Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 44

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 44. The Secret Space
Bratz had never known days so chaotic and unsettling. Not only had one people they considered unified drawn swords against each other, but the bastard they expected to die had returned—and with the Cheonryeo Tribe, whom they’d regarded as lifelong enemies, at his back.
“The world must be ending….”
An old man muttered while gazing up at the Bratz manor. What a bizarre sight it was—soldiers bearing the imperial palace’s flags standing garrison alongside Cheonrye warriors. And all within a single building of the estate’s main compound.
The old man shook his head and loaded a headless corpse onto a cart, disposing of it.
Creak.
Inside the manor was far more awkward than the scene outside suggested. Beyond the incompatibility of water and oil existing side by side, there was one critical problem.
“We cannot locate the bodies of the Countess Mary and Chel.”
“You’ve examined all the headless corpses thoroughly?”
“I’ve verified their clothing and even their fingernails, but found nothing befitting nobility. The bodies swept downriver haven’t been recovered yet, so they may be mixed in with those.”
At her subordinate’s report, Erika bit her nails. She’d secured Count Derga’s body, but his wife and child—Mary and Chel—left no trace whatsoever.
“Check the dismembered remains as well.”
“Understood.”
“Find those bodies. Search the manor thoroughly.”
If they were dead, confirming the bodies was necessary to claim the mission complete. Besides, she’d turned the territory upside down. If the cleanup wasn’t thorough, the capital’s trust could waver.
“…And if you do find the bodies, you understand, yes?”
“Until the appointment letter arrives from the imperial palace, we’ll keep them well hidden.”
If Mary and Chel were dead, there’d be no reason to delay Count Derga’s execution. Then she’d have no pretext to remain in Bratz. Whether she could re-enter the territory now occupied by the Cheonryeo Tribe remained uncertain.
‘Damn it!’
Erika bit her nails again. Fragments of crushed nail scattered across her tongue.
Meanwhile, in a small room down the corridor.
Kakantir, Nersaren, and I sat in a circle. Nersaren spoke first.
“Lord Ian. Regarding Erika—she doesn’t seem to be waiting for the appointment letter, does she?”
“I sensed the same. In truth, given the forced march to the borderlands’ edge, it was likely predetermined when she was appointed investigation commander.”
“Erika has been here nearly two weeks now. Soon the appointment letter will arrive, and then our continued garrison here becomes problematic.”
At Nersaren’s words, I shook my head. As Erika said, the appointment of nobility falls under the Emperor’s purview. No matter how much Prince Gail supports her, she needs results, doesn’t she?
“Since we arrested Count Derga today, even if a dispatch rider is sent this very day, it will take nearly two weeks to arrive. You needn’t worry about that.”
The Emperor’s orders are weighty and precious, so they cannot be sent by messenger hawk—only by mounted courier.
Nersaren calculated the dates in his head and wore a somewhat relieved expression.
“In any case, Erika becoming lord is a foregone conclusion. The Cheonryeo have already invested much. Yet it seems it will all go to waste.”
The future benefits to be gained by supporting me, and the direct elimination of Count Derga—the Cheonryeo had made many concessions in this plan.
“No, Kakan. The situation flows favorably.”
“Can you explain?”
“First, the bodies of Mary and Chel have not been secured.”
“That’s good? Because of it, those bastards have planted themselves here in this manor.”
“Did Erika not declare it herself? That her mission is the annihilation of House Bratz and the securing of their bodies?”
At this point, Nersaren, who grasped it first, exclaimed.
“Ah… then?”
Their remaining here was predicated on the assumption that Mary and Chel were within the territory.
But if they merely confirmed they’d left, they would be obligated to pursue Mary and Chel.
to serve as bait.
“Moreover, the Central government will never be able to cast me out.”
“What’s your basis for that?”
“It’s precisely the reason Kakan is curious about.”
That I’m a mana user. Though born of lowly origins, I can boldly push aside Erika—I asserted this with confidence.
“Fine. Good. We’ve only just captured Count Derga, so I’ll watch a bit longer.”
“Thank you, Kakan.”
“Then what should we do now? Should we go to the village as the commander suggested and search through the bodies?”
“No. Instead, please help the wounded. Since the battle has concluded, things will focus on reconstruction for the time being. The support of the territory’s people is also one of the important foundations in the borderlands, so please do that.”
Kakantir’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The more I see, the more clever this fellow is. Without lifting a finger, he’s using the Cheonryeo Tribe’s strength to shower Bariel with all manner of assistance.
He said he was only sixteen? I can hardly believe it. Yet like a child his age, Ian grinned broadly and met Kakantir’s gaze.
‘Why are you looking at me like that? It’s not even wrong.’
Yes, it wasn’t wrong.
From the Central government’s perspective, the borderlands were just a territory that could be left alone as long as it paid taxes and guarded the border well. That much meant it was independent from the imperial palace’s influence.
So to run the territory smoothly without incident, one would need a capable and respected family head. In this case, one could view this as work toward the latter.
“And what of you?”
“I have some business to attend to. I hear that Count Derga set fire to the annex and fled. That moment is likely when Captain Erika mentioned—when Mary and Chel went missing.”
If they weren’t in the territory and hadn’t left….
There was a possibility they were hidden somewhere in the mansion. A grand estate always had at least one secret passage. The problem was that all the servants who could provide clues were dead.
“Once Berik returns from his errand, I’ll move. Kakan, rest with your warriors before heading down.”
Kakantir drank wine straight from the bottle and glanced back at me. Since we’d come this far together, there wasn’t much choice.
Time passed. Afternoon.
The moment Berik arrived from his errand, what he saw was Ian leading two kusile.
“You’re back?”
“What are you doing? Going out again?”
“You know where I used to live, don’t you?”
The place where the bastard Ian had lived. I only knew it was in the worst part of the red-light district, not the exact address.
“I know it. But why? Philia was doing well in the forest. She looked healthy, eating and sleeping fine on her own.”
“Shh. I told you to be careful.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. No one’s listening.”
The Cheonryeo Tribe 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 are you going there?”
“I’m going to search for Hena from now on.”
Mary and Chel—no matter how I thought about it, the secret passages in the mansion seemed suspicious. How could a woman and child have made it through that chaos? If they were dead, their bodies would have been found long ago.
It might be Erika’s shallow deception, but for now, I had to confirm everything I could.
Tap, tap, tap.
“Is it this way?”
“Mm. Probably.”
Berik lightly covered his nose and led the way. The back alleys twisted like a maze. Even without being weak, a careless person would have their pockets picked immediately—it was so cut off from the outside world.
“Here.”
“This place?”
Good heavens. I managed my expression as best I could and clicked my tongue.
Descending into the semi-basement, rooms branched out like an ant colony. One of them appeared to be where I and Philia had once lived. A place where rats swarmed and the stench of mold overpowered the smell of war.
“Why? You’re not saying you meant the place where we used to live, are you? I don’t even know about that.”
Probably when I moved into Bratz’s mansion, we had relocated. Count Derga’s display of influence to economically squeeze Philia had occurred, and this place was the result.
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue once, then turned my back without hesitation. An abandoned nest held nothing worth obtaining. I headed toward the passage and gestured to Berik.
“Search for Hena.”
“Me?”
“Who else? Should I do it?”
“…Hey, you there passing by! Got a moment to talk?”
While Berik wandered about stopping people to question them, I also examined my surroundings carefully. But the scene was so chaotic and desolate that nothing caught my eye except for the pitiful state of things.
However.
“Ian! This way!”
Hena’s family, with a total of five younger siblings, was quite well-known. Moreover, since Hena had been a servant working at the mansion, she seemed to stand out particularly among the neighbors.
“Go up the stairs to the second floor.”
The moment I set foot on the stairs, I heard a child’s cry.
Waaah!
“Oh dear. Why is she crying again?”
“Hena?”
Hena, who had been holding and coaxing a baby, startled and turned around. Upon recognizing me and Berik, she broke into a surprised smile.
“Young master! Berik!”
“I’m relieved to see you’re safe.”
“You’ve returned! I’m so grateful you’re alive, Ian!”
“Did your home suffer any damage?”
“No. Well, we didn’t have any family members who went off as soldiers…. My parents say every night they offer prayers of gratitude that we were able to leave the mansion.”
But judging by her slightly gaunt face, she had endured hardship. Wooden boards were nailed over the windows and the door I had forced open. During the height of the fighting, they had sealed themselves in to prevent intrusion from outside.
I smiled slightly and gently caressed the baby’s hand.
“So this is the younger sibling I’ve only heard about.”
“Yes. There are more besides this one. But….”
Hena poured out words as if a dam had burst.
“Did you come here to find me? Above all, is it alright for you to return like this? Aren’t you Count Derga’s son? I thought the rumors about you returning with the Cheonryeo Tribe were lies….”
“Yes. It’s fine. But I have something to ask you.”
Hena pulled out a chair for me while soothing the baby.
“I’m curious if there are any rumors or tales whispered about secret passages within the mansion.”
“Yes? Suddenly?”
“I’m asking because I’m curious whether there might be a secret passage somewhere.”
For instance, stories about ghosts appearing at the end of a certain floor’s corridor, or hearing human voices from a room the master forbade entry to—such tales usually stemmed from rumors generated by people using secret passages.
“Hmm. Well, I’ve never heard of such ghost stories. As for secret passages or hidden spaces, I’m afraid I know nothing about those.”
“Of course. If you knew about it, it wouldn’t be a secret space, would it?”
“You haven’t changed, Berik.”
Berik and Hena exchanged playful glances. Meanwhile, I crossed my arms against my back, looking troubled.
“…I wish the Butler were here.”
Unfortunately, he had been found with his arm severed. It wasn’t done by the Central Army, but by soldiers from the neighboring territory of Merelrof.
It seemed he had entered the borderlands by mistake while fleeing, and the Merelrof forces had stopped by Bratz under the guise of retrieving his body to assess the situation before leaving.
“Has the Butler passed away?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Hena smiled awkwardly and lowered her gaze to her brother. I didn’t miss that brief, subtle shift in her expression.
“Why do you look like that?”
“What? No, it’s just… isn’t it unfortunate? Most of the people who lived in the mansion are said to have died….”
Is that really all there is to it?
I met Hena’s eyes with a sharp gaze. At that, she let out a sigh as if she couldn’t help herself.

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