Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 560

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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 560
Fire. When Opinions Are Shared
The nights in the northern territories were far colder than I had anticipated.
Though neither snow fell nor wind howled fiercely, the rocky mountains cooled rapidly as the sun descended, and groans of discomfort erupted from every corner—especially from the soldiers who had marched all day long.
“Ugh, I’m dying! My back’s about to snap.”
“I’ve got blisters all over my feet. So we’re supposed to walk this cursed road for four days straight, is that it? Hmm.”
“We should be able to cross the Burgos border by tomorrow morning, and on the fourth day… where was it again? Anyway, that’s when we reach where the enemy is.”
“At least the food is plentiful. I don’t think I could’ve made it this far without decent meals.”
“Why can’t the mages do something about this? Just cast a spell and teleport us there instantly—wouldn’t that be wonderful? I saw them do it before, and it looked like they could!”
“Yeah, that was incredible. Really something.”
“He looks so young too, yet he’s a Minister? I guess the only way to get ahead is to become a mage.”
While the soldiers gathered in small groups to rest, Tweller observed them all from atop a hill.
Combat hadn’t even begun, yet the physical toll from the march was already considerable. The climate and environment here—so utterly different from Bariel—had created far more complications than I had foreseen.
“Ah, Minister.”
“Good evening, Captain Heil.”
“Pardon the intrusion.”
Captain Heil had encountered Tweller while searching for a suitable place to smoke his pipe.
They exchanged brief greetings, then fell silent, exhaling only wisps of smoke into the cold air. The traces of their breath hung particularly thick in the night.
“Captain Heil. I’ve been curious about Minister Ian.”
Tweller spoke softly, both to break the silence and to satisfy his own doubts.
“Has he undergone regular sword training?”
“That’s hardly possible. I’ve never seen him practice. He wouldn’t have had the time for it.”
“Then he truly is remarkable. I’d say the Magic Department lost a talent to rival any of its own.”
It was a jest tinged with sincerity. The posture and the flowing motion of his blade—things that could never be learned through standardized training. Yet despite summoning it through magic, the natural ease with which he wielded it as if it were his own limb was extraordinary.
“Minister Ian is beyond standard classification within the Magic Department.”
“Beyond standard classification.”
“I have never encountered such a genius. Until Minister Ian appeared, we regarded Former Minister Wesley as the talent of the century, but there is simply no comparison.”
“I’ve heard that Count Ian employs only high-tier magic.”
“High-tier is an insufficient description. There is no mage in this world capable of wielding such spells simultaneously and in succession.”
Hmm. Tweller chewed on his pipe thoughtfully.
His mother was alive and well, so there was no reason to doubt his lineage. Yet it remained peculiar that he had remained hidden in Bratz throughout his childhood.
Whether in swordsmanship or magical power, everything about him was extraordinary, yet his emergence in the imperial court had come far too late. Had his mentor—that figure from the palace—possessed even a modicum of sense, he would never have left Ian concealed for so long.
“Sometimes—”
Heil followed Tweller’s gaze toward the night sky. The Milky Way sprawled above them, brilliant and radiant as if about to pour down upon the earth.
“I wonder if he might be blessed by God.”
“It is said that mages are those loved by God.”
“Isn’t that going too far? Honestly.”
“Ha. Fair enough.”
“There are simply too many things I cannot comprehend….”
As Heil trailed off with his smoke, Tweller pressed further without hesitation.
“A part you couldn’t understand?”
“Ah. That is, quite literally, you know everything. I have a vivid memory of being astonished when Count Ian had only recently arrived at the imperial palace—you already grasped the entire work system, the methods of invoking special magic, geography, everything.”
It was ten years ago, but how could I forget?
Especially when Akorelra collapsed from the dragon scale plague, the fact that you used the secret passages of the imperial palace still puzzles me. From what I could tell, even Romand didn’t seem to know about it.
“Hmm.”
Tweller stroked his beard thoughtfully, trying to calm his turbulent mind.
Ian Hielo was subtly detached from reality in ways that defied description through words like remarkable, magnificent, or genius. There had to be something singular that pierced through all of this seamlessly.
“Captain Heil. Are you here?”
“Ah, Zaira.”
“Minister Tweller. Good day to you.”
Just then, Zaira appeared suddenly and gestured to Heil. Something seemed to have come up. Heil flicked out his cigarette and returned the greeting, while Tweller gestured for him to go ahead.
“Then, I’ll go take a look.”
“Go on.”
Tweller was alone again. He lit a fresh cigarette and gazed quietly into the empty air.
Zaira, that mage—she’s from Ruswena, and her grandmother fell into the Abyss, didn’t she? Just like Count Ian.
‘The Abyss.’
What exactly was it?
The immense power that made Count Ian’s ten days flow simultaneously with our ten years? A distortion of time? Time itself….
‘Could it be that Count Ian is living in a different timeline than us?’
At this idle thought that crossed his mind, Tweller let out a quiet laugh. Getting old meant all sorts of useless musings crept in.
In truth, they were indeed on different timelines. He was still a boy in his teens, while we had advanced ten years ahead of him.
“Ridiculous.”
He shook his head lightly and laughed it off. Discard it. It was a thought that offered no help during wartime. Trying to clear his mind that way, yet somehow the impression lingered like footprints. A deep suspicion about Ian.
* * *
“An intruder?!”
It wasn’t long before the fallen soldiers and coachmen at the entrance to the Magic Tower were discovered by passing servants.
The soldiers immediately took defensive positions, and the mage on duty came rushing down in a single stride.
“Romand!”
All the torches in the dimly lit Magic Tower were extinguished. The mage illuminated the staircase with a small sphere of mana and led the way. Behind him, soldiers followed with weapons firmly in hand.
When they had climbed nearly to the very top—
“Hey, I’m here.”
“Good heavens! Are you alright?”
Romand came down unsteadily. The mage was horrified at the sight of him—he was drenched in blood here and there, and his face was so haggard he looked ready to collapse at any moment.
The mage rushed over to support Romand, and the soldiers were about to pass by to inspect the scene.
“No, wait.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Lord Timothy is, he’s up there.”
“Lord Timothy? Why is he here? The Magic Department annex construction was halted.”
“I’ll explain the details later. There was an assassination attempt on King Damon, but it’s been resolved. What matters now is keeping this quiet. Deploy only the minimum personnel needed for cleanup, and send the rest back to their posts.”
“What do you mean—oh dear. Romand. Are you sure you’re alright?”
Romandro simply collapsed where he stood, cradling his forehead. I had weathered countless skirmishes both great and small, believing myself hardened to such horrors, yet witnessing Timothy’s vengeance firsthand delivered a profound psychological blow.
The brutally mutilated corpse of the enemy and the raw grief of a man who had lost his family converged into a single, overwhelming tragedy.
“Blast it, my nose won’t stop bleeding. Romandro, you should stop the bleeding too. Listen! I’ll go in first. Everyone else, wait here!”
“Nosebleed? Ah.”
Now that I thought about it, it wasn’t just the nosebleed—I’d scraped my skin raw in several places from falling. Romandro stared blankly at his wounds before letting his head drop limply.
Whoosh.
“Gasp!”
The Mage who entered froze at the sight of such carnage. Had the entire world been dyed crimson with blood? The metallic stench was overwhelming, and the scattered corpses were even more horrific.
In the center of it all, Timothy stood motionless before a body so mangled it was beyond recognition.
“T-Timothy?”
“…I apologize.”
An apology for what, I couldn’t say. The Mage carefully pried the sword from his grip, then turned his attention to King Damon. He too was drenched in blood, staring vacantly at the corpses.
“For now, we must relocate King Damon to safety.”
Crash!
Damon shoved the Mage with all his remaining strength and lunged toward Timothy. It was a final, desperate act. He locked eyes with Timothy in the darkness, his lips twisting into a grotesque grin.
‘Your family’s corpses—’
“You mustn’t do this! King Damon!”
‘I threw them to the dogs.’
“Damon, no! Lord Timothy!”
Boom!
Timothy seized King Damon by the throat and slammed him against the wall. With a dull impact, Damon’s vision blurred momentarily.
Timothy breathed hot, violent breaths as he strangled Damon, and at the Mage’s cry, Romandro rushed forward as well.
“Romandro!”
“Lord Timothy! You cannot! You must not!”
“…What have I done so wrong? My only crime was loyalty to you! What grievance could possibly justify destroying my wife and children so utterly, so completely!”
“Lord Timothy! Compose yourself! King Damon cannot die! If he does, you and your family will suffer fresh wounds all over again!”
At Romandro’s cry, Timothy hesitated. His eyes betrayed utter incomprehension—what did those words even mean?
As his fury cooled, he noticed Damon laughing despite the hands around his throat.
“Damon claims he has lived twice. He seeks to use death to reach his next life. In that life, you will exist, and so will your wife and children, yes? If this wretch were to harm you again there, what then? Hmm?”
The shocking revelation caused Timothy’s grip to weaken gradually. Seizing the opportunity, the Mage quickly extracted Damon and sent him outside, while Timothy collapsed to his knees.
“How could—how could—”
“Listen, Lord Timothy.”
Romandro covered the back of his trembling hand with his own. The man who had so savagely butchered the corpse, who had been so fierce, was now weeping. Like a lost, frightened beast.
“I understand you well. I too have a wife and children I would gladly give my life for. Should anyone harm my family, I would burn with rage and wish to kill them as you did. Please know that there are those who comprehend your heart.”
As the Mage removed Damon, two soldiers entered and began disposing of the bodies. The severed pieces had long since ceased to resemble anything human.
“You did well. You did well.”
“…I am sorry.”
“There is nothing to apologize for! You did well, I say! Only remember that the method of vengeance must suit the opponent. You know this already, but sometimes emotion clouds reason and judgment falters.”
There must surely exist the perfect vengeance to inflict upon Damon. And Ian will undoubtedly find it. Romandro nodded repeatedly, patting the back of Timothy’s hand.
“You have endured much. Rest now, and set down the burden from your heart, if only for a moment.”
Timothy collapsed forward with a anguished cry. Yet he was not defeated. His path to vengeance still stretched far ahead.
Romandro surveyed the ruined Magic Tower with a grim expression, then issued orders to a soldier.
“Bring me a Jeonseogoo—the fastest one you can find.”
“A Jeonseogoo, sir? Is this the one to send to the Minister of Magic?”
“Yes. There’s something urgent that needs to be delivered.”
Beyond reporting the current situation, the sharp attack that had pierced through the tower’s high window was troubling. The principle behind it remained unclear, but it was undoubtedly a hidden force from Burgos’s side. Sharing this with Ian to prepare for danger took priority.
Romandro wiped the blood from the back of his hand as he continued.
“And we must discover how these intruders breached the palace. Conduct a thorough investigation—from the main entrances to the servants’ back passages. Every detail.”

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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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