Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 179

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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 179. The Third Imperial Palace Right Now
Boom!
An explosion echoed from the Magic Ministry. Berik, who had been running ahead, stopped abruptly, causing Captain Akorella to crash nose-first into him. She straightened her glasses and snapped irritably.
“That hurt! What’s going on!?”
“Seems like something’s happening at the Magic Ministry.”
“Of course! Prince Marib took soldiers with him! The Third Imperial Palace will be in chaos soon too, so move faster.”
“Ugh. I shouldn’t have come along. Is Ian going to be okay on his own?”
At Berik’s muttering, Captain Akorella let out a hollow laugh. None other than the Minister of the Magic Ministry—Ian Hielo. He appeared like a comet and seized the fourth position in the Great Empire of Bariel’s hierarchy, Ian Hielo!
“Who’s worried about whom? And you didn’t come along—you were ordered to guard me. There’s a difference.”
“By the way, miss. Do you see that? It’s been bothering me since earlier.”
“Miss? Miiiiss?! I am Captain Akorella! Commander of the Mana Stone Management Division!”
“Still, your master is Ian, isn’t he? Same as me.”
“Both of you, please be quiet!”
Tomi, who had been watching the front from the air, couldn’t help but scold them. Woof, woof, woof. He’d expected some chaos from this combination of madmen, but it was more exhausting than anticipated. The acrid smoke already obscured his vision, and now they were adding to the confusion.
“It appears a fire has broken out near the Third Imperial Palace. Never mind the soldiers, but if what we’re retrieving is a painting, we can’t let the fire spread. Stop chatting and hurry.”
“It’s not chatting—it’s discipline!”
Captain Akorella shouted again, but Berik simply stuck his tongue out and bolted toward the Third Imperial Palace. More precisely, he was chasing Tomi’s shadow.
Tap, tap, tap!
“Tomi! How’s the Magic Ministry?”
“Can’t see well from here.”
Half of the Magic Ministry was obscured by the portal tearing through the sky. Judging by the explosions, something had definitely happened, yet Tomi barely suppressed a sigh as he surveyed the devastated landscape.
‘Just one day.’
It had essentially started in the middle of the night, so less than twenty-four hours had passed. How could he not have realized that the product of centuries of history could be destroyed so easily?
Did Prince Marib and Prince Gail even understand what they were doing right now?
“Berik. I see Prince Marib’s soldiers over there.”
“Kill them?”
“No. We’ll arrive first. Getting the painting out will be difficult.”
Tomi confirmed the banners of Prince Marib’s approaching soldiers and informed him. Instead of answering, Berik swung his black sword and quickened his pace.
Whoosh!
“Come on! You bastards!”
If not for Captain Akorella’s shout, he could have run even faster. The moment she arrived at the Third Imperial Palace, she braced herself against the ground and retched. For a researcher who spent most of her time in laboratories, this was far too strenuous.
“Ugh…”
“Ah, come on. You said we only need to take one painting? Go ahead, pick one. There are so many here.”
A building directory, geometric wall decorations, a portrait of what appeared to be the Third Imperial Palace’s supervisor, flower paintings lined up beside a massive window—paintings from an artist’s hand hung everywhere within sight.
Captain Akorella wiped her mouth and muttered.
“It won’t be one of those.”
“Then which one?”
“Not long after Liqui Stone was exported, paintings coated with mana stone became fashionable among high nobility. The Imperial Family likely deliberately started the trend to hide the Emperor’s secret passages.”
If that were the case, finding what the high nobility enjoyed would be faster.
“Look for paintings that are as large as possible, ornate, and give off a sacred feeling—those have the highest probability. I’ll search this side, checking paintings one by one. Berik, you search the opposite direction and bring similar paintings. Tomi, you protect me.”
It was an instruction to minimize time. At Captain Akorella’s words, Berik immediately bolted down the left corridor, shouting.
“This way?!”
“Yes. Bring them here and stack them up.”
Tap, tap, tap!
Watching his figure disappear like the wind, I opened my mana fully. As every sense in my body sharpened intensely, my expression twisted involuntarily. My head spun, and I felt nausea rising again.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Go.”
“Liqui-stone—can you distinguish it? Even if it’s mixed in, it should be in trace amounts, but above all, if it’s mixed with other low-grade mana stones, that would be problematic.”
I adjusted my glasses, which bore marks from Berik’s handling, and smiled faintly. I was curious about that too.
“Let me take a look. Hehe.”
Mana stones I touch, feel, and taste every single day. It felt like testing half a lifetime of research laboratory experience. As I let out a low laugh, Tomi flinched and stepped back.
‘…That laugh. It’s the same one from when she was experimenting with potions on the mages.’
Just as Tomi was considering whether to swap places with Berik, Berik was rushing down the corridor, hastily scanning the paintings he passed. Large, ornate, revered….
“Huh?”
At the end of the corridor, a painting towering well above human height suddenly came into view. A dozen or so angels smiling brightly. Berik crossed his arms and let out a contemplative groan.
“Hmm. This one’s too big.”
How would I carry it? No, wait. I could carry it if I tried. Just twice, three times the hard work compared to carrying Deilaina on my back.
“Pass!”
Besides, I only needed to take one painting anyway. Berik shouted decisively and turned around. At that same moment, the angel’s eyes moved smoothly again.
“Wait!”
When Berik suddenly spun back around, he froze. Whatever thought had crossed his mind, his mouth was now shut.
“If I bring a huge thing like that, they’ll give me extra meat for my hard work, right?!”
Chuckling, Berik approached the painting again. As he reached out to detach it, he felt something strange.
“…?”
It was a very brief moment.
Lasting only a few seconds.
Yet somehow, something felt different, though I couldn’t figure out what. I frowned and stepped back.
Perhaps it was because of my innocent perspective, untainted by preconception. Rather than assigning meaning and interpreting, I simply saw things as they were.
“Oh!”
All the angels were looking down and smiling at me—at the one observing them. Except for one angel on the left.
Berik flicked his hand as if struck by revelation.
“Why does only this one’s eyes look like that?”
Berik moved closer and examined the angel’s face carefully. The eyes….
‘Blinked?’
They blinked! Briefly and quickly, like losing a staring contest! Startled beyond measure, Berik screamed without thinking and struck the angel’s face.
“Kyaaaaaaagh!”
Crash!
“…Hiss. Hiss-damn it, what, what is…”
“Berik! Berik! What’s wrong?!”
Hearing the commotion, Tomi rushed over first. Berik, unusually pale, gasped for breath as he looked at Tomi.
“What’s wrong?”
“Grim, look! The eyes are moving!”
“What?”
“They’re moving, I tell you! The eyes just blinked!”
“That doesn’t make any sense….”
Tap tap tap!
“Tomi! I told you to protect me!”
Captain Akorella rushed over with a piece of artwork tucked under her arm—something nearly as large as her own torso. All her effort in carrying it seemed wasted as she tossed the smaller item aside and drew closer to the angelic painting.
Zing. Zing.
She summoned her mana more forcefully, searching for traces of the Liqui Stone. The power of the mana stone resonated through her sixth sense, beyond the five ordinary senses. Captain Akorella pressed her face against the painting, making no effort to hide her excitement.
“Aha! This is it! This! Definitely a Liqui Stone!”
“That’s… that?”
“Absolutely. Ten years as the youngest in the Mana Stone Management Division, three years as a Lieutenant, five years as a Captain—my experience speaks for itself! Liqui Stone 210 grams, Alatum 15 grams, Coridosia 150 grams…!”
Tomi pushed Captain Akorella aside and lowered the painting. The alloy frame alone weighed over a dozen kilograms, so he and Berik positioned themselves on either side to secure it firmly.
“If you’re certain, we shouldn’t waste time. Let’s go. Berik, hold tight.”
“Got it! Let’s move!”
“…Many hands make light work.”
The three of them carefully but swiftly exited the Third Imperial Palace.
As they stepped outside, the acrid smell of nearby fires wafted toward them. Captain Akorella quickly put on her glasses and looked up at the sky.
“Where’s the portal?”
“Huh?”
At her question, the two men also looked up. The sky was clear and blue. Not a trace of the Black Moon could be found. Berik furrowed his brow in confusion.
“Where did the Black Moon go? Does it usually disappear this fast?”
“…Either it activated, or the magic circle disappeared.”
Tomi’s voice carried unmistakable bewilderment. Either way, something had happened to the Mages.
“U-um, we can go back to our Magic Division building, right? If the portal activated, the Mages evacuated as a group, and if the magic circle disappeared, then they’re all—”
Captain Akorella realized how horrifying her words sounded and covered her mouth. In that instant, Berik released the painting he was holding and drew his sword.
Shing.
Without hesitation, he drew mana from his core. A violet aura swirled around the black blade.
“Berik! No! If something happened to the Mages, we might be their last chance!”
Captain Akorella grabbed him urgently, but Berik calmly brushed her hand away.
What did it matter? Last chance or whatever—that value was determined by Ian’s judgment alone.
What Berik had to do was save his master.
“I’m going first.”
Dash!
“There! There, the Mages!”
“Seize them! Kill them if you must!”
Tap tap tap!
At that moment, Prince Marib’s soldiers spotted the three and charged. In the brief instant Captain Akorella reflexively raised a protective barrier, Berik drew his sword wide and charged into their ranks.
Crash!
Crack!
“Aaaahhh!”
“Don’t retreat! There’s only one of them!”
“Insane, ahhh! Help me! My eyes! My eyes!”
“Is that a Mage Knight? Maintain formation!”
“Attack all at once! All at once!”
“Waaaahhh!”
This wasn’t swordsmanship. It was pure slaughter. I drove my blade indiscriminately into every exposed face and neck, unleashing attacks designed solely to kill.
The only difference from usual was that I wasn’t enjoying myself.
“I’m in a hurry-!”
Thud!
“I’ll kill them all.”
Even Tomi and Captain Akorella couldn’t approach me. With no distinction between ally and enemy, I was intent on breaking everything that irritated me.
Swoooosh!
“Hah, hah…”
“Eek!”
The soldiers fled at the sight of their comrades being torn to shreds. I hesitated for a moment about pursuing them, but gripping my black sword, I ran toward the Mage Division instead.
“Damn it, really, what if Ian is dead?”
“Why would Ian die? He’s practically the only person who can resolve this situation!”
“I don’t know! I’m going first!”
“You bastard! Take the painting with you! Ugh!”
Captain Akorella threw a punch at the back of Berik’s head. But he vanished in an instant, leaving only the groans of dying soldiers in the vicinity.
“A person who has such a lunatic as a subordinate wouldn’t die so easily. Ugh, idiot.”
She had no choice but to grab the edge of the painting in Berik’s stead. The size was already enormous, and the weight was equally tremendous.
“Tomi, is there any magic useful for moving this?”
“Evacuation is Nakina’s responsibility. Should I try?”
“…Never mind. If the mana stone reacts unnecessarily and causes problems, that’s troublesome too. Sigh. I’ll carry it. One, two, three! Ugh!”
Captain Akorella furrowed her brow deeply, her hands trembling. The already vast Imperial Palace seemed particularly distant today, especially the Mage Division.
The moment Captain Akorella took a labored step forward.
Tap.
Someone grabbed her arm.
“Gasp!”
“Release Captain Akorella at once, Your Highness!”
Looking quite battered—the very picture of “barely alive”—it was Prince Gail.

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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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