Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 589

“I know!” Before Ian’s question could even finish, one of the magic swordsmen shouted at the top of his lungs. He trembled, repeatedly muttering that he knew. The man knew well that if Rutherford chose silence again, their screams from being cut by a sword would surely fill the void. He was about to have his head chopped off, so why was he so afraid of losing a few limbs? Tsk. Tweeler, watching from afar, clicked his tongue, lamenting the lack of spirit in the soldier. “How do you know what I was going to ask?” If he had jumped the gun, that too would be a source of pain for him. Ian asked with a look that urged him to answer carefully, and the man stammered cautiously. “A-are you perhaps wondering where the half-blooded children of King Damon went, and why? I, I was in charge of transporting them.” “Transporting?” “King Damon’s children were dealt with at a temple in a region called Masantar in Toolun. I didn’t witness the scene directly, but the pure white temple floor being soaked in blood was not an uncommon sight. And the, uh, the bodies are presumed to have been incinerated within the temple.” “Hold on.” Ian frowned and raised his hand. The raw testimony had come too suddenly. “So, they were sacrificed.” “Since they were killed in the temple, yes, I suppose so.” If it was a temple in Toolun, it could be a place that directly worshiped the Undergod. Now that he had found out the specific location, he needed to confirm what the sacrifice meant and what they were trying to bring. Something hidden, besides Damon’s regression. “Outsiders were not allowed inside.” Damon had said that his regression was thanks to Rutherford. More precisely, thanks to the power of the Undergod behind Rutherford, but Damon wouldn’t have known that much. In any case, it was highly likely that something related to Damon’s regression had been done at the Masantar Temple. ‘What could it be?’ As Ian’s eyes narrowed, Rutherford raised his head. He had a look as if he had just realized something. Rutherford smiled and asked Ian. “By any chance.” “……” “Were you deposed from the emperor’s seat 100 years later?” His remark caused a stir. There was a huge reaction, not only from those who had heard the situation directly from Ian, but also among the soldiers standing there, who knew nothing. Rutherford, who had been watching Ian’s expression, looked delighted and revealed his true colors. “I see! It’s not that Verosian’s name became unnecessary, but that you became unnecessary! How else would you bring the emperor to this place? If the Bariel of 100 years ago is precious, then the Bariel of 100 years later should also be precious!” “Shut your mouth, you!” Tweeler, unable to bear it any longer, roared like thunder, but he couldn’t stop Rutherford. Ian remained silent, as if telling him to continue, with his legs crossed. “Let me tell you myself. Bariel will only walk the path of endless decline from now on. You may have gone back in time to stop that starting point, but well. The clock has already started ticking, so who can really reverse it?” Ian Verosian? An emperor who was abandoned even in the Bariel of 100 years later? Rutherford laughed as if he had lost his mind, and Tweeler, Jaylott, and others who knew Ian’s situation watched his reaction. He was the Emperor. Not just anyone, but a noble being whose dignity was beyond compare. And yet, such an insult. “Sir Ian-” “The fact that the clock has started ticking means that something that has already left my hands is the key to driving the events.” Ian interrupted Tweeler again, as if asking him to wait a moment, and muttered. It was a tone of voice that was calmly organizing his complex thoughts. ‘While mentioning the Masantar Temple, Rutherford remembered something and then said that. Then… the matter that has left my hands must mean the deaths of Damon’s siblings.’ Damon had gained a third life in exchange for handing over his siblings to the Undergod. However, it was not yet known if that was the truth. Damon had continued to try to die, but he was still stuck in his second life. He tried to guess Rutherford’s train of thought again. The deaths of Damon’s siblings would bring about the decline of Bariel, and further, it would predict the deposition of Ian Verosian……. “Wait.” Ian roughly flipped through the documents he had brought from Bariel and checked Timothy’s records. The first time Damon found his half-siblings and handed them over to Rutherford was when he was thirteen. That was 20 years ago. ‘20 years ago, then-’ Wasn’t that around the time Jin was born? It was a black seed. The sacrificed descendants of the Vergos royal family were transformed into black seeds in the temple and planted in the Bariel imperial family. One of them was Arsen. Ian suddenly recalled the imperial family that had been declining for 100 years before he ascended the throne. ‘A man who brought a storm of blood to Bariel with his cruel nature and was eventually purged by the empress, a man who was born weak and died three months after his enthronement, a man who was so extravagant and wasteful that he emptied the national treasury at once, a man who was so foolish that he executed all the loyal subjects…….’ There were too many. There were so many who had dragged the once-great Bariel to the bottom that it was impossible to count them. It was hard to say whether they were all demons like Arsen, but one thing was certain: they had brought darkness to the imperial family. “…The imperial family is blessed by the gods.” So, to plant a black seed within it, special blood was needed. The blood of the royal family, which was sacred and precious. At that time, there was a man near the border of Bariel who had been killed by his younger brother, and who was therefore seeking special power to usurp the throne. A man named Damon Runkvis. All the circumstances aligned. There was no reason for the Undergod not to choose Vergos. ‘Then, was I also part of that process?’ To Ian, the black seed was Cronida. The seed grew into a huge old tree, strangling Ian, and eventually he was killed without being able to cut it down. Everything seemed to be taking shape, little by little. “Um, Sir Ian.” At that moment, a mage approached Ian and whispered. “There’s a bit of a problem. I just checked the map, and there’s no region called Masantar in Toolun.” At those words, Ian turned to the magic swordsman. He lowered his head and trembled, meeting Ian’s cold gaze without knowing why. “You said Masantar in Toolun.” “Yes? Yes, yes, that’s right.” “But, they say there’s no place called Masantar in Toolun.” “What, what are you talking about? Look again! It’s definitely there. It’s about three days by carriage west of the capital. And, uh, if you go up from Vergos, it takes about ten to fifteen days.” “You don’t seem like someone who would joke with their life on the line.” “No, I’m telling you! It’s real! The map, give me the map!” The man jumped up and down, feeling wronged. He had traveled between Vergos and Masantar several times, so how could they say such a thing? The mage handed him the map, and the man nervously read the place names. “Uh… It, it’s definitely around here.” The place he pointed to was a blank space with nothing written on it. It was impossible to tell if it was a desert or a mountain. The mage glared sharply, and the magic swordsman was about to go crazy, appealing to Ian. “It’s definitely here! It’s a dry forest, and there’s a gatekeeper village at the entrance. They are people who live protecting the temple. If you follow their guidance and go through the forest for about an hour, you’ll find the temple!” “Sir Ian. Just in case, let’s dip it in water and take it out.” “What? Me?” “Then, should we dip the map in water and take it out?” Bariel and Toolun didn’t have much interaction, so even if it was a map made by the imperial family, it might not be complete. Above all, countries rarely give out all of their geographical information to other countries. It would be great if they could find a Toolun map in Agiar Castle, but there had been no significant results so far. “That’s enough.” Based on the fact that the testimony was specific and there were no contradictions, Ian judged that the man was telling the truth. He gestured for Acorella to come closer, then covered his mouth and whispered. “Acorella. How long will it take to make the Siltham potion?” “Hmm. Within two days should be enough.” “Imprison him separately in the dungeon. After masking the truth with the Siltham potion, I will execute him separately.” “Yes, I understand.” At Acorella’s command, the mages grabbed the man’s arms. He thought his head was about to be chopped off, but they were going to spare him? Really? The man, unaware that his reprieve was only for two days, bowed to Ian, overjoyed. “Your name will be removed from today’s execution ceremony.” “Thank you! Thank you!” Seeing this, the other magic swordsmen pondered deeply. It wasn’t a special secret, but just by revealing what he knew, he had avoided death. Should they also add something, instead of just staying still? If they could beg for their lives, what wouldn’t they do? “Rutherford. On the day we made the magic contract, you gave the illegitimate son Ian a Silask. Where did you get that, and why did you give it to him?” “Ask your precious god directly.” If he did that, everything would be easily solved, so he didn’t know why they kept asking him. Did their god not answer? As Rutherford retorted, another magic swordsman added. “I don’t know what happened back then, but the red flower that doesn’t wither can sometimes be found in Toolun. I think the habitat is nearby, and the items are spreading through word of mouth.” “I will answer too! Ask me anything!” “Yes, if you spare my life, what does it matter? I will tell you everything. Without a single lie.” Rutherford glanced at his subordinates who had suddenly changed their minds. This was a disaster. They had sworn to give their lives for him when they were with him, but it seemed that the influence of the god had faded while they were with Ian. If he had known this would happen, he would have told them all to jump off the cliff a few nights ago. “That’s right! Anything you want to know!” “I want to hear about the allied nation, Ruswena.” “It’s Idgal. Since Bariel manages Idgal entirely with the rift suppressor, there was a great deal of resentment about it in Ruswena. Unlike before, there are many more mages belonging to the imperial palace, and since Idgal and the mana sealing stones are completely restricted, the royal family also has a great risk, doesn’t it?” “I know why Ruswena joined hands with Rutherford. There are testimonies that the black armor that Ruswena supported is slightly different from before, so is there anyone who knows about this?” “Black armor? That, that far-” “Preparations for war with Cliffopord were in full swing. While Vergos and Bariel were in the north, they were naturally trying to prepare for the battle for supremacy in the south. At that time, it is thought that all the high-quality black armor remained in Ruswena to gain an advantage in the war.” “When we last contacted them, they said they were also in contact with Hawan! King Eldert was supposed to have a conversation with their king, but I don’t know after that.” He wanted to ask about the internal situation of Hawan, but he couldn’t mention it rashly. Since the rebellion of Minister Shatima, which would determine the fate of the nation, was planned, there were too many ears listening to speak here. Swoosh. Just as Ian was about to turn the page and continue the interrogation, Rutherford suddenly started coughing up blood, and the amount of blood was so unusual that he couldn’t help but frown. “Why is he doing that?” “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to be an external factor.” “Could it be a side effect of Laromedia? The hallucination effect is gone, but the side effects may still remain.” “Cough-” “He’s making a fuss. Call a healing mage.” At Ian’s command, the attendants moved quickly, and Rutherford lowered his head, breathing heavily. He instinctively felt his life fading away. But he could accept it willingly, even gladly- -Pour it out endlessly. Your blood will stain Bariel with blood. It was because of the last voice the god had given him. Soon after, a healing mage arrived, and shortly after, Barsabe also entered.