Margrave's Bastard Son was The Emperor

Chapter 19

I fully understand that I have neither a place to sleep nor food to eat.

The salary he had received so far must have been confiscated under the name of compensation for damages. Beric was literally naked and destitute.

He managed to secure some food at the tavern he had previously scrounged from, but he couldnt live like this for several days. Beric furrowed his eyebrows and glared at Ian.

Shit, did you use magic on me?

Was it that noticeable?

Come to think of it, my body was like this every time I met you. I dont know what it is, but itd be better for you if you just confess the truth. I wont fight in such a way.

An inexplicable surge of emotion filled him. When he landed a punch, he almost lost his senses due to the euphoria. It certainly wasnt a normal reaction. The only common factor in his two experiences was that blond brat.

Hmm. Ian chuckled leisurely and shook his head, conveying a slight sense of regret. You have a good stance, but youre slower than I thought.

What?

Surprised by the unexpected remark, Beric was momentarily stunned. Ian crossed his arms and leaned against the door, tapping his cheek as if to suggest that Beric should think more carefully.

The water I gave you when we first met wasnt mine; it belonged to one of the trainees. And you didnt refuse the jerky, did you?

He hadnt taken a sip of water aside from that. Berics face gradually turned into a look of confusion. He had come here half-certain of something.

I can tell you what youre curious about. But we need to make a promise first.

Swoosh.

Ians eyes turned golden. However, unlike before, he didnt channel any magic into Beric. He didnt want things to get messy if Beric went wild like a lunatic.

First, dont pry into my personal affairs.

No, thats it! This!

When Beric jumped and shouted, the guards standing behind looked at him suspiciously. Ians face was turned away and not visible.

And do not act rudely, Ian warned Beric calmly. He had been lenient because he needed the power of the Magic Swordsman, but Beric had taken things too far. Given his nature, it seemed likely that he would act the same way in front of Dergha.

So thats why a Magic Swordsman is precious?

Rushing the royal edict to the point of sticking his neck out was a sign of a hothead. The still unhealed whip wound was proof of that.

Beric bit his lower lip and muttered, Is that all?

Lastly, I hope youll protect me from all kinds of danger. Then, I will make the power you had that day entirely yours. To avoid any misunderstanding, I should clarify that I merely drew out the power that was hidden within you.

It seemed better to set the record straight, considering he appeared to dislike relying on external forces. Beric blinked his eyes in surprise.

My power?

Thats the end of my proposal. If you agree

I agree!

Please lower your voice.

At Berics outcry, stating he had nothing more to think about, the guards began to look suspicious. They whispered to each other, discussing something.

Being with me also includes crossing the border. I dont know if Ill need you when we return.

Return? Here?

How could a tribute sold to Cheonrye return to Bratz? Even Beric knew that was impossible. Nevertheless, his answer was clear.

Whats the big deal about crossing the border? I dont have a home or family anyway.

Keep in mind that you might die.

Id starve to death if I stayed here.

Right. Even if he was about to die, he wouldnt respect anyone.

Ian looked at the boy before him incredulously and chuckled. He was about to add a remark but decided against it. He thought that Beric had made some progress after receiving his many scoldings.

So now tell me clearly. Berics eyes shimmered with fervor. It was a simple desire for strength. Ian paused for a moment to choose easy words and asked, Have you heard of a Magic Swordsman?

No.

How about magic?

That, either.

..

Both stared at each other in silence, finding the other strange.

Even in Ians time as emperor, there were cases of people who had no education. And this place was a rural village from over a hundred years ago. It might be natural for Beric, who had wandered the streets as an orphan, to be unaware of such things.

Master Ian, weve been delayed too long.

Its time for us to change shifts.

As their conversation halted, the guards seized the opportunity to interject. Ian scratched his chin and made a request to Beric.

Ill call you soon, so wait for me.

Eh? What? Wait a minute.

Behave.

He added the last sentence almost pleadingly. As the guards began to slowly close the large door, Beric rushed in as if to follow. He was blocked by a long spear and had to back off.

Ive just told him to wait.

How could he disobey the order immediately?

Ian had plenty to do already, and now he had one more thing to worry about. Sighing, Ian moved towards the detached building. The corridors were oddly empty, perhaps due to the inconvenient timing. It seemed all the servants had gone to rest after cleaning.

Knock knock.

Its Ian.

Without waiting for a response, Ian opened the door.

He had expected the tutor to be waiting, but the room was completely empty. Judging by the coat, bag, and half-cooled tea cup left behind, he didnt think the tutor had left.

Where did he go? Teacher?

He wondered if the man had gone to the bathroom, but there was no sign of him. Ian leaned back on the couch, then suddenly looked over at the tutors bag.

Dergha attached him to me for surveillance. There must be some useful information.

Ian rummaged through the tutors bag and examined the stack of papers. Most of it was reference material for classes.

The rest was a paper titled, The Correlation between Desert Climate Changes and the Blister Sea. In between, there was a journal that was published last year. Surprisingly, it was issued by Bariel University.

He did say he graduated from a university, so it was Bariel.

It was plausible to guess why a genius among geniuses was in Bratz. Desert refers to the main base of the Cheonrye tribe, and Blister Sea is the sea at the edge of the desert, adjacent to the East.

Swish.

Despite searching to the bottom of the bag, there was nothing special. Ian neatly put the documents back and rummaged through the worn-out coat. Besides some trash in the pocket, it was clean.

Hmm?

Deep inside the sleeve, there was a designer label attached. It was the name of the person who designed and made the clothes, but the seal stamped next to it seemed familiar.

It seems similar to the seal used by Sir Molrin.

He traced each line with his fingertips, and it was much similar to Molrins hand gestures in his memory.

Then he noticed again, the journal from Bariel University. Since Bariel University is a national institution, wouldnt it have many opportunities to connect with government people? Ian burst out laughing without realizing it.

So, Sir Molrins eyes and ears were the home tutor.

It all made sense then. The servants wouldnt know about the information like sending letters to the Cheonrye tribe. Ian sat on the sofa as if nothing had happened while tidying up the coat.

I wonder if the tutor knows that Ive teamed up with Sir Molrin?

If he was just an informant, there would be no need to inform him that far. And if he was more than that, then there would be another layer of surveillance on Ian.

Then.

Squeak.

Master Ian?

The tutor, who rushed in, froze when he saw Ian. His slightly sweaty and flushed face indicated that he had been up to something precarious.

In such cases, its usually a secret meeting, spying, or thievery. Given his bare appearance, it was likely spying.

I had some business to attend to, so I was late. Where did you go?

II went to the bathroom.

But theres a bathroom in the room.

Well, that is, um. His eyes rolled around nervously.

Ian, seemingly satisfied, sat down at the desk. I have to write a letter today. Youve heard from my father, didnt you?

Yes. I did. Ive been informed about the contents, and Ive already written it. You just need to copy it, Master Ian.

The sound of a relieved sigh reached him. The tutor seemed thankful that Ian didnt show much interest.

Perhaps he was so clumsy. Rather than thinking the tutor was planted as an informant, the hypothesis that the tutor turned out to be a distant relative seemed more plausible.

Teacher, it seems like well be late today. Should I contact your home? We could even have dinner, considering the awkward timing, Ian asked to tease him.

Then, the teacher showed discomfort, wiping away his sweat. Its okay. Theres nobody waiting for me. Ill eat when I get home.

Single. A poor noble in his late thirties, struggling alone in a foreign land. His life devoted to research and its pursuits were clearly visible. When he was in the palace, there were a few people like him who occasionally showed remarkable results.

I can understand why he was unenthusiastic in class.

He had to finish quickly and return to his research.

Even while copying the letters, Ian watched the teacher closely. He was checking if he was concealing anything, as his demeanor was somewhat odd.

Scratch, scratch.

The sound of parchment being scraped filled the quiet room. Ian thought quietly, He seems to be attempting something under the directive of Molrin. But he would have been pressed for time to visit Derghas office.

Ians room was on the third floor of the annex, and Derghas office was at the top of the main building. He wouldnt have been able to visit there not knowing when his student would arrive. That means he must have attended to his business somewhere in the annex.

The first floor housed a makeshift kitchen, a bathroom used by the servants, and a storage room. The second floor was where the butler and the servants slept. From the third floor up, there were guest rooms and vacant rooms.

The butler

Did he visit the butlers room? Ian looked back at the teacher as he deliberately let the words slip. It seemed he had a knack for responding silently. His face hardened, becoming dark.

The butler didnt bring any snacks today. Arent you hungry?

No, Im fine.

Ian chuckled softly and continued writing the rest of the letter. From Molrins perspective, it was safer to keep multiple possibilities open.

If Ian failed, if he were to be found out by Dergha and be ruined, how would he cope with the aftermath? This tutor must have received some sort of instruction.

He must had some business with the butler right then.

Master key? But it was rare for a house head to grant seal access to the butler. If the Count had entrusted him with control over the funds, that would have been different. But it didnt seem likely considering Derghas character.

Then

There was no other way but to find out for himself.

As Ian skillfully copied the text, he stared at the teacher. For now, the man in front of him seemed oblivious to his alliance with Molrin.

The tutor was sweating profusely, restless.

In that case, there was no particular reason for Ian to reveal anything. The tutor, relieved by the sight of Ians smiling face, returned a stiff smile.