Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 236

Ian said nothing. He simply watched Gale’s black hair sway calmly. He knew it wasn’t a will that could be stopped by interference, nor a fate that could be defied.

As Gale forcefully pushed the sword towards his heart, Arsen erupted in fury.

“You’ll die! You’ll die!”

Swish!

The tip of the sword was worn away by the poison. Little by little, Arsen’s desperate struggle was eating away at the tip.

Then, Gale clicked his tongue and shifted his upper body weight. The sword only stopped in mid-air and disappeared. It was a balance created by the force trying to pierce the heart and the force trying to push it away.

“Arsen. Now that it’s come to this, I’ll be honest, I never liked you.”

“Aaaaargh!”

“You were just a kid, and you knew you were a kid.”

“Gaaale! You son of a bitch! You son of a bitch!”

How dare such a lowly creature hide here for ten years, plotting such evil schemes? It was truly appalling that they had been forced to live in fear because of the grown-up Marib and Gale.

As he clenched his teeth, dark red blood poured out between them.

“Cough.”

Gale immediately recognized this sensation. It was the same sensation of coughing up blood when Ian’s slave had infiltrated the palace to assassinate him. He smiled faintly and shouted fiercely.

“Yeah, go ahead and try!”

Swish!

“I’m not afraid of anything!”

Rather, he felt an unknown sense of exhilaration.

With this, he had lived. He could fully protect everything he had as a prince of the Bariel Empire. His honor, pride, and mission. They would wear away with time, but Gale could feel it clearly. Right now, in his hands, everything was alive and breathing.

Thud! Thump!

Buzz!

Ian raised his hand into the air. The magic circles that had filled the floor, ceiling, and walls began to activate again. One by one, warm and bright lights gathered and rippled, creating day and night as they mingled with Arsen’s dark energy.

A magnificent celestial body. Gale, standing between light and darkness, life and death, shouted powerfully.

“Perish! Perish, and perish again, so that we may meet at the bottom of the abyss!”

“Uwaaaah!”

“I will kill you again! Gladly!”

Whack!

Gale’s sword, which was half-remaining, finally pierced Arsen’s heart. The essence of the accumulated poison burst forth, and the evil energy it contained exploded as well.

Ian pulled out his magic with all his might. For a moment, he felt like his head and neck were snapping, but it was only for a fleeting moment. He had no time to even recognize it.

Outside, there were the formations and the people. They were people who must not die. Ian gritted his teeth and held onto his sanity.

Thud! Thwack!

Gale continued to hack at the heart, even after being covered in poison. Once, twice, three times… Each time he swung, dark red, viscous blood gushed out. He felt the pain of his flesh burning, but he couldn’t stop either. The demon that had been around since the founding of the nation. Would its breath stop just by being cut once or twice?

“To posterity-!”

Arsen tried to leave behind a curse. Like the demon that Roberside had killed, he too wanted to postpone his defeat forever by vowing revenge in the future.

But.

“No. You can’t leave anything behind.”

Ian immediately stopped him and retorted. Light slowly seeped into the gap that Gale had created. Like the dawn pushing back the darkness, magic swirled along his touch. It contained the divinity of the priests and the determination of the mages. It was a power that would send Arsen into an infinite abyss.

Flash!

It was so bright that he couldn’t see an inch ahead. Ian covered his eyes with his sleeve and heard a clear scream fading into the distance.

After a while, only Ian and Gale’s faint breaths remained in the hall.

“Haa, haa…”

“Huff…”

Ian felt all his strength drain away. As he slid down the wall, a headache and chest pain hit him at the same time. His body was clearly in ruins. He had been tense for days without a break, had taken Acorella’s potion, and had poured out his magic without limit.

“…Ah.”

A few coughs turned into spitting up blood. This must be because of the demon’s poison that remained in the hall. It was faint and weak, but it was a sign that he didn’t even have the strength to get rid of that.

Ian turned his head and looked at Gale, who was lying down.

“…”

He was dying. Covered in the tough, viscous blood of a demon. The poison was spreading through the fingertips that had pierced his heart, and the blue eyes that had seen it were losing their light.

Could he see nothing?

Ian simply remained silent and tried to understand his feelings.

“Haa, ha… Ian.”

The faded pupils were staring at the ceiling. It was as if he was asking if God had seen everything from the far end of the distant sky.

“…Leave it behind.”

Ian wiped the blood from his mouth and muttered. It was the end. If Arsen’s existence disappeared from history, then Gale’s end, who died because of him, would also disappear.

God would know, and he would know, but that was still a clear fact. So, it seemed okay to give this much favor to the one who had given meaning to his death.

“I will listen.”

He closed his eyes and consciously took a deep breath. Countless thoughts and regrets swirled at the tip of his tongue. What should he convey? What should he leave behind for the only person in the world who would know his end?

‘Ah. Even so, this is a blessing.’

He, who had been agonizing, suddenly laughed out loud. He was born a prince and could die a prince, so it would be great if Marib could see it. Also, even if it wasn’t recorded, someone would remember it. Perhaps that too was a small part of history.

Tears flowed down his temples, but he didn’t seem to notice because of his fading consciousness.

“…Just a little.”

“…”

“Haa, just a little later, go out.”

If Ian went out now, people would rush in. Then they would see him lying on the floor, dying. He didn’t want that. At least, he wanted to show his dignity in a completely dead state. Wouldn’t that also be one of his glories?

Swoosh.

Ian stayed in his place instead. As time passed, the evil energy that had filled the hall faded, and Gale’s breathing also became shallow.

The half-torn curtain fluttered in the wind. The half-destroyed debris fell little by little, creating occasional noises.

Swoosh.

How much time had passed?

Ian realized that the surroundings were silent. Gale’s breathing had stopped. He had closed his eyes with a peaceful expression. As if he wouldn’t show his faded pupils.

“…A prince to the end.”

Ian took off his uniform and covered his face. And then, slowly, he took steps that didn’t move well and opened the door of the hall.

Creak.

He saw people scattered around. He didn’t know if they were dead or not. Some seemed to be alive, but his head hurt so much that he couldn’t even feel their energy.

As Ian staggered out of the hallway, the crowd gathered at the bottom of the stairs immediately noticed him.

“Wh-what’s coming out!”

“Is it a monster? Everyone, take a defensive stance!”

“R-run away! Let’s get out of the imperial palace!”

“Wasn’t there a loud noise earlier? Now is our chance. What are the Imperial Guards doing? Hurry up and prepare-!”

Was it because of fear? They raised their weapons before even identifying what it was. But soon, they realized the brilliant golden hair revealed under the sunlight. The deep green eyes like a field of grass.

It was Ian. The head of the Magic Department, the one who had targeted the monster that had taken root in the imperial palace, the people of the empire.

Tap tap!

“I-it’s Minister Hielo!”

“Minister! Are you alright? Damn it, a doctor!”

“His Highness Gale went inside.”

“What about the monster? What happened to the monster?”

“Wait a minute! Didn’t they say the monster had mind control abilities? Don’t approach him! Be careful!”

Everyone was worried and was about to go up the stairs, but they stopped at someone’s shout. Yes. Ian had said it himself. Arsen had the ability to mind control. So, what if he was controlling Hielo?

Thud!

“Ian! Aaaah! Ian!”

But one person broke through the stopped crowd and ran forward. It was Philia. Without a shred of doubt, she reached out her hands and opened her arms to Ian. She grabbed her son’s face with her swollen eyes.

“Ian, are you okay? The blood, there’s so much blood.”

“…Mother.”

“You’re alive, you’re alive. I’m so glad. Really, I’m so glad.”

In a short amount of time, Philia had experienced several hells on earth. Every time she heard a loud noise from inside, she wanted to shout to just kill her instead, to take her breath away.

But now, her son had returned alive.

She shed tears and brought her forehead to Ian’s forehead.

“Ian, thank you. Thank you so much for being alive.”

Ian patted her back. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but this was truly his limit. It was the moment when Ian was catching his breath, sweating profusely.

“…Sir Ian.”

Jin, who had run after Philia, called out to him. The child’s face was also wet, as if he had shed a lot of tears. Jin approached Ian with an indescribable expression.

“Your Highness. Are you alright?”

The child’s lips trembled. There were many things he wanted to ask. What happened to the monster, was his mother alive, and everything about the ‘royal family’ that Arsen had mentioned.

But instead of asking, Jin ran up the stairs and rushed to Ian.

“…Your clothes are dirty.”

“I am also dirty. Everyone here is the same.”

Jin muttered softly and finally hugged Ian. With a tight grip, his small hands grabbed his collar, relieved at his safe return. Ian took a ragged breath and patted him.

“Ian, are you badly hurt? What happened inside? His Highness Gale also went in, did you see him? Oh my, oh my, where did all this blood come from…”

As Romandro also asked anxiously about his well-being, Ian straightened his body and looked down the stairs. The nobles and officials were all focused on his words. Please, tell them that the monster was defeated.

“…The monster is dead.”

At Ian’s declaration, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Applause was heard from all over, and those who were close to each other hugged lightly, welcoming the peace.

“Haa! It’s done, it’s done.”

“As expected of Minister Hielo!”

“That’s right. No matter how much of a monster it is, it can’t stand a chance against a mage, especially the Minister! You are truly amazing! You have done a great thing!”

“If we hadn’t killed it today, ah, just imagining the future of Bariel is terrifying.”

Ian slowly raised his hand and waved it. It was a signal for everyone to be quiet. As he gave the order, the noise gradually subsided. Ian then announced his death as well.

“Also, the second prince of Bariel, Gale Verosian, has passed away.”

“… !”

“The Imperial Guards, the escorts, and the mages are to enter the hall and take care of the situation. If there are any survivors, transport them quickly-”

Ian paused for a moment. It was an instruction that was cut off as if his breath was cut off. At the same time as Romandro looked at him with a puzzled expression, Ian took a breath and gave the order.

“Collect the bodies of those who have died, including His Highness Gale. That is all.”

Tap tap!

At his command, the soldiers ran past Ian and up the stairs. While everyone was running around in a frenzy, Ian slipped away and went around the back of the building. He didn’t stop even when Romandro, Jin, and Philia, who were worried, followed and called out to him.

“Ian!”

“Sir Ian!”

“Oh my god, the blood!”

And as soon as he turned the corner where there were few people, Ian collapsed, leaning against the wall. He had a duty to collapse in a place where no one could see him.

With his white shirt being soaked in blood, Ian lost consciousness.