Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 24

Nersarn took a swig of alcohol, his eyes scanning Ian from head to toe.

White skin, blonde hair, and green eyes—so different from them. And his build… He looked at him with a curious gaze, as if observing a creature from another world.

“Based on your letter, I expected you to be younger.”

It was the sloppy handwriting that gave that impression. Though his words were polite, Ian understood the underlying meaning.

“I still have much to learn. I’m trying my best not to bring shame to the Chunryeo tribe, so please be understanding.”

*So, he thought I was a simpleton.* Nersarn raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing back at his group with a smile that said, ‘This is interesting.’

“I heard your mother is the second wife. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Derga had faked Philia’s death to them. The story was that Ian’s birth mother had died when he was very young, and he had lived in the mansion ever since.

They would never have guessed that she was alive, let alone that her son had been taken from her.

“It seems you take after your mother a lot.”

“Indeed. It’s surprising that such a face came from the Count…”

“Su! Shut your mouth.”

“Ah. Sorry.”

It was the youngest-looking woman in the group. Su raised her hand awkwardly and apologized. The way she spoke informally to the Count made it clear how they viewed the Bratz family.

“That one is Su, my niece, and this one is Gansha, and Mujurun.”

There was no apology. Nersarn simply introduced his group and changed the subject. If nothing went wrong—if they survived crossing the border—these were the people who would spend the rest of Ian’s life with him.

“It must be disappointing to leave your hometown earlier than expected.”

“Well, I consider it an honor that the joyous occasion of solidifying our alliance through peace has been moved forward. Of course, Chief Winchen’s illness is very unfortunate.”

Nersarn was about to pick at his words but stopped, thanks to Ian’s seamless addition. Even though he was young, he was still a noble. The unique eloquence of the Empire was evident.

“By the way, did the Chief’s condition come on suddenly?”

“Given his age, it might not be appropriate to say ‘suddenly,’ but if you must know, that’s all there is to it.”

“I hope you don’t misunderstand. Since you’ve come all this way, if you wish, Nersarn, I can call for our physician.”

The Chunryeo tribe must have their own medical system. But how much could they have in a tribal community? It would mostly be folk remedies and herbal concoctions. Even though it was a remote area, it couldn’t compare to the doctors of Bratz, which was part of the Empire.

“Thank you for the offer, but I refuse. We have our own ways.”

It meant they had their own traditions that had been passed down for hundreds of years. They also believed that death was the will of the gods, and they didn’t get seriously injured often.

“Or, Nersarn, how about asking for that? The red herb…”

A man named Gansha interjected, but he shut his mouth at Nersarn’s fierce gaze.

*Red herb? What was that?* Ian racked his brain with a calm expression, but nothing came to mind.

“Anyway, thank you for the warm welcome despite our sudden visit. Please convey my gratitude to the Count as well.”

He gave his thanks with a nuance of asking them to leave. But Ian didn’t back down. There was still the most important matter to discuss.

“Of course. And actually, the reason I came to see you is because I have a request.”

“A request?”

Actually, if they hadn’t come, it would have been a bit troublesome. To cross the border with Berric, he had no choice but to have him act as an informant and a guard to gain Derga’s trust.

But the problem was ‘Berric’ himself.

He didn’t know how to use his head to persuade people, so it was very difficult to gain Derga’s trust. If things went wrong, he might have been told to cross the Great Desert alone to reach the Chunryeo tribe’s base.

“I have a friend who wants to go to the Great Desert with me.”

“Are you talking about the servant and the red-haired one who was next to you earlier?”

Mujurun was the one who saw Ian with Hanna and Berric. Ian shook his head at his words.

“Only the red-haired one. He’s an orphan with no family.”

“Everyone loses their parents eventually.”

“I didn’t mean he was pitiful, but that he has no attachment to Bratz, so he can work for the Great Desert.”

Nersarn’s face hardened.

The Great Desert was not only about the climate, but the way of life itself was fierce. There was no room for just playing around.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons why Ian wouldn’t be welcomed there. A noble who had been raised preciously his whole life would have limited things he could do there.

“Work for us? Well, what can he do? Can he swim in sand pits? Is he immune to scorpion venom? Or can he sprout seeds without water?”

It was a list that gave a glimpse of what life was like for the Chunryeo tribe. From their perspective, just being with them without contributing would be a nuisance.

But Ian didn’t back down.

“He is skilled in combat and has good stamina.”

“Skilled in combat? Hahaha!”

Nersarn laughed genuinely for the first time. To talk about individual combat skills in front of the Chunryeo tribe. They were a race that could never be matched without weapons and magic.

“I see now. Ian, you enjoy making jokes.”

“I’m not joking.”

Ian met his gaze with a calm expression, conveying that he wasn’t joking. Nersarn’s smile gradually faded, and he scanned Ian up and down.

*He’s small, but quite bold.*

He had manners.

He took care of the guests, something even the Count hadn’t done, and he offered to call a doctor for Winchen, even though it was annoying. It didn’t seem like he was sucking up to survive. He was simply doing his duty without hostility.

But this was a separate issue.

One baggage, Ian Bratz, was enough.

“Ian Bratz, you are a symbol of peace, but what use is that red-haired one to us? If he can’t earn his keep, we can’t take him.”

“Isn’t that something we don’t know yet?”

“I can tell without seeing. That little guy is skilled in combat? What a…”

“If it’s hard to believe—”

Ian cut him off. He was still bold and didn’t seem like he would back down easily.

“How can I prove it?”

*Look at this guy.*

Nersarn pondered for a moment and then looked at Su. Su, who was chewing on bread, widened her eyes. She sensed that it was going to be a hassle.

“Alright. You said he’s skilled in combat. If he can win in a duel against Su, I’ll take him.”

“Why me? There’s Gansha and Mujurun too!”

“You’re the right size.”

“Ugh. Seriously!”

She had traveled for days and now had to duel without rest. Su looked genuinely annoyed. But Nersarn and the others didn’t seem to care, as if it was a common occurrence.

“How about it? Is that okay?”

“Since you’ve given me the opportunity, I can only be grateful.”

“There’s always blood in a Chunryeo duel. Keep that in mind.”

“Berric likes to shed blood too. He’ll like it.”

Ian said that while observing Su.

Even though she was a small woman, she was a force that Nersarn had brought with him when he came to enemy territory. She was definitely not someone to be taken lightly.

“Then, let’s meet after dinner. Rest well.”

“Meat! Please give me lots of meat. No, I’m asking you to!”

“Understood, Su.”

Ian bowed politely and then left the room. As soon as he closed the door and turned into the hallway, he found the servants gathered in a group.

“Ian! Why are you so late?”

“We thought something had happened.”

They were all worried about him. Ian just smiled and asked them to prepare dinner, and then woke up Berric, who was curled up on the sofa.

“Berric.”

“Ugh…”

“We have to duel with the Chunryeo tribe after dinner.”

As soon as he heard that, Berric’s eyes widened as if he had been electrocuted. *What did he just say? With whom?*

“There was a woman among the ones we saw earlier, right? You have to beat her to go to the Great Desert with me. Otherwise, you’ll have to come alone.”

Berric’s eyes sparkled. He didn’t care about the situation of crossing the desert alone; he was just happy about the fact that he would get to fight ‘that’ Chunryeo tribe member.

“But with a woman?”

“Don’t underestimate her. She’s someone the Chief’s brother brought with him when he came to Bratz. She looked very agile.”

Gansha and Mujurun were definitely for escort purposes. Their atmosphere was filled with the fighting spirit and courage of warriors; they would surely survive even if they were dropped into a lion’s den.

However, given the nature of this message, which required the fastest possible movement, they needed someone who could move faster than anyone else if a problem arose. It was Su’s light build that gave him that confidence.

Berric rubbed his face against the cushion and muttered.

“It’s not a race, what’s the point of being fast? It’s over if you get caught.”

“It’s a blessing if you can even catch her.”

“Huh?”

Ian looked out the window and pondered for a moment.

*Yes, if you can even catch her…*

“Berric. Listen to me carefully. I’ll teach you how to win.”

Ian sat across from the sofa and shared all the possible tactics until the sky gradually darkened and the mansion’s torches illuminated the red flowers by the window.

* * *

Nersarn and his group received their meal in their room and stayed there. They couldn’t move around because of the soldiers guarding the mansion.

Of course, physical restrictions were not a problem for them.

“How are you planning to get out?”

In the backyard, a little away from the annex, a figure flickered in the lit window on the fourth floor. The backyard was quiet because all the soldiers of the mansion were guarding the annex.

“Huh?”

As the window opened, a human figure dropped down. Berric was startled and froze, but Ian looked up as if he had expected it.

And he started timing. 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds…

“Hi!”

Su poked her head out of the bushes. She had arrived in about ten seconds, covering quite a distance. At this point, she was almost like an animal.

“Hmm. This is nice. It’s been a while since I smelled grass.”

“Where are the others?”

“Resting in the room. We have to leave early tomorrow. This is why the youngest is always at a disadvantage.”

Since no one was listening, Su started speaking casually to Ian. This was the position Ian would be in once they crossed the border—a position where even the youngest of the group would speak down to him.

Berric glanced at Su and then looked back at the annex.

“Did she jump out of that window?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“How will she go back up?”

“She’ll go back up the same way?”

She had a look that asked if there was a problem. Berric laughed lightly and nodded in satisfaction. *Yeah, that’s what a Chunryeo tribe member should be like! This is what it should be!*

“The time limit is 5 minutes. If you can knock me down within that time, I’ll acknowledge you.”

“5 minutes? Isn’t that too short?”

“If you can’t do it within that time, you won’t be able to do it even if I give you a day.”

“Ha, that’s ridiculous. Are you any good at fighting?”

How could they talk so casually when they had just met? Ian crossed his arms and stepped back slightly.

In fact, the fact that there were no other observers was a complete disregard for them. But because of that, there were definitely advantages for Ian and Berric.

“Berric. Come here.”

*Ziiing.*

Ian grabbed the back of Berric’s head and poured his magic into him. His golden eyes would be hidden by Berric’s head.

It was relatively easy to activate his magic like this, and above all—

“Remember what I told you earlier.”

Because he could use tactics.

Su was scratching her ear as if asking when they would start.