Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 870

“Jin Verosian…”

Ian murmured to himself, almost involuntarily. The unfamiliar name that rolled off his tongue felt somehow familiar and close.

Romandro smiled and tucked the official document into his coat.

“He is the grandfather of the current Emperor. He was called the Iron-Blooded Emperor, and he was truly a great man. During his time, Bariel won many wars and became the center of Gaia [a term for the world or the continent].”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, you will learn all about it when you go to school later. By the way, you are Ian Handel, young master, correct?”

“…Yes, I am.”

“I would like to formally introduce myself again. I am Romandro from the Magic Department. First of all, I offer my sincere condolences. His Majesty the Emperor is not in good health and could not send mourners separately.”

Crony frowned. The excuse was quite plausible. To put it more bluntly, they were not interested in the death of a distant lord living in the provinces. Moreover, wasn’t there the added disgrace of his wife’s death? The Imperial Palace naturally wouldn’t react, and indeed, it didn’t.

However, they hadn’t expected the Magic Department to suddenly get involved.

“It’s alright. Thank you.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

“What should I do now?”

“Ah!”

Romandro scratched his head as if to say, ‘Look at me, losing my mind.’

“We just need to confirm if you are a mana user. It’s a simple and formal procedure, so there’s no need to be too nervous.”

“A mana user?”

“You know what a mage is, right?”

“Yes. A messenger of God who wields power through the sixth sense.”

“You are very bright.”

Romandro gestured to his subordinates who had followed him in, as if to prepare for the mana appraisal.

Ian looked at Crony, who had a very displeased expression, and asked again.

“If I am a mana user, what happens?”

“Uncle Ian.”

Crony reacted to the question.

“Don’t get your hopes up too high. There has never been a mage from the nobility in Bariel’s history. You said it has been done five times in history, but none of them were mages.”

It was unlikely that Ian was a mana user, but if he was, things would truly get complicated. The Imperial Palace, and the Magic Department at that, would get involved in the child’s affairs.

Romandro glanced at the sharp-tongued Crony. He had heard that he was a very vocal officer in the Imperial Defense Department these days, and it seemed the rumors were true.

“Excuse me, Lord Romandro.”

“I am not a noble, so just call me Romandro. My family has been working in the Magic Department for generations.”

“Understood, Romandro. If there has never been a mage from the nobility, what is this law for?”

Romandro shrugged with his arms crossed. In fact, he himself could not fully grasp the intentions of the late Emperor. At the time the law was enacted, the Emperor and the Magic Department had so much power that there was little opposition, so the records were brief.

However, one thing he was sure of.

“It must be to protect young mages. I read that Emperor Jin Verosian said so at the time.”

“…I see.”

“Romandro! Could you look over here for a moment?”

“Huh? Why? Shouldn’t we just take out the mana appraisal device?”

“Yes, but there’s a slight problem.”

“Oh, dear. I can’t believe you can’t do anything without me! Young Master Ian, please excuse me for a moment.”

“Take your time.”

As Romandro followed his subordinates out, Crony also turned and whispered something to his group.

In that gap, Hanna and Philia carefully approached and whispered to Ian.

“Um, Ian.”

“Yes?”

“If you are a mana user, you don’t have to go with Crony.”

It was a voice made secretly so that no one could hear.

Ian’s eyes widened slightly. Being ignorant of the Magic Department, he hadn’t realized that what was given now was a sliver of hope.

“Then?”

“All mages in Bariel belong to the Magic Department. You are young, so there will need to be a discussion about your residence, but it’s not Crony’s place to interfere.”

That’s right. There is a way.

Goosebumps rose on Ian’s neck.

“Ian, we need a little trick. Do you have anything related to mana in the mansion?”

He didn’t know how the mana appraisal was done, but he had to do something. Even if it was revealed that he wasn’t a mage after going to the Imperial Palace, it was important to get away from Crony first.

Then, a mana stone flashed through Ian’s mind.

“There’s a mana stone in the study that we use for learning.”

“I’ll go get it. You keep it in the drawer, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He remembered seeing it a few times. Hanna said she would go get it right away and crossed the hallway, while Philia kept looking outside. He didn’t know what to do with the learning mana stone, but he was grasping at straws.

Meanwhile, Crony and his group were sharing cigarettes and talking.

“Lord Crony, you don’t need to worry too much.”

“That’s right. How many ridiculous laws has the Imperial Palace enacted? It’s an old law that’s almost 100 years old, so don’t give it any meaning.”

“I was surprised when they said it was from the Imperial Palace, but it’s the Magic Department, so I’m relieved. They say it will be over soon, so let’s just watch.”

Crony flicked the ash from his cigarette and remained silent. It was unlikely that Ian was a mana user, but he felt strangely uneasy. It was like something was going wrong. He couldn’t shake the feeling of unease, as if a tiny crack that shouldn’t have appeared was continuing to widen.

Thump.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you wait long?”

“…A harp?”

“It’s called the Light of the Oracle.”

Romandro came in with his subordinates, carrying a small harp. It was unusual that it had no strings and was about the size of an adult’s upper body. Romandro carefully placed it in front of Ian and explained.

“Originally, it’s bigger and more magnificent, but this is a modified version for temporary use. Usually, a mage goes to check if someone who appears to be a mana user appears in each region, but when that’s not possible, they just send this.”

“So, usually a mage goes. Then, are you a mage, Romandro?”

At Ian’s question, Romandro twisted his body and answered shyly.

“Oh, no! I’m an office worker. I wish I were a mage. Mages are the most eligible bachelors in the capital!”

Ian glanced at the end of the hallway, and Philia started talking to buy time. Hanna had to bring the mana stone before they could start.

“Oh my, you’re not married yet?”

“I have someone I’m seeing. She’s a colleague at the Imperial Palace.”

“Perhaps from the Administration Department?”

“Gasp. That’s right. Do you know me?”

“No. I just guessed.”

As the conversation dragged on, Crony frowned as if he was suspicious. That doctor from the capital, Philia, he had felt it before, but something was bothering him. It wasn’t just because Ian was particularly fond of her, but he had a feeling that she would get in his way. He interrupted.

“Excuse me, Magic Department teachers. You’ve come a long way from the capital, wouldn’t it be better to finish your mission quickly and return? If you’re late, you’ll be running through the mountains at night.”

It was a prompt to stop the pointless chatter and get to work.

Philia’s smile disappeared as she looked at Crony. Romandro also sensed the unusual atmosphere and focused on setting up the harp.

At that moment, Hanna came running from afar, panting.

‘Ian!’

The mana stone in her hand glowed faintly. How could he receive it? Romandro and Crony’s group were staring with their eyes wide open.

“Young Master Ian. Do you know how to play the harp?”

“Uh-huh. I know how. But not very well.”

“It’s okay. Imagine there are strings here and gently caress them with your hand.”

Ian hesitated and put his hand in the air. He didn’t know what to do. The child closed his eyes tightly and shouted inwardly. Please, please! Don’t let me miss this opportunity, Mother, Father! And if God is watching-

Swoosh!

Buzz!

He had only lightly rubbed the air. But a soft and warm sensation exploded from his fingertips.

The child opened his eyes in surprise. Then, a shimmering ray of light flickered before his eyes. Ian’s blue eyes, looking at it, were dyed gold by the light.

Buzz!

“H-huh!”

“Ah…!”

“Oh my!”

“… !”

Romandro, who was close to the Light of the Oracle. Hanna, who was frozen with the mana stone in her hand. Philia, who covered her mouth in surprise. And above all, Crony and his group, with quite the expressions on their faces-

Everyone in the room watched Ian quietly, as if they had stopped breathing.

Buzzzzz! Buzz!

It was so strong and powerful that it was hard to believe it was a light created by a child. The iridescent beauty was a sight made of light.

Everyone was lost in a trance, and Ian was also thrilled by the sensation he was feeling for the first time.

‘What is this?’

Feeling a hot energy exploding from somewhere deep in his chest, Ian powerfully played the invisible strings.

Tears welled up in the child’s eyes and fell down. It was an unconscious reaction. A silent emotion, buried deep in his memory, had created it.

Swoooosh!

When Ian withdrew his hand, the light gradually faded. The surroundings were quiet. The child was sweating profusely and breathing heavily, still unable to take his eyes off the Light of the Oracle.

“I-I-Incredible!”

The first to break the silence was Romandro. He ran over in surprise and held Ian’s hand tightly.

“Amazing, amazing!”

“Haa, haa… Did it work?”

Did he pass the mana appraisal safely? Did I use mana? Leaving the bewildered Ian behind, Romandro shouted excitedly.

“I’ve lived with so many mages, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a clear light! Ian Handel! From now on, your name will go down in history! The youngest and first noble mage, and in my opinion, the strongest mage!”

“I-Ian!”

Philia also ran over in surprise and hugged the child. Hanna tried to rush in as well, but she stopped because the mana stone, which had reacted to the mana, suddenly emitted light and made a strange sound.

Static.

-…Let’s revise the schedule… Tonight… Yes? What do you mean? Tonight, the lord’s… bedchamber…

‘Gasp!’

Hanna put the mana stone in her pocket, worried that Crony’s group might notice, and quickly ran out the back door. Everyone was half out of their minds after seeing Ian’s power, so no one paid attention to Hanna.

“Excuse me, Romandro.”

“Yes, Lord Crony. It’s truly a joyous occasion! Congratulations!”

“What you just did, is it certain?”

“Yes?”

Romandro, who had been jumping around excitedly, widened his eyes as if to say, ‘What are you talking about?’ Crony looked back and forth between Ian and the harp with a dumbfounded expression, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“So, you’re saying that this child, Ian Handel, is a mana user?”

“That’s right. You saw it too. Isn’t it amazing!”

Crony was speechless. He wanted to shout that they must have done something to the harp, that this was ridiculous, but the other party was the Magic Department. It was a unique department within the Imperial Palace, so he couldn’t act rashly, and if he got angry here, he would only arouse suspicion.

“Oh, right! Young Master Ian. Please shake my hand! There’s a saying that if you shake hands with a mana user, you’ll have good luck.”

Romandro held out his hand, and Ian carefully took it.

“So, what happens now?”

“What do you mean what happens? You have to go to the Imperial Palace!”

“The Imperial Palace…”

Ian’s face brightened. The child carefully turned to look at Crony and soon met his murderous gaze. But…

“Ian. I’ll send a letter to the Imperial Palace first. May I stay here with you until I receive a reply from the capital?”

The child instinctively knew that Romandro, who was standing by his side, would be a strong shield. The child nodded with a composed face.

“…Of course, Romandro.”