Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 463

“Is breaking the barrier the right call, Minister Tweller?”

Tweller remained silent, continuously stroking his beard. If the Magic Department, not Rutherford’s group, had erected the barrier, considerable caution was necessary.

Wasn’t this the judgment of their own people on the ground? It was impossible to gauge whether they meant the situation was too dangerous to bring in reinforcements, or if reinforcements would hinder their response.

Whatever the reason, the important thing was that the Magic Department was currently refusing their intervention.

“Stand by for a moment.”

He instructed his subordinates, a cigarette dangling from his fingers. Smoke curled up, as if guiding their path.

“First, we need to identify their escape routes. Intensify the search, starting from the Second Imperial Palace. If this place is an entrance, the group that secured Damon and the Vergos delegation will return this way. Don’t just look ahead; also keep an eye on the rear toward the Second Imperial Palace. Understood?”

“Yes, Minister!”

“Just in case, I also authorize bringing magic-sealing stones. Oh, and my axe too.”

At Tweller’s command, his subordinates moved with precision. Having moved directly after attending the armistice negotiations, he felt uncomfortable holding a ceremonial sword. He turned to Barsabe and Beric, asking,

“What will you two do? The Imperial Defense Force will respect the mages’ wishes and wait here.”

“Following His Highness’s orders, we should go inside, but that might burden the mages. We will wait as well.”

“Aaaah! Ian! Open the door! Beric is here, okay? Damn it. I was trying to help, but why won’t you let me in? Ian! Mr. Ian Hielo! Hey!”

“Beric!”

Thwack!

Beric was loudly barking, his forehead pressed against the barrier. There were too many eyes on them, so Barsabe responded by smacking the back of his head. It wasn’t very effective, though.

“Iaaaann! My tooth is acting up again!”

“Shut up, you crazy bastard!”

“Minister, we have a message from the main gate.”

Just then, one of Tweller’s subordinates appeared through the chaos. He seemed to have brought some difficult news. Tweller tilted his head, signaling him to speak, and the subordinate whispered, covering his mouth with his hand.

“The Atan tribe has arrived at the main gate.”

“What?”

Why is he like that? Beric briefly turned his gaze at Tweller’s exclamation, but it was truly brief. He resumed banging his head against the barrier, whining to be let in.

“…Beric.”

“What?”

“Was the Atan tribe’s chieftain named Efdram?”

“Maybe? Honestly, I get their names mixed up. There’s this one crazy, curly-haired guy, though.”

In Tweller’s memory, the Atan tribe had sided with Vergos during the Clifford War. They had dispersed the northern rifts into the Clifford lands, and since they lived by consuming monsters, their interests aligned, and they welcomed the floods.

It was certain that Ian had officially invited them to Bariel during the armistice agreement. The problem was, ‘Why did they arrive now of all times?’

“They say they were delayed because they stopped by the northern region, and they are protesting why they aren’t being let in. We can’t tell them the reason for the palace lockdown, and they are too barbaric to be persuaded easily.”

“Is there a possibility they are in league with Rutherford?”

“I don’t know. It’s impossible to ascertain.”

Atan and Rutherford. Could there be a connection? Since Atan was on Vergos’s side, it was suspicious to say they were completely unrelated.

But from what he saw in Clifford, they didn’t seem like the type to get involved in petty political squabbles.

“Minister, the commotion at the main gate is causing rumors among the imperial citizens. We need to either let them in or persuade them to wait.”

“Absolutely not let them in. In the current situation, if Atan were to support Rutherford, it would be irreversible. It would be better to turn them away.”

“Yes. Honestly, the armistice negotiations are going well without the Atan tribe, aren’t they?”

“It’s their fault for being late, so we’ll use that as a reason to refuse their entry.”

“Isn’t that why they contacted us, because they can’t be refused? They are people who don’t understand words, so they came all the way to the Imperial Defense Force.”

“Even if they are not related to Rutherford, letting them into the chaotic palace right now is absolutely out of the question.”

The general consensus was similar. The Atan tribe should not be allowed into the palace. However, at the same time, they needed a way to resolve the situation without making the imperial citizens anxious. Tweller nodded at Beric.

“Beric, I would like you to go to the main gate and handle the Atan tribe.”

“Huh?”

Me? Why me?

Beric, who had been rubbing his head against the barrier, paused. His expression was half ‘I don’t want to go’ and half ‘I don’t know why this old man is ordering me around.’

“The palace is in danger, so the command structure is just a formality. I am now requesting support from the Imperial Guard as the Minister of the Imperial Defense Force, and if you refuse without a valid reason, you will be subject to disciplinary action after the situation is resolved through a formal complaint. The punishment will vary depending on the severity of the situation, understood?”

“No, is your order stronger than His Highness Jin’s order? I’m going inside to see Ian, so why would I go anywhere else! You go!”

“I, too, am following His Highness Jin’s order to protect the palace. Your mission isn’t to see Ian, but to support Ian, isn’t it? What’s good for the palace is ultimately good for Ian, right?”

“You bring up Ian for everything. Damn it. You suck me dry with work all the time.”

“Beric! Your language is excessive! Apologize to Minister Tweller!”

“Screw you, you jerk. I’m not going! Why should I go? If you’re going, then you go, you tooth!”

Beric shouted, sticking to the wall, refusing to move away, and Tweller rubbed his temples.

“Beric.”

He was forcing him to bring up an issue he didn’t want to mention officially.

“Aren’t you an Atan?”

“…?”

“You already know Efdram, you are Ian’s closest aide who brought them here, and I judged that it would be most effective for you, who shares an identity with the Atan, to persuade them directly.”

The eyes of the palace soldiers who had not gone to war widened. An Atan? They had thought his meat-eating habits were unusual, but his blood was different. But are all Atans like that? Whispers could be heard from all around.

Barsabe looked around, then pulled Beric’s collar and whispered.

“Just go and come back quickly. I’ll watch over here.”

“Ugh, seriously.”

“You can’t just barge in. What if something happens to Ian, or the Magic Department? It’s more productive than you banging your head here. You know the Atan tribe is as crazy as you, so resolve it before any problems arise. Ian will praise you later.”

“Aaaargh! Damn it.”

Beric sighed in frustration and tilted his head back. He didn’t want to go, but there were plenty of reasons to go. It was maddening. Putting aside seeing that crazy Efdram, he didn’t like being away from the situation. What if something suddenly happened? What if Ian called for him, and he wasn’t there?

“If I were you, I would go quickly instead of worrying.”

“…What do I say when I get there?”

“Tell them there’s a problem, so they should wait calmly. Don’t mention anything about the situation inside. And if you sense that the Atan tribe is in league with Rutherford, send a message immediately. We need to request support from outside as well.”

“You give me a pittance for a salary, but you make me do so much.”

“Are you kidding? You always break things, but you forgot how much you eat?”

“I don’t know. I’m going! Get out of the way! Bring out the horse!”

“Minister Tweller! Beric is going!”

With a grin, Barsabe saluted, and Tweller’s subordinates parted to the sides. They were clearly trying to send him off quickly, fearing he might change his mind.

Hee-heeing!

Thud!

“Let’s go! Let’s go and come back quickly!”

Beric pulled the reins hard, and the horse neighed, lifting its front legs and galloping away.

His figure disappeared in an instant. Barsabe barely wiped away the cold sweat and smiled. He had worried about what would happen if he refused to go, but it was a relief that things worked out better than expected.

Buzz. Buzz.

“Sir Barsabe, please look here.”

“The barrier is shaking a bit. Why, why is it doing this?”

“Huh?”

And as soon as Beric left, there was a problem with the magic barrier. A noticeable tremor. Something transparent, like a window blocking a typhoon, was rippling.

Barsabe was confused and focused his mind again. The solid power was dizzying. It was as if some kind of chaos had arisen among the mages.

The moment Barsabe tilted his head in confusion-

Crack.

“Huh.”

The sound of something cracking was clearly heard from somewhere. Startled, Barsabe stepped back, and the horrified soldiers retreated even further.

“M-Magic Swordsman! Is there a problem?”

“Fall back! Something is not right! Fall back!”

“It seems the problem is inside, but I don’t know.”

“Will it be okay?”

Thud! Bang!

As if in response, a roar erupted from inside. What kind of fight were they having? Barsabe tightened his protective gear, ready to deploy at any moment.

Hee-heeing!

Clatter, clatter!

Meanwhile, Beric waved his hand at the palace gatekeepers far in the distance. He had arrived earlier than expected because he had run with all his might. It was possible because the area had been completely cleared in anticipation of battle.

The gatekeepers, who had been facing off against the Atan tribe with only the main gate between them, recognized Beric and brightened up.

“It’s Beric!”

“Here! Come here quickly!”

Thud! Bang!

Clunk! Clunk!

“Aren’t you going to open this? We didn’t come here recklessly, damn it… the Magic Department Minister called us here!”

“Should we break it down? I think we can.”

“P-Please calm down! If even a little bit is damaged, you will be severely punished! According to strict national law!”

“Give us some food! Are we going to die of hunger like this? Dying like this or dying like that, what’s the difference?”

“Open the door! The door! Is this how the Empire treats its guests? Huh? Seriously. When they told us to come, and after we came all this way, this is what we get?”

Ha. This is something. They are really something.

Beric clicked his tongue and landed calmly. If someone who didn’t know saw it, they would think a riot had broken out. They were shaking the huge palace gate as if they were going to break it down, and the gatekeepers looked anxious, even though they knew it wouldn’t open.

Beric roughly pushed open a small window that connected to the outside.

Thud!

“Hurry and-”

“Ugh, shut up.”

“What is it? It’s a familiar face? Captain! The door here is open!”

“Let me see! These guys want to die, keeping a precious person waiting here… it’s Beric?”

A small gap where only the eyes and nose could barely be seen. Beric and Efdram exchanged glances, sizing each other up. They didn’t seem very pleased.

“Where did the owner go? You mutt.”

“The owner is busy. So, shut up and wait.”

“From what I heard from the people passing by, if the palace is locked down like this, it means there’s chaos inside? They said it was like this during the civil war. Is something going on?”

“You’re surprisingly studious for someone who looks like that.”

“Hey, watch your tongue if you don’t want to die.”

“You can’t even break down a door.”

“…Should I show you?”

As Efdram’s eyes turned golden, Beric flinched back. Oh, right. He was a mage. Almost got unlucky.

“No! Never mind, they said to just wait a little longer. If you keep causing trouble, it’ll only be a loss for you, so, damn it, just shut up. Let’s be nice!”

Did he sense that he had taken a step back? Efdram’s eyes sparkled. And as if he had found a very interesting prey, he breathed roughly.

“Something is definitely going on. If they’re sending a dog who doesn’t know the first thing about hospitality, it means something terrible is happening inside the palace, so much so that they’re burdened by our commotion. Am I right?”

He was caught! As Beric tried to look away, Efdram pointed inside with a nod. He was full of laughter, as if it was very amusing.

“The moon has risen.”

“Moon?”

A black moon, deep and dark, so that the inside could not be seen.

When did that rise?

Beric knew well what that meant. It was something that rose whenever a mage traveled a long distance. It seemed like Rutherford’s mages were trying to escape.

“Woah, woah! Mind your own business.”

“I can mind my own business, but can you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If that’s the cause of the commotion, it means someone is about to escape, so the Magic Department will chase after them. If not, it means something has happened that requires the Magic Department to move on its own? It’s highly likely that Ian’s magic is leading it.”

Efdram pressed his face close to the gap and chuckled. You stupid mutt! You don’t understand the situation very well, do you?

“Your owner is trying to go far away right now, you idiot.”