Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 756

The first time Ian heard the Bariel National Anthem was in a small pub tucked away in a back alley of the central district.

It was probably a couple of months after he had joined the Imperial Palace as a mage. Honestly, he couldn’t remember exactly. Ian was busy adjusting to the Imperial Palace, and his colleagues’ gazes were always cold.

He only remembered that his welcome party was held quite late. And that there were only four attendees, including Naum.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“About what?”

“Well, um…”

“Are you implying that because I’m of noble birth, I might be uncomfortable in a place like this?”

Ian smiled faintly and sat down first.

Naum’s concerns were always well-founded. He didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back, it was also why Ian couldn’t help but trust Naum. He wasn’t one to worry without reason; he was always logical and rational.

“Then that’s a relief.”

“I was the one who asked you to introduce me to your favorite place, Naum.”

“Naum, you have so much money, why come to a place like this? Ian! You should have just told me! Naum is going to pay anyway.”

“Ahem. The quality of food can be determined by money, but the taste is a completely different matter.”

The three people who had followed Naum later became the heads of their respective departments when Naum became a minister. One was deeply in love with Naum, one was Naum’s childhood friend, and the other one was….

“Luigi, over here.”

“Why did you pick a place like this?”

“They have really delicious gizzard here.”

Ian glanced at Luigi and picked up his beer glass. He understood why the other two followed Naum, but Luigi was hard to figure out.

It was only later, when Crony promoted him to the new Minister of Magic, that he vaguely understood. Ah. That guy was jealous of Naum, he thought.

“Here’s your gizzard, as ordered.”

“Ah, thank you!”

“Alright, everyone, let’s eat!”

As the owner brought out the food, Naum picked up his beer glass. It was an embarrassingly modest welcome party, but Ian didn’t mind. He was just grateful and satisfied that such an occasion had been arranged. Above all, he liked the overwhelming sense of comfort.

“Welcome to the Magic Department, Ian.”

“Welcome!”

“Let’s work well together in the future.”

“You can slowly get to know the others.”

At some point, he had become uncomfortable with Crony, making it impossible to enjoy meals, and the constant gazes he felt throughout the Imperial Palace were extremely piercing.

But now? There was no one but the drunks sprawled in the corners.

“Thank you, everyone.”

The beer glasses clinked coolly. Ian paused for a moment before gulping it down. Naum and the mages watched him with expectant eyes.

“Haha, he drinks well!”

“How is it? Your first beer?”

“Um…”

Ian wiped his mouth and paused to choose his words. He thought for a long time, then glanced at the owner and muttered.

“It tastes like chewing on cold straw.”

“What? Hahaha!”

“Try the gizzard this time. You haven’t had this before either, right?”

The glasses were emptied and refilled, and then emptied again countless times.

Naum intentionally avoided Imperial Palace matters and made small talk, while the woman nodded, giving meaning to meaningless words. The friend and Luigi began an endless debate about whether mages needed brooms or not.

It meant that everyone was quite drunk.

“Excuse me, teachers?”

“Yes?”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but are you perhaps mages?”

Hiccup! Luigi quickly smoothed his hair. Ian, who had been staring blankly into space, also turned his gaze, and Naum smiled and nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, we are. Why?”

“Oh my! Goodness! Such precious people in a humble place like this?”

“What’s so humble about it!”

“Owner, let’s be honest. What’s not, is not!”

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m very lucky. To meet mages here.”

“Well, I run a general store at the intersection over there. A while back, when the mountain collapsed in the northeast of Lainan, blocking the road, the mages helped move the goods.”

“Ah. Isn’t that a while ago?”

“Yes, yes, hahaha! I almost went bankrupt then, but I survived thanks to you. My child also entered school safely, and we’re doing well.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Would you mind if I offered you a drink?”

“Oh, I’d love to.”

As the few customers pulled up chairs and joined in, the table was once again filled with drinks and food.

The sun had set, darkness had fallen, the orange lanterns were dim, and the cozy pub was filled with the smell of old wood….

As time passed, Ian’s head began to tilt. Everyone was laughing non-stop, as if everything was so funny and amusing. Even though he himself was laughing too.

Thump. Thump thump. Thududung.

Someone started humming, lightly tapping on an oak barrel chair. It was a song he had heard somewhere before. Those who knew it added harmonies, and those who didn’t tapped their glasses along.

Ian’s eyelids gradually closed. In his fading consciousness, the drunks’ song grew louder and louder.

Ba-riel!

The beginning of the glory that the god holds-
The heart of Gaia that turns golden when it rains-
Hold your head high, and you will see-
The light in the high place, the lamp of Bariel-

* * *

Kwaaang!

“I, Ian!”

“Sir Ian!”

They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. How could Ian be flying away so helplessly? It didn’t make sense.

Okay, let’s say he was pushed back. But why wasn’t he coming out of the collapsed building? If it were Ian, he would have immediately sprung out and attacked the shadow again.

“Damn it!”

“Stay still!”

“How can I stay still!”

As Beric tried to crawl away, clutching his bleeding side, Acorella pulled him back. Just being cut by Idgal [a type of magical sword] was a major injury, but it was even worse since it was a shadow’s Idgal. No one could guess how his condition would worsen.

Clang! Clang!

Whoosh!

“Acorella! Take Beric and retreat!”

Beric had fallen, and Acorella was guarding him. That meant two enemies were out of combat. Kumasha continued to fend off the mages flying at him, persistently targeting Beric and Acorella. His intention was to finish them off one by one.

Hale ordered the two to retreat far away first, and Acorella bit her lower lip.

“Shit, Beric! Grab my shoulder!”

“I’m okay, I can still fight-!”

Beric tried to get up, but he collapsed with a ‘cough’. Every time he inhaled, it felt like the bottom of his lungs were tearing. Damn it, were his ribs broken? Then he was done for.

Seeing this, Kumasha burst into laughter. It was a laugh so clear and pure that it felt eerie.

“That, you ba-”

“Beric!”

Kwaaang! Bang!

Hale called out Beric’s name as if to tell him to stop. He was sorry, but just having the injured nearby was a burden. Even though the entire Magic Department was attacking the king, the balance was not even. If attention was diverted to the injured, the whole thing would collapse.

Swoosh!

“Aaaargh!”

A mage’s shoulder was cut. In an instant, his magic disappeared, and his body fell downwards. Acorella limped over, deploying a shield.

Ziiing! Ziiing!

“You insects.”

“Shut up!”

The king swooped down after the falling mages, swinging his sword, and Hale, Tommy, and Nakina desperately blocked him.

‘Ah.’

A burden… I am.

Now that he had lost his strength, his existence was a burden to his comrades.

Beric staggered to his feet and slowly walked towards the direction where Ian had disappeared. Shit, it was because he hadn’t eaten enough meat during the war. If he had been in good condition, he would have really torn that guy apart.

‘…Damn it.’

It was getting harder and harder to breathe. First, he had to go to Ian and see if he was okay, and get him to come to his senses. Otherwise….

“Aaaargh!”

“No! Morris!”

A familiar voice screamed. When Beric turned around, he saw his comrade crumbling into ash again.

A sense of loss briefly settled in Beric’s red eyes. The gray dust that filled the sky like falling snow shattered his world.

“Ah-”

This wasn’t right. Wasn’t he trying to get stronger because he hated seeing this? Because he wanted to protect his loved ones? He couldn’t let anyone else leave because of his shortcomings.

-Grrr….

It was then. The monsters growled lowly, surrounding Beric. They instinctively knew. That their opponent was injured, and had lost his magic.

“Ha, shit.”

In the world of the survival of the fittest, it was only natural to recognize prey. As Beric let out a hollow laugh, the monsters attacked from all sides at once.

Thud!

“You guys-!”

Even if his limbs were cut off, he could kill them, you vermin! Even if he had to bite them, he would win! He swung his sword with all his might, but without magic, he couldn’t unleash explosive power.

-Kiyaaaak!

The monsters’ momentum grew stronger. They clung to Beric’s body, baring their fangs, and soon all of them took on Beric’s form.

Thump!

“Hey, you little-”

“Acting up, huh?”

“We got a good beating thanks to you earlier.”

“After you die, we’ll take your place.”

The ‘Berics’ firmly pressed down on Beric’s face, neck, and limbs to prevent him from moving. Beric, who had been resisting fiercely, paused for a moment. Had he given up?

“…?”

The monsters, who were about to smile, froze. His eyes were glowing red, incomparably more so than before.

“Ah- that’s right.”

You guys were monsters.

And I was….

“Was Atan [a reference to his bloodline].”

“What?”

Crunch!

“Aaaargh!”

Beric bit the hand of the one pressing down on his cheek. Black blood gushed out, and Beric opened his mouth to let the blood enter the tip of his tongue.

Crack!

A mad dog was no different. As he tried to bite off the flesh, the monsters tried to retreat, their forms dissolving. But the situation had already completely changed.

“Aaaargh!”

Beric was grabbing them and not letting go.

He needed more, more, more blood. Beric climbed on top of one and gripped his sword, hacking away like a madman.

Thwack! Thwack!

The more the monster’s blood flowed into his body, the more he felt his suppressed magic awakening.

It was a bloodline he had wanted to erase so much, but now he was too happy to see it. If he could get back up like this, he could save everyone.

“Haa, haa-”

Sss. Beric, covered in black blood, suddenly stopped and took a rough breath.

The monsters’ corpses were already so mangled that they were unrecognizable. Beric slowly got up and then grabbed his side.

“Blood is thicker than water, they say.”

The wound was healing quickly.

Beric looked at the monsters standing far away, watching him. When their eyes met, they quickly began to run away.

Tap tap!

But then a strange thing happened. As they moved past a certain point, their forms dissolved at the same time, returning to black monsters.

Beric rolled his eyes around, looking around. What was it?

‘Did they dissolve when they went outside the palace?’

Ah. Their limit was to imitate appearances only within the palace. Well, if they could do that outside, they would have transformed into the emperor and caused chaos long ago.

Beric dragged the tip of his sword as he walked towards the direction where the monsters had fled. He would chew them up without leaving a trace.

Thump. Thump thump. Thump.

Then, a faint vibration echoed. It felt like another rift, but it was different from an earthquake. Beric spotted the Imperial flag approaching from afar.

Ba-riel!

With the Emperor at the forefront, the Imperial army was advancing powerfully towards them.