Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor
Chapter 41

The soldiers outside the main gate still held their swords, maintaining a defensive stance, waiting for the command from inside.

The atmosphere between the two opposing forces was stark. On one side were those barely standing with trembling hands and feet, and on the other, the Cheonrye tribe, casually chewing on mulberry leaves, waiting leisurely.

—Creak

The gate soon opened. They parted on either side, allowing entrance to the strangers.

“Only Ian and the Chieftain may enter!”

“Enter?”

“That’s some good f***ing language you’ve got.”

“……”

The soldier belonged to the central army of Bariel, and they were considered barbarians of the frontier. His attitude and words were expected, but a warrior provocatively mocked and picked a quarrel with him.

Other warriors joined in, laughing and creating a collaborative atmosphere. It was an overwhelmingly rough display, but this time Ian didn’t stop them.

“Allow the escort to come in.”

“That cannot be done.”

“Are you the commander, the general?”

“…An order has already come from above.”

“You may want to ask again. Your lord’s mind might change, as ours might.”

Ian’s calm words turned the soldier’s face pale. Though they had no intention to oppose, his tone implied that things might turn bad if provoked.

The central army had already suffered substantial loss in the battle with Dergha, so they had to avoid further conflict at all costs.

Moreover, their opponent was the warlike barbarian Cheonrye, threatening Bratz. Who knows what the future might hold, but for now, pushing down this mansion seemed a simple task.

Ian turned to Kakantir and suggested,

“Lord Kakantir. Sir Nersarn, Soo and I, the four of us should go in.”

“I am here! Ian, I am here too! You see Beric here?”

“Fine. Do as the gentleman wishes.”

“Come on. Hurry and ask again.”

“IAAAAN! Are you deaf?”

Beric clung to him like a pack mule, wriggling and begging to be taken along, but the decision was made.

Under Ian’s pressure, the soldier went back inside and soon returned with satisfying news.

“Please come in.”

“We’ll be back. Everyone, wait here.”

“Yes. Kakan!”

*Creak.*

The gate closed slowly. Returning to the Bratz mansion after a couple of months, it had changed significantly from Ian’s memory. The once serene and refreshing aura was gone, replaced by a heavy sense of defeat.

In the distance, an outbuilding seemed charred as if burned entirely. Ian looked at the shapeless objects piled beside it. What could those things be?

“Are you Ian Bratz?”

Then, a woman, escorted by subordinates, walked out from the main building.

Judging by her attire, she was the head of the investigation team. Her pink hair was tied in one place, and her body was wrapped with bandages everywhere. It looked like there had been fierce fighting within the mansion too. She grinned, holding a cigarette.

“Ah. Since you are not yet a subject, I should just call you Ian. I’ve heard from Sir Molrin. I’m the commander, Erica.”

“Are you Sir Molrin’s subordinate?”

“Subordinate? Well. Technically, you could say that. Now, come inside. Though shabby, it’s better than the ground, no?”

Erica led the way, behaving as if the mansion was hers. Ian guessed from her behavior that she was Molrin’s designated next lord.

Her position as the investigation team captain and handling matters directly here made the next lord’s position a reasonable reward.

“What happened here?”

Upon arriving in the reception room, Ian feigned ignorance to gauge the situation. The inside of the mansion was filled with the lingering smell of blood.

“As you can see, there was some bloodshed, but it’s almost cleared up. Tax evasion charges have been confirmed, and evidence has been found. We just need to cut off Dergha’s arms and legs, then it’ll be done.”

Ian raised an eyebrow. The execution of rebels was usually by hanging. Death by a blade was an honor for the nobility, so most used a rope. The shameful sight of dangling and struggling in the air was a hard-to-see disgrace.

Erica laughed as if it were a joke. Since the entrance gate, she hadn’t given a single glance to Kakantir. Arrogantly so.

“Well, that’s just a metaphor. There are some knights and a captain with him, Dergha was it? Quite skilled. Continuously running away with various followers, cutting off his arms and legs is only natural.”

Whew, Erica blew cigarette smoke in Ian’s face. She then glanced at Kakantir, looking perplexed, and asked,

“So what? What brings you all the way here? I heard you have a lot of grudges against Dergha. Are you curious about the execution?”

This place was not safe for Ian to be in. Right before the Bratz family disappeared, even if they were not in conflict, everyone knew that Dergha’s blood was flowing in Ian.

“Or are you waiting for a letter from Sir Molrin?”

Simply by cooperating with Sir Molrin by sending a secret letter, he was receiving such friendly treatment. It was also the tolerance of those who held the victory.

Erica smacked her lips.

“What do you want? I don’t have any specific instructions.”

“I would love to hear about Sir Molrin’s well-being, but I have other business.”

“Really?”

Erica seemed not to think much of it. As if to say, what business could a son sold into slavery have?

“Aren’t the barbarian tribes on bad terms with Bratz?”

At her words, Ian burst into a sneer. An overtly dismissive laugh. Erica’s face turned serious, and she rubbed out her cigarette on the table, and her subordinates standing behind immediately grasped their sword handles.

“The Bratz and the barbarian tribes have been in a friendly exchange for a long time. A relationship even more profound than brothers.”

“Brothers? Ha. The sound of dogs foraging grass and dying. It’s a well-known fact in the central administration that Bratz and the barbarians can’t stand not devouring each other. Aren’t you the evidence? A wretched body sold alive into the desert.”

“Your language is impressive. Unexpected. Nowadays, they seem to appoint a commoner as the head of the investigation team.”

“What!?”

At Ian’s composed words, Erica screamed. It was almost as if his derogatory words had been turned back on her.

Kakan also showed his agreement with Ian’s words through laughter.

“Look here, Commander.”

“Look here, Commander?”

“I am the center of the desert. Stop spewing crude words and quickly confirm Dergha’s tax evasion charges, hold the execution, and leave. We will take care of the aftermath in Bratz territory.”

“What are you saying, you crazy fools!?”

“Commander Erica! There’s no more to listen to!”

Ching! Ching!

Erica’s subordinates drew their swords. Kakantir, Nersarn, and others just looked on blankly. Unlike the agitated ones, it was a truly calm atmosphere.

“Where do you beasts think you are!”

Shiieek!

A man close to a dog ran at Kakantir, swinging his sword. Kakantir caught his wrist very lightly with one hand and began to exert force calmly.

“Uh…?”

Crack

“Aaaaah!”

He twisted a man’s wrist with just one hand. Not stopping there, Kakantir grabbed the fellow’s hair and slammed his head down on the table. The ash from Erica’s discarded cigarette stuck to the man’s face.

Thud! Thump! Thud!

Once, twice, three times.

Thick blood spurted with each heavy blow, and soon the carpet beneath the table became soaked. Erica, who had stumbled back, screamed in rage.

“Are you mad? I’m an envoy of the Imperial Palace! This is an insult to the Imperial Palace!”

“Insulting? It might be wise to speak properly. It’s an honor and mercy in itself to be alive after facing my hand.”

It didn’t seem wrong. In his rise to the chieftain’s position, Kakantir had not experienced a single defeat, and all those who faced him had met death.

Erica’s eyes looked like they would roll back any moment. She glared at Ian and warned,

“…Do you want to be beheaded with your father? Everyone knows that Dergha’s blood flows in you! If I kill you, no one can blame me!”

“As you said, I may have Dergha’s blood, but I’m not of the Bratz family, am I?”

“Why not try babbling that in the imperial palace? See if such trickery works!”

“Well, it’s typical to be reduced to imperial’s slave, but one must read the situation carefully. Above all, am I not the only on the behalf of the ‘empire’ interacting with the bordering Cheonrye tribe?”

This place was the frontier, a fortnight away from the imperial palace.

Whoever became the next lord, defending Bariel’s border from outside forces was a virtue of the lord. In this urgent situation, who was the one bearing the Cheonrye on his back?

Ian lifted his head slightly, as if to say, look properly.

“Also, because of the alliance, I belong to Cheonrye of the desert, not Bratz of Bariel. Ah. It would be nice if you lower your sword. For your safety.”

Monsters who could easily defeat dozens. Weren’t their sizes very different? With Kakantir’s light movement, Erica’s servant fainted. If they held weapons, no one could guess what storm of blood would blow.

“And most of all, your mission, Commander Erica, is to investigate and punish Dergha’s tax evasion, not clean up Bratz’s territory. Isn’t it unpleasant to not go back after finishing your work?”

“I am here to catch Dergha!”

“You turned the territory into a ruin. It’s too much. Just spill Dergha’s blood; the cries of the territory’s people are filling the air.”

“The one who’s excessive is you! Face your status!”

Dergha’s bloodline, a commoner, and a sacrificial lamb in the desert. It was a foregone conclusion that Ian would be sold as a slave when the Count’s formal trial was held. Somehow, the consumed tax from Dergha must be replenished.

“I understand. The status.”

At Ian’s words, Kakantir took out a letter from his pocket and threw it on the blood-smeared table.

“This is the stance of Cheonrye, our ally. Dergha’s matter is an internal affair of the empire, but we are allied with Bratz nonetheless. We want Bratz’s peace more than anyone else.”

“Ha! How shameless.”

“You’d do well to be polite. Wouldn’t you regret it most if you died here?”

A simple but certain warning. Erica bit her lips tightly and gripped her sword again. Then, she suddenly realized that the Cheonrye people hadn’t even drawn their weapons. They considered their bare hands enough.

“According to the alliance oath, we must support Dergha. But Dergha is a criminal, and Bratz is a part of Bariel. So, we intend to help you but…”

Kakantir glanced at Ian.

Everything was as they had prearranged.

“I think Ian is the appropriate person to connect you and us, and I’d like to entrust all authority of Bratz to him. What do you think?”

“…Did I mishear? It sounds like you’re saying he should become the lord?”

Ian and the Cheonrye tribe just looked at Erica without answering. She felt as if her words were stuck, but it seemed too early for that. Ian smiled brightly.