Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 893

Squeak.

Minister Sharto of the Imperial Defense Department rose from his chair to greet Arena, a forced smile on his face. The way he strode forward, robe billowing, felt ominous.

It was like-

Like he was about to slap her across the face.

‘Minister Arena.’

But thankfully, instead of doing that, Arena stopped right in front of Sharto. Officers, including Crony, watched Arena closely.

‘Minister Sharto. Is this a good time?’

‘Of course. Minister Arena, you’ve come all this way. Please, have a seat. This way.’

Sharto gestured towards the sofa and subtly winked at the officers. Servants bustled to bring tea.

‘Yes, but what brings you here?’

‘I believe you know better than I do why I’m here.’

‘Well, I’m not sure. I don’t have any special abilities like a mage, so I wouldn’t know unless you tell me.’

You sly bastard. Arena’s lips twisted into a faint smile. He wasn’t going to initiate the conversation himself, was he? Arena held out her hand, and her aide handed her a document.

‘This is the proposal that came from the Imperial Defense Department earlier.’

‘Ah. I see.’

‘You requested Ian Hadel be drafted for the northern expedition.’

‘Yes, yes, that’s right. Is there a problem?’

‘…A problem? Am I hearing things?’

Arena raised an eyebrow. What an absurd attitude. Sharto sipped his tea, adding nonchalantly,

‘Isn’t it normal to request support from the Magic Department for an expedition? If possible, you grant it, and if not, you send a reply. The Magic Department must be very busy. So busy that the minister herself has to come because there aren’t any staff to send documents.’

It was a clear jab. Implying that even though they were busy, she came all the way here for something like this. Arena maintained her smile as she retorted,

‘It was so ‘absurd,’ you see. I wanted to see if the Imperial Defense Department had officially reviewed it, and if so, to understand our minister’s deep thoughts, so I made time.’

You crazy bastards. Putting up something ridiculous and then acting so self-righteous? Arena’s inner thoughts seemed to echo in everyone’s ears.

‘What is so absurd? It’s a decision made by the Imperial Defense Department itself. If there’s a problem, we’ll correct it.’

Sharto straightened his back. He had already prepared a perfect rebuttal for any objections.

‘He’s too young, so we’ll replace him with someone else?’

Ian Hadel had officially demonstrated his power twice. Once in the Magic Department, and once in Energes [a research facility].

If they still said he couldn’t go to the battlefield because he was too young, it would imply he couldn’t properly handle the work of the Magic Department either. It would be enough to argue that he was unqualified as a mage. There was no trivial matter in national affairs.

‘Or a refusal to draft him?’

The war in the north was inevitable. The opponents were a minority tribe, but they were still sorcerers. Soldiers alone would struggle. They might even lose.

The Emperor’s army had lost? This was no small matter. The cause of the defeat would be questioned in the general assembly, and the Magic Department would be held responsible for not cooperating in the fight against the sorcerers.

‘You make a good point. Ian Hadel, you see-’

Go on, say it. Sharto, confident that he couldn’t lose, waited for the next words with a triumphant look. Arena continued with an indifferent face.

‘He’s a nobody.’

‘…What did you say?’

Sharto’s mind, which had been calculating various scenarios, froze as if it had broken down. He looked like he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

The officers behind him were the same. Crony and the others stared at Arena with bewildered faces.

‘I said, he’s a nobody.’

‘Minister Arena.’

‘What is the greatest virtue of war?’

‘I think we’re having a misunderstanding here-’

Bang!

Arena lightly slammed the table as if telling them to shut up and listen. Sharto, overwhelmed by her force, unconsciously closed his mouth. Or rather, he was speechless with bewilderment.

‘Victory, isn’t it?’

‘…….’

‘The path to victory! You can’t be careless, and in a battlefield where you can’t see an inch ahead, you must fight your best every moment. Do you know why? Because if you lose, that debt can only be repaid with the blood of the precious and noble citizens of the Empire. Not with Minister Sharto’s blood.’

Arena’s aide blinked. He knew what she was trying to argue.

‘But in such a battlefield, you’re requesting a mere ‘nobody’ as support? As a citizen of the Empire, I find this a bit insulting.’

‘Insulting? Minister Arena.’

Crony, who had been listening quietly, couldn’t hold back and interjected. Arena’s eyes flashed. It wasn’t a metaphor; her pupils actually turned golden. It was the look of a predator.

Saaah.

‘You little shit, where do you think you are interrupting a conversation between ministers…….’

‘……!’

Crony was startled by the golden magic and lost his words. Then, at Sharto’s gesture to restrain himself, he lowered his head.

‘…I apologize, Minister Arena.’

‘Let’s keep the basic boundaries, Officer Crony. Okay?’

‘Yes, I understand.’

Arena withdrew her magic and turned back to Sharto. Her face was smiling as if nothing had happened. She picked up her teacup.

‘Where were we?’

‘Mo, insulting…….’

‘Ah, yes. That’s right. Those who claim to be for victory are asking for Ian Hadel, who just started work today, as support. It broke my heart. I wonder if you’re being considerate to the Magic Department, or if you never intended to win in the first place.’

‘Minister Arena, watch your words. That is an insult to me!’

‘I’m just giving an example. I’m not saying that’s the case.’

Arena smiled and swirled her teacup as if to calm him down.

‘As I wrote in the request, I am well aware of Ian Hadel’s talent. He’s rumored to be an all-around genius. Does it matter that he just started work? His mere presence is enough to boost our army’s morale. And above all, the northern region is vast and uninhabited.’

It meant that it was okay to release uncontrollable magic without any problems.

Arena raised an eyebrow as if agreeing with that. She casually put down her teacup and replied nonchalantly,

‘Yes, yes, I saw that part too. So you said it would be a particularly good opportunity for Ian Hadel. The best place to gain experience without any risk.’

‘That’s right.’

‘But you know one thing and not the other.’

‘Not know?’

Sharto frowned at Arena’s confident attitude.

‘Ian Hadel’s genius power, if we put aside everything else and just look at his experience, it’s a chance to grow, that’s right. But, do you know what happened when the kid used his magic in the Magic Department and Energes?’

In the Magic Department, he shattered the imperial palace’s barrier, and in Energes, he completely destroyed a garden with space-time magic.

‘The destructive power of Ian Hadel’s magic is beyond anything you can imagine. If you still insist on Ian Hadel’s support, then fine. But let’s make sure we go over this.’

Arena pushed her teacup aside and handed over a piece of paper.

‘Any harm caused to our allies due to the child’s inexperience is not the responsibility of the Magic Department. The Imperial Defense Department, which requested Ian Hadel’s draft, will be responsible.’

It was a comprehensive ‘harm,’ and no one knew how it would manifest. He could blow away allies instead of enemies, and in the process, a general or high-ranking officer could die. It was a warning.

‘Go ahead and take him if you can.’

Arena kept offering the pen as if urging him to sign. If they wanted to take Ian Hadel, it was like giving their lives as collateral.

Who knew? Maybe the Minister of Magic would use Ian Hadel to kill all the high-ranking officers of the Imperial Defense Department. And then, with the minister’s limbs tied, she could quickly take control of the imperial court.

‘Just sign it. Then I’ll have Ian Hadel nicely washed and dressed up for you.’

This way, the Magic Department wouldn’t be refusing the Imperial Defense Department’s request for support. They were giving him up, right? The strongest force they wanted?

Instead, they would kindly explain the user manual and inform them of the explosion risk.

‘Ahem.’

Sharto glanced at Crony. It was Crony’s job to handle Ian Hadel. Here, Crony’s intentions were more important than the minister’s.

Could he really go to the northern region and handle Ian Hadel? Seeing how confident the Minister of Magic was, it seemed like Ian could overwhelm anything on his own if something went wrong.

‘…Minister. It’s almost time for the meeting. Let’s decide on this matter later.’

Crony subtly signaled. It meant not to decide yet, but to take a step back.

Sharto checked his watch with an exaggerated gesture and muttered,

‘Oh, has it already gotten that late?’

‘Oh, do you have a meeting?’

Arena asked as if she didn’t know. The desk was so clean, where was he pretending to work?

‘Well, the Imperial Defense Department is as hectic as the Magic Department.’

‘I’m sure.’

‘I’ll get back to you on this.’

‘Ah, in writing?’

‘Is there a problem?’

‘I prefer conversations.’

How refreshing and good it was to talk face to face like this? It was easier and more certain than wasting time scribbling on paper, wasn’t it?

But Sharto avoided giving a definite answer.

‘Um, I’ll contact you again.’

‘Alright. Thank you for making time despite your busy schedule. I’ll be waiting for your call.’

Was this it? Arena shrugged and got up from her seat. She was about to leave the office, robe billowing as she had entered, when-

‘Ah, and Officer Crony.’

She turned back to Crony, a few steps away from the half-open door.

‘It seems you’re not as close to Ian Hadel as I thought? Trying to take your last remaining blood relative to the battlefield. I thought you were very close, even acting as his guardian?’

‘The child is young and shy. And don’t talk about the battlefield like that. Anyone who cares for Bariel [Ian’s nickname] can go, and must go.’

‘Really? He seems to be doing very well in the Magic Department.’

‘…….’

‘Sorry if I was a bit harsh. But you should keep your military spirit to yourself. What are you trying to do with a five-year-old kid, it’s annoying.’

She had already officially replied to the Imperial Defense Department. There was no problem in saying a few harsh words about his age. Arena didn’t seem to expect an answer, and she left the office without even looking at Crony’s reaction.

Bang!

As the door slammed shut, the tense atmosphere eased slightly. Sharto frowned, resting his chin on his hand, and the officers only looked at Crony.

‘Crony.’

‘Yes, Minister.’

‘What are you going to do?’

What? We threw the ball first, and they caught it. Now it’s our turn, and he was urging them to come up with a good move. It was practically a warning.

‘…Leave it to me.’

‘I trust you? Huh? I don’t want to see that sassy bitch’s mouth moving in front of me anymore.’

‘Of course.’

‘Tsk. What bad luck.’

Sharto roughly spilled his tea on the floor and got up from the sofa.

The servants hurriedly cleaned the table. Everything, including the paper Arena had handed over, went straight into the trash.