Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 362

In front of the Royal Smithy.

Mages fidgeted, constantly peering inside and then turning to look at Ian.

Unlike them, who were at a loss, Ian was calmly gazing up at the sky, as if measuring the passage of time.

Inside, loud noises of explosions, both big and small, were mixed with Acorella’s angry shouts and the blacksmiths’ protests or worried cries. Some mages, just in case, began drawing defensive barriers on the ground.

“Ian, sir. Are you sure it’s alright? The sounds coming from inside are quite ominous.”

“She used to be like that in the lab, but this is Clifford. I’m worried something might explode.”

“There’s never been a case of melting a magic sealing stone before. Is it okay to do it here? Ian, sir, please stop Acorella now.”

Ian chuckled at the mages’ complaints. It wasn’t like she would listen if he tried to stop her, and besides, it was his order, so he couldn’t take it back halfway. Ian waved his hand lightly and nodded.

“If you’re so worried, go to the barrier and check on Berik. I wonder if he’s listening well.”

Berik? The mages pondered. Would it be better to be next to the mad dog Berik, or next to the mad scientist Acorella?

“Never mind. I’d rather stay here. It’s not because Acorella is better, but because Ian, sir, is here.”

“Oh, I agree. Anywhere is fine as long as I’m by Ian, sir’s side.”

“There hasn’t been much news from the barrier. It’s been long enough for them to have clashed.”

There were no urgent messages coming to the palace, and more importantly, no sign of a massive force that would cause a disturbance.

If the synthetic monsters, the magic swordsmen, and the mages had gathered and something had happened, even they, with their weak powers, would have felt it.

Ian kept checking the time and muttered.

“It’s a legion that has come from the Vergos Palace, crossed the border, and occupied two villages. Thanks to Prince Noah, they’ve been split into the vanguard and rearguard, and the overall stamina of the soldiers should be depleted by now. Soon the sun will set, so there’s a high chance they’ll set up camp and enter a lull.”

That’s why he ordered Acorella to melt the magic sealing stones and Idgal to make weapons. It would have been impossible if there wasn’t enough time.

The mages tapped their feet anxiously, flinching at the explosions coming from inside the smithy.

“Do you think Bariel is sending reinforcements by now?”

“I’m curious. I entered the palace as soon as I became an adult, and this is the first time I’ve been out like this. I can’t imagine the imperial palace without the magic department, and I’m worried. Well, that’s how it is.”

“For being worried, we came out too confidently.”

“Hahaha. That’s true. I wonder if Romandro is doing well. He must be leading the magic department alone there.”

They were all in similar situations. As soon as they were recognized as magic users, they entered the imperial palace and spent most of their lives there. It was strange enough that they were all in a foreign country together, but the reason for it was due to their rebellion against the imperial palace.

Ian muttered.

“The imperial palace will be shaken without the magic department, but it won’t collapse. His Highness Jin is there, and there are some excellent officials, so they’ll be fine.”

“That’s still disappointing. I wish they would beg us not to leave because they can’t do without us. Hahaha!”

“Similar to begging, they’ll be sending reinforcements. Don’t worry.”

Ian smiled, resting his chin on his hand, and the mages all smiled along. What was there to worry about? Ian, the best mage and their leader, was here with them. And he said that reinforcements were coming. There was nothing to worry about.

‘Minister Volv is a bit annoying, but His Highness will surely handle it well. Romandro is there, and the Prime Minister too.’

Ian predicted that Jin would have overcome Volv in any aspect.

However, among the possibilities he considered, there was no assassination using Siao Shi. Or rather, it was more accurate to say that it was pushed to the very back.

How high was Jin when he stood alone? He knew well that Jin’s dignity, which stood tall in history, was at the same height as an emperor like himself, but he had overlooked it. Ian didn’t know that the child had broken through the vines with such a bold decision.

Kwaaang! Poong!

“Mister! I told you to set the temperature right!”

“Hey, listen here! I’m speechless!”

“If you’re speechless, just shut your mouth!”

The mages pursed their lips at Acorella’s annoyed shouts coming from inside.

At that moment, a Clifford servant came running from afar. He looked relieved, as if he had found Ian.

“Ian, sir! Ian, sir!”

“What is it?”

“Haa, haa, just now, a message came. Prince Noah is alive, haa, and it seems he’s currently circling around the rear of the Vergos side to scatter their formation. And the Clifford and Vergos soldiers have clashed, haa, and someone named Berik has stepped forward. It would be best if you hurried.”

When the servant mentioned Berik, everyone smacked their foreheads and exclaimed. That damn mutt. Why on earth would he step forward in the fight between Clifford and Vergos?

However, Ian immediately understood the meaning behind it.

“He must have moved the synthetic monsters.”

“Is that why?”

“Yes. I told him not to interfere with anything other than the monsters, so that must be it.”

“If Ian, sir, says so, then it must be true. Or else, that Berik will starve.”

“Ah, isn’t that bastard eating the synthetic monsters too?”

“Didn’t you see? The soldiers escorting him are all wearing masks. The stench of rotting corpses is visible from afar. If he eats that, I really won’t play with Berik.”

“Then, what if he gets eaten instead?”

“Berik?”

Berik getting eaten? Everyone blankly imagined it, then burst into laughter at the same time. How could they not be worried at all? Even Ian seemed to have no thoughts, focusing on the documents the servant had brought.

“It’s okay if he gets eaten once. That way, the cows can also have their revenge and rest in peace.”

“Right. Experiencing it from the other side is also a life experience. Hmm, not bad?”

The mages laughed and chatted noisily, and the servant also smiled, subtly watching them. Until Ian asked.

“It seems that a minority group from Vergos has joined the battle. Is this accurate information?”

“Yes? Ah, I don’t know, I just delivered the message. But the person who gave it to me is the General, so the content must be correct. Shall I guide you there?”

The General was in the same position as a minister in Bariel. That meant the information was credible and there were no problems. When Ian told them about the synthetic monsters, that is, necromancy, they had focused on investigating it. They hadn’t found out who the necromancer was, but in a war situation, this level of intelligence was commendable.

‘Astana.’

Ian read the sentence that five tribes from the minority group in the midst of a civil war in the north of Gaia had joined the battle, and tapped a very familiar word with his fingertip.

“What is it? Ian, sir.”

“I remembered someone I know.”

Hasha.

He had rescued the Astana people from the slave traders and sent them together. Had they arrived safely? He seemed to remember hearing that Hasha’s grandmother was in a position equivalent to a tribal chief in Astana. If so, there might be an unspoken relationship between the successor and Hasha.

Whether it was positive or negative, it seemed to have some value to exploit. Of course, finding that person among the numerous Vergos soldiers was the problem.

Poong!

Another explosion came from the smithy. This one seemed quite big, and everyone turned back worriedly. With a creak, a gap in the slowly opening door revealed purple smoke swirling out.

“Ah. Acorella?”

“Heh, heh heh…”

Her hair was disheveled, her face was covered in soot, and she was looking at the floor with a strange smile. Her appearance was quite bizarre, and everyone huddled behind Ian.

“C-Chief. If you’re in your right mind, please answer. You’re scaring us. Are you okay?”

“Among the people here-”

“Yes?”

“Who has seen the melted magic sealing stone!?”

“Uwaaaah!”

“And who has touched it!? Who knows what it smells like!? The texture is so moist, squishy, and bouncy! When I applied it to the metal and heated it, the effectiveness reaction didn’t come out, so what did I do? Guess! Guess!”

The blacksmiths were all in the same state as Acorella. Even those who did rough and crude work were stunned, as if they had never seen such a person before. It was as if their souls had left their bodies.

“Ah, can’t we not guess?”

“Of course not!”

Acorella grabbed the mage closest to her by the collar and shook him, showing a gesture of joy. Ian gestured for her to calm down, and she wiped the blood dripping from her nose and smiled again.

“So, Acorella. What’s the result?”

“Here it is, my lord.”

Acorella knelt playfully and presented a dagger to Ian. It was an ordinary dagger, but one side of the blade was completely black. She had succeeded in coating it with the magic sealing stone.

“Now that I know the method, it’ll be easy to make dozens of them if the blacksmiths help a bit. The ones made with Idgal will be amber-colored. Should we ask for more manpower? I want to try using this quickly.”

“Acorella, can you do without you?”

“Ah, of course. Hey! Magic Stone Management Department! Assemble!”

“A-Assemble!”

At Acorella’s command, several mages stepped forward. She sniffled and wrote something on a piece of paper, then handed it to her subordinates and said.

“Just do it like this, okay? I wrote it down exactly. There shouldn’t be any errors, and if you mess up, it could explode and you could get covered in magic sealing stones, so be careful. Let’s be mages together next time too. Okay?”

“C-Chief! Please do it with us!”

“That’s right. How can we do it by ourselves?”

“Yeah, no! I have to go try this out!”

Acorella stamped her feet and winked at Ian. She had promised to let her experiment, so it was time to show it. Ian nodded and ordered.

“Continue to manufacture and supply the weapons. Acorella and I will go to the barrier to observe the situation and respond. There were thirty synthetic monsters, so something similar should be enough. Hale, I leave this place to you.”

“Yes, Ian, sir.”

Ziiing. Ziiing.

“Farewell, my subordinates! I’m going to go do some swordplay!”

“Acorella!”

Shweeek!

Acorella grabbed the dagger and soared into the air before Ian, and Ian also activated his magic and flew up.

In the distance, the Clifford and Vergos soldiers were tangled together like an ant colony.

* * *

“You bastards!”

“Uwaaaak! Ugh!”

Chaeng! Chang!

Berik was swinging his sword like a madman, covered in filth.

It was like a falling leaf, and every time he swung, three or four people would fall back bleeding. The view of the formation from the sky was quite strange. In the front, the soldiers were fighting each other, but in the middle of the enemy, a mad dog was unleashed?

“Oh, over there! Isn’t that Ian, sir?”

“Ian, sir! We’re here! Here!”

Two mages recognized the figures flying from afar. Ian and Acorella, as well as the mages who had remained at the barrier to watch, had all joined them.

Berik also stopped when he heard Ian’s voice.

“Iaaaaan!”

“Yes, Berik. You’re a mess.”

“These crazy bastards ate me, and I went into their belly, right? Ah, but there was a human head in there, so I kissed it, damn it? But that was the core! Ah, thinking about it makes me nauseous again.”

What was that? Ian tilted his head and looked at the mages, but it was too much and too trivial to explain. They just shrugged and laughed.

“Yes, the core inside the synthetic monster was a human head.”

“What? So we didn’t have to cut it open then? What about my excellent and perfect dagger?”

“…W-What is that? Acorella.”

“What else? It’s made to cut monsters. Hey, you mutt!”

“Why are you calling me! You psycho! Ueeek.”

Chwaaak! Chwaaak!

As Berik shouted, Acorella flicked the tip of her dagger. It seemed like the smell was still on him, as Berik kept retching while answering.

“Over there, two are coming from the left. I’ll cut one, and you try the other. It would be more efficient to just get eaten and tear your way out.”

“No way! Absolutely not! Ueek.”

Chwaaak!

Acorella quickly descended towards her target and grabbed her sword, and two mages followed her in surprise.

Ian, who was watching them from the sky, suddenly looked at the setting sun. The red glow of the sunset. The setting sun made even clear water look like blood.

Ian let out a small sigh and turned his body. It was time to move to the rear of the battlefield to check the movements of the necromancers.