Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 75

“Ian! Ian!”

Hannah shouted, crossing the garden. Ian, who was cutting gulla sprouts, turned his head as she handed him a letter, panting. The seal was missing, but the envelope was made of high-quality, sturdy material.

“A letter from Mereloff has arrived!”

“Oh. Okay.”

Ian took the letter, removing his gloves. It didn’t seem like the Count had sent it. If so, there was only one person in the mansion who would be writing.

“It seems the butler sent it.”

“Huh? Not the Count?”

“There’s no seal, so it can’t be. If the Count had sent it, he wouldn’t have had it delivered to you.”

He would have likely made a fuss at the front gate, demanding Ian come get it himself. Regardless of the situation, the Baron’s position, who hadn’t even had the investiture ceremony with the Count, was clear.

Ian elegantly tore open the envelope and checked the contents on the spot. Hannah, who couldn’t read, watched Ian’s expression with wide eyes.

“Is it the news you were waiting for, Ian?”

“…It’s not what I was waiting for, but it’s welcome news.”

Ian lightly folded the paper and patted Hannah’s shoulder. Then, he instructed Beric, who was lazing under the shade of a tree.

“Beric. Stop playing around and let’s go down to the basement.”

“The basement? Why there?”

“Bring Romandro too. And tell the kitchen to mix some flour with whatever they have to make a dough.”

The butler was asking if gulla could be sold, on behalf of the Count.

-Greetings, Baron Ian. Please forgive my informal address and for taking the pen instead of the Count. The Count of Mereloff is not in a position to reply at the moment.

The informal address was because Ian had not yet received a surname. The excuse that he was not in a position to reply was an obvious lie. The first message sent to Mereloff was about the assassination attempt by the conspirators, but there was still no official response.

‘The butler probably wrote the congratulatory message about the investiture too.’

-Mereloff is also conducting a thorough investigation into the conspirators you reported. Please wait a little longer. The reason for this letter is to ask if you would be willing to open gulla sales.

I have heard that the sale of gulla to outsiders is strictly prohibited. I respect that, but I am writing this letter with the upcoming winter in mind.

This is my personal proposal, unrelated to the Count. However, if you agree, I believe we can reach a mutually satisfactory deal.

I hope you will show great generosity. Sincerely,

Saman, Butler of the Mereloff Estate.

Ian slowly shook the letter, carefully repeating the butler’s name written at the end. Saman, while Bariel was a place where diversity coexisted, each territory had its own distinct characteristics. It didn’t seem like a Mereloff name.

“What are you going to use this for?”

“You’re quick, Beric.”

“It’s not hard to bring a lump of flour.”

In a very short time, Beric was holding a thumb-sized lump of dough. The color was strange, and it was impossible to guess what he had mixed in.

Well, he didn’t really want to know.

Thump! Thump!

“Ugh! Ian!”

“Romandro, you’ll fall.”

“Ouch, that hurt. A letter came from Mereloff, right? Is it a gulla trade proposal? I came running as soon as I heard.”

“No. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the Count, but his butler. It seems the Count isn’t hungry yet.”

Ian smiled, handing the letter to Romandro. He quickly scanned the contents. If there was still a place to rely on, it meant there was a place to get food other than Bratz.

“…Sheiron?”

“I think so. They’ll probably send people to the Hawan Kingdom too, but bandits appeared and started a fight. They won’t be able to send many people, and there won’t be any volunteers.”

“Right. It’s probably more painful to be stabbed by a sword than to starve to death. That route is closed. Hmm. Was it Su? That Chunryeo woman?”

Ian knew everything that had happened in the canyon that night through Su’s messenger bird. It was fantastically coincidental that Erica had appeared at that time.

He didn’t know if she was dead, but there were rumors that the Hawan Kingdom had dispatched soldiers to suppress the bandits. For the time being, anyone who valued their life wouldn’t go near that place.

“Anyway, the Chunryeo people are more efficient than I thought.”

“Especially when it comes to physical tasks.”

“It’ll take ten days to get to Sheiron, maybe less… The problem is coming back. It’s high altitude there, so it snows early.”

Ian, Beric, and Romandro went down to the basement, discussing the situation. Then, they simultaneously looked at the closed door. It was the room where the only survivor of the men who had tried to kill Ian was locked up.

“Open the door.”

Squeak.

At Ian’s command, two guards unlocked the door. The man, Colin, who was curled up on the bed inside, jumped up and prostrated himself on the floor. His shaggy beard and rough skin indirectly revealed his suffering. It was only natural, as he was living like livestock in a place without windows.

“Colin.”

“Yes, yes…”

He glanced up and answered. What was going on? Was he going to be killed now? The man’s body trembled like an aspen.

“Eat this.”

“Huh?”

“If you eat it, I’ll send you home.”

Ian smiled, gesturing to Beric. He didn’t know what was going on, but he had to do it. Beric held up the dumpling in his hand and roughly grabbed Colin’s cheek, forcing his mouth open. He struggled reflexively, but he couldn’t win with strength.

“Ugh, what is this! Help, help…”

“Are you worried about dying? Don’t worry. You’ll die even if you don’t eat it.”

Beric finally shoved the dumpling down his throat. And to prevent him from spitting it out, he pinched his nose and tilted his head back. Colin grimaced with the unpleasant taste and rolled on the floor.

“Ugh…”

“He ate it all, right? Ian, he ate it all.”

“Good. Colin. I’m going to send you back to Mereloff now.”

“Yes? Th-thank you…”

“But you have something you need to do.”

Ian squatted in front of him and tidied his hair. It was like petting a well-behaved dog.

“Have you ever been to Sheiron?”

“Sh-Sheiron? N-no, I haven’t.”

Ian looked a little disappointed at Colin’s words. But it didn’t matter. His job in Mereloff wasn’t to be a guide, but the opposite.

“I want you to listen carefully to what I’m about to say. When you return, you must keep silent about what happened here, and no one should know about your actions or mission.”

That was a reasonable proposal for Colin.

If it was discovered that he had tried to kill Ian, a noble, even if he was only half-noble, he would surely be brought to trial.

“Instead, you must volunteer for the group heading to Sheiron that the Mereloff estate is recruiting.”

It was impossible to know if there would be many or few volunteers. The result would depend on the atmosphere within the territory. But Colin, a sturdy young man, would somehow be able to join the trade group.

“And somehow, prevent the group from going to Sheiron. Or make sure they come back empty-handed from Sheiron. You can break the carts, or tie them up as a group. It’s up to you. However, you must make sure they don’t return for at least fifteen days.”

Colin blinked, not understanding Ian’s words at once. So, he was being asked to act as an undercover agent? Colin reflexively shook his head.

“H-how can I do that…”

“Aren’t you the one who tried to kill people for money? It seems like that would be easy for you.”

“Um, Ian, I, I was really wrong.”

“If you don’t follow my instructions, you will die.”

“What do you mean…”

Zhiing.

Ian’s eyes turned gold, and he faintly released his magic power. In the windowless room, his hair fluttered, and Colin’s body stiffened at the feeling of magic power he had never experienced before.

“What you just ate will melt into your body and become your blood and flesh. As soon as I confirm that my plan has gone wrong, I will release this energy without restraint. Then your blood will turn into poison, and your whole body will melt and seep into the ground.”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Ian’s voice, warning him in a soft, whispering tone, was quite menacing. Colin started to gag, but Beric immediately clamped his mouth shut and bound his body.

“But if things go well, I promise you freedom. I will remove the magic I have personally placed on you. Compared to your comrades who have already gone to the afterlife, isn’t this truly fortunate?”

So, he meant not to have any foolish thoughts. Colin nodded, looking terrified. It felt like whatever had gone down his throat was about to strangle him at any moment.

Squeak.

“Come on out.”

Ian opened the door and turned his body. Through the half-open gap, the stairs were visible. The bright light pouring down from above. It was the first time he had seen daylight in a long time.

“Would you go home looking like that? Beric, make him presentable.”

“I’m a swordsman, so my shaving skills are amazing.”

“Don’t cut his neck.”

“Eek!”

“Just kidding. Just kidding.”

Colin clutched his neck at Ian’s joke. Beric chuckled and dragged him out, and Colin was intoxicated by the fresh air after nearly a month. It felt like he was alive, having just been on the verge of death.

Romandro, who had been watching, spoke to Ian.

“Just in case, we should assign someone to follow him, right?”

“Yes. Please give me a suitable person.”

“Hmm. Let’s see, I’ll look for someone.”

It was only natural. What Colin had eaten was just a crude lump of flour, so it was appropriate to put another practical device in place.

“But if we’ve decided to go to Sheiron, it’s safe to say we’re almost at the end.”

“A guy who calculates everything… ahem. No. If that meticulous Count is willing to pay extra to go to Sheiron, then yes, it’s safe to say he’s been pushed to the limit.”

“Let’s start gathering gulla.”

A crow crossed the sky. The black color looked particularly dark against the high, blue sky. It seemed like the time had come to gather the last hope and prepare for winter.

“If we make a deal, would one gold coin per sack of gulla be enough?”

Romandro, who was leading the way, turned around and asked.

He was curious about how much they planned to sell the gulla for if the deal went through. In fact, it was extravagant to put a price on things that grew in the mountains and fields, but they had already set a standard price of one gold coin for three sacks.

“One coin?”

Ian waved his hand as if it was absurd.

“I’m thinking of getting at least, really at least, ten gold coins per sack.”

The opportunity was only once.

He had already reported to Prince Marib that gulla was edible. There was a rumor that gulla was being eaten as a health food in the central region, and it might actually be happening above.

Perhaps this winter, after the New Year’s party, the value of gulla would be known throughout Bariel.

‘Since we won’t be able to sell it when the supply increases then, we need to make a big score this time.’

Honestly, if he could, he wanted to empty all of Mereloff’s warehouses. The merchant guild would come back to Mereloff someday, and spring would return as well. Would the Mereloff estate’s warehouse be empty forever just because it was a little bare this winter?

“That seems like too much. Do you think it’s possible with the Count’s personality?”

“If he’s on the verge of death, the Count of Mereloff will realize it. No matter how much he has, he can’t eat gold coins.”

Ian smiled brightly and turned his gaze to the boxes piled up on one side of the garden. They were lumps of gulla collected as taxes.

Romandro felt an unknown sense of intimidation from Ian’s radiant smile. He thought that if he ever crossed paths with that guy, his life would be miserable.