Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 624

“Welcome.”

The [Rander] was a high-end hotel in the capital of Tolun.

The manager personally opened the door, quickly assessing the guests. His shirt collar had a dignified air. It looked old-fashioned, suggesting he wasn’t currently active in his profession.

The manager gave a polite smile, observing the people following behind. *Hmm, not many servants with them.*

“Do you have rooms?”

“Of course. What kind of rooms would you like?”

“Three clean and tidy rooms, preferably on the first floor. My daughter isn’t feeling well.”

“Ah, I see. May I see your identification, please?”

The woman with her face veiled must be the daughter. She has very good posture for someone who isn’t feeling well. As the manager was about to check the ID, the child next to her took the woman’s hand and guided her to the side.

“Sister, there’s a decoration next to you. Be careful.”

*So, she’s blind. Tsk, tsk. She looks young, how did she end up like that?*

The manager checked the border guard seal on the ID. The classification number was 009-11… Meaning they were from a fallen noble family from Bariel. The manager shrugged and handed the key to the man.

“I’ll show you the way. Do you have any luggage to be moved?”

“No. I’ve left it all with the carriage.”

“Yes, please come this way. Is this your first time in Tolun?”

A red-haired knight followed the three families. He frowned, his eyes narrowed as if something displeased him. The manager turned the corner and pointed down the hallway.

“You can use these three rooms freely. If you need anything, such as cleaning, bathing, or meals, please let us know at any time.”

“Ah, excuse me.”

“Yes, sir?”

The man took out a gold coin from his pocket and gave it as a tip. Even if they were fallen nobles, they were still nobles. The manager bowed deeply and received the gold coin with both hands.

“It’s because of my daughter, but is there a woman who could attend to her constantly?”

“All day, you mean? I’m sorry, but we don’t have anyone available right now, but I’ll look into it.”

“I’d appreciate it. If possible, I’d like someone fluent in Bariel. My daughter isn’t very familiar with the Gaia common language.”

“Yes. I’ll do my best. Then, please rest comfortably. All the rooms on the opposite side are vacant.”

“Thank you.”

As the manager bowed and stepped back, Barsabe staggered and sat on the bed. She quickly kicked off her high-heeled shoes.

“Whoa, these are murder weapons.”

“True. Your feet stink.”

“Shut up before I order you to wash my feet.”

Hale lightly loosened his outer garment, looking around. The weather was more humid and hotter than he expected.

Meanwhile, Ian, without unbuttoning a single button, touched the wall and cast a spell. It was a spell to prevent their words from leaking out.

“It’s late today, so let’s move out starting tomorrow. Captain Hale, you’ll approach the royal palace information, and Beric, Barsabe, and I will inquire around the slave market.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Accessing information about the royal palace wasn’t difficult. Money, all it took was spending a lot of money. After dining at a luxurious restaurant, having coffee, and enjoying a couple of card games, there would naturally be someone nearby talking.

Considering the level of expenditure there, they would surely be royal palace officials, merchants using Tolun as a route, or nobles from other countries. Whoever they were, there would be no problem getting information.

“You’ll be living in luxury. Lucky you, Captain. Can’t I go that way too? It’s a bit much to move alone, isn’t it? I’m a noble, after all.”

“I’ll buy a servant separately for you. Beric, it’s not good for you, me, and Barsabe to be seen by royal palace officials. The King of Tolun already saw a lot that day through Barsabe’s eyes.”

Especially the two members of the Imperial Guard were distinctive in appearance, and Ian’s appearance was also very noticeable.

Barsabe twisted her sore feet, adding,

“And honestly, you’re not at the level to fit in there, are you? The slave market suits you better.”

“I can’t argue with that, but it’s a bit annoying.”

“Barsabe, what if the manager brings a servant who can speak Bariel?”

Ian finally took off his outer garment. As he asked as if testing her, Barsabe straightened up and answered. She already had a plan for every situation.

“We’ll find fault and send them back. We’ll guide them towards the slave side.”

If they gave the impression that a servant of free status wouldn’t be able to handle Barsabe, they would naturally be introduced to a slave trader.

Knock knock.

The four of them paused at the sudden sound. But only for a moment. Barsabe quickly put on her shoes and moved to the sofa, while Hale sat opposite her and took out a cigarette.

As Beric stood there blankly, Ian gestured with his eyes, as if asking why he wasn’t opening the door.

“Ah, right. I’m the errand boy. Who is it!”

“Excuse me, it’s the manager.”

“Come in.”

The manager smiled awkwardly and nodded.

“Well, I just inquired, and it seems it will take some time to find a servant who can speak Bariel. As you know, Tolun has very little interaction with Bariel.”

“Will it take long?”

*This is even better.* Hale rubbed his beard and asked, and the manager bowed apologetically.

“Yes, so if you have the funds, I was thinking of introducing you to a slave trader-”

*Was thinking of?* The four of them instinctively realized that something was wrong.

“That is, the royal palace closed the slave market today.”

“Closed? The royal palace? Why?”

“Ah, don’t worry. It won’t last long. The overall atmosphere isn’t serious. I don’t know the details, but from what I heard, a slave who was supposed to go to the royal palace was robbed by a band of thieves. But it seems that it ended up on the market, so they’re taking temporary measures to recover it.”

Hale’s gaze naturally turned to Ian. The royal palace, a band of thieves’ attack, a slave? It was highly likely to be related to Philia. Hale pretended to be nonchalant and continued the conversation.

“It must be a valuable item. For a band of thieves to dare covet the royal palace’s goods.”

“Yes, I heard rumors that she was a very beautiful woman, but the thieves probably didn’t know. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have put her on the market so openly.”

“Then is the royal palace trying to eliminate the band of thieves?”

“I don’t know about that. They’re called the ‘Cut-Ears,’ and they’re famous in the area. If they try to eliminate them and end up getting caught, it would be a big loss for both sides.”

“They sound notorious from what you’re saying.”

“Haha. Yes, well, they are. They’re a group of wandering mercenaries, but they’re all very skilled, so everyone avoids them. And they’re not completely unreasonable. I’ve heard that if you pay them fairly, they handle things cleanly.”

“Really? Do they have a base?”

“No. If they did, the royal palace wouldn’t have closed the market. It will take some time to find them. The Cut-Ears will probably be lying low and watching the situation. Anyway, that’s why it might take some time to find a servant.”

“…If that’s the situation, there’s nothing we can do.”

*Ting!*

Hale flicked another gold coin to the manager, adding,

“I want to rest well until tomorrow. Tell the servants not to come in either.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“And one more thing. Is the slave market far? As you can see, I only have one guard.”

“It’s a bit close, but you don’t have to worry about anything. This [Rander] boasts the best security in Tolun. I can guarantee it. Just rest well.”

*That’s enough.* As Hale gestured, the manager bowed deeply and stepped back. As soon as he closed the door, Hale, Beric, and Barsabe took out daggers from their luggage and strapped them to their waists.

“Ian, I don’t know if now is the right time, but it’s definitely an opportunity. The Cut-Ears are the ones holding Philia. If we find them before the royal palace, we can safely rescue Philia.”

“Yes, and I’m sorry to say this, but if Philia was put up as a product, they would have taken care of her. Philia, there’s a high chance she’s safe.”

“Damn it, that’s good. I didn’t like it here because it was too hot.”

Since the slave market trade was blocked, the Cut-Ears had only two options. Hand her over to the royal palace or go to another country to trade. Either way, they would choose the option that made them money, and if they knew that Philia was Ian’s mother, the latter would be more valuable.

*But considering the extra cost of going against the royal palace, they might hand Philia over to the royal palace at a reasonable price. The point is to cut off the deal between the royal palace and the thieves. We need to secretly contact them and let them know that we’re in Tolun and ready to pay immediately…*

There were many difficulties. Searching for the thieves faster than the royal palace in a strange country.

“Judging by the fact that they blocked the slave market trade, it seems like an agreement wasn’t easy.”

“Yes. I think so too. The royal palace will try to get back what was stolen, and the thieves will want to get their price. If they’re only after money, it would be more profitable to send Philia to Bariel, but the pressure from the royal palace must be too strong.”

Ian paused for a moment. He was thinking about where and how to start, and Barsabe, sensing the silence, spoke up.

“Ian, there’s something that’s been bothering me since earlier.”

“What is it?”

“The Cut-Ears are all former mercenaries, and they cut off the ears of their victims. That’s like a custom among the underground arena fighters.”

Since they were former mercenaries, it was natural for them to end up in the underground arena to make a living. Since the matches involved bets, the fighters had no choice but to fight to the death.

Those who lost in the matches would get a kind of ‘mark,’ which was the cutting off of a part of their body.

“Ears are a part of the body that doesn’t hinder fighting once they heal, so many prefer it. How about starting from there? If you look carefully, there will be people who have connections with them.”

It made sense. As Ian nodded, Hale and Barsabe blew out all the candles in the room.

“I’ll go ask for the location. I’ll just say that the owners are all asleep, and I’m going to check out the arena, right?”

“Let’s meet outside.”

“Okay. Bring my robe too.”

*Creak!*

As Beric left, the three of them watched out the window until complete darkness fell.

When the footsteps became scarce, Beric lightly tapped on the window as a signal. They immediately climbed out the window and hid in the alleyway.

*Tap tap!*

“Remember. Don’t cause a disturbance, and don’t let your identities be revealed.”

“Yes, Ian.”

“But is it right for Beric to lead the way?”

“I know the location! Why? Do you have a problem with that?”

“Of course. You can’t even tell your right from your left.”

“Yes, I can!”

“Shhh. Beric, what did the manager tell you?”

“He said to go straight down the left alley, and when you see a general store, go straight past it.”

At his words, the three of them stopped at the same time. Then, without a word, they turned back the way they came.

“You idiot. We came down the right alley.”

“Huh?”

As Beric wiggled his right and left fingers and stopped, Hale silently grabbed him by the collar and dragged him along.

There was no time. The darkness was short, and there was much to find out.

Oh