Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 285

Damon Runkvis

Burgos was vast but barren. The dryness, regardless of the season, stole the greenery, and in the abandoned lands, beasts that might not even exist lived in the shadows of the night.

Whoosh.

Before entering the royal palace, Timothy turned back, following the wind. Due to the steep slope, the commoners’ lands outside the palace were visible at a glance.

‘…It’s too withered.’

Isn’t this the scenery that the King sees a couple of times a day? It’s not enough to see only abundance, but what Timothy faced now was a Burgos that was too withered.

This wouldn’t be just a matter of climate. It was because the kingdom’s day, which had been slowly setting since the time of the previous king, had met its night.

‘I’ve come to see His Highness Damon.’

‘Please wait a moment.’

Timothy shook the report at the attendant and asked him to announce his presence.

Though not as much as Bariel, which was preparing for the coronation ceremony, the Kingdom of Burgos was also in a frenzy preparing for the King’s upcoming departure.

Creak.

‘Please, come in.’

Following the attendant, only the soft sound of shoes clicking echoed. It was a space that could easily be used as a banquet hall, but there was nothing there. If it weren’t for the portraits of the previous kings hanging on the walls, no one would have thought this was the King’s office.

Timothy stood before the King, following the carpet.

‘Your Highness. It is Timothy.’

Damon Runkvis, the King of Burgos, stopped writing and turned his head.

His black, shoulder-length bob, pale cheeks, and deep purple eyes shone brightly even in the darkness.

He tapped the desk with his fingertips without a word. It was an order to bring the report over.

‘Is it related to the visit to Bariel?’

‘Yes. As you mentioned before, I have newly compiled the list of the delegation. The added nobles have selected the tribute and will submit it by next week, so it seems you can review it again then.’

Rustle.

Damon just flipped through the documents without replying.

The longer the silence, the more miscellaneous thoughts sprouted in Timothy’s head. Ian Hielro, the minister, was also included in those thoughts.

The young Minister of Magic before his coming of age and the King, who had only been on the throne for two years, seemed somewhat similar.

Was it because Ian was younger in age, but more cold and meticulous than anyone else when it came to handling work?

‘I thought I told you to exclude Count Garame.’

‘Ah, that is…’

‘Is the opposition strong?’

‘I apologize. The resolution is not being passed. If the Count is excluded, there will be a problem with the means of transportation to be provided. Currently, there is no one who can immediately provide a hundred horses…’

Damon frowned and touched his forehead, and Timothy could only swallow hard. Everyone who served the King knew of his brilliance and ability. But it was truly difficult when he occasionally gave such perplexing orders.

‘This is the last time. If they oppose it, I will personally attend the meeting. Tell them to act accordingly.’

‘Yes, I understand.’

Still, the only reason Damon could enforce his opinion was not because he was the King, but because most of his orders unexpectedly brought surprising results.

Damon muttered to himself and gripped his pen again.

‘They should do as they are told. What do they know?’

Timothy gave an awkward smile and bowed deeply. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood, so it would be best to retreat today. Didn’t his family tell him to come home early anyway? It was the moment Timothy was about to step back.

‘Timothy.’

‘Yes, Your Highness.’

‘Is there any news about the gypsy?’

Creak.

The King rose from his chair and approached Timothy. He was already a bit thin. When facing the large Timothy, he looked even more frail. Of course, Timothy could not raise his head due to the weight of his dignity.

‘I apologize. We are still making inquiries, but there is nothing to report yet. If you give us a little more time, we will surely bring her before you, Your Highness.’

Damon quietly looked down at the top of Timothy’s head. His cool purple eyes scanned him keenly. There was a sharp emotion in them, but Timothy had no way of noticing it.

‘Alright. I trust you this time as well.’

‘…I will do my best.’

This time as well.

Timothy guessed the weight of those words and bowed repeatedly. It was a greeting filled with all the reverence for their King, the future of Burgos, and the master he served.

Damon turned his back, focusing only on the report.

* * *

Beric and Romandro were waiting some distance away from the main street. Ian and the gypsy’s conversation seemed to be getting longer.

Lantern lights flickered intermittently around them. It was the hidden men asking what to do, but the only order Romandro had to give was one.

Click. Click.

‘Not yet.’

Winter had passed, but the night air was still cold. As Romandro looked around to shake off the chill, Beric suddenly moved. It was a reflexive movement.

Romandro, startled, followed with his eyes. The gypsy was shaking violently, unlike before.

‘Ian! Damn it, the old lady is acting weird! Be careful!’

‘Don’t come closer!’

A strange old woman who was talking about eating secrets. Beric, worried, grabbed his sword, but Ian immediately stopped him. Without even turning around, he just raised his hand. Ian, whose profile wasn’t even visible, left the gypsy alone and gestured to Beric and Romandro.

‘Move further back.’

‘Ah, really! At this rate, we’ll end up in the royal palace!’

‘Alright, alright, Beric. Let’s do as we’re told.’

Romandro, sensing something was amiss, pulled Beric away. As Beric’s loud voice faded, Ian cautiously turned around. They had retreated to a distance where they couldn’t hear even if he shouted loudly. He touched his forehead as if sweeping back his hair.

‘The King of Burgos is living a second life?’

Just like Ian himself had. He was quite surprised, but he managed his emotions by frowning.

The night is short. And isn’t the gypsy like the wind?

He had to quickly extract all the secrets from her belly.

‘Oh my, oh my…’

The gypsy, who had eaten a huge secret, only muttered in admiration as if she couldn’t believe it. The sense of fulfillment was even deeper than when she had eaten the King of Burgos’s secret. The secrets of the world that transcended time and space were surely a gift from God? If there was a taste of heaven, it would be like this.

The gypsy even shed tears and trembled. She felt like she could die right now without any regrets. She barely grabbed Ian’s arm and whispered.

‘The dignity of a hundred years in the future. Amazing, amazing. How can I contain this fullness even if I vomit everything I have?’

‘Hurry and continue the rest of the story.’

Of course, she would.

The gypsy put her forehead to the ground and repeatedly expressed her reverence.

‘The King of Burgos said that his first life was a failure. He was trampled by his mother and… father, devoured by his younger sibling, and everything was destroyed. In the end, the King killed his sibling and stained his hands with blood. And his blood also flowed down and erased everything. That’s how his second life began.’

He was living his fate twice.

How old was the King of Burgos? It was said that he had only been on the throne for two years, so he wouldn’t be that old.

Then, in his first life, was there a ‘bastard Ian’? Or was there ‘Ian Hielro’ even then?

‘It’s a gap.’

The King of Burgos was a kind of gap. Depending on his first life, Ian’s existence would be newly established.

What if he, who was an emperor back then, had been like this?

He would be able to see the end through the gap.

‘He didn’t want his sibling… to be born. He made his mother and father, who had oppressed him, hate each other, and created many siblings.’

‘Why the half-siblings?’

It was not an act that would help strengthen the royal authority at all. There must be a reason for it.

‘…For the sake of a possible third life.’

The gypsy’s voice, which had been ringing powerfully, became faint. Again, there were gaps here and there. Ian tightly gripped the gypsy’s arm that was holding him.

‘The King of Burgos gave his secret to you. So, you heard the secret of the previous king. But why are they still chasing you? Do you have any idea?’

The old woman chuckled and shook her head. But eight out of ten of those who chased her had similar purposes.

Either related to secrets or related to the future.

‘This is all the secret I can give you.’

‘……’

The gypsy’s crystal ball began to lose its light. Her gills also slowly closed. Now, there were no secrets left in her belly.

She whispered a warning.

‘Start praying now. If the King of Burgos unknowingly speaks his secret and realizes that it’s possible, he will realize that it has leaked out.’

‘You should pray too. You will surely be killed.’

‘Hahaha! Today is a very satisfying day in many ways. How about you?’

Was she asking if the deal was satisfactory?

He had realized the other party’s regression, and through that, he had even obtained a clue about his own fate. If he were to weigh the pros and cons, it was a deal closer to a gain.

As Ian was about to nod, the gypsy frowned as if she was sorry. Her gaze was fixed on Beric and Romandro in the distance.

‘After this night, you will not be able to tell the truth to anyone. To no one.’

‘…That’s what I wanted.’

In the true Bariel, he didn’t want his existence to shine. Especially, like the Arsen incident, he didn’t want the truth to be used outside of his control.

It might be safer to tie it up and bury it like this.

‘If so, that’s a relief.’

Ian slowly rose from his seat. And he moved the lantern to his right hand. It was a signal that the business was over, and everyone should prepare to surround the gypsy.

‘You who eat secrets. I wish you would follow me.’

‘Oh ho.’

A deal was a deal, and anyway, that gypsy was the one the King of Burgos was after. It was more beneficial to keep her in custody.

The gypsy wrapped the crystal ball well in a cloth and waved her hand.

‘I am a gypsy. I am one who takes the clouds as friends and moves along the wind, so how can I have a dwelling? Even promising a time and place like today was a big decision for me. Otherwise, it seemed like that street thug wouldn’t let me go.’

Beric, who had noticed Ian’s lantern signal, was glaring this way as if he was about to charge. Had he realized that the gypsy was insulting him? He was complaining to Romandro about something.

Buzz. Buzz.

The sound of something seeping into the darkness. As Ian reflexively released his magic power, the magicians who had been hiding in the alleys revealed themselves.

Thud! Bang!

‘Ian!’

Ian shot a magic sphere to catch her. The surroundings instantly brightened, but the gypsy was nowhere to be seen. The magicians and soldiers were surprised and immediately chased after her.

Clatter! Clatter!

‘Damn it, where did the old lady go?’

‘That way! Keep the shield up!’

‘Drive them to the left! You guys take this alley!’

‘Capture her alive! Go!’

‘Damn it, where did an old woman with no legs go-!’

His comrades passed by Ian. They scattered in all directions, including Beric. Ian, who was about to follow them, suddenly stopped, looking around at the empty surroundings.

And he quietly whispered the truth.

‘…I was an emperor.’

He swallowed the truth that could not be spoken and gave a bitter smile.

Ian stood there alone.