Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 13

The Count and Countess’s castle was loud until dawn. As a result, only Chell and Ian came to the dining hall the next morning. Chell, looking tired, paused and rolled his eyes as he entered.

‘Good morning, brother.’

‘……’

Ian greeted him first, but there was no reply. It was a mystery why their father and mother’s seats were empty.

‘They’re late today. Let’s eat first. Please, sit down.’

It was uncomfortable enough to even look at each other, and now they were being told to eat together? Was there a need to get indigestion in the morning? As Chell was about to sneak away, Ian grabbed him, his voice low.

‘Do I have to pull out the chair for you?’

‘Ah, no. It’s not that.’

Chell, fumbling for an excuse, gave up and sat down. It was only last week that Ian was the one who was always weak. How had the situation reversed like this?

‘That time, those golden eyes were…’

Could it be a curse? Could it be that his father had placed a curse on Ian’s body to destroy the Cheonryeo tribe? All sorts of wild imaginations, born from ignorance, tangled in Chell’s head.

Ian ate his salad while staring at him intently.

‘Brother.’

‘…Huh?’

‘Yesterday, it seemed like your stamina was very weak. Do you have any special training?’

Training. He always faked illness to skip physical training at school. There was no way Chell would willingly participate.

Ian suggested, his tone worried.

‘Yesterday, it seems like both you and I have very poor stamina. We are the only children of the Derga Count family, and if we are both like this, I am very worried about what the Cheonryeo tribe will think.’

Did he sense something ominous? Chell slowly put down his knife. Ian also smiled and put away his utensils.

‘So, how about we go to the training grounds together?’

Chell was horrified and opened his mouth wide.

The training grounds? The place where soldiers wield swords and spears?

‘If you agree, Father will welcome it. He will surely praise you for being suitable to be the next Count.’

In fact, Derga had many concerns. As they were in a semi-war state with the Cheonryeo tribe, it was important for the young masters to be strong, but Chell, despite being the first son, was far from it.

So, the method the Count chose was to increase the authority of the commander. Theo was one of the beneficiaries.

‘W-well, he might…’

Chell hated even running, let alone wielding a sword. He was wondering how to refuse, but Ian quickly seized the opportunity.

‘Good. Then, let’s take a look around after the meal. I heard it’s right outside the back gate of the mansion.’

‘Right after the meal?’

‘Why? Are you going to refuse?’

Was he going to eat and go, or go on an empty stomach? That was the meaning. Chell shut his mouth and glared resentfully at his parents’ empty seats.

Ian always ate his food in small portions. There would be quite a lot left over today.

* * *

The training grounds were visible as soon as they went out the back gate of the mansion.

It was an old building that had been used since previous generations, but the gray walls, which held the dignity of the military, were impressive. The Bariel flag and the Bratz family flag fluttering in the wind were majestic.

‘Theo.’

‘Young master Chell?’

As they entered the training grounds, they found Theo half-lying on a bench. He was still not participating in training, using his injury as an excuse.

Theo was surprised and got up when the two children, who usually never came, visited.

‘What brings you here?’

‘Well, I’m just here to look around the training grounds.’

‘You, young master? Why?’

Ian, who was standing behind him, stepped forward at Theo’s rude reply. His attitude was insolent.

‘Is it so unusual for the young Count to come to the training grounds that you have to ask?’

‘It’s the first time ever.’

‘I felt a lack of stamina from going out the other day, so I intend to train together from now on. It seems like I need to be able to protect myself, even if my guard gets drunk and passes out.’

It was a scolding for Theo, who had been drinking wine and collapsing in the quarters. From Ian’s point of view, it was fortunate, but in any case, he had neglected his duty.

The man chuckled and ran his tongue over his dark teeth.

‘What’s with the sudden change of heart?’

For Theo, it was not a welcome change.

Although the possibility was small, if Chell showed interest and talent in martial arts, some of the authority granted to the commander would be limited.

Well, he was still young and plump, so there seemed to be no need to worry…

‘Yes. Then, follow me. It’s not that hard to look around.’

Theo leisurely led the way. Soldiers were freely training in the wide open space. Most of them were shirtless, wielding swords or running with wagon wheels on their backs, giving off a raw feeling.

‘Ugh!’

‘One more time!’

‘Push! Harder!’

‘Ugh!’

They were people who had gathered for individual training. The heat was even more intense, and screams erupted from all over. Chell tried to manage his expression, but he seemed uncomfortable.

‘This is the largest training ground, that’s the warehouse, and behind it is the rest area. If you train overnight, you can stay in the rest area. Um. And…’

While listening to Theo’s explanation with a clearly annoyed expression, Ian looked around inside. In the corner, young men were kneeling with their heads bowed.

‘What are they doing?’

Unlike most of the adult soldiers, they looked young. At most, they looked to be under eighteen. Theo replied indifferently.

‘They are orphans.’

‘Orphans?’

The Bratz family, which was struggling to cover taxes, could not possibly run an orphanage. There was only one way for orphans who wandered the streets without guardians to survive. That was to become soldiers of Derga. If they joined the army, they would at least get food and a place to sleep.

Theo chuckled and muttered.

‘If you were unlucky, Ian, you would have seen me here.’

It was rude, but it was not wrong.

This body was a bastard child with a commoner mother. It was not strange for him to be abandoned. If that had been the case, Ian would have had no choice but to come here as well.

‘Do you think so? Brother, what do you think?’

At Ian’s question, Chell’s face hardened.

‘…Theo. Don’t say that.’

Please, stop saying such disrespectful things to Ian.

Who knew what would happen if he saw those golden eyes again? It was a scolding based on fear, but Theo frowned as if he was surprised.

At that moment, there was a commotion in the middle of the training ground under the scorching sun.

‘Put your head down properly!’

Swish!

A man who seemed to be an instructor whipped a thin whip mercilessly. Red marks were clearly visible on the children’s arms, backs, and thighs.

‘Child soldiers and abuse. He’s completely insane.’

Derga, what was wrong with this man? It was an act that Ian could not even imagine. In Bariel, where he was the emperor, child soldiers were only used when the country was on the verge of collapse.

Ian wanted to alleviate the children’s pain even for a moment, so he called Theo.

‘Theo, as you said, they are the ones who would have been my comrades if I had been unlucky. Let’s call them to the shade for a moment to encourage them.’

‘Huh? Are you serious?’

‘Do I have to say it twice for you to understand?’

‘That’s not possible. Even if the Count comes, we cannot stop during training. It’s a policy for discipline, so please understand.’

Discipline, my foot. Instead of answering, Ian sat on a nearby bench and watched them. He was going to call them right after the damn training was over to check on their well-being. Chell also hesitated and sat down at the edge.

‘Ugh!’

‘Can’t you do it right? Do you want to starve?’

‘No! I can do it!’

‘Lift your arm straight!’

‘Ugh!’

The screams were desperate. Enough to not be drowned out by the surrounding training sounds. One by one, the bodies that had been supporting themselves with their heads while their arms were behind their backs began to fall to the side.

‘Hold on!’

Among them, one child in particular caught Ian’s eye.

His messy red hair was roughly tied up, and the look in his eyes was unusual. It was pure venom. It was not just there, but a gaze that seemed to see the world with it.

‘That child…’

Ian spoke without realizing it.

Red hair and eyes. His physique was rather agile, and he was holding on to the end even while his body was trembling.

Theo, who followed Ian’s gaze, replied as if he was annoyed.

‘That’s Beric.’

He didn’t have any particularly outstanding physical abilities. However, he was a persistent child that even the instructors were amazed by. In the selection battle, he fought against an opponent who was almost twice his size, but he won by biting his ear. Of course, he was punished with a three-day fast for that.

Ian watched Beric with his legs crossed.

‘Hic…’

Only two people were left. Beric and the other child’s necks were bent as if they were about to break. The instructor checked his watch and remained silent. It seemed like he was going to wait until one of them was left.

‘Ugh!’

Beric held on while screaming. At that point, the other child lost his strength and fell to the side. His sweat-soaked upper body was covered in sand.

Beep!

‘Stop.’

At the instructor’s words, Beric’s knees touched the ground. The child, who could not get up while panting, barely turned his head and spat. His forehead was a mess with blood. He had poured everything out, and he could not move while lying down.

‘So, is that kid named Beric the best of them?’

Chell, who was horrified by what he saw, asked.

‘That’s not it. His screaming is useful, but that’s it. His skills don’t match his temper. Especially in battle.’

The instructor poured water on Beric’s head. However, the child could not get up, and he closed his eyes with an annoyed expression. The other colleagues who had given up earlier had no problem moving.

‘With that kind of enthusiasm, he should be a model for training?’

‘…There’s such a thing as constitution. There are things that just don’t work no matter how hard you try. There is a limit to innate ability.’

He came to the training grounds first every day and left last, but his growth was slow. No one could match his tenacity, but what did that matter? It was not enough to just grit your teeth in front of the enemy’s blade.

‘So, you have to know when to give up. Each person has their own place. Beric seems to be more suitable for special missions than the front lines, so I’m thinking of taking him out separately.’

Theo added as if he wanted Chell and Ian to hear.

He meant that the right people, including himself, were doing a good job of managing the troops, so they should just hold pens with their delicate hands. However, Chell was too dull to understand those words, and Ian was lost in other thoughts.

‘Something’s wrong.’

That look from earlier was really, how should he put it?

It was the knight himself who wanted to die for faith and honor. A spirit that vividly reminded him of the hell of war. Wasn’t it surprising that a child who was not even an adult had such a disposition?

And above all… he had sensed a faint magical energy when he screamed.

‘In many ways, it’s the characteristics of a magic swordsman.’

A swordsman who wields magic.

The magic in his body was blocking his energy, so his growth was slow before awakening. However, once he awakened, he would be a force to be reckoned with, strong enough to be compared to ordinary humans.

‘To discover him, we need a magic operator who can stimulate his inherent magic. That itself is rare, so there must be many who died without knowing they were magic swordsmen.’

‘It seems like the training is over, so let’s call them now.’

Ian instructed Theo.

As if he would not tolerate a second refusal, he was very firm.