Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 501

The garden next to the assembly hall was a cacophony of noise. Officials in formal attire hurried about, the air thick with cigarette smoke and hushed murmurs.

A man, his suit jacket draped over his arm, entered the scene. His colleagues waved in greeting.

“Welcome. Over here.”

“You’re all quick. You’ve gathered already.”

“I was so surprised I sobered up instantly. I’ve been waiting here without even changing. The assembly will probably start within an hour, hmm. What’s the reaction on your side?”

*Chiiik.*

The flickering lights of cigarettes punctuated the scene. The man shrugged, a troubled smile on his face.

“At first, they didn’t even believe it. When they heard that the disappeared Minister of Magic, Ian Hiel, had reappeared as his young self, they told me to go back inside if I was drunk.”

“I heard that too. Damn it.”

“I don’t see anyone from the Administrative Department.”

“It’s better for everyone if they don’t come. They’ll show up right on time for the meeting. Doesn’t His Highness the Crown Prince trust the Minister of Magic? There’s no need to test the waters.”

“It was strange from the start that Romandro, who is from the Administrative Department, was in the Magic Department.”

“Romandro moved to the Magic Department because of Minister Ian’s proposal.”

“Is that so? But I’m a bit puzzled. Why does His Highness the Crown Prince welcome the Minister of Magic? Of course, it would be helpful to Bariel [the kingdom] if the Magic Department functioned properly. But hasn’t it been running well for the past years? They’ve been using the Magic Department almost like a direct subordinate of the Administrative Department; wouldn’t it be difficult if the minister returns?”

He was a newly appointed official.

Those who knew the inside story cautiously scanned the garden from the shadows. The Judicial and Legislative Departments were huddled under a zelkova tree, talking, while the Cultural Department was making a lot of noise around the fountain. Even amidst the commotion, gazes that keenly observed each other intertwined chaotically.

“Actually, it was the Minister of Magic who elevated His Highness, who was fifth in line to the throne, to the position of Crown Prince. Ahem.”

“Ha, that’s absurd. He was just a fledgling boy.”

“Don’t be careless just by looking at his appearance. He was the one who brought a cold wind to the Imperial Palace.”

“Alright, alright, that’s not important right now. Now that the minister has returned, what should we do going forward?”

“The power of the Imperial Palace will be concentrated around the Administrative and Magic Departments. If that happens, our say will naturally disappear.”

For the sake of Bariel, they considered their right to speak as both a right and a duty. What they truly felt inside was unknown, but at least their public justification was suitably noble.

“It seems His Highness Jin is taking advantage of the Emperor’s funeral to make his move, ahem.”

“That’s not all. Since the minister’s position was vacant, we’ve been using the entire Magic Department as a public resource, haven’t we? Now that’s no longer possible, so its operation will also be difficult.”

When the budget was insufficient, they would create a suitable pretext and siphon off a little from the Magic Department. Since the Magic Department had been reduced in size and there were no projects being carried out collectively, there was no one in charge to strongly object to the flexible use of the budget. There were more than a few departments that took funds, promising to return them when the next budget was allocated.

“Seriously, what’s with this sudden mess?”

“I know, right? We needed at least a couple more months.”

The same went for personnel. If they were short, they easily used wizards. In the field, they were individuals who could accomplish far more than dozens of ordinary workers.

Under the guise of the Imperial Palace’s grand undertaking, there was no justification to refuse when ministers requested cooperation. Romandro was the minister’s proxy, not the minister himself.

“If I had known this would happen, I would have disbanded the Magic Department long ago. Honestly, how can the minister’s position be vacant for nearly ten years? Tsk, now that His Highness is an adult and his coronation is just around the corner, it’s completely gone.”

“The best course of action would be to remove Ian Hiel from the minister’s position, but it seems difficult since His Highness the Crown Prince and the Magic Department have strong trust in him. It’s better to focus on buying time.”

“Hmm. Okay.”

A man took out a neatly folded document from his pocket. It was a report that clearly outlined various suspicions that had been left unresolved when Ian Hiel disappeared. And additionally, ‘charges’ that could be applied to him.

“Good. Let’s do this.”

“What about the other departments?”

“The Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Department seem to be divided internally, and the Cultural Department is against the Magic Department and Ian Hiel. Back then, didn’t we lose Imperial Palace treasures because of that incident? We can hold them accountable.”

They nodded in unison, solidifying their resolve. Then, they saw Imperial Palace employees busily moving about, indicating that the clock was striking midnight.

*Tap tap!*

“The Magic Department has arrived.”

“…They’ve come.”

“Ahem. Let’s go!”

The officials put out their cigarettes one by one and rose from their seats, soon spotting carriages approaching the assembly hall in the distance. They bore the seal of the Magic Department, the main characters of today’s meeting.

* * *

*Hee-ing!*

*Squeak.*

“We’ve arrived, Ian-nim.”

As the wizard opened the carriage door, Ian turned his head. How much they had longed to see this sight? Ian, with his hair neatly combed back, dressed in his uniform, reading documents even while moving.

As the wizards’ faces bloomed with joy, Romandro, who was sitting opposite, snapped his fingers, telling them to restrain themselves.

“You look like you’re about to cry. Hey. This isn’t the Magic Department, you know?”

“Romandro-nim, you were even sniffling, you can’t say that! And I’m not crying, okay? I’m just a little touched, that’s all.”

“Ian, I told you, you can leave them behind.”

As Romandro grumbled, Ian got out of the carriage, tucking the documents under his arm. A midnight assembly. Come to think of it, when was the last time such an emergency summons was issued? It wasn’t that long ago for Ian, but it felt strangely distant.

Employees from each department, bustling up the stairs, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime. Ian nodded his head and ascended the stairs first.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Ian-nim!”

With Ian leading the way, the wizards ascended the assembly hall stairs in unison. They all held a stack of reports in their hands. The noisy surroundings suddenly quieted down, and people covered their mouths and whispered.

“…He really is a child.”

“Is that really Ian Hiel?”

“I wonder what circumstances led him to be like that, alone.”

“Quite a few wizards have returned. It seems they haven’t arrived from the south yet.”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen the Magic Department gathered like this.”

The inside of the assembly hall was even worse. Those who had been gathered in small groups, putting their heads together, simultaneously turned to look at Ian and fell silent. It wasn’t intentional, but the atmosphere was very awkward.

Ian nonchalantly found his seat. However, a woman blocked his path.

“Lord Ian.”

“Oh, Lady Quintana.”

“Oh my, oh my!”

It was Quintana, the former finance officer of the Administrative Department, now promoted to a minister. She looked a little different, yet still the same. She was so shocked that she didn’t even realize her rudeness as she looked Ian up and down. After pondering for a while, she finally spoke.

“…Are you alright?”

“Of course.”

“I’m glad you’re back.”

“Thank you. Please, have a seat.”

The attendants were busy, indicating that the Crown Prince had arrived. Ian gestured for Quintana to sit, and then Maxim Tweller, the Minister of the Imperial Defense Department, and Commander Jayrut entered. They too, upon meeting Ian’s gaze, displayed a wide range of emotions.

“His Highness Crown Prince Jin is entering.”

*Thud.*

Everyone stood and greeted Jin with Imperial Palace etiquette. Seeing Jin naturally reigning over the ministers of each department, Ian felt strangely odd. In his absence, Jin had truly experienced ten years, it seemed. The young prince who had once etched unknown things into the corners of his mind was no longer visible.

“Everyone is here. Please, sit. As you all know, today’s emergency summons is to announce the return of the Minister of Magic, Ian Hiel. It’s not just about the long-vacant minister’s position, but also about discussing the reappearance of Rutherford, who disappeared with Lord Ian back then.”

The meeting hall was once again thrown into an uproar by the unexpected matter. Information related to Rutherford had been directly reported to Jin by the Imperial Defense Department, and since Beric was immediately dispatched, it had not been discussed in previous meetings.

The wizards distributed the prepared reports to the ministers and high-ranking officials of each department.

*Rustle.*

The only sound that could be heard was the busy flipping of papers. Ian carefully added a comment, as if telling them to read while listening.

“I am Ian Hiel, the Minister of Magic. The report you have just received contains detailed information about what happened in the Abyss, focusing on what can be made public.”

So there’s more undisclosed information. After grasping the contents of the report, the officials straightened their posture and looked at Jin. It was a sign that they wanted to ask Ian questions.

Jin nodded silently, indicating that they were free to do so.

“Lord Ian. First of all, I sincerely congratulate you on your return to Bariel. Do you remember me?”

“Of course. Vice Minister Hamanna.”

“I am now a minister. According to the report, the flow of time is different between the Abyss and here, which is why you look like this. Can you prove this?”

“What do you mean by prove?”

Ian’s appearance itself was the proof, so how else could he prove it? The wizards simultaneously glared with narrowed eyes, and Jin silently tapped the edge of his documents.

“That you are Ian Hiel, the minister who disappeared. To be honest, I understand, but it’s hard to accept easily. The rift [a dimensional tear or portal] is a place teeming with monsters, and you appeared in an unconventional form. Do you understand what this makes us think of? If you are truly Ian Hiel.”

Do you remember the Arsen incident? Bariel was almost destroyed from within due to the monsters that had infiltrated the Imperial Palace. If you are truly Ian Hiel, prove that you are not a monster wearing a human mask.

Ian smiled brightly and nodded.

“First of all, Rutherford’s timeline must also be distorted, so he will have an appearance unrelated to age. You can capture him and confirm it. And currently, my mother, Lady Philia, is here in the Imperial Palace. I will use a homological potion [a potion that reveals blood relations] to prove that we are related by blood.”

Ian continued his answer calmly and without hesitation. As if he had anticipated the questions.

“And we can also request holy water or the light of the oracle from the temple. Do you understand? If you remember the past.”

If he were a monster, he would melt in holy water and would not be able to show a shadow in the light of the oracle. Didn’t everyone see it for themselves?

“If that’s still not enough, I recommend you visit the Abyss yourself. The Magic Department will do everything in its power to help you prove it.”

If you want, I’ll send you. At Ian’s warning-filled rebuke, the man awkwardly fiddled with his pen. Then, the woman next to him raised her hand.

“I’m mentioning Lady Philia because she was brought up. Lord Ian Hiel. You should remember that there were suspicions about your past.”

“Yes, that I am of the Imperial bloodline.”

“May we use Lady Philia as a witness?”

“Of course. You can use a Sil-dam potion [a potion that verifies lineage]. However, if you continue to question my origins after that, I will consider it an insult to my mother and, by extension, the Imperial Family, and I will respond accordingly.”

He would do as they wished, but once the results were out, they should shut their mouths and not mention it again.

The atmosphere grew heated, and questions poured in.

“Do you still acknowledge that you created Idgal?”

“Yes, I do. I didn’t know it would be so useful after all this time.”

The fact that he had created Idgal had now transformed from a weakness into a possibility. He didn’t intend to reveal whether he could actually create it now or not.

“How will you explain your relationship with Rutherford?”

“It was magic. It was beyond my control.”

As Ian said that, the officials’ eyes flashed for a moment. As if they had caught him in a lie.

“Magic? Then that means you couldn’t stop Rutherford?”

“Lord Ian was the Minister of Magic at the time and had a duty to protect the Imperial Palace. However, due to a lack of ability, you couldn’t even stop a group of merchants from infiltrating from the outside, and as you just admitted, you couldn’t defeat Rutherford with magic. I’m sorry to say this harshly, but is it right to see you as qualified?”

“Dozens of Imperial Palace treasures were lost due to Rutherford’s rampage at the time. It’s a mistake of the Magic Department that cannot be valued, so shouldn’t you take responsibility for this?”

“All those involved in the Imperial Palace at the time were dismissed to restore its prestige. Lord Ian. You may have been an outstanding wizard, but that was a long time ago, wasn’t it? It doesn’t seem like the skills of wizards are the same then and now. The world has developed, after all.”

“Or if they are the same, that would be a problem too. It would mean the Magic Department is stagnant. Ahem.”

“If Lord Ian is to be reinstated as the Minister of Magic, he needs something to show for it. No matter how different the timeline is, you are too young, and I wonder if your subordinates will feel the same authority as before…”

*Scratch scratch.* Ian recorded all the officials’ words without any change in expression. The wizards behind him glared with narrowed eyes, then with dagger-like eyes, but the officials ignored them and just coughed awkwardly.

Finally, Ian put down his pen with a *thud* and began to answer one by one. First of all-

“What is the name of the person who said that being young is a problem?”

“Yes? Ah, I am Daph Rontine from the Cultural Department.”

“Lord Rontine, have you not been in office for long?”

“…No. This is my fifth year.”

“Oh, I see. Excuse me. It seems you don’t know how His Highness Jin has been leading the Imperial Palace.”

Today was Jin’s coming-of-age ceremony. Until then, he had led the Imperial Palace as a minor, so for Ian to point out that he was young here was an attack that also applied to Jin.

As Ian smiled and looked at Jin, Jin also propped his chin up and replied indifferently.

“That’s right. It seems you don’t know, even after five years together.”