Margrave’s Bastard Son Was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 554

“Haaah.”

The quiet Imperial Palace office.

The employees who were stamping documents all glanced at Romandro at once. He was resting his chin on his hand, just clicking his pen, half out of his mind.

“Haaah.”

“Um, Romandro, sir?”

“Huh? Why? Are you done already?”

“No, it’s not that… the floor is going to cave in. Is something wrong? You’ve been sighing like that ten times in a row.”

As soon as Romandro heard that, his eyes welled up, and he collapsed onto the desk with a thud. The employees eventually put down their stamps and turned their chairs toward Romandro.

“Aww-!”

“Yes, yes, what’s the matter?”

“It’s been almost ten days since everyone left, and there hasn’t been a single letter! I can understand the troublemaking puppy, but Ian, no, the Minister should at least send a message, shouldn’t he? Huh?”

“Ah.”

What? It was nothing.

Everyone straightened their chairs, and only the employee sitting closest to him comforted him, patting him on the shoulder.

“Um, Romandro, sir. Didn’t you receive a carrier pigeon saying that the army has arrived at Mount Laja and that the Dera tribe should be relocated?”

“That’s that, and this is this!”

“No news is good news. Once they cross the border, another carrier pigeon will come, so don’t worry.”

“Hic, hwaaah.”

Honestly, who would worry about the Minister of Magic? He’s a man who came back alive from the abyss, so what’s a little war to him? The employee swallowed the words that were rising to his throat and forced a smile.

Thud!

At that moment, an Imperial Palace employee entered the office. He looked around urgently and then found Romandro.

“Romandro, sir! Are you here?”

“Huh? I’m here.”

“It’s a message from the Minister of Magic. A carrier pigeon was also sent to the Prime Minister just now. There was a problem in the northern rift zone. A gap opened, and monsters flooded out, but fortunately, the Imperial Guard stopped them.”

“What, what did you say? Monster flood? In the north?”

“The Atan tribe, the source of the trouble, has been annihilated. The search party is looking around the area, but they need to join the main force, so they’re asking for a separate support force from the Imperial Palace. And the back page is an order for only Romandro, sir, to check separately.”

“Give it to me!”

While Romandro was checking the letter, the employees also became urgent. A monster flood during wartime! An emergency meeting was needed.

“Is the Prime Minister checking the details?”

“Yes. The administrative office will issue an official document soon.”

“Oh my god, suddenly monsters there, wait a minute! Then what happened to the advance team?”

“I don’t know yet. I guess there might be a problem.”

“Oh dear. Everyone, keep your mouths shut. It’s not good for the Imperial citizens to know.”

“Of course. Understanding the situation is the priority.”

Everyone was busy moving around, but Romandro stood in his place, reading Ian’s letter. And then, he suddenly ran out.

“Romandro, sir! Wait a minute! The approval is almost done!”

“Send it to the Magic Department! Please!”

Tap tap!

The time had come. Romandro ran to the carriage without hesitation and urged the coachman.

“To the Magic Tower! Let’s go to the Magic Tower!”

“Are you talking about where King Damon is?”

“Yes, yes. And you! You contact Timothy. The address is here.”

Romandro wrote down the address without hesitation, as if he had memorized it. The attendant received the paper and then asked with a puzzled look.

“Timothy, you say?”

“Why, the guy who was in charge of building the annex and quit last year, that guy from Burgos! With a face like this, all scrunched up, and a big, burly build!”

“Ah, yes, I understand.”

The coachman swung his whip hard, and Romandro kept looking at Ian’s instructions repeatedly.

-Romandro, sir. Are you well?

There was a problem with the northern rift, but fortunately, we managed to stop it and are advancing north.

More importantly, do you remember what I told you before? About King Damon’s life. The reason he is trying to kill himself is because he is looking forward to the next life.

Neither His Majesty nor I want Bariel to be in danger in any world. Therefore, he is trying to hold his breath until the secret of reincarnation is solved, and for this, you must be very wary of the movements of Burgos. Apart from King Damon’s personal problem, his existence is the reason for the existence of the royalist faction and the axis that supports the current Burgos situation……

Romandro wiped the cold sweat from his hand with the back of his hand and turned the paper over.

-…There may be an assassination attempt. It could be an internal traitor or an assassin. The important thing is that this fact must never be known to the outside world.

His Majesty and all his close aides are out. Keep it quiet and handle things quietly. If you show a gap, the Imperial citizens will be uneasy, and the enemy countries will be even more emboldened……

“Hey, can’t you go any faster?”

“Yes, I understand. Giddy up!”

-…Keep King Damon safe secretly. At least until Bariel conquers Burgos.

Timothy is suitable as an assistant. He is both inside and outside the Imperial Palace, from Burgos, hostile to Damon, and strong……

“We’re almost there, Romandro, sir.”

“Yes, yes. Stay here. If something seems strange, call me right away!”

“Strange? What do you mean?”

“Just in general! If you feel something while standing still!”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

What’s wrong with him? The coachman bowed his head, not knowing what was going on.

Even while going up the tower, Romandro stared at the faces of the soldiers, without missing a single one. There might be a traitor mixed in among them!

“Aren’t you Romandro, sir?”

“You! How do you know me!?”

“…Of course, I know you. This is the Magic Tower, and you are the assistant to the Minister of Magic.”

“Ahem. Nothing unusual happened?”

“Yes, it’s been very quiet for the past few days.”

“He’s still alive, right?”

“…Of course, he is.”

The soldiers wondered what kind of conversation this was. If King Damon had died, a report would have been sent immediately.

Romandro narrowed his eyes and passed the soldiers, and soon he was able to reach the room where King Damon was imprisoned.

Creak.

The double iron door. As Romandro opened the outer door and entered, Damon turned his head and looked at him.

‘He’s still fine!’

Romandro pulled a chair and sat in front of him. He was going to wait for Timothy to come.

Damon stared at his back and then smiled faintly. The war had started, and he wondered what would happen to him-

‘Finally.’

Finally, he was going to see the end.

Damon clasped his fidgeting fingertips together with excitement and stared straight ahead, as if he was ready to have a knife at his throat at any time.

* * *

The sky where dawn was just breaking.

Ian woke up early and looked outside. Firewood that had long since died out was scattered everywhere. Unlike most of the Bariel people who were still asleep, the Astana people were awake and starting their day.

“Did you wake up, Ian, sir?”

“Everyone is moving early.”

“It’s not because they’re diligent. It’s because they’re shamans, so they often need the energy of dawn.”

Then, he kept muttering something with a strange gesture. Hasha, who was also mixed in with them and praying, found Ian and smiled.

“Ian, sir. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Did you have a peaceful night?”

“Look at this. These people are my family, and there are no Bariel people watching us here. You are my friend, so why are you like this?”

To the Astana people, Ian was a friend of Hasha’s Imperial citizens, not just the Minister of Magic of the Bariel Imperial Palace. A friend bound by a special relationship.

Ian smiled in return and sat down opposite him.

“Yes. Hasha. I heard you wanted a private meeting with me yesterday. Please forgive me for coming now because the time didn’t match.”

“Of course. Were you a little out of it yesterday?”

“Thank you. So, what’s the matter?”

“It’s not that, but there’s something to discuss. Among the northern minority groups, only Astana is on Bariel’s side, and you know that better than anyone else.”

“Of course. His Majesty is also very pleased, so all the glory of the war will go to you.”

Hasha lowered his gaze for a moment and then carefully said.

“We know our role in the war with Burgos. But we want to discuss our opinions again about what happens after that.”

“To be specific?”

“The point at which the war expands to Toolun. Around that time, almost all the other northern forces except Astana will be annihilated. For Astana, it is better to focus on organizing and absorbing them rather than continuing to participate in the war.”

There was no need to continue a wasteful war. Toolun was not a target that Astana could digest, so it was a will to completely integrate the north with that power instead.

“The reason I’m telling you this first, not His Majesty, is to indirectly hear Bariel’s position, and because I trust you. After conquering Burgos, depending on the situation, let Astana go its own way.”

Ian pondered for a moment.

It was a very natural decision as the king of Astana, but he was the minister of Bariel, wasn’t he? He needed to carefully consider how much their departure would affect them.

“What about after integrating the north?”

“After that, the stabilization of the country is the priority.”

“How about considering giving other northern shamans instead of Astana?”

“It’s not bad, but I can’t be sure what decision I’ll make for integration. That’s all I want to say.”

There will definitely be forces that will be eliminated in the integration process. Those people will be captured and fall to the bottom of the social class, so it means that they should be handed over to Bariel instead.

But Hasha didn’t confirm anything.

“Okay, I understand Astana’s intentions.”

“What I want to make clear is that Astana is always Bariel’s ally.”

“Of course. I have no doubt about that. However, when you report to His Majesty, it would be good to have a consensus that everyone is satisfied with. Then I can also help Astana.”

Hasha slowly hugged Ian. The fluffy and warm touch was vivid, but now it was the body of an old man with no warmth.

Ian suddenly thought that Hasha’s time was passing too quickly.

“Thank you for saying that.”

Thump.

At that moment, a very faint vibration. Ian and the Astana people turned their heads at the same time. In the distance, something was running along with the rising sun.

“What is it? That?”

“Golem!”

Swoosh.

At the shaman’s gesture, the golem spread its hands neatly and landed. As the owner got on, the golem raised its arms with all its might and increased its altitude.

“What do you see?”

“Uh, wait a minute. They-”

At the shamans’ hesitant reaction, Ian immediately realized.

“The situation is already bad in Burgos due to the civil war. Even if they fight Bariel, they will want to clash outside the border rather than inside.”

“Are they shamans from Burgos?”

“I think so! They are from the Natan and Megetu tribes!”

“The Enjargal tribe is coming from the other side!”

The northern tribes that sided with Burgos, except for Astana, were gathering. Not to Burgos, but to Astana’s land.

“Sound the horn.”

Boo-oo-oo-

Boo-

At Ian’s command, the sentries blew the water buffalo horns.

Beric, who had woken up because he was hungry, staggered out of the tent.

“Haaah. What is it, what is it again from the morning.”

“It’s an attack from other tribes!”

“Ugh, seriously. It’s so hard to go to Burgos. They said it was right in front of us? All the suffering, damn it! Rutherford, I’m going to shave his head bald!”

Beric stretched and grumbled, and Ian threw him a coat.

“It’s always hard when you leave home, Beric. If your wound hasn’t healed, stay back.”

“If it’s healed?”

“Still, stay back.”

It was a place where they didn’t have to worry about rifts. Ian winked at the Astana people and slowly walked toward the rising sun.

“We’re here, we can’t delay.”