Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 180

‘…’

‘What happened to the painting?’

Why isn’t he answering?

When Ian slightly opened his eyes, he saw Beric’s awkwardly smiling face. His mission was to escort Acorella and safely bring the painting, but he was empty-handed.

Beric supported Ian’s back and grumbled.

‘It’s probably on its way here?’

‘Beric.’

‘No, I, uh!? I thought you were dead, uh!?’

His voice trailed off as he made excuses. It was a relief that Ian was okay, but if he had known this would happen, he would have rushed over sooner. The opponents were all annihilated, so there was no glory to be had, and no excuses to make either.

‘It’s fine, Beric. Go get the painting.’

‘Ah! Right! You know, you’ll be surprised when you see it? It’s huge? And the eyeballs, like, they spin around like this, like this? If you were to put a price on it, it’d probably be worth about a pig. Hmm, hmm.’

‘You’re making me say it twice.’

‘Yes. I’m going.’

Beric rolled his eyes back and forth, giving an incomprehensible explanation. He immediately stood up at Ian’s scolding, though. At that moment, Acorella’s shout was heard from afar.

‘Hey, Beric, you crazy bastard!’

‘Oh? That’s right! It was coming on its own!’

‘What do you expect me to do if you leave this behind? Huh!?’

‘Is everyone alright? Why did the portal suddenly disappear, huh! Where did the borderlanders come from?’

Tommy, who was holding the front of the painting, stopped, seeing the chaotic scene. The corpses piled up like hills and the endless flow of blood. The sudden appearance of the borderlanders was strange, but the presence of the injured mages was also out of place.

‘Uh, what happened?’

‘It’s a long story. First, let’s organize the situation. Warrior, please move the painting to the inner building.’

‘Yes, Sir Ian.’

Swoosh.

A nearby warrior received the painting. Just as Tommy was about to warn him to be careful, the warrior lightly lifted the painting with one hand and went up the stairs. The two of them had struggled to carry it, but it seemed no different from a newspaper to the warrior.

‘The leaders should assess the personnel, rebuild the barrier, and reorganize. Commander Acorella, follow me.’

While Ian was giving orders, walking through the central lobby, Acorella followed closely behind, whispering.

Tap tap tap!

‘Sir Ian, I met His Highness Gale on the way to get the painting. He was hiding in the Third Imperial Palace and approached us when he saw us.’

At her words, Ian’s steps came to a halt.

Doesn’t that imply a lot? That Gale’s forces were definitely defeated by Marib, and the reason why he was hiding in the Third Imperial Palace among the many imperial palaces.

‘It seems Gale also knows the Emperor’s secret passage.’

‘Since he was the lover of former Minister Wesley, he probably noticed it, even if he didn’t know the details.’

‘But, even though they saw you moving the painting, there was no resistance? It doesn’t seem like there are any signs of battle.’

Acorella’s hair was soaked with sweat, but it was from labor, not from battle. Acorella lowered her voice a little more and reported.

‘His Highness Gale asked me to deliver a message. He wants to meet secretly if there is a chance. It seems to be a request regarding the entrance to the Imperial Palace.’

Not even a sliver of a chance. The embers were barely dying down, and now he wants to replenish the outside forces and set the palace ablaze again? Ian chuckled and asked back.

‘He’s not one to make hopeless requests.’

‘Yes. So, I set several conditions.’

‘Tell me everything, without adding or subtracting.’

Ian stopped in the hallway and leaned against the wall. It was because his legs had given out, but Acorella didn’t notice. That’s how natural Ian’s posture and movements were.

‘Information about the Emperor’s secret passage. And-‘

‘Hmm.’

He wasn’t particularly interested. It was a passage created with magic, so it was only a matter of time before the mages would figure it out with a little effort. Now that Marib was captured, time was on their side. More than anything, there was a high possibility that the Emperor would appear on his own once he knew the situation.

‘The management, authority, and delegation of the magic sealing stones currently held in the Imperial Palace. Honestly, I almost lost it when I heard this.’

Acorella’s voice, with her emotions suppressed, was sincere.

Upper-level above upper-level. Wasn’t it a raw stone so meaningful to mages that it couldn’t be grouped together with any standard?

‘As you know, His Highness Gale has the most magic sealing stones in the current Imperial Palace. If we play our cards right, we can take advantage of this situation to promote the glory of the Magic Department.’

She was speaking calmly as if it was nothing, but Ian could easily guess what was going through her mind.

‘Do you want to study the magic sealing stones?’

‘Yes. I want to immediately chew, tear, taste, and enjoy the principles of the sealing stones…’

She unintentionally revealed her true feelings. As Acorella trailed off and stared at the air in a rigid posture, Ian took out the amber-colored stone from his pocket.

‘Take this.’

‘What is this?’

‘It’s a new type of magic sealing stone created by Marib.’

‘Whaaat!? How?’

Acorella shouted, feeling her nostrils flare. It was an exclamation somewhere between shock, joy, awe, and curiosity.

‘It seems to have a different mechanism of action than the existing magic sealing stones, so you and the mages of the Magic Stone Management Department should go down to the basement and start researching it immediately. Some mages, including Nakina, are unable to use their magic after being hit by arrows made with it, so be especially careful.’

‘Unable to use their magic?’

‘It seems to be a temporary phenomenon, but it’s just a guess. The amber-colored arrows scattered outside are all remnants, so collect them and proceed.’

‘I, yes, I will look into it right away.’

Acorella swallowed hard and stuttered. Then, she held the stone to her chest as if it was the most precious thing in the world and bowed deeply. Her footsteps as she ran outside were hurried.

Tap tap tap!

‘Th, Sir Ian! About the painting. It’s definitely painted with Liqui stone [a type of magical stone used in art], and Beric said that the angel’s eyes were moving. It’s probably what you were looking for.’

‘I see. I’ll check it out.’

‘Yes. Then, Magic Stone Management Department! Gather around!’

Leaving her shout behind, Ian entered the conference room.

A quiet space with no one there.

The painting was leaning diagonally on the left.

‘Acorella and Tommy transported the painting, but Gale didn’t stop them. That means he already checked it. And it’s one of the many entrances to the passage, so he must have thought it didn’t matter.’

Ian stepped back slightly and scanned the painting.

He too, when he was the Emperor, that is, when Chrony’s rebellion occurred, used such passages to escape the Imperial Palace.

‘Your Majesty. Are you listening?’

There was no answer. But Ian knew it was a selective silence. The Emperor was probably sitting in the dark. Therefore, he was definitely watching the place where the painting was hanging at the same time.

‘I know you’re inside. It’s an uncomfortable place for Your Majesty to be, so please come out. Is Beols there too?’

Again, there was no answer. If an outsider saw it, Ian would look like a madman. He hesitated for a moment and then mentioned Marib’s name.

‘Prince Marib has been captured.’

So, he was telling him to show himself and take charge of the situation. At that moment, the leftmost angel’s eye looked directly at Ian.

-…Is that true?

A chilling voice. It was so high-pitched that it was hard to believe it belonged to the old Emperor. Ian lightly saluted and nodded.

‘Yes, it is.’

There were no paintings drawn with Liqui stone in the Magic Department. Even if there were, only the opposite wall would be visible, so the visual information would be extremely limited. All that could be heard would be explosions or loud noises. The Emperor didn’t seem to know the details of how the situation was unfolding.

‘Are you with Beols? Are you safe?’

So, he must have sent Beols to look around. Hale sensed those moments and tracked their trajectory.

‘You can come out now. Everything is finished and it’s safe.’

But the Emperor only blinked his eyes and looked down at Ian.

-Show me Marib and Gale. I cannot go out before that.

At the unexpected answer, Ian frowned without realizing it. He had never imagined it. If he was the Emperor, wouldn’t it be the right virtue to show himself and take charge of the situation?

But now he was telling Ian to prove his safety. Even though he had never had any interaction with Ian.

‘Your Majesty.’

Ian suddenly recalled the record that he had lived unusually long. He wondered how he had lived so long, withered like an old tree, but it was because of his nature.

An Emperor who feared death like a divine punishment, and whose priority was his own safety rather than the restoration of the Imperial Palace.

‘Doesn’t Prince Gale follow Your Majesty’s will? If Your Majesty comes out directly, you can do as you please.’

-I cannot believe it. Marib poisoned me, and Gale mobilized the nobles’ forces without consulting me. Both of my sons have not only cut out their father’s heart but also shattered it into pieces.

That must have been the condition of the ‘deal’ to support Gale. To politically push out Marib, but to prohibit any forces that could disrupt the Imperial Palace, that is, threaten the Emperor’s safety.

But as if to show off, the supporting troops of the nobles were scattered as corpses throughout the Imperial Palace.

‘…Then, come out and declare the deprivation of the two princes’ positions. Your Majesty, there is nothing to be afraid of.’

It was absurd. An Emperor who had to be coaxed and persuaded like this. The angel in the painting asked again.

-If Marib and Gale are stripped of their positions as princes, then Arsen and Jin remain. Do you want Arsen to be the successor?

Ian suddenly noticed that the Emperor’s nuance was strange. It was as if he knew that Arsen was not qualified. Ian lowered his gaze for a moment.

‘No. If Prince Marib was strong, I would strip him of his legitimacy by establishing another successor, but the situation is different now. It would be better to leave it vacant for now and decide after the chaos has been resolved.’

In his heart, he wanted to strongly recommend and enthrone Jin as the successor, but there was a procedure for everything.

‘If I support Jin now, the Emperor will suspect me even more and hide himself further. It’s the right time. The right time to let the Emperor be assassinated and pass it off as a flow of history.’

The Emperor knew. That Ian was the one who was receiving situational support in the Imperial Palace to the same extent as him. If he wanted to seize power, a rebellious act of killing the Emperor could easily happen. So, he was even more on edge and tried to figure out Ian’s purpose.

‘In order for Jin to be recognized as the true successor beyond Arsen, the Emperor’s support is absolutely necessary.’

Ian thought so and bowed gracefully. It was a pleasure for Jin’s future, and for the future that Ian remembered.

‘Your Majesty. Please show yourself and take care of the Imperial Palace. Everyone is waiting only for Your Majesty.’

A long silence followed. Ian raised his head at the sudden presence he felt. It was Beols. He was still looking down at Ian with a wary gaze.

‘Sir Ian. Please get up.’

‘Where is His Majesty?’

A letter in his hand. It was covered in blood.

‘…Is this the Emperor’s blood?’

‘…Listen carefully to what I am about to say. This is the request that His Majesty left to me, and to Bariel.’