Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 859

“Ugh, damn it all.”

Ja-an groaned, waking up and staring blankly at the ceiling. He felt groggy, like he had a hangover, but not quite. He scratched his chin and chuckled awkwardly.

“That little pony finally cracked my skull.”

They must have put something in the alcohol.

In the East, poisoning attempts were common. In his nearly 300 years, Ja-an had probably ingested more than a barrel of poison.

Thanks to that, he had built up a tolerance, and most poisons didn’t even affect him. But it seemed Acorella was more skilled than she appeared.

‘There’s a lot to learn. In many ways.’

Like the weapon that allowed ordinary people to fight against the monstrous, and the information about the being called the Undergod.

*Ahem*, is there no water? Ja-an, feeling thirsty, fumbled around on the table.

“Are you awake?”

“Are you awakeee? Why so polite?”

“Ha, ha-ha.”

It was Acorella. She was neatly dressed in her uniform and tilted her head slightly.

“Did you sleep well? You seemed sleep-deprived. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have fallen asleep so quickly. You need to take better care of your health as you get older.”

“What a load of crap. You ungrateful bastards. Huh? I, who trusted the Emperor and even broke my pipe and gave up my precious treasures, and you dare to feed me something like that?”

“Well, who told you to drink it without suspicion?”

“Oh? Look at this shameless face?”

“Please eat first. I’ve prepared a feast with the finest delicacies.”

*Clap!* Acorella snapped her fingers, and servants wheeled in a trolley. The room was instantly filled with delicious smells, and Ja-an’s eyes widened, and he coughed a few times.

“Is everything ready?”

“Almost done.”

“Almost? You crazy bastards.”

“It might be easy to find in the East, but not in Bariel, so please wait a little longer. Besides, the moon is expected to be bright tonight.”

Ja-an gulped down water and looked out the window. The sun was setting, the sunset was vivid, and the breeze was cool. He took a bite of soft bread and muttered.

“Yeah. It’ll be magnificent.”

“Please tell me if you need anything.”

“Goodness, your attitude changes like the flip of a hand. I wonder if I’m still asleep.”

Despite Ja-an’s sarcasm, Acorella just smiled. After all, she had promised to undo the binding magic and save Ian and Hale. Now, he was not just a damn old geezer but a valued guest from the East. It was only natural to treat him accordingly, wasn’t it?

Ja-an waved his hand, telling her to leave, and Acorella added,

“Beric is under house arrest. It’s the price he paid for betting with you without His Majesty’s permission. It might be boring, but please bear with it.”

“Hmph. Do you think I like that guy?”

“Well, then.”

Ja-an devoured his meal and finished it in no time. He patted his full belly and then noticed a stack of papers on one side.

“Hmm.”

It was the war record with the Undergod that the Emperor had mentioned. The blank parts in between were probably about Ian Hielo.

He leisurely flipped through the papers, and then, as if having made a decision, he burst out of the door.

“Ja, Ja-an-nim? Where are you going?”

The servants were startled and followed him, but Ja-an’s pace was not normal. It was as if he was gliding on clouds. Ja-an laughed, his sleeves fluttering.

“I don’t know either! Where I’m going!”

Words can deceive, so the only way to know if this was the truth was to see it with his own eyes. Ja-an hid himself in the shadows and entered the next magic department.

“Romandro-nim! Where did you put the expedition reports?”

“Where else? On your desk. Huh! Is that today’s mail? It’s late?”

“Yes, here it is.”

“Please sort it out. I have to go to a meeting right away.”

“Should I separate the nobles’ mail? There’s one here without an address?”

“Again? This time it’s a picture of a field. It’s a postcard that comes in regularly. Please sort these out separately too. Well then, Minister Acorella!”

The mages were busy running around, engrossed in their work.

In a healthy country, the officials’ faces should be gaunt, the offices should be free of unnecessary decorations, and their feet should be moving non-stop. Ja-an nodded in satisfaction.

‘Passed.’

He glanced around the minister’s office, which was filled with documents, and then left the palace.

There would be chaos when they found out Ja-an had disappeared, but who cared? Let them sweat a little! How dare they think of drugging him?

“Fresh vegetables! They’re the cheapest now!”

“Extra! Extra! The century’s actress, Jarni, is joining a new play! The opening is next weekend! Buy it from Hanbo Newspaper!”

“Oh my, it’s been a while. Madam. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Mommy! Oppa is teasing me again!”

The central square was bustling. Everyone was smiling, and the merchants were haggling energetically. Children were running around, and adults were sitting by the roadside, leisurely drinking alcohol and beverages. It was peaceful.

Ja-an released his concealment and leaned back on a bench.

“Ah.”

Then, a flower mound in the distance caught his eye. It was clearly the trace of Ian Hielo that the Emperor had mentioned. Just then, a child of about ten years old rode by on a bicycle and threw a flower there, and Ja-an raised his hand and called out to the child.

“Hey there.”

“Yes? Me?”

“Yes, you, kid.”

The child hesitated, seeing Ja-an’s unique attire, but soon relaxed, seeing that it was daytime and there were many people around. That was also a reaction that reflected trust in the Empire. The belief that nothing untoward would ever happen in the center near the palace.

“Mister, you’re not from Bariel, are you?”

“I came from far away. But why did you throw the flower there?”

“You shouldn’t ask about that.”

“Huh?”

Ja-an blinked at the unexpected answer. But the child lowered his voice and explained.

“You have to be careful. The owner of that grave is a traitor. The palace is keeping it quiet, but you never know.”

“But you still throw flowers?”

Why would you do that, even risking danger? When Ja-an asked, the child smiled brightly.

“Because he’s someone I’m grateful for. I don’t want to forget him.”

As a guard approached from afar, the child quickly rode away on his bicycle. The guard naturally passed by the flower mound and then asked Ja-an.

“Did you perhaps come from the palace?”

“Ha! Damn it. They sure are quick.”

As soon as they confirmed that Ja-an had disappeared from the palace, a search order was issued in all directions.

Ja-an laughed in dismay. It was like… he was envious that the world he had so desperately wanted in the East was right here in the West. What he had sacrificed his soul for over 300 years was right here.

“Oh well, let’s go! Let’s go!”

The outing was short-lived, but Ja-an’s steps back to the palace were without regret.

Soon after, he waved his hand at Acorella, who was grinding her teeth.

“Oho-i!”

“Oho-i, my foot! Don’t you see everyone’s in an uproar because you disappeared without a word? You damn old geezer!”

“You’ll burst my eardrums, you brat. I just went for a walk after eating, what’s with the fuss? Is everything ready?”

*Thwack!* Acorella shut her mouth and pointed to the palace’s back garden with her finger. Everything he had asked for was prepared.

Ja-an chuckled and looked around the lawn.

“Then, you all can watch.”

*Swish.*

He took a brush and drew a circle on a large sheet of paper. A circle larger than a person’s body was drawn, and then, based on the central axis, Eastern characters were densely inscribed.

Ja-an’s eyes turned golden. The mages stepped back and watched intently, and the Emperor also arrived and stood beside them.

“Is that Ja-an?”

“Yes, we found him. He came back on his own.”

Just wait until this is over. Acorella muttered, grinding her teeth, and Jin let out a sigh of relief.

「Erase」.

*Flutter!*

It was the same phenomenon as when he first used the artifact. The paper shook greatly, and the letters shimmered in gold as if they were alive.

As Ja-an put his hands together as if praying, the letters swirled around him and then reached straight up to the end of the sky.

*Whoosh!*

A unique melody that no one had ever heard before flowed from Ja-an’s lips. The pitch was constant, and the pronunciation was so faint that no one could tell what he was saying.

The mages watched the Eastern magic with interest, but soon turned pale.

“Ah, th-!”

“What is that?”

*Swish!*

The letters flying in the air formed the shapes of two people. They bent over like giants, looking at the palace courtyard.

Soon, a strange Eastern language was heard, humming. No one in the palace understood it, so they watched Ja-an’s back with tense faces.

-Ja-an. Why do you try to erase the artifact? It contains the essence of our past. The history of our asceticism, where we did not even waste a single breath to eradicate the monstrous.

Ja-an smiled and closed his eyes. Those were the souls of the other two great mages who had used the artifact with him.

“I’m sorry. I was negligent in managing my disciples, and there was a mistake. I will create a new one without consuming power, so please wait a little longer.”

*Swish!*

The movement of the letters was unusual. The wind blew fiercely. The human shapes distorted as if they were displeased. Then, Ja-an soothed them by shaking golden and silver bells.

-Let lightning strike those who used the artifact recklessly, and hang their corpses at the end of Cheonbong Mountain [a fictional mountain].

“Don’t do that. They used the artifact to seal the king of the monstrous. Thanks to that, we also got a clue, so it can’t be seen as a complete failure. Don’t be so angry.”

*Tinkle, tinkle.*

Ja-an continued to chant and hummed a faint song. His clothes and hair swayed in the wind, dancing as if they were dancing.

“Give me the ring, my friends. Based on what I have seen and heard here, I will create the artifact again. Let’s eradicate the king of the monstrous with it. It won’t take long now.”

The two figures slowly straightened up. They spread their hands as if they had no choice, and a golden ring was created between them.

Ja-an, who had been sitting and chanting, stood up. He held a sword made of magic and lightly flew up.

*Thwack!*

Ja-an lightly swung his blade and broke the golden ring. *Crack!* At the same time, the letters that had formed the human shapes flew around and headed towards the blue moon.

Hale suddenly felt as if a long thread that had been connected to somewhere in his chest had snapped.

* * *

“Ah.”

*Thud.*

And at that moment-

Ian, who was looking outside, felt the same way. A sensation of something breaking.

He didn’t know what it was, but he instinctively knew one thing. That the last thread that had been connected to this place had been severed.

“Brother?”

At Roel’s call, Ian silently took the child’s hand and muttered.

“…It’s raining.”