Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 363

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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 363
Fire. Convergence
Before the royal blacksmith’s forge.
The mages fidgeted restlessly, repeatedly peering inside before glancing back at me. Unlike them, uncertain and anxious, I gazed calmly upward at the sky, as though measuring the passage of time itself.
From within came explosions both large and small, accompanied by Captain Akorella’s temperamental shouts and the blacksmiths’ protests or worried cries. At this, several mages began drawing defensive barriers on the ground, just in case.
“Ian, sir. Are you truly certain this is safe? The sounds coming from inside don’t seem ordinary.”
“She’s always been like this in the laboratory too, but this is Cliffford. I’m worried something might explode.”
“There’s never been a single case of melting a mana-sealing stone before. Should we really be doing this here? Ian, sir—shouldn’t you stop Captain Akorella right now?”
I laughed at the mages’ complaints. There was no point in trying to stop her—she wouldn’t listen anyway. Besides, these were my orders, so I couldn’t take them back midway. I waved my hand lightly and shook my head.
“If you’re so worried, go check on Berik at the barrier. I wonder if he’s even listening properly.”
Berik? The mages pondered. Would it be better to stand next to the mad dog Berik, or next to the mad scientist Akorella?
“Never mind. We’ll stay here. Not because Captain Akorella is better, but because you’re here, Ian, sir.”
“Oh, I agree. As long as we’re near Ian, sir, anywhere is fine.”
“There hasn’t been much news from the barrier, though. By now, they should have already clashed.”
There were no urgent messages reaching the palace either, and above all, I felt no surge of immense power that would cause a disturbance.
If the composite monster, the Mage Knight, and the mages had all gathered and something momentous had occurred, wouldn’t even these weaker ones sense it?
I continued checking the time and murmured.
“A legion that marched from the King of Burgos’s palace, crossed the border, and occupied two villages. Thanks to Prince Noah, they’ve been split into vanguard and rear guard, and by now, the soldiers’ stamina should be reaching its limit. As the sun sets soon, there’s a high probability they’ll establish camp and enter a lull.”
That’s why I ordered Akorella to melt the mana-sealing stones and Idgal to forge sharpened weapons. Without this time to spare, it would have been impossible.
The mages nervously tapped their feet, flinching at each explosion from inside the forge.
“Do you think Bariel is sending reinforcements by now?”
“I’m curious too. I entered the palace as soon as I came of age, so this is my first time venturing outside like this. I can’t even imagine the imperial palace without the Magic Division, and I’m worried. Well, that’s how it is.”
“For someone so worried, we came out awfully boldly.”
“Haha, that’s true. I wonder if Romandro is doing well. He must be leading the Magic Division alone back there.”
They were all in similar circumstances. The moment they were identified as mana users, they were brought into the imperial palace and spent most of their lives there. It was remarkable that they’d all come out to a foreign land together like this, and the reason was their resistance against the imperial palace.
I murmured.
“Without the Magic Division, the imperial palace will waver. But it won’t collapse. Prince Jin is there, and there are capable officials. It will be fine.”
“That’s disappointing in its own way. I wish they’d beg us a little, saying they can’t manage without us. Haha!”
“Similar to begging, they’re likely sending reinforcements. Don’t worry.”
I laughed while resting my chin on my hand, and all the mages laughed along. What was there to worry about? The greatest mage and their leader, I, was here with them. And if I said reinforcements were coming, there was nothing to fear.
‘Minister Volb is a bit irritating, but Prince Jin will surely handle it well. Romandro is there too, and the Prime Minister as well.’
I expected that Jin would have overcome Volb in every way.
However, among the scenarios I considered, there was no assassination using Xiaoxi. More precisely, it would be more accurate to say it was pushed to the very end.
When the Boy stood alone, how great was that height? I knew well that the dignity of the Boy who stood upright in history was equal to that of an emperor like myself, yet I overlooked it. I did not know that the Boy had cut through the tangled mass with such a bold decision.
Boom! Bang!
“Old man! I told you to get the temperature exactly right!”
“Now, now! Goodness, you’ve left me speechless!”
“If you’re speechless, then keep your mouth shut!”
Shh—the mages immediately closed their mouths at Captain Akorella’s irritated shout from inside.
The wizards fell silent, their mouths shut tight at the irritating screams of Akorella echoing from within.
At that moment, Cliffford’s Servant came running from afar, his face bright with the joy of having found me.
“Ian! Ian!”
“What is it?”
“Hah, hah, just now, word came in. Prince Noah is alive, hah, and it appears he’s currently turned toward the rear of the Burgos forces, scattering their formations. And Cliffford and the Burgos Soldiers have clashed, hah, and someone named Berik has stepped forward to the front lines. You should hurry there.”
When the Servant mentioned Berik, everyone slapped their foreheads and exclaimed. That damn fool. Why in the world did he step forward to the front lines in a fight between Cliffford and Burgos?
But I immediately grasped his true intention.
“He must have moved the composite monster.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I instructed him not to interfere in matters other than the monster, so it must be that.”
“If you say so, then it must be true. Otherwise, that bastard Berik would starve.”
“Ah, doesn’t that guy eat composite monsters too?”
“You didn’t see? All the Soldiers escorting him are wearing masks. You can see the rotting corpse from far away. If he eats something like that, I really can’t compare myself to Berik.”
“Then what if he gets eaten instead?”
“Berik?”
Berik getting eaten? Everyone stood dazed, their imaginations running wild, then burst out laughing in unison. There wasn’t a trace of worry among them. Even I seemed unbothered, simply flipping through the documents the Servant brought, concentrating on them.
“He can afford to be eaten once. That way the creatures can settle their grudges and rest in peace.”
“Right. It’s good to experience both sides of a situation. Mm-hmm. Not a bad thing, really?”
As the Mages chattered and laughed, the Servant also smiled, watching their mood carefully. Until I questioned him.
“It seems ethnic minorities have joined the Burgos forces—is this information accurate?”
“Eh? Ah, I’m not entirely sure. I merely relayed what I was told. But since the one who gave me this information is the General, the contents should be reliable. Shall I guide you there?”
The General held a position equivalent to Bariel’s Minister. It meant the information was credible and there were no problems. After I explained about the composite monster—that is, sorcery—this was the result of focused investigation. They hadn’t discovered who the Sorcerer was, but such intelligence gathering in wartime was certainly commendable.
‘Astana.’
As I read through the sentence stating that five tribes among the ethnic minorities in civil unrest north of Gaia had joined the forces, I tapped a very familiar word with my fingertip.
“Why do you do that, Ian?”
“Someone came to mind.”
Hasha.
I had rescued the Astanans from slave traders and sent them along, but had they arrived safely? I recalled hearing that Hasha’s grandmother held a position equivalent to a tribal chief in Astana. If so, wouldn’t there be an unspoken connection between the successor and Hasha?
Whether that connection was positive or negative, it seemed there would be value in exploiting it regardless. Of course, the problem was finding him among the countless Burgos Soldiers.
Boom!
Another explosion erupted from the blacksmith’s forge. This one seemed quite large, so everyone turned back with concern. With a creaking sound, purple smoke billowed up through the slowly opening door gap.
“Ah. Captain Akorella?”
“Heh, hehehehe….”
Her hair was disheveled, her face smeared with soot, and she stared at the ground while letting out a strange laugh. At her rather grotesque appearance, everyone huddled close and hid behind me.
“C-Captain. If you’re in your right mind, please answer something. You’re scaring us. Are you alright?”
“Among the people here—”
“Yes?”
“Has anyone seen mana-sealing stone melt!?”
“Kyaaaah!”
“And has anyone touched it!? Does anyone know what it smells like!? The texture is so moist and squishy, bouncy-bouncy! When I spread it on metal and heated it, damn it, the effectiveness reaction won’t show, so what did I do then? Guess! Guess right now!”
The Blacksmiths all bore the same appearance as Akorella. Even those accustomed to rough, crude work stood dazed, as if they’d never seen anyone like her before, looking as though their very souls had departed.
“Ah, it won’t work if I don’t hit it?”
“Of course it will!”
Captain Akorella grabbed the nearby mage by the collar and shook him with a gesture of joy. Ian signaled for her to calm down, and she soon wiped away the blood trickling from her nose and laughed.
“So, Akorella. What’s the result?”
“Here it is, my lord.”
Captain Akorella playfully knelt and presented a short sword to Ian. It was an ordinary blade, but one side of the edge was distinctly black. She had succeeded in coating it with a mana-sealing stone.
“Now that I’ve figured out the method, the blacksmiths just need to put in some effort and we can produce dozens of them in no time. The ones made with Idgal will be amber-colored. Let’s request more personnel, shall we? I’m eager to test this right away.”
“Akorella, can you spare yourself?”
“Ah, yes. Hey! Mana Stone Management Division! Assemble!”
“Y-yes, assembling!”
Several mages stepped forward at Captain Akorella’s command. She sniffled and scribbled something frantically on paper, then handed it to her subordinates with instructions.
“Just follow this exactly, got it? I’ve written it all out. There can’t be a single error, and if you mess up, it could explode and cover you in mana-sealing stones, so be careful. Next time we meet, let’s work together again, yeah?”
“C-captain! Please work with us again!”
“Yes, how can we manage this on our own?”
“No, I don’t want to! I need to go test this thing!”
Captain Akorella bounced on her feet and winked at Ian. She had promised to let him see her experiment, so now it was time to deliver. Ian nodded and gave his orders.
“Continue manufacturing and supplying the weapons. Akorella and I will head to the barrier to observe the situation and respond accordingly. Since there were thirty composite monsters, that should be sufficient. Heil, I entrust this place to you.”
“Yes, Ian.”
Zing. Zing.
“Take care, subordinates! I’m off to do some sword work!”
“Captain Akorella!”
Whoosh!
Captain Akorella seized the short sword and soared into the air ahead of Ian, who soon activated his mana and flew up after her.
In the distance, Cliffford and Burgos soldiers were tangled together like swarms of ants.
* * *
“You bastards!”
“Aaahhh! Argh!”
Clang! Clang!
Berik, covered in filth, swung his sword like a madman.
With each swing, three or four enemies fell backward bleeding. The sight of the camp from above was quite grotesque—soldiers clashed in front while a mad dog ran loose among the enemy ranks.
“Huh, is that Ian over there?”
“Ian! We’re here! Over here!”
The two mages spotted the approaching figures from afar. Ian and Captain Akorella had arrived, along with all the mages who had been guarding the barrier.
Berik also paused upon hearing Ian’s name called.
“Iaaaaan!”
“Yes, Berik. You look terrible.”
“These crazy bastards ate me, right? So I went down their gullet, and then—damn it—there was a human head in there, so I kissed it? But apparently that was the core! Ugh, thinking about it makes my stomach turn again.”
What is he talking about? Ian tilted his head and glanced at the mages, but there was too much to explain and it seemed trivial. They simply shrugged and laughed.
“Yes, the core inside the composite monster was a human head.”
“What? So I didn’t need to cut it open? Then what about my magnificent and perfect short sword?”
“…W-what is that, Captain Akorella?”
“What do you think? A blade forged to cut through demons. Hey, you mangy mutt!”
“Why are you calling me! You lunatic! Blegh.”
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
As Berik yelped and shrieked, Akorella flicked the tip of her dagger. Whether the stench had clung to him, Berik continued to retch even as he spoke.
“Over there—two coming from the left. I’ll try cutting one down, and you handle the other. Though honestly, it’d be more efficient to just let them swallow you whole and tear your way out.”
“No way! Absolutely not! Blegh.”
*Whoosh!*
Akorella descended swiftly toward her target, steadying her blade, and the two mages, startled, followed in her wake.
Watching from the sky, I gazed at the setting sun. The crimson glow of twilight. The amber light that transformed even transparent water into the color of blood.
I exhaled softly and turned away. It was time to move toward the rear of the battlefield now. To observe the movements of the sorcerers.

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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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