Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 52

But his mouth was still gagged. It was a measure to shame him as he faced his end, and to amplify the frustration of not being able to utter a single last word.

Derga blinked his bloodshot eyes, his expression indescribable.

“Die!”

Numerous voices called for his death. Stripped bare, he was a pathetic sight, yet the source of such intense hatred remained unclear.

“Rope him up.”

“Rope him up!”

A rope was placed around Derga’s neck. From below, five men began to pull on the thick rope. Derga’s body slowly rose.

“Ugh….”

“Anyone who holds a grievance against this man, throw a stone. The stones you throw will become the foundation of Bariel and the wall that strengthens the prestige of the Imperial Palace.”

He struggled and thrashed, but the more he did, the tighter the rope became. The count, dangling in the air, looked like a butchered pig.

The crowd erupted in laughter, while the Cheonryeo warriors, including Kakantir, watched his end with impassive faces.

“Waaaah!”

“Throw! Kill him!”

Thwack! Thud!

Dozens of stones flew toward the execution platform at once. Erica retreated, guarded by the investigation team, and watched Derga, suspended in the air and being pelted with stones.

Then, it happened.

Whoosh! Thwack!

A spear flew like lightning and pierced Derga’s side. It was thrown by one of the Cheonryeo warriors. The crowd was startled and paused for a moment, but the fervor that had risen did not cool down easily.

“Derga!”

Whoosh! Thwack!

Dozens of spears flew toward Derga’s swaying body. It was a punishment fueled by the Cheonryeo warriors’ desire for revenge. Most of them pierced his thighs or back, and soon, blood dripped from the spears.

Whoooosh!

Finally, Kakantir, who had been caressing the sharp tip of a spear, frowned as he checked its trajectory. Derga’s body began to droop more and more. Without hesitation, Kakantir threw the spear, and it pierced his chest with a sound unlike any other warrior’s.

It must have gone right through the heart, Ian thought.

“Ugh….”

Derga, his eyes rolled back, let out a final breath. Soon, the trembling of the rope completely stopped, and everyone witnessed Derga’s death.

“Derga Bratz is dead.”

“Derga Bratz is dead!”

Booooo-

The sound of a water buffalo horn signaled the end. The crowd cheered and spat insults at Derga’s dead body. They reveled in the spectacle, using the commander’s declaration as a starting chant.

Ian simply watched the scene with a strange gaze.

“Are you alright, Lord Ian?”

“…Me? Are you talking to me?”

“You didn’t throw anything. Actually, your hands should have been the ones strangling Derga’s neck instead of that rope.”

Kakantir glanced at Ian, hinting at something. Strangling his neck instead—that was not a pleasant thought.

“Well, but now that he’s dead, it feels strange. I even remember things I couldn’t say.”

“Things you couldn’t say?”

To make sure the bastard Ian apologized. Not Emperor Ian, but the bastard Ian.

History had changed in this life, but originally, Ian would have crossed the border and become a handful of sand. At a young age, just for being the count’s blood. After Ian died, Philia, the child’s birth mother, would have died too. Lady Mary would not have left her alone.

“Don’t you feel relieved now that it’s over?”

“I do, but I know this is just the beginning.”

Ian stared blankly at Derga’s body swaying in the wind. From this moment on, the name Bratz had disappeared from the world forever.

* * *

Derga’s corpse was scheduled to hang in the square for several days. It was necessary to clearly demonstrate the fate of those who defied Bariel.

Erica was cleaning up the gallows and asked her subordinate.

“Any word from the Central Support Army?”

“Yes, but….”

“What is it now?”

“Mary and Chel’s traces have disappeared.”

“Ha. Damn it. From where?”

“It seems they didn’t even find the target entering the forest. They are continuing the search with traces of fire, but it suddenly stopped near the valley. It’s difficult. And….”

“And?”

Please, not another piece of bad news.

The subordinate, reading Erica’s gaze, answered with considerable difficulty.

“They also received a message from the General Assembly.”

“…What?”

“If the pursuit of Mary and Chel is delayed, the soldiers are to return to the center. There is an order to summon all the soldiers dispatched to the provinces, but it is unclear whether this is a decision of the General Assembly.”

It was the First Prince Marib. He had noticed that the Second Prince Gail had stationed soldiers in the provincial territories, so it was a proper countermeasure. But Erica, who didn’t know this, just closed her eyes and muttered.

“We’re really screwed.”

Even with the Central Support Army, they couldn’t find Mary and Chel, so how could they chase them with just the investigation team? Even if they did chase them, they would surely be torn to pieces by the two Cheonryeo.

“But, Erica, didn’t you receive a letter from Lord Molin?”

“What?”

“The commander of the support army said that Lord Molin was ordered to follow the General Assembly’s decision. And they asked what we should do, but I couldn’t answer because I hadn’t heard anything.”

“Molin contacted them?”

Erica was surprised and turned her head sharply. Molin sent it to the commander of the central army, so there was no way he wouldn’t have sent it to her. Only then did Erica realize that there was a problem with the messenger pigeon.

“With the magic stone, it couldn’t have lost its way.”

Like a brooch, the magic stones, which were made of one piece, created a magical connection that guided the pigeon’s target point more precisely. It would even come to the window and wait without moving.

The subordinate thought for a moment and offered an opinion.

“There are many hawks in the mansion. Maybe it was eaten….”

That made sense. Erica frowned and immediately brought out her horse. The subordinates who were cleaning up the square called out to her, but Erica went straight to the mansion.

Crash!

“Ian! Ian!”

“…What is it?”

“I need to cut open the bellies of all the hawks here.”

Appearing out of nowhere and saying she needed to cut open the hawks’ bellies. Ian put down his documents, and the Cheonryeo warriors also had dumbfounded expressions. But soon, they realized she was serious and began to threaten her.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll cut your bellies open before the hawks’ are.”

“If even one feather is plucked, you’ll be sorry. Do you want to be hung next to Derga?”

“It seems the hawks ate the messenger pigeon!”

“Ah, the messenger pigeon.”

Ian nodded as if he finally understood. He wondered what she was talking about. Seeing that, Erica paused and made a ‘no way’ expression.

“Did you know?”

“Not exactly that the hawks ate it, but there was a bit of an accident. The messenger pigeon was buried well, and the magic stone was taken out separately inside the cloth.”

“How dare you steal the Imperial Palace’s messenger pigeon? That’s a serious crime, Ian!”

“It wasn’t from the Imperial Palace. It was something Molin sent personally, wasn’t it?”

At those words, Erica’s heart sank. What did Molin write? He wasn’t foolish, so he wouldn’t have written their plans in a letter. But it could be seen as evidence of treason in the future.

Erica’s attitude softened.

“Give it back.”

“Of course. I was going to give it to you as a gift when you left Bratz. You should clear away Derga’s corpse within three days.”

Leave within three days, and then he would return the letter. She was going to be kicked out anyway, but he was giving her an excuse to make it easier for her to choose.

“It seems Lord Molin sent the letter quite urgently. We would be even more grateful if you left right away instead of in three days.”

Erica’s pupils shook greatly as she guessed what the letter contained.

In fact, it was just that there was a problem with the appointment of the lord and that he would soon go down with the advisor, but there was no way Erica would know that. It was more of a letter to comfort Erica, who would be heartbroken, than to deliver news.

Erica trembled and recited each word.

“Fine. I will collect the body and leave tomorrow.”

“That’s a welcome decision.”

“Ian, just as I am leaving, you too will have to leave before the advisor comes down. Don’t think you’ll be free just because you didn’t inherit the name of Bratz.”

It was as if she was cursing him with all her heart, as desperately as possible.

But those words had no effect on Ian. When he showed no particular reaction, Erica glared at the Cheonryeo warriors and continued.

“The advisor is the one who is officially appointed to manage the territory. It means that a bastard from a brothel, who is backed by barbarians, is not someone you can play noble with.”

“It would be better to take back the word ‘barbarian,’ Commander Erica. It could be troublesome for me when the advisor comes and asks about your whereabouts.”

It would be difficult to say that he would kill her if she messed with him in such a dignified way. But it didn’t really resonate with Erica, who had been stripped of her title and had to wander around indefinitely, chasing after Mary and Chel.

“I will come back. You better be prepared then. I’ll turn the sands of the Great Desert upside down.”

“I don’t think that will happen.”

“Don’t have vain dreams, Ian. It’s pathetic.”

At Erica’s words, Ian put his hand on his chest and showed the manners of a noble. And soon, the overflowing energy of magic. His green eyes turned gold, and an unknown flow of power was felt. Erica could only stare blankly, as if she was possessed.

Zzzzzing.

“Commander Erica, don’t have vain hopes of being able to return, and think about finding Mary and Chel’s corpses and going to the center. If you’re unlucky, you’ll die on the road.”

“…A magic user?”

“Then go. I won’t see you off.”

“…….”

The warriors were also watching Ian with interest, as if it was the first time they had actually seen it. But that was only for a moment. Soon, they were disappointed to see Ian return to his normal self.

“Is that what magic is? That’s it?”

“Ah. That’s right, it’s what Beric showed us back then.”

“They say it’s a bit different when you become a mage?”

“What is it? How do you do it?”

“I don’t know, I just heard it like that, man.”

Leaving behind the Cheonryeo who were chattering and enjoying themselves, Erica blankly walked out the door.

A magic user.

Now she knew how Ian had seduced the Cheonryeo and gained the confidence to become a lord.

“Erica, are you alright? What did he say?”

“A magic user.”

Far from being demoted to a slave, they would be in a frenzy to have him come up from the center.

Erica realized for the first time that she had been completely defeated in Bratz. Her subordinate approached and checked her complexion, but she was not in the right state of mind to respond.

“Erica?”

“…Pack your things.”

“Yes?”

“We will leave the territory. Go and hand over Derga’s body to the central army, and we will chase after Mary and Chel.”

Was there anything more futile than chasing after a dead person? Since they were going to suffer anyway, it was better to start as soon as possible and show some sincerity to the Imperial Palace.

Meanwhile, Ian, who was checking the documents while listening to the warriors’ jokes, looked at the distant blue forest and thought of someone.

“It’s about time….”

It was time to see Philia. Ian’s birth mother, who was hiding somewhere in the forest. Now that Derga and his family were dead and her son had returned, there was no need to keep hiding, but more importantly, there was something else.

‘How did Ian come to have the flowerpot?’

Wasn’t she the only one who knew that clue?