Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 280

Chapter 280

“Excuse me. Where is the office of the Minister of Magic?”

“Go straight this way and then turn right once.”

“Thank you.”

“But you’re an Imperial Guard knight, aren’t you? Is this about tomorrow’s schedule? I’m in charge, so if it is, we can go together.”

Barsabe shook her head, arms full of reports. These were things that hadn’t been wrapped up at the grand council earlier. It was late at night, but once dawn broke, things would become hectic. Honestly, it wasn’t that important, but Captain Jeirutt had ordered to hurry and sort it out.

“No. These are reports from the grand council.”

“I see. Well then, good work.”

“Yes! Do your best tomorrow too!”

The mage smiled and passed by at Barsabe’s loud greeting. In truth, she was too tired to put much energy into it.

Barsabe followed the mage’s directions but then hesitated.

‘Come to think of it, is the office even open now? It’s my first time coming to another department this late, so I’m not sure. Usually, the duty officers receive these.’

In the distance, at the end of the corridor, she could see an imposing door. A faint light seeped through the gap. Barsabe realized why the mage hadn’t corrected her to go to the duty office.

The Minister of Magic doesn’t seem to know what leaving work means. It’s a place that’s always open, without exception. How terrifying and surprising is that?

Barsabe approached cautiously and made her presence known.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

Not even asking who it is? Crazy. Were there reports he’d been waiting for until now? Barsabe poked her head in and greeted him.

“Good evening, Minister. I’ve brought the grand council reports.”

Ian continued writing without even looking at Barsabe. It wasn’t clear what work he was doing, but there were more old books than reports surrounding his desk.

Ian gestured with his left hand for her to bring them over.

‘A map?’

Maps of different scales, foreign history books in their original languages, administrative department archives, official diplomatic correspondence from previous generations, and so on. Weren’t these things outside the purview of the Minister of Magic? He didn’t seem to be trying to hide anything, so Barsabe asked as she placed the reports down:

“It seems I’ve come at a busy time. Is this personal work?”

“It could be, if you say so.”

Looking closely, they were maps of Burgos and the Kingdom of Ruswena. Sensing Barsabe’s gaze, Ian looked up.

“…I apologize.”

“Curiosity shouldn’t be a virtue for a knight.”

“Well, I, um…”

Despite delivering the reports, she showed no signs of leaving. Ian put down his pen and raised an eyebrow. With much to do, his look said to hurry and say what she needed to say.

“Captain Jeirutt wishes to rectify what happened today.”

“Rectify? How?”

“I heard the biggest issue was His Highness Jin’s guard, since Xiaoshi was injured. So, he asked if I might serve as His Highness’s escort until he recovers.”

“You?”

Ian asked back with a tone of disbelief. Barsabe placed her hand on her chest and gave the imperial palace bow.

Swoosh!

“Though I’m not in perfect condition myself, I’m more than capable of substituting for Xiaoshi. I swear on everything I have, I will think only of His Highness’s safety.”

Ian tapped his fingers on the desk as he looked at her. The silence stretched longer than expected. Just as Barsabe, unable to bear the suspense, was about to add something—

“Do so.”

“Pardon? Really?”

“…Was it a joke?”

“Of course not! How could I joke about such a thing!”

“We’re short-handed due to the selection schedule. Since Captain Jeirutt said he would rectify it, I have no reason to object. But it’s ultimately His Highness’s guard. It would be better to get His Highness’s permission rather than mine. It’s too late now, so when the sun rises, go up to his chambers and ask.”

“Yes. I understand. Then—”

“Barsabe.”

She had started to leave but stopped and turned back. Unable to hide her expression of surprise at how easily she’d received permission, she looked at Ian. Ian smiled slightly at her expression.

“Assisting with Beric’s training will also be your responsibility.”

Though he didn’t duel, Xiaoshi had been doing everything he could for Beric. From the basics of providing water and towels, to participating in basic physical training like running and push-ups to help improve his records.

Barsabe pursed her lips, clearly displeased, and muttered:

“I understaand…”

Creeak.

As the door closed, Ian closed his book and examined the report Barsabe had brought. It was faster than expected, better than expected, and as clear as expected. Ian smiled as he flipped through the pages.

‘As I thought, Barsabe would come. Rather than someone unfamiliar, you judged she would be more easily accepted, Captain Jeirutt. But Barsabe might be a bit too clumsy to fulfill a role beyond just a guard.’

Removing Xiaoshi from Jin’s side and attaching an Imperial Guard member. This was clearly one method of keeping things in check.

I told Xiaoshi it wasn’t certain yet, but I’ll have to correct that immediately. Jeirutt has made up his mind properly.

“But he lacks a foundation.”

Being able to respond to Ian meant being that much more independent from the imperial palace’s circumstances. Standing alone, how could he have a foundation?

Honor, power, and money. There’s a reason these three are often bundled together. The Imperial Guard fits that description. They have honor, but lacking power, they’re still short.

Scratch scratch.

The sound of the pen tip moving across paper. Ian suddenly recalled the day he woke up in the Bratz mansion. He had organized his future plans then too, with indecipherable notes of Ian the illegitimate son.

-Jin, Imperial Palace, Timothy’s naturalization, Ministry of Magic annex, political situation of the three countries, appointment ceremony, Melania and Rutherford merchant guild…

Like unraveling a tangled skein of thread, Ian made plans by pinpointing each fragmentary point one by one.

Branches continued to spread out. The points where the fruits of cause and effect ripened and burst, and the points where new branches sprouted, were all calculated in Ian’s palm.

Cutting away, cutting away. And cutting away again…

‘No, this isn’t right. If we do this, Burgos will—’

Swoosh.

‘There’s no precedent. It’s too uncertain whether they’ll accept the proposal or not. I’m not sure how Jin would react then. Hmm. Rather than this—’

Swoosh.

While there’s nothing more foolish than trying to predict the future, building the future depends on will. With each stroke of his pen, dozens, hundreds of futures were created and disappeared. Until the best future was discerned, Ian continued to extend the branches of his thoughts.

Knock knock.

Creeak.

As night faded and morning seeped in, the attendants lingered outside the office for a long time before making their presence known inside. Usually, Ian’s order to bring in a meal would have been heard by now, but it was oddly quiet. They wondered if he might have collapsed.

“Lord Ian?”

“Shh. He seems to be sleeping.”

Ian was asleep, slumped over his desk. Whether he had dozed off without realizing it, he still held the pen in his right hand. The attendants scurried to bring a blanket and cover him, placing the meal tray at the edge of the table.

“Hm?”

“What’s wrong?”

“No, why is there so much ash on the floor?”

“It seems he burned something.”

“In the middle of the night?”

The hundreds of futures that had blossomed from Ian’s hand. Those not chosen were completely incinerated and disappeared. They had vanished again, without even knowing they had bloomed.

And just one sheet. Only one sheet of paper remained under Ian’s arm.

It was the future he had decided upon.

***

Days in the imperial palace flew by in a blur. Externally, the grand talent selection continued, while internally, preparations for Jin’s appointment ceremony began.

With the leaders of three countries all visiting, key departments, including the Administrative Department, were already on edge.

“Not there, over here! Are you not paying attention?”

“Gasp, I’m sorry. There must have been some confusion in the transmission process.”

“How are the remaining matches for today? Can we finish before sunset? I heard there are two more promotion matches for Imperial Guard members scheduled.”

“The report I submitted takes that into account.”

“Huh? Over there, why is the protective barrier so low? Ministry of Magic!”

“We’ve gone to report to Lord Ian. Just a moment!”

Jin munched on snacks, rolling his eyes continuously. Unlike the busy staff members, the child was leisurely watching the matches.

It wasn’t entirely comfortable having nothing to help with. To make matters worse, Barsabe was sitting beside him instead of Xiaoshi.

“Um, Your Highness. Would you like a drink?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Her posture, caught between discipline and tension, as she offered juice. Barsabe was doing her best to assist Jin, but the awkwardness and discomfort were unavoidable.

This wasn’t felt by just one side, but applied to both of them. Romandro gestured for Jin to look away.

“Your Highness. Over there, it’s Xiao.”

“Oh. I see. It’s starting.”

“Xiao! Do well! Don’t get hurt!”

“If he wins here, he’ll be 3rd grade, right?”

“That’s right. Since there are too many below 100th place, they’re assigning separate grades. He showed good performance before facing Beric, so there’s reason to expect good results.”

“Xiao! You must not get hurt! Be careful of injuries!”

Jin stood up to cheer. The examination hall was bustling with noise. With shouts and battle cries erupting from all around, it was hard to even hear the person next to you, but all the officials on the second floor heard Jin’s voice. They were watching closely. Among them were Jeirutt and Ian, who was working.

Peeeep!

The whistle signaled the start of the match. Jin, not taking his eyes off Xiaoshi, asked:

“What about Beric?”

“He has a match right after this.”

It was Barsabe who answered. She glanced furtively towards Jeirutt.

Honestly, she thought Beric’s skills were truly extraordinary, but she never imagined he would enter the top 10. Barsabe bit her cheek with a subtle sense of defeat.

“Didn’t he already lose once to an Imperial Guard member?”

“The top 10 skilled individuals will continue to be verified over several rounds. Probably—”

“Xiao! Well done! That’s it!”

Xiaoshi planted his fist into his opponent’s jaw. Unlike before, it was a much more aggressive attack. Watching them exchange clean punches, Romandro’s blood seemed to boil as he kept shouting.

“Xiaooo!”

Thwack! Thud!

Whack!

Thick blood spurted. His movements were such that one could hardly believe he was an injured person. The spectators’ cheers also gradually rose, noisily shaking the surroundings.

As Xiaoshi drove his knee into his opponent’s chest, the match ended.

Xiaoshi, panting heavily, looked up to the second floor. On the left, Ian was looking down with the mages, and on the right, Jin was clapping his hands.

Swoosh.

“Xiao! Well done! You’re not hurt, are you!”

Xiaoshi placed his hand on his chest, looking towards Jin. Ian smiled faintly watching this scene. He then continued his discussion with the mage. Jeirutt, observing both him and Xiaoshi, spoke up.

“Every single one of your people is exceptional. Your eye for talent is remarkable, Minister.”

“It’s all thanks to His Highness’s virtues. Ah, Beric’s match is next…”

Ian muttered, flipping through the reports. Aren’t the top 10 skilled individuals facing their final matches now? Once finished, it would mark a generational change in the Imperial Guard.

Two new captains, and new members.

And that means—

‘The lineup of captains that will be deeply etched in history will be determined.’

Unless there were special circumstances, these would be the ones participating in the clash against the great monsters. Thus, they would bring about the downfall of the Atan tribe. The moment when new history is born. Ian smiled as if finding it interesting.

“Are you really going to step forward?”

“It’s about selecting the captain position. If it’s not someone I, as captain, acknowledge, it won’t do. I’ll examine them one by one starting from 10th place…”

Bang! Boom!

Crash!

At that moment, the training hall door was roughly flung open. Beric had kicked it open. He entered shouting a battle cry, with his black sword slung over his shoulder. He was the first talent Jeirutt would personally verify.

“Uwaah! Beric is here!”

“…He’s here.”

“…He’s arrived.”

Jeirutt and Ian muttered simultaneously. Beric pointed the tip of his sword at Jeirutt and grinned wickedly. As if thinking, what a great opportunity, especially after being pissed off by the recent incident.

“You dirty old geezer. I knew this day would come.”

“I didn’t. You’re tougher than I thought.”

“It’s not about being tough, it’s about being strong! I lost once, but shit, the weight class difference was too big! Anyway, this is great. Come down quickly! I’m going to examine you from head to toe. Let’s go!”

Even before stepping onto the arena, Beric was already releasing his magical power. The heat swirling from the black sword instantly filled the training hall. Unlike previous matches, this was the first time the use of their own weapons was allowed.

“All that complicated stuff about ranking methods, I can’t understand it. If I beat you, old geezer, I become captain, right?”