Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 922

“What’s going on?” Cronie, observing the advance, noticed the soldiers’ strange movements. At his question, his subordinate raised his binoculars, looked, and then frowned. “…It seems to be a barrier.” “A barrier? A mage’s?” Cronie took the binoculars from his subordinate and looked at the Astana camp. It was as if an invisible wall had been erected, preventing the soldiers from going past a certain point. They slashed with swords, stabbed with spears, and even threw boulders, but they only created ripples in the air, causing no damage to the Astana camp. ‘Who could be doing this?’ It probably wasn’t that crazy woman with the bun [referring to a specific hairstyle] or Ian. How could someone from the Magic Department protect the enemy? It must be that mercenary, Hale, or whatever his name was. He wasn’t visible, but it was clear. “Check if there are any mages in the camp.” “Yes, Captain.” Whistle! The subordinate signaled with a whistle to the rear, and a report came shortly after. “Captain, there’s no one there. No dragons either.” “They left first. They’re quick-witted.” This was going to be a problem. Cronie looked at the other tribes retreating in the distance. They were leaving traces so that Bariel could easily follow. ‘As long as the barrier doesn’t go down, confronting Astana is a waste of time.’ It was right to deploy only a minimum force to keep an eye on the mercenary who would come out of the Astana camp later, and the rest should follow the tribes. “Leave one centuria [a Roman military unit of about 100 soldiers] to guard Astana, and the rest pursue the tribes. Hurry.” “Yes, sir!” Boo-ooo-ooo! Boo-oo! At the sound of the trumpet signaling a change of plans, the soldiers’ formation changed instantly. Cronie liked things like this. Hundreds and thousands of people moving at his command to create a single form. Watching that scene filled him with joy from the depths of his heart. If there was a god, wouldn’t he be enjoying this kind of pleasure every day? “And-” Cronie flicked his fingers and instructed his subordinate. “Bring ‘that arrow’.” “Ah.” Although he didn’t specify exactly, the subordinate immediately knew what Cronie wanted. Soon, the subordinate brought an arrow quiver. It was full of arrows. Among them, there was only one arrow with different decorations, and it was an arrow made of a magic sealing stone. Cronie slung the quiver over his shoulder and hung the bow on the side of his horse. “Let’s go.” All the magic sealing stones in Bariel are distributed according to a ratio. Most of them go to the Emperor, then to the Imperial Guard and the Magic Department. Since it was such a rare magic stone, the quantity itself was not large, but the Imperial Defense Department certainly had the authority. And this was the only one given to Cronie. ‘Just one shot.’ The magic sealing stone that formed the tip of the arrow. Whose heart would it pierce? Cronie calculated in his head which would be more beneficial if it hit Ako or Ian. Doo-doo-doo-doo! Ta-dak ta-dak! Cronie and the mobile unit went ahead, cutting through the wind. When he bypassed Astana and caught up, the Northern Alliance forces hesitated for a moment, but soon began to retreat north again. It was then. Hee-hee-ing! The horses that were running shook slightly. They were galloping at full speed, so all that could be heard was the sound of hooves. But even amidst that, a subtle vibration was felt. “Captain, it seems to be an earthquake!” An earthquake? Suddenly in this situation? Cronie smiled as if it was interesting and swung his whip even harder. * * * “Cough! Cough! W-what is this?!” “Aaaah!” The tribesmen near Ako covered their eyes and writhed in pain. Around them, thin, sparkling blue static electricity crackled. Ako grinned and warned. “Hold onto your eyeballs tight. Or they’ll fall out. It’s so tingly and delicious, isn’t it?” “Y-you, you crazy!” “Shut up! Who started it first! This is the improved version of the lightning bomb. The so-called ‘eye-tingling’ attack!” Just like Ako couldn’t move, the tribesmen also covered their eyes and writhed in pain, crouching down. Only then did Ian realize what the lightning bomb he had received from Ako before was. It was a good thing she didn’t use it on people. -Kkyuuu! Kkyu spewed a huge flame into the air. He had copied Ian’s way of erasing shadows with light. As the huge pillar of fire soared as if reaching the end of the sky, Kkyu’s shadow disappeared. And at the same time- Ssssk. The shadows that had been holding Ako’s hands and feet also lost their strength. As she wondered and turned her wrist, the Megetu tribe pointed at the shadows and cursed. “Y-you cowardly cowards!” They were already afraid of Bariel, but after seeing Ako and the dragon’s attack, they had completely lost their will to fight. Whether the Megetu tribe cursed or not, they hid in the shadows of the bushes and completely disappeared. Ako dusted off her clothes and laughed. “Cowardly cowards. They’re smart cookies with great judgment.” “Ugh, I’ll say it again, this is not Bariel’s territory, but our territory. You can’t claim ownership of Idgal.” “Who’s claiming it? What if it breaks while we’re eating it? Who’s going to clean up the mess then? We’ll have to grind our bones and flesh again and suffer. Right?” Or can you guys do it? Can you protect Gaia against the flood of Great Demons or the descent of the Undergod? With a crack of this scale, it’s a disaster level. Ako took an offensive stance again. “Those who want to die, keep coming. I’ll make your eyeballs fall out.” Chak. And the potions she had tucked between her fingers. The tribes hesitated for a moment, contemplating. Then, something caught their eyes. It was a platinum-blonde child standing on the Idgal hill. The child was looking at the ground with a constantly bewildered and fearful expression. “We only need a little bit of Idgal, just a little bit.” “Let’s target that side instead.” “Okay.” The Megetu and Enzargal tribes exchanged signals. The tribesmen whose eyes were still sparkling and tingling crawled back and groaned. “Ian! Make sure the barrier-” Ako was about to turn to Ian and ask him when she noticed something. Ian’s expression was not good. The child was frozen, as if bound by the dark eyes flickering beneath his feet, not moving at all. “Ian!” Why is he like that? Ako shouted, but Ian didn’t seem to hear her. Ian still stared down at the crack with a pale face. There was an abyss there. “Hadel-nim, are you feeling better?” “Of course. I’m fine. If I die, there’s only that young one, Ian, left. What would become of the Hadel family’s reputation?” “…Mother, do you love Father?” “Ian, why are you asking such a thing?” “I’m curious about what love is. Mother, then do you love me?” “That’s a very difficult question.” Small fragments buried in the depths of his memory surfaced, pricking Ian’s heart. Without realizing it, Ian knelt down and looked deeper into the darkness. The past passed by, and the faces of familiar people appeared. “Ian Hadel. You’ve lost your power as a mage. Then you are no longer needed. Please leave the Imperial Palace.” “Come to think of it, isn’t it your fault that my disciple, Zeria, died? Hadel. Leave the Zak mansion.” “I’m sorry, Ian. Grandpa told me not to play with you.” “Ian, I wish you wouldn’t talk to me.” “Are they really nobles? I heard they’re half-breeds.” “The Undergod called that child his own, didn’t he?” “Is he… really a mage?” The world where Arena, Count Zak, Barsabe, Hans and Naum, and even Romandro all turned their backs on him was there. Ian felt like his heart was being torn to shreds, and without realizing it, a single tear rolled down his cheek. “Ian, snap out of it! What’s wrong?” At Ako’s shout, the entire tribe rushed in. Most of them were trying to break Ian’s barrier. Ako hurriedly drew a magic circle and counterattacked. Ziiing! Ziiing! 「Restraint」. Damn it! I admit it. I’m a lab nerd, not a mage specialized in this kind of real combat. Even so, Ako didn’t give up. Because of the intuition that if she didn’t stop them, everything would be over. Chwaaaak! Soon, walls like glass panels fell from the sky with a thud, suppressing the enemies. Large beads of sweat dripped down Ako’s chin. -Kkyuuu! Kkyu, who couldn’t bear to just watch, ran through the middle of the tribe, sending them flying with his body, which was heavier than a carriage. Kwaaaang! It was chaos everywhere. Explosions were going off here and there, and the ground was shaking. Ako didn’t care and continued to cast magic, attacking the tribesmen. Then, from somewhere, there was a sound of something cracking, ‘crack-‘. At this, one piece of information flashed through Ako’s mind. ‘Controlling the crack requires magic stones that nullify magic, like sealing stones or Idgal. But, if you use magic like this near it…’ …She had forgotten a very simple fact. That the crack reacts to magic and creates an even larger flow. Ako eventually took out all the remaining potions and burst them. “Ian, don’t use any magic other than the barrier!” She didn’t know if he heard her properly. Ian, who had seen the entire abyss, hesitated and stepped back. At the same time, the earth shook greatly. Kugugung! Thud! Doo-doo-doo-doo! “E-earthquake!” The vibration was so strong that they couldn’t stand properly. Ako lost her balance and fell, and Ian also slid down the Idgal hill. Kkyu immediately flew up and grabbed Ian’s clothes. Chwaaak! “Good job! But-” Thud! Kuuung! The earthquake was so violent that Ako’s shout was drowned out. As trees fell and the ground twisted, the firmly hardened Idgal cracked and split. The tribesmen lay flat on the ground, watching what was happening. “The crack…” Kwaaaang! A huge darkness erupted from the crack like a fountain. The shattered pieces of Idgal scattered like starlight, and no one understood what was happening. “It burst!” It was only a moment before they sensed the presence of a monster. The crack in the earth caused by the earthquake had broken the Idgal. The power of the Undergod that could cause that earthquake had been activated by the magic of Ako and Ian, but anyway, the Idgal hill was devastated and shattered. “Ian! Kkyu!” Ako flew up and called out to them. As things stood, it had exceeded the level they could handle. They had to inform the center immediately and deploy the entire Magic Department. “Hurry back-” -I’ve been waiting. Ian, my long-standing connection. Ako sensed another presence approaching near the bushes. They were soldiers from Bariel. They were all riding horses, probably cavalry, and they looked around with expressions that showed they didn’t know what was going on. -A toast to a new beginning. Cronie, who arrived next, carefully reached into his quiver. The crack seemed to have broken due to the earthquake, but as things stood, the Magic Department would intervene in earnest. Then, of course… Kkwaaaak. The arrow tip was aimed at the dragon and Ian, who was floating still. It was perfect. It could be said that Ian was accidentally hit while trying to kill the monster. A smile spread across Cronie’s lips. Chwaaaak! A black hand reached out first. It flew past Ian and towards the back. Ian, who thought he would be hit, reflexively turned his head to follow the hand. The Undergod’s target was clear. “…?!” As soon as the arrow left the bowstring, the black hand swallowed Cronie. In an instant, as if he was too delicious.