Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 163

Romandro clicked his tongue while sneakily peeking at the letter. In the name of my mother. Goodness, how foolish he was to have worried that Ian would oppose it. With Ian’s pragmatic nature, there was no way he would refuse. Ian finished the letter and properly stamped it with a seal.

“Sir Romandro. Please take care of this.”

“Of course. Viviana’s messenger pigeon is quite swift and useful.”

“And there’s one suggestion I have for you.”

“What is it?”

Ian rested his chin on his interlocked hands and smiled. Though he had everything after becoming Minister, one thing was lacking. To perform his duties perfectly, he needed an attendant to assist him.

“Would you consider moving from the Administrative Department to the Ministry of Magic?”

“To the Ministry of Magic? Me?”

“Yes. Sir Romandro, you are well-versed in the flow of the Imperial Palace and have been in public service for a long time, so your work processing ability is also excellent. I know that well from seeing you at the frontier.”

“Oh no. If you say that, I’ll… Haha! Ahaha!”

“Ah, he looked pleased. Weak to compliments.”

As Beric snickered, Romandro was about to rebuke him but stopped. He didn’t want to interrupt the conversation flow.

He cleared his throat and neatly adjusted his tie. When the hottest potato in the palace right now spoke of him that way, he didn’t know where to put himself.

“First, well, I’m truly grateful for your praise of my abilities.”

“It’s not praise but my honest opinion.”

“But I’m not a mage, so…”

“It doesn’t matter. An advisor is ultimately for convenience, and Sir Romandro, you are helpful to me even if you’re not a mage.”

Romandro scratched his head. He had a truly perplexed expression. Seeing that, Ian smiled brightly and handed him the choice.

“Of course, your opinion is important, Sir Romandro. Isn’t being a dispatched advisor tiring with frequent business trips? Your child will be born soon, so you can’t wander around forever.”

“That’s true.”

“The salary is also much higher.”

“Well, ahem.”

“And it will be safer by my side.”

At the unexpected words, Romandro’s eyes widened. What did that mean? He had just mentioned something about thin ice breaking in the letter earlier. Was that what it meant?

“Please think carefully and make your decision. The conditions and treatment will be set incomparably better than before.”

The Administrative Department worked under the Emperor’s authority. However, the princes’ powers were slightly permeating under it as well. In Gale’s case, it was Molrin and Chelonia. Mariv surely had hidden forces too. Not to mention, wasn’t Romandro dispatched to the frontier under his orders?

‘If the princes clash, there will be division within the Administration too. If the Emperor tries to maintain his position on top of that, it will be uncontrollable.’

Now that he knew Mariv was deeply involved in the Emperor’s health, it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption at all. Ian looked up at the bewildered Romandro and just nodded. Scrutinizing his expression, Romandro shouted as if realizing something.

“I’ll do it!”

“Pardon?”

“Suddenly?”

Beric also seemed surprised after listening silently. He stopped chewing Gulla and turned to Romandro.

“Hanna said this. Ian, you told the servants to quit their mansion work before going to the desert.”

“Ah, yes. I did.”

“Those who listened then all survived, and those who didn’t listen all died. Now that I think about it, I have a hunch. I feel like I’ll die if I don’t listen to you.”

The instinct of someone who had lived their whole life in the midst of a power struggle. He just casually mentioned it, but he caught on amazingly. Without even knowing the identity of the chaos.

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“Where’s exaggeration in life and death? I have no intention of dying until our baby becomes an adult.”

He seemed to pay even more attention to protecting himself now that he had someone to be responsible for. Either way, Ian nodded as if pleased.

“Then, please submit your job transfer request. I’ll make sure it’s processed immediately. I look forward to your excellent work from now on. As you can see, there’s too much of everything.”

At Ian’s words, Romandro looked around the office. Documents were piled up everywhere except for the chair Ian was sitting on and the sofa Beric was lying on. The Magical Operations Department did help, but the truth was they lacked delicacy as field workers.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

“Lord Ian. An attendant from His Highness Mariv has come.”

“Ah, His Highness Mariv. Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”

When the meeting was adjourned, Mariv had told him to come to his palace. Ian looked up at the void as if bothered. It would be more advantageous for him to doubt the reliability of the truth serum rather than believe Gale’s curse. Then it could be inferred that he would soon doubt and question Ian.

“And about rearranging the Ministry of Magic schedule. The chiefs are asking what training they should do.”

Ian pondered for a moment while changing his outer robe. Those who could be active in real combat, such as offensive magic, were limited to the Magic Operations Department. Then the others…

“Are there any mages who can open portals?”

“Hmm, I don’t think so. The magic’s too high-level.”

“What’s so great about portals?”

“It connects one space to another.”

“Isn’t going against the laws of nature forbidden magic?”

At Romandro’s question, Ian and the Ministry of Magic employee exchanged glances. It was a silence contemplating how to explain it well.

“Reversing and turning space-time does indeed go against the principles of nature. So it’s also true that it’s forbidden magic. But a portal is, in a sense, a kind of ‘road’.”

“Road?”

“It connects one space to another and paves the way. However, the farther the distance, the mana required to maintain it increases exponentially, and if the portal breaks midway, the subject can be in danger, so it’s rarely attempted.”

Ian stopped further explanation, saying they would know if they saw it in reality. And he instructed them to conduct training related to portals and stepped out the door.

A carriage was waiting in front of the building. Perhaps due to Mariv’s urgent summons to bring Ian quickly, the attendant guided him restlessly.

“We must hurry, Minister.”

“Ian, Ian! Should I go with you?”

“It’s fine. I’ll be back, so stay put.”

Ian waved his hand and dissuaded Beric, who came running. Mariv, who had been defeated by Gale, would be quite irritated. Who knew what humiliation he would suffer if he took him along? The carriage left the Ministry of Magic garden, saying it could no longer delay, and Ian drew the window curtains.

Swish!

***

At sunset, Mariv’s palace was dyed in deep hues as always. Unlike the mild colors, the atmosphere was somehow cold and precarious. Ian realized that even the attendant guiding him was holding his breath.

‘Seems like he threw a fit.’

Miserable. Mariv probably thought he could chase Gale out of the palace today. But his brother ostentatiously survived and even brought up the ‘merchant group’ to Ian. He could guess how Mariv felt. And how Mariv vented his anger on his attendants.

The announcement of Ian’s arrival quietly rang out like ants crawling.

“Your Highness Mariv, Minister Ian Hielo has arrived.”

“…Let him in.”

Creak.

As the door opened, Mariv, with disheveled hair, turned to look at Ian. His form was raw itself, with no trace of a prince’s dignity to be found.

The state of the room was even more of a mess. Glass decorations were all shattered, and servants were prostrating themselves, taking the brunt of their master’s anger. Clothes were torn and bruises marked their skin.

“Sir Ian, have a seat.”

“Your Highness. Are you alright?”

“Sit, sit.”

He smiled brightly and pointed to the sofa. Mariv tied his hair up and leaned his body on the opposite side. His narrowed eyes were definitely smiling, but no emotion could be felt.

“I expressed my regret at the meeting.”

“No, Your Highness. I was surprised too.”

“You can understand me, can’t you? Gale’s trick is clear as day, yet the truth serum I had high hopes for couldn’t detect it.”

Ian straightened his back and stared straight ahead. He realized that no matter what answer he gave now, it couldn’t satisfy Mariv’s desire. Now, yes. Now.

“There was no problem with the potion, so I could prove it by drinking it myself. If you wish, I can bring a new potion right now and demonstrate.”

“Hahaha! Haha!”

Mariv burst into laughter. The sound rang out clear and bright, but the prostrated servants trembled in fear instead.

“Sir Ian. I trust you. There must’ve been no issue with the potion. But didn’t Gale ostentatiously evade the effect of the truth serum?”

There was a discrepancy. Though he said he trusted Ian, he believed that Gale evading the truth serum’s effect itself meant Ian’s involvement.

“Regarding that, I will investigate again.”

“No, there’s no need. Gale has already been acknowledged to have a curse and has evaded the truth serum. How can we use a net with a hole again?”

He was saying he wouldn’t trust the truth serum going forward. But there was no notable change in Ian’s expression. He wanted to hear what Mariv desired, as the time had come for him to slowly reveal it.

“So, I will discern your sincerity through something else.”

Your?

Ah, Ian couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Because he recalled the humiliation Mariv suffered at the meeting. He had called his subordinates to prove the reliability of the truth serum, but none of them had stepped forward. It must have been quite embarrassing in front of Gale.

“Please give your orders.”

“Minister Ian Hielo. You are the current head of the Ministry of Magic and have become the person in charge of resolving the situation by the Emperor’s command.”

“That is correct.”

“So break Gale’s curse as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter whether it’s real or fake.”

Mariv didn’t believe in Gale’s curse. So whether it was truly resolved was of no concern to him. It was the same for Ian, but if Mariv said that, he could guess what the following order would be.

‘Ah, now you’ve set the date.’

“The process of breaking the curse will be quite dangerous and complicated. Even if Gale dies as a result of that process, who would mourn?”

“Your Highness Mariv.”

“It will be regrettable. But rather, if the one who shackled Bariel’s existence dies, everyone will surely feel relieved.”

Kill Gale.

No matter the method, announce that the curse has been lifted and deal with Gale at the same time. Then I won’t doubt your loyalty regarding the truth serum.

This was what Mariv was saying.

“Your Highness Mariv. But what if the curse turns out to be real? How will you handle the aftermath? It will cause problems not only for Bariel but also for you, Your Highness.”

“No. Absolutely not, I don’t believe it. That Wesleigh cast such a curse while dying from jealousy? One that works in Gale’s favor at that?”

Mariv slowly lowered his head to Ian. And he gnashed his teeth and warned him. That his faith was being shaken, so it would be best to grab hold of it quickly.

“You better handle the cleanup well, Ian. Just because it’s in your grasp doesn’t mean it’s all yours. Remember who made you this way today?”

He seemed to think he made Ian what he was, but it was clearly wrong. Perhaps he would never know until he died.

That Ian had created this position for himself.