Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 323

Mages summoned by Ian gathered, dressed in light clothing, their gazes fixed on the ground. From a distance, they could have been mistaken for researchers examining experimental results. Some had their arms crossed, others had hands on their hips, and a few were running their hands through their hair, clicking their tongues.

“That’s strange. The location should be south, but I can’t pinpoint the exact spot.”

“Could the last formula be wrong?”

“I don’t think so. Maybe the line above it.”

“Let’s try one more time, and if it doesn’t work, let’s call Ian.”

The mages turned their heads towards the garden entrance. Ian was in a discussion with someone from another department, and the meeting was dragging on. Just when it seemed like it would end, someone else from another department would arrive. It was questionable if they could even leave today.

“Those other departments. They were like that even on the day before vacation.”

When the news of Ian going on his first vacation was heard, the mages hugged each other and cheered. It was only for two days, but who cared?

The excitement of waiting for Ian’s departure was short-lived. Other departments visited with work piled up as if their feet were on fire. If Ian was not there, even for just two days, there would be a disruption in the Imperial Palace.

“How much is this field work worth?”

“I don’t know. It says the allowance is undecided.”

No one knew if it would take a few hours or more than a day. A mage tossed his staff to Philic and nodded.

“Philic, can you take a look at the rest? I’m exhausted.”

“You’ve only been drawing magic circles, what’s with you?”

“But you’ve looked pale since earlier. What’s wrong?”

Philic turned away, telling them not to worry, and his eyes met Ian’s, who was approaching. He slowly put his hand on his hip and examined the magic circle. A strange silence fell between them, like a teacher checking homework.

Ian seemed to read the formulas with his eyes and calculate them mentally.

“Well done.”

Tick-tock. It was a very short moment, but it felt like several minutes. The mages breathed a sigh of relief and began to chatter.

“Wow, that’s a relief. But Ian, the location setting isn’t working properly. No matter what we do, we can’t get close to the southern border. It’s like there’s a magnetic field, it pushes us away when we try to pinpoint that spot.”

“How far?”

“About 5 kilometers from the 4th guard post on the southern border.”

Ian, who had been pondering with his chin in his hand, realized something. But before giving an answer, he subtly probed the surroundings. Specifically, he looked at Philic.

If Philic had been in contact with Clifford while resting, he would have used similar teleportation magic. He wanted to confirm if there had been such an anomaly back then.

However, Philic just scratched his head with a foolish smile.

“I don’t know.”

“Me neither. It’s my first time experiencing this. If we look at the previous records, we might find an answer, but we don’t have enough time.”

Ian took the staff from the mage nearby and refined the magic circle. Light flickered along the smooth lines he drew.

“Recently, there was a report of a magical anomaly in the south, near the border with Clifford. I think it might be because of that.”

“What was the level?”

“About three times higher than normal.”

“That’s definitely strange. That’s enough to cause problems with the magic circle.”

“Adjust the location as close as possible, and it would be good to activate it slowly. Philic.”

Ian clicked his watch and gestured to Philic. Beric and Barsabe would be here soon. It would be good to slowly inject magic power.

“M-me first?”

“Keep injecting until I tell you to stop.”

The mages looked at each other and stepped back. Why is Ian doing this? Even if Philic’s condition is good, starting alone is inefficient.

Philic, realizing he couldn’t back down, released his magic power.

Zzzzz. Zzzzz.

The area under his palm, touching the magic circle, glowed brightly. The light slowly spread like watercolor, soon filling the surroundings. Huge drawings spanning several meters in length and width.

Philic’s chest rose and fell slightly. A sign that he was breathing deeply.

“Hoo….”

‘Don’t show it, or they might suspect.’ Philic had resolved to do so from the start, but he soon faltered. He had very little magic power left. Going back and forth from the center to the border was not an easy task.

Philic glanced awkwardly at Ian, but he was just looking at his watch. Like a child curious about when a diver will come up.

Zzzzz. Zzzzz.

The word to stop didn’t come. He felt like he was reaching his limit, but Ian was indifferent, as if it wasn’t his problem. The mages watching were the first to murmur.

“Philic doesn’t look good.”

“Yeah, he should eat better.”

“Ian, should I go next?”

Someone volunteered, but Ian just raised his hand to stop them. A clear indication not to step forward. Philic eventually sat down, panting with his hands on the ground.

“Keep going, Philic.”

But Ian didn’t let up. He didn’t withdraw his order to keep injecting magic power, to give it his all. Eventually, blood spurted from Philic’s nose.

“Philic!”

“Ian, Philic’s condition-”

“It’s not normal.”

Ian muttered, stopping the stopwatch. Even if his condition was bad, this was an abnormal result. It meant that Philic had almost no magic power left.

“Everyone, activate your magic power at the same time. We’ll leave as soon as Beric and Barsabe arrive.”

“Is Philic going too? In this condition?”

“He seems to have reached his limit. I don’t know if he can be put to work even if he goes.”

“Philic, what did you do? Aside from indigestion, if your head is bleeding, it means you have almost no magic power left, right?”

His colleagues asked with concern, but Ian seemed rather satisfied. The subtle smile on his lips showed it.

“Get ready.”

A firm decision to take Philic. The traitor had become someone who couldn’t use magic power, how satisfying was that?

In the distance, Romandro, along with Beric and Barsabe, appeared. Beric waved his hand, carrying a backpack as big as himself.

“Iaaaan!”

“What’s that behind you?”

“This? Lunch box. I asked them to pack a little extra, just in case. They said the border area is barren.”

‘That’s too much.’ Ian frowned with a smile, and Romandro approached and whispered. He kept a close watch on the back of Philic’s head, who was half-collapsed.

“Ian, we’re ready. If you take Philic, we’ll start the search right away.”

“Make sure it’s thorough.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry. I’ll shake out every coin under the bed. Leave this to us, and be careful.”

One of the reasons for separating Philic from the center was the search. They might find clues about the entity that connected him to Melania, or what he was hiding, or even the problem with Clifford.

“Well, let’s get going.”

“Understood, Philic, step back.”

“I’ll take the left. You go around to the right.”

“Ian, we’ll start.”

Zzzzz. Zzzzz.

Whoosh!

The magic circle, which had barely reacted due to the meager magic power, finally activated. With the mages and Ian joining in, the sky split open. A sharp and elegant curve was drawn, like a sword had sliced through it. It was the framework of the portal.

“Wow, it’s been a while.”

Beric shaded his eyes with his hand and looked up. It was much smaller compared to the time of the rebellion, but it was still amazing.

“The black moon is not a pleasant memory for the people of the Empire, so hurry.”

Whoosh!

When the black moon appeared, the Imperial Palace had faced an unprecedented lockdown. At Ian’s urging, the darkness deepened. It was a full moon.

“We’ll be back, Romandro!”

“Take good care of Ian, don’t cause trouble, don’t get hurt, okay? Listen well, please! Don’t be reckless!”

“Ahaha! What are you talking about, am I a kid?”

“I wouldn’t say anything if you weren’t as bad as a kid!”

Beric ignored Romandro’s plea and clung to the mages, who groaned and pushed the bag away with their knees.

“Why did you bring such a heavy thing?”

“Such a thing? Apologize to the lunch box! Now!”

Ian led the mages as they leaped. Slowly rising into the air. Romandro couldn’t help but be amazed, his mouth agape. It was like seeing the figure of a benevolent god amidst the shining sunlight.

Romandro’s farewell lingered persistently. Until everyone disappeared into the portal.

“Right. I was curious! The celestial beings said it felt very strange when they rode this.”

Darkness where one couldn’t see the surroundings. Beric ran around and rolled, as if amazed. A faint light could be seen in the distance. The group moved like travelers following the North Star, using it as their only guide.

“Ugh….”

“Philic, are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just help me a little.”

Philic, who had been trudging along, asked for help from a colleague. Except for earlier, Ian hadn’t checked on Philic even once. The mage whispered to Philic with a puzzled expression.

“You, did you do something wrong to Ian?”

“What?”

“Otherwise, there’s no way Ian would act like this. Tell me honestly. What did you do wrong? I’ll help you if I can.”

Philic paused with a dumbfounded expression. Objectively speaking, wasn’t Ian’s treatment too harsh? His subordinate had bled due to an unreasonable order, and he was pushing forward with a schedule that didn’t consider his condition at all.

But here, they were asking what he had done wrong. Philic frowned, wiping his nose repeatedly.

‘This isn’t what I wanted.’

To be honest, he had complied with the order to evoke sympathy from his colleagues and create a sense of unease in the investigation team. No matter how much it was an order from a superior, magic power was a very personal force. He could have stopped if he wanted to.

“Philic?”

The colleague asked again, checking Philic’s complexion.

‘If that’s the case, there’s no choice.’ After composing himself, Philic muttered pitifully.

“Then, can you do that for me….”

“Iaaaaan! Look, I can see it clearly!”

His voice was already small, but thanks to Beric’s loud shout, it could be delivered discreetly. Barsabe narrowed his eyes, gripping his sword tightly.

“Could it be the Clifford delegation?”

Judging by the location, it seemed that the portal’s entrance was in the sky. A vast land, lush weeds, and barren roads came into view. Above all, there were the Clifford carriages they had seen many times.

“Did we get the location right?”

“It seems so. It’s true that Clifford is almost at the border. We’re lucky.”

The mages looked pleased and patted each other’s shoulders.

But something was strange.

“…Are the carriages getting faster?”

“…Huh? Huh?”

The large carriages, which had been rattling along, picked up speed and began to sprint. Ian brushed past the mages, who had stopped in confusion.

“Hurry.”

“Yes?”

“They must have noticed the portal-”

Clatter! Clatter!

“They’re trying to cross the border quickly.”

They also started running after Ian. As they threw their bodies forward with all their might, a tremendous wind greeted them. The group fell as if they were flying.

Clifford’s May, who had confirmed this with a telescope, shouted.

“Kyaaaak! That’s right! It’s them! Your Highness, it’s magic! Mages came out of the black circle! I’m going crazy. Why are those guys coming out there! Let’s go home, damn it!”

“Hurry!”

At May’s scream, Noah added his command, and the coachmen’s whips lashed out in succession.

Clatter! Clatter!

Neigh!

“Increase the speed of the carriages even more! We must reach the border in one go!”