A Mage Reborn: Legacy of the Fallen Emperor
Chapter 44. Secret Space

Chapter 44: Chapter 44. Secret Space

Never in the history of the Bratz Earldom had there been days so chaotic and awkward. Not only were those once considered part of the same Bariel faction now pointing swords at each other, but the bastard son, presumed dead, had returned. And he had returned with the Cheonryeo tribe, their lifelong enemies, at his back.

"The world must be coming to an end..."

An old man mumbled, looking up at the Bratz mansion. It was truly a bizarre sight. Soldiers bearing the imperial flag were stationed together with warriors of Cheonryeo. And all in the main building of the mansion, no less.

The old man shook his head and began loading headless corpses onto a cart.

Creak.

Inside the mansion, the atmosphere was even more awkward than it appeared from the outside. Not only were they as incompatible as oil and water, but there was also a major problem.

"We can’t find the bodies of Countess Mary and Chel."

"Did you check even among the decapitated corpses?"

"I checked their clothes and even their fingernails, but there was nothing that could be considered noble. We haven’t retrieved the bodies that floated down the river yet, so they might be among them."

Erika bit her nail at her subordinate’s report. They had secured Derga’s person, but they could not find any trace of his wife and child, Mary and Chel.

"Check the ones that were torn limb from limb, too."

"Yes, ma’am."

"We must find the bodies. Search the mansion thoroughly, as well."

Only when they confirmed the deaths could she report the mission as complete. Moreover, they had turned the estate upside down. If the cleanup was not thorough, their standing with the central authority could be shaken.

"...And if you find the bodies, you know what to do, right?"

"We will keep them hidden until the official appointment from the Imperial Palace arrives."

If Mary and Chel were dead, there was no reason to delay Derga’s execution. That meant there was no justification for her to remain in Bratz. It was unclear whether she could regain control of the territory now occupied by the Cheonryeo.

’Damn it!’

Erika bit her nail again. The finely chewed nail debris rolled around in her mouth.

Meanwhile, in a small room at the back of the hallway.

Kakantir, Nersaren, and Ian were sitting in a circle. Nersaren was the first to speak.

"Sir Ian. About Erika. Doesn’t it seem like she’s waiting for the official letter of appointment?"

"I felt the same way. Considering this forced march to the edge of the frontier, she must have been designated as the investigation leader from the start."

"It’s been almost fifteen days since Erika came down here. The appointment letter should arrive soon, and then our presence here will become problematic."

Ian shook his head at Nersaren’s words. As Erika said, the appointment was the Emperor’s prerogative. No matter how much the 2nd Prince, Gale, supported Erika, she needed results.

"Derga was arrested today, so even if they send a message bird today, it will take almost fifteen days. You don’t have to worry about that."

The Emperor’s orders were heavy and precious, so they could not be delivered by message birds, only by dispatch riders.

Nersaren looked somewhat relieved as he calculated the dates in his head.

"Anyway, isn’t it a given that Erika will become the lord? The Cheonryeo have already invested a lot. But now it looks like it will all be for nothing."

The future benefits they hoped to gain by supporting Ian, the direct punishment of Derga, and so on. The Cheonryeo had made many concessions in this plan.

"No, Kakan. The flow of the situation is favorable."

"Can you explain?"

"First, the persons of Mary and Chel have not been secured."

"And that’s a good thing? Because of that, they’re sitting here with their asses glued to the floor."

"Didn’t Erika say it herself? Her mission was the destruction of the Bratz family and securing their persons."

Nersaren, who understood first, exclaimed.

"Ah... then?"

The premise was that they were staying here because Mary and Chel were still in the territory.

But if it was confirmed that they had gone out, they would be obliged to pursue Mary and Chel.

They would become the bait.

"Also, the central authority will never cast me aside."

"The reason?"

"Because of the very reason Kakan is curious about."

The fact that Ian was a mana user. Though a commoner, he could confidently assert that he could push Erika aside.

"Alright. Fine. We’ve only just captured Derga, so I’ll watch a little longer."

"Thank you, Kakan."

"So what should we do now? Should we go out to the village and search through the bodies, as the commander said?"

"No. Instead, help the injured. Now that the battle is over, things will revolve around reconstruction for the time being. The support of the territory’s people is also an important foundation in the frontier, so please do that."

Kakantir’s eyes narrowed.

The more he saw this kid, the more audacious he seemed. He was using the power of the Cheonryeo to provide all kinds of help to the Bariel without lifting a finger.

Only sixteen, was he? Unbelievable. But like a child of that age, Ian smiled sheepishly and met Kakantir’s gaze.

’What are you looking at? I’m not wrong.’

No, he wasn’t wrong.

For the central authority, the frontier was just a land that needed to pay taxes and guard the borders well, no matter how it was run. That meant it was independent from the influence of the Imperial Palace.

Therefore, to run the territory smoothly, they needed a capable and recognized lord. In this case, it could be seen as working for the latter.

"Then what about you, Sir?"

"I have some business to attend to. I heard that Derga set fire to the annex and escaped. That’s probably when, as Commander Erika said, ’Mary and Chel went missing.’"

If they were not in the territory and had not gone outside...

There was a possibility that they were hiding somewhere in the mansion. There was bound to be at least one secret passage in a large mansion. The problem was that all the servants who might have had clues were dead.

"When Berik returns from his errand, we’ll move. Kakan, you should rest with the warriors for a while before going down."

Kakantir drank wine straight from the bottle and looked back at Ian. They were in the same boat now, so there was no other choice.

Time passed, and it was afternoon.

As soon as Berik returned from his errand, he saw Ian driving two Kushiles.

"You’re back?"

"What are you doing? Going out again?"

"You know where I used to live, right?"

The place where the bastard son Ian lived. He only knew it was the worst of the red-light districts, not the exact address.

"I know. But why? Filia is fine in the forest. She looks good, eating and sleeping well on her own."

"Shh. I told you to be careful."

"It’s okay, okay. No one’s listening."

Even the Cheonryeo didn’t know that Ian’s birth mother was alive. It wasn’t a weakness now, but it was awkward to reveal it first.

"Anyway, why there?"

"We’re going to look for Hannah from now on."

Mary and Chel, the more he thought about it, the more suspicious the secret passage in the mansion seemed. How could a woman and a child get through that chaos? If they were dead, the bodies would have been found early on.

It might be Erika’s shallow trick, but he had to check everything he could.

Tap tap.

"This way?"

"Uh-huh. Probably."

Berik lightly covered his nose and took the lead. The back alleys were intertwined like a maze. Even without the influence of drugs, it was so isolated from the outside that an unwary person would immediately have their pockets emptied.

"Here."

"This is it?"

Good heavens. Ian managed his expression as best he could and clicked his tongue.

Going down to the basement, rooms stretched out like an anthill. One of them seemed to be Ian and Filia’s dwelling. A place where rats were rampant and the smell of mold covered the smell of war.

"Why? Were you talking about where you lived before? I don’t know that place."

It seemed that they had moved when Ian entered the Bratz mansion. Derga had exerted his influence to economically squeeze Filia, and this was the result.

"Tsk."

Ian clicked his tongue once more and turned away without regret. There was nothing to be gained from a nest that had lost its owner. He went out to the alley and nodded to Berik.

"Find Hannah."

"Me?"

"Who else? Me?"

"...Hey, you, passing loafer! Let me ask you something."

While Berik wandered around, stopping people, Ian also carefully examined his surroundings. But the scene was so chaotic and devastating that nothing caught his eye other than pity.

But.

"Ian! This way!"

Hannah’s family, with a total of five siblings, was quite famous. Moreover, Hannah was a servant who worked at the mansion, so she stood out among the neighbors.

"Up the stairs, second floor."

As soon as he stepped onto the stairs, he heard a child crying.

Waaah!

"Oh, why are you crying again?"

"Hannah?"

Hannah, who was soothing a baby, turned around in surprise. And she smiled in surprise when she recognized Ian and Berik.

"Young master! Berik!"

"I’m glad you’re safe."

"You’re back! I’m so glad you’re alive, Sir Ian!"

"Is your house okay?"

"Yes. We didn’t have any family members who went in as soldiers... My parents give thanks every night that I was out of the mansion."

But her slightly gaunt face suggested that she had suffered. There were wooden boards nailed to the windows and the door that Ian had pushed open. They were to prevent intrusion from outside during the height of the battle.

Ian smiled slightly and stroked the baby’s hand.

"This must be the younger sibling I’ve only heard about."

"Yes. There are many more besides this one. But..."

Hannah poured out words like a dam had burst.

"Did you come here to find me? And is it okay for you to be back like this? Aren’t you also Lord Derga’s son? I thought it was a lie that you came back with the Cheonryeo tribe..."

"Yes. It’s fine. But I have something to ask you."

Hannah pulled out a chair for Ian while soothing the baby.

"I’m curious if there are any secret rumors or stories passed down in the mansion."

"Huh? Suddenly?"

"I’m asking because I’m curious if there’s a secret passage somewhere."

For example, a ghost appears at the end of the hallway on a certain floor, or people’s voices are heard from a room that the master forbids entry to, and so on. These stories often originated from people going in and out of secret passages.

"Hmm. I don’t know. I’ve never heard of any ghosts. And I know even less about secret passages or spaces."

"Of course. If you knew, it wouldn’t be a secret space, would it?"

"Sir Berik, you haven’t changed."

Berik and Hannah exchanged playful glances. On the other hand, Ian crossed his arms and leaned back, looking troubled.

"...It would have been nice if there was a butler."

But unfortunately, he was found with his arm cut off. He wasn’t killed by the central army, but by a soldier from the neighboring territory of Merellophe.

He seemed to have entered the wrong border area while fleeing, and Merellophe visited Bratz under the guise of returning the body to assess the situation.

"The butler is dead, too?"

"Ah. Yes."

Hannah smiled awkwardly and looked down at her sibling. Ian did not miss the subtle nuance in that brief moment.

"What is it?"

"Huh? No. It’s just, it’s a pity, isn’t it? They say most of the people who lived in the mansion are dead..."

Is that really all?

Ian’s sharp eyes met Hannah’s. Then Hannah sighed as if she couldn’t win.