Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 66

Marib drew his bowstring back as far as it would go, pressing it against his body. He could feel the wind, but he didn’t pay it any mind as he released the arrow. He wasn’t trying to hunt any animals.

Swish!

The arrow flew in an arc, hitting the ground far from its target. A deer, startled, ran away, and the ministers watching from the side let out disappointed chuckles.

“Oh, that’s a shame.”

“Indeed. It’s a pity the wind picked up.”

“Well then, it seems Lord Derencio is currently in first place.”

“Your Highness, I shall try my hand.”

It was an unofficial event held once a month. The imperial family, key ministers, and a few nobles would gather under the guise of socializing, but it was really an extension of politics—a very tedious yet important occasion.

“By the way, where is His Highness Gail today?”

Marib, who was about to pick up his bow, paused. The fact that he and Gail were not on good terms was common knowledge, even among the lowest slaves in the imperial palace. Yet, someone had casually mentioned his name.

Some subtly glanced at the First Prince, but Marib responded calmly.

“Indeed. I wonder what keeps him so busy.”

After the appointment as lord was overturned and Molin was sent down to the border, there was one puzzling thing. Gail had been conspicuously absent from Marib’s sight. There were no particular rumors circulating, and judging by his father’s hints, it seemed Gail was still visiting him often.

It meant that Gail was intentionally avoiding Marib.

The minister, oblivious to the fact that Marib’s brow was furrowing, drew his bowstring and muttered.

“His Majesty hasn’t been out due to his declining health either, which is quite a shame.”

“…A shame?”

“Well, yes. When Your Highnesses were younger, it was so lively and enjoyable. There were many times we missed our prey because of the commotion…”

Swish!

Just as he was about to release the bowstring, an arrow suddenly shot out from the side. Marib had fired his bow haphazardly. Soon, another deer ran off into the distance.

“Like now?”

“Y-Your Highness?”

“I, too, find it a shame. It seems the minister is not satisfied with me. Is it because my hunting skills are so poor?”

“Oh, no, Your Highness, what are you saying? Absolutely not.”

The minister, in protest, was sweating profusely. He desperately tried to deny it, even using his hands, but Marib simply smiled and turned away.

“Carry on. I need to rest for a bit.”

“Ah, yes, yes, Your Highness.”

Marib took off his gloves and left, while the ministers subtly berated the one who had made the mistake and urged him to pick up his bow.

Lying down under the tent, Marib rubbed his temples as if exhausted.

“Are you alright?”

He hadn’t slept for days due to the accumulated workload. It was no wonder he was exhausted, having come out to shoot arrows in that state. His aide poured him some cool water and checked on him.

“A messenger pigeon has arrived from the border.”

“Is it from Romandro?”

“It seems it might be a gift for you, Your Highness.”

Marib looked up at his aide, puzzled. The aide made sure no one was around and lowered his voice.

“First, Romandro reports that they have discovered a crop that can solve the famine. Ian is leading the effort to distribute it in Bratz, and they expect to see results by this winter. The tax rate will also be at the normal level.”

“This winter?”

It was the time when the green leaves were turning yellow. What kind of crop could possibly show results by winter? The growing period would have to be less than two months to make sense.

“It’s called Gula.”

“Gula? The poisonous weed I know?”

Marib immediately asked in disbelief. It was clear that Romandro had gone mad after going to the border. It was a weed that grew in dirty places and was even poisonous.

And yet, it could solve the famine?

He suddenly felt a wave of fatigue.

“I’m going crazy.”

“I thought so at first, but the details below are quite unusual. The seeds of the Gula are edible. They are said to taste quite good and are very filling, so it seems that quite a bit of cooking research has already been done.”

Marib was not pleased, but he had no choice but to gesture with his hand. The aide quickly presented him with a letter.

“Cultivation method? Ha! How is that different from cultivating weeds?”

“The growing period is very short, only one month, and one seed produces more than ten seeds. It doesn’t matter what the soil or water quality is.”

Marib carefully read Romandro’s report.

Indeed, if it was as written, it might not be impossible to solve the famine. Among the existing famine relief crops, it had the best conditions.

But just thinking about Gula made him feel dirty. How could he eat it?

“What’s next? Is that all? It’s a poor gift.”

“Ah, and…”

The aide bowed deeply and lowered his voice even further.

“There’s a letter of recommendation to appoint Ian as the next lord…”

Even though he was from a family of sinners, if it was true that he was a mana user, it didn’t matter much. No, rather, he should be coaxed and kept from running away. It seemed that he had gained the trust of Romandro and the people of the territory, and with a letter of recommendation, there was no problem at all.

But the real problem for Marib was…

“Lord Molin’s ring was enclosed.”

“What?”

His voice was louder than he intended, and one of the ministers standing far away glanced over. Marib closed the tent curtains and asked in surprise.

“Molin’s ring?”

“Yes. According to Romandro, Molin tried to kill Ian. His subordinate, Petreio, led the attack by gathering mercenaries, but they failed. They are all currently in custody.”

Marib listened to his aide’s explanation and turned to the back of the report. A luxurious ring was placed on the table, and he confirmed that the inscription inside proved it was from Molin’s family.

“They say they’re leaving it to Your Highness to decide what to do with it.”

“Ha.”

Marib felt his mind becoming clearer. He had thought so since he heard that he had brought in the Cheonryeo tribe, but his actions were quite useful.

‘He realized that his connection to Molin was an obstacle to being recommended as lord.’

And he showed it through his actions. He was not related to Molin, or rather, to Gail’s side, so he was asking to be made lord without worry. What could be a clearer request than this?

Marib’s fingertips tapped the table rapidly as he thought.

Toc toc.

“Your Highness?”

“Does Ian have any remaining family?”

“I don’t believe so.”

He did have a birth mother, but she was said to have gone missing before the battle.

“Write a letter. If he is a mana user, it would be easier for him to come to the center, but I wonder what he is planning to do.”

Primarily, it was important that Bratz did not fall into Gail’s hands, but judging by Ian’s actions, he thought he might be able to gain more than that.

‘This is perfect. It would be useful to put him in the magic department.’

There were actually few magicians, and because of that, their unity was great, and most of them were under Gail’s command.

Marib felt like he had received a gift, just as his aide had said. He got up in a good mood and picked up his bow again. The emperor’s permission was essential to proceed with the appointment of the lord, but it was the continuous requests of the ministers that would urge it.

“Did you catch anything?”

“Ah, Your Highness. The deer seem to have very long lives today.”

The moment Marib smiled and picked up his bow.

Swoosh-!

An arrow with a long tail flew past him from behind. It was so fast that only the afterimage of the black cloth tied to the arrow remained. Unlike the terrified ministers, Marib hardened his face and turned around.

“Gail.”

Black hair and blue eyes that seemed to hold the sky. His long, sharp eyes were as arrogant as ever.

Gail raised his bow from his horse.

“I apologize, brother. I was in a hurry when I shot.”

“…Your skills have become quite poor.”

“For someone with poor skills, it hit the mark properly.”

Marib turned his head, following Gail’s gaze. A deer with a hole through its neck was lying on the ground. The black cloth tied to the arrow fluttered in the wind.

Gail approached the ministers and nodded, greeting them naturally.

“I apologize for being late. I was busy with work.”

“It’s alright, Your Highness. It seems like it’s been a while since we last saw you.”

“How have you been?”

Gail naturally nodded to the ministers. If it weren’t for the blue eyes he inherited from the emperor, no one would believe that the two shared blood.

“Brother, you’re not upset that I caught it, are you?”

Gail raised his eyebrows and made a playful expression. The two were always at each other’s throats, so the ministers slowly backed away, feeling awkward.

“Now, uh, let’s all have a drink.”

“Shall we? Oh, it’s hot. Yes. It’s hot.”

“Your Highness, let’s take a break.”

“Hey! Fill the quiver here.”

Leaving the noisy old men behind, Marib smiled softly. Judging by his visit, he must have had a reason. It would have been difficult to guess under normal circumstances, but he had just read the letter from Bratz.

“Well then. You’ve shown your face despite being busy, should I thank you, my brother?”

“Would I be as busy as you, brother? You must be so busy with state affairs, yet you still come to such a trivial hunting gathering…”

As the legitimate heir and official successor, Marib had the most work in the imperial palace. It had become even worse since the emperor had fallen ill.

Gail glanced at the minister who was laughing foolishly behind him and continued.

“And you’re so concerned about the border. Even if you collapsed from overwork, no one would be surprised.”

“But everyone would be surprised that you’ve been paying attention to that area lately.”

“Do you continue to receive reports from your advisor?”

“Is there a reason why you need to know?”

Gail slowly scanned Marib’s face.

At some point, Molin’s reports had stopped. But judging by his intuition, it seemed that Romandro’s reports were still coming in. Then something must have happened to them in the Bratz territory.

Marib smiled brightly and warned Gail.

“I don’t know what your scheme is.”

Gail scoffed inwardly. He had noticed it since he suddenly attended the general meeting and interfered. Marib was also aware of something.

“It would be best to stop paying attention to the Bratz territory. A letter of recommendation for the next lord has been submitted. I have no objections, so I plan to proceed with it quickly.”

Gail’s face crumpled. In contrast, Marib smiled brightly and pulled his bowstring back strongly. The arrow flew in a cool arc and pierced the neck of the dead animal.