Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 23

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 23. The Steward
“Those from the Central regions lack perseverance.”
Count Derga’s face darkened as he climbed the stairs to his office. It seemed he’d forgotten how diligently his Steward had worked for quite some time. The Butler laughed awkwardly, sharing his frustration.
“Indeed, sir. To quit so suddenly like this.”
“Is there a Bariel University scholar in Bratz?”
“I’ll search for one. Otherwise, we’ll have to recruit from elsewhere.”
This was becoming unnecessarily troublesome. Where else could I find a Bariel University graduate willing to work as a tutor for such a pittance?
I wondered if freezing his salary for several years had been a mistake. I should have raised it appropriately to keep him. Well, since he was leaving for another country for research, it wasn’t about money anyway.
“It will be expensive, won’t it?”
“Undoubtedly. We’ll need to pay at least ten times what we’ve been spending on his wages. Even then, there’s no guarantee he’ll accept….”
Blast it! Count Derga stomped his foot in irritation. As I approached my office, I suddenly remembered the Steward who hadn’t shown his face all this time.
“Is the Steward still sleeping?”
“He fell asleep at dawn yesterday, so he must be exhausted.”
“His luck has run out. Wake him and send him home.”
Creak.
The moment I opened the door, I froze. The Butler’s bewildered gaze was irrelevant. The office, which had looked identical every single day, had subtly changed.
“…What is this?”
It wasn’t my imagination. The Steward lay sprawled on the floor, and scattered papers were piled haphazardly. The Butler, who had followed me in, was so shocked he clapped his hand over his mouth.
“Good heavens! What happened! Are you alright?”
Unlike the Butler, who immediately checked the Steward’s condition, I went straight to the drawer. I opened the hidden safe inside and verified that the seal and various valuables remained intact.
“Master! Shall I call a physician?”
“…Is he dead?”
My voice was sharp. If he was sprawled in front of my desk, only one possibility came to mind. He’d been caught in a trap, just like the previous butler.
“He’s still breathing.”
“Call the physician. And report to me the moment he wakes. Post someone so he doesn’t escape.”
“Yes, sir. Outside! Is anyone there!”
“What’s the matter?”
Chaos erupted. While the servants rushed to move the Steward, I thoroughly inspected everything in my office. Fortunately, nothing had disappeared or been altered.
Perhaps because there was no damage, my mind cleared. Then, suddenly, a wave of betrayal surged through me.
“…Ungrateful wretch!”
“Oh my, sir. You shouldn’t do that!”
“How did I raise you! And this is how you repay me!”
Smack!
I struck the unconscious Steward’s face, venting my irritation-tinged fury.
Meanwhile, Berik returned to the Guest House and bit into an apple as he asked.
“It’s noisy. Did we get caught?”
The servants, who had been leisurely resting, were all summoned and rushed into the main building. A carriage crossing the garden. Surely the physician was inside. I leaned against the window and watched it with interest.
“We got caught. The Steward was inside.”
“We’re screwed. My neck’s on the line now.”
“Scared?”
“If I die like this, I’m the only one getting drained dry.”
Not entirely wrong. I burst into laughter at Berik’s words.
I snapped the wooden key in half, then handed Berik a small pouch. Inside, the blackmail papers were carefully rolled up.
“Burn the key outside where no one sees. And deliver this to Mollin. It has to be delivered directly by your hand. I gave you the address, right?”
This was the final arrangement. Berik tucked it into his chest and nodded.
“Hand it to Mollin and bring back the gold coins. And stop by the house on your way back to tell Philia the message.”
“Excellent.”
A message for Philia, my biological mother.
It was time. If she was ready to hide, she should disappear without anyone knowing. Only I would know her whereabouts through Berik. Now, even if I crossed the border, there was nothing that could catch me.
“Let’s have a proper sparring match starting tomorrow.”
“Once I complete the mission successfully.”
“Really? Good. Don’t change your mind later.”
His expression showed he’d stop at nothing to complete it. I laughed and tossed him an apple.
“See you tomorrow.”
Creak.
The horse had left.
All that remained was observing how the other side would move. Come to think of it, being caught by the Steward wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
‘I said I covered my tracks, but given the urgency, there might be parts I missed. Derga would certainly have noticed. I can redirect his attention to the Steward.’
If the Steward came forward to testify, we’d enter another phase, but the question was whether Derga would believe him. While I maintained my position, the Count would reach his own conclusions, and nothing in heaven or earth would change that.
Knock knock.
I turned my head at the sound of the knock.
“Young Master Ian. I’m coming in.”
“Oh, Tutor.”
The Tutor entered through the door, perspiring heavily. His energy seemed completely drained from speaking with Derga. The dynamic between an employer desperate not to lose a worker and an employee wanting to quit was painfully clear.
“Did your conversation with your father go well?”
“Yes, well…”
“I hear today is your last lesson, and I’m truly sorry to see you go. I’m genuinely grateful for your excellent instruction. I’ve prepared a modest gift to show my appreciation.”
I brazenly pulled out a folded piece of paper and placed it before him. It was a travel permit stamped with the Bratz seal. The Tutor exhaled a sigh of relief and repeatedly wiped his face with dry hands.
“My goodness.”
“Don’t you like it?”
“No, why didn’t you smile when our eyes met earlier! I was so nervous, thinking something was wrong.”
The Tutor clutched the travel permit to his chest as if it were a lifeline.
“Go across to Blaster and continue your good research. Not many pay attention, but ultimately, people like you are what change the world.”
I encouraged him sincerely. The knowledge he’d devoted his life to building would become the foundation of Bariel. And someday, it would become the driving force for my future.
The Tutor hesitated on how to respond, then rummaged through his bag.
“This is the material you mentioned before.”
A map of the Great Desert and weather predictions. It was meticulously marked with oasis locations and even the altitude of sand dunes.
“Based on the date you specified, there’s a high probability of sandstorms forming in the northeast, around here. I’m not certain of the Cheonryeo Tribe’s exact movements, but with luck, they should be able to avoid it.”
Beyond that, the temperature swings were so extreme they deserved names like the inferno and the frozen hell. I swallowed a sigh at the hardship I could quantify in numbers.
“Your expression doesn’t look good.”
“I feel like I want to abandon everything.”
“Still, it’s a place where people live, after all.”
Was this a response to my earlier consolation? I carefully folded the paper and placed it in the drawer.
“Are you leaving today?”
“Yes. I cannot wait even a moment longer.”
I extended my hand as if to adorn this final meeting, and my Tutor hesitated before grasping it. Smiles wishing each other well lingered at our lips.
“Ah, before I go.”
“Yes?”
His expression asked what else could possibly remain.
I pulled out the Cheonryeo Tribe letter I had copied from Count Derga’s Study yesterday. It was a transcription focused on scattered words rather than complete sentences.
“Could you interpret this for me?”
My Tutor gazed quietly at the paper, then tilted his head.
“Who will come after the female tribal chief?”
He read it as I asked, but my Tutor laughed as if he couldn’t grasp the meaning at all. I felt the same way.
However, the fact that it had been kept in a secret safe made it abundantly clear this was an extremely important letter.
* * *
“Did you hear?”
“About the Steward? Phew. The world is truly frightening.”
“Indeed. I heard this kind of thing happened before too.”
“You can never know what’s in a person’s heart, but it’s truly shocking.”
The Manor’s atmosphere was unsettled. Though the Butler worked hard to maintain order, was that ever easy? Whenever two or more servants gathered, they spoke of the Steward incident.
“…So he still hasn’t regained consciousness?”
“No, sir.”
I left the servants’ distant chatter behind and asked Hena. The boy followed beside me, holding an overcoat. Behind him, Berik trailed along, laden with sandbags.
“The Count hasn’t sent him home and locked him in the inner office of his Study. There are two guards in the corridor and one at the door. The servants are absolutely forbidden from approaching.”
Hena whispered and relayed what she had picked up. Since I had poured all my mana into him, it was natural he wouldn’t wake easily. Hena asked with genuine curiosity.
“How on earth did you do it?”
She was asking how I had struck down the Steward like that. Since Hena didn’t know I was a mana user, she was practically writhing with curiosity.
“Here. Take this.”
“Gasp! Gold coins!”
Instead of answering, I handed her gold coins from my pocket. Berik had brought them—proof that my anonymous letter had been delivered successfully to Mollin.
“This is your compensation and the carpenter’s share. Make sure to deliver it well.”
“This is too much. Wow.”
“Is it? Then give me the change.”
“No, sir. Hehe. What are you saying?”
Saying it was too much wasn’t the same as refusing. Hena grinned and bit the gold coins with her front teeth. Then she quickly tucked them into her inner pocket and deliberately stepped back as if nothing had happened.
“Berik. Come quickly.”
“But you said we’d do proper training….”
“This isn’t proper? Should I increase the weight?”
“…I’ll shut up.”
“You’re impatient by nature, so this approach suits you perfectly. We’ll gradually increase your limits. Two more laps, then we’ll try the sword.”
“I’ve found myself a truly excellent master!”
“Your praise is appreciated. I’ve found myself a capable tool as well.”
Berik shot me a blazing look before taking a labored step forward. With no Tutor lessons today, I could devote myself entirely to training with him. Count Derga likewise hadn’t left his Office since yesterday’s incident.
Then, at that moment.
Clop clop clop—!
The sound of hooves echoed from the Main Gate. I wondered if the physician had returned, but something felt unusually chaotic. I stood motionless beneath the tree, my gaze fixed ahead.
“Ah.”
I thought it might be a black horse, but it wasn’t.
An essential beast of burden for traversing the Great Desert—a kusile. This creature, somewhere between a horse and a camel, was the signature companion animal of the Cheonryeo Tribe. Which meant—
“Who are they?”
At Hena’s question, I paused.
Imposing warriors astride the saddles. Their faces painted with crimson pigment, their golden ornaments announcing their presence—they were none other than….
“The Cheonryeo Tribe.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————