Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 913

The Source of Idgal (1)

Meanwhile, the chieftains of the minority tribes, who had agreed to a one-day grace period, arrived at the Astana camp as soon as the morning sun rose. They seemed to be in a rather intimidating mood, as if they were trying to negotiate amongst themselves before meeting Crony from Bariel’s side.

“We address the representative of Astana!”

“We formally request a meeting between the tribes!”

With guests arriving first thing in the morning, the Astana camp was instantly thrown into chaos. The representative, realizing this, held onto the tent flap and sighed deeply. He was so frustrated that he felt like he was dying, not knowing what to do.

‘The King told me to kill Crony, but how the heck am I supposed to do that?’

Killing Crony was the same as winning the battle against Bariel. But on top of that, he was also told to make sure there were no problems with the relationship with Bariel. …He might as well have told me to walk on water!

‘If I attack Crony now, it’s the same as turning the other tribes into enemies. The alliance is about to break, so what am I supposed to do? Ugh, if I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have even set out on this expedition.’

He knew very well that regretting what had already happened was useless, but all he could do now was this. He blocked the servant trying to come inside, holding onto the tent flap tightly.

“Um, Representative.”

“Okay, just a moment. Tell them I’m still preparing.”

“That’s not it. Another portal has opened in the sky above the Bariel camp.”

“Again?”

The representative opened the opposite tent flap and peeked his head out. It was true. A black aura swirled in the clear sky, creating a night sky-like space. The swirling was definitely a portal made by mages.

‘Did Bariel send another message?’

If so, what could it be? Please, let it be something that can resolve this situation.

Whoosh!

“See, I knew it. You were hiding.”

“Ugh! What is this rudeness?”

“You wouldn’t come out, so I came in myself! Crony’s not here, so let’s talk comfortably amongst ourselves. Huh? You’re the representative, I’m a chieftain. It’s okay, right?”

“This is why the Empire despises you as barbarians!”

When the Astana representative showed no intention of coming out, the chieftains forced their way in. If things went wrong, a bloody incident could occur, so they left their other subordinates behind and came unarmed. The Astana side couldn’t easily lay a hand on the chieftains, so they tried to block them with their bodies, but it was no use. Each of them possessed a physique that could be said to have surpassed the limits of humans.

“The Empire is bowing down to you barbarians now. What’s the problem that you’re not cooperating?”

“They said they’ll only mine Idgal [a rare mineral] to the extent that it doesn’t cause problems with the rift. And if such a large rift really exists, shouldn’t we be aware of it?”

“That’s right! It’s a dangerous area, so we need to be aware of it.”

At the chieftains’ words, the Astana representative stepped back and passionately argued.

“It’s been sealed with Idgal for 100 years without any problems, so what dangerous area are you talking about? And do you trust the Empire? They are greedy people.”

“We can just watch the mining process. Look, friend. Can’t you figure that out?”

If they inform the Imperial Defense Department about the Idgal deposit, they won’t just get money. They will also get Idgal and gain the power to oppose Bariel. One of the major pillars supporting the great empire of Bariel is the mages. If they get their hands on Idgal, they can keep the mages in check, which is the same as exerting the tribe’s influence on the Empire.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime crossroads. Will we remain just a tribe, or will we become a kingdom and rewrite history!”

“At the meeting with Bariel this afternoon, you will give us information about the Idgal deposit. If not, we will break our alliance and consider Astana as our enemy.”

It was a kind of declaration of war. If they didn’t get what they wanted, they would all unite and make them pay the price.

“However, if the deal goes well, we will not forget Astana’s contribution and will surely repay you. You can trust us on the tribe’s honor. If you need specific discussion points, we can do it now-”

That’s when it happened.

“Huh? Huh?”

“Representative! Representative!”

“Come outside! Something big has happened!”

“Chieftain! Chieftain!”

Boooooo-!

Outside the tent, shouts and horn sounds were heard from all directions. What was going on? Everyone was surprised and ran outside, and what they saw was-

“Gasp!”

A red dragon with its mouth wide open, squeezing through the portal. Saliva dripped from between its hundreds of teeth, and it looked like flames were shooting out of its nostrils every time it breathed. Would this be the feeling if a rift appeared in the sky right before the world ended? When the dragon roared, a vibration that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth resounded.

-Kyuuuuuu!

…Kyu?

What was that cry that didn’t match its appearance at all? The soldiers, who had been cowering, cautiously raised their heads and looked closely at the dragon. The dragon popped out of the portal, spread its wings wide, and flew just above the soldiers’ heads.

Whoosh!

“Ugh, ugh!”

They couldn’t open their eyes because of the tremendous gust of wind. While people were covering their faces with their sleeves, the dragon circled in the air a couple of times and then flew back towards the portal.

Swoosh!

“S-Someone else is coming out!”

What kind of terrifying monster is it this time? The soldiers’ faces were pale when they heard a high-pitched laugh ringing in their ears.

“Kyaaaaaa!♡”

A woman with pink hair, stretching her limbs out as she free-fell. As the soldiers watched with their mouths agape, she used magic to land lightly on the lawn.

Thud.

“Why did you go first like that?”

“Where else would I be? Here?”

“We have to bring Ian too.”

“Huh? You were holding him.”

Hale, who followed Ako right behind, looked up at the sky at the same time with puzzled faces. From the start, if Arena knew about this, she might die from high blood pressure.

Swoosh.

Ian appeared from the darkness. It seemed like something didn’t go well since it was his first time crossing a portal. The child pulled his body out with a scrunched-up face, and the portal disappeared in an instant.

Whoosh!

“Ah.”

And then he fell straight down!

Flap! Ian’s clothes fluttered incessantly, and the soldiers, who saw the child suddenly falling, were horrified and ran towards him.

“O-Oh! There! There!”

“I-Is there no cloth?”

“Hey, hey. Look at you guys. When we were falling, you just watched?”

Ako poked the back of a passing soldier and grumbled, but no one paid her any attention. Meanwhile, Ian looked back and forth between the sky and the ground, experiencing the feeling of falling for the first time. The sky was still far away, but the ground was getting closer and closer.

Zing! Zing!

Ian reached out his hand and activated his magic, spinning around a couple of times in the air and landing perfectly.

“Yap.”

It was such a perfect and quiet landing that the soldiers, who were about to spread out a cloth or reach out to catch him, were so surprised that they froze. Ian dusted off his palms and tilted his head, puzzled, looking at the people surrounding him.

“What are you all doing?”

“Ah…”

He was a mage. The soldiers seemed to have lost strength in their legs and sat down. Ian looked around, searching for ‘that person’.

“Ian.”

Crony, who had appeared through the soldiers, was there. He also seemed a little flustered by the unexpected appearance.

Ako and Hale, carrying bags as big as their bodies, stood on either side of Ian and saluted, and Kyu kept shooting breaths into the air.

-Kyuuuuuuuuu!

“I’m Ako, officially dispatched from the Magic Department. We apologize for coming without notice as we have news to deliver and documents to process.”

Thump.

“Ah, I’m a mercenary. Good work.”

Unlike Ako, who was very formal, Hale’s introduction was loose and sloppy. And then Ian. The child reported with a slightly stiff face, as if he had come prepared.

“I’m Ian Hadel, from the Magic Department. Lord Crony, how have you been?”

I came here because you called me. To enjoy the thorny feast you offered me.

Crony repeatedly touched the inside of his cheek with his tongue, then swallowed a sigh and turned his body.

“Inside. You’ve had a hard journey.”

Ako, Hale, and Ian glanced back. Not far away, the enemy’s army was encamped. Although they couldn’t see clearly, it was clear that they were also watching this side. Ian steeled his heart and followed Crony.

* * *

“Okay, repeat after me. What is the most important thing in this mission?!”

At Arena’s shout, Ako cheerfully raised her hand.

“Securing Idgal. A lot, a whole lot, an enormous amount!”

“Wrong! You crazy bitch!”

“I’m a crazy bitch, so I can be wrong sometimes, you know. Okay. I won’t joke around. The most important thing is Ian Hadel’s safety!”

“Good. Hale?”

At Arena’s nod, Hale flicked off the ash from his cigarette and answered indifferently.

“The safe return of Ian Hadel and Ako.”

As a veteran mercenary, he smoothly handled everything from negotiating pay to finalizing the contract. Instead of going to the boring Energes [a class or department], going on a field trip to the North and getting paid dozens of times more was a better deal in many ways, so it was a natural result. Well, he didn’t say it, but he was a little worried about sending Ian alone.

“Confirming the Idgal deposit is next. And then-”

“Taking care of Crony. Right?”

Currently, there is no official justification for arresting or accusing Crony. The deaths of the Minister, the Deputy Minister, and his father are shrouded in secrecy.

“Exactly three days. Within three days, get Crony’s consent to appoint a guardian through Ian, confirm the information, and return. We’ll open the portal exactly three days later, and if you don’t come back then-”

Chiiik.

Hale pressed his cigarette hard with his teeth, and the light flared up. Arena crushed the bookshelf with a file and added.

“I’ll go myself.”

Does Crony know? What it means for Arena to move herself. Ako and Hale, who knew this well as mages, exchanged glances and nodded.

“That’s a killer insurance policy.”

“Understood.”

“But three days is a bit short. Ian’s work is important, but isn’t the Idgal-related stuff also important? Give us a week. I’ll take good care of Ian.”

Ako blew under her fingernails and suggested, and Arena pondered for a moment. Soon, she raised both hands as if she understood.

“Okay. A week. Actually, the time isn’t important.”

If Crony was going to harm Ian, what difference would three days or a week make? And if necessary, they could open the portal themselves and escape.

“One more thing.”

“What is it now?”

“Take Kyu with you.”

At this, confusion filled their faces.

“Why? To ride around?”

“That’s a violation of the agreement, isn’t it?”

It was because of the international agreement that dragons could not be mobilized for war.

“I know. That’s why I want you to take care of Kyu.”

Arena looked at Hale. Soon, the two understood Arena’s intention. If they entrusted the management to Hale, an outsider, they would have an excuse no matter what happened. Avoiding responsibility while having an extra safety net? This is totally lucky, right?

“Okay! But Minister, you worry too much.”

Ako stood up and looked out the window of the Minister’s office into the garden. Ian was drawing a portal magic circle alone among the mages. Everyone was amazed and applauded as if they were fascinated. Ako smiled and added.

“It’s Ian. Even if he’s a child, a mage is a mage, a genius is a genius.”