Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 169

Ian and the heads of each department gathered around a large round table. Outside, the sounds of explosions and screams continued. The situation was so urgent that Ian only did a quick headcount to see if everyone was present.

Without even sitting down, they leaned over the table, looking at Acorella. She brought a gray powder in a glass box and poured it onto the table.

Swish.

It was a magic stone powder as fine as sand. It reacted to magic like a magnet and had the ability to remember shapes.

‘Anyone, put in some magic. We’re in a hurry.’

As Acorella dusted off the powder, someone infused it with magic. The magic stone powder began to clump together on its own, soon forming the entire Imperial Palace. It was a three-dimensional map, as if looking down at the palace from a god’s perspective.

Swish!

Acorella didn’t stop there, scattering yellow and black powder. They twisted and clumped together as if they had been given life, moving across the map. It showed the forces of Marib and Gale in real-time, reacting to their magic.

‘Why yellow and black?’

‘Yeah, yellow heads, black heads.’

Acorella answered without hesitation to her colleague’s question. Whether they were princes or not, she had no respect for those who had messed up the palace like this. Her colleague tried to argue but bit their lip instead.

‘Currently, the battle is continuously taking place around the First Imperial Palace. It seems like it won’t end until one of the princes from each faction dies.’

Among the many powder particles, Marib and Gale were also clearly alive. Ian scanned the overall situation and muttered.

‘No. The princes won’t kill each other.’

‘What? Aren’t they trying to kill each other right now?’

‘It’s a maneuver to eliminate forces. If they achieve victory by killing either Marib or Gale, they won’t be able to persuade Bariel.’

‘Bariel, you mean…’

‘Me. You all. And the citizens of the Empire.’

Ian meant the core of the third force, those who were not involved in the battle. ‘You all’ meant the talents of the Imperial Palace, excluding the core. ‘The citizens of the Empire’ meant the faith and support of the people.

‘After formally bringing it to the Imperial Court and receiving ‘everyone’s acknowledgment’ that the other side committed treason. Only then will their execution be the justification for the current situation.’

It didn’t matter what the truth was. The victor was justice and righteousness, and the defeated would only be seen as making excuses no matter what they said.

‘For the sake of recorded legitimacy.’

‘Then, what about us? What should we do?’

The heads all turned to Ian. Ian looked down at the magic stone particles, which were writhing horribly, and muttered. Each one was a person, a life, but soon they would turn into corpses.

‘…Does everyone remember the ‘Mage’s Oath’?’

The Mage’s Oath. It was a phrase from a sage’s writing in the Great Book of Magic, which had been passed down for a thousand years. Those who studied and sought magic had to memorize it. Acorella adjusted her glasses and began to recite it first.

‘To a mage, magic is another sense beyond the five senses. See the truth, hear the words of the soul, and speak of divinity.’

Hale, who was chewing on a cigarette, took the oath.

‘Smell the burning greed and be wary, taste the desire. Remember that what burns within you is a flame, and do not let it be extinguished by the external wind.’

The heads exchanged glances and slowly breathed together. The sage’s words had transcended countless ages and were still alive through the mages.

‘And thus, let the inner flame burn forever. It is the light that illuminates the world—’

‘It will warm you.’

Naum did so too. As if he were still alive in Ian’s memory, his voice seemed to echo in his ears. Isn’t it strange? According to history, the mages of this era were supposed to have been involved in Gale’s treason and been eliminated.

But now, they didn’t seem any different from Naum. They were no different from the mages who had supported Ian.

‘The difference in leadership.’

It was a newly felt importance. Ian drew a line on the magic department’s map on the round table.

‘The Magic Department will remain neutral in the current situation.’

‘I agree. What’s the point of people getting involved in a dogfight?’

‘Acorella, let’s be careful? Huh?’

‘Ugh. I don’t know! I was supposed to get magic stones today, but they’re gone because of the lockdown.’

The heads ignored Acorella and turned their heads. They thought she seemed more upset than usual, and as expected, she was.

‘Build the largest possible defense, and give space to those who seek safety.’

‘Even if they are from Marib or Gale’s faction?’

‘But if they cause trouble inside, they will be mercilessly expelled. There may be those who are unaware of the Magic Department’s existence in the chaos. I’ll leave this to Nakina and Tommy. I know they are skilled in disaster relief with a lot of field experience.’

Hale nodded in agreement.

‘The Magic Support Department will be in charge of the defense, and Hale will confirm the Emperor’s location. It would be good to find out where the Imperial Guard is. If there’s nothing wrong, they should be with His Majesty. Ah, the Guard Captain, Liam, betrayed us and went over to Marib.’

‘Then we can find Jayrut or Beols. They are exceptional magic swordsmen, so there won’t be any problems.’

‘And…’

Ian tapped the table with his hand. Arsen and Jin. The forces of Marib and Gale were already invading their palaces.

‘Marib will try to kill Arsen and Jin too. Because Dilaina has joined hands with Gale and won’t recognize the Emperor’s authority. Above all, it’s right to cut off the bud when something goes wrong. From Marib’s point of view.’

Would Gale have the strength to protect Dilaina and the twin princes? He wouldn’t. He would be too busy trying to save his own life. Looking at the terrifyingly tangled magic stone powder, Ian sighed.

‘…Berik.’

There was no other way.

‘Here! Berik, here!!’

Ian pressed his temples and called for Berik. As if he had been waiting, he poked his head out through the door. His eyes were sparkling, almost shining. He clearly wanted to jump into the chaos outside. A pool of cool blood was waiting for him.

‘…Prepare the escort. I’m going to get Arsen and Jin.’

‘Yayyy! That’s it! Wow!’

‘I told you to be careful.’

‘How can I fight if I’m careful? Huh? Let’s go quickly! I’m great at finding my way. Yes, yes! As expected, the Minister’s judgment is awesome.’

He was swinging his sword around by himself, acting silly. Could he really be trusted with escort duty? No. Before that, the mages shook their heads and stood up. They were trying to stop Ian from leaving.

‘Are you going yourself, Minister?’

‘Isn’t it dangerous? We’d rather go.’

‘That’s right. If something happens to you, it’ll be a real problem. Not just for the Magic Department, but for the entire Imperial Palace.’

Ian put on his coat and turned to them. A faint smile flickered across his face.

‘Is there anyone here who can go to the palace more safely than I can?’

It was a double meaning. He was asking if there was anyone stronger than Ian in magic, and if there was anyone with a stronger political position. No matter how fierce the battle was, they couldn’t harm the Minister of the Magic Department who had declared neutrality.

‘If they kill those who have declared neutrality, it’s the same as breaking the justification for rising up to stop the treason. If it’s a mage, they can just get caught up in it by bad luck. But I’m the Minister, so it’ll be a bigger problem.’

‘A moving Hyman Bank?’

‘Oh. Berik. That’s a good analogy.’

‘Kiki. I smell books all day long too!’

Ian patted Berik on the shoulder and smiled. While adjusting his clothes, he looked at each of the heads and reminded them not to forget their duties.

‘Except for the department building the barrier, everyone else, create and maintain portals. High enough for everyone in the Imperial Palace to see.’

‘Understood.’

‘We will obey.’

‘Alright! Let’s hurry, it’s been a tough morning!’

‘Acorella. You seem excited.’

They didn’t know why they were creating portals. If it was to show that this place was a safe zone in the Imperial Palace, they could have shot up flames with less magic. But the mages thought that the Minister must have a reason, so they followed him.

When the meeting room door opened, everyone in the lobby looked at them.

‘Minister Ian, what should we do now? The princes must be crazy. His Majesty the Emperor is also missing, and even the seal is rolling around in this mess!’

‘This is a disgrace to Bariel. How could His Highness Marib and His Highness Gale do this?’

‘They, they’re calling each other traitors, but who, who is the real one?’

‘Is that important? Now? In this situation?!’

‘Instead of that, please allow us to enter. If we stay here like this, something really bad might happen.’

Everyone expressed their anxiety loudly. They knew instinctively. That here in the Imperial Palace, moments that would change the world were happening. Ian raised his hand lightly to stop the commotion.

‘Since even the Imperial Defense Department has joined the battle, there is no way to stop the danger inside the Imperial Palace from leaking out. Therefore, the entrance to the Imperial Palace will be strongly sealed. Please calm down and wait here, the mages will guarantee your safety, so trust them and wait. Romandro!’

Romandro was talking with his colleagues from the administration department. About the current situation, and about the whereabouts of His Majesty the Emperor.

‘I’m going to bring Arsen and Prince Jin.’

‘Ah, I, I just heard. Jayrut is not in the palace because he’s on duty. Last night, Captain Beols was guarding His Majesty the Emperor’s residence.’

Ian turned to Hale and nodded. It made things easier. He only needed to sense the magic of one person, Beols. Ian patted him and asked.

‘I’m counting on you here. I’ll be back soon.’

‘Ah, yes, yes. P, please be safe.’

Romandro glared at Berik. It meant to keep his head straight and protect Ian well. Berik smiled brightly and raised his sword.

‘Of course! I support Ian!’

Berik’s booming voice made the officials’ eyes widen. The mages were the same. Hale smiled and flicked his cigarette.

‘Ah, yes. Our Minister, we support him.’

‘Minister Ian. We support you too. The more this happens, the more we need to gather our strength and will. If you need my name, use it. I’m Ashbuster of the Foreign Affairs Department!’

‘I’m Wyvern!’

‘Mabe! Wellinger Mabe!’

The officials announced their names and shouted that they would join forces with Ian. Berik excitedly waved his sword, and the mages put their hands on their chests.

Ian crossed the barrier without answering, and Berik immediately followed him.

‘Bye! I’ll be back!’

‘Nakina, Tommy! Guide the people nearby to the safe zone.’

‘Okay. Let’s go!’

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Nakina and Tommy flew into the sky again. They freely roamed the sky, guiding the fleeing people towards the Magic Department, and the mages created portals according to Ian’s orders.

Whoosh-!

It would be right to say that the sky was split. A wound appeared in the blue sky. As if they had pulled out the night that was hidden in the bright daylight. A black space where only darkness existed.

‘Wow, Ian. Look at that! A black crescent moon has appeared!’

‘That’s the framework of the portal.’

Berik admired it and cut down a soldier who was rushing at him. Blood spurted, and screams echoed. Ian and Berik ran towards the palaces of Arsen and Jin.