Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 176

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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 176. Mana Sealing Stone
Riama lay crumpled on the ground, her limbs twisted at unnatural angles. A hole the size of a human head gaped through her chest. Without even a moment to catch her breath, one of the Three Commanders was dead.
Prince Marib retrieved the spear that had pierced through her heart.
Swish.
The Mana Sealing Stone was honed to a razor’s edge. Merely touching it would cut flesh. Prince Marib gently closed her eyelids with his own hands, then turned to face what lay behind him.
“Cough….”
“Gasp, gasp!”
“Prince Marib! Are you alright?”
“What on earth was that just now—”
“Ugh, the blood, it won’t stop bleeding.”
“My lord!”
Deilaina’s garden had been reduced to ruin. Not a single blade of grass remained as evidence of the battle, and more than half the palace had collapsed.
And beneath the debris lay suits of black armor.
These were the traces of what Riama had dragged away with her life.
‘Living as Prince Gail, Wesley’s lover, was not in vain.’
The Mana Sealing Stone—nearly the only means to control mages. Though managed under Imperial authority, most of it had been handled by Prince Gail, who had been Wesley’s lover. It was a kind of tacit agreement. From Wesley’s perspective, she had entrusted the leash of the Magic Ministry to the most trustworthy person in the Imperial family.
‘In the end, that very thing strangled her neck.’
“Where is Prince Gail?”
“He has fled. Toward the Third Imperial Palace.”
“The Magic Ministry continues to block all exits. He will not be able to leave.”
Prince Marib wiped his forehead with a handkerchief as he listened to the Steward’s report. Blood continued to flow without stopping.
“The Third Imperial Palace, then.”
“We are in pursuit. Let us join them.”
“No. Half of you search for Prince Gail, and half go to the Magic Ministry. If this continues as is, Prince Gail will surely try to find Ian. Jin is there as well. I have much business to attend to myself.”
He could ask Ian to open the Imperial Palace gates, or as a last resort, surrender and enter the neutral zone. As long as Prince Marib did not stop, Ian would have to protect Prince Gail to mediate between them.
“Commander of the Imperial Defense Force, pursue Prince Gail! The rest of you, head to the Magic Ministry! You will encounter mages, so all of you prepare your arrows!”
Boooooo—
The sound of the buffalo horn trumpet shook through the entire palace.
Not far away, Prince Gail, who was fleeing toward the Third Imperial Palace, glanced back. A Steward with one arm severed grasped his shoulder.
“Do not look back, my lord.”
“…Your arm.”
“It is fine.”
Prince Gail bit his lip hard. He could not tell whether Bariel’s soldiers being more capable than expected was a good thing or not.
The initial advantage had shifted as time passed, and the fact that fewer than half the mana-armored suits promised by the Haiman family had arrived became a sudden crisis.
Tap tap tap!
“The remaining half should be outside the Imperial Palace. It would be best to meet with Count Ian.”
“Prince Marib will be encamped there waiting.”
“What if we cannot meet the Emperor?”
“….”
Prince Gail fell silent and quickened his pace. The situation was far from favorable. He had tried to orchestrate an assassination plot and backstab, only to be struck first and hard.
“Your Highness, this way!”
The Third Palace stood empty. Everyone had evacuated at the commotion, and not a single soul was visible. Stepping over scattered documents and papers strewn across the floor, I walked slowly down the corridor.
Whoosh.
At the far end of the hallway, I stopped before an enormous painting that towered well above human height. It depicted young angels flying through the sky, scattering flower petals. I knelt gently and pressed my forehead against it.
“Father.”
My voice calling to the Emperor was earnest and desperate.
“Father. Are you here? Can you hear me?”
But no answer came. The angels remained frozen in their eternal smiles, trapped in that silent world. I called out to the Emperor again with longing.
“Your Highness, he doesn’t appear to be here.”
“What about the other paintings?”
“There’s another one at the end of the opposite corridor.”
“Head there.”
The Emperor’s secret passage. If it wasn’t a physical space passed down through generations but rather created in this era, it absolutely required magical power. Wesley, who had taken charge of it, had even signed a confidentiality agreement, but love rendered such oaths meaningless.
Tap tap tap!
I rose to my feet to search for the Emperor. As I did, one of the angels’ eyes in the painting slowly moved, following my retreating figure. The angel’s pupils were a faded blue.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the Magic Ministry.
Ian swept back his hair and sighed.
Mana Sealing Stones. Weren’t they the Achilles’ heel of all mages? Even the smallest raw stone could seal power, dragging those near godhood down to the ends of the earth. Even the incomparable Wesley had crumbled before a stone the size of an earring.
“Ian, what should we do?”
“The Mana Sealing Stone was likely used by Prince Gail’s faction. Before this situation spirals beyond control, we must also take action. Our objective should be the recovery of the Mana Sealing Stone.”
“Agreed. This is a good opportunity to confiscate the sealing stones held by the princes. They will cut our throats at any moment.”
“Riama is dead! One of the Three Great Generals!”
Everyone threw out urgent remarks, but I remained silent. Instead of responding, I muttered while studying the mana stone dust map.
“Everyone, stay calm and observe. Riama was the core of Prince Marib’s military strength. The fact that such a person is dead means the battle has reached its final stages, which in turn means the forces of the two princes have been divided.”
Heil lit a fresh cigarette and nodded. He too showed clear signs of alarm, but Captain Akorella’s flustered outburst seemed to have forced him to maintain composure instead.
“I agree. Riama was Bariel’s strongest knight, responsible for the Emperor’s safety. The mana detected at the end was extraordinary, so her death was surely not in vain. Since Prince Gail even had to use a precious Mana Sealing Stone, we can consider it the final stage.”
The clock hand now barely pointed to the afternoon. In less than a day, so much had changed and changed again. I set down the documents I had received from Romandro and issued an order.
“Captain Akorella.”
“Yes?”
“During Wesley’s tenure as Minister, high-grade Liqui Stones were exported. Do you know anything about this?”
“Liqui Stones? Just a moment. Let me check.”
Akorella adjusted her glasses and frowned. She was usually aware of even the smallest mana stone exports, but she couldn’t recall this. Only after flipping through the report did she exclaim.
“Ah, now I remember. The Imperial Palace purchased them. They said it was to support the palace painters. I was quite taken aback that they were wasting something so precious on paintings.”
The palace painters.
I snapped my fingers as if grasping a clue.
“You know nothing more?”
“Me? I’m ignorant when it comes to art.”
“I mean, did Wesley handle the matter at that time?”
“Yes, she did.”
Why would the Minister be curious about Liquistone? Captain Akorella pressed her brow repeatedly, groaning in frustration.
But that concern was short-lived. She soon realized that one of Liquistone’s defining characteristics was its ‘absorptive properties’.
“Heil, where was the last place you sensed Beols’s presence?”
“The Third Imperial Palace, sir.”
“Captain Akorella, take Berik to the Third Imperial Palace and retrieve all the drawings made with Liquistone.”
“Me? Me, alongside that boastful Berik?”
“He’s someone I can trust with his abilities.”
“Which is exactly why I can’t trust him in other respects!”
The Mages listening quietly bit their lips. The Magic Division’s mad dog and Ian’s mad dog departing on a mission together. Was that really going to be alright? But Ian closed the documents, signaling he wouldn’t reconsider.
“If collecting them all proves difficult, bringing back just one will suffice.”
“Well, no. Um, just in case, could you assign a few more people? We didn’t even encounter mana-sealing stones in the battle, and we’re severely undermanned.”
As Akorella clasped her hands and made her earnest request, Ian nodded. There was no telling what might happen if only the two of them went.
“Very well. I’ll have Tomi provide escort.”
“Sigh. Understood. And Berik?”
“He’s still in the dining hall, eating—well, eating.”
“Let’s go. Yes. Let’s go.”
Akorella adjusted her glasses and grabbed her outer coat. Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. It would be better to handle this quickly. After all, they only needed to bring back a single painting.
“Huh?”
Just then, someone made an uncertain sound. Akorella, her nerves already on edge, drew an X with her hand and shouted.
“No ‘huh?’ like something’s gone wrong!”
“No, look at this, please.”
“What is it? Gasp!”
“Prince Marib appears to be heading this way? His forces have split into two groups. One faction is heading toward the Third Imperial Palace.”
The Mage was right. Though it was unclear which group had Marib at the front, wasn’t it far more likely he was heading toward the Magic Division rather than the Third Imperial Palace?
Akorella’s mouth fell open as she looked at Ian, and Heil blocked her gaze with his hand.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going?”
“B-but Marib’s soldiers are heading to the Third Imperial Palace right now?”
“Two Mages and one Mage Knight. They won’t die.”
“Damn it…”
“The longer you delay, the worse it is for you.”
“Hell! Berik! Berik! Tomi!”
Crash!
Akorella rushed out, calling for Berik. Whether she’d spotted the distant flags drawing near, the stirring among the Mages gathered in the lobby was unmistakable.
Ian straightened his collar and nodded.
“All remaining captains, follow me. Every department—not a single person excluded—participate in constructing the protective barrier.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Crash!
Everyone moved outside, maintaining order and managing the situation. Civilians were evacuated deep into the building, and the Mages all stepped forward, gathering their mana. The barrier’s color grew steadily darker.
Whoooosh—
“Count Ian!”
Not long after, a voice called out to me. It was Prince Marib’s Steward. I stood atop the stairs with the Mages, looking down at them. Prince Marib gazed up with his bow drawn.
“…Your condition appears quite dire, Prince Marib.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“If you wish to cease this chaos and restore the dignity of the Imperial Palace, you’ve come to the right place. All of you, lay down your weapons and apologize to His Majesty the Emperor.”
The corners of Prince Marib’s mouth lifted slightly. As if he’d heard a truly amusing jest.
“The dignity of the Imperial Palace—I shall reclaim it myself. Now, hand over Deilaina and the twin princes you’ve taken with you. They conspire with the traitor Prince Gail and have brought me shame. I will repay that debt in blood.”
Was it shame that I failed to end Jin’s breath just now? I lifted my head with grace and looked down upon them. When no answer came, Prince Marib’s expression crumpled.
“…I must reiterate, this is a neutral zone. Safety takes precedence, and we will uphold the order you have trampled. Therefore, I must refuse.”
“Do not hide behind the word ‘neutral’! Those who do not stand with me are against me! Even if you cling to life here, I will make you pay the price eventually!”
Though it seemed like black-and-white logic, there was merit to it. After this crisis ended, regardless of who emerged victorious, I intended to settle accounts with everyone. Prince Marib drew his bowstring taut, aiming at my head.
Twang.
“Ian. I truly did like you.”
Arrows could not pierce a magical barrier. Yet the killing intent was so palpable that the Mages gathered their mana. Prince Marib shouted one final time.
“If you will not cooperate, I will sweep this place clean as well.”
“Once more, I refuse.”
Snap!
Prince Marib released his bowstring. The arrow flew swiftly and halted before my face. The arrowhead, meeting the barrier, began to spark and ignite.
Crackle! Snap!
“…?”
The Mages who witnessed this flinched in alarm. Normally it should have simply bounced back physically, but the arrowhead seemed to be gradually piercing through the barrier itself.
“Step aside, Count Ian.”
Whoosh!
Boom!
As Heil struck the arrow away with his sword, a tremendous roar erupted, and mana swirled violently around the arrowhead. It was the mana of the Mages who had constructed the barrier.
“What? What’s happening?”
“Wait, the mana is draining!”
“Hold it! Keep pouring in your strength!”
Crack—
But ultimately, the barrier fractured. As the Mages gasped in shock, I found myself reaching out without thinking.
“This is….”
The arrowhead that had absorbed the mana had transformed into an amber color.
A hue that brilliantly captured sunlight. It was the same as the mysterious raw stone I had discovered in the flower pot.

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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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