Episode 49
—Your Highness Marib, First Prince, I am Count Derga Bratz. Please forgive the brevity of this letter, as I write in haste.
When Lord Molin of the Administration, who came down from the capital to decide on the legitimization of the illegitimate son, conveyed to me the intentions of Your Highness, Second Prince Gale, he suggested joining an alliance between Your Highness and the local nobility. As one who lives for the palace, I knew this would be a burden to Your Highness Marib, so I declined.
That decision put me in danger. After returning to the palace, Lord Molin and the illegitimate son conspired against me, accusing me of tax evasion. It is unjust. If the Bratz family is wiped out, surely the palace will send someone to govern this land. And most likely, it will be Molin and his associates—those who have visited Bratz—who will take control.
This will undoubtedly harm Your Highness Marib. I beg you to have mercy on the Bratz family, who have defended the border against the barbarians for generations.
Rustle.
Marib slowly set the letter down, adjusting his glasses as he muttered to himself.
“This is something I never expected.”
His aide, watching the hallway nervously, wore an equally grave expression. In the palace, even the slightest sound tends to echo loudly.
“Aide, you should read this as well.”
Handing over the letter, Marib watched as the aide’s face darkened.
“What do you think is truth, and what is falsehood here?”
“It’s so cleverly mixed that it’s hard to tell.”
“Let’s break it down. It’s certain that Gale maintains friendly relations with the local nobles. Though unnamed, they do have their own gatherings.”
The capital and provinces kept each other in check.
The First Prince, as heir apparent, naturally sought to suppress the nobles, while the Second Prince, having lost his place in succession, had more freedom to mingle with them.
“But I find it hard to believe that Count Bratz refused on my behalf. We’re not exactly close.”
“Agreed. From the count’s perspective, accepting Gale’s offer would be natural. But it seems he ultimately declined.”
“Then there must be a reason he wants to distance himself from Gale. The tax evasion accusation and the investigation team’s arrival likely stem from that.”
Marib quietly pieced it together with sharp insight. From limited information and a single letter, he had penetrated the complex situation in the distant Bratz territory.
“So, the claim of innocence is dismissed, and if the Bratz family is destroyed, it makes sense that Lord Molin, who was in charge there, would lead the cleanup. Who is the head of the investigation team?”
The aide hesitated briefly. Hundreds of names were mentioned daily in the palace; how could he remember them all? But after a moment, he recalled.
“…A woman named Erika.”
“What’s her connection?”
“None that I know of. A relative of Lord Molin was accused of illegal land development, and Erika testified in their favor. I’ll verify this.”
“That’s not important.”
“So, the claim that Gale is plotting rebellion gains credibility.”
Molin was indeed Gale’s man.
Marib shrugged playfully at the aide’s words, as if to say he wasn’t entirely convinced. But when things were uncertain, it was better to act preemptively.
In the palace’s tangled web of power struggles, even the smallest mistake could lead to ruin.
“Tell them I will attend the ministers’ meeting tomorrow—no, this morning.”
Marib put on his glasses and spoke quietly. The council of ministers met every morning to discuss and vote on matters before presenting them to the emperor. Marib rarely attended, as he usually only heard the reports in the afternoon alongside the emperor.
No doubt, hearing this news in the morning would shock them.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And now that I’m back, let’s get to work.”
“…I came prepared.”
“Thank you.”
The aide, arriving at the palace late at night, smiled faintly and bowed. Marib carefully placed Derga’s letter in a drawer and gave another order.
“Bring me all recent reports on the Bratz territory, especially those submitted by Lord Molin.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Please wait a moment.”
Click.
The door closed slowly. Marib returned to his documents, but he couldn’t shake the nagging worry about Derga’s letter.
‘Gale… I hope he doesn’t do anything foolish.’
Morning dawned over the palace’s grand conference hall.
One by one, the ministers arrived and took their seats. Unlike usual, a new seat had been prepared.
“Who’s attending today?”
“The First Prince, Your Highness, will be present.”
“Marib, Your Highness?”
“Haven’t you heard?”
“Why wasn’t I informed?”
“A servant was sent this morning.”
The ministers’ council met every morning. Though Marib could attend, it was primarily a place for ministers to coordinate before presenting matters to the emperor, making his presence somewhat awkward.
“Does anyone know what this is about?”
“No, I haven’t heard anything either…”
Even those close to Marib looked puzzled. Those who sided with Gale felt a knot in their stomachs from early morning. They considered contacting Gale but the meeting was about to start.
“This is maddening. I feel sick already.”
“Same here. What could be so important that he comes in person? We’ll see him again this afternoon anyway.”
“Looks like we’ll be seeing him twice today.”
“No wonder I had a bad dream last night…”
“Marib, Your Highness, has arrived.”
The ministers who had been whispering abruptly stood and bowed at the servant’s announcement. Marib nodded slightly and entered the hall.
“Good to see you all this morning.”
“Your Highness, what brings you here…?”
“Yes, what is this about? Ha ha ha.”
His unexpected appearance was proof of some hidden agenda. He neither beat around the bush nor revealed his true intentions. The speaker rapped the gavel to start the meeting.
Bang bang bang!
“Ahem. Let’s begin.”
“Yes, I’ll start…”
Though it was a hot summer morning, the atmosphere felt icy. Ministers from departments unrelated to the power struggle hurried to speak. Everyone glanced nervously at Marib, but he just smiled.
As the meeting reached its peak—
“Oh, and last night we received a dispatch from Bratz. It was sent by Captain Erika.”
The Minister of Justice spoke, and Marib looked up.
“They found evidence proving Count Derga Bratz’s tax evasion and confiscated part of his estate. However, the count resisted.”
“Resisted?”
“There was a battle between the investigation team and central support troops against Derga’s soldiers and local residents. They won and detained Derga, but are still managing the aftermath. The count’s wife and son are still being pursued.”
“Not only tax evasion but armed resistance? Execution is the only fitting punishment.”
“We should submit this to the emperor.”
The secretaries frantically took notes, stopping as Marib’s voice cut through.
“…But, Your Highness?”
“Yes, speak.”
“Are the execution targets only the count, his wife, and one son? What about Ian, the illegitimate son?”
“He was deemed ineligible for legitimization by Lord Molin’s report. Moreover, he crossed the border after making peace with the Chenryo tribe.”
“Strictly speaking, he should be reduced to slavery. But I hear the illegitimate son was the one who reported them. That might be a mitigating factor.”
“Does the investigation report mention the illegitimate son?”
“…Ah, yes, it does.”
“Show me the report.”
The minister’s assistant sifted through papers and handed one forward. Marib skimmed it quickly as the minister added,
“According to the law, only those fitting the criteria for family extermination will be executed. The illegitimate son is subject to slavery.”
“Minister, I trust you. It’s not that I doubt you—I just wanted to confirm.”
If Molin and the illegitimate son conspired to betray Derga, was the illegitimate son also aligned with Gale? What would that mean for relations with the Chenryo tribe? If the barbarians got involved with Gale’s faction, it would be a serious problem…
Marib tapped the table quietly, lost in thought.
The ministers naturally fell silent, exchanging glances. After a long pause, Marib spoke.
“If the Bratz family is exterminated, who will govern the territory? Since tax evasion was confirmed, the amount of taxes coming from Bratz will increase.”
“Perhaps the palace should send someone. The borderlands have strong autonomy, and if absorbed by neighboring territories, their power would grow too large.”
“Exactly. The palace must manage it directly. That way, we can collect more taxes, including those previously unpaid.”
“But given the situation, it might be better to set a schedule for paying back taxes once a new lord is appointed…”
“Wasn’t Lord Molin the administrator in charge of Bratz? Minister, you should consult with him to select a suitable candidate.”
The discussion flowed smoothly until Marib shook his head.
“I have some concerns.”
“May I ask what they are?”
“Judging by the report, the battle was quite intense. And later on, even the local villagers joined in. Regardless of Derga’s crimes, the central army ended up razing the land. If the next lord comes from that side, how do you think the locals will react?”
“Do we really need to worry about the peasants’ feelings…?”
“It’s not about feelings. This directly affects productivity. Especially Bratz—it borders the Great Desert. I’m sure everyone here is familiar with the unique challenges of the Bratz territory.”
It’s a tricky situation. The land is harsh and vast, bordering the desert, yet on the empire’s side, steep mountains rise sharply.
“And then there’s the Cheollyeo tribe. They’ve maintained ties with Bratz for a long time. Does anyone here speak Cheollyeo?”
“Well, the barbarians are said to be quite fluent in the common tongue.”
“In that case, the balance of power shifts in their favor.”
I thought the discussion would simply end with ‘appoint a new lord,’ but the deeper we dug, the more complicated it became.
“So, what solutions do we have?”
At that moment, a clear voice rang out. Wesley, the Minister of Magic, who had been sitting quietly in the corner. Rumored to be the secret lover of the Second Prince Gale. The only woman here who could hold Marib’s gaze without flinching.
Marib smiled faintly.
“Let’s delay the appointment of the new lord.”