Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 508

The sound of a pen scratching was pleasant in the office. Ian had been sitting upright for hours, working on a report. His neat handwriting flowed without a single deviation, and it was just as Ian was dipping his pen into the ink that he heard a sound from outside.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

“Ian, it seems Duke Baolruk Hollin will be arriving soon.”

“Has he passed the main gate?”

“He passed it a while ago. It seems he’s adjusting the carriage speed to arrive right on time. We should get ready too.”

Ian checked his watch and smiled faintly. There were exactly five minutes left until the appointed time. It might seem trivial, but even that small action revealed his personality.

He was trying not to lose the initiative by making them wait. Coming directly to the Imperial Palace was one thing, but waiting to meet the Minister of Magic was a matter of the Duke’s pride.

Ian rose from his seat, straightened his clothes, and then instructed Romandro.

“Then I have no choice but to prepare accordingly. If the Duke arrives, please guide him to my office and bring tea.”

“Understood. I’ll make sure there are no problems. But the message from the main gate said that the young lady is with him as well.”

“Young lady? Are you referring to the second daughter?”

“Yes. Just in case, I’ll bring an extra teacup.”

“Please do.”

Tap tap. Ian fastened his buttons and paused to think. The letter had clearly stated that they would discuss the weapons business rights, but instead of the eldest son, the second daughter, Lady Kayla, had accompanied him? It could be that they were hoping for an encounter with the Crown Prince, but on the other hand, it could be that she held significant decision-making power in the family business.

Ian tidied his hair in the mirror and then noticed the commotion in the hallway. The guests had arrived.

Knock knock.

With the knock, the second hand of the clock pointed exactly to two o’clock in the afternoon. Ian told them to come in and then stood up to greet them personally.

“Welcome, Duke Baolruk Hollin.”

“Oh, Minister Ian. Yes, do you remember me?”

“Yes, of course. You haven’t changed a bit.”

In truth, they had no personal connection, not even a grain of sand’s worth. Ten years ago, Duke Hollin was just one of many noble families and hadn’t left much of an impression on Ian. He had been too busy dealing with the seven central families.

Anyway, they greeted each other as if they were happy to see each other after a long time, and the Duke introduced Kayla, who had followed him in.

“This is my second daughter, Kayla.”

“Hello, it’s a beautiful day today. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you, and I was so eager to meet you that I begged my father to bring me along.”

“The honor is mine, Lady. I am Ian Hiero, the Minister of Magic. Please, have a seat over here.”

Kayla gracefully settled her voluminous dress as she sat on the sofa.

Since she was one of the Empress candidates Jin had mentioned, Ian sat across from her and carefully observed her. She was quite beautiful, but there was something cold about her gaze.

“It must be quite a lot of work, being back after so long.”

“Not at all. The Magic Department has done well in my absence, so it’s fine.”

“Really? The entire Imperial Palace is in chaos preparing for the war with Vergos, but the Magic Department seems to have some leeway. It’s good to see.”

Ian responded to the slightly barbed remark with a smile.

“It’s true that our personnel are so capable that they handle two or three times more work than other officials. I’m embarrassed by your praise. But thanks to that, I’m glad I could see you, Duke. It was a sudden contact, but I was surprised to receive a reply sooner than I expected.”

‘And what about you? Despite the sudden contact, you entered the Imperial Palace without any trouble? If we’re talking about having leeway, you’re far more ahead,’ he was implying.

The Duke smiled and pressed his lips together, then covered his lower face with his teacup. Though it was hard to see anyway because of his beard. Kayla, who had been listening quietly, also only gave a faint smile. As if to say, ‘Look at this?’

“I happened to have some time. Ahem. Well, since it seems we all have our own things to do, let’s get straight to the point. What is it that you wanted to discuss regarding the weapons business rights? It’s quite puzzling that the Magic Department, of all departments, is bringing this up.”

“Yes. As you said, the war with Vergos will break out soon. It will be a bit special. It’s clear that various monsters and non-human races will be mixed in, and ordinary weapons won’t be able to handle them. Therefore, the Magic Department has the will to develop and supply new weapons. What do you think, Duke?”

Kayla was right. The Duke glanced at his daughter sitting next to him and carefully chose his words.

“I understand the Magic Department’s intentions. If necessary, it’s right to produce them directly. However, mentioning business rights means you’re considering mass production, doesn’t it? In times of war, everyone has their own duties. Monsters and non-human races are the responsibility of the Magic Department, and you can handle a hundred men without weapons. I still don’t understand why you wanted to see me.”

Whether they developed weapons or did anything else, he meant that the Magic Department should handle it on their own. It had nothing to do with the Hollin family’s weapons business rights.

Ian lightly shook his head.

“The war with Vergos is just the beginning. I hope that all citizens of the Empire can protect themselves against monsters. To do that, new weapon development is needed under the guidance of the Magic Department. Currently, the Hollin family is the one with the largest weapon production base in Bariel, isn’t it?”

From production and manufacturing to distribution and export. It was no exaggeration to say that all the blades in Bariel passed through the Hollin family.

“How about selling some of that base to the Magic Department? That way, we can start research and production more quickly and reliably.”

Swoosh.

Ian said this and presented a map of the area near the Imperial Palace that he had prepared in advance. The land owned by the Hollin family was marked in red.

“I thought it was right to have the production site close to the Imperial Palace, and coincidentally, all of it is owned by Duke Hollin. Impressive. You’ve shown remarkable business acumen over the past ten years.”

“…You mentioned the base, but what exactly are you referring to?”

“I mean the entire process related to production. If it’s too much, even a part of it is fine. The important thing is that the Magic Department succeeds in producing high-quality weapons.”

The Duke only looked at the map without answering. Though he was putting on a good show with fancy words, it was no different from asking them to sell their business rights for money.

‘A part? What kind of trickery is this?’

The difference in quality and value between a sword that can only cut meat and a sword that can cut monsters is huge, isn’t it? The business gap would widen, and someday the Hollin family would be completely pushed out.

This was a serious matter. It wasn’t enough to just refuse; they needed to prevent the Magic Department from carrying this out.

“I have one question, Minister Ian.”

At that moment, Kayla smiled and slightly lowered her fan.

“Please, Lady.”

“Is it really necessary for the Magic Department to manufacture and produce on its own? It will be difficult and troublesome. How about outsourcing it to the Hollin family? We have the best blacksmith guild in Bariel, and as you said, we also have a perfect weapon production base. Wouldn’t it be more efficient to send your mages to us?”

Instead of taking their things, she meant they should give them theirs.

Ian shook his head and refused immediately.

“The quality and marketability of weapons that can fight against monsters will be innovative, beyond excellent. It needs to be managed under the leadership of the Imperial Palace, not a single family.”

At the mention of ‘a single family,’ Kayla’s lips curved into a soft smile. It was an expression to hide her displeasure.

“What about the price?”

“Kayla.”

Duke Hollin was startled and told his daughter to restrain herself. Asking about the price was an indirect way of expressing their willingness to engage in a deal.

Then, Kayla covered her mouth with her fan and whispered to her father.

‘Weapons that can fight against monsters will be recognized differently from ordinary weapons.’

The business rights held by the Hollin family were limited to ‘ordinary weapons.’ Mainly weapons used by soldiers, all combat blades were considered ‘ordinary weapons’ and could only be manufactured and distributed under the Hollin family name.

But what about weapons against monsters? They might be recognized as something other than ‘ordinary weapons,’ and the business rights might be separated. It wasn’t certain, but considering the relationship between the Magic Department and the Imperial Family, it was quite possible.

“We will pay double the price that the Hollin family initially paid for the land. And for the value of the production base, it will be about one year’s budget for the Magic Department.”

“One year’s worth? I’m sorry, but I refuse to pay in installments.”

“Don’t worry. I also prefer to pay in one lump sum.”

It wasn’t like picking the pockets of a household; how could they pay a year’s budget for an Imperial Palace department all at once? Since he didn’t know that other departments were indebted to the Magic Department, Duke Hollin only frowned and gnawed at his lip.

“What do you think? I think it’s reasonable. With a year’s budget, would that be about 10% of the entire production base? Since you’re running such a large business, it probably won’t even make a dent.”

Ian joked, but the Duke just sipped his tea without saying anything. He needed to find a reason to refuse, but there wasn’t a suitable one.

What could possibly stand against the cause of helping the citizens of the Empire? It seemed that the only way to break through was to bring the business to the ‘outsourcing’ side that Kayla had suggested.

As the Duke cleared his throat, Kayla carefully put down her cup.

“But, you see.”

“Yes, Lady.”

“The blacksmiths are a big part of the production base. The Hollin family has been conducting business with them for a long time. The business hasn’t flourished for long, but the foundation has been with the family’s history. But if you suddenly sell a part of it to the Imperial Palace Magic Department, I don’t know if they’ll be happy about it. Isn’t that right, Father?”

That’s right. This was it. The Duke quickly added.

“It would be a much greater pride to belong to the Imperial Palace than a single family, but they have been with us for many generations. Haha. I don’t know if it will go well.”

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“What do you mean? We can’t do anything without the blacksmiths.”

“The blacksmiths are in charge of the Hollin family’s technology, aren’t they? You can keep them, and instead, we can transfer the apprentices. Surely not all of those blacksmiths have been passed down through generations. You said it hasn’t been long since you flourished.”

Ian repeated Kayla’s words, blocking her rebuttal. But since it was so questionable, Kayla didn’t pay attention and only frowned.

How could they use mediocre blacksmiths for the Imperial Palace’s business? If they were just pouring money to keep the Hollin family in check, it wouldn’t be cost-effective. Perhaps-

‘Are they trying to make an issue of quality?’

Then, as if he had read Kayla’s thoughts, Ian replied.

“There will be no issue with quality. That’s because we have a blacksmith we’ve prepared separately.”

“…I’m confident that all the renowned blacksmiths in Bariel belong to the Hollin family.”

“The world is vast, Lady.”

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard from outside. Ian smiled, saying the timing was perfect.

“Has he arrived?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Excuse me, Duke. And Lady. This is the blacksmith who will be working with the Magic Department. Shall I introduce him? You might be a little surprised, so please be careful.”

What kind of great blacksmith was it that would make them surprised? The Duke tilted his head, wanting to see that great face, and then the door opened.

“Pym. You’ve had a long journey.”

“Geez, seeing you here, you really are an Imperial Palace person.”

“……!”

Pym, a Dera [a race of people with mole-like features] from Mount Laza.

The Duke coughed as if he had choked, surprised by the sudden appearance of a mole, and Kayla calmly poured tea for her father, covering her face with her fan.