Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 497

“Lord Romandro, it seems there’s a problem.”

“Are you talking about the tremor just now? I felt it too.”

“It doesn’t seem like a simple matter.”

“Huh? Wait a minute. Instead of staying here, let’s go outside. Let’s hear it outside. Tell all the mages to gather.”

Just as the Crown Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony was about to reach its peak, there was a mysterious tremor? Romandro watched as the mages stationed throughout the banquet hall rushed to the entrance, and soon he left the grand banquet hall with them.

As soon as the surroundings became quiet, the mages lowered their voices and muttered through their teeth. They had felt a strong force along with a ‘thump’ sound.

“The tremor just now, it was magic power.”

“Magic power? What kind of magic power?”

“It was too instantaneous, so I couldn’t perceive it in detail.”

At the unexpected words, Romandro gasped and paused. He had expected it to be a structural problem with the building or a mistake by a servant, but magic power! And in the middle of the Imperial Palace? It was a moment that brought back the nightmare of 10 years ago. The nightmare of losing a precious person because they couldn’t stop an external intruder.

Romandro, with a pale face, instructed the mages.

“First, set up a barrier in the grand banquet hall, and the rest should search the vicinity. If there’s anything suspicious, report it to the Imperial Palace immediately.”

“Yes, understood.”

“You take charge of the barrier! Everyone, don’t get hurt, and be careful. You know what I mean, right? We can’t afford to scatter any further here.”

“Lord Romandro, what about mobilizing the soldiers?”

“Sir Siao Shi will be moving separately. Let’s leave the soldiers to him. The coming-of-age ceremony has just begun. If we cause a disturbance rashly, we’ll end up ruining the ceremony ourselves. Everyone, move cautiously.”

The mages nodded at Romandro’s advice. But where is Acorella at this important moment? Is she in the lab again?

Just as Romandro was about to touch his forehead, Acorella came down the railing. She swept past the mages, her robe fluttering.

“C-Captain?”

“What are you all doing? Hurry up and follow me!”

“Y-yes, the Captain is indeed the Captain! I’m sorry for thinking you were just slacking off all this time!”

“What are you saying, you little brat? You’re dead later.”

“Captain! Let’s go together!”

Except for the mage in charge of the barrier, the entire magic division ran in the same direction as Acorella. It was the inner garden of the grand banquet hall where the magic power had been felt.

Romandro also worked his short legs hard and followed behind them. If it was Rutherford’s doing again this time, he wouldn’t let it go! He would protect the current Imperial Palace at all costs! Suddenly, he missed his wife and daughter dearly, but Romandro clenched his teeth.

Tap tap!

There was no one in the well-kept garden. Only the lush bushes swayed in the wind.

The mages sensed a bush that was moving suspiciously. So, they lowered their posture and approached it, and Acorella, with her hands on her hips, shouted loudly.

“Hail!”

“Yes?”

Why are you suddenly looking for Captain Hail? The mages turned around in surprise, and at the same time, two hands popped out of the bush. Startled, Romandro grabbed Acorella’s collar and screamed.

“Nyahhh!”

“Aah! W-what is it!”

The mages, also startled, fell backward. Acorella alone limped forward and pulled the hands. Then, the mages came tumbling out in a tangled mess? They were all the ones who had been dispatched to the north.

Whish!

“Phew!”

“Ouch, my back!”

“Damn it, that’s why I told you to open the portal properly?”

“The portal opened properly! It was a mistake in calculating the height. Anyway, the one who didn’t add any magic power is the loudest. Isn’t that right?”

“You told me not to add it! That it was useless!”

“Who said it was useless? I said it wasn’t needed!”

“Everyone shut up! My head is ringing!”

What on earth was going on? Romandro widened his eyes and hesitated for a moment, but he immediately recognized that the owner of the vulgar language was Beric.

Beric? If Beric was here, then surely-

“It seems it was too much.”

“No, Lord Ian. It was just a small mistake.”

“Haha, are you, are you okay?”

“I was supporting you from below, so I’m fine, you idiots! If it wasn’t for me, Ian would have been hurt!”

“We know! We’re sorry! But why are you yelling? It’s okay if Lord Ian scolds us!”

Ian. It’s Ian. The blond, green-eyed boy slowly appearing from the bushes.

Romandro unknowingly held his breath. He had imagined how he would have grown up countless times. But all of that became meaningless in an instant. He hadn’t changed at all, he was exactly as he remembered.

“Ah, Lord Romandro.”

“…I, Ian? Is it really Ian?”

Brushing off the leaves stuck in his hair, Ian smiled. He even reached out his hand, saying it was nice to meet him, so Romandro jumped at Ian without realizing it.

“W-what is going on, really? Huh? How are you still the same as before? Have you been well? Are you not hurt anywhere? Ian, I’ve waited so long!”

Romandro clung to the frail Ian and burst into tears, and Ian, not knowing what to do, just patted his shoulder. Soon, the mages of the Imperial Palace, who had grasped the situation, also rushed after Romandro.

Thud!

“Lord Ian!”

“Oh my god, it’s really Lord Ian!”

“Do you remember me? Do you know who I am?”

“Look at these guys! Think about your size! Ian is going to get crushed!”

As Romandro and the mages hugged Ian tightly, Beric grabbed his collar and tried to pull him away. Because of that, the force moved in the opposite direction, and Ian fell into the bushes.

Ian, who was lying down under the people, just smiled faintly.

Swoosh.

Acorella squatted down and looked at Ian’s face. Ian also looked back at her. Although he was upside down, the surprise and joy in her orange eyes were clearly felt.

Acorella paused for a moment, then smiled playfully.

“So, you’re alive, and the day has come when I see you.”

“Have you been well, Acorella?”

“Of course! I’ve been doing very well, sucking on magic stones in the Imperial Palace. How about you, Lord Ian? Have you been eating well?”

“Um. So-so.”

Ian gestured with his eyes for them to move the people, and Acorella kicked the mages’ butts.

“Everyone get up! What are you doing lying on the floor?”

“Ouch, that hurts!”

“Hail, why did you fall here? You should have come to the magic division.”

“I was going to, but there were problems in many ways.”

“Problems?”

Hail also tugged at his collar and straightened his clothes. Putting aside the minor things, the biggest problem was the magic power. Because he had given almost all of his power to Ian, the portal was unstable. Beric had been nagging him so much before they even got on, geez.

“No, the one Ian made was huge and black, so it was awesome, but the ones these guys made were like dog holes, narrow and in terrible condition. I was worried before we even got on. I knew this would happen! My back hurts!”

“Shut up. It’s fine as long as we arrived safely.”

“And I calculated it this way on purpose, okay? Do you know how sick the people of the Empire are of portals? To make it less noticeable, I had to make it small!”

“Yes, yes. I heard your excuses well-”

Beric picked Ian up and started to mock him as if he wanted everyone to hear.

Watching that, Romandro burst into laughter with tears in his eyes. He was really seeing this day again! Romandro hugged Beric and praised him proudly.

“Oh, you troublemaker. You did it!”

“Why are you like this, it’s disgusting. Let go.”

“Ian, when will you see His Highness Jin? He’s currently receiving the nobles in the grand banquet hall. It would be good to greet him right away.”

“Is it the coming-of-age ceremony?”

“Yes, yes. It hasn’t been long since it started.”

Ian pondered for a moment. The Imperial coming-of-age ceremony was not just a celebration of one’s nineteenth birthday. It was a place to inform the nobles who had been wielding influence that a new era had arrived, and to promote meetings with the future noble scions who would be with them. Ian knew the complex and fierce politics that took place in that process.

“No-”

Just as he was about to decide that his appearance now could disrupt Jin’s plans, and it would be better to wait until it was over.

Romandro grabbed his hand tightly.

“His Highness Jin has been looking out the window all the time.”

“……”

“It was an open secret that he wouldn’t take his eyes off, in case the old pigeon flew again. Do you think only His Highness Jin is in there? Your mother, Lady Philia, is also there, and your younger sibling, Roel, is there too. Prince Noah of Clifford is also present. And there are also nobles and officials who were recklessly saying you were dead.”

Romandro’s earnestness, telling him not to make them wait any longer since it had taken so long, was conveyed. Ian patted the back of his hand and then nodded.

“I understand. I will go greet him right away.”

“Yes, you thought well. Come this way! Everyone!”

Romandro excitedly guided Ian, and even while walking down the hallway, he kept glancing at him. How did Ian not get out of this appearance? Was there a problem?

But seeing that Captain Hail and the northern mages didn’t say anything, it didn’t seem like a big deal. Later, after everything was over, he could ask!

‘Heh, really.’

But, anew, Ian felt too young. He now had a daughter who was about ten years old.

Was the one who protected the Empire and supported the Imperial Palace such a young boy? Looking back at the past, everything felt like a fairy tale.

Ian checked the state of his robe one last time in front of the banquet hall door, and soon realized that the air inside the window was calmer than he had expected.

“Is it because the mages are not in their places?”

“What is?”

“The banquet hall. It’s quite quiet for a coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Ah, that’s because, well, there were difficulties in operation due to the reduced number of mages. His Highness Jin understood, but it couldn’t be helped.”

Romandro said so, tidying up Ian’s robe button neatly. With an awkward smile, he apologized for not being able to lead the magic division properly while he was gone.

While he was finishing up by removing a leaf stuck in Ian’s hair, the mages also took out red cloths from their pockets one by one. Some wrapped it around their forearms, others around their wrists and the backs of their hands, and they all strengthened their resolve.

“Now, the magic division is truly back.”

“Yes. You’ve all worked hard. Captain Hail, congratulations on your return. Was the north livable? I heard it was terrible.”

“Yeah. It was terrible. The worst pubs.”

“How about Captain Acorella? How have you been?”

“How do you think I’ve been?”

“It seems like you’ve been having a good time.”

“Ding dong ding! Ahahaha.”

As the mages gathered again, the attendants looked bewildered. But that was only for a moment. They stared blankly, seeing a familiar blond, green-eyed boy.

“Hoo……”

Ian took a deep breath and slowly released his magic power, and his green eyes instantly turned gold.

Zing! Zing!

Falling flower petals, one handful at a time. The mages also added their power and smiled with golden eyes. It was the first time in a long time that everyone had gathered, so this was nothing.

Creak.

The door opened, and the sweet smell of food and the rich melody of music surged out like waves. With Ian in the lead, the mages resolutely pushed through the beauty. Their robes fluttered coolly, and the petals they created rained down from all directions.

“Ah……”

The banquet hall, where time seemed to have stopped. Everyone in the room watched Ian’s appearance as if they were bewitched.

As Ian knelt on one knee, the mages who followed also lowered their posture at the same time. As if to show everyone who they were following.

“T-that person, isn’t he Lord Ian?”

“The Minister of Magic… !”

“Who? Are you talking about the boy in the front?”

“Isn’t that the Minister of Magic, Ian Hielro!?”

“That’s impossible. How can such a child…”

“He hasn’t changed. Not even a little from back then.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ignoring the whispers of the nobles and officials, Ian greeted them in a low voice.

“Minister of Magic, Ian Hielro, has returned.”