Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 629

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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 628. Golden Eyes
“Ian, could it be here?”
Ian and Berik examined buildings with clotheslines strung across them one by one in the darkness. Most turned out to be dead ends—either showing no signs of use, lacking basements, or having no passages.
The two climbed to the top of the tallest building in the market and surveyed their surroundings.
“Ian. Should we come back tomorrow morning instead? Or should we bring Heil and Hani with us? It’s a bit much for just the two of us. Besides, Hani can use clone magic.”
“Wait.”
Ian furrowed his brow and gestured to Berik. Simultaneously, Berik’s nose twitched. He’d detected something carried on the wind.
“Huh. This is that smell from before.”
The scent of blood from the fighting pit.
“…Berik, do you see that man running over there?”
“Yeah. Of course I do.”
Ian pondered for a moment, then took a stance as if about to leap over the railing and spoke to Berik.
“They could be bandits who heard about the fighting pit. Berik. Let’s follow them.”
* * *
“Ian Hielo? The Minister of Magic for Bariel?”
“Yes, that’s… that’s what they say.”
“Damn, this is insane!”
The Cutoff Ears jumped to their feet in shock, causing the interpreter boy to flinch. He’d come because there was work translating Bariel language, but he should have refused if he’d known it would be like this.
The client was a Cutoff Ear wanted in the marketplace, and the target was the mother of Bariel’s Minister of Magic. As the boy tensed, Philia gently took his hand. As if to say there was nothing to worry about.
“Why didn’t those lunatics from the royal palace fly their banners if they belonged there? They were court puppeteers, for crying out loud.”
“They moved in secret, so that’s why. Now it makes sense. Going to Bariel to kidnap the Minister of Magic’s mother—you can’t exactly announce ‘I’m from Toolun’s royal palace.'”
“I think I’ve heard rumors that the Minister of Magic is a pretty boy. Yeah. Looking at his mother’s face, I can see why.”
“Is this really the time for idle gossip? Everything’s gone to hell.”
“Her name is Philia, right? Just in case, should we make inquiries toward Bariel?”
Philia nodded earnestly when her name was mentioned. She couldn’t understand the rough chatter, but it was clear they were discussing her identity.
“Verification is pointless. The royal palace already closed the market. That settles it then. That merchant we met at the market!”
“Maya?”
“She definitely knew. She spoke Bariel well.”
“Right. She knew Philia’s identity, which is why she kept calling her ‘golden eyes.’ Damn, Cok! This is why people need to study. If we’d had someone who could speak Bariel earlier, we wouldn’t have come back to Toolun!”
“Who are you blaming? You can’t even speak your own language properly.”
“Alright, calm down. Let’s organize the situation now.”
The royal palace had issued an unofficial bounty to the Cutoff Ears. With the slave market closed, merchants whose livelihoods were cut off would be searching for their traces with fierce determination.
“If we turn Philia over to the royal palace, we won’t get paid. The best we can do is call it even with the lives of those court puppeteers. And that’s being generous.”
“Right. The royal palace only said to bring Philia, but didn’t mention anything about what happens afterward. If we hand her over, we could all end up dead.”
“The royal palace kidnapping Bariel’s Minister of Magic’s mother isn’t an ordinary matter. It means we’re among the very few civilians who know about it. I think we’re dead either way.”
“So the best option really is to send her to Bariel?”
The bandits all looked at Philia simultaneously.
“…It’s not easy.”
“Exactly. Border checkpoints have probably been reinforced too. How do we get her to Bariel? Say we make it to Bariel, hand her over, and get paid. We can’t come back to Toolun.”
“It’s a mess, but staying here is better than going to Bariel. None of us speak a word of Bariel anyway.”
“We could end up being hunted down and exterminated. I think it’s better to bend the knee to the Royal Palace while there’s still room for negotiation.”
As the bandits refused to yield their opinions and chattered away, Philia’s eyes darted back and forth. Looking at how things were developing, it was clear the group had split into two factions—one pushing to side with Toolun and another advocating for Bariel.
‘If the bandits could gain substantial profits from Bariel without antagonizing the Royal Palace, they’d choose that. But the problem is, I have no idea what that method could be.’
There had to be a wise path forward. How would Ian have persuaded these ruffians in such a situation? Just as Philia was about to open her mouth after deep consideration—
Crash!
“This is bad! Really bad!”
A group of bandits came rushing in from outside and threw the door wide open. Everyone was about to lash out in surprise, but the information they heard left them speechless.
“Marni’s fighting arena has been shut down.”
“…What?”
“That’s not even the main problem. The Captain of the Guard from the capital was killed in the arena. Along with about a dozen guards.”
“You’re saying Marni killed the Captain of the Guard? That can’t be. He’s different from us. He has too much to protect.”
“Exactly! Don’t you see what this means? The Royal Palace set a trap! What do you think will happen to Marni now that he’s been caught by the palace? Just like you said—he has too much to protect!”
If he didn’t reveal information about the Cutoff Ears, he would certainly be charged with treason for the guard captain’s death. That meant information about this secret hideout would flow directly to the Royal Palace.
Understanding the situation, the bandits simultaneously jumped to their feet in distress.
“D-Damn it, what do we do now?”
“Contact the Royal Palace. We’ll hand over Philia!”
“The Royal Palace already greased the wheels to catch Marni. You think that’ll work in this situation? No need to think. Pack your things. We’re going to Bariel.”
“You madmen! Don’t you realize this is our last chance?”
“If we run and get caught, we’re truly dead!”
As the bandits grew heated and shouted, Philia pulled the interpreter boy close and held him tight. The atmosphere was growing increasingly hostile. And then finally—
Thud!
“Kyaaah!”
A fight broke out. One bandit grabbed and dragged Philia by the shoulder, and another swung his fist to tear her away.
Philia’s body swayed violently, but no one paid her any attention. They simply threw punches to subdue those who opposed their views.
“Give me that thing!”
“You bastard, have you lost your mind?”
“If you want to die, go ahead and die! Can’t your brain work at all?”
How many times do I have to say it—going to the Royal Palace is the way to survive?”
“Does the Minister of Magic look like a fool to you? Three hundred gold coins, no—even more is possible! Don’t you realize this is the opportunity of a lifetime?”
Crack! Boom!
The conflict and its conclusion arose from the absence of a leader to unite the bandits. Philia and the boy huddled together in a corner, and soon she curled up tightly, protecting her head.
“Damn it, come here!”
Then a man with his nose and mouth bleeding spotted Philia and roughly dragged her. Philia couldn’t tell whether this man was with the Royal Palace faction or the Bariel faction. As she panicked and resisted, the interpreter boy told her instead.
“Philia! That man is on the side that wants to go to the Royal Palace.”
“No, I-I don’t want this! Let go!”
As Philia violently resisted, the man grabbed a large handful of her hair. He held on as if he would never let the prize slip from his grasp. The boy clung to her and tried to stop him, but the size difference was too great to make any difference.
Thud!
A dull sound of presence came from outside. It was the sound of something falling, but the bandits were too excited from fighting to notice.
Thud!
And once more. This time, a few bandits noticed and turned their heads, but they couldn’t even imagine that it was the sound of the lock on their hideout entrance being broken.
Creak.
The wooden door opened cautiously. Through the gap, only darkness was visible.
The bandits finally stopped their quarreling and turned their gazes outward. Something felt wrong. As those who had spent lifetimes chasing and being chased, they instinctively sensed danger.
“Oh….”
The Royal Palace? They’d already pushed their way here?
The moment they thought this, without exception, they gathered around Philia at the center. Not to protect her, but to protect themselves.
“W-who’s out there!”
“Reveal yourself and keep your distance! Otherwise, the merchandise will be taken as a corpse!”
Philia trembled as she watched the dark corridor. If she were dragged to the Royal Palace, what would become of her? Wouldn’t she be a burden to Ian and Bariel? Then perhaps… yes, meeting her fate here with the bandits might not be such a terrible choice.
Philia thought of Ian and Roel, Nersaren, and all those she held dear.
Whoosh.
“I-insane!”
Then she grasped the dagger aimed at her with her own hand. As she applied force to pierce her own throat, the bandit was startled and swept the blade aside.
In that moment.
Whoooosh!
A basement chamber without windows. A fierce wind swept through, stealing their very souls.
The startled bandits hesitated only briefly. In the darkness, they saw golden eyes gleaming brilliantly.
“…!”
Eyes that shone like those of a beast. They could not dare imagine the owner of that gaze. A person? Or a demon?
Unlike the bandits who froze in shock, Philia breathed in, overwhelmed by the surge of emotion rising from her chest.
“Lie down.”
The voice of honey-colored tone spoke in Bariel’s tongue. Philia pushed away the man who had gripped her shoulder firmly and lay flat on the ground with her eyes closed. The interpreter boy, who understood the Bariel language, also reflexively crawled beneath the table and hid himself.
“W-what?”
As Philia suddenly lay down, the bandits awkwardly bent their waists. And in that position, they met a sudden burst of light.
「Kusarigama」.
A cool, enormous sickle. The sickle advanced in a straight line as swiftly as a whirlwind, severing the necks and bodies of the bandits outright.
Whoooosh!
“Gahhh!”
“Ughh!”
Philia deliberately ignored the warm something trickling down from above her head and covered her ears.
It was truly in the blink of an eye. The surroundings fell silent in an instant, yet Philia could not move easily.
Whoosh.
Soon, a small hand touched her back. When Philia turned in surprise, she met golden eyes that sparkled like stars. It was Ian. My most beautiful and radiant son in all the world.
Despite her trembling body, Philia forced herself up and wrapped her arms around Ian’s neck.
“Ah….”
“You are safe. Are you injured anywhere?”
“I-Ian….”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Ian, Ian….”
As Philia burst into tears with relief, Ian gently patted her back repeatedly.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t supposed to come out that night.”
“No, Mother. Those who went to Bariel did so of their own volition. This is not your fault.”
“H-how did you find this place? Did you come alone?”
Perhaps it was merely her imagination, but Ian appeared somewhat gaunt. The war with Burgos must have taken its toll.
Unaware of her own dire condition, Philia kept her eyes fixed solely on her son, her brow furrowed with concern.
“Ian!”
Crash!
“Is this the right place? There’s a faint smell of blood. The building across the way was empty, and—oh! Philia!”
“Berik!”
Berik, who had been kicking at the door, caught sight of Philia and broke into a radiant smile. The two embraced with all their strength, savoring the joy of reunion. Ian glanced briefly at the corpses of the bandits scattered about, then nodded to Berik—a silent command to take Philia and leave.
“Philia, this way.”
“Ian, what about you?”
“I’ll clean up here. Go now.”
Whirrrr!
Whoosh!
The moment Berik wrapped his arm around Philia’s shoulders and led her outside, Ian conjured a small spark of magical energy. While he couldn’t erase all traces, he could certainly sow confusion for the Royal Palace guards pursuing them.
Creak.
After spilling lamp oil across the floor and channeling his magic into it, flames erupted violently. Ian turned without hesitation and moved toward the exit.
Moments later, as the flames reached the ceiling, a boy who had been hiding beneath a desk poked his head up. No one remained. The fire raged on.
Crackle, crackle!
Whoosh!
“Ugh!”
The boy scrambled over the severed corpses and bolted outside, racing without hesitation toward the guards’ building.

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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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