Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 198

Numerous growth rings are etched into Bariel. Some fade with time, while others display a strikingly deep color. The history of Bariel associated with the Atan tribe belongs to the latter.

‘The Great Monster Invasion.’

It was an event that greatly shocked Bariel, which had prided itself on being a safe zone from monster attacks, claiming to have received divine blessings, unlike other nations.

Due to the upheaval in the north, the Atan tribe gained power, and it was once taught that the Imperial soldiers, including the Imperial Guard, had subjugated them.

‘The Atan tribe, you know about them.’

Ian moved to the end of the corridor with Jayrut and lowered his voice.

Servants were constantly replacing the soiled cloths, and the summoned medical staff could be seen rushing into Beric’s room. Ian muttered indifferently, watching them.

‘But why mention the Atan tribe? Beric lost his family, but he is a person of Bariel born in the borderlands. If it’s because of the black sword, it’s a misunderstanding. He obtained it by chance on his way to the center.’

He had a letter from the market of Karenna. It was like a result of interrogating the bandit leader, proving that the black sword was not originally Beric’s. Ian could clearly recall the words written in the letter.

-Regardless of the truth, please understand that this is a report as received. The Atan tribe drinks the blood of monsters to survive, so it is questionable whether they are truly human.

The reason why those who were only rumored to exist rose to prominence during the Great Upheaval was precisely that. They were the ones who devoured monsters, so the Atan desired more chaos, and the Imperial Army tried to stop and eradicate them.

According to historical records, the Empire won that victory. It was not revealed whether the Atan were the cause of the Great Upheaval, but it was clear that it was a significant mark etched into the growth rings.

‘Minister.’

Jayrut cautiously swallowed dry saliva.

‘The Atan tribe is said to be a ‘manifestation’ race. They do not reproduce through breeding, but rather awaken at some point and realize their identity.’

‘…!’

‘If they possess the traits of the Atan, where Beric was born and who his parents are is of no importance. Even his race.’

‘…List the traits.’

‘They display a madness beyond belligerence, are obsessed with victory and defeat, have no qualms about taking lives, possess raw morality, and have recovery and vitality that surpass common sense.’

Every single trait described Beric. Ian opened the window to clear his complex mind for a moment. The cool breeze seemed to dispel the smell of blood.

‘Awakening, huh? Then, when monsters appeared in Bariel due to the Great Upheaval, it would be another reason why the Atan tribe gained power. Contact with monsters acted as a catalyst.’

‘It’s not a certainty, but it’s highly suspicious. Please keep it in mind and watch him. This is the Imperial Palace, after all. No one knows when he might awaken and change. I recommend expelling him as soon as possible.’

‘Commander Jayrut, that’s a rash statement.’

‘Minister.’

‘He is my subordinate, so I will take care of it.’

Jayrut was unaware that the Great Upheaval was about to happen. Monsters would flood, and the Atan tribe would surely gain power, but what if Beric stood by the Empire’s side then?

‘It would be troublesome if Beric were absorbed into the Atan tribe. He is a strong man who even troubled Commander Jayrut. It would be better to persuade him to monopolize the monsters alone on the Empire’s side. And above all-‘

Ian unknowingly turned to look at Beric’s room. A faint groan could be heard. It was the sound of the unconscious man groaning without realizing it.

It was only natural to give trust to the one who had lost his form by his own command.

‘…I will keep an eye on him.’

‘I am the one who protects the safety of the Imperial Palace.’

‘I, too, care for the Imperial Palace as much as you do.’

Don’t be so arrogant. Jayrut bowed his head at Ian’s light rebuke. While he was wandering outside the Imperial Palace, not knowing what was going on, Ian had saved the Emperor and suppressed the rebellion. He was the one who took the lead in directing the recovery and restoring the previous daily life.

Jayrut quickly admitted his mistake.

‘I apologize.’

‘I will think deeply about it, so don’t worry too much. Isn’t finding Barsabe the priority right now?’

Whether he was Atan or not, Beric was lying torn apart, and Barsabe was missing. The priorities were clear, so Jayrut saluted and bowed.

Swoosh!

‘To add to the rumors, the Atan tribe has a destiny to return to their base. They are scattered everywhere, so it may be a natural instinct. Therefore, it is said that they will always encounter traces of the Atan, so I wonder if it is a coincidence that Beric, who was in the borderlands, came up to the Imperial Palace and even got the Atan’s black sword.’

It was a statement that almost confirmed Beric was Atan. Instead of answering, Ian saluted back and sent him away, then returned to Beric’s room.

The air was hot with the heat from the mages. Ian approached the bed and made his presence known.

‘Ah, Sir Ian.’

‘You’ve worked hard. Change shifts.’

‘It’s alright. I slept a lot yesterday.’

‘I am also alright.’

Buzz. Buzz.

Ian dismissed the mage who was injecting magic into Beric and sat down in his place instead. The torn skin was roughly stitched. His golden eyes could not leave Beric.

‘Atan, huh?’

Beric, what did you do in the original history? Did you die after rolling around in Derga Bratz’s private army? Or did you die following the fate of the Atan and going north?

‘Either way, you would have died drawing the growth rings of Bariel.’

Ian patted his hand, but Beric continued to groan unconsciously.

How much time had passed? When the mages had all collapsed, and the doctors were also putting away their needles, having nothing left to stitch.

‘Sir Ian, I think you need to look at a report for a moment.’

Romandro brought the documents. His eyes were swollen from crying continuously after seeing Beric’s miserable state.

‘The trial date for His Highness Marib has been set. It’s four days from now. The judiciary has contacted us to submit all related evidence. May I submit the interrogation results?’

Marib’s nonsense was vividly recorded, so he was cautious. He kept giving absurd answers, such as Ian ordered him to do it, or that Ian was behind it.

However, he couldn’t just cut out the necessary parts. Ian nodded in agreement.

‘Four days from now, it will be a week at the earliest.’

At the earliest, it would be a week until the trial was over and Marib was executed. That meant his life was only a week away.

‘According to the law, it will be a public execution. Prepare the Imperial Palace thoroughly for that day. How many are there in total?’

‘Including His Highness, there are six main figures. His Highness Marib will be beheaded, and the others will be hanged. Even if they have been stripped of their Imperial family name, he is still the son of His Majesty the Emperor.’

‘Derga was also hanged.’

There was nothing more dishonorable than dangling and struggling in front of onlookers. To cut it off at once for dignity. Beheading was like the last gift the Imperial Palace was giving to Marib.

‘What about Prince Gail?’

‘We have requested a postponement. There is no precedent for bringing two princes to trial at the same time. Prince Gail’s condition is also a mess, so even if he were put on trial, would he be able to answer properly? And well, there are various interests intertwined. Hehe. Ahem.’

Romandro swallowed his words and smiled awkwardly. There were only the battered mages around, but he was being cautious, just in case.

If Gail was alive, it would be easier to catch the Hyman family, so the forces that were checking Hyman had joined forces to postpone Gail’s trial.

‘Alright. I understand.’

Ian signed the report and handed it to Romandro. The moment he received the paper, Ian, who had thought of something, asked firmly.

‘What about the security at Prince Gail’s residence?’

‘Yes? We have secured it as you instructed.’

‘Didn’t two mages come this way?’

Unexpectedly, a mage was missing to heal Beric. He had placed guards in front, but the opponents were Arsen and Hyman. Especially according to Siao Shi’s experience, Arsen was a target to be particularly wary of.

‘They easily entered Gail’s residence last night. I still don’t know why. They are definitely hiding something.’

Magic? No, if that were the case, Ian would have known first.

In his previous life, Ian was called the ‘First Noble Mage.’ That implied that there were no magic users within the Imperial family.

‘It can’t be magic.’

Buzz.

Perhaps it was because he had poured out magic, or perhaps it was worry. Ian’s fine brow furrowed slightly. Then Romandro quickly hugged the documents to his chest and assured him.

‘You don’t have to worry!’

Gail’s safety was their safety! His confident appearance seemed quite assured.

At his shout, Beric muttered irritably.

‘Ah, noisy…….’

‘Huh! Sorry, sorry, Beric. But are you conscious?’

When Romandro grabbed his hand, Beric wriggled and pulled it away. It was an unconscious action, but Romandro seemed a little hurt and teared up again.

Ian wiped the blood with a handkerchief and stood up.

‘Let’s go see. I’m curious how reliable the security is.’

* * *

Guards stood in front of Gail’s residence, but it was difficult to find any signs of people even a little distance away. Because they were busy with the Imperial Palace recovery, they had only deployed the minimum number of personnel.

Swoosh.

Arsen entered the palace with four sturdy subordinates. His steps were so confident and unwavering that it seemed like he had been there many times before. Arsen, with his silver hair fluttering, instructed his close aides who were following behind.

‘While I am inside my brother’s bedroom, do not let anyone enter.’

‘Yes, Your Highness. But Sir Ian has forbidden all access to Prince Gail’s residence. Even entering is a bit…….’

At his subordinate’s comment, Arsen stopped and turned around. How could a small child’s eyes be so fierce? The subordinate awkwardly fell silent and lowered his eyes.

‘Refrain from unnecessary words other than what I ask.’

‘I, I apologize.’

Tap tap!

As they turned into the corridor, the sound of their footsteps grew louder due to the marble floor. As they got closer to the residence, the subordinates tensed up and lowered their bodies, but Arsen remained upright.

Strangely, there was no one in the path the child was taking. Even though it was about time they met.

‘Wait here.’

‘Yes, Your Highness.’

Swoosh.

Arsen gestured to his subordinates and went ahead. As soon as he turned the corner, it was Gail’s residence, but there was no sign of anyone. One of the subordinates peeked out of curiosity, but the two guards guarding the door were calmly looking straight ahead.

Tap.

It was strange and surprising. While the subordinates were hiding and waiting for Arsen’s return, a strange sound came from afar.

‘No, so I heard it like this, you know?’

‘Yeah. It wasn’t heavy at all.’

‘Wanna try? Wanna do it properly?’

‘Come on in. Ah, let’s do it!’

The savage warriors wearing rough clothes, the Chunryeo [a group of warriors known for their rough nature]. They held their breath even more and lowered their presence. They didn’t know why they were in Gail’s residence.

‘I’m hungry. Let’s all stop and eat.’

‘By the way, where did Beric go? I can’t see him, that guy. He’s missing.’

‘Ah, wait a minute.’

The Chunryeo warriors were chattering among themselves, but suddenly stopped at once. It was because they had sensed a strange energy with their beast-like senses.

They exchanged glances and quietly lowered their bodies.

‘…I smell a rat.’