Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 708

What is a human?

It was a truly difficult question.

High Priest Razu and Rutherford had lived for far too long to be considered part of the current timeline. They had lived countless lives beyond the single body granted to humans, to the point where they couldn’t even remember them.

Moreover, they sought the meaning of their existence in the shadows, not in the light of God. If they weren’t demons, then what were they?

*Swoosh.*

Having heard Ian’s shout, High Priest Razu slowly emerged from the darkness. His white ceremonial robes were unwrinkled, and his features made it impossible to guess his age.

He smiled faintly and scanned the mages. One, two, three… He made no additional comments, but it was clear he was counting heads.

“So blatant, it’s disgusting.”

“Yes, it is, Captain.”

“What are you looking at, you moron? Stop that nonsense right now!”

Hale, Tommy, and Nakina simultaneously challenged the High Priest, but he didn’t respond. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that he didn’t hear them, as his gaze and senses were focused on Ian.

“Yes, yes. It has been a long time…”

He slowly turned and leaned back on the sofa. Ian’s gaze followed his movements.

It seemed that this place wasn’t just a space created for a trap. Could it be a place where daily tasks were handled? The subtly worn furniture suggested as much.

“Why don’t you sit for a moment? It seems we have a lot to talk about.”

It was an inappropriate invitation given the situation. Beric immediately bared his teeth and whispered to Ian.

“Ian, no. Don’t go near him. That bastard’s a hallucinationist.”

He already knew from the report that with just a flick of his fingertips, he had completely messed with Beric’s mind.

But at the same time, he also knew that the way to break free from the hallucination was easy. Without any physical reaction, Beric had regained his senses just by Clark’s call.

*Clink.*

High Priest Razu smiled as he placed a tea bag into a teacup on the table. The liquid spread out, turning red. Beric sniffed repeatedly, as if the smell was familiar. Ah, this-!

“Your mother’s passing was truly unfortunate.”

Was he in his right mind? Ian lightly extended his hand and created the Idgal Sword.

“If she had come here sooner, she could have died meaningfully. Don’t you think so?”

Rather than dying in a desolate field, at the hands of someone without a self.

In response, Ian dragged the tip of the Idgal Sword along the floor as he approached him. Then, Beric urgently whispered from behind.

“Ian, that’s Laromedia [a hallucinogenic drug].”

That bastard is definitely mixing that in what he’s sipping!

But Ian didn’t stop. As he got closer, neither he nor the surrounding priests moved. They simply stood there like statues.

“My mother met a more meaningful death than anyone else. You should pity your own fate instead of worrying about her in vain. However, if you want to increase your suffering by spouting nonsense, I won’t stop you.”

“Hahaha! Haha!”

The High Priest’s laughter echoed loudly through the space.

It wasn’t just a simple echo of sound. Ian felt the vibrations throughout his body and guessed that something else existed within this person’s body.

That was because, while Rutherford had changed his guise countless times, High Priest Razu had not. He had existed only as a High Priest from the past until now. If even his appearance hadn’t changed, then there must be something non-human inside him.

“Do you think you can define whether something has meaning or not? The corpses of barbarians who died looking at the desert stars, or the corpse of your mother whose golden hair was stained with blood, are now mixed with the soil and rotting. Who would look at such things and think they have meaning?”

“You’re crossing the line.”

*Thwack!*

As if he didn’t need to hear any more, Ian swung the Idgal Sword and flew forward.

In addition, Beric, Hale, Tommy, and Nakina also took up combat stances and followed Ian. If an attack came from a blind spot, they would block it for Ian, and if Ian needed support, they would gladly offer their aid.

*Swish!*

*Clang-!*

But they soon fell silent and had no choice but to stop. The High Priest had blocked Ian’s sword from his seat. Just like he had done to Beric, with just his fingertips.

“……!”

Ian’s eyes widened slightly. In that fleeting moment in the air, a very heavy force collided at the point where the sword tip and fingertip met.

*Thwack!*

Ian used the recoil to immediately step back, and Beric rubbed his nose as if it was nothing.

“It’s okay, Ian. Don’t be scared. I was like that too. But that bastard is nothing. Really.”

“Did you feel it too?”

“Feel what? The shittiness?”

Beric tilted his head in confusion, and High Priest Razu stood up from his seat.

“Anyway, thank you. And I sincerely welcome you. I really didn’t expect you to walk all the way here on your own two feet. And with mages, too. Although they are a bit low-grade, aren’t they still ‘those close to God’? There will be no disagreement about their holiness.”

High Priest Razu added, looking at Beric.

“Of course, we don’t need you. You vulgar swordsman.”

“What the hell, you bastard. I don’t need you either. You dirty pseudo-religious freak.”

‘Those close to God’. And holiness. From High Priest Razu’s words, Ian realized what they truly wanted.

“…So that’s why.”

The bastard Ian was a fragment of God. He was the perfect sacrifice to offer to the underground god. Since the shadow was a being that coveted the position of God, it was natural that absorbing a fragment of God would increase its power.

“Was the black seed not enough?”

It wasn’t enough to infiltrate the Bariel Imperial Family or the Burgos Royal Family and lure out ‘precious blood’.

Although countless members of King Damon’s bloodline had come to the Masantar Temple, how could they compare to the Bariel royals, who formed the foundation of God? Since the plan to deal with Jin through Arsen had failed, they must have continued to seek other suitable sacrifices.

‘The bastard Ian. Moreover, a soul blessed by the Imperial Family. I am the best, but it wouldn’t have been easy.’

How could they deal with the Minister of Magic of Bariel?

That’s why Philia and Roel became the targets of the Masantar Temple. Because those two shared blood with the bastard Ian.

“The fact that you say that makes it even more certain. Mother was right.”

That she died after protecting Roel in that place.

Because she died under the protection of the mages, her body was completely protected. Rather than becoming a stepping stone for the underground god in a place like this, perhaps Mother had known all along that it was better.

“Gladly die, fragments of God. You will become the pieces that make up our god.”

*Swoosh.*

High Priest Razu stretched out his arms wide. Then, a huge shadow fell on the glass wall behind him. There was something in the water.

“L-Lord Ian!”

“Damn it, Ian! What is that, huh!”

It was huge. So huge that it was impossible to gauge the depth of the sea beyond the glass wall.

The mysterious black object repeatedly moved closer to and away from the glass wall. Appearing, disappearing, appearing…

“Why is it doing that?”

“Lord Ian, something feels ominous.”

Hale snapped the rolled cigarette he was holding. He would usually hold onto it until the end, but what was that…

“Are you happy to be back?”

High Priest Razu grinned as he leaned his back against the glass wall. Then, a huge fish fully revealed itself behind him, its mouth wide open. With teeth like gears, a tongue split into dozens of parts, and human eyes…

“A demon.”

“A fish.”

The mages and Beric had slightly different opinions, but there was no disagreement that it was a threatening presence.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

The monster charged at the glass wall with its whole body. A huge vibration echoed, and the ceiling shook as if it would collapse soon. It was trying to break through that wall.

*Swish!*

Ian quickly lowered his stance and lunged at High Priest Razu. He was sure that this guy was resonating with ‘that thing’. It would be quite troublesome if water poured out here, so the priority was to capture him alive by making him lose consciousness.

*Buzz! Buzz!*

*Whoosh!*

「Restraint」.

Ian’s eyes turned golden. Light spread around him in an instant. In the pitch-black darkness, geometric patterns unfolded endlessly in all directions, and then gathered above High Priest Razu’s head after reaching the far ceiling.

*Swish!*

“The vibration is strong.”

*Crash! Bang!*

But High Priest Razu leisurely avoided the binding magic falling from the ceiling. By that time, the priests who had been standing like statues shouted and rushed at Ian’s group.

“Those crazy bastards!”

They weren’t rushing to kill Ian’s group. They were just trying to hold them back with all their might. Nakina, as if annoyed, threw punches and kicks in succession and shouted at Ian.

“Lord Ian! Their intentions are obvious! Let’s get out of here first! We can’t exert much power here!”

But it was then. High Priest Razu, with one hand on the glass wall, shouted loudly.

“Aren’t you curious?! Chronie, whether that person was truly a black seed. If so, where did it all begin!”

“……!”

It was Beric who recognized the name Chronie in an instant. He was so dumbfounded and furious that his blood surged. While Ian hesitated, Beric took the lead and attacked the man.

“You son of a bitch! Where did you hear that name-!”

“Then look! Face it!”

“Shut up, you bastard!”

“Beric!”

*Thud! Thud!*

As if excited by Beric’s shout, the monster thrashed even more violently. When High Priest Razu raised his fingertips again, Beric changed direction and cut off the man’s finger.

*Swish!*

“Aaaah-”

And as he readjusted his stance to cut his neck in succession, Beric realized that something was strange about High Priest Razu’s gaping teeth. The shape of the teeth was similar to that of the monster beyond the glass wall. Beric twitched his eyebrows.

“Hahahah!”

He thought he was screaming in pain, but no. That bastard was laughing. When Beric grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him against the wall, a chilling sound was heard.

*Crack!*

The glass wall had cracked.

Water was slowly leaking through the gap, and Ian watched it all silently. Then, he gave instructions to the mages scattered throughout the temple via magic communication.

“Everyone, get out of the temple immediately.”

“Lord Ian! What about you?”

Tommy shouted, pressing one ear. Even though he was nearby, Ian’s voice seemed to be coming from too far away.

“Go out and wait.”

He now knew well that the abyss sea had a different timeline, so it wouldn’t be as late as before. Ian created a protective barrier around his body and-

*Buzz! Buzz!*

Smiled at High Priest Razu.

“You threw quite an interesting bait.”

Chronie. The black shadow at the starting point of his destiny.

Ian threw off his robe and gripped the Idgal Sword. At that moment-

*Crack! Crash! Boom!*

The glass wall completely collapsed, and everything inside poured out. The blue, undulating water, and the huge monster that was rushing in with its mouth wide open.