Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 204

Neigh!

The carriage rocked violently. The already dark night was made worse by the heavy downpour, causing the horse’s gallop to be unsteady. Romandro, peering anxiously out of the window where nothing could be seen, muttered worriedly.

‘Could Barsabe really be dead?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Goodness. It’s unsettling even though we weren’t that close. I suppose it’s because she was the last one to save Vivianna. Beric will be distraught when he wakes up. It’s best to keep it a secret for now. Sigh, tsk tsk. Another young and promising talent gone like this.’

‘…She probably doesn’t have any family.’

‘Ah, right. She’s been living alone since Petreio died.’

The place where the body was found was not far from the city center, on the outskirts. Judging by the route, it seemed she couldn’t escape towards the Imperial Palace and had to take a detour. Perhaps she only fled through the alleys to prevent innocent citizens from getting caught up in it.

Ian rested his chin on his hand, staring at the rain streaming down the window. She was someone who died for the Empire. It was quite gloomy for the last night dedicated to such a person.

Splash!

The wheels rolled through a puddle. A distance that would normally take less than an hour was delayed by thirty minutes due to various adverse conditions. In the distance, a faint light could be seen.

‘We’re here!’

‘Be careful! It’s slippery because of the rain!’

It was the light from the lanterns held by the guards. The coachman slowly reined in the horse, and soon Romandro got out first and opened an umbrella. Despite the attempt to block the rain, his hair and shoulders were instantly soaked.

‘Greetings. I am the security officer in charge of the Chetur 2 district.’

‘I am Ian Hiel, from the Magic Department.’

‘It is an honor to meet you. Please, come this way.’

The guard bowed respectfully and walked ahead with an umbrella. Under a makeshift tent, familiar figures could be seen. Knights from the Imperial Guard and Jaylott. Some were smoking with their backs turned, while others were kneeling beside the body. Jaylott was just staring.

‘Commander Jaylott.’

‘…….’

The silence was heavy and cruel, colder than the pouring rain. Jaylott greeted Ian, completely soaked. The self-reproach of having lost his friend and his daughter. That self-reproach seemed to be breaking him down.

‘Remove the cloth.’

‘That, well, it might be difficult to look at.’

‘…Remove it.’

At Ian’s firm command, the guard removed the wet cloth. Romandro squeezed his eyes shut as if he couldn’t bear to look, and Ian also frowned.

‘This is……’

It was gruesome. The places that were crushed like rotten meat were particularly noticeable. It was understandable why they couldn’t identify her. The face was unrecognizable.

‘As you can see, identification is difficult. We only know that it’s a woman and that she’s in her early twenties. If she hadn’t been wearing the Imperial Guard uniform, she would have been treated as an unidentified corpse.’

Pat, pat.

The sound of rain filled the gaps in the guard’s words. The rain was so heavy that it even drowned out someone’s cries.

‘Beric came back just as mangled.’

Jaylott realized that the external wounds on the corpse were not much different from Beric’s. He eventually covered his face and turned away. Romandro took out a gold coin and placed it on the corpse as a sign of mourning.

‘Romandro, sir.’

‘Hic, huh?’

Romandro was already sniffling. He turned to Ian, wiping his nose.

‘Do you perhaps remember?’

‘Remember what?’

‘When we interrogated Petreio in Hiel territory.’

‘I didn’t see it. Didn’t you and Beric do it together back then? Hic! Knight, your sacrifice supports Bariel [a fictional empire]. Thank you. Farewell!’

At the mention of Petreio’s name, Jaylott reacted. As if he didn’t know what they were trying to say.

‘The face is crushed, but more than that……’

It would be more accurate to say it had melted. Just like when Petreio used the poison ring. Ian nodded to the guard.

‘You.’

‘Yes?’

‘Put your finger in the corpse’s mouth.’

At the sudden order, the guards stiffened in disgust. They were already reluctant to touch a normal corpse, let alone one this gruesome? But Ian did not retract his order, and as the Imperial Guards gradually pressured him with their eyes, he had no choice. He put on his gloves tightly and screamed internally.

‘I-is this how I should do it?’

‘Sir Ian. What are you trying to do? Please don’t desecrate Barsabe any further. It’s a matter of honor.’

One of the guards stepped forward and pleaded, but Ian firmly brushed him off.

‘More, put it in further.’

‘Ugh. L-like this?’

‘Are all the teeth intact?’

‘Um. J-just a moment.’

The guard barely suppressed his nausea as he checked the corpse’s teeth with his fingertips. Front teeth, lower teeth, canines, and molars.

‘Yes. They’re all fine.’

‘The molars are fine?’

Romandro, who had been wiping away tears, asked in surprise.

At that unusual reaction, Jaylott realized that something was wrong. Of course, he didn’t know why. He didn’t know that Barsabe had her molars knocked out by Beric.

Only her roommate knew that fact, but he was on duty at the Emperor’s residence and was not here.

‘What do the molars have to do with it?’

At the guard’s question, Romandro shouted excitedly.

‘D-don’t you know? Well, it’s not something to go around talking about! B-Beric knocked out Barsabe’s molars before! No, that’s a bit strange, he, he smashed them! That’s why Beric used to call Barsabe ‘Molar’.’

‘I-is that true?’

‘I swear to the gods! My wife, who last saw Barsabe, must have heard about those molars too.’

‘T-then, who is this corpse……’

‘It’s not Barsabe.’

Ian denied it firmly. At that, her colleagues let out small gasps of joy without realizing it.

Barsabe was still, still alive!

This corpse is not Barsabe!

The sight of them patting each other’s shoulders and sharing a small sense of relief was like those who had come back from the dead in an instant.

The guards who had been listening from the side properly removed the cloth and asked again.

‘Then, who is this?’

‘I think Barsabe is the one who made the face like this. The poison from the ring Petreio used when he committed suicide causes this kind of reaction. Besides, the uniform itself is hers, isn’t it?’

‘Yes. Barsabe’s name is engraved on it.’

‘She damaged the corpse and dressed it up.’

One by one, Barsabe’s actions were taking shape. Jaylott, who had been quietly pondering, muttered a question.

‘Why?’

‘To end the pursuit.’

Ian looked around. It was an outer area, with many manual labor factories. There were few houses, and it was a suitable place to store goods. Following Ian’s gaze, the Imperial Guards’ gazes also moved.

‘There were four black armors. Barsabe knew she couldn’t fight them, so she must have kept running away. To stop the pursuit, her death was necessary. Where was the body found?’

‘Yes. It was buried in that pile of trash over there.’

‘It’s not immediately visible, but it’s a location that could be easily discovered. If the enemy had killed her, they would have hidden it and made it impossible to find the body.’

Boom! Thump!

Flash!

The rain became even heavier. Soon, thunder and lightning struck, momentarily illuminating the dark surroundings. Ian’s pale face was even more radiant as it was wet.

‘But the body was found before the day was over, and we’re here.’

‘Are you saying that Barsabe called us?’

‘That there’s something here……’

It was Barsabe’s signal. A signal that implied she couldn’t move easily, a sign of an emergency. Ian muttered, looking at the smoke rising from various places.

‘That’s what we need to find out now. Do you think Barsabe would make an innocent citizen a corpse to escape a crisis?’

‘Of course not!’

She was a knight. A knight who had sworn her sword to the Imperial Palace and her beliefs. She would rather be trampled by the enemy than kill and mutilate an innocent person to gain an opportunity. Everyone gathered here could vouch for that.

‘Barsabe is not that kind of person!’

‘Is that so? Then we have our answer. This corpse is someone who deserved to die according to Barsabe’s standards.’

Someone who deserved to die. That meant it was one of Haiman’s underlings they were fighting. To dig deeper, it could be said to be an underling inside the black armor. One of the guards was confused and kept wiping away the rain.

‘I, I don’t understand. What is going on……’

‘I don’t know either. Not until I hear it directly from Barsabe. To summarize roughly-‘

Romandro cleared his throat and subtly retrieved the gold coin he had placed on the corpse, then wrung out his soaked handkerchief. The rain was now pouring so heavily that the umbrella was useless.

Swish.

‘Barsabe is not far away. And there’s something here, in the Chetur 2 district.’

Unlike the guards who swallowed nervously, the Imperial Guards’ expressions hardened instantly. They understood that their comrade was still alive.

Jaylott, who had been bowing his head, muttered in a low voice.

‘All of you.’

‘All of you!’

Thump!

The completely soaked guards placed their hands on their chests and paid their respects to the Imperial Palace. They could all feel their hearts pounding under their palms. It was the beat of hope that Barsabe was alive.

‘From now on, we will search from Chetur district 1 to 4. The priority is to secure and rescue Barsabe.’

Thump!

Splash!

The water splashed as they moved with precision. The guards stepped back with their spears, then gasped and covered their mouths.

They were not just any Imperial Guard. They were the warriors of God who served the Emperor most closely and were responsible for protecting the Empire.

Buzz. Buzz.

Although there may be differences in their abilities, they were all magic swordsmen. Jaylott unofficially acknowledged that the black armor was related to Haiman and added an order.

‘If it is related to the Haiman family, report even the smallest thing, and if anyone blocks your path, subdue them without hesitation. Remember this. We are the heart of Bariel.’

The Imperial Guard, who protected the Emperor, added dignity to dignity. If anyone dared to touch their family member, Barsabe, and thought they could get away with it, it was the height of arrogance. Those who pierced the heart would pay with their own heart.

Thump!

Tap tap! Splash!

After the final salute, they scattered quickly like light. Only the streaks of water drawn on the road proved their presence. The surroundings were instantly filled with silence.

The guards awkwardly called out to Ian.

‘M-Minister. Should we request support too?’

‘…No. You stay here and guard the body.’

If Haiman was using this place as a hiding place for their armor, the security guards could not be trusted either. Judging by their reactions, it didn’t seem like it, but… anyway, moving as secretly as possible was the best option, wasn’t it?

Ian pushed back his wet hair and turned to Jaylott.

‘I will send a request for support to the Imperial Palace.’

‘Please do.’

Liyama, one of the three commanders, was also attacked. Of course, she had destroyed more than a dozen armors while dying, but that meant the enemy’s power was that strong. It would be safer to have Beols join them.

Shing.

Jaylott drew his sword and slowly walked into the dark alleyway. The sound of his footsteps was drowned out by the rain. It was as if he was watching the back of a desolate ghost.

Ding- Ding-

Tap tap!

Then, in the distance, the clock tower quietly chimed. It was the alarm for midnight. Thus, a night passed. The Imperial Guard ran through the rain.

To save their comrade, Barsabe.