Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 97

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 97. Good News and Bad News
The path was set.
Romandro continued scratching his pen until the candle had melted away completely. My eyes were practically bulging from the effort of writing the full account of Marquis Merelrof’s usual behavior and the circumstances of the incident—truthfully, yet as favorably as possible.
Scratch.
“Romandro, shall I leave this here?”
“Ah, Hena. Yes, please.”
These were testimonies from the servants of Merelrof’s estate. Most were illiterate, so only their thumbprints were marked, but they would serve as documents proving the Countess’s innocence and Dive’s pilgrimage.
“Still, I imagine the capital will be quite surprised.”
“Of course they will. The Count was killed by a slave overnight, and his only heir, his younger brother, is a heretic who believes in the underground god.”
“That’s one thing, but they’ll also be surprised that you sold Gula seeds to Merelrof. The response from the capital hasn’t mentioned anything about Gula’s popularity yet.”
“Has a reply come from the capital?”
At Ian’s question, Romandro hesitated for a moment. By his demeanor, it didn’t seem to be a particularly positive response.
“They said to send Mollin to the capital first.”
“Prince Marib?”
“That’s right.”
“Oh dear.”
Ian genuinely clicked his tongue. This was the moment that revealed who the victor and loser were in the power struggle between Marib and Gail.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s not particularly difficult. They’re hardly people of high standing, so I’ll have a carriage prepared immediately.”
“Will it be alright? If we do that, we’ll meet again in the capital.”
“What choice do we have? When we meet again, our respective positions will be clear.”
I am a nobleman and a mage. Mollin is an executive of the administration.
The difference is quite stark, is it not?
“In any case, the capital says Gula hasn’t been approved for consumption. Many people will struggle through this winter.”
“By the way, what about the seeds that were planted in Merelrof?”
The Count had purchased seeds with the goal of distributing Gula, and they were said to still be filling the warehouse. In other words, the accident happened before the ink on the contract had even dried.
“Well, we’ve already received payment, so it would be best to follow the Countess’s wishes.”
“The Countess seemed to want to distribute and cultivate them quickly so everyone could eat abundantly.”
“Then do so. And completely liberalize Gula trade for our residents as well.”
This meant to include raw Gula, which could be cultivated, in addition to roasted Gula, as trade goods. Romandro set down his pen and glanced at a chest placed in one corner of his office.
“Two chests have already arrived. I’ll need to visit the bank again soon. How much do you think? About 200 gold coins per box, I’d estimate.”
At Romandro’s murmuring, I too began calculating. Adding the 3,500 gold coins earned from Gula sales to these small incomes, plus the 5,000 gold coins in gratitude received from the Countess, I had already collected nearly all of the required donation.
“Congratulations. At this rate, you’ll be able to pay the entire donation before next summer. Then you’ll become a true nobleman. Ah, when that time comes, I’ll make sure to address you formally with proper respect.”
“Please, be at ease. I’ve already received so much grace simply from your help.”
When I offered sincere congratulations, Romandro’s cheeks rose slightly. He wrote the report to be sent to the imperial palace with utmost care, letter by letter.
“Right, once the Merelrof matter is settled, we should start packing and prepare to depart. If we leave in a fortnight, we should be able to reach the capital comfortably.”
“Let’s do that. Besides, there’s hardly anything to pack. And I don’t have many people to bring along.”
It wasn’t a full relocation—only I and a few companions would be moving. My belongings would all fit in a single carriage. In the capital, I would be staying at Romandro’s residence, so there was no point in fussing over what to bring; it would only be a burden. The only person I would bring was Berik.
“Let me see—is this everything that needs to be arranged?”
Romandro asked while organizing a thick stack of documents. By the volume of papers, it seemed impossible for even one messenger bird to handle it all.
“By the way, what about your mother?”
“My mother?”
“Philia. She’s been living in the forest, hasn’t she?”
“Yes. I’ve asked her to come down to the village, but she doesn’t seem inclined. Since she only comes down when she can’t endure the harsh winters, I plan to ask the woodsmen in the village to keep an eye on her as they come and go.”
The name Bratz had vanished, and the village’s appearance had changed considerably from the scars of battle. Yet it seemed Philia was so immersed in the life she enjoyed in the forest that the village no longer felt like a happy, longed-for home to her.
“Still, once you head to the capital, you won’t see her for a long time.”
“Even if we went together, we wouldn’t see each other often anyway.”
“True enough. Yes. Would the Magic Ministry let you rest easy? Ah, forgive me. That’s just my personal prediction.”
Romandro, who had been muttering absently, laughed sheepishly. But I understood his meaning immediately.
“I think the same. Minister Wesley, was it? Whether as medicine or poison, she’ll be climbing fast. She might even be ground down in the process.”
“Right. Those mages who leave at dawn and return watching the stars—I wouldn’t be able to properly care for my mother.”
It meant the training load and workload were that demanding. But I had already experienced it before, so I didn’t think too deeply about it. I could always return to my previous position before being assigned to the Magic Ministry.
“But Berik still hasn’t returned. I have no idea what he’s doing.”
Romandro muttered while gazing out at the increasingly darkening sky. It had been half a day since Berik left to pursue Puulu, who seemed to be the captain among Merelrof’s three knights. It was natural to be worried since there were no signs of his return.
“Warriors went with him?”
“Yes. If anything happened, a messenger hawk would have arrived. Let’s wait until tonight. Romandro, once you finish the report, please check on the Hawan Kingdom merchant caravan next.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
The aftermath of Dive that Lady Lien had worried about would be handled by the Hawan Kingdom. More precisely, by the merchant caravan traveling through Hawan to the Tolorun Kingdom.
“I wonder if there’s a suitable one.”
“Cost shouldn’t be a consideration, and it would be good if they were sincere and responsible. We should probably focus on older, established caravans, shouldn’t we?”
“What about the method of transport?”
Romandro’s eyes narrowed. There were several ways to entrust someone. Moving together with the caravan through thick and thin like Su had done in secret, or moving under strict escort, or perhaps…
“Something certain would be best.”
“Yes. I agree.”
Or moving him tightly bound like a prisoner being transported.
Dive seemed best suited to the latter method.
“A pilgrim must be accompanied by suffering and hardship, after all.”
At my jest, Romandro laughed heartily for the first time in a while.
“What about the funding source?”
“The cost will be covered by selling Dive’s mansion in Merelrof, I heard. We should finalize it soon—before we depart. Have your subordinates make the decision starting tomorrow.”
“Tell Lady Lien this: choose someone who will take responsibility for Dive and escort him all the way to Hawan and then to Tolorun.”
“Mm. It would be good to set up one more safeguard.”
‘Personally, Clark seems like the right person for the job, but that will be the lady’s choice.’
Coincidentally, many soldiers were stationed along the road to Hawan. The misunderstanding that had arisen from Erika’s appearance—that they were bandits—still hadn’t been cleared up. Erika and the investigation team had disappeared somewhere in that chaos, and there was no word from them.
“And Hena.”
“Yes?”
Hena had been eavesdropping on the two of them while moving various miscellaneous items back and forth. I gestured lightly for her to come closer.
“Did you hear what we were saying?”
“W-well… it wasn’t exactly a secret conversation, was it?”
“Right. So engrave it firmly in your mind. Learn it well and thoroughly over the next two weeks as we organize these matters together.”
“Learn it thoroughly?”
“Starting tomorrow, just ask the butler to teach you the duties as you come and go to Merelrof.”
Hena’s expression showed she didn’t understand. Her eyes blinked rapidly, her head tilting in confusion. Romandro, watching from the corner of his eye, let out a soft laugh.
“The butler’s duties? Me?”
“Yes.”
“Me? Me? Am I to be the butler?”
“Your perception is rather dull.”
Hena covered her lower jaw with both hands, but her gaping mouth remained visible. It was proof she had never once considered such a thing.
A butler, after all, must be versed in noble etiquette and customs, be able to read and write, and be capable of managing the estate perfectly in the master’s absence.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to do this.”
“Why not?”
“I have no education…”
“That’s precisely why you should learn. There’s a man named Samon. He’s capable, so you’ll be able to learn much from him. Do you have anything else to say?”
It was a firm response—accept it if there were no other reasons. Hena stood dazed for a moment, then murmured.
“Would it be alright if I ran about the corridors a bit?”
“Yes. There’s no one sleeping yet anyway.”
“Excuse me.”
Click.
Hena left the office with a formal bow—something she rarely did. The sound of rapid footsteps followed immediately. Hena was dashing through the corridor, bursting with joy.
Romandro let his laughter fade.
“I wonder if she’ll actually manage to do it well.”
“Hena is trustworthy. There are many people to fill in the gaps in her duties. There’s Nersaren, and didn’t you mention two of your subordinates would remain?”
“Originally, I planned to leave only one, but since Merelrof has become this way, surely the palace will send down various directives for confirmation. I’ve instructed them to observe and report back.”
“I hear the remaining men are unmarried.”
“That’s their own fate. So who told them not to marry?”
At Romandro’s playful response, I let out a soft laugh. After that, only the pleasant sound of pen nibs scratching against paper filled the office.
Tap. Tap.
As the night grew deeper, something tapped against the window. A black hawk, dark as the night itself, glared with golden eyes, calling out to me.
“Oh no.”
“Is that the warrior’s hawk?”
I had joked that if there was a problem with Berik, the hawk would come—but the joke had become reality. I immediately opened the window and let the hawk inside. A small note was tied to its leg.
Rustle.
“What does it say? Surely Berik isn’t dead, is he?”
Romandro rose from his seat and asked, but I made no reply, only offering a strange expression. Then I showed him the note and shrugged.
“It seems the warriors who went with him are not fluent in Bariel.”
-Berik. Knight. Monue. Pursuit. Forever.
With only words strung together to convey the situation, how could we possibly understand? Even the two of us, with more than average perception, couldn’t guess the meaning when we put our heads together.
“In any case, a problem is still a problem.”
“At least we can confirm one thing.”
“Monue—isn’t that the place with the mines?”
“Yes. It appears the pursuit continued all the way there.”
It wasn’t within the territory itself, but rather a coal mine deep within the mountain range that bordered Merelrof’s lands and mine.
“Should I go take a look?”
Romandro asked in a hushed, creeping voice. Beside him, parchment was stacked like a mountain of sand. The smell of ink was so thick it buried the scent of the fireplace.
I gathered my heavy outer coat and shook my head.
“Romandro, you attend to the work. We have only half a month left, so we must be diligent. I’ll go check on Berik myself. Who’s outside?”
“Yes, Lord Ian. Did you call for me?”
“Prepare a carriage and an escort.”
“At this hour? Where are you going?”
The servant startled and asked back, but I simply smiled and adjusted my clothes.
“Monue. I’m going to fetch Berik.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————