Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 51

The people gathered in the square murmured, staring at the gallows. Having lived their entire lives in the remote borderlands, it was their first time seeing such a bizarre and terrifying execution device. Behind them, the Bratz mansion on the hill stood as serene as ever.

“A hanging?”

“Tax evasion is a serious crime, and he even resisted.”

“Goodness. How did it come to this….”

“Wait, so he collected taxes from us like that, but didn’t send them to the capital? Then where did all that money go?”

“It must be in his belly, making him so bloated.”

“That son of a bitch, really! We even sold our houses to pay taxes. My daughter’s back is already bent from learning farm work as soon as she could walk!”

“Hey, keep your voice down. Are you trying to get us in trouble?”

“What does it matter! He’s not a noble anymore, just a criminal. He’s going to die anyway, why not die alone! Why did he even raise soldiers?”

“Exactly. If we had known it would be like this, we wouldn’t have sent our children to the mansion….”

“If the Count hadn’t done that in the first place, everything would have been fine. We’re the only ones who suffered. We lost money, and our houses were destroyed in the battle….”

To them, a hanging was a truly dishonorable death. As a noble, especially a lord who had faced the barbarians in the borderlands, it was fitting to end his life with a sword.

Especially to be seen dangling and struggling in front of the lower classes. Hanging was a punishment that killed even dignity.

“But the Cheonryeo [a neighboring barbarian tribe] are making the gallows?”

“Who else would move such a large log?”

Ironically, it was the neighboring barbarians, not the Bariel people, who were preparing Derga’s execution platform. Of course, they had never built a gallows before, so they were following the investigation team’s instructions, but somehow the atmosphere was not that of those being commanded.

“Ah, just say it all at once. Don’t make me go twice.”

“I, I’m sorry. After setting up the pillars, it seems like we just need to tie them tightly with rope to secure them.”

On the high platform directly facing the gallows, Kakantir looked at the townspeople in the square and the gallows gradually taking shape, feeling a strange sensation.

Just a few months ago, Derga had maintained a delicate relationship between ally and enemy. But now, his leader was about to be hanged in front of the lower classes, and he was going to watch it from a high position.

‘Life is truly unpredictable.’

Meanwhile, in the mansion, Erica was racking her brain, writing a public announcement. It was an important task to explain Derga’s crimes in a way that commoners could understand, and to proclaim the majesty of the Imperial Palace and her own achievements to the world.

Creak.

Below, Ian arrived at the underground prison. Derga, locked in the last cell, had his mouth stuffed with gravel and his vision blocked by cloth. His swollen limbs were dangling, dragged by shackles. He was in a state where it wouldn’t be strange if he died soon.

“Open the door.”

Click.

At Ian’s command, the Cheonryeo opened the door without any questions. Derga perked up his ears as if he had heard Ian’s voice. The stench of filth and blood emanated from him.

“Count Derga. It’s Ian.”

“Ugh….”

Now, he even called him by his name, without the titles of father and son. As Derga twitched in response, the sound of the connected shackles rang out eerily.

Clink.

“The date of the execution has been set.”

“……!”

“You sent a letter to the Imperial Palace in that short time, did you? It seems you even ratted to Prince Marib?”

Derga looked up at Ian, but his eyes were covered, so his expression could not be seen. However, Ian guessed that his eyes were shaking greatly under the cloth.

“Thanks to you, Erica was unable to receive her appointment as lord. Because of that, there’s a reason to leave Bratz in a hurry, and your execution has been moved up.”

Derga tried to reach out with all his might, but he could not reach him.

He regretted it. When he first brought him from the brothel, he should have made him disabled in some way, as Mary had said, so he couldn’t do anything foolish. What was so important about external appearances!

“…Ugh!”

“Mary and Chel are also dead.”

“…….”

“Among those with the name Bratz, you are the last survivor. Congratulations. You have an honor that no one else can have.”

Derga’s face turned red. It was clear that his blood was rushing backwards. Ian grabbed his hair and left his last words.

“Don’t be too resentful. Isn’t it all your own doing?”

A child created by raping a woman from a brothel. Not only that, but he separated him from his birth mother and abused him as if it were a daily meal to sell him as a sacrifice. His greed led him to use tricks behind the Cheonryeo’s back. He was alienated by both the central government and the people of the territory due to excessive tax games.

From beginning to end, there was nothing he hadn’t brought upon himself.

“Ian, sir. Kakantir is looking for you.”

“I’m going.”

Ian left the underground prison, leaving behind Derga, who was screaming silently.

Outside, spears that were much taller than an adult man were lined up in a row.

“Oh, Ian, sir. Take a look at this.”

“What is it?”

“Do you think the spear length is okay?”

Ian scanned the spears that would pierce Derga’s heart. Then, he glanced towards the window where Erica, the head of the investigation team, was.

“It’s the flower of the execution, so it would be good to talk to Head Erica and mention it in the public announcement.”

“Hmm. Yes. That would be good.”

It was just a casual glance, but Head Erica was looking down at them with a haggard face. When their eyes met, she slammed the curtains shut, looking annoyed.

Swoosh!

‘This is a shitty situation.’

Erica muttered a curse, holding her head. There was not even a single letter of explanation from Molin. Knowing the decision of the General Assembly, a messenger hawk should have arrived at a similar time.

“Damn it, old man!”

If she met Molin directly, the problem would be roughly solved, but once Derga’s execution was over, she would have to leave the Bratz territory. Ian and the Cheonryeo would not let her stay for even a moment. Even if she had left with the letter, she would be about halfway down by now….

‘This won’t do. I need to come up with a plan too.’

Erica pondered deeply, then took out a new piece of paper and began to write a letter. It was to demand an explanation from Molin, as well as to send one to First Prince Marib.

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and if she didn’t want to end up like a dog chasing a chicken, it wouldn’t be bad to open a path in that direction.

Swish.

Instead of a seal, Erica cut her thumb and put a drop of blood on it. It would be possible to identify her with a magic potion.

“Erica, ma’am. I have brought the materials you requested.”

“That Ian bastard has packed it up quite neatly.”

“It’s so thorough that we can leave right away.”

“That unlucky bastard. Tsk! Put it there.”

The investigator gathered the important materials that accused Derga of tax evasion and handed them to Erica, and the details were written down in the public announcement.

To inform the people of the territory of the meaning of Derga’s death on the day he died.

* * *

The day finally came. It was the day after the gallows were built. Everyone in the mansion came outside and gathered at the entrance of the underground prison.

“Bring out Derga.”

“Yes, Ian, sir.”

At Ian’s command, two Cheonryeo warriors went down and dragged Derga out.

“Derga Bratz. The time has come for you to be executed.”

At Erica’s words, Derga’s body was trembling. Other than his limbs being limp, his eyes and mouth were still covered. Erica gestured to her subordinates to lead him to the square.

“Move quickly.”

“Huh? Are you dawdling?”

He had to show an act of atonement by stepping on the land of Bratz with his bare feet. The sound of clanking chains echoed with each step he took. Very slowly, like a beast being dragged to the slaughterhouse, he kept his head down.

“Derga Bratz. Move.”

Whack!

“…Ugh!”

The investigator had no choice but to swing the whip, and Derga took one step at a time, groaning. He was almost being pushed along by force.

“It’s Count Bratz….”

“Goodness, what a state he’s in.”

“Once you peel off the skin, he’s worse than us!”

“Die! Die! You sucked our blood, and in the end, even our families died! Because of you!”

“Really? Is that really Derga, sir?”

On the way to the square, the townspeople’s gasps were heard from all directions. The first time they had seen the head of the family in such a miserable state. It was so shocking that they heard almost the same words until they arrived at the square.

Is that really Derga? That was the main point.

“Go up.”

“Huu….”

Swoosh! Thud!

“Derga! Was this really the best you could do?”

“You bad bastard! You should have done better!”

“Die in pain! Please!”

The moment came when his past sins exploded all at once. As Derga hesitated and climbed the stairs, a stone flew at him.

Someone was furious that his wife had been harassed by Derga, and someone else cried out that he had become a cripple because he had been beaten for not paying taxes. The names of Mary and Chel were also heard faintly.

“Did they catch Mary and Chel?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“But if they’re alive, isn’t it not the end of the family?”

“There’s a rumor that the remaining investigators will also join the pursuit team after the execution.”

“Really? Then the foreigners are all going back.”

“The Cheonryeo are left, but they won’t be able to endure the winter.”

“Ah! Finally, our daily lives are returning.”

Boooo-

The investigator blew a water buffalo horn. The noisy onlookers gradually lowered their voices. Soon, Head Erica stood next to Derga and raised the public announcement.

“I am Bertie Erica, the head of the Imperial Investigation Team. From now on, in the name of His Majesty the Emperor, I will announce the crimes of the criminal, Count Derga Bratz.”

And she read out each of Derga’s charges and the evidence they had investigated.

In fact, the commoners didn’t understand any of it, but the longer the content, the deeper their anger grew at the fact that Derga had committed unjust acts. And that it was the price of sucking their blood and sweat.

“In particular, the production of the Monne mine reached 60,000 tons, but the central report was only half of that, and the difference in profit amounted to a whopping 8,000 gold coins. This is only a part of the assets that have been omitted over the past few years….”

“What? 8,000 gold coins?”

“Did I hear that wrong?”

Ian, who was listening from below, could feel the rising heat with his body. How much the harvest was, how much the profit was, etc., was of no importance. It was clear to the commoners that it was referred to as a few gold coins.

“Hey, you bad guy! How could you do that?”

“Kill him! Kill him now!”

Stones and trash flew again from below. Head Erica ignored the things piling up at her feet and recited the last sentence.

“Therefore, in the Bariel Empire, those with the Bratz surname will only have eternal death. By the Emperor’s order, the Bratz family is destroyed.”

Thwack!

At the same time, a stone hit Derga’s temple hard. Erica gestured to the members to carry out the ceremony.

“Remove the blindfold.”