Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 787

“Do you remember this place?” Romandro asked, guiding Ian into the alley. Ian glanced around and smiled faintly. Of course, he remembered.

“It’s where we snuck out together for a secret outing.”

“Your memory is as sharp as ever.”

“It was only a short while ago for me.”

“Ah.”

Wasn’t Romandro the one with the good memory? He remembered something from over a decade ago. Romandro chuckled awkwardly and stepped into the alley first. It was almost midnight, and except for a few noisy pubs, there were few people around. Ian pulled his robe tighter and briefly grabbed his arm.

“I’ll go in alone from here.”

“Hmm?”

“We might run into the Eastern mages, so please wait for my word here. If you don’t hear from me by sunrise, go to the Magic Department and inform Hiel and Acorella.”

Romandro agreed, though he thought it was a strange instruction. It sounded as if Ian might be in danger from the Eastern mages. Ian, who had no equal in the Magic Department or even in all of Gaia… Romandro whispered, telling him not to worry.

“Relax. Is it because it’s dark? Who would dare harm you?”

“You never know. We don’t have any information about them.”

Since opening the portal, his magic had become faint. It was as if all his energy was being used to maintain his body. Furthermore, Idgal [a type of magic stone] could not be created. No one knew what the Eastern mages’ intentions were or what powers they possessed, so he had to be careful.

Ian nodded once to Romandro and stepped into the darkness.

Swoosh.

Romandro watched him anxiously. Ian stopped for a moment in the distance and then approached someone. The other person was also wearing a robe, but Romandro recognized her as Melania. The two whispered something and then disappeared completely.

“Hmm.”

Click.

“Ugh.”

Click.

Romandro checked the time on his pocket watch every minute. About ten minutes later, he was startled as if burned. Someone was poking his shoulder!

“Aaaah!”

“Aaaah!”

He screamed in surprise, and the other person was just as startled. Romandro and Beric froze, blinking at each other.

“What’s wrong? Did you do something wrong?”

“Oh my, you scared me half to death! What do you think you’re doing, sneaking up like that? If I were just a little younger, I would have given you an uppercut.”

“You’d think I stabbed you with a knife. I came from behind because I was behind you. What are you doing here?”

“Huh? What about you?”

“I’m working.”

“I’m working too.”

Hmm. Beric’s eyes narrowed.

Romandro subtly averted his gaze and then waved his hand as if to tell him to go away.

“Go on, go do your work.”

“I want to go in, but His Majesty is a bit… embarrassing. I’ll be going soon. The guards who came with me are a bit dim.”

“His Majesty? You came with His Majesty?”

“I told you I’m working.”

“And what’s with the ’embarrassing’ part?”

“There are things like that. But why won’t you answer me? What are you doing here, Romandro? I saw Ian go that way with Melania.”

“…You saw that too.”

“I saw it. That’s why I’m here.”

Beric crossed his arms, telling him not to even think about hiding anything.

Romandro was at a loss and kept rubbing his mustache. Beric was the captain of the Imperial Guard. And more importantly, he was escorting His Majesty. In a situation where he didn’t know how the meeting with Melania would go, was it right to tell him? Especially without Ian’s judgment?

Romandro decided to keep his mouth shut, and Beric, looking dumbfounded, pulled at his cheeks with both hands.

“Do you think I’ll give up if you keep your mouth shut?”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Ha! Romandro slapped Beric’s hands away and finally surrendered.

“Then, are you not going to report to His Majesty?”

“…Huh?”

“If you’re not going to report, I’ll tell you.”

“No, why would it be like that?”

“If you’re going to report! Go on your way and don’t ask me.”

Suddenly, the Prime Minister’s voice echoed in Beric’s head. The voice that constantly questioned whether it was right for someone who was close to the Minister of Magic to become the captain of the Imperial Guard, and whether he could make the right choice between the Emperor and the Minister of Magic.

Beric ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

“Haa. Seriously.”

“Beric, I’m sorry, but I can’t help it.”

A shitty situation.

But what was even more frustrating was the fact that he knew he couldn’t do anything even if worse things happened in the future. Hiding each other’s actions, concealing information, not being able to fully understand the meaning of sentences as before, being closer than anyone but growing distant.

“Shit.”

Beric squatted down as if exhausted and rubbed his face roughly. Romandro was also uncomfortable with the situation, but he didn’t back down and clenched his fist firmly.

Soon after, a sigh that seemed to make the ground sink. Beric dusted off his coat and stood up.

“Don’t go in too late. What time is it?”

“You too, Beric. Be careful.”

“Who’s worrying about who?”

He didn’t ask. Why Ian met Melania, and why Romandro was waiting for them here. Beric didn’t ask anything. That meant he would report what he saw to the Emperor.

As Beric turned to leave, grumbling, Romandro tapped his shoulder, just as Beric had done earlier.

“Beric.”

“……”

“It’ll be alright.”

That was how the Imperial Palace worked. Although they went their separate ways on the surface, they knew each other well. They were worried about each other as they parted, so it would be alright. That was what Romandro seemed to be saying.

Beric still found it hard to fully understand, but he was prepared to accept the weight of it gradually.

“I’ll go.”

As Beric disappeared around the corner, Romandro pursed his lips as if in pity. Click, it felt like time wasn’t passing.

* * *

“Congratulations on your victory in the war.”

“I also congratulate you on your safe return.”

Ian and Melania walked side by side, exchanging quiet greetings. To be precise, Melania was walking half a step ahead, and Ian noticed that her eyes, revealed under the moonlight, were unusual.

As expected, she silently indicated that something had definitely happened.

“Sir Ian, does the Imperial Palace know that the leader of the Hawan rebels is dead?”

“Yes. The news arrived just today.”

“The timing is perfect.”

“Did you calculate the schedule and contact me?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The place where the Eastern mages were waiting wasn’t far. Melania conveyed all the information she had obtained to Ian as concisely as possible.

“Sir Ian, you are a mage but also the Minister of Bariel. It seems they judged it was advantageous to meet after the death of the rebel leader was known to the Imperial Palace.”

Who? They did.

Whether it was the fire cannon or the situation in Hawan, with the rebel leadership all dead, Bariel had no other choice. They had no choice but to meet the Eastern mages.

“They are still looking for the ship that came from the East, and they even know that Sir Ian and the Magic Department obtained it in Luswena. They seem to be quite wary of the owner of the relic, preferring to proceed secretly and quickly.”

Melania entered the basement of a building and pulled back a screen. It was filled with abandoned items and boxes. Because of the thick dust, Ian covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve and followed her deeper into the basement.

“This is the building of a merchant group that used to travel to and from the East. It seems to be the only place where they had contact with the center.”

Ian suddenly wondered about Melania’s memories. In a world where the name Ian Verosian had been erased, how did she remember him? Had she forgotten everything, even the identity of the god she had met as a child?

At that moment, Melania stopped in front of a room at the end of the corridor. They were here.

‘Be careful.’

Melania warned with a look. Arrogant, cruel, and with personalities that were impossible to grasp. That was what she had gathered from her brief encounters with the Eastern mages.

Knock knock.

“It’s Melania. I’m coming in.”

As the door opened, Ian paused. Long red and yellow cloths hung from the ceiling to the floor. Even though it was a closed space, they swayed as if in a breeze. The flickering light behind the paper was unfamiliar, and an exotic scent wafted from somewhere.

“Aha.”

A woman with a long pipe, Eunrang, greeted Ian with a relaxed smile. As she rose, the cloths rustled.

“Amazing. You’re younger than I thought.”

“…I am Ian Hiel.”

“I am Eunrang. I am from Gyeong in the East. That one is Hohun. He is from Hyeon. Please, sit down. Thank you for coming even though we contacted you so suddenly.”

Eunrang gestured for him to sit down.

Melania tensed up again at their formal and polite demeanor, unlike in Hawan. It would be easier to deal with them if they were just crude. But those who changed their attitude depending on the person were always tricky and insidious.

Eunrang smiled brightly and put the pipe back in her mouth.

“I have so many questions.”

Ian glanced at Hohun. He was holding a long, stiff white hair over his eyebrow and watching Ian. Noticing his gaze, Eunrang waved her hand as if to tell him not to mind it.

“In Hohun’s country, they often do that to those they meet for the first time. I know it’s not polite, but please understand.”

Eunrang turned Ian’s gaze back to her and took out a small pouch. It was the Idgal that the rebel leader had given as payment for the fire cannon. She jingled them as if caressing precious jewels.

“I received this in Hawan as payment for giving them the fire cannon. Surprisingly, it has the property of absorbing magic and neutralizing it. This is a magic stone that I have never seen in the East, so I was quite intrigued.”

Whoosh. Thick smoke flowed from her lips. An eye that was as beautiful as it was unfathomable. That was Eunrang’s first impression of Ian.

“But I heard that the Minister made this.”

“That’s correct.”

“I couldn’t believe it. There are no mages in the East who can create magic stones. It was truly amazing. So, I wanted to meet you, and this young lady led us here.”

Ian noticed something strange in his conversation with Eunrang. They were just formalities, but somehow, it felt like…

‘…How odd.’

Just as Ian was about to say something, Eunrang leaned on Hohun’s arm and asked.

“But before that, could you show us?”

“Show you what?”

“That you are the mage who creates Idgal.”

A ‘mage who creates magic stones’ was an unheard-of existence even in Gaia. And the fact that he created a magic stone that nullified magic? Honestly, it was natural to think it was impossible. They wanted to confirm whether Ian was a real ‘mage’ first.

“Eunrang.”

At that moment, Hohun called her.

“There’s no need for that.”

“Hmm?”

Hohun lowered the white hair he had been holding over his eyebrow. It was the hair of a white tiger that had lived for over 1,000 years. It was an item that helped him see through the essence of the other person by borrowing the power of a sacred beast.

“It’s a lie.”

At Hohun’s words, Melania’s eyes widened slightly.

“That man’s name is not Ian Hiel. Furthermore, he is not from this world.”