Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 300

Chapter 300

Damon Runkvis, King of Burgos. He watched outside the window with his black shoulder-length hair tied down.

Unlike his barren country, this was a land flowing with milk and honey, where people knew how to enjoy festivals. To see them so delighted over a mere appointment ceremony of a prince – not even an emperor – who’d had such a faint presence.

As he tilted his head with a sigh, his loosely tied hair slipped down.

“Looks like Burgos just arrived.”

“Never seen such stylish black carriages before.”

“Hello! Burgos!”

“Welcome! We’ve been waiting! His Highness Jin must be too!”

“Burgos! Wave to us!”

Since Clifford had just passed through, the people’s enthusiasm was particularly hot.

Having seen their horse acrobatics, winking attitudes whenever eyes met, and chest-thumping band performance, their expectations were thoroughly inflated.

Timothy, sitting behind the coachman’s seat in front of the king’s carriage, awkwardly averted his gaze.

Clip-clop!

Crack!

Burgos’s guards and knights, even down to the lowest servants, walked in dignified formation. No room to accept even a single flower offered by a child through the gaps.

Except for the occasional buffalo horn sounds marking their rhythm, Burgos’s march was utterly silent.

The tension felt more like an enemy nation entering during wartime than coming to celebrate an appointment ceremony. Those who’d been tossing flower petals from the railings stopped as if deflated, propping their chins.

“Why are they like that? Smile! Don’t ruin the mood!”

“That country never changes either. Leave them be. They’ve always been like this. Cold and frigid. To put it badly, just unpleasant. Though I thought they might’ve changed since the king changed.”

“What about the king?”

“He’s young. Probably just a bit older than our Ministry of Magic head? Well, there’s so much talk about their royal family, figured he wouldn’t be ordinary.”

“What kind of talk?”

“They say bastards are running around claiming royal blood.”

“What? Hahaha!”

Though Burgos’s march was silent, the central district was filled with thousands of people’s chatter and songs. Even if drunk people spouted unfriendly words, they wouldn’t reach the carriage.

Rustle

“Your Majesty. We’ll reach the palace shortly.”

In the distance, Bariel’s soldiers could be seen at the end of the central road. When Timothy reported through the window connecting to the carriage interior, Damon straightened his posture and gaze.

Is he not here?

The secret-eating gypsy.

Just because he knew the past and future, he acted so impudently as if he knew the truth. If he knew he was being hunted, he’d surely be mixed in the crowd, watching mockingly.

Damon bit his inner cheek while looking up at the window connected to the coachman’s seat. Timothy’s profile was visible through the opaque glass.

…How will it go this time?

Honestly, Damon still couldn’t be certain. Whether this Timothy was truly the same person as the Timothy from his previous life.

As he regressed and Burgos’s history twisted, many people’s fates changed. Timothy must have been affected too.

Then, would the end be different as well?

Though there were big and small changes, some things remained unaffected except for direct derivatives.

If this were his third life, he would have known everything without wavering.

Damon closed his eyes briefly. He could feel the carriage gradually slowing. Entering the palace would be like throwing himself into a storm.

Click, as the carriage door opened, he opened his eyes. His violet pupils, hidden in shadow, became dyed in Bariel’s sunlight. In his previous life, his father had come here instead.

Creeak

“Welcome, King of Burgos.”

Someone who appeared to be Bariel’s Prime Minister greeted politely with his hand on his chest. Palace officials stood in a fan formation behind him.

As Damon descended from the carriage, they too simultaneously raised their hands in courtesy. The wind particularly whirled at that moment.

“Was your journey not too taxing? His Highness considers how you’ve traveled this long way for Bariel. This way, please.”

As the Prime Minister turned while guiding them, golden hair behind him caught Damon’s eye.

An astonishingly young boy.

Damon recognized him as Ian Hielo, who had been in Timothy’s reports. The Head of the Ministry of Magic and allegedly a border region bastard.

***

Pale.

If the officials’ first impression of Damon had to be defined in one word, that would be it.

He seemed to have a sensitive temperament. Though the Prime Minister paused briefly indicating him to follow, he stood still, just staring at Ian.

“King Damon, is there any problem?”

“…No. Let’s go.”

Ian kept his gaze lowered until Damon passed. There was no need to hastily exchange words with that person.

Even if it were just simple greetings, all interactions contain information. The other’s breathing, tone, gestures, frequently used words, and so on.

If Ian’s existence was something Damon was seeing for the first time, there was even more reason to be careful.

Rustle

Damon brushed past Ian. Led by the Prime Minister and Damon, Burgos’s delegation and palace officials followed in line.

When Timothy’s eyes met Ian’s, he nodded slightly in greeting. Ian returned the nod with a smile, as if saying “good work coming here.”

“Ah, welcome, King Damon.”

“This is our first meeting, Your Highness Jin. I sincerely congratulate your appointment ceremony, and truly hope that flower petals will rain down on Bariel’s future as they do today.”

When Jin rose from the sofa extending his hand, Damon gripped it respectfully while offering praise. Despite his sharp atmosphere, his greeting was quite gentle.

Jin smiled brightly and gestured for him to sit.

“You are our final guests.”

“Oh my. I apologize. We’re not late, I hope?”

“Not at all! Anytime the central road is open, you’re not late. Come, everyone please sit.”

At Jin’s invitation, Damon took a seat across from him.

The Prime Minister and Jin did likewise.

Trickle

Jin unconsciously smiled awkwardly watching the rising black tea. How many cups was this today? Queen Eripony, Delegate May, and snack time… This was already the fourth tea time.

Xiaoshi, standing behind, noticed this and frowned worriedly. With the three nations gathering, they couldn’t easily change even a teacup without showing discrimination.

“Your Highness.”

“Hmm?”

“If it’s not discourteous, might we delay the tea? Having just left the carriage, my stomach isn’t feeling well.”

Just then, a very timely request came. Had he read his mind? Though Jin was inwardly surprised, he quickly contained his emotions and expressed that he didn’t mind.

“Of course.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Damon merely touched his lips out of courtesy and placed his teaspoon on the saucer. Indicating he wouldn’t drink anymore.

Since the guest wasn’t drinking, Jin had no need to match him. The boy responded with a light smile.

“I’ll send a physician to your detached palace. Spending long hours on the road must be quite taxing on the body.”

“…Thank you.”

While Timothy placed the tribute gift boxes on the table, Damon slightly lowered his gaze. The young prince would never have left the palace. How could he empathize with travel fatigue?

Perhaps there was an issue with one of the nations that arrived first?

That would be troublesome.

And Ian watching him like this. Unlike with Ruswena or Clifford, this time he stood shoulder to shoulder with other officials. Some officials who noticed this difference in attitude exchanged awkward glances.

Click

“These are the tribute gifts. The nobles of Burgos specially selected them from across the territory, so please consider their sincerity.”

“Tell me about them.”

“This is dried legume leaves. We’ve prepared fifty bundles of ten kilograms each. It’s a representative crop produced in the dry lands of Burgos.”

“Ah, I’ve heard of this. Mainly used as an anesthetic, I believe. Usually called Burdo legume leaves rather than just legume leaves.”

“Burdo is the family leading maximum crop production. Legume is the official name. And next is the golden diamond from House Kakel. It’s been a family treasure passed down from the head of the house, but they offered their heirloom to celebrate Your Highness’s appointment ceremony. Over there.”

When Damon gestured, a man mixed among the delegation bowed his head. Jin peered at the small jewel with curiosity. Given that only one was presented, its rarity was self-evident.

“I see. I accept with joy.”

“And next is…”

How many samples they had prepared in the small boxes. The tribute gifts were incomparably more abundant than the previous two countries. Jin and the officials listened to the introduction with interested exclamations.

“Ooh, I see. So that’s what grows there.”

“Yes. Though Burgos is barren and dry, we have diverse crops that are born and grow adapted to those conditions.”

Click. Ian quickly checked his pocket watch and signaled the Prime Minister. The man who had been laughing “haha” caught Ian’s signal and cleared his throat. With the banquet time set, it meant to wrap things up here.

“Your Highness.”

“…Hmm?”

“Since we seem to have confirmed all the tribute gifts, how about concluding here? King Damon recovering from his journey fatigue will make the upcoming banquet even more abundant.”

“Right. That’s true. I was momentarily caught up in my delight with the tribute gifts. The Burgos delegation needs time to unpack too.”

They’d talked too much, especially with someone who said they weren’t feeling well.

“Not at all, Your Highness. Seeing Your Highness’s joy makes our long journey worthwhile.”

“You’ll be guided to the detached palace. Separate notice will come regarding the banquet. Prime Minister.”

“Yes, Your Highness. King of Burgos, let me guide you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll see you at the banquet.”

Damon paid his respects as formally as when they first met, then left the reception room.

Though his exterior suggested someone who didn’t know how to bow, his attitude toward Jin was quite the reversal. The officials too left the reception room sequentially following the delegation.

Creeak

Bang!

After the last official left, only close associates including Ian remained in the reception room.

Jin stretched his legs with satisfaction. Both the quality of tribute gifts and the king seemed better than expected. Above all, the official daytime schedule was complete. Now just get through the banquet and he could rest properly!

“Ian? What’s wrong?”

But Jin turned his head at Romandro’s question. Though smiling, Ian was rubbing his chin with something off about his expression.

“Lord Ian?”

“…Your Highness.”

What was wrong?

Ian sat close to Jin and gripped his hands tightly. Though traces of the afternoon’s awkwardness remained faintly, Ian’s smile was too savage to remember it.

“Listen carefully. Among the three nations, you must be most wary of Burgos.”

“Hm? What do you mean? Is it because he’s shrewd?”

He immediately noticed Jin didn’t want to drink tea. Though he was certainly quick-witted, looking at overall attitude, wasn’t Eripony the most dangerous?

“Your Highness. Please examine the tribute gifts received so far carefully. Isn’t something different?”

At Ian’s words, Jin and Romandro searched their memories. With such variety in types and quantities, they couldn’t pinpoint what was different.

“…The other kingdoms prepared tribute gifts with the kingdom as the main body. But for Burgos, everything was offered by the nobles. Do you not understand what this means?”