Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 538

Clatter.

Romandro placed the empty bottle on the desk. Ian, who was working on a report, looked up to check, then gave a faint smile.

“King Clifford is very decisive.”

“I know, right? There’s plenty of time until the coronation, but he’s handling things very quickly.”

“What about Representative Repin?”

“He was carried away. Looks like he had a real bad hangover.”

“That’s good. It’s easier for us if he’s not running around.”

It was a short and cold remark, but Romandro nodded deeply in agreement. Everyone was being worked to the bone due to the lack of manpower. If he was laid up and taking it easy, they would be grateful!

“Yeah, that’s true. But I knew the Clifford people enjoyed their drinks, but they’re really something else. Ugh, it’s like they have wine flowing through their veins instead of blood. When Repin collapsed, they started pouring more wine, saying it was a celebration drink.”

It was beyond expectations. Did they not know what it meant to be drunk? Romandro clicked his tongue and lightly tossed the glass bottle into the fireplace.

*Clang!*

*Whoosh!*

The fire, ignited by magic, melted the glass bottle without a trace. Countless wastes from the office had disappeared in the same way, and no one had ever found them. When Representative Repin woke up, he would surely protest about the Siltham potion, so a clean disposal was essential.

Siltham potion? Nonsense! Where’s the proof? Bariel was prepared. They were ready to retort that he made a mistake after drinking alone and then tried to blame someone else!

“The country has been unstable, so they haven’t been able to enjoy drinking and music for quite some time. It’s almost part of their identity, so it’s a shame. Tell them not to hold back on the drinks and food for the honored guests.”

“Of course! It’s not like Luswenna. Clifford is Bariel’s ally, so we should treat them well!”

“By the way, what did they say? The Luswenna side.”

Ian put down his pen. King Clifford had done something, so it was time to examine the details. Romandro lowered his voice and whispered.

“As expected, they’re planning to put the black armor at the forefront of the war. Judging by Repin’s tone, it seems they’re already fully prepared. To produce that amount, dragon scales are essential. King Clifford even confirmed the existence of an illegal breeding facility.”

When a dragon dies naturally, the scales are the first thing to rot away. It’s rare to witness a death because they live so long, but they made countless armors from the scales? It suggested that illegal activities were involved.

*Slide.*

Ian pulled a thick stack of documents from the corner of his desk. It was the full text of the Dragon Sanctity Pact. An international agreement that stated that the bodies of living dragons should not be used for any purpose.

Having already read it once, Ian flipped through the pages without hesitation.

“Since it’s an international agreement, publicizing it should be the priority. When Repin wakes up, he’ll report his mistake to Luswenna, which will prevent us from finding evidence of the illegal breeding facility.”

“We need to hurry. But it’ll take some time. It’ll take months just to notify each country and set a date and location for the meeting.”

“Besides, we’re facing a war right now. If all the major countries of Gaia participate, no one will care about the dragon agreement.”

It was a war that destroyed everything, but there were boundaries that could not be violated. Handing the severed head of a parent to a weeping child, poisoning the food of starving refugees, forcing a prisoner to dishonor their name, and so on.

“The Dragon Sanctity Pact is also a duty to uphold, but in times of war, judgments will change from moment to moment depending on the situation. They’ll hide behind the pretext of war and turn a blind eye. Especially since Vergos is friendly with Luswenna and hostile to Bariel, they won’t hesitate to break the agreement.”

“That makes sense. Unlike other times, they’ll be bound by the name of allies during wartime. And it’s not just a problem with Luswenna. If any country receives support for the black armor, they’ll all be accomplices. They’ll conspire to deny the agreement.”

“It’s a promise and history that we’ve all kept for hundreds of years. We can’t let it collapse like this.”

It would be better to hold Luswenna accountable after the war. Then, no one would be able to overlook Luswenna’s wrongdoings.

“It’s better to think about it a bit more. Let’s give Prime Minister Shatima a heads-up first.”

“Okay. I understand. I’ll set up a meeting right away.”

“And about Lady Kayla-”

*Thump! Thud!*

Just as Ian was about to continue his instructions, a commotion was heard outside. It was a different kind of sound than usual. Romandro instinctively sensed danger and moved closer to Ian.

*Tap! Tap-tap!*

“Akorella?”

“Ian! Look at thisss!”

*Crash!*

He was just asking if it was Akorella, but she threw the door open without looking back. Behind her was a dragon. It had its head tilted to the side, as if it was afraid of hitting the ceiling.

Romandro staggered as if he was about to faint and barely managed to shout.

“Ako! What are you doing bringing it inside?!”

“Nooo! Just look at this! Ugh, seriously! Those Luswenna bastards, they’re really something else!”

“What is it?!”

“Turn around!”

-Kkyuu?

Akorella tapped the dragon’s side, and it waddled carefully, pushing its rear end inside. In the process, its long tail knocked over a sofa, and Romandro collapsed with a frail posture, as if he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Is there a problem?”

“A problem? Yes, there is! Ian, look closely here. The scales on the top are relatively softer than the ones on the bottom, right? And the color is much lighter.”

“I see it.”

“Do you know what this means?”

Akorella didn’t seem to expect an answer from Ian, as she immediately shouted.

“It means it’s been regenerated multiple times, no, dozens of times. It’s the mark of the top scales being peeled off dozens of times. Dragons aren’t the type to shed their scales, so why would they be peeled off?”

“I was already receiving a report about that.”

“It’s the worst. Just by looking at the hardness, it’s almost like a disability.”

Akorella muttered, clenching her teeth. Dragons were supposed to withstand the cold and block the heat, but this one was in no condition to do so. It was no different from a fish dying out of water.

Romandro, who had briefly fainted, got up hesitantly and asked.

“It looks fine on the outside, but is it that bad?”

“Imagine your hair being pulled out dozens of times, making you bald. Would your scalp be okay?”

“Hup!”

Romandro reflexively covered his head at the shocking analogy. It was truly terrible when compared to a human.

“And one more thing-”

“There’s more, more?”

“I don’t know what it is, but it’s not a pureblood.”

“Huh?”

Akorella pulled out a report from her pocket. The ink was smudged, as if she had just scribbled it down with a pen and brought it over.

“The chemical reaction is completely different from when I investigated the scale material ten years ago. It means that although it looks like a dragon on the outside, it’s made of something different. Look at this, you bastards! Its bangs are all burnt!”

“Oh, you’re right.”

Because it was already in such a ragged state, it was easy to miss. Akorella’s hands trembled as her eyes flashed.

“We need to bring in a dragon expert to treat it. Otherwise, it won’t live long.”

“There was a reason why they set a ten-year period.”

They were sure it would die within that time. Ian gently stroked the dragon’s brow and asked.

“You don’t know what it’s mixed with?”

“No. Not yet. It’s the first time I’ve seen something like this. If it was really for the purpose of obtaining scales, it was probably mixed with something that has excellent regenerative abilities.”

“Ian, shouldn’t we protest and send it back as soon as Repin wakes up?”

-Kkyuu?

The dragon reacted sensitively to the word ‘send back’. With wide eyes, it rubbed its head against Romandro’s stomach. Romandro was horrified and collapsed to the side again.

“We will not send it back. It’s proof of Luswenna’s illegal activities that they handed over themselves.”

“Yes, I agree. We have no choice but to save it by any means and show them what’s what. What were they thinking, sending this thing? Did they think they wouldn’t get caught? That’s even more annoying! What do they take me for!”

“It’s highly likely that they didn’t care if they got caught.”

It was proof that they had bet everything on the war. As Ian feared, no one would try to judge right from wrong regarding the dragon agreement at this point.

So, they had changed their strategy to obtain as many scales as possible and invest them in the war to gain the upper hand. If they were to win, it would be built on the black armor, so no one could mention Luswenna’s wrongdoings.

“Wait a minute! So, does that mean that when everyone goes to war, the two of us will be left in the Imperial Magic Department?”

Romandro, who had collapsed on the sofa, raised his hand in surprise.

“If it’s not a pureblood dragon! So, if it’s not a dragon as defined by the agreement… wouldn’t it be okay to take it to war? If we put it at the forefront, we can publicize it quickly before Luswenna can do anything!”

“What are you talking about?”

“No, I mean, the enemies will criticize us, but if they know that it’s all due to Luswenna’s illegal activities, wouldn’t that create a rift on their side too? Dragons can fly well and have symbolic value, so it’ll be helpful in many ways! Ugh! Don’t lick me! Please!”

As Romandro begged with his hands crossed, the dragon paused. But when Akorella patted its side, saying it was okay, it happily rubbed its head against Romandro’s stomach again.

“Well, that sounds plausible. If Bariel’s power increases with the dragon, the enemy countries will blame Luswenna. Why did they send such a thing and cause problems?”

“Right? Yes! I think so too!”

“But it’s so docile…”

Akorella rested her chin on her hand and scanned the dragon up and down. The dragon blinked with a somewhat dejected look. Then, she hit its side with all her might and shouted.

*Whack!*

“Don’t be discouraged, you little shit! It’s not your fault!”

-Kkyuu!

“Even Beric is helpful, so why wouldn’t you be? Huh?”

-Kkyu!

Ian pondered for a moment.

Even if it helped Bariel’s power, using a dragon as a war weapon could draw international criticism.

But that was only criticism based on a violation of the agreement. As Romandro pointed out, the dragon defined in the Dragon Sanctity Pact only referred to ‘pureblood dragons’. There was no clear mention of ‘mixed-blood dragons’.

And.

‘Even if it’s a mixed-blood, a dragon is a dragon, and the sky will be much more comfortable for it than for us, who are unprepared and clumsy.’

Ian nodded, judging it to be a meaningful proposal.

“I understand, Romandro. Then, please write a report on this matter. We’ll submit it to His Highness Jin today.”

“Today? Ah, yes. Today is good. Like His Highness Clifford, with that, decisiveness.”

For a moment, a list of things to do flashed through his mind, but what could he do? He didn’t have the confidence to handle the dragon alone without the mages. It was better to have more work like this.

“Also, we need to tell the Dera tribe to make protective gear specifically for the dragon. It’ll be used for propaganda, but it’s an essential target to protect, so tell them to pay attention to the durability.”

“I understand. I’ll deliver that by today as well.”

“Put more power into it! The world isn’t easy, but you have to show them that you’re not easy either!”

-Kkyuuu!

As Akorella cheered it on from the side, the dragon raised its head and opened its mouth as if it was in a good mood.

Then, a torrent of hot flames poured out in an instant.

*Whoooosh-!*

“……!”

“……?”

The three of them froze as if time had stopped, staring at the dying flames.

They thought the dragon’s abilities had disappeared in the early days of Gaia?

“…What, you-”

As Akorella’s mouth gaped open, the dragon smiled, revealing its black teeth.

-Kkyu?