Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 485

Knock knock.

“Your Highness.”

At Siao Shi’s call, Jin turned his head, his hands still buttoning his shirt.

Instead of asking what was going on, Jin nodded, signaling it was okay to proceed. The documents in Siao Shi’s hand were quite thick, suggesting a lengthy agenda for the Grand Council today.

It was truly odd. The Grand Council met almost daily, yet there always seemed to be so much to discuss. Jin shifted his gaze back to the mirror in front of him.

“Is that the amount even after excluding the matter of my father’s state funeral?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Regarding the state funeral, the officials have no particular objections. The consensus is that it should follow custom, but be kept to a minimum considering Your Highness’s coming-of-age ceremony and coronation.”

“They’re so considerate of the national treasury, it brings tears to my eyes.”

Siao Shi paused at Jin’s cynical mutter.

The imperial palace budget, already strained by the upcoming coming-of-age ceremony, was substantial. And now that the Emperor had passed away, Jin’s coronation would also have to be held soon. With so many events scheduled for this year, it was decided that the state funeral should be scaled down.

The justification was sound. However, looking at the underlying motive, it was an act that further diminished the dignity of the imperial authority.

It was the death of an Emperor who had ruled an era. Although his presence had faded as he had been bedridden for the past 10 years, he was still the Emperor who had ruled Bariel for over half a century.

“Your Highness, if you are concerned, I can have the agenda brought up again now.”

To have the Emperor’s state funeral held in a simplified manner was an unpleasant matter for Jin, who was about to ascend to the throne.

However, it was the law of the imperial palace that if one thing was given up, another was gained. Jin shook his head.

“It’s fine. The public opinion of the empire isn’t very heated either, so it would be more beneficial in many ways to do it that way.”

Except for the Prime Minister, Jeyrut, Ian, and Jin, no one had seen the Emperor in the past 10 years. Even the officials working in the imperial palace did not feel any significance in his death, so how would the people of the empire feel? They might feel fatigued by the series of national events.

‘By using the coming-of-age ceremony as a pretext to reduce the state funeral, they won’t have anything to say about the coronation and subsequent decisions.’

With this matter, they would not be able to interfere in the various events organized by the imperial family in the future.

Even though they had preserved the national treasury by reducing the Emperor’s funeral, if there were still budget issues and they questioned the imperial family’s decisions, wouldn’t that imply that the fault lay with each department?

It was a pretext for budget cuts. Any department that did not want to be cut would not be able to raise any major objections to any decisions made by Jin in the future.

“Alright. If that’s the amount excluding the state funeral, then I won’t be able to eat on time again today. Read it out.”

“I will tell you in the order they came in.”

As Jin snapped his fingers, the attendants who had been waiting in the corner approached and finished the Crown Prince’s grooming.

Leaning back on the sofa, Jin suddenly turned his head towards the bright sunlight pouring through the window. The weather seemed particularly nice today.

Clatter.

“First, the doctors have gone up to King Damon’s tower.”

“They haven’t done that for a long time, what sudden wind has blown them there again? Is his life in danger?”

Jin’s brow furrowed instantly as he was basking in the sunlight. The first agenda item was not pleasant at all.

King Damon Runkvis, who was imprisoned as a prisoner of war from the Clifford-Burgos war. Since there was no leader who could be called the rightful heir in Burgos, which was in chaos due to the civil war, Damon was still effectively the King of Burgos.

“His life is not in danger.”

“The more he does that, the more of a burden he becomes to Burgos, doesn’t he know that? Anyway, tsk.”

Sir Ian’s hint that Damon Runkvis was living his second life and aiming for a third by dying had some credibility. Damon had been trying to end his life every other day, full of confidence and hope.

‘Regardless of the truth, it’s disrespectful that he’s struggling to break through the situation by being a prisoner.’

Jin leaned his head back again and muttered.

“Soon, there will be changes in Burgos in response to the changes in Bariel. Whether the royalists or the anti-royalists gain power, I will throw Damon into the middle of that storm, so make sure his life is not in danger.”

A king who had legitimacy, was related to Rutherford, and was captured by the enemy while losing the war and barely surviving.

Damon’s complex identity would cause confusion regardless of who he faced. Bariel would use that confusion as a shield and then easily enter Burgos.

At Jin’s command, Siao Shi raised his hand to his chest, indicating that he would gladly obey.

“And next…”

Knock knock.

Siao Shi, who was about to turn the page, turned towards the door where the sound came from.

“The assistant to the Magic Department, Romandro, has requested an audience.”

“Romandro?”

Why was someone he would see at the Grand Council here? Jin could sense that something had happened.

At his gesture to hurry him in, the door opened wide, and Jin could see Romandro entering with a serious expression.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes. What is it?”

It was a problem, but it was a matter of the Magic Department that could not be mentioned at the Grand Council, he could guess.

Always and forever, problems related to magic made Jin dizzy. No matter how much of a Crown Prince he was, as a commoner who was not a mage, it was an unknown realm that he could not handle.

“We have received separate contact from Zaira.”

“Zaira? Clifford?”

She was a mage from Luswena, who had now naturalized to Bariel and was stopping the Clifford Rift. Although young, she was considered more talented than anyone else in the Magic Department. Jin could easily recall her.

“Is it the regular rift report? It seems to have come a little earlier than usual.”

“No. It is added that it cannot be officially reported and is being treated as confidential. It is said that it will not be recorded in the regular report separately. Given the matter, it would be best if you saw it yourself.”

Swoosh.

Romandro handed Jin a crumpled piece of paper. He moved the attendants back and gestured for Siao Shi and Romandro to sit closer.

-There has been an unknown change in the rift. Compared to when I first came down to Clifford 10 years ago, the magic power leaking from the rift has been steadily decreasing. Although absorbing and controlling that power with Idgal [a magical artifact] was a major part of it, some mages judged it to be a natural phenomenon caused by the subsidence of earthquakes, as everything has a beginning and an end. Although there were some cases where it maintained a certain level, it was rare for it to increase. But…

Rustle.

A shadow of concern fell over Jin’s eyes. He seemed to know what Zaira was trying to say from the context.

-For the past few days, the rift has been strange. Magic power is surging explosively. The Idgal we currently possess and manage cannot handle it. It seems that something has happened under the rift, but we on the ground have limitations in our research. It would be fortunate if this was meaningless, but if it is meaningful, we cannot rule out the possibility of a ‘3rd Zone Rift’.

The ‘1st Zone Rift’ referred to the great monsters in the north, and the ‘2nd Zone’ referred to Clifford. And the ‘3rd Zone Rift’ meant the next, a future that would happen someday.

-It is not certain, but the 3rd zone is likely to be the midpoint of a straight line connecting the 1st and 2nd zones. This is even more so if the area under the rift is connected, and even if it is separate, magic power has the property of combining with the same power.

Jin looked at the huge map of Bariel hanging on the wall.

The monster zone in the northwest.

And the capital of Clifford, Prodhorna, in the southeast.

Jin jumped up and drew a straight line connecting the two ends.

‘Everything on the straight line belongs to Bariel. And the middle of that line is-‘

“It’s Mount Laja, Your Highness.”

Romandro, who seemed to have found out in advance, said, clearing his throat.

Mount Laja. A mountain that stood tall in the west, not far from the center. Zaira was now warning that the next rift could occur in Bariel.

“…”

Jin rubbed his forehead and was silent for a moment. It was a truly difficult matter. Even in a situation where the mages were split between the north and the south, a rift in Bariel?

If a place not far from the center, not even a remote border area, became desolate, it would cause a major problem for Bariel’s national power.

“Your Highness, how about dispatching mages to investigate the area near Mount Laja?”

“Romandro, you know better than anyone that we don’t have the manpower for that, are you saying we should send even those in charge of the imperial palace entrance?”

“However, now that we know the danger, we cannot ignore it. Or we have no choice but to call back the mages from the north or the south…”

It was not easy to withdraw from either side. The scale of the monsters in the north was considerable, so it was necessary to establish a defense line, and the south was politically intertwined with Clifford.

Siao Shi, who had been thinking quietly, offered his opinion.

“Your Highness. It would be better to call back the mages from the north rather than the south. The Atan tribe are those who eat monsters. They may not be able to control the magic power of the rift itself, but they are certainly capable of stopping the overflowing monsters. How about appeasing them and using them appropriately?”

“Appeasing them is not easy. If it were, Commander Hale wouldn’t have needed to go to the north.”

Moreover, their chieftain, Efdram, was a man with a macroscopic view. Rather than eating the monsters right in front of them, he valued expanding the rift to secure their future. That was why he sided with Burgos in the Clifford-Burgos war. Above all, his nature was close to raw, so it was difficult to cooperate with the empire.

“The Atan tribe also wants the Clifford rift to be activated. If that happens in Bariel as well, it would be a great boon for them. If Commander Hale, who was confronting them, withdraws to Bariel, there is a high possibility that Efdram will notice. He is not an ordinary person, is he?”

The Atan tribe had flatly rejected Bariel’s proposal to manage the northern monster zone. They said that living on a limited diet in a limited area was no different from being domesticated livestock. This was the same position as when Ian was there.

‘…If Sir Ian were here-‘

Ten years ago, the Atan tribe had come to the front of the imperial palace at Ian’s call. If they had participated in the talks then, a different situation would have unfolded.

Jin shook his head, saying it was a pointless assumption. Anyway, Sir Ian was not here now, and he was the one leading Bariel. He needed to get his mind right.

“I will watch for a while to see if the change is meaningful. Tell Zaira to send a report every day.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And I need to send a message to Berik. Siao.”

“I will prepare it.”

Berik’s mission to meet the Atan tribe had become more important.

As Siao Shi got up from his seat, Romandro asked.

“Does Berik not have a report yet?”

“There’s no news. He might be too busy running around.”

“Oh dear. Well, that’s a relief, but this, well. I’m a little worried. Your Highness, I’m sorry, but if you hear from Berik, please let me know.”

Normally, the report would have been sent through the commander of the Imperial Guard, Jeyrut, but this mission was directly ordered by the Crown Prince. Therefore, Berik’s carrier pigeon would arrive at Jin first. It was the moment Jin was about to tell him not to worry.

Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.

A small, ticklish noise was heard. What was it? When Jin turned his head, he saw a small, old pigeon struggling to peck at the window.

It was in a terrible state, as if something was broken. The pigeon pecked at the window with its beak, and when it made eye contact with Jin, it tilted its head from side to side.

Then, something was shining in the sunlight. It was Berik’s magic stone wrapped around its neck. Jin smiled faintly.

Coo?

“…It’s Berik, as expected. He comes when you speak of him.”

“Oh my, why is it in such a state? Even when he gets a carrier pigeon, he always gets one like that.”

“Your Highness, I will let it in.”

As Siao Shi opened the window, the old pigeon waddled inside.