Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 169

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 169. Chaos
The moment I saw the blood on Gail’s hands, time seemed to stop. Each step he took stretched out in slow motion, all my senses shutting down. Yet simultaneously, my fur bristled and my mind raced with clarity.
‘Think.’
Gail had been attacked, and he would bring this matter before Marib officially. Marib currently possessed the Emperor’s seal, and the Emperor’s safety remained unconfirmed.
Then…
‘The Emperor’s authority has effectively passed to Marib. If Gail formally accuses such a man of assassination—’
“Gail. You’re alive. I thought you were dead.”
Marib’s smile twisted, unable to hide his disappointment. Instead of answering, Gail stared at the Emperor’s seal, then strode forward with purpose. Blood dripped steadily from his fingertips.
I grabbed Romandro’s arm and retreated backward.
“Romandro.”
“Hmm?”
“Go to the Magic Division and order the mages to seal all entrances to the imperial palace. Have them maintain protective barriers around the Magic Division building itself.”
At my whispered words, Romandro backed away and left the conference hall.
As Gail approached without hesitation, Marib’s subordinates drew their swords.
Shing—!
“Stop, Prince Gail.”
“Soldiers swarmed my residence.”
“Stop!”
“Silence. How dare you speak before me.”
Slash!
Gail cut through his opponent’s chest without hesitation.
Now I understood where the blood on his hands had come from. These were the traces of soldiers stationed near Gail’s palace on Marib’s orders.
The bureaucrats gasped and covered their mouths. Marib’s subordinates all drew their weapons.
Shing! Shing!
“Prince Gail! This cannot be!”
“What is this? Everyone, calm down!”
“An intruder entered my residence last night. Marib sent him.”
Gail’s subordinates and Marib’s subordinates took stances as if ready to clash at any moment. The bureaucrats, unable to comprehend what was happening, froze with only their eyes darting about.
‘This is no ordinary situation.’
I had suspected it when I heard Marib’s claim to act as Emperor through the seal, but now I was accepting it as reality. Look at the crimson blood flowing across the floor. If that isn’t reality, then what is?
“I am cursed to rise and fall with the Great Empire of Bariel. You attempted to kill me and seized my father’s seal. How should this be interpreted? Hmm?”
Gail laughed bitterly, turning to the trembling bureaucrats. There was no room for interpretation. This was treason, and more—a grave crime that would shatter Bariel’s future.
“B-but an intruder sent by Prince Marib?”
“Prince Marib, please explain yourself.”
“Prince Gail’s death would be your death as well!”
“No, wait! Everyone, calm down. We can investigate the intruder matter further. The real issue is the seal!”
Despite his subordinates’ fervor—as if they would tear each other’s throats at any moment—Marib remained seated. He simply caressed the seal leisurely, as if detached from this place entirely.
“Gail, weren’t you the one attempting treason? Contacting border nobles to build your own faction—did you think I wouldn’t know? And staging this farce to frame me? This is the height of disloyalty to His Majesty. Moreover, I know your curse is a lie.”
This time, all eyes turned to Gail. Interpretations of who had truly committed treason began to scatter.
Then, the man who had been bleeding on the floor suddenly roared and stood up. At the same moment, Gail’s subordinates rushed in, and the hall descended into pandemonium.
Clang! Clang!
“Ahhhhh! Ahhh!”
“Everyone out! Get out!”
“Please stop, Your Highness! Your Highness!”
“Find His Majesty the Emperor! We need him to mediate-”
Zing!
Boom!
Berik, whose eyes had been gleaming with the temptation to slip into the fray, snapped to attention. Ian had unleashed his mana. His golden eyes flickered with unmistakable killing intent.
“…Everyone, please calm yourselves.”
“Don’t interfere! I’m in the middle of accomplishing my great deed!”
Clang!
An excited figure swung a blade at Ian. Berik instinctively deflected the attack and countered with a fluid, natural motion.
“Don’t you butt in either. The master is speaking.”
“You insolent bastard-!”
Crash!
Berik seized the man’s hair and slammed his head into the table. The sound of a skull cracking against the marble surface echoed through the hall. He continued relentlessly, without pause.
“Stop.”
“Who are you?”
“Riama. So you’re that mad hound who fought Jairot.”
“Friends with Jairot?”
Riama, one of the Three Great Generals. If she called Jairot a friend, then she must be formidable too! Berik’s eyes widened as he prepared to charge, but Ian unleashed his mana once more.
Boom!
“…I will not repeat myself. From this moment forward, anyone who disturbs the peace will face severe consequences.”
A quiet warning, yet laden with such authority that no one would believe it came from a child. Those who had been shouting for the Emperor to be brought forth all shrank back and sealed their lips. None of them realized the Emperor had already arrived as they wished.
“Count Ian Hielo. I’m curious about your opinion. Who do you believe is plotting treason and causing this chaos in the imperial palace?”
Marib tapped his seal thoughtfully as he asked. It was a demand to choose his side properly now. The implication was clear—no more walking the tightrope. Take a stance.
‘What a mess.’
Nothing about this was right. Everything was tangled so thoroughly that no one could tell who was bound first or who would be freed. Ian regarded both Marib and Gail with an expressionless gaze.
“Both of you-”
At this point, there was no need to untangle the knot.
“Will not be recorded in history.”
One simply needed to cut it away.
At Ian’s words, both Marib’s and Gail’s eyebrows twitched simultaneously.
“Until I confirm His Majesty the Emperor’s safety with my own eyes, I cannot acknowledge Prince Marib’s authority. Seizing the imperial seal is clear treason. If Prince Gail was harmed, that too would weaken Bariel.”
“Exactly! If such actions were taken before the curse was lifted, they could only be attributed to demonic influence!”
“As for Prince Gail…”
Ian surveyed Gail, then swallowed a sigh. There was nothing more to say about him. I had known since the border campaign that he was the instigator of the rebellion.
Crash!
That was the moment. A thunderous sound erupted from outside. The forces standing in confrontation before the great conference hall had clashed. Though no one had issued an attack command, they screamed and shrieked with bloodlust.
“Kill them all!”
“Aaaaaahhhhh!”
Like oil igniting from the tiniest spark, chaos erupted. No one could pinpoint exactly when the battle began. Swords were already clashing inside, and there was no guarantee the outside would remain peaceful.
Clang! Clang!
“Surrender the direct heir! Prince Marib!”
“How dare you! Who do you think you are, speaking Prince Marib’s name so carelessly!”
“Oh no, get out of the way! Move!”
Without anyone deciding who should strike first, blades clashed once more. The bureaucrats, realizing they had no business being there, hunched their bodies and fled.
“Ian, what do we do?”
“We leave too. Staying here will only give us a headache.”
The last image I saw as I exited the conference hall was Prince Gail lunging at Prince Marib. Soldiers, consumed by excitement and unable to distinguish ally from enemy, swung their blades wildly, and screams erupted from all directions.
Clang! Clang!
“Aaahhh! Not me! I’m uninvolved!”
“All citizens proceed to the Magic Ministry building! To ensure the safety of the empire’s people and prevent further chaos, all entrances to the imperial palace have been sealed. Those seeking safety, proceed to the Magic Ministry building!”
“Come to the Magic Ministry! Ahahaha!”
Whoooosh!
Berik cleared my path while shouting continuously. The brilliant banners of each noble house began to sink lower one by one. These were the most prominent figures in the capital, yet after today, perhaps only a handful of houses would survive.
“Ian! This way!”
Whoooosh!
Berik deflected blind attacks effortlessly while escorting me. Bureaucrats who had arrived for work unknowingly now trembled as they followed behind me. The words “proceed to the Magic Ministry for safety” echoed in their ears like pure survival instinct.
“C-Count Ian, what should we do now?”
“We must find the ministers who haven’t taken sides in this power struggle between Prince Marib and Prince Gail. And we must locate His Majesty the Emperor. With the palace sealed, he must still be inside.”
“Hieek! Hieeeek!”
Clang! Clang!
From dawn until morning—too short a window for the Emperor to escape outside. I didn’t know what Marib had done, but if I was to find him, I had to search within.
“Kill them! Slaughter everyone carrying the red banner!”
“The fate of Bariel rests in our hands! Will we surrender the future to one who isn’t even of legitimate blood!?”
“Silence!”
As I slipped out of the First Imperial Palace, I suddenly turned back. The scene felt hauntingly familiar.
‘Find the Emperor!’
‘Kill! Death to all who block our path!’
‘Your Majesty, you must flee. Chroni is right now—!’
‘Whoooosh!’
‘Aaahhh! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!’
‘Focus your vision clearly. Will you entrust the future to that boy descended from the throne, or to me who will ascend it? I, Chroni, oppose you—not as my uncle, but as Emperor Ian.’
When I was Emperor, the opposition forces had filled the palace with similar cries. The imperial palace, always dignified, peaceful, and centered, now descended into chaos—a strange dissonance that felt utterly alien. Even the second time, I couldn’t grow accustomed to it.
“Count Ian! Count Ian has arrived!”
“What in the world is happening?”
All the mages had gathered outside the Magic Ministry building. Following Romandro’s orders, they had drawn magical circles around the entrance and nearby areas, creating protective barriers. The very same defensive formation meant to stop Wesley.
Zzzzzing. Zing!
“Lower the magical intensity to its minimum. Instead, expand the barrier’s range. More people will likely seek shelter here as time goes on.”
I placed my hand against the translucent, luminous barrier and assessed its solidity. This wasn’t meant to stop Wesley or monsters—merely to deflect human blades and spears. It didn’t need to be this unyielding.
“Your Majesty, is it true that all entrances to the imperial palace are being sealed? We’ve already prohibited passage, but….”
At each palace entrance, magic fell like aurora—a device from the Magic Ministry designed to identify credentials and filter out outsiders. With it halted, the Imperial Guard responsible for access control found their duties paralyzed, so they locked the gates entirely.
“Just beyond the palace walls lie the homes of imperial citizens. Why should the filth of this muddy conflict splatter upon them? Enforce strict control.”
“Understood.”
Smoke began rising in the distance from where the grand arena had stood. As if they were about to burn each other thoroughly. Once the chaos subsided, I would see who stood above the blood. Whoever it was, we would clean the floor together.
“…Portal.”
“Pardon?”
I muttered this as I stepped into the Magic Ministry headquarters. Then I hesitated before giving Berik an order.
‘I need to confirm Arcen and Prince Jin’s safety, but Berik is hopelessly directionally challenged—it would be impossible.’
“What? Why are you looking at me like that? You have something for me to do, right?”
“No. Just guard the people here.”
“Huh? But there is! There definitely is!”
“Shortly, I’m going to Deilaina’s palace. I’ll bring Arcen and Prince Jin back.”
I recalled that there was a prison nearby holding Xiaoxi. Boom! Smoke erupted again with another deafening explosion from an unknown source.
“Huh? Look at that. What in the world is….”
“Is something happening inside the palace?”
“They say Prince Gail was injured.”
“But entry was forbidden this morning, wasn’t it? Did the Magic Ministry blow something up during an experiment?”
The empire’s citizens living near the palace also witnessed the smoke. None could guess what was unfolding within.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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