Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 643

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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 642. Faster Communication
“It looks like rain is coming.”
At the servant’s murmur, I glanced out the window. The sky was indeed overcast, threatening to pour down rain at any moment.
I ordered the servants to bring in the fabrics and food ingredients left outside, then went to find the stable hand. The stall where Nersaren had ridden Kusile remained empty.
“Butler. Is something the matter?”
“Has Nersaren not returned yet?”
“No. I haven’t seen him since he left earlier.”
“…I see.”
I clicked my pocket watch shut. It had already been an hour since he left the manor. With a guest waiting, he couldn’t have gone far, but could something have happened? Since he went chasing after the hawk, perhaps something occurred near the border.
As I pondered this and turned to head upstairs, I collided directly with Lady Lien in the hallway.
“Madam. Is there something you need?”
“No, that’s not it. Have you seen Nersaren?”
“I apologize. There’s been no word yet. If you return first, I’ll make arrangements to contact you the moment Nersaren arrives.”
“No!”
Lady Lien had clearly raised her voice without meaning to. She immediately covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening in surprise.
I gestured for the servants watching to withdraw, then escorted the madam back to the guest room.
Creak.
“Lady Lien. What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, but I read a letter from Roel that was meant for Nersaren.”
“Ah, yes. No, it’s my fault for not tidying up.”
Since Nersaren had left, whatever he’d been reading would have been scattered about.
Lien pressed her forehead with a slightly trembling voice.
“Clark.”
“Who?”
“Clark. My… servant who went to Toollun.”
“Ah! Yes, yes, I remember. That servant.”
I understood very well what Clark meant to Lady Lien. But cautious of who might overhear, I slowly peered out the door. Fortunately, the hallway was empty.
“You may speak freely, madam.”
“Count Ian seems to have met Clark.”
“Yes? Where?”
“I’m not sure of the details, but it was clearly written in the letter Roel sent. It seems he’s with Count Ian, and I want to try contacting him there. To reach Count Ian, I’d have to go through the imperial palace, so I was hoping you could help. Or perhaps I should go myself—”
“Wait, wait a moment. Please calm yourself first, madam.”
After Nersaren, now Lady Lien was speaking of leaving the estate! My vision darkened. What is love, anyway.
“Do you not remember what we discussed just moments ago? Hawan and Ruswena could attack Hielo at any time. Following Nersaren’s lead, I must speak firmly: leaving the estate is absolutely, utterly impossible.”
Since Hielo held actual control of the Merelrof estate, my words carried considerable weight. Seeing Lien’s distressed expression, I gently squeezed her hand.
“Do not despair so. Could you not simply send a letter requesting a meeting with Clark? It will take some time, but given the circumstances, please wait a little longer.”
Patter. Tap.
Raindrops fell against the window. The sky had grown dark as night. I sighed softly and soothed Lady Lien.
“Madam. I’m sorry to say, but Nersaren shows no sign of returning either, and with rain falling from the sky, it would be best for you to leave before it grows any darker.”
Lien nodded slightly. I called a servant passing downstairs and had a carriage prepared. Soon after, the bell rang announcing the coachman was ready.
“Countess. I’ll contact you immediately when Nersaren returns. He’ll certainly be able to help you reach Count Ian.”
“Very well. I’ll be waiting.”
“Yes, please don’t be too disheartened.”
“No, it’s fine. I was the one who misspoke.”
Lady Lien reassured Hena not to worry, then climbed into the carriage.
The carriage carrying her raced down the familiar forest path toward Merelrof. As the rain grew increasingly fierce, the carriage swayed violently, yet Lady Lien maintained her composure, her gaze fixed out the window as if lost in deep contemplation.
“You there.”
“Yes, Countess!”
As they approached Merelrof, Lien opened the coachman’s window and gave her instructions.
“Don’t go to the estate. Take me to the Cheil Hotel next to the Central District Park. I’m meeting with Valiuard.”
“Understood.”
Valiuard? The coachman wasn’t certain what it was, but by its location, it seemed to be a merchant guild that had crossed over from Hawan. All such enterprises had established themselves near the Central District.
The coachman pulled hard on the reins, turning the horse’s head to the side, and soon they made their way through the pouring rain to their destination.
“We’ve arrived, Countess.”
“Wait here for a moment.”
The Hotel Manager, recognizing Lady Lien, hurried out to open the door and greeted her warmly.
“I’d like to meet with the Valiuard Guild Master.”
“He’s staying on the upper floor. Please wait here for a moment. I’ll inform him that Lady Lien has arrived.”
Valiuard was a relatively new merchant guild among those that had crossed over from Hawan. Yet it had demonstrated transportation speeds unlike any other, rapidly rising to prominence in the market and becoming a pioneer in premium services dealing primarily with valuables.
Lady Lien casually examined the paintings displayed throughout the hotel lobby.
‘Are these consigned items?’
Various paintings of different sizes lay on the floor. Guards stationed beside them bowed their heads in greeting whenever their eyes met hers.
‘They’re all paintings depicting nothing but empty rooms.’
Wasn’t that strange? The painting style didn’t even appear particularly exceptional…
As Lady Lien examined the paintings without suspicion, she suddenly gasped and opened her eyes wide. The sunlight streaming through the window in the painting was moving slightly—as if it were alive.
“Oh my, Lady Lien. What a pleasure to meet you. I hear you were looking for me?”
Just then, the Valiuard Guild Master descended from the upper floor. Seeing Lady Lien flustered and unable to tear her eyes from the painting, he burst into laughter.
“Is there a Mage here?”
“No, there isn’t. Those paintings are created by mixing mana stones into the paint. It’s Valiuard’s secret technique that allows same-day delivery regardless of distance.”
“…Anywhere?”
“Unfortunately not. Only to designated locations. Countess, have you come with a request? If so, please come inside. Those are the lowest grade items we manage at Valiuard.”
Lady Lien’s mouth fell open in disbelief. The claim of express delivery was no exaggeration whatsoever. Whether they had rented the entire hotel or not, paintings and guards lined the corridors as she followed the Guild Master.
“You have quite a keen eye. The Manager stationed in the lobby doesn’t seem to notice at all.”
“Perhaps. It’s considered a servant’s virtue to pretend ignorance even when one knows.”
“Is that so? Haha. We keep all the paintings on the floor rather than hanging them on walls, as that would be dangerous. Please watch your step. Ah, and though I’m late in saying so, I’m grateful. Thanks to your consideration, we’ve been quite comfortable here.”
A back alley somewhere in the market. A vast meadow. A forest with a waterfall. A quiet road. Paintings of all manner of places lined the walls. Each location was somewhere Valiuard could traverse.
“If this were possible, why did you evacuate to Merelrof? You could have crossed over immediately.”
“As you can see, the paintings are rather small, aren’t they? There are many things that cannot fit inside them. And more importantly, the entrance and exit must exist simultaneously for it to be meaningful. Through great effort, we’ve opened paths throughout Gaia, but if we were to use them to cross over, it would be the same as closing those paths.”
Indeed, the paintings were so small one might wonder if a single person could even fit inside. The Valiuard Guild Master settled onto the sofa and asked.
“Now then, please speak freely, Countess. Since you’ve been so kind as to let us stay in Merelrof, I’ll charge you only half the usual fee for any service.”
“I’d like to send a letter. And if possible, some people as well.”
“We can send up to two people besides our own staff.”
“Even one will do. The recipient is Minister of Magic Ian Hielo. I suspect he’s at Burgos Kalamatt Castle, but honestly, I’m not certain. Can you deliver this faster than a messenger hawk?”
“Minister of Magic Ian Hielo?”
The Vallisuard Guild Master furrowed his brow as if troubled.
“I beg your pardon, Countess. Vallisuard does not accept political commissions.”
Since they were people who freely crossed borders in the shadows, staying far from political matters was their survival method. Truth be told, under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have even introduced the painting to someone he’d just met, but Lady Lien was the owner of the Merelrof estate to whom he owed a debt.
“It’s not a political commission, but something entirely personal. If you wish, you may read the letter’s contents.”
“Hmm. Is that truly so?”
“What would the cost be?”
“It depends on the weight of the items and the number of people being transported, but in this case, it would be twenty gold coins. For reference, that’s already half the usual price.”
Bandits, the lot of them. But there was no other way. I couldn’t estimate how long it would take for a messenger hawk departing from Hielo to reach the imperial palace and then be forwarded to Ian.
As Lady Lien nodded in agreement, the Vallisuard Guild Master bowed respectfully.
“Thank you, Countess. When shall we begin?”
“As soon as possible, if you can—”
Dong! Dong!
The sudden tolling of the bell made Lady Lien pause. That sound, carried on the rain, was the alarm bell from Hielo. It was a signal for the estate villagers to return home and wait—a warning that security had been compromised.
‘What is this?’
“What is it, Countess?”
Something had clearly happened in Hielo just now. Come to think of it, Nersaren hadn’t returned yet. Could this be connected? If so, was it an invasion from Ruswena’s side?
Lien shrugged casually and picked up the paper and pen from the table.
“It’s probably nothing serious. With the rain intensifying suddenly, they’re likely just warning everyone to be cautious. I’ll write the letter now, so please deliver it promptly. I’ll send someone to pay the fee tomorrow morning.”
Swish.
Lady Lien wrote the letter very concisely. If Ian learned that a merchant guild from Hawan had taken over Merelrof, he would be able to grasp the entire situation. I had to give him clues while avoiding anything explicitly political.
—Count Ian, this is Lien of Merelrof. Has Clark returned? If so, please send him to Merelrof at once. Nersaren is away, and we’re short on hands.
The Vallisuard Guild Master examined the contents, then smiled and folded the letter neatly. It meant there was no problem with it.
“Understood. We’ll head toward the Burgos area immediately. The timeframe is at most two weeks, accounting for all travel time on our end.”
“I see. If possible, within a week. If you manage that, I’ll provide a bonus.”
As the Guild Master bowed deeply, Lien turned and stepped outside. The rain was falling so heavily it seemed the sky itself had torn open.
Yet the dull tolling continued. Everyone realized in that moment—Hielo was under attack.

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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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