Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 558

The night in the northern region was colder than expected.

It wasn’t snowing, nor was the wind strong, but as the sun set, the stone mountains cooled rapidly, causing groans to erupt from various places, especially from the soldiers who had been marching all day.

“Ugh, I’m going to die! My back is breaking.”

“I have blisters on my feet. We have to walk on this path for three days? Seriously?”

“We should cross the Vergos border by tomorrow morning, and the day after, we’ll arrive at that place… where was it? Anyway, the enemy’s location.”

“Still, I’m glad the food is hearty. I don’t think I could have endured it otherwise.”

“Can’t the mages do something about it? How nice would it be if they could just teleport us there with a ‘poof’? I saw them do it before!”

“Ah, that was amazing. Truly amazing.”

“He looks young, but he’s a minister? I guess the only way to succeed is to become a mage.”

While the soldiers gathered in small groups to rest, Tweller watched them from the hill.

The battle hadn’t even started yet, but the physical exhaustion from the march seemed considerable. The climate and environment, completely different from Bariel, created more variables than expected.

“Ah, Minister.”

“Good evening, Commander Hale.”

“Excuse me.”

Commander Hale was looking for a suitable place to light a cigarette when he encountered Tweller.

They exchanged brief greetings and then silently exhaled cigarette smoke. The traces of the two men, scattered by the cold wind, were particularly pronounced on this night.

“Commander Hale, about Minister Ian.”

To lightly break the silence and resolve his question, Tweller spoke quietly.

“Did he usually train in swordsmanship?”

“No way. I’ve never seen him. He wouldn’t have had the time either.”

“Then he’s truly amazing. It’s as if the Magic Department has stolen a talent.”

It was a joke mixed with sincerity. The posture and flow of cutting down an opponent were something that could never be learned through standardized training. Even if it was summoned by magic, the naturalness with which he wielded it as if it were his own body was astonishing.

“Ian is an anomaly even within the Magic Department.”

“An anomaly, you say.”

“I’ve never seen such a genius. Until now, before Ian appeared, we considered former Minister Wesley to be a talent of the century, but they can’t even be compared.”

“I’ve heard that all the magic Ian uses is of the highest level.”

“The words ‘highest level’ are not enough. There is no mage in the world who can use such magic all at once and in succession.”

Hmm. Tweller chewed on his cigarette.

Since his biological mother was alive and well, there was no room to doubt his origins. However, it was strange how he had been buried in Bratz for his entire childhood.

Swordsmanship, magical power, everything was extraordinary, yet the time he became known to the Imperial Palace was too late. If the so-called teacher from the Imperial Palace was in his right mind, he wouldn’t have left Ian like that.

“Sometimes-”

Hale followed Tweller’s gaze to the night sky. The sparkling, dazzling Milky Way was full as if it would pour down.

“I think he might be a god.”

“It is said that mages are loved by the gods.”

“Isn’t it too much? Honestly.”

“Haha. Yes, yes.”

“There are so many things I don’t understand…”

As Hale trailed off with the smoke, Tweller didn’t miss it and asked back.

“Things you don’t understand?”

“Ah. Well, it’s just that he really knows everything. From when Ian first came to the Imperial Palace, he knew the work system, how to activate special magic, geography, everything. I clearly remember being surprised.”

It was ten years ago, but how could he forget?

Especially when Acorella collapsed from the dragon scale epidemic, the fact that he used the Imperial Palace’s secret passage was still a mystery. Judging by his expression, it seemed that even Romandro didn’t know about it.

“Hmm.”

Tweller stroked his beard, calming his complicated mind.

Ian Hielo was somehow subtly detached from reality. The adjectives ‘amazing,’ ‘great,’ ‘genius’ were not enough to explain many things. There must be something that clearly pierced through it all.

“Commander Hale, are you here?”

“Ah, Zaira.”

“Minister Tweller, good evening.”

Then, Zaira suddenly appeared and gestured to Hale. It seemed something had happened. Hale tapped out his cigarette and greeted her, and Tweller gestured for him to go.

“Then, I’ll go in.”

“Take care.”

Tweller, left alone again, took out a new cigarette and stared blankly into the air.

Zaira, that mage is from Luswena, and her grandmother fell into the abyss, right? Just like Ian.

‘The abyss.’

What exactly is that?

A great power that made Ian’s ten days and our ten years flow simultaneously? A distortion of time? Time’s…

‘Could it be that Ian is living in a different time than us?’

At the sudden, absurd thought, Tweller chuckled. As he got older, he had all sorts of strange thoughts.

In fact, it was true that they were running on different timelines. He was still a young boy in his teens, while they were ten years ahead of him.

“Good grief.”

He shook his head lightly and just laughed. Let’s erase it. It’s a thought that’s of no help in wartime. He emptied his mind, but somehow, it felt like a footprint had been left behind. A deep doubt about Ian.

* * *

“An intruder?!!”

The soldiers and coachmen who had collapsed at the entrance of the Magic Tower were discovered by passing servants not long after.

The soldiers immediately went on alert, and the mage on duty also rushed over.

“Lord Romandro!”

All the torches in the dark Magic Tower were extinguished. The mage led the way, lighting the stairs with a small magic orb. Behind him, the soldiers followed, holding their weapons tightly.

When they reached almost the very end-

“Hey, hey, I’m here.”

“Oh my god! Are you alright?”

Romandro staggered down. The mage was shocked by his appearance. He was covered in blood and his face was gaunt, as if he would die at any moment.

The mage rushed to support Romandro, and the soldiers were about to pass by to inspect the scene.

“Ah, ah, no.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“That, Lord Timothy is, is here.”

“Lord Timothy? Why is he here? The construction of the Magic Department’s annex has been suspended.”

“I’ll tell you the details later. There was an assassination attempt on King Damon, but it’s been settled, so discretion is important. Deploy only the minimum number of people to clean up, and send the rest back to their posts.”

“What is that, oh my. Lord Romandro. Are you alright?”

Romandro sat down and covered his forehead. He thought he had a tolerance because he had been involved in many battles, both big and small, but seeing Timothy’s revenge firsthand was a considerable mental shock.

The gruesome dismemberment of the opponent’s corpse and the sadness of the man who had lost his family created a tragedy.

“Oh no, your nose is still bleeding. Lord Romandro. Please stop the bleeding. Hey! I’ll go in first. Everyone, wait here!”

“Bleeding? Ah, ah.”

Come to think of it, it wasn’t just his nose, but his skin was scraped all over from falling. Romandro stared blankly at his wounds and then dropped his head weakly.

Swoosh.

“Gasp!”

The mage who had entered stopped at the sight of the horror. Was the whole place covered in blood? The acrid smell of blood was severe, and the scattered corpses were even more gruesome.

In the middle of it, Timothy was standing still in front of a corpse that was beyond recognition.

“L, Lord Timothy?”

“…I’m sorry.”

He didn’t know what he was apologizing for. The mage carefully took the sword from his hand and then checked on Damon. He too was covered in blood, staring blankly at the corpses.

“First, King Damon will be moved to another residence.”

Thud!

Damon pushed the mage away with all his might and moved closer to Timothy. It was his last struggle. He made eye contact with Timothy in the darkness and mouthed something.

‘Your family’s corpses-

“You can’t do this! King Damon!”

‘-were thrown to the dogs.’

“Damon, ah! Lord Timothy!”

Wham!

Timothy grabbed Damon’s neck and slammed him against the wall. Damon’s vision blurred for a moment with the dull impact.

Timothy breathed heavily, his breath hot and fierce, and strangled Damon’s neck. Romandro also rushed over at the mage’s cry.

“Lord Romandro!”

“Lord Timothy! You can’t do that! You can’t!”

“…What, what did I do wrong? I only committed the sin of being loyal to you! What was so displeasing that you did this to my wife and child! Like this, to the very end!”

“Lord Timothy! Calm down! King Damon must not die! If he dies, you and your family will be hurt again!”

Timothy paused at Romandro’s cry. What did that mean? He looked confused, unable to understand.

As his excitement cooled down, he could see Damon smiling while being strangled.

“Damon, King Damon claims he has lived twice. He’s trying to aim for the next life through death. In that life, you will be there, and your wife and child will be there too, right? If he does that again… what will you do? Huh?”

At the shocking statement, Timothy’s grip loosened little by little. When the opportunity arose, the mage quickly pulled Damon out and sent him outside, and Timothy sat down.

“What, what-”

“Hey. Lord Timothy.”

Romandro covered his hand with his trembling hand. The man who had brutally dismembered the corpse, the man who had been so fierce, was crying. Like a lost, frightened animal.

“I understand you well. I also have a wife and child whom I love so much that I wouldn’t hesitate to give my life for them. If there are those who harm my family, I would be deeply angered and want to kill them like you. Please know that there is someone who understands your heart.”

As the mage moved Damon, two soldiers came in and began to dispose of the corpses. The pieces were long past the point of resembling a human form.

“You did well. You did well.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about! I said you did well! However, think again about how the method of revenge differs depending on the opponent. You know it well, but sometimes emotions cloud judgment when they cover reason.”

There must be the best revenge to give to Damon. And Ian will surely find it. Romandro patted his hand repeatedly and nodded.

“You’ve worked hard. Let go of the burden in your heart for a moment.”

Timothy collapsed forward and cried out. But he was not broken. Not yet, his revenge still had a long way to go.

Romandro looked around the messy Magic Tower with a heavy heart and then instructed a soldier.

“Bring me a carrier pigeon, the fastest one.”

“A carrier pigeon, you say? Is it for the Minister of the Magic Department?”

“Yes. I have something urgent to deliver.”

Reporting the current situation was one thing, but the fact that a swift attack had come through the high Magic Tower window. He didn’t know the principle, but it was definitely a hidden force from Vergos. It was a priority to share this with Ian so that he could prepare for the danger.

Romandro wiped the blood from his hand and added.

“And we need to find out how these people infiltrated the Imperial Palace. Investigate in detail, from the Imperial Palace entrance to the back door used by the servants.”