Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 576

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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 575
Fire. Ian’s Life (2)
“You are forbidden from leaving the estate.”
It was Chroni’s first rule after learning that Ian was a mana user. His gaze was subtly cold, and the silent pressure was unmistakable—he would not entertain any objections.
Ian looked up at him quietly, while Chroni paced the room with visible displeasure, issuing threats.
“Furthermore, I will also restrict your contact with the servants. Uncle Ian. I cannot stress this enough—you must never reveal it in front of others.”
“Yes. I will remember.”
“Why is that? Can you tell me?”
It was a question meant to confirm that I understood correctly.
Ian answered in a flat voice. These were the contents Chroni had repeated dozens of times until now.
“Because I am of noble birth. Most mages come from commoner origins, so if people learned I possessed such power, I could not remain in this estate.”
“Yes, that’s correct. Uncle is a perceptive man, so I’m certain you can hide it well. Sigh. How on earth did this even….”
At Chroni’s murmur, Ian flinched. How could someone bearing the blood of the imperial branch possess an ability that only commoners had? At this point, even his parents’ early deaths felt like his fault, and his very existence seemed like a sin.
As Ian shed silent tears, Chroni knelt down to meet his gaze.
“Uncle.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t worry. I will protect you. I will never push you into the commoner’s quarters. So trust me, and you just continue living as you did before. Do you understand?”
“…I understand.”
Chroni embraced Ian gently, and Ian wiped away his remaining tears in that embrace. Thus, no one could tell what expression he wore.
“I will also reduce your lessons to a minimum.”
“Is that acceptable?”
I was already lacking, and reducing lessons made me fear I would fall further behind. Chroni patted my back reassuringly.
“Yes. Instead, I will take over your instruction. I will teach you swordsmanship and horsemanship. That way, you’ll relieve your frustration, and your days won’t be tedious.”
Clang! Clang!
From that day on, I devoted most of my time with Chroni to practicing swordsmanship. My skills grew by leaps and bounds, and Chroni often laughed aloud, while I felt truly alive.
Then one day, as our world of two continued.
“By the way, Chroni. What became of the servant who saw my mana?”
“You needn’t concern yourself with such things. Now, shall we try again? Take up your sword.”
“This is already the fifth hour today.”
“Your birthday is coming up soon, isn’t it? If you defeat me, I will grant you one wish.”
A wish.
Ian pondered for a moment, then nodded and gripped the sword again. How many years had it been since I left the estate? This year was bountiful, and they said the harvest festival would be celebrated grandly. I wanted to see it.
“Anything?”
“Of course.”
Tap tap tap!
Ian swung his sword widely and lunged at Chroni. Just fifteen years old now. He parried the blade with ease.
But no matter how hard he tried, there were limits. Chroni believed Ian could never defeat him. No matter how blessed by God, he was just a child. A foolish child who trembled at a single word from him.
Whoosh! Clang!
But that was arrogance beyond overconfidence. Chroni began to realize he was struggling. Ian’s sword moved unpredictably, as if alive. Though it was a wooden sword, Chroni felt a chill—the fear that it could sever his neck at any moment.
Thud.
Ultimately, Chroni’s sword flew far away, and my blade came to rest at his nape. As I focused on steadying my breathing, my expression gradually brightened with joy.
“Chroni!”
This shows how much I’ve grown.
I anticipated the praise that would soon come from Chroni—that I’d done remarkably well, that my skills were impressive enough to enter the imperial palace at his side. Or so I thought…
“Sigh.”
Chroni merely exhaled an irritated breath and furrowed his brow. What had I done wrong? Even as I breathed heavily, I shrank back.
“Impressive, Uncle Ian.”
“Wait, Chroni…”
“I suppose I should grant your wish. Speak.”
The way he brushed off his upper garment was laden with displeasure.
I couldn’t understand it. What on earth had irritated him so? But an opportunity was an opportunity. I carefully voiced my wish.
“I heard the Harvest Festival will be held soon. I’d like to go.”
“A festival… very well. However, only three hours. The commercial district is the main venue, so that should be ample time to see everything. I’ll assign guards to accompany you, so stay with them at all times, and absolutely no contact with outsiders.”
“…Understood.”
Three hours. Too short, but a sweet outing nonetheless. I meant to thank him and ask if he was alright, but Chroni turned away decisively and left the training grounds.
It was from that moment onward.
That Chroni’s behavior became subtly sharper and more savage.
“Welcome! We’re offering free beer for the Harvest Festival! Come in!”
“Come on, the wheel’s spinning! The grand prize is a meal voucher worth one silver coin! Try your luck for just one copper coin!”
“Hey, isn’t this a scam? Let me give it a spin.”
“Whoa, why are you like this? Don’t touch it, and if you’re not going to play, move along.”
“Hahahaha! The street bands just ran into each other!”
“Dance! Dance! Waaah!”
Laughter echoing from every direction, music, people dancing through the streets, and the scent of all manner of food I’d never smelled before—I was so absorbed in soaking in the festival’s fervor that I could barely think straight.
A boy in a hooded robe and the guards following him should have drawn attention, but everyone was too busy enjoying themselves to notice.
As I wandered through the alleys admiring the sights—
“A procession of Mages!”
At someone’s cry, my head turned of its own accord.
People scattered about playing suddenly converged in an instant, creating a sea of humanity, and I was unintentionally swept along and pushed toward the street.
“Young master!”
“Damn it!”
The guards quickly followed, but the swelling tide of people kept pushing us further apart. I gestured reassuringly, pointing toward the clock tower.
“Wow! Mages!”
Meeting the Mages could expose my identity, so I hurried to move away.
But in that moment—
A shadow descending overhead.
“Ah.”
They’re flying.
The Mages soared through the sky, moving freely, with beautiful flower petals glittering like traces behind them.
Everyone reached out their hands to touch them, and the Mages responded by scattering even more flower rain.
It was truly, genuinely beautiful.
Tears welled up in Ian’s eyes.
‘So this is what a Mage is.’
They carried blood deemed lowborn, yet stood closer to God than anyone else in the world.
Ian suddenly wondered if it might be alright to leave Chroni’s estate. If he could soar through the sky like them and perform miracles.
Whoosh.
Like the others, he reached out his hand. Simultaneously, he created a small amount of magical power at his fingertips. It was instinct.
For a moment, Chroni’s warning flashed through his mind and he flinched, but soon felt relieved. Surely it would be hidden beneath the brilliant shower of flowers. I would simply be like them….
Crack!
“…!”
Among the countless reaching hands, one Mage sensed Ian’s presence through a sixth sense and grasped his hand.
Brown hair tied neatly tumbled down like waves. His brown eyes were fixed precisely on Ian.
The two stared at each other in surprise.
“You’re a Mage practitioner, aren’t you?”
Naum Obia.
The first hand from heaven to descend upon Ian’s entire life.
“A Mage practitioner?”
“Oh yes. Look here, boy! Is it really true?”
“Let me hold your hand! My goodness, what fortune is this in these end times? So God has not abandoned Bariel after all. Does this Emperor intend to last longer?”
“Hey! What kind of talk is that? Mind your tongue!”
“What does it matter? It’s our festival anyway. There’s no one to hear us.”
“Huh? Where are you going? Wait!”
Ian wrenched his hand from Naum’s grasp and began to run. A tempest of conflicting emotions overwhelmed him—the joy of being recognized, the anxiety of being discovered, and for some inexplicable reason, a sense of lightness all swirled together, leaving Ian dizzy.
“Over there—”
“Welcome. Would you like a glass of juice?”
After standing and deliberating for some time, Ian approached a woman sitting at a stall. She greeted him warmly and held up a wooden cup, and Ian handed her a coin before asking.
“Tell me, what do you think when you hear of a Mage of noble birth?”
“Pardon? Suddenly? What do you mean?”
“I mean, if a noble—someone close to the imperial family—were a Mage, what would you think?”
“Hmm. Well, I’m not sure.”
The woman thought for a moment, then broke into a bright smile, showing her teeth.
“Wouldn’t it be the Empire’s blessing? For such a noble person to possess such precious power—I can’t imagine how much God must love them. I’m envious!”
“Dear, why are you like that?”
“Oh. No, the customer is asking something strange. What do you think when you hear of a Mage of noble birth.”
“Haha! What an amusing thought. What can I say? They would probably be the greatest after His Majesty the Emperor. Truth be told, the imperial palace these days isn’t what it used to be, you know.”
“Oh my, hush! Don’t jinx such a fine day.”
“Alright, alright. Just making conversation, that’s all.”
The couple poured the drinks without concern, but Ian could not accept them. The sky was collapsing, and every moment of his life thus far felt negated.
Chroni had clearly called him cursed, yet others called him a blessing itself.
Ian merely nodded and walked toward the clock tower. In the distance, he could see the guards waiting for him.
“Young Master!”
“Are you alright? I was worried when you were late.”
“My apologies. Let’s go.”
“You’re heading inside already? There’s still time remaining.”
“No. I’m going in. I need to see Chroni.”
The guards sensed the grave atmosphere and immediately brought the carriage around. Even as Ian rode toward Chroni’s estate, he remained silent, his gaze fixed beyond the window. He rehearsed what he would say when they met.
“Chroni. I’ve been exposed.”
“What do you mean?”
“I encountered a Mage on the street, and they discovered that I’m one of them.”
Ian confessed calmly while carefully observing Chroni’s reaction. Would he worry? Or despair?
“Ian!”
Crash!
What Chroni displayed was unmistakable fury. He jabbed a finger at Ian while trembling violently, and with each gesture, Ian’s mind grew colder.
“I warned you to be careful, and yet you’re foolish and dull! Do you wish to die? How am I supposed to manage this situation now!”
“Chroni.”
Ian called his name softly, meeting his eyes directly. The pale blue eyes that proved his status as a cadet branch of the imperial family flickered with savage intensity.
“Why did you lie to me?”
“…Lie?”
“Enough. I truly don’t know what’s what anymore. I’ll see it with my own eyes and experience it myself.”
“What do you mean, Uncle Ian?”
“It means I no longer wish to be hidden.”
Whether it led to the Magic Department or the depths of the commoners’ quarters, it no longer mattered. The Mage I encountered outside had been far too beautiful and wondrous.
Flick.
Instead of answering, Chroni lit a cigarette.
Perhaps the time had finally come. The imperial palace was in turmoil, and the scales of power, never satisfied with their own weight, continued to shift endlessly.
If Ian were to enter the Magic Department now? The radiance of a young but noble-born Mage would be intense, and that light would surely reach his patron as well.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding, Uncle. Everything I did was for your sake. Do you wish to go to the Magic Department? The imperial palace is a place where blood winds always blow. You’re too young to know what misfortunes might befall you there.”
“….”
“If you still wish to go, then yes. Very well. I shall make the preparations. But know this—without me, Uncle Ian would have been toyed with by the filthy things outside at any moment, losing all pride as both a nobleman and a Mage.”
Chroni exhaled smoke and smiled with benevolence—that same smile Ian had witnessed countless times throughout his life.
“Once you venture out, you’ll understand. You will be grateful to me.”
Six months later.
Ian entered the palace for the first time at the optimal moment Chroni had determined. And there, he encountered a new world anew—
“The Empire’s blessing indeed. The first noble Mage! How delightful to meet you. I am Naum Obia. Please, call me Naum.”
Naum Obia.
He smiled with one eyebrow twitching.
As if pleased to meet again.

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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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