Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 55

They weren’t like Beric, who was ignorant about magic. They were people who worked in the capital, dealing with the Magic Department, weren’t they? They couldn’t possibly not know what the sudden gleam in his eyes meant.

Molin and his group stared at Ian, their mouths slightly open, and the silence was broken by Romandro’s hiccup.

“Hic, s-so, you are….”

“They call someone like me a mana user.”

“No, but since when….”

“I don’t know. It’s a power that has been with me naturally since a long time ago.”

It was a disaster. Molin pressed his forehead with his hand, which was as dry as a twig. Clearly, what he had seen before was not an illusion. Mac and D’Gore were also so surprised that they covered their mouths.

“I can only feel and release the flow of mana right now, but someday I want to become the strength of Bariel.”

“O-of course! Of course, you will. Good heavens! I’ve lived to see this day. To see a mana user outside the Magic Department! Haha!”

And he was the bastard son of an executed count!

Romandro instinctively realized that Ian was at the center of everything. The accusation, the execution, and even his actions after entering the territory. He seemed extraordinary for his young age, and now there was a reason for it.

“May I hold your hand?”

“Yes? Haha. It would be an honor.”

It was a trivial superstition. That meeting a mana user before they gained the title of mage would bring good luck. Romandro and Ian shook hands again, and the more they did, the more Molin’s expression soured.

‘What should I do?’

Whether Ian’s mother was a commoner or not, it didn’t matter anymore. Judging by Kakhantir’s state, he must already know.

‘Judging by his behavior of showing off in front of Romandro….’

It was clear that he had no intention of returning to the Great Desert. He seemed intent on staying in Bariel, and now that they knew he was a mana user, all the initiative was in Ian’s hands.

Look at Romandro’s face, all smiles and flushed.

“Let’s talk more in detail over dinner. You’ve come a long way. It would be better to rest first.”

“Ah. Is that alright?”

“I’ll have rooms prepared for your subordinates.”

“Thank you. It’s not easy riding a carriage for fifteen days.”

Having grasped the overall situation, Romandro got up, his body feeling stiff. The future schedule and the disposition of the bastard could be discussed later.

Actually, was there anything to discuss? Rather, he would be the one receiving updates on the reconstruction.

“You, come see me for a moment.”

Just as they were about to leave, Molin quietly muttered. Ian gestured to Kakhantir and sat back down.

“Lord Romandro. I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Ah, yes. Of course….”

“This way….”

Squeak.

The reception room was left with only Molin’s group. Only silence filled the air. Molin hoped that Ian would explain himself and show a friendly attitude right now, but he showed no sign of doing so. Mac, unable to watch any longer, intervened.

“You. What on earth are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? I’m asking why you’re making things so complicated.”

“What’s so complicated? I gave Lord Molin the denunciation letter, and in return, Lord Molin gave me freedom, didn’t he? There was no agreement regarding anything after that.”

Clatter.

Molin slammed the teacup down roughly as he retorted.

“I clearly asked you then! If you knew anything about mana usage. You said you knew nothing then. It seems you’re after the Bratz territory, but if you had been honest then, things wouldn’t have gotten this tangled.”

If he had known that Ian was a mana user, he would have tried to make him a puppet lord instead of Erica. Although he was a bastard, he had the merit of providing the denunciation letter, and above all, his bloodline was humble, but his abilities were valuable, so he could have found a way.

“Do I have an obligation to be honest?”

Ian retorted, having listened quietly. It might sound arrogant, but it was a question born purely out of curiosity.

“My judgment in the past was the best choice at the time. Now, no matter what Lord Molin says, it’s none of my business.”

Besides, weren’t they the followers of the Second Prince Gail? They were plotting to take over the border as a stepping stone for rebellion, and Ian, who had led Bariel with a legitimate bloodline, had no reason to cooperate.

They wouldn’t understand. What it meant to plot a rebellion. But he didn’t expect them to understand.

“What do you want?”

“I should be asking you. What do you want?”

The conversation began to go slightly off track. It was a conversation where people who thought they had priority were starting with preambles.

“…I, no. We will make Commander Erica the lord. If you truly cannot give up the lord’s position, we can find a compromise-”

“The appointment of the lord is the Emperor’s prerogative, how can you say such disrespectful things? And it would be better to find someone else. Commander Erica’s reputation within the territory is quite negative.”

Knock knock.

“Lord Ian. A letter has arrived from Mereloff.”

“Alright. I’ll go.”

Ian concluded that further conversation with Molin was unproductive. He got up without hesitation at the sound of the servant calling from outside.

“The three of you must be tired, so please rest. Since you are from the Imperial Palace, I will make sure everything is prepared without any shortcomings.”

Squeak, bang!

“Ha!”

Molin’s group let out a dumbfounded laugh as they stared at the door he had left through. But none of them could come up with an idea to resolve the situation. That was how firmly Ian’s offense and defense were established.

* * *

-To His Highness Prince Marib. This is Romandro.

I have just arrived and looked around the territory. It is in better condition than expected. There are still some houses to rebuild, but there are hardly any people sleeping on the streets, and people often smile.

However, there is a surprising matter. Instead of Commander Erica, a man named Ian, the bastard son of Derga, was stationed in the territory with the Cheonryeo tribe. I was taken aback, but he seems to be friendly to the Imperial Palace and, above all, seems to have worked sincerely on the reconstruction. I will attach a separate report with the details.

There will be no problem with the overall progress. Also, to add a special note, the bastard Ian is a mana user. Molin says he should be reduced to a slave according to national law, but what nonsense is that? I will first

Knock knock.

Romandro paused, having written that far. As the door opened and the servant’s face appeared, the smell of food wafted in.

“Dinner is ready.”

“Alright. I’ll be down.”

Romandro went down to the dining room on the floor below. Neat dishes were served on silver platters. He sat down and first examined them with his eyes. There were hardly any fresh vegetables or fruits, and the main dishes were sliced meats that could be stored for a long time.

‘It seems the supply of ingredients hasn’t been normalized.’

It was summer, when the sun was scorching. It was a time when the labor of the territory’s people was needed, but many had died, and the survivors were despondent as they looked at the ruined fields. And that wasn’t all. The food that had been stored while the central army and investigation team were stationed must have been running out quickly.

“Is this what everyone in the mansion eats?”

“Ah…. Is there anything you would like? The advisor’s subordinates were also served the same food.”

“No. I was just curious. What about Ian?”

“He said to eat first. He had a letter from a neighboring territory.”

Judging by the reaction, it seemed that everyone was eating like this. Romandro picked up his fork to satisfy his hunger. If the situation had been the worst, they might have been eating on the floor. That was the norm in places touched by the storm of battle. But here they were, eating a warm dinner at a table!

‘I’m lucky. Yes. Good!’

Just as he was finishing his meal, Ian entered the room.

“Lord Romandro. Is the meal to your liking?”

“Oh. Welcome. How is Lord Molin doing?”

“He says he is also eating in his room.”

Romandro pretended not to notice the thick documents in his hand as he greeted him. Ian smiled brightly and sat down near him. The servants quickly cleared away the empty dishes.

“It would be helpful if you refer to this when proceeding with your work.”

“Let’s see. Hmm. A map and a situation report.”

“I have compiled a detailed list of the repairs that have been made and the regional information.”

The advisor glanced over the map and then asked. The servant had said earlier that a letter had come from a neighboring territory, right?

“Is there any exchange with the neighbors here?”

“When the battle was raging, we kept the outer gates tightly closed to avoid getting involved. But now we are gradually exchanging letters.”

“More than anything, it would be good to get crops that can be harvested before winter comes. What is the status of the food supply?”

“The consumption was high while the central support army was stationed here. We are currently emptying all the warehouses in the mansion, but they will soon be completely empty.”

Ian said that and handed over another document.

“Therefore, I suggest that only 30% of the average harvest be collected for the central tax this winter.”

“As I said, my goal is to make it the same as the average harvest.”

Romandro was a little surprised. Although he was currently managing the mansion’s affairs, he didn’t expect him to discuss taxes in terms of percentages. He was only sixteen, and it wasn’t a concept that a bastard from the border would know.

“When I checked the list of assets reported by the territory’s people, it was half of what it was last year. Also, the mansion currently needs compensation to pay the Cheonryeo tribe, in addition to the wages of a small number of servants. When calculated, about 30% is appropriate.”

Ian explained as he turned the page. It was a decision made with clear evidence. Dozens of sentences and formulas said so.

“But I cannot adjust the goal.”

“That’s a shame. If the central government were to exempt taxes for this year only, it seems that it would be possible to go up to 50%….”

“Did you calculate all of this?”

“Yes, I did.”

“You said you were a bastard from a commoner background, didn’t you?”

“Before crossing the Great Desert, I had a tutor assigned to me to match the level of a peace envoy.”

Even so, this was….

He was ready to be put into practical work immediately. Romandro couldn’t help but be impressed as he continued to carefully review the documents. It was when he took a sip of the wine that the servant had poured for him.

“…It can’t be helped. There is a backup plan. I brought a letter from Mereloff. Please read it.”

“Hmm?”

Romandro, having received the letter, couldn’t help but chuckle. It was a way to procure food from the neighboring territory.

Romandro was so pleased with Ian’s quick and efficient work that his lips were about to tear. If things went well, he might be able to see the first snow of Bariel in the capital this year.

“When I asked Count Mereloff to sell us food, he said he would organize a list of available items and prices. The prices of essential items like wheat and corn are expected to be a bit higher than usual, as their situation is not very good either….”

Romandro nodded involuntarily as he listened to Ian’s explanation.

“…In any case, we need to trade with them. The mansion’s funds are also depleted, so it seems we can only purchase enough for the territory’s people to last about a week.”

“Ah, don’t worry about that.”

He was an advisor sent down from the central government to appease the public. He couldn’t adjust the taxes for the sake of fairness, but he had brought the support funds that the advisor would use. He tapped the table.

“I can cover up to two months. Then, it should be possible to normalize things by winter, right?”

“May I ask how much the amount is….”

At Ian’s question, Romandro only drank his wine. It was an unspoken answer that he couldn’t tell him. It was the only power that Romandro had, so it wasn’t something he couldn’t understand.

“Then I will convey our intentions to Mereloff.”

“Please do.”

“I’ll just organize things for a moment….”

Ian gestured to the servant and left the dining room. As he turned the corner of the hallway, Kakhantir, Nersarn, and his subordinates were waiting.

Beric was also there.

Ian opened his mouth.

“There’s a problem.”