Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 575

“Is that him? The so-called first noble mage?” Wherever Ian went, whispers followed him relentlessly. The fact that he was a noble mage was enough to draw attention, but an even larger shadow loomed—Chrony. Ian’s guardian was still Chrony’s father, and the place he had lived until the day before entering the palace was also his mansion. “Oh, Uncle Ian. Here you are. Please greet them. These are my direct subordinates. You’ve seen them a few times when you were at the mansion, haven’t you? When you were, what, about this tall?” “Haha. I was a little taller than that.” Chrony ostentatiously introduced Ian to the people around him. He was like a child he had raised with his own hands since he was five years old and stuttering. Everything about Ian was packaged as Chrony’s achievement. “I heard his magical power is quite strong.” “What, it’s just because he’s young and energetic. Aren’t there many great mages in our Bariel [a region or kingdom]? He has a lot to learn from them. Uncle.” “Lord Chrony has raised Ian very well. You are amazing. It must not have been easy.” “What are you saying? I’m embarrassed. My nephew is still very lacking.” “By the way, is the Magic Department still making a fuss about the magic seal stones? I was thinking of going there myself since there’s no reply.” “Why would you do that? Isn’t it enough to ask Ian here?” “Hey, you guys. Let’s talk about that matter later. My nephew hasn’t adapted to the Imperial Palace yet.” “Oh, my, I apologize.” From the act of calling someone from the Magic Department ‘barking’ to the errand disguised as a request, Ian immediately realized how insignificant they considered him. As his face hardened, Chrony noticed it first and winked at him. “Cheer up, nephew. Even if it’s painful, you have to smile. That’s the Imperial Palace. It was your choice, too.” He hadn’t realized it at the mansion, but Chrony in the Imperial Palace was a very dangerous man. He had seized the central power of the Imperial Palace with his aggressive and proactive political moves, and Ian could instinctively feel that he was a man who was never satisfied and always yearned for more. Why hadn’t he noticed it when they were at the mansion? Perhaps it was because Chrony was his whole world. He didn’t know there was another world, so he couldn’t make any judgment about Chrony. “Ian, did you come back from meeting Lord Chrony?” “Naum. I’m sorry I’m late.” “You don’t have to go just because he calls you.” “What about what I asked you to look into?” “Here.” Ian slowly read through the documents Naum handed him. The territory was divided into ten pieces, and most of the various resources had evaporated. Ian could easily guess that they had all been used for Chrony’s political moves. ‘Is this the price for the Deputy Minister of the Imperial Defense Department position?’ Although Ian had just entered the world, he immediately realized that Bariel was in decline. In just under 100 years, the emperor had changed several times, and there had been several bloody power struggles in the Imperial Palace. It was a more precarious situation than an illusion built on sand. He understood why he, a distant relative of the imperial family, had been entrusted to Chrony. ‘They barely have enough to maintain the imperial throne, so how could they bring in a distant relative? It’s like taking in a beast that will bite their necks.’ Naum carefully looked at Ian and gently patted his shoulder. “How about trying to reapply for a guardian?” “…Do you think the court will accept it?” To the outside world, Chrony had raised Ian perfectly, without any shortcomings. On the other hand, Ian was a fifteen-year-old child who didn’t know the ways of the world and had nothing. In a situation where the position of Deputy Minister of the Empire was being sold, there was no way the court would side with Ian. Ian shook his head as if it was no use and folded the documents. “By the way, Naum. The Imperial Defense Department mentioned magic seal stones, what are those?” Naum’s brow furrowed instantly. The magic seal stone was virtually the only means to check the Magic Department. Therefore, various departments, led by the Imperial Defense Department, were constantly making new proposals for the distribution of the seal stones. “His Majesty the Emperor has the Magic Department as his close aides. So they keep making a fuss about managing the seal stones. The number of mages is steadily decreasing anyway.” There were quite complex political circumstances intertwined. Although he was deeply interested, Ian needed to adapt to the Magic Department first. It was a world that was immeasurably vast, wondrous, and brilliant, unlike the studies he had experienced so far. He was so busy drawing magic circles, figuring out how to activate them, training, and understanding them that a day was never enough. Tap. “Ian. Finish this by tomorrow.” “By tomorrow, you say?” “Why? Can’t you do it? Then get help from the people at the Imperial Defense Department.” Furthermore, the boundary that had begun due to the difference in status transformed into rejection as Chrony gained power in the Imperial Palace. ‘A mage with ties to the Imperial Defense Department.’ Because their attitude was so clear, Ian didn’t even know where to start to fix this relationship. He had only learned how to deal with Chrony his entire life, not how to deal with people. “Give him something he can do.” “…Naum.” “How can a newbie do this if you can’t? Or do it together. You’re off duty today anyway, right? Great. Let’s do it and then eat something delicious. I’ll help too.” If Naum hadn’t helped him from time to time, Ian would never have adapted to the Imperial Palace. That was a guarantee. Gradually, the time he spent with people increased, and the days of finding his identity as a mage continued. Looking back, it was the time when Ian laughed the most in his life. It must have meant he was happy. “His Majesty the Emperor has passed away.” Not long after, he faced a huge storm. Ian was mentioned as the next emperor with the full support of the pro-emperor faction. He was a distant relative of Verosian, a sacred mage, and a young boy who could be swayed as the powerful officials wished. And above all, it was possible because everyone in the Imperial Palace knew that there was a rift between Ian and Chrony. “Emperor, nephew? That’s absurd. You are too young to know the weight of it. Be wary of those who whisper sweet words. That will eventually lead to your ruin. Nephew, I raised you with all my heart.” For the first time, Chrony came to the Magic Department to persuade Ian. He seemed desperate. He knew Ian’s potential better than anyone else. Wasn’t he a child he had raised with all his heart? More intelligent, smarter, and a being that the gods had lovingly bestowed. “I know that our relationship is not the same as before. Nephew, look. This is what I was worried about. If you had stayed at the mansion, you and I would still cherish each other as a parent and child. But since you entered the Imperial Palace, we have gone through many changes. You surely know what it means to be enthroned with the support of the pro-emperor faction, don’t you?” It meant that he would clash head-on with Chrony. Ian’s face was calm, but inside, he was churning like a stormy sea. Chrony, yes. He was his father, after all. A father he had followed with all his heart, who had taken root in his heart since he was very young. Their bond had cracked, but there was something that would never break between them. “Chrony. I-” But the path to take was already set. Ian shook his head and answered with difficulty. “I have come to love Bariel.” He would become the emperor. So that he could rebuild the collapsing sky of Bariel and straighten the shaking earth. If he could, he would find the meaning of his birth into this world. As Ian said that, Chrony’s eyes changed strangely. He realized that he couldn’t persuade him. “…I understand, nephew.” If he pushed when the decision was firm, it would only backfire. Chrony stepped back and decided that it would be better to revise his strategy to continue to maintain his relationship with Ian. “If that is your will, nephew, I will also add my will.” And that was a very accurate judgment. When Ian Verosian was crowned emperor, those who did not know the situation expected that the political situation would finally stabilize. They thought he was someone who had the support of both the pro-emperor and anti-emperor factions. But the problem was that Ian did not have the power to mediate their power struggles. Rather, he was a being who provided an excuse for each other. “The Emperor is a mage, so how can we manage the magic seal stones that can check him? That’s a dangerous statement. It would be better for Lord Chrony, who is his guardian and blood relative, that is, the Imperial Defense Department, to be in charge.” “What are you saying! We can never hand over the magic seal stones. This is related to the survival of the mages.” “Your Majesty! The authority of the Imperial Defense Department is too strong. We need a proposal to check it.” “Lord Chrony is the godfather of His Majesty. The power of the Imperial Defense Department is the power of His Majesty, tsk tsk. How disloyal!” “Are you saying that now? There are many complaints about the Imperial Defense Department outside. Why was the investigation into the civilian deaths in the Chetur district last time so poor? Your Majesty, some suspect that the perpetrator was a direct subordinate of Lord Chrony and received special treatment. This will tarnish Your Majesty’s honor.” “Don’t be ridiculous. Which place benefited the most thanks to His Majesty the Emperor, who is from the Magic Department? There has been no detailed audit of the greatly increased budget.” “Your Majesty!” “Your Majesty!” Thud! Ian slammed his desk roughly, as if begging them to shut up. His gaze was on Naum. ‘Naum, you have to help me.’ It felt like the only solution was for Naum to rise and help him, instead of the corrupt current Minister of the Magic Department. In fact, it was a reasonable and appropriate course of action, but reality always deviated from expectations. “Naum is aiming for the position of Minister of the Magic Department. Please help him.” “It seems that His Majesty has a will. Minister. And isn’t the Magic Department an internal election? Instead of doing this to us, it would be faster to work in the Magic Department.” “Lord Chrony! Still, His Majesty listens deeply to your words! I will hand over some of the authority over the magic seal stones. Please persuade His Majesty.” Chrony smiled. Brighter than ever. “Yes, well. I will try my best.” As Naum Ovia took control of the Magic Department and became the minister, the management of the magic seal stones was transferred to the Imperial Defense Department, and the pro-emperor faction lost key figures and their power was dismantled. Everything happened so quickly that Ian couldn’t handle the situation at all. It was clearly the right decision, it was reasonable, and there was no other choice. However, by changing the owner of the position of Minister of the Magic Department, he had suffered too great a loss. The balance was broken. “Your Majesty. It’s okay. Authority can be regained. Naum Ovia, I swear on my name that I will do so.” Ian thought he still had a lot of time. Although it was gradually tilting to one side, he thought he could turn it back. Ian was young, but his potential for growth was limitless, and he was developing day by day. As the sun set and rose, Ian’s way of handling things was shining. “Your Majesty. We must go to war.” Chrony once again cast his shadow over Ian. The Imperial Defense Department chose war as a means to expand its power and drive Ian and his close aides out of the palace. The justification was sufficient. “In order for the imperial citizens to look up to His Majesty the Emperor, who is from outside the Imperial Palace, he needs achievements to match. There is nothing more brilliant than a monument written in blood. How about lightly clearing up the borderlines on the outskirts? If you establish the prestige of Bariel with powerful magic, morale will also soar. You have never been outside the center, so it will be a very good opportunity. In many ways.” Except for the Magic Department, all departments agreed to the war. Even among the mages, there were those who wanted war. It was a sign of betrayal, but Ian couldn’t avoid it. “The Minister of the Imperial Defense Department will accompany you. I will stay and protect the palace.” Chrony, who had lived by putting someone else forward, had seized the opportunity of a lifetime. He was left alone in the palace without a master. Thus, Ian’s downfall had actually begun from a very young age. From the age of five, when he was so young. * * * “It was my fault and my mistake.” Ian murmured, recalling his mistakes that day, as if reviewing a lost game. He wouldn’t have done that now, he could have dealt with it more flexibly now. “Your Majesty.” Ian smiled faintly and looked at Jin. His expression was so miserable that he could gauge his heart. In fact, everyone in that place was like that. “I regret it, but it’s okay. Because I have finally rediscovered the value of failure.” That is, you who are together in the name of Verosian. There were so many things he could tell Jin based on his failures, so how could he not be happy? Because he was there, Jin could exist, and because of that, his history would continue 100 years later, so this was not a failure but a process. The history of Verosian has not stopped for a single moment.