Margrave's Bastard Son was The Emperor

Chapter 107: Formatting

Hadnt the village been raided by bandits before? How did the residents not notice the undead among the bandits?

In the chaos between life and death, where the sword did not discriminate between foe and neighbor, the ground was littered with bodies soaked in blood and dirt. Even as daylight approached, how could one distinguish between the remnants of a neighbor and the decay of a corpse?

Moreover, the aged innkeeper had mentioned seeing a mage only once in his life. If the existence of beings that do not die even in death was unknown, how could one even speculate?

Or perhaps, the bandits brought the undead for the first time. Thats something to verify later.

Ratatatat!

Run and you die!!

Berics booming voice echoed from beyond the wooden fence.

Ill kill you all!!

Aaargh! F*ck!

Lie flat if you want to live!

Slash!

The sound of a clean beheading mingled with screams. Although partially obscured by the fence, the situation was clear. Beric was as free and fierce as an eagle soaring across the sky.

Thats when it happened.

Crash!

A bandit, barely escaping from Berics wrath, stumbled into the stable, his teeth all but shattered.

Startled, Romandros subordinate drew his sword but hesitated at the menacing presence of the bandit. After all, the subordinate was a scribe, not a fighter.

Ugh!

F*ck off! Move!

You, you bastard! How dare you come here!

Thud!

Chasing the bandit, an undead tripped and slammed its head against the wall. The scribe was so startled he dropped his sword point to the ground, especially upon seeing the abnormal condition of the figure in the dark.

What in the world is that

Its an undead, you must have heard of them before.

Undead? Oh!

As the subordinate gasped in shock, the emboldened bandit lunged forward, aiming his sword at the subordinates neck.

Slash!

In truth, this was only the second time Ian had encountered an undead.

Necromancy was more commonly practiced in the East than in Bariel. It was especially prevalent in regions plagued by frequent wars, where the abundance of corpses made necromancy all the more effective.

Aaaargh!

Before the bandits sword could pierce the subordinates neck, Ian extended his hand and unleashed a burst of condensed magical energy.

Boom! Bang!

The force of the magic snapped the mans head at a right angle. The following undead, moving like a malfunctioning machine, staggered towards Ian.

Boom!

One final blow. Ian obliterated the creatures head, then covered his nose with his sleeve as the stench of rotten brain matter filled the air.

Lord Ian, are you alright?

Thats what I should be asking you.

Oh, Im fine. Th-thank you!

Go find sir Romandro, quickly.

Yes! Understood!

As Ian watched Romandros subordinate run off, he crouched down, albeit reluctantly, wondering if there might be any clues on the bodies.

He started with the bandit.

Swoosh.

The bandit, unable to even groan, lay unconscious with his mouth agape. Ian searched through every pocket he could find.

Hmm?

Something caught his fingertips. It was unpleasant to the touch

Damn.

It was human hair, black and curly, wrapped tightly around a flat wooden token. Ian grimaced at the sight of the strange object.

It didnt take long for him to realize that the hair, black and curly, matched that of the undead with its burst open skull.

***

Dammit, they cleaned us out.

Beric, drenched in blood, slung an arm around his waist and muttered under his breath. The bandits had raided the inns storeroom, leaving nothing to eat.

Those bastards have no sense of decency.

Beric, staring at empty spaces wont conjure up food. Lets hurry and leave. The subordinate we sent to find sir Romandro hasnt shown up yet.

Yeah, yeah, I got it.

Beric sheathed his sword about two hours after the chaos began. The guards had flooded the streets, driving the bandits away, with Beric unwittingly taking a lead role in the cleanup.

The chaos was too much, made it hard to move around.

What if sir Romandro was killed?

Try saying that in front of him.

Ah, okay. Cancel that. He holds grudges, and I dont like that.

Guards were busy extinguishing fires and clearing bodies in the street. The harsh winter night made their efforts seem all the more arduous.

Please dont cry. Its okay.

Those who are injured, come this way!

I cant move on my own. Please help.

What a bunch of scumbags. What is all this in the middle of a winter night? Are they trying to take us all down with them?

Check for any remaining embers!

Beric had somehow found a piece of bread and followed Ian, chewing as he looked around.

Where to now?

Lets head towards the commercial district.

Hey, you two!

Just then, a voice called out from behind them.

Youre outsiders, right? Travelers?

Thats right. And you must be the captain of the guard.

Ians informal address caused the guard captains lips to tighten. How dare these young upstarts speak so casually?

However, the guard captain held his tongue, partly due to the formidable redhead standing behind Ian. He had witnessed with his own eyes how that man had slaughtered the bandits.

Hes definitely a skilled fighter.

If they were mercenaries wandering without a cause, it might be wise to offer a small reward and ask for their assistance.

Cough. I am Ulan, the captain of Karennas guard. While we appreciate your help, we need to verify your identities due to procedural requirements.

Responding to the captains request, Ian pulled out an identification document from his inner pocket.

Were on our way to the central region to attend the New Years gathering. My name is Ian, this is Beric, and were currently looking for Romandro, who is an advisor to the imperial court.

The unexpected revelation caused the guard captains face to turn pale.

Attending the New Years gathering? An imperial advisor?

They must be either royalty or nobility, or at the very least, associated with high status. He had assumed them to be wandering mercenaries He promptly removed his cap and bowed.

My apologies. Please forgive my rudeness.

How is it that the guard failed to take any action while these bandits made their way here? I heard there was already one raid before.

I apologize. Our town is small and part of a tri-city alliance. Unfortunately, there were issues in the other areas as well, which led to the reassignment of our guards.

And now Ive lost my carriage. It contained items that needed to be delivered to the royal court, which complicates matters. Granting an operating license to this inn implies, at the very least, a guarantee of safety for travelers, doesnt it?

As Ian calmly laid out his grievances, the guard captain felt overwhelmed. The loss to Karenna was one thing, but the disappearance of royal court items was another matter entirely.

The phrase Were screwed kept echoing in his head.

Where is the mayor?

In places without a lord, operations fell under a mayor appointed by the central government. They received treatment akin to that of junior nobility, but ultimately, they were salaried officials. The mayors absence in such a crisis suggested dereliction of duty.

The mayor is, well

Iaaan!

Romandros voice cut through the captains explanation, booming from around the corner. He appeared in a state barely distinguishable from a beggar, with his hair a mess of hay and dust and his clothes torn in various places.

Sir Romandro, are you alright?

What in the world is going on, seriously. I thought I was on my way to the underworld and barely made it back. Goodness, Ive seen a lot while out drinking, but this this is really something else.

You sound fine to me, though.

Romandro managed to catch his breath and rambled on, despite Berics comment. Ian faintly smiled in agreement. Though Romandro looked a mess, he was unscathed.

Im fine? You have no idea, I thought I was a goner!

Well, youre not dead. Ah, seriously, my ears could fall off.

Excuse me, are you the imperial advisor?

Oh? Ah, yes, thats me.

Pleased to meet you! Im Ulan, the captain of the guard!

The guard captain, who had been standing awkwardly, bowed again in greeting. However, Romandro seemed uninterested and waved him off, heading towards the inn.

Change into some fresh clothes first, yeah. Then we can talk.

Sir Romandro, our carriage has been stolen.

Eh?

Romandro blinked in confusion at Ians words, seemingly unable to comprehend the situation. How could it be, with Beric standing right there?

It seems they took it while attacking the inn. They must have targeted us after seeing us in the forest. By the time we got down, it was already gone.

No, thats, no!

His mouth fell open in shock.

They had loads of documents, and more importantly, high-grade magic stones were inside. Beric nonchalantly propped up Romandros jaw, muttering,

Do you need to borrow some clothes?

Is clothing the issue here!?

Ah, there goes the left ear.

Ian! Ian! What do we do? This is madness! Do you think those bastards knew what was inside the carriage?

Romandros panic also made the watching guard captain break out in a cold sweat. It was real. Valuable items must have indeed been inside.

I dont think they knew. If they had known what was inside, they would also know who we are, but they brazenly entered anyway.

Gulp. Oh dear.

It meant they were simply unlucky victims of the theft. Romandro slumped down, supported by his men with difficulty.

Are the others alright?

Our folks are fine. Not sure about the coachmen, they went off to drink separately.

Ian nodded, somewhat relieved, and then gestured towards the inn to the guard captain.

First, take care of the bandits and the bodies inside the inn. I have some business to attend to for a while. And have a word with the mayor too.

Ah, yes. Understood.

Ian, where are you planning to go?

At Romandros inquiry, Ian fiddled with a compass and murmured, recalling the path they had taken during the day.

Im heading to Danil.

Danil?

That abandoned village we saw earlier today, its called Danil. Contrary to what we expected, it doesnt seem to be the bandits base. Beric! Fetch two horses from the stable.

If it wasnt the bandits hideout, why go there? Faced with Romandros puzzled expression, Ian calmly explained.

Were going to look for the dog.

Right. Its my turn to get wet, huh. Sure, sure.

Beric seemed pleased, his shoulders bouncing with enthusiasm.

Everything about the situation seemed oddly intertwined, and it felt like that dog might hold the key to unraveling it all.

The band of bandits, necromancy, a talking dog, a decimated village, and even the Department of Magic. To find the carriage, we need a comprehensive understanding of the situation first.

Neigh!

Iaaan! Lets go!

Sir Romandro, well be back. Please take care of things here.

Without hesitation, Ian and Beric mounted their horses and spurred them into a gallop. As they raced down the chaotic streets, Romandro yelled after their departing figures.

Please!! Bring back the carriage!!

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