Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 636

“Lady Chloe!”\n\n”Yes!”\n\nChloe turned her head at Acorella’s call. Her hair was roughly tied up, and her face was covered in soot. If Acorella hadn’t called her ‘Lady,’ no one would have guessed her identity.\n\nAcorella, also covered in dirt, gestured to Chloe.\n\n”Over there, do you see that big rock? The second one from the left. If you move that, they say we can find the entrance.”\n\n”Really? Okay!”\n\nChloe rolled up her sleeves and strode over. The lady who cried about not wanting to go to the mine was gone, and now only a top-tier worker remained, bustling around the site. If Chloe hadn’t been there, the work would have been much slower in many ways.\n\nWhen she lifted the huge rock in one go, the workers applauded in admiration.\n\n”Wow, amazing. There are all sorts of strange people in Bariel. Does the Lady also use magic?”\n\n”It’s similar, but no. Where should I put this?”\n\n”Come down this way. Be careful of your footing.”\n\nChloe lightly carried the rock on one shoulder and descended the slope. She didn’t know if it was a side effect of magic, but she seemed to be much more suited to this than managing supplies. Moving her body and being praised by people made her feel really good.\n\nThud!\n\n”Where should I go next?!”\n\nAs Chloe’s eyes sparkled, Acorella took out a small notebook and recorded her condition. Could changes in emotion also bring about changes in personality? While she was tapping her pen and tilting her head, the entrance to the village in the distance became busy.\n\n”Acorella, it seems like more villagers are coming.”\n\n”Oh, yeah. Anyway, what is the Holen family doing? They should handle this quickly.”\n\nIt seemed they couldn’t accept the fact that not only was the lord of the territory purged from the center, but the mining rights were also handed over. Well, if you put yourself in their shoes, it’s understandable.\n\nBut, what are they going to do about it? If they don’t like it, they should clean up the collapsed mine themselves. Acorella pouted, and the mage added in a whisper.\n\n”And, Sir Ian has returned.”\n\n”What? Already? Why?”\n\nThe deadline was still a long way off. Acorella looked at him with a puzzled expression, and the mage shrugged.\n\n”It seems he finished his work rather quickly.”\n\n”Unbelievable. The kids must not have even had a chance to rest.”\n\n”He stopped by Bariel on the way, and they say he moved Commander Acorella’s lab as it was? I don’t know exactly what that means, but if Commander Hale said so, it must be true.”\n\n”What?! My lab?! How?!”\n\n”I don’t know. I just told you.”\n\nAcorella lightly rolled her eyes and put the notebook in her pocket. She thought that Hale might have brought some of the materials she needed. That crazy beard! He’s really commendable, commendable.\n\n”I’m going to Kalamat for a bit.”\n\n”Huh? Why?”\n\n”Why else, to get some things. It’ll only take an hour or two. It’s about time for a break anyway. You supervise here. Lady Chloe!”\n\n”Yes?!”\n\nChloe came running at Acorella’s call.\n\n”I’m going to Kalamat to get something, okay? It’s essential for the antidote, so I have to go quickly. So, don’t use your strength while I’m gone, and go rest over there.”\n\n”How long will it take?”\n\n”Not long. Have some sweets, and wipe that pretty face of yours. Well, I’ll be back!”\n\nWhoosh! Swoosh!\n\nAcorella didn’t wait for Chloe’s reply and immediately took off. The workers stared blankly at her, and Chloe rubbed her face with the back of her hand. She was told to rest, so she went to a corner, but…\n\n”Ugh, heave-ho! Help me lift this!”\n\n”I am lifting it? It’s not working with just the two of us. Call more people.”\n\n”Here! Help over here! It’s really stuck!”\n\n”Mage, here! Over here!”\n\n”Wait. I’ll get to you after this.”\n\nWatching the people struggling, Chloe felt sorry and uneasy. What she could finish quickly was taking three or four men to struggle with.\n\nChloe straightened up, remembering Acorella’s instructions, but as time passed, her body and mind gradually leaned towards the work site. As if she would jump out as soon as someone called her.\n\n”Excuse me, Lady.”\n\n”Yes!”\n\nFinally, a worker asked for help. Chloe jumped up, saying she had been waiting, and ran over there, and soon lifted a rock as big as a house. It was a bit heavier than before, but it was no problem!\n\n”Shall I move it over there?”\n\n”Thank you. Sorry to bother you while you were resting.”\n\n”It’s okay. I was just-“\n\nI was bored. Chloe was about to answer that when she felt the rock on her shoulder getting heavier. What was it? Was it just her imagination? She tilted her head and tried to go down the slope.\n\n”… !”\n\nThud!\n\nChloe’s upper body tilted forward from the huge impact. It felt like a giant fist was hitting the rock from above. That’s when Chloe realized. It wasn’t that the rock was getting heavier, but that her strength was fading.\n\n”Ah!”\n\n”Lady?”\n\nHer strength was rapidly disappearing. Chloe tried to throw the rock forward, but even that was impossible. Just standing and holding on was the best she could do.\n\n”Throw it, can’t you put it down?”\n\n”It’s so big, well. I guess the posture isn’t right.”\n\n”We can’t support it either, uh, what should we do?”\n\n”Lady, if you go just a bit further, there’s a hill where you can put it down. Can you walk?”\n\nAs the workers panicked and circled around her, Chloe closed her eyes tightly and shouted.\n\n”Get out of the way! Stay away from the side!”\n\nThud! Crash!\n\nThen, a huge roar echoed through the mine, and the tunnel was filled with dust, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead.\n\n* * *\n\n”Hongnyongnyong. Meow meow.”\n\nAcorella hummed a tune while squatting. She thought that moving the entire lab was just a figure of speech, but it wasn’t. Everything she really needed was in Kalamat.\n\nShe lightly shook her constantly wiggling hips and sorted out what she needed right away and what she didn’t.\n\n”Commander Acorella, why are you here?”\n\n”Oh, Commander Hale said he’d give me a present. Where’s Sir Ian?”\n\n”He’s having an audience with His Majesty. He’s a bit late.”\n\n”Really? Is he hurt anywhere? They found Philia too, right? I shouldn’t be the one saying this, but he must be crazy.”\n\n”Yes. He’s perfectly fine. Haa, but being like this feels the same as a few days ago. I thought it was just Sir Ian returning, but with you here too-“\n\n”Good, right? I know, man.”\n\n”Yes. It’s very good. I’m going crazy with how good it is.”\n\nAcorella patted the mage’s shoulder, saying she knew everything, and then picked up her things.\n\nThen, Ian was seen coming down the stairs from above. He must have just finished his audience with the Emperor. It hadn’t been long since they parted, but maybe because they saw each other every day, she felt a warm welcome.\n\n”Sir Ian, hi.”\n\n”Acorella, why are you here?”\n\n”I needed something, and Commander Hale said he brought it. I heard you had a safe trip. There’s nothing I need to know specifically, right?”\n\nIan gestured for her to wait for a moment and asked a servant for paper and a pen. Then, using the stair railing as a support, he wrote something. Ian folded it neatly and dropped it towards Acorella.\n\n”Whoa.”\n\nAcorella, who barely caught it with both hands, looked up at Ian with a puzzled expression.\n\n”What is this? A love confession?”\n\n”The exact date is not set. Probably within fifteen days. The mages will depart for Tolun before the main force, so make ‘that’ by then.”\n\n”Uh, wait a minute. Is this on the menu?”\n\nAcorella wrinkled her nose and unfolded the paper. And then, she raised her eyebrows as if she was intrigued.\n\n”Interesting.”\n\n”Is it possible?”\n\nWhen Ian asked, leaning on the railing, Acorella smiled and opened her mouth.\n\n”Hmm. It’s a bit tricky, but it’s possible. Who else would do it if not Acorella, the world’s greatest genius mage? First, let’s try to meet the delivery deadline.”\n\n”Thank you.”\n\n”You’re welcome. I will serve you with the true attitude of a lackey.”\n\nAs she playfully gave a noble-style greeting, Ian gave a faint smile. And then, he turned and disappeared into the passage connected to the departments under the Magic Division.\n\nAcorella, who had seen Ian off, carefully folded the note and put it in her pocket. A mage who had been watching this from the side asked subtly.\n\n”Commander, what is it?”\n\n”Uh-uh. Kids shouldn’t know. Go and do your work.”\n\n”…Commander, I’m a year older than you.”\n\n”Really? Then, old man, go and do your work.”\n\nShe had perfectly obtained the experimental materials, and Ian had officially ordered the potion, so now nothing could stop her. Just as Acorella was struggling to put on her bag, the mage who was supervising the site at the mine fell from the sky.\n\nCrash!\n\n”Ugh, what a surprise!”\n\n”What, what is it? Why are you here?”\n\n”C-Commander, something terrible happened. L-Lady Chloe-“\n\nHuh? Acorella slowly put down the heavy bag and slowly opened her mouth. Oh my, shit, no way…\n\n”What about Lady Chloe?”\n\n”Her side effects suddenly disappeared. It was when she was carrying a huge rock, and unfortunately, I didn’t notice right away because I was checking another part of the site.”\n\n”W-What are you talking about? The side effects just disappeared?”\n\n”Yes, or maybe there’s another problem, I don’t know. Anyway, you should go quickly….”\n\n”This is, shit, damn it! Hey! Move that to our side.”\n\n”Yes? Ah, yes, I understand!”\n\nAcorella quickly flew away without looking back.\n\nThe mage was left alone in an instant. He tried to pull the bag slightly, but shook his head as if it wouldn’t work. Beric might be able to carry it, but he would make a fuss about getting food and drinks, so it wasn’t cost-effective.\n\n’Should I look for Baggy?’\n\nThat Natan guy named Nabu something. Commander Hale took him somewhere, I wonder if he gave him work?\n\nAs the mage glared at the pile of luggage with his arms crossed, someone spoke from behind.\n\n”Is there something wrong?”\n\n”Ah, Sir Siaoshi. Are you on your way out after the audience? Sir Ian just came out too.”\n\n”Yes. That is correct. Is there a problem?”\n\n”Ah, it’s nothing much. Commander Acorella asked me to move this to the mine, and I was wondering who to use. I guess Beric is the easiest to handle?”\n\nSiaoshi glanced at the bag and nodded in agreement. The mine. If he went to meet Commander Acorella, he would surely…\n\n”But I don’t know how the Commander was going to carry this. If it wasn’t for the contact, she would have carried it herself. Hmm.”\n\n”Contact?”\n\n”Ah, Lady Chloe. It seems her side effects suddenly disappeared.”\n\nThe mage was busy packing his things, muttering, and didn’t see Siaoshi’s subtle expression.\n\n”Because of that, something seems to have gone wrong. Something about a rock… I don’t know the details, but because of that, the guy who was supervising the site flew over here and caused a bit of a commotion.”\n\n”……”\n\n”Sir Siaoshi?”\n\nWhy isn’t he answering? When the mage turned around, Siaoshi was frozen as if his soul had left his body. Then, he reflexively grabbed the mage’s shoulder and asked.\n\n”If it’s okay, may I help you move the luggage?”\n\n”Huh?”\n\n”Please, I beg you. Please let me.”\n\nIt was the first time Siaoshi had spoken so much. The mage looked at him up and down with a puzzled look, and then nodded. How can there be so many abnormal people in this imperial palace, really.\n\nOh