Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 587

Jin tapped the table anxiously with his fingertips. Unconsciously, he kept glancing outside, listening to even the smallest sounds. The sudden operation to capture Rutherford in the middle of the night had lit up the outside with torches.

‘Will it be alright?’

Rutherford. The puppet of the Underworld, long entangled with the illegitimate son Ian, the very person who brought Ian to his knees and plunged him into the abyss for nearly ten years. And that’s not all. The Idgal [a type of magical artifact or power source] he distributed was deeply involved in the princes’ rebellion, making him, in a deeper sense, a threat to his own throne.

Since he was such a slippery character, Jin couldn’t shake off the worry that something might happen to Ian, Sioasi, Tweller, and his other people.

“I have to trust them.”

Jin muttered to himself, as if scolding himself. If he didn’t trust them, who else would?

After guessing and worrying dozens of times, Jin jumped up at the sound of footsteps outside.

Swoosh.

Before the attendants could move, he personally opened the doors to the left and right, looking down the hallway. In the distance, Ian and the mages were entering, looking a little tired.

“Sir Ian!”

“Your Majesty.”

Ian, who was walking, looked at Jin with a slightly surprised expression. But soon, as if understanding his worries, he nodded. It meant that everything had been resolved without any problems.

“I apologize. I’m a little late.”

“No, you’re not late. Is everyone safe? No one is hurt?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Fortunately, Commander Hale is unharmed, and the other mages have also completed their mission and returned without any issues. Would you like to come out for a moment? It’s very late, so I was going to give a brief report, but it would be better to show you directly.”

At this, Jin carefully examined Ian and soon realized that the blood on him was from someone else.

But he couldn’t relax. Even if he said this, who knew what kind of injuries he might have if he saw them in the sunlight? There was a darkness in the Agiar Palace that could not be illuminated by torches, so he was frustrated that he couldn’t check.

“…Lead the way.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The mages were also the same, looking very tired, but none of them were seriously injured. Then what about the Imperial Guard?

The Imperial Guard members, who were following behind him, also seemed curious about the lives of their comrades. Jin quickly urged his steps and went outside the Agiar Castle.

Creak!

Thud!

The huge wooden door was half-open, and when Jin approached, it swung open wide. The officers and soldiers of the Imperial Defense Forces who had participated in the battle were gathered in one place, loosening their armor, and Sioasi was discussing something with Tweller.

“Beric! Are you okay?”

“Commander Jerritt, are you safe?”

“Ugh, for goodness sake. You got another hole in your stomach.”

“You crazy bastard, do you think I wanted to get it?”

Beric’s wound looked deep, but he lay down as if it was nothing and raised his middle finger.

Jerritt, who was sitting next to him, was also in one piece. He was dripping with sweat, but that was because he had exhausted his energy without recovering.

“Your Majesty.”

“Is everyone alright? Any deaths?”

“None. Some soldiers who fought against Rutherford’s magic swordsmen were slightly injured, but they are just minor falls, so there is nothing to worry about.”

As Sioasi said this, there were some who caught his eye. They were Rutherford’s gang, who were lying face down on the ground with their wrists and ankles tied.

The magic swordsmen were beaten to a pulp, having resisted to the end, while the mages were relatively intact. They were all bound by Idgal, but still.

“The magic swordsmen are Rutherford’s subordinates, and the mages are from the Rusweena forces. The mages surrendered relatively easily. It seems to be because they are based in Rusweena.”

“It seems that Rusweena was trying to distance themselves from Rutherford. According to their statements, the Rusweena side was trying to return home, and the Rutherford side was trying to go to Toolun.”

“And the problem is the puppeteers…”

The puppeteers were all dead. Some were cut down by soldiers who didn’t know they were puppeteers, some fell off cliffs while trying to escape, and some bit their own tongues while resisting. All the bodies were recovered, but since they were not alive, there was no information to be gained.

“That’s enough. Then, what is that?”

“Yes. It’s Rutherford.”

His head was covered with a cloth and tied up. At the gesture that he wanted to check his face, Ian shook his head.

“Not now, Your Majesty.”

“Why not?”

“There was a last resistance at the bottom of the cliff, in what appears to be a Laromedia habitat. Rutherford ingested it and caused hallucinations in his opponents, and we need to investigate exactly what the medium is. The most likely is the voice, but simple breathing or eye contact could also be an influence, so we have covered him.”

Hale and Beric said it was because of the powder floating inside the cave, but nothing was certain. For safety, there was no choice but to thoroughly isolate Rutherford.

“I see.”

Jin looked down at the bound Rutherford for a moment, then turned his body. Many people were lowering their posture and looking at him.

“Everyone has worked hard. We have captured Rutherford and his gang, especially the magic swordsmen and mages, who were the core of the Agiar battle, so there can be no greater victory than this. The glory and honor of the empire will shine for them, and I am proud that you are with me.”

Thud.

At Jin’s praise, everyone bowed their heads deeply. When Ian tried to lower his posture, Jin personally grabbed his shoulder and patted it.

“Thank you for returning safely.”

“You honor me with your words, Your Majesty.”

“You’ve worked hard. Everyone, focus on treatment and concentrate on resting your body and mind.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The officers dismissed the soldiers, and Ian approached Jin and whispered quietly.

“Your Majesty. Beric was cut by Rutherford’s Idgal.”

“By Rutherford’s Idgal?”

“Yes. Beric has such great recovery power that he was the central axis of our forces, but it seems that the bleeding is continuing, so it might take a while for him to recover this time. Commander Jerritt’s condition is also not good.”

“Oh dear. I heard that Barsabe is also in critical condition.”

“Your Majesty. I apologize, but the Imperial Guard is quite fatigued. The mages are also tired, but I cannot fathom the mental burden of those who have suffered great losses in their forces. Would you consider extending your stay longer than planned?”

“Alright. Prepare so that there are no problems with supplies.”

“Yes, and while we are staying, we need to investigate the Laromedia habitat. Previously, in the central street of Bariel, an impudent person made mischief with a doll that looked like Your Majesty, didn’t they? This is an opportunity to find out in detail.”

“Will you leave it to Astana?”

“Katimaco advised us about Laromedia, so it would be good to leave it to them, but it’s not certain. It’s also possible that most of Astana’s necromancers have been killed, making it difficult.”

“I understand. I will have a talk with King Astana when the day breaks.”

“That is a wise decision. The magic swordsmen will be executed at an appropriate time, and we should wait a little longer for the disposition of the mages. Rusweena may react first.”

“Will you send a separate message?”

“I will follow Your Majesty’s will. I think either way is fine.”

Jin pondered for a moment, thinking of Eldert. The sly and arrogant teal snake who succeeded Eriphony. The more information he gave, the more he would use his head. It was better to cause confusion with silence in this case. Let him imagine all sorts of things in his head.

“I will not send it.”

“Understood. I will inform them. Since magic power and Idgal are different, it will not be possible to completely subdue Rutherford with a magic power sealing stone. I will take the lead in watching over Rutherford.”

He was the one who created Idgal, not just anyone. It was too dangerous to keep other mages close to monitor him.

While Jin and Ian were grasping the current situation and dividing instructions appropriately, the sky began to brighten. Then, little by little, the complexions of the people hidden in the darkness were revealed.

“The sun is rising.”

“Haa, why is the day so long.”

“It’s long because we didn’t sleep. Let’s go, let’s go and sleep.”

“That’s why leaving home is such a pain! Hahaha!”

“But if I had stayed cooped up at home, how would I have gained the honor and glory of the empire? Oh my! It’s exhausting!”

The soldiers were tired, haggard, and exhausted, blinking their eyes. Jin suddenly turned to look at Ian. He wondered if he might see any hidden wounds in the darkness.

But it was a needless worry. Ian’s green eyes sparkled even more clearly, and he had a more relaxed expression than ever before, with a sense of relief that he had overcome a huge mountain.

“Your Majesty, please go and sleep as well. The day is finally over.”

The time it took to break down the Agiar Castle walls and track down and capture Rutherford was just one day. It was too long and too long.

“…Yes. I can sleep peacefully.”

Jin nodded and looked around once more.

Everyone was alive.

* * *

Three days after the occupation of Agiar in Bariel.

Even though their homes were destroyed by the war and their country was on the verge of collapse, the sun rose steadily. Thanks to Bariel’s tolerance of not harming civilians, people lived a life ‘close’ to normal.

“Is this all the laundry? There’s a lot today.”

“That’s because we had two training sessions yesterday.”

“I understand. Please leave it here.”

“This is the labor fee. I’ll put your name down, so you can get wheat during the supply.”

“Yes, thank you. I’ll work hard.”

“Oh, and can you gather some people who do sewing? There’s something that needs to be sewn in bulk.”

“Of course. How many do you need?”

“About thirty?”

The residents of Agiar provided manpower in exchange for a small labor fee or priority in supplies, and Bariel was organizing and taking control of the city.

The battle between Burgos and Bariel was long over. Now, residents with anti-Bariel and pro-Bariel tendencies were forming a strange atmosphere and fighting an invisible battle.

“But I saw other soldiers going towards the castle earlier. Is something going on?”

A resident who was running a laundry asked casually while organizing the clothes. Knowing even the smallest things about how the situation was unfolding was a competitive advantage.

The soldier sniffed as if it was nothing and chewed on dried meat.

“There’s an execution ceremony for Rutherford’s magic swordsmen.”

“Ah, is that today?”

“Yeah. Thanks to that, we get a break from training. Although we did two yesterday.”

“It’s not a public execution?”

“They say they’re doing an interrogation too. Anyway, good work.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll contact you.”

The soldier, who had gained a rare break, went straight into a back alley bar. Only people who didn’t know what was going on followed the soldiers to the Agiar Castle.

But the castle gate was firmly closed. There was no way to know what was happening inside.

Creak.

The door closed in two layers, and soldiers stood in a long line to the left and right in preparation for any possible situation.

Ian sat on a chair on the platform, looking down with cold eyes. Those with masks on their heads were kneeling in a row.

“Take them off.”

“Yes.”

Ian watched leisurely, resting his chin on one hand, and they shook their heads, unable to come to their senses from the sudden light.

And among them, Rutherford, who was looking up at Ian with half his soul gone. Ian greeted him with a cold smile.

“You look even worse in the light.”

“……”

“Rutherford. The interrogation will begin now. If you do not answer truthfully, you will not die peacefully, so choose wisely. I will also give your subordinates the right to speak. If there is anything you want to say, say it at any time.”