Margrave’s Bastard Son Was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 50

The investigation team member awkwardly looked around. The faces of Erica and her colleagues had hardened. The heat that had surged a moment ago seemed to have cooled instantly.

Erica swallowed hard and asked again,

“It came by messenger hawk? Is that true?”

“Ah, yes, yes. Here it is.”

*Thwack!*

Erica snatched the letter at once. Since it came by pigeon, there was naturally no imperial seal. Instead, there was a clear seal of the General Assembly. She felt a throbbing in her head.

“I don’t understand why the reaction is like this.”

Kakantir muttered slowly. At his words, Ian smiled and cast his gaze. He didn’t know what it was, but it was clear that the situation was turning out quite favorably for him.

“Imperial orders cannot be sent by messenger hawk. So, even if it’s said to have come from the center, it’s likely to be another message, not a letter of appointment.”

No matter how he calculated, it seemed like the appointment was delayed or canceled. The more troubled Erica became, the more opportunities it presented for Ian. As expected, Erica’s expression as she read the letter was a sight to behold.

“No, you son of a bitch, crazy……”

Ian quickly snatched the letter from Erica’s hand. She and the investigation team reflexively lunged, but the Cheonryeo warriors were faster.

“Stay still.”

“…Y-you can’t take it away?”

“I warned you to stay still.”

Unlike the armed investigation team, the Cheonryeo warriors were empty-handed, but their spirit was not diminished at all. Rather, they were overflowing with murderous intent, as if they would crush their heads if they took one more step. For Erica, who had confirmed the central letter, it was a line she couldn’t cross.

Kakantir leisurely raised his glass and requested,

“Read it, Ian.”

“Yes, Kakan.”

Ian cleared his throat and slowly read the words.

-It is presumed that the damage to the territory is significant due to the rebellion of Derga Bratz. This will affect next year’s production and taxes, so the Imperial Palace will dispatch a temporary advisor to oversee the reconstruction. The dispatched individuals are Romandro, Molin, Mac, and Degor. Romandro has the authority, and the authority to dispose of Derga Bratz is also entrusted to Romandro.

The appointment of a lord will proceed after stabilization. Inform the entire Bratz territory and ask for cooperation. Also, the head of the investigation team, Bertie Erica, must quickly complete the destruction of the Bratz family. That is all.

“They say an advisor is coming.”

“An advisor. What will be his role?”

“As stated in the letter, he will be in charge of the overall reconstruction of the territory. My evaluation and that of the Cheonryeo tribe, which will be sent to the Imperial Palace, will also depend on him.”

“Hmm. That means he’s more important than the one in front of us.”

Kakantir pointed his chin at Erica and laughed. The warriors chuckled lowly, and Erica felt like she was suffocating. She was angry, but she couldn’t understand it at all.

‘This can’t be happening…….’

She stared blankly at the letter on the table, repeating the words. But that wouldn’t change the words already written.

“Head of the Investigation Team, Erica.”

Ian called her in an elegant voice.

“Do you know what it means that the authority to dispose of Derga is entrusted to the advisor named Romandro?”

They said they would postpone the appointment of a lord, but it was the same as being eliminated from the candidates.

To put it a bit harshly… she was in the position of a ‘dog that can’t even execute Derga and just chases after the rebels.’

“There’s even a saying that the real star of the execution is not the prisoner but the investigator, but it’s a shame.”

Wasn’t it a kind of show to display the glory of the emperor and the competence of the investigator by showing the beheaded prisoner to the world? Erica stood there for a moment, as if she had lost her mind.

“Now, shall we talk? Even if we can’t do anything else, we can help you, Head Erica, to carry out the execution.”

“…What?”

“Isn’t it enough for those who have read the letter to agree? It’s not an imperial order but a directive from the General Assembly, so we can be flexible in handling things in the borderlands.”

“How?”

“It will take about fifteen days for the advisor Romandro to arrive.”

It was simple. Hang Derga’s head as soon as possible, and when Romandro arrives, tell him that the deed was done before receiving the letter. There was nothing much to worry about.

“Instead, please entrust the task of ending Derga’s life at the execution to the Cheonryeo tribe. Since there’s a shortage of manpower right now, the Cheonryeo tribe will have to help with the preparations, and I think it’s a good opportunity for both of us.”

“That’s right, Erica. We can reduce your burden. When Derga is hung in the air, we’ll pierce his heart with a spear. There won’t be a more impressive execution than that.”

This was not a proposal. How could one call an option that could not be refused a proposal? It was the moment when Erica hesitated for a moment, hesitating to answer.

*Knock knock.*

Soon, a Cheonryeo warrior’s voice was heard from outside.

“Kakan, Ian. We have a bit of a problem.”

“Wait a moment.”

“Yes, I understand.”

What could it be? There was nothing that could cause a problem right now. If he had to choose, it would be a problem with Mary and Chel, but it couldn’t be that since the central army had just left.

Ian urged Erica and roughly wrapped up the situation.

“Anyway, Head Erica, please hurry and prepare for Derga’s execution. While you write the public announcement, we will take care of the rest.”

Has that bastard ever even seen an execution? How did he know that a public announcement was needed? Erica glared at Ian suspiciously, but she backed down at the blatant atmosphere of being asked to leave.

“…I’ll think about it.”

“It will be tiring for both of us if it takes too long.”

“…Let’s go.”

*Clang!*

Even though he said that, as soon as she returned to her room, she would take out a pen and paper. She would write a letter to Molin first, complaining.

Kakantir, who was drinking wine, called a warrior who was waiting outside.

“Listen.”

“…Kakan, what should we do?”

“What’s the matter?”

The warrior hesitated and took out a dead bird from his back pocket. The white cloth wrapped around its neck was stained with the bird’s blood.

“Is this perhaps a messenger hawk sent from the center?”

“It seems so.”

“Ah. Oh no. I didn’t know and killed it. What should we do? I threw a stone and it hit it right away.”

“Let me see.”

Judging by the way the cloth was tied, it was indeed a messenger hawk. But it was not from the Imperial Palace. At the sight, Kakantir lightly scolded the warrior.

“Why are you throwing stones at innocent birds?”

“I’m sorry. It kept pecking at the window, so I got annoyed and did it.”

“Window?”

“The head of the investigation team’s room. The fourth floor, the place that used to be Mrs. Mary’s room. I really didn’t know it would hit. Ah, was my throwing that good?”

“Nonsense.”

“I’m sorry.”

Then it was certain that it was a messenger hawk for Erica. Ian quickly found a piece of paper inside the pigeon’s clothes, in a well-stitched pocket.

*Rustle.*

“May I read it first?”

“As you wish. Today is indeed a day. The central army has left, and hawks and pigeons are flying in.”

Kakantir muttered in disbelief and sipped his wine again. Ian, who was quickly grasping the contents of the letter, let out an unknown exclamation, “Ha.”

-To the head of the investigation team, Bertie Erica. There’s a problem. It seems Derga wrote a letter to First Prince Marib. I can guess the content, but it’s not certain. Anyway, thanks to that, First Prince Marib suddenly attended the General Assembly and canceled the appointment of the lord. I’m trying to fix it, so don’t be too disheartened and wait. I will also go down to Bratz with the advisor soon.

“What does it say?”

“Now I understand. Why the appointment of Head Erica as lord was canceled. I thought it was strange, it’s not something that can be changed so easily……”

They had traveled for fifteen days to the border and fought risking their lives. It was also something they did to lay the foundation for rebellion. If the reward promised to Erica was not given, they might not be able to handle the aftermath.

Kakantir, who received the letter, also clicked his tongue.

“I thought it was something, but it was a power struggle. By the way, Derga wrote a letter? When did he do that?”

“I don’t know either, but it’s become a ridiculous situation. The quick-witted First Prince has outsmarted everyone. Thanks to that, we have benefited, and Derga has brought about his own death.”

Ian placed the letter on a candle and burned it. In any case, the more the relationship between Molin and Erica, who were on the same boat, went wrong, the easier things would go.

“When the advisor Romandro arrives, we must treat him well. First Prince Marib will probably suspect that I and Molin are in cahoots, so he might think we are part of the Second Prince’s faction.”

“But Molin will be annoyed with us?”

Especially Ian. Even if Derga’s accusation was true, Ian bringing in the Cheonryeo tribe was not part of Molin’s plan. It was true that it made it difficult to occupy the territory.

“That’s why I’m saying we need to define our position more accurately. It would be troublesome if we were hit from both sides.”

“It seems you are leaning towards the First Prince.”

“…He is the legitimate son and heir. Also, he is the person who was officially entrusted with the reconstruction of the territory by the Imperial Palace. The timing of the Cheonryeo tribe’s withdrawal may depend on his judgment.”

Ian was from an imperial family. Although it was a short term of only a few years, he was legitimately enthroned. That meant he knew the ecology of the Imperial Palace better than anyone else. Even considering the rise of Second Prince Gail, they could not ignore the legitimate line.

“I was about to talk about that. Once Derga dies, we will have achieved our goal. We will gradually send the warriors back to the desert before autumn comes.”

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

“I want to say that it is entirely up to Ian to charm the center and take the position of lord.”

He was saying to do well, or else the warriors’ help would all be in vain, Kakantir was saying implicitly.

Ian smiled brightly and nodded.

“Then, I will hurry and prepare for Derga’s execution. As soon as the execution is over, I will send Head Erica and the remaining personnel out of Bratz, and the authority to dispose of the body……”

“Enough, what would we do with a rotten lump of meat. We just want to end Derga’s life with our own hands.”

Kakantir’s eyes, which were nonchalant and relaxed, turned cold.

* * *

And that evening, as it turned purple, Kakantir’s hawk, Zeno, safely returned to Bratz. After confirming the red hair and blonde hair wrapped in cloth, Kakan scratched the hawk’s neck with satisfaction.

“Mary and Chel are dead.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“That’s good.”

Because of the shadows, it was impossible to tell what kind of expression Ian had on his face at those words. The warriors congratulated each other and exchanged fist bumps for completing another step of their mission.

“It seems they will return tonight.”

“Demosha!”

Kakantir shook his hand, letting the wind blow through their hair. Like bodies that would never be found, the hair also scattered and disappeared.

The warriors cheered, happy for the safe return of their comrades, and Ian stared at the half-broken banner of Bratz before turning his head.

In a few days, it would be a pattern that would disappear into history.