Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 356

Ian gazed up at the massive Clifford map that stretched to the ceiling. Major military strongholds and sensitive areas, not to be disclosed to outsiders, were covered with cloth.

Aside from those concealed sections, the map offered a comprehensive view of Clifford’s topography. The elevation of forests, the beginning and end of cliffs, and the courses of rivers were all meticulously detailed. This information was crucial for leveraging the mainland’s terrain during war, and sharing it with Ian was a significant sign of trust, carrying considerable risk.

The retainers glanced at Ian with worried expressions. He had requested to see the entire map, but he had remained silent for several minutes, making his intentions difficult to discern.

“Sir Ian, why did you ask to see the entire map? It’s hard to understand your purpose since you haven’t said anything,” one of the retainers asked.

The retainers then turned their gaze to the mages standing huddled behind them. But they simply shrugged, as if they were just as clueless.

Ian, seemingly deep in thought, didn’t answer. He stepped back, taking in the whole of Clifford at a glance. He pointed to the border with Bariel, the location where the mana anomaly device had been buried.

“The mana anomaly device is made and managed by Bariel, isn’t it, Acorella?” Ian asked.

“Yes, that’s correct. It seems that Burgos and Luswena also manufacture and manage their own, but Clifford doesn’t have any mages,” Acorella replied.

The majority of mages were concentrated in Bariel, but it wasn’t that Burgos and Luswena had none. They simply had very few.

They chose their own paths rather than working for the development and balance of the nation like Bariel. They pursued truth, sought to get closer to the power of God, and focused on the happiness of the present.

Ian tilted his head and asked again, “It’s true that a mana anomaly reaction occurred at the border between Bariel and Clifford, but what I’m curious about is how far that range extends.”

“Yes?” Acorella responded, puzzled.

“How far will that reaction reach from the border? The forest we passed through? Or the vineyard? If it goes beyond that, it’s the royal palace here, and further, the entire capital?” Ian pressed.

“Sir Ian, what are you talking about…” A Clifford retainer interjected, confused.

However, Acorella recognized that this was an issue that needed to be addressed. The readings were abnormally high, or in other words, explosive. If that was the case, it was natural that the range wouldn’t be limited to the border.

“Since the mana anomaly device was only used to check the safety of Bariel, I overlooked it. With that level of reading, it wouldn’t be strange if there were problems throughout Clifford. Excuse me, how many kilometers is it from the border to here?” Acorella asked.

Ziiing. Ziiing.

Acorella released her mana and floated into the air. It was an amazing sight, no matter how many times one witnessed it. The king and his retainers watched in awe as Acorella stuck pins into the map.

“What are you talking about? Tell me too!” Beric demanded.

“You little mutt. Wait. I’m calculating the distance right now,” Acorella retorted.

“So, what calculation?” Beric persisted.

When Beric shook the raisins on the table and ate them, the king stared at him blankly.

‘Ah, these. Were these the king’s? I’m going to get scolded.’ Just as Beric thought that, the king smiled and handed him the raisins that were on the opposite table.

“Think about it. A mana anomaly reaction was detected at the border. But it was only up to there. There was no problem inside Bariel. Then, the area where the crack occurred is not the border, but further inland, at the center of Clifford,” Acorella explained.

What was detected at the border was merely a ripple from the inland source. Acorella used her palm as a reference to calculate the scale, and then slowly moved down. Muttering to herself, she continued an unknown calculation, repeatedly folding and unfolding the fingers of her other hand.

“You said it was about three times higher than usual. Usually, the detection device is subdivided into 0.322, and if you calculate the depth by comparing the area and roughly pinpoint the location…”

“What are you saying, you mana stone freak!” Beric interrupted.

“Shut up, you little mutt! Your sister is using her brain!” Acorella snapped.

“Gasp, did you see that? Did you see her eyes? She’s completely crazy,” Beric whispered to the king.

“Here!” Acorella exclaimed.

Kwaang!

“This is very, very, extremely likely to be the source of the mana anomaly reaction! If I haven’t made a mistake!” Acorella confidently slammed her fist down on a part of the map. The king and the Clifford retainers flinched and tilted their heads, looking at the spot she had pointed out.

“Um, that’s the capital, isn’t it?” one of the retainers asked.

“Ah, is that so? Hmm. I see!” Acorella replied.

‘So what?’ Acorella smiled with a look that said, ‘So what?’ Capital or not, she felt confident that there was absolutely no error in her calculations.

The king rose from his seat, looked at the map, and then turned to Ian.

“Are you, Sir Ian, and the mages saying that there is a problem related to the mana anomaly reaction occurring in the capital of Clifford, in this capital where the royal palace is located?” the king asked.

“It’s not certain, but-” Ian began.

“It’s certain! I’m Acorella!” Acorella declared.

“It seems so,” Ian conceded, nodding towards Acorella, affirming her statement.

With the last mage having died decades ago, if a disaster related to mana were to occur, it would be a critical matter directly related to the fate of the nation. The king and his retainers were speechless and could not make a sound.

Silence filled the room. Unable to bear it any longer, Hale cautiously offered some comfort.

“However, this is a theoretical claim. Clifford has not detected any signs, so if we investigate thoroughly and prepare countermeasures from now on, there will be no problem,” Hale said.

“Since there is no one who uses mana, even if there were signs, we wouldn’t have noticed them,” Acorella pointed out.

“The most representative geological change is an earthquake. Has there been one recently?” Ian asked.

“Earthquake?” The king and his retainers turned pale, as if they had guessed something.

Ian sat in his chair and checked his watch. By now, Prince Noah might have encountered the Burgos army. Some news had to come in so that new countermeasures could be established.

Acorella, as if to make sure they heard her, slammed the map again and explained to the people of Clifford.

“It has not been determined whether the earthquake came first or the mana anomaly reaction. However, what is certain is that if the two disasters unfortunately coincide, monsters will appear, and monsters from other regions that have lost their habitats will also move in. And humans will inevitably lose in that war. That’s how history goes. Just look at the north, yes, the northwest from Bariel’s perspective,” Acorella stated.

A hotbed of chaos and confusion. Astana, where Hasha was, was also located in that area and was suffering. In a situation where there was not enough space to settle due to the land being taken by monsters, Gaia was a hell where countries were torn apart and tribes raised their own flags.

The king staggered and grabbed the table to stand. If things went wrong, Clifford could also end up on the same path. No, it would be worse.

‘At least in the north, there are many sorcerers, including gypsies, but Clifford is entirely a human nation. The royal family is beastkin, but they don’t have any special abilities. Above all, if Clifford becomes chaotic due to monsters, the public sentiment towards beastkin will worsen even more. Beyond the nation, the very existence of the royal family will be in danger.’

Ian scanned the King of Clifford with a calm gaze. He, too, would turn into a fox when his curse period came, which was unfortunate in many ways.

Although it was a place bordering Bariel, Ian decided to take a step back and observe the situation since it was another country.

‘What I’m most curious about is whether Damon knows about this.’

It was almost a foregone conclusion that he would prepare Idgar to confront the mages. Only when reports came in about the tactics and reactions of the Burgos side could assumptions be made. It was the moment Ian rolled up his sleeves.

Tadak tadak!

Kwaang! Kung!

“Your Highness, Your Highness!” a messenger called out.

“What is it?” the king asked.

“It’s a message from the advance party that left with Prince Noah!” the messenger announced.

There was a commotion outside. The king told them to come in quickly and first checked the condition of the messenger. He was covered in sweat and dust, but there was no blood on him. The king seemed to be guessing the condition of his son from the messenger’s state.

“What happened? What about the Burgos army?” the king asked.

“The Burgos side has broken down the border wall and invaded. Their numbers total 5,000, and they are currently approaching the path leading to Baki Village,” the messenger reported.

“That’s a stroke of luck. Isn’t Baki narrow and rugged? You have to cross a bridge. We can stop them there!” one of the retainers said in joy.

As the retainers added a word in joy, the soldier shook his head.

“There’s a problem. Burgos has mobilized monsters. The one that blew up the wall was also a monster called Baekgak [a monster that contaminates the land], and I heard that it contaminates the land to the point where it cannot be purified. The prince has decided to disperse the Burgos forces starting from Baki, and he has decided to deal with the Baekgak that will remain in the border and the places Burgos has passed through. You should send reinforcements as soon as possible…” the messenger explained.

Ian crossed his arms. Burgos mobilized monsters? This highly suggested that Damon knew about Clifford’s mana anomaly reaction.

The already soaring anomaly reaction readings, and now they were continuously stimulating the energy by mobilizing monsters. It was undoubtedly a tactic chosen with the ambition to completely swallow the country.

“Baekgak are low-level monsters. We can deal with them sufficiently once the situation with Burgos is over. The problem is the Baekgak that will explode in the process. As for the pollutants that come out when they explode…” Ian said.

Was there a way to purify it? When Ian looked at Acorella, she just smiled innocently.

“Heh, I’m a mana stone expert,” Acorella said.

“…There will be data in Bariel. First of all, since that’s how Prince Noah is responding, it would be good for Your Highness to make a wise decision,” Ian said.

Clifford had a larger population than Burgos and Luswena. Especially with a culture that focused on farming and enjoying entertainment, there were plenty of young people.

That was the characteristic of the forces they could put forward, and it was a relatively lacking area. Other countries had transcendental powers such as sorcerers, monsters, and mages.

“Alright. 5,000. Noah must have dispersed them, but we must respond accordingly. Send out the three legions on standby,” the king ordered.

“Yes, Your Highness!” the retainers responded.

It was an attempt to suppress the fire before it grew bigger.

Three legions meant roughly 6,000 soldiers. He did not know how Prince Noah had fared, but they would be able to push forward at once and stop the enemy’s advance. And if they could reduce the need for the mages’ help even a little, they could also reduce the diplomatic burden.

“Has the commander of the Burgos side been identified?” Ian asked.

At Ian’s question, the soldier shook his head.

“No. When we checked the situation in the forest, we only saw the rear of the Burgos army,” the messenger replied.

“When the first report came from the border, it was said that the Timothy envoy was at the forefront, but he is an envoy, not a commander. There must be a commander who received Damon’s orders with him. It would be good to check that first,” Ian said.

When Ian told the king, the king nodded repeatedly with a ‘Did you hear that?’ expression. The retainers moved busily, and the royal palace was once again turned upside down to prepare for the departure.

The mages were left alone in the strategy room. One of them suddenly looked at his watch and muttered.

“By the way, why isn’t he coming?”

“Did his magic wear off on the way?” another mage asked.

“No way. He has the dignity of a mage,” a third mage said.

“How can he be slower than the messenger? Is he crawling through the sky or what?” a fourth mage wondered.

They were talking about the mage who had been sent on reconnaissance and had not returned. He was supposed to be flying through the air, so if it was just a simple reconnaissance, he should have returned already.

“Sir Ian!” a mage called out.

Tadak tadak!

“Wow, he’s coming,” another mage said.

“He can’t stand it when people talk about him. Hey! Why are you so late? I thought you fell on the way,” a mage teased.

The mage entered the empty hallway, looking around in bewilderment. He, too, was soaked with sweat, just like the messenger.

The mages welcomed him with relief and firmly closed the wide-open door. There might be information that should not be shared.

“Alright, good work. The messenger just arrived, and the King of Clifford has taken action to respond. Prince Noah is trying to disperse the Burgos army,” Ian said.

“Ah, yes. And the monsters-” the mage began.

“We heard about the monsters, you idiot! Baekgak! They blew up the wall, right?” a mage interrupted.

The mage raised his fist as if to tell him to shut up and then reported to Ian.

“Currently, Burgos has passed Baki Village and entered the outer suburbs. Their advance is quite relentless. It feels like they are only running towards the capital. And there was a monster they brought besides Baekgak, which I’ve never seen before,” the mage reported.

“What does it look like? Describe it,” Ian asked.

“Ah, well, that’s…” the mage said, troubled, unable to say what it was. In the end, he picked up a pen and drew what he had seen.

“It’s strange. I drew it with my hand, but why does it look like I drew it with my foot?” the mage said.

“Anyone have any idea what it is?” Ian asked.

“Hmm…” The mages gathered around and watched it for a long time, and then finally suggested to Ian.

“How about Sir Ian seeing it for yourself?” a mage suggested.