Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 627

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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 626. Battle in the Darkness
“Let’s go! We’re betting big this time!”
“You fool, jab-cross! Jab-cross! This is frustrating, really!”
“Tonight. A match featuring Perdorian, who’s on an undefeated winning streak, will be held. If you join the game now, there’s no commission fee. For your information, the current pool stands at eighty-seven gold coins and five silver coins.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve gathered this much. Listen, I’m betting too.”
“It’s quite the match after so long. Here you go. Thank you.”
“Win! Win! If you lose, I’ll kill you myself!”
“Waaah! Tear it! Tear off the ear!”
The underground fighting pit reeked of blood and indescribable stench. Ian and his three companions pulled their hoods down firmly and surveyed the scene below.
The second basement level was absolute pandemonium. There was only one official fighting stage. Everywhere else, people gathered in circles to form boundaries, creating makeshift arenas on the ground.
Thud! Thud!
“Good, one more time! Last one! Strike with your knee!”
“Get your head in the game—do you know how much I’ve bet on you!”
Among the crowd, shirtless men drenched in sweat and blood gasped heavily.
One particular pair stood out—their eyes were half-crazed with the terror that failure meant death.
“Argh!”
One was a slave, the other an unpopular fighter scraping by in underground bouts. Judging by the fact that one of the fighter’s ears had already been severed, another loss meant no one would ever bet on him again. With his livelihood on the line, the fighter twisted his body and reset his stance.
The slave, on the other hand?
“Remember this. Lose this round and you die.”
“How much did you buy him for?”
“Two gold coins. But I’ve already made back the investment.”
Defeat was literally death. As the slave charged forward trembling, the crowd erupted in cheers.
When a slave market and fighting pit were adjacent, nowhere else witnessed fiercer, crueler, more desperate combat—and that was precisely why this place was the most popular in Toollun’s capital.
“These bastards are insane. Oh, that one’s got some skill?”
“Ian. There are too many people to go down there.”
Ian and his three companions looked down from the upper railing at the chaos below. People collecting and placing bets, people being carried away with severed ears, pickpockets caught red-handed—it was like an ant colony.
Ian nodded slightly in agreement.
“No need to go down. It would be pointless trying to extract information from such people.”
“Didn’t you mention earlier that a major match would be held? If the scale is significant, the Administrator will surely make an appearance.”
“We should focus our search on the quieter upper levels. Should we split up and move separately?”
“No. We move together, no matter what.”
Considering Barsabe’s condition and Berik’s temperament, it was safer to move as one even if it took longer. Besides, if anything happened while they were separated, immediate response would be difficult.
Ian gripped the bottom of his robe firmly to keep it from slipping and turned his body.
“Honestly, if we just loosened the purse strings, finding someone in management wouldn’t be difficult.”
“It can’t be helped. Staying inconspicuous comes first.”
At least there was comfort in the fact that many others like Ian’s group had their faces covered. The nature of the place meant that wanted criminals and those hiding their identities naturally gathered here.
As Ian’s group surveyed the interior and assessed the flow, a deep, heavy drum sound echoed from somewhere.
Boom! Thud! Thud!
Simultaneously, the crowd flowed like a river toward one direction. The match that had been announced earlier seemed to be starting. Ian’s group naturally blended in and moved closer to the stage.
‘Where could it be.’
I had no idea whether the top Administrator was female or male—a complete blank slate. Their gazes followed those moving busily around the stage, then fixed almost simultaneously.
“Ian.”
“Yeah.”
A figure draped in lustrous silk garments and adorned with jewelry wherever it could be hung sat in the front-most seat of the arena.
Berik nudged the man standing beside him and asked.
“Hey, who’s that person sitting up front?”
“A foreigner? You don’t know Marni?”
“Marni? The Shop Owner here?”
“Yeah. The Owner of the arena. If you’re asking because you got dazzled by all that jewelry, forget it. Even though he looks like that, his guards are all former mercenaries. Wahhh! Perdorian!”
The man explaining to Berik suddenly erupted in cheers. A fighter had entered.
At this, Heil gauged the number of guards standing around Marni. About seven in total. It seemed manageable at Berik’s level.
“We approach once the match ends.”
“Yes, understood.”
He was strongly suspected to be connected to Cutoff Ears. He too had one ear severed, and since those beside him were former mercenaries, wouldn’t he possess more credible information than common street rabble? If things went well, we might be able to make direct contact with Cutoff Ears through the Owner.
“Uuuaahhh!”
The moment the fighter roared and shook the rusted iron bars.
Crash! Bang!
“Whoa!”
A loud noise came from above, and a person came tumbling down with a thud.
Most were half-unconscious, so they wouldn’t normally pay attention, but when several people fell simultaneously, they couldn’t help but look up.
“Aren’t those the Guards?”
“Why are the Guards here?”
“Huh? They’re moving!”
The Guards of Toollun’s capital, dressed in ochre-colored uniforms, split left and right to occupy the upper level, clearing a path by knocking drunk or resistant people downward.
Tap tap tap!
Thud!
“Get out of the way!”
“Ugh, argh!”
“They’re falling. You madmen! There are people on the lower level!”
“What is this? What’s happening?”
Everyone watched the Guards rushing down with bewildered expressions. Since it wasn’t an illegal establishment, there was no sign of panic or flight. Order grew somewhat chaotic as a few wanted criminals instinctively hid themselves in the darkness, but nothing more.
“Ian. Marni is moving.”
Marni, who had just sat down, stood up and whispered something to his guards, then hurriedly left his seat. Was the match being cancelled? As the crowd stirred, another official shouted loudly and gestured to the band.
“The Guards seem to have some business, but there’s nothing to worry about! The match continues! Come now, let’s begin. Tonight, who will be the true victor? It’s not too late. Place your bets on the fighter of your choice!”
Boom boom boom! Thump thump!
As tense music flowed once more, people shouted and threw money toward the arena.
I moved in the direction Marni had gone while observing the Guards’ movements. The other officials also confirmed Marni’s disappearance and hurriedly quickened their pace.
“Ian, what do we do? Should we slip out? If we get caught, we’re screwed.”
“It’s fine. The Guards’ target seems to be Marni, which is evidence that the Royal Palace also judges Marni to be connected to Cutoff Ears. Let’s follow.”
At my single word to follow, Berik started running ahead. Despite the massive crowd, he moved with fluid grace that belied his bulk, flowing through like water.
Barsabe also stayed close to my side, following without difficulty.
“But why did you want to meet him by coming all the way here?”
“There’s a possibility that Marni ignored the Royal Palace’s summons. Someone running an operation like this would have various circumstances to consider.”
There’s no business so clean that not a speck of dust falls from it. Marni may have realized that if he met with someone from the Royal Palace, he’d have to abandon one of two things—his business interests, or his connection with the Cutoff Ears.
Regardless, the fact that the Guards were pursuing Marni was a crucial clue and signpost for me—an arrow pointing toward finding the Cutoff Ears.
“This works well. It’s difficult to gather information ahead of the Royal Palace and act on it in a foreign land. We simply follow the Royal Palace’s movements and strike first at the critical moment.”
It had been a while since Marni disappeared from sight. But they descended deeper underground, following the Guards.
How far down had they gone? Heil casually tossed away the cigarette he’d been holding. It was an extremely narrow, dark place. Connected passages twisted in all directions like an ant colony, creating a dizzying maze. There were few signs of people, but it didn’t seem completely sealed off either.
“Ian. It’s this way.”
“Right.”
Voices echoed from a distance. They moved carefully, approaching until they could make out the conversation. Beneath cheap lamps, the shadows of the Guards flickered back and forth.
“Really, how can you just show up like this without warning?”
“You ignored the meeting request, so what choice do I have? I came to meet you tonight, sacrificing sleep, because it seemed you’d definitely appear at the fighting arena. Shop Owner Marni, if you’d just responded earlier, it would’ve been easier for both of us.”
“No, I clearly told you. My schedule is busy these days, so I asked for more time. Am I running away? What am I doing? You block the emergency exit and force people inside—is that good?”
“That was a month from now, wasn’t it? You know why the Royal Palace is calling for you, yet you’re being unreasonable. It won’t take long. Come with us and have the meeting. I’ll restore the emergency exit we blocked beforehand.”
“Wana, I’m going crazy. I’m telling you, I haven’t contacted those Cutoff Ears guys in quite a while.”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d go there and tell them that directly.”
“…What if I refuse?”
At Marni’s question, the Captain of the Guard clasped his hands behind his back. Like someone who knew refusal wasn’t an option.
“As of tomorrow, the fighting arena is closed. And Shop Owner Marni, you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison.”
“Are you insane, you bastards! Do you know how much tax I pay!”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
Marni ground his teeth, glaring at the Captain of the Guard. Then, a Mercenary Guard wrenched open a blocked door with a creaking sound. He could try to escape by crawling, but it was only a matter of time before being caught, and if the Royal Palace came down hard, it would be difficult to resist.
“Damn it!”
Crash!
Marni kicked the wrenched door and spewed curses, but no one responded.
Heil, watching the situation, whispered softly.
“Ian. If Marni goes along with the Guards like this, things will become difficult from here on.”
The Royal Palace would obtain information about the Cutoff Ears, and I would lose the means to follow it.
I already knew this. So ideally, eliminating the Guards and capturing only Marni for contact would be best, but…
“These aren’t just any opponents—they’re the Royal Guard. If it becomes known that a third party is targeting the Cutoff Ears, they’ll definitely suspect Bariel’s faction.”
Anyone who witnessed Berik and Barsabe’s combat would certainly recognize them as Mage Knights, and this would only provide a clue that we’re in Toollun.
“Why not just kill all the Guards? The dead don’t talk.”
“Berik. Marni is watching. The Author’s connection to the Cutoff Ears is currently just speculation. If we reveal ourselves first and it turns out to be a dead end, things become more complicated.”
And even if there is a connection to the Cutoff Ears, it’s questionable whether they’d willingly provide information.
“What’s complicated about it? Just kill Marni too.”
“…If the Guards and the fighting arena owner are found slaughtered, an investigation will be conducted extensively. Before we left earlier, what did you ask the Manager?”
“Where the fighting arena was.”
“Right. The Manager knows you came to the fighting arena. Do you understand the problem?”
“Then the Manager should also be—”
Thwack!
Barsabe struck Berik’s jaw lightly as a signal to shut his mouth. Then she removed her robe and laid it on the ground—not to cover herself, but to bind a black cloth tightly around her eyes so it would never come loose.
“…Barsabe?”
“Ian. Is there any source of light nearby?”
“There are lanterns.”
“Extinguish them all at once with magic, discreetly. If they all go out simultaneously, they won’t suspect sorcery.”
I understood what Barsabe wanted. Complete darkness. A world so thick and black that distinguishing enemy from ally became impossible. And the only one who could wield a blade with confidence in such conditions was Barsabe herself.
“Barsabe. Can you manage it?”
It was an excellent strategy. If the guards fell without Marni knowing, I’d have a negotiation card to play against him.
“Of course. Since we’re underground, I needn’t worry about moonlight.”
Barsabe felt the sword’s hilt with her fingertips and grasped it firmly. Every sense except sight awakened and moved with razor-sharp precision.

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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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