Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 470

Philia leaned her head against the rattling window, gazing at the distant sky.

It was the morning of the fifteenth day since they had left Hielo Territory by carriage. The coachman said they would arrive before late afternoon, but the eagerness she had felt to arrive yesterday had vanished like the wind. It was a truly strange thing.

To be more precise, she felt uncomfortable entering the Imperial Palace. She was curious about whether Crown Prince Jin was well, how Romandro, Vivianna, and the precious people of the Magic Department were doing, but at the same time, paradoxically, she didn’t want to know.

It was probably because of Ian’s disappearance.

*Swoosh.*

“Philia.”

“You’re awake?”

“If you want to lean, lean this way.”

Nershal gently wrapped his hand around Philia’s forehead, worried it might get cold. Philia leaned naturally onto his shoulder, smiling as if she were happy, but then she fixed her gaze back out the window and murmured.

“We’ll be arriving at the center soon, right?”

“Yes.”

“…I’m scared.”

Nershal knew well what Philia was afraid of. Ian, who had vanished into thin air in an instant. While some said he was dead and others said he would return, they had left the center as if fleeing, at Jin’s recommendation.

For Jin, it was a political maneuver, but for Philia, it was a kind of survival instinct. It was an attempt to avoid reality before facing it, before the world crumbled.

“When we get to the center, I think Ian will come to greet us. He’ll say he hasn’t seen us in a long time, that he couldn’t contact us because he was too busy, and that he’s sorry. Then I’ll say that I was sad but understood. And then we’ll hug and eat delicious food together, and I’ll ask how he’s been and if he’s hurt anywhere.”

Philia’s eyes sparkled at the future unfolding in her mind, but the carriage rattled, bringing her back to reality. It was so cruel that even such a small shake could shatter her fantasy.

“But if I confirm that Ian isn’t there, I won’t even be able to live with this kind of hope anymore… I’m scared.”

“Philia.”

“I’m sorry, Nershal. I’m so strange, right? I insisted on coming with you, and now I’m saying this.”

“No. You’re not strange. I’m grateful that you followed me despite such fear.”

Nershal hugged Philia and patted her back. This journey wasn’t just to celebrate Jin’s coming-of-age ceremony. It was a kind of business trip ordered by Kakantir. Knowing they might be apart for a long time, Philia had packed her bags with her daughter.

“I can’t leave Nershal alone. And more than anything, Kakantir seemed to want me to come along too.”

“Perhaps it’s because Philia has a deeper connection with His Highness, so he’ll be happier to see you than me?”

“Do you think so? Actually, apart from Ian’s work, I really wanted to thank His Highness. He didn’t reclaim the territory even though the lord was gone, and he didn’t send a new person either. Thanks to that, we’ve been able to freely travel the Great Desert, so I’m so relieved.”

Philia wiped her eyes bravely and smiled.

If the Imperial Family had appointed a new lord, they might have rebuilt the walls with the Cheonryeo people according to their policies. So, the Hielo and Cheonryeo people, who were already mixed, had been very sensitive to the Imperial Palace when Ian disappeared. As if to quell their worries, the center showed no interest.

‘Was the Imperial Palace the same as Philia?’

Indifference disguised as avoidance. Just as Philia thought Ian was alive in the center, the center might have thought Ian was alive in Hielo.

Nershal sighed inwardly and took his wife’s hand. He hoped she wouldn’t have too hard a time.

*Creak.*

At that moment, the door connecting to the back of the carriage opened, and a young girl appeared.

Skin that reflected the Great Desert, golden hair, and green eyes. Her delicate features were just like Philia’s. Even though she had just woken up, the child sat across from her parents without fussing.

“Roel. Did you sleep well?”

“…Yes.”

Unlike her calm expression, her voice was hoarse. Philia stretched out her arms as if to say, ‘Come here,’ and Roel reluctantly snuggled into her mother’s arms after gazing at her for a moment.

“They say we’ll arrive at the center soon. You’ve worked hard for fifteen days, my daughter. Let’s rest on a soft bed when we get there.”

“…Mother.”

“Yes?”

Perhaps it was because she inherited the warrior’s spirit, or perhaps it was because she inherited the name of Hielo. Unlike other children her age, Roel was very calm, deep, and didn’t open her mouth easily.

But sometimes, when she spoke first like this, she often surprised her parents and those around her. Just like now.

“It’s about Ian, big brother.”

“Huh?”

Philia’s eyes widened. Had she heard the conversation with Nershal? The noise of the carriage was so loud that she shouldn’t have heard it? Besides, she had clearly looked like she was asleep until just now.

Philia unconsciously bit her dry lip slightly.

“Ian, big brother. He’s above me.”

“Sorry, were Mom and Dad too loud?”

“We can see him again when we get to the center.”

“…Roel?”

*Haaam.* Roel buried her face in Philia’s arms and yawned softly. The child’s breath tickled Philia’s neck, but she didn’t feel anything.

Why was Roel saying such things? Was it because her own distortion of reality had affected her daughter? As Philia’s mind became confused, Nershal intervened. He stroked the child’s hair and asked again.

“Roel. What you said about Ian is a very important matter for your mother and us. I’d like you to be more specific.”

At her father’s words, the child opened her eyes slightly and murmured.

“It’s just as I said. We can see him when we get to the center. Ian, big brother, is coming up soon.”

“Coming up?”

Nershal suddenly recalled Kakantir’s sigh. It was when he was debating whether to put him in the vacant position of tribal chief after Winchen’s death.

Nershal was qualified in many ways, but in their history, the tribal chief had to support the tribe and the entire Cheonryeo people with a special ability.

“From below where big brother fell, upwards.”

“Wh, who says that?”

“I saw it. With my eyes.”

“……!”

The murmuring of the warriors, who were worried about who would take care of the Cheonryeo people after Winchen’s death, also flashed through Nershal’s mind.

Philia hugged Roel, who had fallen silent again, and froze, while Nershal ran a hand through his hair in bewilderment. He stared at the child quietly. Her bronze skin showed that she was a Cheonryeo warrior, but her blonde hair and green eyes proved that the blood of Bariel flowed through her veins.

“Ne, Nershal.”

Philia quietly called her husband, at a loss. If Roel were to follow in Winchen’s footsteps, it wouldn’t be hard to predict the child’s end. Someday, her fate would be to be broken and then bloom again, depending on the existence of Silask.

However, it was too brilliant and sweet to dismiss it as just a dream of a young child. Philia couldn’t deny the content that said the disappeared Ian would return.

“It’s okay, Philia.”

Nershal also knew that, so he couldn’t say that the child was just having a dream. If she really had a special ability, it would be a worry as a father, but as a member of the Cheonryeo tribe, it would be a relief.

Nershal hugged Philia and Roel together, letting out a sigh of complicated feelings.

“……”

Only Roel, nestled in her parents’ arms, looked out the rattling window with an indifferent face. In the distance, a huge fortress began to appear.

The center, the heart of Bariel, which she had only heard about.

* * *

Jin lightly threw the documents onto the table. *Thud.* It was a small sound, but to the officials sitting in rows on either side, it sounded like the sky was falling.

Those who recognized that the Crown Prince was in a very bad mood all fixed their gazes on the table. If you made eye contact at a time like this, you’d only suffer for it.

“Who made this proposal?”

“I, it was me, Your Highness.”

“To stop the construction of the Magic Department’s annex?”

*Tap tap,* Jin asked back in a slow voice, as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

He had heard that the head of the Administrative Department, Quintana, was nurturing a new talent. Was that why? He was doing the exact same thing Quintana had done when she was young.

“Why?”

“Uh, yes, y-yes! As, as stated in the report, the construction costs for the Magic Department’s annex are increasing day by day. Isn’t it true that construction costs increase exponentially in proportion to the construction period? Although it is nearing completion, the amount of magic stones coming from Burgos is decreasing, so I believe it is reasonable to temporarily suspend it and resume it at an appropriate time.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Above all, there are many big events this year, such as Your Highness’s coming-of-age ceremony…”

“The budget was allocated generously 10 years ago when construction began. There may be some fluctuations as prices rise, but it shouldn’t be a major problem, should it?”

“Ah, that is-”

“It’s already been 10 years since the number of mages, which was already insufficient, was cut in half. Do you not like the idea of building an annex?”

“Your Highness. That’s not it!”

“Is that so? It’s not. Then, perhaps it’s the influence of those who are uncomfortable with Ian’s return.”

The official looked around, gauging the atmosphere. Those who had been in their positions for a long time remained silent and held their breath, while those who had been newly appointed showed their support.

One of the main reasons why the Crown Prince was not giving up on the construction of the annex was related to the head of the Magic Department, and it seemed to be true. He was someone who had disappeared a long time ago, so what was the point of doing this without any promise of his return? Seeing it in person, it was clear that he was clinging to a vain dream and doing useless things.

Amidst the chaotic mix of opinions, Jin slowly pressed his temples.

“I wonder how many years it takes for this to happen again.”

“Yo, Your Highness?”

“At this point, it’s safe to assume that the existing officials also oppose the Magic Department’s annex. Every time a new person comes in, they push them to speak on their behalf, so even though the speaker changes, the content is the same, and I’m sick of it.”

“Ahem. That’s not true, Your Highness.”

“Yes. You are mistaken.”

“How have you all endured looking at the site of the Magic Department’s annex for 10 years? You are amazing. I’ll praise you for that alone.”

The validity of the Magic Department’s annex construction had steadily decreased over the past 10 years. Even when Ian was there, the opposition was extreme, and in the current situation, it was even more impossible to find any meaning in it.

It had been 10 years of pushing it through solely with the authority of the Imperial Family. Now that the end was in sight, he couldn’t stop here. As always, Jin was resolute.

“I reject it.”

“Your Highness. But Burgos-”

“After the coming-of-age ceremony, I will go to Burgos myself.”

Jin declared, telling them to be quiet.

What did it mean for him to go to Burgos himself? It meant that he would bring Burgos under the control of Bariel, which meant that Jin would appear directly in history, and furthermore, it implied the death of the Emperor.

The end of the Emperor, who had been lying down for a long time, was in sight. As the officials whispered and exchanged glances, a sound was heard from outside.

*Knock knock.*

“Your Highness, an urgent message.”

“Speak.”

Jin naturally expected it to be news of his father, the Emperor’s death. He had told Siao to inform him of the bad news in the middle of the meeting.

However, the content he heard was different from what he had expected.

“It’s an urgent message from Minister Tweller that a person using the name Rutherford has been spotted in Burgos.”