Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 944

“Good morning.”

The office was more than half full, whether they had arrived early or hadn’t left yet. The mages recognized Ian’s voice and subtly turned their heads to greet him.

“Oh, not a good morning.”

“You came in early today—”

“Huh?”

They soon noticed the newborn baby in Ian’s arms.

The mages’ eyes widened as they naturally approached Ian. With his tanned skin and beautiful green eyes, the baby, though still young, had distinct features that hinted at a promising future! And there was even a subtle resemblance to Ian. One mage stammered with a serious expression.

“I, Ian… did you perhaps get into trouble?”

Thwack!

A fist of retribution immediately flew, twisting his jaw.

The mages collectively ganged up on the crazy mage, stomping on him.

“There’s nothing you can’t say to a baby!”

“Exactly. Put this bastard to sleep. Put him to sleep forever.”

“Agh! Ack! No, but it’s true! He looks so much like him!”

‘Does he really look that much like him?’ They weren’t even related by blood. Ian tilted his head, looking down at Roel. Roel looked at Ian with bright eyes, then smiled, grabbing and touching his cheek. Ian shifted the baby slightly as he explained.

“He’s Philia and Nersarn’s child. They came to the capital recently, and today they’re visiting the Imperial Palace to report on the Great Desert. I offered to look after him for a while.”

“Ah, is that what it was?”

“I was so surprised.”

He could have stayed with Philia at the mansion, but Roel strangely didn’t want to be separated, so it was an unavoidable choice. Once the report was done, Nersarn would take the baby back.

‘In the meantime, Philia can get some rest for the first time in a while.’

It had been a long time since she’d been in the capital. Philia said she was going to meet her teacher, colleagues, and acquaintances for a brief reunion. Since they were all doctors, they had all scattered to the front lines during the last monster incident, so he didn’t know how many would still be around, but she would have a short time to reminisce about the past.

“Isn’t the baby heavy? Should I hold him?”

“You’re just trying to get out of work, aren’t you?”

“Gasp, this guy, what do you take me for? You saw right through me.”

“Oh my, how cute. If I weren’t in the Magic Department, I’d have a baby your size by now. What’s his name?”

“Why blame the Magic Department? You should blame your face.”

“Aboo- booboo-”

“Huh? He’s talking!”

The mages couldn’t take their eyes off the cute little creature they hadn’t seen in a long time, grinning from ear to ear. Just ten years ago, Ian was like that, but now…

“His name is Roel. Everyone, go back to work now. Isn’t today the day for the weekly meeting?”

It was no different from the second arena [a place of intense competition]. Even Ian must have been a newborn once, right? Ah, time is merciless.

The mages awkwardly lingered around Ian and the baby, and Roel, as if fascinated by the mages, waved his little hands, patting their faces.

“Booboo-”

“Yeah, you’re telling us to work while looking at you, right?”

“Alright, alright. You can’t be fooled by cuteness. They’re scary.”

Ian chuckled, sitting down with Roel in his arms. He naturally flipped through the reports with one hand, checking what tasks were assigned to him. Then he paused, Ian frowning slightly.

“Senior, is this information accurate? About the monsters in the Red Forest in the north.”

“Huh? Uh, yeah. Probably?”

“That’s strange. We were dispatched there last month. There wasn’t a trace of monsters.”

The report stated that a new type of monster seemed to have appeared in the Red Forest in the northern region. Recently, minor monsters that could be taken down by three or four adult men armed with Tera weapons [powerful weapons] had appeared, but this time, hunters were found with their necks severed. Judging by the state of the bodies and the traces, it was a similar level of danger to the monsters that had flooded a few years ago.

The mages leaned back in their chairs and replied.

“It’s a major agenda item for today’s weekly meeting. We’re wondering if another rift has opened up somewhere, or if it’s a sign that the monsters are getting stronger again.”

“Ah, I really hate this. I thought it was finally over.”

What if the monsters, which seemed to be gradually decreasing and disappearing, were actually repeating a cycle of flooding and decline? What if they were an existence that could never be eradicated and had to be dealt with periodically? It would bring a different future not only to the lives of the people of the Empire but to the entire Gaia [the world].

‘A life with monsters.’

The thought alone was exhausting and terrible.

As Ian frowned, Roel once again stroked Ian’s eyebrows with his little fingers, as if telling him not to worry and to relax his face.

Slam!

“Aha! Good morning!”

It was a loud entrance to the morning. She burst open the office door, then froze when she saw Ian and Roel. She wondered if she had come to the wrong office, so she closed the door and checked the sign.

“What is it?”

“This is Philia and Nersarn’s baby.”

“Aha, right. They said they were coming to the capital, didn’t they? Oh my, how cute. Come here. Coochie coochie coo.”

As Arena made baby noises, the mages were horrified and turned serious. Roel giggled and hugged her, and Arena enjoyed the baby smell, saying this was true welfare.

“Minister, don’t indulge your personal desires.”

“Don’t want to? Then you become the minister.”

“Anyway, is that thing in the north real?”

“Yeah, a follow-up report came in. Aide!”

At Arena’s call, the aide came in with a cart. It was the second report to be distributed to the mages. Every time they moved between desks, the mages picked up a copy and immediately flipped through the pages.

“Hmm? The location where the bodies were found is moving further south? At this rate, they’ve already left the Red Forest, haven’t they?”

“The closest country there is Astana. They said they’ll seal off the forest and handle the monsters there, but I think we should go check it out?”

“Hmm. Well, we don’t know if it’s a variant or another sign of a monster flood. It’s best for a mage to go and see.”

“So! Today’s agenda!”

Ta-da!

Arena smiled, raising Roel’s hand high.

“Who wants to go?”

Here we go again. Again, again! The Magic Department was sick of hearing the words ‘Who wants to go?’ It was so tiresome and terrible, having heard it non-stop for the past 10 years. As if used to it, Ian was about to raise his hand again when—

“Jack and Langnode. You two go.”

“We’ve been named. Holy.”

“Why? Why?!”

Arena pointed at the two mages and gave the order.

“Judging by the postmortem spots, they seem to have been attacked almost simultaneously. Besides the severed necks, the puncture wounds are inconsistent, and they get narrower towards the back… Do you understand what this means?”

‘I don’t know, I don’t know.’ The mages narrowed their eyes and pursed their lips, and Ian added.

“It could be a creature that uses tentacles.”

“That’s right.”

It could be inferred that it was capable of simultaneous attacks and that the ends became sharper. This was just an assumption based on the forensic opinion and the field report.

“Jack and Langnode have dealt with something similar before, right? The monster’s name was…”

“Katarodiak.”

“Yeah, that one. Check if it’s that one, and if not, investigate if it’s a variant and report back. Ian, open the portal by the end of today. The deadline is one week. Is that enough?”

“Do we have to go today?”

“Then what, do you want to do everything before you go? Eat, poop, shower, or even go on vacation?”

“…You really know how to talk.”

“Is it crap?”

“I can’t say it’s not. Ugh.”

Another sudden trip to the north. Jack and Langnode looked horrified and rubbed their faces dry. But what could they do? If they were told to do it, they had to do it.

After that, Arena finished the weekly meeting after delivering the instructions. She nodded to Jack and Langnode as she finished.

“I’ll give you paid leave when you get back.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Have you been living a lie?”

“Minister! I’ll go! I’ll go!”

“That’s enough. That’s all for today. People from the administration will be here soon, so prepare the Sildam potion and follow them.”

“Ah, is today the last day of the exam?”

Time flies so fast. It felt like just yesterday that the Empire’s biggest exam, the Imperial Civil Service Exam, was causing a stir, and now it was already over and nearing its conclusion. The conclusion was the stage of confirming the mindset of those who had passed with excellent results.

Arena returned Roel to Ian and clapped her hands, urging them to hurry.

“Ian, can you open the portal first? Will you have time?”

“If it’s the Red Forest, I have the coordinates organized. If the seniors are okay with it, I can open it right away.”

“Oh, okay. What’s the point of delaying? You’ll just get scolded by the minister. Open it right away. We’ll be back soon.”

Jack and Langnode pulled out their bags from under their desks. They contained various potions and basic necessities. Then they were about to leave when—

“Daa-”

Suddenly, Roel hugged Ian and struggled a little. Then he grabbed Jack and Langnode’s clothes tightly, as if telling them not to go.

Surprised by the sudden action, Ian soothed the baby, and the two men grinned, poking Roel’s cheeks, finding it cute.

“Did you get attached after seeing us for a short time? Oh, how cute.”

“Be good until we get back. Roel, you’ll be here until Lord Romandro’s wedding, right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Okay, okay. We’ll be back soon.”

“Daa-!”

Roel shouted even louder and grabbed their clothes, but the two carefully removed their hands and stroked Roel’s head.

Ian held Roel and headed to the backyard with them. When he placed the hand not holding the baby on the ground, the surroundings quickly turned golden.

“Ah, it’s a cheat every time I see it.”

Jack and Langnode looked at each other and clicked their tongues. Unlike them, who had to spend days checking formulas to open a single portal, Ian could cast it accurately with just a flick of his finger.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

“Please be careful.”

“Yeah, what could happen? See you next week.”

“Pretty boy, Roel! See you next time!”

“Dyaa!”

As the two ascended into the sky, Roel reached out his hand and frowned, as if he didn’t like something. Ian was puzzled by Roel’s reaction and patted his back to soothe him, then turned around at the sound of someone calling him.

“Ian, Sildam!”

“Yes. I understand.”

Roel, held in Ian’s arms, watched the portal disappear over his shoulder until the end, then closed his eyes.

* * *

Knock knock.

“Excuse me.”

Ian entered the administration building, holding an elegantly decorated wooden box. Since the Imperial Civil Service Exam was almost over, the atmosphere was much less chaotic than before. An administration official got up to greet Ian and took the box.

“Ah, thank you. We were supposed to go pick it up.”

“It’s nothing.”

“But who’s the baby?”

“He’s my younger sibling.”

“Oh. No wonder he looks like you. It would be great if this friend was a mage too. Hello?”

The administration official smiled and greeted Roel, and Roel responded with a smile. A ray of light in the desolate Imperial Palace. The administration official scanned the documents.

“Let’s see, oh. This is the last one. Let’s go right away. What about the baby?”

“He’s quiet, so it’ll be fine.”

“Oh, okay. Anyway, we’ll just be recording the Sildam potion reaction from afar. This way.”

A small room inside the administration building. The top 10 successful candidates were sitting in a row.

Among them was Hans, in the middle. He was nervously wondering what the next test would be. Usually, the final test was not known to the outside world…

Creak.

“Now, let’s begin the final test.”

Ian watched from outside, and the administration official placed a Sildam potion in front of each of them and explained.

“You have already been confirmed to have passed. This is the final test to determine the rankings. It’s very simple.”

Clink.

The people carefully picked up the potions and looked at the administration official.

“Drink this, and then answer my question.”

‘Now, please drink it.’ At the official’s urging gaze, everyone drank the potion in one gulp. The official, after confirming that everyone had drunk it, picked up the documents and asked them one by one.

“Answer simultaneously. Was there any cheating in this exam?”

“No!”

“Of course not!”

With the answer, blood flowed from someone’s mouth. The official, after confirming it, continued the questions, scoring them without any change in expression.

“As an administration official, are you determined to be honest and upright, and to contribute to the development of the Imperial Palace and Bariel [the capital city], not for your own benefit?”

Scribble.

“Yes!”

Hans was nervous, but he continued to answer without any reaction to the potion. Hans was the only one who didn’t bleed until the last question. It was the moment when the top scorer of the exam was decided.