoulder, Jin and Xiaoshi could be seen standing with worried expressions. Tweller looked down at the chaotic scene and asked,

“Romandro. Rutherford, what are you talking about?”

“It’s, it’s a disaster, Minister Tweller! Ru, Rutherford! That guy has infiltrated the imperial palace! It seems they’re gathered around the exhibition hall, and Acorella, the head of the Magic Department, has been attacked.”

Everyone frowned at Romandro’s cry.

Rutherford. The force that manufactures the artificial magic sealing stones called Idgal [a type of magical artifact], and a mysterious merchant group trying to establish a foothold in Burgos, which had lost its leader and was now adrift.

This was the basic information known within the imperial palace, but for those who had been through the thick of war, like Tweller, it held a deeper significance.

“What about Sir Ian?”

“He must be confronting them with the mages who went with him. We came to check on His Highness Jin’s safety first… Please, send reinforcements quickly!”

This was the imperial palace.

Everyone here knew that all entrances to the outside were managed by the Magic Department and soldiers, and not even an ant could pass without permission.

Tweller gripped his sword tighter at Romandro’s trembling cry. This was serious. This was a national security crisis that could not be compared to even a civil war.

“Xiaoshi.”

“Yes, Minister Tweller.”

“Escort His Highness Jin to safety.”

Swoosh.

Tweller and Ian simultaneously recognized a strange booming sound.

The veteran Tweller, who had spent his life in war, felt it through his developed senses, while the magically gifted Ian felt the explosion with his sixth sense.

What did this booming sound mean? And what did it imply that the head of the Magic Department, Acorella, had been attacked?

“Summon all the soldiers in the imperial palace right now.”

“Understood.”

“Romandro. How many mages went with Sir Ian?”

“Fi, five? No, was it six? I’m not sure.”

“Tell the mages who are left here. Until we accurately assess the enemy’s strength, they are absolutely forbidden from approaching or attacking rashly. The mages will stand by until further instructions.”

“Huh? Why?”

Beric protested as Tweller tapped his forehead and gave the order.

Mages were beings organically connected through magic. If someone was injured, another mage could share their magic to help. So, Beric knew that it was advantageous to move as a group.

“Ian’s not in good shape right now! And if that crazy Acorella got hurt, shouldn’t we be ganging up on them? Huh? Don’t you know there’s no match for a dogpile?”

This was Minister Tweller, who was said to eat people alive. But what was with this behavior? The subordinates slowly backed away and left the hallway, and Tweller pulled out a cigarette from his pocket.

“You’re like a wild colt, but somehow you’ve managed to stick by Sir Ian’s side.”

“Ian’s got a terrible personality too, you know?”

“Listen carefully. They are ruffians who deceived the Magic Department and infiltrated deep into the imperial palace. You said the head mage, Acorella, was attacked? That means there’s a mage on the other side who can handle the resources of the imperial palace.”

“Acorella is a researcher, so he’s originally a pushover!”

“Is that all there is to it? Rutherford is the core of manufacturing the magic sealing stones called Idgal. What if all the imperial palace mages went to the front and lost their power?”

Tweller pointed the cigarette at Beric. His sharp gaze shone even through the cigarette smoke. He respected the desire to cherish comrades, but everything had to be done within orders.

“If the imperial palace loses its power, Bariel will collapse. If Bariel collapses, the future of the empire’s people will disappear. Beric. Would Sir Ian really want that?”

The order would not be reversed, and he was telling them to follow it with all their might.

A calm yet weighty warning. Beric’s mouth was hanging open as if he didn’t like it, but what could he do? He didn’t want what Ian didn’t want. Beric grumbled but didn’t argue.

At that moment, Jin, dressed in his outer robe, walked out, escorted by Xiaoshi and Jayrut. The prince, still holding Romandro’s slightly trembling hand, asked worriedly,

“Rutherford is here? What about Sir Ian?”

“Ian is, he’s, he’s holding them off well. Yes. Please don’t worry too much, Your Highness, and think only of your own safety. They are incredibly ruthless. How on earth did they infiltrate the imperial palace with a sound mind?”

“How on earth?”

“I don’t know the details, but I suspect magic was used.”

“And their purpose hasn’t been revealed either?”

“Th, that’s right…”

It was hard to guess. Perhaps, due to the spatial peculiarity of the imperial palace, they were trying to threaten the existence of the imperial family, but that was just a guess.

Nothing was certain yet. So, it was right to evacuate quickly. Jin was currently the only prince of Bariel and the one leading the empire in place of the ailing emperor.

“Your Highness!”

Taptaptap!

At the end of the hallway, high-ranking officials who had heard the news came running in a panic. Their faces clearly showed that this was the first time they had ever experienced such a thing. It was unprecedented in history, and they were as terrified as if Bariel had been split in half.

“There are intruders in the imperial palace?”

“I heard it’s the Rutherford merchant group, is that true?”

“It’s true. Everyone, please take cover first. We have no idea what their purpose is. Tweller! Make capturing the Rutherford group your priority, but if it’s not possible, annihilate them.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Tweller disappeared after receiving Jin’s order. The bewildered officials, watching his retreating figure, suddenly realized.

“What about the Magic Department? What are they doing?”

“Sir Ian is currently confronting Rutherford. The remaining mages will move with the Imperial Defense Force. Everyone, don’t worry-”

“Your Highness.”

One of the officials cautiously called out to Jin.

“Is it alright to keep the Imperial Defense Force and the Magic Department together?”

“What?”

It was a rather irritating remark. Jin, who had been about to move in the opposite direction from Tweller, stopped and turned to look at him. It was only for a moment that he didn’t understand the meaning, and then Jin frowned deeply.

“…Listen here.”

“Rutherford is the force that caused chaos in Bariel with Idgal during the past civil war. Moreover, didn’t Sir Ian reveal it himself at the conference? That he was involved in the manufacturing of Idgal. A sudden infiltration into the imperial palace where the Magic Department is intact. This is not easily understandable.”

“Th, that’s right! Isn’t it possible that the Magic Department helped them infiltrate?”

“It seems virtually impossible without their help.”

“It would be best to isolate and guard the Magic Department first, Your Highness.”

“Perhaps, the Magic Department and Rutherford are in cahoots?”

“It’s possible. Very possible!”

“To be honest, Sir Ian’s statements didn’t make sense. He manufactured it, but he doesn’t remember?”

“Now I understand! King Damon said that Sir Ian’s bloodline was of the imperial family, right? Rutherford and Damon are in cahoots. They were planning to shake Bariel by deceiving us that Sir Ian was a descendant of the imperial family, weren’t they?”

“Everyone, stop, stop it!”

Clang!

A piece of pottery flew towards the feet of the officials who were excitedly chattering. Jin had thrown a decorative item.

After a moment of shock, the officials realized that Jin was furious and prostrated themselves. It was clear that he was grinding his teeth. When the prime minister approached to calm him down, the boy roughly shook off his hand.

“Why! Why are you all so eager to tear Sir Ian apart? Is it because a commoner has risen to the position of imperial minister?”

“Your Highness! That’s not true!”

“We are doing this for the safety of Your Highness and Bariel…”

“Didn’t you say you would step back! That you would put everything down and leave this place now-!”

Jin shouted as if he was pouring out all the things he had been suffering in silence.

Checks and balances. For those invisible but valuable things, Ian and he had distanced themselves. He had carried five steps for Ian, thinking that it might be hard for him to walk ten steps alone. Ian had said that he would now walk well on his own, so he would go another way.

“…Are you barking like that because you fear the power of magic?”

“Your Highness! Those are excessive words!”

“Everyone, listen carefully to what I say!”

Ian had sacrificed himself every time. He had even encouraged Jin to use him as a stepping stone to climb higher. The sight of him smiling and saying that he would sacrifice himself for Jin’s power, since he was going to disappear anyway, was suffocating. And yet, how dare they…

Jin warned the officials in a low voice.

“…Do not bark. Only fearful dogs bark.”

Thud!

After saying that, Jin turned away. With Captain Jayrut at the lead, the imperial guards rushed to escort the crown prince.

“Your Highness. Where should we take you?”

There were dozens of shelters scattered throughout the imperial palace. He was asking which one was suitable. Jin pondered for a moment, then nodded towards the central building of the First Imperial Palace in the distance.

“I will go to my father.”

“Yes?”

To the emperor who was frozen and lying down, why?

Jayrut was momentarily confused, not understanding the intention, but soon realized. The secret passage in the painting that the emperor had used. He was going to hide there. It was undoubtedly safe, and he would be able to see how the situation was unfolding at a glance.

Jayrut nodded and gave orders to the other members. The shelter in the painting was only shared with the captains.

“The other members will control and guard the central building of the imperial palace. If there are any officials who need help, you may assist them.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

Thud!

Beric suddenly popped out from among the guards. His eyes were blazing. Jin knew what Beric wanted. The boy showed that he was willing to allow it.

“Beric. Go to Sir Ian. Go and support Sir Ian with all your might. Your mission is to bring the Magic Department back intact.”

The war between the three nations had ended, but the flow was as turbulent and murky as the bottom of a deep river.

The king of Luswena had died after being cursed, and the king of Burgos was imprisoned in the imperial palace. Moreover, there was the continental rift that had opened right in the middle of Clifford.

The political situation between the three nations was so chaotic that it was impossible to predict the future, so Bariel needed to solidify its position as a great power. And of course, what made that possible was the existence of the Magic Department.

“Beric alone is not enough, Your Highness. I will send Barsabe with him. Barsabe!”

“Yes, Captain!”

“I’ll be back!”

“Beric! Let’s go together!”

Taptaptap!

Barsabe saluted Jin and immediately chased after Beric.

Another booming sound. Jin frowned and looked at the rising smoke. Something ominous was clearly happening inside.