A Mage Reborn: Legacy of the Fallen Emperor
Chapter 51. The Broken Flagpole

Chapter 51: Chapter 51. The Broken Flagpole

The scout shifted awkwardly, glancing around. The faces of Erica and his other companions had hardened, the previously boiling fervor instantly cooling to a frigid stillness.

Erica swallowed dryly, "It came by carrier pigeon? Are you sure?"

"Y-yes. Here it is."

Whoosh!

Erica snatched the letter in an instant. Since it had arrived by pigeon, it naturally lacked the imperial seal. Instead, the distinct seal of the Assembly was clearly imprinted. She felt a throbbing headache coming on.

"I don’t understand this reaction," Kakantir drawled slowly. Hearing that, Ian allowed a smile to touch his lips as he cast a glance at the man. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but it was clear that the situation was turning in their favor.

"Imperial decrees can’t be sent by carrier pigeon. So even if it came from the capital, it’s likely not an appointment letter but some other message," Ian explained. No matter how much he racked his brain, it seemed the appointment was either delayed or canceled. The more difficult things became for Erica, the better the opportunity for Ian. As expected, Erica’s expression as she read the letter was quite a sight.

"No, f*ck, this is insane..."

Ian swiftly snatched the letter from Erica’s hand. She and the other scouts moved to intervene, but the warriors of the Tenryo were a step quicker.

"Stay still, will you?"

"...G-give it back!"

"I warned you to stay still."

Unlike the armed scouts, the Tenryo warriors were barehanded, yet their momentum didn’t falter. If anything, they exuded a murderous aura, threatening to crush anyone who dared take another step. For Erica, who had confirmed it was a message from the capital, it was a line she couldn’t cross.

Kakantir leisurely raised his cup, requesting, "Read it for us, Lord Ian."

"Yes, Kakan."

Ian cleared his throat and slowly read the letter aloud.

Due to the rebellion of Derga Bratz, we anticipate significant damage to the territory. As this will affect next year’s production and tax revenue, the Imperial Palace will dispatch temporary advisors to oversee reconstruction.

The dispatched are Romandro, Molin, Mac, and Dvor. Authority rests with Romandro, and the disposal of Derga Bratz is also entrusted to him.

The lord’s appointment will proceed after stabilization. Inform the entire Bratz territory and request their cooperation. Also, Scout Captain Bertie Erica, swiftly complete the extermination of the Bratz. That is all.

"So, advisors are coming."

"Advisors. What will their role be?"

"As stated in the letter, they will oversee the overall reconstruction of the territory. The evaluation of myself and the Tenryo, which will be sent to the Imperial Palace, also depends on him."

"Hmm. So, he’s more important than the one in front of us."

Kakantir pointed at Erica with his chin and chuckled. The warriors let out low laughs, and Erica felt her breath catch in her throat. It wasn’t just anger; she simply couldn’t comprehend the situation.

’This can’t be happening...’

She muttered, staring blankly at the letter on the table. Not that the words written on it would change.

"Scout Captain Erica," Ian called out to her in an elegant voice. "You understand what it means that the authority to dispose of Derga is entrusted to Advisor Romandro, yes?"

They said they would postpone the lord’s appointment, but it was the same as being eliminated from the candidates. To put it a bit more crudely, she was now ’a dog chasing the tail of a traitor, unable to even carry out Derga’s execution.’

"They say the real protagonist of an execution is not the prisoner but the executioner. What a shame," Ian remarked. After all, wasn’t it a kind of show, displaying the Emperor’s glory and the executioner’s competence by showing the world the prisoner’s severed head? Erica stood frozen for a moment, as if her soul had left her body.

"Now then, shall we talk? I can help you, at least with the execution. Captain Erica can still conduct it."

"...What?"

"If those who read the letter keep their mouths shut, it can be done, can’t it? It’s not an imperial order but an Assembly directive. Things can be handled with a bit of flexibility on the frontier, no?"

"How?"

"Advisor Romandro will arrive in about fifteen days."

It was simple. Hang Derga’s neck as soon as possible, and when Romandro arrives, tell him that the execution was carried out before receiving the letter. There wouldn’t be any major issues.

"Instead, leave the act of ending Derga’s life at the execution to the Tenryo. You’ll need our help to prepare anyway with your current manpower shortage. I think it’s a good opportunity for both of us."

"Yes, Erica. We can ease your burden. When Derga is hung, we will pierce his heart with a spear. There won’t be a more impressive execution."

This wasn’t a suggestion. How could a choice with no room for refusal be called a suggestion? Erica hesitated for a moment, delaying her answer.

Knock knock.

A Tenryo warrior’s voice came from outside.

"Kakan. Lord Ian. We have a bit of a problem."

"Wait a moment."

"Yes, sir."

What could it be? There was nothing that could cause a problem at this point. If anything, it might be related to Mary and Chell, but it couldn’t be that since the central army had just left.

Ian urged Erica, roughly concluding the situation. "Anyway, Scout Captain Erica, please prepare Derga’s execution quickly. While you write the proclamation, we’ll take care of the rest."

That bastard, has he even seen an execution before? How does he know about the proclamation? Erica glared at Ian suspiciously, but she eventually backed down, feeling the blatant atmosphere of being ushered out.

"...I’ll think about it."

"The longer it takes, the more tiring it will be for both of us."

"...Let’s go."

Slam!

Even if she said that, she would probably take out a pen and paper as soon as she returned to her room. Though she might first write a letter to Molin, demanding an explanation.

Kakantir, who had been drinking wine, called the waiting warrior outside.

"Enter."

"...Kakan, what should we do?"

"What is it?"

The warrior hesitantly pulled a dead bird from his back pocket. The white cloth tied around its neck was stained with the bird’s blood.

"Is this, by any chance, a carrier pigeon from the capital?"

"Looks like it."

"Ah. Damn. I killed it without knowing. What should I do? I threw a stone, and it hit it right away."

"Let me see."

Judging by the way the cloth was tied, it was indeed a carrier pigeon. But it wasn’t from the Imperial Palace. Kakantir lightly scolded the warrior.

"Why would you throw a stone at an innocent bird?"

"I’m sorry. It kept pecking at the window, making noise, so I just..."

"Window?"

"The Scout Captain’s room. The fourth floor, the room that used to be Lady Mary’s. I really didn’t know it would hit. Ah, I didn’t know my aim was this good?"

"Enough with the useless talk."

"Sorry."

So it was a carrier pigeon for Erica. Ian quickly found a piece of paper in a well-stitched pocket inside the pigeon’s cloth.

Rustle.

"May I read it first?"

"As you wish. Today is certainly a day. The central army has left, and now falcons and pigeons arrive."

Kakantir muttered in disbelief, taking another sip of his wine. Ian quickly scanned the letter and let out a low, "Ha," of understanding.

Hear me, Captain Bertie Erica. We have a problem. It seems Derga has written a letter to His Highness, the First Prince Marive. I can guess the content, but I’m not certain.

Anyway, thanks to that, His Highness, the First Prince Marive, suddenly attended the Assembly and blew away the lord’s appointment. I’m looking for an opportunity to fix this, so don’t be too disheartened and wait. I will also go down to Bratz soon with the advisor.

"What does it say?"

"I understand now. Why Scout Captain Erica’s appointment was canceled. I knew it. It couldn’t be this easy to flip things around..."

To come all the way to the frontier, risking their lives in battle, all to lay the groundwork for betrayal. If the promised reward to Erica wasn’t given, they might not be able to handle the aftermath.

Kakantir, who received the letter, clicked his tongue.

"So it was a power struggle. But Derga wrote a letter? When did he have the time?"

"I don’t know, but it’s become a funny situation. The quick-witted First Prince dealt a blow to everyone. Thanks to that, we benefit, and Derga has practically dug his own grave."

Ian burned the letter over a candle. In any case, the more Molin and Erica, who were in the same boat, were at odds, the easier things would be.

"When Advisor Romandro arrives, we must treat him well. First Prince Marive likely suspects that Molin and I are in cahoots, so he might think we’re on the Second Prince’s side."

"But won’t Molin be displeased with us?"

Especially with Ian. Derga’s denunciation aside, Ian bringing in the Tenryo was not part of Molin’s plan. It made occupying the territory more difficult.

"That’s why I’m saying we need to define our position more clearly. If we’re not careful, we might get hit from both sides."

"You seem to be leaning towards the First Prince."

"...He is the legitimate heir. Moreover, he is the one officially entrusted by the Imperial Palace to rebuild the territory. The timing of the Tenryo’s withdrawal might depend on his judgment."

Ian was once an Emperor. Although his reign was short-lived, he was duly enthroned. He knew the ecology of the Imperial Palace better than anyone. Even considering the growing influence of the Second Prince Gale, the legitimate heir couldn’t be ignored.

"I was about to bring that up. Once Derga is dead, we’ve achieved our goal. We will gradually send the warriors back to the desert before autumn comes."

"Yes. I’ll keep that in mind."

"I want to say that taking the lord’s seat by winning over the capital is entirely up to your ability, Lord Ian."

Do it well, or all the warriors’ help will be for naught, Kakantir was saying implicitly.

Ian smiled and nodded.

"Then, I will quickly prepare Derga’s execution. As soon as the execution is over, I will send Scout Captain Erica and the remaining personnel out of Bratz, and the authority to dispose of the body..."

"Forget it. What are we going to do with a rotten piece of meat? We just want to end Derga’s life with our own hands."

Kakantir’s sly yet relaxed eyes turned cold.

And that evening, as the sky turned purple, Kakan’s falcon, Geno, returned safely to Bratz. Kakan confirmed the red hair and blonde hair wrapped in cloth and scratched the falcon’s neck with satisfaction.

"Mary and Chell are dead."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Good."

A shadow fell, so it was impossible to tell what expression Ian had on his face at those words. The warriors celebrated the successful completion of the mission, exchanging fist bumps.

"They will return tonight."

"Demosha!"

"Demosha!"

Kakan shook his hand, letting their hair fly in the wind. Like a corpse that would never be found, the hair scattered and disappeared.

The warriors cheered for the safe return of their comrades, and Ian turned his head, staring at the half-broken flagpole of Bratz.

In a few days, it would be a symbol lost to history.