Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 170

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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 170. The Neutral Faction
I gathered with the captains of each department around a massive round table. Outside, the sounds of explosions and screams continued without pause. Given the urgency of the situation, I merely glanced around to confirm everyone had arrived.
Without even time to sit, they leaned their upper bodies against the round table and turned their attention to Akorelra. She brought forth a glass box containing gray powder and poured it onto the table.
Whoooosh.
It was mage stone powder, fine as sand grains. It responded to mana like a magnet, possessing the ability to remember and retain form.
“Anyone can infuse mana into it. We’re in a hurry anyway.”
As Akorelra brushed the powder aside while speaking, someone channeled mana into it. The mage stone powder began to gather of its own accord, soon constructing the entire imperial palace. A three-dimensional blueprint—as if viewing the palace from a god’s perspective.
Whoooosh!
Akorelra didn’t stop there, scattering yellow and black powder across the surface. As if given life, they tangled and clumped together, spreading across the blueprint. She was displaying the forces of Prince Marib and Prince Gail in real-time through mana resonance.
“Why yellow and black?”
“Right, yellow-head and black-head.”
Akorelra answered without hesitation to her colleague’s question. Prince or not, she showed no respect for those who had turned the palace into such chaos. The colleague started to object but quietly bit their lip instead.
“Currently, continuous combat is occurring centered around the First Imperial Palace. It seems unlikely to end before one of the princes from each faction falls.”
Among the countless powder particles, both Prince Marib and Prince Gail were certainly still alive. I surveyed the overall situation and muttered to myself.
“No. The princes won’t kill each other.”
“What? Aren’t they trying to kill each other right now with all this chaos?”
“This is about eliminating their forces. If victory comes through the death of either Prince Marib or Prince Gail, I cannot persuade Bariel.”
“By Bariel, you mean….”
“Me. You all. And the people of the empire.”
I meant the core figures of the third faction that had not participated in combat. “You all” referred to the talented individuals of the imperial palace excluding the core figures. “The people of the empire” meant the faith and support of the citizens.
“Only after formally bringing the matter before an imperial court trial and receiving ‘everyone’s acknowledgment’ that the opponent committed treason—only then will execution serve as absolution for the current situation.”
The truth mattered little. The victor becomes justice and righteousness; whatever the defeated say becomes mere protest.
“For the sake of recorded legitimacy, I see.”
“Then, what about us? What must we do?”
The captains all turned to look at me. I gazed down at the mage stone particles writhing horribly. Each one was a person, a life—soon to become corpses.
“…Do you all remember the ‘Mage’s Oath’?”
The Mage’s Oath. It referred to the words of the sage written in the Grand Grimoire that had been passed down for a thousand years. Any who studied and coveted magic were compelled to memorize it. Akorelra pushed up her glasses and began the recitation first.
“To a mage, mana is a sense that transcends the five senses. You shall see truth, hear what the soul speaks, and proclaim the sacred.”
Heil, who had been chewing on a cigarette, received the oath.
“Beware and guard against the burning of greed, taste the yearning. Remember that what burns within you is a flame, and let it not be extinguished by the winds from without.”
The captains exchanged glances and slowly synchronized their breathing. The sage’s words lived on through the mages of this age, transcending eons of time.
“And thus let the flame within you burn eternally. It is the light that illuminates the world—”
‘And shall warm you.’
Naum did the same. As if continuing to live within my memories, his voice seemed to echo in my ears. Wasn’t it truly strange? By historical accounts, these mages should have perished for their involvement in Prince Gail’s treason.
Yet now they looked no different from Naum. They were no different from the mages who had supported me.
‘The difference of a leader.’
The importance of it struck me anew. I drew a line before the Mage Division diagram on the round table.
“The Mage Division shall remain neutral and uninvolved in the current crisis.”
“I agree. What good comes from people getting caught in a dog fight?”
“Akorelra, show some restraint, will you?”
“Ugh. I don’t know! The mage stones were supposed to arrive today, but the closure ruined everything.”
The captains turned away, ignoring Akorelra’s complaint. I wondered why they seemed more irritable than usual, but as expected, they were true to form.
“Construct the defensive formations as extensively as possible, and provide shelter to all who seek safety.”
“Even if they’re from Prince Marib or Prince Gail’s forces?”
“If anyone causes disturbance within, we will strike them down without mercy. There will be those unaware of the Magic Ministry’s existence amid the chaos. Leave that to Nakina and Tomi. I know they have extensive field experience and are skilled at managing disaster victims.”
Heil nodded in agreement.
“The Magical Support Division will handle the defensive formations. Heil, confirm the Emperor’s location. It would also be good to find out where the Imperial Guard is. If nothing is amiss, they should be with His Majesty. Ah, and Guardsmen Captain Riama has betrayed us and gone over to Marib.”
“Then we should find Jairot or Beols. They’re exceptional Mage Knights, so there should be no problem.”
“And…”
I tapped the table with my fingers. Arcen and Jin. Forces from both Marib and Gail were already descending upon their palaces.
‘Marib will try to kill Arcen and Jin as well. Deilaina has sided with Gail, and they won’t acknowledge the Emperor’s authority. Above all, it’s the right move to nip this in the bud when trouble arises. From Marib’s perspective.’
Would Gail have the capacity to protect Deilaina and the twin princes? No. He’d be too busy preserving his own life. Watching the mage stone dust swirl together in a terrifying tangle, I swallowed a sigh.
“…Berik.”
There was no choice.
“Here! Berik, here!!”
I pressed my temples and called for Berik. As if he’d been waiting, his head shot through the doorway. His eyes gleamed so brightly they sparkled. It was clear he wanted to rush into the chaos outside. After all, refreshing blood as cool as a puddle awaited him.
“…Prepare for escort duty. We’re going to retrieve Arcen and Jin.”
“Oh yeah! That’s it! Wow!”
“I told you to exercise restraint.”
“How do I fight if I exercise restraint? Huh? Let’s go! I’ll clear a path that’s absolutely perfect. Hehe! As expected, your judgment is impressive, Minister.”
He waved his sword around wildly and acted foolishly. Truly, could I trust the escort to him? No. The mages stood up shaking their heads before that. It was to stop me from leaving.
“You’re going personally, Minister?”
“Isn’t it dangerous? We should go instead.”
“That’s right. If anything happens to you, it would be truly troublesome. Not just for the Magic Ministry, but for the entire imperial palace.”
I put on my coat and looked back at them. A faint smile flickered across my face.
“Is there anyone here safer to visit the palace than me?”
It was ambiguous in meaning. I was asking whether there was anyone stronger in magical power than me, and whether they had political standing. No matter how fierce the bloodshed, they couldn’t harm the Magic Minister who had declared neutrality.
“Killing those who have declared neutrality is the same as breaking the justification that we rose up to prevent treason. A mage might slip through as simply being caught up in misfortune. But I am a Minister, so the problem will become much larger.”
“A walking Haiman Bank?”
“Yes. Berik, that was a good analogy.”
“Hehe. I’m always smelling books next to you!”
I patted Berik’s shoulder and laughed. While straightening my clothes, I looked at each of the captains one by one and reminded them not to forget their duties.
“All departments except those constructing the defensive barrier should create and maintain portals. Make them visible to everyone in the imperial palace, and make them high.”
“Understood.”
“We accept your command.”
“Let’s hurry! This is intense for early morning!”
“Akorelra. You seem quite excited.”
I couldn’t understand why the portals were necessary. If it was to announce this place as a safe zone in the imperial palace, we could have shot flames with far less magical power. But the mages figured I had my reasons and followed my lead.
As the conference room door opened, everyone gathered in the lobby turned to look at us.
“Minister Ian, what should we do now? The princes have clearly gone mad. The Emperor is missing, and the imperial seal is rolling around in all this chaos!”
“This is a disgrace to Bariel. How could Prince Marib and Prince Gail do such a thing?”
“B-both are accusing each other of treason, but who, who is telling the truth?”
“Does that matter? Now? In this situation?!”
“Never mind that—please grant us passage. If we stay here like this, something terrible will truly happen.”
Everyone expressed their anxiety loudly. They knew it instinctively. Here in the imperial palace at this very moment, the heavens and earth were shifting. I raised my hand lightly to quell the commotion.
“Since the Imperial Defense Ministry has joined the conflict, if danger from within the palace leaks outside, there will be no way to contain it. Therefore, the palace entrance will be sealed with full force. Calm yourselves and remain here—the mages will guarantee your safety. Trust and wait. Romandro!”
Romandro was conversing with colleagues from the administrative ministry. About the current situation and the whereabouts of His Majesty the Emperor.
“I will bring Arcen and Prince Jin.”
“Ah, yes, I just heard. Jairot is on duty, so he’s not inside the palace. It seems Captain Beols was guarding His Majesty’s quarters last night.”
I turned to Heil and nodded. The task had become easier. I only needed to sense the magical power of one man—Beols. I reassured him with a request.
“I’m counting on you to hold this position. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Ah, yes, yes. P-please be safe.”
Romandro shot Berik a sharp glare—a silent command to keep his wits about him and guard me well. Berik grinned widely and raised his sword.
“Of course! Go, Ian!”
At Berik’s resonant voice, the bureaucrats’ eyes widened. The mages did the same. Heil laughed and flicked away his cigarette.
“Ah yes, then. We support our minister.”
“Minister Ian. We support you as well. In times like these, we must unite our strength and will. Should you need my name, use it—Ashbuster of the Foreign Ministry!”
“I am Wyvern!”
“Mabe! Welinger Mabe!”
The bureaucrats announced their names one by one and shouted their solidarity with me. Berik waved his sword excitedly, and the mages placed their hands over their hearts.
I crossed the barrier without answering, and Berik immediately followed behind me.
“Goodbye! I’ll be back!”
“Nakina, Tomi! Guide the nearby people to safety zones.”
“Okay. Let’s go!”
Zzzzzing! Zing!
Nakina and Tomi soared into the sky once more. They freely traversed the heavens and guided the fleeing people toward the Magic Ministry, while the mages created portals according to my command.
Whoooosh—!
It was accurate to say the sky had split open. A wound appeared in the blue expanse—as if we had drawn out the night that had been hidden within the bright daylight. A black space where only darkness existed.
“Wow, Ian. Look at that! A black crescent moon has risen!”
“That is the framework of the portal.”
Berik marveled as he severed the neck of an attacking soldier. Blood spurted, and screams echoed. I rushed toward the imperial palace with Berik, heading for Arcen and Prince Jin.

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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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