Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 412

Tap tap!

The messenger’s body swayed with the horse’s movements. His hands felt lighter, but his shoulders felt heavier. It was because the news he had to deliver had increased.

However, the messenger felt as light as if he could fly. Although he hadn’t slept a wink, the fact that he could personally deliver the victory report from Bariel to His Highness the Crown Prince was a great honor.

The horse also seemed to have been carefully chosen by Clifford. At this speed, he would arrive much faster than expected.

The messenger, lost in thought, reflexively shook the reins, thinking that he would also add that Ian and the mages were safe when he delivered the news to Jin.

But then, in the distance, he saw an army.

“Whoa, whoa.”

It was the only road. Although it was possible to go to other countries such as Burgos or Ruthwenna, it was the main trade route used by Bariel and Clifford. Therefore, it was unlikely that they were enemy forces.

Besides, didn’t Sir Ian say so? That he had captured the king of Burgos. In war, the presence of a leader was no different from the key to victory or defeat.

The messenger raised his telescope and slowly focused it.

“Hmm?”

The flags of those leading the way looked somewhat familiar. And behind them, the Bariel Empire flag fluttered.

Were additional reinforcements coming? The messenger took out an identical Bariel Empire flag from his chest and waved it, urging his horse towards them. The vanguard of the army, noticing the messenger’s presence, slowly began to slow down.

“Hey there!”

“Who are you?”

“I’m asking you. Are you additional reinforcements coming from Bariel?”

Serio sniffled and glanced back. They were mercenaries who had scraped together every last bit of money they had. They were wearing the same armor, but it was natural that foreigners were mixed in, and above all, their bearing was far from that of the imperial palace’s regular army.

As Serio scratched his head awkwardly, a presence was felt from the carriage behind him.

It was Alenara, dressed in light clothing. A lady with her hair tied up tightly, wearing a shirt and pants. If she were seen in this state in high society, it would be the talk of the town for a long time.

However, Alenara didn’t care. After all, this turning point would lead to either her and her family’s death or their escape to Ruthwenna, one of the two.

“Who are you to block the path of Bariel’s reinforcements? Are you a messenger?”

The messenger grabbed the dagger at his waist with suspicious eyes. If necessary, he would end his own life.

“Honestly, it’s tiring. Why do you take everything so seriously? I was just asking. We are the children of the Serio family. We received permission from the imperial family to go down to help in the war happening in Clifford.”

“Ah, Serio.”

Hearing the name Serio, the messenger recognized the flag. The messenger heaved a sigh of relief and shrugged his shoulders.

“Did the imperial palace send you?”

“Well, that’s…”

“As nobles, how could we just stand by and watch during a war? Is permission needed to help? And you still haven’t introduced yourself. This is truly something to take issue with.”

As Serio hesitated, Alenara quickly took the lead.

In fact, there was no direct order from Crown Prince Jin to participate. However, as they said, since a noble was directly mobilizing private soldiers and private funds, there was no reason to stop them.

The Crown Prince might not know that they had left the capital. It was possible that the matter was reported and handled at the level of the Imperial Defense Department or the Prime Minister.

“I am a messenger from the imperial palace. I greatly respect your willingness to help, but it seems like you don’t need to do so.”

“What? Why? I heard rumors of a conscription order.”

“Bariel has won.”

“What did you say?”

Alenara jumped out of the carriage with a surprised look. The horses were agitated and raised their heads, but Alenara was not afraid, only bewildered.

Bariel won? How could it be so fast?

“King Damon of Burgos has been captured. It seems that everyone, including Minister of Magic Ian, is working on the aftermath. It was amazing, but wow, it’s really cool. Everyone seemed to be injured, but no one seemed to be seriously hurt. How did they manage to capture King Damon in the center of the enemy?”

“Ru, Ru, Ruthwenna?”

“Ruthwenna? Hmm. They must be one of the targets of the aftermath.”

“Tell me more! Brother!”

“Ah, right. Hey, you. Get off your horse for a moment.”

“Uh…”

The messenger, who had been taken down in a daze, felt a little burdened by the intense treatment. He was facing two noble children with gleaming eyes. He stepped back, raising his hands to calm them down.

That’s right. This is the taste of victory! He had delivered news of victory in the war, so who wouldn’t react like this! The messenger smiled and added.

“It seems that the priority is to deal with the northern tribes mobilized by Burgos and Ruthwenna. But since King Burgos, the central figure, has been captured, they will conquer them without any major issues. This is the glory of Bariel and the victory of His Highness! Hahaha!”

“Hahaha! That’s right! Would you like some water? I can feel the heat all the way here.”

“I was told to deliver the victory report quickly, so I left the barrier without even drinking a glass of water.”

Alenara smiled along with the messenger and quickly turned her mind. They said it was good to deliver the victory report quickly? That meant that there was no overwhelming force in the battle, right?

‘Only King Damon was captured, and the forces of Burgos and Ruthwenna are still intact? If that’s the case, King Eriphony will have a lot to think about. The more trouble the king has, the more opportunities I have.’

“Excuse me, Lady?”

Alenara held the water bottle she was giving to the messenger tightly and didn’t let go. He was bewildered and tilted his head, but Alenara just stared at him silently.

Serio, who had been watching from the side, snatched the water bottle from his sister’s grasp.

“Here you go. My sister has a strong grip.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“What about the rest?”

“Yes?”

“We came all this way, risking everything our family has. We are happier than anything that Bariel has won, but on the other hand, we are sad that we have no way to show our loyalty to His Highness. Has Bariel and Clifford truly achieved a complete victory? Enough that we don’t need to go?”

“Hmm…”

The messenger scratched his chin and trailed off. It was truly awkward to have run into them like this. He couldn’t tell someone who had risked everything their family had to go back, and what if they did and there was a shortage of manpower for the aftermath?

What he was conveying was precisely ‘the end of the battle due to the capture of King Damon of Burgos,’ not ‘the defeat of Burgos’ or ‘the end of the war,’ right?

The messenger handed the water bottle back and subtly backed away.

“I have nothing more to say. If you’re really worried, it wouldn’t be bad to go directly. It’s not that far.”

“Do we just go straight this way? What about the other camps?”

“Ah, don’t go right at the fork. When I came out of the barrier, I saw Ruthwenna setting up camp. If I had gone that way, I would have wasted my time and turned back.”

The messenger left only what he had to say and got back on his horse, passing them by.

Serio stared blankly at his retreating figure. He then grabbed his head and looked back and forth between Alenara and the messenger.

“Alenara!”

What should they do now, he wondered, they were about to go bankrupt for no reason when everyone else was staying still, it was all her fault, all the accusations and cries were contained in his voice.

However, Alenara only frowned, pressing her temples with her fingers.

“Be quiet, brother.”

“You always say that, you! You!”

“Don’t you know what the situation of the King of Ruthwenna is now? He’s in limbo. He allied with Burgos and even received trade sanctions from Bariel to participate in the war, but with the capture of the King of Burgos, everything is about to go to waste. It would be better if that were the case. We all learned from history what kind of responsibility a country that loses a war has to bear, didn’t we?”

This was an opportunity. An opportunity.

King Eriphony would want Alenara’s help more than ever before. A small thorn hidden under the name of Bariel. There was nothing better than this for the balloon of Bariel, which was about to burst and fly away.

Alenara patted her brother’s shoulder and returned to the carriage. The soldiers and mercenaries were looking this way, half-turning their heads, wondering what was going on.

“Everyone, let’s hurry! When we reach the fork, I will go right. Brother, go straight and enter the Clifford barrier.”

“You’re going alone? Towards Ruthwenna?”

“I think King Eriphony would prefer to meet me than to meet you, brother. Anyway, let’s go. You heard what the messenger said earlier, right? It seems like there’s some problem on the magic department’s side, we can’t miss it. Move!”

Alenara clapped her hands and urged the coachmen, and soon Serio put on his helmet again. It seemed like the sun would set soon because they were passing through the forest.

As the messenger had said, the fork came soon, and Alenara, leaning on a carriage, chose the right path. She leaned out of the window and firmly told her brother.

“Brother! First, go and don’t do anything. Just focus on entering, and wait. Whether it’s a message or the chaos of war.”

Tap tap!

After saying that, Alenara closed the carriage window and leaned back on the hard sofa.

Not all swords need to have a blade, right? All that matters is that they can stab the opponent and take their breath.

Alenara realized that she had a sword in her hand and took a deep breath. From now on, she too would be a part of the war.

* * *

“Sir Ian! Sir Ian!”

“You’ll get hurt if you rush! Sir Ian!”

“Hey, what are you doing! Can’t you escort him slowly?”

“Ian! Why are you suddenly like this? That’s not the restaurant!”

Ian, who rarely hurried, was moving while even panting. Of course, it was the aftermath of his poor physical condition.

Berick and the mages who had been waiting below were surprised and followed him, and soon they arrived at the makeshift prison where Damon was being held.

“Haa, haa…”

Ian caught his breath, holding a pile of documents. A drop of sweat flowed down his hair. Then, he slightly turned his head and signaled everyone to step back with his eyes.

Swoosh.

Something was unusual. The mages could only watch Ian without crossing the threshold of the underground prison.

“Open it.”

Clang!

The Clifford soldier saluted and seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then took out the key, trusting that they were mages. With the unpleasant sound of metal clanging, Ian rushed inside.

Damon, who had taken off his armor and was still in his battlefield attire. After a body search confirmed that there were no particular problems, he was shackled at his wrists and ankles.

Although he was the king of a country, he was, after all, a prisoner of war. There was no more effective propaganda than showing the depth of his fall, so this treatment was natural.

“Damon. From now on, answer my questions truthfully.”

“…”

A rebellious light flickered in his untamed purple eyes. He avoided answering and lowered his head, his hair falling down and covering half of his face.

“Have you ever met the head of the Rutherford Merchant Guild directly?”

“…”

“What did you get in exchange for paying them?”

“…”

“Not only did you give them gold and silver, but why did you send your half-blood relative? Did Rutherford want that? How did they know you had a relative? The king and queen are dead, and this is a matter that is being kept quiet even within Burgos.”

“…”

“Does Rutherford know about your life? If so, how could you give the secret to a gypsy?”

“It seems you have a lot of questions. But what a pity? I don’t want to answer. Just because you ask doesn’t mean I have an obligation to speak.”

Damon chuckled and shook his head from side to side, and Ian roughly grabbed his hair and pressed him against the wall.

Thud!

“I told you to answer truthfully.”