Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 595

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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 594
Fire. Authority to Execute
Squeak. Squeak.
Philia’s brow furrowed at the sound of grinding wheels. What on earth was that noise? A chill ran down her spine, and she wanted to rub her forearms, but something felt wrong. Still, Philia gripped her consciousness firmly and looked around, trying to make sense of the situation in the pitch darkness.
Then—
‘Ah.’
The conversation between Romandro and Viviana, the night streets, the alley, the doll, and the stranger… I realized that everything I thought was a dream was real.
My heart sank in an instant, but I stifled a groan and rolled my eyes. My arms and legs were bound behind me, and a gag filled my mouth. Moreover, the rhythmic swaying, the sound of grinding wheels, and the faint smell of rotting wood rising up—there was no doubt I was being transported inside something.
‘A carriage, surely?’
The sound?
I pressed my ear to the floor and concentrated, but there were so many small colliding noises that it was hard to distinguish. Then was this a cargo hold? Was I mixed among various goods?
Crunch.
I thrashed my hands and feet with all my might, but the ropes were bound far too tightly. Though there were thumping vibrations, there was no response from outside. It seemed to be a cargo hold indeed.
But why such a place?
‘Could they be trying to cross the border?’
Once the Imperial Palace and Romandro learned of my disappearance, they would certainly have taken measures.
The fact that they hadn’t stopped my breathing suggested they intended to capture me alive, yet hiding me so dangerously beneath the cargo hold seemed meant to avoid detection. Surely it was to pass through the border guards’ inspection.
I found a finger-sized hole near my head and back. An air hole.
Whoosh.
I contorted my body to one side as much as possible and pushed my face toward the hole. My suspicion was correct. The ground visible beyond the hole was passing by at tremendous speed. The carriage was racing forward.
‘Where are they taking me? Why me at all?’
Could it be a hostile faction related to Ian? Besides that, I had no value as a target to anyone.
I recalled Ian’s face, then suddenly remembered that he was a possessor. That night, or rather, I couldn’t tell how many days had passed since then…
‘He was supposed to be the future Emperor. Ian.’
I rubbed my forehead against the floor, inflicting pain upon myself. In this dark and uncomfortable place, I needed some proper stimulation to think clearly.
Think, think, how on earth could I get through this predicament…
‘If I stay alive, they will surely come to rescue me. But they wanted me alive. I may need to prepare myself for death when the time comes. They will definitely come for me…’
Squeak! Squeak squeak!
Then the carriage’s speed gradually slowed, and soon it came to a stop. I pressed my ear firmly to the floor to find out what was happening. I could hear what sounded like murmuring voices, but I couldn’t make them out.
‘A checkpoint? Already? Then my only chance to call for help is now.’
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
Thud! Boom!
I rolled my feet with all my strength and screamed. That I was here beneath the carriage cargo hold, that I needed to be saved. But there seemed to be no particular change.
I eventually contorted my body to one side again and moved my head toward the hole in the floor. It was small, but sound could escape through it.
“Ugh.”
The moment I barely turned my body and pressed myself completely against the floor—
“…!”
I froze completely.
Eyes visible through the small gap in the hole. As if curious about what Philia was doing, they were pressed right up against it, peering inside.
The shock was brief before I realized those were the eyes of a doll. That grotesque blonde-haired, green-eyed doll that bore Ian’s form.
‘Otherwise, how could I possibly see into this carriage from its moving floor? A Puppeteer. One who wields strange powers.’
I couldn’t have countered them with force from the start, but now that I understood their abilities, the sense of helplessness only deepened. And yet—
‘How dare they touch my Ian!’
What surged forth next was fierce anger. I didn’t know what they hoped to accomplish, but the very act of laying hands on Ian was something I could never tolerate.
In Bratz, I had failed to protect my son because I was lacking, but not anymore. My son, who had died once and returned to life, I would protect with everything I had. No matter what!
‘Yes, Ian is my son, no matter what anyone says. My child, born from my own body. Whether he becomes the future Emperor or not, that will never change.’
Crack!
As Philia struggled to break free from her bonds, the Doll simply watched. As if curious to see how far she would go.
But when the carriage began moving slowly again and Philia, startled, turned her gaze toward the hole, the Doll had already vanished.
Clatter-clatter! Creak!
The carriage surged forward with renewed vigor. Beyond the borders of Bariel, toward a destination very far away.
* * *
“I will explore possible solutions.”
Ian slowly set down his teacup, recalling Katimako’s response.
The Mages continued to voice their concerns about Romand and Philia’s safety, stopping everyone who passed to share the news. It didn’t take long for Jin, upon hearing this, to seek out Ian.
“Count Ian.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Are your wounds healing well?”
“Philia has gone missing?”
Instead of answering the question about my condition, a question came back first. Ian glanced briefly at the agitated people around him, then gestured for Jin to sit.
“A message arrived from the Magic Department. Mother left during the night and has gone missing. Based on the circumstances, they suspect kidnapping.”
“What should be done?”
“There is nothing we can do, Your Majesty.”
At Ian’s calm words, Jin hesitated. The Mages who had been speaking loudly fell silent as well. Ian shook his head at them, urging restraint, and continued.
“What Your Majesty and I must focus on now are the safety of the soldiers who have left Bariel, the complete occupation of Burgos, and a swift advance toward Toollun. We cannot allow our operations to change because something has happened to my mother. That may be precisely what our enemies desire.”
Ian was the central force of the war effort, the very heart of the Magic Department. I could not allow my mind and attention to be drawn away by factors outside the war.
“Romand has likely already taken measures to dispatch search parties and deploy additional personnel at the checkpoints. Bariel itself will conduct a thorough investigation. I have separately requested cooperation from Katimako, the Puppeteer, so he will take the lead in the search.”
Neither Jin nor Ian would spare a single Mage. Those gathered here must move forward with the tens of thousands of soldiers who had left their homeland willing to sacrifice their lives for their country as the highest priority.
“My suspicion is that this is the work of Toollun. Therefore, it would be the right course for us to advance swiftly, climbing one step at a time toward Toollun.”
“…Are you certain?”
Even if not my biological mother, Philia was quite important to Ian. This much was clear. The small words of comfort they had exchanged at the betrothal ceremony were still beautifully etched in Jin’s heart.
Ian cooled his emotions with tea before answering.
“Even if I am not certain, it must be done, Your Majesty.”
At the title “Your Majesty,” Jin suddenly reminded himself through Ian that he was the Emperor. And with that came the realization of how solitary this position truly was.
…Someday, I too will have to make the kind of decision Ian made.
“Every time something like this happens, I see the reason God sent you to this place.”
What do you mean? Ian was about to ask when sounds came from outside. From the sound of military boots striking the ground and armor clanging, it appeared to be a visitor from the Imperial Guard.
“Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesty. A message has arrived from a nearby city.”
Since Agiar had been occupied by Bariel, a letter had been sent to all nearby cities demanding they open their gates or face bloodshed.
With the royal family fallen and the nation divided, surrendering to Bariel seemed like a reasonable choice for autonomous survival. Jin had expected positive responses—until he saw Tweller’s expression.
“The contents appear rather unsatisfactory?”
“The responses came from Legendre to the southwest of Agiar, Vieira to the south, Zar, and Purpato to the southeast.”
“So nearly all of them have responded?”
“Yes, but it’s rather unexpected.”
Tweller laid the letters before Jin. Each one, as if indirectly revealing the circumstances of every city, was equally tattered.
“Unexpected, you say?”
Jin furrowed his brow. It was always his nature, but in wartime, anything that deviated from expectations was received with heightened sensitivity.
“To put it simply, they’re asking that the authority to execute Rutherford be transferred to Burgos.”
What nonsense was this? Jin read through the letters to dispel his doubts. Most were composed of different sentences, but their meaning was consistent.
“…It seems the royalists under Burgos made their move first.”
The moment Bariel’s forces crossed the Burgos border, the royalists must have realized they couldn’t stop them. And furthermore, they likely understood that Bariel would need the royalists’ assistance to govern Burgos efficiently.
Ian took the letters from Jin and added his explanation.
“If Agiar falls, the core of the anti-royalist faction crumbles. Naturally, they’ll either dissolve or be absorbed into the royalist forces. They’ve judged that preserving Burgos’s pride is better than being dismantled by Bariel.”
“But why the authority to execute Rutherford?”
“It’s for the royalists’ standing.”
From Burgos’s perspective, it’s as though they toppled the anti-royalists with help from the foreign power Bariel. But if the royalists themselves directly execute Rutherford, who was their vanguard commander?
“Publicly, they can claim to have achieved independent victory by executing Rutherford—the anti-royalist faction. This will be an immense force to unite the fractured Burgos, and moreover, a powerful weapon when negotiating with Bariel.”
“A powerful weapon?”
When one of the mages listening from behind asked, Ian folded the letters and answered.
“Remember why the royalists embraced a pro-Bariel stance. Because they were divided. Because they lacked strength. But now the opposing faction has collapsed. If they simply absorb this, Burgos becomes unified in effect. Rather than surrendering to Bariel, they’ll seek to negotiate.”
Tweller, who had been listening quietly, nodded in agreement. If they didn’t grant the execution authority, there would certainly be fierce resistance in each city, which would lead to military losses on Bariel’s side. And above all, it might become a catalyst for conflict with the royalist faction.
“Then, what should we do?”
Jin asked, rubbing his brow, and Ian smiled.
“There’s no need to worry greatly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Simply say he’s already dead.”
Ian clicked his pocket watch and murmured.
“If not for the Barsabe incident, the executions of the remnants would have already taken place long ago. Say Rutherford died then as well. Blame the late arrival of the letters.”
There was no need to give the royalist faction any opportunity to grow stronger.
“…And then?”
“We must make that truth a reality. I’ll execute Rutherford. By Bariel’s hand.”

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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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