Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 933

The man meticulously counting gold coins into neat stacks reacted sharply to the sudden noise. He was Odel, the head of the ‘Odeluke Merchant Guild,’ a group that traveled across Gaia, buying, selling, and delivering goods.

Knock, knock.

“Guild Master.”

“What is it? I told you not to come near me!” he snapped.

It was his strict rule that no one, not even an ant, could approach the room when he was working with his abacus. Just in case, he subtly gripped the handle of the knife hidden under his desk.

“A guest has arrived.”

“A guest? At this hour? Is it a client?”

“No. It’s two young men, but they didn’t give their names.”

“Those crazy bastards. Why are you reporting this now?” he grumbled.

Were there only one or two crazy people in Rugerspell? Dozens of drunks, addicts, and gamblers came every day, begging for money.

And now, just because two unknown people showed up, they were disturbing his money counting?

“Well, they seemed… unusual.”

“You little shit, just wait there,” Odel muttered.

Odel hurriedly put the gold coins into the safe. He was planning to scold his subordinates and then resume his calculations. Just as he was about to push the gold coins in, his subordinate added,

“They only said that Arena sent them.”

“…Who? Arena?” Odel paused.

If it was Arena, wasn’t that the arrogant minister of the Magic Department? Odel hesitated, then neatly arranged the gold coins and opened the door.

The first thing he saw was his subordinate’s swollen face. Behind him stood two young men. A boy in a robe was in the lead, and a young man with a satchel looked tense, his shoulders hunched.

“…Wh-what is it?” Odel asked, confused.

Why did his subordinate look like that? The subordinate tried to hide his teary eyes, and Ian gently placed his hand on his shoulder and introduced himself.

“Even though we said we came with Arena’s introduction, they didn’t understand, so there was a bit of a misunderstanding,” Ian explained.

“Ah…” Odel sighed.

These idiots! They couldn’t recognize a wizard and messed up the response. Odel carefully examined the boy’s face in the robe and asked,

“Are you perhaps Ian Hadel?”

A handsome young man with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. And an undeniable noble aura. Among the people Arena sent, there was only one person with these characteristics.

Ian smiled and nodded.

“Oh, you know me. You are indeed the guild master.”

“Knowing is profitable. I apologize for my subordinates’ rudeness. Arena sent you?” Odel asked.

Ian nodded lightly.

Odel led them inside, biting his lip as if puzzled. In his room, there was a magic stone that reacted to magical energy nearby, in case of an intrusion. But.

‘It was quiet. Did they beat them without using magic?’ he wondered.

That boy?

Odel decided to ask his subordinates for details later and offered Ian the best seat on the sofa.

“Go and bring some tea. What would you like to drink?”

“No need. We’ll be leaving soon,” Ian replied.

“Ah, yes. Understood.” Odel gestured for them to leave, and the subordinates quickly disappeared.

While Hans nervously clutched his satchel, Ian leisurely looked around the room.

“It seems you plan to stay for quite a while?” Ian remarked.

Seeing that he had rented the entire building and set up a study like this. Odel replied with a practiced smile.

“I travel all over Gaia. Each place is valuable, so I try to handle as much work as possible.”

“I heard you’ve been trading magic stones with the Magic Department for quite a while.”

“Yes, has it been about 20 years? My father had a relationship with the previous minister.”

“Really? A deep relationship, then I was too rude,” Ian said, referring to the earlier incident with his subordinates.

Odel waved his hand, vehemently denying it.

“It’s my fault for not properly training my subordinates. Please don’t worry about it.”

“I appreciate you saying that. Then, let’s get to the point-” Ian said.

Swoosh.

Ian lightly crossed his legs.

Despite the small gesture, Odel felt an unexpected sense of intimidation. Was it because of the rumors of him being a genius wizard, or because he knew he was a noble? Even though Odel had traveled the world and met all sorts of people, it was embarrassing to feel intimidated by such a young boy.

“You said you saw a member of the Black Order?”

“Yes, yes, to be precise, I said I saw someone suspicious. I told Minister Arena everything, though?”

“I’ve been newly assigned to the investigation. So, I’d like you to tell me the details again. Are you busy?” Ian asked.

Busy? Even if he was, he had to say no. Odel forced a smile and burst into a hearty laugh.

“Oh, Mr. Hadel. Don’t say that. It wouldn’t make sense to say you don’t have time in front of a busy wizard.”

“I appreciate you saying that,” Ian replied.

Hans rolled his eyes, watching the exchange. There was a slight tension in the air… was it just his imagination? No, but still. Why was Ian so composed?

‘Is this what it means to be a noble?’ Hans wondered.

It wasn’t the Ian he knew. Even when he heard that Ian had gone to the battlefield as a wizard and made contributions by defeating monsters, he couldn’t quite picture it, but now, when it came to work, he seemed like a completely different person.

Odel cleared his throat and began to repeat what he had told Arena.

“So, the Black Order wasn’t like us, doing merchant work, but more like information brokers.”

“Arena said they were a problem-solving group?” Ian asked.

“Ah, well, they used that information to solve problems, something like that,” Odel replied.

Odel realized why this young kid was making him repeat what he had told Arena, like a dog being trained.

‘He’s comparing them,’ Odel thought.

To see if what he had told Arena was true, and if it was false, which parts were fabricated, and if there was any information he had missed. Ian smiled knowingly, resting his chin on his hand, as if telling him to continue.

‘Those damn Magic Department guys,’ Odel thought.

Odel swallowed his frustration inwardly. They were the biggest customer for magic stones, but in a way, they were worse than street thugs. Under the guise of helping Bariel, they always lowballed the prices…

“Ahem. I’ve only heard rumors, and I’ve never seen their leader. However, once, the Black Order offered a magic stone trade near the west, as if they were trying to make weapons.”

“What magic stones were traded at that time?” Ian asked.

“Yes, two crates of low-grade Borotal and three crates of mid-grade-”

“Soyfer?” Ian interjected.

“Ah, that’s right. Soyfer. Haha. Anyway, we sold those three crates. My subordinates went to pay and take them, and I think I saw the guy I saw then here in the center.”

“You have a good eye,” Ian complimented.

“As I said, information is valuable, isn’t it?” Odel replied.

Odel believed that a great merchant was more about meeting people than selling goods. Because he dealt with large sums of money, he calculated that meeting a strange person was a greater risk than damaging goods. So, even if he didn’t know anything else, he had a knack for reading people.

“Where did you see him?” Ian asked.

“There’s a gambling house not far from here,” Odel replied.

“A gambling house?” Ian repeated.

“Yes, it opens when the sun sets and closes when the sun rises, and it’s the biggest one in the area. All the crazy people gather there,” Odel explained.

Ian turned to Hans, asking if he knew about it.

“Is it the one with the red paint on the entrance?” Hans asked.

“That’s right,” Odel confirmed.

Hans had never been there himself, but he knew it well because it was so famous. Hans asked cautiously,

“I remember there are several entrances.”

“Yes, yes. Because all sorts of gambling games take place, the nearest arena depends on the door you enter,” Odel explained.

“Which gambling house was it? What did he look like?” Ian asked.

“He has a big mole next to his nose, his eyes are slanted like this, and he’s missing a front tooth. And his clothes are like a beggar’s. Like everyone else around here,” Odel said.

Hans frowned slightly at Odel’s muttering. As someone who had once lived here, it was uncomfortable to hear such words.

Ian, noticing Hans’s mood, turned his gaze to Odel.

“What’s wrong?” Ian asked.

He was good at distinguishing people, but he was biased. Since he was with Ian, a wizard, he thought he had nothing to do with Rugerspell. Ian shook his head, saying it was nothing.

“You don’t know his name?” Ian asked.

“Oh, no. I don’t know that much. Anyway, he has a unique appearance, so you’ll recognize him right away. Catch him and find out about the Black Order,” Odel said.

“I will. Thanks for the help,” Ian said.

“Oh, no, not at all. I owe the Magic Department so much,” Odel replied.

As Ian got up from his seat, indicating that he was done, Odel also stood up to see him off. Ian was about to open the door and leave when he suddenly turned back as if he had remembered something.

“By the way,” Ian said.

“Yes?” Odel asked.

“I know your guild is quite large,” Ian stated.

“Yes, well. I’m embarrassed to say, but it’s not something to be ashamed of,” Odel replied.

“But why did you set up a base in Rugerspell?” Ian asked.

“…?!” Odel was flustered and speechless. Ian smiled faintly and opened the door.

“See you next time. I hope you’ll give me good prices and good goods then,” Ian said.

“Ah, wait!” Odel called out.

Squeak!

As Ian opened the door and went out, the subordinates standing outside bowed slightly. The two disappeared in an instant.

Odel scratched his head in annoyance and became irritable.

“Hey!” he shouted.

Then, he called the subordinate with the swollen face and asked him what had happened.

“What happened? You should have bowed down to a wizard,” Odel scolded.

“W-well, they were so young that I thought they were talking nonsense. They didn’t show any ID, and they didn’t give their names. So, I asked them to show me some magic-” the subordinate stammered.

“Would they show you?! Huh? In the middle of Rugerspell at night?” Odel exclaimed.

Besides, it seemed like they were secretly investigating, so he should have reported it properly and let him judge the situation! These idiots!

Odel poured himself a drink and calmed his burning insides.

“Ian Hadel. That guy, that guy… he’s worse than Arena,” Odel muttered.

“Yes?” the subordinate asked.

“Shut up and get out,” Odel snapped.

“…Yes,” the subordinate replied, shutting his mouth and retreating at his boss’s annoyance. The two who had just left had already disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

“Ian, what did you mean by that earlier?” Hans asked.

“What?” Ian replied.

“Why did you ask why he set up a base in Rugerspell?” Hans clarified.

“Ah,” Ian said.

Ian put his robe back on and followed Hans. As the alley narrowed, there were more people bumping into each other. Ian explained,

“He’s a guy who travels all over Gaia, so how big of a customer is Bariel? And among them, the Magic Department is a big player in the magic stone field. But he doesn’t go to the Imperial Palace, and instead of being in the center where the big players are, he’s based in Rugerspell, which means-” Ian lowered his voice slightly each time someone passed by.

“He has a big deal with the underworld here,” Ian concluded.

An illegal deal. In other words, a deal that could be exposed. Or he was in a situation where he couldn’t show his face in the center due to other problems. Like a lawsuit.

Anyway, what was certain was that he had to hide in the dark.

“So, it’s a little warning to be careful,” Ian said.

Later, when trading magic stones, he could get a lower price, or he could get active help when needed. It was also revenge for Hans’s slip of the tongue.

“Oh, I see,” Hans said, nodding, saying he had learned something new. He pointed to a building not far away.

“It’s there,” Hans said.

“Yeah,” Ian replied.

There were even more people. It seemed like all the people who spent the night in Rugerspell had gathered. They were drunk on alcohol and the thrill of gambling, talking loudly.

“Wow, that guy. He’s a real tough one,” one person said.

“Who? The red-haired guy?” another asked.

“Yeah, yeah, he didn’t even flinch when he got hit. I might bet on him next time,” the first person replied.

“Still, no. He’s just good at taking hits,” the second person said.

Ian listened to the passing voices and headed towards the gambling house.