Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 388

It was overwhelming. Looking back, Ian’s life had always been overwhelming.

Born as a child solely for the sake of the family, without any affection, his beginning was fraught with hardship. He had everything, yet he was incomplete. That was how Ian had lived.

He had tirelessly tried to hide his identity as a mage, trusting only Crony’s words. From the moment he decided to become emperor, he strived to cut off Crony, who had been binding him.

And what came after that? As emperor, he threw himself entirely for Bariel, but in the end, he barely survived by sacrificing his close friend.

It was overwhelming. Sometimes, he felt like throwing everything away and falling into the abyss of death, or disappearing like the wind.

‘My lovely stone.’

Ian felt his heart flutter again at Philia’s affectionate whisper. If it was the illegitimate son Ian who had held onto Philia, it was Bariel itself that had held onto Emperor Ian.

The laughter of the empire’s people, the newly rising morning, the harmoniously moving roads, those who dreamed of tomorrow, the peacefully drifting clouds, and all those who had been with him.

Boom! Boom!

“Lord Ian!”

Acokella’s piercing scream erased Ian’s thoughts. The world seemed to become distant and distorted.

The magic department members behind him closed their eyes in fear, and the same was true for the mages on Rusweena’s side. They huddled together, cowering from the roar and explosions. Only Ian stood unbent, confronting the force.

Ian turned around. He saw those who had said they would be his back, that he could throw himself if it was hard, and that they would endure together if he wanted to. Ian wiped the blood dripping from his chin with the back of his hand and muttered.

“…I’m going.”

The black aura around the old man grew thicker. The Flame God continued to attack, but it felt as if its power was gradually being suppressed.

If he thought calmly, the answer was clear. Although he had received help from the amplifier and the magic department, he was still the illegitimate son Ian, and his body had not fully recovered.

On the other hand, the other side would only grow stronger due to the forbidden magic. Bringing time to his side was the key to victory. Ian took a step into the sky and drew his sword.

Shwaaa!

If the Flame God could not reach him, Ian would have to pierce the old man’s heart himself. Since it was a sword made of a magic sealing stone, no matter how forbidden the magic was, it would not be able to stop it.

“Lord Ian!”

“Grandma!”

As Ian charged, the mages from each side also rushed in. They relentlessly exchanged attacks and defenses to protect their leaders.

Shwaaa! Boom! Bang!

A magic sphere aimed for Ian’s left arm. Acokella blocked it instead, splitting it in half, and Ian moved one step closer to the old man with the Flame God.

The same continued to happen. All those who tried to stop Ian were blocked by the magic department, ensuring that his steps never faltered.

A spectacle of light burst in the sky. Those below could not distinguish who was who.

Boom!

Swoosh!

Then, black wings sprouted from the old man’s shoulder. It was similar to Ian’s Hwirok [a type of magical power], but the color was dark and murky. If Ian’s was a flame just beginning to burn, the old man’s was the ashen trace after everything had been consumed.

The giant Flame God stretched and rose as if its seal had been broken.

“This is the power of forbidden magic.”

The old man reached out his hand as if in awe, gauging his own power. Ian and the old man’s powers intertwined, creating a tense balance. A very close but seemingly unbridgeable distance.

Ian asked.

“…How do you feel?”

“…I am sad.”

He had devoted himself for so long to exploring the truth and reaching the position of a god, yet he had been able to overcome his limits so easily. It was indeed sweet. Destroying himself was always sweet. The old man waved his hand broadly, and an ashen wind blew, enveloping Ian’s Flame God.

Swoosh!

Zzzing. Zzzing.

“If you fall into the abyss, you will be sad forever, so why are you in such a hurry?”

Shwaaa!

But Ian cut off the flow of the forbidden magic with his fluid swordsmanship, clenching his teeth and pouring out all his strength. He no longer felt the blood flowing. His heart was pounding, his mind was fading, and it felt like everything in the world had stopped.

「Goha(Bitter River)」

He had never used two or more high-level magic spells simultaneously. But just because he had never done it before, there was no reason why he couldn’t do it now.

“…You!”

The old man’s eyes widened in surprise. At the same time, tears fell in a flurry.

He had followed him, thinking that Hwirok was all that he had, but how could he use magic superior to his? Was the power of the Bariel magic department minister this great? How could this young-looking boy use this magic?

Acokella also paused in surprise. She wondered if she had heard correctly.

‘Goha(Bitter River)? Did Lord Ian just use that magic?’

Goha(Bitter River) was a mental magic that fused the lifelong pain experienced by the user and the target, tearing apart the mental world in an instant. The more arduous the path one had walked, and the longer the history, the deeper it became, making it effective in destroying the opponent, but there was also a mental side effect where the user had to recall all the pain they had forgotten.

“Lord Ian! Are you crazy!?”

Acokella shouted, but Ian seemed not to hear, as he was dealing with the old man. And she realized that all the agony had mixed into Ian’s mind.

Tears were dripping from his eyes. Along with the old man.

Kwaaaang!

The old man convulsed as if struck by lightning in the heart. He struck his chest, and even as he screamed not to, Ian did not stop. The flames of the Flame God grew stronger, and purple light burst from Ian’s hand, which was holding the old man’s shoulder.

“Stop, stop! Aaaah!”

That purple light was Ian’s pain, and the old man’s pain. The hardship they had shared for so long poured out in an instant, and the old man writhed in agony, unable to bear it.

“The abyss will be worse than this!”

“You fiend! You fiend!”

His mind was in chaos, not knowing what to do. Ian grabbed her with one hand, and with the other, he pierced her heart with his magic sword. The Goha(Bitter River), which had been squeezing her heart, burst out with a purple light.

The Rusweena mages were horrified and covered their mouths, and someone covered Zaira’s eyes.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

The old man’s desperate scream shook the heavens and the earth. The bones on the back of Ian’s hand, which was gripping the sword hilt, protruded, and he soon met the eyes of the dying old man, covered in sweat and blood.

It was the moment they shared each other’s pain. You too, you’ve lived a life that was not easy. A pity close to compassion briefly flashed through his mind. It was very brief.

“Lord Ian! You can endure it!”

“Yes! Be, be strong!”

Zzzing. Zzzing!

The magic department members squeezed out their last bit of strength and passed it on to Ian before falling. They had not even left themselves the strength to fly in the sky.

Seeing the mages falling from the sky, Prince Noah shouted.

“Catch them! They’re mages!”

“Mages are falling! They’re Bariel’s mages!”

“We have to catch them!”

At the same time, the commanders of Clifford, Burgos, and Rusweena shouted. They had exhausted their strength, but they were still mages. Securing them was the way to lead the war to victory.

Beric ignored the soldiers running and fixed his gaze on Ian.

“Ian-aaaaa!”

He wished he could share his strength like the mages, but he was pathetic, stuck on the ground, only able to look up.

Even if he shouted and shouted again, Ian would not be able to hear him. Look at those empty, hollow eyes. It might be a reflexive tear, but right now, there was no room for Beric’s cries to penetrate him.

“H-how…”

What should he do? What should he do? As Beric murmured in vain, Hasha grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

“What are you doing just standing there! You need to do something to help Lord Ian! Go secure the mages!”

Boom! Boom!

At that moment, the old man’s heart completely burst, and a gale swept through. The ashen Flame God disappeared on the wind, and the old man fell, his chest area tattered.

Now, the only one standing in the sky was Ian, breathing heavily.

“Haa, haa…”

Ian, unaware that he was crying, watched the old man fall, breathing roughly. Empty, hollow eyes. All the pain of life she had tasted at the end of her death had torn her apart.

Ian wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and staggered at the hallucinations that were stirring in his mind.

‘Uncle Ian. I told you to hide your magic. Do you want to go into the slums with the commoners? The dead Duke will lament and resent Uncle Ian. You’re lowly, lowly!’

‘Ian, an emperor? Do you really think you’re fit for it? Seriously? I don’t think so. If you take that position, Bariel will fall due to the cries of the empire’s people. I guarantee it. You don’t belong in that position.’

‘It’s a rebellion! Your Highness! It’s Crony!’

‘Look closely, Ian. It’s all your fault that those you cherished are dying. It’s because you didn’t know your place and coveted the emperor’s seat that they died. Didn’t I tell you? That position doesn’t suit you.’

‘Naum!’

‘Lord Ian!’

‘Kill them! Kill them all! And tell them one last thing! That they died because Ian became emperor.’

Ian cowered. Crony’s voice was so clear. Like the dead old woman, his heart hurt so much that he couldn’t breathe properly.

Ian lost his strength and eventually fell from the sky, just like the mages.

“Ian-aaaaaaa!”

“The magic department minister is falling!”

“Ian Hielodo has fallen!”

Thud! Thud!

Beric, who had been watching it all, fixed his gaze and ran madly towards Ian. He had not been able to help when Ian was struggling, so he wanted to at least catch him safely when he fell.

Beric and the three nations reached out to claim Ian.

“Get out of the way, you bastards!”

Zzzing! Zzzing!

Shwaaa!

Beric roared and swung his sword, and the soldiers who had shown their backs fell helplessly. Beric threw away even his black sword and threw himself forward.

Thud!

And he barely managed to catch Ian with his body. Ian was unconscious, his head tilted back with his eyes closed.

Was he dead? Beric was startled and put his ear near his heart, and he couldn’t believe it. His heartbeat was abnormal. Thump, thump, thump. It was as if his heart would burst like the old woman’s.

“Prince Noah!”

Beric asked Noah for help, and Noah immediately nodded.

“Retreat for now! Secure all the mages safely and move them inside the barrier!”

“Protect the mages!”

“It’s an opportunity! The mages have all fallen! We can’t miss this opportunity! Push forward!”

“Waaaaaah!”

There were still a few mages left in the palace, including Hale. If they brought them and shared their magic, they could recover sufficiently.

Clifford tried to protect the mages, while Burgos and Rusweena desperately threw themselves forward to kill or take them.

Eriphony, who had been watching the scene from the hill, shouted, clutching her bleeding cheek.

“Eldert! The black armor?!!”

“Yes! We will deploy them immediately! They should be close!”

“It’s an opportunity! Kill them all, or take them as prisoners!”

The Rusweena camp moved chaotically. The Rusweena mages, who had been shocked, had lost their will and power, but with this black armor, they could kill those puny Clifford soldiers like ants.

She pointed the broken bow at the front and commanded.

“Advance-!”

Then she regretted it a little. She should have said, ‘Advance, go and make a mess of the enemy lines.’

At that moment.

Kwaaaang!

A small unit appeared on the hill where Maxim Tweller had stood. Eriphony knew who he was at once.

“Ah, damn it.”

Jairut. The captain of the Imperial Guard and his subordinates. The sword masters who stood at the pinnacle of power in Bariel. Jairut quickly assessed the situation and shouted, taking a deep breath.

“We are the Bariel Imperial Guard! The main force of Bariel is currently coming to support us, so we will lend our strength before then! Anyone who lays a hand on the magic department’s minister, Ian Hielodo, will have their head cut off!”

Shwaaa!

A voice that rang out like thunder.

Beric, who was running with Ian in his arms, turned around, and he soon faced countless sword masters soaring into the sky.