Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 29

Ian stared at the red flower inside the tent. Berric was still fast asleep, snoring loudly, while outside, it was noisy.

To summarize the situation, Winchen’s illness required a plant called ‘Silask,’ and it seemed several expeditions had been sent out to find it. But none of them had returned.

‘And this is it?’

Silask. The potted plant that no one at the Bratz mansion recognized. Ian lightly stroked the petals, his brow furrowed. How on earth did Ian, the illegitimate son, obtain this in his lifetime?

‘He definitely said Ian grew it himself. If Philia were nearby, I could ask her.’

Could it be a rare medicine only found in the hidden corners of the red-light district? Like Gula [a type of rare medicine]. If someone were to discover it, it could once again lead humanity to a leap forward.

As that thought crossed his mind, Ian could feel his heart pounding.

“Ugh.”

Just then, Berric woke up. His face was swollen from the meat and alcohol he had the previous day. Ian quickly tossed him a towel, signaling him to get ready, and Berric stumbled out of the tent, still half-asleep.

“Ah. It’s the outsider.”

“Shhh. It’s the outsider.”

“I heard he went to the banquet yesterday?”

“Hey! Did you have good dreams? What went into your stomachs was top-notch!”

Pushing through the murmuring crowd, Ian found a somewhat familiar path. It was the tent of Winchen, where he had gone immediately after arriving yesterday. The scent of Gurut leaves [a type of medicinal herb] was even stronger. Nersarn turned his head in surprise as he spotted Ian.

“What brings you here?”

“Good morning. I followed the commotion and ended up here.”

“This is none of your concern. Stay in your tent until Kakhantir gives further instructions.”

From now on, Ian would be earning his keep here. Given his position, he would probably be tasked with teaching the high-ranking officials the Bariel language and culture.

As for Berric, well. It was uncertain whether he would be treated like a slave, as Su had said, or if he would be recognized as Ian’s aide.

“It seems Chieftain Winchen’s condition is quite critical.”

“Ian Bratz. You’re talking too much right now.”

The moment Winchen’s name was mentioned, the surroundings fell silent. Some clicked their tongues in disbelief, while others glared with open hostility. If Ian weren’t dealing with Nersarn, things might have escalated immediately.

“It’s noisy everywhere from the morning, so I couldn’t help but hear it.”

“I’m sorry, but you-”

“I heard it’s called Silask, a flower that never wilts once it blooms. Is it true that Chieftain Winchen’s health will recover if you have it?”

Nersarn hadn’t known Ian for long, but he knew that Ian wasn’t someone who couldn’t read the room. Ian glanced around and whispered quietly.

“I have something to discuss, so please let me meet with the Chieftain.”

The show was enough for now. If what he had was indeed Silask, the credit would spread among them like the wind. Since he needed to foster goodwill, a bit of attention was necessary.

Chak-

Nersarn led Ian not to Winchen’s room, but to the barracks next door. There, leaders including Kakhantir were discussing the expedition.

“-But he just had a son.”

“His fifth, yes. He has four grown children, so there shouldn’t be any problems for the rest of his family.”

“And he’s particularly good at archery…”

“Kakan.”

At Nersarn’s call, Kakhantir turned his head. He still had a Gurut leaf rolled in his mouth.

“What is it?”

“Ian Bratz says he has something to say about Silask.”

“More precisely, I have something to ask.”

“…Sit.”

Ian took a seat amidst the thick smoke. The elders sitting beside him watched Ian with various expressions.

“Please explain what the plant called Silask is. I have a hunch, and I want to confirm if it’s correct.”

“A hunch? Ah. You don’t know what Silask is?”

Ian answered with silence.

Kakhantir lightly exhaled smoke, then gestured to the physician sitting at the edge. The physician took out a piece of paper from his pocket. It seemed to be a page from a botanical book written in an unknown language.

“Silask is the name of the illness that afflicts those who directly receive the will of the gods, like Chieftain Winchen. They carry that energy throughout their lives, but eventually, they grow old and cannot withstand it, shattering into pieces.”

The physician continued his explanation.

“According to records, a long time ago, the Cheonryeo tribe rescued merchants from the south in the desert and obtained Silask seeds… but it’s very difficult to find these days.”

It was impossible to gauge the depth of ‘a long time ago’ they were talking about. Currently, no one in the Cheonryeo tribe knew about Winchen’s youth.

While she had endured for a long time, the records about Silask had become faint, and they had only recently managed to find a clue.

Ian offered a comforting remark.

“It seems that there aren’t many who receive the will of the gods in Bariel, so that’s why.”

He almost blurted out ‘gypsy’. To them, Winchen was an important figure, but in the Bariel Empire, she was just one of the old gypsies. At least, she was skilled among the many swindlers. Well, something like that.

Also, gypsies wandered their whole lives, so no one knew what happened to them in their later years. It was more accurate to say that no one cared.

The physician narrowed his brow.

“Somehow, Silask was lost, and well, now it’s as you see.”

“Is Silask perhaps… a red flower that never wilts once it blooms?”

“If the records are correct, yes.”

Then, this time, Kakan frowned slightly.

“I can smell the scent of Silask from your words.”

This guy’s got a nose like a bloodhound.

Ian smiled brightly and nodded.

“Actually, I’ve seen a flower that is suspected to be Silask in the Bratz territory. It was red, and it never wilted once it bloomed.”

Even the sun sets once a day, yet a mere flower doesn’t wilt. It was definitely a special case. At Ian’s words, Kakhantir pressed him.

“Is that the truth?”

“I was surprised too. That’s why I came here as soon as I heard about Silask.”

Alright. What should he do? If the timing was right, there was a way to trick them into going to Bratz.

When the Emperor’s central army was turning Bratz into a wasteland, if he went with the power of the Cheonryeo tribe behind him, he would not only save his life but also, if things went well, he could even get the territory.

But…

‘The problem is that Winchen is on her last legs.’

Could she hold out until the central army arrived at Bratz? It was doubtful. If the Chieftain had to run out during the banquet, it meant she was in a state where she could die at any moment.

“Tell me in detail.”

“Before that, I have a request.”

Then, he had no choice but to use it in another way.

At Ian’s words, Kakan didn’t hide his displeasure. It was an attitude of bargaining with the Chieftain’s life on the line.

“A request? If Winchen dies before that, your head will also fall, won’t it?”

“Please treat me not as an object of reconciliation, but as a guest of the Bariel Empire.”

Since there was no order from the Emperor, he couldn’t use the terms ‘envoy’ or ‘representative.’ But the meaning itself was not much different. He wanted a guarantee of his safety and respect.

“Bratz is one piece of the vast Bariel. The imperial court is aware of Bratz’s reconciliation, and my presence here is, in fact, the will of the imperial court.”

Kakhantir slightly raised the corners of his lips at Ian’s honeyed words. It was a look that said, ‘Look at this guy?’

“Is that so? Then let me ask you. If your head falls now, will the imperial court send an army all the way here? According to your claim, that should be the case, shouldn’t it?”

“I don’t know if they will bring an army, but it will certainly be a problem. Because the long-standing spirit of the imperial court resides within me.”

Thud!

No sooner had he finished speaking than an old man slammed his hand on the table. Since it was their language, he didn’t know what he was saying. It sounded like something about a snake’s tongue…

The others remained silent, but they seemed to believe that Ian’s words were empty.

“The spirit of the imperial court?”

Was Ian saying that he was of imperial blood? Derga was his father, wasn’t he?

“I cannot go into details. What I can say for sure is that my body was inherited from Derga Bratz, and my spirit is that of the imperial court. I don’t think it’s a problem that the Chieftain would have difficulty accepting.”

“Alright. Fine, fine. It’s because of people like you that the gods sent us Winchen. Hey!”

At Kakhantir’s shout, two warriors approached and grabbed Ian’s arms. Berric, who had been waiting outside the tent, was startled and tried to rush in, but Ian lightly raised his hand to stop him.

‘It’s done.’

They were trying to take Ian to Winchen. Ian looked at Berric with a look that said to wait, and then entered the Chieftain’s tent again.

“Winchen.”

“Ah…”

She was breathing heavily, but it seemed she had regained consciousness. The attendants slowly helped her up, and her cloudy eyes were still fixed on the sky.

“This man says he knows something about Silask.”

“To be precise, I said I have a hunch.”

“…You have a hunch. Is that the truth?”

Saliva dripped from Winchen’s mouth. She answered by nodding instead of speaking. At the same time, the attendants let out joyful exclamations, and Nersarn, who had followed, also brightened up as if he had found a ray of light.

“And he also said that his spirit is that of the Bariel imperial court.”

Was there anything to correct this time?

Kakhantir trailed off, looking down at Ian. If Winchen shook her head at this point, he was planning to cut off Ian’s legs. Since he needed to hear about Silask, he thought he should make sure to stop the bleeding.

“Ah…”

Then, Winchen took a sharp breath. Her body trembled, and she closed her eyes. She never closed her eyes while discerning lies.

“… !”

And then, everyone fell silent. Winchen raised her two withered hands to her chest in respect. And she bowed forward as much as she could, as if giving a greeting to a noble person.

“Winchen?”

“Ugh…”

And then, the Chieftain collapsed to the side. The physician rushed over to check her pulse, and the attendants ran to fetch warm water. Ian quietly watched her and muttered.

“Silask is in my tent.”

At his words, Kakan paused in surprise. When the Chieftain didn’t give an order, Nersarn, who had been listening, ran outside and shouted.

“Go to the outsider’s tent! Find the red flower!”

“Huh? Huh? Why is that?”

“Hurry! There’s no time to lose!”

“Ian! What is it? What do we do? Should we run with it?”

At Berric’s shout, Ian smiled softly.

“It’s done. This is my first gift to them as a guest of Bariel.”

Ian informed Berric in a dignified voice. In Winchen’s tent, filled with the scent of Gurut leaves, Ian stood on equal footing with Kakan for the first time.