Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 774

The Unrevealed Matter

What returning soldiers brought back from the war were three things: the honor of fighting for their country, compensation, and vivid war stories.

In any tavern, you could find people drunkenly boasting. Even if similar stories were repeated at tables just a few feet away, people were happy to listen.

“Then, the sky went boom, crash! It tore apart, I tell you!”

“Hey, man. Stop exaggerating.”

“Exaggerating? Exaggerating? Have you been to war? If you haven’t, don’t talk. It was a real spectacle. Eyes popping out, mouths gaping, hearts pounding!”

“Pillars of light went whoosh! Thousands of them fell and crushed the heads of the monsters all at once. Wow, it was amazing.”

“And when the monsters filled the northern plains, it was like ants crawling all over. But then the mages flew up and with a flick of their fingers, they turned them into ashes.”

“Was it mages? Or magic swordsmen?”

“What does it matter, man!”

“This is a real mage story. On the last day, the day of the final battle! A giant tree trunk sprouted, grabbed the body of a creature bigger than a magic tower, and then—!”

“Crash! Crash!”

“Hey! You over there, be quiet.”

“What? You be quiet.”

“Huh? 3rd Division?”

“Eh? Seeing you here? You’re from this neighborhood.”

“Look, ask that guy. You saw the sky tear apart, right? Literally tear apart? Huh?”

“Ah, yes! The mages were really amazing.”

Oh, wow!

People listened with exclamations, as if hearing a legendary tale.

Everyone knew the power of mages was great, but how often would they actually see it? Commoners had no chance to witness it except for the flower rain during the New Year’s celebration.

“So, that’s possible.”

“I’m so grateful to be from Bariel.”

“Did His Majesty see it too?”

“His Majesty?”

The man, who had been excitedly talking, paused for a moment. While mages flying in the sky could be seen just by looking up, the Emperor was in the middle of the camp, not someone easily seen. They were only aware that the Emperor was there.

The man rinsed his mouth with alcohol and shrugged.

“I didn’t see him clearly.”

“They say he’s very handsome.”

“And skilled in swordsmanship.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

When did the Emperor actually step forward during the war? The man scratched his cheek, trying to remember.

“…I think he came close during the final battle in the capital of Tolun.”

“Why?”

“Because the Tolun residents started a riot, and he went to the front to clear the way.”

The man closed his mouth for a moment. Only his comrade at the next table knew the meaning of that silence. It must have been the memory of the cries of the children who were brutally killed by his own hands.

The atmosphere grew heavy, and people awkwardly laughed and offered drinks.

“For His Majesty to have taken the lead, it must have been a great feat. It must have been an honor to be there with him.”

“…Honor? Ah, well. I guess.”

“Hey, no need to be modest.”

“Yeah. I guess there were more casualties than I thought. To have survived such a place, it must be an honor.”

Someone suddenly asked a question.

“The Imperial Guard suffered a lot of casualties, right?”

“The captain was completely replaced. But all the Magic Department captains were safe.”

“Wow. In that case, shouldn’t they put mages in the Imperial Guard? They’re supposed to be the Emperor’s right-hand men, but if they’re less skilled than the Magic Department…”

“Hey, their sources of power are different. They say the Magic Department has some kind of connection among themselves.”

“Right. And now there are no enemies.”

“That’s right. Except for the Magic Department, no one can even think of anything rebellious. Rumor has it that the current captain of the Imperial Guard is someone from the Magic Department.”

The last speaker reflexively bit the inside of his cheek. It was a statement that was almost crossing the line.

But everyone was drunk, and it wasn’t entirely wrong, so they laughed it off. Just with a warning to be careful.

* * *

Swoosh.

The Prime Minister adjusted his glasses and read the newspaper article.

Leading the way was the Mailydale Daily, and all the central newspapers of Bariel were focusing on the news of the end of the war. It was a natural reaction, as they had conquered the three neighboring countries of Vergos, Luswena, and Tolun and successfully led the war to victory.

However, some of the headlines caught the Prime Minister’s eye.

-[The Heroes of the Great Empire, the Mages!]

-[The Glory of Bariel, Blessed by the Gods, is Magic]

-[What is the Identity of the Strange Rumors Spreading in Tolun? The Last Struggle of the Defeated Soldiers?]

Knock knock.

“Prime Minister. The meeting will begin soon.”

“Yes, I know.”

The aide keenly observed the Prime Minister. Something was different from usual. He always got up from his seat with an answer, but this time he didn’t seem to have any intention of getting up from the sofa. He was the one who knew better than anyone that it was a meeting attended by the Emperor.

The Prime Minister continued to read the newspaper until the end, then slowly got up from his seat.

“Well, let’s go.”

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s just that everyone seems too caught up in the joy.”

The Prime Minister waved his hand as if it was nothing to worry about and got into the carriage.

The hallways leading to the meeting room were noisy. The few days of celebration were over, and everything was back to normal. Just like the day before the Emperor went to war.

“It’s good to see the Imperial Palace so lively.”

“Yes. It feels like we’re rediscovering the importance of everyday life.”

“Do you plan to reveal ‘that matter’ at this meeting?”

“Well. I’ll see how it goes.”

“Understood. Then I’ll keep the submission separate.”

“We’ve arrived. Let’s go.”

The Prime Minister was old. He could barely move without a cane or someone to support him.

He knew better than anyone that his end was near. So, every day at the Imperial Palace was precious, and he felt a deep affection for the Emperor who would be left behind.

Squeak.

As the meeting room doors opened to the left and right, the staff who had arrived beforehand lightly nodded in greeting.

Among them was Ian, the Minister of Magic. The boy was diligently organizing reports with a neat posture.

“Good morning, Minister.”

“Good morning, Prime Minister.”

“I heard you’ve been in the Magic Department all this time. Have you recovered from your fatigue?”

On the surface, it was a friendly greeting, but Ian paused, noticing something. Then, instead of answering, he just smiled brightly. It was as if he was asking, ‘I was clearly alone and quiet, where did you hear that?’

“His Majesty the Emperor is arriving!”

“Please be quiet.”

At that moment, a message announcing the Emperor’s arrival was heard from outside. The Prime Minister went to his seat, and Ian also stood up to greet the Emperor.

There were quite a few administrative staff members following Jin. And the documents they were carrying were more numerous than ever. That meant there was a lot of work to be done.

Ian spotted a familiar face among the people standing behind Jin.

‘Quintana.’

It was the Minister of Administration, who was in charge of the empire’s finances. Quintana also recognized Ian and gave him a friendly wink.

“Alright, everyone, please sit down.”

At Jin’s words, dozens of officials sat down and looked at him. The Emperor also looked around the crowded meeting room with a fresh gaze.

“Good morning. It’s truly a pleasure to see you all here, not on the battlefield. It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve looked forward to this meeting time.”

The general meeting began with the Emperor’s light joke. The cheerful laughter did not fade, and in various places, greetings welcoming the Emperor’s safe return were heard. Post-war, there was a mountain of pending tasks, but what was more important than this?

After a brief exchange of recent news, Quintana spoke.

“I am Quintana, the Minister of Administration. The biggest agenda item at today’s general meeting is the matter of compensation to be paid to the soldiers who participated in the war.”

“I believe it was announced before the departure.”

“Yes. It was 70 silver coins per month of service.”

“That’s correct. However, due to the current state of the national treasury, it is impossible to pay all soldiers at once. Therefore, we need to discuss the criteria for phased payments.”

“Hmm. I think it would be best to go by length of service.”

“Wouldn’t it be better by rank?”

The officials argued, each giving their opinions. Jin listened without missing a word, and the Prime Minister kept glancing at Ian.

Meanwhile, Ian, who had been pondering something, raised his hand and suggested.

“We can only make a decision after considering what benefits we can obtain from other countries and how long it will take. First, there’s the war reparations. Vergos is the closest and in good condition, so we can start by demanding from them.”

In response, the officials spoke up.

“That makes sense. Then, what is the situation in other countries?”

“Luswena is currently being reorganized by Clifford, but the fall of Elvasa was too sudden for them, and there is resistance in various parts of the region. There are also issues involving Hwan.”

“The war reparations proposed by Vergos are 10,000 gold coins. There are also the export of magic stones and the donation of the eastern region of Vergos bordering Bariel.”

The officials’ hands became busy. They were scribbling with pens and flipping through reports to verify the claims.

“I sent a messenger to Vergos in advance while I was in Tolun, so Lady Kyla will already be prepared.”

“10,000 gold coins…”

“What about Tolun?”

“There is nothing decided for Tolun. We need to check the report that Minister Tweller will submit after the reorganization.”

So, they don’t know how much will come from Tolun and Luswena yet. Quintana was quickly calculating when Ian tilted his head with a puzzled look.

“But—”

Jin and the officials focused their attention on Ian.

“Why is there no mention of Hwan? Whatever the situation, they also attacked Bariel along with Luswena.”

His point caused a stir in the meeting room. It was more of an atmosphere of ‘it’s finally here’ than a reminder of something forgotten. The stir mainly occurred among the administrative and foreign affairs departments.

“I was about to speak about that. It’s information that came in line with the victory parade, so we’ve been verifying the truth for a few days and haven’t reported it to His Majesty yet.”

The Prime Minister said, looking back at Jin. It meant that he couldn’t reveal the information here since it hadn’t been reported to the Emperor.

Jin rubbed his chin and pondered for a moment. Was there any information related to Hwan that needed to be reviewed? Everyone gathered here were ministers.

“I understand for now. Tell me what you can, excluding the parts that need verification.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At the Prime Minister’s signal, his aide distributed new reports. Ian, who was carefully examining the contents, paused.

“Currently, a fierce civil war is taking place in the capital of Hwan between the royal army and the rebel army. It is said that Bariel’s informants cannot approach. In the meantime, the rebel side has sent a letter.”

The main point was one: they wanted help to end the civil war. Some officials didn’t think much of the content.

But Ian was different.

‘If this goes wrong—’

The Prime Minister who selected the report. Hwan. And the rebel’s offer of a deal. Ian rubbed his forehead and waited for the Prime Minister’s next words.

‘This is going to be a problem.’

He had only intended to disappear without leaving a trace in the world, but an unexpected situation had arrived.