Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 597

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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 596
Fire. The Merchant from Bariel
Near Kalamata, the capital of Burgos.
A procession of massive carriages climbed the hill slowly. As old crates creaked and groaned, Soldiers hanging beside the carriages pulled the ropes taut to secure the cargo.
“How much further?”
“There it is!”
“Please hurry just a bit more! We’re running late.”
“If you keep jostling things around, it’ll only get harder? Just bear with it!”
The Coachmen laughed while cracking their whips loudly, and the horses quickened their pace. Far ahead, the gates of the outer armory serving as an intermediate supply depot stood wide open.
People waving Royalist flags stood before it. As the carriage arrived, they all welcomed it and fixed supports beneath the wheels.
“Who is the Supply Officer in charge this time?”
At that moment, a woman with long hair tied up in a single knot called out to the Coachman. She was Kayla, the Youngae of Marquis Hollin’s household. Her neat and impeccable attire stood in stark contrast to the desolate surroundings.
“…Who might you be?”
The Supply Officer, a cheap cigarette dangling from his mouth, looked her up and down. He found it strange that this young woman he’d never seen before was acting like his superior.
Yet he instinctively felt the innate class difference. Despite his reservations, respectful speech came naturally to him. The Coachmen, sensing the unusual atmosphere, quietly slipped their bodies behind the carriage.
“I am Kayla Hollin. You are the Supervisor responsible for inspecting and verifying the goods received from the Bariel border.”
“Ah. Kayla Hollin?”
So she was the daughter of the Hollinga family. The Supply Officer twisted his mouth and began untying the bound ropes. Some people had it easy. Thanks to being born to good parents, they strutted around with titles like Supervisor and such.
“But why do you ask?”
“The scheduled delivery date has been delayed by one day.”
“And?”
He spat out his cigarette with a pffft and continued unwinding the ropes.
He naturally knew that the Royalists were friendly with Bariel and were fighting with weapons received from them. He also understood that without the weapons supplied by the Hollinga family, there would have been considerable military losses.
But fundamentally, wasn’t all of this because of Bariel?
‘Yet they act as if they’re doing us a favor. And now they’ve seated some young boy who looks like he sips tea elegantly, and call him a Supervisor? Are you joking? Tsk.’
He’d driven the carriage hard for four days straight to bring the goods, yet he had to report the situation to someone he’d never even heard of, which made his stomach churn.
Kayla furrowed her brow and stepped closer, muttering.
“…Did you just say ‘And?’ to me?”
“Are you unfamiliar with Burgosian since you’re from Bariel?”
It was blatant disrespect. She wanted to sever his neck on the spot, but this was Burgos in the midst of civil war. She understood all too well why this man dared to be rude to her.
Kayla let her rising emotions cool for a moment and whispered to the man. Speaking in perfectly flawless Burgosian, at that.
“Since there is neither reason nor excuse for the delay in schedule, you must pay the price for negligence of duty. I will cut your promised compensation in half. Why not pick up that cigarette that fell on the ground and smoke it? You’ll probably need it for a while.”
“What are you saying right now…!”
Thwack!
As the man tried to strike Kayla, she took a defensive stance in return.
But in an instant, a fan appeared between them. Decorative black feathers fluttered gently. The Unknown Woman swept the fan away with a firm gesture and smiled softly.
“You’ve worked hard to get here.”
“…Mother.”
Purple eyes filled with amusement watched between Kayla and the man alternately. As if to say that commotion was inconvenient.
“The reason you weren’t introduced to Kayla in time is because you arrived later than scheduled. The items manufactured by the Hollinga family are precious weapons used for Burgos’s safety, and isn’t it only right that we honor the time we’ve agreed upon for those distinguished individuals waiting for them?”
It was Danit Hollin, the second wife of Marquis Hollin and the one overseeing business operations in Burgos. Her refreshing smile, white teeth, and the piercing intensity in her gaze were anything but ordinary.
The man bowed his head in apology.
“My sincerest apologies. We were about to depart when a sudden downpour became so severe that… we were delayed.”
“Don’t mention it to the higher-ups. Kayla.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Kayla opened the crate herself at her mother’s instruction. She then examined the refined metals, swords, and protective gear one by one, confirming that everything was in order.
Danit nodded in satisfaction, patting the soldiers’ shoulders repeatedly.
“Come now, hurry and unload these. Rest yourselves afterward.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Kayla, let’s go.”
The Countess gestured for Kayla to follow. As they stepped inside the building, she examined her daughter’s face carefully and asked.
“Are you alright?”
“I apologize. I didn’t organize things properly.”
“No, it’s fine. I was the same way at first. We are ‘nobles’ and ‘women’ of Bariel, and they are merely ‘customers’ buying goods.”
It was a business officially licensed by Bariel, but that was where it ended. Pioneering the market in a nation torn by civil war was the responsibility of Hollinga. The Countess tidied her daughter’s disheveled hair.
“All weapons supplied within Burgos must rely on the Royalists’ assistance. Why is that?”
“…Because it’s cheaper than bringing people from Bariel, and dealing with them is more profitable. And most importantly, if a Barielian were to cross the border carrying weapons during this civil war, even the Royalists wouldn’t hear the end of it.”
“You understand well, my clever daughter. Who could you have inherited such intelligence from?”
Smack.
The Countess kissed Kayla’s forehead and laughed.
“In particular, this fellow is the third most senior among the Supply Officers. He occasionally throws tantrums that make no sense, but it’s difficult to dismiss him hastily. Well, that won’t matter eventually anyway.”
The two confirmed again that no one was in the corridor. They were speaking in Barielian just in case, but one mustn’t let their guard down.
“How were the weapons?”
“Perfectly inferior quality.”
“Perfectly” meant that on the surface, there appeared to be no major issues.
And this was precisely why Kayla had come to Burgos and met her mother. At the proposal of the Emperor and Ian of Bariel, she was to supply defective weapons to the Royalists, weakening Burgos’s military strength and securing the advantage in war.
The Countess climbed toward the upper floor where the Royalist executives were waiting, and turned to look at her daughter with a wistful expression.
“I always thought there would be an end to this someday, but I never expected it to unfold this way. And you being here, Kayla.”
“I apologize, Mother. It’s not good news.”
“No, whatever news you bring is good news. Once this matter is resolved well, the imperial sanctions against Hollinga will be lifted, and then the children remaining there will manage things properly.”
Kayla smiled faintly and looked up at her mother. She appeared genuinely delighted. Exercising her business acumen in a foreign land was a source of joy for her, but her true happiness lay elsewhere.
“Most importantly, that His Majesty’s marriage prospects came at such a perfect time is truly, truly unbelievable fortune. And this civil war now! Kayla, I promise you. When I return, I shall gift you the seat beside His Majesty.”
“But Mother, he already knows that my blood belongs to Burgos.”
“That’s precisely why it’s even better!”
Snap!
The Countess’s eyes gleamed brilliantly as she flicked her fingertips. Her calculations seemed already complete in her mind.
“Supplying defective weapons to the Royalists instead of the anti-Royalists—do you understand what that means? The imperial court is already anticipating it. That the Royalists could become an obstacle to occupying Burgos.”
“…You’re right. And I understand your intentions as well.”
If even the Royalists were pushed back, the virtually only entity capable of filling that void would be these mother and daughter. They carried the blood of the Burgos royal family while holding a rank equivalent to a Count of Bariel.
This was essentially the opportunity of a lifetime. To ascend the throne of Burgos while simultaneously becoming the Empress of Bariel.
“Let us go upstairs first. I shall introduce you to the Royalist leaders one by one. There are many you should know for the future.”
Those I must push aside, those I must suppress, and those I must keep beneath me—all necessary when deliberating matters of state.
Kayla steadied her breathing and followed her mother.
Knock, knock.
Creak.
“Forgive the intrusion. Thank you for your patience.”
“You’ve arrived. What of the goods?”
“They just arrived moments ago. Apparently, they encountered a sudden heavy downpour on the way. I’ve completed the initial inspection, and after a thorough examination, I shall move them into the inner camp at Kalamat.”
Five or six people seated around a round table turned their gaze toward Mrs. Danit. They exchanged silent signals with their eyes, and the youngest among them produced a couple of documents and a wooden box from beside him.
“The remainder of the payment.”
“Thank you.”
Gemstones the size of a man’s fist, Burgosian gold coins, and bonds to the Burgosian royal treasury. They were unusable at present since the royal house was merely a hollow shell, but should the Royalists stabilize the nation in the future, they would rival all the treasures in the world.
A balanced approach to present and future value, yet a reasonable payment method for the Royalists as well. By issuing bonds, they could purchase weapons cheaply at once.
Mrs. Danit was about to hand the payment to Kayla.
“Will you send it directly to Bariel again this time?”
“…Yes, Count Alens. As you know, due to the peculiarities of civil war, maintaining private forces is difficult for us. We lack the means to protect such funds. For now, having Bariel manage it is the safest course.”
“Is that so?”
Something felt different about the atmosphere today.
Mrs. Danit approached with a gentle smile and took her seat, while Kayla remained vigilant, listening intently beyond the door. She was checking whether any strangers might be lurking nearby.
But the surprising news came from within.
“Then you must still be in contact with Bariel, so perhaps you’ve heard?”
“Heard what, sir?”
“That Bariel has occupied Agiar and captured Rutherford.”
“…!”
Mrs. Danit’s pupils dilated slightly. Since she had supplied defective weapons, shouldn’t she wrap up this business and withdraw before it was discovered?
But if news of Bariel’s forces occupying Agiar and capturing the anti-Royalist leadership had reached here….
“I was unaware. We send funds to the Hollinga in Bariel, so we operate independently of the imperial court.”
“That may be true. But there is a problem, and I wonder if you might hear me out?”
“If that is your wish, Count.”
Scratch.
The Royalist leaders drew thick cigars and placed them in their mouths. A sort of power play.
Mrs. Danit continued smiling, though her eyes held a glint of disdain. She too withdrew a gold case from her bosom and placed a cigar between her lips.
“Why do you all hesitate so? Time is money.”
A reminder that just as it was for them, it was especially so for her.
The leaders cleared their throats loudly and continued.
“We requested execution rights over Rutherford from Bariel’s side, but it did not come to pass. It seems he will march south to Kalamat instead. Would you assist us in this?”
“Us?”
“You said you would return to Bariel after this transaction for resupply, but instead, remain here in Kalamat with us. If the Countess of Bariel were present, it would certainly….”
“Ah, yes….”
Mrs. Danit smiled and trailed off her words just as they had.
I had planned to supply weapons and then retreat first, but now Bariel is asking me to stay in Kalamat and meet his forces? Did I not understand what that meant from Bariel’s perspective? It was an opening for Hollinga to be misunderstood as having sided with Burgos.
Then, was refusal even possible?
‘It wasn’t going to be easy.’
These men might draw their swords at any moment to take me hostage.
The Countess muttered curses under her breath and answered readily.
“Since you gentlemen wish it, yes. Of course. I shall postpone the schedule for now.”

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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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