Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 65

Ian and the mansion’s servants moved all the gula seeds they had collected to the square. What had started as just four sacks had quickly grown to over a hundred.

The seedlings grown for research were also carefully wrapped in paper and loaded onto carts, requiring them to go back and forth five or six times.

“Goodness. How is there so much?”

“Well, we searched all the nearby mountains and fields to gather them.”

“Are you giving all of this away for free?”

When Ian gestured for them to line up, everyone moved, albeit clumsily, as if trying to maintain order. Beside him, Romandro’s subordinate was flipping through documents. Distributing the gula was a task in itself, so it would take quite some time.

“Listen carefully. The gula seeds will be distributed according to the size of the fields you cultivate. In particular, families with many members will receive additional seedlings, and I hope you will actively share cultivation and cooking methods to reduce the workload of the mansion.”

“They’re giving out seedlings too!”

“Shh. Be quiet. I can’t hear.”

“I can’t hear well in the back!”

Ian raised a finger and shouted.

“Although the gula is being distributed for free now, next year during harvest time, taxes will be increased by 10%. Also, all gula transactions with outsiders must go through the mansion. Violators will be fined 50 gold coins.”

“F-Fifty coins, they said.”

“Oh my, I’m going to have a heart attack. Really.”

For an average tenant farmer, earning one gold coin a month was the norm. They were momentarily shocked by the unexpectedly harsh penalty, but upon reflection, it didn’t seem like such a big deal.

“W-What about buying and selling among ourselves?”

“That’s fine. The important thing is outsiders. Outsiders cannot buy or sell seeds or even a single root individually.”

“Well, that should be okay, right?”

“Yeah. Who are the outsiders anyway? Besides the Great Desert tribes and… who else? It’s hard to find anyone other than Merelov.”

“That’s right. N-No problem! No problem at all!”

“Hey, you owe me, right? Pay me back a little with gula.”

Ian shouted even louder and continued the instructions.

“And if you report a violator, you will receive a reward. If anyone is dissatisfied with the additional tax, you don’t have to receive the gula.”

“How much is 10%?”

“It’s adding one more sack for every ten sacks of wheat.”

“What about fifty sacks?”

“…Five sacks. If you can’t calculate, ask the staff.”

Everyone was doing finger calculations, worrying about the increased taxes they would have to pay next year. But they had to survive now to see next year. The gula distribution began, and the man at the front of the line applied first.

“Aolden Parma.”

“Ah, yes. You’re in charge of the farmland by the river.”

“How much do I get?”

“Here. Five scoops.”

It was only five scoops, but considering its reproductive power, it was enough. As those who arrived late stomped their feet and kept moving forward, Ian pushed them back and said,

“If there are those who cannot receive gula, don’t worry too much. There is a second distribution planned.”

Since external sales were prohibited anyway, the cultivated gula would eventually return to the mansion. It was only a matter of time before all the territory residents of Bratz would be cultivating gula.

“Next!”

While helping with the distribution, Beric whispered from behind.

“Ian. You need to go back to the mansion for a moment. One of the culprits has woken up.”

“…I’ll be right there.”

Ian winked at Romandro’s subordinates, signaling that he was leaving it in their hands, and left the square. The mansion, now devoid of both gula and people, seemed much quieter and emptier than usual.

Tap tap!

“Have you arrived?”

“The remaining one woke up? What happened to Petreio?”

The doctor, soaked in sweat, wiped his face with the back of his hand and sighed. He had never seen a patient in such a terrible state, so this was… well…

“There’s no chance. He won’t last longer than today.”

“…That bastard.”

Beric glanced at Petreio through the door. The man was a bloody mess, barely breathing. Even in that state, he wouldn’t talk, meaning he wouldn’t open his mouth even in death.

Swoosh.

“What about the other one’s consciousness?”

“He’s very alert. As soon as he opened his eyes, he was crying and begging…”

He begged so much to be spared. It was Ian and Beric who had almost died, but if someone didn’t know, they would have thought they had kidnapped the wrong person.

When Ian opened the door and entered, the man who had been scraping up his porridge stopped.

“Ah…”

“It’s Ian. Glad to see me in the daytime?”

“Please spare me! Please spare me!”

Thump thump!

The porridge went flying, and the man slammed his head back onto the floor, begging. He was crying and wailing, almost having a fit. Ian sighed and asked,

“What’s your name?”

“C-Colin.”

“Keep talking.”

Ian sat on a chair and nodded. He wiped the porridge from his mouth and cleared his throat.

“U-Um, so I’m Colin, and I’m twenty years old. I have two older brothers and three younger siblings.”

“…I’m going crazy. I don’t care about that.”

“Hey, do you want your head smashed with that porridge bowl?”

“Eek!”

When Beric threatened him, the man started rubbing his hands together again.

“So, I’m a messenger for a gambling den, and I overheard the guards talking. They said someone was offering a lot of money to hire people.”

“Where are they from?”

“I-I’m from Merelov…”

He knew it. If you were looking for people nearby, that was the only place to go. Ian smiled, and Beric kicked the man hard in the shin.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

“So? Who was that someone?”

“I-I don’t know! Why would we need to know each other? They just give us money and we do the work. I didn’t even meet them. I got the money from the guards.”

Beric glanced at Ian.

“What should we do? Kill him?”

“Please spare me! Please spare me! I’ll do whatever you want! Ugh!”

“Oh my. You haven’t even been touched, and your screams are fantastic.”

Beric kicked the man, who was clinging to Ian’s leg, away. Judging by his appearance, he didn’t seem like he would kill himself to keep quiet. Ian tapped his fingertips, deep in thought.

‘Merelov…’

“Ian?”

“Imprison this one. And is there anyone outside?”

“Yes? Ian, sir. I’m here. What do you need?”

“I will send a letter to Merelov. Prepare the horses.”

Ian came out to the ground and instructed the servant. Then, he went straight to the drawing room and knocked on the door. Romandro, who was writing a report inside, was startled and greeted him.

“What’s the matter? Did Petreio die?”

“No. He’s still breathing. One of the culprits woke up and confessed that he was from Merelov. Most of them are probably from there. They said they were working as guards at a gambling den. I want to write a letter, would you help me?”

Romandro put down his pen and tried to understand Ian’s intentions. Sending a letter was one thing, but why ask him for help with it? He guessed and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you trying to create a pretext?”

“You could say that.”

“Hmph. Really.”

Ian sat across from him, and Romandro turned the report he was writing and handed it to him. It was a letter of recommendation for the appointment of a lord. It was filled with praise for the discovery of gula, the alliance with the Great Desert, and the reconstruction of the territory.

“Do you like it?”

“I hope it pleases His Highness Marib and His Majesty the Emperor. Just in case, put one of Molin’s belongings in it when you send it. Do you have a ring?”

“Yes. Then, what should we write to Merelov?”

He took out a new piece of paper and dipped his pen in ink.

“It would be good to start with, ‘Ian, who was recommended as the next lord, was attacked.'”

This was why Romandro, the imperial advisor, was writing it, not Ian. Because Ian’s current status was low, even if he tried to claim a problem, it was unlikely to be accepted.

However, if it was mentioned that he was being considered as the ‘next lord,’ and the advisor was writing on his behalf due to his injury, Merelov would not be able to easily ignore it.

“The attackers who assaulted the successor to the lord are thugs from Merelov. One of the culprits survived and confessed, revealing the truth. This is a matter that could easily cause misunderstandings between us.”

Scribble scribble.

If Ian were the lord?

It would be a matter where he could immediately raise soldiers, but the reality was not so, so he had to borrow Romandro’s authority. It was possible that Merelov would shamelessly claim that they had killed their own territory residents.

It seemed like something the Count of Merelov would be capable of.

“Therefore, we request that you send someone to confirm and take custody of the bodies, and we also request your active cooperation in the investigation.”

“Good. The ink is flowing well, very good.”

“And it would be good to add a consolation payment.”

At Ian’s words, Romandro scratched his nose with the quill.

“How much should it be? 100 gold coins would be appropriate?”

“That’s appropriate, but since we’re doing it, it would be better to raise it more. We don’t intend to receive it anyway.”

He was the kind of person who stubbornly refused the food trade that was requested on humanitarian grounds. He would probably have to ask for about 200 coins to get him to haggle down to 20.

“Let’s see, um…”

Romandro pondered for a moment, then finished the letter with elegant sentences. He then pressed the ring seal and handed the enclosed letter to Ian.

“Is it ready outside?”

“Yes, Ian, sir. The horses are ready.”

“Deliver this to the Count of Merelov. Be careful.”

The servant carefully put the letter in his arms and left the drawing room. It would probably take some time to get a proper reply.

“Since it’s for a pretext, it would be good if there was no reply at all.”

Ian smiled at Romandro’s words.

That was exactly what Ian wanted.

“Maybe we’ll get it around winter? Their gula seeds will be dried up, and it will be difficult to farm right away, so they will definitely want the gula itself soon.”

Then, if he brings up this incident, it will be a reason to refuse them in the first place, and secondly, it will be a reason to raise the price of gula.

He would be returning the favor, just like the Count of Merelov had done.

“Just thinking about him buying weeds at a high price makes me laugh already. His expression will be quite a sight.”

But Ian’s situation and their situation were different. Ian didn’t need to buy his food, but they wouldn’t be able to back down without a substitute.

Romandro then finished the report to be sent to the central government.

“By the way. Being appointed as a lord is one thing, but since it has been reported that you are a mana user, wouldn’t you have to stay in the central government for a long time?”

Getting appointed was the key, but even after that, there were still problems. There was no way they would send Ian, a mana user, down to the border.

“Then who will look after this place?”

“It’s not uncommon for a lord to stay in the central government for a long time.”

“That’s true, but that’s when there’s a steward.”

Ian only smiled instead of answering.

For now, once he returned to the imperial palace, he could think about it later. He could check if this unbelievable regression was related to Naum’s magic and then make a new plan.

“I don’t know. Let’s think about it after I become a lord. The investiture ceremony will be held at the New Year’s party anyway. I hope His Highness Marib will help me well.”

Marib’s help, at Ian’s words, Romandro only made a strange expression. It was an ambiguous reaction, neither affirming nor denying.