Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 593

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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 592
Fire. Sealing the Thread
“Ian. Katimako, the Puppeteer from Astana, has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
At Ian’s permission, the doors swung open to both sides.
Having received an urgent summons, Katimako’s breathing was quite labored. He glanced around as if bewildered by the situation, but no one dared to speak carelessly. A woman bound and blindfolded, sobbing intermittently, and all those surrounding her.
“What is the matter?”
“This is Barsabe. A Mage Knight belonging to the Imperial Guards, but it appears she has been cursed by a Puppeteer from Toollun.”
“Cursed? Wait, pardon me.”
“Through Barsabe’s eyes, the target was identified and an attack was carried out. I suspect it originated from the Toollun mainland itself.”
“…If the binding is strong enough, it’s certainly possible. What manner of attack was it?”
“It was the same as the mysterious attack the Astanains suffered during the Battle of Abigiar. However, it was far more powerful and weighty.”
Only then did Katimako understand the purpose of the tightly drawn curtains. They had been drawn as a temporary measure to prevent their location from being exposed.
He gestured for a lamp to be brought, and a Guard brought a lit candelabra and held it before Katimako.
“Katimako. When Rutherford was captured, all the Puppeteers were killed. That is, the one who cursed Barsabe is clearly dead, yet I don’t understand why the curse’s effects haven’t dissipated.”
“It depends on the type of curse. First, let me examine her. Guard Barsabe, please open your mouth. You said the wound made by the Puppeteer is inside your mouth.”
“Ugh…”
Barsabe, who had been sobbing continuously, slowly opened her mouth. Her Colleagues, witnessing this, turned their heads away with heavy hearts.
Katimako examined the wound inside her mouth carefully, then drew a small blade from his pocket.
“…Is it true that your vision is being transmitted?”
“Ugh, yes. That’s correct. The back of my head feels completely hollow. So my head doesn’t feel like my own—it feels like a hole through which someone is peering.”
“The fortunate part is that your mind remains intact. Apart from puppetry, if all five senses are dominated, personality deteriorates next. Guard Barsabe, have you ever moved against your commands or will?”
“No. Never.”
Katimako touched the wound in Barsabe’s mouth with the blade’s tip. The marks where the Puppeteers had threaded the strings were visible. He frowned and murmured.
“Performing puppetry on a living person is not easy. Since the Puppeteer in question is dead, the domination appears to be incomplete, but…”
His mind was troubled. As he hesitated briefly and trailed off, the Imperial Guards rubbed their foreheads with heavy hearts. They were careful with their words, fearing that what Barsabe heard might also be transmitted to the other party.
“Guard Barsabe. Any other abnormal symptoms?”
“I occasionally hear someone’s voice. Just exclamations like ‘I can see,’ but earlier they were coaxing me to look to the side. I found myself following without realizing it, but it wasn’t an unconscious movement—the voice was so vivid in my ears that I was startled and turned around.”
“Hmm. I see.”
Katimako examined the inside of Barsabe’s mouth carefully, then tapped one of the threaded strings with his blade tip. It was tangled so tightly it had become part of her body. He murmured, seeking her consent.
“First, I’ll remove all the threads that can be removed. Is that acceptable? It will hurt a little.”
“Of course. Please cut them all out without leaving a single one.”
Instead of answering, he proceeded immediately. Barsabe’s arms, bound to the chair’s armrests, flinched, but that was all. She clenched her fists so tightly that the bones on the back of her hands turned white, swallowing the pain. As if crying out would be shameful, she didn’t let a single groan escape.
The Guards witnessing this turned their heads or clenched their lips, and Katimako, observing the strings cutting quite smoothly, spoke.
“Among puppetry, there exists a curse so difficult and dangerous that it is forbidden. It’s called ‘Double Puppet’—literally, layering puppetry techniques. Given that the effect hasn’t dissipated despite the sorcerer’s death, this is likely the case. There is another sorcerer involved.”
“Is there a possibility of breaking the curse?”
“There is. Just as there is a way to cast any curse, there is a way to break it. Especially since Puppeteers control their targets through a ‘puppet’ that represents them, there must be a crucial object. Destroying it would naturally free her from the curse.”
Ian’s brow furrowed slightly. That meant the only way was to find the Puppeteer connected to Barsabe, presumed to be in Toollun. It was problematic since it couldn’t be done immediately.
“There is another method. In Barsabe’s case, only sensory domination has been achieved, so if we address only that, we can sever the connection.”
He meant to sacrifice her sight.
The Imperial Guards listening alongside her vehemently stepped forward in opposition.
“This cannot be! Absolutely not!”
“You’re asking the Mage Knight to sacrifice her eyes. This is unacceptable!”
“…Everyone, compose yourselves.”
“But Captain Jairot!”
“Can you please be quiet.”
Katimako felt a chill run down his spine at Captain Jairot’s final warning and glanced back. Here he was in the middle of surgery with all this commotion—tsk tsk. As he repositioned his blade, Barsabe whispered through trembling lips.
“…It’s alright.”
“What?”
“Barsabe!”
“If what I see poses a threat to His Majesty and Bariel… I would rather live in eternal darkness. More than all the brilliant light in this world, that would be a more beautiful life for me….”
Tears streamed steadily from beneath her blindfold, yet Barsabe’s voice remained unwavering.
All the guards could only look on with sorrow, unable to speak a word, while Jairot covered his face with both hands. It was tragic and infuriating.
“No.”
Then Berik broke the silence, his refusal sharp and decisive.
“There’s a way to undo it, so why give up your eyes? Besides, the Imperial Guards have suffered heavy losses—every single person is precious. Listen. If we lose you on top of everything else, we’re truly in trouble.”
“That’s right! Berik is correct. Whether something happens to you or not, the Emperor’s safety remains at risk either way. So please, don’t give up so easily? Alright? You can break the curse.”
“We’ve already lost too many colleagues. I cannot abandon you over this.”
“Barsabe, stop crying, please.”
If not for the endless stream of tears falling beneath her blindfold, one might not have realized she was weeping at all.
Jairot called out to Ian in a low voice.
“Minister Ian, what are your thoughts?”
The Imperial Guards wished to save Barsabe, but if the Magic Department—the core of their current strength—opposed it, there was nothing to be done. They waited for Ian’s response with tense expressions.
“Simply knowing the location would allow the enemy to attack His Majesty. That represents a considerable risk factor.”
As Ian gave his final answer, Barsabe gripped the handle tightly, as if resigned to her fate.
“However, that is only because we are in Agiare.”
Without either the puppet or the backdrop, an attack would be impossible. Agiare was where the Torun Puppeteers had come to provide direct support, so they could share knowledge of the terrain, and there would have been no difficulty in constructing the stage.
But if they ventured beyond that?
Could they track her movements even outside Agiare?
There was no need to go all the way to barren wasteland. Simply crossing the city walls would mean information might leak, but an actual attack would not follow.
“Katimako, are you certain no other senses besides sight are being transmitted?”
“Yes, based on the current state, that appears to be the case. These bastards were in quite a hurry, it seems. They handled it so clumsily that no transference occurred. It’s nothing short of divine fortune. The threads on the visual connection are too sturdy to sever, though.”
At the diagnosis that hearing and speech posed no problems, everyone exhaled in relief.
“Minister Ian. Shall I finish up now? Once I sever this last thread, she won’t hear anything they say to Guard Barsabe on their end.”
“Wait!”
It was Barsabe who cried out. She wiped away the tears pooling beneath her chin with her shoulder and asked.
“What if we leave that as is? We might be able to gather information through it as well. If it only allows us to hear without any other complications, I would prefer it that way.”
“Well, decide as you see fit.”
Katimako shrugged, and Ian nodded in agreement. If there were no other risks, there was no need to block the incoming information from their side.
Katimako retrieved medicinal herbs from the bag he’d brought and applied them to the inside of her cheek, preparing the final procedure.
‘What Barsabe sees, the enemy also sees.’
Ian watched her silently, contemplating for a moment. It was considerably dangerous, but if used properly, it could become a powerful weapon.
Once the procedure was complete, Katimako wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and rose to his feet.
“It’s finished for now. I’ve sutured it carefully to ensure it won’t come undone under any circumstances.”
“You’ve worked hard. Barsabe, you must continue wearing the blindfold while you’re in Agia. The Imperial Guards must maintain strict oversight of this. Captain Jairot.”
“Yes, Minister Ian.”
“I have no doubt you’ll do well.”
Of course, Jairot thought—if he could only keep Barsabe safe, he could do anything. He bowed his head lightly in salute.
Just then, Katimako adjusted his sleeves and called out to Ian.
“If you don’t mind, shall we discuss this further? I’ve received word from Astana, and I’d like to speak with you about the Torun Puppeteers.”
“Of course. Please go ahead. Show him to the reception room.”
“Yes, this way.”
As Katimako left first and Ian followed, the Imperial Guards rushed toward Barsabe and released her restraints. Then, with their free hands, they grasped each other’s arms, patting and offering words of comfort.
“Barsabe, you’ll be fine. We’ll find your eyes for you.”
“That’s right. Once we go to Torun, we’ll repay them double for what they did. Barsabe. Don’t cry too much.”
Unable to speak due to Katimako’s procedure, Barsabe could only smile. She tightened her blindfold with renewed resolve, then extended her fist forward.
Thud.
Her colleagues gently bumped their fists against hers. In a world where she could see nothing, they were the only path she could follow.
Screech.
Boom.
Meanwhile, Ian made his way to the reception room with the Mages, organizing the situation. It felt as though an enormous storm had just swept through.
“His Majesty the Emperor has completed his examination.”
“There are no particular abnormalities?”
“No, it appears he was slightly scraped when glass fragments scattered, but there are no major injuries otherwise. And Ian, this is a letter that just arrived from Bariel’s Magic Department. Romandro sent it urgently.”
“Romandro did?”
What could it be? If there were a problem in the palace, the contents would have been delivered directly to the Emperor, not through the Magic Department. This was likely related to the Magic Department itself or to Ian personally.
Ian opened the letter as he walked toward the reception room, then stopped abruptly.
“…Ian? What’s wrong?”
The Mages inquired, observing the change in his expression, but he gave no answer. Judging only by the way his eyes grew cold, it was clear the contents were not favorable.
Ian stood motionless for a long while, reading through the letter, then folded the paper sharply and tucked it into his breast.
‘…Philia has gone missing.’

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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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