Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 96

The path was set.

Romandro continued to scratch with his pen until the candle had completely melted. He was going blind trying to write down the whole story, including Count Mereloff’s usual behavior, truthfully but in the most advantageous way possible.

Rustle.

“Lord Romandro. Is it okay to put this here?”

“Ah, Hanna. Yes, please.”

It was a statement from the servants of the Mereloff mansion. Most of them were illiterate, so they had only put their fingerprints on it, but it would be a document proving the Lady’s innocence and Dive’s pilgrimage.

“By the way, I think the Central [referring to the central government] will be a little surprised.”

“Of course they will. The Count was killed by a slave overnight, and his only successor, his younger brother, is a heretic who believes in the underground god.”

“That’s not all, they’ll be surprised that you sold Gula seeds to Mereloff. The report’s response doesn’t mention the popularity of Gula yet.”

“Did you get a reply from the Central?”

At Ian’s question, Romandro hesitated for a moment. Judging by his attitude, it didn’t seem like a very positive reply.

“Well, they told me to send Lord Molin to the Central first.”

“Your Highness Marib?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh, dear.”

Ian clicked his tongue in earnest. It was a scene that revealed who was the winner and who was the loser in the power struggle between Marib and Gale.

“It’s a shame, but it’s not that difficult. They’re not precious people, so I’ll have the carriage ready right away.”

“Are you sure? If you do that, you’ll meet them again in the Central.”

“What can I do? When we meet again, our positions will be clear.”

Ian was a nobleman and a wizard. Molin was an executive of the administration.

The difference was obvious.

“Anyway, the Central says that Gula is not edible. Quite a few people will have a hard time until this winter.”

“By the way, what about the ones that started cultivation in Mereloff?”

The seeds that the Count had bought to distribute Gula were still piled up in the warehouse. In other words, the trouble happened before the ink on the contract had even dried.

“Well, we’ve already been paid, so it’s best to follow the Lady’s wishes.”

“The Lady seemed eager to share and cultivate them so that everyone could eat them abundantly.”

“Then do so. And completely liberalize the sale of Gula to our residents as well.”

This meant that not only roasted Gula but also raw Gula, which could be cultivated, should be included in the trade. Romandro put down his pen and glanced at the chest placed on one side of the office.

“Two chests have already come in. I’ll have to go to the bank again soon. How much will it be? I think it’ll be about 200 gold coins per box.”

At Romandro’s muttering, Ian also began to calculate. If you add the 3,500 coins earned from the sale of Gula to such small income, and the 5,000 coins he received from the Lady, he had already collected most of the donation.

“Congratulations. At this rate, you’ll be able to pay off all the donations before next summer. Then you’ll become a true nobleman. Oh, I’ll be sure to be careful and treat you with respect then.”

“Please, be comfortable. I’ve already received a lot of grace just by you helping me like this.”

When Ian sincerely praised him, Romandro’s cheekbones rose slightly. He wrote the report to be sent to the Imperial Palace with all his heart, one letter at a time.

“By the way, once things are roughly settled in Mereloff, we should start packing our bags and leave. If we leave in fifteen days, we should be able to get to the Central with plenty of time.”

“Let’s do that. There’s not much to pack anyway. And not many family members to bring.”

It wasn’t a move, but just Ian and a few of his party moving. All his luggage would fit in one carriage. He was planning to stay at Romandro’s mansion in the Central, so packing too much would only be a nuisance. The only family member he would take was Beric.

“Let’s see, is this all we need to sort out?”

Romandro asked, organizing the thick documents. Judging by the amount of documents, one carrier pigeon would not be able to handle it.

“Oh, what about your mother?”

“My mother?”

“Philia, I mean. Does she still live in the forest?”

“Ah, yes. I told her to come down to the village, but she doesn’t seem to want to. She only does so when she can’t stand the cold, so I’m planning to ask the village tree keepers to keep an eye on her as they come and go.”

The name Bratz had disappeared, and the village had changed a lot due to the traces of the battle. But it seemed that Philia was immersed in her life in the forest, as it was not just a happy and nostalgic hometown for her.

“Still, you won’t be able to see her for a long time if you go to the Central.”

“Even if we go together, we won’t be able to see each other often.”

“I see. Well, will the Magic Department leave you alone? Oh, I’m sorry. This is just my personal prediction.”

Romandro, who had been muttering without thinking, smiled awkwardly. But Ian immediately understood what he meant.

“I think so too. Was it Minister Wesley? He must be on edge, whether it’s medicine or poison. I might be torn to shreds.”

“Right. Aren’t they the wizards who go out when the dawn moon rises and come back looking at the stars? Even if you bring your mother, you won’t be able to take care of her properly.”

That meant that the amount of training and work was high. But Ian had already experienced it, so he didn’t think much about it. Before being assigned to the Magic Department, he could go back to the way he was before.

“But I don’t know what Beric is doing, he hasn’t come back yet.”

Romandro muttered, looking at the darkening outside. It had been half a day since he had gone out to chase Poolu, who was thought to be the leader of the three knights of Mereloff. It was natural to be worried since there was no sign of him returning.

“The warriors went with him, right?”

“Yes. If something happened, a hawk would have flown. Let’s wait until tonight. Lord Romandro, when you’re done with the report, please check the Hawan Kingdom merchant group next.”

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

The Hawan Kingdom was in charge of dealing with Dive’s aftermath, which Lady Rienne had been worried about. To be precise, it was a merchant group that was going to the country of Toolun through Hawan.

“I don’t know if there’s a good place.”

“Cost is not a consideration, and it would be good if they were sincere and responsible. I think we should focus on the old merchant groups, right?”

“What about the method of transportation?”

Romandro’s eyes narrowed. There were several ways to entrust someone. Like Su had done, they could travel with the merchant group, or they could travel with strict escorts, or else…

“It’s better to be sure, right?”

“Yes. I agree.”

Move them as if they were transporting a prisoner.

It seemed that the latter method would be the best for Dive.

“A pilgrim must be accompanied by pain and suffering, isn’t that right?”

At Ian’s joke, Romandro laughed out loud for the first time in a while.

“What about the source of funding?”

“I heard that the money will be raised by selling Dive’s mansion in Mereloff. It’s better to finalize it soon, before we leave. I’ll have my men decide tomorrow.”

“Add to Lady Rienne that she should decide who will be responsible for taking Dive to Hawan and then to Toolun.”

“Hmm. It would be good to add another device.”

‘Personally, I think Clark is the right person, but it’s up to the Lady to choose.’

There were many soldiers stationed on the road to Hawan. This was because the misunderstanding that they were bandits due to Erica’s appearance had not yet been resolved. Erica and the investigation team had disappeared somewhere in the chaos, and there was no news of them.

“And Hanna.”

“Yes?”

Hanna was moving miscellaneous supplies here and there, eavesdropping on the two men’s conversation. Ian lightly gestured for her to come closer.

“Did you hear the story well?”

“Well… it wasn’t a secret story, was it?”

“Yes. So, I mean, keep it in your head. Learn it well for fifteen days while organizing things together.”

“Learn it well?”

“From tomorrow, you can go back and forth to Mereloff and ask the butler to teach you the work.”

She had an expression that she didn’t understand what Ian was saying. Hanna just blinked her eyes and tilted her head. Romandro, who was watching her out of the corner of his eye, chuckled.

“Me, the butler’s work?”

“Yes.”

“Me? Me? Am I the butler?”

“Your sense has really dulled.”

Hanna covered her lower face with both hands, but her wide-open mouth was still visible. It was proof that she had never thought of it even once.

A butler had to be well-versed in the etiquette and system of the nobility, be able to read, and be able to take full responsibility for the mansion in the absence of the owner.

“I don’t think I can do it…”

“Why not?”

“Because I haven’t learned anything…”

“That’s why I’m telling you to learn. It’s Samon. He’s a capable man, so you can learn a lot from him. Do you have anything else to say?”

It was a firm answer that meant that if there was no other reason, she should accept it. Hanna stood there blankly for a moment and muttered.

“Can I run around the hallway for a bit?”

“Yes. There’s no one sleeping yet.”

“Excuse me.”

Click.

Hanna left the office after giving a polite greeting that she didn’t usually do. The sound of pattering footsteps could be heard immediately. Hanna was running down the hallway, overwhelmed with joy.

Romandro wiped away his laughter.

“Geez. I don’t know if she’ll be able to do it like that.”

“Hanna is a trustworthy person. There are many people who can make up for her lack of work. There’s also Lord Nersarn, and two of Lord Romandro’s men are staying behind, right?”

“Originally, only one person was supposed to stay, but since Mereloff has become like this, I’m sure the Imperial Palace will issue various confirmation instructions. I told them to report back after seeing that.”

“I heard that the ones who are staying are unmarried.”

“It’s their fate. So, who told them not to get married?”

At Romandro’s playful reply, Ian let out a soft laugh. With that, only the sound of the pen scratching was heard again in the office.

Tap tap. Tap.

It was getting late at night. Something was tapping on the window. A black hawk, as dark as the night, was glaring at Ian with its golden eyes.

“Oh, dear.”

“Is it a warrior’s hawk?”

It was a joke that if there was a problem with Beric, a hawk would come, but it turned out to be no joke. Ian immediately opened the window and let the hawk in. There was a small note tied to its ankle.

Rustle.

“What does it say? Is Beric dead?”

Romandro asked as he got up from his seat, but Ian only had a strange expression without answering. He then showed the note and shrugged his shoulders.

“It seems that the warriors who went with him are not fluent in Bariel.”

-Beric. Knight. Monne. Chase. Forever.

It was only conveying the situation with a list of words, so there was no way to know what it meant. Even the two people, who were not ordinary, could not guess even when they put their heads together.

“Anyway, the problem is a problem.”

“That’s the only thing we can confirm.”

“Monne, isn’t that the mine over there?”

“That’s right. It seems that the chase has continued that far.”

It wasn’t within the territory, but it was a mine located deep in the mountains that Mereloff and this territory were bordering.

“I have to go, right?”

Romandro asked in a slightly creeping voice. Next to him was a mountain of parchment. The smell of ink was so strong that it covered the smell of the fireplace.

Ian shook his head as he grabbed a thick coat.

“Lord Romandro, please do your work. There are only fifteen days left, so you have to be diligent. I’ll go see Beric. Is anyone out there?”

“Yes, Lord Ian. Did you call?”

“Prepare a carriage and an escort.”

“Tonight? Where are you going?”

The servant was startled and asked back, but Ian just smiled and straightened his clothes.

“Monne. I’m going to get Beric.”