Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 164

‘Lady Melanie, your rudeness goes too far.’

To call him Ian, let alone speak so informally.

Melanie might be the daughter of the powerful Haiman family, but Ian was a ruler of the nation. He was the Minister of the Magic Department, one of the most important positions. Though he was of lower nobility, he was not someone to be compared to those who were merely treated with respect due to their bloodline. Even the princes were currently seeking his help.

‘Iaan?’

However, Lady Melanie called his name again, unconcerned. This time, she slightly raised the end of her sentence, making it a question.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see her expression. She looked puzzled, yet strangely frowning.

‘Lady Melanie, you seem quite intoxicated.’

‘…I suppose I am.’

Melanie smiled and released Ian’s arm. However, her gaze was still fixed on him, carefully examining his features.

‘Have we perhaps met before?’

‘If you attended the New Year’s Ball, we would have met there.’

‘No, I mean when we were younger.’

‘We have not.’

‘I see. I apologize. I was just a bit unsure. The name Ian is quite common, and more than anything, I couldn’t believe that someone as handsome as you could be the same person I knew.’

‘I appreciate the compliment, but please be careful in the future, Lady. It would have been troublesome if others were around.’

The social scene was a place where even a small breeze could create a storm. It was one thing for the Lady’s reckless behavior to become the talk of the town, but she could also become entangled in an unsavory rumor with Ian. It was a well-known fact that she was Gale’s woman, and that would be quite bothersome.

‘I’m sorry.’

Melanie smiled and nodded. However, it was true that she felt a sense of déjà vu every time she looked at Ian. Could it be from seeing him at the New Year’s Ball or somewhere else? But at some point, when she recalled ‘that child’ from her memories, she felt as if Ian was wearing a mask.

‘Then, please go safely.’

‘Lady Melanie.’

‘Yes, Minister Ian Hielo.’

So, if she called his name familiarly, it felt like the person she knew would appear. Like a magic spell to break a curse. She must be drunk. To have such absurd thoughts. Melanie stood straight and faced Ian.

‘Do you know of His Highness Gale’s curse?’

‘…Of course.’

Besides the public knowledge, Gale had a personal hardship he was hiding. Melanie paused for a moment, then smiled brightly.

‘Since it is related to the fate of Bariel, I will wholeheartedly help.’

Clearly, Melanie seemed to know what Gale’s real curse was. But that was all. She said goodbye, stating she would go inside, and left. Ian also left the palace without hesitation.

* * *

‘Is this the place?’

‘Yes. It’s a place that provides lodging and meals, so I’ve asked them to manage the slaves here for now.’

Soon after, Ian found a small slaughterhouse in the commercial district. It was a place where the main work was cutting up meat, cleaning rotten entrails, and washing away blood. Due to the stench and the high intensity of the work, it was rare to find ordinary citizens of the Empire there.

‘Alright! The next batch of meat is coming in! We need to cut it quickly before the ice melts, so move fast!’

Most of them were slaves or former slaves. The pay was decent for the hard work, so it was common for owners to send them there. When Ian slightly frowned, Romandro called the factory manager.

‘Hey, where are our guys?’

‘They’re packaging inside.’

‘Bring them out for a moment.’

At Romandro’s words, the manager bowed his head. Though they were all slaves, their lives varied greatly depending on who their owner was. Those who were dying or sent there for punishment had to do hard labor covered in blood, while others could live relatively comfortably doing packaging work indoors.

Squeak.

Romandro opened the thick iron door and led Ian inside. From afar, the sound of quiet chatter could be heard. It was the conversation of the working slaves, trying to alleviate their boredom.

‘How far has the investigation into Pakens progressed?’

He had last heard a report that not only were illegal slave activities involved, but also smuggled goods. Smuggled goods would likely include looted spoils related to thieves, like Beric’s black sword.

‘He’ll be brought to trial soon. Once that happens, he’ll be executed without us having to see his face.’

‘And there’s no word about the necromancer you know?’

‘The guards investigated, but they haven’t said anything about him. I’ll try to use a bit more influence.’

Romandro rubbed his thumb and middle finger together, mimicking the act of counting money. There was no better incentive to move the guards in the slums.

Ian nodded and entered the packaging area. It was certainly more pleasant and cleaner than the other areas. The fact that the supervisor didn’t have a whip in his hand was enough to tell the atmosphere.

‘Ah, hello.’

‘It’s Romandro. Over there.’

‘Lord Ian is here too. Hello.’

The slaves stopped what they were doing and bowed deeply to greet them. Ian walked slowly, observing the backs of their heads.

‘Is it bearable here?’

‘Yes, yes! It feels like we’re in heaven!’

‘Just living outside the cage is wonderful. Thank you again. You’ve shown us the joy of working.’

‘There’s no need to thank me. Think of it as earning your own freedom.’

It was more accurate to say they were paying off the cost of bringing them from Pakens. Once that was done, they would work to buy their freedom next. Since it was difficult to manage them now, they were being outsourced to the slaughterhouse. It would be more beneficial for Ian to just pay for their release.

‘B-but, what brings you here…’

At someone’s question, Ian didn’t answer and only looked at the slaves. Those who were too old or too young were eliminated, as were those who were too frail or too overweight. He needed someone who was perfect for assassination.

‘Are there any among you who are good with their bodies?’

‘Good with their bodies? Siaosi is the best worker among us. It’s a waste to have him packaging here, so he’s sometimes called to do slaughtering.’

‘He was called away earlier, so he must be working.’

‘With all due respect, the foreman is using Siaosi too much. He came with us, but he says it’s a waste to have him packaging, so he takes him away all the time. I know he’s a slave, but isn’t that disobeying Lord Ian’s orders?’

‘That’s right!’

Romandro shouted vehemently at the slave’s words. He had clearly told them to keep their slaves out of the slaughtering work! Ian calmed Romandro, who was about to call the manager, and ordered him to guide him.

‘This way.’

A barefoot slave led the way. The sound of his footsteps became more pronounced as the dry floor gradually became wet. Ian realized that it wasn’t water, but the blood of livestock.

‘This one’s next.’

‘Siaosi! Get to work!’

‘…’

The manager pointed to the sleeping livestock, twirling his whip. Siaosi’s profile, standing blankly, came into view.

Ash-colored hair and eyes. He was staring at the ground, his jaw clenched as if refusing the order. His empty gaze was particularly hollow.

‘Siaosi!’

Crack!

Eventually, the whip struck his left arm. Siaosi then turned his head, gripping his knife tightly.

‘His eye color is different.’

His left eye was ash-colored, but his right was light brown. That was probably what increased his value in the slave market.

Siaosi sighed and gently touched the cow’s neck, searching for the vital point.

Clench.

And with trembling hands, he gripped the knife. It was important to minimize pain and end it with one strike. When mediocre people held the knife, the painful cries of the livestock were always heard. But since Siaosi was put in charge, that had never happened.

Whoosh!

‘Wait! Hey!’

‘H-huh, Lord Romandro.’

‘This, this is a breach of contract, you know? We entrusted the slaves to you for packaging work only.’

‘Oh, no, it’s not like that. We just happened to be short-handed today, so we had to call him out.’

‘Aha! I came knowing everything!’

Siaosi’s knife stopped in mid-air. Judging by the manager’s flustered state, his owner had clearly arrived. Siaosi’s heterochromatic eyes met Ian’s directly.

‘He’s well-built but looks agile. Perfect for an assassin. More than anything, he seems serious, and those kinds of people tend to do their given tasks silently.’

‘It’s really not like that! Really! This is the first time! Right? Siaosi?’

The manager subtly pressured him. The owner was gone, but the manager was the one he was with all day. He had to act appropriately to make his life easier.

‘…It’s the seventeenth time.’

However, Siaosi silently revealed the truth. Whether he was loyal because Ian was his owner, or if that was his nature, it was unknown. But either way, it was a satisfactory answer for Ian.

‘Slaves are ultimately property. What will you do if there’s a problem with their physical strength or health?’

‘No, that’s not it, I, I apologize.’

‘There must be consequences for breaching a contract. Romandro.’

At Ian’s call, Romandro bared his teeth from behind, making a face. It was a sign for the manager to follow him. As the manager followed Romandro out, flustered, the surroundings became quiet. Only the soft breathing of the sleeping livestock could be heard.

‘You’re called Siaosi, is that right?’

‘…Yes.’

‘Where are you from?’

‘I don’t know. I was born in a slave trader’s prison.’

So, he was a slave from birth. Ian nodded and glanced at the sleeping livestock.

‘You’re well-built. Have you ever been in combat?’

‘…Yes.’

‘Your talent?’

‘I don’t think it’s bad. I’m still alive, after all.’

If a slave had been in combat, it most likely meant they had been in a fighting pit for entertainment. The fact that he had survived with all his limbs intact was proof of his talent.

‘You don’t enjoy it?’

‘…No.’

Unlike the boisterous Beric, he was calm. As if he knew the weight of his words.

‘Why?’

‘I don’t find seeing blood pleasant.’

Ian smiled at Siaosi’s answer. Perfect. There was no one better to send as a show assassin. Since it was for public use, if even one guard were to see blood, Gale could find fault with it.

‘It must have been hard working here.’

‘…’

‘Then, I want to give you a different task. Can you do it well?’

At Ian’s question, Siaosi raised his head. He was a man with a very strange gaze. Since he was born in a cage, one could only imagine how deep the misfortune of his fate was.

‘I don’t know, but I will do it if you order me to.’

‘I like your answer.’

Was it because he was a slave to the bone? He acted as if his owner was the center of the world. Ian handed him a handkerchief and added casually.

‘You will go to kill a noble person.’

‘…’

He couldn’t even kill livestock, and now he was being told to kill a person? A look of bewilderment briefly crossed Siaosi’s face. But then came Ian’s next order.

‘But you must not kill them. You just need to walk on your two feet and get caught. You won’t even need to draw your sword from its sheath. It’s already been arranged, so I will guarantee your safety as much as possible. So, will you do it?’

Putting aside the suspicious nature of the order, for an owner to ask a slave if he would do it was quite strange, wasn’t it? He bowed his head and answered.

‘I will. If it is your command, Master.’