Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 475

A dignified being. That was Rutherford’s first impression of the platinum-blonde youth he faced.

Was it because of his brilliantly flowing hair, or was it the gaze that seemed deeper than the abyss? Despite the clear murderous intent, Rutherford felt as if he was being neutralized by a sacred aura.

In the fleeting moment their eyes met, Rutherford could clearly tell that Ian’s energy was unusual.

“Lord Rutherford!”

Swish!

Ziiing!

Ah, this time I’m really going to die.

There was no time for the mages to help. Ian was already at close range, and the golden mana was surging right up to Rutherford’s neck.

I’m going to die, I’m going to die, this time I’m really going to die.

After going through hundreds of deaths, he thought he would no longer fear it, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. Humans can never escape the shadow of death. The more regrets one has, the heavier life becomes, and the darker the shadow grows.

If he missed ‘now,’ Rutherford couldn’t guess when the ‘next’ would come.

Rutherford’s body, capable of alchemy, the mage Ian, whom the gods had spoken of, a world swept up in war, and Bariel, where only the young prince existed. He had barely managed to create a situation where each existed independently as a miracle, and now he was going to let it all go to waste with death.

“L-Lord Rutherford!”

“Noooo!”

Thud! Thud!

Swish!

A fierce wind rushed into the sea of the abyss, that unknown space.

Ian gasped for breath, looking down at his hands. The mana that had burned and moved coldly was still vivid. The sensation of breaking through the moon, and even the sensation of tearing into Rutherford’s flesh.

But why, why does it feel like this?

“Haa, haa…”

It was an instinctive feeling of loss.

Ian looked around at the surroundings, which were a mess of black moon fragments and unknown impurities. Where was Rutherford? Where did Rutherford’s corpse fragments go? No, before that, was he even torn to pieces? It was truly bizarre.

As Ian turned his gaze this way and that, he spotted the gypsy spinning around above.

“…?”

Like a bird sensing an anomaly, she was spinning in one place, drawing a perfect orbit.

He didn’t know her intentions, but it seemed she was trying to tell Ian something. So, Ian didn’t let his guard down and continued to maintain his mana.

Swoooosh-!

“…!”

His sharp senses detected a change occurring in the sea of the abyss. The impurities and moon fragments were being drawn by an unseen force, creating a flow.

The transparent currents formed a shape, and the fragments gathered to make the shape more visible.

The mages, belatedly realizing this, widened their eyes as if they would pop out. That was, clearly-

“Gasp!”

“I-It’s a face.”

A huge size, like a mountain rising high. It was a human head with clearly defined features.

Was that also a hallucination of the abyss? The mages were consumed by fear, unable to move a finger, and only Ian faced it calmly.

“Ian.”

Its voice was deep and heavy, echoing greatly through the sea of the abyss. Swoosh, enough to shake Ian’s hair as it passed.

“W-What is that?”

“Lord Rutherford! Where did you go? Surely, you haven’t abandoned us? You didn’t leave us, d-did you? Please answer us!”

“Save me! Please save me!”

As the mages cried out and pleaded, it lightly blew out a breath. The waves surged violently.

Half-submerged within it was Rutherford. His whole body was covered in wounds from Ian’s attack, but he didn’t seem to be in mortal danger. Had he lost consciousness? Blood dripped down his limp body.

“Ian.”

Ziiing.

Ian created a blade of mana and gripped it tightly in both hands. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but as Emperor Ian, he couldn’t allow it to call his name so carelessly.

“…Did you save Rutherford?”

“Yes.”

“Not only do you call my name carelessly, but your behavior is also insolent.”

Rutherford was someone Ian had to cut down. Since it had saved Rutherford, it too would have to be cut down. As Ian lowered his stance, it laughed loudly.

“You are the insolent one, Ian. Daring to stand before a god.”

A god? Ian’s brow twitched, and at the same time, Rutherford’s mages cheered with joy.

Rutherford was one who communicated with the gods and coordinated the world. It was the moment when their faith in him bore fruit. Now that the god had descended, he would surely save them. They would escape the sea of the abyss, carry on his will, and accomplish his great work!

“…”

On the other hand, Ian slung his mana sword over his shoulder as if he was dumbfounded. To mention that name in front of him, who had just faced a ‘god’.

Ian immediately realized that ‘that thing’ was the ‘shadow’ that the god had spoken of. A foolish thing that sought to become a god.

“It’s good that you’re not far away.”

Ziiing!

Ian muttered, lightly biting his lip.

Rutherford was there, and the shadow was also there. There was no need to go out of the abyss to chase them, he would end it here. If he did, Naum’s suffering would also end soon.

It was heartbreaking not to see Beric and Romandro, Jin, Sia, and the magic department, but if it was the path he was meant to walk, it was okay.

…It was really okay.

“A mere human dares to act without knowing his place against the will of the god that has been drawn since the beginning. My children, kill that insignificant little thing. Kill it, and offer its flesh to me. If you do, I will show you the way from my sea of the abyss to Gaia [the world].”

Wooong, the shadow’s voice passed through the mages with a wave.

The mages slowly turned their heads to look at Ian. The difference in power was clear. But the god’s command was also clear.

Ziiing!

As the mages began to release their mana one by one, Ian raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. Although the form was awe-inspiring, was that enough to believe it was a god? Their god was much warmer and kinder.

Ian rebuked the mages.

“You are foolish. Just because it saved Rutherford, do you believe it is a god? It is wrong from the start.”

“Shut up! That thing! How dare you, a mage, challenge its authority?”

“Kneel down and beg for forgiveness now. How dare you go against the will of the god that connects us all!”

Ian realized that something was wrong with the mages. They were being irrational and unreasonable.

This was the sea of the abyss. It existed below the rift where monsters were created, a place where it was natural for any evil thing to emerge. But just by showing its appearance, they believed it was a god?

‘…Mind control.’

It was like the Arsen incident. The monster’s voice had penetrated them, making it impossible for them to think normally. In Bandor’s case, he had faced it in a devastated state, so he would have been even more deeply and firmly ensnared.

Ian realized why the god had chosen him. As a mage blessed by the imperial family, he could look at the god without being deceived by the shadow.

“Kill Ian quickly. Kill him, and bring his body to me. If you do, you will live. I will free you from this endless cycle of eternal life and death.”

Ziiing!

Taat! Swish!

At its urging, the mages gritted their teeth and charged at Ian. They had seen the overwhelming difference in power, and their own power was at its lowest, but they could carry out the god’s command.

As those with golden eyes flew up to the left and right, Ian deployed a shield and easily stopped them.

Thud!

Thud!

“Doubt, and think. If that is truly a god, then it is our origin. It would instantly fill your depleted mana. There would be no need to order you to kill me, it would twist my neck with a single call.”

“Shut up! That thing, how dare you-!”

“Uwaaaah! Die!”

He had poured everything out in the imperial palace, but look at his complete self. Look at how he had healed everything in the sea of the abyss, which they called hell. Ian kindly told them, but it didn’t reach the mages who were consumed by the shadow.

Ian lightly shook his head as if there was no other choice, and then plunged into their midst.

Swish!

Every time he swung his mana, blood splattered, and the mages groaned. Once, twice, three times. With each simple exchange, the mages died helplessly.

Blood vessels of sensation that existed through the power of mana. Ian frowned as if he was not pleased to cut them down. Perhaps it was because he realized that their actions were the result of the shadow’s brainwashing.

“Hahahaha!”

Soon, when Ian had cut down everything and stood alone, the shadow laughed as if it was very satisfied.

The floating corpses of the mages. It took a deep breath and devoured the corpses of the mages greedily.

“Indeed, a delicacy! Hahaha!”

There were many ways to borrow the power of a god. Ian frowned and wiped the sweat dripping from his chin.

Mages were the closest to the gods. Their power was no different from the power of the gods, so the shadow was acquiring and maintaining its own authority by eating it.

“…Will those who were just eaten also be cursed by the abyss like Bandor? An endless cycle of death.”

“Why call it the curse of the abyss? It is a blessing I bestowed upon Bandor.”

In a situation where his flesh and soul were withering away, Bandor was chosen. Because he was the first mage the shadow had encountered.

Just as the god had put Ian forward, the shadow also intended to achieve its will by putting Bandor forward. There was only the arduous process of dying and dying again to reach the appropriate timeline.

“I only took his power and revived him, and freed him from death, which humans fear the most. Where is there a greater blessing than that?”

Now that it was just him and it, Ian pointed his mana sword as if telling it to speak honestly.

“Is it true that you coveted the body of the illegitimate child, Ian? That body is the body in which the god manifested in Gaia. It seems very suitable for you, who crawls in the underground, to covet.”

Ian and Rutherford’s meeting was the point of destiny where ‘god’ and ‘shadow’ collided. However, one question remained: why did Rutherford only make a contract magic and send the illegitimate child Ian back?

Of course, the god had adjusted it so that the illegitimate child Ian would be free, so that there would be room for intervention in history, but there must have been a reason why the shadow had no choice but to do so as well.

“It’s hard to see it as your arrangement, it can only be seen as an unavoidable situation.”

‘Arrangement’ was something that was only done under the name of the god. For it, it was just some ‘circumstance’ that it had no choice but to do.

The shadow slowly stretched out its neck and leaned its head towards Ian. Its enormity was truly overwhelming.

“What is the difference between the god and me, that you treat me like this?”

“…What?”

“The god has always existed, and I have always existed as well. As long as the god does not disappear, I will not disappear either.”

“The god-”

“The god is an existence that lives by faith. Now I also live by faith. There is no difference between the god and me, so why do you say such things!”

A mysterious god that existed beneath the land of Gaia. At the words that it was gaining faith, Ian exclaimed as if he understood something.

In those days when the illegitimate child Ian was young, even if it obtained a body, it could not use it. According to its words, the faith of humans would have been insignificant.

“…You are an underground god.”

A new religion that started in Toolun, which left the deepest mark in history among heresies. The shadow, which had eaten faith and established its roots there, gradually tried to approach Bariel, and in the process, Vergos was established.

The shadow let out a thick laugh. As if mocking him, it said that he had finally gotten the answer right.

“Underground god. It is one of the many names humans call me.”