Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 574

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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 573
Fire. A Night with Wine
“Over here!”
How long had it been since we began moving the rubble?
The massive boulder had been roughly shoved aside by the Golem, but mere minutes of movement proved woefully insufficient.
Yet as the Imperial Guards and Soldiers labored to push the rocky mass aside while excavating the debris, the first signal finally erupted.
“A Burgos Soldier! He’s wearing armor!”
“Turn him over. Let’s check his face.”
“Heave! You there, lift the lower part. His legs are trapped.”
“We have another one here. This one still has a pulse.”
“Move the corpses to this side, and the living to the other.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Be careful! We’re moving the stone! One! Two! Three!”
“There’s one more! We should keep digging here! It seems they were beneath the barrier bridge. There’s space, so there are quite a few people!”
“Captain Bonita! Barsabe! If you can hear me, answer!”
We discovered a staircase descending downward. The Imperial Guards thrust their heads into the pit and shouted, but all that returned was a foul stench mixed with dust.
“My lord Ian. Didn’t that Gypsy have gills? I believe it’s down there. The fishy stench is particularly overwhelming.”
“I’ll go down and check. Give me the rope.”
“Pull the rope when you find something. Understood?”
“Yes, understood. Captain Bonita! Barsabe!”
The Guard tied the rope around his waist and descended. I examined each corpse’s face as they were brought up, prepared to instantly recognize Rutherford even if his face was too crushed to identify.
Whoosh.
“Signal! Clear the stones from the entrance!”
“Pull the rope! One, two, three!”
“Captain Bonita! Barsabe! Are you alright?”
Everyone poured out worried cheers at the signal from below. But what emerged was not what we expected—a stranger’s corpse.
“Ugh!”
It was the Gypsy, her gills and belly torn open. She lay dead with her eyes open in apparent agony, her entire body shriveled as if all moisture had been drained away.
I approached while covering my nose with my sleeve, and immediately furrowed my brow.
“Investigate this separately. Take her away.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Hey! Bonita and Barsabe—they’re not down there?”
A muffled response echoed from the depths below.
“There are so many Burgos Soldier corpses! We’re checking now, but we don’t see them. Same with Rutherford! There’s another passage connected to a corridor on the opposite side, and I suspect they may have exited that way. Just a moment!”
“Where does it lead?”
“Um… I’m not sure. Is it toward the barrier’s rear gate?”
“Why are you asking us? You’re the one looking—you should know.”
“Oh! Found her! It’s Captain Bonita!”
“What? You found the Captain? Pull her up!”
At the cry that Bonita had been found, everyone without exception seized the rope and pulled.
Bonita emerged slowly through the dust, so motionless I wondered if she still drew breath.
“C-Captain?”
“Captain, please stay with us.”
Fortunately, Bonita’s lips moved faintly. She exhaled words in shallow, fragmented gasps.
“…Ruther…ford… Barsa…be… ah….”
Everyone held their breath, straining to catch her words, but that was all. Bonita released her final breath and chose eternal silence.
The Guards said nothing, closing her eyes and pressing a kiss to her forehead. I too offered a brief gesture of respect, completing the final rites.
“…The wound is severe.”
At my murmur, the Guards finally noticed the deep laceration across Bonita’s abdomen—obscured until now by the dust.
“Ah, now that I think of it, all the Burgos Soldiers with Captain Bonita were wearing black armor. When they clashed with the Dera Tribe weapons and the explosion occurred, something must have gone wrong.”
Whether she’d lost her weapon, the range had become too close, or she’d lost consciousness and left herself exposed—there were too many variables to determine.
But what was even harder to fathom was the whereabouts of Rutherford and Barsabe.
“Were there no others?”
“We’ll need to search again to be certain, but from what we saw just now, there were none.”
“Understood. Continue the search. Place Captain Bonita on a stretcher and move her.”
What had happened?
Was Barsabe pursuing the fleeing Rutherford? Had Bonita covered her retreat and paid the price? If so, time would naturally reveal the truth.
“Lord Ian!”
I turned at the Mages’ call. I signaled that I would come shortly, then ordered a passing Soldier.
“Go to camp and bring Melania here.”
Clark remained here with one of the Imperial Guards. While all Guards were recognizable, Clark was not, so I needed Melania’s assistance.
I entrusted my position to her and flew toward Agiar’s city center, circling the ruins.
Whoosh!
What first caught my eye were Bariel’s blue imperial flags fluttering throughout the city. The citizens of Agiar had all poured into the streets, kneeling before the Emperor’s procession, while the small city north of Burgos lay in complete ruin.
“Lord Ian. A Burgos Messenger bearing news of Agiar’s situation has reportedly left the city through the south gate. What should we do?”
The question was whether to cut off the information or let word of Bariel’s victory spread.
I descended to where Minister Tweller stood and relayed the message.
“Minister Tweller. A Burgos Messenger is heading south.”
“Is that so?”
“I believe we should eliminate him.”
“Of course. We can announce the city’s fall whenever we wish, but once announced, it cannot be undone.”
As I relayed his answer with a nod, a Mage swiftly flew south. Soon he would return with the Messenger’s head.
Tweller slowly rode his horse and directed my gaze toward the center of the city. A small fortress stood prominently.
“Agiar’s fortress is completely empty, it seems. Since they were anti-royalist forces, they likely chose an appropriate provincial estate, though I’m uncertain if supplies will be adequate.”
“We have no information regarding the lord.”
“Rutherford was essentially the lord. With no commander or supervisor in place, I’ll conduct a thorough investigation.”
Just then, Jin’s horse, leading the way, entered through the fortress gates. It was a small, dilapidated structure, but it appeared sufficient to serve as a base for several days of rest.
Compared to the nights I’d spent with the sky as my blanket and the earth as my bed, this humble fortress was a golden palace.
Creak.
Jin entered the small hall, carefully surveying the surroundings.
A space so quiet that only my breathing existed. At Tweller’s command, soldiers scattered left and right, beginning a thorough search of the interior, while Jin strolled down the corridor at his own pace.
Tap, tap, tap!
“Remove all paintings and sculptures, and hang the Bariel Imperial flag. Distribute the smaller jewels as spoils to the wounded after the war, but the larger jewels shall go to the families of fallen soldiers.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall keep that in mind.”
“There are large grain and wine storage chambers in the basement!”
“Investigate carefully through the Burgos soldiers whether the food is safe to eat. Tonight, all of the Bariel forces shall feast and sleep soundly.”
“There’s a small passage below the storage! It appears everyone in the castle escaped through it.”
“Send out a pursuit unit, but seal the passage.”
Soldiers moved busily about, checking how many rooms the castle had and whether the kitchen had sufficient water. After the search was complete, as the sunset streamed through the windows in the ceiling, Jin turned to Ian and asked.
“How is the rescue operation at the barrier progressing?”
“We rescued Captain Bonita, but she died immediately. We have yet to locate Rutherford and the other guards.”
Upon hearing the news of Bonita’s death, Jin’s brow furrowed with regret. From the moment he had resolved to charge toward the barrier on dragonback, death had become an inseparable shadow. Yet hearing it become reality like this, he could not help but feel a heaviness in his chest.
“Continue the search even after sunset.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And—”
Creak.
Jin opened the reception room door and let out a small sigh. It was a space of appropriate size for gathering key personnel from each department. Servants lit candles placed throughout the room, dispelling the darkness beforehand.
“Let us hold a conference here. Since time seems short, we shall dine while we meet.”
“Understood.”
Ian and Tweller excused themselves, saying they would return shortly, and left the reception room. Ian instructed the mages to begin preparing for rest, while Tweller also commanded the soldiers that they could remove their armor.
The first night at Agiar Castle was approaching.
* * *
With Jin at the center, Tweller, Xiaoxi, and several officers sat to his right, while Captain Jairot, Captain Simon, and Berik sat to his left. Across from Jin were the seats of Ian, Heil, and Akorelra.
Before the leaders gathered at the great round table lay maps of Agiar City and its surroundings found in the castle, and wine had been prepared in quantities matching the number of people.
Swish.
Tweller, who had finished his simple meal, wiped his fingertips with a napkin and spoke first.
“Your Majesty, what is the extent of the Imperial Guards’ casualties?”
“In this Agiar operation, Captain Bonita and Canna fell in battle. We have yet to find any trace of Barsabe and Wakion. Besides that, there are four guards who sustained injuries of varying severity alongside myself and Berik.”
Tweller closed his mouth as if to offer comfort and took a sip of wine. The total force had been small to begin with, and most were those who served on the front lines, so the losses were significant.
Jairot reported calmly.
“According to Berik, who was part of the infiltration unit, there appears to have been a puppet master inside the barrier. The mysterious long-range attacks were likely their doing, but the dead tell no tales.”
“Did you confirm the corpse?”
“Berik confirmed the face. However, the clothing appeared to be from Torun.”
At Jairot’s explanation, Berik nodded his head lightly. Yet even as he did, he glanced at Ian—quite obviously.
The gaze was so blatant that everyone noticed, but no one stopped him. Even Ian himself did not. He understood that everyone gathered in this place was curious about ‘Ian’.
“…There was once a puppet master from Torun who caused trouble in Bariel as well. It’s likely the same context. Did you happen to see how the attacks were conducted, Berik?”
“The madman was holed up in a cramped room playing with puppets like a lunatic.”
Jin shrugged his shoulders as if satisfied and gestured.
“We should inquire more thoroughly. Astana will have their hands full, but we have abundant information on our end, so I shall request their cooperation.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then, Count Ian.”
At Jin’s call, all eyes converged upon me.
As if I had been waiting, I inclined my head slightly in acknowledgment.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Now tell us your story.”
As Jin gestured for me to begin and glanced around at everyone, they seized the moment and bombarded me with questions.
“There is so much we wish to hear. What exactly happened? What occurred in Bariel a hundred years hence?”
“Surely you had Imperial Guards at your command, Count Ian. Yet confinement seems unbelievable. Was it a crisis that originated within the palace itself?”
“You are a Mage, are you not?”
“Ian, be honest with us. You knew about the Luronstone deposits, didn’t you?! Didn’t you?! There aren’t any others, are there? Right?”
“Akorelra, restrain yourself. Please.”
I waited until the fervor of their excitement subsided, then calmly took a sip of wine. A rich, bitter flavor lingered upon my tongue.
I waited until the sweetness rose to meet it, then spoke softly.
“…So, this all began when I was very young.”
My entire life.

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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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