Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 67

The atmosphere among the ministers heading to the general meeting was unusual. The day before, they had heard that both princes, who had been at odds at the hunting grounds, would be attending.

“What is going on all of a sudden? Both His Highness Marib and His Highness Gail are attending.”

“They usually only attend the afternoon meetings…”

“I heard that the two of them are in conflict over the appointment of the lord of the Bratz territory.”

“Did they put gold on that useless land? I don’t understand why they’ve been so fixated on it since the last time.”

“Have you heard anything?”

“Well, a letter of recommendation for the lord has been submitted, and it’s said to be Derga’s illegitimate son. I suspect His Highness Gail is coveting him because he’s a mana user.”

“A mana user, you say?”

“I only overheard it. Let’s go in. We’ll be late.”

The ministers reluctantly dragged their heavy feet into the conference hall. Usually, it was quite lively and had a relaxed atmosphere, but today was definitely different.

Creak.

“His Highness Gail has arrived.”

“Your Highness, welcome.”

Gail smiled, casually sweeping his disheveled black hair back.

“Everyone is diligent from the morning.”

“You flatter us, Your Highness.”

His active participation in politics, despite being lower in the succession order, was a silent threat to Marib. Moreover, the general meeting was entirely the responsibility of the ministers, so there was no particular reason for him to attend. That was until just a few days ago.

“His Highness Marib is entering.”

“Your Highness. Good morning.”

“…Be seated.”

Marib, who had arrived at the conference hall, glanced at Gail and then sat at the head of the table. Soon, the general meeting began in heavy silence. While various agenda items were being discussed, the two princes remained silent, merely listening.

“Now, next is, well…”

Everyone sensed it from the chairman’s hesitation.

Here it comes.

“It’s about the matter of the Bratz territory. Romandro, who was sent as an advisor, has sent a letter of recommendation for the lord. The candidate is Ian, the illegitimate son of the executed Derga.”

“The illegitimate son of a criminal… Doesn’t that make the destruction of the family meaningless if he becomes the lord again?”

“But it was Ian himself who reported Derga to the imperial palace. That means he severed his ties with Bratz first. And above all, he was never officially registered, so he never officially had the Bratz name.”

The ministers, having reviewed the related reports, offered their respective opinions. Gail was the first to speak.

“By principle, he should be a slave. A lord is out of the question.”

“He is the only Bratz who can form an alliance with the bordering desert. If the size of the army decreases, the costs will decrease accordingly, and taxes will also increase.”

“Didn’t he bring in foreign forces? It could be seen as an act of treason.”

“However, it seems he has considerable support from the local people. He is the one who meets all the conditions that were considered when the lord’s appointment was first postponed. Moreover, I heard he is a mana user.”

“Ah, yes. That’s what I heard.”

The ministers began to murmur again. As if he had anticipated this, Marib handed a piece of paper to a servant. The paper, received with a bow, was passed to the chairman.

“For these reasons, I also recommend him. While a count is common for the border, a viscount would be appropriate in this case.”

Following Romandro, Marib also submitted a letter of recommendation. At this point, there was no particular reason to object. The ministers exchanged glances, while also watching Gail’s reaction.

He seemed to have attended this meeting to oppose it, but there was no reaction.

“Once he is appointed as the lord, what will happen to him? If he is a mana user, he should work in the imperial palace, but can the head of the family leave the territory for long? He will be busy rebuilding his family.”

“That is for the head of the family to decide. Once the territory is granted, it is not for the central government to interfere.”

“That’s right. The issue now is whether Ian is qualified as the head of the family. As long as the taxes are properly collected, we shouldn’t worry about it.”

Especially for the border, autonomy had to be recognized more thoroughly. There was a cultural difference due to the distance, and above all, it was the power that kept the border secure.

Tap!

“Taxes, you mentioned it well.”

“…What do you mean?”

Gail, snapping his fingers, caught on to the end of the sentence, and Marib frowned. It was a signal to behave properly in a public place.

“Isn’t he an illegitimate son who should have become a slave? Since he is a mana user, it would be more beneficial to make him a slave and keep him in the imperial palace. Wouldn’t you agree, Minister Wesley?”

“That could be the case. The median income of the magic department is 200 gold coins per year. Even those who have not been there for long receive at least 100 coins.”

“If Ian is promoted to a mage, we would have to pay that much, but if he is demoted to a slave, it would be more profitable.”

“There has never been a case of keeping a mage as a slave!”

“How can the Minister of Magic, who knows better than anyone, say such a thing?”

The ministers were shocked and raised their voices. Mages were considered sacred, believed to be the closest to the power of the gods.

That’s why, although the number of personnel was the smallest, the budget allocated by the imperial palace was one of the highest.

Wesley smiled lightly, as if to calm them down.

“I was just talking about the economic cost that Ian would bring. I never said anything about demoting him to a slave, did I?”

“Your Highness Gail, what is it that you want to say?”

The Prime Minister intervened, holding up his staff. Gail looked at Marib and opened his mouth.

“I heard that the taxes that Derga had been evading were enormous. Rather, the central government even gave subsidies to the border, didn’t it?”

“That is a natural thing to do for humanitarian reasons.”

“If Ian pays a certain amount to the imperial palace, combining the economic opportunity cost he will bring and the evaded taxes, everyone will be able to accept it.”

Marib almost burst out laughing. Since the appointment of the lord was not going as they wanted, including Molin and the head of the investigation team, they were thinking of pushing through with money.

It was customary for the imperial palace to confiscate the area and make up for the losses if the lord failed to pay public debts, including taxes, for a certain period. It was also an opportunity that the nouveau riche were constantly looking for to rise in status. If an auction were to be held, the bidder would most likely be Wesley.

‘Anyway, that’s why the magic department is…’

They were the department that received the most budget from the imperial palace, so it was impossible to guess how much wealth Wesley, their head, possessed. Seeing the gold plating all over her mansion, some even said that she had mastered alchemy and was piling up gold like sand.

“Frankly, isn’t this kind of condition natural for the bloodline of a criminal? After appointing him as the lord, one year. If he can’t pay within that time, I think it’s right to demote him to a slave then.”

“How much is the cost…?”

“10,000 gold coins.”

“Oh my.”

“I think that amount is appropriate.”

Seeing him demand it so confidently, it must be a thoroughly calculated amount. It meant that it was a well-founded amount.

But 10,000 gold coins.

It was an amount that could barely be covered if all the taxes collected from the Bratz territory were handed over without spending a single coin. To maintain his position as lord, he would probably have to sell some of the mines or land.

If that happened, the family would gradually decline and lose its own power. It was clear that he intended to create an opening for Gail to step in again later.

“What do you all think?”

“I, I don’t think it’s that bad. He has to pay that much to gain legitimacy externally, and above all, it will also quell the opposition from the nobles.”

“I agree. Even though he is a mana user, there is something suspicious about him being the bloodline of the previous head of the family.”

“But isn’t one year too short? There will be many trials and errors when he becomes the lord, so he should be given three years…”

“Isn’t he already acting as the head of the family in Bratz? If this winter passes, the next winter will be two years. That’s enough.”

The ministers, having found a consensus, glanced at Marib as if seeking his agreement. He seemed to be thinking about something with his head tilted to one side, but Gail’s proposal didn’t seem too bad.

“Alright. Then, the first step would be to appoint Ian as the lord.”

“That’s how he will generate revenue through management…”

“Alright. I have no objections either.”

As Marib readily nodded, the ministers inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that they could have their afternoon tea time. On the other hand, Gail and Wesley exchanged glances as if they were surprised.

‘I thought he would be more proactive in protecting and standing up for him.’

At least he would have extended the period or lowered the amount.

Or else, he would have opposed Gail’s claim, saying it was absurd. Marib, whether he knew their thoughts or not, urged the Prime Minister.

“It seems like we’ve reached a consensus. Let’s move on to the next agenda.”

“Ah. Yes. I will do that. Then, we will decide to submit a proposal to the Emperor to conditionally appoint Ian as the head of the former Bratz territory.”

“Alright.”

“No objections.”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The agenda was concluded as the chairman struck the staff. Marib smiled and moved on to the next report, but in fact, it was none of his business whether Ian was in debt or not.

The first goal was to prevent someone from Gail’s side from becoming the lord. Besides…

‘Somehow, I feel like he’ll pull it off.’

He had never even met him, but he strangely thought that Ian would be able to handle it without any problems. It was a baseless and unrealistic thought, but it might be because it was an interesting matter from a third-party perspective.

However, if he really managed to raise 10,000 gold coins…

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

“Then, let’s move on to the next agenda.”

A small peace had come to the general meeting, which had seemed like a storm was about to break out.

Wesley tilted her head and whispered something to Gail, and Gail nodded in agreement. Marib was just calmly watching them.

* * *

Fifteen days later.

Romandro had developed a habit of checking the window as soon as he woke up in the morning. For some reason, the messenger bird he had sent to the imperial palace showed no signs of returning.

If the letter of recommendation had arrived safely, a reply should have come saying that it had arrived…

“Hmm?”

It was then. In the distance, a strange carriage climbing the hill caught his eye. A golden carriage with a dazzling flagpole, as if it had absorbed the sunlight. Romandro rubbed his eyes and then rushed outside in shock.

“Kyaa! Lord, Lord Romandro?”

“What’s going on?”

“Ian, get Ian here quickly!”

“Yes? Lord Ian is in the garden right now…”

Romandro, who had rushed out in his pajamas, shouted with an excited expression.

“A carriage is coming down from the imperial palace!”

“Yes?”

The servants, recalling the nightmare of the head of the investigation team before, turned pale, wondering if it was a reprimand regarding Molin’s group who were imprisoned underground, but Romandro’s expression was the opposite.

“It’s a golden carriage! It’s a carriage carrying the Emperor’s order!”

What could be the Emperor’s order after sending the letter of recommendation for the lord? Romandro ran to the garden in a frenzy and found Ian, who was squatting and covering the soil.

“Ian!”

“Lord Romandro?”

Confused, Ian dusted off his hands and slowly stood up. He couldn’t see the approaching carriage because it was hidden by the mansion’s wall, but he could fully feel his emotions.

“The letter of appointment for the lord is coming!”