Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 671

-[Acorella’s Observation Log of Lady Chloe, 355th Entry]

-It’s been another chaotic morning. I can’t tell if this is a mine or a social gathering on the central terrace. Lady Chloe’s body, which was in an abnormal state, has returned to normal, but the side effects related to mental reactions, such as heart palpitations, blushing, stuttering, cold sweats, and tension towards a specific person, still seem to be present.

I’d like to observe her in detail through experiments if possible, but I’m at a standstill because Sir Xiaoshi is monopolizing Lady Chloe’s attention. There are no particularly unusual signs, and now I’m even confused as to whether this is really part of the side effects or not.

If I ask Lady Chloe to take the potion one more time, I’ll probably really die, right? I should try it before Ian returns.

Rustle.

-Oh, and the mine development is progressing smoothly. I thought it might be a bit slower without Lady Chloe’s help, but the soil and rocks are softer than expected, so there’s no difficulty in digging.

The magical reaction becomes stronger as we go deeper underground, making my heart race. Lady Chloe said she felt dizzy and her lower heart twisted when she looked at Sir Xiaoshi, and I think I understand a little what she meant.

Genius mage Acorella, the more I think about it, the more amazing she is. Has any mage ever been able to touch a person’s emotions like this? In the case of the truth-telling potion or the memory-erasing potion…….

Knock knock knock.

Acorella’s pen, which had been moving like crazy, stopped abruptly at the sudden sound. She was in the middle of a concentration surge, who dared!

“Get lost. I refuse any reports below the rank of captain.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I said I refuse, you idiot!”

“It’s a letter from His Majesty the Emperor. Shall I deliver it like that?”

Acorella stopped, about to throw another pen she had stuck in her hair. If it’s from the Emperor, that’s a different story. Ahem.

“Give it here. What’s going on?”

“Yes, it’s an order to immediately stop the mine development and return to Kalamat.”

“Whaaaat?! Why?!”

“I don’t know the details. Wouldn’t you find out if you go?”

“No, if we dig a little more now, rare magic stones will pour out like a fountain, why? What for?”

“I told you I don’t know. How would I know when even the captain doesn’t know? Anyway, since we’re ordered to withdraw immediately, I’ll start packing.”

“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!”

This must be a dream. This can’t be happening! Acorella opened the note with trembling hands and fainted, falling forward.

The mage, as if used to it, stepped over her body and began to organize the desk.

“Make sure you don’t leave anything behind like last time. Even if we send people later to continue the mining work, I don’t think we’ll be coming back. Something feels ominous.”

“Your Majesty, why are you giving me such trials…….”

“And I heard something interesting from the residents here.”

Acorella looked up, pouting at the mage’s words.

“Are you curious? Then stop acting like a child and get up.” At the mage’s gesture, Acorella slowly raised her upper body.

“…What.”

“An old man, whose age is unknown, said this. He said that when he was young, he met a mage who came from across the sea. At that time, that mage was also interested in the mine site.”

“Across the sea, where? The Blaster Sea?”

“Is there any other sea besides that? Anyway, the old man said he had been wondering about it, and now that he sees the Bariel mages digging here, he thinks it must be the same thing.”

“Not Bariel, but a mage from outside the Gaia continent came to this barren Burgos? Are you sure?”

“He’s an old man with so much white hair that he can’t even recognize his own children, but it didn’t sound like nonsense.”

“Hmm. Beyond the Blaster Sea. There must be magic stones there that we haven’t discovered here, right? The grading standards themselves are different, so they might be treated like pebbles…. Haa, my babies. Suddenly thinking about it makes me tear up.”

“That’s a serious case, Captain.”

Acorella dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve, then made a decision. Someday, I will definitely someday…….

“When the war is over, you go there.”

“Huh? Where?”

“Somewhere beyond the Blaster Sea.”

“…Are you telling me to go now? Not you, Captain?”

“I need to stick my butt in Bariel and do research. We can’t have high-level personnel leaking out. Ugh, I’m tired from crying. Clean up here and come out.”

“I’m also a high-level personnel, you know?! The highest-level-”

Bang!

Acorella slammed the door shut as if it was too loud and shook her hand. Then she headed for the stairs leading to the first-floor lobby.

This place where she and the mages were staying was the castle of the mine’s estate, and it was still quite well-maintained. It was a mansion that had been half-demolished because its owner was a royalist executive who had been killed by the Kayla mother and daughter.

Halfway down the stairs, Acorella heard whispering voices.

“From Kalamat?”

“Yes. It would be good for both of you to pack your things now.”

“Then I’ll leave first.”

“Sir Xia, then I’ll go with you. Actually, I came empty-handed, so I don’t have anything to take.”

Below the lobby stairs, Mrs. Danit of the Holin family, Lady Chloe, and Xiaoshi were gathered, talking with serious faces. …Looking at it like this, the combination is really strange.

“Is everyone talking about returning?”

Acorella asked, sticking her head out between the railings, and the three people simultaneously raised their heads.

“Captain Acorella. You came at the right time. News just came in.”

“What news?”

“All the mages stationed in Kalamat have moved to Hielo territory. Due to that gap, Kalamat could be pressured by Toolrun.”

“Huh?”

“They say they’ve sent a vanguard of cavalry north, but even so, we have to be wary of Toolrun’s surprise attack. The order is for all remaining forces to return to Kalamat and protect His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Oh ho. Thanks for the clear situation summary, Mrs. Danit. But, is Lady Chloe also going?”

“Me?”

Why are you asking the obvious? Chloe asked with wide eyes, and Acorella shrugged.

“If there’s a war with Toolrun, staying in Kalamat, no, in Burgos itself is dangerous. I thought it would be safer for Lady Chloe to go to the center in many ways.”

“…You traitor! You idiot! Captain Acorella, are you saying I’m no longer worth experimenting on? That’s mean!”

“No, I’m saying this because I’m worried about you, Lady.”

Honestly, in a situation where the mages were gone, there weren’t enough forces to protect her. Xiaoshi? He’s the Emperor’s right-hand man. Even if his heart is devoted to his lover, his death already belongs to the Emperor.

Chloe turned to Xiaoshi, telling him with her eyes to stop her, but he remained silent. It meant that he somewhat agreed with Acorella’s words.

“Sir Xia!”

“…Let’s go to Kalamat first. I’ll assign soldiers to escort you there.”

Chloe looked at Xia and Acorella with a bewildered face, but there was no way out. Mrs. Danit, sensing the atmosphere, turned away, and Xiaoshi also avoided the situation as if denying reality.

“Ugh.”

Chloe glared at the top of the stairs, then came up with a rather sharp and quick pace. Then, she knelt on one knee and grabbed Acorella’s collar and shook her.

Acorella remained still as she was shaken, smiling playfully.

“Captain Acorella!”

“Yes, yes, what is it, Lady Chloe.”

Chloe pursed her lips as if she was about to cry, then made a decision.

“If I’m separated from Sir Xiaoshi now, I think I’ll really die from the hardship.”

“But is that comparable to really dying? Love, it’s all temporary, Lady.”

“…I’ll drink it one more time.”

Acorella’s eyes flashed at the Lady’s murmur. What did she just say?

“You’ll drink it one more time. The one Captain Acorella made. Give me strength again. So I won’t be a hindrance, no, I’ll fight alongside the Bariel soldiers.”

When Chloe politely asked, Acorella felt dizzy.

Oh my, this genius mage Acorella! Not only is she good at research, but she’s also so lucky with test subjects. A destined person is just destined.

“Something else-”

“Yes?”

“Would something else be okay? What if your feelings for Sir Xiaoshi disappear?”

Chloe seemed to hesitate for a moment, but she didn’t waver. She was sure.

“It’s okay.”

“I don’t know what ‘okay’ means, but I don’t really want to know. Okay, then come this way.”

“Now?”

“What, were you going to save it for later and have it with dinner? You drink it when you’ve made up your mind!”

Acorella grabbed Chloe’s wrist with an excited gesture, and the Lady, who had been dragged a few steps, gradually hardened her heart and linked arms with the captain.

“Yay! I can write the 356th entry!”

“What’s the 356th entry?”

“It’s something!”

Kiss! Acorella kissed Chloe on the cheek and giggled. Who cares if Ian or Captain Hale aren’t in Kalamat! She’s here! As long as the magic department does their job well in Hielo.

‘I’ll protect this place. With the Lady.’

Hehehe. Hehe. Kyaa! Acorella, suppressing the giggles that were leaking out, ran into the makeshift laboratory.

* * *

“Hawan.”

Thousands of soldiers were rushing towards Ruswena.

The mage’s eyes narrowed. In fact, the first Hawan people they had ever met were the Prime Minister Shatima. That meant they had no understanding of them. Although they were next to Bariel, they were bordering the eastern frontier, so to the mages, they were almost as unfamiliar as Toolrun.

A mage gestured to Berrick and shouted.

“Berrick! Go and be a meat shield!”

“What are you talking about, are you crazy! You do it!”

“No, we don’t know what they have.”

There were no special features. Were they just trying to push in with numbers? Against mages? The person in their leadership who was being controlled by puppets must have really lost their mind.

The mages pointed their fingers forward and backward.

“Let’s divide and take charge of Ruswena and Hawan. Where does everyone want to go?”

“I’ll go to Ruswena. I feel like I’ll get sick if I don’t grab Elderte by the hair.”

“Me too, Ruswena.”

“Then I’ll go to Hawan.”

“Ian, we’ve roughly divided-”

Ian didn’t take his eyes off Hawan. His brow furrowed slightly. He sensed something was wrong.

Meanwhile, at that time.

Click!

A woman with her pink hair tied up in a ponytail looked ahead and nodded.

“Cannons, forward.”

It was Bertie Erica, who had killed Shatima, who had taken her in, with her own hands, and had returned to Bariel, lost in will.

At her command, her subordinates split to the left and right and brought in a person-sized board. Hand Cannons. War cannons brought from the east, beyond the Blaster Sea. Only a few had been brought in recently, but their power had been sufficiently proven through the civil war.

“Push in.”

Already, a new history was being written in the east through gunpowder.

The mages of Bariel were also beings living together in history. They couldn’t be an exception. Erica had witnessed that the modifier ‘the power to oppose magic’ was by no means a bluff.

“Fire one shot as a demonstration.”

“The distance is too far.”

“It’s okay. The mages will come closer.”

At Erica’s murmur, the soldiers moved busily. A huge black cannonball from the box was loaded into the muzzle, and the Hawan soldiers plugged their ears as if they were used to it.

Erica lightly raised her hand. As if to wait until the mages came.