Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor

Chapter 275 – Who Rigged the Tournament Bracket?

Beric sat slumped on the ground, glaring intently at the paper. He paid no mind to the curious glances of passersby.

He held the paper up to the light, squinting and frowning repeatedly. Though he could now read names and numbers, the examiner’s messy scrawl made it nearly impossible to decipher.

“Beric. This is my name. The 180 written here is my height, right? Then what’s this 177 below it?”

It was the medical examination form from the first screening. Having to process hundreds of people quickly, the examiner’s handwriting had degenerated into illegible scribbles.

Already barely literate – to him, white was paper and black was writing. Xiaoshi, who had been quietly listening beside him, shook his head.

“…Number 180, Beric. Height 177.”

“My height is 177? That can’t be right. What about yours?”

Swhish!

Beric snatched Xiaoshi’s form and compared the same section. His height was marked as ‘179.7’, recorded down to the decimal point. Beric jumped to his feet, waving the paper in protest.

“Are you kidding me? There’s no way the height difference between me and Xiao is this big! And why didn’t they give me a decimal point? I want to be measured again!”

The examiner mechanically moved his pen, not even bothering to look at Beric. After all, wasn’t he quite infamous in the imperial palace?

The department in charge of proceedings had warned several times to be wary of the red-haired man, so it was easy enough to ignore him. With hundreds of people waiting in line, was this guy really trying to cause trouble now?

“Next!”

“Hey!”

“There’s a standard chart in front. Please check your examination form against it. Those with any disqualifying factors can exit through the door on the right. Thank you.”

“Listen here!”

“Mixed-race individuals with physical peculiarities should report separately and receive a new standard chart. Those without disqualifying factors can exit through the door on the left. Next!”

Kwang!

The examiner stamped the form forcefully, as if telling Beric to just fuck off. One more word and he was ready to disqualify him on the spot.

Sensing that dangerous line, Xiaoshi tugged on Beric’s shirt. Let’s hurry out the left door, he urged.

“Those who have completed the physical test, excluding those below standards, submit your name tags!”

“You can put them in here. Numbers 101 to 200 line up first. If you don’t want to participate in the duels, come this way to submit an application! You’ll be assigned to the Imperial Defense Department. The Imperial Guard requires dueling as a mandatory item!”

“Even if you participate in duels, those below the ranking will also be assigned to the Imperial Defense Department!”

“Think carefully! No changes after submission! The duel format is being explained outside!”

The training hall, usually one vast open space, had been partitioned with temporary walls to create separate areas for different procedures.

From the ground floor it seemed like a maze, but from above the layout would be clearly visible. The two men blended into the crowd moving towards the physical examination.

Clang! Cheng!

As they moved, bottlenecks began forming here and there. One was in front of a makeshift arena where Imperial Guard mage-knights were dueling for promotions. This was why Ian had personally stepped in.

Magical safety control. High-level combat always captivated people’s attention and made their blood boil – and this was directly related to morale.

Among the palace staff, not a single person called for them to step back. Rather, they made way so the crowd could fully enjoy watching the mage-knights battle.

“Wow. Unbelievable.”

“So that’s how mage-knights fight. It’s beyond imagination.”

“Mages must be even stronger, right? I heard they can rend the sky.”

“Is that even possible? That’s too much, even for them.”

“No, if mage-knights can fight like that, what can’t mages do? It’s amazing, truly amazing. The rumors that one of them is equal to an entire army weren’t lies after all. Hahaha!”

“Well done! Woohoo!”

These were mage-knights. Those who serve the Emperor, protect the Empire’s safety, and safeguard the daily lives of imperial citizens. With them around, there was nothing to fear – the imperial citizens could rest easy, and those becoming soldiers could take pride. This was the palace’s intention.

Without uttering a single word of encouragement, the crowd was already feeling something stirring in their hearts.

“What if he goes inside from there?”

“It’s okay! There’s still a chance! Ray! Pull yourself together!”

“The honor of the Imperial Guard is right in front of you!”

The other guardsmen waiting their turn joined in the excitement, shouting encouragements. Fight! Keep fighting! While it might be for the captain’s position, the ultimate goal was to showcase the pride of the imperial palace. And to endlessly pursue strength for that purpose.

“It’s so, so cool.”

“I know. How many did they say they’re selecting for the Imperial Guard?”

“The number wasn’t made public. I guess you’d have to be in the top thirty at least?”

“Top thirty? That’s pretty tough.”

“That place is known for its elite few. Not just anyone can get in. If there aren’t many duel applicants, we might have a chance. Hmm, it’s tempting.”

They were always objects of reverence, but dressed in their splendid uniforms, they stood out even more. Enough to sway the hearts of those who had decided not to duel – quite spectacularly so.

Boom! Bang!

Kwaaaaang!

As the mage-knights’ swords clashed, they created a massive explosion. Acrid smoke shot up in all directions and fierce winds whirled about, but it didn’t last long. Before it could reach the spectators’ feet, it vanished without a trace. It was as if an invisible wall separated the crowd from the mage-knights.

‘Magic! Was that Ian’s doing?’

Ziiing. Zing.

Bang! Clang!

It was thanks to the mages standing on the second floor, maintaining magical barriers and ensuring safety.

Beric looked around for Ian but couldn’t spot him. Had he gone somewhere else? After rolling his eyes a few times, instead of Ian, his gaze locked with Jeirutt’s. Tch, what rotten luck.

Swoosh.

Beric made a throat-slitting gesture with his thumb and put on a menacing expression. Just you wait, Captain Jeirutt. If I become captain after this selection, I’ll really kill you.

But Jeirutt simply ignored Beric completely, standing ramrod straight as he recorded something on his papers. He was probably scoring the duelists.

“……”

“Ah, yeah yeah.”

Xiaoshi tugged on Beric’s collar, urging him on. Leaving the mage-knights’ battle behind, they headed outdoors. Now they just had to take the basic physical fitness test, then eat and rest while waiting for the tournament brackets to be announced.

Peeeeep!

It was Barsabe. Apparently, she had volunteered to help out since the staff was shorthanded. Beric tried to greet her cheerfully, but Barsabe firmly ignored him, separating public and private matters.

“Line up!”

“L-line up!”

Peeeeep!

“The basic physical fitness test will focus on the following: strength, endurance, explosiveness, agility, and flexibility! First up are two types of running tests.”

This was where it really began. From here on, the scores would actually count. Other participants started stripping off their shirts, showing off their intimidating physiques and engaging in subtle psychological warfare.

In contrast, Xiaoshi simply bounced lightly in place to warm up, while Beric didn’t even do that much.

“Nyaaaaargh!”

He just let out strange battle cries with his arms and legs raised. His antics were apparently quite amusing, as laughter erupted here and there.

Barsabe tongued the gap where her molar used to be as she put the whistle to her lips. Anyone else might be fine, but Beric, who had done this to her, absolutely must not fail.

Peeeeep!

“Uwaaaaah!”

With the whistle blast, the young men surged forward with vigor. It was an unusually scorching midday at the imperial palace.

***

Unlike usual, only officials were present on the second floor. Staff members moving through the upper level since they couldn’t cross the chaotic ground floor, mages overseeing safety with protective barriers, and…

“That one’s skills are quite decent.”

“Indeed. Especially his endurance. Yes.”

“That technique just now was particularly good. I think it deserves bonus points. It’s rarely used in actual combat, but it’s worth preserving. Ahem.”

The superiors of the Imperial Guard and Imperial Defense Department were observing the duels. In reality, the Imperial Guard’s higher-ups consisted only of Jeirutt and his right-hand man, while the Imperial Defense Department had as many heads as there were affiliated units, so the ratio difference was significant. Still, since the Imperial Guard had priority, everyone was busy adding their comments while watching Jeirutt’s reactions.

Someone among them frowned and pointed to one side.

“But that one over there…”

“Is that really a duel going on right now?”

Despite the distance, something was particularly noisy. While other arenas resounded with battle cries, that one seemed filled with all sorts of cursing and random noise. It was the kind of uproar that could only come from a one-sided beatdown due to an overwhelming difference in skill.

Thwack! Thud!

“Duel? Yeah! This is what I’ve been wanting! You bastard!”

“Ugh, urk…”

“Say what you said last time!”

“Y-you son of a bitch-“

“That’s right, I’m a son of a bitch! Why are you calling me?”

Whack!

The Imperial Defense Department officers clicked their tongues and called someone over. With blood pooling on the floor, if left unchecked, a corpse might be carried out of the examination hall.

“Hey, who’s that? Left side, second arena.”

“Ah, it’s Hamp from the Imperial Defense Department’s 4th Army, 294th Unit, and Beric. Both have currently won 4 matches to advance.”

“Imperial Defense Department members?”

They weren’t civilians, but soldiers already belonging to the Imperial Defense Department. Worried about all the top performers being snatched up by the Imperial Guard, they had urged select talents to participate in the duels as a face-saving measure.

It was a strategy to showcase that the Imperial Defense Department also had such strong individuals, or that strong individuals aspired to join the Defense Department as much as the Imperial Guard. The scene of someone getting beaten to a pulp wasn’t part of the plan, though.

“He’s going to kill someone at this rate, let’s stop it here. And didn’t we say to go easy on the Imperial Defense Department participants? We asked to arrange the brackets carefully to avoid this. Who on earth-“

The officer was about to ask who had arranged the brackets like this when he suddenly stopped. He had recalled the name Beric. The right-hand man of the Minister of Magic and the mage-knight who accompanied Prince Jin.

An attendant showed a troubled expression and glanced to the other side.

“Ooooh! Beric’s doing great! One-two, one-two punch! Ian, no! Sir Ian! Look at this! That’s the bastard who bloodied Beric’s nose!”

“Yes, I see. Sir Romandro. But before that, please look at this. Compared to two years ago, the number of participants has tripled. It’s twice as many as we expected. Do you have any idea why?”

“Hmm. Well. I haven’t heard anything specific. Could it be because we exceptionally combined the Imperial Guard selection this time? The Imperial Guard’s salary is significantly higher than the Imperial Defense Department’s, so that might have enticed people. It would be good to conduct a survey among the participants to find out. Knowing the reason could certainly help with future troop recruitment.”

“I think so too. Let’s report this to the Prime Minister as well.”

As Ian handed the report to a mage, Jin gently tugged on his sleeve. The snacks he had been holding were now empty. Jin smiled brightly, and Ian asked kindly.

“Your Highness. Did you enjoy them?”

“May I have some more?”

“Of course. Who would object?”

“Beric! Beric! Woohoo! You bastard, that was really cool! One more! Oh my, all that meat-feeding paid off! Well done!”

Romandro punched the air, cheering loudly for Beric. Jin also clapped his hands in surprise, while Ian continuously received reports from the Ministry of Magic and the management department.

Swoosh.

Ian flipped through the bracket, counting how many more duels Beric and Xiaoshi would have to fight. Based on the current scores given by the officials, Beric was definitely in the lead, with Xiaoshi hot on his heels.

“Hm?”

“What is it? Is there a problem?”

When Ian asked with a questioning tone, Romandro leaned in to look at the documents. Then, he muttered in a shocked voice.

“Oh my, what’s this? Who arranged the brackets like this? Doesn’t this mean Beric and Xiaoshi will face each other? Why on earth?”

“Wouldn’t it be safer for both the Imperial Guard and the Defense Department to eliminate one of them before the top ranks are decided? And…”

It was obvious who had arranged it without even looking. Ian raised his head to look at Captain Jeirutt. He must have been watching this side too, as their gazes easily met.

‘Interesting.’

As Ian waved the documents, Jeirutt placed his hand on his chest and gave a simple bow. As if to say he wouldn’t deny it.