Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Broken Flagpole
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The investigation team members awkwardly glanced around. It was because their colleagues, including Erika, had faces frozen stiff. The boiling heat from moments ago seemed to have cooled to a crisp.
Erika swallowed dryly and asked again.
"A messenger bird? Is that true?"
"Ah. Yes, yes. Here it is."
Ta-at!
Erika snatched the letter in one go. Since it had come by pigeon, there was no imperial seal, of course. Instead, there was the clearly stamped seal of the Grand Council. She felt a throbbing headache.
"I don't get why the reaction is like this."
Kakantir muttered slowly. At his words, Ian shot him a smile. Whatever it was, the situation was clearly turning in their favor right now.
"We can't send an imperial edict by messenger bird. So even if it came from the center, it's more likely some other message rather than an appointment decree."
No matter how much he crunched the numbers, it seemed the noble title appointment had been postponed or canceled. The more troubled Erika became, the more opportunity it was for Ian. And sure enough, Erika's expression as she read the letter was a sight to behold.
"No, what the fuck, crazy..."
Ian quickly snatched the paper from Erika's hand. She and the investigation team lunged reflexively, but the Cheonryeo warriors were one step faster.
"Stay still, won't you?"
"...H-hand it over!"
"I warned you to stay still."
Unlike the armed investigation team, the Cheonryeo warriors were bare-handed, but their momentum didn't waver at all. Rather, a murderous intent overflowed, as if they'd crush their skulls with one more step forward. For Erika, who had even confirmed the central dispatch, it was a line she couldn't cross.
Kakantir leisurely raised his glass and requested.
"Read it for us, Lord Ian."
"Yes, Kakantir."
Ian cleared his throat and slowly read the text aloud.
-Deruga Bratz's rebellion is presumed to have caused great damage to the territory. This will soon affect next year's output and taxes, so the imperial palace will dispatch a temporary advisor to handle reconstruction.
The dispatchers are Romandro, Molin, Mac, and Drgor. Authority lies with Romandro, and the disposition of Deruga Bratz is also entrusted to Romandro.
Territory lord appointment will proceed after stabilization. Spread this throughout Bratz territory and request cooperation. Also, Investigation Team Leader Bertie Erika, swiftly complete the extermination of House Bratz. End.
"An advisor is coming."
"Advisor, you say. What will that person's role be?"
"As written in the letter, they will handle the overall reconstruction of the territory. Our evaluation with the Cheonryeo Tribe for ascending to the palace will also depend on them."
"Hmm. Meaning someone more important than the one before us."
Kakantir nodded toward Erika with his chin and laughed. The warriors let out low chuckles, and Erika felt like her breath was being choked off. Anger aside, it was utterly incomprehensible.
'This can't be happening...'
She stared blankly at the letter on the table, repeating it to herself. Not that the written words would change.
"Investigation Team Leader Erika."
Ian called her in an elegant voice.
"Do you understand what it means that Deruga's disposition authority has been entrusted to this advisor Romandro?"
They said in words they'd postpone the lord appointment, but it was as good as eliminating her from the candidates.
To put it bluntly... it was like becoming a 'dog that couldn't even execute the death penalty and just chased after the traitor's tail.'
"There's a saying that in an execution ceremony, the real star isn't the prisoner but the investigator—and what a shame."
It was a kind of show to display the beheaded prisoner's head to the world, extolling the emperor's glory and the investigator's competence. Erika stood frozen, as if her soul had left her body for a moment.
"Well then, shall we talk? I can at least help ensure that you, Team Leader Erika, can handle the execution ceremony itself."
"...What?"
"If those who read the letter all keep their mouths shut, isn't that fine? It's not an imperial order but a Grand Council directive, so we can handle it flexibly out here on the border."
"How?"
"Romandro the advisor will take about a fortnight to arrive."
Simple. Hang Deruga's head soon, and when Romandro arrives, say they handled it before receiving the letter. No big issues.
"In exchange, leave cutting off Deruga's breath at the execution to the Cheonryeo Tribe. We're short on manpower anyway, so we'll need their help to prepare—and from my view, it's a good opportunity for both sides."
"Yes, Erika. They'll lighten your load. Hang Deruga in the air and pierce his heart with a spear. No execution ceremony will be as memorable."
This wasn't a proposal. How could you call an unavoidable choice a proposal? The moment Erika hesitated, pondering her response.
Knock knock.
Soon, a Cheonryeo warrior's voice came from outside.
"Kakantir. Lord Ian. There's a bit of a problem."
"Wait a moment."
"Yes, understood."
What could it be? There were no elements to cause trouble right now. If anything, it might be Mary or Chel's side, but the central army had only left recently, so not that.
Ian urged Erika along and roughly wrapped up the situation.
"Anyway, Team Leader Erika. Please hurry and prepare Deruga's execution ceremony. While you write the proclamation, we'll handle the rest."
That bastard—had he even seen an execution ceremony? How did he know about the proclamation? Erika glared at Ian suspiciously, but backed down in the atmosphere demanding she leave outright.
"...I'll think about it."
"The longer it takes, the more tiring for everyone."
"...Let's go."
Kwang!
For all her words, she'd pull out pen and paper the moment she returned to her room. She'd write a letter grilling Molin first, of course.
Kakantir, sipping his wine, called the warrior waiting outside.
"Come in."
"...Kakantir, what do we do?"
"What happened?"
The warrior hesitated and pulled a dead bird corpse from his back pocket. The white cloth around its neck was stained with the bird's blood.
"This—is it a messenger bird from the center?"
"Seems like it."
"Ah, damn. I killed it without knowing. What now? I threw a stone, and it got hit right away."
"Let me see it a moment."
From the way the cloth was tied, it was definitely a messenger bird. But it wasn't from the imperial palace. Seeing that, Kakantir lightly scolded the warrior.
"Why throw a stone at some random bird?"
"Sorry. It kept pecking at the window, so noisy I just..."
"Window?"
"The investigation leader's room. Fourth floor, the one that used to be Madam Mary's room. I didn't think it'd hit. Ah, didn't know I had such good aim?"
"Enough nonsense."
"Sorry."
Then it was definitely a messenger bird for Erika. Ian quickly found paper in the well-stitched pocket inside the pigeon's clothing.
Rustle.
"May I read it first?"
"Do as you like. What a day. Central army left, and now hawks and pigeons flying in."
Kakantir muttered in disbelief and wet his mouth with wine again. Ian, quickly grasping the letter's contents, let out a strange sigh, "Ha."
-Team Leader Bertie Erika, listen. Trouble's arisen. It seems Deruga wrote a letter to First Prince Marib. I can guess the contents, but it's not certain.
Anyway, thanks to that, First Prince Marib suddenly attended the Grand Council and shot down the lord appointment. I'm watching for a chance to fix it, so don't be too disheartened and wait. I'll head to Bratz soon with the advisors too.
"What does it say?"
"Now I get it. Why Investigation Team Leader Erika's lord appointment fell through. No wonder—it wasn't something to flip so easily..."
She had raced a fortnight to the border and fought, risking her life. All to lay the foundation for rebellion. If the promised reward wasn't given, there might be endless fallout.
Kakantir, who took the letter, clicked his tongue.
"So it was a power struggle. But Deruga wrote a letter? When?"
"I don't know either, but it's comical. The sharp First Prince landed a blow on everyone. Thanks to that, we gain, and Deruga's as good as signing his own death warrant."
Ian burned the letter over the candle flame. Either way, the more the alliance between Molin and Erika cracked, the smoother things would go.
"When Advisor Romandro arrives, we must treat him well. First Prince Marib likely suspects collusion between me and Molin, so he might see him as Second Prince's faction."
"But Molin will actually oppose us?"
Especially Ian. Deruga's denunciation aside, Ian bringing in the Cheonryeo Tribe wasn't in Molin's plans. It had indeed made territory seizure harder.
"That's why I'm saying we need to clarify our stance. Or we might get hammered from both sides."
"You seem to lean toward the First Prince."
"...He's the legitimate heir and successor. Plus, formally entrusted by the palace for territory reconstruction. Depending on his judgment, the Cheonryeo Tribe's withdrawal timing could be set."
Ian was an emperor himself. Though a short few years, he'd ascended properly. He knew the palace ecosystem better than anyone. Even accounting for Second Prince Gail's rise, you couldn't ignore the legitimate line.
"I was just about to bring that up. Once Deruga dies, we've achieved our goal. Before autumn, we'll gradually send warriors back to the desert."
"Yes. I'll keep it in mind."
"Securing the lord position by gently maneuvering the center—that's entirely up to Lord Ian's abilities."
Do well, or all the warriors' help goes to waste—Kakantir implied.
Ian smiled brightly and nodded.
"Then, we'll hurry with Deruga's execution ceremony. Right after, we'll send Team Leader Erika and remaining forces out of Bratz, and for corpse disposal..."
"Enough. Why take a rotten hunk of meat? We just want to end Deruga with our own hands."
Kakantir's leisurely, carefree eyes turned chillingly cold.
* * *
And that evening, as the sky dyed purple. Kakantir's hawk Zeno safely returned to Bratz. Kakantir confirmed the cloth-wrapped red and blonde hair strands, then contentedly scratched the hawk's nape.
"Mary and Chel are dead."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Good."
With shadows cast, Ian's expression was unreadable. The warriors celebrated the mission's success one step forward, exchanging fist bumps.
"They'll return tonight."
"Demosha!"
"Demosha!"
Kakantir shook his hands, letting the wind scatter their hair like corpses forever lost. The warriors' cheers of joy for their comrades' safe return burst out, and Ian gazed at Bratz's half-broken flagpole before turning away.
In a few days, it would vanish into history.