Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 270

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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 270
The Underground Brawl
Clang!
The blade struck the wall and clattered to the ground. Just as his appearance suggested, his skill was far from ordinary. The gang’s eyes followed the sword, and because of this distraction, they failed to notice Ian’s eyes turning golden.
Timothy hastily rolled up his torn sleeve and reached down to pick up the fallen sword.
“D-damn it! Don’t you know there’s no winning against a mob?”
“Push forward! Shove! You bastards, he’s grabbing his sword!”
“You lead the way! Go, let’s go!”
“Hurry!”
A coordinated strike with the gang. In the world of ruffians, there was no greater truth than this. They rushed at Timothy all at once before he could properly take his stance. Shouts erupted from all directions, meant to hide their tension and heighten their excitement.
“Aaahhh!”
“W-wait. Something’s wrong with his eyes…”
“Beat him! Kill him!”
A narrow, elongated corridor. In this sealed space without a single window, Timothy and I were surrounded. Timothy dragged the tip of his sword across the floor, advancing step by step. Three steps before collision, two steps, one step…
“Wait! I’m telling you his eyes look strange!”
“Aaahhh! Let’s go!”
Ian, watching from behind, turned his head and widened his eyes. A fool? For a moment, I thought I’d misheard. It was the first time in my life I’d been called such a thing. Rather than anger, I felt something refreshing, and I smiled helplessly.
Tap tap tap!
“Haaah!”
The one at the front swung his sword widely and rushed at Timothy. The area was so large that even a careless strike would hit something. The moment he carelessly thrust the blade forward—
“Huh?”
Clang!
When Timothy blocked with his sword, the locked blades revealed an overwhelming difference in strength. The man’s arm trembled violently. He tried to push back, but it was futile.
Timothy effortlessly drove him against the wall with his strength. The blade continued rising toward his neck. He turned to call for help from his companions, but the shift in force caused his neck to be cut.
Splash!
“Ahhhhh!”
Cut once by his own sword, and again by Timothy’s. The man, slashed twice in an instant, collapsed forward with both hands clutching his neck.
Timothy raised his sword and warned quietly.
“Clear the way.”
But it was irreversible. Childish bravado had rendered rational judgment impossible, and the sound of footsteps on the stairs only added fuel to the fire. More gang members continued to pour in to provide support. Those at the front simultaneously rushed at Timothy.
“Die!”
Splash! Clang!
Slowly, but surely. Even as Timothy was pushed backward, I focused on each strike. As I advanced bit by bit, the gang’s momentum surged as well.
“It’s fine! Keep pushing!”
“Damn it! Aaahhh!”
With five or six swords striking simultaneously in the narrow corridor, Timothy’s breathing grew increasingly ragged. At this rate, even if I cut them all down, corpses would pile up and block the way out.
Then, an unexpected attack came slashing toward Timothy’s ear.
‘Ah.’
The other ear will be cut off too. The moment Timothy thought this, Ian quickly condensed and then released his magical power. The enemies standing nearby were pushed back violently by the strong impact.
Boom! Bang!
Crash!
“Ahhhhh!”
“W-what? What was that just now?”
“Why? What’s happening up front? Ugh, I can’t see.”
“Suddenly pushing through like that, what a mess.”
“Shut up! I-I think it’s magic!”
Those at the front came to an abrupt halt. Behind them, people cried out in confusion, but they couldn’t move recklessly. Magic? Beyond the hopelessness of it, there was a strong possibility these were people connected to the imperial palace.
Timothy straightened from his lowered stance and turned to look at me.
“…I appreciate it, but the building is collapsing.”
“I said to be gentle, and I am a bit concerned. Still, it’s better than having the envoy’s ears cut off, wouldn’t you say? When returning home, wouldn’t His Majesty be curious about what happened?”
From the impact just now, debris dust fell from the ceiling. If a building collapsed underground rather than above ground, there was nothing more troublesome than that.
Boom! Thud!
As expected. From the opposite end of the corridor, in the arena, came the sound of something collapsing. The floor and walls beneath my feet shook violently. The group flinched and turned their gazes backward.
Crash! Bang! Clang!
Crackle! Thud!
Something was happening inside the arena. Intermittent screams from people echoed out, and incomprehensible bursting sounds erupted.
The group stood between the rear and front, looking back and forth, unsure what to do. Soon, the arena doors burst open to both sides and something came flying out.
“Iaaaaaaan!”
“Ugh!”
Boom!
His legs thrust through the iron bars as he came rushing forward. Both hands were raised high, supporting the iron cage. An employee tried to stop him but was overwhelmed, bouncing back to roll down the corridor. Berik roared out his fury.
“You bastards! Because of you, Ian left me behind! How am I supposed to go alone! Give me carriage fare! How many times do I have to tell you to unlock this-!”
“…Berik?”
“Huh? You didn’t leave?”
I stared at him in disbelief. So that thunderous sound from inside was him bringing the ceiling down. His wounds weren’t even fully healed yet—how was he even holding that thing up?
Berik spotted me and waved his hand cheerfully. The moment he let go with one hand, the iron cage immediately tilted and crashed to the ground.
Boom!
“Ugh, it’s so damn heavy.”
“Berik, how did you get down?”
“I kept jumping and shaking it, and it tore right through the ceiling with me. But if I’d known you didn’t leave, I would’ve stayed put. My tailbone is killing me.”
I had moved to speak with Timothy, and Berik must have mistaken it for me leaving. It hadn’t even been that long. With a temperament like that, honestly.
“So what’s everyone doing? Looks fun.”
“Well, it is kind of fun.”
“I want in too. Someone lend me a sword! You there! You look so scrawny, you’re obviously the type to get trampled. A sword is a luxury for you! Hand it over to me! Or bring my black sword!”
The man Berik pointed at reacted in shock, firing back. It was the kind of back-and-forth banter we did every day in the back alleys, almost reflexive.
“Who are you calling the type to get trampled? You’re the one who’ll get trampled!”
“What? This bastard?”
“Trapped in an iron cage and still running your mouth! Hiyah!”
Smack!
The man thrust his sword through the gap, but Berik quickly grabbed the iron cage and twisted it. The sword snapped and flew back, and at the same moment, the edge struck the man’s jaw hard.
He collapsed forward with his torn mouth clamped shut, teeth falling like rain mixed with blood. Berik shouted triumphantly.
“I’m not trapped—I just can’t leave!”
…Wasn’t that the same thing? The gang members hesitated momentarily, glancing left and right. Ahead stood a superior fighter and what appeared to be a Mage. Behind them, a red-haired madman.
Running was the better option. If the blonde boy truly was a Mage, there was no way out alive. Neither physically nor legally.
“Move! Damn it!”
“Argh! Get out! Get out!”
As they turned and bolted up the stairs, Ian gave Berik an order.
“Berik. Block the stairs. Don’t let anyone through.”
“Huh? Hey, hey, hey! Ian said don’t go! Stop!”
“Run faster, you bastards!”
“I said don’t go! Are your ears clogged?!”
Berik hoisted an iron gate with both hands and charged forward. He reached the stairwell entrance before the gang members and planted himself firmly there. They tried to push the gate aside, but Berik held his ground without budging an inch.
“Push through! Kill this madman!”
“Eh? Anyone want to stick their hand in? I’ll bite it off for you.”
“Kill him!”
Snap!
“Ahhh!”
“Oh, a sword! I don’t know whose it is, but thanks! Anyone else want to stick their hand in? I’ll cut it off for you!”
Whoosh! Splurt!
Berik grabbed a sword and swung it wildly. While he deftly dodged the relentless barrage of blades and fists, Timothy also steadied himself and charged in. As alley ruffians, they were already overwhelmingly outmatched. Now they were showing their backs.
Timothy advanced effortlessly, cutting down his enemies. Even in the darkness, blood splattered, and the smell of mold mixed with the metallic scent of iron grew stronger.
And finally.
Whoosh!
A man fell to Timothy’s strike, and he could now face the iron gate. Berik, drenched in blood, looked up at Timothy with a grin and extended his hand.
“Oh, mister. Seeing you up close, you’re even dirtier in person! Want to fight once we get out of here?”
“…Ian.”
Timothy looked Berik up and down, then turned to Ian. Ian was approaching them, stepping over corpses.
“Yes. What is it? Timothy.”
“…Is Iza truly your friend?”
Earlier, hadn’t he referred to Berik as a friend? No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t believe it. Setting aside the matter of status, the two seemed to live in entirely different worlds.
“Why! It’s just that you don’t know me, mister. I mean, look at me—well, kind of!”
He wanted to boast about something, but there was nothing to say. Eating well? Sleeping well? His fighting was impressive, but he still wasn’t the best. He’d lost to Jairot and been defeated by the black-armored one.
In place of the speechless Berik, Ian smiled wryly.
“I wish to deny it as well.”
* * *
“Why are there so many people? Was it like this before?”
Jin, Romandro, and Xiaoxi sensed the distinctly changed atmosphere of the street. When they had parted with Ian, there hadn’t been this many people, and besides, everyone had seemed half-dazed.
But now the unease made them instinctively sense that something had happened.
“Indeed. There are many carriages too….”
“It’s the Guards.”
“Isn’t that the alley Count Ian entered over there?”
“Let’s go. Sia, hold him securely.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Excuse me, please step aside. I’m coming through. Ah, thank you.”
As Romandro pushed through the crowd, Xiaoxi followed behind, carrying Jin in his arms. The deeper they went, the more chaos filled the air.
At the center stood a dilapidated building. Guards had gathered in large numbers, carrying away the injured. Jin, perched on Xiaoxi’s shoulders, spotted Ian.
“Ian!”
Ian was speaking with the Captain of the Guard when he recognized Jin’s voice and turned his head. At Ian’s signal, the guards controlled the crowd and cleared a path.
“Jin, did you enjoy exploring the park?”
“Yes, brother. The time was up, so I came to pick you up. But what on earth is all this….”
“Jin! Do you have any bread left? I’m hungry!”
“Berik?”
Jin was startled to discover Berik trapped behind bars, covered in blood. What in the world had happened? Noticing his concern, Berik waved his hand with a smile.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. This isn’t my blood.”
“Berik, you fool! Your wound hasn’t even healed yet! What kind of trouble did you cause!”
“I didn’t cause any trouble! Man, this is so unfair. Do you have any bread?”
Romandro pressed his forehead at Berik’s words, looking dizzy. Ian whispered something to the Captain of the Guard, who saluted sharply and returned to the cleanup scene. He was going to retrieve Berik’s cell key and his black sword.
“There are too many eyes and ears here. We’ll explain once we return. And….”
“Greetings.”
It was Timothy. Jin slowly opened his mouth and looked up at him. Up close, his presence was even more overwhelming.
Timothy knelt on one knee and met Jin’s gaze. Among Ian’s companions, there was only one person who fit the description of a silver-haired, blue-eyed boy.
“I am Timothy Oviatt. I am truly embarrassed to meet you in such circumstances. If you permit, I shall offer my formal greetings at an early opportunity.”
Jin found himself nodding. It was a concise greeting, but it was the best courtesy he could manage in this situation with all eyes upon them. Ian took Jin’s hand and spoke to Timothy.
“Then, Timothy. We shall meet again.”
“Yes, Ian.”
Ian gestured with his eyes for him to leave quickly. He had arranged for Timothy to avoid questioning by the guards.
Timothy draped his robe over himself and disappeared into the crowd. Ian watched his departing figure until the end, and Jin watched Ian.
“Ian.”
Ian turned with a smile as if asking why. Then Jin’s subtle senses tingled. Had Count Ian ever smiled like that to someone he was meeting for the first time? He couldn’t quite recall.
“Have you met Timothy before?”
“…No. Why do you ask?”
Ian had been born and raised in the borderlands and had only recently arrived at the capital. Even the Prince, Jin, was seeing Timothy for the first time—how could Ian have met him before? Though Ian denied it, Jin felt unsettled.
“It just seemed familiar somehow.”
“You must have seen his portrait.”
“…I see.”
“Let’s head back first. I’ll explain once we’re there.”
Ian patted Jin’s shoulder and stood up, and Jin nodded in agreement. Then suddenly, the Boy tugged at Ian’s hand.
“Wait! Are you hurt anywhere? Berik was covered in so much blood….”
Mysteries were mysteries, but concerns were concerns nonetheless. At Jin’s question, Ian’s smile deepened even further.
Ah, was it a misunderstanding after all? Not affection toward Timothy, but simply a good mood? Jin smiled back, dimpling his cheeks slightly.

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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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