Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 324

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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 324
Fire. Before Crossing the Border
All the Mages summoned by my call gathered together.
Dressed in light clothing, they kept their eyes fixed on the ground, and from a distance, one might have mistaken them for researchers examining experimental results. With their arms crossed, hands on their hips, and several running their fingers through their hair while clicking their tongues in frustration.
“This is strange. Directionally, south should be correct, but I can’t pinpoint the exact location.”
“Could the final incantation have been wrong?”
“I don’t think so. Unless it’s that line above.”
“Let’s try once more, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll call Ian.”
The Mages turned their heads toward the garden entrance. I was discussing something with officials from other departments, and the meeting was dragging on. If it ended, someone from another department would arrive, and we might be able to leave today after all.
“Other departments. They were like that even the day before the vacation.”
When word first came that I was taking a vacation, the Mages embraced each other and cheered. It was only two days, but what did it matter?
Our excitement at waiting for my departure was short-lived. Other departments came rushing in with work piled high, as if their feet were on fire. Without me, even just two days would cause disruptions throughout the Imperial Palace.
“How much is this field assignment worth?”
“I’m not sure. It says the allowance is undetermined.”
No one knew whether it would take a few hours, a full day, or more. A Mage tossed his staff to Philic and nodded.
“Philic. Can you look after the rest? I’m exhausted.”
“You only drew a magic circle, and you’re complaining.”
“But you haven’t looked well since earlier. What’s wrong?”
As Philic turned away, dismissing the concern, his gaze met mine as I approached. I slowly placed my hand on my hip and examined the magic circle. Like a teacher checking homework and students, an awkward silence fell between us.
I read the formula with just my eyes and appeared to be calculating in my head.
“Well done.”
Click, click. It was only a brief moment, but it felt like several minutes. The Mages exhaled in relief and began chattering away.
“Phew, thank goodness. But Ian, the location setting isn’t working properly. No matter what we do, we can’t get close to the southern border. It’s as if there’s a magnetic field—whenever we target that area, we get pushed back.”
“By how much?”
“About five kilometers from the fourth checkpoint of the southern border garrison.”
I rested my chin in my hand, thinking carefully, and realized something. But before offering an answer, I probed my surroundings with a subtle tone. More precisely, I questioned Philic, who stood before me.
“Do you have any idea what might be causing this?”
If Philic had made contact with Cliffford during his break and used similar teleportation magic, I wanted to confirm whether such anomalies had occurred then.
But Philic only offered an awkward smile and scratched his head.
“I’m not sure.”
“Neither am I. This is the first time I’ve encountered such a case. I think we’d find answers by checking previous records, but time is too tight to do so.”
I took the staff from a nearby Mage and carefully refined the magic circle. Following the smoothly drawn lines, light flickered on and off repeatedly.
“Recently, a report came in about magical energy anomalies from the south, bordering Cliffford. I suspect that might be the cause.”
“What was the magnitude?”
“About three times the normal level.”
“That’s certainly unusual. At that level, it could definitely cause problems with the magic circle.”
“Adjust the location as close as possible, and it would be best to activate it gradually. Philic.”
I clicked my pocket watch and gestured to Philic. Berik and Barsabe would arrive soon. It would be better to infuse the magical energy slowly.
“Me, me first?”
“Keep infusing it until I tell you to stop.”
The mages exchanged glances and retreated. Why was Ian acting this way? No matter how good Philic’s condition was, having him work alone was inefficient.
Philic realized he couldn’t back down and opened his magical power.
Whirrr. Whirrr.
The area beneath his palm touching the magic circle blazed with light. The glow spread slowly, like watercolor bleeding across paper, until it filled the entire space. Massive diagrams spanning several meters in every direction.
Philic’s chest rose and fell in shallow increments—evidence of his deliberate deep breathing.
“Haaah…”
Don’t show weakness. I can’t let them suspect anything.
Philic had resolved this from the moment he began, but it wasn’t long before he staggered. He had almost no magical power left. Wasn’t traveling back and forth from the capital to the border an exhausting ordeal?
Philic glanced awkwardly at Ian, but he was only staring at his stopwatch—like a child wondering when a diver would surface.
Whirrr. Whirrr.
No command to stop came. Though he sensed his limits approaching, Ian remained composed, as if this wasn’t his concern. The watching mages began murmuring among themselves.
“Philic, you don’t look well.”
“That’s why you should manage your stamina better.”
“Ian, shall I take over next?”
Someone volunteered to step in, but Ian simply raised his hand to stop them—a clear refusal. Philic finally collapsed to his knees, gasping as he braced himself on both hands against the ground.
“Continue, Philic.”
But Ian showed no mercy. The command to keep pouring in magical power, to give everything he had, never wavered. Eventually, blood burst from Philic’s nose.
“Philic!”
“Ian, Philic’s condition—”
“It’s not normal.”
Ian stopped his stopwatch and murmured. Setting aside his poor physical state, this was an abnormal result. It meant Philic had almost no magical power left in his body.
“Now, all of you activate your power simultaneously. We depart the moment Berik and Barsabe arrive.”
“Is Philic coming too? In this condition?”
“He seems to have reached his limit. Even if he comes, I’m not sure he can be assigned any duties.”
“Philic, what exactly did you do? Setting aside the exhaustion, if blood is rushing to your head like that, doesn’t it mean you have almost no magical power left?”
His colleagues asked with concern, but Ian seemed rather satisfied. The subtle smile playing at his lips betrayed it.
“Prepare him.”
A firm decision to take Philic along. How satisfying it was that the traitor had become a husk with barely any magical power to use.
In the distance, Berik and Barsabe appeared alongside Romandro. Berik waved his hand while carrying a backpack nearly as large as himself.
“Iaaaan!”
“What’s that on your back?”
“This? Lunch boxes. I asked them to pack extra just in case. They said the border region is barren wasteland.”
It was excessive. Ian laughed and furrowed his brow, prompting Romandro to approach and whisper. He kept watching the back of Philic’s head as the man lay half-collapsed.
“Ian, we’re ready. Once you take Philic and depart, we’ll begin the search.”
“Understood.”
“Right. Don’t worry. We’ll shake out every last coin from under the bed. Leave this to us and be careful out there.”
One reason for separating Philic from the capital was the search itself. Perhaps they could find clues about who connected him to Melania, what he was hiding, or even the matter with Cliffford.
“Well then, let’s depart.”
“Understood. Philic, step back.”
“I’ll take the left side. You circle around to the right.”
“Ian. We’re beginning.”
Zing. Zing.
Whoooosh!
The magic circle, which had barely responded due to the meager mana, now shattered the sky as the mages and I joined in. A sharp, elegant curve was drawn as if a blade had sliced through it. It was the skeleton of a portal.
“Wow, it’s been a while.”
Berik shaded his eyes with his hand and looked up. It was much smaller compared to the civil war, but it was still fascinating.
“The black moon holds no pleasant memories for the citizens, so hurry.”
Whoosh!
When the black moon had risen, the Imperial Palace had faced an unprecedented closure. At my urging, the darkness deepened. A full moon appeared.
“We’ll be back soon, Romandro!”
“Take good care of Ian, don’t cause trouble, don’t get hurt, okay? Listen well, please! Don’t mess around!”
“Ahahaha! What are you talking about? Am I a child?”
“If you were as old as a child, you’d listen!”
Berik ignored Romandro’s warnings and clung to the mages, who groaned and kicked their bags away with their knees.
“Why did you bring something this heavy?”
“This heavy? Apologize to the lunch box! Right now!”
Leading the way, I and the mages leaped forward. Rising slowly through the air. Romandro couldn’t help but gape in admiration. Through the pouring sunlight, it looked like witnessing the form of a benevolent deity.
Romandro’s farewell—wishing us a safe journey—clung stubbornly to us. Until everyone disappeared into the portal.
“Yeah. I was curious! The Cheonrye said it felt really strange riding this.”
Darkness where the surroundings couldn’t be discerned. Berik ran about curiously, rolling repeatedly. A faint light visible in the distance. The group moved like travelers following the North Star, using only that as their guide.
“Ugh….”
“Philic, are you alright?”
“Yeah. Just support me a little.”
Philic, who had been trudging along, asked his colleague for help. Except for just before, I hadn’t looked at Philic even once. The mage whispered to Philic with an incomprehensible expression.
“Did you do something wrong to Ian?”
“What?”
“Otherwise, there’s no way Ian would act like that. Be honest. What did you do wrong? If there’s anything I can help with, I will.”
Philic stopped short with a bewildered expression. Objectively speaking, wasn’t my treatment excessive? A reckless order had drawn blood from my subordinate, and I was forcing through a schedule without considering physical condition at all.
Yet here, he was asking what he had done wrong instead. Philic kept wiping his nose and furrowed his brow.
‘This isn’t what I wanted.’
To be honest, I complied with the order to elicit sympathy from my colleagues and create discord in the investigation team. No matter how much it was the superior’s command, mana is an extremely personal power. I could have stopped it if I wanted to.
“Philic?”
His colleague asked again, observing Philic’s complexion.
If the situation is like this, there’s no helping it. After composing myself, Philic muttered as pitifully as possible.
“Then could you help me with that….”
“Iaaaan! Look, I can see it clearly!”
Thanks to Berik’s loud cry, what was already a quiet voice could be conveyed discreetly. Barsabe tightened her grip on her sword and narrowed her eyes.
“Could it be the Cliffford envoy?”
Based on the location, it seemed the portal’s entrance was in the sky. A vast expanse of land, lush weeds, and barren paths came into view all at once. Above all, the carriages of Cliffford that I had seen many times before.
“It seems we’ve positioned ourselves well?”
“Exactly. Cliffford is nearly at the border. We’re fortunate.”
The mages exchanged excited glances, patting each other’s shoulders.
But something felt wrong.
“…The carriages are accelerating?”
“…What? What?”
The large carriages that had been rattling along suddenly picked up speed, launching into a full gallop. As the bewildered mages stood frozen, Ian rushed past them.
“Hurry.”
“Sir?”
“They’ve detected the portal on their side—”
Clatter clatter!
“We must cross the border at once.”
They began running after Ian as well. Throwing themselves forward with all their might, a tremendous wind greeted them. The group flew forward like leaves caught in a gale.
May from Cliffford spotted it through her telescope and cried out.
“Kyaaaah! Yes! That’s it! Your Highness, it’s magic! Mages came out of the black circle! This is insane. Why are they coming out from there, damn it! Let’s just go home, for heaven’s sake!”
“Faster!”
At May’s shriek, Noah added his own command, and the coachmen’s whips cracked in succession.
Clatter clatter!
Whinnnnny!
“Push the carriages faster! We must reach the border in one breath!”

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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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